Waves were high

We had reserved a boat to go offshore yellowtail fishing in the Sea of Japan for today, and fortunately the weather turned better than previous days. Though the waves were very high, we could manage to spend a day on the sea.  

Yellowtail, especially smaller ones, were so active that we could enjoy catching them almost every time we fell down a jig into the sea. The fever time continued for about one hour. I caught a nice mackerel, too. Our family members like to eat pickled mackerel for New Year's food, so I felt very happy to catch it. After almost everyone on the boat caught 15-20 each, we moved to another point to target bigger ones. Soon after we got there, I could catch a bigger yellowtail. Then, unusual for me, I felt seasick, and to make things worse both of my feet got wet as my old boots got swamped. I was not in the mood to continue fishing any more, and I stayed in the cabin until we returned to the port. Anyway, it was very nice to have a chance to go fishing during this season of the year and catch a lot of fish to eat. 

Final race of 2014

As I did in the past, I ran a marathon today (23 Dec) as the final race of the year. I have not worked out so hard these months, and I ran only 9 times, a total of 150 km in the previous 30 days. The top of my left foot is still swelling up, though I feel little pain there.

This time, I did nothing special for the race. No weight reduction, no long time carbo-loading, and no special diet, either. I had a little more rice than usual yesterday, but that's all. I was relaxing just before the race, because I had no thought to push myself hard.

However, something in my own mind made me change the policy just after I heard the starting pistol. It said, "Run as hard as possible! No pain, no gain!" I felt very exhausted from the beginning, but I kept running. The pace was rather slower than previous races, but I ran hard. When I finally reached a point around 40 km distance, I suddenly felt I was totally refreshed and restored. Then, I decided to try to be a homestretch runner and put out a last spurt. I was surprised to find I could use all my strength that was left. The final pace was 4m20-30s/km, which was not too bad. It was a fantastic race that I made the most. 

My result: 3h32m16s (net)

    

ABU 5000C, 1981 model

I finally got an ABU Ambassadeur 5000C made in 1981, which may be one of the last 5000C's made in so-called old style, excluding later replicas like 1984 models. The foot number (811204) shows that it was made in December 1981.

I find three major differences from previous models (1976-1978 ones that I have in my collection, and presumably from 1979-1980 models as well).

(1) The drag wheel has 4 arms (4-point star).
(2) The color of gear plate (brake plate) is silver, not black.
(3) The color of screws are not shinny chrome, but dull-looking brass.

These characteristics look almost the same as another example of 1981 model that Mr. Fred Ribb kindly shows here (#811104). Thanks, Fred!

Kit

When I was a kid, I was always interested in 'kit lures' or 'lure kit'. They made me feel to gain something more and special. At that time, I didn't know such kits included one or two lures that you would never use. I did find this truth much later.

Now, I know such lure kits are also nice to be displayed on the walls. I like these new natural-colored Fred Arbogast lures, and they look beautiful in the package.

This old Mepps Basser kit is also nicely made. The box is gorgeous and printed with good pictures of fishers with big fish. They're smiling and look very happy.

This is a scan from 1992 Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World catalog. I should have bought all of these Mepps lure kits for my collection. These are still available now, but I like older ones much better. 

Last bass fishing

It's been rainy since early morning, but very warm for this season of the year. 

I was thinking today would be the final opportunity to go bass fishing during this season, and went to bed early last night. I visited a pond which is relatively large and deep among those around my place, as I expected it would have warmer water than others. I started fishing at 05:50, but it was still very dark and I needed a light to tie and change lures. 

Plenty of fallen leaves were floating on the water surface, and I felt difficulties to fish with topwater lures. However, I kept casting them, and did cast no diving lures. I managed to have a few reactions from fish, and I could catch one with a Heddon Meadow Mouse. This fish showed a good blow-up with splash just after I gave three consecutive actions to my mouse bait, and then I set a hook hard immediately. I didn't want to let it go away, so I cautiously reeled my line and finally caught it. It was a small bass, but I felt very happy with it. After I caught it, the rain got harder and harder, and I decided to finish fishing much earlier than I expected. I also decided to close the circle of bass fishing of 2014 today. I'd like to clean my float tube, waders, and fins to winterize until next spring.

Today's tackle: ABU Ambassdeur 5000CDL, Fenwick Boron-X (XCA-554 or 555, hand-customed), Stren Hi-Vis Green 14lb, Heddon Zara Spook (2nd), Chugger Spook, Meadow Mouse, Lucky 13, Big Bud, Gilmore Hoodler, etc.

BF=17/30

Finished a marathon

Just five years have passed since I first tried a marathon race. 

Today, I ran the same race as I did five years ago. To be honest, I have been ill-prepared for it. Since I ran the 100 km race in Sep, I have not worked out so hard. I ran only 155 km in Oct, and 110 km in Nov before today's race. I don't want to excuse, but I've been very busy working these days. Moreover, I have a strange feeling on the top of my left foot after I once laced up my new shoes too tight. It still swells up, so I decided not to push myself so hard.

The race started at 10:30, and it turned sunny when we started. I ran at almost the same pace through the race. Before I started, I planned to maintain 5m25s/km, but I changed it to 5m10s-5m15s/km, as I felt both of the weather and my physical conditions were not too bad. In the first half, many runners passed through me, but in the latter half only a few did. On the contrary, I passed through a lot of runners, especially when I ran slopes. Passing through other runners is very exciting, and I could finish on a good note. Now I feel almost no fatigue and no pain on my legs. I'm planning to run another marathon in the end of this year and I'd like to enjoy it, too.

My record: 3h41m29s (1h50m29s + 1h51m00s)

Balsa 50 Special

Retrom has issued some special Balsa 50 lures, and now three new colors, which are painted in tribute to old Bagley lures, I believe) are for sale. That reminds me that I have some old ones in my tackle boxes. The perch one (with a thick lip engraved as Balsa 50 on it) is the first Balsa 50 that I got in my life. My memory serves I bought it in a fishing tackle shop in Osaka in 1980 or 1981. I went there with a good fishing buddy of mine, and I also remember he bought a Speedstick rod and a Diamond Micon reel. It was a real good day of shopping.

I bought the white coachdog and parrot ones a little later, as they're newer ones. You can see some changes on the body shape and lip.

I also found these special lures in an old box of mine, too. You can see 'FSS SPECIAL' marked on the back. Yes, these were special lures ordered by a famous fishing tackle shop in Osaka, Fishing Salon Shinsaibashi. Both were originally designed as deep-running lures, but I cut the lips to change them to shallow-runners, as I intended to use them as topwater baits.

GRA Tiger, again

As far as I know, there are six different color patterns of GRA Heddon Tiger lures. I wanted to completely collect all the six, and finally I did it.

(1) Black lip w/ black back

 (2) Clear lip w/ black lip

 (3) Green lip w/ black lip

(4) Yellow (light green) lip w/ black back

(5) Yellow (light green) lip w/o black on the back

And, the last one is here.

(6) Red-pupil Tiger

I'm very happy to get this beautiful lure in my collection. I also find it has a different logo on the belly from other five ones. Someday, I'd like to reveal it.

Garden shop

It was a sunny day today, and I ran 20km at a racing pace in the morning. It was a good workout. In the afternoon, my wife, who loves gardening, took me to a garden shop, though, to be truthful, I'm not so interested in terrestrial plants. While she's browsing through the shop, I enjoyed taking pictures there. A big surprise I found was that a small cute creature (I often call it a 'bait' when I fish) lived in a birdhouse and looked over here. Do you see it in the pictures below?

 

Put my room straight

In the long night of an autumn day, I started to put my room straight, but it was compounded. I'm afraid I can't finish it, as it is so full of fishing tackle.
 

I have to give the ABU Toby bags an airing. I find I also have green and navy ones.

  

I displayed my ABU Ambassadeur 5000C's in chronological order. It is said that the first model was made in circa 1967, and I have at least one in each production year of 1967-1978, and reproduction of 1984. This reel was also manufactured in 1979-1981, but I have not collected them. 

I also organized fishing tackle collection that I named 'All That Takeshi Kaiko (a prominent novelist, essayist, documentary writer, and fisher)'. 

I tried to do out my Chugger collection, but I gave it up. I have to many to handle. Among my Chugger Spooks, there are some standard colors that you may overlook, if you don't pay much attentions to subtle differences. These colors below can be much more difficult to get than you expect.
   

RH (w/ sprayed pupils and black eye-shadows around eyes, clear belly)

XRW (w/ sprayed pupils)

XRS (w/ sprayed pupils and silver scale on the back)

BF (Yellow-eyed one and one w/ yellow eye-shadows)