The Pile

As you can see I've finally figured out how to get the hardbound Cabelas Catalog sent to you. Every year when I return from Mexico I start a new pile for the next year. The Pile used to be things I didn't want to forget or things you can't get in Mexico like horseradish or licorice. But lately The Pile has evolved into mostly fishing stuff. The Pile always starts with just a couple of things up against the wall on my work bench in the garage. I add to it as we go along and eventually it takes up most of the workbench making any actual work impossible. When that happens I know its time to go south.

In keeping with my motto "whats worth doing is worth over doing" this years Pile is impressive. I have Wildeye swim shads, lead jigheads, crippled herring, scampi slimes, D.O.A. baitbusters and mirrolures. Even MP contributed to this years Pile when she and her mother were in Cabelas at Post Falls. She excitedly called and said they had Castmasters. Nothing says love like 1/2 dozen one ounce chrome dressed castmasters. But the real star of the Pile has to be the Roberts Ranger Lure.

The Ranger Lure is big Ju Ju. If you want to catch the Roosterfish you better have the Ranger. My friend Ernie caught one last year on green swimtail and I caught one on a castmaster once but the Ranger is the creme del a creme. The fish across the page from here as one hanging from its mouth. I get my Rangers from thesurfcaster.com and I've found you better have plenty as everyone wants them. They're excellent trade / borrowing / material. A few years ago an oyster diver I know named Juan was showing me a blue and white Ranger he had found. It of course had fallen out of my pack that morning but Juan was so happy to have a Ranger I didn't have the guts to tell him it was mine and I'd really like it back. So, thats how ya loose a Ranger. The other way to lose your Ranger is Pelicans. Yup, they're just as deadly with the Pelicanos as they are pez guyo (the rooster). I've had to go mano on mano with the pelican many a time to retrieve my Ranger. Sometimes they get the line crimped and kersnap, there goes another Ranger. Last year I started with a dozen Rangers. Some how or another when I left I had just one and it wasn't even one of mine but a mexican homemade Ranger clone.

Now they don't call these baby's Rangers for nothing. They come from the east coast where they're used for Stripers and Blues. People typicaly cast them 100 + yards. I like the 3 ounce, red/white with an 8/0 hook. The coolest thing is when you get you cast trajectory just right you get a nice bonus 'skip' when it hits the water.....if you can see that far. Then you burn that baby in about as fast as you can reel because if the rooster gets a good look he sees its fake.

And thats a Primer on making the Pile. As I look at it today I'm hoping it comes in under the 50 pound airline limit. And the pile kinda reminded of what my friend Dave says. " If something happens to me I hope she doesn't sell my tackle for what I told her it costs".