FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

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I decided to wait until tomorrow to hit the bay, and I am now watching a big thunderstorm coming ashore covering the whole POC area, with more forecast to come today.  We do not need any more fresh water in the bay.  Tomorrow looks great so it will be off and gone early.  Another day including some testing of the new Controlled Descent Lure.  But I will not be able to resist throwing the popping cork with a fake shrimp some.  So many baits so little time.  As I am home fishing was on my mind so here is a few.

*****************The new bait is coming.  Michael is headed to ICAST in Orlando for the unveil and it will be out soon.

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One of the Boss’s co-workers posted a comment on Facebook concerning the amount of alligators seen in the bay this year, which apparently generated a ton of comments.  (As usual the trolls were out.)  Here is my theory on that, as long as we have this amount of freshwater they are staying right where they are.  So if that is true as soon as we settle into a real south Texas summer pattern, and it gets bone dry, the sightings should go way down.  Will the majority of them swim back to fresher water, or are they here to stay?  Or are there that many all the time but for some reason they are just being seen for some particular reason.  Only time will tell.

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I have never felt that fishing for bedding bass was “ok” for me, but that said, as long as it is legal no one should be criticized for doing it.  But the latest revelation in the bass fishing world just confirms my unease with the practice.

Over the years you see all of our “heroes” encouraging us to release bass, including spawners back on the bed, but unfortunately they are hypocrites, at least until the MLF came along with on the spot catch and release.  But it was ok for them to catch bedding fish, transport them in the boat who knows how many miles, keeping them in the livewell who knows how long until weigh in, all for money.  A little entitled are we?  No one can tell me that taking a big fish off the bed and then releasing it no where near where it was caught is a good thing.  Don’t kid yourself, they do not swim all the way back to where they were and successfully finish spawning.  And if you know a study that say this happens please let me know, I would be happy to tell others about it and change my opinion on fishing for bedding bass.

Now there is this, and it is terrible.  Those of us in the fishing industry who try to do it right get left in the dust by guys like this.  Tackle companies flock to “that” guy showering him with credit.  Magazines write glowing articles about what a guy he is.  At some point this guys numbers defied rational results and not one in the industry raised or questioned, not the least bit of vetting, they just jump on the bandwagon and went with it.

So please follow this link and read the story.  Apparently there has been questions following this character for years on the tournament trail, but they were ignored by tackle companies, magazines, etc, because it was just the “common” fishermen asking.  (Read the comments in the article.)  Those of us who read and follow bass fishing, much less pay their salaries by buying their product, should expect an apology to the sport from those who made this guy a “fishing god”.  They were players in his actions and they share some of the blame.  You are known by the company you keep, like it or not, and when you do it for profit you should expect some backlash.  I often lament were fishing is headed and this is particularly sickening.  So lets see the commercial and promotional end of the industry response.  I expect crickets.

Mike Long: Big Bass Snagger Exposed on

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TPWD – Warden Blotter

No internet busts this month but drugs and alcohol sure were in the spotlight.  My favorite was the dude who was running from the wardens and turned on a dead end road.  He did not know one important fact the wardens chasing him did:  There was a brand new pond just dug at the end of the road.  They arrested him when he made it to shore.  No one ever said someone running from the law was a mental giant.

There was the lady, and I use the term lightly, who shot out a side mirror on the car while taking an illegal deer at night.  No Annie Oakley here.  And the inevitable jet ski incident where the drunken driver wrecked at high speed in a no wake zone.  But I just loved the guy who tried to sink his kayak so the meth would dissolve.  I give him points for creativity, like the first guy, nice job coming up with your well thought out plan.  (And a side note on this type of plan, I had several clients in the past try to eat “something”, which got them choked for their troubles.)

And last they rescued a kayaker from an island after he got dehydrated while drinking beer.  Beer does not hydrate sir.   I have a question for you kayakers –  Drinking beer (Maybe it was light beer.) in a kayak would seem to be a little sketchy, right?  I have “heard” that to many brews could tend to make someone a might unstable.

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Totally off the subject but some scumbag attempted to use my debit card this morning and luckily Prosperity Bank caught it right away, and of course they cancelled my card.  Thanks and nice job protecting my card.  But since we are going on vacation in a week I asked if the new one would get here before then.  She said sure, for $70!  Whatever happened to those little services customers used to get?  I sure miss that bank they say they are.  While I was on hold they played the message how we are family.  Really?  Just saying.

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And just a quick word on planning a far off fishing trip.  A boat out of Biloxi – NOT THE SOUTHERN BELLE – basically gave half the fishermen a case of food poisoning, and apparently were not the least bit helpful or concerned.  When after supper half the boat is puking their brains out not to hard to figure out what happened.  Another report on the same boat had a fisherman getting into an argument with the crew (The cook on the previous complaint.)  when they said they should be happy with half limits and they should not be fishing just to catch and release.  Last, another on the same boat had their last day cut short so the captain could be back in Biloxi before it got dark.  Any of these could easily ruin a bucket list trip, which the Chandeleurs is.  Another had trouble with the small motors having to tow a boat in, all on the same boat.  So before you go spend a little time really searching out anyone you plan on fishing with.  There is tons of information out there on google, fishing websites, and travel websites.  While the comments and complaints are informative, true or not, but the response by the company is by far the most important!  Stuff happens on fishing trips, as it has to me many times, but the response taken to the complaints can make or break the trip.  Remember it is your money.

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And if you were in the area I hope you got a chance to attend the Grand Opening at Angler’s Arsenal.  We were out of town and I missed it but I hope they had a good day.

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That is it for my generic ramblings today.  Time to fill up the boat and truck so I do not have to mess with that in the morning.  Then be sure my stuff is ready to go.  I will be in the water, hope a gator don’t git me!  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines