July in Texas... What can anyone say about July in Texas? It's hot and miserable, but if you love the outdoors, you embrace the heat. Heat is part of deal here in the Lonestar State. When the fireworks are over, it's a grind to get through the dog days of summer to those first few "cool fronts" usually in late August that plunge temps into the lower 90's. I have always looked forward to August 15 as the date that the tide turns on the heat of summer.
As hot as it is, there are still things that must be done to PREPARE for the upcoming hunting season, and even better, there are still species to PURSUE.
A couple words of caution... Stay hydrated and keep an eye peeled for snakes! Check out your 46 Outdoors Prepare and Pursue Fishing Checklist for April...
Water... is the highest priority. Make sure there is a water source available. If you have windmills and tanks, make sure everything is in working order. Bring some water in if you must. Poly tanks are pretty inexpensive. Use the low profile tanks so that fawns can drink too. That mature monster buck you want to shoot 5 or 6 years from now is just a fawn or yearling today. Clear out vegetation around tanks so that wildlife has easy access and good escape routes from predators.
Blinds... Finish those pesky repairs and new set ups. If you've waited this long, shame on you! However sometimes the heat of summer brings about issues, get them fixed as they arise so that you don't have a problem on opening day. Don't forget the wasp spray or you likely won't get near your blind.
Feeders... I typically start bumping up my feed times about now. Much of the vegetation is dying off and things are dry. A little more food will keep more animals around this time of year, but if you don't have water, you won't have animals either.
Feed The Roads... I like to feed the roads whenever I go the lease this time of year. Deer are establishing patterns now that will carry through until the rut. Even in areas where the deer go to acorns in the Fall, you will have more deer in your area if you feed roads. However, if you have cattle on your lease and you feed the roads, you will feed the cows, so skip this if that is the case for you.
Feeder Pens... Make sure you feeders are penned up. Cattle and hogs will do a number on you equipment if you don't.
Hunt for predators, and hogs... I'm not going to the lease without hunting something. Many times that means night hunting.Keep that fawn crop healthy by keeping those predators at bay. I have seen a hog run off with a fawn too, so use this opportunity to put some pork chops on the table.
Photo: Chris Carson
If you've been keeping up with the Prepare and Pursue checklist, July should be a piece of cake. I do my best to get most of these things done in the cooler months so that when I make my trip to the lease in July, all I have to do is feed the feeders and roads morning, and nap in the afternoon. Then in the evening, I take the family on a little wildlife drive. Watch the sunset over the mesquite and head out for some night hunting. The rest of the month, you can usually find me on the water somewhere. If you haven't figured it out yet, that's the beauty of the list. It allows me to spend most of the summer fishing!
We carry a few products at Twisted Oak to help you with the night hunting. From lighting solutions by Sniper Hog Lights to predator calls, hog attractants, and bug spray, we have what you need.
When I was a kid, I would wait with excitement for Christmas break to come. I'm sure my anticipation to get away from school was mostly for that... getting away from school and the presents of course. However, this also usually brought to town a different cast of characters in my life. My brother's return from college for a few weeks was always exciting. Just the fact that he was around was excitement enough, but he would also take me hunting. These were my first experiences hunting when I was about 12 years old.
Another usual arrival about the time I got out of school, was my aunt and uncle who would come in from places like Alaska and Minnesota. My uncle usually had quite a few tales to tell, none of which I can really remember at this point other than fragments of stories that usually had to do with planes or bears or both! As a descendant of the likes of Kit Carson and Daniel Boone, and other men not as well known but every bit as adventurous, sometimes I feel a little like a droopy branch on our family tree.
Lately, I have been watching Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men when I need something to watch while falling asleep. I really can't pick a favorite among them, but something inside me seems to connect with the ruggedness of the setting. As I'm sitting here thinking about this now, I also recall watching Northern Exposure episodes a few years ago when they were in reruns and dreaming of an Alaskan vacation. I'm not sure why, but the north woods seem to be calling my name.
Last year, I watched an episode of Scott Martin Challenge on YouTube. He was fishing Rainy Lake near International Falls, Minnesota. Even more interesting to me, was the fact that they were towing their bass boats behind rented house boats. That got me to thinking, "Why would you tow your bass boat around the lake?" So, I Googled Rainy Lake. I got several results from lodges and other places to stay and a Wikipedia result that basically outlined it as a large lake, used for hydroelectricty to power International Falls, MN and Fort Frances, Ontario. All great information, but until I looked at it on Google Earth, I had no appreciation for the size of this lake. The lake is sort of "L" shaped, but is basically the size of Houston Metro area. In fact I'd be willing to bet that Houston has as much road surface area as Rainy Lake has water surface area.
While a bass boat can easily blast back and forth across the lake much like we drive our cars across town. It's much easier to have a "home base" that can move. This way you can spend a few days in certain areas and a few days in others, allowing you to spend more time fishing without ever having to come off the water. Then I thought "What about a kayak?". That would be a great way to fish that lake by kayak for a week. What an adventure that would be!
So, it has been added to my bucket list, along with fishing the Chandeleur Islands, Tarpon fishing in Florida, hunting Elk, Moose, Bear, and so many other species. Then I thought "What about retirement in Minnesota?" We could retire there and fish all summer in more temperate weather and head south to hunt and fish Texas, Florida, & Louisiana when it gets too cold.
The fact that these things keep getting added to a "bucket list", has opened my eyes to the fact that a bucket list really just amounts to a list of things you can't afford to do or don't have time to do. But isn't it always that way? I don't know how many times I have uttered the phrase "If I have the money, I don't have the time; and if I have the time, I don't have the money." It gets frustrating!
This also led to this thought and the whole reason for this post... It occurs to me that adventure is what you make it. It seems these days, that you can have just about any adventure you want to pay for: bungee jumping, sky diving, hunting, fishing, cliff diving, scuba diving, some are extreme, some are not. We live in a society where most of the time, we have to go looking for adventure. This isn't the wild west. You don't step out the door and adventure awaits, or make a living by blazing trails from one side of the country to the other across mountains and deserts, or flying the mail or supplies in and out of hostile environments in planes that barely fly to begin with.
Our ancestors (not all that long ago) lived an adventure everyday. They heard drum beats and worried about Indians, we wonder which car at the light has the sound system. When we go hunting or fishing, we are looking for an adventure. They were looking for dinner. Sure, there are places in this world that are still wild, and still so remote that supplies must be flown in or dropped. Would I enjoy that life? I don't know. Probably not, because I am accustomed to my way of life. But, I can see a part of me wanting to give up these things for a simpler life, on an island perhaps, fending for myself and my family. But then again, that wouldn't be an adventure now would it? It would just be life again in a less hospitable environment.
But then I sit here and tell my son the stories of my youth: catching crawdads in the creek, hunting and fishing in the creeks near our house, the Great Pecan Wars of 1979, running the alleys and ditches; and as we got older, 4 wheeling in those creeks and ditches. All I can think about is how I would be put in jail for allowing my kids to do these sorts of things now. Or sued because little Tommy down the street fell out of a tree or got multiple contusions from being pummeled by pecans.
My childhood was pretty adventurous, but my adulthood seems to be more monotonous, which I suppose makes me a somewhat responsible adult, but it makes me sad for our kids and sad for future generations which will be even
more restricted. Where does it stop? We need a little adventure in our lives! What on your Bucket List? Dream Hunt? Fishing trip of a lifetime? Let us know in the comments below of on Facebook.
It's July here in Texas, and that means it's probably 105 degrees in the shade. While the air conditioning may be calling your name, so is your bow. Yes, your bow. That tool you use to take down all manner of game. If you are like most bow hunters, your bow has been sitting in it's case in the garage just hoping and waiting for a little attention from you.
Even in South Texas evening temperatures begin easing off into the mid to lower 90's. As long as you are in the shade in Texas, the evening breeze will keep you reasonably cool. This is the perfect opportunity to dust off the old target, throw some bacon wrapped venison bites and jalapeno poppers on the grill and start getting tuned up for archery season.
Cole putting in some work
Photo Chris Carson
PRACTICE shooting without your rangefinder. There will always be that one time that you forget the rangefinder in the truck or the batteries are dead. How many times have you barely made it into the stand and been busted reaching for it or putting it down to grab your bow. Know your ranges by sight. By walking around to different areas and angles to shoot, you will gain a good "feel" for yardage and will be prepared to shoot without having to use the rangefinder.
PRACTICE shooting from the position you will be in while hunting. If you are a tree stand hunter, practice drawing the bow standing in a position as if you were aiming at an animal below. Slowly raise the bow to the target take aim and release. If you typically sit on a 5 gallon bucket in a ground blind, then break out the 5 gallon bucket and sling some arrows. Vary your shots by distances and angles. Mix up the platforms a bit. You never know what opportunity will arise in the field. Practice holing on target for 10, 20, 30 seconds or a minute.
Photo Chris Carson
PRACTICE shooting at long distances. This can be fun, but requires a large area to safely be able to shoot at some very long distances. Many hunters report a higher level of confidence in their shot when they practice at long distances. Confidence is key in anything you do, so learn to shoot a tight group at 60, 70, 80 yards or more.
In addition, your equipment must be performing properly. If it's been awhile since your last service, or you are in the market for a new bow, come see us at Twisted Oak Hunting & Outfitter Supply. We are a full service bow shop. We will custom fit you for a new bow or repair and tune your bow for success. Also, we just got back from our annual trip to Mississippi to get new product and supplies, so we have some great pre-season specials going on right now like $100 off on our 300 lb. winch up Spin Tech tripod feeders with solar panel, 12 volt battery, and 6 bags of Orange Corn.
A small sampling of products you will find at Twisted Oak
Photo: Chris Carson
So there you have it, the 3 tips are PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Like any sport, archery requires a skill set. You must be able to put the right pin, in the right place, at the right time, with the right wind, at the right yardage, with the right angle, in the right shooting lane. I've had the unfortunate experience of watching my arrow sail past my prey. As I tell my baseball players, you will play like you practice. Games are won on the practice field and in the batting cages and lost on the couch and on the electronic devices they spend all their time using. Likewise, tight practice groups translate to humane kill shots in the field.
Take the kids outdoors this weekend, introduce them to archery, or some aspect of the outdoors they may have never seen. Take them for a hike, a swim in the river, or better yet, both! Make some memories. If you need more ideas, check out 46 Things To Do Within 46 Miles of Hwy. 46.
The adventures have been few and far between for awhile now as I have had to make time in my schedule for coaching my boys' baseball teams. Although we are in the thick of Little League All-Stars, we finally had a day off on Tuesday, so we got in a little adventure!
Quick Disclaimer: although "failure" is involved in this installment of Adventure Files, the title is more of a continuation of the original story (another chapter if you will), than a failure.
Mini X by Malibu Kayaks
We (at Twisted Oak Hunting & Outfitter Supply) have finally been able to get kayaks into the store. The nice folks at Malibu Kayaks have approved us as a dealer and we are currently awaiting shipment of our first order.
My son, Cole, just turned 11 and we ordered him a Malibu Kayaks Mini-X. It's a 9' kayak complete with adjustable foot pegs, 4 flush mount rod holders, front storage hatch, another storage hatch between his feet, and standing platform, a rear storage area with a bungee, and the all important cup holder. We also got him a Jr. Explorer seat and paddle to complete the initial package.
Cole's care package from Malibu Kayaks
The only problem with all of this is that we weren't able to close the deal on this purchase before his birthday. So, I called my contact there at Malibu and asked if they could send me a sticker or something to let him know he was getting a kayak for his birthday. They were happy to make that happen and went above and beyond by sending him an entire care package complete with stickers, a cap, some magnets, a certificate naming him the owner
of a Mini-X in Desert Camo, and
best of all (according to Cole)... A Backwater Assault Paddle. I must confess, I want one too!
Cole had been driving me crazy (and still is) with questions like "Dad, where is the first place you want to go when you get your kayak?" Of course, I ordered myself one. It is a Stealth 14 from Malibu Kayaks along with an X-Tank, and a Spider Angler seat from Crack of Dawn Paddlesports. So I decided to take him to Canyon Lake and learn some things using the kayak from my original Kayak Fail.
This kayak and I had a brief, but sorted history. However, I wasn't going to let that deter me from letting Cole have some fun learning to kayak. We loaded up and headed to Canyon Lake for an afternoon of fun. We arrived at the lake and chose a spot that was easy to access. We unloaded and headed down to the water.
The lake was up from the recent flooding, picnic tables were in the water and boat ramps were closed, but we drug the old Aquaterra about 100 yds. down a hill and across the grass to the water and I let Cole have the first run... He paddled around and had a blast. After a few minutes, he wanted me to try.
My original experience with this kayak was less than successful, so I was a bit apprehensive to attempt to mount this thing for the fear of looking like an idiot in front of my son and a few other on-lookers. Getting in was a bit of a chore, as it was the first time, but without the fear of a cold water kayak baptism, I was able to get in and began paddling around. I noticed a "No Wake Zone " buoy about 200 yards out and made it my goal to reach the buoy.
This is where things begin to get sketchy. As I paddled out, (at about the half way point) I noticed a difference in my right and left paddle stroke. I looked down and the top rivet that secured the blade of the paddle to the handle had come loose. Being attached only at the bottom presented a bit of a challenge. However, I was determined to reach the buoy. I used my right "traffic" finger (aka: the bird) to secure the blade to the handle. I'm still pretty sure I looked like an idiot with my right hand all the way down to one side of the paddle and 3 feet of handle sticking of the left side, but it worked. I got the the buoy, turned around and came back. Cole was disappointed that I did not touch the buoy, but I considered the affair a "WIN".
When I returned, I got out and Cole embarked on another voyage. He began tooling around and the paddle broke. With only a one sided, long, unwieldy paddle at our disposal, I decided to have Cole practice re-entry and flipping the kayak in order to make Mom a little more comfortable in the notion of getting him a kayak for his birthday. He did a great job.
The video to the right shows him in water too deep to stand. This time was the only time he didn't get in on the first attempt, which worked out because he was able to demonstrate both ways he learned to flip the kayak. We probably did it at least 10 times.
After about 30 minutes or so of that, I remembered that there was a two piece paddle stowed in the hull. Cole got it out and paddled around a bit more, the I decided to take another trip to the buoy. I didn't get too far before that paddle broke too! Upon further inspection, it had a flat spot (like it had been run over by a car) near the blade of the paddle.
So, this was actually more of a paddle fail than a kayak fail, but all in all, it was a great time. Cole got to test out his Backwater Assault Paddle, which by the way is AWESOME as Cole says, and we got to spend some time on the water. No fishing, nothing extravagant... Just good, quality, fun in the sun!
Can't wait for my Malibu Kayak!!!
Turkey hunting is one of my favorite ways to fill a weekend in the spring. The interactive nature of the hunt is seductive. Something about calling in a turkey from far away and the run and gun intensity of some hunts just brings about the "spirit of the wild" that Ted Nugent likes to wax poetic about.
Photo: Real Outfitters
The lease I have hunted for the last several years does not have turkey in any abundance, and only sporadically at best. As such, I am relegated to finding other opportunities to hunt the mighty Thunder Chicken.
Interestingly, I love to hunt them, but I'm not a big fan of eating turkey (even on Thanksgiving). So, this year, I got in touch with Mike Buie of Real Outfitters and he was gracious enough to let me come up and do some guiding with Real Outfitters. This was a great solution as I could hut them, and myhunters could shoot and eat them. A quick trip to Menard County and I was in camp. I arrived late, and there was a buffet of all sorts of great food for dinner. By the wy, Kevin, the camp chef, changed my tune on eating turkey... The best I have ever had! (sorry Mom... Laura... Cheryl)
The next day started at about 5 am. We headed to the main camp and began taking hunters out. These hunters were all pretty self sufficient, so basically I just dropped them off where they roosted turkeys the previous night, then I headed back to camp to get some chores done.
