Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 by Gill Slayer
Years ago I used to use “cheap” Quantum micro reels when fishing for tr
out, bluegill or crappie…that is until my brother got me hooked on Pflueger® President® spinning reels. I now own several different sizes of this series, but I use the 6720 on both my ultralight rods & my B’n'M long poles. I can’t say enough good things about this series of spinning reels, they are all I buy anymore no matter which size. This particular model runs $50 which is probably $30 more expensive than other micro reels, but they are worth the extra money. My brother prefers the size up from this one, but I like the 6720 because it’s lighter. Ask any of the guys/gals who work at Bass Pro in the reels section and they will tell you that they are their #1 seller. Trust me, buy yourself one (or two or three) and you will not be disappointed!
Pflueger® President® Micro Ultralight Spinning Reel - Model 6720
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Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 by Lead Jig
While packing for a recent trip to Truman Lake, I happened to come across a weather forecast that showed a cold front to moving into the area. Normal temperature for that time was in the high fifties. Because of this front however it turned into a crisp high thirties to low forties. Wind gusts were high and at times capped the waves in the lake.
Luckily, I had decided to stop by Bass Pro Shops on my way home from work to kill some time while traffic died down (or at least that is my excuse) and came across their Neoprene Fishing Gloves. The packaging refers to them as 100% waterproof and that they were “constructed with cold weather fishermen in mind”. I have been a victim of soggy glove in the past and decided to give them a shot.
The index and thumbs of both gloves are severed at your middle knuckle so that you can peel the fingertip over and Velcro it to the back of your hand. Having these four fingers exposed is an obvious advantage over clumsy bulky gloves in that with either hand you can tie your line, jig, and do other tasks that require precision without weathering the cold.
The gloves are made from neoprene which is basically the material wet suits are made from. This material has an advantage of protecting you from water while keeping you warm. For those not used to wearing a wet suit, one thing you will notice is that your hands will eventually begin to sweat inside the gloves which can chill your fingertips quickly. Also, if all is going well that day and you are handling fish, the excess water will eventually makes its way into the slits in the fingers which gets trapped inside. This is in my opinion is not a huge drawback since normal gloves would need hours to dry.
After a few hours of use, my hands did begin to feel suffocated, they are wrapped in plastic after all, but again it was well worth it. It is better than wearing $.99 gardening gloves for crying out loud.
I managed to get hooked a few times but didn’t have a hard time maneuvering the hook out. Also, the gloves didn’t show a snag. I do have a feeling the Velcro will quickly wear out, but time will tell. However at $9.99 it isn’t a large investment and helped keep me in the water.
Overall these gloves get high marks for their price and simple functionality. The fact that they don’t breath well and that the feeling the Velcro which holds the fingertips back won’t last keeps them from getting a full score. However I highly suggest them and would purchase them again.
Lastly a note to Bass Pro. We need more than one color. Blue is cool, but no dude wants to be wearing the same color item as one of their fishing buddies. Unless the color is camo of course.
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Monday, March 31st, 2008 by Gill Slayer
I recently bought (and returned) this line winder from Cabela’s made by Berkley. I’ve seen these types of winders on the market for a few years now & thought they might actually work…but was greatly disappointed. It might work fine for bait casters, but it sucks for spinning reels. I was planning on using it to spin 4lb test onto my Pflueger President micro reel, but it didn’t work at all. I ended up wasting a bunch of line & starting over. This thing is a piece!
Berkley Line Winder
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Monday, March 31st, 2008 by Gill Slayer
This past Valentine’s day, my wonderful wife bought me a new set of rain gear. This stuff doesn’t come cheap, but boy it’s very nice. I’ve only worn it once so far during the Truman trip in March in 35-45 degree weather. Not only did it repel the water, but it also blocked any/all wind. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to wear it during warmer temps, but so far I love this stuff. I’d highly recommend it if you got the cash to spend.
Bibs & Parka
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