FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Don’t Leave Home Without It.  I don’t!

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The weather is finally straightening up a little here in Victoria.  No fishing this weekend but it will be back on the water in the morning.  Of course I watched a little fishing, but the real issue is I have no right taillight on the boat trailer.  What makes it interesting, and hard to find, is while there is no tail light, the turn signal, brake light, and emergency flasher all work on that side.  I took a little run at it yesterday, and as soon as I hit post it will be back at it.  The usual pain in the ass as far as trailer lights go.  Hey they made it 15 months before messing up, guess it comes with tons of use.

******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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The Fort Worth Star Telegram has reported another stain on bass fishing tournaments.  An angler has been indicted on felony charges for trimming the tail of a bass during a tournament on Lake Fork.  This piece of scum makes me sick.  As a retired defense attorney I have a pretty good idea how things work, so here is my .02 worth.  This is the kind of case if the prosecutor assigned to it has any stones there will be no plea offer made without significant jail time, at least a little pen time, no county jail for this fool.  And if he does not take it then go ahead a take it to trial and see what a jury thinks of this behavior.  This tournament involved up to a $10,000 prize, clearly taking it into the felony range.  Look at this way, if some scum like this tried to straight up steal your $10,000 would you want him in prison?  That is what he did.  It has taken years to finally really address cheating in tournaments, and more needs to be done.  Time to draw the line and make a statement.

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More fun with boating, or why would you buy this boat?  I love reading the sale ads, they speak for themselves, but I just can not help myself.  And for God’s sake it is not a “V Haul”!!!!!  (It isn’t the thing you rent to move.)

Has not run in years, cheap enough to so some work on, bill of sale only.

Sure it is…….

Do not have title.

Run away!

No motor, no title, you have to haul it away.

That says it all.

The boat is ready to fish if you do not go to far from the ramp.  Only $11,000.

Maybe there is a bunch of fish on a ramp near you.

Running last year, needs tires and batteries, jack plate needs fluid.

Other than that it is ready to roll.

Fiberglass damage and hull takes on water.

Hope the bilge pumps works.

Boat needs some seats and a motor.

You do not need anywhere to sit if it does not run.

The boat is total junk, rotted out.  Motor ran a long time ago.  No titles.

So what is really wrong with it?

Restorable.

Which means break out your wallet.

Motor runs great, needs lower prop assembly replaced or repaired.

At least the top half.

Motor not running and transom needs repaired.

Who needs a transom when the motor does not run.

Of course many of these are junk, and often the owner had grand plans to restore it, and like all good intentions fail.  And if it such a good deal and the fix so easy why not do it, make it a lot easier to sell.  Restoring a boat is a project, often the bottomless pit as you get into it.  So buyer beware, buy something that floats, runs, has been maintained, with a title.  You might not regret it.  (Any more than normal!)

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And I got this question from Elaine.

The Big Bend trio sounds interesting. May I ask, where do you usually stay when traveling there?

We have stayed several places in that area.  We have stayed at Terlingua Ranch.  The motel is rustic, no tv but it is 30 mile from the park.  It has a restaurant and pool, and plenty of roads to hike and great access to a road up the mountain, which is big time 4 wheel, but so worth the drive.  You can register for that road at the lodge and get the key.  Stunning at the top.  So it is out there, but quiet.  On any hike on the back roads you can see javelina, quail, and mule deer.  We did stay in Terlingua proper at a house made from phone books,  (Cool) but with no real ac or heat it is tough in hot weather.  She is a retired archeologist and was a wealth of information.

Marathon is a good alternative though about an hour from the park.  The Gage Hotel is way cool but pricey, we have stayed there several times.  The 12 Gage restaurant is definitely pricey but the food is always excellent.  In fact, though we are not staying there we will definitely be eating there one night.  It is quite historical and when the weather is cool there is wood and a fireplace.  Another place we have stayed is in Alpine, at the Holland Hotel.  An old hotel, it is nice with restaurant and bar.  Again a ways from the park.

Places we have not stayed, the park itself which has cabins and a motel.  We have also not stayed at the El Dorado Hotel which is in Terlingua.  We have eaten there, it was good, and they have music in the evening and it seems ok, but is nothing fancy.  Home of the beer drinking goat, who sadly has passed.  But I am sure he was happy!

This time we are staying at some motel in Alpine that has a kitchenette so we will do our own breakfast.  As we are heading to a park close to there to hike and look for Big Horns we will spend one day there, then drive down to Big Bend the other days.  We just fix lunch, pack lots and lots of water, and head out for the day with no particular plan.  And the drive to the park from there is beautiful so we don’t mind.  Then we do the big eat out at night.  This trip we made our reservations late, and most places we would have stayed were booked, so will let you know how this new place works out.  It is definitely nothing fancy, but about all that was available.  The park is a popular place in the spring.  So stay tuned for the pictures, always a cool trip.

And a last word about driving in the park.  There are 3 kinds of roads, good blacktop, fair gravel, and 4 wheel gravel.  Our last trip the only person we saw driving a couple of the 4 wheel roads were Mexican Apaches on horseback rounding up their cattle who came across the river.  Not sure who was more surprised, us or them.  These were not Iphone carrying, King Ranch Ford driving, urban cowboys, they were the real thing!  (That was the phone book house trip on a road called the river road.  It has a sign which basically says you are on your own.  She was the retired archeologist who filled us in on who they were.  All I know it was cool. Of course they are not supposed to be there, but since if the park finds the cattle they take them and sell them.)  But as long as you have a good 4 wheel vehicle, and are prepared with supplies, water, 2 spares, etc. they might find you before you dry up and blow away.  But the main roads and some of the gravel are fine for cars.  And stop at the ranger station, they are great folks and will give you the scoop.  So have fun if you go, it is one cool place to visit.

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This weekend I have been following the Bassmaster Classic online, and it is going to be close.  But the interesting thing, watching the leader board as it constantly updates.  Of course there was an early bite, but as the day wore on it seemed like when someone would catch one, others would.  (It just happened again with 3 caught by 3 guys in a 2 minute stretch.)  Then there would be periods of nobody boating a keeper.  Really shows how often when they are on the chew, they are biting.  And as all fishermen know, there are times you just can not buy a bite.  Happens to the best of them.

And it was funny as I watched the MLF, with some of the very same guys fishing the Classic.  What makes that funny, it will be the last Classic with KVD, Defoe, Iocanelli, Wheeler, and others.  The world of professional bass fishing is changing, and with many of the pros leaving BASS and FLW, there will be a chance for others to take their place and have a chance to make a living, a good thing.

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Where tomorrow is up in the air, especially if I can not get the trail light fixed.  At least I can go during the day, but there will be no up early and off, not interested in chatting with law enforcement in the morning.  With the wind forecast to be up to 25 on the coast and only 10 – 15 inland it will probably be freshwater somewhere.  But as generally happens, nothing will be finally decided until I get up.  So keep stopping in, there will be some fishing the next 2 days, and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines