In today’s Throwback Troutrageous! (TBT!) post we go back in time to January 2009. Before I became a snobby fly angler, I was all about spin-fishing and accumulating any type of inline spinner I could find. Mepps, Panther Martin, even tiny brands you’ve probably never heard of. I opened up one of my Plano boxes to show what sort of hardware I was chucking.
Coincidentally, this might be the first time that Len Harris (aka “Spinner”) was ever mentioned on this blog. His presence in internet fishing forums used to be legendary, (I don’t frequent many forums anymore, so not sure if he’s still active telling his stories or posting his “where would you cast” photos). Today, you’ll most likely find him on his fantastic The Stream of Time blog.
Anyway, check out all this METAL – and if you have a favorite inline spinner, I’d love to know what it is. They’re nothing but effective. I was partial to the Wyld Edge Bezerkers, but I don’t even think the company that made them is in business anymore…
BOX OF TRICKS
JANUARY 07, 2009
I was on the PAanglers forum the other day and read a thread (started by “Spinner”) that showed what kind of lures he kept in his tackle box. There was a little bit of dialogue following, with some other folks chiming in on their favorites, so I thought it might be fun to show what is in my tackle box 9 times out of 10 when I go out for trout.
First off, I really like these double sided Plano Stowaway tackle boxes. I use model #3449. They are small, compact, and perfect to toss in a fishing vest or jacket pocket. They hold a lot too. which makes them very convenient if you like to bring a large arsenal on the water (like me). I’m all about swapping lures if a particular color or configuration isn’t working, so the more the merrier for me.
Side one: Joe’s Flies, Rooster Tails, Wyld Edge Bezerkers (my favorites!), Mepps Elix (now discontinued), Fish Creek Nitro Mites, and a small and indispensable Leatherman Squirt tool (with pliers). I usually also cram in some Tin Split Shot & Assorted Hooks in case I want to fish with a bait (usually waxworms) instead of lures.
Side two: Mepps Little Wolf Spoon, Wyld Edge Baby Bezerkers, Fish Creek Armadillos (a great change-up!), & Homemade spinners in assorted varieties. The lures I make myself vary from very standard to resemble Panther Martins or Mepps XDs, to what I call my Michelin Man (a lure that closely resembles a CP Swing), to random contraptions of leftover brass bodies and beads. All of them tend to catch fish rather well – and I tend to stay in the gold & silver family as far as colors go.
Love the Leatherman Squirt. Classic! I often carry my Leatherman Juice (the orange one of the same size/vintage.)
I always have the Panther Martin in gold and silver in the box with all the Kastmasters (not spinners). Never know when one will work. Seems in Bear River Reservoir that silver worked best before the sun hit the water and gold after.
Boy did this bring back memories. I even went out to the garage to see if my old tackle boxes were still out there. My favorites were Kastmasters, gold Mepps spinners and red and white daredevils.
Bingo! Thanks for sharing this Michael……… I think we all passed through that stage of our angling fun. Me, more than others I think sometime!Anyhow, always favored Panther Martin Spinners and I had a bunch of the Wyld Edge Bezerkers also. Kastmaster Spoon for deeper water, too. Passed a big tackle box full of this type stuff on to my (23) year old Grandson just recently………
It's really a nice tool. I still own/use that one in the photo from 8 years ago – I'm actually surprised I never (mistakenly) had to surrender it to the TSA.
I used to hunt through packs and packs of Panther Martins in Bass Pro just trying to find the “right” colors… Not sure if they every really made a difference, but I sure thought so. Gold is definitely tried & true.
Daredevils…hadn't thought about them in some time. They're worth fishing just because they look cool.
There's one day when I'll still grab the spinning rod & spinners, and that opening day of trout season… There's no room to fly fish in that “combat” situation back in PA.Your grandson is lucky. I'm sure those lures have caught, and will catch, plenty of fish!