Thursday, January 29, 2009










Here are a few more photos of the custom rods made for me by Neal Hall of Classic Destiny Custom Rods at: www.classicdestiny.com Like I said before in my 35 years of fishing I have used just about every rod out there at the stores, and without a doubt these rods made by Classic Destiny Custom Rods out perform anything I ever bought at the stores and "Super" fishing shops...

Gunner

Another Memory

Another Memory
by gunner

I have many, many memories of fishing trips I have been on over the years. Some have been exciting, some humbling and some funny. Most of these have been involved with my good friend Dave. He and I are not brothers, but might as well be.

Other than my grandfather, most of my fishing has / is with Dave. We have been in many tourney’s together, fished in snow storms, thunder storms and been burnt like lobsters. There has been times that others have went with us for all night catfishing trips, and some that went bass fishing with us. I have seen two poles brake just from his casting and I have seen him land a 7 ½ pound smallmouth bass out of the Ohio River at night from the bank while we were catfishing. (Which I still say to this day say was my fish!)

We have caught many, many things on the Ohio River. One of the stranger things: 3:am only a quarter of the moon out, and we are fighting the biggest thing we ever caught on the river! Drag was ripping off the reel, line was going everywhere in the water. Pole would bend then bend more… then go back to normal, then bend again… this went on for over 30 mins…. We would reel and look like we were gaining on it and then RIPPPPPPP more drag… the current was strong that night which was working against us. (More than we knew) We took turns on the reel trying to get this what we were sure was a 100 pound or more fish. Then about the 40 mins mark it started coming in easy…

I grabbed the mag light and shined it on the water waiting to see this monster! We had fought this and won!! Then we both got a BIG surprise… Up it came… we saw the head first, the light was shining bright on the blonde hair! It was a woman! Not just any woman but one of the blow up dolls. Which we found out after we got it closer to shore. Someone let her air out and threw her in the water… Now I tell you, after what we went through that was a shock…. We sat there for a minute and then just packed up and went home… Fishing that night was over

More memories on the way!
gunner

Depth Finder / Fish Finder

Depth Finder / Fish Finder
by gunner

Now in today’s fishing world the Hummingbird's are just as common as the reel on the end of your fishing pole. And this comes with good reason, knowledge! It is a simple equation that works in almost anything in our everyday life, “The more you know about something, the easier it is to do”. The more you know about the water you are fishing, the better you can make decisions on where and how to fish.

I have recently heard a story about a guy that wanted to buy one of these electronic miracles. His wife had questioned him wanting to know “why” he needed this. His answer was, “Because I want one”. Now as it happened he got the unit, but I am sure not without some further “questioning” once they got back home… Anyone that is married, should know what I mean by that!

Had this man given a better answer or even better yet told her what he wanted one for even before they went to the store, I might not have even heard about this little incident. So what I would like to do in this article is maybe offer some idea’s that might help as how to answer that “Why” question when it comes your turn to buy one.

Because I want one or Bill Dance uses one, might be good enough reasons for the person wanting to buy one, it is not the answer the other half is looking for. Money / price is a big factor when the one that handles the monthly bills is also the one that will have to write the check for this new “toy” as I have heard them described before… So that proper thing to do is tell just what the unit WILL do for your fishing. Basically sell the idea to the other half.

A good example of this could be, “With this on the boat, I will be able to find where the fish are instead of riding around all day looking for where I think they should be” and in certain instance’s also add “That will help me get home sooner!”

Then explain a little as to what it does, staying away from how it works… there is a difference. Something like, Now I will be able to see what the bottom under the boat looks like, the drop off’s, underwater structure etc… With that I also can see where the fish are and how far down they are in the water. Which will take the guess work out of knowing what to use to try to catch them. (Also throw in the get home sooner here if it will help!) Most times it won’t take a lot of info to satisfy the check writer.

Getting ones that show the speed you are traveling on the water – Great for controlled trolling. There are ones that show the water temp – great for lure and bait selection. Now there are ones that also have a GPS built into them – great if you get lost a lot, and also marking that secret area.

What I am trying to say here is this, if you don’t have one in your boat, chances are you want one. A lot of woman in today’s household’s are the ones that handle the actual bill paying. So they will be concerned why you want to spend that money on something that will NOT guaranty fish. Why fight it, just share the info before hand… It might make it easier than you think!

I know in some households it is reversed, the husband does the check writing and the wife fishes! All I can say is, America is GREAT!!!!!

See you on the water
gunner

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Crankbaits vs. the “Others”

Crankbaits vs. the “Others”
By Gunner


A few weeks ago an old friend of mine who I have not seen in over 30 years when I lived in Shadyside, Ohio stopped by. He quit fishing 2 years ago as he had been fishing tourneys since the early 1970’s. I wish I would have had the chance to be around him more over the past 30 years to get on the tourney trails he fished, but life has a strange way of dealing with things and it was not meant to be…

During our visit he was in my “Fishing Room” and we went through the tackle boxes, rods, reels, just about everything you can imagine. He does not fish for anything but bass so a lot of my cat gear and muskie gear just did not interests him but when we got to the bass gear it all changed!

While going through the literary thousands of baits we started talking fishing styles, and mine has always been crankbaits. His has been pitchin in cover for most of his tourney time on the water. He made a comment that struck me funny and got me to thinking. He said well almost anyone can catch fish on crankbaits… At the time he said it; it was just part of the talk but struck a chord. It was not till the next day that it really hit me. There is a skill to crankbaits and it takes practice to acquire!

