The Susquehanna River will be peaking at 7.4' on Saturday and will then begin to fall. It's been a whole week since we were on the river at Long Level and the river is at the same point.
I am hearing that there was flooding in NY and that the North Branch is blown out... Wow!
Josh and I were going to hit the NB this coming Sunday, but the motel couldn't guarantee us a room due to the "gas drillers" hanging around. So, we chose to go on Nov. 8th instead. That now seems to be working out for us.
Josh's dad and brother were heading up to the NB on Sunday, November 1. I haven't heard if they have or haven't canceled their trip due to the high, dirty waters.
Since my wife is working tomorrow, I was thinking of taking a trip back to the Long Level area. There is definitely plenty of water to navigate wherever I wish. The problem would be finding water that is decent to fish... I know a spot that gave me two keepers last weekend... :-)
dad
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Fall Fly Fishing Challenge is Saturday
If you're not doing anything Saturday and have the itch to fly fish, you might want to enter the fifth annual Fall Fly Fishing Challenge.
Rick Grassett, a Sarasota professional fishing guide, and I founded the event after agreeing that the area has a lot of talented fly anglers and offers good saltwater fishing.
The event has attracted an average of more than 40 anglers each year. Competition is tough, but it should be. Our goal was to pit the best fly anglers in the area against one another.
Two years ago, we added a second division to the event to attract more anglers. In addition to the Open Division (all licensed captains and guides must compete in the this division), we added the Angler Division. Only non-guides are allowed to fish in this division.
In the Open Division, snook, spotted seatrout and redfish are the eligible species. Overall champion will be the angler who has the highest total of inches for a single redfish, trout and snook. Also, prizes will be awarded to the anglers who have the most total inches of redfish, most total inches of snook or most total inches of trout.
This is a catch, photo and release event. Anglers will be allowed to turn in a maximum of 10 photos.
In the Angler Division. eligible species include redfish, spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle, flounder, pompano, permit, mangrove snapper and other species. Six places will be awarded.
The tournament is sponsored by the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers and Coastal Conservation Association Florida.
Captains' meeting is scheduled for 6 a.m. Saturday at the City Island boat ramp in Ken Thompson Park.
For information, call Rick Grassett at (941) 350-9790 or Steve Gibson at (941) 284-3406.
Rick Grassett, a Sarasota professional fishing guide, and I founded the event after agreeing that the area has a lot of talented fly anglers and offers good saltwater fishing.
The event has attracted an average of more than 40 anglers each year. Competition is tough, but it should be. Our goal was to pit the best fly anglers in the area against one another.
Two years ago, we added a second division to the event to attract more anglers. In addition to the Open Division (all licensed captains and guides must compete in the this division), we added the Angler Division. Only non-guides are allowed to fish in this division.
In the Open Division, snook, spotted seatrout and redfish are the eligible species. Overall champion will be the angler who has the highest total of inches for a single redfish, trout and snook. Also, prizes will be awarded to the anglers who have the most total inches of redfish, most total inches of snook or most total inches of trout.
This is a catch, photo and release event. Anglers will be allowed to turn in a maximum of 10 photos.
In the Angler Division. eligible species include redfish, spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle, flounder, pompano, permit, mangrove snapper and other species. Six places will be awarded.
The tournament is sponsored by the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers and Coastal Conservation Association Florida.
Captains' meeting is scheduled for 6 a.m. Saturday at the City Island boat ramp in Ken Thompson Park.
For information, call Rick Grassett at (941) 350-9790 or Steve Gibson at (941) 284-3406.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Snook and spotted seatrout plentiful
I was after snook, spotted seatrout and redfish. Those are the eligible species for our Fall Fly Fishing Challenge on Saturday.
So, I launched my Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 and hit Bishop Harbor at about 7:15 this morning. No need to be on the water before dawn. Our captains' meeting is scheduled at 6:30 on Saturday and we can't leave for our destination until after it's over.
This morning was awesome. A heavy fog blanketed Bishop Harbor as I paddled to the northeast side. I had a mullet imitation tied on my 8-weight and a Super Hair Clouser on the 6. My plan was to cast for redfish and snook, then hit the trout.
I found a good snook early. The fish hit about 30 feet out from a mangrove island in about 18 inches of water. I knew it was a formidable fish. First thing it did was run for the mangroves, pulling me and the kayak with it.
I back-paddled to get the fish away from the trees and had the snook under control in just a few minutes. Turned out to be a large snook than I first thought. I estimated it at 30 inches as I was getting ready to release it. I later caught a smaller snook on the same fly.
Before I got out of Bishop Harbor, I found plenty of small seatrout around grass patches. I caught and released 15 or so, then headed out into Tampa Bay where I hoped to find a few redfish on sand bars.
Redfish were scarce. I caught several more trout and saw a few snook. But the reds eluded me.
Seems to always be that way in this tournament. I won the Trout Division one year and won the Snook Division twice. One year I did managed a slam (snook, trout and redfish), but the red was tiny. It's the only redfish I've taken in this event.
Maybe tomorrow I'll find a few hungry reds?
The Tale of Two Rivers! October 20, 22, 23, and 26, 2009
It was like night and day. Josh and I have been preparing to fish in the "Susquehanna Fish and Tackle Fall Bash." We spent four separate days over the past week trying to figure out the ever changing waters from Long Level north.
The river we saw on Tuesday when we launched from the Wrightsville, Pa. PFBC ramp was dirty and cold with rising waters. The water we experienced yesterday was dirty to muddy, rising dramatically, but much warmer.
We were able to find some cleaner water on Tuesday (see Oct. 20th report). I spent Thursday and Friday on the river alone seeking a pattern and attempting to adjust to the ever changing water conditions.
My plan was to eliminate as much water as possible before Sunday. That plan fell through due to the rains we received Friday on into Saturday.
We had tons of rain and wind Saturday. This rain filled the river basin from NY to Pa. and caused a dramatic rise in the river.
When I awoke Sunday morning, I checked the River Predictor and it said the river was going to rise to 4.9'. Man was that ever way, way off! Instead of 4.9', the river rose to 7.6' by the 3:00 p.m. weigh-in. That was a three foot difference in predictions in only a few hours. So, you can imagine how much water must have entered the river to make such a thing happen.
When we got to the Long Level Ramp at 5:00 a.m., the wind was howling and the water was rough. We had two hours to wait until blast off. In that time period, the wind settle quite a bit and made the run north more bearable in Josh's G3 tunneled jet rig.
We ran all the way to Bainbridge. It was quite a long run and we found "perfect" water in the middle of the river. We were excited and fished hard with only one 7" smallie and a 20+ channel cattie to show for it. What a disappointment! This water looked great and yet no fish. We had it all to ourselves and couldn't take advantage of it.
The worst part of the river was the Marietta area. It was like a mind field of debris which included floating barrels, whole trees, tons of grasses, and leaves. During both the trip north and the returning trip south through this obstacle course, we had to stop numerous times in order to clean out the jet boot.
We caught another smallie just below Wrightsville on a spinnerbait. It measured 16.75". Shy of the necessary 18" legal limit.
We were running out of time and ideas. I had fished on the east shore during my practice and have often caught fish in this area in the past. Josh admitted that he had never fished that area and was willing to give it a shot.
So, off we went and I'm glad we did. It was about 2:25 p.m. and a half hour before we needed to be back at the ramp and off plane. No keepers, but we did have a lot of "High Hopes", like Harry Kalas usd to sing! Josh was replacing a tube and said to me, "I don't know why I'm doing this?" Just as he was finishing up, I felt a "Smack" on my spinnerbait... "Josh, I got one!" "Is it 18 inches?", Josh asked. I had to laugh and told him to just get the net... LOL! It measure 18 1/8th inch. "Yes!!"
We would be going in with at least one fish for all our effort. But wait, it's not over. Within two minutes, I had a 19" smallie hit. OMG! We had two of the needed three keepers in the boat in less than five minutes of fishing. WHAT LUCK!!
That was it and we had to get up on plane and back to the ramp. We packed up and left at 2:45 p.m. for the ride back... What a classic ending!
Our catch was a modest 6 lbs. 1 oz. which put us in the money. We placed 7th among 37 boats. We got our entry fee back... which will go towards our trip to the North Branch in November... Yes!
Congratulations to Chris Stoltz and Bruce Neil for their 12 lb plus catch. Folks, that's 3 smallies that averaged over 4 lbs. each. They were on fish most the day. What a great success for them during very tough conditions.
Weights of 12, 11, and 10 rounded out the top three places. The next four places were all in the 6 pound range. Many 1 fish bags were measured.
Also a big congratulations to Tony Spinelli who caught a 5+ lb largemouth for lunker. I spoke with Tony and he was pleased as punch to take our $10 lunker fee... LOL! Tony was a dedicated largemouth angler for years and he put his skills to the test and it paid off in the pool.
I normally don't fish tournaments anymore. This T was sponsored by our good friends George, George, Jr, and Mike Acord at Susquehanna Fish and Tackle. We all wanted to support their efforts over the years in bringing us a fantastic fishing tackle shop in Lancaster, Pa. area.
dad
The river we saw on Tuesday when we launched from the Wrightsville, Pa. PFBC ramp was dirty and cold with rising waters. The water we experienced yesterday was dirty to muddy, rising dramatically, but much warmer.
We were able to find some cleaner water on Tuesday (see Oct. 20th report). I spent Thursday and Friday on the river alone seeking a pattern and attempting to adjust to the ever changing water conditions.
My plan was to eliminate as much water as possible before Sunday. That plan fell through due to the rains we received Friday on into Saturday.
We had tons of rain and wind Saturday. This rain filled the river basin from NY to Pa. and caused a dramatic rise in the river.
When I awoke Sunday morning, I checked the River Predictor and it said the river was going to rise to 4.9'. Man was that ever way, way off! Instead of 4.9', the river rose to 7.6' by the 3:00 p.m. weigh-in. That was a three foot difference in predictions in only a few hours. So, you can imagine how much water must have entered the river to make such a thing happen.
When we got to the Long Level Ramp at 5:00 a.m., the wind was howling and the water was rough. We had two hours to wait until blast off. In that time period, the wind settle quite a bit and made the run north more bearable in Josh's G3 tunneled jet rig.
We ran all the way to Bainbridge. It was quite a long run and we found "perfect" water in the middle of the river. We were excited and fished hard with only one 7" smallie and a 20+ channel cattie to show for it. What a disappointment! This water looked great and yet no fish. We had it all to ourselves and couldn't take advantage of it.
The worst part of the river was the Marietta area. It was like a mind field of debris which included floating barrels, whole trees, tons of grasses, and leaves. During both the trip north and the returning trip south through this obstacle course, we had to stop numerous times in order to clean out the jet boot.
We caught another smallie just below Wrightsville on a spinnerbait. It measured 16.75". Shy of the necessary 18" legal limit.
We were running out of time and ideas. I had fished on the east shore during my practice and have often caught fish in this area in the past. Josh admitted that he had never fished that area and was willing to give it a shot.
So, off we went and I'm glad we did. It was about 2:25 p.m. and a half hour before we needed to be back at the ramp and off plane. No keepers, but we did have a lot of "High Hopes", like Harry Kalas usd to sing! Josh was replacing a tube and said to me, "I don't know why I'm doing this?" Just as he was finishing up, I felt a "Smack" on my spinnerbait... "Josh, I got one!" "Is it 18 inches?", Josh asked. I had to laugh and told him to just get the net... LOL! It measure 18 1/8th inch. "Yes!!"
We would be going in with at least one fish for all our effort. But wait, it's not over. Within two minutes, I had a 19" smallie hit. OMG! We had two of the needed three keepers in the boat in less than five minutes of fishing. WHAT LUCK!!
That was it and we had to get up on plane and back to the ramp. We packed up and left at 2:45 p.m. for the ride back... What a classic ending!
Our catch was a modest 6 lbs. 1 oz. which put us in the money. We placed 7th among 37 boats. We got our entry fee back... which will go towards our trip to the North Branch in November... Yes!
Congratulations to Chris Stoltz and Bruce Neil for their 12 lb plus catch. Folks, that's 3 smallies that averaged over 4 lbs. each. They were on fish most the day. What a great success for them during very tough conditions.
Weights of 12, 11, and 10 rounded out the top three places. The next four places were all in the 6 pound range. Many 1 fish bags were measured.
Also a big congratulations to Tony Spinelli who caught a 5+ lb largemouth for lunker. I spoke with Tony and he was pleased as punch to take our $10 lunker fee... LOL! Tony was a dedicated largemouth angler for years and he put his skills to the test and it paid off in the pool.
I normally don't fish tournaments anymore. This T was sponsored by our good friends George, George, Jr, and Mike Acord at Susquehanna Fish and Tackle. We all wanted to support their efforts over the years in bringing us a fantastic fishing tackle shop in Lancaster, Pa. area.
dad
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Flies catch fish and fund medical research
I met Stuart Patterson at the Federation of Fly Fishers Florida Conclave in Celebration.
Nice guy.
He watched as I tied a few of my Myakka Minnows.
We chatted as I finished about a half dozen flies.
During the conversation, I found out Patterson sells flies through his website: http://www.pattersonsaltwaterflies.com/.
Nothing out of the ordinary there. Lots of folks are trying to make an extra buck selling flies.
But Patterson is just a little different. He donates all of his profits to the American Syringolmyelia Alliance Project. Syringomyelia, often referred to as SM, is a chronic disorder of the spinal cord. It can lead to numbing and tingling, a loss of sensitivity to hot and cold, scoliosis, muscle weakness, paralysis and other symptoms.
Patterson's daughters, Hope and Holly, suffer a number of neurological disorders, including Syingomyelia, Chiari malformation, intrachranial hypertension and chronic pain.
Holly and Hope decided to raise money money to fund research. Their goal is to raise $40,000.
Patterson joined the effort when he began selling flies.
To date, the Patterson family has raised more than $20,000.
Patterson has patterns from some of the biggest names in Florida saltwater fly fishing, including Tim Borski, Rick Grassett, Aaron Adams, Norm Zeigler and others.
Not only are the flies great fish-catchers, but money collected from their sales go to fight crippling diseases.
If you are in need of flies, check out Stuart Patterson's website.
You'll be glad you did.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
I'm Exhausted and My Wife is Kinda Pissed
So I took the day off of work on Friday, dropped my daughter off at the sitters and got my gear together. Drove from Richmond to Virginia Beach, and after finding bait and getting a bite to eat, I got to the base of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel around 12:30. Launched and trolled around the Small Boat Channel for a bit. Nothing. On the way out to the island, met Kevin and Lee. They were on the way in, since the wind was picking up. They said they slayed the togs. Kevin told me he caught a 22.5"er, 1/2 an inch from citation! Listening to him got me all excited, so I got to my spot with 5 dozen fiddlers and used every one of them. Lost count of the togs after 15 or so. The paddle back in really sucked for the first half. But as the sun was setting, the wind died down a bit. The sunset was gorgeous.
I tried for stripers again at the Small Boat Channel with a bunch of motorboats with little luck. I ran into several other yakers I knew, but left them to try for the trout at little creek. Here's my limit of togs.
I grabbed a bite to eat and launched just west of the bridge in the creek. I got to the jetties and the wind was BLOWING. I tried for about an hour out there, but it sucked. It was rough on the way in, too. I hung around under the bridge for a while and only got a few bumps. I stayed out there til about 2:30am with nothing to show. I packed up the car and decided to take a nap. Woke up around 6:30 and couldn't decide what to do. I REALLY wanted a trout. So, I Rudee inlet it was. Got a little breakfast on the way and upon arriving at owl creek, I see Ruthless was there. I launched and quickly caught up with Cory. He told me he was out there yesterday at dawn and he found an all out blitz. His first fish yesterday was a citation (on topwater) and just kept on slaying them. Of course, today was a totally different story. The wind was NASTY! I got to $ cove and lots of motor boats. But not a lot of action. Got back to the police docks and just as I was saying "this is my last cast" I get get a hard hit on a mirrolure. I pull back, it rips drag, then it's gone. I must have barely hooked it. I said that was my last cast, because I told my wife I would be back by 1:00. It was 11:30 with a 1.5 hour drive. But you know darn well, it's now impossible for me to leave. Another hour and a half goes by and I kept making excuses in my head. "I know they're here and as soon as I get one, I'm leaving".... "at least the launch is right there, so I don't have to paddle far to get going".. etc. The one thing that does turn me off of fishing is wind. Finally, after several big gusts, my hat went flying, so I decided that was it. No trout, no striper, not even a bluefish. 4 togs and a very irritated wife.
I tried for stripers again at the Small Boat Channel with a bunch of motorboats with little luck. I ran into several other yakers I knew, but left them to try for the trout at little creek. Here's my limit of togs.
I grabbed a bite to eat and launched just west of the bridge in the creek. I got to the jetties and the wind was BLOWING. I tried for about an hour out there, but it sucked. It was rough on the way in, too. I hung around under the bridge for a while and only got a few bumps. I stayed out there til about 2:30am with nothing to show. I packed up the car and decided to take a nap. Woke up around 6:30 and couldn't decide what to do. I REALLY wanted a trout. So, I Rudee inlet it was. Got a little breakfast on the way and upon arriving at owl creek, I see Ruthless was there. I launched and quickly caught up with Cory. He told me he was out there yesterday at dawn and he found an all out blitz. His first fish yesterday was a citation (on topwater) and just kept on slaying them. Of course, today was a totally different story. The wind was NASTY! I got to $ cove and lots of motor boats. But not a lot of action. Got back to the police docks and just as I was saying "this is my last cast" I get get a hard hit on a mirrolure. I pull back, it rips drag, then it's gone. I must have barely hooked it. I said that was my last cast, because I told my wife I would be back by 1:00. It was 11:30 with a 1.5 hour drive. But you know darn well, it's now impossible for me to leave. Another hour and a half goes by and I kept making excuses in my head. "I know they're here and as soon as I get one, I'm leaving".... "at least the launch is right there, so I don't have to paddle far to get going".. etc. The one thing that does turn me off of fishing is wind. Finally, after several big gusts, my hat went flying, so I decided that was it. No trout, no striper, not even a bluefish. 4 togs and a very irritated wife.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Gibby at FFF Florida Conclave
I will be tying flies and conducting a kayak fishing seminar Friday and Saturday at the Federation of Fly Fishers Florida Council Conclave at the Ramada Inn Resort in Celebration, Fla.
If you will be there, please top by and say hello or introduce yourself.
I will be tying the famous Mighty Myakka Minnow, a fly I designed five years ago that does nothing more than catch fish -- a lot of fish. It's my go-to fly for oscar and Mayan cichlid in The Everglades. It's easy to to -- if you know how. And that's what I'll show you at the Conclave.
I'll also demonstrate how to tie my variation of the D.T. Special, a fly I consider to be THE best beach snook fly ever created. I've been using it and catching snook along the beaches for the past 20 years. Many flies will take snook, but none like the D.T. Special Variation.
Capt. Matt Hoover, a guide in Naples, Fla., sent me a D.T. Special year ago. He told me it was the only beach snook fly I'd ever need.
He was right.
I've tweaked it a little over the years to suit my needs -- hence, the term "variation."
I sometimes get credited with developing the pattern. I did not. I have changed it somewhat and I think it's a better fly.
My seminar on freshwater kayak fishing is scheduled at 11 a.m. Saturday in Room D of the Ramada Inn. I have what I think is a very interesting Power Point presentation. My seminar will last about an hour, with the last 15 minutes for questions. Of course, I'll be available throughout the Conclave to chat about fly fishing or fly tying.
The Ramada Inn is located at 6375 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Celebration. Phone number is (407) 390-5800.
For information on the Conclave, call Capt. Pete Greenan at (941) 232-2960.
If you will be there, please top by and say hello or introduce yourself.
I will be tying the famous Mighty Myakka Minnow, a fly I designed five years ago that does nothing more than catch fish -- a lot of fish. It's my go-to fly for oscar and Mayan cichlid in The Everglades. It's easy to to -- if you know how. And that's what I'll show you at the Conclave.
I'll also demonstrate how to tie my variation of the D.T. Special, a fly I consider to be THE best beach snook fly ever created. I've been using it and catching snook along the beaches for the past 20 years. Many flies will take snook, but none like the D.T. Special Variation.
Capt. Matt Hoover, a guide in Naples, Fla., sent me a D.T. Special year ago. He told me it was the only beach snook fly I'd ever need.
He was right.
I've tweaked it a little over the years to suit my needs -- hence, the term "variation."
I sometimes get credited with developing the pattern. I did not. I have changed it somewhat and I think it's a better fly.
My seminar on freshwater kayak fishing is scheduled at 11 a.m. Saturday in Room D of the Ramada Inn. I have what I think is a very interesting Power Point presentation. My seminar will last about an hour, with the last 15 minutes for questions. Of course, I'll be available throughout the Conclave to chat about fly fishing or fly tying.
The Ramada Inn is located at 6375 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Celebration. Phone number is (407) 390-5800.
For information on the Conclave, call Capt. Pete Greenan at (941) 232-2960.
Sarasota kill shark tournament still alive
I read with interest Ed Mauer's commentary about the Sarasota Shark Tournament in Florida Fly Fishing Magazine. I understand his feelings.
I wrote a similar piece for publication about two years ago.
It's unfathomable there's still a kill shark tournament being conducted. It's even more amazing that it takes place in upscale Sarasota. And it's deplorable that seemingly no one cares.
Shark tournaments disappeared from the scene in the mid-1980s when shark anglers figured out there was nothing positive resulting from their efforts. One Sarasota sharker, Terry Copeland, was sickened after a huge shark he caught gave birth posthumously on the dock at Hart's Landing.
"A total waste," Copeland remembered saying at the time.
That was the last time the Sarasota antique furniture restorer killed shark.
Sharks, according to Dr. Robert Hueter of Mote Marine Laboratory, have been in serious trouble for the last 2o years because of overfishing. At the height of the tournament rage and because of commercial fishing, they were being harvested faster than they could reproduce. Some sharks were caught, had their fins removed and dumped back into the sea to die. Shark fin soup is a delicacy in the Orient, and fins brought big money.
The fishery teetered on the brink of collapse.
The shark population received a boost when most shark anglers realized they were part of the problem and ended the competitions. Shark tournaments still existed, but with release formats.
Three years ago, one resurfaced locally when the Sarasota tournament was born. What's ironic is that the event was sponsored early on by businesses run by sportsmen involved in the Coastal Conservation Association Florida. In fact, one was a former state CCA board member and past president of the Sarasota Chapter of CCA. That person was questioned about sponsoring the event, but chose not to withdraw sponsorship at the time (the business did not sponsor the last event).
What was even more frustrating is the local newspaper and its TV partner chose to glorify the event through photographs and coverage. Despite numerous columns and stories over the years spotlighting problems with the shark fishery, the paper and TV station chose to ignore and glorify. Either editors there didn't read the columns or didn't believe them.
Or maybe it was simply an opportunity to sell newspapers?
Crowds gathered a weigh-ins held at Island Park near Marina Jack where dead, fly-covered sharks would be hung for the blood-thirsty crowd to ogle as the chest-thumping anglers absorbed the admiration.
All was justified, however, because, according to tournament organizers, all of the rotting meat was donated to needy people.
Let's see if I've got this straight: It's OK for me to kill a shark or a deer or a beer or a squirrel as long as I give it to another person to eat?
What is even further disgusting is that some of the competitors caught, killed and used tarpon, a great and protected Florida gamefish, for shark bait. Anglers may catch, keep and kill a tarpon as long as they have a special $50 tag from the state.
Here's betting the tournament will hold its fourth annual kill clash next year. The local paper doesn't seem to care. Nor does its TV companion.
But what's even more sad is that most Sarasotans or Floridians don't seem to care.
I wrote a similar piece for publication about two years ago.
It's unfathomable there's still a kill shark tournament being conducted. It's even more amazing that it takes place in upscale Sarasota. And it's deplorable that seemingly no one cares.
Shark tournaments disappeared from the scene in the mid-1980s when shark anglers figured out there was nothing positive resulting from their efforts. One Sarasota sharker, Terry Copeland, was sickened after a huge shark he caught gave birth posthumously on the dock at Hart's Landing.
"A total waste," Copeland remembered saying at the time.
That was the last time the Sarasota antique furniture restorer killed shark.
Sharks, according to Dr. Robert Hueter of Mote Marine Laboratory, have been in serious trouble for the last 2o years because of overfishing. At the height of the tournament rage and because of commercial fishing, they were being harvested faster than they could reproduce. Some sharks were caught, had their fins removed and dumped back into the sea to die. Shark fin soup is a delicacy in the Orient, and fins brought big money.
The fishery teetered on the brink of collapse.
The shark population received a boost when most shark anglers realized they were part of the problem and ended the competitions. Shark tournaments still existed, but with release formats.
Three years ago, one resurfaced locally when the Sarasota tournament was born. What's ironic is that the event was sponsored early on by businesses run by sportsmen involved in the Coastal Conservation Association Florida. In fact, one was a former state CCA board member and past president of the Sarasota Chapter of CCA. That person was questioned about sponsoring the event, but chose not to withdraw sponsorship at the time (the business did not sponsor the last event).
What was even more frustrating is the local newspaper and its TV partner chose to glorify the event through photographs and coverage. Despite numerous columns and stories over the years spotlighting problems with the shark fishery, the paper and TV station chose to ignore and glorify. Either editors there didn't read the columns or didn't believe them.
Or maybe it was simply an opportunity to sell newspapers?
Crowds gathered a weigh-ins held at Island Park near Marina Jack where dead, fly-covered sharks would be hung for the blood-thirsty crowd to ogle as the chest-thumping anglers absorbed the admiration.
All was justified, however, because, according to tournament organizers, all of the rotting meat was donated to needy people.
Let's see if I've got this straight: It's OK for me to kill a shark or a deer or a beer or a squirrel as long as I give it to another person to eat?
What is even further disgusting is that some of the competitors caught, killed and used tarpon, a great and protected Florida gamefish, for shark bait. Anglers may catch, keep and kill a tarpon as long as they have a special $50 tag from the state.
Here's betting the tournament will hold its fourth annual kill clash next year. The local paper doesn't seem to care. Nor does its TV companion.
But what's even more sad is that most Sarasotans or Floridians don't seem to care.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
River is Dirty From Last Week's Rains
I wasn't sure what Josh and I would find when we hit the water today. It was only 34 degrees this morning. So, we decided to meet at 6:30 a.m. and head to our usual breakfast at the Mt. Joy Diner after picking up his jet rig.
What we found was a pretty dirty river, but not a muddy one. The water temp was in the upper 40's. There was an overcast sky that cleared to partly cloudy by afternoon.
We only caught three fish on three different lures... One walleye and two smallmouth bass. Bass must be 18" in our section of the Susquehanna River after October 1st. Neither bass, although decent size, were legal winter season size.
The only thing I noticed about the two bass we caught was that both were caught in a section of river that was a bit clearer than the rest of the river. Cleaner water is pumping in from some of the feeder streams and creeks.
Both Wednesday and Thursday look like beautiful weather forecasts with air temps reaching close to 70's and higher. I'll be sure to be on the water searching for fish.
dad
What we found was a pretty dirty river, but not a muddy one. The water temp was in the upper 40's. There was an overcast sky that cleared to partly cloudy by afternoon.
We only caught three fish on three different lures... One walleye and two smallmouth bass. Bass must be 18" in our section of the Susquehanna River after October 1st. Neither bass, although decent size, were legal winter season size.
The only thing I noticed about the two bass we caught was that both were caught in a section of river that was a bit clearer than the rest of the river. Cleaner water is pumping in from some of the feeder streams and creeks.
Both Wednesday and Thursday look like beautiful weather forecasts with air temps reaching close to 70's and higher. I'll be sure to be on the water searching for fish.
dad
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Drastic Weather Hits the East Coast
Those who do not live here in the mid-Atlantic region may not be aware that we have been hit with a nor-eastern storm this past week. It has dumped snow and ice from Pennsylvania all the way up into New England. The air and water temperatures have taken a drastic plunge since Wednesday.
A rebound in weather is expected over the next few days, but the water temperature dove from 58.7 degrees recorded during my last trip to 47.2 degrees. This low temperature was reported from Goldsboro, Pa. just yesterday. Folks, that's an 11.5 degree drop in just five days!
I joke by saying I saw a school of smallmouth bass building a bonfire on Hill Island in the Goldsboro Pond just to keep themselves warm. :-)
Not only has the river water temperature taken a plunge, but the river water level is on the rise. The local river level predictor indicates a rise to 4.7' by Monday evening. That is over foot rise in less than five days.
So, let's review this: 11+ degree water temp. drop, air temp has been holding in the mid to upper 30's since Thursday, and the water level is rising over 12 inches in less than five days.
I would predict that our smallmouth population will adjust by mid-week as the weather and temperatures begin to rise.
I hate going from warm to cold, which is what we are experiencing at the moment. However, a warming trend will reverse that process and go from cold to warm... dad likes!
Hang in there, we have plenty of fantastic smallmouth action coming our way soon.
dad
A rebound in weather is expected over the next few days, but the water temperature dove from 58.7 degrees recorded during my last trip to 47.2 degrees. This low temperature was reported from Goldsboro, Pa. just yesterday. Folks, that's an 11.5 degree drop in just five days!
I joke by saying I saw a school of smallmouth bass building a bonfire on Hill Island in the Goldsboro Pond just to keep themselves warm. :-)
Not only has the river water temperature taken a plunge, but the river water level is on the rise. The local river level predictor indicates a rise to 4.7' by Monday evening. That is over foot rise in less than five days.
So, let's review this: 11+ degree water temp. drop, air temp has been holding in the mid to upper 30's since Thursday, and the water level is rising over 12 inches in less than five days.
I would predict that our smallmouth population will adjust by mid-week as the weather and temperatures begin to rise.
I hate going from warm to cold, which is what we are experiencing at the moment. However, a warming trend will reverse that process and go from cold to warm... dad likes!
Hang in there, we have plenty of fantastic smallmouth action coming our way soon.
dad
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Slamming in the shallows
Flats fishing with Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing has been good and should really get better now that the cool weather has arrived.
Slams -- redfish, snook and spotted seatrout on the same trip -- have been par for the course. In fact, we've slammed on eight of our nine recent outings.
Top spot has been Bishop Harbor off southern Tampa Bay during the incoming tide. We've been getting snook to 26 inches, redfish to 28 and spotted seatrout to 16 on Rapala Skitter Walks, D.O.A. 1/4-ounce gold glitter shrimp and D.O.A. CAL Jigs.
Spotted seatrout also are scattered on grass patches in the middle of the harbor.
Outside in Tampa Bay, we've been getting redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle and flounder. We recently paddled to a spoil island near Port Manatee and caught eight snook to 27 inches, three redfish to 24, four spotted seatrout to 18, five jack crevalle, two gag grouper and 11 flounder. Most of the fish came at the bottom of the tide, right on the edge of the flat.
Next day, snook and redfish were absent, but we did land 15 spotted seatrout to 18 inches on CAL Jigs.
Ken Taylor of North Port joined us for an all-day outing and caught plethora of spotted seatrout on D.O.A. Shrimp and the MirrOlure MirrOdine in gold finish. He caught his fish in Bishop Harbor and on the flats in southern Tampa Bay.
We also landed snook, redfish, spotted seatrout and flounder on the trip.
John Garrity of Toledo, Ohio and his son, Jake, fished a half-day with me at Buttonwood Harbor on Sarasota Bay. Action was slow on the outgoing tide, but they did end up with spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, ladyfish and flounder.
We'll start running our heralded Everglades trips in about a month. In addition, to largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcracker and stumpknocker, we target the exotics: oscar, Mayan cichlid and peacock bass.
Fishing improves significantly after the rainy season when the water level drops. It concentrates the fish. Anglers average 100 fish or more per trip.
Give me a call at (941) 284-3406 if you'd like to book a kayak fishing outing.
Remember, the worst time you'll have will be pretty darn good.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Done did it again!
Caught this little guy on the fly while trying to catch bream (bait).
Then, I got to the river...
and it was FISH ON!
Then, I got to the river...
and it was FISH ON!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Maine Striper Fishing Report October 15th, 2009
DONT MISS THIS EVENT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6-7th at 7 pm .
At Frontier Cafe, Cinema & Gallery
PHONE: (207) 725-5222
See Trailer @
www.confluencefilms.tv
LOCATION:
14 Maine St.
Mill 3 -- Fort Andross
Brunswick, ME 04011
In 2008, Confluence Films debuted DRIFT, a highly acclaimed documentary that
captivated the fly-fishing community. In 2009, riding on the success of
DRIFT, director/cinematographer Chris Patterson of Warren Miller
Entertainment and executive producer Jim Klug once again set out in search
of new locations and the totally unique stories, characters, and species
that epitomize the spirit and soul of fly-fishing.
This new film is RISE a six segment collection of individual stories shot
around the world; stories that together truly reflect the attraction that
fly-fishing has for all of us. Shot on location in the Florida Keys,
Argentina, Idaho, New Orleans, Venezuela, and Alaska. RISE is a stunning
full-length film, photographed entirely on 16mm film and mastered in HD.
Featuring: Rene Harrop, Rance Rathie, Travis Smith, Capt.Bruce Chard, Ron
Sorensen, Mike Lawson, Capt. Bryan Carter & more.
Now for the fishing report
Good Striper fishing continues into mid October!!! The Kennebec river is still producing good numbers of fish as is Casco Bay...reports indicate that some very good fishing is still taking place on the flats of Casco Bay...so get out there and enjoy some great fall fishing!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6-7th at 7 pm .
At Frontier Cafe, Cinema & Gallery
PHONE: (207) 725-5222
See Trailer @
www.confluencefilms.tv
LOCATION:
14 Maine St.
Mill 3 -- Fort Andross
Brunswick, ME 04011
In 2008, Confluence Films debuted DRIFT, a highly acclaimed documentary that
captivated the fly-fishing community. In 2009, riding on the success of
DRIFT, director/cinematographer Chris Patterson of Warren Miller
Entertainment and executive producer Jim Klug once again set out in search
of new locations and the totally unique stories, characters, and species
that epitomize the spirit and soul of fly-fishing.
This new film is RISE a six segment collection of individual stories shot
around the world; stories that together truly reflect the attraction that
fly-fishing has for all of us. Shot on location in the Florida Keys,
Argentina, Idaho, New Orleans, Venezuela, and Alaska. RISE is a stunning
full-length film, photographed entirely on 16mm film and mastered in HD.
Featuring: Rene Harrop, Rance Rathie, Travis Smith, Capt.Bruce Chard, Ron
Sorensen, Mike Lawson, Capt. Bryan Carter & more.
Now for the fishing report
Good Striper fishing continues into mid October!!! The Kennebec river is still producing good numbers of fish as is Casco Bay...reports indicate that some very good fishing is still taking place on the flats of Casco Bay...so get out there and enjoy some great fall fishing!!!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Good Day Off of Work
I've been hoping to win a catfish challenge over on Kayak Bass Fishing.
So here's my latest entries...
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cold Morning, Slow Morning - Susquehanna River
Since today was Columbus Day, our local public schools were off for the day. That meant my buddy, Dell (math teacher at the middle school level), was home and ready to get on the water.
He had shoulder surgery recently and his PT told him it was okay to go out and try some fishing. So, we planned to get out today before his 1:30 p.m. PT appointment. Having his therapy appointment on the same day that we fished was a good idea. He will be able to fill his therapist in on how he felt while casting and landing bass... Sore! :(
It was 7:30 a.m. and 40 degrees outside when Dell arrived at my home. We loaded the boat and tow truck with his fishing gear and headed to our local fishing hole for a few hours of smallie fishing... Rehab! :D
There was a good cloud cover all morning. The weather report called for clouds to move in as the day progressed. Well, they were here already when we launched at 8:15 a.m. The weather report predicted that the air temperature was suppose to rise to 60 degrees. It's 2:00 p.m. as I write this report and it's only 47 degrees outside... Uh, I doubt if we we'll see 60! ;)
Dell got the ball rolling with a nice little chunk of a smallie on a Bandit 200 Series crankbait. He followed that bass with a small 13" walleye. He was able to catch one more 17" walleye and another bass before we left at 11:30 a.m.
I caught four smallies on my "ugly" lure... Big O 3/8th oz. Fire Tiger crank. My biggest was 15".
No monsters today, but we had a great time anyway! Dell was introduced to my method of PT... Fishing!
I caught a walleye on the Winco's Frankenstein (borrowed parts) "Bronze Bushwhacker" ... Okay, that's three species in the past two trips on the "BB." Maybe we should consider another name change to " The Bronze-Greenie-Wallie Bushwhacker."
With the complete cloud cover this morning, the water temperature held at 58.7 degrees on the Lowrance.
The Harrisburg gauge was at 3.68' water level.
Dell and I caught smallies today on jerkbaits, crankbaits, and the "Bronze Bushwhacker." We also tossed tubes and spinnerbaits without any success.
There were some Early Duck (Oct. 10-17) hunters on the water today. We watched a pair of duck hunters call a group of four mallards in. They landed too far for a good shot. So the hunters waited the ducks out. Four flew in and only three flew out! We watched them get into their camo-covered boat and retrieved the duck. Way to go, guys!
dadTB
He had shoulder surgery recently and his PT told him it was okay to go out and try some fishing. So, we planned to get out today before his 1:30 p.m. PT appointment. Having his therapy appointment on the same day that we fished was a good idea. He will be able to fill his therapist in on how he felt while casting and landing bass... Sore! :(
It was 7:30 a.m. and 40 degrees outside when Dell arrived at my home. We loaded the boat and tow truck with his fishing gear and headed to our local fishing hole for a few hours of smallie fishing... Rehab! :D
There was a good cloud cover all morning. The weather report called for clouds to move in as the day progressed. Well, they were here already when we launched at 8:15 a.m. The weather report predicted that the air temperature was suppose to rise to 60 degrees. It's 2:00 p.m. as I write this report and it's only 47 degrees outside... Uh, I doubt if we we'll see 60! ;)
Dell got the ball rolling with a nice little chunk of a smallie on a Bandit 200 Series crankbait. He followed that bass with a small 13" walleye. He was able to catch one more 17" walleye and another bass before we left at 11:30 a.m.
I caught four smallies on my "ugly" lure... Big O 3/8th oz. Fire Tiger crank. My biggest was 15".
No monsters today, but we had a great time anyway! Dell was introduced to my method of PT... Fishing!
I caught a walleye on the Winco's Frankenstein (borrowed parts) "Bronze Bushwhacker" ... Okay, that's three species in the past two trips on the "BB." Maybe we should consider another name change to " The Bronze-Greenie-Wallie Bushwhacker."
With the complete cloud cover this morning, the water temperature held at 58.7 degrees on the Lowrance.
The Harrisburg gauge was at 3.68' water level.
Dell and I caught smallies today on jerkbaits, crankbaits, and the "Bronze Bushwhacker." We also tossed tubes and spinnerbaits without any success.
There were some Early Duck (Oct. 10-17) hunters on the water today. We watched a pair of duck hunters call a group of four mallards in. They landed too far for a good shot. So the hunters waited the ducks out. Four flew in and only three flew out! We watched them get into their camo-covered boat and retrieved the duck. Way to go, guys!
dadTB
Sunday, October 11, 2009
WIOV-105 FM Fall FanFest!
Spent time at the Big I-105 Fall FanFest at Overlook Community Center. We arrived at the campus around 11:45 a.m. and were greeted by 1000's of people who were already there! Bands included Trailer Choir, Sarah Buxton, Chris Young, Darryl Worley, and Little Big Town.
Live Country Music, in the park, sitting with your loved one and friends, and enjoying the beautiful day outdoors. Nothing can be better except doing all that on my boat bass fishing in the middle of the Susquehanna River! LOL!
My beautiful wife, Julie, is all smiles as she enjoys a day of live country music!
Here's my fishing buddy, Josh.
Julie and Josh relaxing in the cool autumn breeze and listening to Darryl Worley singing "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)".
Look at that big grin on my face.
Kickin' back and enjoying country music.
Back in the early 1980's, I played bass guitar (Fender Precision) and sang backup in several local country bands. One of my favorites was the AC Sourbeer Band. Arashay C. Borden passed away in April of 2007 at the age of 57. I met Mike and Gaye Mentzer during our AC Sourbeer Band days and we later formed a Rock/Country Rock band known as "August Heat".
Pic of a similar bass amp and cabinet I used in the 1980's. This the Peavey Mark VI version. I played through a Peavey MArk IV amp. Look at those beautiful 'Black Widow' speakers!
A lot of great times back then. We even had the pleasure of playing backup to Reba McEntire the very day after she was awarded her first CMA "Female Vocalist of the Year" Award - 1984. She came to the Pequea Silver Mine Park and performed with her small band. A couple of years later, my wife and I saw her in concert at the old Valley Forge Theater. By then, she was quite famous and rich... a full back up orchestra, backup singers, and sequin dresses. What a big difference fame brings to a girl from Oklahoma!
Here is the view we had of the stage.
The only thing that could have been better... much better... was the sound system. It was too weak for that many people spread out over that much territory. Just my own personal opinion of something I hope they would improve on next year!
dadTB
Live Country Music, in the park, sitting with your loved one and friends, and enjoying the beautiful day outdoors. Nothing can be better except doing all that on my boat bass fishing in the middle of the Susquehanna River! LOL!
My beautiful wife, Julie, is all smiles as she enjoys a day of live country music!
Here's my fishing buddy, Josh.
Julie and Josh relaxing in the cool autumn breeze and listening to Darryl Worley singing "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)".
Look at that big grin on my face.
Kickin' back and enjoying country music.
Back in the early 1980's, I played bass guitar (Fender Precision) and sang backup in several local country bands. One of my favorites was the AC Sourbeer Band. Arashay C. Borden passed away in April of 2007 at the age of 57. I met Mike and Gaye Mentzer during our AC Sourbeer Band days and we later formed a Rock/Country Rock band known as "August Heat".
Pic of a similar bass amp and cabinet I used in the 1980's. This the Peavey Mark VI version. I played through a Peavey MArk IV amp. Look at those beautiful 'Black Widow' speakers!
A lot of great times back then. We even had the pleasure of playing backup to Reba McEntire the very day after she was awarded her first CMA "Female Vocalist of the Year" Award - 1984. She came to the Pequea Silver Mine Park and performed with her small band. A couple of years later, my wife and I saw her in concert at the old Valley Forge Theater. By then, she was quite famous and rich... a full back up orchestra, backup singers, and sequin dresses. What a big difference fame brings to a girl from Oklahoma!
Here is the view we had of the stage.
The only thing that could have been better... much better... was the sound system. It was too weak for that many people spread out over that much territory. Just my own personal opinion of something I hope they would improve on next year!
dadTB
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Early Morning on the James
I wanted to head down to the beach and go for the specks, but business schedule was conflicting. So I decided to get some kitties.
First came a 26" Blue cat.
Then a 28" Flathead
Then a 35" Flathead
I had a 29" flathead too, but just as I was reaching back for the camera, it did the perfect flop and got out of the boat.
Good times none the less.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fantastic Day with a Super Guest! - Susquehanna River 10/08/09,
My fishing partner today was the one and only Al Winco, a site sponsor from Winco's Custom Lures. We had been talking over the past year or so of hooking up and hitting the mighty Susquehanna River for a day of fun and fishing. Well, we finally were able to work our "busy" schedules out and met yesterday.
Al had a two hour drive from the Bristol, Pa. area to Willow Street, Pa. After several back surgeries, I know that such a drive can be hard on him. But he showed up at my home at our appointed time of 7:00 a.m. and hungrier than a bear!
We loaded his gear into my truck, headed to the gas station to fill up the truck, and then off to our local greasy spoon for a hearty breakfast and a few steaming hot cups of coffee.
We planned our strategy for the day. Al has been working on a new beetle spin style lure which he and I discussed. He had some old wires and a few of his custom molded plastics that he threw together and wanted to take out for a test run... there will be numerous modifications before the final lure is up and on his web site. The lure we had in hand yesterday was like a creation from Dr. Frankenstein... parts borrowed from here and parts from there.
We got on the water at 9:00 a.m. and headed to some of my favorite spots. As fishing goes, the morning started out slow. We had a strong front go through a day before and the fishing was slowed a bit. I finally hooked up with a nice 14" bass on a Super Spot. A short time later, it's twin came into the boat on a Big O.
Okay... we now see that the fish are hooking into cranks and lipless crank. We tossed plastic jigs and larger spinnerbaits w/o any success.
The water temp was 57 degrees when we hit the water. There were some clouds that hid the sun throughout the morning. The air temp was in the low 50's and rose to the upper 60's by the time we exited the water.
Throughout the day, the sun would break out and warm our old bones and heat the water. The water temp rose to a nice 59.7 degrees. The sun brought the winds from the NW up to 15 mph. However, as the afternoon wore on, the winds died down to a pleasant breeze.
Al was treated to the sight of several of our resident eagles. They were quite active throughout our fishing trip, soaring above us. We were able to enjoy a rather close-up view of an immature as it sat perched on a boulder about 40 yd. downriver from us. It was practicing being the 'King of The Air' as the cormorants and seagulls kept a safe distance away.
We also located a swan tucked in and feeding along a small mid-river island. I haven't seen a swan in this location for several years!
We only caught one "legal" bass yesterday. It was a beautiful 18.25" smallie that hit my "Ugly " lure. She was cruising some faster moving water just south of a distinct ledge.
Now that we knew that some fish action was happening, I decided to lay all other lures aside and concentrate on Al's beetle spin style creation. I was near a shallow run that dropped off into about 4' of water. It took about three casts to bring the first ever 'Bronze Bushwhacker' bass into the boat.
Within a few minutes, I was able to hook into a second bass.
Al was beside himself! We were laughing and enjoying the moment. Those custom poured plastics looked really good coming through the water on this rig. They have a very fine finesse tail and a small minnow shaped body. If I was a fish, I would definitely eat this thing!
In a few moments, Al hooked into his first ever 'Bronze Bushwhacker' bass. Way to go, Al!
As you can see, it wasn't a monster, but she sure did excite Al. Each bass we caught reassured us that the bass were willing to take this Frankenstein-ish lure with his custom plastic trailer.
I have a favorite ledge that I can usually catch a few hawgs off of. However, because of the water flow, I could not reach it in the morning. However, by late afternoon, the flow had slowed and I was right there tossing Super Spots and Al tossed his weighted lipless. We were able to pull in 6 bass and missed another 5 before the flow picked back up and we found it too difficult to remain on the spot.
Here is Al's 16.5" on his weighted lipless crank.
This 17 1/8th came in soon after Al's bass. The downward angle doesn't do this girl justice. She fought like a determined prizefighter!
Boy, did we have a great day! Although, had we could have caught more fish, the day would have been perfect. The amount of fish we did catch kept us from losing our concentration. But there were times when we were laughing so hard that we most likely missed a fish or two! :D
Thanks, Al, for a great day with a lot of fun and laughs. At times, I felt like we were aboard the USS Orthopedic. Between the two of us, I believe we had to have put several surgeons' children through college!
dadTB
Al had a two hour drive from the Bristol, Pa. area to Willow Street, Pa. After several back surgeries, I know that such a drive can be hard on him. But he showed up at my home at our appointed time of 7:00 a.m. and hungrier than a bear!
We loaded his gear into my truck, headed to the gas station to fill up the truck, and then off to our local greasy spoon for a hearty breakfast and a few steaming hot cups of coffee.
We planned our strategy for the day. Al has been working on a new beetle spin style lure which he and I discussed. He had some old wires and a few of his custom molded plastics that he threw together and wanted to take out for a test run... there will be numerous modifications before the final lure is up and on his web site. The lure we had in hand yesterday was like a creation from Dr. Frankenstein... parts borrowed from here and parts from there.
We got on the water at 9:00 a.m. and headed to some of my favorite spots. As fishing goes, the morning started out slow. We had a strong front go through a day before and the fishing was slowed a bit. I finally hooked up with a nice 14" bass on a Super Spot. A short time later, it's twin came into the boat on a Big O.
Okay... we now see that the fish are hooking into cranks and lipless crank. We tossed plastic jigs and larger spinnerbaits w/o any success.
The water temp was 57 degrees when we hit the water. There were some clouds that hid the sun throughout the morning. The air temp was in the low 50's and rose to the upper 60's by the time we exited the water.
Throughout the day, the sun would break out and warm our old bones and heat the water. The water temp rose to a nice 59.7 degrees. The sun brought the winds from the NW up to 15 mph. However, as the afternoon wore on, the winds died down to a pleasant breeze.
Al was treated to the sight of several of our resident eagles. They were quite active throughout our fishing trip, soaring above us. We were able to enjoy a rather close-up view of an immature as it sat perched on a boulder about 40 yd. downriver from us. It was practicing being the 'King of The Air' as the cormorants and seagulls kept a safe distance away.
We also located a swan tucked in and feeding along a small mid-river island. I haven't seen a swan in this location for several years!
We only caught one "legal" bass yesterday. It was a beautiful 18.25" smallie that hit my "Ugly " lure. She was cruising some faster moving water just south of a distinct ledge.
Now that we knew that some fish action was happening, I decided to lay all other lures aside and concentrate on Al's beetle spin style creation. I was near a shallow run that dropped off into about 4' of water. It took about three casts to bring the first ever 'Bronze Bushwhacker' bass into the boat.
Within a few minutes, I was able to hook into a second bass.
Al was beside himself! We were laughing and enjoying the moment. Those custom poured plastics looked really good coming through the water on this rig. They have a very fine finesse tail and a small minnow shaped body. If I was a fish, I would definitely eat this thing!
In a few moments, Al hooked into his first ever 'Bronze Bushwhacker' bass. Way to go, Al!
As you can see, it wasn't a monster, but she sure did excite Al. Each bass we caught reassured us that the bass were willing to take this Frankenstein-ish lure with his custom plastic trailer.
I have a favorite ledge that I can usually catch a few hawgs off of. However, because of the water flow, I could not reach it in the morning. However, by late afternoon, the flow had slowed and I was right there tossing Super Spots and Al tossed his weighted lipless. We were able to pull in 6 bass and missed another 5 before the flow picked back up and we found it too difficult to remain on the spot.
Here is Al's 16.5" on his weighted lipless crank.
This 17 1/8th came in soon after Al's bass. The downward angle doesn't do this girl justice. She fought like a determined prizefighter!
Boy, did we have a great day! Although, had we could have caught more fish, the day would have been perfect. The amount of fish we did catch kept us from losing our concentration. But there were times when we were laughing so hard that we most likely missed a fish or two! :D
Thanks, Al, for a great day with a lot of fun and laughs. At times, I felt like we were aboard the USS Orthopedic. Between the two of us, I believe we had to have put several surgeons' children through college!
dadTB
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Day That Wasn't Suppose To Happen!
Okay... Where should I begin? The beginning is a good place to start. I got up at 4:45 a.m. for my weekly Tuesday fishing trip with my buddy, Josh "smallieman" Kreider. I had already loaded the truck the night before with all my tackle and gear. So, there wasn't much left than to make a quick lunch, grab my truck keys, and get on the road.
I left the house at 5:30 a.m., started the truck, and proceeded up my driveway... about 20 yd. I felt an all too familiar sensation in my steering wheel... "OMG! I have another flat tire!" I backed down the driveway, got out of my F150, and checked the back passenger side tire. Sure enough, it was flatter than a pancake.
