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11-14-2005  Tomorrow is opening day for deer season

The Sarah Ann all alone, time to go home for the winter.

11-6-2005  Mental patient steals ambulance to carry dead deer

An escaped mental patient, on the run from Florida, stole an ambulance in North Carolina last Sunday and led police on a three-county chase, passing briefly into Virginia. When the cops finally pulled him over, he emerged — somewhat less than voluntarily — wearing a stethoscope around his neck, a pager on his waist and latex gloves in his back pocket, and sporting a Mohawk haircut. "I don't think anyone would have mistaken him for a doctor," Rockingham County (N.C.) Sheriff's Officer Dean Venable told The Reidsville (N.C.) Review.

Even stranger, somewhere along the way he'd picked up a patient — a dead male deer, lying in the back of the ambulance with an intravenous tube stuck into it. A defibrillator may also have been used on the animal.

"I don't know how the man got it up in there," Sgt. Robert Pearson of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (search) told the Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Union. "It was a six point buck." Even worse, it had been dead for somewhere around a week. Police think it must have been road kill the driver just came across. "I smelled that deer until 10 o'clock that night," said Pearson.

It turned out Leon Hollimon Jr., 37, had escaped from a mental-health facility in Jacksonville, Fla., in mid-August and not been heard from until last Saturday, Sept. 24. That's when Lexington, N.C., police arrested him as he hung around the town hospital in a wheelchair. "Actually he was in the wheelchair, riding it in the middle of the road and intoxicated," Lt. Scott Nanney told WFMY-TV of Greensboro, N.C. "So that's when officers decided to take him into jail for four hours."

The next morning, Hollimon allegedly stole the vehicle from Davidson County Ambulance Service, but it wasn't spotted until early that afternoon, when police in Danville, Va., 80 miles away, noticed it but didn't give chase.

Hollimon's father told WAWS-TV of Jacksonville his son was a paranoid schizophrenic who had stabbed his two sisters and a brother in the past. North Carolina authorities told the Review that Hollimon had arrests and convictions for petty crimes stretching from Florida to New Jersey. "It's about the most bizarre thing I've ever seen," the tow truck driver who hauled the ambulance away told the Review. "I don't know how he even drove it with the smell in there."
 

11-4-2005  I went to Ithaca Gun's website today to look for rifled barrels for my shotgun, and the site is down.  A web search found this:

11-1-2005  Here it is, the first of November.  I did some work on the boat this weekend, cleaning it out and starting to reorganize.  It needs a thorough cleaning before next year.  Jenny, the puppy, was a "big help" on the boat, making quick work of a dipsy diver that needed to be hunted down and killed.

There are a bunch of things going on in the tackle world these days.  Dee's Flashers have a new owner, Luhr Jensen is now owned by Normark, Opti-Tackle has a slew of new products coming out this spring.  Look for hot new colors from Raider Spoons and Kingfisher.

I have to put in another plug for the Rooster Ranch.  Very nice facilities, professional staff.  I met a couple of hunters walking in and they seemed very pleased with their day.

10-30-2005  Here's the new addition to the family, a 10 week old black lab.  I got her at the Rooster Ranch Hunt Club, they breed their own hunting dogs and sell some of them.  We got her yesterday, and I am a little short on sleep.

The Sarah Ann all alone, time to go home for the winter.

10-26-2005  Paid half of next year's slip fee today, ouch.

10-25-2005  Well, I did not do much fishing after all.  Shutting down the cottages and pulling the boat took more time than I thought.  This week is devoted to paperwork unfortunately.  I need to get over to the range and sight in the guns for opening day.

New page added today.  "Used Boats/Equipment for Sale"

10-17-2005  Not much to report on the fishing scene.  The boat comes out this week :(  I was hoping for 1 last trip, but the weather continues to be windy.  Look at the surface temps - in the 58's to 60's near Ludington in October?????

10-15-2005  Went to Maine last week.  My nephew had a Moose permit for the Jackman Area.  Three of my brothers and I gathered to do some bird hunting and to help out retrieving the beast if he got one.

Well, it turns out that the only game we got that week was the bird I shot.  Wes never got a shot at a bull.  We saw moose every day, mostly cows and one big bull that was not a good shot and took off.

A friend of my brothers shot a 880 lb (after dressing it out) and another party shot one over 900 lbs.  It is a major effort to get an animal that size out of the woods and into the truck.  Being able to retrieve the beast severely limits your hunting area in that terrain.  There were over 30 animals checked in last I saw.  The smallest, if you can call it small, was 467 lbs shot the first day near us and the largest was the 930 lb brute you can see below.

My Bird                                    88 lb Moose                              930 Lb Moose

10% of Maine's Moose Hunting permits are reserved for out of state hunters.  You can apply online for the lottery at http://www.state.me.us/ifw/hunttrap/moosehunting.htm  If you are unfamiliar with the area you definitely need a guide.

I will be doing a page on Moose Hunting in Maine.  It was a lot of fun.  If you like "Yoopers" you will like "Maynahs", they have the same outlooks about people from "Down East" that Yoopers have about "Trolls" (people from "below the Macinaw Bridge")

10-14-2005  Back from vacation.  More to follow on that.

This is an excellent send-up on PETA by Penn & Teller.  Beware of some liberal use of the F word.

http://media.putfile.com/petaBS

10-5-2005 I am off to Maine Hunting for the next week.  Sorry, but any orders will have to wait until my return.

10-4-2005  I have a question.  Actually two questions.  On separate occasions, representatives of the Michigan DNR have said that the number of rods and that creel limits do not affect fish populations.  OK, if the laws are in place to regulate the fishery, not just to give the CO's something to do, then why is there a creel limit or rule on number of rods at all?

The DNR recently said that raising the limit to 5 salmon won't help reduce the population.  Then why is the limit 3?

When they raised the number of rods from 2 to 3, they said it would be ok because the number of rods won't affect the number of fish taken.  Then why write tickets for having an extra rod out?

For the record, I think 3 a piece is plenty, for both rods and Salmon.  I bet more than half the fish meat taken is thrown away after 6 months in the freezer.  I also have come to the conclusion that running more rods often means less, not more, fish.  I just wonder sometimes if the DNR listens to their own statements or even remembers WHY they have the rules.

10-3-2005  Back from the lake this morning.  I actually have a fishing report, of sorts, below.

9-30-2005  From Ed Stell's Fishing Report page:  "09/30 Nothing to report. Wind, wind and more wind."

Could not think of a better way to say it myself.  I have been watching for 2 weeks now for a wave report good enough to head out.  I have a goal to catch at least 1 fish on the big lake or rivers every month this year.

Actually, I found a better indication - From the Ludington Daily news:  "Ludington’s car ferry, the S.S. Badger, remained docked today, canceling its scheduled run to Manitowoc, Wis., due to National Weather Service predictions of southwest gales to 35 knots with waves building to 8-12 feet in the northern half of Lake Michigan, where the Badger sails. "

Well, if the 200 foot+ car ferry is not going out, the 23 foot Sarah Ann is not either.

9-28-2005  I moved yesterday's "news" to the joke page where it belongs.  I am sitting here looking at the forecast (5 to 8 foot waves) wondering if I will get back out fishing at all this year.

9-25-2005  Back from Traverse City.  This week I will be ordering parts for a new item for the store next year I think will be a big hit.

9-23-2005 Off to Traverse City without the kids with my wife for our anniversary.  No fishing, no internet.

9-22-2005  Went to the Flint Steelheaders meeting last night.  there was some pretty interesting information about stocking plans and Cormorant control.

The apparent plan is to cut stocking of Chinooks in Lake Michigan to allow the bait fish population to recover.  I guess if the plan is based on data and science, I am for it.  My two concerns are, is it really budget and/or politics and is this plan coordinated with the other bordering states?

The Cormorant news was mostly good.  We are a long way from having them "under control" but a great deal of progress has been made in getting the Cormorant control program underway.  The Flint Area Steelheaders have been among those leading the way in pushing the authorities to understand the problem.

One note - please, please, PLEASE, if you want to help, write a letter, contribute or do something positive and legal to help.  Loons look just like Cormorants.  What we absolutely don't need is a shot Loon right now. 

Like I said, if you want to help, do it the right way.

9-21-2005  Not much in the way of fishing type news today.  Just sitting here contemplating the intense stupidity of some of my "colleges" in the customer service industry.  I feel better now, I spent the last 20 minutes writing about how incredibly stupid some people are, and then erased it because you don't want to read that junk.

When you call me at the 877 number, you get me.  You don't get some grade school dropout or some telemarketer in Thailand.  If I am not available, you get my voice mail.  I always return customer calls when they leave a message.  If you email me, you get me.  I stand behind my 100% satisfaction promise.  If you are unhappy, tell me.

9-20-2005  Well, the Labor Day die off in activity is upon me here at the store.  Now is the time to think about next year.  I have some exciting new products coming that I think you will be interested in.

You will see below the link to the Red Cross for Hurricane Relief.  We all know what many of those people have gone through, and now another storm threatens the area.

9-7-2005  I now have R&R Salmon Assassins on my store, a very popular flasher out in the New York area, that is enjoying a growing following in the Chicago land area.  I can see why, as one of the colors really cleaned up last weekend for me.  I have a special price on all four colors.  that price will not be available for long.

9-6-2005  Back from the lake today.  I will be shipping orders today.  This business slows down very fast this time of year.  I understand that many are all ready thinking hunting season.  You should remember that some of the best fishing, without the crowds and heat, are ahead, not behind us.

9-5-2005  Going to the marina today and organize the boat after last night's melee.  Then I'm going to try and find someone to fish with this evening.  The weather is good and half a million boats will be leaving tonight.  It will be nice to fish without the crowds.

9-2-2005  It's off to the lake today.  Any order placed after 9 am EST today will be shipped Tuesday.

9-1-2005  You may have noticed that I am taking some products off of the store.  Some of those items I have in stock and they are going to the closeout page at reduced prices.  Some things just don't sell for me, others I have had one issue or another on supply or delivery.  I hope that doing this makes it easier to find the things you really want, and make room for new items on their way.

Cut bait is not in the closeouts area because I won't have it next year, I just don't want to store it for 6 months.  I will definitely have bait next year.

8-31-2005  I have a new category - Closeouts, where you can find items at excellent values.  All these items are new, perfectly good items that have simply not sold for me, for one reason or another.  These items are available while supplies last, no backorders.

Check out and stock up on bait at a huge savings over store prices.  Bait WILL keep in your freezer over the winter.  I plan on filling that freezer with venison.

I have added a Spin Doctor & Bait Rig Starter Kit, 4 rigs at a savings in response to the excellent reception the Kingfisher starter pack received.

I now have Dragon Fly Rattle flies, and a white glow fly.

As you can see, the deer are back at the feeder.  I will be working on the deer cam soon to get it back up and running.

8-30-2005  I removed the non-fishing rant from yesterday.  I guess the $75 fill up on my truck got to me.

8-29-2005  I am constantly trying to strike a balance between keeping this page "short and sweet" and keeping the information in front of you.  I had a comment that my starter pack "disappeared" and I am sorry about that.  One thing that frustrates me is how difficult it is to find stuff on some web sites.  It's almost like they are trying to hide their product from you.  I work hard to make it as easy as I can on my site.  I figure for every comment like that, there are 10 customers who just gave up, so I take it seriously.

If you go to the store, any page and type "starter pack", you would end up right there.  I have added links on all my pages and another link on the top of this page

I expect to have a selection of R&R Assassins on the store this week.  "Customer Demand" and my own testing drove me to add this product this late in the season.  They are an excellent addition to the store.  I am hoping to have them by Wednesday.

New jokes on the jokes page today.....

8-28-2005 I am back from the lake.  Looking at the list of things to do, I am wondering why.

8-25-2005  I am off to the lake today.  Orders placed now through Monday will be shipped Monday.

I have a pile of stuff to try out for next year.  A couple of manufacturers I work with now have new products coming and a couple of new ones are looking to get on the store.  Whenever possible I like to sell stuff I have used and have caught fish on.  When you call and ask questions, my answers are based on what I have done and seen in my boat with the tackle.

8-24-2005  The weather looks good for the weekend.  Time is running out on us fast.  Fishing will remain excellent through October, just getting out on the lake will become harder and harder.

BTW - In a completely unrelated subject - Cancer and the world's best riders could not beat Lance Armstrong, so now they have dug out some urine samples from 1999?  Sounds like "Sour Grapes" to me.  Sorry, y'all got your &$$ kicked by probably the greatest cyclist of all time and sorry, he was an American.

8-22-2005  I received a shipment of Kingfishers today.  The Manistee report got me thinking about those of you who ask about how to get into bait.

I have created a "Starter Pack".  My best 4 colors.  I have put some information in the "Featured Products" section below.

I just read where someone was rescued by the ferry out of Muskegon/Milwaukee last Sunday, a wave capsized his boat and it went down before he could radio.  Hmmm, I wonder what "SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT" means?  Remember to be safe out there, no fish is worth your life.

8-21-2005  I picked a good weekend to take off....

ST JOSEPH TO MANISTEE 350 PM EDT SUN AUG 21 2005
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT...
.TONIGHT...NORTH WINDS 10 TO 20 KNOTS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.  WAVES 3 TO 6 FEET.

8-20-2005  I now have 300 foot spools, along with the 600 foot spools, of copper wire back on the store.  I had several customers ask for it the last couple of weeks.  600 feet is such a better deal I had taken the shorter spools off the store.  The shorter spools are in stock now.

8-19-2005  I have added Dragon Fly skirts to the store.  Many choose to completely redo their flies anyway, so why buy stuff you won't use?

I spent some time this evening talking to a customer from Northern Idaho.  I had some idea of the fishery out there, I knew some world record fish came from that area, but I did not know many details.  Apparently the best time for Steelhead is October to December and they troll the surface at more than 3 mph with just buck tail flies, no dodger.  Their Rainbows get to over 20 lbs and they fight them with noodle rods.  Sounds like I need to take a trip out west some time.

8-18-2005  I just received a call from a customer in Ludington.  apparently the "Black Mongoose" spin doctor is red hot with a glow fly.

I added some answers to questions people have had about the Opti-Dodger to the featured item write up below.  "Straight from the horse's mouth" answers from the manufacturer.

8-17-2005  I have added the Precision Trolling Big Water Edition to the store.  I have found this book to be an excellent tool and reference.

Today was "cleanup day" for me to get a couple of things taken care of.  For me its time to start thinking about next season.  I will be getting a booth at the Madison, WI Fishing Expo Feb 25-27th.

One surprise for me this year has been my business on the West side of the lake.  I would say that about half of my customers this summer were from Wisconsin, with a fair number from Illinois and Minnesota, and a couple as far away as South Dakota.

Shows are hard, but I enjoy getting out and meeting customers and putting a face with the name.

8-16-2005 I have made a change to the shipping policy, based on a couple of problems with the post office delivery.

Now you have the option of choosing UPS 2nd day air and UPS Next Day Air Saver at a flat rate of $10 and $20 respectively.  If you choose standard shipping, all the same rules ($5 and free on orders over $100) apply.

Priority mail is reasonably priced, averaging me just over $5 per order and 99% of the time gets there next day in SE Michigan, 2-3 days anywhere else.  Unfortunately, their package tracking is a joke and certain areas have problems.  Most days OK, the other day I had an Express Mail package take 5 days to Wisconsin.

So if your trip is coming up and you have last minute needs, you have the option of choosing faster, more reliable methods.

8-15-2005  Did not make the Manistee Tournament this weekend.  We ended up getting to Ludington late Friday and did not have what it took to get up at 3 to drive the boat North in time for the 5 am start.  We made the decision to just fish.  Fishing was excellent and we had a lot of fun.

8-12-2005  A badly needed new computer and a huge pile of orders has consumed me the last couple of days.  The old laptop just isn't enough for all I have to do.  After 3 days, guess what, I'm doing this on the laptop because I still don't have all the software running.  Oh well.

New "Splatter Glow" Kingfishers in stock, check them out.  I liked the blue so much when I saw it in a store, I bought it at retail!

If you want a preview of the future of the store, or if you just want a good look at what the flies look like, look at the Dragon Fly page.  I have replaced the group shot with pictures of each individual fly.  I have altered the photo's only to try to get the actual color in the photo, as the flash sometimes makes greens look blue.  It is tedious work, but I hope to have the whole store that way by spring.

I am heading out in the am for the lake and the Flint Steelheaders Manistee Tournament.  I will have a full crew on board so maybe we can make something happen.  Anyway, we should be able to catch a couple of fish and have some fun.

8-8-2005  I had a pile of boxes waiting for me when I got home yesterday.  As of today, all Raider Spoons and all Dragon Flies are in stock.  All back orders are shipped today. 

I am adding the "Moneymaker" Dragon Fly, along with Dragon Fly Skirts shortly, once orders are filled.  Last year sales started to slack a bit by now, but if anything I am shipping more.  The response to the Dragon Fly has been phenomenal.

8-4-2005  I have my first product!  Well, it's actually mostly a KRW 3-fly rig I finished off with Rhys Davis head and snelled Hook.  Check out the very Limited Edition Bob's Outdoors 3-Fly Rig.

I have also added a page for Twinkie Repair.  Kings and fishing partners with big feet are murder on Twinkies.  Of course, the hot rig is the one getting hit and getting stepped on, so be ready to get that one back in the water.

I also have on that page instructions for snelling hooks and repairing the twinkie.  This is how I run most of my rigs now.

I have re-priced the bait.  Needless to say, I am not interested in storing bait for 6 months.  My 17 pack price is $4.99, which is less than most tackle stores.  It will not last long at these prices.

The dodger page is still messed up.  Customer requests required that I switch gears to the twinkie repair project.  All colors are there, just some are there twice.  It does not matter which one you order, it'll get there the same.  Any questions call or email me.

I am off to the lake tomorrow.  I will be testing super secret products for next year, so if you notice my fishing reports with some blanks that is why.  I will give the important information, I just might not get too specific with flasher brand and design.

What's the deal with Da-Hook??  I had them at the shows and you guys looked at them like "I'm not afraid to touch fish".  For the record, when a hook is in its mouth, I AM afraid to touch that fish.  Clubs are OK, but if it is a shaker or any other fish I am letting go, the club is inappropriate.  It only took a 3 lb Coho this spring to bury a hook in my finger, and no, I was not using the Da-Hook that was well within reach.  Anyway, with no advertising and very little promotion, I can't keep up with the orders!

If you place an order before 9 am tomorrow, and I have it in stock, I will ship your order before I leave.

8-3-2004  I added Opti-Tackle Duo-Lock Snaps to the store.  These are great for plugs or for making certain brand flashers easier to run twinkie rigs on.

I am in the process of redoing the Opti-Dodger page.  All the colors should be there, but some colors are there twice.  I hope to finish this today.

8-2-2005  I talked to Josh from Raider today.  He caught a 18 lb Brown on a lead core as they were bringing it in on a Raider #404 Creamsicle

8-1-2005  I swore I would put nothing on sale this year.  I price my items as good as I can and everything moves well.

Well, fortunately our yearly plague of Spiny Fish Hook Water Fleas has not occurred.  I thought last year it was the colder than normal water, but this year the water is warmer than normal, and I have seen very little sign of them.  I believe the lake has adapted and some critter out there has learned to eat them.  Whatever the reason, I am happy to see them gone.

Unfortunately, I bought a bunch of Flea Flicker line at when one of my distributors closed out all their Cortland Stuff this Spring.

While it lasts - 2400 yard spools of Flea Flicker are 1/2 price at $19.99, cheaper even than ANDE.  This is perfectly good fishing line, even without the fleas.

I have a couple of hot tips for you today.  At the advice of Heidi at Opti-Tackle, I have been running all of my flies retied with 50# Fluorocarbon.  The Fluorocarbon is almost invisible even at that size and the stiffness of the line adds a lot of action to the fly.  I have also been tying some twinkies that way and it looks like it has the same effect.

I had a "burned up" Dipsy diver on my boat, where I had left the glow in the bright sun far too long and it had turned an olive green.  I covered it with the new Opti-Tackle Blue Glow tape and used it with great success this weekend.

The new extended blue glow tape takes more to light it up, but it gives a nice, subtle glow for a good long time, far longer than needed.

I have some new colors of Opti-Dodgers and I will be changing the descriptions on a couple of colors today.  They have been listening to customers and learning what works and improving their products.  I will have the new colors and the changed colors in a separate category for your convenience.

BTW - a customer pointed out that I did not have an item that I thought I had on the store.  He is getting that item free.  I am not promising that every time, but I will promise to reward customers with something whenever they point out a mistake like that.  If you see something messed up, please let me know.

7-29-2005  - Tomorrow is the Steelheader Tournament and I still don't have a crew.  It will be a shame to weigh in a 1 man limit the way fishing is.

7-27-2005 Update

I am heading to the lake tonight or early tomorrow.  All orders will be filled Monday.  I have some "research" to do and prefishing for the tournament Saturday.

Reflecting my growing "West Side" customer base, and by customer request, I have added Big Lake Tackle's "Dragon Flies".  Scott has some excellent colors, the "Green Oyster" is on fire in Sturgeon Bay behind the Opti-Dodgers.

Hot tip - the 005 Chrome Opti-Dodger with the Black Ice Tape added is the hot rig lately.  I now have the Opti-Tackle Extended Blue Glow Tape.  This stuff is cool.  The other night I got up real late, about 3 hours after I had shut off the lights.  Several of my extended glow items were pretty bright, but this tape really glowed.  You charge this up once, you don't have to worry about recharging it.

Lastly I have added the Leader Caddy.  This nifty little thing won't catch any fish, but it will solve a problem I have wrestled with for ages, what to do with leaders and flies when not in use.  I have several on my boat, and I label them with a permanent marker for the size of the leader

7-27-2005  New Replacement Bait Heads are in stock.  Yellow Ridgeback Rattlers are now back in stock.

7-26-2005  Wanted - Crew (2-persons) for Flint Steelheaders Tournament in Ludington Saturday.  This is a fun get together with a great bunch of guys where all of the entry money comes back in prizes, plus a little more.  I happen to know that the Big Fish prize is really nice because they bought it from me.

All you need to bring is the ability to pay attention to the rods and a good attitude.  Call me 877-455-7096 if interested.

Also - Want to be (sort of) famous?  If you would like the whole world to see your big fish like Hit Man above, send me an email with a picture.  Kids with "big" fish work also, I still remember that 2 oz Pumpkinseed I caught too many years ago.

7-25-2005  Boat problems and family issues cut my weekend short in Ludington.  We got out once on Friday night, had to fish the harbor due to over heating issues with my buddy's boat.  Had 4 hits, took a nice steelhead on a Luhr Jensen Lighted J Plug in the "Metallic Superman" color.  Once again we went against conventional wisdom, the sun was up and bright and we took a fish on a glowing lure.  Makes some sense with how muddy the water is.

I have new Opti-Tackle Extended Glow Blue Tape.  I also have Rhys Davis Heads to go with the Twinkie Kits, I am restocked with yellow Ridgebacks, and I have a new logo for the store.  I spent all day today filling orders.  Some times you are too busy putting out fires to build the fire station.

7-21-2005  The weather stinks here in Ludington.  Humid, foggy and now rain.

I had new graphics done on the boat today, the truck gets done tomorrow.

I will have a new line of flies next week, the "Big Lake Tackle Dragon Fly" from Wisconsin.  This is by popular demand and reflects my growing customer base in Wisconsin.

7-19-05  The Gander Mountain Offshore Classic is this weekend in Ludington.  I still have not decided if I will enter.  I am considering entering the Big Fish contest as the fee is reasonable.

I will have certain items on hand for sale there.  I will have twinkie rigs, Kingfishers, Dee's, Spin Doctors and certain Raider Spoons.  If you are attending the event and need some last minute tackle, give me a call at 877-455-7096

As a result of me leaving early for this event, Orders placed after 8:00 pm Today, Wednesday will be shipped Monday.

I will be pre-fishing Ludington tomorrow through the weekend.  As I have no stake in the contest, other than wishing to have one of you win it, I will be posting complete fishing reports.

The fact is, the only thing better than me winning one of these things is having one of you win it.

7-18-2005  I just returned from the Post Office.  All my orders are shipped for today, so far.

Dee's Flashers, Spin Doctors, and Kingfishers are all popular.  Twinkies, Raiders and Opti-tackle also.  A suddenly popular item is the Da-Hook

I will post a more complete update this evening, and hopefully have some new products added.  The Lighted J-Plugs were a "customer choice" as in more than three customers asked me about it, and I figured I better get them on the store.  I have a couple of other items you might find interesting.

7-14-2005  I have been swamped since the postcard and the latest GLA hit the mail the other day.   All orders I can ship will go out at noon today and then it's off to the lake.

I have been surprised by the response to the bait.  In response to orders for multiple packs, I bought some larger containers.  I now have a "17-pack".  Why 17?  That's how many fit, plain and simple.  I don't want to ship empty space.  With this pack I get the price down to $6.35 a pack if you return the container, which is more or less in line with stores.

I don't foresee ordering more bait once this is gone, so if you need it, order now.  I simply do not want to store it all winter, which is what will happen to any left on labor day.

7-11-2005 Received my stickers today.  1/2 are going out to Captain Chuck's, the "orders" will be filled tomorrow.

Many of you have seen my mailer by now.  I wanted to make sure I reconnected with the people who I did business with "before".  I thought the picture I used would get your attention.  If you have followed the postcard here, welcome back!

I got the latest issue of GLA today.  You can see my 1/2 page ad, with Dee's Flashers, in the back. 

I received a new product line from Double G, the Twinkie people.  Imagine my surprise when I read in Great lakes Angler that I am carrying these!  I guess I had better get them on the store quick!

Twinkie Kits

Make your own Twinkies, Make your own Twinkie/Cut Plug Rigs as seen in this month's Great Lakes Angler.  $12.99 gets you parts for 3 rigs, including the twinkies, the crimps, the beads and the bead chain.

7-7-2005 Update

All out of No Nets Stickers, but all requests as of 5:00 pm are mailed, at least partially.  I did not have enough to fill the requests for 12 stickers, but you all got some.

I expect more stickers tomorrow.

7-7-2005

FRIDAY  NORTH WINDS 10 KNOTS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET.
FRIDAY NIGHT  NORTHEAST WINDS 10 KNOTS BECOMING EAST. WAVES 1 TO 2 FT.
SATURDAY  SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 KNOTS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET.
SATURDAY NIGHT  SOUTH WINDS 10 KNOTS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET.
SUNDAY  SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET.
MONDAY  SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 KNOTS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET.

In other words, good weather for fishing all weekend!

The No Nets thing is going real well, I am buried with requests.

In fact I am going to put two restrictions, starting now, 12:00 am 7/7/2005 (so it does not affect existing requests)

Limit of 4 stickers per order, unless you can explain to me why you need more.  It is too obvious a ploy by the other side to just clean me out of stickers.

Second, there is no sense in me mailing stickers to Ludington, when you can go get them at Captain Chuck's  I will be referring requests from the Ludington Area to them.

I bought (with a generous gift from a supporter) another 250 stickers.  You can go to the link below to see exactly how much they cost me.  Unless someone else wants to be generous, when those are gone I will be charging $1.  At $0.80+ a sticker, plus shipping, plus postage, you will see I will be still not covering the cost 100%

Click on the picture for a better view

My Borg-Like assimilation of the house for the business continues.  I gave the kids my old office and took over another wall.  Pegboard is just a better way for me to keep track of inventory.  If you look close you can tell which colors of Dee's flashers I have on order now. 

Gee, I have an understanding wife.  I have known women that would have tossed my rear right out at this point.  Maybe I should take an evening off of fishing and take her out this weekend.

Also, the emails telling me that my "Bobs Outdoors account" was about to be closed, complete with a virus attachment, suddenly disappeared the day after I posted the note below.  Thank you whoever for fixing the problem.
 

7-6-2005  The boat is fixed.  Apparently it was a minor fix for someone knowledgeable.  You know, it would probably pay to take a Marine Mechanics course just on what I would save on my own boat.

  A customer asked me about the availability of "on the water seminars" to learn how to use cut bait.

Therefore, assuming weather cooperates (we can fish the harbor, but lightning keeps me in) and my boat gets fixed (It has been), I will be doing up to four "seminars" this weekend for two fishermen (or women) at a time. There  will be no charge, and the subjects will be anything you want to know, including cut bait, spoons, flies, Ridgebacks, Dee's and electronics. 

All levels of experience are welcome, although the less you know, the more you will get out of it.

Yes, we will be using tackle from my store, that's what I have on my boat.  There will be absolutely no obligation to buy anything.

email me at bobsoutdoors@yahoo.com

7-5-2005  You will notice that I have posted "hours" for the store above.  I know how anxious some of you are to get that tackle for the weekend, and I do my best to accommodate that.  If you have special needs, give me a call. 

The 877 number gets forwarded to my cell phone.  The good news is you get me, no matter where I am.  The bad news is, it's a cell phone, and anyone who has one can tell you that they are a pain in the neck.

Sometimes it is out of range.  Sometimes I am in a place, like the doctor's, where I must turn it off.  Sometimes I have a fish on!  Sometimes I just plain turn it off because I need time off.  So if you get the voice mail, please leave a message.  I do value your call.

I spent all day packing orders (Thanks!)  Hot Items - Raider Spoons, Twinkies, Spin Doctors, Kingfishers, Ridgeback Rattlers, Opti-Dodgers, and Opti-Snubbers.  Hot spoon colors - Polecat, Bloody Nose.  Clear/Red continues to be the hottest Twinkie color, with Green Glow and Blue Glow next.

The No Nets thing is picking up.  Captain Chuck's in Ludington is handing out stickers.  I had someone volunteer to pay for the next 100 so they will remain free for a while more. 

In fact, if you want to have your own printed, the JPEG is here Go ahead and download it.  You can get them printed wherever you want, I used makestickers.com

Ed Stell mentioned the website on www.ludingtonsalmonfishing.com/fishingreport

Ed's webpage is one place that I go to myself for reports on Ludington.  Ed is well liked and gets reports from several boats.  If you are looking for a charter, The Encore is an excellent choice.

Ed gave me a lot of good advice my first full year fishing the big lake, back when we were both at Thompson's.  A heck of a nice guy.

6-30-2005  I have new, better boxes for my bait, the first set just didn't cut it.  The good news is they hold 6 tubs with a cold pack, and the insulation looks 3 times thicker. 

I have a really cool product announcement for Tuesday

Another net in the water in Ludington.  I was ordering bumper stickers for my store the other day and decided to do something about this. I don't see how any sportsman can rationalize going to the casino when the nets are in the water.

(They look a lot better than that in person)

The first 100 stickers are on me, including mailing them if that is all you order.  After that I might charge exactly what they cost, but if they add any more nets I might be ticked off enough to do it again.

Order Here

Check out www.nolrbnets.com

As long as I am dealing with unpleasantness, You will never receive an email from us telling you "your account is about to be closed" or any nonsense like that.  I only mention it because I get one of those a day right now, from a customer who has my address in his book and has not purchased virus protection.  If you are in his address book, you will be getting one also. Of course you, being smart, have virus protection and it easily cleaned the file.

Do yourself, and others, a favor and buy Norton Antivirus (what I use), or MacAfee, or any one of a number of name brand virus protection and keep it up to date.  Nothing is 100%, but the chances of a new virus getting to you before these companies update to meet the threat is very small.

ANYONE who needs help installing this type of software is welcome to contact me.  I would be happy to help.

6-29-2005  Shipped my first order of cut bait today.  I am getting a lot of questions about bait and how to run it.  I will be making an instruction page this weekend.

Wave report frankly looks crummy for the next two days, so I don't know when I'll have a fishing report.  Fortunately it looks like its going to be better for the weekend. 

6-28-2005

My big news is....Bait!

I now have cut bait available for sale.  I have the Rhys-Davis Super Herring Strips in tubs of 6.  These are high quality strips, firm, not mushy and cut properly to fit in the Rhys-Davis Heads

Those in the metro Detroit area who wish to pick it up, are invited to do so for $5.99 a tub.  Those elsewhere who wish to order it, because it is difficult to find, can do so.  I will be shipping it in packs of 4 tubs for $22.99, with a $5 deposit on the shipping container.  You can mail me back the container for $5 credited back on your card, or $6 store credit.  The regular shipping rules ($5 for orders under $100, Free $100 and up) apply.

I will be shortly getting some bigger containers for larger orders.

I also have 2 new colors of bait rigs for sale.

I tested out one of them the weekend before last in Ludington - this was the result:

Big Bust at the Lake Link Outing

In the middle of our cookout, the cops showed up and busted Josh of Raider spoons for multiple counts of murdering Kings.

Just kidding, the "Fuzz" turned out to be another member of the Lakelink board who had to work yesterday.

6-26-2005  I expect to have packing materials for my new product announcement tomorrow.  If you think about that statement, you can probably guess what it is, but I am not saying until I am ready (I learned that the hard way)

I changed my mind about wire rigs yesterday about halfway through my fight with that big King.  I will be spooling up a couple this week.