A few hours later, the hunters made their way back to camp. Breakfast, which was a delicious bacon, potato and egg with cheese skillet, was served. This was the best breakfast in recent memory.
There were two hunters in my group, an experienced turkey hunter, and a younger guy looking to bag his first bird. They were able to call in a few birds that morning. One gobbler started coming in and noticed the Jake decoy and took off, leaving them with the age old turkey hunting dilema... to decoy or not to decoy. As such, they decided to split up and I would guide the younger guy when we went back out.
Photo: Real Outfitters
My hunters were ready to go as soon as they ate breakfast. A couple more hunting parties arrived for the weekend, so we headed to a different ranch close to downtown Menard. Having never been to this ranch before, we met Mike in Menard and followed him to the ranch we would be hunting. This ranch had some great diversity in terrain due to it's proximity to the San Saba River. Mike speculated that the turkey would be up on the hills during the day and would make their way to the pecan bottom land to roost in the evening. I agreed with his assessment and began driving the property stopping every so often to listen and call.
It was still pretty early in the day. I figured that hens might still be laying eggs and tending their nests and that the gobblers would be wandering on their own looking for hens, so I decided to set up on a high pasture near a deer feeder and do some calling. We parked the truck and began getting ready for the hunt. My hunter put on his vest and I grabbed my calls. We discussed taking a decoy and I thought it would be better not to use the decoy given the shy nature of the gobbler they encountered that morning.
We walked in about 100 yards to the fence line of the pasture. Once there, we set up. Having no real MRI (most recent intel), I just took a stab at where to set up. My hunter was set up looking in to the pasture from the north. I sat facing the opposite direction in case we called one in from behind. I began calling and would turn and glass the field every so often. I switched back and forth from my glass pot call to a box call.
Photo: Real Outfitters
About 20-30 minutes went by when I glassed the furthest (eastern) edge of the field. About half way across, I saw at least three birds crossing the field east of us headed north. We were not in position to intercept them. I instructed my hunter to move about 10 yards and get set up in that direction as he hadn't seen them yet. I moved to get a better vantage point and camouflage myself better. I continued calling from both the box call and pot call. No luck. We had a strong southeast that I think was muffling my calls. I saw a big Tom take flight long enough to clear the fence on the east side of the pasture. I continued to call for about 10 minutes, but we saw no further signs of turkey.
At this point, I was regretting not bringing the decoys. Maybe those turkeys would have seen and come into a decoy spread. Maybe not. You just never know!
I knew there was a draw east of the pasture. I figured it was closer than it actually was, but I was thinking they went down into that draw headed for water. The draw emptied into a pond that was north of us. We backed out of where we were and tried to get ahead of them at the pond. We sat at the pond and called for about an hour with no luck. When I got home and looked at Google Earth, I figured out that the draw was much further away from that point. We should have tried to get closer to their last position and called. This is why it's always important to use aerial maps to pre-scout a property.
Photo: Real Outfitters
As the evening wore on, We moved down to a pasture near the pecan trees (WITH the decoys this time). There were cattle in the field near a deer feeder, so we set up on the opposite side. When the cows left, we moved across the pasture and closer to what seemed like great roosting trees. No luck at all. I was baffled. I was pretty certain that the pecans would be great for roosting. I had 2 wide open pastures to glass with pecan trees sprinkled between them. I didn't see or hear a turkey.
I was looking forward to getting after them again the next morning. As I was checking my alarms for the next morning, I found a message that came in while we were in the field (the only place I had a signal the whole time I was there). I had to get back home for a family emergency.
I had sort of an inside out view of the operations at Real Outfitters. From what I saw, Mike Buie has a great operation. The food is great the wildlife is abundant, the guides were courteous and accommodating. This ranch offers a variety of wildlife year round. Do not hesitate to book your hunt with Real Outfitters! They do youth hunts too!
Shortly after we got married in 1996, my wife and I bought a freezer from one of her parent's neighbors. As I loaded this monstrosity into my truck, I remember thinking that this old freezer is going to go out next week and I'm going to have to move it again. We all speculated at the time, that it had to be 30 years old. But, it was $100 and I needed a place to put meat. Being newlyweds, it was all we could afford, so we did the deal with a smile on our faces and a pain in my lower lumbar region.
The old freezer lasted as we move from place to place throughout the years. It's had just about anything you can imagine in it. It needed to be defrosted from time to time, but that was simple enough and quite honestly for the first few years, we moved enough that just emptying and defrosting for the move was sufficient.
In late January of 2015, I went into the garage and found that one of the kids left the door slightly open. This presented a problem as the garage was a mess and needed to be cleaned up before I could do it or it would get everything around it soaked. I managed to get the door shut and resolved to clean up the garage so that I could defrost it and reclaim my deer, hog, fish, dove, quail, and a bobcat that I needed to take to the taxidermist.
Of course baseball season was around the corner and it would be months before I had time to deal with the mess. Once that was over, it was time for fishing and vacations. Late in the summer, we began to smell a foul stench... I thought there was a dead cat or opossum or some other creature in the garage, but after a couple days of the stink, I saw the tell tale signs of blood under the freezer. I tried to open the door, but couldn't. I felt the side, and it was warm and I could feel the vibration of the motor running. I figured it was frozen shut, but not sure how that could be since there was blood leaking from the drain tube. I saw a slight gap in the seal toward the bottom of the door.
I did finally get my garage cleaned up and fairly organized before hunting season. I came to the conclusion that I needed some help getting this freezer out to the driveway to thaw. The freezer sat on a portion of my foundation that was 7 1/2" above my garage floor. Easy enough when it's empty, but when loaded with meat and iced over coils, it's a little different beast. I used some tie down ratchet straps to close it and make sure it stayed closed until I could get some help moving it off it's perch.
Well, as usual other priorities came along, like hunting season and spring baseball shortly thereafter. I quickly forgot about it... AGAIN (I have another deep freeze), until just a few weeks ago when I smelled that stench AGAIN! This time, I felt no motor running, no extra heat from the motor, no indication at all that it was working. I unplugged it and plugged it in again, reset the breaker, and beat on it a little hoping for the best, but no luck. We left the garage door open for a few days while I found some help to get it done.
I loaded it up with the plan of taking it to the dump. I headed to the dump to do so, and the guy there told me they don't take that stuff. A freezer is apparently considered a hazardous material. I asked him if I could open it up and dump it there and they could use their machinery to load it back up... The answer was "no". So, Plan A was a "no go". Since I had no help to get it on and off the truck myself, I left to re-think my plans.
Plan B was to take it out to the lease, open it up and let the coyotes and buzzards have a buffet, then come back a few weeks later to clean it up. Upon further consideration, I figured that would be a mess with all the freezer paper and plastic to pick up and it would get shredded. I didn't think that the land owner would appreciate that. So, Plan B was moved down the list to last resort and only with land owner's permission.
I called the City of San Antonio's 311 Call Center to find out how to dispose of a freezer and what to do with the contents. The verdict came back, that I could take it to the Hazardous Waste Collection Site, but I was on my own with the contents. My trash day being the following day, I figured I had to seize the moment and get this done. I went home and figured out a way to unload the freezer and got it upright. I suited up in a field dressing kit that has gloves that go all the way up to the shoulders and have the surgical type latex gloves that go over the shoulder length gloves. If I had a Tyvek suit, I would have worn that too.
I unstrapped the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. This was somewhat worrisome. I was afraid that somehow the "decomp cocktail" in my freezer would explode all over me in some sort of backdraft type of situation. I tried again, this time with a bit more muscle. Nothing. I decided to go for broke. I yanked and put all 254 lbs into it, and it cracked open. I peered around the side to see nothing but pink insulation and a little light blue.
I pulled harder and harder keeping the steel door between me and whatever was in there until I just basically ripped the door from the blue shelf insert that makes up the inside of the door. It was stuck to ice... The door shelf insert had been engulfed in ice. There was a slight smell. It really wasn't bad at all. Sitting in the bottom was a bobcat that had decomposed in a plastic bag, but everything else was still frozen solid. There were a few dead blow flies around it, but beyond that, no big deal! I was so relieved.
I spent about 30 minutes hosing it down to get enough ice out to begin removing meat. I was appalled at how much sausage and ground venison I was throwing away. I thought it was all bad and had been for over a year, but the sausage I pulled out didn't even look freezer burned. I wasn't going to take a chance on that at this point though... Lesson learned! Fortunately my other freezer is frost free. You can bet my replacement freezer will be as well. Now it's time to go shopping for that freezer. Somewhere out there is a freezer that's about to get filled with fish!
Many years ago, for my birthday I got a Daiwa Procaster PL-1500. It is a low profile reel, from the early 80's. There is no gear ratio listed, but it is marked "High Speed". I suspect by today's standards it pales in comparison.
It was my very first baitcaster. My brother and sister pooled their money to purchase this gift when I was about 11 years old and I still have it today. It is my "go to" reel. The one I use when times get tough. When I need that little confidence boost I pull it out and go to work. I usually keep it spooled up with 14 lb. Stren Clear/Blu Monofilament (also a back to the basics "confidence booster") on a medium action rod.
This reel has been with me through thick and thin. I learned to cast this reel in the front yard casting across the street. I remember my brother giving me instructions on "pin point" casting.
There are many, many memories with this reel and I would never give it up. This reel went on Family vacations and weekend outings in our family motor home. From Sunday afternoons at Guadalupe River State Park to Beaver Lake in Arkansas. My senior year in high school, I skipped out and went fishing for something like 23 days. This reel was there for all of them. I caught a 4 lb bass on Canyon Lake and a 5 lber on Sommerville. In January of 1990, I loaded up to cast across a cove on a 40 degree morning while the pistol grip rod I was using broke and the reel along with the rest of the rod took about a 40 yard flight and landed in about 8 feet of water, leaving nothing but the grip in my hand. I went for a very cold swim that morning.
A couple years later, I went to visit a friend in Dallas. We went to Lake Ray Roberts, where I caught a 4+ lb Smallmouth. Years later, I found out that the fish I caught would have been close to if not the lake record back then. On that same trip, I again, lost that reel on a cast where the rod just slipped out of my hand. I went in after it in a heartbeat.
I caught my personal best bass in a stock tank near Bandera, TX with that reel. In about 1992, I decided that it was time to take this baby apart and give it a good cleaning. To my dismay, I couldn't figure out how to put it back together. I took it (in a box of parts) to Bill's Tackle in Leon Valley, TX to get it fixed. They ordered some new parts and got her all fixed up.
Some years later during 2001, I headed to Port Mansfield to fish with my brother. During this trip, I had some problems with it, so I took it off the rod and put it in my bag. My intention was to take it back to Bill's to get it all fixed up again, but instead, I think it was Devine intervention. When I rolled back into town, I went by a friends house. While there, all of my fishing stuff was stolen out of the back of my truck. Every rod, every reel, and a Plano Guide Series tackle box with every lure, weight, worm, lizard, spinnerbait, buzz bait, frog, hook, scale, and anything else you could possibly think of was stolen... except the old Daiwa Procaster. If it wouldn't have broken, I wouldn't have put it away and it surely would have been stolen too.
I took it to Bill's a week or so later only to find out they were closed... Out of business. After several years of searching for a place I could trust with it, I finally decided to give it a try once more. Success!!! Now I take it and the rest of my arsenal apart every year and give them a good cleaning and replace worn parts. Amazingly (and thankfully), I can still find parts for this 35 year old reel. If you need service to your reels, bring them by Twisted Oak and we'll get you fixed up!
This old reel and I have shared some adventures over the years. Much like the bonding experienced with friends on these trips, this reel brings back a flood of memories when I hold it, cast it, and catch fish. Now, my 10 year old son is using it to learn to cast a baitcaster. I need to buy him one of his own. I wish I could find one I know would last as long as this one has.
Do you have a lucky reel, or rod or lure, or any other fishing equipment you would hate to lose? Hand me down? Inherited? What's your story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook Page.
