Went to an outdoor and fishing tackle show down in Tulsa this afternoon. It pisses me off how these types of shows used to be popular and you could count on a full afternoon of entertainment and actually find some deals where now its just bullshit. Still. I go. Cabin fever ya know.

I found the rod I need for Len to figure out how to build me for a hunnerd bucks or so. GLoomis 6'10" NRX Dropshot model. Without even looking at what it was I picked one up off of a rack and started flexing on the end of it and whipping it back and forth to test the back bone. Then I looked at the price, $525, and gently put it back on the rack. Whew. I'm telling ya, a damned fishing rig costs you as much as a deer rifle these days. Re-friggin-diculous. Still, that rod sure felt sweet. You know you'd have to put a top of the line reel on a rod like that or it'd be like putting spinner hubcaps on a VW.
Before you know it you're at $800 and still haven't bought line. Sufix 832 braid is like $30 a spool.

This is getting to be a rich man's game. I blame it on the tournament anglers. Easy targets. Plus they dress funny. Tell a big lie, they award you a patch to wear.

I got out of there for less than $50. Found some old original Lazy Ikes in their original boxes for $3 a piece. Found some Senkos in some otherwordly color for $3 a pack. Everything at that place must've been $3. Bought a Tee shirt that says 'Fat Quack Outdoors" cause there was a gal wearing one with titties out to here and they were only $15. Found some old original Small Okie Bug spinner baits (SOB's for us insiders). That company went out of business over ten years ago. Was based in tulsa and they made a quality spinner bait. These were a dollar apiece and I bought six of them. Man, those were the days. Okie Bug used to be the largest tackle store in Oklahoma and they'd set up at boat shows and outdoor shows and you could find some bargains. I had a buddythey sponsored and I'd buy a Falcon rod from him every year at the Tulsa Boat show at the Okie Bug booth. He passed away about four years ago and it made me smile to see those Okie Bug lures. So yeah, I'm a sucker. The rattle snake exhibit gives me the big time willies. You can hear those things from 50 feet away. they had a big old water moccasin in an aquarium and he was the genuine article. Those snakes are brutes.

Anyway, ramblin on about nothing special! Len, get to work on that rod for me.

BKB