Brian Albert Broom

Getting Ahead of Myself

2009-07-09T01:35:00.000-05:00

When I wrote about my .360 Dan Wesson cartridges in my Handi-Rifle, I kind of got ahead of myself. I should have blogged about the firing pin issue before.

As those of you who read this already know, I had pierced primers with two different proven loads in the brand new gun. One was a .357 Magnum load and the other a .38 Special target load. I could tell the firing pin was traveling far too deep into the primers.

I took it to Surplus City and the gunsmith agreed. He called to make sure I wanted him to shorten it, as it would probably void the warranty. My response was that if the manufacturer couldn't get it right the first time, they probably wouldn't on the second try either. Plus, with all the reports I've read about their slow service, I just didn't want to deal with them.

Within a few days, my gun was ready and obviously shooting fine. And, at a price that rivaled shipping it to H&R.

What a Difference

2009-07-07T01:00:00.001-05:00

When you work on a project for a long time, it gets harder and harder to remember where you started.

That has been the case with a boat restoration I've been working on for the last several months. One little improvement after another....they add up over time. They add up to so much change, I had forgotten what the boat looked like when we started. Gallons of polyurethane and enough sandpaper to cover a football later and it is coming together.

As I have said before, it has been a learning experience. One lesson learned is that you can polyurethane over varnish and it will dry. Some people think it won't, but it will. Just sand the varnish, clean off the dust, then lightly coat with quick-drying polyurethane. The first coat takes a while to dry, but it will and you can see the results in the photos of the parlor.

Another lesson I learned the hard way is that you can quickly sand through the veneer of stain-grade luan plywood, especially if there is even the slightest ridge in it. I also learned that you can almost match the color of luan to that of teak, but the grain will never look even close. I did end up using some luan, but only in places where it was not easily seen. That saved a lot of time by not having teak shipped and it saved a bundle of cash.

That said, I'm going to stop blogging now and get back on it...I'm still nowhere close to finished.

Caldwell Lead Sled

2009-07-06T01:00:00.002-05:00

While shooting recently, I used my friend Chuck Best's Caldwell Lead Sled. Shooting a .357 Magnum rifle, it wasn't exactly needed for recoil management, so we just used it without lead shot bags. Very comfortable, very solid.

I've used it before with 45-70's, 300 Short Mag., and a 7mm Weatherby Magnum and it all but removed recoil from those shoulder bruisers when you weight it down with lead shot. When you have several rifles or several loads you need to shoot in one trip to the range, you will really appreciate the Lead Sled. At about $150, it isn't cheap, but it is worth it.

Caldwell makes several models of rests and other shooting accessories. You can check out their site at http://www.caldwellshooting.com/

D'Lo Water Park Special

2009-07-05T01:00:00.001-05:00

I talked with D'Lo Water Park manager Chris McPhail recently and he told me about a really good special they have to promote the park.

They are running a special on canoe rentals, $15 for a canoe for two people for the day. Can't beat that. For some reason, that park seems to be often overlooked even though it is located so close to Jackson.

I've spent a lot of hours on the Strong River over the last 20 years or so and it is beautiful. One of the great things about it is that it is largely free of man-made structures like camps. In most areas of the Strong, you feel like you're miles from civilization.

It's a great trip for kids as well. There are white sand beaches along the way and some very close to the park. They are great places to stop for lunch and for swimming. The river also offers great fishing and encounters with wildlife that you don't see everyday, like the softshell turtle in the photo we saw while putting in our canoe at the water park.

The water park has both primitive camping areas and RV areas with hook-ups. They also have canoe shuttle service. To cool off in the summer, the rapids in the park are a popular spot. (I was told that area is where the Sirens scene of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou was filmed.)

You can check out thir web site at D'Lo Water Park Website or call Chris McPhail at 610-847-4310.

The website is very informative and includes a lot of history of the river and the area Check it out, I've spent many days and nights on the Strong and always look forward to going back.

First .360 Dan Wesson Test

2009-07-03T00:01:00.003-05:00

I was pretty anxious to see what my .357 Magnum Handi-Rifle was going to do with .360 Dan Wesson cartridges. After shooting, I couldn't have been happier.

I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, so our target limited us to 25 yards. That was fine, my goal was to compare accuracy between different loads and to test for pressure problems, not to sight it in.

After firing one round of each load, there were no problems whatsover. I used 180 gr. Hornady XTP's, Starline brass, Winchester magnum small pistol primers and Hodgdon Lil' Gun powder. The first load had 15 grains of powder, the second 16 grains and the third had 17.

No flattened primers, no pierced primers, easy casing extraction, nothing unusual to indicate pressure issues.

The only thing that was somewhat unusual was case fouling. When I first shot the gun, I was using regular .357 cases and got a lot of fouling on the casing. On the 15 grain load, I got the same fouling on the .360 cases. On the 16 grain load, I got substantially less and on the 17 grain load there was no fouling. I have no idea what the dynamics of this are, I guess I'll do more research.

As expected, there were no problems with the .357 Handi-Rifle on the SB-1 frame.

As for accuracy, it was a little hard to tell at 25 yards. But, the 17 grain load looked to be the tightest of the three. Three shots in one ragged hole.

Now I'm going to go back to the reloading bench and try 18 grain loads. If I get the same or better accuracy at about 75 yards, I'll go with the 18 grain loads and stop there.

BTW, you can go back in my earlier posts and read more about what I' doing with this almost forgotten cartridge. And, as usual, this is working for me in my gun. It may not work in yours. Be careful.

Caveman Steak

2009-07-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

I was watching a cooking segment on The Today Show one morning this week and they had a guest chef with a creative way to cook steaks, Caveman Steaks to be exact. He cooked them directly on natural coals that he had blown the ash off of. Everyone was wowed.

I started thinking about it and that method was more than just familiar, it was one I remembered quite well. So, I pulled out my 1979 Boy Scout manual (yes, I actually knew where it was) and there it was, Caveman Steak.

There were quite a few useful things in the manual I had never really learned or had forgotten about. With so much of my time spent on the water these days, there were several things in there that I need to learn.

Speeding Up the Process

2009-07-01T00:27:00.002-05:00

As I've said before, casting your own bullets can be very easy and inexpensive; requiring little more than a pot, a mold and some heat source to melt the lead.

For years, I have melted my lead in an old pot over coal or charcoal. This works pretty well, but you do spend some time tending your fire and getting the temperature correct.

In an effort to get my temperature more consistent, I tried using an old propane camp stove I had. Absolute failure. It took forever to melt the lead and it never really got hot enough to fill out the mold. So, I finally broke down and got a Lee melting pot for about $50. Talk about money well spent.

It claims to melt 8 pounds of lead in 20 minutes, mine is noticeably faster. In addition to that, the lead pours from the bottom. so you don't need to constantly skim impurities from the top. And once you get your lead up to temperature, about 700 degrees, it stays there. This has really shortened my casting time and gives me consistent results.

Just read the directions and keep your ingot mold (I use an old muffin tin) under the spout for drips and spills.

.360 Dan Wesson

2009-06-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

Getting up early on a Saturday before the sun turned my workshop into a sauna gave me a chance to work on some .360 Dan Wesson bullets for my .357 Handi-Rifle.

The .360 DW was developed several years ago to increase the power of a standard .357 Magnum without increasing the pressure and cartridge length to that of the .357 Maximum (sometimes called the .357 Supermag). The .357 Magnum case is 1.29", the .360 DW is 1.41" and the .357 Maximum is 1.6". I didn't have any .357 Max brass so I shot a picture comparing, from left to right, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .360 Dan Wesson cases.

As you might have guessed, the .360DW came and went. It was viewed as a target round and apparently never taken seriously as a hunting round. After seeing what a standard .357 Mag will do to a deer shot from a pistol, I think it will be more than adequate as a rifle cartridge since my average shot is about fifty yards or less. Brass is available from Starline Brass online and only costs about $58 for 250 casings, shipping included. Also, you can still get Remington .357 Max brass as well. Cabela's has it in stock, if you can believe that.

A lot of folks ream the chambers of their .357 Magnum Handi-Rifles to a .357 Maximum and almost all have reported improved accuracy. This removes very little metal from the barrel as the chambers in Handi's are way too long. I just didn't want to ream mine and decided to go with the .360DW as it fits with room to spare. This allows for more accuracy as the bullet is seated closer to the rifling and allows for a little more power due to an increase in case capacity while still operating at safe pressures for the SB1 frame.

While it does allow for more power, my main goal is improved accuracy so I started my test loads at the published maximum for the .357 Magnum. (The extra case length will decrease the pressure using the same amount of powder and bullet) I started with four bullets loaded with 15 grains of Lil' Gun and a Hornady 180 grain XTP. I did two more loads of four each using 16 grains of LG and then 17 grains. I wrote on each case what load was used in two places with a Sharpie to avoid any confusion. When I get to a shooting bench, I'll test each for signs of too much pressure. Then, barring any problems, I'll test each for accuracy and speed.

Until then, if anyone has a .357 Magnum Handi on an SB2 frame they want to part with, I'll sure turn it into a .357 Max and test some full house loads in it.

45-70 Bullet Mold

2009-06-27T10:14:00.004-05:00

I finally have a weekend that I'm spending at home, one of few in several months. So, I had a chance to get out to the workshop and do some bullet work. Among some other bullet-related projects I have on hand, I decided to get some 45-70 bullets made.

Several weeks ago I ordered a Lee mold for a 340 grain, .457 flat-nose bullet. I've tried it once before, but that was more of a test run for another new piece of equipment. This time I was concentrating on getting some bullets cast and at 5:30 am I was in my workshop playing with bullets. (I wanted to get out there before it got scorching hot)

The mold worked like a charm. Within four pours, I was getting perfect bullets. Dropping them was a bit difficult sometimes and I had to shake them out, but it was no big deal.

Last time I used it, I dropped the bullets into a five-gallon plastic bucket filled with water with a wash cloth in the bottom. (Water quenching hardens lead more than air cooling) This didn't work. The bullets are so large and heavy, they sometimes deformed when they hit the bottom as they were still hot and soft. This time I put a full-size towel in the bottom and it worked great. I had to remove bullets from the water every six or so pours to keep them from hitting each other when I dropped them from the mold.

After about an hour (this includes the time it took to get set up and then melt my lead) I had fifty perfect bullets.

For use in a Handi-Rifle, they came out of the mold ready to go. While Lee says they are .457, my micrometer measured them at .459. Since by all accounts Handi's like slightly bigger bullets, I'm thinking there is no reason to size them to the standard .458. Now time to lube them.

I have used Lee Liquid Alox for a while with no problems. I just gently place my bullets in a Zip-Lock bag, squirt a little lube over them (it does not take much) and gently move them around in the closed bag until they are all coated. Now all I had to do was remove them (I wear latex surgical-type gloves to remove them...Alox is messy!) and place them base down on wax paper to dry for 24 hours.

With any luck, I'll be able to make it out to a shooting bench soon and report on the accuracy of the loads I plan to try.

Restoring a Sailboat

2009-06-23T09:48:00.002-05:00

I mentioned in a recent blog that I have spent virtually all of my off time working on a sailboat restoration. Talking about a learning experience. Without going into a lot of detail, I have found several truths about this type work over the last four months or so.

The worst of the truths. There will not be one square thing on the boat. No, not one. That makes life a bit difficult and measuring nearly impossible.

Everything takes four times longer than time budgeted. I've done a home restoration. Everything took three times as long as expected. A boat is a tighter fit. So it will take four times as long. If you find another problem while working on a particular job, probably just need to multiply the original time allowed by four.

If the words marine or boat are in the name of a product you need or the name of the store where it is available, it will cost you double what it does at a nearby hardware store.

Leaks, termites and woodrot. If you can't see behind something, you can bet there is a problem lurking back there. Trust me, In dealing with a 32-year-old boat, I have found them all.

Contortion will become a way of life. (At least for most of the life of the project.) While it may sound odd now, laying on your back holding up wood with both feet and one hand while drilling and fastening with the other will soon seem normal.

The last of the truths (that I can think of right now) is that when the day is over, you'll think that sleeping on-board is the best night's sleep you've ever had.

Feeding Paddlefish

2009-06-19T13:28:00.004-05:00

Needed a few photos this morning and judging by the line of vehicles waiting to get in the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, it looked like a good place to start.

I was right, plenty of photos of people visiting the Monsters of the Deep exhibit. (Photo gallery posted on the staff galleries section of the clarionledger.com home page.)

While there I saw something I have never seen before....a feeding paddlefish. I may be the last person on earth to have seen this, but I doubt it. He was swimming along with his rather large mouth fully open filtering the food from the water. Pretty cool stuff.

On a separate note...I haven't been blogging a lot lately due to a simple lack of time. I have spent the vast majority of my off-time working on a sailboat restoration down on Lake Pontchartrain. Talk about a lot of work and a steep learning curve! But, it has been great. I have taken some photos of it and like I said, I have learned a lot. So, if you want to hear about that, just let me know.

I hope to get back on my Handi-Rifle project soon. Hopefully, I'll get some time to load some 360 Dan Wessons for it this coming week. I'll let you know.

Now, if I can just get my brother to pick up a couple more of those K2 flashlights to keep on the boat...hint, hint. (I'll even pay for them)

Great Photos

2009-06-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

I was amazed when I opened the photo upload index a few days ago and saw all the images than had been uploaded. Great stuff!

Looks like Sonny Schindler has had some tough trips on the water. Robert Earl McDaniel on the WhipaSnapa appears to be hammering the fish as well. The 82 lb. blue cat caught on the Reservoir is really awesome. Great pictures of Pelahatchie Bay and of a young vulture as well.

If you get a chance, look through the galleries, really great images. Keep them coming!

Trying to Keep Cool

2009-06-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've spent a lot of time on a boat and I've had to use small marine ice chests because of space. Most of you know, they just don't stay cold like the 100 quart marine chests. Compounding the issue is that despite having a bimini top, the chests are still in the sun part of the day.

So, I'm back to the old 2 liter plastic bottle block ice method. Just take any 2 liter plastic bottle, fill about 3/4 full of water and freeze. When you need ice, just cut a couple of bottles open and drop the block into the chest along with some regular cubed ice. This really helps keep things cold a lot longer.

Everyone knows ice lasts longer if the drinks and food you're putting in the cooler are already cold. So avoid leaving a twelve pack of diet cokes in the car, in the sun, in the summer like I did a few weeks ago. The ice in that cooler all but steamed when I dropped those in. But hey, no choice, I wasn't going to drink them hot.

If you need your ice to last longer, just keep a few 2 liters in the freezer and use in combination with ice cubes, it really does last longer no matter what size cooler you're using.

Higher Than a Deer Stand

2009-06-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

Flying doesn't bother me. Never has. I've even taken photographs hanging out of a small plane by the seat belt with the door off, didn't so much as make me queazy. (Is that a real word?)

Now, put me near the edge of a building over 30 feet and I feel dizzy. Go figure.

Obviously, if you're looking at the guy working on the top of this 60-foot mast, you know he does not have the same problem I have.

I don't think there is any way on earth I could get up there. My basic rule of thumb is that if it is higher than a deer stand, I don't need to be there.

Sunken Treasure

2009-06-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

My wife called me a few weeks ago to tell me a ChrisCraft at the marina where we spend a lot of time had sunk. Talk about sad. I was told it was a 1940's or so vintage, one of the true classic ChrisCrafts.

Now the cool thing about it was watching it be raised. Three pumps didn't seem to budge it so the crew came back the next morning and pumped it out with five.

I have no idea what happened and don't know the owner, but it sure makes you want to check everything before you leave the boat. But, I guess no matter how careful you are, something can go wrong.

Obamanoia Continues

2009-06-02T21:21:00.002-05:00

Just got through checking out Cabela's and Midsouth Shooters Supply for reloading stuff. As you might have guessed, still wiped out. Now, the good news is that I was in Surplus City yesterday and they had some standard large pistol and magnum large pistol. So, for those of you who don't feel comfortable with only the 50-60,000 primers you have on hand, there is a small supply for purchase just around the corner.

I personally lucked out. It seems my cousin had some magnum small pistol primers and said he would give me a few hundred. That really worked out well for me because I couldn't find the primers I needed and I'm trying to work on a 360 Dan Wesson load. I can't thank him enough.

A friend called me recently and said his cousin in Houston was calling him for .22 ammo. Yes, .22 rimfire ammo!

Tonight I was sent a link to an MSN Financial story calling Ruger a strong stock buy and S&W a buy. All fueled by Obamanoia and strengthened by his recent pick for a Supreme Court Justice.

For those who are seriously believe Obama is going to ban all weapons or the economy is going to force us back to a hunter/gatherer society, maybe you should start stockpiling flintlocks, molds and blackpowder.

Calling Panther Bluegill and Chinquapin

2009-05-22T15:52:00.002-05:00

I finally was in town long enough to go fishing with my father at Calling Panther. With the weather pattern as it has been, we didn't have high hopes.

Hitting some of the beds that usually produce for us didn't work this time. An east wind, a recent cold front and another front on the way has apparently pushed them out deep. We managed a few really nice fish, but no big numbers.

Once off the water, I spoke with the lake manager, Noel. He confirmed the fish were deep. Another regular fisherman there reportedly caught 100 one day and fifty the next, all caught in 13-15 feet of water.

As soon as it stabilizes, I feel they will move back into the 6-foot-deep range.

Jackson Gun Show

2009-05-17T11:57:00.003-05:00

I ducked into the Jackson Gun Show for a few minutes Sunday after shooting some photos at a nearby event. WHEW!

My objective was to see if ammo, components, etc. were more readily available there than at local retailers. To my surprise, you could find all the .223, 9mm, .357, .38 Special and .45 ACP I would ever want, but for a price. Some prices looked OK such as .38 Specials at $29.99 for fifty rounds. While that seems like highway robbery to me, it is about the same as the prices at Wal-Mart. One price I saw on .22 WMR's I thought was ridiculous at $15 for fifty rounds. That is an $8 box of ammo.

On e price I saw was still good, $16 for 50 rounds of Precision Delta remanufactured .38 Specials. While I realize some people are wary of the word "remanufactured", the reality is that this company produces remanufactured (reloaded) ammo that wins at national shooting championships. Plus, they are based right here in Mississippi.

Next was the component search. No primers that I saw, same went for bullets. I did find some brass, but the brass I was familiar with was seriously priced out of sight. One vendor was asking $12 for 100 rounds of once-fired .38 Special brass. Surplus City in Clinton sells five pounds of once-fired .38 Special brass for $15. That comes out to be over 500 rounds when I counted out 50 cases, weighed them and did the math. Shoot, I bought 2 pounds of once-fired .45 Long Colt brass a few days ago at Surplus City for $6...that has to be more than 100 rounds and the Long Colt's are certainly more expensive than .38 Specials.

I really don't mean to bash gun shows, but there was a time when you went there for a better deal than you could find anywhere else. Now??? Well, unless I'm looking for something I can't find anywhere else, I'll stick to Academy Sports and Surplus City. Their prices are better and neither one charges $6 to come in and shop.

First Ammo, Now Molds

2009-05-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

As if this whole ammo situation isn't ridiculous enough, now it's bullet molds.

I went to cast some .38 Special Lee 105 SWC bullets today and experienced various problems with the mold. I had trouble getting it to line up properly and even when it did, it was not as tight as my other Lee molds. After looking it over really well, I decided there was just something a hair off about it. I called a Lee tech rep and he told me to send it back.

Well, since I had been eying a couple of other molds, I decided it would make sense to get it all done at once. Well, when I checked on availability, I got a message on their site warning that due to an unprecedented demand for reloading equipment, most orders would take a month! A month. For something I have never waited more than three days for in the past.

I guess there is some internet rumor floating around that says Obama secretly plans to ban reloading equipment along will all guns, ammo, bows and slingshots.

My question for all the folks who are stockpiling primers, powder, bullets and ammunition is..."What are you going to do with it all?" The primers will probably go bad before most of these folks could ever possibly shoot them.

Is there an economic upside to all this? At the rate some folks are stockpiling weapons and ammo, they'll need to buy a bigger home to store it all. So, maybe the housing market will pick up.

More on Ammo

2009-05-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

Things aren't looking much better on the ammo front. Every time I look at Midway, Natchez Shooter Supply or Cabela's, I see more items on backorder than actually available.

I talked with Paul over at Surplus City yesterday and he said he got in 95,000 primers not long ago and they were gone in a day and a half. Now the way I figure it, if there are at least 95,000 primers floating around out there, somebody can sell me a hundred Winchester Standard Small Pistols and a hundred or so Winchester Magnum Small Pistols. (Don't everyone jump at once!)

Paul is forecasting a little rain soon to help end this ammo and components drought, so just keep checking.

This kind of situation makes me glad I cast the bullets I shoot most. It also makes me want to order molds for a couple more calibers as well. I'll blog more on casting your own soon, since it's never to soon to get ready for hunting season.

.357 Handi-Rifle Test

2009-05-13T09:03:00.003-05:00

I finally got off the water long enough to take my .357 Handi-Rifle out for a spin yesterday. Good news and bad news.

Good news first. At 25 yards, I got about one inch groups with unsized, .38 Special 148gr wadcutters I cast with wheel weights and a Lee mold over 2.5gr of Clays. Not great, but certainly a small game contender, so I was happy with that. And talk about pleasant to shoot, no recoil and very quiet...it was cool!

Next up, .357 Magnums with 16gr Lil' Gun and 158gr Hornady XTP's. At the same distance, I got three-shot, one hole groups that, as you can see in the picture, can be covered with a penny. And talk about nice to shoot, very little recoil even with this load. I had forgotten that not all rifles are as punishing on the bench as the 45-70's I typically shoot! This was actually pleasant. I wanted to try it at 50 yards, but I was slowly being consumed by gnats and biting flies. So, I left.

Bad news. About every 10th shot, I got pierced primers. I shoot both of these loads regularly, both are low pressure, and I've never had a problem. When I compared the spent primers with others shot from about 20 other guns, I found that the firing pin was traveling at least twice as deep into the primers as all of the other guns. Sounds like a trip to Surplus City to have the spring and firing pin checked.

As soon as I can, I'll report back on some other loads I want to test out, including using .360 Dan Wesson's in it. (Yes, they fit, and they shoot at safe pressures.) I'll keep you posted.

Whew! Its Done

2009-05-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hopefully you got a paper today and saw the print edition of Week on the Water 2009. A little thinner than we would like, but packed with great trips.

From one end of the state to the other, with a lot of stops along the way, we met a lot of great people. And, as always, we learned a lot.

There were a lot of great trips and memories; fishing off Front Beach in Biloxi, the beautiful Columbus Pool and, of course, the sunrise over Lake Washington. And not surprisingly, I'm still laughing about the "How big do these snags get?" story. (see my earlier blog, Knee-deep in Snags)

Despite all the planning headaches, editing headaches, malfunction headaches and just regular headaches, it was worth it. Time to start planning for next year.

Just Plain Fun

2009-05-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

One thing can be said for our coastal waters, they are productive. And this trip with Capt. Robert Earl McDaniel of the WhipaSnapa backs up my opinion.

Within minutes of leaving the boat launch and only a few minutes from the beach, we were on fish. It seems post-Katrina reefs built from debris have really paid off in the form of white trout and ground mullet. In fact, Capt. Earl was hauling fish in two at the time on his tandem jig rig.

This is not a trip where you're going to land a cobia as big as yourself. It is a trip where you are going have a great time catching white trout, ground mullet, sheepshead and more. My kind of trip, non-stop action and you don't get beat up going out to the rigs. Most importantly, a great trip for kids or people who can't be on the water all day.

You can contact Capt. Robert Earl McDaniel at 228-392-0410 or 228-229-6978.

He also offers offshore, barrier islands and other trips as well to suit just about anyone's needs.

Columbus Pool

2009-05-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

The Columbus Pool trip was supposed to be a crappie trip, but when we got the call that our new friend John Harrison had boated a seven pound largemouth on a B'n'M crappie pole, I was pretty sure there was going to be more to the story....and there was. Largemouth bass, white bass and crappie were all on the list for the day and all hitting jigs.

Bobby stuck with the program, but only for a while. While I'm taking pictures in Harrison's boat, Bobby disappears, baitcasting reels and Redfish Magic spinnerbaits in tow. Not too long after that he comes back with this wild story about a bass on nearly every cast.

Well, I've heard stories like this before from other folks and Bobby knew I was skeptical so he takes me to the spot. He was fish in no more than three casts, which was great for me. Lots of opportunity to shoot leaping fish. He wasn't kidding, at one point he had two fish and one miss in three casts.

There obviously more to the Columbus Pool than just excellent crappie fishing .

Bennett Bass

2009-05-07T00:31:00.001-05:00

Like so many trips over the years on Week on the Water, things don't always work out. In fact, they rarely do. You learn pretty quickly that you have to change gears to make it work

That was the case at Lake Claude Bennett. We headed down there looking for chinquapin. Big chinquapin. (redear sunfish, shellcrackers) The weather had changed on us with a storm and cold front just before we went, but I wasn't that concerned because we had been all but promised we would find some big ones.

We tried everywhere we were told; gravel beds, gravel near piers, sandy areas, areas near vegetation. Nada. Even though the temp had warmed back up, the weather had scattered them and pushed them out.

After talking with a regular there who had several nice bass, Bobby decides to follow suit and we found them very shallow. Our bass fishing friend had saved the trip for us.

Not too long before we left, we saw a woman pull in a pretty nice fish on a pier. When I got there to talk to her and another fisherman on the pier, you guessed it, she had pulled in a chinquapin weighing in at close to a pound.