FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

The Boat

I was going to let this slide but it has been sticking in my craw.  It is rare folks admit something that makes you pause the minute it comes out of their mouth, but in this case both ends of it admitted something that just does not pass the smell test.

I bought the new Lund from a dealer and as far as the basic transaction it was fairly good considering all the other boats I have bought.  (Though one interesting note when I mentioned using a fuel additive, he said don’t it might void your warranty.  Dude Mercury sells that product and if you read the book you might know the answer. Amazing how often folks make stuff up.)  So while it was not seamless by any means that is not the point of this post.

A week after I buy the boat Mercury has an ad on Facebook saying get a longer warranty with a new motor.  Don’t remember exactly how much but it was a couple of years anyway and I qualified.  So immediately call the dealer and say what is the deal?  Can you check on it for me?  He says he does not know anything about it but will check.  Well guess what?  Not according to the Mercury website that says they are part of the program.  He promises to check on it and of course no immediate response.

I call back a little over a week or two later to check and he has no idea.  So the salesman puts me on hold and goes to the owner and comes back with the following;

“We normally jack up the price of the boat to cover the additional warranty.” 

Think about that for a second.  Is he telling me he screws Mercury or just me?  He then tells me we will give you the deal anyway.  Good, that seems fair.  Afte a while when I had not heard from him about what they did I figured the best way was to just check with Mercury.

When I speak with them, I don’t say anything about the issue, just ask what do I have on the motor?  She tells me and I am good with it, the dealer did what they said they would.  At that point I tell the story to see if Mercury gives the dealer something and they were trying to screw Mercury or me.  But unbelievably I get the following response from the Mercury representative:

“He should not have told you that.” 

WTF?  Does that mean you know they do that and it is not a real promotion?  Is it really no skin off Mercury and your ad is just “saying.”  If memory serves me, I even asked if they give the dealers anything and she said no.  So what does this all mean?

Looking back on it I can’t get past both answers from the dealer or Mercury.  While nothing is illegal in anyway about what I learned it does not speak well of the character of either party.  The way the ad reads it is a promotion.  Buy a motor and get an extended warranty.  So Mercury is good with that practice by dealers?  And the dealer either just blew it off or is clueless about a Mercury program in which they are listed on the Mercury website as a participant.  But the dealer basically telling me we would have jacked up the price of your boat seems kind of squishy.  So you decide what you make of all this.  I call foul on both.  Let the buyer beware, but I am not sure who to watch, apparently it is both.

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

For all your wading needs.

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

Sorry there is not fishing to report but I wanted to put this out there.  Boils down to you can not trust anyone and I find both parties to be slimy.  But with that said it will be back on the water Monday.  Unfortunately, I have cabinets to paint and a few other things to do the next few days.  The Boss is going to be gone which would normally mean I would be heading somewhere to fish.  But duty calls and I will be responsible no matter how much it hurts.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

The best laid plans often do not work out, it is what makes fishing what it is.  While I did get the Boss her fish fry, the topwater fishing left something to be desired.  Though I caught 5 in the area with the shad it just was not quite what the better ones are looking for.

5 of this size first thing on the Bang O Lure.

Weather

76/96.  Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible.  Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.  (Basically dead calm all morning.)

Lake Level

Today 97.65 msl.  Monday 97.64 msl.

Bite Times

Major 6:49 am to 8:49 am.

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

For all your wading needs.

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

It was just cracking daylight as I pulled into the cove that had all the shad yesterday.  I was not sure it was quite the right place and it turned out it wasn’t.  There were plenty of small bass in there but as I have found the “good” places where the better ones eat the topwater are more isolated points with grass and deep water nearby.  But since the plan was to fill out the fish fry order and quit before I roasted alive I stayed in there and caught 5 on top and missed a couple.  Which was less than stellar but it put me where I needed to be for trolling up supper.

She loves fresh catfish so here you go.

A couple of weeks ago the fish were just not on their usual summer haunts but it seems they have moved in.  Still running shad looking crankbaits that run about 10′ deep with 75 feet of line out.  The best speed seems to be around 2 mph or so and today most of the fish and shad I was seeing were in the 13′ to 18′ on break lines and underwater points.

The only white bass this morning.

I quit counting after boating 15 which were mostly smalls.  For some reason the white bass are still eluding me, and it was only 1 today.  Same with the blue cats, but  like yesterday one did jump on and will be the guest of honor at supper tomorrow.  Coleto has produced lots of blue cats for me both trolling and then in the spring on swim jig. I will give them one thing, when they bite they usually jump it pretty hard and thanks to their rubber lips they stay hooked up.

And the bass made the fish fry trifecta. 

Around 10:30 the white and cat were in the cooler and I needed one more.  I was hoping it would be another white or blue but when I caught the bass above it was time to call it a day.  Maybe the wind does blow 10 – 15mph sometime during the day but it sure has not been doing that before noon.  It was almost dead flat calm today and combined with the humidity and lack of clouds it was flat hot.  And if I have learned anything about the Coleto parking lot is by pulling straight in instead of backing in to park the truck is in the shade, which makes it so much better when you call it a day.

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The next day or two will be doing a few constructive things around here.  The weekend forecast is crazy hot, and I am so ready to be in Colorado.  But with that time to finish the kitchen cabinets.  After installing latches and repairing the drawers a coat of paint will do them good, and keep me out of the heat.  The Boss will be visiting family in Iowa this weekend and with the moon full I just might do a little night fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

If that is not worth getting up for what is?

Though I had a few things to do last week about half the reason I did not fish was it was so hot.  Today was no improvement but it turned out ok.  It was not fast by any means but once the trolling started it was consistent for 2 hours and the only reason I quit was it got freakin’ hot.  The water temp was 91 – 93, fairly clear, and it was flat as a pancake with very little breeze.

Weather

77/95.  Partly cloudy skies. High near 95F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Lake Level

One week ago 97.65 msl.  Today 97.64 msl.

Bite Times

Major  6:00 am to 8:00 am.

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

For all your wading needs.

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

Biggest of the morning.  Hand to hand combat getting her out of a tree.

I started off fishing the Bang O Lure and it produced 4 bites and 2 came over the side.  Though it has slowed significantly if you find the right point with grass and some deep water close it can produce a big one, and it almost did today.  I went to twitch it and it was hooked on itself and so made a big ruckus on the way to the boat and one rolled on it but did not get hooked.  Tossed it right back in there and she ate it under the surface and took off.  While I thought she was hooked I never actually set the hook and she pulled off.  To bad it was a good one.  The last few trips the Bang O Lure has gotten bit by a good one each time and tomorrow or the next day looking forward to fishing what I found later.

The Bang O Lure doing some work.

From about 8 – 9:00 tossed the watermelon red trick worm with a pegged 3/16 slip sinker to deep wood.  The first one came on a tree in about 10′ of water, the next was the one above that came off a really deep tree on a wooded point.  A classic place to get bit.  It was the only good one today and it took a little rasslin’ around to get her out but it made the morning.  Until…….

Finally, a white bass trolling.

The plan was to troll down lake, but on the way I stopped on a deep bank and tossed the worm some when I saw shad breaking with some chasing in the mouth of a big cove.  Easing over there bass were breaking in small groups and the locator was lit up with shad.  One that jumped right next to the boat while being chased was a threadfin a little over an inch long.  I tried to make the perfect cast with the Bang O Lure but it was just a hair to big so out came the small crankbaits and the bite was on.

And a ton of these on the troll.

The bass bit until I quit at 11:30 and it was nice to boat a good white bass and finally a good size blue cat.  Unfortunately, I forgot the camera this morning and some of the phone pics did not come out but suffice to say while it is hard to estimate how many bass jumped on, but it was at least 15 easy.  And they were hammering it.  Some would have measured but most were in the 12 – 14″ range.  But they sure are fat and sassy.  I found some in another place that is one of my go to trolling places but the interesting thing was the cove that was full of them.  Can’t wait to give them a go at daylight.

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I am very happy that by closing the comments it has completely ended the spam.  Of course, not hearing from folks is not great but I will give it a couple of weeks and turn it back on.  That crap is computer generated and once it starts it has been impossible to stop but at least I do not have to mess with it every day.  Thanks for sticking with me.

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Looney Gilmore

Not sure how old these are but Looney used to come by my store in the early 70’s.  A real character he was a traveling lure guy.  In those days you actually had suppliers calling on you and bringing lures and supplies.  He made tons of different lures including the first wooden Devil’s Horse, (At least the first I ever saw.) including a wooden one for peacock bass fishing which was a brand new thing then.  My buddy Tom has these and there are not many in existence, especially in the package.  Not exactly sure as it was 50 years ago but I believe he invented the Devil’s Horse and sold it to a Louisiana company.  It has been a staple in bass fishing for decades and still is.

One thing about living in North Arkansas in the early 70’s it was a time of innovation including the first real bass jig, the Sam Welch jig.  One year we had real high water and my friend Buddy Meador wanted his Rebel minnow to slow sink to keep it next to the brush longer, so he experimented with solder on the trebles and actually invented the first suspending jerk bait.  During that period we took the old red Ambassador and put bigger handles and changed the gears to get a 5 .0 retrieve, we were the shit.  And when we got the first Fenwick graphite blanks it was a game changer from fiberglass.  Then the first Lew’s Speed Spool appeared, and it was on.  From the Ranger cigar style boat to the Champ and big V’s boating was changing constantly.  Heck my first graph was an X15 which was a paper graph like a lie detector.  Who would have guessed it would lead to all this.  It was a time of innovation and I am glad I was there.

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Going to take a look at tomorrow’s weather because I want to be on that cove at daylight the next day or two.  It just might be a good Bang O Lure bite first thing.  It seems it lasts about an hour of a little more but when it is over it is done.  Then I will troll up a fish fry for the Boss when she is done with a 4-day rotation.  I might drive her nuts at times, but she will tell you, I am a fish frying fool and she loves eating them from the water straight to the pan.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

This Only a Test

I am really sorry to have to turn off the comments on the blog but the scum who continue to spam me are getting worse.  It is so irritating and of course the blog host wants to charge me $$$ to try to block them.  I do this for the love of the sport and will miss interacting with you but will leave them off for a while and then turn it back on and see if they are gone.  And the government can easily fix the issue no matter what they say.  When they can find a black hooker who my client says did the murder just from her cell phone useage 5 states away do not tell me they cannot fix much of this.  So while I will be fishing next  on Monday I wanted to post this and see what happens.

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Since I was gone until July, I had no idea that the crane had been stuck on the Coleto damn since Memorial Day.  Thanks to Steven for letting me know.  Can’t wait to see what they are finally going to do about it.  Maybe they are just going to leave it but no matter when they decide to do something it will be spectacular if I was guessing.

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Funny how I just wrote about folks in their “mom’s drive it to the shopping mall SUV” who drive like idiots in the mountains.  They are not made for that and if you drive it like you stole it good luck.  Now the Park Service has issued a warning letter to a Subaru driver after driving his on a marked 4wheel drive road.  Folks, AWD is NOT 4wheeel and your momma’s SUV has no business on roads like that.  Many of the roads like that have rocks bigger than your little Subi.  Assorted penalties including a fine up to $5,000 can be levied and no one will be impressed if you have to be rescued.  And trust me your wallet will not be impressed either.  If you want to drive roads like that buy a vehicle that will handle it.  Tourons come in all shape and sizes and driving your yuppie SUV on 4wheel drive roads qualifies you as a touron.

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The bears are really active in the South Fork area.  There have been multiple sightings both in South Fork and upper and lower Alpine.  According to the last poster the one in Alpine is a moose.  And I really enjoyed the picture of the guy drinking out of the hummingbird feeder.  We carry our bear spray on hikes and are careful at the house.

Thanks Sarah, I stole this from your Facebook page.

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So thanks for hanging in there with me.  Just have to see what comes as usually as soon as I post a new one it begins.  Hope it ends it and I can get back to reading your comments.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Don’t Let the Door …………

Lately I commented on the divisiveness of both extremes of the political spectrum.  From the Squad to the Freedom Caucus types I believe neither represent most of the folks in America and I got a little validation of that perspective.  Cori Bush, a vocal member of the Squad, just lost her primary to return to the House.  A pollical action group that supports Israel spent a ton to get rid of her and it worked. (I am no fan of political action committes and corporate donors to elections but it is the reality today.)  She then showed her true colors by threatening them, a poor loser taking a page out of the Trump playbook.  She appears to believe she owns the job.  Instead of taking her loss graciously she revealed herself to be a vindictive “biotch”.   Good riddance you waste of taxpayer money.

So how did my opinion on her and others on both sides of the aisle get vindicated?  By reading the comments on the article and there were many.  Almost every one of the hundreds were from Democrats saying the same thing I have been, time for folks who are flexible and will work across the aisle to get things done.  This country is made up of regular folks who care about food, shelter, work and their family.  The infighting has to stop and hopefully this election the fringe element on both sides will be reduced and things just might get done.  Who does she think she is?

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FOX NEWS – You cannot make this stuff up.

“If you know Minnesota well, and I know it well — especially Milwaukee — it’s changed,” she said during her program on Wednesday. “It has never recovered from 2020 and it is not the same place.”

Laura Ingraham

No shit Ms. constantly spouting off Pompous ass.  It is either one of two things; She is making shit up, not uncommon for FOX, or her knowledge of geography means she is as stupid as she looks.  We all make mistakes but when you are paid millions of dollars to troll (Fox admitted when they coughed up $750 million they are entertainment and not journalists.) you should get something this simple right.  And my sister was stunned to find out she lives in Minnesota.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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I have seen a thing or two on the water, but this is right up there!

Look closely.  That is just nuts!

I saw it the other day and it looked weird but did not stop, it sure looked funny.  This morning I went over to the damn on Coleto to take a look and even then it took a moment to really sink in.  It is a giant crane that was doing something and it came within a hair of going completely over down into the creek.  When you look closely it looks like the boom is keeping it from falling completely over.

Belly Up!

Sorry these are back lit but you get the point.  That thing is on it’s side with wheels up.  I  cannot even begin to fathom how they will get that fixed but I sure would like to be there when they try.  And I pity the driver, that is a nightmare but could have gone a lot worse.  There were some folks on top looking at it so maybe there is some kind of plan to get it on it’s tires.  So how long it will be there is an open question, but man what a screw up.

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

For all your wading needs.

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

Weather

Way to freakin’ hot and dead calm, quit at 11:00.  It was miserable.

Lake Level

Today 97.65 msl.  6 days ago 97.80 msl.  (Visibly down.)

Bite Times

Minor 7:11 am to 8:11 am.

It was hot and so humid I needed the windshield wipers on the way to the lake.  When I got there it was dead calm and stayed that way all morning.  The thing that struck me was the water temp has gone from 89 to 94, which is flat hot.  And with the lake noticeably falling no wonder the fishing was tough.

There were a few left on the “good spot” but it was not the way it has been.

The water had fallen further out of the grass and there was no shad activity first thing.  These 2 are the ones who made the boat out of 3 topwater bites.  Unfortunately, a really big fish rolled all over it and did not get hooked.  I threw a plastic at it but guess she got a taste of the bait.  Too bad, this time of year missing a big one is probably it for the day, and today it was.  And it reinforces something I have seen for years, the big ones often come out of nowhere at a time you would never expect it.

They are definitely fat and sassy right now.

I actually spent the time re-fishing the whole bank with a frog and juat had one little one take a pass at it.  But it was clear that place and pattern is over.  From there I fished several deeper banks and isolated wood and points and caught 2 smalls on the watermelon stick worm.  I did miss a couple, but they were not thumping it.  If when you lifted up and felt something it was already too late.  It was getting hot so time to troll on the way in.

One of 9 in the time I trolled.

‘Unlike the other day for some reason they were really active around shad schools.  Last trip most were in the 20’ plus range, today much of the bait was suspended over 12-15 feet, and you could see the fish below them.

Not too bad considering how tough it was.

I was trolling silver and white crankbaits that run about 10 foot deep around 70′ behind the boat at 2mph.  2 doubles jumped on, when you saw them you generally got a bite.  For some reason not a white bass yet, which is interesting as this is the time I usually get them in the summer.  The blue cats seem to be few and far between so not sure what it up with them either.  After messing around with that I called it a day at 11:00.  The weather is supposed to stay this way, but I will keep fishing.  At some point I will get off my old butt and give night fishing a try.  And to go along with that maybe run a trot line and get the Boss a catfish or two.

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The biggest reason I am here sweating my booty off is working on the house.  We meet with the real estate agent on Wednesday to get some advice on what we should be doing.  Of course we are working on the basis curb appeal and there are plenty of stuff inside to tidy up.  It all needs to be done so I can head back for a little in October which will be about the time we list the house.  And if all is good we will get it sold in December and hit the road.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Another Dead Hamas POS

Congratulations to Israel for dropping a bomb on the head of a Hamas piece of shit.  I have always had great respect for Israel in how they handle threats and actions against its enemies.  They have a long memory.  According to reports he was allegedly “instrumental” in ceasefire talks.  Nonsense, it could have happened at any time so too bad so sad.  So keep it up, the world is better for it.  The US should practice a little of this at times.

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Say it to my Face!

I laughed when Harris told Trump that since you are talking shit about me how about saying it to my face?   He is now backing out of the debate making up all kinds of stupid and irrelevant reasons.  Step up to the plate big boy, you are talking the talk how about walking the walk.  He is scared to debate her, end of story or otherwise it would be on.  Man, I wanted to watch that and as citizens of this country we should all want to see it.  You say she is stupid, then it should be no problem to prove it with a debate.

And I have one more suggestion how about both releasing their college transcripts.  He says she is stupid, any bets on what they would show.  And that nonsense of her not passing the BAR, the truth is she did not make it the first time like many attorneys.  The California BAR is one of the toughest in the country.  When I took it Arkansas had less than a 50% pass rate (I passed thank God.) and plenty of smart lawyers fail the first time.  It comes with the territory and trust me; he could not pass if he tried.  I will never forget the stress it causes everyone who takes it.  As I was walking down the hall scared out of my mind some woman in the restroom was puking her guts out.  Everybody the last few years is either a “Doctor or Lawyer”, just ask them.  Talk is cheap, going to medical or law school is hard.  So, Donny man up.  I mean she is “just a girl.”

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

I am really looking forward to fishing the lake the next couple of days.  Some time off after 17 years of fishing it constantly is a good thing.  Now do not think I am going in without a clue, that is what looking back at this month on the blog can do.  And a special thanks to a friend who gave me some good ideas and places to start.  He is one of the best fishermen in the area both fresh and salt and is no one trick pony.  He is a credit to our sport.  Thanks.

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

For all your wading needs.

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

MONDAY

Weather

78/92.  Sunshine along with some cloudy intervals. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Lake Level

On 5/13/24.  97.38 msl.  Today 97.80 msl.

Bite Times

Major 6:30 am to 8:30 am.   Minor 2:04 pm to 3:04 pm.

It was almost dead calm when dropping the boat in this morning.  The water has a little tinge to it and the temp was 86 – 87 everywhere I fished. The plant arm is a little clearer than up lake but both areas are fine.  There was hardly anyone out, and the majority of those were crappie fishing.  When I quit at noon there were 3 other trailers at the ramp.

Would not want to start my day without throwing the buzzbait.

It was a little melancholy as I headed up lake at daylight.  Coleto has been a big part of my life the last few years and it really is coming to an end.  But the wind was down and it was a nice morning so I headed to the last place I caught a bunch and they were still there.  To bad I did not get the job done.  But it wasn’t all me but I did not help matters.

On that one bank only one made it to the boat but 5 took a run at the buzzbait, I lost a good one on a swim jig when I re-fished it, and I missed one on the squarebill.  They were tight to the grass on a deeper bank and while the catching was tough they better look out in the morning.  The Bang O Lure will be tied on along with a white swim jig and the results have a chance to improve.

But the real story is other than one who hit a spinnerbait on a windy bank, and he hit when I let if fall, I missed one other pitching.  But the plan was to hit a bunch of my “good places” which I did by fishing fast.  Whether a deep main lake timber point or a long channel bank I kept the variety up hoping to get a real clue.  I wanted to cover as much water and get some idea of what might work and other than that one bank, I am still clueless.

And this one came trying to troll up supper for the Boss.

The Boss is wanting a fish fry so I hit 4 places where I can usually boat a few whites along with a blue cat or two.  Today no such luck but 4 bass jumped on.  They were on a small flat sandy point in about 10 foot of water.  Other than those guys most stuff was in the 15 – 20 foot range but no bites though plenty of shad schools but the fish were sure not on them.  But it is the doldrums of summer, and I am not surprised by the results but will definitely improve on those numbers tomorrow.  Funny but when the Boss requests fish I feel pressure, which is silly but hey, time to get it done.

When returning to the mountains you can feel the altitude and it takes just a little to get used to it.  But the weather is so fine you just end up not noticing it.  Now the Texas weathr is another story.  When I quit today it was 92 in the truck and the humidity was God knows what.  This heat is a whole other animal.

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TUESDAY

Weather

78/92.  A few passing clouds, otherwise generally sunny. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.  (Repeat of yesterday.)

Lake Level

Today 97.70 msl   Monday 97.80 msl.

Bite Times

Major 8:19 am to 10:19 am.

The plan was simple, be at that particular bank at daylight and feed them the Bang O Lure and it worked like a charm.  The hook up ratio was considerably higher, and the size was a definite improvement.  The bank was out of the wind and shaded until the sun came up.

A good start to the morning.  This was a 15″ toad.

They were on the edge of the grass and wanted it just jerked under easy and then just erratic back to the boat.  6 or 7 came over the side and about that many took a run at it.  They were eating it under the water and I missed a couple by setting the hook on the boil before I felt them.  I did make a second quick pass with a the buzzbait and did not have a bite.

This one smoked it!

I also tried throwing the swim jig up in the grass and reeling it over and out but not a bite.  Basically what is going on is a shad spawn and it is over once the sun hits the water.  A few were flipping here and there and the 2 I kept for the Boss both had a threadfin in them.  Both were pretty good size and a shallow running Rapala in the #7 should be just right.  The only thing I have not done on that bank, which I am saving for later is pitch plastics in the grass after the sun comes out.  As it is a little deeper bank who knows that just might be the re-fish bait.

The last keeper of the morning.  If you are wondering about the quality of the pictures just add the 90%+ humidity with dead calm and you get this wet stuff.

As the sun came out wanted to hit a couple of banks before it was too bright, and one jumped on at the first place and 2 at the second.  All 3 came near wood so that should tell you something.  It was probably 9:00 when it was time to do a little trolling, maybe boat a catfish and finally one did come over the side.  For 2 hours of trolling, it was only 4 bass and one small cat.  Things are really different this summer but since I have been gone it is starting to make a little sense.  So a word to the wise, you only have one chance to make a good choice for the topwater bite unless it stays really cloudy all day.

The water temp was up another degree with most of the lake 88 – 89 degrees.  The color varies depending on where you are.  I find it interesting that I have not caught a white bass.  Where I troll on the lower end it looks like the thermocline is at 20 feet.  There were some stretches where it is apparent, given the fish are all stacked up right at 20 and below.  So for the guys who fish deep 20′ looks like the magic number.

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Why in the world do some trailer companies still use trailer lights that are crap.  The ones on the Lund have burned out 3 times so I finally changed them out to waterproof LEDs which should solve that problem.  Even though the new ones are waterproof what would prompt them to include electrical twist connectors?  Really stupid.  So of course, I used heat shrink connectors with plenty of silicon diode grease to keep water from getting in.  As a plumber told me one time the only place water will not go is up a frog’s ass.  And if you have owned any number of boats, you know never truer words were spoken.

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It has been interesting keeping track of this area’s fishing while in Colorado.  A number of posts ask for recommendations for a guide in a certain area.  One thing that makes me laugh, in a sad way, is the number of guides.  On the coast it often means they have a big boat and a bucket of shrimp.   Carmine who had a restaurant in POC many years ago uttered what may be one of the great observations of all time; “There are so many guides now they have to wear badges to keep from guiding each other.”  (Remember this was over 20 years ago.)

When I did most of my guiding in the late 70′ into the 80’s it was just a small license fee and you were good to go.  Looking back on it they should have charged me a lot more.  Very few professions get provided an office stocked by the taxpayers for free.  I have always felt license fees were way to low across the board.  When I think about what I get for the cost of a fishing license it is the best deal in entertainment.  If it went up I would bitch and be happy to pay it if that makes any sense at all.

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SA JOE

Wanted to fish a day or two to at least have a clue.  Sunday I will have the Boss’s schedule and should be good to go for several days next week so whatever works for you should be fine by me.  Hollar at you Sunday.

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The boat goes in for a check and maintenance tomorrow and should be good to go until next summer.  If nothing out of the ordinary happens engines are good to go for hundreds if not thousands of hours.  Bob has a couple of crabbers who have over 300o hours and still running strong.  Taking care of your motor pays off.  They may get old and ugly but if taken care can last a lifetime.  Not sure yet where the closest Mercury dealer is but one of the small prices you have to pay for living in the mountains is not much else is close.  Once I got back to Victoria and saw the traffic it put it in perspective.

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Facebook Today – Why we live where we do!

Attention Poderosa (Our house.) neighborhood.  Be bear aware as we have one hanging around town.  The Police Department is aware and working with wildlife to determine a course of action.

This is our neighborhood and of course he shows up when we are not there.  Can’t wait to get back.  And for God sakes do not do anything, we live in the freakin’ mountains and his folks were here first.  Try not feeding him and just leave him alone unless he does something worthy of intervention.  Easy.

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That will do it for today.  The Boss has a few days off coming up so not sure what my fishing schedule will be the next few days.  But the boat will only take a couple of hours so it will be back tomorrow so not stopping that way.  But part of the reason for coming back was to do assorted house selling fixes and I need to get started on those projects.  I just renewed my domain name and the blog is good to go for another year.  Where or when this will end I do not have a clue.  But keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

GOOD LUCK AND TIGHT LINES

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VANCE

First sorry for the rant the other day and the profanity but what is wrong with that jerk? It struck me so wrong as I thought about the lives she saved and those she didn’t.  The days on the unit with very little sleep, coding a baby under the Christmas tree and on and on.  She has earned respect, and this POS not only disrespected all women but speaks for the Republican party.  Nice job alienating a zillion or two women.  And by the way, alleging my wife does not have “skin in the game” is nonsense, at least as far as the hundreds of thousands she has paid in income taxes.  Plus, the school taxes she has paid over her career.  Oh yeah, and the ridiculous local property taxes assessed by the money grubbers of Victoria County.  So go back to your couch but thanks for letting your real colors shine.  He is just creepy.  Now they have just released some emails he wrote which included “I hate cops.” and something about Trump being Hitler.  And this is guy who could end up president.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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Our Favorite Drive

On basically the last free day of our time here we took an afternoon drive to one of our spots we see moose.  Of course, being a Sunday afternoon there were folks everywhere in the woods as vacation time is full on in the Rockies.  But it was a beautiful day, and we are just so lucky to be able to drive out of the driveway and be in some awesome country and we never take it for granted.  We did see a mule deer or two and one big ass marmot but with the traffic you cannot expect to see much.  But it won’t be long, folks will be gone and it will be on.  Can’t wait for sheep time, my favorite.

Nothing Special.

Normally this buck is nothing special, but we like seeing them all no matter the size.  As we came around a curve on one of our favorite roads he was bedded down in the mouth of a cave.  The sun was shining right on his face and his antlers were amazing looking and his background was black at the cave mouth.  When I saw him, I did not see about 5 people on the side of the road watching him.  By time we are able to turn around he got up and walked down the ridge.  And then he did something really cool; guess he got tired of us looking at him, he walked in a patch of heavy cover and bedded down.  We could not see him at all but as deer are want to do at times, he just disappeared.

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VORTEX

As we spent more and more time in the woods we realized we needed some quality optics and we got them a few years ago.  We bought high dollar Vortex binoculars and the only way to describe how awesome they are is what a friend of mine said when he used them:  I thought I had some good binoculars.  They are clear as a bell and have really improved our ability to see way too far away.  So much better than the nice pair of Nikons we still have and the quality is noticeable.

But the real punch line, we have had a little trouble with the rubber eye pieces coming off, seems the covers are a little too tight and pull the eyepiece off without us knowing it.  The first time it happened they put 2 in the mail in nothing flat.  As we have now lost both I emailed them yesterday and here is their response; Here is your work order and prepaid postage and we should get them back to you in a week.  As most of you know warranty issues can be a real hassle, but Vortex puts their money where their mouth is, no muss, no fuss and no questions.  So, if you ever consider some quality optics I cannot recommend them any higher.

No BS – They mean it.

• UNLIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY  (Damaged or defective it does not matter.  Tell me another company that does that.)
• FULLY TRANSFERABLE
• NO RECEIPT NEEDED

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WEIRD (Now not so weird!)

From the Boss on her walk this morning.  They are back.

Last week we had nice bucks cruising the backyard and plenty in the neighborhood along with the return of the turkeys, then a big change.  A few days ago the deer, which there are dozens, just up and left, and the turkey seem to have left to.  Not sure what the reason is but who knows, maybe it is time for the “gathering of the clans” up on the mountain.  One thing is obvious as it rains daily there is tons of stuff to eat up there so who knows.  But whatever the reason can’t wait to return and see them back.  Watching out the windows is often the highlight of my day as you just never know what you will see.

We love watching them grow.  Keep walking and don’t stop and they just might not spook.

And today they are back.  Not sure where everyone went but the Boss saw a bunch on her walk this morning.  Though we have to head back I will be back in time for the head banging rut, which is entertaining.  Not sure where the does are but that won’t be long either.

This one helped me get the trash can this morning.  Can’t wait for the rut and some serious head banging.

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Comments

Sorry but the spamming continues.  It has not gone away so my advice is hold any comments until I let you know it has ceased.  What a hassle it has turned into.

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Of course, I am not all that happy about having to return to Texas, but this house selling thing needs to get organized.  The thing I will really miss this time of year is the river is way down and it is wading time.  It has been so interesting to watch the river and I would be knee deep in it if I was not in Texas.  Of course, the boat will be following me home.  It just will not stop doing that for some reason.  The plan will be to make a return trip around October first with a small U Haul.  That will be the size of it, whatever is left will be sold.  I am not moving squat.  I have joked with the real estate guy the acceptance price on my end goes up $1,000 if they don’t take the stuff.  But while I am back there will be some fishing so keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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A Few Random Thoughts

As a Honda passed us on a really rough mountain road I wondered if they really give a crap about their vehicle.  We see it every day.  No matter your make or model DO NOT drive it like the stupid commercials.  They are not made for that kind of abuse, and they love it when you drive it like you stole it.  And the new KIA commercial is a perfect example, act like that and it will be headed to the junk yard in nothing flat.  Plus what are you going to do when you are out of cell service and another car never shows?

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I could not help but shake my head when the CEO of CrowdStrike said we fixed it and it is now all good.  Ok clueless rich dude, please go to your nearest airport and face all the folks sleeping on the floor and tell them that you fixed it, and they should be thankful.  If this is not a wakeup call for what is to come, I do not know what is.  The older I get the more I realize that we need to rein in corporations, or at least make our elected reps wear patches like fishermen and NASCAR drivers letting us know who they are beholden to. Repubtard or Dumbocrat, they are bought and paid for.  Time for term limits on ALL elected officials from Pres to your local politician at the clerks office or a county commissioner.  The abuse is wide spread and the service is terrible.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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11,600 Rocky Mountain Feet High

No motorized vehicles and we mean it.

The last couple of years I have driven by this closed Forest Service Road that looked perfect for a hike so today the Boss and I decided to give it a go.  It started at 11,600 feet and on our walk, it dropped 400 feet when we turned around after exactly a mile.  You always have to remember if you hike down it will be up on the way back.  The air is just a little thin up there but that is part of it.  The best part – not a soul in sight and in the couple of hours we hiked not a sound other than the birds.

The Forest Service has been closing these old logging roads to all motorized vehicles, with a gate or in this case trees across the road blocking access.  They are working towards letting the land return to nature.  One great program as America is loving our lands to death so anything to reduce wear and tear on the resource is a good thing.

We have all the required stuff to keep as safe as possible, from spray to compass, survival fire starter, space sleeping bags which weigh an ounce but will save your life, and a firearm.  But the most important – water, half on the way-out then time to turn around. One thing you learn from being a paramedic and now the Boss as an ER PA, stuff happens.  You here stuff like this all the time; It won’t happen to me, that happens to other folks, or it is no big deal, it will be fine, you hear it all while you are taking care of folks.  No such thing as over prepared.

In our case walking these closed roads gives us the best chance to enjoy the mountains and maybe see some wildlife.  We spend time looking at tracks, today clearly a bear track along with elk and mule deer.  There are tons of mushrooms coming out right now, next year it will be the foraging class, as some looked delicious.  Several today had just broken through the ground, as we are getting rain every evening then warm days.   On our way home the air temp fell from 81 to 55 with cool rain.  I was told about the monsoon season, and this would be it.

Almost started the bear spray extravaganza.  

When we parked, we noticed this girl a little down the road so I took this picture.  As we got the “stuff” ready for the hike she hoped the trail into the brush.  As we made our way down the road she must have bedded down and we surprised her.  She literally exploded out of the grass with a huge jump and off she went.  Meanwhile the Boss had the bear spray out and was ready to go to war.  It happened so fast she thought it might be a lion.  This kind of encounter makes these mountains what they are; the great outdoors.

The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends.

Along the way we jumped 3 grouse who took off in that characteristic wing sounds.  A little later we saw a nice buck who did not hear us coming and he bolted before I could get a picture.  But who cares it was just as cool this time as the others.  You can go to Yellowstone, Estes, RMNP, and others and see some great wildlife and get great pics, but those are habituated to humans and basically carry on with their business.  These guys up here are hardcore wild and there is no waiting around.

One of the many high mountain lakes.  Fish probably but you would have to seriously man up to find out.

After the hike we drove another 30 miles just to enjoy the scenery.  Other than a couple of folks cutting fence posts and firewood there was no traffic.  We had 2 does and a fawn cross the road.  The does went up in the timber but the fawn was doing the mule deer hop down the road.  But mom came back down and corralled her and off they went.  A great ending to a fun day.

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Williams Creek is in beautiful surroundings.

As we were asked to lunch on Wednesday in Pagosa we got up early and went up to Williams Creek which I have fished several times from the bank.  In fact in a stroke of luck one time I caught several Kokanee from the bank.  So the plan today was the Boss was going to walk and then kayak and it was fishing for me.

Only fishing from the bank I had no clue how deep it was.  It turned out to be in the 50’s in the deepest part.  The goal was to catch Kokanee and not trout and in the short time I was there 3 jumped on.  It could have been more, but a few jumped off and by time I found them it was time to head to town.  The lake is fairly small which helps a lot.  Hopefully will get to fish it this fall, a limit of 10 would be nice.  The ones we kept ended up being fresh salmon dip.  Well worth effort to catch them, give me another year and maybe I will know a little more than I do now.

But I did make one call and it has led to lots of bites no matter where I am fishing.  I called the Boss and said look at Amazon with me and you will see the fish bites.  They come in lots of styles but the ones I want are the pink strips in a shrimp and she picked them up at Academy.  Kokanee love pink fire corn tipped lures and are big on smell.  As filters feeders the triggering reason they bite is as varied as fishermen, but they sure do like them.  Can’t wait to get back come this fall and catch more.  And with a snagging season on them when they head up the creeks to spawn in the falls there is plenty to learn.

A Kokanee salmon.  My current nemesis.

So for a short trip it was successful, especially on the plate.  And it was the first time we transported the yak in the boat, which went just fine.  Just have to remember to let a little air out so it does not explode over the pass.  Sure is interesting here.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The reason we did not stay longer is we were meeting a reader and his wife for lunch in Pagosa.  Rick and Gayle are from LaGrange, since they were here he dropped me a note and wanted to meet us for lunch.  They are great folks and we enjoyed chatting with them.  Thanks, great meeting you.

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Guess what these are.

Just what is this?

I just could not figure it out until it dawned on me what they were for.

I just thought they were cool looking.  You see these in the country in this part of Colorado.  It just never occurred to me that this area grows lots of potato’s and these were the storage bins from the old days.  It was a tough way to make a living but now north of here there are big potato farms. On one of our drives as we passed a storage facility with a semi next to it and the potatoes were flying out of the elevator.   Who would have thought it was such a big potato area.

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This is actually the rainy season here in the high mountains and we are having rain most every afternoon.  What makes it great is the temp drops into the 50’s and we have all the windows open.  Along with that is small hail the last couple of afternoons.  The real side effect is thunder, it thunders daily.  Yesterday as it thundered the turkeys were gobbling behind the house.

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We have a couple of days before we head back to Texas. It has been a great time and if I get lucky it will be one more stretch here before closing out in Texas.  Time to meet with the realator and really get serious about the house selling thing.  Timing is everything.  So I am sure there is plenty to do but fall is coming, the crowds will be gone, and the animals on the move.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

I am so appreciative of the time I have been able to spend out here the last 2 years, lucky does not describe it.  But with that comes a bigger appreciation for the Boss finishing out the year before she retires for good.  So when she comes it is what does she want to do.  I can do it anytime, so we started out with our favorite activity, a drive looking for animals and a hike, and today was perfect.

Though we have driven much of the high roads there are still plenty to go so today we tried a different off one of our favorites.  As we wound higher up we came to a cool meadow with a creek running through it.  The plan was to walk the bottom for a ways and then walk a cow path back even higher in the woods.

10,600 feet and off we go.

As we walked the bottom watching the creek, did not see any trout but there had to be a few small ones as there were undercut banks that were deeper than they looked.  But that is for another day.  Today we just wanted to be outside, maybe find a shed and just enjoy where we were.  We did spook a fawn out of the high grass and it bounded off in the woods.

And the short cut back through the woods.

A stunning day with my best friend.  Working on her acclimation, above 10,000 is a little thin.

We hiked just a mile but it took 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Unlike our workouts we do not hurry but take the time to look at everything, you never know what you might see or find.  But our favorite part of our time on the mountain, until we headed back at noon, we did not see a soul and it was wonderfully quiet.  No cell phones, no traffic, you can just unplug and appreciate where you are.

In spite of the fact they are about 20′ from me if I just don’t move they won’t see me. All ears. 

Then we headed further up and finally turned around at well over 11,000 feet, which is approaching the tree line.  There is still plenty of road to go, a little map study and we will adventure even farther up.  Some of the roads here go to nowhere but as most were primarily logging roads they just keep on going.  But the forest service have closed much of the logging in some areas, and they have started blocking off some of the older roads.  The woods are fragile and it will take years and years for some to revert back.  But until then the ones gated and closed to motor vehicles make for a great hike.

This guy gave us a 30 second look before he blew out.  Stunning how pretty their coats are after finally shedding the ragged winter stuff.

It is green in the high mountains and the flowers are in bloom.   Plenty of opportunities for artsy fartsy shots if that is your thing.

After our morning out we cannot even get back to our driveway without another buck in velvet.  They sure are cool looking.

Monday we headed to Big Meadow so Nancy could get out her yak and do a walk around the lake while I caught a few trout for supper.  We had never walked the trail completely around the lake so she tracked her hike and it was 3 miles of beautiful country.  She saw the resident eagle and I had an osprey dive bomb a trout and fly right in front of me.

The water temp on area lakes is rising and Big Meadow was 66 degrees.  On her hike she crossed the feeder creek and it was full of trout which obviously followed the cool rain we are getting every evening.  The only downside is the hail the last few nights.  No big deal as it is small but it sure is amazing how often it happens.  Maybe something to do with the temp dropping 25 degrees once it starts raining.  But I will trade the Texas weather for this all day long.

And one last word on the lake.  The lake is small and only takes a few minutes to go from the ramp to the back end.  It is so popular with kayakers, and there were at least 15 on the lake while we were there.  So to the asshole with a bass boat and Texas numbers who put it on plane and ran a total of 2 minutes wide open making a huge wake are you that privileged or just a horse’s butt?  Believe me everyone on the lake was so impressed, NOT.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The Turkeys are Back

Glad to have them back in our yard.  

These are the only 2 who have cruised by the house the last couple of days, but the rest are on the way.  Getting to spend time with the wildlife and after a couple of winters the pattern is starting to emerge.  But where the bucks and turkeys went I do not have a clue but having them back is the bright spot in my day.  And with the Boss here for a bit we will be out there chasing them all.  As a side note we are getting rain and thunderstorms with a little hail basically every afternoon.  Yesterday in answer to a big thunder boomer a turkey gobbled on the mountain.  Boy it is so cool living here.

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Today we are taking care of a little banking and other chores as the serious planning for the move gets in gear.  It is start to really sink in and the end is coming.  We will be coming back at the end of the month to start the house selling job.  Not really sure what it is worth or what we need to do for prep but meeting with the real estate dude soon to start the process.  The boat will follow us home so I can fish Coleto some this fall before calling it a day in Texas.  One more back and forth trip to bring a few things and then the final move.  As the house out here is furnished, I am not moving squat.  If I had my way the house would cost another grand if they don’t take the furniture.  But all that is for anothe day, tomorrow we head to Williams Creek for some fishing and kayaking.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Alec Baldwin 

The judge in his case dismissed it with prejudice during trial which means it is over and cannot be retried.  In a blatant move by the prosecutor and police they intentionally concealed evidence plain and simple.  The prosecutor in her arrogant all-seeing all-knowing testimony said she and the police just decided it had no value.  Well lady it is not your job to withhold anything from a defendant, EVER.  In no world do you get to make that determination.  Are you so self-impressed with your judgement, or was this your first day, or are you nothing more than a piece of slime who does anything to win?  This behavior happens in court all over this country and it has to stop.  How many other cases has she substituted her biased personal opinion for the law?  You got exactly what you deserved.  She should be fired and reprimanded by the BAR at a minimum.

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SPAM

The website continues to be spammed regularly.  It is coming from China, what a shocker.  If you ever get anything from China don’t open it, don’t even breath on it.  You cannot trust any email from China any farther than you can throw a Nigerian.  So really how bad has it become?  There have been 761 blocked log-in attempts by maggots messing with the blog.  So, if occasionally comments do not go thru that is the reason why.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

Lovely day in the mountains.

I spent the day just trolling and while I only boated 1 small Kokanee it was a wonderful day.  The water temp was up to 63 degrees and that will drive them deep for the rest of the summer.  But the trout were a different story.

There are so many variations of brown trout.  The only one today.

The spoon did the damage today.

Though most of them were stockers I am still learning how to catch the bigger fish. That has not happened yet, but it will.  As many fish as they stock in the lake every year they are there, and it will happen, hopefully before I have to go back to Texas.

On the hoochie.  This guy looked like he has had it tough.

These are definitely very indicative of what jumped on today.  I varied my lures and paid attention to the depth and line length they were coming from.  15 – 18′ was the magic depth.  And they bit literally all day.

A solid on the Rapala.  All 4 above on different baits.

Around 1:00 I started thinking about quitting, and 4 hours later finally put it on the trailer.  The fishing was nothing short of amazing.  In fact after giving up on the Kokanee it was time to put away the hoochie.  You tip it was Shoepeg Fire corn for the Kokanee and the trout just love it.  To keep it fun I alternated between spoon colors and sizes and they smacked it.

It has really been a learning experience and the place it is done is stunning.  Beaver is loaded which means lots of stockers, but I am not complaining.  Working my way through tons of trout for the nicer ones is no chore.  So nice to just not work so dam hard as I used to.  It can get hectic but my shoulders sure notice the difference.  But time to do come casting and change things up a little.  I know enough now to have a clue what structure holds them all the time and it will be interesting to throw plastics in deeper water so stay tuned for that.  I have 3 more days before I pick the Boss up which means 2 days to fish and 1 to clean the house.  No more batching it but I sure will be happy to see her.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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My Favorite Hood Ornament

Though my favorite truck got smoked by a big mule deer there are no hard feelings.  Watching them grow and mature right out my window is a pleasure and an honor.  Getting to watch antlers grow, velvet and then shedding and getting bone hard for the battles to come is a reminder that the strong survive and their genes ensure a healthy herd.

Just awesome!

Hope I grow up to be as big as you.

Love me some mass.

Everybody gets along just fine until Ladies Night.

The come in all different sizes.

I have seen some real trophies, but the true monsters are not in town or along the roads.  It is a big outdoors here and we love waking early and driving high mountain roads.  Bears, lions, moose, elk, and plenty of mule deer make the effort worth it.  And next year we will be chasing the new wolves in Colorado.  Africa changed us both forever and then the trip to Yellowstone with Wolf Tracker finished us off and we have chased stuff ever since.  We will never set foot in a zoo again.

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The Boss is ready to go!

She will be here in a few days and is getting worked up, rightly so.  Today I got the yak out and cleaned it and all the stuff.  It is in great shape; she will be spending time on the lake while I am fishing.  And I just might slip out and float the river as it is really coming down. Nice see some new water and catch a few fish.  We love the great outdoors and the opportunities to enjoy it here are endless.

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Are You Kidding Me

Running engines from 2hp to a Black Max over the last 50 years, gas has always been an issue when you fish as hard as I did.  Gas to the coast every trip was plenty, how about all the way to Canda?  It was just the cost of doing business.  But now my mind is blown.  Best I can tell I have fished 12 times on 4 different lakes since I got back here, basically trolling for 5 – 8 hours without turning off the engine.  Just do the math on hours fished, say a conservative 60 hours total.  I finally had to put some gas in the 6 gallon tank (wait for it) for a grand total of $20!  Think I can swing .33 cents an hour.  But as we know it is still a Break Out Another Thousand and stuff just comes unglued.

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Heading back to the ramp there is a pickup backing down, after he had just parked.  I figured the old Merc would not start but boy was that wrong.  He jackknifed the trailer intentionally so he could hook up the winch, which just looked weird.  They hooked up and he jumped in the truck and drug the boat most of the way back on the ramp, good thing it was an old aluminum.  At that point it was clear what happened as water came draining out of the transom and lots of stuff was floating.  My response – “Good thing I never did that in 50 years, Not.”  I do not care if it is Froggies, the Everglades, Falcon, the ramp is always an adventure and good for a laugh if it is not you.

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Beautiful

This guy is enjoying the great weather as he beds down in the back yard.  Check out his main beam on the right, maybe a nontypical to come.

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Things are all good here in the Rockies.  Getting a few things done in anticipation of the Boss getting here.  When she comes I always tell her to look at it as a vacation and we will do what she wants.  The rest of the time I am hogging the whole place and I try to let her enjoy her time.  It will be hiking, boating, animal chasing and enjoying just being alive and living here.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff,

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Have a great day and take a deep breath.

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