JULY 2019
REMEMBERING STAN MACK’S LURE EDITORIAL STAFF
“There is nothing more powerful in life than having a friendship with a human gem,” Mack’s Lure President Bob Schmidt said. “I use the word gem for its definition in this case of being rare, valuable, and having the ability to truly impact someone. “Stan was a gem of the rarest kind. He not only positively impacted my life, but the life of thousands, as he gave in so many ways. I got to know Stan through Mack’s Lure and the impact he had on us, kids and the fishing industry as the master trick caster was second to none.”
The Mack’s Lure family and the fishing and outdoor community lost a legend last month as Stanley Earl Fagerstrom, who simply went by Stan to most, died peacefully at his home in Sun Lakes, Ariz. on June 11, just days after his 96th birthday. And what a life it was. Stan, survived by his wife, Anita, and his two sons, Daniel and Stanley, was a regular contributor to the Mack Attack Magazine, having written a Stan’s Space column in every issue of the newsletter over the last decade-plus. He also led the charge as an ambassador for Mack’s Lure over its 50 years of business. His loss is a massive one.
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Stan’s start in the outdoors and fishing industry began in 1946 after 3 and a half years in the South Pacific serving in the U.S. Army with the 167th Infantry Regiment of the 31st Infantry Division where he received two Bronze Stars for heroism in combat.
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WE WILL TRULY MISS THIS TRUE GENTLEMAN AND CHERISH ALL THE GIFTS HE LEFT US WITH.
and penning his own outdoor column and features, then another ten more years writing outdoor columns after stepping down as a full-time employee. Stan’s reach went much further than The Daily News, however. He was well-known nationally as an outdoor writer. His columns and features were showcased in nearly every major outdoor magazine in the country throughout his career, as well as penning an outdoor column for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. for many years. Fagerstrom’s award winning writings could fill a library while also publishing three major books: “Catch More Bass,” “Catch More Crappie,” and “Catch More Steelhead.” And just for good measure, he also authored “Me’n Cousin Art,” a story of his childhood in North Dakota during the Great Depression.
— BOB SCHMIDT
When he returned, he was hired by The Daily News in Longview, Wash. as an office manager, then as a reporter, classified advertising manager and eventually the newspaper’s advertising director. He enjoyed a 36-year career with The Daily News overseeing advertising
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After leaving The Daily News in 1982, Stan began giving casting exhibitions and seminars on fishing all over the world. A Master Trick Caster, Stan was featured at outdoor shows throughout the United States, as well as Brazil, Japan, New Zealand and Mexico, for many years, while still devoting himself to full time freelance writing.
STAN FAGERSTROM JUNE 4, 1923 — JUNE 11, 2019
Additionally, Stan was a featured performer with the International Sportsmen’s Expo for 25 years in succession and, for many years, the featured caster at the Bass Masters Classic Outdoor Show, an event known as the “World Series of Bass Fishing.” Stan was voted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall Of Fame in 2000 and a year later, in 2001, he was named winner of the National Professional Anglers Association lifetime achievement award. In 2007, he was voted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
Our deepest condolences go out to Stan’s family. If you would like to read some of Stan’s Space columns, please head over to MacksLure.com and view the archive. A special thanks to The Daily News, whose obituary contributed to this remembrance. “We will truly miss this true gentleman, as well as cherish all the gifts he left us with.” Click on the link to the right to read all of Stan’s Space columns —>
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SONIC BAITFISH™ (SBF)
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
RIGGING THE SONIC BAITFISH™ BY CAPT. PETE ROSKO The first four paragraphs of this July issue was originally published in the July 2016 issue. Three years later, nothing has changed. Updates begin in the fifth paragraph.
