The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-07-26
THE BAIT-cAsTING OUTFIT.

My Dear Buck:
So you are sure stumped old man,
when it comes to getting together a
bait-casting outfit. Been hitting her
up with the old cane pole and any old
hook or line, and getting the fish,
but every time you pass a tackle lay
out in a sporting goods store, your
hands fairly itch to swing one of those
short bait casting rods, and then you
sorta hold back. Cause you don't
just know what's really needed and
you sure don't want to tip off your
hand to the fellow on the inside"
that you are shy on tackle dope.
Slip this into your card index, you
can get good outfit together for $12
to SIS that will give you rafting good
service and at that, be a line of tackle
that you need never be ashamed Of.
It'll stand up under the hard knocks
that you probably will hand it and
with little practice, will get you fish
for your stringer. At the same time
it will make good showing with any
other fellows tackle, unless of course,
he happens to be a 'he-whop" for coin
and overdoes the tackle stunt.
Rod Either Split Bamboo or Steel.
For a rod it can be either split bam-
boo or steel and between and 51s
feet in length. In split bamboo you
can get good one for 81 to 81. The
two-piece rod is fine bender without
straining at the ferrule, which is be-
low the center, well to the butt; it is
full of snap and whip.
A steel rod is strong and durable, and
is just stiff enough to make long casts
with precision and whippy enough to
make short cast with ease. The
reel seat is close to the grip, which
makes thumbing the reel less firing.
The extra large guides and tip are an
aid to casting as the line shoots out
freely without much friction on the
guides.
Reel Is the Heavy Worker.
For a reel you will want a quad
ripple multiplying, or IN other words
old "hoss," there are four revolutions
Of the core of the reel to one turn Of
the handle-that's for speed in giving
you casting distance and also to re-
trieve the line quickly with the small
est amount of hand work.
BY far the biggest end Of the bait
casting work depends upon the reel,
it is the most important item in the
outfit. The average days fishing runs
about six hours of continuous casting,
at all of which time the reel is hard
at work playing out line and recover
ing it. This is a steady grind and the
reel must be a good one to stand up
under the strain. This only goes to
show that a poorly constructed reel
will shortly throw up the sponge with
few wheezy shrieks and about that
time, far away from a tackle outfitter,
you will let out few choice cuss
words and give it the Christy Mathew
son into the weed beds.
There are many good reels that you
can get, ranging from 81 to $3.50, and
they will all do the work and do it
well.
Goodhy to Backlashes.
If you are shy on time to practice
thumbing the ordinary reel, and you
don't want to bother with back
lashes," which happen more or less
to even the sure-enCugh fishermen,
you can get an antibacklash reel and
start casting with practically no prac-
tice.
For line, get a ffty-yard spool Of
waterproof soft square braided silk
No. 6, which runs freely from the reel
and with the least amount Of friction
on the guides and is easily thumbed
without burning. A line Of this kind
will cost you SOC and it will not get
fuzzy nor swell up when wet.
Artificial Plugs and WobbIers.
OF lures or artificial bats there
are legion and they range from 10c
up. Some are worth it and some are
not. You'll probably want to buy ev-
cry one you see, and try, 'em out.
That's part Of the game, but for a
starter, a few minnOw-shaped lures, of
white, red, green, rainbow and perch,
will make a selection in color that
ought to interest any old bass or other
game fish. You can pick up a collec-
ton of plugs for few dollars, that
contains every kind of wiggle, wob-
BILE, dive and movement in the deck
and if you keep them moving when in
the water, there is no reason why any
high-brow bass won't strike them out
of pure inquisitiveness just to see what
makes 'em do it.
For your pork rind, frogs and live
minnows you will need few spinners
and spoons. Get single and tandem,
Slim Eli No. 8, and a couple of new
casting spoons Ak, bright nickel and
white enamel.
With a couple little odds and ends
such as sinkers, extra hooks and an
oil can, you have a bait casting outfit
that should help you bring home the
bacon" of course you have to learn
how to use it.
DIXIE