FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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After fishing a couple of days early last week we did the usual and went out of town for a few days.  (See below.)  Of course this weekend I am leaving it to the rest of the folks who do not get to fish and play on the water during the week.  Tomorrow it will be back on the water.

Roughing it in Mexico

To Bad Chago – Somebody has work!

While Chago is slaving away his kids have been catching fish on the Pacific coast near Manzanillo Mexico.  All the boys boated a nice rooster.  Even when Mom, they were there on her 40th (I know what is good for me.) birthday, and the ladies did the sunset cruise thing, the boys kept fishing and it was one of those reels screaming, bowed up, kinda trips.  Chago said it was a little rough getting one picture at a time with no explanation, that would have drove me nuts.

Beautiful!  

They reported the weather and conditions were just right for rooster fishing.  According to local legend roosters are hard to catch, something my experience revealed.  And there is yet another legend – but as far as the virginity of someone in the Norris family will have to let that one pass.  They were caught trolling the shoreline out of a Panga, though they can be caught there from the beach.  Sounds like a good place to cross one off the bucket list.

All the boys got in on the act.  Really one cool looking fish.

The biggest of the trip.  A 50lb. What a fish!

The bay they fished was Bahia de Santiago, which is calm, which also turned out to be good snorkeling and jet skiing.  The boys took 3 fishing trips and worked the roosters and blackfin over, along with a few bonita and nominal snapper.  All the way around a good trip by most travel standards.  Nice one boys, you can fill Dad in when you get home!

*****************The Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   Coming to a store near you!

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We were looking for somewhere to go out of town for the night and I happened to look up Gruene Hall and lo and behold Bill Bob Thornton and his band the Boxmasters were playing.  Now I have always been a big Billy Bob fan, Sling Blade, which he wrote, directed, and starred in is one of my favorite movies.  Knowing what he “really’ looks like, his ability to play that character was amazing.  Not knowing he had a band, nor that he was a country singer when he was young, we decided why not.

Billy Bob Thorton and his band.  Looking good for 64.

I really did not expect all that much, it could have been a gimmick, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The place was not quite packed, but there were lots of folks there.  Add that to 99 degrees it was just a little warm.  But they were good and it was rock and roll.  He told a few stories and was generally a wild and crazy guy.  If you know anything about him that is his reputation.

See…. there is something good about an iPhone that cost 3x’s more than my first car!

The Boss was up early for a walk, I was sawing logs.  She took this picture with her new iPhone, which of course I have given her plenty of grief over.  I mean who could not like a 7 year old flip phone?  I love mine, just don’t send me any of those emogi thingies.

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Every month I look forward to the TPWD Game Warden Field Notes, you just never know……

This month they found a couple having drunken sex on a boat at night without running lights, and another boat where folks were singing at the top of their lungs.  The real punch line, lots of folks were legally drunk and the drivers got arrested  It is a good reminder that just like on the highway, it is finally up to you to keep yourself safe.  Never assume the other boat has a clue or what he might do, if you have spent any time on the water you know that is the case.

And my usual rant about posting stuff on social media turned up.  This knucklehead posted an alligator in his bath tub, which also led to additional poaching charges.  Smooth move.  I can not say it enough, be carefull.  Folks are watching.  To go along with that there just might be a business out there.  Spend time cruising social media looking for folks violating assorted laws, there is often rewards available from various sources.  If memory serves me the IRS will give you a percentage if you turn someone in.  Just a thought.

And as usual, buy a freakin’ license.  Almost every month what could have been nothing more than a quick license check and on your way turns into arrests for completely unrelated things.  But hey, if you have other issues why would you care a whit for following game laws?

But my favorite this month- A caller on I35 reported a Toyota Prius driving on the interstate with 2 whitetail fawns sitting in the back seat.  They were stolen and charges were filed.  But that is just crazy.  I did not know the Prius had enough room in the back seat for a couple of folks, or in this case Bambi and her sister.

So a big thanks to our wardens out there protecting us and our wildlife.  I have had contact with quite a few over the last 50 years (50? OMG that is sad.) and almost to a man I have found them to be great.  And have even been complimented several times on having my stuff together or doing the right thing, like wearing my life jacket.  Trust me, the last thing the warden wants to do is mess around with your violations.  Nothing makes them happier than NOT giving a ticket or arresting someone.  Thanks ladies and gentlemen, we appreciate what you do.

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As usual I was watching Major League Fishing this weekend and they were on Lake of the Ozarks.  I have had the pleasure of fishing it several times and it is a great bass lake.  Tons of arms and coves with lots of cover it is a really consistent fishing hole.  But it actually may be a better crappie lake.  A buddy of mine fished it hard for years, specifically for crappie, and he literally hammered them.  There are hundreds of brush piles around the multitude of docks holding some big crappie.

It is also the lake we had the most interesting game warden encounter of the many I have had over the years.  Randy and I were fishing in a blizzard, and I mean it was freakin’ coming down.  When out of the blinding snow comes a game warden!  Are you kidding me?  Everything was fine with us and I give him credit for dedication.  We really had no business out there and he could have been home by the fire.

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There were several tournaments locally on both the bay and lake this weekend.  I will be particularly interested in the couple on Coleto as the fishing seems to be improving some.  My results the last few trips means somebody just might catch a nice mess.

Watching the weather for the week looks like it will be really ugly as the week goes on.  But it is August in South Texas and it comes with the territory, but it does get old as the summer wears on.  And like the last month has been for me not sure what is next.  At least in the morning there will be some clouds with the possibility of rain, which we need desperately.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

Fayette Does Not Dissapoint! 

If the fish are not biting on your home lake there is only one thing to do – go somewhere else.  Aaron is working in the area and we have been trying to get together for a Fayette morning and today we finally did.  And as Fayette so often does, it spit out some nice fatties.

Fayette bass give a new meaning to the term stud.

*******************The Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   Coming to a store near you!

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(No weather or solunar times today, I just went fishing.  I did not even look at the water temp when we were fishing.)

And they tug hard.

We were on the water at daylight and stuck to the plan.  Fish deep rock and points and it turned out to be the perfect plan.  Nice to pull up on them right off the bat.  Aaron has been using the Strike King Jointed Structure Jig head with a Rage Tail Structure Bug lately, and they ate that thing up.  I stayed with my old tried and true 5′ watermelon stick worm.  I held my own but he definitely caught the most this morning.

A couple of nice ones.  The one on the left was a good 7lbs.

One day I will learn how to take a picture of Aaron and fish.  He is a big guy and they never look that big when he holds them.  Suffice to say there was some serious weight on these 2.

Strike King Rage Tail Structure Bug – Moon Juice.

The fish were in that 12 – 20 foot plus range and we were just crawling it on the bottom.  And they were forgiving, seemed like when they locked on they were there.  Several just started swimming away before we even felt the bite.  But once you set the hook it was the usual Fayette Fattie struggle.  Those fish are mean in that warm water.

I did catch one on the Strike King 6XD but they were hitting the plastics to good to quit them!

Aaron had to make it an early morning but I went back out after dropping him off.  I wanted to throw the pearl Controlled Descent Jerk Shad on the same fish.  Right off the bat a couple jumped on, but they were definitely not as big as we were catching.  So back to the stick worm and though I boated another 3 or 4, it was clear the big girls had all they wanted of us.  Wish I had tried the Jerk Shad earlier.  Oh well, good reason to go back.  So with that I called it a successful morning.

It has been a while since I fished there, but it will not be the last as it is one of my favorite all time lakes.  Of the many lakes I have fished it is one of the most consistent producer of good fish and when they are on the chew it can be awesome.  The fish are solid, and rarely does the lake let you down.  It happens of course, but it is usually a matter of finding what they want and then hold on.  Nice to put some good bass in the boat after struggling some this summer.  How many, not a clue but the pictures are just a few of the better ones we put in the boat this morning.  And as usual fishing with Aaron teaches me something every time.

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The Boss sent me this picture and it is a dandy.  This is our friend Chago’s oldest with a real rooster.  I believe they are in Mexico and from the looks of things fishing is ok.

Nice Rooster!  Congrats!

A Rooster is on my bucket list.  Unfortunately I did not catch one in Costa Rica, but there is always another trip and another chance.  Good job.

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I am not all that big of fan of getting up in the middle of the night, in other words, before daylight, but some fishing requires it, especially in the summer.  So guess I need to quit whining  get up and make a bay trip.  Hopefully there is a cloudy day coming, makes a huge  difference right now as the heat index creeps up above 105 degrees.  It is not so much how hot it gets, but it leads to shorter fishing time.  But fall is right around the corner in the grand scheme of things and with it those longer fishing days.  Not sure where next but it will be somewhere.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

I wanted to get a really early start so that I could give the Whooper Plooper a serious go after the big bite the other morning.  Since it was going to be a really early quit time I was out early hoping to have a big bite, which did not happen.  The wind was blowing out of the south at a pretty good clip once I dropped the trolling motor in the water up lake but I had hope.

Weather

76/96.  (Heat index 108 degrees.) Partly cloudy with a 41% chance of a thunderstorm.  Wind  S 10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  96.86 msl.      4 days ago   96.95      (The steady decline continues.)

Solunar Time

None relevant to today.

An early start! A beautiful way to start the day.

*******************The Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   Coming to a store near you!

*******************

Right off the bat one about the size of the Whooper Plooper jumped on, one thing you have to give small bass, they will have a go at just about anything.  I stuck with the plan, but after 2 hours with just 2 bites I finally succumbed to plastics.  Still throwing the 5″ watermelon red stick worm with a 3/8ths tungsten on 15lb mono.  And like they have been, I caught 4 in the same areas where I have been catching them.  Again they were all shallow, with 3 coming off one place.  It might be possible to squeak out a limit on plastics, but they would not be all that heavy.

The plastic is still the most consistent for the smaller ones.

Around 9:30 I headed back down lake and caught 2 on the Bang O Lure.  There are still fish chasing shad in some coves, and both came on a major point near the mouth.  The better one actually came half way back while I was jerking it under the water, using it more like a jerk bait.

The Bang O Lure will put a nice one in the boat every once in a while.

From then on it was no bites as the wind picked up.  As it has been for me, it seems after 10:00 it gets pretty tough.  And with it hot as it has been (see 108 heat index today)  hard to keep motivated when the bite slows.  Now normally I would have stayed a while longer as it might get cloudy, but with a long day tomorrow I put it on the trailer.

A water snake.  As an aside, over the years when we had tons of grass seeing snakes was rare.  If they were swimming they did not live long but not the case now and I see lots more.

The fishing is not fast by any means, but it is nice to finally have a little better fishing.  Tossing the plastic is still the way to go for the most bites, but the better fish are still coming on buzzbait and Bang O Lure.  Makes for an interesting scenario/question, keep catching smalls hoping to get a better one, or stick with the other stuff and hope to put some weight in the boat.  All I have to say about that is hopefully this is a sign of things to come after a tough year.  We shall see.

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I got this from Mac after my little whine the other day.

Please “Keep on Truckin” Doug, By this long ago phrase you can guess my age . I grew up fishing and hunting and worked my way through college by guiding others. Now that I am older, I do not get the chance to fish and hunt as often. You do it now for me. Most of my fishing now happens in Sept, Oct, Nov. The rest of the year I rely on your stories to keep me abreast of whats happening. Outdoor Life and Field and Stream Magazines, years ago was my ‘Redfish Law’ informant of the out of doors. Friend. over the last 9 years you have been my Outdoor Writer to keep me involved in the love of the outdoors. Thank You for your interest from all who look for your blogs every day.

The day you ever stop, even though I have never met you, I will feel the loss of a true friend. I, however, know that the day will come, when you give it up but” boy howdy” not for a good while.

All who read your work, fish and hunt with you even if we are not by your side.
My wife now even reads your words. Because of your stories on Colorado, we are soon going to Pagosa Springs.

In closing–There is a man in a nursing home in Smithville who is blind but asks me often if I have heard from you. He lights up when I visit him to read one of your experiences. You make a difference to all who read your words

Mac

I am so humbled by your kind words.  And you reading it to your blind friend is all the motivation I need to keep going.  You faithful readership, along with the rest of you who also keep up, has kept me sharing with the hope that folks will get something out of this.  So thanks again, you made my day!

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With 2 tournaments on the lake this coming weekend there were several bass fisherman out.  And the crappie fishermen are still hard at it.  It has been a good year for crappie and one of these days I will catch a couple for the pan.  And to the lazy fool who replaced his bunk boards at the parking lot and left the old ones laying in the grass, shame on you.  If they were left in your yard you might feel differently.  Plus there are 2 big dumpsters and it would have only taken a minute to toss them in.  Sad.

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Tomorrow it will be up real early to meet Aaron for a morning of fishing on Fayette.  One of my favorite bass lakes, it has been a while, but he is on a good bite so I am looking forward to that.  One thing about Fayette, she is like the little girl with curl in the middle of her forehead – When she is good she is very good, and with any luck we will put the hurt on them.  After that who knows what is next, maybe if it gets below a 100 the bay will be on tap.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

Times a wastin’!

Of course after having a pretty good day Tuesday, finally, on the lake I was interested in seeing how it would go with conditions completely different than Tuesday.  I would have gone Wednesday but the Boss and I spent the day at the beach on PINS.  And wonder of wonders I only spent $9 at Roys, I must be slowing down.  Tuesday was perfect, clouds, drizzle, and low wind, it does not get any better than that for bass fishing.  Thursday was completely different.  High sky and light wind, much more a summer time pattern.  The water temp was 89 near the dam and as low as 84 way up both arms.  Today there are only 2 fish pictures, neither of them worth a hoot, but they do have a purpose.

Weather

62/93.  Sunny with 0% chance of rain.  Wind NE 5 – 15.

Lake Level

Today   96.95 msl.  2 days ago  97.08  msl.  (The steady decline continues.)

Solunar Time

Best 8:28 am to 10:28 am.  (Right on today.)

*******************The Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   Coming to a store near you!

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There is a reason for the stunned look on my face, other than I am an old man and it is to early to be alive!

Dawn was cracking when I got to the ramp.  The plan today was simple, fish the Bang O Lure, plastics, and throw the Whopper Plopper some to see if I could coax a big one, and I stuck to it.  (Intentionally did not throw the buzzbait today.) As I was to lazy to put the running lights in I decided to go ahead and retie today’s baits waiting for a little more daylight.  There was a clip on the Bang O Lure so I cut it off, it works better without additional hardware.  So after retying I flipped it out next to the boat, gave it a jerk and kaboom, one smoked it 5 feet from the boat.  Interesting start.  (It has me planning a night trip next week.)

First up was the bank that has held some nice fish, and while they were biting, none were any bigger than the one above.  In fact of the 10 I did catch today they all looked the same.  And like it was 2 days ago all of them came right on the bank, a little different from the normal Bang O Lure bites, which often come off the bank.  Of the 6 on Bang O Lure none came later than the first couple of twitches, they do not seem to be in the chasing mode.  The water is so clear down lake that it is perfect for the Bang O Lure and as you move up lake the color increases.  There just might be several topwaters that will catch fish right now.

After fishing a couple of down lake banks I headed up lake to throw the Whopper Plopper and see if I could get a real bite.  On the first place I had “the” bite.  Not sure how big she was but she literally exploded on it, one of the best topwater bites I have had in while. Unfortunately she missed it by a mile but trust me, it was a big fish.  So I kept after it for a couple of  hours off and on without another bite.  Probably started throwing it to late.   I was throwing the big Plopper, and when I went to change to the smaller one I realized they were in the saltwater box.  And as side note it was my favorite color – Monkey Butt, just the name alone makes it cool.

This is the size that is eating the plastics.

So while up lake I hit a deep place with cover with the stick worm, and like it has it produced.  It should have been more, I broke one off, missed a couple and caught 3 there.  I picked up one more later on the plastics but the bite slowed, as in done.  I did fish way up lake on a couple of places I have not fished in a while without a bite.  The water color way up is milky and no matter how hard I tried I could not coax another one on the Plopper.  By now, around 10:00, with the sun up the last of the shady banks were gone and so was the bite.  I kept after it until noon but did not have another bite.

So today was about what I expected, and really was not a disappointment for a summer morning considering how it has been.  What was surprising was it was only 62 degrees as I headed to the lake, a new record low for the date, and it was actually cool running, what a pleasure!

It seems counter intuitive that the fish are finally biting the more the water drops.  Hopefully it was just a perfect storm of conditions that kept the fishing down for the last few months.  The clearing seems to be the primary factor in the bite finally returning, but that is nothing more than a wild guess.  While the big fish are still few and far between the last few trips hold the promise of better fishing to come on the lake.  I am still worried about the changes over the last couple of years but at least I am not a complete pessimist.

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Sorry to all you hard core salt guys for the dearth of bay trips, I have just not been feeling it.  The getting up at 4:00 to make it on the water by daylight for what has been the best bite has kept me from going more often, of course that will change as the days shorten.  Being able to fish when and where I want can actually be a curse in some respects.  Trying to fish the best what and when for each “fish” can lead to the “wait” for the perfect time or conditions.  As an example if I was a bait fisherman it would be croaker mania right now, but I am a lure guy and always will be.  Plus with hunting season coming the bay empties compared to this month.  So hang in there some salt is on the way.  Plus with the new Knockin Tail Lure on the horizon it will be time to wear them out.  (As soon as it is out and the hotel price goes down after the holiday it will be a 3 day trip to Baffin to give it a real go.)

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My Whine For The Day

With the blog entering its ninth year, it and I, are getting older.  The costs and efforts to keep it up lead me to continually evaluate its future.  As far as what has been accomplished it far surpasses anything I would have imagined when starting this simply for the heck of it.  The people I have met, and the adventures I have been lucky enough to share with you, have been worth every penny.  So that has led me to the following conclusion.  Even though occasionally I want to quit, and it shows at times, I will soldier on.  It may not be what it was but I still enjoy the telling of the story.  To the hundreds of thousands who have read this you have humbled me.  It is a labor of love for the sport.  If you keep coming I will keep writing.

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Today is some things on the Honey Do list, a stop for some Merc oil, and then Angler’s Arsenal for a new buzzbait.  Wait, not sure any of these is on The Boss’s Honey Do list!  It is important for local fishermen to support your local store if you want the stuff you really need.  Try getting Academy to order you a rainbow colored 5″ wobbling fat bodied whatchamacallit when the fish are eating it up and see what that gets you.  As I have said before Wal Mart and Academy are not a tackle store.  I will be watching the weather and if we get some of the rain in the forecast I might even fish the lake on Saturday or Sunday.  From that point on who knows but it will involve a rod in my hand.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

Monday I had to hang around the house while a handyman took out a length of fence so it was today before I made it on the water.  The forecast had bass written all over it.

Weather

70/92.  Clouds with a 25% chance of showers in the morning then clearing.    Wind  NW 5 – 15mph.

Lake Level

Today  97.08msl.  8 days ago  97.31msl.

Solunar Times

Major  6:16 am to 8:16 am.   Minor  12:29 pm to 1:29 pm.

*******************Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   It is coming to a store near you, and my tackle box!

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I left the house at 6:15 and it rained all the way to the lake, and then drizzled off and on most of the morning.  When I got there it had obviously dropped a little more since last week but it is still clearing.  The water temp was basically 90 degrees all over the lake, and the wind was barely blowing.

First up was a main lake bank with tons of cover and good deep water nearby.  It was not 15 minutes before a good one just blasted a buzzbait.  And with my superior skill I decided to boat flip her, terrible idea.  When they are above 4lbs boat flipping is just not going to cut it.  Then a little ways down the bank another nice one hooked up, and from then on it was the best bite I have had on the lake in a while.

That will work.

That bank produced 4 bites and I landed one.  So from that point on I kept after the buzzbait most of the morning.  After pecking around down lake I headed way up and the bites kept on coming.

Nice to have some consistent bites this morning.

I hit a couple of places where I had been catching them on plastics but only a couple of small ones jumped on so I stuck with the buzzbait.  And while not fast by any means it was definitely an improvement from what it has been.  Interesting how as the lake falls the fishing seems to be getting better slowly but surely.  Not sure but it reminds me of past times when a lake would get high and the fish seemed to not come with it, then on the fall the fishing improves.  You never know.  And like I said the other day, keeping with the buzzbait still produced the best bites.

Then the Bang O Lure started to work.

There were a couple of hitches in my git along today.  I had a real nice one blow up on the buzzbait out of a brush top and I broke my line setting the hook.  Clearly operator error as I had just thought it was time to retie, that will show me.  Then it got hung on a bush and when I tried to pull it off the rod snapped in half.  Thank goodness it was one of my cheap finds so no great loss.  (When I told the Boss her comment was “You haven’t done that in a while.”)  As I worked my way down lake it is apparent that there is some schooling in the major coves, which added the 2 above.

Starting on the point of a big main lake cove a couple took a pass at the buzzbait and missed it by a mile.  So I turned around and went back through there with the Bang O Lure and put a couple of nice ones in the boat.  The next cove produced a couple more, all within the first half of the cove from the point in.  And grass was definitely in play today.  One thing that was interesting, every bite, and I had quite a few, all came within 5 feet of the bank and no further.  The 4 or 5 I caught on Bang O Lure all came on the first pull.  And it was the same with the buzzbait and plastics.

So not a bad morning, I quit at 1:00 as the clouds began to clear and the wind picked up.  I caught 10 or more this morning, a real improvement over what it has been.  But with the conditions perfect it remains to be seen if the fishing is really improving.  But hey, nice to catch some fish.

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Not sure what is next but as soon as we have a repeat of these conditions it will be back to the lake.  And if not, then off to the bay.  Funny how as the summer winds down I so look forward to hunting season and the dove  opener.  Not to shoot some, but for the pressure on area waters to drop immediately.  And time to replenish the buzzbaits – where do they all go?  And I will just grab a rod off the pile to replace the broken one, I just counted the other day and I have 10 spares.  No wonder I am broke!  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

I wanted to give the lake a go today as the weather had some possibility with clouds and maybe rain.  Dropped the boat in at 6:45 and headed up lake.  The water temp was 88 at the ramp and basically 90 over the whole lake.  And the lake is coming down and clearing nicely.

Weather

79/94.  Sunshine with patchy clouds and a 60% chance of rain.  Wind  SSE 10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  97.31 msl.     May 27.   98.12 msl.   (Basically down close to a foot.  And this was the last time I fished the lake.  Wow.)

Solunar Periods

Minor 5:27 am to 6:27 am.      Major   12:34 pm to 2:34 pm.

*******************Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   Michael is at ICAST in Orlando and it is coming to a store near you.  And my tackle box!

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I headed up lake to fish a couple of deeper channel areas with good cover that are historic summer places.  First I hit my favorite buzzbait bank, without a lick of confidence, and after no bites put it down.  Then it was the pitchin’ stick with a 3/8ths weight and a 5″ watermelon stick worm.  The plan was to take a picture of every fish today, so here is how the first hour went.

Nothing all that big but at least they were biting some.

They all came on the worm, and every one was on a deeper bank with good cover.  But the surprising thing is how shallow they were, most bites came in the first couple of hops though I kept working it out to the boat all morning.  The first one came on a shallow brush pile, the other 3 on a stretch of a little deeper water with good cover right on the break.  One did break me off in a bush, not sure if it was any account or not, and another swam around a tree and pulled off when I tried to ease her out.  From then on I started working down lake.

A good one finally jumped on.

I started point hopping, concentrating on deeper ones with timber.  After fishing 3 of them out to about 20′ it was clear that was not happening.  One of those has been a consistent producer for years but continues to be barren.  From there it was a long bank that is flat breaking to the deeper water in the area with lots of cover still left.  The swim jig got a serious workout without so much as a touch, and I might have missed a couple on the worm.  As I worked down that long bank there was a small point sticking out with good cover so out went the buzzbait and wham, finally one worth a hoot.  One of those great blow ups.  Of course that is probably the worst thing that could have happened.

I stayed with it for a couple of hours in places it should work, but didn’t.  During that time I did crank several points with a DT 20 and one old road bed, again without success.  So at 1:00 I called it a day.

Obviously if you stay with plastics right now on the lake, you will catch fish.  The problem, they ain’t much, which might simply be a function of me not throwing it in a good ones mouth.  I do think if you stay with buzzbait, and just maybe choose the right places, it is possible to catch a good one here and there.  But it would be work in this heat.  On the other hand if I had tossed the stick worm on the good one I did catch today I am sure she would have ate it.  Overall the fishing remains like it has been, extremely spotty.  But there are still folks catching crappie and jug fishing.

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The Coleto Creek Bassmasters held their June tournament and the fishing continues to be tough.  1st place won with 4.12 and big fish of 2.57.  2cnd had 4.01, nice job Johnny, and 3rd had 3.24lbs.  This is of course their home lake and it shows how tough it has been as they are all good fishermen.  For a while I was beginning to think it was just me.  But like all real fishermen hopes springs eternal and I will give it a go this week.  (And my results today mirror theirs.)

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When you travel and fish you just never know.  Good days and bad, they happen, and unfortunately Rick had a poor fishing part of his trip to Costa Rica.  They started off with a tree falling on the shuttle van, nobody hurt, but they did not get to the resort until 2:00 am.  Then an earthquake rattled them, followed by his buddy cutting his lip and getting stitched up in the Quepos ER.  The joys of travel.  But they loved the Falls Resort which has great folks in a fabulous setting.  While it was not the “perfect trip”, it comes with traveling, they really loved the beauty and would go back in a minute.  Me too!

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As you all know I look at boats for sale on a regular basis.  (Daily)  There are so many, often way overpriced.  But every once in a while you see one that is a steal.  It may not meet your “fancy” definition, but this was an older hull redone with an engine barely broke in that I actually looked at.  The trailer was hardly used, it had been on a sling, and with a small amount of additions it would be a fishing machine.  It just reminds that if you are patient, good deals are out there.  And always remember to be realistic about how much it will be fished or used related to the bucks you will put out.  I see lots of almost new expensive boats for sale all the time.  It must have seemed like a good idea at the time.

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Though it was not gang busters it was nice to catch a few bass.  I had pretty much “given up” on the lake for the time being but today kind of renewed my faith.  It was not an unusual result for a summer day,  (At least the last couple of years.) and I definitely should have been out earlier.  But this was it for the week, unless I get lucky Friday, as I will be out of town for a few days.  When I get back it will be some bay time.  I have been doing things a little differently from my usual on the bay and I intend to get back to doing what works for me.  And if any of you have anything to say drop me a comment.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

Perfect timing!

It has been over a year since I was in the boat with my buddy Chris.  When he hollered at me to go it worked out perfect as I had things I could not get out of on Wednesday and Friday, perfect.  And even better he was driving, we usually take turns.  He and his son Chance picked me up early and we were on the water as daylight broke.  It was fairly busy at Froggie’s.  We had a so so day but mine was great, for a fish I lost.

Weather

82/93   Mostly cloudy with 20% chance of a shower.  Wind  WNW 5 – 10 mph.

Tides

High   9:45 AM     0.4      Low   8:39 PM    -0.3

Solunar Periods

Major  8:22 to 10:22 am.     Minor   2:52 to 3:52 pm.

****************Knockin Tail Lure with athebuilt in tail rattle!   Michael is at ICAST in Orlando and it is coming to a store near you.  And my tackle box!

********************

We loaded up with croakers and headed to the surf.  The wind was not to bad, but once in the surf it was one of those days where the rollers were big.  I assume they were coming off the storm in Louisiana.  Suffice to say we just did not “really” land on the trout.

Can you say Sharknado?

With 3 moves we could not get away from the sharks.  Small black tips, they were really pesky and there were lots of them.  The water was not that nice trout water with the high tide and big rollers messing it up.  And as a result of that we just did not land on the trout, at least that is my excuse.  I think we boxed 4 and released maybe a couple if that.

So with it slow I picked up my light trout rod, the small bobber and plastic shrimp, and gave it a toss.  I missed one on the first cast, then on cast 2 it disappeared and when I set the hook it was awesome!  Out of nowhere about a 70lb tarpon launched a couple of feet in the air doing the cool backflip thing, and promptly broke my 8lb.  Talk about a big surprise.  I love those things.  As a side note to you all who like to catch them, we ended up seeing at least 4 others including one who free jumped.  They were moving down the beach and there was bait everywhere.  They should be here for a while and no better time to catch one than now.  (As a side note:  Net some big mullet, free line them and move slowly down the beach, then hold on.  It is really cool watching the mullet try to get away, to bad for them.)

Controlled Descent’s new Knockin Tail Lure.

The reason you are seeing this rat is it came on the new Knockin Tail Lure, which I could not talk about before this week.

Chris loves to run shallow in his Dargel and we did this time.  Through Mule Slough and into a couple of back lakes we did some drifts and managed to boat a few more.  Chris caught a nice flounder, a couple more small trout, and when a school of reds swam by we doubled up.  To finish the day, we drifted another spot and stopped at a well head in the bay, and other than a catfish we were done.

As usual I enjoyed fishing with Chris, I really enjoy fishing with other folks, especially those who drive!  But what I really get out of it is the different ways and approaches other folks take.  There are plenty of ways to “skin the cat” and I learn something every time.  Plus, any day you can jump a tarpon ranks as cool in my book.

*****************

Steve sent along these with the comment – “It was an expensive trip!”

Ouch!

I feel your pain.  He has nice custom rods and reports he broke it when setting the hook on a small rat, which he landed.  In spite of that looks like he was on them with the croakers.

Putting them in the net.

Steve is a perfect example of what can be caught by shore bound anglers.  He does not own a boat but puts out the effort and his results speak for themselves.  Thanks for the pictures.  And the rest of you if you want to send any long just drop a comment at the end of the article and I will get back to you with my email.  It really adds to the blog and we all love seeing them.  And it is not how big they are, or how many, we all have our good days and bad, the important part is you were fishing, and we get to go along with you.

****************

Of course the broken rod episode reminded me of my favorite broken rod story.  The Boss and I were drifting Bocca Grande Pass when I hooked a big tarpon,  An easy hundred, it was a tough fight.  It was over a 100 degrees and after 50 minutes I finally had it to boatside.  I really wanted to put hands on it and as I raised my rod the Penn snapped off right above the handle.  It was still on, I was hot and tired, so I said this is it, to the boat or break off, and of course you know the rest.  Tarpon are a wonderful creature that should be on your bucket list.  Having caught a few big fish in my lifetime none can compare with the shear power of a tarpon.  Add in a some big jumps and you have the perfect gamefish.

****************

And in the interesting department, a manatee was spotted in Corpus Christi bay this week.  Normally in Florida they are seen in Texas on occasion.  Having had them investigating me in the boat in Florida it is cool to see them, they are docile and friendly.  Unfortunately they get hit by boats regularly which has lead to many no wake zones to protect them.  It is their house.  Thanks for the heads up David.

*****************

As usual time to get back organized with the fishing and boat stuff.  Still have a mess in a spinning reel from last week.  Looking at the 10 day forecast things look good next week, hope that high 80’s temp remains in place, be nice to fish a few more days on the bay next week.  And any day it is cloudy I can not resist the lake.  My buddy Aaron gave me a little perspective on what the bass might be doing based on his experience on a lake in north Texas that lost it’s vegetation.  At least it is a start.  And I will be looking forward to how Micheal did with the new bait at ICAST.  It will be coming your way soon, and I hope mine!  And if you have anything to say feel free.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

******************

We never ate in higher class place than this.  Breathtaking!

This was our 3rd trip to Pagosa Springs, and we covered the miles both in the truck and on foot.  The temps were in the mid 40’s at night, up to 90 during the day.  And it was interesting to be sleeted/snowed on once.  You never know.  With each visit we expand our range and it never fails to impress.  Pagosa is situated in a valley on the edge of the San Juan National Forest, which is an astounding 1,878,846 acres.  It is a quirky town full of some interesting characters and no shortage of things to do.  And bordering the forest is both the Uncompahgre National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest, combining to provide endless outdoor opportunities that would take a lifetime to explore.

There is something I can only describe as primal when you are deep in the forest.  That feeling  must be forever embedded in our genes.  That “thing” is what drives some folks to climb mountains, hike, camp, hunt the elusive Big Horn, and a host of other pursuits in the outdoors.  To get that close to our world evokes a inner stirring that is deep in our collective memory.  For us it is becoming the activity we enjoy the most, every time we are deep in the outdoors that feeling strikes a deeper chord.

Being really “high”, pun intended, has a special feeling.  You can feel it in your lungs, your muscles, your soul.  Turn you head one way, then turn around, no painting or picture can ever compare.  But just maybe it can bring back “that feeling.”

All you can do is thank your creator for this gift.  

What makes some of these special is not their quality, or lack there of, but the fact that only with effort can they be seen.  When you are there, looking out over some of the most vast and raw wilderness this country has to offer you can only be humbled.

And nothing beats sharing it with the best person I have ever known.

The Columbine.  The state flower of Colorado.

The cowboy told us with the late spring the mountain wildflowers were in late bloom.

One of our experiences that made this trip was meeting a “real” cowboy.  This was a real man, hat and cattle at over 9,000 feet.  As we were hiking the trail a couple of 4wheelers came around the corner.  They were 4 of the nicest folks you would ever meet.  He has the cattle lease on the mountain and he shared so much knowledge with us, including identifying the flower we just photo’d as the state flower.  He pointed out areas on the surrounding mountains where no motorized anything is allowed.  They hunt elk in high mountain base camps and he knew  it all.  He gave us a tip which we followed to the riverside in the picture above.  He and his friends were the kind of folks who made Colorado, and this country, what it is.

Aspens are the mangroves of the mountains.  Standing in an old grove as the sun rises is awe inspiring.

On several of our hikes as we headed to over 9,000 feet we traversed through aspen groves.  It is hard to not be in awe of how cool these trees are.  And the rest of the forest changes based on altitude as you climb.  From grassy valleys, to the snow line, it constantly changes in character and beauty.

Sorry for the poor quality but they were over a mile away.

We saw this bunch of elk driving the first day.  Later a cow crossed the road at daylight as we headed to the Opal Lake trail which was all we saw that week.  That was it until the drive home through Chama New Mexico when we got lucky and saw 3 big herds.  This time of the year elk head to the high country, and as high and out there as we were on our hikes it surprised me that we did not see any then.  Of course the mule deer were literally everywhere with the bucks in full velvet.  But one of “those moments” happened on the way to hike the Opal Lake trail.  Nancy spotted a brown spot so we stopped and glassed.  It was a momma mule deer feeding her spotted fawn as she licked it clean.  To cool for words.

We literally saw hundreds of mule deer.  Love the hopping get away.

And in the area there are tons of lakes.

One thing that surprised me in Colorado, the amount of lakes and rivers within a short drive of most places.  Trout, bass, pike, and a host of others are all available within a short drive of Pagosa.  I intended to fish some but there was still snow on the high mountains and the rivers were “blown out’ as they say.  (Hey I can fish tomorrow, I can not hike the mountains.)  Suffice to say fishing was down this year, but floating was in full swing.  There are a few trips were fishing takes a back seat, and this was one.  But all that water feeds the wilderness and all the wildlife keeping it healthy.  Plus standing 10,000 feet high as the sun peaks over the mountain tops, the sound of rushing pure water, should touch your soul, it does ours.

We took 3 major hikes and each one was special for where they were and our experiences on each.  But my favorite was to Opal Lake, which is over 9,ooo feet.  Beginning at daylight as usual you could feel the altitude, but it got easier, and more beautiful with each step.

Up the trail we go.

There was water everywhere in the high elevations.  Opal Lake.

The aspen that lined the trail were something in the early morning light.  What a hike to end the trip.

Opal Lake is normally a beautiful opal color but with the late snow and runoff much of the water there, and the rivers, were not a “normal” color.  But that was of no consequence, it was in the doing.  The only sounds, creeks running, song birds, and peace and quiet.  It renews the soul, putting us in our natural place in this world, far away from our everyday existence.

For the first time in a long time I did not look at the computer, watch any tv, or answer my phone all week.  And guess what?  I did not miss a thing.  And our last evening we went to the end of the line for supper with Chago and his friends and family at his cabin.  Isolated in a stunning valley, with the Continental Divide so close you could touch it, the beauty seen out the front glass of his cabin could never grow old.  Our thanks to him for his hospitality.  Be sure we will be crashing your party again!

A nice summer day in the Rockies.  You know you are up there.

Rocky Mountain high!  A special place.

And I have to add a couple of general comments on OUR lands.  There has been a push in some parts of our government to sell off some of our public lands.  Unfortunately most of that push comes from commercial interests who have their own agenda.  That is so wrong.  If nothing we should be protecting all of it, this is all we have left.  We have to protect these areas, while leaving access open to all.  Whether 4wheelers, hikers, hunters or fishermen, and others, we all have to respect each other and band together to save what is left. As the song says:  “This land is your land, this land is my land……”

**************** 

And speaking of the woods next up in a couple of months is the mountains of Oregon.  We have already booked some fly fishing lessons, and the Boss is going to give it a go, then 4 hours of fishing on the Deschutes River, one of the great western trout waters.  We hope to get a day of salmon fishing on the coast.  Of course we will be hiking some great mountains and just enjoying the forest.  So we are beginning to do some research on the area, good planning means good results.  Really looking forward to that trip.

As I finish this the weather is on TV, and it is somewhat depressing.  The heat index is 111 degrees in Victoria and it will be that and more for the week.   Tomorrow is back to real life.  Detail the truck, finish putting stuff away, you can never take to much stuff, mowing the grass, and the rest of the mundane tasks of life.  Now where the fishing will occur I am not sure, I have not thought that far ahead, still reeling from the 16 hour drive back.  Like all things worth doing some sacrifices must be made, and we want the 4wheel drive so unless it sprouts wings the drive is part of it.

So after getting my stuff together tomorrow it will be some bay fishing this week.  The fish are biting and who knows, I just might try some croaker.  So keep stopping and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

******************

Colorado

Opal Lake Trail  – 9500 feet – last hike

The Boss crosses the creek on the way to the top.

Here is all I have to say about Colorado.  This is the first time in a week I have turned on the computer, I let my phone die day 1 and never carried it again until today, and no tv ever. What could be better than that!  Really nice to unplug occasionally, we should all try it.  And as I learned as a medic, most of the things in this world will wait, no matter how much we fret over them.

This is our third visit to Pagosa Springs in Southern Colorado, and as usual we loved it.  We have been up some (Lots!)  mountains, hiked trails every day, and ate lunch at the top of the world looking out over the Great Divide, sweet.  On one of our hikes way up in the mountains the man who had the lease for his cattle there came by on a 4wheeler with his wife and friends and chatted us up.  The folks up here are so easy going, a real change from our everyday life. The weather is nothing short of fantastic, though going over one mountain area we got snowed on, which makes this place what it is!

The view of the Continental Divide from 11,00 feet.  Stunning.

As usual we are staying at Motel Soco.  Owned by some folks from Austin it is laid back to say the least.  I love their one big rule:  Don’t be an asshole!  (To bad that is not a life rule!)  Which says it all about staying here.  Right outside of town, close to plenty of eats, and gateway to the San Juan Mountains, it is my kind of place.  Plus you can do a little hatchet throwing if the mood strike you.  And they have a bar, nice for the nightcap without having to go anywhere.  If you want the Hilton, or some high dollar candy on the pillow, don’t bother.  If you want great folks, no tv, great location along with that laid back atmosphere this is the place for you.  Plus if you are here and in the motel not sure why you are here.  (If you ever head this way read the reviews on TripAdvisor, you will get a feel.  And the fool that said there is nothing close – town is an easy walk or a 2 minute drive, and great restaurants are a couple of miles up or down the hill.  And the horror, they made their bed frames which caused one woman great consternation.  Huh?  You sleeping on it or buying it?  There is no pleasing some folks.)

https://www.motelsoco.com/

Pagosa Springs is centered in some of the best hiking, skiing, horseback riding, fishing, 4wheeling, snowmobiling, and anything else you want to do in the outdoors.  And you can basically camp over the whole thing, and we saw lots of folks way up in the mountains.  If you can not find something to do in over 1,800,000 acres time to stay at the house.  Suffice to say we just love it.  Tonight we are heading to a friend’s cabin high in the mountains which happens to overlook the Divide for supper, what a way to end the trip.  I will have more when I get back but at least wanted to let you know I am upright and taking nourishment.

*****************

I may be gone but the fishing goes on.  As you know I am not all that big on dead fish stringer pics, but Steve sent me this bunch they caught the other day.  They are biting on the bay!

Now that is a pile!

Steve reports they were all caught on croaker, no surprise there.  Most caught waist deep or shallower, with the big trout coming in calf deep water and his big red in knee deep.  I wish people would quit doing that, now I am going to have to finally give croaker a go when I get back.  Never to late for an old dog to learn a new trick.

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Bastrop Beatdown

My buddy Aaron fished with friend Terry on Bastrop last Sunday and the solids were coming over the side.

Aaron with a good one.  That is a fattie!

Terry was slapping the taste right out of their mouth!

As you know Aaron and I have fished quite a bit together, but I have not had the pleasure of fishing with Terry.  He is an accomplished tournament fisherman and reps some of the biggest brands in fishing.  Nice job boys, guess I need to head that way one day!

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

********************

And did I say Aaron is a fishing fool?  He fished Saturday on Baffin and they laid the smack down on them.  He estimated the 3 of them caught around 80 with approximately 25 keeper size, no big fish this trip.  He reported using plastics, then later trying my (Glen’s) little bobber technique.  They wanted it reeled/moved fairly slow and they stayed with paddle tails.  So Aaron’s weekend would be a complete success.  The boy can fish.

******************

This is the first time I have been at the motel during the day.  We have been up and gone at daylight everyday so I am sitting on the patio at the bar writing this waiting for her to get back before we head up the mountain.  The Boss wanted to hit the arts and crafts fair downtown, which I respectfully declined.   Hope you all have had a great week, we have, and I look forward to getting back in the boat in a couple of days.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight  Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

This might give you a clue as to the second place we fished.

I admit I will never fully understand trout.  While there were ok numbers yesterday, there was my biggest in a while with several other nice ones.  Today the tide was right, it was out of the wind some, and the last stretch where I caught the good ones yesterday was perfect.  Today, not so much.

Tides

High  10:25 am   Low  6:23 pm.

Solunar Times

Major  9:04 am to 11:04 am.   Minor  3:32 pm to 4:32 pm.

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

********************

I figured (Maybe that was the problem.) if they were biting when the tide was perfect yesterday, I should be able to adjust my timing to be there at the perfect time, and we were.  The plan was to stay with the popping cork to see if they liked it as much, and they did.  But once we got to the drain the dink fest was on.  We easily caught 30 and not a keeper in the bunch

It was the first time I fished with Steve and we had a good time.  We kept after it, but keepers were few and far between, but at least we were catching fish.  Instead of heading right to the “good spot” we stopped way down the bank and made a long wade to arrive there at the perfect time.   That stretch has some pockets and drains, with a nice grass line and potholes.  I caught a couple when a slick came up and ended up catching a fat 20″ and another keeper behind it.  Even though we caught 3 keepers in that stretch we kept with the plan and waded down the bank to be there at the perfect time.  Mistake, never leave fish to find fish.

The first keeper.

We both caught a couple on topwater and I did lose a good keeper on it.  (As an aside I lost several good fish the last 2 days, operator error for sure.)  I intentionally started the day with the small bobber popping cork, glitter fake shrimp, about 2 foot below the cork.  After getting him down about 5 he started fishing the same thing and once we got to “the place” we smoked them.  They just did not make the grade.  So after working it over, and not stringing a keeper, we made another stop around noon, and another disaster happened.  I jumped out of the boat, made a cast, and hooked up a rat red.  Did we get another bite there?  Of course not.

Headed for the pan, 4 out of 30+.

To finish off the day I was curious if my old reliable spot in Big bayou had any fish on it.  Over the last month the water color in there sucked and it has been anything but reliable.  The water color was so much better in there than it has been. We boat fished it and I managed another keeper, a good sign.  Then Steve committed one of those “O’ Crap” mistakes.  Never try to boat flip a nice flounder!  It was one of those where the minute he did it we both went oh crap.  We all have tried it and we all have failed.  As usual he was not “hooked”, just simply hanging on and he took a third of the plastic when he flopped of.  That was our last place before we called it a day.

Back to the never really understanding trout.  When in them I can catch the snot out of them, but location is still at times a mystery to me.  I have often said that for me they are one of the easiest fish to catch/hook, but at time hardest to locate.  There are so many factors and putting it all together fails me at times.  Today was a perfect example, all things being equal the plan should have been a rip roaring success.  We were definitely in fish but where were the keepers from the day before?  Did using the popping cork work to attract smaller fish and keep the bigger ones from getting it?  It didn’t yesterday.  So the struggle is real, but I am not giving up.

*******************

The new Mike Long big bass lure.  Thanks SA Joe for the laugh.

The stuff I posted on Mike Long, the alleged big bass master and dirty cheater, drew several comments, most which I can not post due to legal issues.  (I have to be careful calling someone a douche bag, crook, and scumbag.  You decide what he is.)  The world will judge him harshly but looking around online no mea culpa from the industry that promoted him (And made money.) and slavishly sucked up to him in spite of some preposterous  numbers.  Nice vetting guys.  He is everything wrong with bass fishing.  The number one clue, he was opposed to tournament polygraphs.  They are not perfect, but as long as cheating continues to occur in tournaments polygraphs will be necessary.  The honest guys spend big bucks, take time away from work and family to chase their dream, and it only takes one dirt bag to ruin it for others.

********************

Packing today for another expedition to Colorado.  The more time we spend in the mountains the more we love it.  We really like driving, hiking, and viewing wildlife.  Earlier this year we actually talked about seeing as many different critters as we can, and after Yellowstone we are going to have to work at it this trip.  But hey, spending time in the woods you never know.  And I might even wet a line for a trout or two so waders and stuff is going in the pile.

*****************

As soon as we get back it will be back on the gulf for me.  Summer is historically a little tougher with lures but that is no excuse.  Location, location, location.  And might be time for a couple days out of Bird Island on the Upper Laguna.  Wear your kill switch, life jacker, and drink plenty of fluids, think about your loved ones if you won’t do it for yourself, don’t ruin their summer.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines