Popularity explosion is the best way to describe the phenomenal growth at CastAway. Since their inception 2 years ago their product line has grown from 30 models to over 170. They are now internationally distributed and are probably the hottest rod on the market today. Their popularity is mainly attributable to the quality of construction of their rods. CastAway prides itself in their painstaking attention to construction and cosmetic detail. They started with 30 models using G-Loomis Premier and IM6 material. In their second year they added a new material T-700 Graduated Modulus Graphite. In fact they were chosen by the manufacturer of the T-700 material to have the exclusive use of this material because of CastAway's reputation as quality rod manufacturers. CastAway is the brainchild of Montgomery, Texas resident, Billy Kistler. Applying his ten years experience in the rod building business Kistler started CastAway two years ago. He is a "Hands On" type who pays great attention to what the fishing public wants by spending time in the field talking to fishermen. He is a pretty good tournament fisherman too and proved it last year by finishing 5th overall in the Angler's Choice East Texas Team Tournament Circuit. Kistler claims that spending time in the field, talking to tournament fishermen, gives him the knowledge he needs to build rods exactly like the fishing public wants. CastAway is proud of the fact that they have never received a critical product review. In the November 91 issue of Tackle Test, a Consumer Reports type of non bios product evaluation service, they say, "We liked the looks and feel of CastAway rods. And their prices allow serious and weekend anglers alike to afford quality and looks. Consider CastAway before buying any other high end rods." Again in May 92 Tackle Test goes even further in their endorsement of CastAway rods, "We shy away from blanket endorsements of any manufacturers goods, but CastAway has done as good a job on it's rods as we've seen. We have been consistently impressed with the actions, finish and components on CastAway products." In 93 CastAway plans to introduce a whole new line of moderately priced rods with the same CastAway quality and look. In January 93 they are scheduled to move into their new 5000 square foot facility in Montgomery which has been designed to handle their current production requirements and allow for future expansion. According to Billy Kistler having their own facility, specifically designed for rod building, will afford CastAway an increase in efficiency in the production process resulting in an even higher quality product. To see their product line look for them in booth 540 and 541 at the Houston Boat Show January 2-10 at the Astro Hall and Astro Arena. They will have some great freebies like hats with their jazzy CastAway logo. For more information contact them at 409-582-1677.

Founded by a Fisherman The Fred Arbogast Company was founded in 1930 by a man whose first love was fishing. His interest in the sport began as a hobby and grew to be the focus of a successful business Fred Arbogast's to outwit the finny tribe was born one day when he was twelve years old. He and his father rode by horse and buggy to a lake near Akron where they fished all day, only to return empty handed. Young Fred felt dejected, yet determined that he would learn all he could about this challenging, and sometimes frustrating, sport of fishing. And he did. After graduating from Central High School in 1913, Fred went to work for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron. But his true love continued to be fishing. Night after night, Fred tinkered in the basement workshop of his home on Barwell Street developing and designing lure designs. Weekends and vacations were spent on the water testing his latest creations at favorite fishing spots. In the late 1920's Fred hit upon a lure idea that appeared to be a winner with bass. He designed an all metal minnow-shaped lure with a single upright hook, real glass eyes and a shiny, hinged metal tail. Fred christened it the Tin Liz. In 1930 Fred purchased a house at 313 W. North Street in Akron where he continued to produce the Tin Liz and, at the same time, began to develop and market other unique lures. 1947 In 1947 the Arbogast Company moved into a brand new, two story building right next door to Fred's original facility. At the dedication, Fred proudly announced that, "now we have all the room we'll ever need." Demand for Arbogast baits, however, continued to grow steadily. 1965 A two story addition was built in 1965 on the adjoining property where Fred's original facility had stood. The new area was put into use immediately for research and development. 1990 Dave Porthouse, Owner and President of Fred Arbogast Company, sought to ,implement the transition into the nineties with the appointment of Sonny Coody as National Sales Manager. The long commitment by the Fred Arbogast Company to produce quality lures made the transition to new and innovative products simple to accomplish. ARBOGAST TODAY The Fred Arbogast Company is still a family owned operation which has expanded from a single manufacturing plant in Akron, Ohio to a company selling products worldwide, distributed from 3 separate manufacturing operations. The Fred Arbogast Company has been in the boat with the American fishing public for well over 60 years. The Company will continue to regard its special relationship with the fishing public as its greatest heritage. For more information contact the Fred Arbogast Company at 713-952-4068.

Jig vs Carolina Rig: A couple of years ago, my nephew (Chris) and I were fishing a tournament at Lake Jacksonville. He was using Carolina rig (CR) and I was using a jig and he was catching all of the fish! At that time I did not like the CR and considered myself a jig expert since I exclusively used a jig. Every once in awhile I would throw the CR, only to be disgusted with the results. How do I set the hook? Why can't I feel the bite? IS THAT A BRUSHPILE or a little fish nibbling on my hook? Too many times I would pull the weight across a stump on the bottom of the lake, then the bait would touch it, and when I dropped the rod, the weight would drop down to the bottom feeling like something was pulling. Thus I would set the hook into the stump. Hey, customers do it all the time. They feel rotten, but I've been there. Lake Jacksonville did not have a map that we knew of. Have you ever fished a lake without a map? It's not easy, but if you read the bank you can find creeks everywhere at Jacksonville. We found a very deep creek coming down a steep hill from the bank. I followed it with the LCR out about 100 feet from the shore, then it intersected another major creek running parallel to the bank. I positioned the boat on top of the creek that ran parallel with the bank so we could work both the creek coming down from the shore, and the deeper creek. Fish were everywhere! I asked Chris if he wanted the deep side, or the shallow side. He directed his CR out towards main lake into the deeper creek... I directed my cast onto the breakline where the bottom dropped from ten feet to eighteen. I pumped my jig, let it sit for a second, and pumped it again. It was absolutely slammed by an eight pound bass that took second place big bass, and second place big stringer. Too bad Chris took the deep side, 'cause I got some money from them Aggies! Now, of all the things that need to be considered when trying to figure out why I caught this bass on this bait in this spot? Which one was the most important, and why? I'll tell you later. Jigs At Night: Several years ago I had a client from Japan in my boat. I believe it was his first night trip, and he just had to throw a jig. We went (at my infamous 65 mph boat ride) to my favorite docks to fish. He wanted to use the light stuff. YUCK! "No good!" I told him. At the first boat dock I allowed him a couple of shots before I picked up my rod. I use the Castaway Mag 7 Series Extra Heavy for a quick hookset. I made the first pitch! Now believe it or not, I was just demonstrating "how to work a jig". I popped it up one foot, let it sit. Popped it up again-three feet, and looked at his face. He seem astonished to know that I let the thing sit there. When I looked back at my line, it was moving toward deep water. The bass had grabbed it on the fall (AS USUAL), and was swimming off with it. I used my infamous "patented" toe dance, two step hookset and nailed her while almost knocking this Client out of the boat. And I've got a nine foot deck on my boat. She was over eight pounds, and 24 pictures later (he went crazy) I figured out it was the biggest bass he had ever seen in his life.... Jigs In The Daytime: This past spring I took Clients to an area that had been producing over the slot bass on a daily basis for over six weeks on a CR. I instructed them to cast parallel with the bank. A few minutes later they started catching bass. Rather than take their fish away using the same bait, I decided to pick up my jig. I had never used a jig in this area, and thought it would be safe! On my first cast, the Client in the front of the boat said his CR was hung, so I immediately handed him my jig rod and took his rod (so I could get it loose). Then the funniest thing happened. We were looking eye to eye the second he took my rod. He raised the tip, looked me in the eye, and shook his head. I yelled "Set the hook!" There was an over the slot bass on it that had apparently caught it while it was falling on the shady side of the stump. He won first place in the company tournament that he was in, and I still catch hell from his partner who insists that the fish was on it when I handed it to him. Trust me, I never felt a thing! Jigs: The only kind of jig I use is the Triple Rattleback. They have improved them over the years after hearing complaints about the rattles breaking. I have not had a rattle break this year. They have extra large hooks in them that make them difficult to get through a bass's mouth. (?sp) The weedguard is