Part 1

You can’t help but get a little fired up over what your fishing buddy has to say.  You sensed how excited he was when you first picked up the phone.

“I’m telling you,” he said, “you gotta get some of these things.  They really work.  You know how hard our lake gets pounded on weekends.  Well, I was out there Sunday and it one of the best days I’ve ever had.  Any chance you can get away sometime this week so I can show you what I’m talking about?”

The “things” your friend on the phone was talking about that evening were Smile Blades.  Smile Blades, of course, are the smile shaped, Mylar plastic spinner blades marketed by Mack’s Lure, of Wenatchee, Washington.

What you really need do to maximize your success with Smile Blades is get a variety of colors and sizes.  Keep changing until you find the one the fish are telling you they want.  It's not always going to be the same. This is one of the key secrets of some of the nation's top professional walleye anglers.

You’d heard about these blades before your buddy pounded your ear about their effectiveness.  You figured you’d give them a try yourself sometime but just hadn’t gotten around to doing so.  You knew your favorite store had them in stock.  You decided you stop and get some on your way home work tomorrow.

When you got to the sporting goods store the following day you found yourself facing a question countless others new to these plastic fish-catching spinner blades have encountered.  What the heck color and size should I have for starters?

Any time I try to provide guidance where the most effective color of fishing lures is concerned I turn to the executives of the company who are selling them.  There’s no better yardstick than sales records when it comes to measuring the success of any given product.

The top man at Mack's Lure is no stranger to landing lunkers.  Bob Schmidt had almost more than he could handle when he nailed this whopper.  This beautiful salmon smacked a Mack's Lure Sledge Hammer.

Since I’ve had those color questions about Smile Blades a number of times myself recently, I called my friend Bob Schmidt.  Bob is the likeable and unassuming president of Mack’s Lure.  He doesn’t seek the spotlight but he’s been guiding his company to increased sales ever since he took over.  I figured if anybody had the answers on the most effective Smile Blade colors he would.

And I was right---he did.  He also had some other thoughts about Smile Blades that it pleases me to share with you.  Utilizing his thoughts in your own angling activities will undoubtedly help put more fish in the boat.

“We presently sell our Smile Blades in 30 different colors,” Schmidt says.  “The single best selling color is chartreuse and number two is silver.”

Bob went on to explain that’s it’s next to impossible to just say this or that color Smile Blade is the single best selling shade because some colors---like chartreuse---come in several different patterns.

“Like I said,” Schmidt says, “chartreuse is the best selling color, but keep in mind that our chartreuse color Smile Blade comes in five different patterns.  They are chartreuse scale, sparkle, black tiger, red tiger and mirror patterns.”

The multiple shades of these easy-turning and lightweight fish attractors are the main reason I’m forever encouraging anglers to get a copy of the Mack’s Lure catalog or to visit the company’s web site at www.mackslure.com.

It’s not that difficult to do one or both.  If you have computer access, you can check things out for yourself in short order.  Getting your own copy of the current catalog isn’t difficult either.  Just call the company to place your request.  The toll-free number is 1800 525-8737.

You don’t have to visit with the head man at Mack’s Lure long before you realize he has other thoughts where Smile Blades are concerned.   One thing you’ll discover early on is he thinks there are other things to consider that are every bit as important as color or blade patterns.

Chartreuse and silver are the top selling colors of Mack's Lure Smile Blades.  This is a tad misleading because although these basic colors are most popular, they also come in a variety of patterns.

Again---nobody knows more about baits than the people who bring them to market.  Not a day goes by that they don’t hear from anglers who have questions or comments.  And those questions and comments may come from fishermen in widely separated areas of the country.  They may also deal with different species of fish.

It’s always a learning experience to have a chance to visit with someone like Bob Schmidt.  He had numerous other thoughts regarding his company’s spinner blades.  I’ll share more of his comments in my next column.  Watch for it beginning Oct. 15.

-To Be Continued-