Byline: Ron Schara; Staff Writer
If your fishing success has hit the summer doldrums, do not despair. It's probably not your fault, although I confess that's only a guess.
There is help on the way, however.
Last week in Las Vegas the world's best lure designers and tackle makers opened their giant tackle box of new inventions, gizmos and whatchamacallits to help you catch more fish.
Some of them actually will.
Other fish-fooling inventions tend to raise an angler's eyebrow.
I was hiking the aisles of the giant tackle box the other day when a Florida fellow by the name of Bruce Young ordered me to halt. 'You're walking by the Laser Lure booth?' he asked, incredulously.
I had to admit I had no idea if a walleye loved laser lights as much as shiners. Young had no doubts. He said he had created a line of diving crankbaits that transmit a laser beam. He came up with the idea after accidentally discovering aquarium fish were attracted to the laser light.
He said lasers have been banned at most aquariums because fish love lasers.
Will bass have the same laser passion? If the Laser Lure booth is around next year in Las Vegas, we'll know the answer.
There also was no shortage of Minnesota-based fish concoctions: One of the simplest but unique new products unveiled by Northland Tackle, Bemidji, is a Sling-Shot worm weight, a quick change system invented by Minnesotan Don Link for Texas rigging, Carolina rigging or livebait rigging.
It's a bullet sinker and much, much more.
Lindy Tackle of Brainerd introduced a pre-rigged slip bobber system for those walleye seekers who are unsure of how to correctly assemble the effective combo. Now, it comes in a package.
Normark folks, makers of Rapala, keep coming up with new modifications of the famed Rapala design, this time a slender version of the Shad Rap, called the Minnow Rap. It will cast better than a Shad Rap and will run to depths from 5 to 11 feet.
Pure Fishing, the makers of FireLine, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, achieved a breakthrough in the superline category with the first translucent braided line called Crystal. It's clear like monofilament but has the strength of Fireline.
Most of these new angling weapons will hit the tackle shelves by next spring in time for the 2007 fishing season.
No doubt, the fish are shaking in their fins.
Ron Schara - ron@mnbound.com
