Lure of the week
Lure name: Dartspin
Company: A Band of Anglers (abandofanglers.com)
Lure type: Soft plastic
Sizes and colors: Available in a 5.5-inch model in 18 colors, including black ’n blue, green pepper, solid pearl, purple pearly, glow, copper mine and see-through clear gold.
Target species: Largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, striped bass and other species, including saltwater varieties.
Technique: The Dartspin is a soft bait with a twist. Its minnow-shaped body has a blade in its tail. It can, the manufacturer says, be fished on a weedless hook, jig head, dropshot rig, Carolina or Texas rigged, or retrieved on top (or deep) with a circle hook through its nose. The Dartspin can be added as a trailer for bucktail jigs, bass jigs, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. The action it offers varies based on the technique, it seems. The body, meanwhile, is made of a durable plastic to resist tearing.
Sugg. retail price: $8 for a two-pack.
Notable: There’s a new version of this lure, which debuted in 2018, coming in 2020. A Band of Anglers announced it has created a “Wormspin,” which, as its name suggests, is a soft plastic worm with a blade at the rear end.
Tip of the week
Archery hunting seasons are still months away, but that doesn’t mean you should wait to start getting ready. Now is the time to practice with your bow. Just don’t overdo it. Going into the backyard or to the range and shooting 50, 60, 70 arrows or more can hurt as much as help. Fatigue leads to bad habits that are hard to break. Instead, take a few less shots, but really concentrate on making each and every one of them your best, as if it was your chance at a deer in the fall.
Recipe of the week
Mexican walleye ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh walleye (or other white fish, like yellow perch), cooked
- 2 limes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ Serrano pepper, diced (and minus the seeds)
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- Salt to taste
- Tabasco sauce to taste
Directions
Here’s a fun recipe from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources that makes a great appetizer. And, once the fish is done, there’s no more cooking involved, so it’s easy to make.
Cook walleyes in a light oil until flaky. Let cool.
When it’s ready, mix with cilantro, onion and peppers in a glass bowl. Coat with lime juice.
Place that in the refrigerator and let cool for 15 minutes.
When you take it out, add salt and Tabasco to taste and serve with chips.
