Returning to the Rio Negro, Northern Watershed of Brazil 10/8

La Querencia is a Spanish word not easily translated into English but meaning roughly, the power of place or longing to a place; the desired place or where the heart is. It comes from the verb quere, which means to desire, to want…the “wanting place”. To writers, that burning urge to write is our Querencia. To one who fishes for the ferocious peacock bass, the urge will become overwhelming to return to that “wanting place”, the Brazilian Rain Forest of South America and the Amazon River and its tributaries.

Our group of 10 departs October 8th for the ultimate destination aboard the Belle Amazon located somewhere along the Rio Negro and its tributaries. In the group are three veterans and seven newbies...that's seven more who will touch, taste and be overwhelmed by the draw of the tea colored rivers...the "wanting place." They too will soon be afflicted with the same addiction we seven others share. They too are soon destined to the power of La Querencia!

In 2005 professional video producer David Masterson and I joined on the Unini River to film some promotional material for fishin' expeditions. Much of the footage on the following video was from that trip...especially the slow motion video of the explosions on surface baits and the leaping aerobatics of the Peacocks. Enjoy! Then contact me soon to arrange your Amazon Fishing Expedition.

El Grande Lures Signs Elite Angler Fred Roumbanis

I got the word earlier in the week from Jay Schurz and couldn't wait to report it here. Fred "Boom Boom" Roumbanis has joined El Grande Lures. He also joins the El Grande team of Chad Morgenthaler and Curt Dove...another pair of outstanding anglers in the Bass Fishing Big Leagues.

What do you notice about this? Great guys...great sticks...represent the sport well. Any company would be proud to have them on their team. Sure thing...but there's something else, Jay Schurz, owner of El Grande, is a custom builder. Oh, El Grande Lures may no longer be "building" custom "hand pours" but Jay is building a custom plastic line none the less. Radically custom! I've seen it before, and that goes way back to Nick Creams "harder than a hammer" plastic worm...yep, I've been playin' with plastics a good while. There are Custom Plastics and then there are simply... plastics. In this case, the "cream" rising to the top is El Grande Lures!

Stay tuned because Jay Schurz is quietly "hand picking" and "custom building" 1) an exceptional product and 2) a Top Shelf Team that will soon be turning heads on the tournament trails with names like "Sapo"..."Hatch-Match"... "Gila Monster" and a few new members of the El Grande family soon to be released.

If you think size doesn't matter...watch out for El Grande!

October 1, 2010 at 1:09pm

FRED ROUMBANIS SIGNS WITH EL GRANDE LURES

Bixby, OK- Today, El Grande Lures of Linton, Indiana announced that Fred Roumbanis, an Elite Series pro from Bixby, Oklahoma, has joined the company's pro-staff.

The timing is perfect. With several new products on the schedule to be released in the next few months, the partnership with Roumbanis adds incredible presence to El Grande Lures.
Roumbanis joins Chad Morgenthaler and Kurt Dove on El Grande's team of pro anglers.

El Grande's line up of quality soft plastic lures, should give Roumbanis the confidence and edge he needs to be a strong contender on his rigorous schedule of bass fishing tournaments.

"As a touring professional angler, I know how important it is to catch big fish. It’s not about the number of fish… it’s all about the size of the fish. That’s why I’ve teamed up with El Grande Lures, a company dedicated to catching giant bass. " -Fred "Boom Boom" Roumbanis

El Grande's owner, Jay Schurz, said the following: " We are extremely pleased that Fred Roumbanis has chosen to partner with El Grande Lures. Fred will be involved in marketing, product design, and working with our partners and staff in South Africa as well as the US and Mexico. We chose to partner with Fred Roumbanis because he is obviously a great fisherman, has superior work ethic, is very personable, and understands what we are striving to do here at El Grande Lures. We look forward to many years of working with Fred and will assist Fred in any way we can to help him achieve his professional goals.

El Grande Lures Currently has 4 products in it's lineup with others to be released shortly:

- The Gila Monster, an 8 3/4" lizard that can be Carolina Rigged, Texas Rigged, or fished weightless.

- The El Grande Tube, a flipping tube meant to handle the toughest cover.

- The El Grande Sapo, a 4", soft plastic toad that churns the water like a buzzbait.

- The Hatch-Match Stick, a 5", cigar shaped stick bait that can be fished wacky, Texas Rigged, or Carolina Rigged.

All four lures are available in standard colors as well as pattern unique to EL Grande Lures.

El Grande Lures is a soft plastics company, owned by international fisherman, Jay D. Schurz. Schurz has spent over 20 years chasing giant largemouth bass around the globe and brings his experiences to the design of El Grande Lures.

For More information about El Grande Lures go to http://www.facebook.com/l/53c49AVquiwqvQkgA3ABj0CVrTw;www.elgrandelures.com

###

Old Harbor Outfitters and Fishin' Expeditions Forge Alliance (September 2010)

Founded in 2006, Old Harbor Outfitters develops high performance technical products for today's serious fishermen, including apparel, sunglasses, bags, and fishing gear. The company is committed to bringing only the highest quality items to market, and tests all its products aboard some of today's most successful sport fishing boats to ensure that Old Harbor Outfitters' products provides fishermen with optimal performance on both land and sea. Old Harbor Outfitters is pleased to partner with David Fields and Fishin’ Expeditions in promoting our brand to all fishermen – keying in on the traveling expedition angler. “We feel our partnership with Fishin’ Expeditions will allow us to grow our brand and promote the fact that OHO makes the most innovative, technical apparel in the marketplace. On top of that we are providing the traveling angler with the proper apparel and gear they need to achieve maximum performance when fishing abroad.” (Steve Tempini – CEO). Old Harbor Outfitters and Fishin’ Expeditions look forward to showing you the higher evolution of fishing – OHO.

Founded in 2005, Fishin' Expeditions are sportfishing outfitters and purveyors of exotic custom tailored fishing trips featuring adventure destinations located throughout the Americas. Specializing in providing “fishing adventures of a lifetime” to clients from accross the globe, our company motto, "Sportfishing Outfitters with a passion for excellence" is a challenge we take personal with every client. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to be partnered with Old Harbor Outfitters. Although the co-branding relationship is new, my association with OHO goes back to 2007 when I first purchased their original Weatherproof Captains Bag...the perfect bag to withstand the elements of the Amazon Rain Forrest and keep my tackle and personal effects perfectly dry. OHO is driven by a leadership Team intensely focused on demanding quality and performance from all products offered under the OHO brand. Thourally tested by owners, staff and alliance partners like myself, you can be assured that products meet ridged requirements and tests prior to landing on the pages of an OHO catalog."

I encourage you to visit the Old Harbor Outfitters web site and investigate for yourself a line of gear that will meet the "destination specific" needs and challenges of Big Water and Freshwater Exotic anglers alike. If you find something you like, check back with me...I might find you a special code for your purchase.

Good fishin'

David Fields

Outfitter