Those who read my last "flat tire" post realize that this is the tire I suspected was also going flat when I took my truck and the other flat into my Ford Dealer last Thursday. I was assured that the back passenger tire wasn't going flat... Yea, sure!!
As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. I went back into the house and ranted and raved for a few minutes. I spoke to my wife, as if she was the Ford Dealership, and told her everything I wanted to do to them... *mad*
I called Josh and said I would be late since I needed to transfer all my stuff over to my son's vehicle. My youngest son told me that he would call AAA for me and then instructed me to get out of the dang house. :o
I got to Josh's apartment 20 minutes late no worse for the wear and loaded my stuff into his truck.
We hit the road and headed to the shed where he keeps his boat stored. When we arrived, Josh realized that he left the shed lock key on his dresser. Arrrggghhhh! So, we drove all the way back to his apartment for the key.
We finally got the boat hooked up and headed to our weekly breakfast at a 24 hr. diner in Mt. Joy, Pa. Up to this point, the breakfast was about the best thing that happen to either one of us so far. Really, it was because we aren't finished just yet with all this bad mojo.
After breakfast, we headed back towards the river route and stopped at a local Sheetz only to realize, when Josh goes to turn on his Master Power Switch, that he had left it on 10 days ago and now the starter battery was drained dead!!!
Josh let lose with some very fine expletives that would have made an old tar blush. He was so angry that he didn't want to fill the boat gas tank. All he wanted was to get his tail out of there.
Once in the cab of his truck and slightly calmed down, he called his family home and spoke to his pop. He had an old starter battery over at his family's home on a charger. So, we trekked on over to his family's home and hooked up the old "charged" battery.
"Dear Lord, can we please get to the river now?" :rolleyes:
We stopped and got gas and actually arrived at the ramp around 9:45 a.m. Four hours after I had gotten out of bed... LOL!
As we were heading to our first fishing hole, Steve "ifishblades" called Josh on his cell phone. He gave us a tip on a colored spinnerbait that they were using on Sunday north of us that was working quite well. Momma didn't raise no fool! I removed the spinnerbait I had on and tied the "secret" color spinnerbait onto my line... Josh chose another color to try that he recently bought at SFT.
A few casts later and look what I brought to hand...
She was a beefy 19.5" smallie... Ahhhhh! After all that bad luck this morning, the river gods rewarded us greatly with this beauty.
The water temp was 58 degrees and rose to 60 throughout our fishing trip. The bright sun went behind clouds off and on throughout the day. There was a slight SW wind blowing that actually made it rather comfortable. In the shade, it was a bit chilly. I had my fleece off and on throughout the entire trip.
The water clarity on the east was dingy, but not too bad. The west shore was looking very clear.
I ended the day with only three hard earned fish... spinnerbait, small Super Spot, and a tube.
This day ended with me handing Josh a "Josh!" That's right folks, a few weeks ago, Josh caught 8-9 fish and I had none. If you remember, I called it being "Joshed." Well, today was my turn to do a "Josh" on my good buddy, smallieman... :D
After all the bad luck passed by, we enjoyed the day together and are now looking forward to our next Susquehanna River adventure. Heck, with all that bad luck over, only good times are finally ahead for us! :)
dadTB
I left the house at 5:30 a.m., started the truck, and proceeded up my driveway... about 20 yd. I felt an all too familiar sensation in my steering wheel... "OMG! I have another flat tire!" I backed down the driveway, got out of my F150, and checked the back passenger side tire. Sure enough, it was flatter than a pancake.
Those who read my last "flat tire" post realize that this is the tire I suspected was also going flat when I took my truck and the other flat into my Ford Dealer last Thursday. I was assured that the back passenger tire wasn't going flat... Yea, sure!!
As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. I went back into the house and ranted and raved for a few minutes. I spoke to my wife, as if she was the Ford Dealership, and told her everything I wanted to do to them... *mad*
I called Josh and said I would be late since I needed to transfer all my stuff over to my son's vehicle. My youngest son told me that he would call AAA for me and then instructed me to get out of the dang house. :o
I got to Josh's apartment 20 minutes late no worse for the wear and loaded my stuff into his truck.
We hit the road and headed to the shed where he keeps his boat stored. When we arrived, Josh realized that he left the shed lock key on his dresser. Arrrggghhhh! So, we drove all the way back to his apartment for the key.
We finally got the boat hooked up and headed to our weekly breakfast at a 24 hr. diner in Mt. Joy, Pa. Up to this point, the breakfast was about the best thing that happen to either one of us so far. Really, it was because we aren't finished just yet with all this bad mojo.
After breakfast, we headed back towards the river route and stopped at a local Sheetz only to realize, when Josh goes to turn on his Master Power Switch, that he had left it on 10 days ago and now the starter battery was drained dead!!!
Josh let lose with some very fine expletives that would have made an old tar blush. He was so angry that he didn't want to fill the boat gas tank. All he wanted was to get his tail out of there.
Once in the cab of his truck and slightly calmed down, he called his family home and spoke to his pop. He had an old starter battery over at his family's home on a charger. So, we trekked on over to his family's home and hooked up the old "charged" battery.
"Dear Lord, can we please get to the river now?" :rolleyes:
We stopped and got gas and actually arrived at the ramp around 9:45 a.m. Four hours after I had gotten out of bed... LOL!
As we were heading to our first fishing hole, Steve "ifishblades" called Josh on his cell phone. He gave us a tip on a colored spinnerbait that they were using on Sunday north of us that was working quite well. Momma didn't raise no fool! I removed the spinnerbait I had on and tied the "secret" color spinnerbait onto my line... Josh chose another color to try that he recently bought at SFT.
A few casts later and look what I brought to hand...
She was a beefy 19.5" smallie... Ahhhhh! After all that bad luck this morning, the river gods rewarded us greatly with this beauty.
The water temp was 58 degrees and rose to 60 throughout our fishing trip. The bright sun went behind clouds off and on throughout the day. There was a slight SW wind blowing that actually made it rather comfortable. In the shade, it was a bit chilly. I had my fleece off and on throughout the entire trip.
The water clarity on the east was dingy, but not too bad. The west shore was looking very clear.
I ended the day with only three hard earned fish... spinnerbait, small Super Spot, and a tube.
This day ended with me handing Josh a "Josh!" That's right folks, a few weeks ago, Josh caught 8-9 fish and I had none. If you remember, I called it being "Joshed." Well, today was my turn to do a "Josh" on my good buddy, smallieman... :D
After all the bad luck passed by, we enjoyed the day together and are now looking forward to our next Susquehanna River adventure. Heck, with all that bad luck over, only good times are finally ahead for us! :)
dadTB
Monday, October 5, 2009
Another Wecome Aboard!
I have been averaging about 8 visits per day here at "Fishing With Dad." I would like to say hello to my visitor from the APO, Armed Forces Europe, Middle East, & Canada.
It's good to know that our military personnel have access to visiting our fishing sites to bring a little bit of home to them no matter where in the world they are serving.
My sons have several close friends who are serving overseas, some in very dangerous situations. I think about all of you often.
Hang in there and come home safely!
dad
It's good to know that our military personnel have access to visiting our fishing sites to bring a little bit of home to them no matter where in the world they are serving.
My sons have several close friends who are serving overseas, some in very dangerous situations. I think about all of you often.
Hang in there and come home safely!
dad
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Finally.... My First October 2009 Fishing Trip!
After my false start on Thursday... Flat Tire... I finally got to fish during the Oktoberfest. Our local restaurant doesn't open until 7:00 a.m. on Sundays. That's no problem... I'll wait. :D
After breakfast, I checked all four tires on the truck and the two on the trailer. No Flats! I'm good to go... took all the gear out of the locked bed and returned it to the boat. I ready whatever I could before leaving the restaurant parking lot to save me time at the launch.
The launch had several trucks and trailers parked in it this weekend morning. Unlike the weekdays when I've been the only tow vehicle in the entire lot, this morning had bass anglers on the water already.
I launched the boat using a rope which makes it rather easy. I then tie it to the dock, pull the trailer out of the water, and park the truck and trailer. I would say I can get that all done in approximately 10 minutes or so.
There were two bass anglers heading into the creek and fishing the shoreline looking for bass. They had been to the dam and told me that they were pumping so much water that it was impossible for them to fish there. Yep, that's the way most the summer has been. Except for some short off moments, the dam has been generating electricity pretty much 24/7. I suspect that with TMI shutting down soon, the other local power plants will be sending electricity up the grid to all the folks serviced by the nuclear power plant. TMI will be removing the old steam generators and replacing them with those new French-made ones we've been seeing so much of lately in the news reports.
My day started out rather slow with only a few smaller bass on a Bandit 100 and a Big O 3/8th oz. I tried a buzzbait early and a spinnerbait. Neither one drew any strikes. I stayed with the spinnerbait for quite some time and even tied one on with a slightly larger #4.5 silver blade.
As fall approaches, the shad and minnows will have grown larger and the larger blades work well. The silver blade choice was because it was very sunny skies today and the silver gives off a nice flash. Today, I had no hits on any spinnerbait I tossed.
The water was higher than in my most recent trips to this area so I was able to explore some spots I hadn't gotten to for awhile. No one else was around which is nice and I was able to pull a few more 14" smallies in on the crankbaits.
I met up with a fellow who has a cabin on one of the islands below Otter Creek. We got to talking and sharing some fishing stories from the area. I learned that his grandparents had owned the cabin and he has fished this area all his life... Cool! We also talked about the eagles that live nearby. I very rarely hit the lower part of this lake and he told me of several eagles' nesting down below his cabin.
I had seen the matured bald eagle this morning as I was heading to my first fishing hole. I hadn't seen this one for about a month. I also saw one of the immatures sitting on a power line and another flying nearby. At one point, the mature and immature were soaring together above an island just south of me.
I love to watch these majestic birds of prey as they hunt. Watching the eaglets grow in that sanctuary on camera this past spring/summer gave me a much better understanding of the size of their talons. When the staff tagged the birds during the season, one could compare their size with a human... those things are huge!
I had a very good stretch of fishing at one point today when I caught an 18" walleye, two smallies (14.5" and 16"), and a 18" channel cattie. All came on a Cotton Cordell Super Spot in Chrome with a Black Back. Three species, one lure, in one general area! :) I was able to share my walleye with a young gentleman who was fishing to feed his family.
The walleye will be running in this area very soon and it will be exciting.
The water temperature was 58-60 degrees depending on where I was fishing. The clarity was a bit off due to recent rains and green... not dirty. The level this morning in Harrisburg, Pa. was reading at 3.8'. The winds were quiet when I arrived and picked up as the sun came out from behind clouds. Accuweather showed the winds at 14 mph in Willow Street when I returned at 2:45 p.m.
I put in at 8:30 a.m. and fished until 2:15 p.m. That's 5 hrs. and 45 min. of fishing. 11 bass, 1 walleye, and 1 cattie came into the G3 today. I also missed three that I felt hit and pause my crankbait.
I had a few spots that I threw tubes. I also used a tube and Magic Stick to follow up on rises... None of them were taken.
A highlight of my trip today was meeting a fellow who was starting to smallmouth bass fish and had been into SFT to speak to the Acords about it. He was fishing along with a buddy. This fellow's son attended the school district that I worked in for 25 yrs. He also has runs for river rescue. I have great respect for anyone who does such a public service... police, fire, rescue. Our volunteers make this country great. The United States has such a fantastic core of volunteers who are willing to reach out and help each and every one of us! Thank you to each and every volunteer for dedicating your time to help others. :)
dadTB
After breakfast, I checked all four tires on the truck and the two on the trailer. No Flats! I'm good to go... took all the gear out of the locked bed and returned it to the boat. I ready whatever I could before leaving the restaurant parking lot to save me time at the launch.
The launch had several trucks and trailers parked in it this weekend morning. Unlike the weekdays when I've been the only tow vehicle in the entire lot, this morning had bass anglers on the water already.
I launched the boat using a rope which makes it rather easy. I then tie it to the dock, pull the trailer out of the water, and park the truck and trailer. I would say I can get that all done in approximately 10 minutes or so.
There were two bass anglers heading into the creek and fishing the shoreline looking for bass. They had been to the dam and told me that they were pumping so much water that it was impossible for them to fish there. Yep, that's the way most the summer has been. Except for some short off moments, the dam has been generating electricity pretty much 24/7. I suspect that with TMI shutting down soon, the other local power plants will be sending electricity up the grid to all the folks serviced by the nuclear power plant. TMI will be removing the old steam generators and replacing them with those new French-made ones we've been seeing so much of lately in the news reports.
My day started out rather slow with only a few smaller bass on a Bandit 100 and a Big O 3/8th oz. I tried a buzzbait early and a spinnerbait. Neither one drew any strikes. I stayed with the spinnerbait for quite some time and even tied one on with a slightly larger #4.5 silver blade.
As fall approaches, the shad and minnows will have grown larger and the larger blades work well. The silver blade choice was because it was very sunny skies today and the silver gives off a nice flash. Today, I had no hits on any spinnerbait I tossed.
The water was higher than in my most recent trips to this area so I was able to explore some spots I hadn't gotten to for awhile. No one else was around which is nice and I was able to pull a few more 14" smallies in on the crankbaits.
I met up with a fellow who has a cabin on one of the islands below Otter Creek. We got to talking and sharing some fishing stories from the area. I learned that his grandparents had owned the cabin and he has fished this area all his life... Cool! We also talked about the eagles that live nearby. I very rarely hit the lower part of this lake and he told me of several eagles' nesting down below his cabin.
I had seen the matured bald eagle this morning as I was heading to my first fishing hole. I hadn't seen this one for about a month. I also saw one of the immatures sitting on a power line and another flying nearby. At one point, the mature and immature were soaring together above an island just south of me.
I love to watch these majestic birds of prey as they hunt. Watching the eaglets grow in that sanctuary on camera this past spring/summer gave me a much better understanding of the size of their talons. When the staff tagged the birds during the season, one could compare their size with a human... those things are huge!
I had a very good stretch of fishing at one point today when I caught an 18" walleye, two smallies (14.5" and 16"), and a 18" channel cattie. All came on a Cotton Cordell Super Spot in Chrome with a Black Back. Three species, one lure, in one general area! :) I was able to share my walleye with a young gentleman who was fishing to feed his family.
The walleye will be running in this area very soon and it will be exciting.
The water temperature was 58-60 degrees depending on where I was fishing. The clarity was a bit off due to recent rains and green... not dirty. The level this morning in Harrisburg, Pa. was reading at 3.8'. The winds were quiet when I arrived and picked up as the sun came out from behind clouds. Accuweather showed the winds at 14 mph in Willow Street when I returned at 2:45 p.m.
I put in at 8:30 a.m. and fished until 2:15 p.m. That's 5 hrs. and 45 min. of fishing. 11 bass, 1 walleye, and 1 cattie came into the G3 today. I also missed three that I felt hit and pause my crankbait.
I had a few spots that I threw tubes. I also used a tube and Magic Stick to follow up on rises... None of them were taken.
A highlight of my trip today was meeting a fellow who was starting to smallmouth bass fish and had been into SFT to speak to the Acords about it. He was fishing along with a buddy. This fellow's son attended the school district that I worked in for 25 yrs. He also has runs for river rescue. I have great respect for anyone who does such a public service... police, fire, rescue. Our volunteers make this country great. The United States has such a fantastic core of volunteers who are willing to reach out and help each and every one of us! Thank you to each and every volunteer for dedicating your time to help others. :)
dadTB
Togs and a Sheep
Got the ok from the wife after I made breakfast, did the dishes, changed baby's diaper x2, bought groceries, walked the dog and fed the baby. I was thinking about catfishing but changed my mind at the last minute and drove down to the beach. I'm glad I did. The togs were out in force. I must have caught over 15. I was hoping for a limit of sheep too, but only one. 
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Planning to be on the water in the morning!
I haven't been out fishing for over a week now and I'm starting to experience terrible withdrawal symptoms. As you recall, my last attempt to go fishing on Thursday ending up in a flat tire and no fishing. Well, I plan to turn that bad into good tomorrow. My wife is working, God bless her, and I'll be up once again at 5:00 a.m. to hit the water.
The river has been rising since my last trip. It had gotten as low as 3.23' in Harrisburg, Pa. and is now predicted at 3.9' by tomorrow morning... that's an approximately 8" rise. I love levels around 4' on the Harrisburg, Pa. gauge. I can travel almost anywhere I need to at that level without too much concern.
My catch & release club has a tournament tomorrow up river in the area I lost my poly boot at 3.7' on July 18, 2009. I told the tournament director that I will not fish that area again there again with my rig during a tournament season due to my track record.
Years back, I was fishing a tournament out of City Island in Harrisburg and ran north in the same general area as my last club tournament. Well, we made it up just fine at a pretty low level, too. But we had a slight problem as we returned. I was with a very dear friend, Dave Weitzel who has since passed away. Dave was a bit bigger and heavier than I was back in the day and as we were running these shallow waters, he would often sit near me to distribute the weight better and take it off the stern.
As we were running back to the weigh-in, we had a tight chute to negotiate that sat around a blind corner. As we came around the bend, here was an angler standing directly in the chute... He knew exactly what he was doing! >:-(
So, I turned to Dave and told him to hang tight. We hit the best looking ledge to make it down river. Well, we went airborne for a second and hit hard enough to rattle your teeth.
We made it all the way back without any water entering the boat... a very good sign under the circumstances. However, as we approached the Governor's Barge at the weigh-in site, I realized I had no reverse. My reverse gate was not functioning. Dave had to reach into the water and manually pull and push the gate backward and forward depending on which direction we needed to go.
Once on dry land, we could further examine the damage. The only noticeable damage was that a pin on the right side of the gate was knocked out.
I visited 7 Seas Riverside on Rt. 441 and spoke to Brian Costic. Brian and his father, Dick, had helped me build this rig which was the first of it's kind on the Susquehanna River... A true Jon with a custom made aluminum console built in the front... breaking edge. The guys in the Pa BASS District 3 called my rig "The Barge!" Brian replaced that pin for me free of charge. Thank you, Brian Costic!
Folks, that rig, built nearly 20 yrs. ago, is still on the water with the same Suzuki 60/40 jet motor!! Suzuki built the first outboard jet combo motor. Up until the time that motor came on the market, jet boaters locally would buy the jet unit from San Leandro, California and install it on their motors. A major problem was that they often chose the wrong size impellers match and would burn up their motors due to high RPM.
So, the only two really major river problems I've faced have been in this area. I've fished it on non-tournament days and have been fine. It seems that the word "tournament" in this area is a cursed word on any jet of mine. I will travel in my buddies' jets... LOL!
The river has been rising since my last trip. It had gotten as low as 3.23' in Harrisburg, Pa. and is now predicted at 3.9' by tomorrow morning... that's an approximately 8" rise. I love levels around 4' on the Harrisburg, Pa. gauge. I can travel almost anywhere I need to at that level without too much concern.
My catch & release club has a tournament tomorrow up river in the area I lost my poly boot at 3.7' on July 18, 2009. I told the tournament director that I will not fish that area again there again with my rig during a tournament season due to my track record.
Years back, I was fishing a tournament out of City Island in Harrisburg and ran north in the same general area as my last club tournament. Well, we made it up just fine at a pretty low level, too. But we had a slight problem as we returned. I was with a very dear friend, Dave Weitzel who has since passed away. Dave was a bit bigger and heavier than I was back in the day and as we were running these shallow waters, he would often sit near me to distribute the weight better and take it off the stern.
As we were running back to the weigh-in, we had a tight chute to negotiate that sat around a blind corner. As we came around the bend, here was an angler standing directly in the chute... He knew exactly what he was doing! >:-(
So, I turned to Dave and told him to hang tight. We hit the best looking ledge to make it down river. Well, we went airborne for a second and hit hard enough to rattle your teeth.
We made it all the way back without any water entering the boat... a very good sign under the circumstances. However, as we approached the Governor's Barge at the weigh-in site, I realized I had no reverse. My reverse gate was not functioning. Dave had to reach into the water and manually pull and push the gate backward and forward depending on which direction we needed to go.
Once on dry land, we could further examine the damage. The only noticeable damage was that a pin on the right side of the gate was knocked out.
I visited 7 Seas Riverside on Rt. 441 and spoke to Brian Costic. Brian and his father, Dick, had helped me build this rig which was the first of it's kind on the Susquehanna River... A true Jon with a custom made aluminum console built in the front... breaking edge. The guys in the Pa BASS District 3 called my rig "The Barge!" Brian replaced that pin for me free of charge. Thank you, Brian Costic!
