FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

When I got up this morning it was 53 degrees and gusting to 37mph.  I had every intention to fish but no thanks as the temp is supposed to drop a little more and keep blowing.  And looking at tomorrow it will be rain and cold and blowing.  One thing all fishermen experience, is the weather attempting to just ruin our day.   Oh well, good thing I can go every day the rest of the week.

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Damn You for Paying Your Bill 

I really wish I went fishing instead of what I have been doing.  We are in an ongoing hassle with our local insurance agency, that through no fault of ours has now gotten paid twice for our annual house insurance.  So, plenty of smarmy lip service, condescending talk, and attempt to somehow blame me.    Nothing like blaming a good customer for paying his bill twice to make sure he is not late because of your mistake.

***************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The Boat Dump Has Begun

Those of you who have been reading this for a while know that I actually look at boats for sale in Texas almost daily if I do not have a rod in my hands.  And the trends is beginning to change.  The last couple of years of the pandemic prices shot up as there was to many buyers chasing to few boats.  That has started to change, and manufacturers will be ramping up production as fast as they can.  There are more quality used boats for sale in the last month than I have seen the last several years.  Prices are still a little out of line bust starting to drop just a little.  With an increased supply, and needing to take out a loan to fill them with gas, changes are coming.  So now is the time to take a breath if you are looking, it will be a buyers’ market shortly.

The biggest reason change is coming, the skyrocketing price of gas.  We saw gas right at the $4 mark in our travels and from what I have read there will be more to come.  I know just my 18′ now means a stop for truck and boat gas ends up with the pump stopping as I have reached the maximum amount, often $75.  And that is with a V6 truck and an efficient 90hp.  I can only imagine what it costs as you move up the sizes, especially in the big hp motors.  So, if you are thinking of buying take a breath, do your research, it might save you thousands.  And last, if it continues like this who will be the last one with a 400hp boat anchor?

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After watching some of the guys fishing the Bassmaster Classic it brought back memories of what really is the “old days”.  When I started fishing a few tournaments in the mid 70’s,  (Guess I am getting old for sure.  That would be 47 years ago.)  we basically had flashers for our fish finders, then the Lowrance X15 paper graph came on the scene and the graph revolution began.  What triggered the memories was watching them catching bass on the forward-looking sonar.  Since we often fished deep in the Ozark lakes, especially in the winter, we would find the fish and then watch our spoon going up and down seeing them as they came to it.  While we could not look forward you could set to have a wider view.  After a while you began to be able to tell whites/stripers vs. bass vs crappies, based on size, positioning and seasonal location.  Let’s compare, a good flasher then maybe $100 vs. the new operation that counting graph and transducer, an easy $5000.  (If you are lucky!)  I have no real opinion on it, if it works for you good deal and I can really appreciate the application in crappie fishing.  My how things have changed.

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And this very interesting comment from Bill.

Curious if you have seen leeches in a basses mouth in Coleto, today i caught several bass but one of them had what looked like small leaches in it’s mouth all over. About 10 of them. I pulled some out and mashed some others. There were gouge scars from them in the mouth flesh. Released it after i got as many off as i could. Bass still seem to be on points, talapia all in the brush.
Thanks for your posts, good info on the lake.

Let me say this really piqued my interest as I have never seen a leach on any fish out of the lake, so I emailed him back for a little more information.  I was wondering did it appear ok, skinny, hit a slow or fast bait, and where it was located.  Was it way up lake in dark water, or back in a cove, not sue what that might have meant but who knows?  And he was kind enough to email me this answer.

caught it the inside of a point heading up river before the bridge. was where tall grass was on edge of the water. about a 2.5 lb bass, healthy but inside the mouth there were tracks where the leeches had been and multiple leeches were attached to the inside of the mouth and close to the gills. caught on a fast retrieve on a shallow crankbait. no others caught showed leeches. i should have taken a pic but was more concerned both getting some off of it and getting it back in the water.  leeches were about 3/4 inch long

Sounds like it was all good as far as the condition and activity level of the fish.  So, it leaves me more puzzled as you would have thought if it was a common thing I might have seen it.  I have seen it in northern waters, including stuck to my leg wading a small stream.  So the rest of you if it has happened to you let us know.  Will be pondering this for a while.  Appreciate your comments and thanks for reading.

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And one last off topic issue.  When we stopped at the Flying J outside Fort Stockton to get gas on the way home from the desert someone tried to defraud our debit card.  How do I know that?  My card would not work for some reason in the last outside pump so I had to go in and pay up front with the card which I did.  As soon as I get done pumping my bank issues a fraud alert as someone just tried to get a $1 charge through, and I responded to the text it was fraud.  I had not even left the parking lot.  I learned from my bank that this is how the scam is done.  Get your card number and send a $1 charge through and see if it goes.  If it does let the spending begin, so good thing my bank caught it.  So the pump “not working” made me come in and hand over the card to get gas and then it was tested immediately.  I let Flying J know as a courtesy in case it is happening.  Unlike my local State Farm agent they were great and glad I called.  So if this happens to you be sure to report it immediately to the last place you used it. Do not accuse, just tell them what happened and let it go where it may as long as you did not lose any money.

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Whether or not I am going to be able to fish tomorrow due to the weather remains to be seen.  It will be up early and looking at the conditions.  But a high of 48 with a 90% chance of rain and north wind is not all that promising.  But from then on good to go.  For right now it is on the treadmill to walk off this messed-up world.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines