Trip to Fisherman's Candy Store results in new rod and reel

It doesn’t take a lot to make some outdoor folks happy. It doesn’t take a stringer of big fish. Sometimes just a little lure casting is enough.

And when casting, if a fish connects with the lure, that’s a plus. And if the angler is successful in landing the fish, that’s another plus.

Recently, after arriving from our Northern abode to our little central Florida home at Lake Rosalie, I developed a need for casting. My boat wasn’t ready for the water. It had been “summerized”. In the north you winterize a boat, but in the south you summerize before you head north for the warm weather months.

Numerous rods and reels sit in the corner, but most are for crappie. However, I selected a casting rod and reel and headed to the dock. Several casts were made, but the rod and reel were really designed for bass. Seems I needed a new lighter weight rod and reel. 

A few days later on a trip to town (Lake Wales), a visit to the Fisherman’s Candy Store was in order. The fishing store is a true treasure. It is a great independent fishing store. There aren’t many like it remaining. 

When it comes to fishing, if the Candy Store doesn’t have it, you really, really don’t need it.

Like a kid in a candy store, I looked through the fishing candy, a hundred or more rod and reel outfits. An inexpensive Zebco outfit caught my eye. It felt good. It was a six-foot rod with a different reel.

There are dozens, hundreds, thousands of new things, gizmos, colors for fishermen. This reel was new to me, but likely has been around for a white. It is called a Zebco QuickCast and claims to be “the worlds only spinning reel that allows you to cast without ever touching the line.”

Is it a gimmick? Does it work? Is it something I need? Well, the fishing gear caught this old fisherman. The outfit was very reasonably priced, and felt good in my hand. Yes, the rig hooked me and my billfold.

At home, I rigged the rod and reel and added a lure, a blue and silver A.C. Shiner, an excellent bass lure.

A.C. Shiners have been made for more than 45 years in Ohio. A friend told me about them several years ago and I ordered several via the internet. They are a bit expensive, but they work.

       They are good lures for bass, stripers, muskie, and all other sport fish. All A.C. Shiners lures are handmade and painted from carefully selected balsa or cedar wood and requires 22 to 39 separate hand operations. It takes approximately ten days to complete each lure. 

The company says “A. C. Shiner” stands for Action Certified Shiner because each lure is individually tested in water and adjusted to produce the best action.

Anyway, I walked down to the dock with the new rod and reel and an attached A.C. Shiner. It took a couple casts to get comfortable tossing the lure without touching the line using the QuickCast.

Cast number five resulted in a strike and catch of a two-to-three pound largemouth. So, I can give high marks to the QuickCast. Frankly, I still through habit tend to touch the line, but the reel works.

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BACON DEER BURGER - My friend Patrick “Gomer” Robinson is an avid hunter and outdoorsman from Pikeville, Tennessee. He passed along a recipe for bacon deer burger.

“My recipe for deer bacon burger is twenty five pounds of deer meat to be ground, ten pounds of bacon ends and pieces, chopped into small pieces, mixed in with the deer meat. grind and pack,” says Gomer.

“The bacon adds enough fat to keep burger moist and not falling apart and also makes the entire burger taste like bacon”, adds Patrick.

They may have same origin, but wild and tame turkeys much different

Wild and domestic turkeys much different,
although they have same origin.

There is considerable difference between the wild turkey probably eaten at the first Thanksgiving meal and the tame bird found on most holiday tables these days.

The bird most of us have with stuffing, potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie was once closely related to the wild bird, but now hardly represents a distant cousin.

Few people today will have a wo;d turkey on the Thanksgiving table unless they have had it saved in their freezer, although Kentucky does have a fall turkey season, but relatively small numbers of hunters take advantage of it. As of Nov. 15, 2,747 turkeys were taken in the Bluegrass state, including 40 in Nelson County.

According to information from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Spanish explorers arrived in Mexico in 1517, and on this expedition they discovered large numbers of turkeys. 

The men took careful notes and documented every detail of their New World, but failed to tell us whether or not they found wild turkeys or domestic turkeys. Because of this oversight, some historians credit Christopher Columbus as the first European to lay eyes on a wild turkey during his fourth voyage.

Understanding this – the fact that there are two turkeys – only leads to a series of confusing questions. During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, the National Wild Turkey Federation, a conservation organization instrumental in restoring North America’s wild turkey populations, says it receives an incredible number of calls and e-mails about the differences between the two. 

Why are there two kinds of turkeys? What’s the difference? And where do domestic turkeys come from in the first place?

Both turkeys were common in Mexico in the 16th Century. Historians know that Indian tribes in Mexico, particularly the Aztec Indians, were skilled at hunting wild turkeys and capturing and domesticating some of them. Those domesticated wild turkeys evolved over time, learning to rely on humans and becoming tame. 

Domesticating plants and animals emerged, more or less, as groups of hunters-gathers evolved into farmers and stock breeders. So domesticating turkeys was a choice of convenience, a way to fence in dinner.

 How long turkeys existed in North America before European explorers discovered the New World is uncertain. It is certain, however, that North America’s native bird has five centuries of recorded history.

In spite of all the questions, one thing has always been certain – people like to eat turkeys. Its meat was once reserved for the elite; and in sixteenth-century Mexico, some towns only allowed lords to eat turkeys. 

When comparing the two birds, the wild turkey is better known for its physical attributes and attitude. Centuries ago, after seeing a turkey for the first time, an East Indian emperor was fascinated by the wild turkey’s attitude of self-importance. Tom Kelly, a longtime turkey hunter and outdoor writer, declared the wild bird the epitome of grace.

 “His neck stretched out, he looks long and lean and quick – putting every foot down as if he is walking on egg shells,” said Kelly. “When he is most impressive is when he’s coming to your call, and he gets within 30 or 40 yards and thinks there’s a girl (a hen) in sight.”

On Thanksgiving Day, you may stop to consider the domestic bird before you. Basted and stuffed, he is not the same as the wild bird often depicted, sometimes standing beside humble pilgrims, in many commercialized Thanksgiving images.

The domestic bird has been bred for more white meat and eating, however the wild turkey from a health perspective is better for you.

Whichever bird you choose, or even if you opt for a ham, have a great Thanksgiving weekend.

Second graders ask good questions

Outdoor writer Phil Junker sits and chats with a second grade class at Madison Creek Elementary, where his granddaughter, Meredith Fields is a student.

Public speaking is something that makes lots of people very nervous. Some people will do almost anything to avoid talking to a group.

This old writer/communicator has never been intimidated by public speaking. My work often put me in front of people, microphones and/or cameras. No big deal. The “ham” in me actually made such speaking somewhat enjoyable. But, these opportunities always were before adults or older youths.

And then, my granddaughter Meredith Fields’ second grade teacher, Monica Ingham invited me to come to her classroom to talk to her second grade class about writing and the outdoors. Now, anticipating that talk was really scary.

Meredith is fortunate to have Monica as her teacher. Monica has a strong interest in the outdoors, and she also is interested in teaching her Madison Creek (Tennessee) Elementary students to write about it.

Monica has adopted a class theme for the year. It is camping. Her classroom is decorated with outdoor pictures and materials. There also is a rabbit, two bearded dragon lizards, and I think a bird.

Last year, Monica’s class had a small python, but it grew larger and she says with a smile that the snake now is being “home schooled.”

Had I known the extent of Monica and her classes’ interest in the outdoors, I might have been less apprehensive about talking with the group.

Sitting at home in my sunroom easy chair, I kept a writing pad at home to jot down any ideas about what to tell second graders about writing and/or the outdoors. I fretted for several weeks without much being written on the yellow note pad. I even contemplated a general email distress call mailing to some of my outdoor writer friends for ideas.

I wanted something meaningful to tell the youngsters, but what? I knew I should keep it simple.

Finally, as the classroom appearance neared, I came up with a couple of ideas. Something that would last about 20 minutes.

My first thought was to tell them about writings four or five W’s. Explain that most news stories are based on Who, What, Where, When and sometimes Why. I also thought I would take in my backpack and show them some of the items I carry when hiking or going out in my boat.

It worked. And much to my surprise, Mrs. Ingham already had to W’s up on the board and they had talked about them.

We again covered the W’s, and the youngsters began to ask questions. When and how did you get started writing? Who helped you? How do you get ideas for stories? The time went by quickly.

I explained I started a class newspaper when I was in about the fourth or fifth grade, that my teacher supported and encouraged me, and that I carry a notepad to write down ideas for future columns. Today, I’m sure most writers use the cell phone or other electronic gizmos to record ideas.

Next, I showed them my backpack, and pulled out camera, notepad, hand cloth, flashlight, safety whistle, small first aid kit, disposable rain poncho, snacks, and several other items. I also carry a knife, but did not include it in the school show and tell.

Also, I emphasized the need to always let an adult know where you are going, and if that is OK with the adult. I also suggested always hiking with someone for safety reasons.

Thanks to help from my daughter, Michelle, and the teacher, the old outdoor writer enjoyed the visit, and thinks the students did as well.

If you ever have a chance to share your experiences with youngsters, do it.

 

Bobby Lanes offers topwater lure fishing tips for fall angling

Topwater lures can be productive in fall
as well as spring and summer.

Among his peers in professional tournament competition, Bobby Lane is best known for his skill using spinnerbaits and Carolina rigs, but when water begins cooling in the autumn, the Yamaha Pro often changes to a topwater popping plug. 

Usually considered a summertime lure, Lane actually keeps a popper tied on throughout the fall months, according to information provided by Yamaha.

Bobby is part of a bass fishing family as his brothers, Chris and Arnie also fish the tournament trail

“Topwater popping lures are more versatile than many anglers realize,” he explains, “which is why I like them so much. Not only can you fish them over and around all types of cover and structure, you can also retrieve poppers at different speeds depending on water conditions and the mood of the fish. 

“Now, as bass move into creeks and start feeding heavily, you’re going to encounter the fish in a variety of places, and with a popper you can cover them all without having to change lures.

“They’re great big-bass lures, too,” he adds. “My biggest bass on a popper weighed nine pounds, 11 ounces, but I’ve caught a lot of fish in the six- to eight-pound range with them. When bass won’t hit other lures, you can often tempt them into striking a popper.”

Topwater poppers are made by many different lure manufacturers, and all are similar in design, measuring two to three inches in length and incorporating two dangling treble hooks. The primary feature each of these lures also share is a concave face that catches water and “pops” as the lure is retrieved.

“Bass are normally active in the morning as they feed on shad near the surface, and a popper imitates those shad perfectly,” continues the Yamaha Pro. “It doesn’t really matter where the shad are, either, because you can fish a small topwater popper like this on points, over submerged vegetation and breaklines, around rocks and logs, or along riprap. 

“Depth-wise, you can work a popper out over depths as deep as 20 feet, but I usually prefer water less than 10 feet deep. Being from Florida, I’m accustomed to fishing over and around submerged vegetation, which is probably where I use a popper most often.”

Another aspect of the topwater popper’s versatility comes in the variety of ways the lure can be retrieved. A popper’s action comes from rod tip movement, and Lane normally begins his retrieve sequence by popping the lure two or three times, stopping to let the bait sit motionless for a few moments, then popping it again as he moves it by his target.

“That’s really the basic way to fish a topwater popper,” he explains, “continuing that popping and stopping action the entire retrieve, but if that doesn’t produce any results, you can pop the lure a little faster without stopping. If the water is cooler, you can try just the opposite, only popping the lure once and then letting it sit motionless a few seconds longer.

“Really, the bass will almost always prefer a particular retrieve sequence, so I keep trying faster or slower retrieves until I get a response. For instance, I’ve had good results in extremely clear, calm water by popping the bait just once, then letting it sit absolutely motionless for as long as 10 seconds. In those conditions, I think bass may actually study the lure before striking. 

“When I’m fishing where a breeze is rippling the water, I’ll use a faster popping retrieve with fewer pauses to get their attention.”

Lane fishes his topwater poppers with a long, medium-action rod and always with 15-pound monofilament line. Monofilament has only a slight amount of stretch so a bass can engulf the lure better.