FlyRod

I very much enjoy night bassin' and have done a lot of it over the years. I prefer to do so on moonlit nights, believing the bass to be more active on "bright" nights. My primary arsenal consists of a 5" Tiki Stik in Black/Blue Swirl, T-rigged and unweighted, with #20 braid and a fluoro leader on a medium spinning rod; A 6" ZOOM U-tail worm, Black Sapphire, with a free sliding 1/8 oz tungsten weight and a glass bead pegged at the eye of the hook on a MH casting rig w/#30 braid and a fluoro leader; A Strike King Midnight Special in Black/Blue, 7/16 oz, on a MH casting with #30 braid, no leader. I will also throw a topwater, either the large JohnnyRattler in Black, Black JitterBug, or whatever strikes my fancy...to include a black buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbait. I use a Nucli-Eye with both the UV and blue light turned on and use yellow braid, soaked in Spike-It Chartreuse DYE (NOT TAIL DIP!!!!! Beware TAIL DIP!!!) so I can see the line (and the target) when fishing the Tiki, Worm, and in any other slow presentation. Line visibility is very critical, except for Topwater or Spinnerbait. Safety measures are absolutely critical when night fishing, especially on lakes where gas engines are in use. Your anchor light MUST be on, though it will drive your backseat guy nuts re night vision AND attract every bug within five miles. You should wear your PFD at ALL times! If you sense, see, or hear an approaching boat, you should repeatedly signal with a series of flashes from a flashlight in it's direction, in case your anchor light does not alert him to your presence...it happens, believe me. Finally, and I know I may be wasting my time with this one...NO BEER, BOOZE, or POT in the boat. These are bad enough in the daytime but exponentially more dangerous in the dark, especially when underway or if wave/wake action is rocking the boat as you fish. I too am looking forward to the nightfishing season! FlyRod

God Bless Oklahoma!!! I wish the rest of the country had some balls too. F.Rod

A hardworking, kind, handsome young man finally got up the nerve to ask a beautiful young lady to marry him. She said "NO!"...and he lived happily ever after. FR

Way to go, Froggy! We all could learn from you. FR

Poor ol' squid :'(. Musta been someone he ate. FR

Yeah, and the eight losers know darned well who won. Ya' can't erase that. Bomar and Quinn were idiots whose parents and coaches, pre-OU, told them their excretia smelled like roses. Stoops and Co. did the best they could when they found out what was going on. Compare their actions to those at other schools. The whole system is flawed. Seeking commitments from high school juniors, allowing kids to turn pro before their class graduates, and meddling alumni/boosters/gamblers/agents. To the NCAA; USC's Reggie Bush? Why is Notre Dame exempt from scrutiny? (See: Seperation of Church and State.) Then there's something I'm hearing re OSU (The Buckeyes, not Okie Lite.) OU is one MNC away from tieing ND for the most championships. (Disregard Alabama's claims of more MNCs than there have been years of college football.) BTW. Note: No hostility 'tween us and the Tide. Y'see, they love what we've done to Fran since he left Tuscaloosa. Can you say "77-0"? Can it be that the NCAA and the Eastern Establishment press are determined to see that ND is never overtaken? I have news for them. ND WILL be overtaken and OU will likely be the program to do it. OU, since '46...Most total wins; Highest winning percentage; Most weeks ranked in Top Five; Most weeks ranked #1. You know you are a dynasty when your losses make bigger news than your victories. All that notwithstanding, be it known that if God came to me and said "If you are a good lad I'll see that OU wins every game, forever." I'd respectfully decline. I accept losses to worthy opponents and enjoy victories over same. If I knew OU would never lose another game, well, what would be the point of watching? Besides, that "good lad" part might be an obstacle ;D Favorite Teams? OU, Texas A&M, Any Service Academy but Army first, Rutgers, (Yes, even Boise State...they'd best enjoy it while they can, though.) And...Douglas MacArthur HS, San Antonio TX, Hondo TX, Leesville LA. I'm not given to "hating" other teams, but if I were? Well, lemme see. USC, ND, The University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, The University of Northern South Dakota at Carp City, Judson HS, San Antonio. FR

That's...sniff...the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. And a Very Boomer Sooner to you all. FR

I'm told that the speed of any given site is, somehow, linked to the average intelligence of it's members. So, after months of absence, I've returned to speed th...i...n.....g.....s...........uuuuuuuuuuuuuup. FR

Well, yew could have yer ears spackled. That'd keep some of the sound out ;D FR

As if that weren't bad enough, read the other bad news listed below the article. Lexington County seems like a GRRRRREAT place to live and raise a family. (Is that where they are filming "Deliverance, The Sequel"?) Well, I guess no place is much better. I oughta know...I "live" in San Antonio, the new Capitol Of The Third World. Press "Juan" for Eengleesh. FR