nylon so it is easy to spread out. I also believe they are easy to throw. The smallest jig in my boat is ½ ounce. I also use 25 lb. Trilene Big Game (moss green). Trailers: I use the Gene Larew hawg craw, a Zoom lizard, the Jawtec (looks like a centipede with a million legs), and my favorite is the Sandworm because it stands straight up. On all of these, I cut it off so that it sticks up when the jig is on the bottom about 4"-6". I feel like if it is any longer, I miss the hookset and that just drives me crazy because I know that this is a Big Bass Bait! Of all the ten pound fish I have caught, they were all on a jig with the exception of my first one that was on a Zara Spook in a place Joe Axton of Axton's Bass City took me to. Colors: Night: only black and blue. You need the silhouette against the moonlight. Day: watermelon or pumkinseed. In the daylight, I try to match the colors to the forage. The Knot: Only a palomar. This is the strongest, non slipping knot that I know of, and it does not fray the line when you tie it. Always re-tie after every bass because their teeth always frays the line because they usually suck it deep. Also if you pull them out of heavy cover, they will wrap three times is a heartbeat if you are not careful. The Method: This is how I do it, perhaps not the best way, but the most effective way for me! The first thing a crawdead does when it is frightened is make clicking noises. The second thing it does is raise its claws up in a defensive position. So here you have a jig/craw with rattles. What do you do with it? First, you should spray it with Kick N Bass craw formula. Then cast or pitch it next to the biggest stumps and docks available. You can also work it in the hydrilla, or (my favorite) parallel to it. With the exception of the spawn, work the shade. During the spawn, give your buddy the shady side, because it's not likely anything will be in the shade. They like to soak up the sun during the spawn! Pitching/Flipping: I use a Team Daiwa flipping reel with a 6.3:1 ratio for quick retrieve, but the best part is that a pitch or a flip can be controlled with the cast bar. You can also feed out more line, but have the anti spool controlled immediately with the cast bar if the reel is on flipping mode. I like to keep that bait as close to the water as possible to avoid spooking the bass. Always-land the bait in the water at least the same distance past the target as the water is deep. This will insure that the bait will be beside the target once it reaches the bottom. Casting: Casting is just as much fun! Be sure to make the bait land past the target as stated above... I will often use a cast taught to me by Takahiro from Japan. It is a "U" shaped cast with the rod near the water which achieves great distance... The Pickup: Here is the biggest problem that I feel exists while using a jig. When a bass catches the falling jig, it always feels like it just landed on a treetop! Sometimes you can see her swimming off with it, but the bigger fish always seem to just sit there like they are chewing on it or something. Folks, this takes a lot of experience. I used a jig 90% of the time on over 200 night trips the first year I was at Lake Fork. And I can tell you for a fact that it is frustrating to loose so many of them. Always take extras! You will catch that stump if you are not careful...... When you are sure it is a bass, using a stout rod, use the old fashioned method to set the hook. Introduce her eyeballs to her tail! Set that hook and crank to get her away from every tree in the area. One mistake most people make is that once they see the fish they think they have to get her in the boat, but I feel like (on a good stick) playing them is the best way. Play them out until they just give up. Most of the big bass only have about 60 seconds of fight in them. I also do not believe in using a net because of the damage it does to their protective coating. I've even had clients try to lift the fish out of the water with their rods. This is an major NO-NO when you are using a rod that costs from $125 - $175. So why have I caught the fish in these spots? The bass on the break at Jacksonville was suspended on the break and heard the bait coming. The bass by the boat dock at Fork heard the jig coming. The bass by the stump at Fork probably saw it coming. I had the noise, the smell, and the bulk! The erratic motion of the jig going up and down probably makes the bass feel like the craw is running from something else, plus it is a great meal to a bass that only may be feeding once a day. Kind of like in the fall when they fill their bellies. The larger bass generally spend more time waiting for that meal, where the smaller (3 lbs) bass run all over the lake chasing shad. How many bass over eight pounds have you ever caught from a school? Here again, the larger bass are closer to the bottom waiting on the dead ones to fall into their mouth. They just don't like to work at it. Kind of like me! Patience: I think another major important factor is patience. Give a choice of one rod to take fishing, and it will not be the jig! Sorry, but I'm sold on the Carolina Rig. I can use it all year long. All I have to do is change the length of the leader and I've got the fish. In the spring I use 3', in the summer I like to use 6' for a leader. Read the area you are working. Look at it like this. If this were a highway, and the fish are out in deeper water, what road will they take. Will they come in holding close to the timber, will they come in from a creek, or a roadbed, or will they travel up from a creek to the end of the deep water point, then come in and hold by boat docks or standing timber nearby? A secret? This really works! Tie on a jig/craw, attach a swivel with a leader (2-3'), and tie a worm or a lizard on behind it. One, the other, or maybe both may get bit. Suspended: Honestly, I still have a problem catching suspended bass. However, don't give up hope. A buddy of mine has been in the boat with David Vance and has watched him catch bass after bass that were suspended with a white jig. To do this, you have to make the longest cast possible and yo-yo the bait all the way back to the boat. Start deep, then work the bait higher and higher off the bottom until you get into the correct strike zone. Can we all "always" have a productive day? There are certain times of the year when nothing seems to work. For the year, we have only been skunked two or three times. These are the times when they just don't bite. If you doubt your presentation, change it. If you doubt your skills, check around and see how everyone else is doing. Hey, if we have a bad day, then I'll bet you that everyone else is having a bad day! Conclusion: For a normal day on Lake Fork I usually carry the following equipment rigged and ready: Two or three Carolina Rigs ready to go. One deep crank, and one shallow crank. One spinner bait. One Zara Spook. One Jig...................... Always wear your PFD while running the lake, take plenty of drinks. Don't forget about the new slot going into effect at Fork on September 1st. Good fishing to all of you. Tracy Nix (Professional Guide) Lake Fork Guide Service Pager Number (214) 894-5489

If you want to up your average on catching your fish, try some of the new Fortified Riverside soft Plastics. Riverside, Big Wag, Big Claw, and Big Foot are now hyper charged with the same all-natural, real crwfish extracts found in Riverside Real Claw attractant. The Riverside Grub and Big Gun are hyper-charged with real Baitfish attractant. The Big Claw has the most lifelike action of any soft plastic crawfish on the market today. The Big Claw in five weeks of feild testing was credited the winnings of almost $15,000 in just four tournaments. Each Big Claw is hyper-charged with Real Claw, the only real crawfish extract in the world. On Lake Sam Rayburn, in 1991 the call time B.A.S.S. ; 11 time B.A.S.S. Master Classic Qualifier, 7 time National Champion, 1987 B.A.S.S Angler of the year. One year later Denny’s record was broken by Kevin Van Dam, using the Riverside Big Foot Lizard with Real Craw scent. The Big Foot Lizard has more detailed features than any other lizard on the market today. The head, body and feet have been sculptured to great detail. The lizard has more flash and action, with the flexible tail and legs. The Big Wag curly tail worms, with side to side action, will produce unbelievable strikes. The Big Wag is excellent will fishing weeds, brush, and grass. The flat belly and flotation allows it to be perfect for a topwater also. The worm is available in 6” and 7 1/2”. The Riverside Grub, and Bigt Gun are hyper-charged with real baitfish extract. The Grub comes in the length of 5” and 3”. The Big Gun comes in 4’ and 6’. The Grub and Big Gun jerkbait come iun the colors that will all produce good quality bass. All of the Riverside plastics come in resealable packages, with easy access for the angler. All plastics have each been hyper-charged with scent and flavor.

One of most effective ways of fishing shallow shoreline structures for largemouth black bass is using a Texas Rigged worm. The rig is designed for fishing shallow water with precision and thoroughness. Shallow water structures are any object in the shallow water that will hold bass. Some of these structures include: tree stumps, lay down logs, boat docks, bulk-heading, rocks, hydrilla lines, and drop offs. The rig is very easy to cast with accuracy which is a must for shallow fishing. When casting at shallow water structure it is very important to lay the bait tight to the cover very quietly. The Texas Rig, when cast correctly, can be cast out near cover and land in the water without making a splash. Landing a worm around shallow water cover without making a splash can make the difference of catching fish or not catching fish. Black bass hide around the structure and will be easily spooked if a worm is not presented to the fish quietly. Tying on a Texas Rig worm is very simple, however, there are a few tips that will give the bait better action. The rig includes a bullet weight, a number two worm hook, a toothpick, and a plastic worm. Start rigging the bait by running the line through the small end of the bullet weight. Slide the weight up the line and run the line through the eye of the hook. Tie the hook onto the line and clip the excess line with a pair of clippers. Next, take the weight and slide it down towards the hook. Take the toothpick and insert it into the big end of the bullet weight(the end facing the hook). Insert the toothpick as firmly as possibly and break it off in the weight. Use the clippers to remove any splinters that may be left. Now it is time to rig the worm onto the hook. Take the hook and insert it into the head of the worm about a quarter of an inch. Bring the tip of the hook back out the worm and slide the worm up the shank of the hook. Now insert the tip of the hook into the body of the worm. Make sure that the tip of the hook is not pertruding the body of the worm. This will ensure that the bait is as weedless as possible. When the tip of the hook is protruding the bait tends to hang up on everything that it comes into contact with. Now that the bait is rigged onto the hook take the weight and slide it down to the head of the worm. The weight is rigged with a toothpick so that it is pegged to the head of the worm. With the toothpick inserted it will remain stationary on the head of the worm rather than sliding up and down the line. This gives the bait better action and also makes it easier to cast. Keeping the weight pegged to head of the worm will make it easier to detect strikes. When the weight is allowed to slide every time the rod is lifted the weight hits the worm and it may feel like a strike at times. Pegging the weight will eliminate the false strikes and when a strike is detected there will no question that it is a fish. Fishing the Texas Rigged worm requires extreme patience. The Texas Rig, like most other forms of worm fishing, must be fished extremely slow. “If you are fishing the worm slowly you are fishing the bait too fast”, is a phrase often used when teaching a beginner how to fish a plastic worm. Suppose you just entered a small cove that you intend to fish by boat. In the cove there a several stumps that look as if they hold fish. Position your boat so that you are not too close to the stumps but also so that you are not out of casting range. Make your cast past the stump and let the bait fall to the bottom. Let the bait sit there for eight to ten seconds. Now lift the rod tip very slowly to eleven o’clock without reeling. If a strike is not detected, slowly lower the rod to nine o’clock reeling the up the slack line at the same time. Let the bait settle on the bottom for a few seconds and repeat the technique again. When the bait becomes close to the stump your concentration needs to be very focussed in order to detect a strike. The area around a stump or any other structure where a bass will be hiding is known as the “strike zone”. The strike zone is the area where a strike is most likely to occur. Keeping this thought in mind that fish will hit when the becomes close to a structure will allow you to put emphasis on the action of the bait when it is in the strike zone. When the bait enters the strike zone refocus your concentration on the bait and be very alert. When a strike occurs a powerful hookset is necessary for landing a fish. Largemouth bass have a tough and hard jaw. A powerful hookset is necessary so that the hook penetrates and does not become extracted during a battle. To perform a correct and effective hookset there are two rules that must be followed. 1)Reel up any slack 2)Set the hook with plenty of power. When setting the hook you need to reel up the slack in the line and jerk back with the rod away from the fish. The rod must be jerked hard enough so that the hook will get deep penetration. Bill Cannan Professional Fishing Guide