Fishing Reels, more in-depth, Part 2:
Ok, let’s see where did I leave off?? Oh, that’s right, I talked about the spin cast and spinning reels now I’ll talk about the bait casting variety of fishing reels.
Bait casting reels. There are a few different type’s of reels that fall into the realm of bait casting reels. There are the ones with level winds, which I feel are much better than the ones without a level wind, I’ll explain more later. You also have the 2 speed type, which are primarily in salt water applications, I wont go into too much detail but the 2 speed reels have a high speed setting for a fast retrieve and a lower gear ratio for hauling in that big ole fish.
To spool up a bait casting reel is very simple. You don’t need any specialized equipment, as a matter of fact a regular ball point pen works fine. Take your pen, poke it through the middle of the spool, attach the line to your reel, place the pen between your toes with the spool in the middle and reel the line onto the reel with the line exiting off the top of the spool, so the spool is actually rolling towards you. When the line is within about ½ to ¼ of an inch from the top its full. Another tip, follow the manufactures suggestions.
One tip with spooling up any reel was handed down to me by my father. While he loved to fish we were by no means rich and even though dad didn’t have the luxury of having a sponsor he would only purchase quality brand line. To save money we would leave some backing on the spool when we replaced line. All this means is when replacing line just remove about half the old line and fill it up with new line. Think about it for a second, no matter how long of a cast you make, the line half way down the spool will not ever see the water so its basically wasted.
When your spooling up is one of the times when having the level wind makes it really nice but in my opinion when your fighting a fish is the time your most thankful for that level wind because you don’t have to concentrate on moving the line back and forth with your finger so it lays on the spool evenly instead of bunching up on one side or the other. As far as I know all of today’s bait casting reels designed for bass fishing do have the built in level wind.
Bait casting reels have come along ways, even since I started using them. The basic ideal of them is a spool that spins on an axis with sealed ball bearings located at least on both sides of the axis. Back in the old days they had bushings instead of bearings, heavier parts and older technology so the reels were not nearly as light and smooth as today’s high tech reels.
One thing I always tell people who want to get one of these reels is to be sure to get a quality one because the cheaper ones are allot more difficult to learn with because they just are not as well built as the cheaper ones. I have more than once had people tell me that bait casters suck and then I’ll let them try one of mine and then they are amazed at the difference between the 2. Its then that they realize quality does make a difference.
Some people think that a spinning reel can out cast a bait casting reel. Maybe this was true back in the older days but it is no longer the case. Today’s reels are capable of casting very light lures along distance. Bait casting reels are however a little more difficult to master but with the advancement of technology of today’s reels it’s a whole lot easier than it used to be however, even with all the updates the term backlash is still a common term with bait casting reels, especially when you try casting into the wind. You must train your thumb to know when to apply pressure onto the spool to slow it down or even stop it when need be.
The technique to cast a bait casting reel is basically the same way as with any other rig. You push and hold the button, bring the rod back over your shoulder and swing forward. Just like other rigs you swing your arm forward and release the line at about the 2:00 position. Now comes the tricky part.
You attempt to make a 50 yard cast however something happens that makes the cast fall considerably short of your intended distance, wind, you released the line to late, whatever. The spool is spinning like mad and you must stop it from continuing to spin or you get what’s called a back lash, or in fishermen’s terms, a professional over run. This is when the spool keeps spinning but the line is no longer going out the end of your rod tip. Trust me, this is not a good thing. You look down at your reel and it’s a mess. This mess is often referred to as a birds nest. Yes, it tends to resemble a birds nest.
When you get one of these you basically have just a few options. If its not all that bad you might be able to pick it out. This can be quite a pain and depending on if the line came to an abrupt halt you might have damaged the line and even though it might appear the line is Ok, by the way, what I’m about to say is from personal experience, you can make a cast, hook a nice fish and the line breaks. Of course this seems to happen most when your in a tournament and that fish that just broke your line with your favorite Lucky Craft crank bait in his lip would have won you the tournament. That is when you wished you had taken the other option to dealing with the bird nest.
The other option I’m talking about is if you have a few rods available to place it into the rod locker, wait until you get home and replace the line then or if you don’t have an arsenal of rigs at your disposal then replace the line right away. Yes, it is can get a little expensive but trust me when I say that the price is more than worth the frustration of breaking a fish off, especially if it’s the fish of a lifetime.
There are a few other ways of using bait casting reels, these are a little more specialized ways of utilizing your reels. Flipping, pitching are 2 techniques that come to mind. Both of these techniques are similar yet different. In flipping you using a set amount of line and fishing pretty close to your targeted spot. Basically you peel off all the line you need, click your reel to engage the spool, and flip your offering into the spot underhanded with a low trajectory so it enters the water quietly.
Pitching on the other hand you do with the line free spooling so you can toss it a little further than flipping but not a real far distance like a normal cast. This is still considered a stealthy technique because it is executed underhanded with a low trajectory just like flipping. In order to utilize this style of fishing you need to have a decent quality reel or you will be picking out back lash’s all day long. Another trick to pitching is to peel off about 20-30 feet of line, maybe a little more depending on the distance you will be pitching, and place a piece of tape on your line. This will only allow so much line to come off the spool therefore if you do get a backlash you will only have to cut off the pre-determined amount of line.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Fishing Reels, more in-depth, Part 1:
Spin Cast reels, Spinning reels, Bait Casting reels, Level Wind reels, AHHHHH! It can all be so confusing for some people. Why so many choices? Which one is right for me? I went over the basics of reels in another post now its time to dig a little deeper.
Seeing how I’ll be going considerably more in-depth into reels I’m going to break this up into 2 different posts. I’ll start out talking about the good old Spin Cast Reels. Chances are this is the type of reel a lot of us first started fishing with. The spin cast reels are very simplistic in design thereby making them very easy to use. Basically you push and hold the push button, bring your arm back, swing it forward, release the button when the rod tip is at about the 2:00 position and out goes the line. That is one of the big reasons kids love spin cast reels, they can be cast a long distance, which kids really enjoy and at the same time they are very easy to use
I know my first reel was a Zebco 202, which I already mentioned. This reel is ok if your doing basic stream type trout fishing or sunfish but it will not stand up to the rigors of big trout or bass fishing but the bottom line is that it was not designed for that. In my opinion, it’s just a great starter reel. There are other spin cast reels that are of a higher quality that will stand up to any fishing situations. Once again, in my opinion the Zebco 33 falls into that category.
Now let’s move onto the spinning reel. Also known as open faced reels because unlike the spin cast reels the spool and line is exposed. With a little practice these reels are quite easy to master and like the spin cast reels you can cast light stuff, lures, baits etc., a long ways. Basically the only difference in casting between these reels and the spin cast reel is your finger. You grab and hold the line with your index finger, flip open the bail, the little metal hoop that holds the line and cast the same way as describer above releasing the line at right about the 2:00 position.
I remember quite a few years back when dad and I went fishing on San Carlos Reservoir, located on the San Carlos Indian Reservation in Arizona. I watched the locals catching fish with line wrapped around a tin can. They would make side armed casts and were able to cast quite the distance and then fight the fish by winding the line back onto the can. Me of course forever seeking knowledge, I questioned him because I was very curious. He explained that he could not afford the fancy rod and reel setup I had but he made due with what he had. It was then that I discovered that the Spinning reel design is very similar in design to the basic rig he was using. It also made me realize that one does not need the latest and greatest tackle to be a good fisherman, but it sure is nice and makes fighting fish much easier when you at the very least have a rod to assist in fighting the fish.
Spinning reels are available in a wide variety of sizes and actions. Everything from ultra light models designed for 2-4 pound test line to extra large models that are made for deep sea fishing with heavy line. I prefer to use a spinning reel when trout fishing, finesse bass fishing with small baits and light lines. A couple techniques that fall into this catagory are split shotting and drop shotting, which I discussed in other posts. Spinning reels are also an excellent choice when the crappie bite is on. While I primarily fish with a bait casting reel I do have a few spinning reels in my arsenal.
Whew, I hope I didn’t bore you too much and you actually gained some knowledge concerning the reels I talked about. Be sure to check back soon when I’ll discuss the bait casting type reels.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Winter time boating safety.
Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts winter time can be a great time, a virtual gold mine, when it comes to bass fishing. During the middle of winter on a sunny day the bite can be exceptional. I have seen more than once that even though the water and air temperature are down right cold the bass action has turned on thus making the cold weather seem not as cold and considerably more enjoyable. But as a fisherman there are precautions that we as fisher people must take to assure a safe trip.
During the winter it is a wise ideal to be sure to take along a fishing partner, not only to have someone to talk to but to assist you in various things throughout the day and to help you should an emergency arise.
Before we even set off to the lake there are a few steps we must take. First, remember to take along enough clothing to be able to dress in layers. You want to stay warm through out the day but at the same time you don’t want to get so hot that you start sweating, remove too much clothing and in turn the wet sweat chills you to the bone. I personally figure there is no reason to dress heavy to stay warm before you leave, that’s what the heater in your vehicle is for. Just be sure to put on the layers before you exit the vehicle. I have found from personal experience that if you get out, get cold and then put on the warm jacket you tend to stay cold.
You arrive at the lake, get dressed appropriately and now its time to prep the boat in the parking lot. First, mare sure you didn’t forget to put the plug into the boat. The water is going to be way too cold to jump in and put it in place. Don’t forget your gloves, head and ears warmth protection, something like a beanie, and some kind of face protection for when your running across the water. I like to wear a full head neoprene barcalave with a beanie on top of that followed up with a set of full face ski goggles. Yes it may seem a little extreme but I stay warm going across the water and it only takes a few seconds to remove it all upon arrival to that first spot.