Folks, that rig, built nearly 20 yrs. ago, is still on the water with the same Suzuki 60/40 jet motor!! Suzuki built the first outboard jet combo motor. Up until the time that motor came on the market, jet boaters locally would buy the jet unit from San Leandro, California and install it on their motors. A major problem was that they often chose the wrong size impellers match and would burn up their motors due to high RPM.
So, the only two really major river problems I've faced have been in this area. I've fished it on non-tournament days and have been fine. It seems that the word "tournament" in this area is a cursed word on any jet of mine. I will travel in my buddies' jets... LOL!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
New Cities to Welcome Aboard!
Since I posted on Sunday, September 27, 2009, I have had more cities and countries to welcome here at "Fishing With Dad".
Thanks to these cities and states:
Jacksonville, Florida - I've driven through Jacksonville several times on my trips to Disney World and had a cousin who lived in this beautiful city.
El Dorado Hills, California
Powder Springs, Georgia
Mechanicsville, Maryland
Parkton, Maryland
Cape May, New Jersey - My family vacations in Wildwood Crest, N.J. and we always drive over the draw bridge into Cape May to visit. Such a gorgeous city a with beautiful architecture.
Jersey City, New Jersey
Buffalo, New York
Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Hatboro, Pennsylvania
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Pittston, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Rectortown, Virginia
and... These Cities and Countries!
Villers-le-Bouillet, Liege, Belgium
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
It's just remarkable that we have so many visitors from around the globe. I would like to thank each and every one of my visitors. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment so I know you have been on site.
Take care,
dad
Thanks to these cities and states:
Jacksonville, Florida - I've driven through Jacksonville several times on my trips to Disney World and had a cousin who lived in this beautiful city.
El Dorado Hills, California
Powder Springs, Georgia
Mechanicsville, Maryland
Parkton, Maryland
Cape May, New Jersey - My family vacations in Wildwood Crest, N.J. and we always drive over the draw bridge into Cape May to visit. Such a gorgeous city a with beautiful architecture.
Jersey City, New Jersey
Buffalo, New York
Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Hatboro, Pennsylvania
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Pittston, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Rectortown, Virginia
and... These Cities and Countries!
Villers-le-Bouillet, Liege, Belgium
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
It's just remarkable that we have so many visitors from around the globe. I would like to thank each and every one of my visitors. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment so I know you have been on site.
Take care,
dad
"So, I thought I'd go fishing today, but..."
My wife gets up each and every work day at 5:00 a.m. which is perfect for me since it's a good time to get ready to fish for the day. Today was no different than any other day I've gone fishing this past month.
I got up at 5:00 a.m., showered, and shaved. I put on my fishing clothing and warm boots since it had dropped to 40 degrees last night in the countryside.
By the time I had gotten downstairs, my wife had the dogs fed and out in the yard. She was eating breakfast and I packed a small lunch to take with me.
I headed to the garage to hook up the trailer to the truck. My wife stopped by and gave me a kiss goodbye and asked me to be safe driving and fishing since I was on my own. As always, I told her not to worry and away she went down the road.
I put my rods and gear into my locking covered truck bed since I was stopping at the local greasy spoon for breakfast and to read the morning paper. The morning was going along just great.
I got to the restaurant a little after 6:00 a.m. and ordered breakfast. The waitress delayed getting my order into the kitchen... something about she got tied up at the cash registered since there was no hostess in at this early hour to take payments. Okay... That was okay, but delayed my fishing for a few minutes.
By the time I got my eggs and ham, I had drank 3 cups of coffee. LOL! After eating and paying the bill, off I went to the parking lot. There were three cable guys standing by talking to one another and one of of the fellows said to me, "Hey, looks like you're getting a flat." I answered back, "Yea, I see that. I should be getting smallmouth instead."
It wasn't completely flat yet, but it sure was on it's way. I got home, unhooked the boat, and was going to give AAA a call. Heck, that's why I have these guys, right? Well, I looked at my card and it had expired... YESTERDAY! Dang!!!
I called my wife at work to see if she renewed our membership. "Well, honey, I was going to, but..." She finally said she'll call, renew, and have some one sent... "Thank you, Sweetie!"
I've had three flats in the past year and I'm on first name basis with the driver of the tow truck. He understands that I have replaced hips and helps me in whatever way he can.
I thought I get the ball rolling before he got to my home. So, I went to unlock the plug that protects the entry to drop the spare tire and it wouldn't budge... Dang! How will I get that darn spare out? The last time I did it, the plug came out rather easily. I tried a few more times w/o success. Okay, where's the silicone spray? A shot of that loosened the plug and the key finally worked... whew! Thank you, God! That was about the only thing that has gone right since I saw the flat at the restaurant.
The AAA tow truck finally arrived and the driver said he could try to fill the tire for me. He claimed it would get me to the dealer. But wait, he was all out of compressed air. He had a hole in his air tube... LOL! Sounds like my bad luck was now on a roll.
So, he helped me remove the damaged tire and replaced it with the spare that I had earlier dropped. It was now a little after 9:00 a.m. I had called the Ford dealer before the tow truck arrived and they told me to just bring the tire right over when I was finished with AAA.
I arrived at the Ford dealer around 10:00 a.m. and spent the next two hours, (Yes, two hours) waiting for the tire to be repaired. It was a tiny nail hole that took awhile to locate. They plugged it and it was finished at noon.
Let's see... Up at 5:00 a.m. to go fishing and leaving the Ford dealer at noon with a repaired tire! Needless to say, no fishing for me today. I did get the lawn mowed before the rains move in tonight.
What's the Albert King lyric to the song "If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have no kinda luck. If it wasn't for real bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"? Well, that's my day in a nutshell. So, I think I'll just go to bed now before anything else has a chance to happen to me. Goodnight!
I got up at 5:00 a.m., showered, and shaved. I put on my fishing clothing and warm boots since it had dropped to 40 degrees last night in the countryside.
By the time I had gotten downstairs, my wife had the dogs fed and out in the yard. She was eating breakfast and I packed a small lunch to take with me.
I headed to the garage to hook up the trailer to the truck. My wife stopped by and gave me a kiss goodbye and asked me to be safe driving and fishing since I was on my own. As always, I told her not to worry and away she went down the road.
I put my rods and gear into my locking covered truck bed since I was stopping at the local greasy spoon for breakfast and to read the morning paper. The morning was going along just great.
I got to the restaurant a little after 6:00 a.m. and ordered breakfast. The waitress delayed getting my order into the kitchen... something about she got tied up at the cash registered since there was no hostess in at this early hour to take payments. Okay... That was okay, but delayed my fishing for a few minutes.
By the time I got my eggs and ham, I had drank 3 cups of coffee. LOL! After eating and paying the bill, off I went to the parking lot. There were three cable guys standing by talking to one another and one of of the fellows said to me, "Hey, looks like you're getting a flat." I answered back, "Yea, I see that. I should be getting smallmouth instead."
It wasn't completely flat yet, but it sure was on it's way. I got home, unhooked the boat, and was going to give AAA a call. Heck, that's why I have these guys, right? Well, I looked at my card and it had expired... YESTERDAY! Dang!!!
I called my wife at work to see if she renewed our membership. "Well, honey, I was going to, but..." She finally said she'll call, renew, and have some one sent... "Thank you, Sweetie!"
I've had three flats in the past year and I'm on first name basis with the driver of the tow truck. He understands that I have replaced hips and helps me in whatever way he can.
I thought I get the ball rolling before he got to my home. So, I went to unlock the plug that protects the entry to drop the spare tire and it wouldn't budge... Dang! How will I get that darn spare out? The last time I did it, the plug came out rather easily. I tried a few more times w/o success. Okay, where's the silicone spray? A shot of that loosened the plug and the key finally worked... whew! Thank you, God! That was about the only thing that has gone right since I saw the flat at the restaurant.
The AAA tow truck finally arrived and the driver said he could try to fill the tire for me. He claimed it would get me to the dealer. But wait, he was all out of compressed air. He had a hole in his air tube... LOL! Sounds like my bad luck was now on a roll.
So, he helped me remove the damaged tire and replaced it with the spare that I had earlier dropped. It was now a little after 9:00 a.m. I had called the Ford dealer before the tow truck arrived and they told me to just bring the tire right over when I was finished with AAA.
I arrived at the Ford dealer around 10:00 a.m. and spent the next two hours, (Yes, two hours) waiting for the tire to be repaired. It was a tiny nail hole that took awhile to locate. They plugged it and it was finished at noon.
Let's see... Up at 5:00 a.m. to go fishing and leaving the Ford dealer at noon with a repaired tire! Needless to say, no fishing for me today. I did get the lawn mowed before the rains move in tonight.
What's the Albert King lyric to the song "If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have no kinda luck. If it wasn't for real bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"? Well, that's my day in a nutshell. So, I think I'll just go to bed now before anything else has a chance to happen to me. Goodnight!
Topwater success
My buddy, Ken Taylor of Nort Port, Fla., is a great spin angler. And he's one of the best when it comes to lures.
Taylor knows his plastic.
He can recite model and color numbers like a third-grader reciting the alphabet.
When we launched the kayaks this morning at Bishop Harbor, Taylor toted along a red-and-black backpack loaded with lures of every size, shape and color imaginable. He had jigs, plastic shrimp and jerk worms. He had topwater plugs, swimming mullet and spoons. If it wasn't in his back, he didn't need it.
I carried my share, too. However, I had a Rapala Skitter Walk tied onto a medium heavy spinning rod. From my past four or five trips to Bishop Harbor, I knew that's all I'd need during the first part of the incoming tide.
Action started out slow as we cast around mangrove islands on the east side of the harbor. I had a fish take a swipe at my plug twice, but I didn't connect. Finally, I hooked a fairly nice snook. I lost the fish after a jump, but it was action.
Meanwhile, Taylor was casting an artificial shrimp under a popping cork.
I caught three more snook on the topwater, a nice redfish and a couple of spotted seatrout. That's a slam.
Taylor couldn't solicit any interest in his shrimp-and-float combo.
When the topwater bite ended, we paddled out of Bishop Harbo and into southern Tampa Bay. We caught a number of small spotted seatrout and each lost nice bluefish at the boat. We also had shots at several small bonnethead shark.
We had to call it day earlier than usual and paddled back to the launch. We loaded the gear into the truck, then put the kayaks on the trailer.
"Next time, I'll start out with a topwater," said Taylor.
I'm sure he will.
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