So if you're in the bass fishing world whether its as a tournament fisherman or of the casual sorts youve probably heard about the alabama rig. Its this crazy deal that allows you to fish with multiple baits at once so as to mimic a school of bait fish. It certainly has its place in the fishing world but I highly doubt its the magic bait that everyone thinks it is. However.... I could totally be wrong and it could be everything its being hyped up to be, I mean these deals are selling on ebay right now for $50, $60, $70. That seems crazy but even I am proof that if something is legit, people will pay for it.
I now need to tell you that I am usually the last person in the world to fall for a gimmick or even a threat of a gimmick. I have always let everyone else fall over themselves to use something that seems like a gimmick before I would allow myself to look like, what I feel, is a moron. Not saying that someone using an alabama rig is a moron but I never want anyone to think that. Right or wrong, fads are something Ive never jumped on. When everyone was "popping collars" on there polo shirts I was like "that looks ridiculous, I dont care if Kanye West is doing it" and thats sort of how I feel about fishing gear. If it looks ridiculous or if I think someone will think I look ridiculous doing it, chances are, Im not going to do it. I like doing the things I like doing and an infomercial is the last place Im going to buy baits from.
And now to the last bit of the story. Back when I was in high school, I used to fish farm ponds around my home town with my best friend growing up, Scott Rawlings, AKA the Weasel. The weasel was content with his zebco 33 and ugly stick but not me. I saw what the pros were using, I knew that using that gear was like trying to tell a mechanic to use chinese tools. In fact, I hadnt used a spincast real since I was 12 years old. I thought I knew what I was doing and most of the time, I caught alot of bass. Then comes the day the weasel busted out the magic lure, the BANJO MINNOW. Prob the biggest gimmick bait ever created. I laughed at him, told him that it was junk and that no way he would outfish me with the infomercial bait. Needless to say, I got smoked that day. It was almost unfair, it felt like he was using live shiners while I was heaving a fluke around. I want to say he outfished me at a 4 to 1 clip but it probably was worse then that and even now, I still refuse to use a banjo minnow.
As it turns out, the banjo minnow has major major drawbacks but if you throw that thing into a farm pond, chances are your gonna wreck some fish. The moral of the story is that alot of baits, whether they are a gimmick or not, have a time and a place where they will shine. Do you have the balls to throw something that may make you look like an idiot? I certainly dont but if it becomes a mainstream technique, chances are, I will fold and start doing it like everyone else, but it usually takes alot to convince me to do so.
S.T.P.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Gearing up...
A handful of things are going on but nothing real exciting. First off, Fletcher and I wont be heading to Oklahoma. Money is tight for both of us, tournament fees are going to be due next month and it just didnt seem like a great idea to go blow a couple grand on a tournament that really meant nothing to either one of us as far as long term goals go. So, he will be preparing for the Classic and the Elite Series next season and I am preparing to make another run at qualifying for the Elites.
Ive also acquired two new legitimate sponsorship deals with Skeeter and Power-Pole. Being added to the Skeeter fishing team is a big deal to me and while Ive been representing Skeeter for a few years already just simply by running a Skeeter boat, I now will be officially apart of the Skeeter team. What does this mean? Still not totally sure yet but one thing is for sure, my new boat is bad ass. It should be here in a few weeks and its fully rigged. If a man cant win out of this boat then he cant win. As soon as I get it, I will upload some pics.
As for Power-Pole. If you guys didnt know what a Power-Pole is, check out any pic of an Elite Series anglers boat and you'll see two of them. They are a hydraulicaly powered lever that folds down upon command that anchors your boat in place. These things have become absolutely essential for bed fishing and stealth approaches to fishing holes. One is great, two is better and if you are fishing in shallow water (8 feet or lower) these things have to be on your christmas list. Click on the link above if you think you might be in the market.
The schedule has also been released. In January, Ill be heading to the Harris Chain of lakes in Florida near Orlando. Florida kicked my but last season but I learned some things and hopefully Ill do a little better this time around. March is Lake Norman...again. Im not really excited about going back to Lake Norman but I prob should be. I now have 10 days worth of experience on that lake, I know what not to do and those hopefully will go a long way. Its also where Fletcher won last season and he has said he would help me if he isnt fishing it, I dont think he is however, those sort of things rarely pan out. Getting help from someone else often does nothing but screw up your week. So Im going to go into it with and open mind and try to establish some other things that I prob should have tried last season. The 3rd stop is Lewis Smith lake in Alabama. I dont know much about that lake other then its one of Gerald Swindles home lakes and that it has loads of boat docks.
I may end up signing up for the Northern open at the Detroit River as well, registration starts the first of November and unlike last year, I have priority entry (part of the Skeeter deal) so I will have 100% guarentee for getting in. That already makes it better then last year!
S.T.P.
Ive also acquired two new legitimate sponsorship deals with Skeeter and Power-Pole. Being added to the Skeeter fishing team is a big deal to me and while Ive been representing Skeeter for a few years already just simply by running a Skeeter boat, I now will be officially apart of the Skeeter team. What does this mean? Still not totally sure yet but one thing is for sure, my new boat is bad ass. It should be here in a few weeks and its fully rigged. If a man cant win out of this boat then he cant win. As soon as I get it, I will upload some pics.