The following advice I cannot stress to much, make sure you have a personal flotation device for everyone in the boat and make sure you wear them at all times, especially when under power. It could save your life. Trust me, it does not matter how good of a swimmer you are, the cold water alone will take its toll on you but due to the fact that you have layers of clothing on if you do happen to fall into the drink the wet clothing will restrict your movement as well as add extra weight, especially when they absorb water.
Nothing could spoil the day worse than having to call your fishing partners family and telling them that their loved one is in the hospital for hypothermia or worse yet that they drowned. The technology of today’s personal flotation devices, PFD, are light years beyond the old fashioned orange vests of yester-year. They are not nearly as obtrusive and they are actually fashionable.
So now your prepared to launch the boat. You notice that the ramp appears wet from the previous fisherman launching. Pending on how cold it is that water could have frozen over and really be ice so watch your step because you don’t want to slip, fall and hurt yourself. Also if it is ice you will not be able to get traction in your launch vehicle. I found that if there is a dock and its in the middle of the ramp try launching on the other side of the dock.
Launching and recovering are 2 times when its nice to have a fishing partner during the winter time because you can back the boat down to the water’s edge, disconnect the winch strap, hop in and have your partner splash you into the water and pull the truck up into the parking lot versus having to do it yourself. During the warmer months if you happen to get a little wet its no big deal but during the winter getting wet can make for a down right miserable day.
Make an attempt to get out and do some fishing during the colder winter months, you just might be surprised at the results. Have fun, enjoy yourself and be sure to be safe.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Let the feedings begin.
The dog days of summer are over and the morning air is considerably more “Crisp”. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer and this can only mean one thing, old man winter is on his way.
I’m no fish biologist but from years of fishing experience I do know that when it gets colder not only is the forage scarce, crayfish bury themselves in the mud to take a winter nap and baitfish die off in large numbers the colder water temperature causes the bass’s metabolism slows down considerably, they become lethargic so your presentation needs to slow down considerable as well as be more precise. As a general rule for the most part, reaction baits are no longer used during winter so use them now. However like I have said in the past, nothing is written in stone. I have more than once experienced fast action reaction bites during the cold winter so be sure to keep an open eye and mind, even in the coldest days of winter.
Now back to the subject at hand, the fall frenzy. Its during this time of the year that the bass become aware that winter is on its way and its time to put the feed bag on because their food source’s will soon become very limited. I don’t know about the rest of the country but I know in my neck of the woods the action has increased considerably, especially for the bigger bass, as they prepare for the upcoming cooler months. It has once again become that time of the year when fun fishing, reaction baits, excel.
Some of my favorite baits are of course top water, jerk baits and Spinner baits. Top water and jerk baits of course are fished in the good old snap, snap, pause technique. Vary the amount of snaps and the length time of the pause until you start getting bites. When you figure out their pattern, duplicate it. Something of note, don’t forget to throw soft jerk baits, Sluggos, and Flukes in addition to the hard jerk baits.
Spinner baits can also be fished a variety of ways but my favorite technique would have to be to reel them in at a medium speed then stop reeling it, let it die, next to a possible ambush point, a bush, point, whatever. This looks like a bait fish swimming along and dieing thereby triggering the, weakest must die, instinct in bass.
Deep diving crawfish pattern crank baits are another excellent choice this time of the year. Toss them close to shore so when you start reeling their bouncing off the bottom, like a crawfish rooting into the bottom. Toss them out across a point so they come in contact with structure as you reel them in. One of the best tips I can give you is to try and contact the bottom with your crank bait. Yes, you will get hung up more often doing this but at the same time it will increase your bite to cast ratio, just be sure to carry a good lure retriever with you to get back your lures.
If possible, be sure to get out and do some fishing during the late fall, it can be a blast!
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Fish Lately?
That is a common question I get asked so I thought why not ask it back in a slightly different way, it just took a little longer than I expected. Let me explain, it goes back a little.
My birthday is in mid June so sometime around March my wife said she wanted to purchase me a personalized license plate, also known as a vanity plate that would reflect the fact that I am a fisherman. Thus began a quest on what exactly I would like it to say.
Out here in California the plates can only have a maximum of 7 characters, at least as of the writing if this. Of course my first choice was BASSNMN so I logged onto the CA DMV site to see if it was available, of course not. I then tried every variation of it to no avail.
I then posted the question, Help me choose my vanity plate, on one of my favorite online forums, SilveradoSS.com. Everyone on the site knows that I am a bass fisherman as well as the fact that I drive a Silverado VHO, which is a Silverado SS without the body accents. The suggestions poured in but nothing really caught my eye.
I then thought of that popular saying Got Fish and thought of GOTBASS, so onto the CA DMV I went, yep you guessed it, already taken. Then I figured I’d try A different variation of it, GQT BASS, thinking it looked close and as long as the little tail in the Q was hidden by a license plate frame it would look close enough so I started looking for plates with a Q in them to see how they looked. I tried convincing myself that it looked close enough but I just was not happy with the way it would look.
Then I thought about GET BASS, I checked it online and it was available. At this point I figured I had found it. Before I actually placed my order a guy at work asked me it I had fished lately. Fished Lately? Of course I had fished lately, that was a silly question, then a bell went off in my head. FISH LATELY! Now how to narrow it down to the 7 characters maximum. After some thinking I came up with what turned out to be my final choice, FSH L8LY.
After almost a month I finally placed the order sometime around mid April thinking I would get my plate right around my birthday, boy howdy was I wrong. I also went with Lake Tahoe theme plates because they had a lake, mountains and cattails in the background and I figured it looked like a bassy spot. Anyhow, due to budget issues in our wonderful state there were delays in the processing of my plate, which I personally found as strange seeing how it is the prison system that makes our plates. I contacted the DMV and was told it would take at least 5 months, WOW! A little over 5 months passed and I once again contacted the DMV via their 800 number because I had to go into our local office the next day for other reasons and figured I’d take care of it all the same time but I was told that they had no update on the status of my plate.
The following day I arrive at our local DMV office, did I mention in the past that I live in a smaller town? Anyhow, I’m standing in line, which was not that long and its my turn. As I approach the counter, Angie an old friend who works there says that she was just about to call me because my plates had arrived and everyone thought it was great. I immediately took the plates outside, swapped them with my then current ones and surrendered my stock ones back to Angie.
I know this post really does not have anything at all to do with fishing but I just wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoyed reading it because I enjoyed sharing it. If your ever out in California and see an all black Silverado Extended Cab, black camper shell and the license plate FSH L8LY, oh yeah, it also says Bassnman.com on the rear window, be sure to say “HI.”
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Sponsorships, are they worth it?
First off I want to take a minute to give a big thank you to my sponsors for all of their help. Bob at Magna Charger, George at Belltech, Bill at Baer, Tony at Volant, Steve at Trucksecuirty.com, TJ and Ron at TTI Companies the makers of X-Point and Daiichi hooks, Rick at Maxima line and of course my major sponsor Bass’es Choice. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for believing in me, having faith in me and giving me the opportunity to promote your products. The honor is greatly appreciated and I promise I will not let you down.
Now onto the subject of this article. I’ve recently been asked quite a few times, how does one go about acquiring sponsors? How can I get sponsors and so forth. I thought I’d take the time to write a little something to assist others in there quest to obtaining sponsorship.
The first thing I tell people is that getting sponsors and keeping them is a job. It’s not just, give me stuff, thank you, see ya later bye. There are usually contracts with obligations that you must abide by as well as rules you must follow. It takes commitment and dedication because you will have to give up some of your free time to promote their products. You must be willing to advertise for them and be ethical, as well as a good roll model because the bottom line is, they are trusting you with their name.
I know I have worked the Fred Hall Show, which is a major west coast boating show held in Long Beach CA, for several years now in different sponsor’s booths for 2 to 3 days at time. You must be both knowledgeable and personable because you will meet all kinds of people who are attempting to gain knowledge on why they should purchase your product instead of another company’s product. In this, as well as other situations you must be a good communicator as well as be able to read people.
If you agree to the above then it’s on to the next step. Find out who the marketing or public relations person is within the company. This is usually as easy as calling the operator for the company your interested in and asking them. After finding out who they are give them a call, lay out your basic proposal verbally and ask them if it would be OK if you sent them a formal proposal, which I will discuss a little later, for them to review.
Remember, this initial conversation with them is usually the most important conversation you will have. This is when that old saying about making a good first impression really comes into play. If you come across with a bad first impression chances are even if they say they will review your proposal they won’t. Be friendly, be cordial, be professional and be personable.
OK, so you found the person, you feel you made a good first impression, now forward we go to putting together the formal proposal. Here again, be professional. What you’re attempting to do is you convince them that by giving you some kind of assistance you will increase their sales as well as be a good spokesman for them. Never come across like, “Give me stuff” Make sure your proposal is professional as well as interjecting a bit of personality in it.
Remember, they get hundreds if not thousands of requests daily so you need to stand out from the crowd. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, why should I give this guy my product? What’s in it for me? How can I benefit?
With any sponsors you have to sell yourself and it really helps if you offer them something they don’t already have, an avenue for which they can introduce their products to a whole new audience. Follow up with phone calls inquiring if they had a chance to review your proposal? The big trick to this part is to be a little persistent without being pushy.
When you talk to them remember a few of the personal things they might have mentioned about themselves, make notes if need be and the next time you talk mention it. Example, if they say something to the effect that they have not been able to review it because they have a sick child and have not been able to have allot of extra time then ask when would be a good time for you to call back. When you call back or write them use the official greeting, “Mr. Smith”, its more professional, of course if their last name is Jones then don’t call them Smith, then somewhere in the conversation ask how their child is doing, be concerned about them as people and not as just a free ride because allot of them have the ability to see right through the fake people, remember, they deal with people all the time.
This next step is a very important one. Let them make the decision as to what kind of sponsorship to give you. Be it a full sponsorship, free stuff, or a partial one, meaning you get the product at a reduced price, leave it up to them. The way I handle this is when they ask you what you are expecting from them I tell them any assistance they are willing to provide you with will be fine.
Be ready for rejection because chances are you will get more no’s than you will yes’s. However, no matter what the outcome, ALWAYS, ALWAYS remain positive and professional! You would be surprised just how “Tight” the major manufactures are, if word gets out that your pissy with an attitude problem then you might as well write off the possibility of anyone sponsoring you. I have seen it happen to more than one person in the bass fishing circuit.
So, now you have obtained the sponsorship, what next. Be sure to follow through with your commitments and contractual agreements because once you pick up some major sponsors, like I said above the word can get out that you did not honor your obligations to them you can forget about the possibilities of getting anymore.
Another note worthy item is remember that contract you signed? Did you take the time to read the fine print? Did you over look the part where it mentioned that you would be financially liable if you defaulted on the contract? Yes, you are bound by law to pay full retail value for said items. A lot of times when you get a full sponsorship they ask for a credit card number and you pay the shipping of the item so guess what? They have your number on file and they will charge the card. You then get your statement and next thing you know you’re over drawn. Of course all of this can be avoided as long as you follow through on your word.
A great thing about getting a major sponsor is once again the word gets around that you’re a valuable asset and then other sponsors start to approach you asking if they can sponsor you. I currently have several companies that have approached me and I’m contemplating accepting their offers. I have also turned down more than one sponsor because I did not believe in their product or there was a conflict with a current sponsor. That’s another point worth making. You should really believe in and use their products before accepting a sponsorship from any company and be sure to once again read the fine print of the contract you signed, there just might be something in there.
Anyways, always be sure to thank your sponsors when at awards ceremonies, this will attract more sponsors because you can never tell “Who” is sitting in the crowd. I’ve seen times when “Angler A” was sponsored by “Company A” and a represenitive of Company A just happen to be at an event and Angler A neglected to mention company A as a sponsor during the awards ceremony. Of course company a made a note of this and made a point to be at several more tournaments where Angler A was and after a few more times of neglecting to mention his sponsorship with Company A he was let go.
I could go on and on about the do’s and don’ts on this subject but I think I’ve covered the basics involved. In closing let me say that getting sponsors is a great way to not only help cut back on costs of items you would want and need, but In my opinion, it makes one feel good inside knowing that you have reached that level of expertise in the field, that companies have faith enough in you to give you the honor of representing them.
So, my personal answer to the question are they worth it? Yes they are, though it may not be worth it to everyone. I hope I was able to give you some insite.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Make Time to Relax.
Its been a very stressful day at the office, it seems like its been a Monday for 3 days in a row now. Your co-worker is being a jerk and your boss is too busy to care. It seems like everything is breaking and everyone needs their problem taken care of first. The work day finally ends and its off to your safe haven, your home, also known in man terms as your cave.
You arrive home to find that the cooler had stopped working during the heat of the day and its over 100 degrees in your house. You look at the cooler and find that the pump has stopped working so its off to the local hardware store to purchase another. As it turns out the employees also have had a bad day so they are taking it out on you. Then you find that due to a decision by the corporate office, which of course is back in the cooler climates, they no longer stock the pumps because they are out of season. So its off to the the giant Mega Low Mart where you are forced to buy a pump of, lets just say not as good quality to get you through the next month and half of summer.
You arrive back home to install the pump and find that for some reason your automatic garage door wont open. You get inside of the hot box and discover that the electricity is not working so you go to call the electric company but of course without electricity your cordless phone wont work. You use your cellular phone and as it turns out the electric company has shut off the power to your entire neighborhood due to routine maintenance but neglected to inform you.
You try and remain positive, see the glass as half full and just let things go and remain in a good mood but its getting difficult because its still hot in the house even though the power is back on and the house is starting to cool down.
Then you get a call from your significant other and she has been having a rotten day as well because of some jerk that she works with and of course you want to go down to her work and pummel the guy for messing with her but you know if you did that you would end up in jail with a newly umeployeed wife. The little woman in bad mood, which is not a good thing, but with both of you being in a bad mood it is not the time to try and have any discussion because your both being unreasonable.
AAAHHHHHHHHHH! Whats a man to do? Me personally, I toss some food in the slow cooker, hook up the Champion or just put a couple rods and some tackle into the truck, leave a note on the fridge stating, “Gone Fishing” and take off to your nearest body of water. I’m fortunate enough to be the early person at my normal “9-5″ job so my working day ends at 2:00 which even after taking care of things around the house it still gives me at least a few hours on the water
I have people say to me quite frequently just how lucky I am that I get to go fishing all the time and that 
they never get to. I tell them that they have to make time to go fishing, to get out and relax. If you dont take the time to eat, oh sorry, I meant to say smell, the flowers once in awhile the internal stress is bad for you. Yes the price of gas is kind of high but when you need to get away, the financial cost is more than worth it to spend the money for peace of mind.
For me, fishing takes me back to good times. Back when I was a kid and didn’t have a care in the world. When toothpaste and toilet paper didn’t cost me any money, it was a simpler time. Yes, childhood can be rough but compared to all the responsibilities of adult life its actually pretty care free. It takes me back to good times fishing with my father, who has since passed on. I know when I’m fishing I often think about and miss him. He was a great man and role model. No matter how busy he was, working 2, sometimes 3 jobs to take care of his family, he would make time to take me fishing.
So I say to one and all, get out more often. Relax, become one with nature, explore that inner child we all have within us. Make time to relax. You’ll get back home relaxed and all of life’s “Tests” wont seem all that bad. Besides that you can reminisce of your time on the water, even though it might have been just a few hours, because you managed to catch a few nice ones and even if you dont catch any, you still were able to escape from it all, for at least a few hours.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
Redline Technical Groups Jimmi Jammer
You arrive at the lake in the early morning hours. The anticipation inside you of that first bite is so intense you feel like your going to explode, like a kid at Christmas time, and just cant wait to get on the water. You launch the boat and blast off to your first spot or if your shore bound you park your truck, grab out the gear and hike down to the water.
That first bite comes very quickly with many more to follow and you proceed to have that fishing day everyone dreams of. Everything is perfect, the big fish are cooperating, the weather is beautiful and life is good. Nothing could possibly spoil the day.
You arrive back at the boat ramp and tie up your boat to the dock. The huge smile on your face tells the other fishermen what kind of day you had on the water. You proceed up to your truck, talking to fellow anglers along the way. Upon arrival at where you parked your truck you discover that something indeed has spoiled your day. Some low life has vandalized or even worse, stole your truck. What’s a fisherman to do?
Statistics show that on average, if a car thief has to spend much time trying to steal or vandalize a vehicle they will just find an easier target because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves.
Lets see, short of tying Spike and Rex, your pair of crazy 120 pound Dobermans, to your front and rear bumper’s there is not much we can do to guarantee nothing will happen to your truck.
While most of us have some sort of alarm systems on our trucks if a professional car thief really wants to steal your truck nothing can stop it from happening. While you can get the latest state of the art alarm system if the installation job is sub par then the system can be easily circumvented. Of course if you forget to arm your system then it cant do any good but we wont go there.
Do you realize that the most common tool used in vehicle burglary and theft is a screwdriver? It’s fast, easy and doesn’t attract as much attention as breaking a window. The scum bags have figured out exactly where to jam the screwdriver under the door handle and pop the locking mechanism open. Or they can just pop the lock into the door cavity, reach into the hole and unlock the door.
They’ve also figured out how to pop open the hoods on vehicles to cut the power to alarm systems thereby disabling them. With the hood open they can also steal items from under your hood. If you have HID headlights they are very easily removed as well as other items under your hood and can be sold for good money.
Another item thief’s are stealing are tail gates because they can be very quickly removed and sold for hundreds of dollars. I can promise that if you have to replace your tailgate it will cost you well over $500.00 because you cannot buy just the tailgate from a dealer, you must buy the entire assembly.
Enter the fine folks at Redline Technical Group, Inc. located in Mesa, Arizona makers of the Jimmi’ Jammer. Huh? What is this Jimmi’ Jammer? Its a custom formed steel plate that bolts to the backside of your door handle, preventing thieves from prying into the handle seam or punching the lock cylinder into the door. They also have the Hood Latch Jimmi’ Jammer which is made from sturdy black coated metal that protects the hood release cable, and the Gate Keeper which keeps your tailgate with your truck as well as other truck security items.
Installation of these items is very straight forward and easy with very detailed instructions. No cutting or drilling required. Even the mechanically challenged individual can install them with ease. Here are pictures of the Hood Latch Guard and Gate Keeper installed. I didnt take any pictures of my installation of the Jimmi Jammer but it was very easy.
Redline Technical Groups does have very detailed instructions with pictures online here, http://www.jimmijammer.com/JJ%20Installation.htm that make removing your door panel quick and easy to allow the installation of the Jimmi Jammer.
I highly recommend these products for the extra piece of mind they will give you when your away from your vehicle, be it at the lake, the mall, the movies or even out to dinner. Yes, in a perfect world stuff like this is not needed but there is always someone out there who does not believe in hard work and honesty and has no respect for other peoples property.
