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Monday, 08 February 2010 00:00 |
Everyone who fishes has a favorite fishing lure. I was staring at my tackle box this morning and wondered what I would pick My problem is that I don’t think I could stop at just one lure. In fact, that’s always been my problem.
In the late 60’s, a black and yellow Gene Andrews’Bug-Eye-Spinner was all you needed. Your reel was a $15.00 Shakespere Sportscast loaded with 25 lb.G String, mounted on a $20.00 Heddon Rod, 6’ medium action. Later on, we upgraded to a Garcia Ambassadeur 5000 bait casting reel and a hand wrapped custom rod by Tuffy Smotherman. This was the best you could get. I still have mine and daddy’s (Albert Fry) that he made and they will still catch plenty of fish.
In those days, Hugo anglers could fish or outfish the best anglers anywhere. Talk about “Legends of the Rod and Reel.” We had more than our share. I know I will leave some out; there’s too many to count. But here goes: Gene Andrews, Bruce Bloodworth, Mike Armes, Bland Pittman, Harry Milican, Tuffy Smotherman, Merle Smith, Walter (Poly) Griggs, O. M. Delozier, J. N. Harris, Albert Fry, Louis Craigo, Donald Ray Caldwell, Indian Ervin, Jim Hodge,Gene Pizzalato, Vaughan Patterson, Crockett Lowery, T. J. Switzer, Butch Needham, and Billy Lampton, just to name a few.
Back then many of us belonged to the Atoka Rod and Gun Club, the most feared bass club in southeast Oklahoma and north Texas. Don Sinclair had a fixed-up school bus named “Fishing Fever” that went to the tournaments with us. We stayed in it many a night, playing dominoes after a hard day of fishing. We also belonged to the Choctaw County Sportsmen’s Club that was very active. Cecil Cowling at Cowling’s Grocery weighed our weekly catches for big bass.
I covered many of these tournaments 45 years ago in my outdoor column in the Hugo Daily News at the urging of Jack Stamper and Joe Anderson. In addition, I wrote articles
in a Dallas paper called “Outdoor Times” and an Oklahoma City paper called “Outdoor News.” Today, I am still writing in the Choctaw County Times and Hugo Daily News in my weekly column, OKLAHOMA OUTDOORS.
Sorry, I got side tracked, but it’s time to pick tried and proven fishing lures. Some are for river fishing, my favorite time on the water; the rest are for lakes and ponds.
SPINNERBAITS: Gene Andrews’ Bug-Eye-Spinner, Bruce Bloodworth’s Shark Shad and Stanley Spinnerbaits.
TOPWATERS: Jack Smithwick’s Devil’s Horse, Jitterbug, Lucky 13, Smithwick’s Rogue series, Heddon Torpedo and Zara Spook, Rattlin’ Chug Bug, Rebel Pop-R, Hula Popper.
CRANKBAITS: Bomber lures, Storm original Wiggle Warts, Norman original N series, Rat-L-trap, Rapalas.
PLASTICS; Crème worms, Stanley Jigs, Yum Craw-Papi, Gene Larew, Stanley Ribbit Frogs, Hoodaddy Jr, Zoom Super Fluke.
STREAM and POND LURES: Bill Norman Quarterback, Humpback Rebel, Bomber Mini-Spin or Booyah small spinnerbaits, Blakemore Road Runner, Worden Vibra-shaft, Mepps Algia, Panther, Martin, Crème worms.
These lures are basic suggestions or a starting place but are a true representation of my tackle boxes. I have a big lake tackle box, smaller ones for ponds and small lakes, a river or stream tackle box, crappie tackle box, catfish tackle box and last, but not least, is a trout tackle box and a fly-fishing vest. It only took 50 years to gather this stuff up.
My lure colors are: shad, blue gill and crawfish patterns .I have colors like black and silver blue and silver and chartreuse patterns. I also like smoke and chartreuse curly-tail grubs on a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jug head in clear water. Worms in blue and black, pumpkin green and crawfish look alikes will always work.
The best colors for spinnerbait colors are black and gold, white, chartreuse and white and cole slaw work for me. I keep a large assortment of extra skirts I can change, depending on water clarity.
Any one dozen of the lures mentioned above will catch fish anyplace,anytime. They are tried and proven.
Fishing is not about the number of plugs (lures) you have, but how well you know how to properly use them. Casting and cranking a lure back is a hit and miss affair. Twitching the lure back, changing the retrieve speed,and zig-zagging all enhance the lure’s action for a better hook-up.
Homer Circle, the famous outdoor writer with a monthly column in BASSMASTER magazine, uses three rod and reel rigs covering shallow, medium and deeper depths of water. If he uses a lure 5 minutes without a strike, he changes lures. Uncle Homer says”a mistake most anglers make is always throwing your favorite plug. Let the fish tell you what their favorite plug is, not you and you will catch more fish.”