Make sure you ascertain whether your state or lake regs prohibit actively fishing with more than one rod per person. Some do, I believe. FR

This pretty much covers it 8 -); http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php Peace be upon thee, my children. FlyRod Class Clown

Because it rhymes with "Cackle", which is what your wife does after she finds the credit card receipt for your latest "Tackle" purchase. Why does she cackle? Well, 'cause now she can head to the mall, credit card AND checkbook in hand, for a pedicure, new shoes, purse, some bling, and lunch with friends (on her=you) at La Cafe' Expensif, and a few drinkies at Chippendale's. Don't yew know anything 'bout wimmins? FlyRod

Thanks for both your response and, above all, your apology to the lady. I'm beginning to think there's hope for you, rascal 8-) Anyway, you DO have my sympathy re your wheels. There're few letdowns in day-to-day life that upset me more than automotive problems so I can definitely relate. On the other hand if you get all the stuff repaired you'll feel far more confident each time you turn the key and that means much. This is especially so if the safety issues (ball joint, etc.) have been properly dealt with. Our first responsibility as drivers is to assure our safety and that of our passengers and other motorists. Sorry for your "bad day', but hopefully there will be sunshine and bluebirds for a long time to come. Here's a little piece of history from my own annals... Circa 1984 I bought a brand-new, gorgeous, Royal Blue Metallic, Toyota Supra "S". This is the long-nose version with a powerful 6-cyl and a five-speed manual, huge Bridgestone Potenza tires, and all the latest (at the time) bells, whistles, and super stereo...and a power sunroof, 8-). The window price was within a few cents, literally, of that to be found on a Coupe DeVille at the Caddy peddlers place, so you can understand how proud and paranoid I was about that Supra. Like this one, only in Royal Blue. http://i5.ebayimg.com/04/a/07/9e/22/70_1.JPG Sooooooo...I was "sharing living arrangements...heh...with a lovely young morsel some 15 years my junior (she was 24). She was beyond attractive, a real cutie, and smart too. Well, she drove an older Plymouth coupe that was in mint shape but had always wanted a Toyota truck and, when 'Yota came out with the SR5 truck with the Xtra Cab she began to drool over brochures and sigh wistfully. Realizing her desires, and geniuinely loving the lady, I offered marriage. She accepted. After all, we were already sharing, well, sharing... :-X So, our friends planned a fantastic wedding to be held at our pool. It was the second marriage for both, so no need for having the thing at the Vatican, right? The pool was filled with floating candles, there were Tiki torches around the area, and some friends with catering skills provided great food, snacks, even a carved ice swan. All was well. She presented me with the heavy-duty military style Seiko watch I'm wearing as I type, and I had a special surprise for her. At the chosen moment, the sales manager from the 'Yota dealership drove up before her eyes. He dismounted from the sparkling new SR5, dark blue in color, and loaded with every option available, and handed her the keys. There was even a huge silver bow on top of the truck (he'd added that just before he came into view). She was, well, "blown away" and delighted. So what is this leading to? Here 'tis... As we were returning from our honeymoon, I casually mentioned that I was gonna take the Supra in for an oil and filter change. Some days later, Mary Ellen asked if I'd drive her truck (rare privilege!) for the day 'cause she wanted to feel "sporty" in the Supra (that girl could drive!) and hit some back roads for grins. I agreed. When I came home, there was M.E. with a few oil spots on her and a big smile. Errrrrr... :-? "Guess what I did!" she chirped. "Wot?" I asked. "I changed the oil AND the filter in the Supra!" "Wow!" sez I. "Here, sweetie, let's hop in the shower so Big John can get that nasty ol' oil off his baby girl." Punch line: Two days later, the Supra having not been driven during that time, she takes it to work and returns that evening with a clattering and unhappy Supra. "It started making this noise so I though I'd better get home fast." was her breathless comment. You see, gentle reader, when one replaces the oil filter, one must TIGHTEN the new one in position. M.E. didn't know about special tools so she just screwed it in by hand, kinda "like a light bulb", she admitted. You guessed it...the filter fell out some several miles from home and, of course, the Pennzoil stuff followed. Result? New engine for the Supra. Price? You don't wanna know. Was she sorry? You bet, 'specially since she had to take a cab to work (outta HER pocket) for two weeks as I commandeered her precious little trucky-poo. Did I still love/lust after her? O'course, and we stayed together for another 6 years. And you gripe about a ball-joint? ;D Take care, Good Ol' Uncle FlyRod

Great! Just great. Tippster, try to remember: The Spoken Word Is Your Master. The Unspoken Word Is Your Slave. Yer Kindly Uncle FlyRod

Normally, I do not feed the critters I encounter, but this case was different. You see, I SPEAK fluent Heronese (it was easier than Latin 101), and so when I first encountered Beaky, he "communicated" his wishes most succinctly. To most folks, "Graaaaak" means, well, "Graaaaak". To those very few who actually can detect subtle differences in pronunciation, Beaky's first few "Graaaaak"s clearly meant, in order..."Howzit goin'?"; "Doin' any good?"; "Hey, don't throw that one back, I'm hungry!"; "Mmm-mmm, good!"and "If you don't get with it and conjure up, say, another ten or so of them there trout, I'm gonna stab you in the a-- with this rather sharpish beak 'o mine. You dig?" Since he was between me and the shoreward end of the pier, well, what would YOU have done? Fly Rod A truthful man.

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=SPRO+lures&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Df03b048b9fddb5be%26clickedItemRank%3D1%26userQuery%3DSPRO%2Blures%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spro.com%252F%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spro.com%2F Yes, you CAN walk the Frog! I finally got the rhythm with one after a LOT of practice in the swimming pool. The right rod, line (no fluoro or really thick mono), and wrist action will do the trick. Hit the link to SPRO, select "SPRO News" at the top, then scroll down to "Dean and The Frog"...view video...learn. FR PeeYess: the larger size will be easier to walk.

:-?... ... :... ... ;D FR

Just for the record... Many, many times I have fed spotted sea trout up to 14 inches in length to Great Blue Herons. These were fish below the legal size limit and usually were injured to a point where their survival was doubtful if released. For years I had a regular night-fishing "partner", a Heron I named "Beaky". When I walked, late one night, onto the long, lighted, private pier at Rockport TX, Beaky appeared and soon was waiting for his first free meal. When we first met, Beaky was sort of standoffish, never getting closer than, say, twenty feet. I would toss a fish his way and he'd cautiously approach, one eye on the fish, the other on me. As the years rolled by, though, and he realized I was not a threat but, rather, a friend, he overcame his fears and would stand right beside me, offering fishing tips and making small talk....GRAAAAAAAAK! He'd never buddy-up with other anglers so long as I was on the pier and some other regulars said they never saw him do so when I was absent. Finally, we came to so trust each other that I could safely offer him his snacks from my fingertips and he was willing to accept them. Others on the pier would stare in wonder as Beaky and I demonstrated the mutual trust we shared. One night he ate, I swear, seven 12-14" sea trout in a span of perhaps fifteen minutes. Then, barely able to get airborne in the uncharacteristically calm night air, he "Graaaaaak"-ed his thanks and lumbered off the runway. As I was coming back from breakfast late that same AM, I spotted The Beakster just loitering in the shallows. He seemed to be staring off into space, somewhat glassy-eyed, rather than looking for targets. I made my way down the shore until I was within chatting distance and bade him a good morning. Beaky looked right at me and asked, via telepathy,..."Got any TUMS?" I haven't fished there since Spring '03. I hope Beaky found a new and worthy friend. Now, a cautionary tale, all to terribly true... I was slow and deliberate in making friends with Beaky. And... I NEVER leaned over him AND I wore glasses all the time when near him. Here's why; A GBH will, when threatened, either fight of flee. His/her favorite tactic is to blind his opponent with stabs into the eyes with that long and lethal beak. Some years ago, while I was fishing on a different Rockport area pier, a heron arrived and was standing around with a hopeful expression. Occasionally someone would toss him a fish and then back away as he warily approached his meal. A young couple came onto the pier, a girl-child, if I recall correctly, about four years old in tow. The father soon caught an undersized trout and tossed it toward the huge bird. Just as the feathered one arrived at his snack the child ran forward, hoping to pet the pretty blue critter. The heron, startled by the seeming attack, took careful aim and drove his beak...into her right eye. Though EMS was there on the double, and the MDs did what they could, the little one's eye was destroyed. The above is true, I was there. I earnestly wish I had not been there. GBHs are not to be toyed with. Let THEM decide when and if to buddy-up. Never make a sudden or threatening move, wear eye protection and NEVER lean over one. F.Rod Witness to much good and too much sorrow.

Bagpipes playing HipHop and folks soloing on Nose Flutes. (Kinda dig those Tibetan monks playing old Herb Alpert hits as well.) But my absolute fave is the Invisible Nose Flute! 8-)

I Googled "***" and got the following: http://rogueimc.org/...005/08/5158.jpg http://www.famouswhy...immy_carter.jpg http://img.stopklatk...200/00246/0.jpg http://i.a.cnn.net/c....clinton.ap.jpg http://www.fratersli...ted/kennedy.jpg http://www.usm.edu/gsa/libparish.jpg http://www.pentoon.c.../al-franken.gif and a host of others! LOL! FR Spellcheck on Aisle Three!

I hear the fishing curriculum is pretty good. The football team, however, sux. F.Rod Sports Columnist and Opera Critic, The San Antonio Excuse4News.

Start with one of these. After you get out of the hospital a bass will be a snap. http://myfwc.com/fishing/images/fish-pic/hyd-gol.jpg Jes' tryin' to help. F.Rod

Many times, with the most amazing such incident occuring circa the Mid-80s. Gather 'round, boys and girls.... It was a dark and stormy night...Oops! Ennyweigh, I was bellyboating in a lake I shall call Boerne (ber-knee) City Lake, 'cause that IS the name of the place. It was a dreary, misty, and coolish April day, around 4 PM. I was tossing a Smithwick WoodChug (no longer made, I believe,) in the "baby" version. Kinda resembled a (also no longer made?) Heddon Baby Chugger, but made of wood. They'd chromed it and added black back, eyes, and a blush of red under the front. As I was lighting a smoke, a largish bass exploded on the little lure and hauled it off into the depths (mebbe 25 feet, and studded with huge oak and pecan trees.) I set the hook, finally, having extinguished the fire in my moustache and spat out the badly bitten cigarette. I quickly realized, to my dismay, that she had taken several turns around the pylon and wasn't gonna come free. I pulled hard, the line snapped, and I breathed a prayer that she'd lose the lure, for her sake, and that I had another in my limited kit...I didn't. As I bobbed about, cursing fate and ten pound Trilene XL, there was a sudden disturbance VERY close to me and my tube. The bass, once the line was snapped, had gathered her wits and streaked for the surface, hoping, no doubt to both shake the lure and taunt me. Kewl, so long as I got my precious WoodChug back. As it turned out, I got more than the lure. The bass, a chubby 3+, had come soaring out of the water at Mach Two, shaking her lovely head (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!) and brained herself on a limb maybe a foot above the water. At the same time, the rear treble engaged the wood and...Voila!...I paddled a short distance and retrieved both the lure and the bass dangling motionless therefrom. A little "stroll" in the water, guided by my gentle hand, and she finally blinked :-?, shook her head and, I ;)swear, said..."Wha...wha...what happened?" I explained that she'd had a minor collision, bade her a nice evening and a speedy recovery, then loosed my grasp so she could swim, albeit a bit wobblingly, away. True story! Out of Christian kindness, I tossed a Tylenol into the water before I left. Your kindly Uncle Fly

I wear prescription glasses as it is, but they are large highrise aviator type so that the top of the frame does not interfere with my line-of-sight when shotgunning. The lenses are of an impact resistant material. I use clip-on Polaroid sunglasses as well. Even if I didn't need corrective lenses, I'd assure that I wore eye protection at ALL times, night or day, when fishing, shooting, or when engaged in ANY activity that might present a hazard. To those who don't require prescription lenses I say: PLEASE, purchase some non-prescription NON-TINTED glasses to wear at all such times so well as some good polarized and UV protectant sunglasses with LARGE-area lenses. More than once, I've been smacked in the face by a careless caster, a lure I've yanked free or that has pulled free from a fish's mouth. Had I not been wearing glasses (and NOT real glass...EVER!) I'd have lost an eye. Several times, while zipping down the lake at Mach-whatever, I've been hit by bugs, hailstones, and even huge raindrops that would have done serious damage to my eyes had I not been wearing protective eye-wear. I've also been popped by birdshot during dove or quail hunts. Somewhere, I still have a pair of shooting glasses with lenses scarred from a close call. (I keep them as a reminder. Lastly, wear a strap to keep your glasses from blowing off at high speeds or when leaning over the side of the boat. There's little worse than bring unable to see or being blinded by glare when trying to hunt, fish, or just drive a boat or wheeled vehicle. This is especially critical if you wear corrective lenses. Imagine being on the lake or in a stump-filled river channel, maybe in the dark, and that your glasses are now at the bottom. You've now gone from 20/20 to bat-blind...what WILL you do? If you're alone, or your crew consists of someone who can't drive the boat, you're screwed. Even if you somehow make it back to the ramp safely, can you trailer up and drive home without risking your life or someone else's? Did I mention kill-switches and PFDs? You may not get a second chance, so heed the warnings now. FlyRod The guy who wears a belt AND suspenders.