All of these items as well as other fine security items are available for several car, truck and van makes and models. For more information on all of these fine products and to check for specific applications go to http://www.jimmijammer.com To order them at the best price go to their online store at http://www.trucksecurity.com/
Like I said before, if a thief really wants your vehicle, sadly there is nothing that can prevent it happening. However if you can make it more difficult to get into your vehicle it just might deter them enough to pass on your stealing your ride.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
We want steak! Fishing with live bait. Part 2
One is to first locate them by looking for balls of bait on your depth finders then use small weighted trout flies to catch them one at a time, kind of a pain. Another way is to net them with a fine mesh long handled net. One way of doing this is to basically chase the shad into the back of a cove, then use some kind of long pole to corral them into the net. Alot of people out here use swimming pool skim nets and minnow nets with large openings modified with long handles. Once you catch them place them into your livewell and turn the pump on to keep them alive.
Rig the shad just like you would any minnow, through the top lip and out the top of the head, here again making sure you do not pierce the brain or you have dead a fishy. Note that I just said the top lip, you dont want to hook both top and bottom lips because this will restrict their breathing and result in, yep you guessed it, dead fishy. While it may be true that you can still catch fish on a dead fishy I personally feel you will catcg more on a bait that is alive.
I use either a size 6 or 8 light wire circle hook, yes it is a rather small hook but remember, shad are very delicate creatures and will die easily so handle them with care to keep them active. Toss them out with either no weight or a small weight and let them swim along.
The same basic setup applies for minnows. Me personally, when I use minnows I target crappie. I use a small bait holder hook, size 8 or 10, hook them through the upper lip, attach a small split shot and at times attach a bubble. I prefer the clear bubble myself, they are a little more difficult to see than the old fashioned red and white ones but if they are hard for me to see then they are hard for the fish to see.
Onto water dogs or water dawgs also known as salamanders. I’m not sure about your part of the country but out here in California it is no longer legal to use them as bait, welcome to the land of fruits and nuts, HA! They used to be a very effective bait, I’ve seen people catch a bunch of big bass on them.
Me personally I used them once when I was a kid fishing with my dad and didn’t use them ever again. There was just something about the little noises they made when you hooked them made me feel sorry for them so I remember emptying the bait bucket into the lake and saying “Be Free!!” I also remember that dad was not real happy with me that day. When the conditions are right I do throw a custom poured soft plastic water dawg that looks just like the real thing and the way I rig it the thing swims and looks just like a live dawg but this post is about live bait so I wont go into detail here.
Rigging the dawgs is very basic. A size 2, 4 or even as small as a 6, bait holder hook and thats it. Dont forget to put the dawg on the hook. Some peple hook them through the lips, some hook them in the thick part of the tail so they swim away from you. Cast them gently and feed line out so they can swim.
Next I’ll discuss worms. Here we have several different types, the size large earth worm or night crawler if you will, the dillies, which are also known as baby night crawlers, just a smaller size of the big uns, brown worms, etc.
When rigging worms I like to use a small bait holder hook once again. Like before, pending the size of the worm will dictate the size of hook. Anywhere from a size 4-8 in my opinion is the correct size to use. I like to rig them basically the same way as one would hook a Texas Rigged plastic worm, in the head, back out then back into the worm. Of course in the case with live bait you would have the hook come all the way out unlike the plastic version where you would leave the hook inside the worm making it weedless. I then attach a small split shot, without ears of course, anywhere from 12-24 inches from the hook, let the fish tell you how they want it.
As to how the hit feels, if you get quick taps, like a machine gun, then chances are it’s a little fish just chewing your worm piece by piece. Normally a bass will suck the whole worm in head first, that will be the initial tick you feel. He will then proceed to swim off as he attempts to swallow the worm, this is the pressure you feel. When you feel the pressure, just like with anything your fishing with, take up the slack, point your towards the water and set the hook.
Onto the lowly cricket. These little buggers work especially well for trout. Use a small bait holder hook, size 10 or even 12 and once again a small earless splits hot weight.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
New Suspension Upgrade Part 2. Belltech 2/2 Lowering kit.
First off, a big Thank you to my sponsor Belltech for providing me with the suspension components to upgrade the ride quality and performance of my suspension, with that lets proceed.
Click on pictures to view full sized. Use back button on your browser to return.
In my last vehicle upgrade post I replaced my shocks with the new Belltech Street Performance shocks, I did not have all the components for the entire suspension upgrade at the time so I just did the shocks. The Street Performance shocks alone made a noticeable difference in the ride quality and handling characteristics of my truck.
Now for part 2 of my Belltech suspension upgrade. When I inked my sponsorship from Belltech I was asked how low I wanted to go. In the past I had considered lowering my truck but seeing how I go fishing while hauling a bass boat as well as driving down dirt roads I needed the ground clearance when I went off road. While I’m sure I could have gone lower I opted the 2/2 kit to lower my center of gravity a little to improve the handling. The fact that the lower stance looks nice is an added benefit.
