Al’s Goldfish; Back with a Vengeance–Trout, Bass, Perch, Walleye Watch Out!

Yellow Perch love wobbly golden spoons, like Al's — **Yellow Perch love wobbly golden spoons, like Al’s**

Aptravelnews-Throw-back and forward- Goose Holler’ Farm-Several decades ago, I proudly owned a Mitchell 300 Spinning Reel with “fat” (compared to today’s diameters) 6-pound test monofilament, attached to a clear fiberglass spinning rod from the long gone, Davega, Brooklyn sporting goods store, and a small metal tackle box, (I still have today) whose little compartments contained the few lures I could buy, after begging my Grandfather David and Uncle Sid for a buck or two! In that steel, brown painted box was a shiny, golden metal lure called Al’s Goldfish. It shared compartment spaces with a Jitterbug, Hula Popper, a Mepp’s spinner or two, and 3-sizes of red and white, and black and white Daredevils spoons.

Playing with 5 of Al's Lures and after useing them to catch several fish, I popped the treble hook covers on and no finger hookups! — **Playing with 5 of Al’s Lures and after using them to catch several fish, I popped the treble hook covers on and no finger hookups!**

I lived in Brooklyn, New York in a tenement building with my mom, Mary, Dad, Nat and Brother Mike. My dad was an amputee (his toes) from being in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, during the Nazi War. He was an excellent musician, and never had the patience or interest to take me fishing. The only fishing I could reach at my early age, was when I cut school to head over to the nearby Brooklyn Navy Yard docks, and I let none of these lures ever touch the diesel coated waters, I used grizzle and fat I collected from my grandmothers garbage pail, impaled on a size 8-hook, under several pinch-on lead split shot, the kind a kid used his teeth to clamp them on the line with, and hoped for the tug of an eel, so I could yell triumphantly when I felt the bend and throb of the rod.

Only during the summer, when my grandfather rented a bungalow in the Catskill Mountains, did I choose to use my prized lures. Before I was 10-years old, I caught trout, bass and sunfish always referred to as “Bluegills” in the lake regions of upstate New York. My favorite lure then was Al’s Goldfish! All my lures worked, but the action this little shiny, gold-plated, brass spoon always offered, seemed to guide my hand at decision time, to tie one on, as I opened my treasure chest, tackle-box; like a Ouija -board pointer, my fingers selected the “gold.” Many years, and trillions of gallons of rushing waters later, I heard that Al’s Goldfish had been languishing in the hands of folks that finally sold the business and patents to someone new, a young entrepreneur named Mike Lee from Maine. From all indications he is dedicated to resurrecting Al’s Goldfish to the “top-of-the-mind” of freshwater anglers once again and genuinely wishes to offer jobs to Americans as well.

I’m here to tell you, even though I’ve drifted over to the fly fishing genre of fishing, I still love and use spin, conventional and if I have to, in far-away places like the Congo, for one of the many places I’ve fished; hand-lines too! Look for more on Al’s Goldfish story and heritage in upcoming posts. www.alsgoldfish.com

As you will see, from Al’s new Living Lures, to Field and Stream naming Al’s as one of the “Top Ten Lures” and still being made only in the USA, together with Al’s treble hook covers, as Arnold said: “Al’s be back!!!!

**Always like great fishing tools and Frabill makes excellent fishing pliers and forceps to help preserve the fingers and the fish when unhooking them!**

Als new Living Lures have just been introduced and I tried a fingerling bass. Bass are more than big mouthed predators, they are also cannibalistic! 1st cast, hit hard! — **Al’s new Living Lures have just been introduced and I tried a fingerling bass. Bass are more than big mouthed predators, they are also cannibalistic! 1st cast, hit hard!**

Huge SHE Expo At Chattanooga Convention Center Starts Tomorrow!

**A Click-It Hot for any body part: neck and shoulder, hand and legs, back-anywhere theirs pain or warmth is important as in ice fishing, hunting, boating, birding, etc.**

From APtravelnews–July 23rd, Chattanooga, TN.-Click-it Hot Use It Cold wants you to join Nichole Bogner at the 7th Annual SHE Expo! Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26-11 a.m. – 6 p.m. At Chattanooga Convention Center Booth # 515.

Nichole Bogner will be managing the Click-It Hot Use It Cold booth.. Click-It Hot will be donating 15% of total sales to the families of the victims of the shooting at the Marine recruitment office that happened on the 16th of July in Chattanooga. Please stop by the Click-It Hot booth and assist them in raising funds for the families of this horrible tragedy!

Note* Click-It Hot will be working with Peyton Manning’s effort in fundraising for the new “Heroes Fund” to honor the Marine Recruitment Office shootings! www.clickithot.com for additional information contact bobandbarb@aptravelnews.com

A Charter Boat Called “Paradise” Skippered by Capt. Steve Skevington in the Gulf of Mexico

Left to Right: Gary Smith, Captain Steve Skevington and Dennis Macalister holding a 25-inch Red Grouper caught in "Paradise." — **Left to Right: Gary Smith, Captain Steve Skevington and Dennis Macalister holding a 25-inch Red Grouper caught in “Paradise.”**

APtravelnews–July 22, Marina at Cape Haze Englewood, FL.–Barb and I, along with friends and business associates from Click-It Hot Use It Cold, had a bus-mans holiday after the ICAST, Giant fishing show in Orlando, FL. The grouper, lane snapper and very large grunts bit sardines and cut grunts, like rabid squirrels. We released, between 5 of us fishing; more than 75 fish, most under size slots, but the group of us took home a fine assortment of legal fillets to prepare and eat at our respective homes. The real story here is the very capable Captain Steve, who with his mate Deone, made it all worthwhile and an enjoyable experience. We spotted dolphin and curious giant sea turtles, Frigate birds circled, and flying fish glided by too! The Cape Haze Marina was clean, loaded with snook that took the cuttings at the cleaning table and gained weight and length-they were beautiful! An alligator also partook in the cleaning table carcasses after Steve sliced and diced with his electric filet knife. Go fish with very knowledgeable and friendly Captain Steve on the Paradise, by going to the booking number of 941-575-3528 and check out www.paradisefishingcharters.com Rods will bend on the 35-foot charter craft called “Paradise.”