From 10/12/00</font id=blue>
by Captain Pat McGriff
Copied by permission, from Woods’n Water Magazine
Three Years ago, Bill Hall of Precision Tackle asked me to field-test four of the newest prototypes of his weighted Equalizer, on of which was destined to be later named “Cajun Thunder.”
It seems his Louisiana tackle distributors and guides, who should have been eager customers for his original Equalizer product, weren’t. One after another, they told him that the only cork a Cajun would use was a weighted one. The reasoning was simple, as most inshore fishing on the Louisiana is done in a backwater network of canals, creeks, and small bays, and the boat is anchored. Water is covered with a series of casts, then the boat is moved to yet another spot etc. A weighted cork is therefore a must to accomplish long casts from a static position.
So, after I tried the floats and let the fish decide which one was best, I called Bill and talked to him about the success of each prototype. But, I quickly informed him that I was not going to be able to use the new weighted Equalizer to fish my live pinfish, as I was sure they could not compare to my weighted Comal #27W popping corks. Well, Bill was patient and said, “Pat all I can do is send them to you and ask you to try them.” I agreed to give them a try.
To give them a fair trial, I decided to test them out with my clients. I placed identical outfits with identical rigs, except for the Cajun Thunder or popping cork, in my client’s hands. I simply started the day with the following statement, “O>K> I am trying these new pink things (the color Thunders I chose to use) against the popping corks I have been using for over twenty years. If at any time during the day you want to use what the other angler has you just tell me.” I did not say what I expected, and didn’t care which way it went; after all, I was going to use what worked the best, regardless of who made them or how much they cost. Well, to an angler, every time anyone asked to cha