| I recently had a conversation with "wonder bread | | | | dehydrated nightcrawlers, that have found their |
| boy" about a serious dilemma he was having.It | | | | way into my fishing arsenal in over 40 years of |
| seems that he has misplaced, lost or surrendered, | | | | fishing.Lord knows, that if the nightcrawler should |
| to his ex, the bulk of his fishing gear.Now, this | | | | ever go extinct, there is plenty of DNA in my |
| alone is a monumental problem in itself, not the | | | | fishing tub to bring 'em back into existence!!All that |
| lost or misplaced part, but the trying to ask your | | | | being said, I am now going to try and simplify |
| ex for something that means absolutely nothing | | | | your life by giving you three simple rules to go by |
| to her but would certainly open up a humongous | | | | when choosing your fishing gear:1) Pick your fish |
| can of nightcrawlers should you attempt to ask | | | | species of choice.Don't try to outfit yourself with |
| for it back..."Hi sweet.""Oh, it's YOU.""How ya | | | | every type of fishing gear. If trout and bass are |
| been?""Cut the chit chat wonder boy, what is it | | | | the predominant type of fishing you do, then get |
| you want?""Well,(gulp) it seems-snookums- that | | | | a good combo outfit that is adequate for both. |
| when you tossed me out into the street and | | | | The same goes for salmon and steelhead, if |
| took legal ownership of all my bank accounts and | | | | these are the fish of choice, outfit yourself with a |
| left me with little or nothing to subsist on in this | | | | good middle of the road combination that will allow |
| world, I, silly me, forgot to grab my fishing pole | | | | you to fish for both. Quite honestly, if you only |
| on the way out.""You want your fishing pole | | | | occasionally go fishing for a certain type of |
| back?""Ahh yeah.""Sure, you can have it back, it's | | | | fish--hire a guide and use his gear, or if you are a |
| out in the garage.""REALLY!""Yes, I have it all | | | | do it yourself guy, borrow and share with buddies |
| boxed up in that nice little shoebox, labeled | | | | who may have multiple outfits.(Like me!!)Don't get |
| @#$&*@#!!+, it's all yours.""Oh."---"Never | | | | me wrong. Different types of fishing really can be |
| mind.""By the way, my lawyer will be contacting | | | | enhanced and improved by having slightly more |
| you about increasing monthly child support, cars | | | | specialized gear and if you decide that you have |
| don't drive themselves without gas you know. | | | | plenty of expendable income... go for it. But if you |
| Have a NICE day...."So, as you can see, not willing | | | | don't, it is just best to decide what kind of fish |
| to risk the ramifications, wonder bread boy was | | | | you really enjoy fishing for.2) Stay to the |
| suddenly thrust into the market of having to go | | | | middle.The old rule of thumb, that you don't want |
| find some new fishing gear.Here in lies the real | | | | to buy the least expensive and you don't want to |
| problem.WBB sidled on down to our local giant | | | | buy the most expensive, certainly applies to |
| cowbird-which happens to be the Blackbird | | | | fishing gear. If you buy your fishing gear at the |
| Sporting Goods store--and walked in looking to | | | | "dollar store" or the Salvation Army, you are |
| replace his spin fishing outfits. Finding replacements | | | | probably going to get what you pay for. On the |
| for the kids was easy, he just grabbed Scooby | | | | other hand, don't be sucked in by the glossy ads |
| and Spiderman combo outfits and knew that the | | | | and goofy graphs and bar charts that show why |
| kids would settle who was qualified to be Scooby | | | | an extra $120 dollars spent on the same $60 |
| and who was qualified to be Spiderman.Finding the | | | | dollar product will have you smiling and holding a |
| right combo for himself was another story.So, | | | | mass quantity of big fish. I have seen plenty of |
| there he stood in the middle of the aisle, staring | | | | good fishermen using good average run of the mill |
| with that "deer in the headlight look", at dozens of | | | | gear, catching as many, or out catching dudes |
| rods and reels that he had not a clue as to which | | | | with high priced fancy outfits. |
| to choose from. Shimano's, Okuma's, Mitchell's, | | | | I have sat in sporting good stores and had |
| Abu Garcia's, Shakespeare's, Penn's, gear ratio's, | | | | salesmen tell me how "sweet" this rod or that |
| ultralight's,micro's,Ugly Stik's,Daiwa's, two piece, | | | | reel is and asked me to wiggle it around, then |
| three piece, sensitive tip, ultimate stiffness, | | | | when I picked up a cheaper rod or reel and not |
| Maxim's,Quantum's....WHEW!!"I just want to catch | | | | felt any difference they looked at me like I was |
| some flippin' crappies."Wonder Bread Boy, turned | | | | from Mars. |
| and headed for the checkstand. The boys got | | | | Most brand name gear today is made pretty |
| there rods, and WBB decided he would bait hooks | | | | well, so you can just pick ---the pretty |
| and watch them fish.All this over stimulation and | | | | one!!3)Don't scrimp on the fishing line.To me, in |
| multitude of choices had him reaching back far | | | | just about any kind of fishing, this is a big key. |
| into his neanderthal tendencies, and he almost | | | | Get the right line, and get good quality. Whether it |
| went home and tied some kite string onto a | | | | is having the right type of fly line, or the right |
| flagpole. Thinking that $70 or $80 was too much | | | | test of monofilament, you will catch more fish if |
| to invest, especially in "crappie futures", he figured | | | | you pay attention to the selection of your lines. |
| he would fashion up a nice "fishing stick" to pursue | | | | Too heavy, and fish will sit there staring at your |
| fish and avoid the trauma of having to decide | | | | line like WBB stares at aisle 32 at the |
| which combo was right for him.It has gotten that | | | | Blackbird.Use floating line when you should sink. Or |
| way.Fishing, like golf or skiing or just about any | | | | sinking line when you should float. And you will |
| sport has gotten way to specialized and seems to | | | | have a nice day casting and/or walking on the |
| require multiple quivers of gear for different | | | | river or lake.I once used a fishing line called |
| situations. You can't use bass gear for trout.You | | | | "Vanish",that was supposed to be the greatest |
| have to have "lake fishing" set ups, "river fishing" | | | | thing since....well....Wonder Bread, and the only thing |
| set ups, trolling rods, casting rods.If you want | | | | that "vanished" was the fish I was catching. Every |
| want to have more fun with 9 inch fish, you have | | | | fish I hooked broke me off. I switched lines and |
| to go "light". Level winds for salmon. Fly fishing | | | | started to land fish after that. So that line has |
| gear for "fly only" waters.You get the picture.It's | | | | now "vanished" from my tackle collection and is |
| maddening as well as intimidating.I myself, own a | | | | now occupying some space at a landfill....And |
| small satellite operation of Cabela's aka "my | | | | vanishing from my tackle collection is obviously no |
| playroom", that will take my daughter at least | | | | small feat!So, get the right line and you can |
| two years to liquidate when I pass on to the big | | | | almost tie it on WBB's flagpole and catch fish. |
| fishing pond in the sky. At last count I had fifteen | | | | (with hook and bait of course...)There you have it, |
| various rods, and way too many reels and extra | | | | Wonder Bread Boy, you are now armed with |
| spools and such. Why I even found a reel I can't | | | | enough information to head into your local sporting |
| even remember purchasing....STILL IN THE | | | | goods store and confidently make a selection, so |
| BOX!!!!!My gosh, I must be like a sleepwalker who | | | | you can fish with your kids.Or, you can wait about |
| wanders into the fishing aisles and starts gathering | | | | 30 years and pick up a nice collection of stuff at |
| up items, only to wake up and not have a clue as | | | | my daughters' garage sale!A.J. KlottAuthor, writer |
| to 'how did that sturgeon fishing rod got in my | | | | of fishing humor,and "fly tack" peddler.A.J. writes |
| garage'!!I've never even been sturgeon fishing.We | | | | about the people,characters and modern day |
| won't even get into the six or seven tackle | | | | events that surround the fishing world. His first |
| "tubs"--not boxes--of lures, flies,trolling rigs, vests, | | | | book is due out in December of 2005. |
| waders, nets, flippers,attractants, baits,and yes | | | | |