calm before the storm.

All ya’all know I really like Eloika Lake which is one of the many small lakes through which the Little Spokane River flows as it wends its weary way to The Spokane River. Recently, I listed 20 acres on the southwestern shore and desperately needed to get some good photos of the shoreline from the lake’s point of view.  With that in mind, I called up Jerry and Lori at Jerry’s landing on the other side of the lake and asked if they had any canoes for that Saturday afternoon.  I was in luck! Or, was I?

At 6 pm, I started paddling towards my objective.  But of course, IF you are going out on the lake, and IF you happen to sell Emmrod®  fishing poles, why wouldn’t you take advantage of this opportunity to do a bit of fishing while you were at it?  Having been armed with some nice plastic worms which anglers have used all summer to bring in up to six pound bass and some nice little yellow jigs to try for those crappie which make this lake famous, I had to stop along the way every 100 paddle strokes or so and do a little fishin’.  Not much happening that night.  I watched a few little crappie chase the jig which you suspend about 18 inches below a bobber, throw out and reel slowly in.  I think they were too small to even get their mouths around the tiny hook.   

I gradually worked my way across and followed the weed beds along the west shore line down to my photographic target.  I enjoyed looking at the nice big houses and fancy white docks jutting out into the lake.  Finally, I reached my friend’s land and took several photos.  This time, I headed straight out across the lake and planned to go north along the east side of the lake, fishing as I went.  The lake was like glass.  Looked like a big parking lot where you could get out and walk home.  The sunlight  filtering through the trees along the west side of the lake as dusk arrived dappled the water creating all sorts of interesting shadows.  The natural drift of the current and very slight wind pushed my canoe gently out to the middle of the lake and slightly northward so I was able to crappie fish without much paddling.  I removed my sinker so just had the bobber weight but was still able to throw it out about 30 feet on each cast.

Finally!  I entered an area where I had hits on virtually every cast!  OOH BOY!  Was this fun!  I hooked a big one, but it got off after about a minute of play.  Several hits later and I had another on the line, As it got closer to the boat I thought it must be about two feet long!  This one was not gonna get away.  I reeled him in towards the boat, my Packer ® with a topwater rod bouncing nicely up and down with the strain.  Finally, he was just feet away.  I jerked him quickly out of the water.  I did not realize you do this gently.  No hard yanks.  No big excitement.  So, out of the water he flew, across the canoe and out the other side.  I did not know Crappie were flying fish!  I also did not know the release of tension on the left side of the boat coupled with the addition of a shooting fish ten feet beyond the right side of the boat, added to 240 pounds of weight high on a seat in a canoe equals a fine swim in the middle of Eloika Lake about 15 minutes before dark on a hot August night.

Well, the cool water got my head thinking.  First, put my pole in the still upright canoe.  Second, YES! the dang crappie is still on the line and he IS going to pay for dumping me in the water so get him into the boat.  Next, where are my flip flops?  They cost 20 bucks!  Well, I found one so the one legged guy gleaning stuff along the shore is going to be either happy or sad depending on which leg is missing. 

Being in the water was not a part of the plans for the evening so I set about getting back into the canoe while swimming in 30 feet of water.  After several minutes of trying it from the side, I came to realization that was just not going to happen.  I asked myself, how do I find enough weight to counterbalance me as I get in?  Climb in on the end so the whole canoe works against your weight I thought.  Like a lot of theory, the practice just is not there.  NOOOO! Maybe when I was a hot young 150 pound stud full of whim, whigor and wytality.  But now at 240 lbs, tired and old, I just could not get myself in any position to be able to climb the 2 foot moutain of the end of the boat.  

Now, what were my options? The closest shore was about a half mile away.  There was also a pretty good weed and mud bank around most of the lake so actually getting to a place where you could walk out of the lake was a real problem.  I had to find a dock which might also mean a clearer, less weed filled path to travel.  So, back toward my friends corner of the lake I went.  In the gathering gloom, the white beacon of the trex decking  covered boat launcher shone like the sun.  Grabbing the boat by the middle, lying on my back and floating with the help of my life preserver and the canoe, I began kicking and gradually we moved towards the dock.  About 30 minutes later, we hit the weeds.  We hit the mud.  As of yet, I had never experienced any fear or significant worry.  Just another exercise.  Just another problem to solve.  Just more grist for the story mill.  

After about five minutes of fighting the weeds and the ever thicker, higher mud level I realized I had a big problem.  You literally could not move through this goo.  If you got vertical, you had no bottom to stand on, there was just a light 20 weight viscosity to what you were swimming in,  but you could not move through it.  Now, I had moved beyond just another fun problem to getting a bit scared.  As in all these types of situations, panic is not the answer.  So I began screaming hysterically for help…not.  Even if I had wanted to, there was no one around to hear.  So, I had a little conversation with My Creator and asked for help and calmness.  It came to me, if you can not walk or swim through it, maybe you can slide over it.  So that is what the canoe and I did.  Staying as horizontal as possible, I grabbed and pulled on the weeds in conjunction with me kicking (swimming.)  Gradually, it took another 30 minutes, I finally got to the edge of the dock.  Again, no ladders and that 18 to 20 inches defied any ability to pull myself up.  So, I went around the side and found the mooring line.  I was able to use that to climb onto the dock. 

Safety at last!  I laid there like a great grey beached whale for a few minutes gathering what was left of my energy and dignity and then got up.  I looked in the boat to see if my camera and phone were still there and if the ziplock bag had done its job of protecting them.  Yes and yes!  I called Jerry’s Landing and Lori answered.  “I have good news, bad news and good news, Lori.  I landed a huge crappie!  The crappie landed me!  But I made it to a dock here on the SW corner of the lake. ”  I went on to ask her recommendations as I was too exhausted to take another shot at the lake, especially after dark, to paddle the 25 minutes back to the resort.  She told me to stand fast and they would mount a rescue.

Twenty minutes later, my knights in a shining bass boat arrived.  Soon, we were back “home.”  I do not think I have been as filthy as I was since I was a kid swimming in the water buffalo walloes back in Mindanao, Philippines (http://www.mycompactfishing.com/blog/swimming-water-buffalo-wallow-or-clean-crystal-clear-spring/).  Later, I just threw away my undershirt and pants and wallet because they were not salvageable.   Jerry pointed out the canoe had a great livewell as the bottom six inches were filled with water and that miserable crappie was still alive!  While I had intended to eat it to get even with it, in the end, I felt it had taught me a great many lessons and it deserved another day or two in the water, so I cut the hook which it had swallowed and released it. (You can check out the crappie blog (www.crappielife.com//narrowescapesatEloikaLake//) for his version of the night’s events.)   

Safe and sound, a lot more adventure than I had planned for but happy and content and grateful to God for the peace we can have in tough times to help us get through our ordeals. 

ADDENDUM:  Lessons learned:  Fat, old boys should probably think twice about fishing from platforms as unstable as a canoe.   Always wear your life jacket!  You go from fine to the thick of it in less than a second.  Don’t panic!  Stabilize the situation, calm down and think through it to figure out a course of action.  You will have to repeat this more than once in many circumstances.  I had three of these times in this spot:  When I fell into the lake, when I hit the weeds and mud, and finally trying to figure out how to get onto the dock.  Make sure someone knows where you are and when you should be back.  Keep your electronics in a waterproof container which floats.   Finally and perhaps most important, seek God’s help and comfort.

Jerry’s Landing has one more month before they close for the winter.  Check them out!  They are great and will tell you what to use for bait and where to fish.  To visit Jerry’s Landing Resort, North on Hwy 2 (Newport Highway) past Riverside High School and Miller’s One Stop to Oregon Road. West (left from Spokane) to Regal Road. Left to Jerry’s Landing.

Their phone number is 509 292 2337, their email is jerryslanding@earthlink.net and their address is N 41114 Lake Shore Rd, El WA 99009.

This blog is sponsored by www.MyCompactFishing.com .   This is the home of The Emmrod Packer®, The Emmrod Mountaineer®, The Emmrod Kayak King® and much more.  There are great videos and photos of fish liberated from the freezing waters with this fine compact, survivalist, durable fishing system.

Nice wake and sunset as we head to silvers territory

Anticipation builds. Fishing should be great!

Loon Lake is always beautiful this time of night.  The terrain silhouettes like an old shadow box picture but is somehow alive.  Our target for the evening is Silvers for Jim and his son Andrew.  For me and Andrew’s young friend, it is probably anything that bites.   That probably means bluegills and sunfish for us.

Jim decided to fish the southeast side of the lake.  Not all the way to the end of the lake but in such a place as the garish, but somehow beautiful electronic palm tree seemed like you could actually climb it and perhaps find a coconut or something to eat with the fish you were going to catch.

We arrived at our desired location about 8:20 or so and Jim set about doing the hundred little things that make the fishing possible or better–at least in his and a lot of fishermen minds.  He has been working on a set of lights which make it possible to see what you are doing and another set of lights that float around on the water.  All this is designed to bring fish close to the boat.  In about ten minutes we were all there with lines in the water.  I opted for a regular small hook with a leader and a tad of marshmallow run up the leader to act as a float to lift the hook up off the bottom.  I topped the hook off with a good old fashioned night crawler.  Old habits die hard.   Being an impatient soul, I could not just through the line in, let it sink to the bottom, reel it up three turns of the handle and wait for a fish to bite.  This is the way to catch Silvers, I am told.  NOOOOO!  I have to throw it in, let it go to the bottom and gradually reel it in.  By my second cast, I had a nice, fat little blue gill flopping on the floor!

First blood of the evening!

What a nice little pan fish to get the day started!  I was using my Emmrod Packrod®, Spinning version.  Notice the eye bolt in the butt end.  This would have let me hook a lanyard should that have been desired.  Folks in float tubes, kayaks and canoes have found that to be particularly useful.  I would suggest it is also not a bad idea when you take your kids and grand kids fishing.  You hate to loose a fish just ’cause the kid can’t hold on to the pole!  I was using the seven coil spinning/universal rod here.  It is amazing how much play you get when you have even such a small fish.  Too much fun!

Jim being a purist, wanted those silvers.  He was finally rewarded with the first about 40 minutes into it.  Silvers are a landlocked salmon which live about three years.  Normally they are not that big in Loon Lake, but this year, they have caught a lot of them in the 12-14 inch range and that is a nice fish!  I thought Jim caught 5 over the evening but only got four pictures which I will post below.  It was really fun to watch Jim trying to hook these sneaky little bait thieves.  The really do not hit the bait.  They come up to it and gum it.  Probably lick it.  Suck on it softly and you can barely feel them but your hook is empty when you reel it in.  I probably had three silver hits–based on the near the bottom nibble zone vice ten feet from the top blue gill zone–and was not able to hook any.  Once they bit on his bait, Jim would jerk his pole with all his might then let out a massive groan when they did not get hooked.  Sigh!  I think we counted about seven sets of fish dentures on the boat floor by the time we were done.  You just can not jerk the pole that hard! When he did hook them, he had to reel like crazy because the Silvers tend to try to outrace the reeling process to get slack line to spit out the hook.  Do they actually calculate that?  Sure beats me.  But, they do come flying towards the top of the water and Jim managed to stay ahead of what he hooked on the bottom and get them in the boat.

Speaking of bait, Jim was using a tiny glow hook which he would light up by flashing a camera flash attachment like tool at the hook which was cupped in his hand.  He used a green color which worked better than the red color I tried later.  Below the head of the hook, he would impale two maggots so they extended crosswise from the hook vice running them on the hook like you do with a worm.  Finally he topped that off with a kernel off white canned corn.    Later, he bagged the corn as it did not seem to make that much difference and caught at least two of the Silvers without corn on the hook.

About 10:15, the wind really picked up.  The fish quit biting and about 10:30 we called it a night and headed back in.  All in all, a great night fishing and an awful lot of fun!

This Blog is supported by Atherton Enterprises, Inc.  An authorized Emmrod® Fishing pole distributor.  Anywhere you need a small fishing rod, is a place where you need Emmrod®.  Travel poles, backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, or just under the seat of your pickup.  With several models to choose from, you just can not go wrong!  The original dock shooter (Packer®), Kayak King® spinning rod and its  fancier sidekick The Rugged Flex® Spinning rod, or casting rod–which ever cranks your reel.  Do not forget the Packrod® such as I used or the Combat Rod® which is the shortest option of all. Finally, the top water rod option can be used on any of the Emmrod® fishing p0les and gives you great feel and fun.

Please check out the web site, watch the videos and help support me with your Emmrod ® purchases!

Thanks for stopping by. Dave Atherton 509 216 8589, compactfishing@Gmail.com  http://www.mycompactfishing.com/

Here are photos of two of the fish we caught.

.