Statistics say that most fish are caught in 0 to 14 ft. of water. Early and late are the most productive times of the day to fish; however, most large bass are caught from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
With the sour weather we have been having, now is the time to go through your tackle box. Take the stuff out that didn’t produce and add new lures. Bass Pro Shop Spring Fishing Sale is just around the corner. L. FRY
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Monday, 18 January 2010 00:00 |
The warm weather this weekend has my gills flaring and my fins growing. It felt like fishing weather. I thought I might give you a sneak peek at some of this year’s hot new lures from PRADCO FISHING.
Lawrence Taylor, the new public relations specialist of the company, gave me some hints. Talk about a who’s who in the fishing world! Here’s a list of lures and accessories they make—ARBOGAST, Bill Dance accessories, BOMBER, BOOYAH, COTTON CORDELL, CREEK CHUB, HEDDON, LAZY IKE, REBEL, SILVER THREAD, SMITHWICK, XCALIBUR and YUM. If that won’t fill a tackle box or live well nothing will. I have been fishing with their lures all my life. Here are some of the exciting lures for 2010.
YUM’S MONEY line of unique soft plastic baits that include the MONEY MINNOW and MONEY CRAW has expanded its line to include the MONEY FROG with big paddle feet and the MONEY HOUND, a true walk-the-dog weedless, soft plastic top water. This “dawg” will hunt when Texas-rigged with a 4/0 hook
It’s not Halloween yet, but PRADCO has plenty of HEDDON SPOOKS that make lots of noise. The multi-rattle sound of the new RATTLE SPOOKS and the single thunk of the ONE KNOCKER SPOOK bring bass charging to investigate. The RATTLE SPOOK’S multi-rattle sound mimics that of panicked fleeing bait fish and the ONE KNOCKER’S thunk is pure fish attraction. One look at the new patterns of TALAPIA, G-FINISH FOXY SHAD, FOXY MOMMA , G FINISH PERCH, CLASSIC G FINISH BULLFROG and ARKANSAS SHINER.
Just imagine a smaller Rattle Bait or a bigger Zell Pop. Many of their baits are now bigger or smaller as a reaction to anglers’ demands. The new ¼ ounce XR 25 Rattle Bait is creating quite a stir. This is what early season and post spawn anglers wanted. Another Zell Rowland design brings a bigger pop in the new Zell POP (XZ3) which is ideal for fall when the bait fish are bigger. Give these lures a try.
The NEW XCALIBUR Lipless crankbait simply can’t be fished wrong. It has super loud rattles and a tight, precision-tuned wiggle. Also, the XCALIBUR XT3 TWITCH BAIT is a jerkbait that runs true and balanced.
BOOYAH—“say it loud; say it proud.” That’s what Alton Jones said when he collected a half-million dollar paycheck by winning the 2008 BASSMASTER CLASSIC. The new ALTON JONES A-JIG and new Pigskin Jig are money baits. Don’t forget the famous BOOYAH Spinner Baits. They make every kind an angler would want to throw. Get a few and see for yourself. Oklahoma’s Jimmy Houston favors a VIBRA-FIX spinner bait.
if you want to start a YUM feeding frenzy, it’s the only fish attractant with natural shad enzymes plus salt impregnation for more fish attracting power. YUM has so many different creature lures and they all catch lots of fish. The YUM BUZZ FROG, WOOLY BUG, YUM CHUNK, CRAW BUG, worms, grubs and tubes will put your share of fish in the live well.
I can’t wait to try some of these lures. Pradco favorites like Bomber Model A series, Smithwick Devil’s Horse, Rebel Pop R, Yum Craw Papi, Rattlin’ Rogue, Rebel Crawfish and Humpback Rebel Jitterbug are some of my favorites. Look them up in the new BPS Spring 2010 Fishing Catalog like I did. Have a good week. L. FRY
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Outdoor Activities in the Winter |
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Monday, 25 January 2010 00:00 |
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE WINTER
Ol’man winter plans to return this week Starting Wednesday, mid-20 degree temperatures, heavy rain and possibly snow will lead us into a chillin’ weekend. The 2010 Farmers Almanac is seldom wrong when it comes to predicting weather. They predict that February in our area will bring more rain and snow, especially toward the middle of the month.
One of the main hunting seasons going on now is trying to get rid of wood rats at Hugo High School. They killed one Friday in Mrs. Dominick’s Senior English room with a shovel. Mrs. Smith reported that one darted across her computer classroom’s window sill. Leonard Smith is working overtime trapping and poisoning these pests. The basement classrooms smell like Haiti right now.
Good news from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Can you imagine 40,000 trout being stocked in the Lower Mt. Fork River at Beavers Bend State Park during the next three months? Four stockings are scheduled for Jan. 27, Feb. 10 and 24 and March 10 and 24. The Lower Mt. Fork River will also receive extra stockings. For more information, log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com or check your Oklahoma Fishing Guide for 2010.
Speaking of cold weather outdoor activities, proper clothing and equipment are a necessity. Juli Martin of the Weather Channel said “in cold weather,you lose 30 per cent of your body heat through your head and hands. Keep them all covered.” I always sleep in a toboggan. Mine stays in my sleeping bag. Cotton clothing, t-shirts, underwear and socks will not keep you as warm as wool. Wool socks, shirts like Pendleton and sweaters are the warmest. I like army surplus wool gloves or good leather gloves.
When I was a kid, we used hand warmers. I still do. Today, you can buy hand warming packets that you just shake to heat up. I keep them in my hunting coats. I have several wool scarves and toboggans to fight off the cold. Sometimes, I look like “Nannuk of the North,” but I am warm.
My camouflage hunting clothes, like my coveralls, bibs and jackets, are insulated for colder weather. The long johns I wear are thinsulate, wool or special underpants and shirts designed for different degrees of cold weather.
Bass Pro Shop has RedHead XPS, the Extreme Performance Series of thermal underwear. It starts with a base layer, mid-weight and expedition weight to cover any type of temperature you might run into.
Insulated hunting gloves are a must. RedHead designs several models with 40 or 70 grams of thinsulate insulation built in. Some have Gore-Tex waterproof liners.
Don’t forget HOTHANDS value pack that contains 20 hand warmers and four foot warmers. Each one provides up to 10 hours of 130-140 degrees heat and costs $9.99--a bargain.
Most of B.P.S. hunting boots are insulated and waterproof like the RedHead Air series I wear. Several models come each way with or without insulation.
I always carry a foam or soft seat cushion with me in the woods. It keeps
my bottom from getting wet. Some of these have thermal heating built in.
To stay even warmer, it’s best to dress in layers. The layers help trap in body heat which keeps you warmer. We have learned from backpackers how to dress. If you get too hot, you can remove a layer or add more layers if you get cold.
If you’re in a small, airtight shelter and using propane heat or Colman lanterns, you can run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Always keep the tent and cabin ventilated in these situations. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent death. It happens in cars and campers all the time.
Last, but not least, use some common sense before you get out in the weather. Homes and cabins need carbon monoxide alarms as well as fire alarms. Be careful this winter.
L. FRY
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Monday, 11 January 2010 00:00 |
If you’re going to be successful in the woods or water, that means staying dry and warm, regardless of the weather. In the old days, we piled on so many clothes that we could hardly move and we still froze.
Today’s hunter and fisherman couldn’t be luckier. Hunting and fishing clothes are designed to be lighter, quieter and dryer with improvements in technology. Socks today will wick out moisture. Underwear is designed in small, medium and heavy weight which will stop the shivers in nothing flat.
Today, you wear clothes in layers, peeling off what you don’t need and adding to it as it gets colder. Companies even make Scentlok hunting outfits that eliminate human odor. An old timer told me once ”if you want to stay warm in your bed roll , whether you’re sleeping under the stars in a tent or cabin, always wear a stocking hat or toboggan. Your head is your body’s thermometer. Keep it warm and you will stay warm. Cowboys used a neckerchief for a mask and to keep warm. You can, too.
Here’s how I stay warm. I start with a base layer of B.P.S. Redhead XPS thermal under wear. There are 3 separate weights. I wear the base layer thermals in the early season. As it gets colder, I use the XPS mid-weight thermals and when it’s really cold, I put on the XPS Expedition weight. Next, I wear thermal or wool socks and a wool Pendleton shirt or sweater. Sometimes, I wear a goose down vest and insulated gloves and a wool neck scarf. My jacket, insulated bibs, boots and hat keep me warm from head to toe.
Hand warmers in your pockets or the kind that you shake work awfully good. If you hunt out of a blind, I like to use Coleman’s Sportcast Perfect Temp Catalytic Heater. It’s light weight, portable and perfect for the hunting blind. Army surplus wool gloves are good to shoot with and will keep you warm even when wet. They call them glove liners.
When it rains, you need to stay dry and warm. At the Bass Pro Shop Fall Hunting Classic, I took Jerry Martin’s advice (he’s a member of the B.P.S. RedHead Pro Hunting Team) and got a rain suit like he wears.
I looked at several different types of rain suits and my choice was Squaltec hooded jacket and bibs. It also comes in women’s sizes. The Bone-Dry Performance is 100 0/0 water proof, 100 0/0 breathable and 100 0/0 wind proof. It comes in jacket, bibs or pants and is made of advanced 220-gram micro-polyester shell that’s not only comfortable to wear but incredibly quiet and machine-washable. This is why I chose it. Try my suggestions and you will be warm and dry. L. Fry
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