Team Old School

Every fall thousands of trophy Striped Bass venture South from New England 

seeking warmer water.  These fish only stop when they find enormous quantities of forage.  Up North clams and menhaden are on the menu, but when they pour into the Chesapeake Bay, its eels.  We concentrate on the giant females that are smashing through schools of bait, inhaling anything that will fit down their throat.  During this very small window, these cows let down their guard and strap on the feed-bag.  Sure you can catch stripers all year, but the Chesapeake cows are only catchable for a short time.  One month a year at best, but it’s usually more like one week, or even one weekend.  So there you are, two weeks until Christmas,  you got off of work, and you talked a few buddies into coming along.  You talked your wife into letting you go.  You spend thousands to buy your boat.  You spend thousand on your electronics.  You spend thousands every year on fuel, maintenance, tackle, bait, licenses, boat insurance, boat tax, highway tolls, hotel bills, and Gortex winter gear.  What did that leaning post cost?  A 

grand?  What did that T-top cost?  Four grand?  How about that diesel pick-up to haul that beauty, 50 grand?  Let’s not forget those aluminum mag wheels on the trailer that you had to have.  (Another grand)?  So there you are, smack dab in the middle of Trophy Striper Heaven and at the right time for once.  So grab that $100 rod and reel combo that you got at Wal-Mart and go to work!  It doesn’t take you long to realize that you brought a knife to a gunfight.  SNAP!  There goes another one (maybe I tied the wrong knot). SNAP!  (It must be the wrong fish finder).  SNAP!  (It must be the wrong T-top).  SNAP!  (It must be the wrong mag wheels).  Nope, it’s the wrong reels!

Sure, my crew works hard to catch trophy Bass.  We have caught our share of 50 pounders, but 

we have never boated a trophy fish because of our MAG WHEELS!

My teammate and I caught 46 fish on one day this December.  Every fish was over 25 pounds.  Thanks to our Boss Magnum 870’s, we had 46 hook ups and 46 boated fish.  These reels are the smallest of the Accurate reels.  I can easily fit four of them in a 50 pounders mouth at one time.  When you get your hands on one of these reels, it quickly become apparent that you’re holding a different animal.  I can definitely see my Grandkids using these scratched up, banged up, reels 20 years down the

 line. With 30 pound mono, we never even came close to getting spooled.  Notice I said “We caught all of those fish, thanks to our 870’s, not our mag wheels”.

Thanks again,
Mike Smedley
Captain/ Team Old School  

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