junkman

Beetlespin gets my vote.

I fish with what I can catch fish with. who cares what the pro's use (no offense). I have bass fished with a Zebco 33 all my fourty plus years with no regrets. yes there is allot better reals out there, but the old 33s serve all my bass fishing needs. I have the older all metal 33 that was in like new condition then put it on a Shakespeare rod. got a little of nothing in the whole setup and would not think about using anything else. Yes I have Abu Garcia's and the like, but I bass fish with only the 33. Check out garage sales and yard sales for sometimes you can get some real bargains. This was were my pole came from. Had a abu Garcia 6500 mounted on it for $15. Reel came out of the Junk yard I used to work at. Would not be afraid to wrassel a 15 pounder with it.

Guys, i have a question that I thought someone out there might be able to help me with. I stopped by a yard sale today, actually it is a guy that buys rods and reels at garage sales then resales them, but he had two vintage Abu Garcia 5500C reels on poles that I baught for $25 each. I bought them for I figured I could maybe sell one for a little more and have the other to use. My question is which one would you keep for a cat fish reel? One is a high speed and the other is not. I never owned a high speed so really don't know its use. I like those older Abu Garcia's for i don't think the new ones are as good. Any info or suggestions appreciated.

Thought i would post this story for those that like to read such things. I will remind you that I am not a writer so grammar and punctuation may or may not be correct. enjoy. Actually don't know if this was the place to post. if not, sorry. The day began just like the many previous days had, HOT. I had again found myself amid the hot sticky days of an Ozark summer. You know the ones; the ones that seem to start draining you at about 10 am and never let up till after dark. At the time I had a lawn care business and to be out in the heat day in and day out takes its toll on the human body. By the end of the day you really didn’t feel like doing much of anything: Anything that is except fishing. My cousin and I were diehards for we lived to fish. Every moment of free time we got you would find us in the ten foot boat on a pond or a small lake doing the thing we loved to do most and that is catch fish. And even though the day was over 20 years ago, it is a day forever etched in my mind. I still remember it like it was yesterday. We had permission to fish a seven acre private lake that was just a haven for monster bass, crappie and even some cats. We knew they were biting for we had been making it our routine to catch all the action the dog days of summer had to offer. We had been catching four or five 3 to 5 pound bass an evening using our favorite method which was top water. It was still a hot evening and the water was dead calm as we slid the little Jon boat out of the truck and into the warm murky water. Attached to my pole, I had my most trusty top water plug money could buy, my Chugger Jr. Actually it was a older one, but try as he would, my cousin could not find anything to compare with the Chugger. As we made our way down the shore line and as my cousin made himself busy working his popper along an old dock, I was getting into position for one of those perfect spots. For located on the dam and at the water’s edge was an old dead elm tree that had had the soil undermined away from its roots by the waves that had beat on it over time. Once in position, I set my Chugger just inches from the washed out tree stump and let it set momentarily as the waves rippled out from its presence. Then came that familiar sound that calls to the senses of suspecting bass, pop pop pop. I had popped it about 20 feet away from the stump when I decided to just reel it in and cast it to another favorable spot, when my heart almost stopped from an explosion that had shattered the late evening calm . Instantly my instincts and adrenalin kicked in for I knew the fight of fights was on. I knew that being in a boat gave me an advantage I would be safe with my 12 lb test, but I could tell by the fight and the explosion on the surface of the water that this bass was Huge. With the initial surge of power this big powerhouse tore line from my reel as I fought to keep him under control. After many yards of line had escaped my real, I managed to get him turned and had began the process of pumping him in. But bass don’t get this big without a few tricks up their sleeve any yes he had a few. He decided to make a bee line strait towards the boat as fast as his muscular frame could muster. I was reeling as fast as my Zebco 33 would go but this mammoth bass was built for speed and indeed he could swim faster than I could reel. And just at the right moment the old lunker made his move. The massive hunk of muscle and flesh made his way to the surface and into view of our searching eyes and then to mid air. Oh what a sight to behold; one of the most beautiful sights you ever laid eyes upon. But with all the slack and the velocity of the shake that preceded from such massive jaws, the Chugger didn't have a chance. All I and my cousin could do is stare in disbelief as my lure flew through the air. I have caught a many 5, 7, and 9 lb bass but from sight I would say it was way over 10. Sometimes it’s not the fish you catch that make up memories, but sometimes the misses as well. Just the excitement of being on the water and being in a battle between man and fish creates memories that last a lifetime. Mark Jenkins PS how amusing it is that we always remember the ones that got away.

My best all around pond bait would be the beetle spin. I have lost a many to a lunker at the waters edge. The white with the red dot seems to be the best.

two totally different lures. In my humble opinion the chugger jr. was the best top water popper made for I have tried almost all. Now for the lucky 13, it is a shallow diving plug. i mainly fish small lakes and ponds and can say that over the years they both have caught me hundreds of pounds of fish. Actually had my taclke box stole that had my chugger in it so I am shopping ebay for another. I've caught more lunkers on a chugger then any other lure. More then I can count on two hands.

i have used about ever popper made and even made my own and while I have had success with the Hula, by far if you can find a chugger Jr. you will have more success. By far the lure that has landed the most lunkers for me. I had one and my cousin didn't I could out catch him two to one with my Jr. He used to rant and rage because of it. I have to say though I only fished small lakes and ponds. Just a great but sickening site to see a 12 pound large mouth nail it then do a classic jump and shake then watch the Jr. come sailing out of his mouth. I could not even count on two hands the 5lb. and above bass Jr. has got me.