Catching up with Anglers!

Welcome to a new segment we are calling “Catching up with Anglers!”

We love stay in touch with our Searcher family aka anglers, to share 🎣fish stories, recreate the excitement, swap tackle tips, reunite with old friends and maybe make new ones. We thought it would be fun to see how our anglers are holding up and share some of their stories. Hopefully they can give you ideas of things we can be doing with your time or help you feel better. Let’s catch an angler.⁠

Today we have a special angler Mike Townes  a long time Searcher family member. We had to check in with him and see how he is doing.

Name:  MICHAEL “BIG MIKE” TOWNES

From:  Lodi, California “Zinfandel Capital of the World.”

Job Titles: Retired, work part-time as a Background Investigator for the City of Stockton

  • Day in the life during quarantine: Currently, I am working from home on my investigations. I go into the office two times a week to check mailbox and do interviews over the phone…At home, I have plenty of “honey do’s” to complete. My focus now is to clean out the garage, building shelving and prepping for painting inside the house. I am a multitasker.

  • Challenges during quarantine:  My mother who is 90 yrs old. Making sure she is doing fine daily. She is a very independent lady for her age.

  • Tackle Tip:  Well, I have cleaned out my tackle box and bags several times. I took inventory on what I have regarding fishing stuff (Please don’t tell my wife, I have a tackles store).  Everyone should check those hooks in your tackle box/bags on your lures for rust. Replace them if they are rusty.  Also, check your guides on your fishing rods and make sure they are not damaged and seated properly on the rod. Overtime, the epoxy around guides tends to deteriorate due to stress and time. Repair them. You do not want the guides to unhinge while fighting a fish. 

  • Benefits: Losing weight!  I walk 4 times a week 5 plus miles bad knees and all since being shelter in place…It gets me out of the house 

  • What’s on TV: Not much. All re-runs of everything. I am a big Pig Man fan.

  • New stuff you dig:  Fishing rod building. I am refurbishing some old rods I have before I start building my new ones. Practice makes perfect or less mistakes.

  • Weird thing you’ve done:  Statute of limitations are not up yet. I can’t tell you.

  • Positives:  I would say keeping a positive attitude during this entire situation.

  • What’s in/must have in your tackle box: Wahoo Lure Nomad DTX Minnow Trolling Lure. I prefer the Gold color.

  • Anything your stocked up on:  Hooks in all sizes. I prefer Mustad, Owners and Eagle Claw Trokar hooks. Leader materials such as fluorocarbon, mono and wire. I prefer Kinky 2 Kinky leader wire.It will not twist or get knotted up. I stock up while at the Fred Hall Show every year.

  • Favorite fish dish: Fresh water, fried Crappie and Catfish.  Saltwater, fried Ling Cod, grilled Wahoo, Yellowtail, Halibut and Tuna with plenty of garlic and plenty of cold beer(s).

  • Motivation:  My family and my faith!!!!

  • Fish you are looking forward to catching: In April 2019, I caught my personal best YFT 215lbs. Well, I would like to catch a 300lbs Tuna.