February 2014

It’s that time of season again. Sportsman’s shows are popping up everywhere in the Pacific Northwest and it embellishes a sort of feeding frenzy; especially for fishing. There are many fishermen who go to these shows to see what’s new and exciting for the new fishing season, and many are filling up their tackle boxes in preparation. However, these shows are not just about shopping. It’s also a place to learn about particular fisheries and types of fishing that we can all get out and enjoy.

There are many of us that go to shows to wander up and down the isles; but there is an opportunity to learn from some of the best fishermen around. I’m talking about seminars that are hosted by the show. These seminars are a plethora of information to you

and me because they are taught by master anglers who have had much success with fishing. If someone is consistently landing more fish in their boat, wouldn’t you want to listen to ensure that you do as well? Most of these seminars will teach you how to be a better fisherman in the area in which you live. These classes teach you how to rig your line, which bait to use (if any), equipment needed to ensure success, and the list goes on and on.

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch a seminar at the Kennewick Sportsman Show in Washington State by a master angler named Johnnie Candle. Johnnie is a member of the Pro Walleye Tour and won in 2010. If you want to know anything about Walleye fishing, Johnnie is just one of many who know exactly how to do it. The most important lesson that I learned from his seminar is that you can’t be afraid to try new things, which will help you catch more fish. In his seminar, he explained the difference between “spot” fishing and “pattern” fishing.

Spot fishing is going out to a local lake or river and picking a spot that you think looks good for fishing. You may or may not get lucky by fishing this spot because there are many factors that come into play

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The Importance of Sportsman’s Showsby Lance Merz

Lance Merz with Mack’s Lure.

when picking a good spot. Instead, he talked about “pattern” fishing, which is researching a pattern where people have caught the most fish. Again with the factors, it all comes down to water temperature, forage in that area, contours of the lake or river, outside temperature, trolling speeds, types of bait used, types of lures used, time of day and which equipment to use; just to name a few. He stated that if you can learn the patterns of where the fish are using these factors, you will catch more fish. Instead of going to a “spot” to fish, learn about those factors and where they are on that particular body of water you are in.

You can easily learn these patterns by talking to people in your local bait and tackle shop, through on-line fishing forums and seminars at your local sportsman shows or on the water. The more you know about fishing, the better you’ll be at catching fish. Learning everything you can will determine your success rate and bring a more enjoyable experience that you can share with friends and family for years to come. Look for Mack’s Lure products at your local Sportsman Show. They will help you catch more fish to be sure. Also be sure to check out the tips and rigging section, as well as videos, on the Mack’s Lure website at www.MacksLure.com.

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Pete’s passion for fishing started at a very young age for walleyes near Ohio’s central basin of Lake Erie. He was creating walleye lures before the age of ten. Now, at age 77, that fire is still there. Pete graduated from Ohio State’s College of Dentistry in 1963 with undergraduate majors in microbiology, anatomy, biology and chemistry. His career in dentistry was shortened by neck injuries that lead to a full career in sport fishing. Pete was involved in almost every facet of the sport fishing industry. They included designing and developing fishing lures, manufacturing, consulting, retailing, educating, guiding, working with children and paralyzed veterans, working on state fisheries and environmental issues and guest-hosting TV & radio shows. Pete’s background in dentistry, and the sciences, was critical in producing highly effective life-like lures. Some of Pete’s award-winning lures are: The Crippled Herring, Erie Shiner, Kandlefish and most recently the Sonic BaitFish®, which is being manufactured by Mack’s

Lure Company. Well over a million of Pete’s innovative lures have been sold to catch countless species of fish such as Bass, Pan-fish, Salmon, Trout and Walleye.

As a guide, and recreational angler, Pete has fished for almost every species that exists from Northern Alaska to Southern Florida and from California to Maine. His specialty is fishing with metal jigs, specifically the Sonic BaitFish and its predecessor the Kandlefish. Even his weight-forward spinner, the Erie Shiner, was designed so it could be vertically jigged. Pete says “The key to a good lure is an absolute balance that leads to the two main strike-triggering actions; flutter and vibration. His unique lure designs enable them to be highly effective whether cast, jigged or trolled. The philosophy, and technology, of these lures are rooted in their simplicity, versatility and effectiveness. Pete says “because of their versatility; most any angler can successfully catch fish species throughout the world, using just one of my lures”.

Introducing Pete Rosko

A new invention of Capt Pete’s, that will be available next year, is the patent-pending “FishGard” device used to easily hold, and/or release, fish without causing any damage to fish and angler alike. The motivation in designing this device was the result of a fish spine injury, and infection, which almost cost Pete his life back in 2002.

Mack’s Lure is proud to announce

that Pete will be sharing “tips & techniques” in future monthly issues of the Mack Attack, in hopes of further increasing our readers fishing success and enjoyment on the water.

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Stan’s Space

“This One’s A Keeper”By Hall-of-Fame Angler

Stan FagerstromPart 1 of 2

You and I are both familiar with a word that’s pregnant with a variety of possibilities.

I’m talking about the word “promise.” The dictionary defines it as “A declaration made, as to another person, with respect to the future, giving assurance that one will do or not do something, or that something will or will not happen.”

Webster goes on to provide additional meanings but they all basically tie into what you’ve just read.

If you read my last Stan’s Corner column you know I promised that this trip I’d be talking about the Mack’s Lure product that is called the “Promise Keeper.” I recall how I found that unusual name for a lure grabbing my attention big time the first time I heard it.

I also found some questions popping up in my mind. Is this a lure that will really live up to its name? The name had certainly “hooked” my interest but would it

do just as good a job of doing what it was designed to do---hook fish? I couldn’t wait to try it.

I’ve now done that off and on now for several years. My experience confirms the knowledge that a half century of fishing had already provided. It’s simply this: No one lure is always going to produce the best results each time out. That’s just not the way fishing works. It’s as true of the lure called a Promise Keeper as it is of everything else you have in your tackle box.

But now let me say something else that’s even more important. It’s this: There will be days when that dandy little fish catcher Mack’s Lure calls its Promise Keeper will do just what its name implies and then some. If you take time to think about it a bit there are some darn good reasons why it should. Let’s consider what some of those reasons are.

If you’ve eyeballed a Promise Keeper you’re aware it’s a little beauty that has a Smile Blade up front and a sparkling Wedding Ring to back up the blade. The lure’s small treble hook is concealed in a flashing tuft of fish-attracting Crystal Flash.

Anybody familiar with the products you’ll find here at this

This Promise Keeper lure utilizes some of the same fish attractants that have helped other Mack’s Lure products set new size records at both state and national levels.

Mack’s Lure website already knows spinners of one kind or another are the company’s primary products. Few, if any, lure makers have come up with the fish-catching innovations featuring spinners as has Mack’s Lure.

You don’t have to take my word for it. If you need evidence ask the several anglers who have set new state or national fish size records with certain of the spinner style lures now marketed by Mack’s. Some of the same ingredients that went into those record setting baits are embodied in the Promise Keeper.

It’s one thing to know that a new lure is on the market. Knowing exactly what you’ve got to do with it is an entirely different thing.

I remember asking myself those questions when I’d picked up a half dozen of the then new Mack’s Lure Promise Keepers to use in my own fishing. You’ve probably done the same thing. It’s to say to yourself: “Well, I’ve got ‘em, but how in heck and where should I use ‘em?”

To get answers to these questions I turned to a friend who had a hand in bringing these lures to market in the first place. You may have used some of the beautiful rods he once helped produce. The friend I’m talking about is Bobby Loomis. Today he is the director of sales and marketing here at Mack’s Lure.

You might not expect a sizeable catfish to smack a Promise Keeper but this 17-pound flathead in Arizona’s beautiful Apache Lake did.

You’ll find there are times when a Promise Keeper hammers both largemouth and smallmouth bass. I took this smallmouth out of Oregon’s Umpqua River.

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Continued from Page 3

Cookin’ Your Catch

Crispy BakedWalleye

Original recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

• 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets walleye

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

2. Beat the eggs and water to-gether in a bowl until smooth; set aside. Combine the bread crumbs, potato flakes, and Parmesan cheese in a separate

Let’s Eat!!!

I knew Bobby had been using these lures before they ever became available. I also knew he had flat knocked the fish for a loop when he figured the time, place and lure manipulations to get the job done. Nobody has more experience than he has with these lures.

It pleases me to say Bobby has provided me with the information I was after. Watch for my next Stan’s Corner. I’ll share with you what Bobby shared with me.

-To Be Continued-

www.MacksLure.com

Take a Kid Fishing!

You will be glad you did!

bowl with the seasoned salt until evenly mixed. Dip the walleye fillets into the beaten egg, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until the fish is opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.

A donation to Father’s in the Field will be made on the purchase of all Promise Keeper® lures.

The Mack’s Lure Promise Keeper comes in three different weights and a dozen different color patterns. I carry ‘em all and then let the fish tell me which one they want. You’ll soon discover that’s not always going to be the same from one day to another.

Keep Smiling!

Chartreuse Green Tiger...with our

Mack’s LureSmile Blades®

Available Online

Question of the Month

Have a question? We’d love to an-swer it! Contact us at MacksLure@MacksLure.com if you have a ques-tion you would like to see featured!

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THANK YOU!

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Mike Hall is catching fish like crazy with the help of the Sonic BaitFish™. The biggest perch are over 2 lbs, 15 1/2 inches.At this rate he might be head home with a new Idaho state record!

Photo of the Month

www.MacksLure.com

Q: How do I go about determining which the best color of Wedding Ring is to use for trout fishing?

A: There is no one color which is the best choice for every situation. There are a lot of variables to consider in deciding which is likely to be the hottest lure on a particular day. I will try to do a follow up next month regarding some of those variables. In the meantime here are a few time tested facts that are always good in helping narrow the choices down a bit!

#1 All Salmon & Trout species are often heavily influenced by UV light. If given the choice to fish with florescent/high UV colored beads, blades etc....vs. using opaque

colored products that don’t glow or transmit UV light very well; try using the high UV / Glow colors first. For this reason the majority of our Wedding Ring and Double Whammy product do feature UV glow colors in both the beads and the blades.

#2 If you are going to fish at the same location you did in the past, colors that worked best for you last time is a great place to start. Talk to the local bait shops and other fisherman that have fished the body of water recently and ask what colors worked best for them.

#3 Trout are very “voracious” feeders! Try to find out what the “forage” base is in the lake, meaning, are there crawdads, baby perch, leeches, frogs etc.....pick out some colors that would resemble some type of forage base in the system that you are fishing. (You can actually get that information from your local Fish & Wildlife Service).

#4 Chartreuse and Flo Orange are both consistently effective colors.

See more pictures by clicking here: Mack’s Photo Gallery

For a limited time, our special first run limited edition Married to Fishing T-Shirt is available to Mack Attack readers at a special introductory price of only $8.00, when you use the promo code mentioned below.

Order must be placed no later then Valentine’s Day, Feb.14th 2014. Offer expires at midnight.

Go to www.mackslure.com/clothing and enter promo code FSHS20 for this special deal!

Sweetheart of a Deal