I’m sure if you’ve been a regular visitor to LiveOutdoors.com, and have read some of my articles, you’ve no doubt wondered, “Who is Sean McNally, and what qualifies him to work for the site?” Well, I may not have any fishing tournament trophies in my room, or a wall lined with 10-pound bass, but I have been fishing for several years and for a few years, I worked at Bass Pro Shops, where I learned a lot about many different facets of fishing in general. To lay any skepticism to rest, I want to reflect on my own fishing experiences, as well as provide you with a peek into my tackle box, over the span of two articles about who I am as an angler, starting with What’s In My Tackle Box.
I guess an appropriate place to start would be my tackle box itself, or rather, tackle bag. The Browning Tuto, which is a beast of a tackle bag that comes loaded with eight 370 storage boxes, is really my own portable tackle treasure trove. I don’t take the bag with me everywhere, however, as its large size and weight are too cumbersome. Instead, I pick and choose which lures and baits I want to use on a given day—usually an assortment of bass tackle—and load it all into a Plano Guide Series Stowaway box. This double-layered storage box is really two 370’s in one and, along with a hook remover, my spinnerbait wallet, and crankbait box, fits easily into a backpack which I then carry on each excursion.
I have a few rods and reels, but my main combo is my 7-foot medium action BPS CarbonLite spinning rod, which I’ve paired with a Pflueger Supreme XT 6730 spinning reel. The carbon fiber rod, combined with the light, but durable, magnesium frame of the reel make for a lightweight combo that I can cast all day without tiring and is still strong enough to pull in 30-inch redfish from the holes in jetties. My line of choice is 20-pound test Sufix Performance Braid, which I secure to the monofilament backing with a strong Uni knot. This setup has proven itself time and time again, no matter where I fish or what I fish for.
There are too many baits and lures in my tackle box for me to describe each one, but I’m a big fan of Texas-rigged worms, Rage Toads, spinnerbaits, and small swimbaits. Since I don’t own a boat, I find myself fishing a lot of logs and lily pads, and such baits have allowed me to pull in huge fish time and time again. I consider myself a sight-fisherman and if I spot some fish, it’s usually just a matter of time before I hit upon the right bait for them.
My tackle leans more towards the strong, but sensitive side and has helped me land some great fish, as well as great memories, throughout the years. Like all anglers, I have my own preferences in lure and color patterns, but I always try new things when the opportunity presents itself. Come back for my next article, where I’ll detail the amazing locations I’ve had the privilege of fishing.
