I did get the chance to put a product through a little test run that made my day trouble free.Early season temperatures  can wreak havoc  on your  spinning reels , rods and line making them a frozen  unusable mess.  Monofilament lines  coil and rod tips freeze shut making precision casting impossible to say the least .  REAL MAGIC LUBRICANT by BLAKEMORE is a fishing line conditioner which I have heard a lot about and today was a great day to see if it was pure hype or a “must have” for my arsenal. Real Magic is a spray formula that’s applied to your fishing line which helps reduce coiling and increase casting distance. I doused my Pflueger President with the spray before I left home to give it a chance to work and I applied it just before I hit the stream. . The first day back to open water is  a good time  to work out the kinks so to speak but today I was kink free.  Zero time was spent  untangling line which allowed for more time fishing and warmer hands. Real Magic works on monofilament, braided, and even fly lines.

That’s good news for me but the best feature is the way it prevents ice buildup. In early season, spray it on the rod eyelets and it will reduce the amount of  ice that forms from repeated casting. I used the product ice fishing but really didn’t give it a fair test as I spent most of my time in the comfort of a heated shanty. No luxuries today and honestly I had no ice buildup. There will be no more chewing ice off the end of my fishing rod and line!Hooray!It comes in a small spray pump bottle which fit nicely into the pockets of my trout fishing vest. Real Magic has a tall list of uses other than your icy fishing equipment and its great for ALL seasons. Pick up a can or bottle  and I guarantee that you will spend more time catching and less time untangling on your next fishing trip .

Well its been about one year since my last post on  my Panasonic  outdoor camera , November 30th of 2011 to be exact(2011 Camera Article).  One season of ice fishing,stream trout fishing,summer boat fishing, two archery  and gun seasons ago and my Panasonsi Ts3 is still snapping.  I am probably jinxing myself as I write but when I run across something that REALLY works people should know.  I’m not one to write about or promote junk in  hopes of a  sponsorship or a  pat on the back.

When I look to buy a high end outdoor products the first thing I look for are reviews on outdoor websites . This particular purchase was decided on as I visited www.driftlesstroutanglers.com/ and had a long discussion with Mark Dahlquist and Len Harris about outdoor  cameras. Mark and Len will put their cameras  and equipment through the paces each year and It was an honest  place to do my investigation work  . Don’t leave the decision of  buying a  camera  up to the person you talk to at Wal-mart or Target. Its a good place to go and handle the camera and look into the lens but that’s about it.  My luck  has always has been, the person in housewares is covering for the expert in the camera  department and what you get is much misinformation.

Ultimately  , the  final decision  comes down to you ,what you can afford and what you feel comfortable with . I don’t think you should over spend when buying a point and shoot  as it seems all the models in the 100 -150 dollar price  will generally  do the same thing.I was always troubled  that  one year was all I could muster out of my point and shoot camera. In reality it wasn’t the cameras fault, it was mine.It was the  wrong tool for the job  as these will fail in the outdoors under abuse . Not to say someone will have luck with a certain model because people do and I hear it all the time.Again,  Research camera shops in your  local area and pay them a visit; talk to the pros.

So in the end , reach out to someone who knows, do limited research on line, and feel confident when you buy.The only reason I say limited research on- line is two fold.Just like the outdoors world, everyone seems to be pimping  a product for that  camera sponsorship AND it is mind blowing how much garbage information is  out there.  I did one night of research and I ended up more confused than when I had started my research .

Now I’m in the market for a DSLR and I just so happen to have a friend who is an editor for the Boston Herald .I have already hit him up for a guest blog on Wisconsin Outdoor Fun  about a article  on outdoor photography   but The New England Patriots keep on winning .  Maybe after the Packers beat the Patriots in the super bowl he’ll have some time…..

Stay tuned

TOUGH DESIGN

Waterproof, Shockproof, Dustproof, FreezeproofThe new TS3 is not only waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and dustproof, but it also features AVCHD Full HD recording capabilities. The tough and rugged design makes it the ideal choice for active users needing the ultimate hybrid for capturing both still and motion images during outdoor activities. Starting at the 28mm wide angle, and zooming up to a useful 128mm in telephoto, the TS3 gives users the flexibility for a variety of shooting environments – especially underwater, where movement is often restricted and the angle of view becomes important for composing shots.

Waterproof

The DMC-TS3 can be used in water to a depth of 12 meters. It supports active shooting on a beach, underwater or in a pool. When the camera gets dirty, simply rinse it off with soft and fresh water.

Shockproof

This camera has passed a drop test from 2 m in height in accordance with “MIL-STD 810F Method 516.5-Shock”. It lets you shoot actively while moving around with the camera in one hand

Freezeproof

With freezeproof up to -10°C, the TS3 supports shooting while skiing, snowboarding or ice skating.

Dustproof

With its rubber padding, reinforced glass and carbon resins inside the camera, the TS3 features an airtight body protected against water immersion, dust and sand. This is the perfect camera to take with you on all your outdoor activities.

Good Fishin!

WWW.FDLOUTDOORS.COM

The answer to the question is really two fold. Wisconsin has a strong representation of German Catholics who observe Lent. Lent is the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during a forty day period preceding Easter.  It eventually turned into a social event during prohibition years. Taverns needed a way to attract people to their businesses and often gave free fish dinners or lunches on Friday. Back  in the day, fish was easily obtained and was very inexpensive for taverns so it made for a good calling card. The Germans came to the country with the technology of frying foods and it was an easy way to rapidly prepare a lot of fish, thus the social “fish fry” was born. They often had beer and liquor as an “under the table” service and as the years past so did prohibition but the traditions of serving fish has lasted through the years. Today, taverns and eateries offer the fish fry on Wednesdays and Fridays regardless of religious orientation.

Being on the water countless hours in the summer allows me to have fresh fish on a fairly consistent basis. For me, gone are the days of tromping out to the restaurants only to find long lines and hours of waiting. I enjoy my fish fries right at home. I have a set up in my garage which is equipped with a stainless steel table and a Stainless Steel Profry by Presto. It’s a great little unit that breaks down nicely and makes for easy clean up.

So what makes a good fish fry? Good oil. Fish is one of those foods that you can prepare many ways and frying is one way to serve many people at once. The oil you fry your fish in is one of the most important parts of the fish fry. There is nothing worse than a soggy piece of walleye or perch. My favorite oil for cooking is Shore Lunch Miracle Frying Oil. It is a blend of vegetable oil, peanut oil and sunflower oil and is all natural. I like the oil because it withstands multiple fish fries. Many cheaper oils seem to break down after one use and never give that golden brown look to your filet. I might spend a little more money up front on the Shore lunch oil but I get multiple fish fries out of one batch of oil.

The batter people use in all Wisconsin fish fries is the most fabulous part of this great tradition. Every single person that fries fish brings their own twist to the make-up of the batter. Somewhat mystical, many people use closely coveted batter recipes that might have been passed down from generation to generation or from old time guides to fishermen. I hold close the adage, “less is more” when I fry fish. My preference is a lightly battered filet in an egg wash. Again, my favorite product is Shore Lunch as they have an array of choices depending on what I’m feeling. The sky is the limit when it comes to batters and the internet is a great source of information to find many more recipes. I would be remiss if I didn’t say a little something about our tartar sauce. There are many good choices on the store shelf but my all-time favorite is homemade. I combine a little Miracle Whip salad dressing and sweet pickle relish and it is the finest dipping sauce made.

Midwestern life is all about friends and family and sharing this simple meal is a great way to pass the time on any night of the week. Add a beer from your favorite local brewery and some American fries and you too can take part in this long standing Wisconsin tradition!”

One thing I like to do in the winter almost as much as I like to fish is to make lures.When my sons were learning the ropes a few years back there where days it seemed more casts were in the trees as were in the honey hole. Keeping three of us in lures got a little pricey . Good spinners like Panther Martins  are not cheap . They have quality components and usually never misfire when you start reeling them in.  Cheaper versions from big box stores are available but typically are frustrating to use. They won’t spin on many casts and the wire is thin and bend easily .  I decided to  start making my own lures a few years back and customizing  them how ever I see fit.   This really takes the edge off cabin fever . As I talked with my son this morning while we were making lures I could tell by the inflection in voice that he is as excited as me for the  inland stream opener. And they do work, Last year my third cast of the season landed me a 20 inch brown which ended up to be my biggest of the season.