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I was scouting for a worthy fishing rig for camping and S24O adventures. Budget was about $25. The original plan was to catch the B bus to get me close to Bass Pro in Olathe. As it turns out, Chris had his van at work today due to a problem with the bus, so I just car-pooled back to Olathe with Chris.

Bass Pro advertises some great prices. Unfortunately, the real deals are actually just there to get you in the door. Most of the prices are 50% higher than other sporting goods and retail stores. I checked out some of their camping gear. I can drool, but most of the stuff I have will suffice for the upcoming S24O in July. The one thing I really wish I had out there last time was a fishing pole. With Bass Pro eliminated (I couldn't buy a compact fishing pole and reel for under $45!), I opted to head to Sports Authority near my apartment to piece together a worthy rig from the closeout aisle.

As I left Bass Pro and got onto Santa Fe Trail Drive, I saw a lean-mean Tri guy training on a time trial bike. He wasn't moving too fast, and may have just been working on cadence. He was keeping it high but wasn't breaking 25 MPH. As I merged, I asked:

"Mind if I draft you to College Blvd?" - The new plan was to meet my wife at the doctor's and grab supper since she was already out and about.

He gladly obliged to let me tag along for a couple of miles. I don't know if he kept his 25 MPH pace for me, or if that's just how he rolls. It was fast enough that my lard-ass body and weighted-down commuter bike could barely hold on, but it was a nice pull. I appreciate it!

Coming up Pflumm, I needed a break. The humidity, heat, and 25 MPH hammerfest had caught up to me. I parked under I-435 for a few minutes.


I found a great residential shortcut between Pflumm and Quivira at 105th Terrace where two cul-de-sacs dead-end against each other with a little bit of green space and a sidewalk. I will definitely keep that one in mind! These are the kinds of un-charted paths that cyclists and pedestrians should be on the lookout for.



Later, at Sports Authority, I found a nice collapsible rod (which I'd seen a few weeks ago) and a closeout Shakespeare SyMC reel. It only has a 70 yard capacity, but it's perfect for backpacking. All in all, I ended up with a formidable rig that rivals some $45 offerings at Bass Pro and it only set me back about $17 for everything. I gathered up some old weight boxes and loaded them with an assortment of weights, small bobbers, swivels, hooks and other stuff I had laying around. I'm guessing this set-up will work great, but I plan on field-testing it this weekend when my wife and I go fishing next, probably at Black Hoof Park.


If you can't tell, I'm kind of ready to go camping again. Some fishing this weekend will probably suffice for now.

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