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Randy Howell's secret weapon: The Rapala DT-6 bass lure

5/7/2014

A dark-brown crawdad Rapala DT-6.

Published in the April 13 edition of The Topeka Capital-Journal.

A baby bass colored Rapala DT-6 can be an effective bass lure. Photo by Josh Rouse.

Rapala recently gained some great publicity for their Rapala DT-6 (dives to 6 feet) crankbait, thanks to a historic final round rally by Randy Howell in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.

Howell jumped from 11th place to claim the title while using the signature “dive-to” series lure. But is the lure really that great for catching bass?

During a recent afternoon fishing expedition with my buddy, Brendan, I set out with a trio of the lures to see just how much bass would target it.

The day started out with three quick catches on the lure, as I pulled in two bass and a nice-sized bluegill right off the bat. We then hit an afternoon lull for a couple hours where the fish just refused to bite on anything, followed by a flurry of action. At around sunset, the bass literally began swarming this lure. Brendan, who also was using the lure, caught a bass on one cast, then caught another on his very next cast.

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Award-winning Topeka taxidermist finds niche

5/7/2014

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Published in the April 6 edition of the Topeka Capital-Journal.

An award-winning black bear mount by Topekan Joe Wayner.

A monster buck resting peacefully in a meadow. A plump tom gobbling thunderously from its roost. A playful otter frolicking in a creek.

For taxidermists like Joe Wayner, the complicated process is more than just a hobby or a job. It’s an artform, and these are the moments he is trying to capture in time.

Wayner, 25, is still relatively young in the world of taxidermy — where steady, experienced hands often work wonders on lifeless carcasses to recreate these action-packed scenes as a sort of memento of the hunt. Despite his age, however, the Topeka resident and Washburn graduate has been honing his craft for more than 10 years and even owns his own business, Misty Waters Taxidermy.

“Well, my dad used to bring home pheasants and all that all the time,” said Wayner, who began learning about taxidermy when he was 14. “I thought they were pretty, so I thought, ‘Man, I ought to be able to do something with this.’ So basically, I started reading books and trying to figure it out. Just a lot of trial and error.”

After teaching himself some of the basics, Wayner took his tutelage to the next level by learning from a neighbor who had more than two decades of experience in the taxidermy profession.

“When I was in middle school, I went and learned from Larry Longhofer — a local taxidermist down the street from me — and he taught me how to do a fish and a bird, and it took off from there,” Wayner said.

Longhofer, a retired teacher, coach and school administrator, was introduced to the art of taxidermy in a similar do-it-yourself fashion as his pupil.

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Randy Howell's secret weapon: The Rapala DT-6 bass lure

Award-winning Topeka taxidermist finds niche

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