3/28/16

Rule #16.  Admit when you're wrong.

SEASONAL INVENTORY/"WISH LIST"

At the beginning of each season, I try to compose a post that's a kind of "wish list" of equipment and things I will need for the coming season.  It's also an opportunity for me to take inventory of the things I have already.

I start the season with:

Rods & Reels:

1) a VERY good, Bass Pro Shops "Micro-Lite," 7 1/2 foot, yellow UL pole, with an EXCELLENT   UL Pfleuger "President" spinning reel, with 4 pound Stren monofilament.

2) another VERY good Bass Pro Shops "Micro-Lite," 7 foot, fast action, bronze, L pole, with an EXCELLENT L Pfleuger "President" spinning reel, with 6 pound Stren monofilament.

3) another VERY good Bass Pro Shops "Micro-Lite," 5 foot, yellow UL pole, with a decent (but OLD) Shimano reel, loaded with 4 pound Stren.

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4)  a decent Shimano rod, 5 1/2 foot, black, UL pole, with an OK Diawa reel (New Castle flea market, $5!),  monofilament backing under 4 pound Spider Wire braided line.

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Then, I have individual parts that I can switch around as necessary until I find a "suitable" rod or reel to complete the outfit.

1)  a VERY GOOD Quantam KVD Series, gray, MH Graphite Spinning Rod (my wonderful wife chose this for me in a bank account give-away promotional series!), 7 foot, 9 eyes, line weight 10-25 lb., lure weight 1/4 -- 1 1/2 oz.

2)  an old large "EXPRESS" spinning reel with several unnecessary parts missing; it's loaded with an unknown, but heavier monofilament (looks like Stren); I'm pretty sure the bail has to be manually switched.

3)  a "Mr. Rowland," Mitchell, fiberglass, 6 foot, ML spinning rod; it's almost certainly an antique, but it casts well and is a really fine plastic worm rod.

4)  a crappy Mitchell "Advanta" reel:  too much plastic, too few bearings, you name it.  I'd much rather throw this in my recycling bin, but I have too few reels.

5) an ancient Wright & McGill, 8 foot, dull yellow, fiberglass fly rod, 2 piece, "mini-ferrule," 6 eyes;  I have an "automatic" self-winding fly reel for this rod that I bought thinking I might give fly fishing a try.  I'm much more likely to duct tape a spinning reel to it for bluegill fishing!


Needed Equipment for This Season:

• One GOOD medium-heavy weight spinning reel, Daiwa or Shimano, with 6 or more bearings to pair with the Quantam MH rod--this will probably have to be new.  I'll look for sales at Meijer and Walmart--wink, wink!
• Two decent ultra-light or light weight spinning reels, to pair with the Mitchell 6 foot, and the fly rod, respectively.  There's no sense in spending more than a few dolllars ($20 at most) on these, because the rods they'll be matched with just don't merit that kind of quality.  Flea markets and rummage sales!

When I complete this part of my "wish list," I will have four really good rigs, matched reel to rod, and two decent back-up outfits--but still, matched reel to rod.


Also needed:

• Good, polarized sunglasses, with a case to leave in the glove box of my truck and only used when fishing.
• Repair kit for waders.
• Lightweight, "invisible," flourocarbon for leader material.
• Cast-a-Bubble--I already have the solid, clear, teardrop-shaped one, I also need a few of the clear, hollow ones that you can fill, or partially fill with water to give them weight.
• Fishing, "Kiss My Ass," hat.  Bucket, Pork-Pie, light blue--just like Grandpa B's, the only hat I've ever worn that was actually too big for me!
• Wader socks.
• Dunham's football cleats for wader shoes.
• Treble hook "bonnets."
• Triple Swivel rigs for bait fishing.
• Cheap hand warmers.
• Huge cotton socks to put over shoes and up over the bottoms of waders.
• Seine net--if you can find one.
• Spray bottle and Isopropyl Alcohol for wader repair.
• [Always looking for used jon boats, float tubes.]