Saturday at Cabela’s
Cabela’s was bustling on Saturday as they kicked off the begining of their “Spring Expo”. Most of the traffic came through the fishing, marine and hunting departments. As busy as I was, working in the fishing rod section for one of the manufactures, I still managed to wander a bit during lunch to some of the other areas of the store.
One of my favorite departments has always been the furniture area upstairs. It always amazed me how so many different fish/fishing themes can be worked into furniture designs. The ladies that work up there are “good people”. They know their product, and can work with any type of “outdoor” interior design you might have in mind.
Time was running out on my lunch break so I went to the Bargain Cave before heading back to the rods. This area behind the mountain, in the back of the store always seems to have that “one” cannot do without item everytime I go there. It might be an end of the season, store closeout, customer return or manufacturer discontinued item, but the price is almost always worth walking in. I prefer to use baitcasters over spinning reels, and I have bought quite a few of mine out of the cave in past years. People see “the pros” on TV using them every weekend on the bass tour shows, so they would rush out and get them at the store. I mean good quality reels, basically in the hands of inexperienced anglers. They would get so flustered by the backlashes that they would give up, and just return them. If you arent sure about an item, dont hesitate to ask the employees back there, or actually take the item back to the fishing or marine department and have one the outfitters there go over it to see how it performs.
I didnt have the opportunity to attend the bass seminar, but was glad I did make the walleye trolling seminar put by the Mack’s Lures pros. It was everything I thought it would be and a bunch more. Some excellent tips were given on both technique and equipment. One was using 40 lb Power Pro, which is the only company out with a 40 lb line, with the dive chart recomended 10 lb diameter.
Thanks to all the people who walked up and said hello. It was amazing to run into 20 some individuals and couples who remembered me from days working at the store. The vendors and pro staff personel were out in force to answer any questions that customers might have had about their products. All in all, a good day for those who came out.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I’ve been reading your blogs and very much enjoy my weekly fix of local fishing you have been providing. I also spent some time at Cabela’s last week for the sole purpose of buying a Super Caster 230 spinning reel. I understand your preference for baitcasters but you must understand my first fishing experence was with a metal rod and black braided line with my thumb as the only resistance to a spinning spool. Ok, so you know my age. When I first laid that calloused thumb on a spinning reel I was, in my mind, never going back. I have yet to put line on the new reel but will be taking your well timed advice provided in a recent entry. What is the buzz on these large arbor reels? Do you know of anyone using them in tourmament fishing? As long as you keep writing I’ll keep reading.
March 21st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Thanks Collin, I’ll keep writing.
I have an old Pflueger Supreme that belonged to my grandfather, so I can relate to your preference to spinning reels. I am forty now, soon to be 41, and I can still remember first lessons using a baitcaster. To my father, it was like using a stick to learn how to drive. When you master the most difficult method, then you graduate! To this day, I still enjoy taking one of my St Croix rods with a Ambassadeur low profile reel and practicing in the back yard with the radio on in the background. I will set up three five gallon buckets at 20, 35 and 45yds and practice for hours with a 1 ounce Dardevle (minus lots of paint and the treble hook).
I know quite a few guys using large arbor (lg diameter spools) in tournament fishing. This type of reel has been around for a while now. I could be wrong on this, but I believe Daiwa was one of the first companies to produce such a spool for their spinning reels. They, as do most companies, refer to them as “long cast spools”. Without tighter coils from smaller diameter spools, the line meets less resistance going through the eyes on the rod, thus traveling further. Its design also helps in reducing memory in the monofilament or co-polymer of your choice.
Here is the kicker, if you keep your spinning reel’s spool full with line, you pretty much have a large diameter spool already. Lots of the line on your spool will never be be used, unless you plan on using your spinning reel for trolling. In most applications, unless we are talking about river salmon, pike and muskie, the most line you will use on a regular basis runs between 50 and 75 yds on your spool. Even on Lake Erie in 30 feet of water, with a 11 lb walleye I probably only used 60 feet, and thats 20 yds. What most guys do is keep old mono on the spool for backing, and replace 75 yds or so every year.
Good luck on your new reel, enjoy.
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:18 am
Thanks for the quick and thorough response. It’s great to have access to someone with such a depth of knowledge and expeerience. I am 63 years old and have been fishing all my life starting with a cane pole with my grandmother on the lakes in the Irish Hills when I was 7 years old. I have since caught everything from Redfish and Snook in the Indian river to Grayling in Alaska. You would put me in the low tech catagory. I divide my time between flyfishing for bluegills from a canoe and my 23 lb. pokeboat to bass fishing from my seven and a half foot hand made dinghy. I hit the back waters and generally fish by myself unless my two sons are home. I have rambled enough for now. Thanks again. I look forward to the next entry.
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:57 am
Collin,
You caught me online. I just started working on the next post, the “Greatest Walleye Lure Ever?”, hint, its not the jig!
The Irish Hills is my favorite retreat from the flat lands surrounding Ida. Whether its chasing the redears on Wampler’s, or gills and crappie on Round. Devils and Sand Lake are good places to go for walleye, and I will be trolling shortly, and casting for muskie on Hudson. Next winter I want to hit Clark, and travel a lil further west to Baw Beese.
Some of my best memories from childhood were rowing my grandmother around our lake in the Upper Peninsula, as she trolled a jitterbug or rapala behind the boat. There were days she would call me in for lunch, but I was too busy catching gills and rockbass through the limbs of downed birch trees in the water. I caught my first muskie on a cane pole, rigged with a crawler, the rod tip going tat tat tat on the bottom of the boat as the fish had the pole doubled over.
If you like fishing for gills with your fly rod, get a hold of the “Iceman” Barry Williams. His “spooky spiders” are killer on a 4 or 5 weight rod. Take a look at his website, and he is located right off of Wampler’s Lake.
http://spookyspiders.bravehost.com
Take care
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:17 am
Mason,
I think you missed your calling. I never miss an article in the Blade by Steve Pollick and for several years always enjoyed my Sunday morning cup of coffee while reading Herb Bolt in the Monroe Evening News. I’m sure you did too. He was of course rather folksy and his work was devoted mostly to central Michigan but he was out there hunting and fishing and telling you about it.
The Monroe Evening News could use a good fishing column. I think you are just the person to do it. I’ve come to that conclusion for the following reasons:
1. You have good writing skills
2. It is obvious you have a passion for your sport
3. You have a flare for storytelling
4. You live in Monroe County
5. You have a multispecies approach. Somehow I think if I ask you if you have caught a golden shinner on a flyrod you would say “yes”
6. You are connected professionally to the sport
8. You have a childhood connection to fishing in Michigan
9. You know the details of all the equipment
10. You spend alot of time on the water fishing (I just know this)
11. The paper is looking for outdoor writers
Please pursue this. Don’t let your fishing and writing talents go to waste in a blog. Only one column a week and I could again have my cup of coffee on Sunday morning, check on the Tigers and then read Mason. Really, it would be easier than maintaining this forum.
I checked out the spiders. They were so similar to one’s I tie it blew my mind. I thought I had perfected the perfect bug. From April to June that’s all I use. They are very effective.
One last thought. On the perfect walleye lure; a good title for your first column. Everybody must have an opion. I go out on lake Erie infrequently, a complete novice on a friends boat. I always catch fish on a silver nugget. What ever you recommend I’m going to buy three.
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Collin,
I didnt miss my calling, just arrived at it a bit later than some folks. Herb was excellent, and I have been in contact with Steve a couple of time regarding walleye tournaments held on Lake Erie, he knows his stuff.
I must have 15 or 20 different nuggets of various colors. I have the gold of course, then I bought several silver ones and started painting like crazy. The “Greatest …..Lure” blog will tell the tale, but I still like my perch, gold/blk back and metallic orange speck Hot n Tots. Metal bill of course. I am just finishing editing and uploading the pics for the blog right now. The next one should be a good one for you, specially since you like to make some of your own tackle anyway.
Thanks for the comments, its kind of you to say.
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I’m through buying all those fishing magazines. Mason you are my man. I’m printing every page and filing them away. In what publications do you write? I still need that Sunday morning fix that should be a part of the Monroe paper. My life is growing short. Please, Mason, tell me you are about to launch a new column called “Mason on fish. Your new entry is a thing of beauty. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Once in a while when you read a magazine, you will be reading it, and then that little light goes off. Lots of times I can see something on paper, throw a couple of twists into it, and really come up with something that works well. Its really half the fun. Sometimes you just see something that works for someone else, and you have to make it your own.
This is the most meaningful writing I have done since I was doing papers 15-20 yrs ago at Eastern Michigan and had a degree on the line. Looking back at it, those informative papers and speeches are finally coming in handy. Although, this is my first time actually writing , I do several instore seminars for products each spring and fall at various places in Ohio and Michigan. So in that regard, doing these pieces is very similiar to the “teaching” I do on the use of those products on my visits.
In fact, I need to get the beagles out for their “last call” and hit the hay. I will be at Cabela’s again in the morning working with the rods. If you get the chance come on out, I’ll try to get you set up with some things to “wow” your buddies the next time you go out on their boat. You can even use your spinning gear!