Useful Products this Spring

This spring has been wet! Because of all the rain, I have complained so much about it screwing up my plans, I have become intolerable even to myself. However, if there has been one good thing about this spring, fishing has been very good. I'm still going out almost every evening after work. I did a couple of after dark sessions this week also.I landed a few schoolies but no keepers.

I thought since I have little to report, I'd review a few products that I have used this spring. Disclaimer- I do not get any endorsment money from any of these companies. I am not on anyone's "Pro Staff". These are my opinions, and mine alone.

Colombia Rainpants

I spent a lot of money at REI last year on Christmas presents for my hiking son. If you are a member (one time sign up fee of $20) you get a dividend each year based on how much you spent the year before. Along with the free money came along a coupon for one item 20% off. I didn't know what to buy since I really didn't need anything. I decided on a good pair of rain pants. Since I had over $30 in my account and I used the coupon, I got them for a song.

The Columbia Rain Pants I bought are $50 at retail price. They do not have any pockets. Columbia does make a pair with pockets at the next price level. I specifically bought the pair without pockets, not because they were cheaper, but so I wouldn't have to worry about the pocket zipper leaking. I would never put my phone or small camera in my rain pants pockets anyway. I would prefer to put them in the next layer down in my shorts or sweatpants.

Last week I fished for two days in the rain. The rainpants performed flawlessly. I never felt wet at all. I sat on a wet chair with rain running down my raincoat onto it and the pants. I never had a drop seep through. I wore muck boots and pulled my rainpants over the top of my boots. There was plenty of room for them. If anything, there is too much. On the bottom of the pant leg there is velcro to tighten the pants. The velcro fit a little loose and my pants dragged against the ground. I have since added another sticky piece of velcro a few inches further. Problem Solved.

Just a word of caution- If you wear sneakers with these rainpants or any other pair your feet will get soaked. All that rain running down your pants leg has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is in your shoes.

So after a few soakings, I'd give the pants five stars. They did not feel sticky at all and they kept the moisture out. If I would have paid the fifty dollars, I would not have been disappointed at all.  I can't say how durable they are yet, but they seem tough, so I think they will be around for a few years.

Waterproof Boots

As I said above, if I wear rainpants, then I can't wear sneakers. So I have been wearing my Bone Dry waterproof boots made by Bass Pro. There are many brands of high waterproof boots. The most famous with the best reputation is Muck Boots. I own these Bone Dry boots. I paid about $60. They are comfortable and as of yet, not let me down. However, I have a friend that bought two pair that leaked right away.

I have owned these boots for a couple of years now without a problem. That said, this is the first year I have worn them a lot.  My suggestion isn't necessarily to buy the Bass Pro Shops brand boot, it is to buy some waterproof boots if you are an outdoors person. They come in extremely handy fishing in the rain with my rain pants over them. However, they also make walking through the mud a breeze and puddles no longer block the way to back woods ponds.

I am glad I found my pair in the shed since I sort of forgot about them. With all the rain we are having, they won't be going back in my shed any time soon.

Best Deal I've seen on a Reel

Right now Bass Pro Shops has the Shimano Sedona reel on sale for $39.97. This reel usually lists for seventy dollars! Needless to say, I am floored by the price. I bought the Sedona 4000 for one of my seven foot rods. I also plan on buying the 2500 for my six foot trout rod.

A few years back Shimano changed the Sedona to the Sedona FE. This is the newer version of the same reel. Tackle companies do this so we will "upgrade" our gear. I can only hope the new FE has the same quality as the plain old Sedona.

I own 3 of the old style Shimano Sedonas. I have two of the 1500 model (which I think is now the size of the 2000). I also own a 2500 model. I actually found this reel while fishing one day. It was attached to a discarded broken fishing rod. I brought it home and cleaned it up. It has been my most used reel for trout fishing over the past two years.

Besides the one that I found, I can honestly say that my other two (the 1500's) are almost fifteen years old. I have had them since my 21 year old son was a little kid. They are absolute workhorse reels. They can take a beating. They have been dropped in the canoe and the ground hundreds of times. There is barely any paint left on the sides from the abuse they have taken. But you know what? They worked like brand new for over a decade.

Just recently, one of them has started to give me trouble. The bail does not go down completely after the cast. Unless I consciously remember to push it all the way down, it stays up about 1/8 inch. This is causing line twist and tangles. Remember, this just started happening, so for 13 years this was not a problem.

Although I call my Shimano Sedona 1500 my trout reel, I have used it for many types of fishing. I match it with a six foot medium light rod (Shimano Clarus) with six pound line. Besides my surf rod, it is the combo I use the most.  I bring it to the ocean when hickory shad and white perch are around. I use it a lot for panfish in ponds. This is the set up I use when I fish for American Shad in the Merrimack River. Most surprisingly, I was using this reel in Providence one winter and landed a 31 inch striper on it. So if you are wondering how a little reel will hold up to a big fish, that is the answer. The fish was peeling off drag back and forth for fifteen minutes. That was about six years ago!

This picture is on the upper right hand corner of the blog. My fish
was caught on a Shimano Sedona 1500 with six pound line.
Will the newer model perform as will? For $39 it is worth
finding out!!!

Because of the weakened bail spring and the unbelievable price, I decided to buy a new reel for my trout rod. Obviously, I can not say how well the new reel performs. However, if it only last half as long as its predecessor I will get 7-8 years out a forty dollar reel, that to me my friends, is a deal!