FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
The grandkids are here for the week so the fishing will take a back seat, unless throwing some worms at catfish and bream is fishing. It is all relative. A little tube time and some fishing on the lake keeps them happy. And of course a visit to the zoo and then a little shopping with the Boss. Which shopping with the Boss is way more fun for them than for me.
The crew heads out with high hopes.
So watching the weather looked like we had a window so we headed to the lake. Since I was catching catfish on crankbait had a pretty good idea where to start. Pulled up, tossed some corn and Wren catches a small cat on her first cast. Then we missed a few and Wren caught a nice bluegill.
I am not touching that!
Then it looked like it was coming so I headed to a spot closer to the ramp. We no more than got there and made a couple of casts when here it came, and I don’t mean a shower, it freakin’ poured! Good thing we were close and everyone laughed about it as we headed in a downpour.
Mia fishes and Wren being Wren.
By time I got it on the trailer and pulled the plug it had 2″ of water in it. On the way home there were storms and rain all around us, which should be out of here Friday so who knows we may give it another go before they head home. The trip was short, but a good time was had by all.
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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.
For all your wading needs.
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TPWD has taken additional action on deer breeders in an effort to contain the spread of CWD. I do not think they took it far enough, but it is a start. Until proven otherwise NO deer from any commercial breeding facility should be allowed out. I feel for the breeders but this is a potential disaster and there should be a moratorium on sales or movement of any deer from any breeding facility in Texas, or importation for the time being. After that until the herd is absolutely undeniably clear no movement without a test, end of story. Time to nip this in the bud, before it spreads over the whitetail industry, both hunting and breeding. It can easily spread and then no one wins. I still have a problem with a state agency equating the commercial needs of an industry with our animals they are paid to protect. I understand that there has to be some balance to it, but nowhere does it say Texas Parks Wildlife Commercial Department. Oh… and a couple of questions, asking for a friend: How did this happen? And why has it taken this long to be given the look it deserves? Just wondering who was supposed to be minding the hen house?
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Boy looking daily at boats for sale is eye opening. First is a “shortage” of some new boats and consequently the price of used is skyrocketing. And now the shortage has extended to used boats. I used to say if you could afford a high dollar boat why buy used. Now that is not the easy answer as there is very little out there, and finding exactly what you are looking for it might have to be used. Of course the price “might” be a little out of line, it depends on how bad you want it. A few folks are selling hoping to take advantage of the current market. The best advice right now, hang on if you can, this will not last. (Probably.)
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A Sad Day
Another senseless death out of POC. According to what I read a man was killed when the SCB he was riding in hit the small jetties near midnight. It could have been even worse as there were 4 other folks in the boat. How do things like this continue to happen?
I can scream about horsepower till the cows come home, but the repercussions from high speed boating continue. (And do not put words in my mouth, I do not have a clue how this happened.)
As a buddy and I headed home late one night on Lake Norfork we almost had our incident. It was dead calm and I felt the Champion rock slowly back and forth, then it hit me, wake. I pulled back on the throttle and we idled down and almost hit a pontoon full of folks. They had their running lights off so they could “see.” The one and only time I ever yelled at anyone on the water.
If you do not know, and I mean like the back of your hand, where you are and where you are going, you have no business on the water at night. And if you think you know where you are, but your horsepower is overriding your good sense, you have no business on the water at night, or maybe even owning a boat capable of going that fast. Your GPS is fine for general navigation but it is not infallible, or that precise, to rely on it while running high speed in the dark.
Do not get me wrong I have no idea why or how this happened, or whether speed was a factor, but I saw the pictures from the last deadly crash involving a high speed boat out of POC, and they were ugly. (That gentleman is now under indictment and facing significant prison time.) I know many of you think you have some God given “constitutional” right to run as fast as you want. (Love how that is always thrown around when talking about a ton of different “rights” by folks who heard about the constitution in the 4th grade.) But as far as I am concerned it is time for a speed limit on the water. There is a reason we have them on our highways. Trust me, after having worked a bunch of highway fatalities crashing at 45 mph is nothing comparted to 75 mph. How hard is water? You can roller skate at 60 mph on water, plenty hard depending on how you hit it. And while mandatory kill switches is a start, it means little when you hit an immovable object. I do not mean to rant, but it is so sad when a good time turns to tragedy. Seeing the human consequences at the time it happens is heart breaking. My condolences to family and friends, what a waste. Try telling the family a few times their member has died, it is not easy.
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Please, please, please be careful out there this weekend. The weather is going to straighten up and that means folks will be out in full force. So wear your life jackets, assume the other guy does not have a clue, be the bigger man and yield, check all your stuff before heading to the water, and then act like you have a brain in your head and it will all be fine. And do not get shit faced and drive anything mechanical, safer that way. So have some big fun with family and friends, we deserve it after the last year and a half.
For me it is another few days of the kids, letting everyone have the holiday weekend, then finally back on the water full force. All parties are on notice that I am going to fish, and then fish some more. Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
