Hi Folks,
Today is Halloween. Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins, and all sorts of other scary creatures and situations will have their day. With Halloween in mind we decided to create a Halloween “scale” that we can apply to situations and incidents that happen while fishing. Spooky is level one, Scary level two, Frightening level three, and “Heart Stopping” the worst – level four. Here’s a list of things that happen while fishing and our take on just which level of Halloween discomfort applies. We hope you enjoy it:
Your wife gives you a pink “fishing shirt” for your birthday and you actually like it and how you look in it. You think it highlights your complexion and makes you look thinner and younger. Scary.
The morning is beautiful and looks like the perfect day for fishing. You get on the water, the sun is warm, very little wind, and the perfect temperature. As soon as you get on the first spot the wind immediately comes up, the sky darkens, the temperature drops precipitously, and rain begins coming down in sheets. Spooky.
Suddenly your rod bends over double and your set the hook. The fish begins peeling out line as you pump the rod trying to gain some ground. The line continues to spool off. You tighten the drag down yet the line keeps running off. You tighten the drag some more just under what you think is the breaking point for the line. You look down as the last of your line disappears into the water. Spooky.
A snake appears in the water close to your boat. It suddenly turns and is now back by the transom. You can’t see it. You move closer to the back and now see the snake coming up the lower unit of your outboard. Heart Stopping!
You make a cast and immediately begin your retrieve but there’s nothing on the other end. No lure, no terminal tackle, nothing. Spooky.
At 6:00 PM on the busiest Interstate highway your boat trailer wheel bearing fails and the wheel almost comes off as you try and find a place to pull over. The shoulder is very narrow. The speed limit is 70 mph for oncoming traffic. Frightening!
It’s 5:00 AM and you are taking your wife fishing. She takes over an hour to “fix herself up” and get ready doing her hair, makeup, etc.. You both know that as soon as you are on the water her hair will blow all over the place, her makeup will run, she’ll be putting worms or minnows on hooks, and should she catch anything she will be taking fish off the hook and releasing them over the side of the boat then wiping her hands on her jeans. Spooky.
At the boat ramp you release the winch line, undo the tie downs, back the boat in the water, and tie up as you park the trailer. As you take off from the ramp the boat seems reluctant to plane off like normal. You then realize you forgot to put the drain plug in. The ramp is a mile away and the boat trailer parked. Frightening!
Flying back from a week’s fishing trip you claim your bag and proceed to the parking lot only to discover your car is not there. You call your wife, kids, friends trying to find it. They know nothing. You contact airport security who confirms it was towed. You ask why and are told it was left in front of the terminal a week ago. You realize in your excitement to go on your fishing trip you forgot to park the car. Scary.
For a fishing day-trip you grab one rod and reel. When you arrive at the lake you realize the rod is a casting rod and the reel is a spinning reel. You try and make do and end up catching the largest bass you have caught that year. Spooky.
The fish finder is marking some big fish as you approach the spot. You rig up and make sure everything is in place as you gently lower the trolling motor over the side. When you hit the foot control the motor hums but nothing happens. You pull the trolling motor back up and the prop is gone. Scary.
After making what appears to be a perfect cast you look down at the reel and see one of the worst bird’s nest you have ever had. You pull on one loop and the mess untangles completely. Spooky!
Up at 5 AM and ready to head to the lake for a day of fishing your wife pokes her head in the bathroom and says, “I’ve made you some breakfast so you won’t be hungry when you get to the lake.” Spooky.
At the boat ramp you check everything on the boat, untie the tie-downs, back the boat into the water where you can launch and as you settle into the seat ready to start the outboard discover you don’t have the boat keys. They’re back in your garage. Duh! (OK, we added this one)
A friend invites you to fish for marlin in northern Peru and says the guide is pretty old. Arriving at the boat you see a dilapidated 20 ft skiff and a weathered, feeble looking old man who is apparently your captain and guide. As you leave the dock he smiles and pulls out his wallet and shows a small picture of himself, a HUGE marlin and his client, Ernest Hemingway. Scary.
Having fought a 50″+ musky for 30 minutes your daughter positions the landing net as the fish slowly complies and swims into the net, looks up at your daughter with sad eyes, and then shakes it’s head one last time. The lure hook catches on the net and the fish swims out, stops momentarily as if to say “thanks”, and then slowly swims away. Spooky.
Smallmouth bass are stacked like cordwood on the ledges of a beautifully clear northern Canada shield lake. They are big and there are hundreds of them that you can easily see from the boat. You calm down and start throwing crankbaits, spinners, plastics, you name it but they refuse to hit. This happens for a week although you try almost everything in your tackle box at all hours. Spooky.
While fishing for Florida bass on a golf course lake, a kid down the bank is using a hook and bobber on an old pole with a Zebco 33 reel. You see him hook a fish that he eventually lands. It’s at least a 10 lb. largemouth. You ask what bait he was using he says “a piece of hot dog”! Scary.
Casting crankbaits toward the weeds an errant cast hooks your wife in her face. She calmly mentions you have just hooked her. She seems unaffected but asks you to get the hook out. You do in a semi-panic mode. She never complains or gets mad. Spooky.
Well, as I suspect you have guessed by now all of these incidents actually have happened to me over the last 50 years or so. There are plenty more like this, but since this is a newsletter rather than a book those will have to wait for later. If there’s a moral to all of this it’s simply that fishing can be lots of fun, but at times spooky, scary, frightening, and even heat stopping. But it’s a great sport and as you can see provides not only great entertainment and rewards, but some pretty good stories as well.
We have some really awesome new products we’re introducing this issue. We also have more Field Tests from out trip this month to Florida as well as some other news that we think you will enjoy this issue. Once again we thank all of you for your support and making our days so much fun. Have a great Halloween and try and avoid all the scary stuff!
Tight lines,
Tom Ashby
The World’s BEST Cooler’s are Now In Stock…………….
Until this year we figured all coolers (ice chests) were basically alike. They kept stuff cold (or hot) for the day and that was pretty much “it”. They had handles that broke, lids that came off, and drains that were often “iffy” at best. Sure, they were not that expensive, but basically were good for a season or two if you were lucky before they began to fall apart. They were a “throwaway” product. Then, at ICAST this July, we discovered Engel Coolers. Engel is the original “Super Cooler” and has some fantastic features, which you would expect for the premium price they command. Folks, I can now tell you there are coolers and then there are Engel Coolers. And there is a Huge Difference between the two.
The Engel Coolers have much thicker sidewall and top and bottom insulation. More than twice as thick as Igloo’s or Coleman’s. They are all “roto-molded” which in plain English means they are as rugged as they come and actually “bear proof” for those of you who need such a feature. This same process is used to make the higher quality kayaks. Basically indestructible. The lid has a commercial grade air tight freezer gasket that creates a super positive seal so there are no leaks that allow warm air to get inside. They have great marine grade latches that are flush when closed and do not create any sort of obstacle or “catch”. This is a feature unique to Engel Coolers and we think is a very important feature for fishermen (and fishing lines). Finally, all Engel Coolers have a full length integrated lid hinge with a self-stopping feature that keeps the lid from going back more than 90 degrees. Another great feature in our book.
Other unique features incorporated in these premium coolers include the four non-skid, non-marking feet, one on each bottom corner. Until now we never realized just what a great feature this is. There are also two locking holes, one on each top front corner, a non-skid lid, and molded hand grips as well as conventional rope handles. Additionally there is a great drain plug and a pitched, self draining trough in the inside cooler bottom. Yea, we never really thought about all of this, but now that we have used an Engel Cooler we wouldn’t use any other brand.
Before actually taking the Engel Cooler line on we bought an Engel as well as a Yeti cooler to test each in the field. We took our 65 quart Engel and Yeti to Minnesota in August and had them in Florida for the three weeks we were there testing tackle this month. If you’re used to Igloo or Coleman coolers then you are in for a BIG surprise when you try an Engel. We iced down the Engel one Monday morning and 5 days later still had about half the ice we started with! This was after opening the cooler many, many times over the five days! Daytime temperatures were usually about 80-85 and at nights we saw between 65-70 degrees. The coolers were always left outside. Unfortunately the more expensive Yeti didn’t perform as well. This can be confirmed (with a LOT of additional information) by talking a look at the cooler test conducted by Practical Sailor magazine. See: http://www.engel-usa.com/PS0908_BigCoolers_reprint0808_WEB.pdf This article makes it abundantly clear that Engel Coolers are the BEST coolers on the market. And as we said, out field test certainly confirmed this in spades!
We now have ALL SIZES of Engel Coolers IN STOCK. They are available in 35, 65, 80, 123, 146, and 320 quart sizes. Prices range from $239.00 for the 35 quart to $839.00 for the magnum 320 quart model. Expensive? Yep, but once you own one of these we guarantee that you’ll never go back to the “throw-away” coolers again. USA shipping is FREE. Engel also offers some great accessories such as bait trays, cutting boards (for bait trays), and seat cushions for all models which we also have in stock. All coolers and seat cushions are marine white. The bait trays are .080 powder coated aluminum and fit 35, 65, and 80 quart coolers. Just visit our web site to see the complete selection of Engel Coolers and Accessories.
Our promise has always been to only offer you what we deem the Very Best of the Best products. We certainly think Engel Coolers qualify. Folks, these are what we call “lifetime coolers” and will be the last cooler you ever buy. They’re that good!
Fillet Fish? Take a Look at our New Line of Northern Maple and High Density Polyethylene Fillet Boards………………
I don’t know about you, but I love to eat fish, especially those we have caught ourselves. Of course, this means they have to be cleaned and filleted. And this is where it can get unpleasant. Sometimes we actually have a level surface we can use, but more often it’s makeshift at best and can be downright frustrating. We’ve used wooden paddles, railing boards, rocks, you name it. The more awkward the surface the poorer job we seem to do with the fillet. So when we “discovered” these neat boards we saw an answer to what we think is a common need; a good, clean surface for filleting your catch.
These great fillet boards come in either Northern Maple wood or HDPE (high density polyethylene – kinda’ “food grade” white plasiticy stuff) with some really great features. The Maple boards come in three sizes; 12″ X 24″ X 1 ¼” thick with one built-in knife storage slot, 12″ X 24″ X 1 ¼” thick with two built-in knife storage slots, and the large 12″ X 36″ X 1 ¼” thick with two built-in knife storage slots. The HDPE boards come in three sizes; 12″ X 24″ X ¾” thick with one built-in knife storage slot, 12″ X 24″ X ¾” thick with two built-in knife storage slots, and the large 12″ X 36″ X ¾” thick with two built-in knife storage slots. All have a threaded metal receiver for the patented “knolt” fish holder which is also included with each board. Every board will easily accept our World’s Best Fillet Knife.
All fillet boards have deep fluid rings around the outer edge. Every board is the highest quality and is made in the USA which makes it even better. Prices range from $59.99 for the smaller HDP boards to $129.99 for the largest Northern Maple board. We also carry the clamp-on Quick Fillet Tool ($14.99) as well as Wood Balm ($9.99) for use on the maple boards. All boards and accessories are in stock and can ship immediately.
Like we said, we think these fillet boards and accessories answer a need more than a few of us have. We’re sure you will agree once you buy one of these yourself!
Coming Soon – The BEST Landing Net You Have Ever Seen………………
Nope, we can’t tell you much yet, but within a month or so we will be receiving what we think are the best quality and most innovative designed landing nets we have ever had the opportunity to use. We had a prototype in Florida this month and every time we used it were even more impressed. We think that this will be one of the top “must have” products of the year and one every fisherman will want in his or her boat.
We would love to tell you all about them, but for now just take our word that a really special product is about to be introduced. It’s innovative, so well made, and something we think you will be as enthused about as we are once you have one. Like we said, it’s about 30-45 days away, so stay tuned and watch our newsletter for the introduction.
Shimano Stradic CI4-3000F and CI4-4000F Spinning Reels Now In Stock………….
At ICAST in July Shimano introduced two new sizes of Stradic CI4 reels – the CI4-3000F and the CI4-4000F. These two larger sized reels just now arrived and we have to say they are just as impressive as their smaller CI4-1000F and CI4-2500F. Extremely light and so well made. The CI4-3000F ($209.99) weighs in at a paltry 7.2 oz., the CI4-4000F ($219.99) just slightly more at 9.3 oz. Both of these new models have 7 bearings, great gears and drag, and well balanced handles with EVA Power Grips.
We think these reels really match up well with both the freshwater as well as saltwater G. Loomis rods. Put one on a new NRX and you’ll have to watch it so it doesn’t levitate out of your boat! They’re that light! Kidding aside, these reels have some great guts and from what we’ve seen so far can handle far more than you would think. They’re definitely more than a pretty face!
Our supply is limited and we expect these will be in a backorder situation until well into the early summer of next year. So, if you’re looking for a great spinning reel that just says “quality” and “value” all the way consider getting one of these ASAP. We can guarantee you will be very pleased!
Field Tests:
G. Loomis NRX 803S JWR – We figured “what the heck, let’s try this rod in saltwater” and so we did this month in Apalachicola Bay in Florida. Having used the NRX rods already we had a pretty good idea what it would be like. The sensitivity is bizarre to say the least. Like no rod we have ever experienced. Just electric! We coupled the rod with a Shimano Stradic CI4-2500 which was a bit small for saltwater, but going after speckled trout it was more than adequate. Using 10 lb test Sunline Super FC Sniper we were tossing some Rattle Traps and other “attention” crankbaits. Given the proliferation of weeds in the water this became a bit trying after a while, but we persisted.
Since the NRX rods are made for freshwater we had smaller inside diameter guides than would be found on a saltwater rod. But other than this the rod was perfectly at home in the salt. We really didn’t take advantage of the sensitivity but sure appreciated the rods power and action. It handled every fish with ease and did a great job of allowing our lures to work their full range. The components are first class and basically unaffected by the salt. Casting is fantastic, even using some pretty well twisted fluoro which we ended up with after a couple of weeks. These NRX rods are so light that you almost feel like treating them delicately, especially with the super light Stradic CI4-2500 coupled to the rod. No need. These rods can handle “tough love” with unbelievable finesse. For light to medium light saltwater fishing this rod will certainly be close to the top of our list.
Shimano Thunnus 6000CI4 and 8000CI4 Spinning Reels – Yea, we like these bad boys a lot! We had them coupled to several models of the new G. Loomis IMX surf rods and it was like they were made for each other. The IMX surf rods are in a class by themselves, so when you add one of these brand new CI4 Thunnus reels it just doesn’t get any better. There are actually 4 models: The 4000CI4, the 6000CI4, the 8000CI4, and the 12000CI4.
Ergonomically, these reels are beautiful. But, ergonomics don’t catch (or land) fish – good design and good guts do. The Thunnus CI4 spinning reels have both. The new handle is a 1,000% improvement and so comfortable and powerfully transmits the fisherman’s effort to results. The Thunnus 6000CI4 dropped about 1/3rd of its weight with the new design. You can sure appreciate this in your shoulders and arms after a day of casting. The Thunnus 8000CI4 is a new size for Thunnus and weighs in at a remarkably light 19.4 ounces. With the light weight of the Loomis IMX surf rods the combo has to be the lightest available. Frankly, we don’t think anything else even comes close. We had these reels spooled with Power Pro 65 lb braid and a mono shock leader and they just casted forever. We actually had to look down several times to make sure we hadn’t thrown all of the line off the reel! Now those are L-O-N-G casts!
Beyond the much-improved handle and the reels’ good looks there are many other serious improvements over the older Thunnus reels. A better drive train, better gears, better (and stronger) drag, more bearings, and a balance that is totally unexpected in a large saltwater reel at this price point. All reels also have the Baitrunner feature. We don’t know much about manufacturing or cost accounting, but it seems these reels are way under-priced given how they perform. If you’re looking for one of the most featured saltwater spinning reels available, the Thunnus CI4 spinning reels are for you!
Daiwa Saltist STT6500H Spinning Reel – It’s big and for its size lightweight at 24.4 ounces. It’s fairly inexpensive at $229.95 given its size and features. We coupled this to our largest and longest G. Loomis IMX Surf Rod, an IMX 1325-2S SUR which is 11′, medium heavy power, moderate fast action. The rod handled the reel just fine, but honestly the reel was somewhat of a disappointment. Now this conclusion may be influenced by using the Shimano Thunnus CI4 reels alongside this HUGE reel, but to us it felt outdated and just BIG. We are not great fans of the manual bail although many of you prefer this feature. Personal preference aside, this is a FAST reel with a supersonic 6.2:1 retrieve ratio. We had to be careful we didn’t bring our jigs and lures back too fast. But, when we had a fish on this feature was appreciated.
The reel is obviously made for saltwater and a basic no-nonsense design. We spooled it with the same 65 lb Power Pro braid and a 36″ mono shock leader. Casting was OK, but not spectacular. This may be because we were using lures at the lower end of the rod’s lure weight rating. But our opinion is the reel was more at fault than the lure weight or rod rating (which is ¾ to 5 oz lures). Our lures were between 1 ¼ oz to 3 oz. The drag is smooth enough, but seems a bit jerky when set for less drag pressure. This may be because the reel was new and really hadn’t been used before. Still, it should have been consistent at any drag setting(s). This reel has full time anti-reverse with no options to turn it off. I suppose this is a desirable feature, but there are times we would have liked to have had a choice. Overall we still think this reel offers huge bang-for-the-buck value. Think of it as a poor man’s Van Staal that may or may not be as durable.
Shimano Waxwing Jigs – We took a fairly big assortment of Shimano’s new Waxwing jigs with us and were glad we did. These “jigs” are deceptively light vs. their size and bulk. The “Boy” jigs are just over 3 oz and the “Jr.” jigs just over 4 oz. We expected them to weigh more given their 3 ½” and 4 ¾” respective size. They have a great, extremely sharp double hook that needs to be handled very carefully. Our hands and fingers are testament to this. These jigs seem almost indestructible to us. The finish is deep and we think it would take some serious abuse to render them useless.
When retrieved straight or worked like a jig these are serious fish getters! They swim from side-to-side or flutter when worked properly. Redfish, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, and even croakers would attack these. Even trash fish such as lizard fish and pinfish went for them! We didn’t have any luck with pompano (which were running) but if Shimano made these one size smaller we have no doubt pompano would also succumbed to their allure. The swimming action is perfect. With the color selection available we think every fisherman, saltwater or freshwater, needs some of these in their arsenal. Two of our pros will soon be testing these on largemouth bass! Overall a wonderful new product. It’s easy to see why they won Best Hard Lure at this year’s ICAST show.
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