Part 1

One of the things I enjoy most as a writer is the pleasure I derive from talking to likeable people who love fishing every darn bit as much as I do.

I had that opportunity again recently when I had a chance to interview Vern Strachota.  Vern and his wife Cindy live in Tucker Hollow, Arkansas.  I have a feeling the walleyes in nearby Bull Shoals Lake wish the heck the pair had never moved into the area.

The fish could especially have that sentiment since Vern and Cindy discovered what a couple of Mack’s Lure products could do for their walleye angling.  They began using a Mack’s Lure Cha Cha and a Wally Pop for the very first time early this season.  It was interesting to hear what they had to say about what happened as a result.

“We had never heard of lures that used Smile Blades until early this year,” Vern says.  “I ran into another Bull Shoals walleye fisherman and he told me he and his partner never used anything else.  We finally located Mack’s Lure on the Internet and ordered some of our own baits.”

As I’ve mentioned, the lures the Strachotas ordered were Cha Chas and Wally Pops.  Once they got on Bull Shoals Vern tied on a Cha Cha and Cindy rigged up with a Wally Pop.

“We darn near couldn’t believe the way these lures produced for us,” Vern says.  The difference was unreal.”

Vern Strachota will tell you it was hard to believe the difference in success he had for walleyes on Bull Shoals Lake once he and his wife started using Mack's Lure products.  Their favorites are the Wally Pop and the Cha Cha rigged with nightcrawlers.

Vern chuckles a bit when he recalls coming in with several 5 and 6-pounders in the boat on one of the first trips he and Cindy made while fishing with their new lures.  “I covered our fish up in the bottom of the boat when we came in,” he recalls, “I wasn’t too interested in having the other guys know well we’d done.  When they saw our fish and asked what we’d caught ‘em on, I told them it just some stuff we’d bought at a local store.”

While Vern might be new to using lures with those action-producing and fish-attracting Smile Blades up front, he certainly is no stranger to walleye fishing.  “I’ve been fishing for walleyes for 30 some years,” he says.  “I lived in Iowa before I moved to Arkansas and I spent a good bit of time fishing for walleye in the Mississippi River.”

Like others who haven’t yet discovered Smile Blade magic, Vern used to drag metal blades around ahead of his nightcrawlers.  You won’t find either Vern or Cindy doing that now.  The two were married four years ago and they share their love for walleye fishing.  Cindy’s just as “hooked” as Vern is when it comes to going after these good eating scrappers.

“Cindy and I had known each other for a long time before we were married,” Vern Says.  “She loves to fish.  I can’t keep her off the lake.  Sometimes she catches more than I do.”

Cindy Strachota prefers a Mack's Lure Wally Pop when she's after walleye.  This photo shows why.

Whenever I have a chance to visit with someone who is as enthusiastic about Mack’s Lure products as are Vern and Cindy, I make it a point to find out how they are using the lures they’ve found so effective.

“We always use our Cha Chas and Wally Pops behind 1-ounce bottom bouncers,” Vern says.  “As we troll we’re bumping the bottom almost all of the time.  We use a trolling motor and I sometimes vary the speed but we usually move pretty slowly.  We do most of our trolling in 15 to 25 feet of water.”

As experienced walleye anglers know, you can use a variety of baits with either a Wally Pop or a Cha Cha.  Vern and Cindy both use nightcrawlers along with their lures.

Chartreuse and purple are the colors Cindy prefers to have in her Wally Pops.  Chartreuse is also the color of the Cha Cha that Vern uses so effectively.

Few fish do more credit to a frying pan than properly prepared walleyes.  This Arkansas husband and wife combo also knows how to handle that end of things.  Watch for my next column because I’m fixin’ to tell you how they do it.

-To Be Continued-