Deer Lake resort provides camping, boating, fishing opportunities galore not to mention it is a great place to stop and get some fat pills to help you through the inevitable slow times.  Here is an excerpt from their website: 

Kayaking
1 Hour $8, 1/2 Day $25, Day $40
Glide soundlessly on the lake and see the abundant beauty Deer Lake has to offer. Single & doubles available.

Paddle Boat
1/2 Hour, 1 Hour $8, 1/2 Day $25, Day $40
Go on a tour while getting your aerobics in!  Youths love to paddle these things, wear them out!  Seats 2

Row Boat
1/2 Hour, 1 Hour $8, 1/2 Day $25, Day $40
Go out and get some trout for dinner!  A quiet healthy way to get around on the water.  Max 4 people

Motor Boat
1/2 Day $50 (4 hours), Day $80 (8 hours)
Take a trip around the lake and find a fishing spot or just take in the beautiful scenery.  Max 4 people

If you do not want to rent a boat, the $8 day charge lets you fish from their very roomy docks!

The Saturday Brunch and Thursday potlucks are opportunities to not cook and enjoy some great food and visit with your camping neighbors.

Give them a call and check out their website:  http://www.deerlakeresort.com/Home.html.  They are located on the west or north side of the lake.   There are great directions on the web site!

Address:    3906 WEST CANYON SPRINGS WAY, DEER LAKE, WASHINGTON 99148

I have often said I do not recommend you throw away all your poles and just use The Emmrod system.  If you read my initial post on Why Buy an Emmrod fishing system, I use the “Hammer” comparision.  There are many kinds of Hammers.  Each has its own use.  Yet, you could use any hammer for pounding almost any nail, it just would not necessarily be as effective.  Without further ado, Let’s look at where Philip is benefiting from using the Emmrod Hammer!  I am going to “interview him.”

Phillip, how do you set up your rig?

“I have found with my Emmrods if I do not put the line through the spings (Coil) the drag will not engage.”

(Dave’s comments) I have not had this specific problem  but Philip puts his finger on the same conclusion towards which we have been moving.  For most applications, running your line through the coils will give you a better fishing experience.  Keep in mind—fishing is situational.  Try it both ways and see what works best for you in different circumstances.  I would be dogmatic about trolling.  Run the line through the coils!  You will get far better control

What rod type works best?

“I also prefer spinning Emmrod rods even when I use a casting reel.”

(Dave’s Comments.)  Again, play with all options and see what works best for the fishing you are doing.  There really is no “wrong answer” that applies across the board.  We all tweak and adjust every tool we use. This one IS new to me.  I have had many folks use the casting rod when fishing with the spinning reel and in fact, that has worked pretty well for me.

How accurate do you find the factory recommended weight limit recommendations for the coils?

“I use the 8 coil rod to target up to 5lb fish, the 7 coil for 15lb fish, and the 4 coil for large fish.”

(Dave’s Comments)  I agree, the weight limits we assign are pretty safe.  I always recommend to err downwards,  Think you might get an occasional 7 or 8 pound fish but mostly under 5?  Go with the 7 coil rod!  No question.  If you hook a monster, DON”T CUT THE LINE!!!!  Use your drag to play them a little longer.  The fight is what is fun!

How do you find the Emmrods work for casting?

“For long range casting I enjoy fishing the top water special rod.  I still prefer my 7′ ugly stick for open water and long range casting.

(Dave’s Comments).  Refer back to the hammer issue.  The Emmrod casts excellently but in some circumstances the longer poles will have advantages over the Emmrods.  The Emmrods are designed to pick up the slack when the long pole presents a hassle in one way or another.  We want the Emmrod to be as close to what you are using in capability as possible but save you the undesired problems of a long pole.

Any last comments Philip?

“The place the Emmrods really shine is for fishing in heavy structure. The stiffness of the pole really helps when reeling fish away from heavy structure. These things I have found from my own observation and will tell you more as I use my Emmrods more.  One other benefit resulting from the shortness of the pole is the ability to easily land fish, especially from a small boat like a Kayak.  Because both the pole and the net handle are about the same length, I can easily land fish myself without dragging my reels in the ocean or having to carry a very long handled net.”

Thanks Philip.  I appreciate your input and hope the readers will as well.  Keep the photos and tips coming.  Dave

The Emmrod Short Top Water Rod

Obviously, the size of the fish you are targeting plays a role here.  Frankly, I am not that concerned with the top end of the scale.  I am more interested in our efforts to catch minnows.  How LIGHT of  a line can we get away with using?

The Nature of the Emmrod Fishing gear rods is they are a bit stiffer.  One of the very few abilities we do not have is to go to those ultra-light lines.  As a general rule, use ten pound test line as a minimum weight line.  You will find the act of casting or vigorous pull backs snapping those two to four pound lines. 

As with all rules, there are exceptions.  One of my customers, Phillip, has terrified the fish in the ocean near where he lives with his fishing prowess and collection of Emmrod Compact Fishing poles.  He is a fair sort of person who DOES want to give the fish a fighting chance so he likes to stretch the effort by using lighter lines. 

He expressed his excitement to me recently after trying out his Emmrod Top Water Rod.  He could actually use his lighter lines.  I provided him the shorter version; however, I imagine the longer version would accomplish the same thing.

Long and short Emmrod Top Water Rods

So, I have a request from all you Emmrod Fishermen out there.  Please send me feedback on how you stretch your system to use lighter lines. 

I am going to make a category of blogs called “Fishing Tips” where I can share the wisdom of the various fishermen and women out there who are enjoying Emmrod.  Every tool has its tricks.  Let’s Collaborate!

See the Bass hit when using your Rugged Flex Jr with a Top Water Rod

Packrod Spin, Fresh Water

Republic of Germany, aka Bundesrepublicdeutscheland.   Or, West Germany.  We landed in Frankfurt and caught a train to Stuttgart where we were stationed.  I was in a virtual state of exhaustion and slept most of the way.  About 20 minutes out, a young Sergeant in our compartment woke me up and gave me some advice on locating an apartment. 

The big fear about Germany most of we young families feared was the cost of getting an apartment.  One month upfront, last month’s rent and a month or two deposit.  Additionally, the cost of the rent was often pretty high and the availability was low.  The Sergeant said Just walk around and look for windows without curtains.”  When people move, they take EVERYTHING!  Curtains, lightbulbs, cabinets.  You are renting 4 walls.  When you see an empty window, knock on the door and ask if it is for rent.”

Well, arriving at the train station about midnight, no one was there to meet me so, several calls and a half hour wait later, Captain Jack Spencer showed up a bit bleary, stuck us in his car and took us to the Hotel Krone in a small farmer’s villiage called Steinenbronn about 15 minutes south of Stuttgart.

Over the next couple days, we walked around the villiage and one day passed this two story house.  Low and behold! the main floor windows were all empty.  A lovey young blond lady was in the yard.  I asked her if the home was for rent.  “Du must mit mutti spechen” she said.  So, we all marched upstairs to meet Mutti, or more formally, Frau Wagner. 

To make a long story short, we moved into the home a week later for $400 to cover the next two weeks.  We paid 800 a month and enjoyed the home until we left a bit over three years later.  God certainly provided generously for us.  In all my time in Germany, I never met anyone who had found a home so easily and entered it so cheaply. 

The added bonus was the Wagner family.  They were wonderful people.  Mr. Wagner raised pears in his back yard from which he made a fine wine.  Mrs. Wagner was a very kind woman.  She told me one time she was concerned for my wife being out in the country in a small town by herself and not being able to speak German.  I still recall her specific words roughly translated:  “We Germans are a cold people.  It may be very difficult for your wife to be here and not speak German.  How about if I take some classes in a nearby town (I forget the name) and I will take her with me and she can take conversational German.”  For a number of reasons that did not work out, but, Over 20 years later I can still picture the circumstances of that conversation.  The Wagners had three children, Linda, the young blond lady who was married to a Helmut Schmidt and lived a couple blocks away, a son Thomas who still lived at home and was about 25.  Finally, there was the youngest daughter whose name I do not recall.  Last but not least was Pia, the Schmidts daughter who was of an age with my daughter.  They played together and went to kindergarten together for the three years.

So, thank you God for a great introduction to Germany.  Thank you, Familia Wagner, for your kindness, generosity and friendship during our sojourne in your country.

This is brought to you By Emmrod Compact Fishing Gear.  Emmrod fishing systems are the best compact fishing rods on the market. This compact fishing poles are versitile, unbreakable and break down for very easy carrying regardless of what you are doing.  Backpacking, survival packs, canoe fishing, kayak fishing, carry on your motorcycles or bicycles or keep them in your ATVs.  This is the perfect option for anyone who needs a fishingpole for those special occassions.   Http://www.MyCompactFishing.com

double tipped Emmrod heavy duty rodEmmrod Compact Fishing Pole, Mountaineer

Enjoy the Emmrod Kayak King Fishing Pole for all your Eloika Lake Fishing

Packrod Spin, Fresh Water

My 10th, 11th and 12th years took place between Nasuli, Malaybaly, Bukidnon Philippines and Kibalabag, Malaybaly, Bukidnon Philippines.  In my mind, these towns were a thousand miles apart.  Nasuli meant living in a dorm or with another family.  Kibalabag meant living with my Parents.  Malaybalay was the fulcrum on which the sides of the teeter totter balanced.   Look  for several more “Kibalabag” stories.  Some will be just a paragraph long and others will seem to drag on interminably.

My parents were translators with Wycliffe Bible Translators and arrived in the Philippines in April 1953.  In fact, I had my second birthday on a freighter in Manila Harbor. At the time of this story, we were in our second five year term. I lived at Nasuli in the boarding house with the octegenarians Oscar and Sadie Seeker as dorm parents while my parents, sister and brother lived at Kibalabag.  I remember being interrogated as to my capability to lead the way to my parents house in the jungle.   This was not a simple question.  Kibalabag was about 9 miles into the mountains and jungles from the end of the road just outside of Malaybalay.   The residents of this village had been vicious raiders who terrorized the towns around Malaybaly just 20 years previous. They had become Christians and their illegal activities stopped. Now, their primary cash crop was abaka, a banana tree look alike  which provided the fibers used to make “Manila Hemp,” a very strong rope used throughout the world. 

My parents main job was to learn “pure” Binokid for the purpose of translating the Bible into Binokid.  This was important because the language changed from mountain range to mountain range.  Within 30 miles as the Monkey Eating Eagle flies, were other, still wild raiding branches of this tribal group whose language while still Binokid, was significantly different. In the low lands, the pure dialects picked up words from Spanish, English and Visayan, the local trade language.

So, Uncle John Lawless, one of the radio operators at the headquarters at Nasuli came to me and said we had to get a new two way radio up to my folks.  These radios were the tenuous lifeline to “civilization.”  There was a morning and evening schedule we all adhered two.  We would fire up a generator, do our commo check and shut down the generator as the fuel had to be transported on a porter’s back in 5 gallon tins from the lowlands. This radio became a very critical lifeline several months later.  He did not know how to get there and asked if I did.  I allowed as I could find it ok.  I am not sure how I knew at that age 10-12 or so, that I could do it, but I do not recall hesitating.  As a matter of fact, I can still see much of the route in my mind’s eye today.  

Stream Master Fly Rod shown w/ handle

So, we started off on the journey.  18 kilomters by jeep to the outskirts of Malaybalay where we left the vehicle and began to walk. It was about a three hour trek, but not a walk in the park.  I was carrying nothing but a small pack of clothes, Uncle John was carrying a two way radio which must have weighed about 25 or 30 pounds.  About 15 minutes into the walk, we crossed our first river which flowed languidly through the relatively flat land at this location.  It was about 40 feet across and nearly waist deep.  We were still in a fairly populated area but quickly left that and headed up into the mountains on a narrow trail.  As we  walked, the way became more and more constricted as the hills or mountains became steeper.  Ultimately, the trail began following the crease between the mountains.  Which ever side was the most passable was where the trail led.  Over the next two hours, we crossed the river flowing betwween the mountains 11 times.  It was not a raging torrent, but it was very swift and at points up to waste deep.  Until the last crossing, the river was the result of the combined flow of two good sized streams.  These two streams joined each other about two and a half hours into the journey and their junction was our last river crossing. For three to four months of the year, you were locked in or locked out by the raging chest or higher torrents of rainy season water struggling to the sea.  Just a narrow path wound between the foothills and larger mountains behind them to a steep sided, rain forest covered valley which hosted the village of Kibalabag.

We left the relatively level valley floor and began a steep ascent up the side of the last mountain.  About 30 minutes later, we arrived at a fairly heavy jungle area which was very swampy.  Uncle John was just about done in with carrying the heavy radio.  I left him there and ran the last 15 to 20 minutes on the mushy trail through the swamp to Kibalabag.  To my parents great surprise, I ran up the stairs into our house. 

They quickly sent someone to help Uncle John and he arrived about half an hour later.  It was so good to be “home” that my parents agreed to let me stay with them for the time being.  A day or two later after teaching my folks how to run the radio, John went back with some local guides. I stayed and had a great time through the coming summer holiday and remember it fondly with a smile as I sit here writing this.

 This post is sponsored by The Emmrod Compact Fishing Rod system.  Emmrod compact fishing poles are the premier compact fishing systems designed for the Kayak, Canoe, small river or brook and stream fishermen.  Of course, it works in most circumstances and is designed for maximum flexibility.  So, if you are fishing for bluegills, sunfish, carp, bass, walleye, trout or bonito, there is an Emmrod configuration that will work great for you!  Visit me at www.MyCompactFishing.com

Here is what I have been able to find out by asking around.

–If you “shoot” your bait/lure out, forget anything under 10lb test line.

–If you cast, you should be fine, just don’t snap it out.  If you do, you will pop the lines, maybe even a 4 pound test line.  So, in the end, you should be able to cast with the emmrod using the lighter lures and lines, just practice and go gently in the lapping waves. I will try this when I can get out on the lake.

Emmrod Compact Fishing Gear Top Water Rod

4 coil Emmrod Compact Fishing gear spinning rod

Emmrod 8 coil casting Rod. Perfect for pan sized fishing. Ultralight Fishing at its best!

Stream Master Fly Rod shown w/ handle

double tipped Emmrod heavy duty rod

In the 1930’s Duane Markley’s uncle thought it would be great to have a compact ice fishing pole he could take apart and carry easily to his favorite fishing places.  He also enjoyed the idea of being able to make a few bucks selling them in his local market in the process.   He made the first spring operated compact fishing rod and from what I understand, it did pretty well.  Fast forward to about ten years ago.  Duane saw one of these old poles and thought to himself, “Self, I could do something with that!”  He approached his uncle and got his blessing to move forward with his ideas.

The first thing was to make a better connection.  The second thing was to patent the upgrades and changes.  He did both.  Duane thought there should be an easy connect application which would be transferable across several different rod options.  The connection should be simple, quick, and strong.  After looking around at existing technology he found an idea for a quick 1/4 turn, spring loaded connection which he adapted and  patented for the Emmrod Compact Fishing Pole system.  The rod has two teeth on each side.  These teeth fit into a slot on the housing on the end of the handle.  When pushed in, depressing a spring in the housing, you can turn the rod about 90 degrees at which point the spring pushes it back out locking it into place.  To remove the rod, reverse the process.  Perhaps 2 to 3 seconds to insert or remove the rod.  Additionally, he wanted the rod to be easily stow-able so in most applications, the coil on the rod fits over the housing on the pole handle or the handle itself.

Fast forward ten years to the present.  There are now five categories of rods which are pictured above.

This post will deal with the rods pictured in the second and third photos above.  That is to say, Spinning Rods and Casting Rods.

The original format for rods was the casting rod.  In truth, these still work well on virtually any rod handle in the Emmrod Compact Fishing Gear inventory.  But, because there are so many specialized types and ways of fishing and so many brands of specialized equipment, it soon became apparent the many benefits of the single eye casting, which we will talk about below, did not work in some instances.  First, specialty lines like Spider or Fire Wire are designed with a need for at least two eyes with an initial larger eye setting up the line for the final smaller eye at the end of the pole.  Without  that first eye to set it up, these lines just clumped at the end of the casting rods.  Duane is very customer oriented and immediately went to work designing a rod to deal with that issue.  Hence, the Spinning Rods.  Second, Trolling.  I will discuss that below in practices.

What makes Emmrod compact fishing poles competitive casters with standard six to eight foot poles?  Two things.  First with just one (or two when running the line through the coils) eye, the amount of friction on the line as it is cast is hugely reduced.  This permits the weight to carry the line much further than it might go with six to eight eyes.  Secondly, the spring assist in the coils compensates for some of the lost spring and leverage of a longer pole.  Add these two aspects together and Emmrod Fishing Poles using equivalent weights and lines will compete heads up with any six to eight foot fishing pole.

Sensitivity.  Depending on the number of coils, the Emmrod rods provide a graduated level of sensitivity which is appropriate to the targeted fish.  The more coils the more sensitive the rod is.  I will provide a weight chart below.  But generally, 4 coils is for those guys up to 25 pounds and 8 coils is for the little stinkers up to 2 pounds.

Trolling.  Over the years, the many fishermen using Emmrod fishing poles for trolling have used the rods in various ways.  Their combined wisdom indicates regardless of the type of fish or rod being used, you will have better control and better results by running the line through the coils then to the small eye at the end. Even though it may look a bit odd, especially with the casting rods, you will get better results.   Another huge advantage of the Emmrod Fishing Poles for trolling is the huge reduction in slack time.  The tip of a normal six to eight foot pole moves three to four feet back and forth.  The Emmrod Compact Fishing Poles only move about three to four inches.  As soon as a fish hits, the line is pulled tight and the coils react appropriately and against the fish.  This coil action and the lack of slack line results in a significantly higher hook setting rate.

There are four levels of rods defined by the number of coils in both the  standard casting and spinning rod family.  They are equal in this respect.  the coil/weight ratio is as follows:

4 Coil for fish up to 25 lbs.   6 coil for fish up to 10 lbs.   7 coil for fish up to 5 lbs.  8 coil for fish up to 2 lbs.

How does this play out in useage and which should you buy?  I think the basic rule is to err downwards.  For example.  If you occassionally catch a six or 7 pound fish, go with the seven coil instead of the 6 coil.  You really want the rod to be responsive to what you catch the most.  If you occassionally get  those bigger fish, you are likely usually catching fish under 5 pounds.  If you happen to catch a bigger fish, just loosen the drag and play the fish longer.  In the Inland Northwest Empire, I find the most common useage is for the Packrod or the Kayak King using the 7 coil rods.  This permits a lot of fun on the smaller fish and still has enough stiffness to handle the guys a bit over 5 pounds by playing with the drag.

PRICING:   All the basic casting and Spinning rods cost 20.00 each.  We permit you to pick the one that is most appropriate for your use.  The good news is, you can buy several rods and be prepared for anything. At $20.  a second rod tip is not a huge expense.  In this area (Inland Northwest Empire), I would recommend the 4 and 7 coil rod tips if you are going to buy two and want to keep them the smaller more compact versions. 

Tune in later for discussions on the other types of rods shown above.

Sponsored by Atherton Enterprises and Emmrod Packer Combo.  This is the original “Dock Shooter.”  Like most of the Emmrod Compact Fishing Poles, you can “shoot” your bait or lure when in those hard to maneuver spaces.  Catch those bass and trout you might otherwise miss! 

 <a href=”http://www.mycompactfishing.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=1-1130“>Check out the Emmrod Packer Combo</a>

Bottom line, it continues to be a strange year.  The good news is the bass are still biting and have moved in closer to the shore. There were a couple four pound bass photos on the wall when I went in just before going to the Colfax (Palouse Empire) Fair last week.  Those were recent catches.  Black was the lure color they were hitting on.

The crappie were a bit slow but still a few nice ones coming out.  The Perch were pretty good and some had been caught off of their docks there. 

Jerry’s landing is going into its last couple weeks of the season so hurry on up and take advantage of their great service and especially of their knowledge of the lake.  Free at the public dock w/ no info or $3. to launch from Jerry’s Landing with an instant fishing report.  You tell me which is the better deal!

Also, September 19th, the local Kayak Club will be having their annual whing ding deploying from Jerry’s Landing.

I need to encourage them to each get a Kayak King Emmrod Compact Fishing Pole  http://www.mycompactfishing.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=KAYA to enhance their Kayaking and Kayak Fishing experience.  Actually, I think the Emmrod Packrod http://www.mycompactfishing.com/packrod-compact-fishing-poles is probably even more convenient.  In either case, the 7 coil rod  is probably the best bet as it is gentle enough to give you a lot of fun on the small fish but tough enought to handle the bigger bass and perch you might run into.  Also, keep in mind, those big Crappie are really scrappy and a tougher tip (7 vice is probably still a good idea.  A second Rod that is great is the Top Water Rod which is great for the top water lures and give you more action. http://www.mycompactfishing.com/product/top-water-special-rod/1-1128.php

Enjoy the weekend and look for a new report next week.  Thanks! Dave Atherton