As for Power-Pole. If you guys didnt know what a Power-Pole is, check out any pic of an Elite Series anglers boat and you'll see two of them. They are a hydraulicaly powered lever that folds down upon command that anchors your boat in place. These things have become absolutely essential for bed fishing and stealth approaches to fishing holes. One is great, two is better and if you are fishing in shallow water (8 feet or lower) these things have to be on your christmas list. Click on the link above if you think you might be in the market.
The schedule has also been released. In January, Ill be heading to the Harris Chain of lakes in Florida near Orlando. Florida kicked my but last season but I learned some things and hopefully Ill do a little better this time around. March is Lake Norman...again. Im not really excited about going back to Lake Norman but I prob should be. I now have 10 days worth of experience on that lake, I know what not to do and those hopefully will go a long way. Its also where Fletcher won last season and he has said he would help me if he isnt fishing it, I dont think he is however, those sort of things rarely pan out. Getting help from someone else often does nothing but screw up your week. So Im going to go into it with and open mind and try to establish some other things that I prob should have tried last season. The 3rd stop is Lewis Smith lake in Alabama. I dont know much about that lake other then its one of Gerald Swindles home lakes and that it has loads of boat docks.
I may end up signing up for the Northern open at the Detroit River as well, registration starts the first of November and unlike last year, I have priority entry (part of the Skeeter deal) so I will have 100% guarentee for getting in. That already makes it better then last year!
S.T.P.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Fish and Chips? WTF is that?
Crazy weekend and an even crazier couple of weeks to come!
Im sitting on my couch, contemplating what my wife and I are going to go do for my birthday on saturday afternoon. My wife and I never go out but we decided that morning we were going to go celebrate my 33rd b-day. We still hadnt figured out what we were going to do when I get a text message from Fletcher. "Party at my house", lol, I text back "serious?" Fletcher - "yeah, be there here at 8". Sounds like the deal to me! The wife and I get ready and start heading north to Newcomerstown. I havent been to a real party in prob 3 or 4 years, let alone to a party with a bunch of youngsters. I dont even know if Im still cool, its been so long since I tried!
Me, dressed in my best rockstar atire complete with "Phil" from "The Hangover" hair, chain wallet and holey jeans and the wife showcasing her two best assets, I wont say what, are heading North bound in the GTO listening to our favorite gangster rap to get in the "fun" zone.
We arrive at 8ish and the craziness ensues, I dont want to get into all the details but it was alot of fun to say the least. Enough fun to cause a wicked headache for both of us and a great time getting to know some of Fletchers other friends and family.
Now for the next episode! Fletcher calls me today, for those of you who dont know who Im talking about, Fletcher is Fletcher Shryock, 2012 Bassmaster qualifier, 2012 Elite Series qualifier and future fishing star. Anyway, he calls this evening and asks me if I ever heard of this "Fish and Chips" fishing/poker tournament in Oklahoma. Cant say that I have, I say.
Heres the deal, an Elite series angler is paired with a non-Elite series angler of their choosing (team type deal) and you fish a 2 day tournament and then there is a 2 day poker tournament. Points are awarded for each and a winner is crowned at the end of both. Tons of dough, tons of beer and hopefully tons of craziness. Its an invite only affair and Fletcher got the invite so there we have it. Fletchers asks me if I would want to roll, of course I say "F**K YES I WANT TO ROLL!" So the stage is set, we are going to spend 4 days at the Red River practicing for the Bassmaster Classic and another week in Oklahoma at Grand Lake working. We leave on the 26th, its gonna be EPIC!
STAY TUNED
Late
S.T.P.
Im sitting on my couch, contemplating what my wife and I are going to go do for my birthday on saturday afternoon. My wife and I never go out but we decided that morning we were going to go celebrate my 33rd b-day. We still hadnt figured out what we were going to do when I get a text message from Fletcher. "Party at my house", lol, I text back "serious?" Fletcher - "yeah, be there here at 8". Sounds like the deal to me! The wife and I get ready and start heading north to Newcomerstown. I havent been to a real party in prob 3 or 4 years, let alone to a party with a bunch of youngsters. I dont even know if Im still cool, its been so long since I tried!
Me, dressed in my best rockstar atire complete with "Phil" from "The Hangover" hair, chain wallet and holey jeans and the wife showcasing her two best assets, I wont say what, are heading North bound in the GTO listening to our favorite gangster rap to get in the "fun" zone.
We arrive at 8ish and the craziness ensues, I dont want to get into all the details but it was alot of fun to say the least. Enough fun to cause a wicked headache for both of us and a great time getting to know some of Fletchers other friends and family.
Now for the next episode! Fletcher calls me today, for those of you who dont know who Im talking about, Fletcher is Fletcher Shryock, 2012 Bassmaster qualifier, 2012 Elite Series qualifier and future fishing star. Anyway, he calls this evening and asks me if I ever heard of this "Fish and Chips" fishing/poker tournament in Oklahoma. Cant say that I have, I say.
Heres the deal, an Elite series angler is paired with a non-Elite series angler of their choosing (team type deal) and you fish a 2 day tournament and then there is a 2 day poker tournament. Points are awarded for each and a winner is crowned at the end of both. Tons of dough, tons of beer and hopefully tons of craziness. Its an invite only affair and Fletcher got the invite so there we have it. Fletchers asks me if I would want to roll, of course I say "F**K YES I WANT TO ROLL!" So the stage is set, we are going to spend 4 days at the Red River practicing for the Bassmaster Classic and another week in Oklahoma at Grand Lake working. We leave on the 26th, its gonna be EPIC!
STAY TUNED
Late
S.T.P.
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