True you can buy the bait, open the box, tie it on cast it and reel it in and some times you might catch one that way. There are many times that open box style will not work. You have to be able to “work” the bait just as you have to learn and work any other bait in your box, which is where I am going to go with this article.

After watching crankbait masters Rick Clunn & David Frits plus reading every article I could find on crankbaits I have over the years developed a good style that has helped me boat many bass both in tourneys and just for fun!

What I did have to do was force myself to learn and use the “other” baits. It got to the point that I could catch bass on crankbaits every time I went on the water. Now I am not saying I got 5+ pounders or high numbers of bass each time, but I can honestly say I at least got one every trip, it may not have been a big one, but at least one bass on every outing.

I know a lot of people would say ok, so what is the problem? If you think about even though I was able to get at least one fish, most time one fish will not win a tourney. So I had to learn the other baits… You have to picture in your mind I have 823 different crankbaits, so learning something else was not easy.

I started by reading and watching shows, talking to people and just going to the store and buying different types of baits. The hardest part for me was on the water, I had to take 4 or 5 different poles rigged with the different baits and “NO” crankbaits at all either in the boat or on a rig.

I had to do that to myself because I became accustomed to my confidence bait and technique. Knowing I had to do it was just a start. So the days on the water at times seemed long and dragging but I can say now, 10 tackle boxes later loaded with everything you can think of has made me a better all around fisherman.

There is an old saying that goes; Change always comes with resistance, now I know what that truly meant. I resisted as much and as long as one person could do! Although flipping is one of my styles I have learned now a few years back, about 15 to be exact, along with every other style, crankbaits along with the others have helped make many more fun filled days on the water, so if you are stuck in the one or even two styles, take my advice and force yourself to learn and use the “other” baits, it will pay off in the end and make you a better fisherman!

There will be days that one type of bait will not work all day or even at all. I hope it is not on a tournament day for you! You will wish you had taken the time to try and learn the “other” baits. Now that I am in my 40’s I have learned two key things, it is never too late to learn something new and never stop learning! I try to pick up on something each and every time I go fishing with someone. I truly believe that everyone can show you something new, and yes there have been times when I learned by watching someone else how “Not” to do this or that. I have to admit sometimes that is the most enjoyable type of lesson.

The meat of this article is simple, if you have a confidence bait that you fish more the 50 percent of the time, take the time to learn a new style, force yourself I f you have too, I will be a benefit to you and worth the time and effort you put into it.

Be safe and I really hope to see you out there, Godspeed to all…
Ron “Gunner”

Camping

Camping
by gunner

Spring and then summer is not that far away to not think about it. I mean come on, who reading this has not looked out a window and pictured green trees, blue skies, and the smell of fresh pines? I know I have many times already.

Camper vs Tent:
We all our idea of a perfect camping trip. Some with a big 40 foot Winnebago with all the luxuries of home. Shower, bed, HEAT, etc… For some of us that is right. Then there are the others. I fall into that bunch. Give me a tent, sleeping bag, big ol’ fire and corn and potato’s then I am ready.

Let’s look at the difference between the two. RV, true you have heat, shower and all the comforts of home. But see that is just it, comforts of home. Why leave the house? I am not knocking this style in no way. But to me it is a great way to travel across country. Not go to your local lake and camp out every weekend.

The tent, that is camping. No shower, TV or heat coming from vents. Sleeping bag that is cold when you first get into it at night. The whole idea of camping is getting out and roughing it for however long. At least what I was taught camping was. To get away from it all and just relax. Now there will be some who will say they are relaxed in the big house on wheels, and I am sure they are. But are they camping, I mean really camping? Bacon and eggs in a cast iron skillet over an open fire with the smell & sounds of the wood popping as it burns…. Now that is camping.

Things that are good to have no matter how you camp:
Flashlights & extra batteries
First-Aid kit
Bottle of insect repellent
Cell Phone
(I put my cell phone and radio in bag and forget about them…unless I need to use them for an emergency)
Good Knife
Rope
Some cases a good weather radio
Flares to start a fire in an emergency
Water proof matches
Compass ( I have went to a handheld GPS)
Extra Clothes
Snap-lites
Whistle
Good two way radios
Advil or whatever you may take for pain

The list can go on and on. Use common sense when packing for a trip and make sure you have what YOU need to be safe and have fun. Being prepared for a trip can make the difference between having a great time or never wanting to do it again. The extra time it takes to check and check again, is really worth it.

Be safe, have fun and come back!

In the mind of the tourney angler, first day out…

In the mind of the tourney angler, first day out…
By gunner

Alarm sounds, waking me up from the full 65 minutes of “almost sleep” I had. Wiping sleep from my eyes, trying to focus on the clock. Pushing myself up to a sit-up position then wiping my eyes again…

After jumping up and getting dressed, running around looking for my shoes and finding them where I KNEW I did not leave them I grab something to eat, anything. At times it has been cereal others left-over pasta, just a few bites…

Go for the keys and a mental run-down of everything I need from the house. Keys, wallet, sunglasses, cell phone, small cooler of Pepsi, etc…

Once in the blazer (which is what I pulled my boat with) try to find some soft music for the ride to the garage to hook the boat & trailer. Again going over everything in my head as to what I packed, checked and loaded in the boat & blazer. I start to smile thinking of getting on the water, the sound and smell of the morning lake, the boats and motors…

Pulling up to the garage which was about 5 mins from my home at the time, I look around and don’t see my partner’s car. Well no matter he will be here, I hope as he is NOT a morning person.

I back up, hook the boat to the blazer, lock it down and then start my checklist, again! Never want to be caught without something you need on the water. A lesson I learned the hard way. Livewell’s - work, batteries - ready, lifejackets -check, Fire extinguisher -check, Safety flag and horn - check, full tank both boat & blazer- check, anchor- check, tow rope – check.

Now on to the tackleboxes, rod, reels, line, electronics etc…This is where I always had the hardest time, I wanted to take every bait I had, but knew I had to pick the chosen few. If I took them all I would have no room for my fishing partner!

So I go through the boxes I have everywhere. Making sure these are what I will need. This is when you may start to second guess yourself, because this is where your “homework” will start to pay off. Watching fishing shows, watching weather reports, calling for the lake conditions, talking to the guy at the local bait store by the lake. All of this starts to come together right here in your tackle selection. So after I sit and go through every box second guessing and remembering what I have heard and watched, I am pleased (somewhat) with my picks and then move on to the rods & reels.

Studying the lake maps prior and fishing the lake before I mark down certain “honey” areas that I will hit during the day. With that in mind I know what pound test and rod action I will be using. I have put the new line on the reels two days before today, so they have a chance to work out the stiffness. I rig each outfit up with a certain type of bait for my initial pattern search. Crankbait, spinner bait, jig, topwater etc…

Headlights, there is my late partner, I help him grab his gear out of his car and into the boat it goes. He makes a quick check of his gear and seems to be happy with his picks for the start of the day.

Loaded and ready, off we go…


Five minutes into the trip I remember that I did not “check” the trailer lights… So off to the side of the road I go and he steps out. Yes, brake lights, both turn signals and tail lights are working…

Loaded and ready, off we go…….. again….

Somewhere along the way to the lake we started talking about breakfast… so 24hr McDonalds, here we come… 4 sausage & eggs biscuits hash browns and cola’s later….

Loaded and ready, off we go…….. again….

As I am driving down the highway at 69 mph eating my biscuit at the same time, somehow I end up behind a 18 wheeler and I have a guy on my left that is riding the lane but will not pass… Looking at my watch and dropping part of the biscuit in the process, I try to see a way to get over. Time is running out and if I stay behind this truck, we will make it just in time to watch the rest of the boats blast off as we pull over the hump in the launch ramp area….

Turn signal on, I start to ease over… hoping that car will just back off or speed up. He does not move, just stays there. After two more attempts he backs off enough for me to move over and step on it. Just in time to make the BIG 2 mile hill that I should have gotten a running start on a mile or so back…

Clearing the hump at the launch ramp we see that somehow we made it in time. Not as much time as I would have liked, there will be no in-depth checklist now, just a quick once over…

After I am now temporally blinded by the new guy’s inability to shut his headlights off while he sits in front of me as I back the trailer in the water I find a parking spot and stumble through the floaters in my vision to the boat…

Seated, life jacket on, rods ready, water now in the livewells, I start the boat and get in line to be boarded and checked for any live bait and or bass in the livewells. He checks everything, checks the safety equipment the issues us a number to tape to the side of the motor. We then get the thumbs up signal and are clear to get in line.

I look at my watch and see that I have time to pour just a few sips of coffee, well in my case, sugar that is coffee flavored. (one of the very few times I drink coffee) I get a chance to glance at the sun just as it is hinting it’s way over the trees, and for a moment, I don’t hear the boat motors idling I hear the birds, I smell the pines instead of the gas & oil mixture… That is when it hits me every time, this is what it’s all about, and everything leading up to it doesn’t matter.

I glance over at my fishing partner and ask, “You ready for this?”


Hope to see you out there…
gunner

Open Fire cooking

Open Fire cooking
by gunner


Ok, you have the tent all set up, everything is placed right where you want it to be. The table is set over there, the cooler is right next to it. You have your chair set up looking at a breathtaking view (no TV tonight, you have natures big screen) and the coleman lanterns are ready and waiting for darkness…

You now have the fire pit dug and surrounded by baseball size rocks. The logs are set in a tee-pee fashion and the fire is burning just right. You place the grill over the flame and now it is time to start the cooking.

You can cook so many ways while out camping there is not enough space on this site to cover them all. So I will just touch on a few of my favorites. Two ways to cook corn over a fire and both are great tasting. Leave the corn in the husk and place in aluminum foil with some water and butter. Wrap tight and toss them in the bottom of the fire on the hot embers. This way is I would say the most popular among campsite cooks.

But there is another way. Remove the husk and cut the corn cob in two parts. Smear with butter and then place directly over the fire on the grill. You get a flame grilled flavor and ad seasoning to taste.

At this point I also slice onion and peppers and place them over the flame on the grill also. I like the crisp flame kissed taste to these. You can also wrap the onion whole in aluminum foil with a little water and lots of butter and place it in the embers also. Now I do the aluminum wrapped potatoes. (Hard to beat these)

And as far as the main dish, it can be anything of your liking such as fresh caught fish or hamburgers or my personal favorite thick steaks! When I pack for the trip I will place steaks in a big freezer bag marinating in either Italian dressing, or homemade seasoning with some sort of marinara . Nothing taste better than a true flame cooked steak.

When cooking the fish I do not add much to it. I will splash lemon juice on it and maybe a few spices but not much. I am a big fan of fresh parsley… Oh and I forgot to mention, when cooking in a skillet, it IS cast iron… Nothing like home fries and bacon and eggs in the morning before you go out on the fishing trip for the day!!!

See you out there, and remember.. put out all unattended fires!
gunner

Catfish Rigging

Catfish Rigging
by gunner

Let’s talk about rigging for catfish. There are a few different ways and in different situations each has it purpose. There is the slip rig, the three way rig and the tie rig to name a few. These are the three I use most. From a boat the three way rig is best if there is any current at all. From the bank the slip rig and the tie rig work best. Let’s look at these one at a time…

Three way rig:

A number of ways to set this rig up. One of the most common is to have a lighter line for the weighted end. This way if you would happen to get a snag, you can put your line free without losing the entire rig. That is always a great idea. 10 pound test is in my opinion the best test for this. It is strong enough for casting and yet will break if you need it to without too much strain. Then all you lose is the sinker. The length of this line from swivel to sinker depends on where the fish are. Watch the fish finder/depth finder, if the fish are suspending a foot or two off the bottom, you have your length. You want to put the bait right in front of them. I still am a firm believer that no catfish will pass up a meal if it right in front of their mouth.

The hook end, a lot of arguments have gone on over the pound test and the length this needs to be. Some think that it should also be a lighter line for snag purpose’s also. I disagree with that. I think it should be the same pound test as the test on the reel. It does no good to have a heavier line on this part, the main line will break and you will lose the whole rig or worse yet, the fish. But going lighter is also just as bad for the hook line can break and you will have a three way swivel and sinker but no fish. So I go with the pound test I have on the reel, and the LEAST pound test I use for catfishing is 17. Most times it is 30. You can get away with a lighter line if catfishing from a boat. You will need the heavier line if fishing from the bank, at least if you are going after the BIG fish. As far as the length, I like it to be at least 18 inches from the swivel, sometimes longer if there is a lighter current.

One more thing I do on the hook end that I don’t see to many people doing is I slide a nice size piece of cork over the knot on the hook. Just to help keep the bait up. I also do the same on the Tie rig.

Tie Rig:

This is a simple way for bank fishing. Tie the sinker on the end of the line and come up about 18 inches from the singer and tie the hook and a short leader on there. Most times for this I will buy the snelled hooks already with the 8 to 10 inch of line and loop and just loop them through the line and hold them in place. Because you are using this from shore you will want the shorter hook line length. That way it will not get tangled up around the main line. And again, a little piece of cork by the hook tie works wonders.

Slip Rig:

This is the rig my grandfather showed me years ago. Slide the line through the sinker, tie on a swivel and then your leader and hook. Cast out and fish off the bottom. You need to make sure you use enough weight to keep the bait where you want in current. Flat sinkers seem to be better for this, they will not roll around and snag up as easy. To be completely honest, I never caught a “big” fish this way. It was always the smaller channel cats and bull cats with this rig. Now any catfish is worth the fight it puts up, but I still am a flathead cat man myself. Nothing like the fight of a 40 pounder on 17 pound test in the middle of the night!!! That will get you going anytime…

Good Luck, good fishing
gunner

Custom Catfishing Rod... By Classic Destiny Custom Rods





This is the single greatest cat rod you could ever want…! Over the years, if you wanted a cat rod you had to buy a surf rod and that was as good as it got. Then someone in the marketing department got the idea to put “Cat Rod” on the blank of a surf rod and the cat rod was born.

If you look at the so called cat rod off the shelf, you will not see much if any difference in the surf rod next to it. That was my problem, they all had the BIG first eye closest to the reel and so on. We bought them because that is what we had.

One day I got the idea to contact some custom rod builders across the USA and ask about building a REAL catfishing rod. All but one of these builders was willing to even try it after I told them what I wanted them to do. Neal Hall of Classic Destiny Custom Rods took the challenge and I have to say with his first rod he sent me, was a direct hit out of the park…

I wanted a 10 two piece rod that could cast up to 12oz of weight over 100 yards, but have a tip soft enough to feel a light bite. After a couple months, Neal sent his new true Cat Rod. Everything about this rod is different from the eye size to the placement and number of eyes. And to top it off it is so light in your hands…. Well you just have to get one.

This rod has surpassed everything I ever wanted to do with it to the point of people at seminars and on the banks that have tried it are amazed. Even the guys over seas in England would LOVE this rod..!

When you fish from the shoreline, bank or pier with everyone else the first 40 to 60 yards of water in front of you is where EVERYONE is fishing. That is where their rods put them every time they fish. So think about this, that same water gets fished by many people year round. What if you could get your bait out where nobody has fished from the shore? I mean 70 to 120 yards out, that is virgin water and the fish are not used to being fished in this area. This rod will get you there…

Visit www.classicdestiny.com and talk to Neal about this rod. He can make you the same rod, the Reel Fishing with Gunner version we use or he can make it look like you want it. Tell him Ron from Reel Fishing with Gunner sent you…

Others... on the water

Others on the water
by gunner

Anyone that has fished from a boat most likely has had to deal with the “others on the water”…

At a lake that is 5 minutes from my home, it is unlimited horsepower, well unlimited anything really. What I am talking about is you get to your favorite spot, cut the motor and drop the trolling motor and just quietly glide over…. You get your favorite rod and reel and bait… You stand up ready to cast and ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM a jet skier flies by in between you and your favorite spot.

Now I am not a man of violence but “IF” my crankbait happens to hook on their life vest… well… I don’t think they would be doing that anymore! Now no I would not aim and try to do that on purpose but I swear it is only a matter of time before it happens to me or one of my fishing partners… We have no wake zones and speed zones.. what is wrong with Jet Ski zone only area’s? Something to help control this increasing problem… Any suggestions?

This lake has sailboats, bass boats, cabin cruisers, Jet Ski’s everything and anything that will float is on this lake in the summer.

My point is this, if a jet skier was sitting about 20 yards or so out from the shore and we flew by in a bass boat, the rangers would have a field day writing us up.
Now I know we ALL are out on the water to have fun and relax but come on you jet skiers…. Be careful! The life you save might be your own… Somewhere out there is a bass tourney going on and a guy is close to winning and this will happen to him… and those guys MIGHT be as nice as I try to be!

Be careful on the water everyone!
gunner

Trap Shooting… Have you tried it?

Trap Shooting… Have you tried it?
by gunner

One of my favorite types of shooting is Trap. I started sporadically shooting trap in 1983. Then in 1987 I stopped hunting all together and Trap shooting quickly filled the void for my love of shooting. I have loaded thousands of shells and shot thousands of shells. I walked away from hunting because it was just not for me anymore. I had gotten a little older and my taste for hunting just up and left. But my taste for shooting was still as strong as ever if not more.

So trap shooting became a normal part of my life. I started going every other weekend instead of a few times a year. Bought a different loader and went at it. My biggest problem was since I had only went a few times a year, I really did not practice as much as I should have and picked up some bad / wrong shooting habits. With that I had to FORGET everything I had done for those 4 years prior and start new.

The best way to do that is get a buddy that has been trap shooting for years and have them watch and evaluate you as you shoot. Also you can get a video camera and tripod and film yourself. Later watch the tape and SEE what you are doing wrong. Then practice the right way, even in front of a full size mirror. SAFETY NOTE : MAKE SURE THE SHOTGUN IS UNLOADED CHECK THEN CHECK AGAIN!

At this point you can get advice from an experienced shooter and or instructional tapes. Write down the proper ways and compare to what you are doing. Make notes of the correct way and PRACTICE it the correct way. It will be difficult to do, as we all know old habits are hard to break, but it will improve your score better than you ever imagined.

I now have a few ribbons and trophies that I won 1st and 2nd place in events. It took a while and you get worse BEFORE you get better. Just don’t give up when you start to get the lower scores. It is worth the time an effort put into it. The right way to place the butt stock into your chest/shoulder. The way you grip the front of the shotgun. The way you stand, I turn at the waist, not with the knees.

There is so much more involved in trap shooting then just grabbing a shotgun and shooting the clay targets. But I think that if you love to shoot but do not want to hunt, this is one way to feed the need for shooting. Plus you get to meet many people that love the sport. Maybe even join a club and most have special events throughout the year. Kid camps, Holiday club parties, local carnivals etc… It could open a whole new world up for you.

And I repeat…. Any of my articles that I talk about the handling of guns, PLEASE SAFETY FIRST. If you are not sure about a gun you own or want to buy, ASK questions, take someone with you that IS knowledgeable about firearms. SIGN up for a safety class or two… When it comes to firearms and your life or the life of anyone… There are no dumb questions. Never point a loaded gun at anyone, NEVER have ammo and your gun together where & while you are cleaning or working or practicing with it. And ALWAYS check to see if the firearm is unloaded before you start to do anything to it. Safety is the best thing you can know when it comes to firearms, and you can never know enough about it… PRACTICE SAFETY along with anything else you practice.

Any type of shooting is fun, and SAFETY is part of it……..

See you on the range….
gunner

Practice at the range

Practice at the range
by gunner

Other than classes and practice in front of the mirror for stance and grip, quality time is needed on the range. Indoor or outdoor range, bottom line is YOU need to shoot and practice! All the studying in the world from a book can not replace actual shooting time on the range. Both are needed, learning from the class book & actual shooting.

Planning a trip to the range is easy. Have your range bag, portable target. Targets can be at an outdoor range, paper on a frame, cardboard mounted on wood or even clay targets for trap shooting. Every outdoor range I have been at will NOT let you bring in the metal spinning targets. To many people there to get hurt with those.

I take around 250 rounds per pistol with me. And I take a 9mm, 45acp, and .357 with me when I go. Most times I do not get all shot off but it is nice to know you have that many if needed.

The pistol I plan on using for home defense is the pistol I shoot most. I practice everything from gripping, loading, stance etc… Even kneeling and shooting. (Make sure the range officer says it is ok to shoot from that position) But I like to shoot the others just so I remember the different feel of each one.

My range bag includes:

Spotting Scope
Range Finder
Ammo
Hammer (For pounding the target in the ground)
Staple gun
Extra paper targets
Quick cleaning kit
Oil
Scope cleaning cloth
Shooting gloves (Sometimes I use these)
Basic weapon tools
Shooting pad
Duct Tape
Glasses with different color lens
Ear plugs & headset
Small wire brushes
Speed loaders
Mag loader tool

These are the things that I take with me. Now the pistols are carried in a separate case and they remain open action and unloaded in the locked case. A few range officers will ask to see in the case before you enter the range.

The range will have a list of rules posted, READ it and LIVE them! Breaking them can get you thrown off the range or worse get you shot or somebody else shot.

Please take time to go shooting, but be careful…
gunner

Lipless Crankbaits

Lipless Crankbaits
by gunner

I have a whole box of these little versatile lures. And over the years I have come to find other ways then the normal throwing and ripping them as fast as you can type retrieves. These things are so much more, but strangely enough, most fishermen I have talked to only use them for the one style of fishing.

These baits are great search baits and like other crankbaits can cover a lot of water in a fast amount of time. They are great for deep water fishing, you can rig a split shot weight up about 18 to 24 inches from the bait and let it sink faster and stay deeper as you reel in. The “crank & yank” method of retrieve is always good when fishing like this.

Another is letting the bait drop to where it will just skim the tops of underwater vegetation hitting every so often stirring up the bass hidden inside. Also I have found out through the years if you take the rear hook off it will do two things, make the action tighter and also help make it a little bit weedless.

Another overlooked method of fishing these is a vertical jigging type of action. Get overtop of a submerged stump and place it around the base and work it like a jigging spoon. Sometimes this is deadly to bass and they can’t resist hitting it. I work it from a 7 o’clock to a 10 o’clock rod positions. Also at least 17 pound test line in some cases 25 pound test.

One more thing that helps these baits is the replacement of their front hooks with red colored ones. I have changed all the hooks on my lipless baits that have red under the front or on the entire belly of the lure. It can give the illusion of bleeding or a blood trail in the water.

There are some people out there that drill and fill the front of the Rapala models due to the two separate rattle chambers. They do this to get the nose to drop faster which would work better in the vertical fishing method.

My point is this, you would be surprised of the people that have a few of these lures but have never really given them a chance. My fishing partner Dave has used these for years and has had great catches with them. I was always the traditional crankbait type but have in the past few years, blew the dust of the lipless and experimented with different ways to work them. All with good results.

So next time you are looking though your tacklebox searching for “the” search bait… give the lipless a try, you might be surprised!

See you on the water…..
gunner

Crankin' from the bank

Crankin’ From the banks
By gunner


I had received a few e-mails asking about using crankbaits from the banks. I have to apologize because I overlooked this situation completely. It seems that most everyone that has a boat forgets where they “came from” when they started bass fishing.

I remember as a kid going to the local store and buying that all important crankbait that I had seen on TV. You know the one, that caught everything when the pro cast it from his rod tip! Yes that is it… that one.

Well one thing I did not look at, at that time was I was standing on the sides of the Ohio River and lakes while he was in his boat casting to the shore. So needless to say as a kid I lost a good number of lures to the waters in Ohio.

But to get back to the questions asked of the site, you can fish with crankbaits from the bank of the water if you do a few things differently and just use some common sense. First thing is do NOT pick a deep runner crankbait. That is almost a sure snag and loss of lure! You want to stay with shallow runners, maybe a 5 foot runner as the deepest. You can cast it straight out and reel it in, but that is the opposite of what the boat guys and gals is doing…. Remember they throw to the bank and reel back out which has the bait run the contour of the bottom.

The best thing you can do is to walk the bank to where you can find cover in the water, like Lilly pads, or some other form of emergent vegetation. Then you need to cast along the side of it, run the bait past the sides or front of it if you can. Work holding the rod tip high, helping the bait from diving and snagging. Work it slow and let it “bump” off underwater cover but stay focused.

Sometimes you can cast a heavier bait from the banks to some standing timber you see in a cove…. Again the best thing you can do is hold the tip high…
Now you are going to lose a few baits this way, but if you are careful, the fish you catch will more than make up for the few baits lost.

Just remember:

NO deep running crankbaits

Work it slow, let it bump some

Hold the tip of the rod high

About a one or two o’clock position and learn to “Feel” the bait work. Don’t just set the hook every time you get a bump. That is the biggest mistake made by bank anglers. They get the baits, have not had the chance to fish from a boat much or at all. So they really don’t know how the bait feels and works. And it is this inexperience that will cost you money and time.

It takes time to learn, don’t rush it and try to learn something new about your baits every time you go fishing. Knowing how a bait works, feels and runs is a very valuable tool for any fisherman, boater or non-boater.

When you catch some of these bankside beauties, send a few photos in to us here and we will post them on the site!

Good luck and see you out there!!!
gunner

Home Defense -Hollywood Shotgun



So you want to build a “Hollywood shotgun”
By Ron Gunner (
www.reelfishingwithgunner.com)

You just came back from the movies and saw your favorite action hero using what looks to be a High-tech super accurate shotgun to take out everything from on-coming cars to sending the 6’5 300 pound bad guy through a big plate glass window. On the way home you think, I can turn my old shotgun into this and then …. You fill in the rest.

Fact is to make a home defense shotgun you really don’t need all of that. But if you want to have one that has the “look” it is possible. This is where I am, I know what is really needed but I want the look for my own personal taste. This is where I will go with this article, explaining both side’s of the “Home” vs. “Hollywood” shotgun.

Let’s face it, for home defense you want to be able to swing it freely and comfortable and be on target. Most home defense shotguns sold from the manufacturers will work out of the box with little or no modification needed. I have always been a fan of Winchester shotguns, have owned a few over the years and still have a few. I have also either had or used others from Remington, Mossberg, Berretta and so on.

So I will go with Winchester for the purpose of this article, more specific the model 1300 defender. A shotgun advertised and sold as an out of the box home defense shotgun. First thing to look for is reputation and reliability. You do not want to grab the shotgun at night when needed and have it not work. One thing this shotgun offers like most others is two slide rails for the forearm slide action. Always look for two slide rails, one can break, bend and cause a jam.

The only problem I had with this out of the box was the rear stock. Around the grip area for the hand and trigger, it was a little to “thick” for me. I did not like the way it fit compared to my favorite older 1300 I have. So I thought ok I can do a few different things here, but what do I need as opposed to what I want. I could have just bought a different 1300 stock and put it on or took it to a stock expert and have it shaped and custom fit for me or the last thing was to look around and see what aftermarket combat (Hollywood) pistol grip stocks were out there.