For my system I got the Spindles, part number 2508 for the front end and shackles, part 6400 for the rear as well as the Sway Bar set part number 5405. These part number listed are for my 2005 ECSB with the Silverado Performance Package. It is basically a 2wd SS without the SS accents. Also known as the VHO, for the motor which is the Vortec High Output 6.0 LQ9.
For my installation I contacted Guy at AV Sport Truck & Off Road Center in Lancaster CA to arrange the installation. Lancaster is about 90 miles to the south of me and the wife wanted to do some shopping so we decided to make a day out of it.
Here is a picture of my truck sitting in front of his shop prior to the installation of my Belltech 2/2 drop.
The installation is pretty straight forward and the directions that are provided make it very simple so I won’t go into too much detail on the specifics.
Lets start with the front spindles. First of course you must remove the stock spindles. This will include the brake caliper and rotor as well as the hub to 
get to the spindle. The extra bracket you see is the caliper relocation bracket for my Baer Eradispeed Plus 1 braking system.
Here we have a side by side view of the stock spindle and the Belltech 2508 spindle. You can see the difference between the 2.
The only issue we ran into was the splash shield needed to be slightly trimmed, this was not because of the Belltech Spindles, it was due to the caliper relocation bracket’s lower bolt not being able to go in. Not a problem, a dremel with a cut off wheel and about 1 minute and the installation process went on.
Here is a picture of the completed 
spindle install, for those that noticed, yes I installed some stainless steel brake lines while I was at it.
On to the rear shackle install. This process was very simple, swap out the stock shackles with the Belltech ones. If you have a tow hitch removing it makes the removal and install of the shackles much easier.
Here is the stock shackle being removed.
Here is a comparison of the Belltech and stock shackle
About the only thing I suggest you watch for is to be sure to follow the directions as to the shackle install orientation. While it may appear wrong, look like they are backwards, it is not. This was something that Doug, the installer, told me was a common made mistake. Bottom line, put the new shackles in the same way the old shackles were before you removed them. Here we have the Belltech shackle installed.
That’s pretty much it. The total time for install was not quite 2 hours total, then again AV Sport Truck specializes in the type of install so they knew all of the little issues they might encounter along the way. The included install instructions are very well laid out and make the install pretty simple. I believe that if a person were to tackle this job it would probably take maybe 4 hours, as long as they have the correct tools.
Another thing worth mentioning is when you install any new spindles it will alter your front end alignment so be sure to have a front end alignment done as soon as possible to avoid the front end wobble and uneven tire wear.
While I was at it I had my TA Performance Rear End Girdle and ARP Bearing Cap stud kit to help strengthen and cool the rear end. The added benefit of looking great is also a big plus.
Once again, for the observent people out there viewing this picture, this picture was taken before its installation was complete. Thats why the brake line is just kind of hanging there as well as the cover missing 2 bolts.
Where is the write up and pictures of the sway bar’s being installed you may ask. Due to the fact that a certain delivery company did not get them to me in time to have them installed at the same time as the lowering kit, the installation of them will be delayed until sometime in the near future.
Here is an after picture of my truck in pretty close to the same location as my before picture.
On to my impressions. First off, I believe that it does look nicer with its slightly lower stance, not to low for functionality yet still slightly noticeable. Onto performance. Now remember I went out of town for the install. Between the town that I live in and Lancaster there is a short cut road that has some nice tight turns. On the way there I once again put the Belltech Street Performance shocks to the test and they continued to impress me over my 2 year old Edelbrocks. I purposely drove hard into the turns to really evaluate how the suspension felt prior to installing the drop.
Now the ride home after the install. On I-14 the ride was still just as smooth as it was on the way down, which was to be expected. Then we came to the Garlock short cut. Again I drove hard into the curves to see if it felt better and to my surprise it did. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it was like night and day but I honestly did notice less body roll due to the lower center of gravity. Does it now handle better than my Monte Carlo SS? Umm, sorry to say but no it does not. It does however handle fantastic for a full sized extended cab truck with a camper shell.
On a side note, I don’t know if the drop had anything to do with it but I did get better gas mileage coming home than I did going down. Has anyone that has already lowered their truck experienced this? I know I drove just as fast as I did on the way down as well as hard into the corners. I’ll have to post this question on an on line forum I frequent, SilveradoSS.com and see what kind of response I get from the guys there. More than likely it was just a fluke but who knows. I’ll be sure to do a follow up with my findings.
As of this posting I have not hooked up the Champion bass boat to see how the suspension handles it but like I said before in my shock install post, I truly don’t believe there will be any issues. Here again, I’ll post a follow up a little later down the line.
I would highly recommend this suspension upgrade to anyone wanting to improve their performance and ride capabilities of their truck, trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
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