Stan Fagerstrom
03-29-2003, 05:51 AM
Pacific Northwest Steelhead Gobble
Soft Plastic Lures Made in Florence
By Stan Fagerstrom
Almost 25 years ago a man who used to live in Southern California moved to the growing community of Florence on the Central Oregon Coast.
This guy loved to fish. One of the reasons he moved to Oregon was because he'd heard so much about the state's wondrous steelhead fishing. He had been hooked on fishing since his grandpa introduced him to the sport when he was about 3-years-old. He had also learned that there was an abundance of good steelhead water within a half-hour's drive of where he planned to make his new home.
One of the first things this fellow did when he got to Florence was start learning about steelhead fishing. He learned fast and he learned well. Today that same man is teaching others how to hook those beautiful migratory fish. And more than that---he's even making a living building the baits that make it easier to do so.
The man I'm talking about is Tony Tantalo, the vice president of Outlaw Baits. The Outlaw Baits production facility is in located Florence. Tony's job requires his presence at the Florence plant a good share of the time. When it doesn't you'll find him on one of the area rivers testing the lures his company manufactures. Tony's face is familiar to lots of Florence residents. For 16 years he held a number of different jobs with the local Safeway supermarket.
http://www.ifish.net/sftt1.jpg
Tony Tantalo fishes his plastic worms just as he would fish a bait of fresh eggs. Here's proof that his methods get results!
Outlaw Baits specializes in the production of soft plastic lures. It has been in business in Florence for about the past five years. For most of the time its products have been available only in bulk to wholesale outlets for resale both in the United States and in foreign countries.
That picture changed last November. Outlaw Baits products are now available to retail sporting goods dealers. The distribution is still somewhat limited, but is growing. If tackle dealers don't have these lures in stock they can order them for you.
I had a chance to visit with Tantalo recently and I asked him to give me a rundown on one of the Outlaw Bait products I've heard Pacific Northwest steelheaders talking about. That particular product is called the Paddleworm. There's nothing involved about this dandy little steelhead catcher. It's simply a skinny little 4-inch plastic worm made in the bright colors that the sea-going rainbow always seem to favor.
It doesn't mean squat to know the name of a lure steelhead favor unless you know the proper method of presenting it to them. I asked Tantalo for his thoughts in this regard.
"You may have heard, as I did," Tony says, "that the best way to fish a plastic worm for steelhead is to rig it beneath a bobber. That does catch fish, but there's another method that works equally well with the proper technique.
"I've been fishing our Paddleworm the last couple of years in the same fashion I'd fish a bait of eggs. I rig it beneath a sinker on about 18-inches of leader. Then I cast upstream and across and let it drift down. I adjust my weight so I can feel the sinker touching bottom every so often as the worm wiggles its way downstream."
If you've spent years drifting egg baits on Pacific Northwest rivers, and I have, you're aware how difficult it can sometimes be to tell for certain when a fish has picked up. Now and then a 15-pound steelhead taps egg bait like a 10-inch trout nibbles on a worm.
Tantalo says one of the advantages of the Outlaw Baits Paddleworm is that fish take it in a more aggressive fashion. "I think it's easier to learn the 'steelheading ropes' using these worms," Tantalo says. "Sometimes the strike is just a strong tug. Other times it might almost jerk the rod out of your hands."
The veteran bait maker also has another piece of advice where these worms are concerned. "Don't fool around if you miss a fish," he says. "Throw your worm right back out there and let it drift down again. Odd are good the fish is going to come back and grab it again."
I asked Tantalo to provide the specifics on how he usually rigs a 4-inch Paddleworm. As I've mentioned, he uses a tubular lead sinker on a drop line at the top end of 18-inches of leader. His leader is usually 10 or 12-pound test. He slides a small, fluorescent orange Corkie onto his leader to ride above the hook. The hook itself is a Number 1 VMC. The hook is inserted about an inch back of the head of the worm. (Note the illustrations that accompany this column.)
http://www.ifish.net/sfbp1.jpg
Here's one of Tony Tantalo's favorite methods of rigging a Paddleworm.
While this is a typical rig, it's by no means the only one Tantalo employs. Have a chance to visit with him about steelheading and you're a cinch to hear him stress the need to stay "loose" in your approach to the sport. "Don't get locked in to just one way of doing things," he emphasizes. "If one color worm doesn't produce, try a different one. If the worm and Corkie combination doesn't get hits, try using the worm with yarn."
When this likeable Florence expert does use yarn with his worm he favors a type called "Glissen Glass" that's available in well stocked yarn shops. Tony uses this yarn in a fluorescent pink shade that has tiny tinsel-like strands. He attaches the yarn by running it through an egg loop snell at the head of his hook. "You can use eggs with the Paddleworm if you want," he says, "but I usually don't. I do use fish-attracting scents."
Tantalo favors a couple of different scents. Both are also Oregon-made products. One is Pro-Cure the other is Smelly Jelly. He applies one or the other to his worms about every 10-minutes. "Sometimes," he says, "I place both my worms and scent in a plastic bag the night before I'm going fishing and just let the worms soak up the odor." Though some plastic lures come already impregnated with odor, Tantalo is convinced it's much more effective to do the job yourself.
Outlaw Baits also manufactures a second soft plastic worm especially for steelhead fishing. It's called a Rippleworm. At 5-inches it's an inch longer than the Paddleworm and has a bit more tail action. As I mentioned before, Tantalo believes in giving the fish a choice. He may start with his favorite Paddleworm, but if it doesn't get results, off it comes and it might be a different colored Rippleworm he ties on to replace it.
http://www.ifish.net/sfrp1.jpg
These are the worms Tony Tantalo uses for steelhead. The Rippleworm on the left is the largest of the two worms.
I learned long ago to always pay particular attention to what a lure maker has to say about his products. Why? Because nobody wants you and me to catch fish on those products more than the guy who makes them. Your success and mine will determine just how successful that lure maker is going to be. No lure remains on a tackle dealer's shelf very long unless it's catching fish. Often the guys who produce the lures that do stick around have spent countless hours on the water to determine how their lures need to be used to get best results.
Tony Tantalo was doing his share of research, and establishing his credentials as a steelheading expert, before he ever got into the bait building business. I've told you how he fishes one of his company's favorite products.
It doesn't require a whole lot of smarts to figure out that you'd likely be very wise to try the same approach.
Soft Plastic Lures Made in Florence
By Stan Fagerstrom
Almost 25 years ago a man who used to live in Southern California moved to the growing community of Florence on the Central Oregon Coast.
This guy loved to fish. One of the reasons he moved to Oregon was because he'd heard so much about the state's wondrous steelhead fishing. He had been hooked on fishing since his grandpa introduced him to the sport when he was about 3-years-old. He had also learned that there was an abundance of good steelhead water within a half-hour's drive of where he planned to make his new home.
One of the first things this fellow did when he got to Florence was start learning about steelhead fishing. He learned fast and he learned well. Today that same man is teaching others how to hook those beautiful migratory fish. And more than that---he's even making a living building the baits that make it easier to do so.
The man I'm talking about is Tony Tantalo, the vice president of Outlaw Baits. The Outlaw Baits production facility is in located Florence. Tony's job requires his presence at the Florence plant a good share of the time. When it doesn't you'll find him on one of the area rivers testing the lures his company manufactures. Tony's face is familiar to lots of Florence residents. For 16 years he held a number of different jobs with the local Safeway supermarket.
http://www.ifish.net/sftt1.jpg
Tony Tantalo fishes his plastic worms just as he would fish a bait of fresh eggs. Here's proof that his methods get results!
Outlaw Baits specializes in the production of soft plastic lures. It has been in business in Florence for about the past five years. For most of the time its products have been available only in bulk to wholesale outlets for resale both in the United States and in foreign countries.
That picture changed last November. Outlaw Baits products are now available to retail sporting goods dealers. The distribution is still somewhat limited, but is growing. If tackle dealers don't have these lures in stock they can order them for you.
I had a chance to visit with Tantalo recently and I asked him to give me a rundown on one of the Outlaw Bait products I've heard Pacific Northwest steelheaders talking about. That particular product is called the Paddleworm. There's nothing involved about this dandy little steelhead catcher. It's simply a skinny little 4-inch plastic worm made in the bright colors that the sea-going rainbow always seem to favor.
It doesn't mean squat to know the name of a lure steelhead favor unless you know the proper method of presenting it to them. I asked Tantalo for his thoughts in this regard.
"You may have heard, as I did," Tony says, "that the best way to fish a plastic worm for steelhead is to rig it beneath a bobber. That does catch fish, but there's another method that works equally well with the proper technique.
"I've been fishing our Paddleworm the last couple of years in the same fashion I'd fish a bait of eggs. I rig it beneath a sinker on about 18-inches of leader. Then I cast upstream and across and let it drift down. I adjust my weight so I can feel the sinker touching bottom every so often as the worm wiggles its way downstream."
If you've spent years drifting egg baits on Pacific Northwest rivers, and I have, you're aware how difficult it can sometimes be to tell for certain when a fish has picked up. Now and then a 15-pound steelhead taps egg bait like a 10-inch trout nibbles on a worm.
Tantalo says one of the advantages of the Outlaw Baits Paddleworm is that fish take it in a more aggressive fashion. "I think it's easier to learn the 'steelheading ropes' using these worms," Tantalo says. "Sometimes the strike is just a strong tug. Other times it might almost jerk the rod out of your hands."
The veteran bait maker also has another piece of advice where these worms are concerned. "Don't fool around if you miss a fish," he says. "Throw your worm right back out there and let it drift down again. Odd are good the fish is going to come back and grab it again."
I asked Tantalo to provide the specifics on how he usually rigs a 4-inch Paddleworm. As I've mentioned, he uses a tubular lead sinker on a drop line at the top end of 18-inches of leader. His leader is usually 10 or 12-pound test. He slides a small, fluorescent orange Corkie onto his leader to ride above the hook. The hook itself is a Number 1 VMC. The hook is inserted about an inch back of the head of the worm. (Note the illustrations that accompany this column.)
http://www.ifish.net/sfbp1.jpg
Here's one of Tony Tantalo's favorite methods of rigging a Paddleworm.
While this is a typical rig, it's by no means the only one Tantalo employs. Have a chance to visit with him about steelheading and you're a cinch to hear him stress the need to stay "loose" in your approach to the sport. "Don't get locked in to just one way of doing things," he emphasizes. "If one color worm doesn't produce, try a different one. If the worm and Corkie combination doesn't get hits, try using the worm with yarn."
When this likeable Florence expert does use yarn with his worm he favors a type called "Glissen Glass" that's available in well stocked yarn shops. Tony uses this yarn in a fluorescent pink shade that has tiny tinsel-like strands. He attaches the yarn by running it through an egg loop snell at the head of his hook. "You can use eggs with the Paddleworm if you want," he says, "but I usually don't. I do use fish-attracting scents."
Tantalo favors a couple of different scents. Both are also Oregon-made products. One is Pro-Cure the other is Smelly Jelly. He applies one or the other to his worms about every 10-minutes. "Sometimes," he says, "I place both my worms and scent in a plastic bag the night before I'm going fishing and just let the worms soak up the odor." Though some plastic lures come already impregnated with odor, Tantalo is convinced it's much more effective to do the job yourself.
Outlaw Baits also manufactures a second soft plastic worm especially for steelhead fishing. It's called a Rippleworm. At 5-inches it's an inch longer than the Paddleworm and has a bit more tail action. As I mentioned before, Tantalo believes in giving the fish a choice. He may start with his favorite Paddleworm, but if it doesn't get results, off it comes and it might be a different colored Rippleworm he ties on to replace it.
http://www.ifish.net/sfrp1.jpg
These are the worms Tony Tantalo uses for steelhead. The Rippleworm on the left is the largest of the two worms.
I learned long ago to always pay particular attention to what a lure maker has to say about his products. Why? Because nobody wants you and me to catch fish on those products more than the guy who makes them. Your success and mine will determine just how successful that lure maker is going to be. No lure remains on a tackle dealer's shelf very long unless it's catching fish. Often the guys who produce the lures that do stick around have spent countless hours on the water to determine how their lures need to be used to get best results.
Tony Tantalo was doing his share of research, and establishing his credentials as a steelheading expert, before he ever got into the bait building business. I've told you how he fishes one of his company's favorite products.
It doesn't require a whole lot of smarts to figure out that you'd likely be very wise to try the same approach.