By Joe Cermele

Do you have any rods or reels kicking around the garage that you just don't use anymore because they're old or just no longer top of the line? I do. There is one corner where I've stacked the rods that have been retired because I've picked up newer, lighter, stronger sticks. I have reels I don't use anymore because they were all I could afford at the time, and now I don't trust the drags. The same thing happens with bowhunters. A bow that took plenty of deer in 1995 is suddenly old hat because the manufacturers convince you the latest, lightest, fastest model is best. The video below, however, might make you think differently. These bloke's from Australia have recreated a circa-1920 big game adventure using gear from that era. Barring what sounds like the reel unseating momentarily, they fight a marlin as efficiently as you would with new stuff. The beginning is mildly hokey, but it's definitely worth watching. A nod to Doc Larson over at the Fishing for History Blog for this find. 

by John Merwin

The long-simmering controversy of potentially banning lead in fishing gear hasn’t made many headlines lately. But it’s not going away, either. There are already a few states that have banned lead sinkers below a certain size (usually meaning smaller sinkers). I live and fish in one of them.

I think because various angling-related lead issues have been simmering rather than boiling, many major tackle manufacturers have been slow to embrace non-lead substitutes. That in turn makes Berkley’s new non-lead Gulp! JiggHeads big news indeed. The new Minnow JiggHead, one of three styles, is shown in the above photo.

By Joe Cermele

This week in our vintage tackle contest we have an import from across the big pond. Many anglers may have heard of the company DAM, but other than their reels, the brand never quite took hold in the states. In Europe, DAM is bigger than Wonder Bread. This lure was submitted by Jim Macormic, who found the mint-condition gem in his grandfather's old tackle box. Dr. Todd Larson of the The Whitefish Press and "Fishing For History" blog has more on the German beauty. 

By Joe Cermele

Have you ever walked into a bait shop and instantly gotten the vibe that the place is more than a spot to buy some minnows? It feels nostalgic and iconic. If feels like a historical landmark. That's the impression I got last week when I walked into Lundeen's Tackle Castle on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. It had the vintage smell of an antique shop or a flea market, and I'd bet that the ghosts of the long-gone walleye and muskie anglers that bellied up to that counter to buy leeches or ice jigs over the years still linger around. It's the kind of place where the locals go, leaving the other hundred area shops glutted with the latest and greatest gear to the tourists.