Big Santa was running 4 dipsys, 2 wires deep and 2 braids high, with shorter wire rods inside.  We had 1 tangle, but I think that was "operator error by yours truly.  I have always been afraid to try that, but it seemed to work well, and his boat has no more room than mine.

You never are too smart that you can't learn something new.

6-23-2005  Anyone waiting for a backorder on a spoon, they all mailed out today.  I am placing orders with all my big suppliers to stock up for the busy season.  In a couple of weeks, if it is a bait, a spoon, a flasher, or a twinkie, it will be in stock and in quantity.

Packing up now to go pull the boat.  I am heading out first thing in the am to Manitowoc.

6-22-05 New colors for the Kingfisher going on the store today.

I have something really big for next week, but right now I am packing up for the Lake Link Outing in Manitowoc.  I will ship orders tomorrow am, but after that it won't be until Monday, sorry.

On another note - the Deer Cam is down until fall.  I haven't seen a single deer in my yard for weeks, and the laptop will be over at the lake with me a lot (I hope) anyway.  When they show up again I will put it back up, but it is just a waste of time to look at it now, unless you like squirrels.

6-16-05 I am pleased to add the Kingfisher II to my store.  I have been needing a big 13" flasher to go with the Twinkies.  This is the original flasher of this type, the model that the imitators copied.  They have a new Magna Glow blade I can't wait to try this weekend.  You can bet you will be seeing these guys on top of some fish here soon.

Luhr Jensen goes Finnish with merger

Hood River News
June 4, 2005

Phil Jensen, owner of Luhr-Jensen and Sons, announced Friday that his company will merge with a Finnish company, a move he said will enhance the fishing equipment manufacturer’s global distribution abilities.

Jensen said his firm will join with Rapala/VMC, a Helsinki-based company that makes a similar line of fishing lures and other products. Rapala/VMC has sales offices in 27 countries and manufacturing operations in Finland, Estonia, Ireland, France and China.

“This decision is based upon two very straightforward considerations: My time in life and my vision of the future of our industry,” said Jensen, 69, who has been with the company since he graduated from college in 1960. His father, Luhr Jensen Sr., founded the firm in 1932. The agreement involves exchange of company stock, and sale of some tools and inventory; the building and property remain Jensen’s property and he will serve on the board of directors of Rapala/VMC. (The merger does not effect Luhr Jensen’s smoker manufacturing operation in Oak Grove.)

The merger is in what is known as the “due diligence” phase, meaning the two parties are clarifying specifics of the agreement, which Jensen said he hopes will be finalized by mid-July.

Sales offices and certain manufacturing functions will remain in Hood River, Jensen said. Company operations won’t change in the immediate future, he said. Luhr Jensen anticipates a two-year transition period for certain manufacturing functions, according to Jensen. Jensen said Rapala’s distribution strategies, combined with his company’s knowledge of the industry — particularly in the western United States and Alaska — will bode well for the company.

“This satisfies my dream for the company heritage and for the future of the family name,” he said. “(Rapala) is a wonderful organization. I feel privileged.”

6-15-05  Business has picked up a  lot this week.  Opti-Dodgers and Raider Spoons are red-hot! 

After some consideration and review of "what sells and what does not", I have decided to remove some items from the store.  Some items I am removing simply because they have never sold.  Online stores are different than "Brick and Mortar".  Some things you apparently want to hold in your hand before you buy, and I can understand that.

I have removed all of the electronics, except the two Raymarine Fishfinders.  I did this because for most electronic items, I am simply not competitive.  I don't feel good about offering items when I know you can save literally hundreds of dollars elsewhere.  I recently found a website retailing one item $10 over my wholesale price.  The fishfinders are two items that I still feel I can give you a good price.  From time to time, I have access to closeouts, and when I get a good deal there, I will put them on the store.

I am going to focus the store on what you want, and concentrate on having that stuff in stock.

6-11-05  I have a fishing report below.  This weekend, for up-to-the-minute, call 877-455-7096.  Tomorrow morning I will be glad to give you an on the water report.

6-10-05  Heading up North this afternoon for a 3 day weekend.  I hope to have a report tomorrow am.

6-9-05 Update

I will be fishing Ludington this weekend.  If anyone wants to join me, I have room for 1 or 2 people Saturday and Sunday.  Call me 877-455-709

6-9-05  Making arrangements today to attend the "Third Annual Lake-Link Outing on Lake Michigan" in Manitowoc, Wisconsin on June 25th.  This will be my first time ever fishing the left side of the lake, so it will be quite an adventure for me.  There is no entry fee, this is an "Outing" not a tournament, we are fishing for fun and bragging rights, not for "Big Bucks".  As a matter of fact, the prizes are an assortment of Raider Spoons from Josh, and some tackle from me.  There is also a "Traveling Trophy" you can win.  If you are interested you can email Josh from Raider Spoons at outings@redhooktackle.com to sign up.  I hope to see my Wisconsin friends there.

Trying to figure out the best way to get there.  I looked at the Badger, which with the boat will cost something around $200 each way, running the boat over, which I would be doing alone, in a single engine boat, (My wife called it the stupidest thing she ever heard.  I think she is wrong, I think I have come up with much stupider things before.) and driving, which with my diesel getting 10 mpg with the boat, will cost about $100 each way.  Of course I have to compare the dangers of Lake Michigan to the dangers of driving a 30 ft boat trailer through Chicago.

I have my slip at the Manitowoc Marina and my fishing license, so I am ready to go.

I now have a new links page, which includes a link for online licenses for Wisconsin and Michigan, along with my favorite weather links.

6-8-05 - Getting ready to head up North this weekend.  I will be fishing a lot this weekend, unlike the last two weekends.  My brother-in-law will be joining me on the big lake.  I am spooling a new Okuma Catalina reel to try out on my riggers, and a couple of full and 1/2 cores.  You can never have too many options on the water!

Speaking of options  - you can now customize your Ridgebacks with Glow Beads, Colored Beads and even a special U of M Pack.

6-7-05 - Update - My 877 number was down much of today, I only just found out.  On any other day I probably would have figured it out, but today frankly I was asleep most of the time. 

Technology is great until it is not.  As I type this they are getting it back up.  It is frustrating to me.  I know I took several phone orders yesterday, I am left wondering how much business I missed.  I know it is frustrating to any of you who tried to call.  It should be back this evening.

6-7-05 I apologize to anyone trying to get a hold of me this morning.  I caught some kind of bug that kept me literally up all night.  I will spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that after sleeping till noon, I still feel like I got beat up last night.

For any of you waiting for orders, don't worry, all orders will ship today.  You guys have been going nuts over Raider Spoons, so a couple of orders might be a spoon short, but Josh is mailing daily so you will have them pretty quick.

My policy is to get any orders out Tuesday and Wednesday so they will definitely be there, at least partially, by Thursday and Friday.  If your schedule requires things be there quicker, say you are leaving on Vacation Wednesday, just put that in the comments section.

Check below for a better fishing report than mine, from a fisherman out of Ludington.

6-6-05 - Not much of a fishing report this week (below).  Only got out for a couple of hours.  I did manage to get all the net locations entered into my GPS.  From the looks of my map now, it's going to be a real challenge to fish the Big Sable Point this year.  Maybe I'll try the Little Sable.

I added a link to the nets page above.  Keep in mind that this information is not carved in stone.  These things move on their own and are moved by their owners, and they have no obligation to tell anyone.

Apparently they have no obligation to clean up after themselves either.  Half the marks on my chart are nets that have been abandoned.  Plus now I hear that the net boat that went down will not be recovered.  More junk in the Lake.

On another note - if you want to have her lines in the water, you need to make sure your wife has a fishing license for this year.  Yes, it has to be bought every year.

6-3-05 PM  - Heading to Ludington tonight.  Hope to be out on the water in the am.

6-2-05 PM  - I had to reorder some Raiders today, as you guys cleaned out some colors on me.  All orders are filled, but some previously not sold colors seem hot today.  I'll have them by Monday.

I am going to share part of Josh's response to my order:  "No problem.  I'll get them out tomorrow.  The spoons work.  I have been killing the fish with them and getting more numbers than ever.  Today when most were talking about a slow bite we absolutely wailed on the steelhead.  Anything with orange or red in it in the top 20 feet."  Josh was fishing on the West side of the Lake.

You know, The Dreamweaver guy runs his stuff (and wins and places in a lot of big tournaments) on his boat, John and Heidi Stieben run Opti-Dodgers on his boat, Mike from Dee's is running his flashers in the river in Oregon for Kings, Ken from KRW runs his flies all the time, Larry from Offshore Tackle uses the offshore stuff, George from Double G runs his Twinkies all the time, and Chip from Ridgeback Rattler runs his downrigger weights all the time.  All my best stuff comes from people who fish their product and truly are proud of it.  Their pride and enthusiasm for the product comes through in what you buy.

6-2-05  Some new items coming soon, replacement beads for Ridgebacks and later (hopefully) a 13" Flasher and Cut Bait!

5-30-05 I posted the following on the GLA message board in response to a fisherman who is frustrated that he can't catch fish even though "he has the same lures down as everyone else".  I liked my response, if I don't say so myself, and figured it was good advice to all:

(Dave Mull & "Big Vic" had suggested speed as a factor)  "I agree speed, and possibly direction.

Watch that rigger cable, if it is sideways to the boat you could be cutting across a current and your lures are heading in a completely different direction from the bait fish.

Your speed could be too slow, but from what I have seen others do it is probably too fast. Get some bags and get control of your speed.

From your post I am supposing you are making a mistake I have made a number of times - "radio fishing". You will have far more success if you plan out a program of your own and methodically executing it, rather than pulling stuff every time you hear what was hot for the other guy. It is tempting when you are not hitting fish, but I don't think it helps much. You hear "all those fish being caught" and only leads to frustration. Monitor 9&16 unless you have a buddy you want to talk to and ignore the rest.

A couple of years ago I was in the same boat (no pun intended) as you. You'll figure it out."

5-28-05 In Ludington for the weekend - check out the report below.

5-26-05  There has been a lot of talk about Raider Spoons on the web lately.  Josh makes some excellent colors.  This is one of my customers on his boat with Josh.  I was wondering why suddenly I was run out of certain colors (I'll be restocked by Tuesday)  I think this explains it.

FYI - that is a "Bloody Death" #452X.  Cliff will be getting some extra stuff in his order for this excellent picture.

If you have a photo showing a nice fish and my products, email it to me and if I use it I will send you some free stuff.

5-25-05 Attention - anyone fishing or boating Ludington - go to http://www.fish-ludington.com/fishingreport/nets.htm

"An extremely dangerous partially floating trap net is located in approximately 45' of water just north and west of the Ludington pier heads."  Note - it has been reported that this net is cleared.  You still need to keep a sharp lookout for buoys out there.

My opinion is well known, but in light of the above, I will repeat it.

Commercial netting in the Great Lakes is stupid and unnecessary.  It is not economically significant, especially not when compared to the sport fishing and boating industries.  It is dangerous and puts a strain on a fishery that does not need any more strain.

I also think that if the sportspeople in Michigan got together and boycotted the casinos that it would stop.

5-24-05  Actually have been backlogged with work because I have been fishing too much!  The Dreamweaver Extended Glow Plugs are now available, as are the 8'6" Roller Rods.  For the those who really into copper, I now have 1500 Yard bulk spools - Save $20 over buying the 600' rolls.  I also now have clear extended glow Spin Doctors.  You can run them as is or add tape

5-13-05 Yes, the Deer Cam is still on and they do come by, just not as frequently now that they have other feeding options.

5-12-05  I have added the Dreamweaver Extended Glow Plugs and the new Copper colored Dipsy Diver to the store.

5-10-05  You will see more "tweaking" to the store as I look to make it faster and easier for you.  You will notice the above links to the various categories of the store 3 places on this page, and on every store page, sometimes twice on store pages.

It's not fancy pull down menus, but I find most online stores very hard to navigate.  I figure that if you are in the "twinkies" page and decide you want to look at Spin Doctors to go with them, I should make that as easy as possible.

Maybe I should be working on making the site prettier.  You know what I think is pretty?  A box full of fish.

Tonight my first email newsletter went out to the mailing list you can sign up for below.  "Those people" are in on a couple of deals that I think are worth being on a mailing list for.

5-4-05 You may have noticed some changes to the look of the store.  I have decided that "prettiness" is not as important as load time, and the logo's were bogging the site down.  In other words, substance over style.

Speaking of Substance, I am adding "Siggs Riggs Coho Candy" to the store today.  These little flies have been tearing up South Lake Michigan on Coho and even a few Kings.  You can buy the kit in a little Plano box for under $12.

I am also adding the "Buggy Bag" Trolling bags and Dipsy Bags to the site today.  I have been badly in need of a source for good quality trolling bags this year.

5-2-05

Click to see the store

I have been working my tail off to organize the store to handle the rush this summer and to be able to accommodate customers.  As of today I am open for business - by appointment only for now.  This summer when things get really busy I will have hours to take care of the "heading up North" crowd.  For now, give me a ring or an email and stop by and check out the spoon colors or just have a cup of coffee and BS.

4-24-05  After some field testing of my own, and some recommendations from customers, I am pleased to add

Dee's Diamond Flashers to my store.

4-23-05 Another new item Rubbercore Weights.  All these new items are a result of customer requests.  If you don't see what you want, just ask.

4-20-05  Unfortunately because of logistics reasons I will not be carrying cut bait or herring for now, sorry.  I really wanted to be able to supply those who are not near a bait shop that carries it, but that simply is not possible right now.

I will be compiling a list of local stores that carry frozen cut bait and herring.  If you know of a store not on the list,

please email me at bobsoutdoors@yahoo.com

4-19-05 - New Items Speed Beads, Opti-Tackle Swivels & Twilli Tips

4-18-05 - Taxes are finally done (Hey, I had a couple of hours to spare ;) ) and the boat has been in the water and the skunk is out of the box, life is pretty good.

4-8-05  Heading out to pull the boat out today!  Hopefully I can launch Sunday and wet some lines.

One thing I almost forgot - fishing license!  Michigan fisherpersons can go here and print up their own.

Fishing Shows

My fishing show season is over.  I enjoyed meeting many of you, and it is good to talk face to face with my customers.  On the other hand, shows are expensive, exhausting, and leave me with a big mess figuring out inventory.  They cause me to ship orders slower than I like.

Fortunately, they end right as fishing starts, and we can get down to business.

As of April 1, 2005, this is what I do.  After 21 years of occupation - engineer, it's occupation - self employed.

First order of business this week - get organized and get orders shipped.

Second order of business - get the "Sarah Ann" ready to get fishing!

3-9-05 - LANSING – It’s time to pick through the pantry. Anglers who bring six boxes or cans (or 4 pounds minimum) of nonperishable food items to the Lansing Center on Thursday, March 10—opening day of the Sportfishing, Boat & Travel Show—will get free admission, a $7.50 value for adults, $3.50 in savings for children aged 6 to 14.

ShowSpan, Inc., producer of the 10-year-old show which runs through Sunday, March 13, will once again donate the opening-night gate to help feed the hungry in mid-Michigan. The food will go to the American Red Cross Food Distribution Center in Lansing, which services Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Isabella and Clare counties.

Last year nearly 400 people donated more than one ton of food, which was collected by volunteers for the GM Employees Oldsmobile Club of Lansing in conjunction with Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger (MSAH). Kim Harkness, spokeswoman for the Food Bank Council of Michigan, said the need is particularly acute this year.

“It’s been a tough winter,” she said, “and the soup kitchens can really use the food. We hope sportsmen and women will take advantage of ShowSpan’s offer and come through for the hungry.”

Founded in 1991, MSAH connects generous hunters with food banks, soup kitchens and other charitable organizations to feed hungry Michigan residents. Each year the group collects about 40,000 pounds of protein-rich venison, a rare commodity at the state’s food banks. For an updated list of drop-off stations, call the Hunger Hotline at (313) 278-FOOD or go to www.sportsmenagainsthunger.org.

3-8-05 - I have added a new show to my schedule.  This is a show being hosted by mike Avery of Outdoor Magazine in Freeland Michigan, Northwest of Saginaw.  I have heard that this is an excellent show, and as an exhibitor, I will tell you that it is very reasonably priced. 

This event is put on by the Freeland Lions Club, who do several charitable events and programs in the mid-Michigan area, certainly a very worthwhile group to get some of your money, while you enjoy the show.

Click for more information

3-6-05 pm Update - the Flint show was a huge success for me.  Not only did I sell quite a bit, but I met, and reunited with many customers.  Twinkie sales were huge, but the big hit was copper line.  I sold every bit I had, which was every bit that Opti-tackle had.  I expect to be restocked this week.

I can't thank John and Heidi Stieben enough for all their help this weekend.  John stood out there giving mini-seminars on copper line and Heidi was answering questions about opti-dodgers.

I have more news - starting today, I am a Ridgeback Rattler dealer.  You may have heard talk about these revolutionary downrigger weights.  Well, I spoke with a couple of highly respected fishermen who believe that this device can be a valuable asset to your fishing arsenal.  After speaking with Chip Greene, the inventor of the Ridgeback Rattler, I decided to become a dealer.  I will have this item at all the remaining shows.

I have some good news.  If you checked out the deer cam, you may have been disappointed by the picture.  It occurred to me that I have an old digital handy cam, and it has a USB port.  Well, now I can get crisp clear pictures of the deer feeder.  Unfortunately this revelation coincides with me taking the computer to shows over the next 3 weeks, so coverage will be intermittent.

Over the next 3 weeks I have 3 shows.

I view this as a great opportunity to get out and meet my customers, and meet new customers.  This year the three Michigan Shows are all I can do.  Next year I plan to do shows from New York to Minnesota, I have not forgotten my out of state customers.  I am still at my old job, so the three shows in Michigan are difficult enough.  4 weeks from tomorrow!

The bad news is, it takes a lot of time, and some items may sell out at the shows.  Therefore, for the next 3 weeks, I cannot guarantee any next day shipping.  I will try to get to every order as fast as I can.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) the weather does not look like many people are going to do a lot of fishing right away.

All Right!!!  I have at least 1 of every color, and at least 6 of several popular colors, of Raider Spoons!

Josh worked his keester off getting all those colors to me.

If you haven't heard of Raider Spoons, they are a high quality spoon made in Wisconsin, USA.  Josh uses the best paints, the best materials, including available extended glows.  Like Opti-Tackle, Josh is a little guy competing with the "big boys" by offering a superior product.  Judging by the phenomenal response I have received with these spoons, Raider will be the "hot bait" on both sides of Lake Michigan (And Lake Ontario) this year.

This might not be a big deal to you, maybe it is, I know it is to me.  As of April 1 this will be my full-time job.  I know some have had trouble in the past getting a hold of me as I tried to balance two full time jobs as the store grew.

What I hope will be apparent to you is the higher level of personal service this summer. 

877-455-7096 will ring my cell phone so you will be able to talk to me almost any time.

Fishing Shows

I will be at the following shows:

Flint Steelheaders at Birch Run March 4-6 See Map & Directions

Lansing March 10-13 See Map & Directions

Grand Rapids March 17-20 See Map & Directions

Email me for discount tickets to Lansing and Grand Rapids while supplies last.

Stop by and say hi.

I will be having show specials, including free shipping.  If you come to my booth and order an item that I do not have in stock there, I will ship it for free.  (Does not include Bert's items, the heavy ones anyway or downriggers)  I have had several calls from customers concerned about me having an item with me at the show.  Believe me, I will have a TON of stuff at the shows, but you don't have to worry.  If it's not there, it will come to you!

For the most part we specialize in fishing tackle for Great Lakes Salmon and Trout Fishing.  We carry other items also from time to time and we will get items upon request, if we can.

As you can tell, I like to partner with high quality small US manufacturers and carry their complete lines.  Opti-Tackle, Raider Spoons, Offshore Tackle, KRW Flies and Bert's Custom Tackle are all the best in their fields, in my opinion.

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