FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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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……”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  

Weather

Did not prep this report but the punch line was the wind.  It was supposed to be 10 – 15mph out of the SE and it was blowing every bit of that at daylight.  According to the weather dude we had gusts to 30mph.  Trust me the ride back from the island was bumpy.

The tide was rising with a projected high like 2:oopm then falling all night.

*****************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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First thing I could not find my camera that I use wading so I used a spare.  The pictures are so so but I can not find the download cord.  Of course I caught a big trout today

The wind was blowing right down the pike straight out of the east, and it was basically windy everywhere.  I did the usual drain fishing thing from near Pringle down to South Pass.  The first place the grass was not to bad and right off the bat I caught a trout on topwater, but the others who followed were not willing.  Then a couple of small reds fell for it, but the grass and the wind made it to much of hassle so I switched to plastics.  3 or 4 on the Controlled Descent prototype, and 3 or 4 on a DOA Cal.  The only poor result is I lost 2 big fish of some sort, not sure why.

Most were not much, so time to throw the fake shrimp and popping cork, and several jumped on it.  I knew it would work so time for a move.  With the tide up I headed down to South Pass and got serious with the fake shrimp.  I am still using the crappie bobber as a popping cork and it works just fine.  It is easy for them to pull under and it gives you plenty of time to set the hook.  Today it was 2′ below the float, a clear glitter shrimp on a 1/8th jig head.

First on the new spot lost a big one, then a good trout, then another, and then the bite.  It has been awhile since I caught a big trout but this one qualified.  The picture tells the story but I am not sure if I can figure out how to download it.  Before it was over a nice limit of trout and a nice red.  Several small trout also ate.  They were located out of the mouth of a drain in 2 – 4′ foot of water.  There was scattered shell and obvious potholes which provided a bite on each one.  It was a consistent bite until about  1:30 when a big thunderhead came over the horizon and being that for from the ramp I called it a day.

I will be out first thing tomorrow with a Wade Right customer I met last month.  And I found the camera, hope it does not jink us!  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 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

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet

Being gone the last 3 days I do not have a clue how the fishing is but after perusing the internet, and hearing from Aaron, things seem to be the same.  Some folks are whacking them and some not so much.  So I had to vicariously fish today, before it is back on the water tomorrow.

*****************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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My buddy Aaron, who can catch fish in a puddle, sent this along after a day on Baffin this weekend.

A couple of great tournament reds.  The boy can catch them.

He reported catching reds and trout on the old gold spoon and sent along this picture.

A gold spoon with a paddle tail trailer.

And as a side note this is the third person in the last couple of weeks who reported catching good fish on the gold spoon.  At times it is a forgotten bait but like it has done for 50 years it catches fish.  And if you get to that bank with to much floating grass do not forget to break it out.  Thanks for the report.

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And Joshua, the owner of Marker 54, had a couple of great reports this week, one when he absolutely killed the trout on his shrimp and popping cork.  He posted a picture of his 56th trout, coming off the platforms.  He said he actually got to feeling guilty, but I sympathize, when they are biting like nuts it is hard to put the rod down!  To go along with that, as I said on my last post, a couple of the trout I caught the other day were puking small shrimp.  So keep that in mind next time out.

Then he posted this photo of a huge gator that swam right under the nose of his boat.  It was in the area most folks wade in Pringle.  The same day he saw another around 5′ in Pringle and one in Conte.   Can you say back lakes!

Notice the side of the boat in the picture.  That was a horse!

Not something to be real scared of, but it pays to keep your head on a swivel, at least until the fresh water declines in the bay and the salinity raises.  There are always a few around but this year they seem to be particularly present.

Every once in a while a bait comes along that claims to mimic live bait, and in this case it is the truth.  His shrimp, both hard and soft, are the best in the business.  (This is not a sponsor plug.  He does not give me shit, except the usual amount of fisherman crap!)  As you know I have seen it work with my own eyes, and if it swims in the salt it will eat them.  The best way to get an idea of the amazing stuff his shrimp will do is check out his website and videos.  The hard plastic will last until you lose it, really.  One of his customers ordered a new one because he finally lost his, after 3 years of catching reds and trout.  And his soft will run forward or backward, and most amazing thing of all, land on it’s feet!  Crazy!

https://www.marker54.com/default.asp

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I missed some of the Austin Boys at POC this weekend, the 4th time I have missed some of them this year.  How can a retired guy be that busy?  They caught a few though looks like they had to work for them.

Ro’s son Michael, with a good one on topwater at dusk.  Fished with him in Port Mansfield, the boy can catch them.

Don reported they fought the wind and sun but did manage to catch a few.  He reports they did not set the world on fire but boxed trout and reds.  His son caught a big red which made his trip.

Of course the weekend could not have gone without a hitch, and they had a couple.  Don’s oil pump crapped out and Ro had to tow him in from Panther, no short trip.  Luckily Sunny’s was able to jump on it and they were back on the water Saturday morning.  Then Ro had a problem with his jack plate, but it was fixed and off they went.  To have both boats having problems but not ruing the weekend was something.  I know Stapp was looking out for the boys!

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

And last but not least there were several reports online this week with good catches of black drum.  They were definitely biting for me last trip, and the small ones are good eating.  And one thing about black drum, they pull like a tractor.  Here is a blast from the past.

A hoss and definitely my biggest fish ever on 10lb line.

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

And the day would not be complete without a report from our Fayette County guru Rusty.  He has had some fast a furious bass fishing first thing in the morning the last couple of trips.  It is going to have to make me get up at some crazy early time and make a trip up there after a little more time on the salt.

A Fayette Fattie!

He reports it is a shallow shad bite that is over by 8:00 or so.  They caught 30, another bang up day on Fayette.  Nice job.

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

The closest I got to fishing this weekend was a trip to Bass Pro in San Antonio.  Picked up a bunch of jig heads, they had some I liked, and a few other things.  Boy I wish I had not sold my lead pot and molds when I went to law school.  Having that allowed me to make them just like I like them.

A little boat work and tackle organization and it will be back on the water a few days this week.  Conditions look great on the bay later this week with an early high tide and falling from there.  Falling tide is my favorite time to fish, for some reason a rising and I suck.  But as we all know, we go when we can.  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  

The best fish that will be  caught on the boat all month!

There are things in this world besides fishing.  We had a great weekend at lake on Friday and the beach at Rockport on Saturday with the family.  The kids got in the water and basically stayed there.  Mia, the oldest always wants to fish, but the catching and touching part is not on her list for some reason.  But she reeled in a catfish all by herself screaming the whole time so she just might be a fisherman.  They are headed back to Oklahoma City and when you read this I will have fished POC.  It will be the bay Tuesday and Wednesday and it will be interesting.

Weather

83/88.  Partly cloudy with a 20% chance stray shower.  Wind S 10 – 20 mph.

Tides 

Low  12:44 am  -0.22.    High  12:02 pm 0.84.  (It will be a rapid rise until high then slow fall.)

Solunar Periods

Minor 7:43 am to 8:34 am.    Major  2:41 pm to 4:41 pm.  (Day classed as good.)

*****************The new bait is coming.

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

Dink Fest

You can tell I am just not on them particularly well.  I have never claimed to be a good trout fisherman, but I try.  And after 2 days in the blazing heat I only know just a little bit more than I did before.  The drive back and forth a couple days in a row gets a little old so I just stayed over night to get a nice early start Wednesday and that turned out to be a good decision.

Let the games begin.

Taken at the same time as the one above, moon going down, sun coming up, and there was a bite.

One of the purposes of this trip was to test the new bait from Controlled Descent and I stuck with it both days.  I have been sworn to secrecy as Michael is off to ICAST in Orlando for the debut so you will have to forgive me for leaving a “little something” out of the report.  Suffice to say the punch line is coming soon.

Day 1 it was all on me as I simply fished like crap.  Poor planning led to fishing stuff in the wrong order, which I should not have done with what I learned last trip, but we live and learn.  First up was an area at South Pass, and I caught 7, all on the new prototype.  Unfortunately nothing to spectacular.

They liked the Blackgold/Limetreuse in the new bait.

They were out in 3′ plus on an area where shell was scattered around, with no real grass.  I worked that area over pretty good and had no luck shallow, which is not a surprise.  The water is a lot clearer out on the island than near POC and the water temp is 86 degrees over most the area.  The tide was rising as the morning went on and after what little bite I was on slacked off time to move back down the island to my favorite drain.  Once I got there I realized I fished it in the wrong order as there was grass everywhere in that area making it tough to fish.  So time for a little boat fishing.

So I decided to fish the Oil Cut and Big Bayou out of the boat and neither produced.  Literally not a bite.  The water color in Big Bayou is crap and my favorite deep places produced nothing, uncommon for this time of year.  At this point the wind was dead flat, the tide was slack, and it was hotter than hell.  But oh well, so I called it a day.  Time for a burger and a brew.

Day 2

The morning plan was to fish them in reverse order and that turned out to be a good decision.  The wind was blowing pretty good at daylight, but at least it never got above that all day.  I got to the first place as it was just breaking daylight and there were fish moving everywhere.  While the bite was on the size left something to be desired.  Though I landed twice as many as the day before, nothing was all that big, unfortunately.

There were lots of rat reds but none of the trout were worth a hoot.

The trout I did catch there, maybe 8 or 10, were all small.  I did learn one thing both days, good trout and shallow is an oxymoron.  I am making an assumption here but all the fresh water has the better trout deeper, at least with what little I know.  There was bait moving everywhere and several of the small trout I caught were puking up small shrimp.  As I was working with the new bait I did not throw a popping cork with a fake shrimp, which I suspect is a good choice right now.  After a while it was time for a move with all the grass coming with the rise.

So it was back down to South Pass to an area with little grass to give it another go.  While only a couple of small trout jumped on there was one little bit of excitement.

Nothing like a few black drum to save the last place.

I tossed up on a flat shell point and thought I was hung.  As I pulled back it started to slowly swim off, felt like an oyster at first, one of those where he did not know he was on, just pulling slowly.  Of course I did not set the hook and off he came.  A couple of casts later the first black drum  jumped on, then the next.  The first bite was definitely one of those monsters and if I had set the hook it would have turned out better.  But again, no good trout so I called it a day.  When I got to the ramp over half the trucks had taken out.  But both days there were boats going out later in the afternoon, and I am sure there must be a bite late.

As far as the new bait it is almost there and I am looking forward to the refinements which are yet to come.  It is a cool idea and my results the last 2 days were more a function of me not having a clue so I can’t wait for the final result.  And I intend to rectify my trout results over the coming weeks.  It is croaker time and as usual the lure fishing gets a little tougher in the summer.  And when it is combined with all the fresh water in the bay it can be tough.  At least that is my story and I am sticking to it!  Not fishing a lot it will take me a little time to get on some good fish, but I will keep banging my head against the wall until I get it right.

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

Of course being mid week there was lots of traffic, the ramp was hopping at daylight.  There was one incident that I feel the need to comment on.  I was wading a point near Pringle and there was another boat about 150 yards down from me, also wading.  Then here comes a brand new Majek.  This thing is tricked to the max, matching custom colors, dual power poles, with an engine the size of a car.  Now he does not come to close to me but as soon as he passes he makes a beeline to the shoreline, and I mean super shallow, and runs right on the bank all the way to the other guys. I can hear him grinding the bottom.  Freakin’ stop it!  Why burn a shoreline with several boats fishing it?  Are you that freakin’ clueless?  Do you have not give a rats ass someone might want to fish there right after you screw it up?  Another of those doing it cause I can but we are not impressed.  Just because you can does not make it right.

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

As you all know I have struggled on Coleto this spring but I am definitely not alone.  I was beginning to think it was me.  The tournaments on the lake have been flat horrible, and the latest one met the same fate.  The Texas Bass Nation had a tournament Father’s Day, and like it has been all spring it definitely left something to be desired.

Only 9 boats fished, a function of scheduling it on Father’s Day, and I am sure most of them would have been happier to stay at home.  The winner only had 3 fish with a total of 8.10 with a big fish of 4.64lbs.  3 others also had 3 fish, all weighing around 5lbs, 3 guys had I small fish, and 2 blanked.  They caught a total of 28 bass all day, with 15 keepers, which barely works out to 3 fish per angler all day.  Sad!  These are hard core tournament fisherman and I was hoping someone would knock it out of the park, letting me know it was me.  I really wanted them to catch them.  Unfortunately that was not the case.  They found exactly what I have this spring.  So the big question. where are they, or are they gone?

Since they killed the grass the lake has been on a steady and steep decline.  I have been banging that drum the last year and unfortunately I might be right.  From a lake where a big fish was a possibility on every cast to a barren puddle.  It really is sad and it leaves me wondering what has happened to what was one of the best lakes around.  My only comment is we have to drain and clean, pull any weeds and grass off to eliminate the spread, but it is just fine for a company to kill all the vegetation without any oversite.  Somehow it does not seem right.  What worries me is the proliferation of catfish, and the crappie fishing is fabulous on the lake, which leaves me thinking something is horribly wrong with the balance.  In the 8 years I have been fishing it I have literally put hundreds of nice big bass in the boat, the lake was full of them,  Now it is a struggle to put 3 keepers in the boat.  I just do not know what to think.

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

And if you are in the Victoria area this weekend do not forget the Grand Opening at Angler’s Arsenal.  There will be lots of stuff happening so stop in and support them.  The fishing tackle business is tough, I know I had a tackle store for a couple of years in my younger days.  They are great folks and we are lucky to have a great new store in the area.  Sorry I will be out of town and will miss it, but would be there is I was in town.  They have a great selection so bring your wallet.

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

Next week it will be back to the bay to try to improve my trout results and keep fishing the new bait.  It should be out soon and I am looking forward to the final results.  And if any of you have any thoughts or comments lets hear them.  A few of the Austin Boys will be down this weekend and as soon as I get their report I will let you know.  They are good fishermen and hopefully they can help me out some.   And they had a hard time finding a house for the crowd from Port Mansfield to POC due to what they told me was a ton of tournaments this weekend.  If you are out there be careful.  Time to start making the kill switch a regular practice before it goes in to effect in September.  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  

Kali’s Law

As those of you who read this know the last couple of years I have commented more and more on wearing life jackets, and especially the kill switch, it could save your life. My opinion, and actions, really jelled a couple of years ago when my buddy Clyde, and 2 other guys, had the steering fail on an almost new Lund and nearly threw them out in the middle of nowhere on Lake of the Woods.  The kills switch was not connected and no life jackets were being worn. It could have been a real disaster.

I started out wearing both when I tourney fished in the 70’s and 80’s, then over the years slowly wore them less and less, which was just plain ignorant.  And over the last few years I am pretty regular with both and feel naked when I forget. My buddy Fay and her husband even have dual kill switches so if either go overboard the boat shuts off.  Great idea.  Just statistically the more time you spend on the water the more chances you have of a mishap.  In my case it was the pontoon on the head thing.  And in the last post or two I said wearing the kill switch should be mandatory.  And then to my surprise this – I had no clue it was in the works.

https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/boating-safety/texas-governor-signs-kill-switch-law

Beginning September 1st any boat under 26′ that has a kill switch it must be worn.  There are several other provisions, I have not read the actual law yet but this is the punch line.  I could not be any more impressed that Texas did this, it was a long time coming.  Tournament fishermen are often criticized for their behavior to other fishermen on the lake, some of it rightly so, but they have led the way by wearing both.  There are very few organized bass tournaments where it is not required.  And as I have said before I have often thought that saltwater tournaments were just asking for it by not having the same requirements.  And with engines climbing into the 300hps, and speeds in the 70mph+, if you are running like that on the bay without at least the kill switch on I wish you the best.  You know, it always happens to the other guy.

So that is my rant for today.  I do not mean to get on anyone’s case but this is important.  As I have said often, if not for you at least for your family and friends, on the boat or off.  The government often over reaches trying to legislate behavior or morality but they got this one right.  Time to get used to it because it is coming.  Do you even know if yours works?

We just got back in town but I could not resist, this is important.  Next up is 3 days with the grandkids which should be a hoot.  Trolling for a couple of catfish with my little fisherwoman, Miss Mia, tubing and swimming, Bubba’s for a boil, a little beach time with Wren, alias “The Beast”, a good time will be had by all.

*****************The new bait is coming.

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

And I am really looking forward to next week.  In the next couple of days the new prototype bait from Controlled Descent will arrive at my door.  Time for some serious bay fishing as the final design is right around the corner.  It will be nice to have a “real” reason to get after them and I am excited to see how it goes.  I know it sure looks good and I intend to give it a real on the water work out.  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     

Thought I better put something on here so you know that I am still upright and taking nourishment.  Since my little short trip to the lake on Friday I have been giving it a rest.  Not being able to catch a bass is starting to wear on me and so I laid up this weekend.  And since we are going to be gone a couple of days for a little R&R and then the grandkids come later in the week this will be the last of it until next week.  Miss Mia wants to “go fishin'”  and fishin’ we will go.  Though she still does not like to touch them.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

Friday morning I slept a little late so just decided to hit the lake as we were in the throes of a tough heat wave.  I got there about 8:00 and the water temp was 91 in some places.  But it really has cleared some, which has not helped me at all.  The plan was to fish some of the deeper places where I have historically caught fish in the summer, which are in that 10 – 20 foot range.  Then if nothing much happened by noon to call it a day.

Suffice to say that went no where.  Between senko or a worm fished Texas rigged it only produced 2 bites, one I lost in some brush deep, the other a midget.  I really expected it to be somewhat better than that, it is time to admit I am stumped.  Of course one problem with fishing the same lake a lot is you can always get trapped into the “I caught them there once.”   That syndrome often rears its head during big national tournaments where the local favorite struggles.  Unless I fish it at night, or learn something new, the lake is going to get a rest from me for a while.  (Except for Mia and Wren with some catfish and tubing!)

They are still there and biting.

So on the way back I stopped and made one pass down and up at the catfish hole and they are still there eating like maniacs.  Since I had changed baits on one rod there was only 1 with a crankbait on it and that actually turned out to be a good thing.

I dropped it behind the boat and like it has been, fish on.  Only one rod was easier to handle and in a pass down and back at least 10 jumped on.  I am still trolling the area from the mouth of the discharge cove to the point where you can see the dam.  This time I just wandered around in and out and the bites came wherever, though the 20ft range still seems to be the best.  After that I called it a day.  The catfish thing is nice, and I hope it stays until the grandkids come this weekend, but I have had enough of that.  But with the kids it will be great.

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

RIP

I am sure you have all by now heard the Police Chief of Kemah got knocked out of his boat by a rogue wave on Galveston Bay.  His wife was with him and called 911 but he was lost and they recovered his body yesterday.  So tragic, by all accounts he was a great guy.  I know I harp on it but a kill switch and life jackets save lives.  Not sure what happened with his drowning, but we see this way to often on the coast.  My condolences to family and friends.

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

Apparently there will be a big bass tournament Father’s Day on Coleto and I will be very interested to see who figures it out.  It was a tough tournament year on Coleto and I am afraid it may not be any better.  But there are quite a few boats who may fish so there is a good chance somebody will figure it out.  Just have to wait and see.  Just might take the kids to the weigh in if we are around.

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

There was a little vicarious fishing this weekend as we plan our late August trip to Oregon.  Looks like we will salmon fish a day on the river out of Astoria, then when we are in Bend  I found a place on the Deschutes River that offers a reasonably priced 6 hour beginning fly fishing course.  2 hours of class then 4 hours on the river, which I need.  What is really cool, the Boss is going to take it too!  She is funny about the fishing, she loves it offshore, hates bass fishing, and does not like fishing plastics, but with her love of the mountains and hiking she just might like it..  Since we are spending more time out west in the mountains, we are going to Colorado in 3 weeks, she just might turn into a fly fisherwoman.

*******************.

So have a great week I know I will.  And a few days off the water will give me time to recharge.  This has been the weirdest fishing year since I have been in Texas.  The lake has absolutely sucked and the bay has been off and on due to the fresh water and increasing temps, which according to the news now top 90 degrees.  So by next week I will be itching to get in the water with them.  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 am just hanging around the house today as they continue to say possible severe thunderstorms though I have not seen any yet.  So with that I was not going to head to the bay and then get sent packing.  But tomorrow is a different story and I will be headed out in the morning.  Maybe it will be somewhere I haven’t fished in a while but I am still mulling over where due to all the fresh water.  But that is part of fishing, the anticipation and planning, even if just for a morning trip.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

While looking at weather and tides for tomorrow I did something interesting I have never done before, checked tides and periods for two close but different places. and the results were something to think about.  Tells you how much difference there is depending on where you are on the bay.

• POC tomorrow
• Low Tide   3:04 am
• High Tide  3:39 pm
• Major Period   5:12 am to 7:12 am   and   5:39 pm to 7:39 pm
• Minor   10:41 am to  11:41 am
• Port Lavaca causeway tomorrow
• Low Tide   5:54 am
• High Tide   5:01 pm
• Major Period   5:13 am to 7:13 am   and  5:40 pm to 7:40 pm
• Minor Period   10:41 am to 11:41 am

Of course the solunar periods basically remain the same but it is impressive the differences in high and low tide just a short boat ride away.  Back to understanding how where and when with the tide can improve your catches dramatically.  Sometimes trying to think about all that makes my head hurt, but as usual we go when you can, but it is something to think about.

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

I stopped in Angler’s Arsenal today to pick up another catfish catching crankbait.  They had plenty of baits that would work and I picked up a Strike King 3XD in Sexy Shad that runs in the 10′ range.  Another great option they had would be the Flicker Shad that runs in the same depth.  (Maybe the 8.5.)  The catfish have not shown any particular preference as long as it is white/silver/ or shiny.  And while I was there Ronni was talking about their Grand Opening, which is scheduled for Saturday June 22.  They expect to have a few of their vendors there, a give away or two, and something for the kids.  So stop by and support them, they have you covered.

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

Steve sent along this comment on the trout and an offshore report.

Good Morning Doug
I enjoy reading your stuff and keeping up with your adventures. I read where you are having to fish deeper for trout around the 5 foot mark and the summer pattern is kicking in. I have a couple of guide friends that have switched over to more red fishing than trout the past few weeks due to all the fresh water runoff in the bay. When the fresh water moves in it drives the trout deeper as the saltwater sinks to the very bottom and the fresh water rides over the top. Just my 2 cents, but for sure summer is on its way. Our group went offshore last weekend for snapper and they are thick this year with easy limits if you can keep the sharks off. The water color offshore looks like the bay water so all we caught were snapper, no king fish anywhere. One captain told me blue water was a 100 miles offshore. You keep writing and I will keep reading.
Steve

This is what I love about all of you when you comment.  We can all learn something.  Fresh on top, salt on bottom, of course, and it never crossed my mind.  (With all the gators around it should have. ) And that brings to mind a pattern that played out a few years ago when we had the same thing – Deep reefs.  They came on that summer and when you found them it was game on.  So first thanks for that, now I will spend the rest of this rainy day thinking about that.  Things change, but they are always “the same”, why experience trumps all in the fishing world.  And nice on the snappers.  Looks like the fresh water runoff on the coast is effecting more than the bays.  (It will be interesting to ponder how the tarpon will react, my guess no problem.) I was just wondering the other day why I had not heard any report on kings at the jetties.  Thanks again, love comments that get the discussion going.

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

And Rusty our resident Fayette guru sent along this report.

Good morning catfish dude! Was on Fayette Thursday and Monday and the fishing is good when you find them. Best so far is 18-20’ on watermelon lizards and worms. Water temp is 94-96 degrees away from the outflow. Haven’t been over by the outflow but it’s got to be close to 104. Daylight fishing is anything shad and off points. . Fished till dark Monday in shallow water and didn’t get a bite anywhere. Going to go going to go this afternoon and fish deep till dark, stay tuned.
Tight lines
Rusty

Sounds like Fayette is settling in to the summer pattern.  And after the bunch you caught the other day off one tree it is definitely find them and you will catch them.  Thanks for keeping us informed.  And as far as the catfish dude, if the weather does not straighten out tomorrow enough to warrant the coast I might take a friend who doesn’t really fish that much and load the cooler for him and his family.  Glad you are upright and taking nourishment.

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

The 2cnd Amendment.

I try not to comment on much outside of fishing but the arrest of the officer who did not go into the Parkland High School during the shooting has left me ambivalent for several reasons.  First I was not there, (Easy to second guess as hind sight is always 20/20.) and I do not know what was in his mind, and second, facing 99 years seems extreme .  Unfortunately due to his actions it is likely that more kids died.  I understand the anger felt by the families and their quest for justice.  But actually prosecuting him may be problematic, should the prosecution be successful it may reach the US Supreme Court before it is over.

One thing that most folks do not know – The US Supreme Court has basically ruled that the police do not have a duty to protect you or your family, basically making them immune to suits, and in this case maybe prosecution(?).  So what will come of this remains to be seen, but there is one important thing for you to know and it the basis for my complete support of the 2cnd amendment.  They do not have a duty to come to your house, they do not have to protect you, they do not have a duty to stop you from being attacked, and the list potentially goes on.  Of course we know that is not how our law enforcement really acts, but this is how it is.  Until this is changed, which it may never be for several good reasons, you have the duty and right to defend yourself and your family.  The whole thing is a sad state of affairs.

(Before you get your panties in a wad I worked with police for 20 years in several capacities.  They kept me safe as a medic, much less in the courtroom, and I appreciated it.  They do not get enough credit and I can only imagine how tough it is to do the job day after day.  So this comment was not a diss on law enforcement, they can come and save me anytime.  This is just a weird situation.  Sorry I got off topic.)

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

So that is it for my morning ramblings.  Next it will be out to the boat and checking air pressure, adding a little fluid to the trim, and going over the trailer looking for potential &^$ ups.  Just the occasional walk around can save you from roadside regret, much less a big tow bill.  And thanks to everyone who commented, it makes this a much better place.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines