FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
The Water is a Dangerous Place
The reason there is no fishing report is I have been battling a real pleasant stomach virus, or whatever it is, for 3 days now. But no matter what it is, I am glad to see it go. So since I have not had the boat in the water this week I did want to assure you all I am alive and will be fishing soon.
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But there is another thing I wanted to spend a little time talking about. Things that can hurt you in the water. We all talk about stingrays, sharks, gators, among other things, but there is one bacteria that has reared it’s ugly head in our area, Shigella.
A bacteria, Shigella comes from contact with fecal matter. It causes vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, occasionally with blood or mucus in the stool. Unfortunately Coleto Creek has 8 confirmed cases with maybe a total of 20 suspected that they know about. Though the lake has been tested and not shown an increase in the bacteria, clearly folks are getting sick swimming there.
Other than avoiding the bacteria all together by not swimming, hand washing is the next best defense. So be advised that with the continued hot weather swimming in Coleto is at your own risk. And remember if you handle fish, or come in contact with lake water, be sure to wash your hands. Trust me, intestinal illnesses suck.
And like last year, there have been multiple cases of Vibro reported from the coast this summer. Most I have ever heard about usually started in the legs, but there was a case starting in the arm. Now I know the argument, it is about the same chance as being struck by lightening. Ok, but when the lightening starts we usually take cover or get off the water. That is why, with the Boss’s prompting, I have gone to lightweight breathable waders as the water warms. It is not nearly as pleasant as wet wading, but oh well, beats an amputation with a $200,000 hospital bill.
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Thanks for all your positive comments on Humminbird’s response to my question. It really shows you what has happened in the fishing industry. More and more the industry is only really concerned about their pros and not really all that concerned with the average fisherman. Take my situation, what do you supposed their response would have been if I was some hot shot guide or tournament angler? I know – Here is a new one. End of story. Unfortunately the market is so large many companies have lost sight of who buys the stuff that allows them to make TV shows, run the best boats, and use tackle like it grows on trees.
Now do not get me wrong, of course there are companies that really do care. Take Cocoons, they stand behind their stuff. And when I had trouble with the Booyah spinnerbait wires breaking they immediately replaced them. When the onboard charger went out under warranty, Minn Kota was kind enough to send a new one and said no hurry, just put the bad one in the same box and send it back to us when you get the new one mounted. And when I had a bracket break on the trolling motor right before a big trip they overnighted me the part, at no additional cost, when I did not even request it. Now that is customer service.
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I do not know how much tackle you have in the boat, but depending on what I have at times it is an easy $500 (real low side) to $1000 at any one time. Now a word to the wise. Does your boat insurance policy include contents? Does the company differentiate between boating stuff and rods, reels, and tackle? You might be surprised when contents do not include tackle. It happens and it hurts when it does. So several questions to your insurance agent, what does my boat policy actually cover? Does my homeowners cover any of it? Hell, I am a freakin’ attorney and find some written insurance policies to be indecipherable. So call your guy and ask him and then hold him to his word if something happens. A 5 minute phone call just might save you a cool grand. You are going to be po’d enough as it is without finding out you have no coverage.
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So that is it for today. I am off to get the truck serviced, then to the marina to check on switching hubs on the Mako. Though they are an oil bath, they are virtually impossible to remove for a bearing check. So time to change hubs back to a pressure grease for ease of maintenance. As they always say, BOAT stands for break out another thousand. If I can get all the organized today I will be lucky. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
