How to Properly "Buy" a Fishing License.

Sometimes you try your best to be an honest and kind person, despite situations you can't control. My father proved to me he's a great man, and the reward is saving a little money and having a new story to tell.

It was Saturday and the spring was just about to begin, and since I turned sixteen the fall before, I needed a fishing license. My first one, actually. We had to get some shoes for me as well, and the shoe store was in the same area and just a couple feet away from where we bought our licenses. We went and looked at shoes and decided we could come back to buy them, since I didn't know what pair I wanted. We were buying the licenses at Dick's Sporting Goods. First we picked up some baits we would need and proceeded to check-out. We payed for the baits and told the cashier we would need fishing license. 

This is the part where things get interesting. She printed off my dads license and the power shuts off. After a minute we left to go buy my shoes and opted to come back and see if the lights were back on. While walking to the next store we realized my dad never paid for his license! No big deal, we could go back and get my license and pay for both of them. And that's what we did. The cashier printed off mine and went to the register to ring up me and my dad. 

As luck would have it, the register wouldn't pull up the licenses since you had to type it in and all that. Eventually a manager tried, failed, and told us we could leave. He said we had been there long enough. Me and my dad were excited, and left the store as champions. 

Do you have any interesting stories related to fishing? Let me know them on twitter @AshersReview!

Happy Fishing (unless you had to Winterize your boat already)

-Asher 

How to Winterize Your Boat in 6 Steps.

The unforgiving and hostile Ohio winter is taking its hold shockingly early this year. Of course, boats do not fair well on ice (except giant fan boats, surprisingly). To keep the boat in good condition, we had to prepare it for the grueling white hell ahead of us, and opted to save some money to do it ourselves. Here's how we did it in six simple steps:

Step One: Pull the Plug. 

Water that enters your boat and seeps into the hollow hull has no way of escaping, except The Plug. This water can freeze during the winter, expand, and crack or weaken your hull. You should lift the front of the trailer as high as you can so all the water will pool in the back and then pull The Plug. Make sure to give it time to fully drain, since it might not do it automatically. We left the plug out overnight. You may also want to dump a couple of buckets of fresh water down your live well to fight off the fishy odor. 

Step Two: Empty, Store, and Clean

Once you put your boat away for the season, whether in your garage or at a storage unit, you will not have easy access to anything left inside it. You should take out expensive equipment such as rods and fish finders. Personally, I take this opurtunity to clean out all the junk left in the boat and to re-organize anything that may need it. We also remove the starting battery and the trolling motor's battery and store them in a dry, warm place like our garage. This is the most important part! Lastly, since we have a lot of carpet, I take a shotvac to the whole thing, making sure I got corners well. 

Step Three: The Motor

There are several things that need to be done in the post-season that a. makes preseason preparatory work easier and b. protects your motor. The first thing we do is to frost the spark plugs using frosting oil. This can be picked up fairly cheap at any auto parts store. It's pretty simple to do, but you can find guides online. Next, we drain the lower unit. Again, this is simple and guides are online. *If the oil that comes out of the lower unit resembles chocolate milk, the seal could be broken and letting water in. When this happens, get to a mechanic as fast as possible.* Finally, we pump fresh oil in and put anti-freeze into the gas tank that can be cheaply picked up at auto part stores. Once again, there are specific guides online. 

Step Four: Gear Check

This is a fast and important step. You should check over all your equipment and ensure everything is in working order. Some things to check are ropes, lights, trailer lights and tires, and pressure on the fire extinguisher. You should also make sure there is nothing that leaked or left a nasty residue. 

Step Five: Cover Your Boat. 

You are almost done with the most depressing part of Northern fishing: the end. Cover your boat with either the cover that came with it or a series of tarps. We throw a box of moth balls on the floor to keep critters out. You can probably find cheap boat covers online. The main goal is to keep as much of the outside world where it belongs, outside. Make sure everything is tight and secure. 

Step Six: Store Your Boat

Maybe you just have a little rowboat that your store upside down beside your house (or use it as a second trailer when you move) that can probably withstand the elements. Or maybe you have a beautiful 21 foot Fisher boat that you are trying to keep in good condition. If the latter is true, choosing where to store your boat is important. We store our vessel in a boat garage that we modified for further protection by screwing a tarp across the back and chicken wire over the openings in the side. The front was left open for now. If a population of neighborhood cats using your boat as a restroom and dead pine needles somehow finding their way into your boat are not problems, then no modifications may be needed. Another option is to find a storage facility that can accommodate a boat. 

Crappie Fishing: How to and Setup.

If you have a boat, one of the most simple and fun fish to catch is crappie. Their characteristic one *thump* and great tasting meat make them a likely target for many anglers. In this post, I will outline my personal method and setup for catching these joyful pan fish.

--Disclaimer: This guide only shows one method and one setup, and does not encompass crappie fishing as a whole. Also, I will not be releasing the specific brand models we use for our baits to protect personal interests. Thank you for your understanding.--

My fondest memories include reeling in monster crappie, bringing a live-well full of them home, and eating them for supper with homemade Mac'N'Cheese and fried 'taters. The method we used (and still use) to catch crappie is very simple, but can take some time to master. Basically, we let our baits (I'll explain what these baits are later) sink for a bit near a sunken tree. Now, not just any tree will work: we are looking for a depth between 5-20 feet deep where the tree ends, plenty of snags, but not so many we can't avoid them, and the larger the better. Also, we pay close attention to trying to avoid windy areas and look for trees that are isolated (we don't want a cluster of more than 2 trees on one shoreline, or else we can't pinpoint the fish). After we let our baits fall, we explore different water depths, locations around the tree, and speeds until we find what works best. We also change bait color periodically if one of our colors isn't working. You want to consider water temperature, weather, and the lake you're on. If a lake is busy or heavily fished, larger crappie may be harder to find.

Through the years our reels have varied greatly from Zebco 33's to our Shakespeare Synergy TI6's we use today. However, the setup we have used these past 10 years has not changed due to the fact it has brought us great success. The first thing: the line. We like 6 ounce fireline because we snag often and need a line with some backbone. Many people are turned off to fireline (firewire) because you give up "the smoothness that mono gives." If you're trying to catch crappie, their thump can be felt through any material, or so it seems. Fireline saves us a good bit of money on materials. Next up, hooks: we use 1/8 to 1/16 ounce hooks (the weight being attached already), depending on the depth of the water, with a weed guard to make snagging less common. Next, we slide a 6" twister tail on (our favorite color is blue and silver). Lastly, we throw 3 or so maggots onto the hook. Simple, easy, and versatile. You can drag this bait along a sandy or rocky shoreline and pick up nice walleye, or reel it in fast and pick up smaller bass. Heck, we've caught catfish and carp with these baits! 

-If you want an easy day of fishing and maybe some dinner, I would give this method a try. It is tried and trusted by yours truly, Asher.-

What will my Blog schedule look like?

I have recently been informed that people like to know when you're posting. Generally, I'm a "do it as I want to" kind of guy. However, I am going to make a commitment to my followers and outline my schedule.
Basically, once November comes, blog posts will be every Saturday or every other Saturday due to ongoing circumstances. Until then, I will make the effort to post every Wednesday and every Saturday.
Wednesday posts will more than likely be a story about my fishing career, my opinion on fishing issues, or fishing news.
Saturday's will be a classic review of some piece of equipment or bait.

Hope you enjoy the future updates! Look forward to this Saturday for a review on our new fish finder!
-Asher

My Largest Fish.

It's a quiet and sweaty day in Northeast Ohio. The sun beats down on my dads favorite lake. I flip a baby BrushHog watermelon red magic to the end of a pontoon boat, docked sideways to a cement wall.

My line goes slack, then a hard thump. With an all mighty pull I set the hook and... My line doesn't move. A snag. 

I begin quickly pulling at the line trying to free the hook from whatever foreign object it has found its way into. Then I notice the line slowly moving away from the wall... The fight is on! 

To make a long story short, 10 pound catfish. 

However, that's still not the largest fish I've caught. That belongs to the 32 inch Muskie caught while bass fishing with my favorite rattletrap. 

Or the 14.5 inch crappie I caught the same year I was so desperately going for a 15 incher, an honor shared by my grandpa and dad. 

Or a couple 4 pound bass. Or the gigantic sunfish caught from the shore at a camp I worked in the summer. 

So my question is: What is the largest fish you've ever caught? A question everyone asks when they find your passion for fishing. It's like your credibility is based on the largest fish, not on the hours you've spent attempting to catch them. 

In conclusion, if you're chasing old SnakeEyed Billy the fifteen pound bass at your cousins estranged grandparents private pond (something I spent the better part of a long summer day doing), don't lose faith if you fail. Fishing isn't about catching the fish. It's about communion and escaping your busy lives for a couple hours. 

Enjoy many fishing adventures! 

- Asher. 

Shakespeare Synergy Titanium TI6 Spincast Reel Review

Features:

The Synergy Titanium TI6 has 2 ball bearings and a stainless steel front cone and rear cover. It has a titanium line guide, it is gear driven, an adjustable multi-disc drag system, and Insta-Grab pick. It also comes in an underspin format. 

Impressions: 

The Titanium TI6 is a lightweight reel used primarily for pan fish. It fits comfortably into the palm of your hand and is extremely easy to cast. I've owned a Titanium TI6 for about 2 years now and have enjoyed it a lot. The stainless steel cone and rear cover ensure durability. 

Some issues with the Titanium TI6 is the retrieve is a little gritty and "loose", which can cause you to be confused as to whether or not you had a bite. However, this is to be expected with any spin reel, and is usually barely noticeable. The handles will start to wiggle, but can easily be tightened. 

Conclusion:

The Titanium TI6 may be small, but it can kick butt. We have pulled in some nice walleye with one of these! It casts far and accurately and rarely messes up. It is great for a day out with family pan fishing or a semi-professional crappie tournament. And the best part? It can be found for as little as 15 dollars. The Titanium TI6 is worth every cent!

Hope it helped!
-Asher Stack

Shimano Curado 200E7 Review

Features:
The Shimano Curado 200E7 is a baitcaster with a lightweight Graphite Sideplates, Variable Brake System with Reduced Mass Hub, and Supper Stopper II. The Shimano Curado 200E7 is significantly smaller than it's predecessor, the 100D, while still keeping the impressive line capacity. Also, it has 6 ball bearings hidden in it's smallish frame. 

Impressions:

The Curado 200E7 is a versatile tool I mainly use for bass fishing. The super-packed aluminum frame feels natural in your hand. The retrieval is smooth and even, which comes in handy while flipping. The Curado 200E7 is capable of retrieving monster fish out of serious cover. I witnessed my father pulling a 12 pound catfish out of the weeds with this reel. 
The Curado 200E7 does NOT have a switch for flipping to casting, which could cause problems for certain fishermen. Also, the drag will tend to loosen on its own with extreme use.

Conclusion:

The Curado 200E7 is a great tool for serious fishermen. It is durable and consistent. You can find these at Bass Pro Shops for around $180. I would not suggest this to reel to beginners because of the price (and it's a baitcaster, so it's much harder to cast properly). If you are invested into fishing, the 200E7 is a great reel to add to your collection.