May 23, 2013

It is a rainy gray today, and my mood befits the dreariness of the day. We have had some family issues that have been quite difficult to deal with lately which leaves me quite sad, but I push myself to just take that next step forward and hope for a better day tomorrow. 

I had hope to get my boat in a lake this week, but that will not likely happen. On the bright side, a recent email told me that my new Go Pro camera has been delivered and I should be able to pick it up today. If you are not familiar with this camera, check out the short video on the their site using the link above. Once you see the camera you may then make a connection with it because it is used in the filming of many of the reality shows you now see on the various cable channels.

One of the things I really like about the camera, in regards to fishing, is that it is water proof. You can take it from one of several types of mounts that you could use to film your fishing outing, and hold it under water as you net the fish, getting the shot that the "real" TV production guys use. You could also mount it to a pole and use it to get shots of a shallow bed as one of your buddies try to fish for it. It has a ton of potential. I really enjoy making iMovies, so it's a great fit with the new Mac Book Pro. Hopefully, I'll have some interesting videos up soon.

I seem to be on what I would call my summer hours with Cabela's the last couple of weeks. Lately my hours look much more like what I envisioned they would be when I applied for a part time position. That's a good thing. I continue to enjoy the work, and find that I learn a lot while on the job. One person simply can't have the expertise to help every customer across the fishing continuum, so when I work with someone on a request they might have, I can pick their brain and learn a good deal from them. Along that same line, I try to expand my knowledge by using articles, and You Tube videos, to learn more about various fishing techniques and equipment. 

Recently, I was researching drag pressures on reels and got side tracked by an article on Zebco reels. I would be willing to bet that most of us started off using the push button Zebco 33 back in the day. You still find many Zebco models in just about any retail outdoor shop.

Jasper R. Dell Hull, of Texas, was what they called an itinerant inventor (one who travels from here to there as they work), whose prior work experience had been in the watch making business. Jasper was interested in developing a reel that the whole family could use. The early reels of the day were all level winds with a propensity to backlash frequently. Hull wanted something that the whole family could use.

He tried many different approaches to modifying the level winders of the day, but it wasn't till he was shopping in a local grocery store that he got the epiphany for the spincast reel. In that grocery store, it was said, he was intrigued by how the string would easily come of a coneshaped spool. He used what he saw there in a new design that would eventually become the first spincast which was called the "Standard"  and later the Zebco 33. 

Once Hull had his idea in a sellable form he needed investors. He came acrossed a company in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was in the petroleum business. They held a patent on a time bomb that was dropped down oil wells to blow the bottoms out. The company was called the Zero Hour Bomb Company. 

Zero Hour's main patent was set to expire, and they were looking to expand their business, and saw promise in Hull's new design. So, in 1949 they went into partnership and began producing the "Standard." It caught on quickly and it's appeal grew. Zero Hour began concentrating its production on it to the exclusion of their oil related items. In 1956 Zero Hour used their old company's acronym to come up with their new name Zebco. 

Zebco, as a company, did very well and became a world wide entity. During the 60's one of their salesman, Bill Carter, used a monkey that he trained to show how easy it was to cast with the "new" Zebco. The photo below was used in an article by Charles Cantrell. It shows Carter with his casting buddy at a sport show in Tulsa.

Bill Carter with his Zebco 33 casting buddy at a Zebco booth at a Tulsa, OK Sport Show in 1960

In 1961 the Brunswick Corporation bought out Zero Hour and later in 2001 the Bradley Corporation bought the company from Brunswick. Zebco is still a major player in the reel market today. Zebco has been around for several generations of anglers and undoubtedly will be around for many more.

Another interesting tidbit that I ran across dealt with Global Position Systems, GPS. Most all of us have a GPS in combo with our sonar. It is almost an indispensable piece of fishing gear. It not only can improve your catch, but it may just save your life.

GPS, as we all know, was developed by the military. It's now extremely common, and used in a variety of domestic applications. The military has been working to develop an alternative GPS system, one that would not depend on satellites that could be vulnerable in event of an armed conflict. An article that I read in Outdoor Life, says that new research is underway on a system that would employ three gyroscopes, three accelerometers and an atomic clock, to trace routes and keep track of where things are. The new device would work underwater and even in caves. This new location monitoring system, (LMS?) can be built on a micro chip, that is eight millimeters square. At that size, it could even be used in a capsule that could locate car keys, etc. Here's the link to the Outdoor Life article: New Technology That Will Replace GPS.

Almost every day that I work, I get questions about drop shooting. I also see references to it on sites like greatlakesbass.com. Just recently there was a post on GLB from a guy looking for tips. I  recommended in the thread, that interested parties check out and buy Seth Burrill's: Drop Shot Secrets Revealed. I have the two DVD set, and for $17, I would have to say it is the best instructional DVD I have ever bought.

Because of the recent GLB post, I took particular interest in a recent article by Gary Klein on split shotting. It made claims to be a "drop shot" like approach. The article is a good one and could point you in a direction that could certainly improve your catch rate. Sounds like a pretty good big fish application. Here's the link: Welcome to Splitsville.

One other item that I would like to throw out there today is a suggestion to check out the new Vicious Fishing website. They have revamped it completely, and have added substantially to their online store selection. If you're looking for a fluorocarbon to try, make sure you pick their Pro Elite fluorocarbon. I've been using it for a while now, and I have found the six and eight pound test really lays well on my spinning reels. On my bait casters, I don't worry about line memory even though the new Pro Elite is quite supple. I use 14 and 17 pound test Pro Elite on them. They make a great braid as well. They have quite a wide variety of items in their online store. My son really likes their sunglasses. I have bought a number of their hats and shirts.

When the Vicious website opens, the first picture is of Tom Dietz holding a big muskie. Tom is the hardlines manager at the Cabela's in Grandville, and is a tremendous source of muskie info.  If you get in the store you may want to look him up and pick his brain. 

Well, that pretty much does it from me today. I think I'll revert back to an old practice of adding a quote as the last word, or cast of the day. Here's one I like that's attributed to be from Abraham Lincoln, "The problem with quotes found on the internet today is that they are not always accurate."