FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
“SAVE OUR WATERS”
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The Wade Right Fishing Belt
Brought to you by
The Best Wading System on the Planet.
It rained yesterday, basically all day, so I did not get on the water. As we got over an inch it will be real interesting how the cool rain affects the bite on Coleto, but if I was guessing, and I am, it should slow things down. Here is the current water level on the lake.
Today 94.38 msl. Monday 94.21 msl. (Last time we were at that level was December 15th.)
So the water is coming up (I am happy about that!) and I am sure there is more to follow. As it was in the mid 50’s all day I would expect the rain temp to be in the same category, or even cooler. As far as water color that remains to be seen, but the couple of creeks close to the house were running right along. Since I am prepping to head to Travis in the morning to fish a couple of days with Ro and David it will be Monday before I am back on the lake. So while the cool rain may slow it down some we needed the rain and the lake definitely needs the water.
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Just got some of the new Knockin Tail Lures in a multitude of colors and they look fabulous. So click on the link and take a look. Heck pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served. And now I don’t have to hide them when I catch a fish!
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Ro is a good multi-species fisherman who catches them doing whatever it takes. So I expect it will be everything from bass fishing to even some trolling. Travis has good white bass fishing and stripers, and as we are staying on the upper end it could be a mixed bag. As Travis is a lot like my old stomping grounds I will be swimming the Knockin’ Tail and adding a little jerk bait for starters. But like all trips the most important thing is to keep an open mind. And for me getting to fish out of someone else’s boat is always a pleasure.
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Save Our Waters – This is not off topic!
“the EPA’s proposal would end federal protection for half of the nation’s wetlands and 15% of streams across the country.”
When I was young we used to wade Big Creek north of town. It had pools, riffles, grass, lily pads, and great bass fishing. The wading was easy, the fish hungry, and it was a beautiful thing. Hardwoods lined the creek with beautiful creek bottoms full of morel mushrooms every spring. Then the unrestricted straightening of the creeks, the use of hard core pesticides, along with other factors, turned that creek, and many others, into a mud hole. What a loss for those young fishermen on the way.
The governments new proposal to reduce the regulations on a large portion of the water in this country will do nothing but take us back. As a fisherman, no matter your politics, you should be concerned. Remember, every little creek or river ends up in our water supply or your fishing hole somewhere. Sorry but I trust mining, big farming, and the oil folks as far as I can throw them. But by the same token, as long as they are following the rules I have no complaint with them. The problem is the rules. This country has made tons of progress from the days the Detroit River used to catch on fire, but it has taken decades for things to improve. Of course the current rules are not perfect or fair to everyone, but I will always be in favor of over protecting our waters. Why in the world we would roll back any of that is beyond me. If you love to fish, and you would prefer to not have lead or mercury in your drinking water, you should oppose these rule changes.
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Random past fish picture – My Belize Permit. One off the bucket list!
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https://captainexperiences.com/
I submitted my request to Captain Experiences for a redfish fly guide in Rockport. Though I already made up my mind who to fish with I wanted to sign up to the service and see how the process works so I can let you all know. And of course will continually follow up on the process and the results. One thing that is for sure, I will never use Fishing Booker again, really shoddy. And now that the reservation is going to be made it adds an April trip to what I am fondly calling Trip of the Month Club.
And speaking of that, my trip to Travis fills in the January Trip of the Month. February will be Baffin or Falcon, or both. Stay tuned.
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Time for a jig head rant. Stopped by Cabela’s the other day to pick up a few things, jig heads being one of them. Needed some light screw locks for bay fishing, and a few old style ball heads to use on the Knockin’ Tail for freshwater. I will be using it some on Travis the next couple of days. But my complaint – man are they high. When we downsized to go to Fort Worth for the Boss’s school I sold my hot pot and molds, really wish I had them now. This $1 – 1.50 a jig head is killing me. Hopefully when I get to Arkansas later this spring the little tackle store will still be open. They poured me a 100 last trip for $30, and it was nice to pick out the specific hook I prefer. This time I will have them pour multiple sizes and then I won’t have to bitch about how much they cost.
I did make one purchase that I have thought about buying for years, a line stripper. I hand pulled the line off 7 reels the other day and realized for $12 I could get a tool that would do the job in nothing flat. The Boss actually commented that she has been watching me strip reels for over 30 years and was surprised I did not have one. So much cool fishing stuff it takes a whole room in the house to keep track of it all, and now one more thing added to the pile.
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Politics
This is not a rant to start a discussion. I have watched a little of the impeachment and it further reinforces one of my pet peeves about both sides, all sides, or any side. Time for term limits, end of story. Whether it is local dog catcher, or the US Senate, there needs to be a 2 term limit for anyone who runs for any public office, national or local. And with that an end to retirement benefits that surpass anything you and I have. Time for public service, not self service with out tax dollars.
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That will do it for now. The next time you hear from me will be after a couple of days of fishing on Travis. The weather looks great and nothing like a little camping with friends. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
