An Okie's test of the Rascal

[Allen Morgan]

Last Friday, I gave one of Carl's "Rascals" a quick test.  There were Bluegills holding under the floating platform I was fishing from, so I grabbed my rod with the quill float on it, and put on a Rascal, in Catalpa colors.  I LOVE the slow fall of that thing!  The 'gills would rush it, and give it a test peck, but wouldn't eat.  I didn't have any bait to tip the thing with.

Saturday morning, I had to work.  But, I came prepared.  I had my little lunchbox cooler, with two gel ice packs, and some red wiggler worms.  I had covered the cooler with a jacket to further insulate it.  Plus, I parked in the shade and cracked my windows.

Once work was over, I headed out.  Winds were out of the south at 15 - 20.  Water is fairly clear, and visibility is about 3'.  There's a lot of algae blown over to the windswept bank, so I went to the upwind side.  Having the wind at my back would help with casting distance, as this is a really light-weight rig.

First cast was close to a stand of cattails.  Almost as soon as it landed, something started nipping at it.  I reeled in, slowly, causing the worm-tipped Rascal to rise to the surface.  Some fish decided to chase it!  I missed that.  I made another cast, a little further from the cattails, and that one was also immediately sucked down.  I brought in a small Hybrid sunnie.

I decided to change the angle of my casts, and fish more into the wind, and try to reach a different weedline.  Sure enough, within seconds, the float stood up and started dancing.  I set the hook, and the battle was on.  This felt like a decent fish.  To bad it ran to the cattails and wrapped around some.  Unfortunately, the 4 lbs test mono I was using for a leader wasn't up to the task.  I lost this fish, and the Rascal.

I still had some leader left, so I tied on a different Rascal, this one more of a variant of the Catalpa colors, yellow, with a touch of green and black.  I made a few casts back into my original direction, with no luck.  Then, a few minutes later, I caught a smaller Hybrid.  After than, a small female 'gill.

Remember I said the wind was blowing 15 - 20?  Shortly after that, the wind blew my rig into some more cattails.  I ended up loosing the Rascal, and what was left of my leader.  I walked down to where the brook dumps into the pond, pulled out my spool of 8 lbs test, and another Rascal.  I tied the leader on, and the Rascal, tipped it with a worm, and tossed it out.

I proceeded to catch several Hybrid Sunnies, a couple of which were good sized, and a nice male 'gill in full spawning colors.

I was originally rather skeptical of the whole "tipped lure" thing.  Well, I can tell you now, I will be adding that to my arsenal!

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

GOOD TEST ALLEN OF A GREAT BAIT FROM MASTER CARL !!!!!!

[carl hendrix]

good report allen!!  thanks for trying out those rascals buddy!    I have  a few;; called a sunrise spider;;  you just might be interested in!  same patteren as a rascal;; different colored silli leg material.  should be a killer !!