A few days ago, I water-tested the new 1/16 oz. Sonic BaitFish™ (SBF) in a shallow cove off the Destin, Florida coast. It was a perfect setting for evaluating a lure’s action within the calm, clear water. My two basic, but critical, action tests are downward flutter (vertical jigging) and swimming actions (on a straight retrieve). Many lures, as small as the 1/16 oz. SBF, have limited action. Not the 1/16 oz — you will like what you see with this little “mite”! It should be very effective in open water and through the ice. In April 2015, Mack’s Lure owner Bob Schmidt and I tested the 1/16 oz. in bass lakes and in South Florida canals. All these test lures were unpainted, bare metal prototypes. The lure produced a bass on about every third cast. In the Everglade canals, it was a fish on about 8 of every 10 casts. The technique was casting with a slow and steady retrieve. I’m looking forward to fishing the 1/16 oz. in silver and gold finishes once they are available! I would like to repeat some of what I talked about in the May 2016 issue regarding hook types. The accompanying photo (not shown) shows two 1/16 oz. SBF with two
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different tail hooks. The top lure, pink and glow white (not shown) has a single hook attached to its tail. The hook is attached directly to the lure in an upright position. This is my personal preference for all the basic techniques, including casting and trolling. The reason is that on the retrieve and troll, the SBF moves upright like a real bait fish. The bottom lure, in Fire Tiger (not shown), has a split ring and treble hook attached to its tail. This is an excellent rig if a treble hook is preferred over a single hook, especially for vertical jigging in open water and through the ice. However, I do not recommend it for casting and trolling. The reason is that the lure, with a split ring attached, causes it to “flatten” and move horizontally like a flounder on the retrieve. Both rigs will always catch fish on the retrieve but the single hook version results in a very natural swimming action and triggers more strikes. As a final reminder, the top-ofthe-back line/snap attachment is exclusively for vertical jigging and not trolling. Besides increased vibration during active jigging, this attachment is deadly for finessing and dead-sticking. The SBF suspends in a natural horizontal position, closely resembling a live bait fish at rest. At times, this is the only position in which inactive predator fish will strike. Tip: A properly positioned boat rod holder can be a tremendous asset, especially when fishing with two rods. I consider most rod holders just that — only good for holding a rod but not for productive fishing. Whether walleye drift jigging in Lake Erie, or saltwater jigging in the Gulf of Mexico, this technique is deadly. The trick is to mount an adjustable rod holder on your boat rail where your positioned rod will be parallel to the water. From a flat calm surface to about a one foot chop, the rhythm of a near-bottom bouncing SBF on a drift can outfish a hand-held rods many times! Many of my biggest Lake Erie walleyes were caught this way. A 6- to 6 1/2-foot medium action rod will service you well with this technique.
July 2019 Updates | Two innovative techniques were discovered during my 3-day May trip to Lake Erie while walleye fishing with Capt. John Tibbels of Tibbels Marina in Marblehead, Ohio. They are as follows: ICE JIGGING WITH THE SBF Six years ago, 11 year-old Will Tibbels caught a certified 14-pound Lake Erie walleye through the March ice on a 1/3 oz. silver SBF. It was one of the largets sport-caught walleyes ever recorded in Lake Erie. Capt. John Tibbels is Will’s dad and detailed how he jigs the SBF through the ice.
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THE SBF IS THE ONLY LURE THAT I HAVE FOUND WHERE IT’S NOT NECESSARY TO ADD SCENT OR BAIT TO CATCH FISH. — CAPT TIBBELS
“I always attached the line snap to the top of the back on the SBF with treble hooks attached to the nose and tail,” Tibbels said. “The SBF is the only lure that I have found where it’s not necessary to add scent or bait to catch fish. Finesse jigging triggers strikes whereas active jigging spooks walleyes. Twitching and deadsticking (holding the rod still) the SBF results in most strikes. On the last day of ice-jigging in March of this year, this technique producing over 30 released walleyes for me.”
WILL TIBBELS’ 14 POUND WALLEYE ON LAKE ERIE CAUGHT WHILE JIGGING A SONIC BAITFISH™ 1/3 OZ.
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ATTACHING THE SBF TO A BOTTOM BOUNCER Two of my three days on the western basin of Lake Erie were diny, producing very poor conditions for vertical jigging in five foot waves and fast drifts in 35-feet of water. Casting into the boat’s drift enabled the SBF to be jigged longer over the smooth bottom. But, in the howling wind and rough water, it was difficult to effectively jig and feel the SBF against the bottom. In my entire life, I never attached a metal jig to a bottom bouncer. On that day, “necessity was the moth of invention.” It was not until I tried attaching a 1/2 oz. SBF to a 2 oz. bottom bouncer that I experienced its effectiveness! This never should have surprised me since the SBF has a highly effective swimming action when trolls or retrieved. This setup was a no-brainer once I saw it in action. I had no problem with lure hook-to-line fouling. Leader length, from the bottom bouncer to the SBF, was about two feet. I always attach the package-enclosed snap to the nose to preserve the lure’s action. The SBF was tipped with a two-inch piece of nightcrawler. The technique was both very basic and very effective. Simply lower the bottom bouncer until it reaches bottom. Then, engage the reel and place the rod in a rod holder or against the gunnel as I did. I actually was shocked at its effectiveness for catching walleyes and how it kept the SBF swimming and darting just above bottom.
Note: Do not hesitate in attaching a #1 or #2 Indiana blade to the back side of the single hook shank via the split ring. Make certain the blade eye is large enough to freely swing
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(windshield wiper-type action) on the split ring. To enlarge the blade eye and to prevent binding of the drill bit to the blade, drill counterclockwise.The addition of the spinner blade to the SBF creates additional fish-attracting flash, vibration and harmonics (sound of the blade striking the hook shank). If one side of the blade is colored, face it outward. As always, thank you for subscribing to the Mack Attack Magazine. It is our sincere hope that our tips will increase your productivity and enjoyment on the water. - Capt. Pete
there are several options to fish for big rainbows as well as brook trout and bull trout. Finally, the one place you can count on for sockeye fishing this year is Baker Lake in Northwestern Washington and Bob will break down that fishery as anglers flock to it later this month. Take it all together and you’ve got some can’t miss fishing info on the radio! Find a station near you at NorthwesternOutdoors.com or tune in to Seattle Sports Radio 950 KJR Saturday morning between 7 and 8 AM!
THE EXTENDED MACK’S MINUTE MONTLY PREVIEW
JULY MACK’S MINUTES BY JOHN KRUSE | NORHTWESTERN OUTDOORS RADIO The month of July is all about destination fishing during our extended “Mack’s Minute” segments airing on our 75 station Northwestern Outdoors Radio network every week as well as Saturday mornings during the Pacific Northwest edition of America Outdoors Radio that airs on Seattle Sports Radio 950 KJR. Three great fisheries are brought to life by Bob Loomis, the Director of Sales & Marketing for Mack’s Lure. The first is Buffalo Lake. Located on the Colville Tribal Reservation in Eastern Washington, this lake offers some fantastic opportunities for trout, kokanee, bass and even crawfish! After that we head north of the border to the Lone Butte area of Central British Columbia where
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#MACKSRetreat19: FLAMING GORGE KOKANEE Mack’s Lure Pro Staff, Employees and friends headed to Flaming Gorge Reservoir for a four-day fishing expeRIENCE The 2nd Annual Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Retreat was held on one of the hottest fisheries in the United States this year — Flaming Gorge Reservoir — and it did not disappoint. Over a dozen Mack’s Lure Pro Staffers made the trip, as well as Mack’s Lure President Bob Schmidt, Marketing Manager Britton Ransford, Pro-Cure VP of Sales Steve Lynch and Angler West TV’s Justin Wolff.
four people on the boat. There’s a three kokanee limit per man, so we were choosy with the size of fish we brought on the boat. That turned out to be harder than we imagined, as every fish was pushing 17-20” with several over 2.5-pounds. You had to be patient in the morning, as you would hook into a good number of fish, but the bite seemed to really turn on around 10:30-11 most days.
We stayed in Manila, Utah, which was about a 25-minute drive to the Boardman Launch that we fished out of. It’s a 93-mile lake, but we found the fish in about 20-30 feet of water consistently throughout the week right outside the launch cove.
Koke-A-Nuts™ were the hot lure on day two, but the Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie and Hot Orange Hum Dinger® paired with the UV Copper Double D™ Dodger and Original Sling Blade™. Again, running tight leaders and behind the dodgers.
Local Pro Staff Mike Hall, a legend around these parts (we couldn’t walk around anywhere without someone asking him for fishing advice) took the lead and put us on the fish and it was game over for everyone from there.
On day three, Ransford fished with Pro-Cure’s Steve Lynch on Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Marc Christophel’s boat, accompanied by fellow Pro Staffer Phil Nichols. There was a storm front rolling in, so the fishing was a little slower this day, but that’s not saying much considering how hot the fishing was earlier in the week — we were still hooking in to kokanee constantly, just less doubles and triples.
On day one, Bob Schmidt and Britton Ransford headed out with Hall and it didn’t take long to start hooking up with around 2-pound kokanee. We played with a few colors and a few different lures that morning, but orange was hot. Schmidt tied on a Double Whammy® Kokanee Pro® in an orange pattern with the all-new Smile Blade® UV Diamond Orange 1.1 tipped with white shoepeg corn soaked in Mack’s Lure UV Bait Scents by Pro-Cure, which was the hot lure of the day (and the rest of the week) when paired with UV Copper Double D™ Dodgers (8-12” leaders) and the Original Sling Blade™ 6” with 60-40 bends. On Day Two, Ransford headed out with Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Brian Orr and his crew. This day was on fire. We had multiple quadruples, a couple triples and about a dozen doubles. We had four rods out and
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Marc is a huge fan of the Hum Dinger® and that’s what we fished most of the day with a Sling Blade™ 6” in UV Pink. And that Double Whammy® Kokanee Pro®? Yeah, it was still on fire when ran behind the Double D™. Overall, it was a fantastic trip. Every boat brought in their limits each day with some mackinaw, browns and rainbows mixed in. All great size. And the kokanee fry? It was delicous. You gotta try Marc’s kokanee cakes. They’re to die for. We have something fun planned next year, so be sure to check that out. Until then, see the videos of the trip in the right hand column.
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QUESTION
HOT DEAL OF THE MONTH
OF THE MONTH
Have a question? We’d love to answer it for you! Shoot us an email at media@ mackslure.com with your question and you may see it featured in an upcoming issue of the Mack Attack Magazine! Q: I’m fishing for trout. How do I know which size of hook to use? A: That’s a great question! The number one thing you can do is to talk with your local bait and tackle shop as to the area of which you are fishing. Talking with the locals who fish those waters can provide a plethora of information, as well.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH Mack’s Lure headed down to the lower Columbia River to do some walleye fishing with Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Jaime Rodriguez and Ted Beach. Watch the video here.
There are a lot of great lures that Mack’s Lure has to offer in regards to trout fishing, too. If you were trolling for 15- to 20-inch rainbows, the preferred sized Wedding Ring® to use is a No. 4 while trolling at 1.8- to 2.0-mph. Trout like a faster trolling speed and a flashy presentation; that’s why our Wedding Ring® spinners work really well. Try using a Double D™ Ddoger with a 24- to 36-inch leader behind the dodger and see the results. Another alternative to use is the Wedding Ring® UV Spinner. All fish can see objects in the water that are emitted from the sun’s UV rays. This spinner looks exactly like a Wedding Ring® Classic Original Series, but all of the components are high UV, which can be seen on sunny or cloudy days.
VIDEO OF THE MONTH Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Mike Hall discusses the differences between the Double D™ Dodger and the Original Sling Blade™, their applications and many more great tips.
If you’re looking for a lure with two hooks, our Ringmaster® Series is a Wedding Ring® with two hooks in a No. 4 size, as well. Follow Mack’s Lure on Facebook and Instagram and tag us with #MacksLure. Facebook.com/MacksLure @macks_lure To submit your catch, send us an email at media@mackslure.com or tag us on social media using #MacksLure.
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