I admit I “wanted” the look but I did not want to affect the efficiency of the shotgun either in action or my ability to get on point. So what I call the fixed pistol grip stocks was out. In my mind, no adjustment, no sale! I found a few stocks that have adjustment and look like they are off the M-4 rifles. So ok, the “look” was there AND you can adjust the length and pull. This is what I was looking for! There is one type that has “air” cushioned for the recoil which is a little more pricy. Others had nice semi-soft thick rubber padding. With the ability to adjust the stock length, this is a perfect option.

So the stock was done and set to my body, so now swinging, balance and being able to get on point was not effected and improved my speed. So the next thing to do was the forearm grip. You have to think, most times if this type of weapon is needed it will be needed at night. You then need a light, so I started looking at the different types of lights available for shotguns.

I am not a fan of coiled wire hanging down the pump action of the shotgun. To me that is adding to the chance for a malfunction. It could get caught in the sliding for the next round jamming the weapon and or cutting the cord and shutting off your light. Also not a good thing to have happen at 3 in the morning.

Next is the flashlight that has the big bulky bracket that either clamps the light to your barrel or the shell tube. This works but looks in my opinion, hideous. So that was out and the search continued. Then it was found, SureFire who makes some of the best personal and tactical flashlights around has the answer. (Also we are very proud to have SureFire as one of our sponsors here at Reel Fishing w/Gunner) They offer a complete forearm set-up that has the light molded in the front of the forearm. Two different models, has an on and off and the other has the constant-on and momentary switch standard, with the optional system disable switch also available. The optional system disable switch is a useful feature to eliminate accidental light activation when you don’t want to show your position in the home!


SureFire 636FGA SureFire 636FA

These are in the $250 to the $300.00 range but well worth the price. I have been asked if I thought these were a little pricey. I reply with this, “How much is the security of your family worth to you?” Keep in mind that SureFire has the reputation of always there and always in focus so to me that is a no brainier.

Now with the rear stock and front SureFire 636FGA installed I increased my effectiveness of the shotgun. That is what I was going for, first and foremost I wanted it right, and reliable, second due to my personal taste, I wanted somewhat of a look for it. I have another reason for the look, a friend of mine had one that was in his own words, “All decked out” and to be honest it was heavy, bulky and I am sure it was not as easy as he hoped it would have been to swing and get on point, but nevertheless it was what “he” wanted.

He had the chance to use this one night as he had a person break into his home one night. He did not fire a shot due to the “look” the shotgun had. When the for lack of a better word, burglar saw the shotgun with all the bells and whistles light up and get swung in his direction, he fled the scene. This shotgun looks intimidating, shells mounted on the side, big flashlight bolted to the bottom tube, laser light bolted to the top, shells hanging off the sling/strap and the pistol grip forearm with another little light mounted on it is enough to scare anyone who sees it pointing at them at 4 in the morning.

So what he had is a “Showgun” instead of a shotgun more of less. Yes it would fire if needed but that was about it. The laser, in a house where you are maybe 10 to 25 feet away from your target has no true purpose other than effect on the mind. Which I admit can work, it did for him.

This type of shotgun has much more weight added to it and is awkward to handle in general. Not to mention that is clanking around as you swing it from all the shells and cables. What I think happened is he got lucky, they guy must have had visions of the first Terminator movie going through his head as the laser light come on and across the room to him.

The truth is in a close range area like that; your shot pattern is going to be close together. Not spread across a wall as some would lead you to believe. So a regular flashlight would be much more serving for the purposed that the shotgun is intended for. You want to “SEE” what you may have to shoot at not just put a red dot on it. If you have family in the house you want and NEED to make sure of the target. There is no room for error in this point.

So mine has the adjustable stock with a pistol grip, the SureFire forearm with light and is loaded with the factory 8 shells. That is all; it has a look and is improved functionality for my personal use. I see no need to have 44 shells hanging from the weapon unless you’re on SWAT or military maneuvers. You would be doing good to get all 8 shots off if you ever had to use the weapon.

Hope to see you out there and I pray you never have to use this in the home, but if you do make sure of your target and have the weapon to fit your needs… Visit SureFire and see all their products, there really is no better light made today!

Godspeed…
Ron “Gunner”

Take a child Fishing

Taking a child fishing
By Ron Gunner
I take my children fishing every chance I get. It is not always as often as I would like, but we do what we can when schedules allow.

For me…my fishing started in 1972-73 with my grandfather. He was getting ready to retire by 1975, and he wanted to break me into fishing early so he did not have to worry about it after he retired. With a child, the best thing to do, I still believe to this day, is to do what he did with me. He took me to a little lake, and we went behind the dam to the where the spillway fed the creek. There were (and still are) hundreds of bluegills in that little area. I had just as much fun watching the fish steal the bait as I did catching one! It taught me two things…how to catch fish…and how not to catch fish. I know that sounds strange, but think about it…I learned to tie a hook and sinker, learned how to cast (in my case it was a Zebco 202), and, most importantly, how to “set” the hook. It showed me that I am not going to catch a fish with every cast…but, if I do it right, in the right situation, I can still catch fish. Those first few times I lost more fish than I caught…so I learned how to not catch fish.

When he did retire in 1975, he and I went fishing every weekend. During the summer I stayed at their house so we went 3 to 4 times a week. He was more of a live bait fisherman…he had a few lures, but swore they did not work. He stuck with his trusty Zebco 33 reel and 10-pound test line.

In 1978 he gave me an old Garcia Mitchell 314 spinning reel that he had kept stored away for years…but then, to my surprise, he had my grandmother take me to buy two identical green Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500D baitcasting reels.

He and I stood in the backyard with our baitcasters, practicing and casting over and over…but he quickly went back to that trusty 33 and returned his 55D to the store. I, on the other hand, had dreams of fishing all over the country, winning B.A.S.S. tournaments with that beautiful green 55D in my hand…

Through the years, as I grew up and he grew older, we still faithfully continued to fish every weekend and every summer, but by 1996 he was having a hard time walking around. Our last fishing trip took place where the first one happened 24 years earlier. Even though I had many different reels by that time, I fished that day with the Garcia Mitchell he had given me. And yes, he still had that same Zebco 33…but I made sure the line had been changed! The roles had changed by now…I was the one catching the bluegills, and he was the one that was remembering how to not catch fish. We laughed and talked about years and trips gone by…and we also sat and said nothing…which probably spoke the loudest. As I turned to wipe a tear from my eye, I saw him doing the same…even though we didn't say anything about it, we both knew in our hearts this was the last fishing trip we would ever go on together. He had given me a lifetime of memories, a tradition to pass along to my children, and a love for the outdoors that I hope everyone will come to understand in their lifetime. Oh…and also a love for Ambassadeur reels… which I collect now and I use some of them every time I go out.

In case you are wondering…yes, I still have that Mitchell 314, and I still use it…and when I do, I look up to the heavens and thank him for the enjoyment he so unselfishly gave me. The green 5500D is still in my collection, and I plan on it being there for a long, long time. Sadly, in 1999 he passed on at the age of 88 after a surgery which was supposed to help him walk better, and we planned on fishing again…

So see, you never know just what you will teach or show a child when you teach them to fish…

Thank you grandpa…you are in my every thought

Winter Tackle Box Cleaning


Winter Tackle Box Cleaning
by gunner

Well there are many ways to approach this, but instead of calling it the “dreaded job” I think I will just start into it. Some of us enjoy going through their tackle box and I know a some that hate it. I hear “Cleaning that thing is to much like work” one of my personal favorites to hear is “If I clean it and change it around, it will loose the fish catching magic it has. So I think I will just pass on it this year”. Those are two of the things that one hears this time of year. Now at this time I will admit that to me, bigger is better. I have the Plano Phantom Pro, it is an older one I bought it around 1990 but it is a great box and big. I first clear off a table and will empty the entire contents out of the top and all four drawers. This is the time of it I enjoy most because as I remove things one at a time I can think back to the fishing trip I used it last. And sometimes the case may be I did not use it enough or at all. (Which I also make a note to myself that I need to use it in the upcoming season) Most of these memories of the fishing trips bring smiles and a few not so big of smiles… (Motor breakdown, lost a fish to a broken line and I did not even touch on the fact that with that broken line the favorite lure that is dangling around now underwater) Well enough on that, I will get back to the cleaning part of the tackle box.

Once everything is removed including the drawers, you want to use HOT water with a mild dish soap that is not heavy on fragrance. I take mine the kitchen sink so I can use the sprayer and a sponge. After the box itself is clean I repeat the process with each of the drawers. Rinsing it all off with the hottest water the house has to offer. Then let it air dry upside down for a few minutes then towel dry. (Hint – if you are married, do NOT use a good kitchen towel for that last part! It won’t go over well with the other half)

Next I move to the spinnerbaits. Same thing, hot water and kitchen sink. I try not to use any soap on these if at all possible. If the skirt is to bad I just replace it. But most time you can work wonders with extremely hot water and let the bait soak for about 5 minutes. The take it out and rub through the skirt to break free each strand.
Then a fast rinse again and air dry. Tip – an old colander will work great for spinnerbaits and jigs. You can rinse many baits at one time

Jigs are done about the same way unless they are the older type that has the feather type skirts. Then I just rinse them under warm water. I do not let those soak in hot water.

Crankbaits, (As this site goes on, you will understand that crankbaits or my favorite lure. I fish them about 90% of the time) not much to do on these unless they have marks on them from some plastic lure burning in them from the hot sun of the summer. So a basic hot water rinse and a good dry will be just fine. I also check for chipped or cracked paint at this time and then will repair as needed. I also use wooden crankbaits 95% of the 90% I fish crankbaits. Poe’s and Rapala are two favorites.

After everything is cleaned and dried, I then check the hooks of everything and replace or sharpen as needed. One good thing about doing this at this time of year, is some bait stores will have hooks and stuff on sale during the winter. So in some cases it was just easier to replace the hooks on crankbaits.

Then I take an inventory of the everything I have. Put that against the list of everything I had started with and I know what to get at the stores or through the mail. I know we all like to think, “Oh I can remember that” and then find out when we are in the middle of the lake getting ready for that favorite spot that we forgot “that” I am guilty of it, that is why the inventory sheet works for me! As I write down what I have and what I need I replace everything in the box and most times try to figure a way to arrange it to make it better… but that is for a later article…

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Welcome the the NEW Reel Fishing with Gunner


We have changed the name to Reel Fishing and Shooting with Gunner... I was told by a good source that "Blogs" are in and websites are out... So with that I am going to see how this works. I have a temp website still for Reel Fishing at: http://gunner-fisherman.webs.com/ that you can visit also.

Over the next few days I will be posting articles and photos and all kinds of info... I was able to get the sponsor list up so welcome and thank you for following us into the future...!