Fishing Rhino

I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but over 50 years ago I learned to water ski in a dream. The father of my best friend during my school years sold boats. We had one on the small lake across the road from his business. He had a couple of boats ready for demo rides, which we used from time to time. One day we got a pair of water skis and took turns all afternoon trying to get up on the skis. We'd start to get on top of the water and we'd fall over. No matter how we tried, we just could not get up on the skis. That night as I was sleeping, I dreamt about water skiing. My friend was at the wheel and I was on the skis. As the boat started to take off, I squatted on the skis, and stayed in that position until I was on top of the water. Once on top, I was able to stand on the skis. The next day, I told him I was going to get up on the skis and he laughed. When we got the chores done that his parents had for him, we went across the street, and just like in the dream, I popped up on top of the water and stood on the skis. I told him how I did it and we switched places. He too got up on the skis without a problem. I attribute it to the computer between my ears factoring in all the data, and coming up to a solution. The mind is a marvelous thing. We barely scratch the surface of its capability. Lucid dream or no, it's something I'll carry with me to the grave.

If you want to work for tips, get a job as a skycap at a busy airport. If you can find one. It's possible to earn (wages and tips) over a hundred grand per year. High school diploma is all the education needed, but you also need great people skills to maximize the tips you receive.

The problem is it's impossible to tell the difference between the truly desperate, and those operating a scam. One of the funniest I witnessed was in Daytona Beach. We were down for speedweeks eating at a once popular joint called Shells. It's now defunct. Anyway we had a seat by the window, and we saw a car being pushed into the parking lot by three guys. One owned the car, the other two were guys just helping out. Likely behind him in their vehicles on the street. While we couldn't overhear the conversation actions told the whole story. The guy pulled a plastic gasoline container out of his trunk, and was obviously telling them he was broke. The each reached in their wallets and gave him some greenbacks. He made out like he was walking to the station on the corner, but when they drove out of sight, he went back to his car, tossed the jerry jug back in the trunk, and drove away. No doubt he was looking for some other kind hearted folks on which to prey. I had a guy approach me in a rest area on I-85 in SC, just as night had fallen. I was walking my dog, and as he approached I told him to stay clear of the dog. Told him the dog, while he appeared friendly would bite for no apparent reason. That kept him at a safe distance away from me. His story was that his wife was giving birth in Atlanta, and that he had just about run out of gas, and had no money. I asked him how he could start a drive to Atlanta without having enough gas for fuel. He walked away and approached an elderly couple, no doubt telling them the same story. Some beggars make good money plying their trade.

I wondered where you have been. I figured you were in mourning after the Raider's start to the season.

That's a bummer man. Take care, and heal quickly. Follow your doctors orders to a tee, and don't do anything reckless during your recovery. One thing though. How the heck did you do that in a shoe store? Were you demonstrating the moves that enabled you to score five touchdowns at Poke HIgh?

Based on when Westport got out of the rotary dial age, and got cable TV, and the fact that the town does not yet have FIOS service available, by the time Google gets to our street, I'll be residing in the cemetary.

I'm not able to give you any advice on brands, but here's a suggestion that may help you make an informed decision. Go to an outlet that sells more than one brand, and speak with them about the pros and cons of the brands they carry. Google "float tube reviews" or something similar. Check out the ratings for the various tubes, including user/consumer ratings. Keep in mind that the "best" products will always have their detractors, someone who had a bad experience with that product. Do your homework, and you should be able to make an educated decision as to what is better for you. Sorry I couldn't offer any first hand recommendation but since you have no such reply yet, I thought I'd offer my two cents worth.

She was a little over eight pounds then. I doubt she weighed five pounds today. It could have something to do with forage. Most of the fish I catch in the pond are less than a pound. They are active, but they are also thin. Last year they were chunky for the most part. In fact, I fished it after leaving Guntersville. They were bedding, and every light patch on the bottom was good for two fish. They were also chunky, though the females that had egged out not so much. I see plenty of small bluegills, a couple of inches long around the shore, but I don't see the Heron that used to be at the pond every day, and have only seen one pair of kingfishers, when there used to be two or three. Today, there was some small waterfowl on the pond. It wasn't a cormorant, or a duck. But it behaved like a cormorant. It would surface, take a breath, and dive, coming up twenty or thirty feet away fifteen to twenty seconds later. The sun was in my eyes, so it was hard to make it out. It looked like a small female mallard, but about half the size of a mallard. It wasn't feeding on vegetation since there was none on some of the stretches it was working. I'm hoping it's a temporary thing. The pond is good for four to six fish per hour, and once in a while a two pounder to keep things interesting. I don't hear frogs, but I can't say I've heard them in the past, particularly since I've fished it in November. Time will tell.

Two years ago on Thanksgiving Day, I caught this old, but fat and healthy fish in the small pond behind our daughter's home in GA. I caught her again today, in the same place, and the ravages of time have done a tune on this old gal. She was longer, and her head was bigger, but that brown spot on her fin was gone, along with that section of the fin. Her once round belly was hollow, and the muscles along the top of her back had atrophied. She had a blackened sore on the top of her head, and had no energy to speak of. I removed the hook, and set her back in the water, wishing I hadn't caught her. I'd have preferred to remember her as she was in the photo. She was no beauty, aesthetically speaking, but she was a magnificent fish to catch in a three acre mudhole.

The only fly in the ointment is that on the last trip we fished Pickwick on a moon tide, following the monsoon that shut down Nashville. It's gonna be a different body of water unless rain of Biblical proportions preceeds our arrival. There was no fishing the docks on that road trip. The docks that were fixed were anywhere from a foot to five or six feet underwater. Still the fishing was amazing, particularly when the conditions are taken into consideration. How often does a smallmouth take the largest fish award. Speaking of that, has anyone heard from Uncle Leo, or Old Cranky lately?

At the road trip in Guntersville, I was having trouble finding four or five inch senkos in the color I wanted. I ended up grabbing a couple of packs of the Swim Senkos just in case. And yes, I would have wacky rigged them. Never got into them at G-ville. I have a fishing buddy who likes to fish senkos weightless, rigged straight on a round shank worm hook. It took a bit of cajoling, but he did eventually tie one on, and he slayed the bass. Cast, let it sink to the bottom, then sweep the rod. Allow it to settle, then sweep again. The bass went nuts over it. I tried it but could not come close to matching his prowess, so I put my tail between my legs and went back to the wacky rig. That's the limit of my experience swimming worms. But from my observation of the success my buddy had, I have no reservations about recommending them.

You're likely to get a different answer from each person who responds. I know nothing (Sgt. Shultz expression) about Bull Shoals but I have some colors which have produced everywhere I have tried them. In no particular order. Watermelon with red flake, or in the case of Senkos, watermelon with black and red flake. Black with red flake Black with blue flake Pumpkin with gold and purple flakes, ala Rage Tail Menace. My new favorite bait. Pumpkin with red flake; There are other colors that on some days have done better than the above, but on average, those above have proven themselves to my satisfaction. I will add this qualifier. I will admit I have more patience with the above colors. When trying something new, if I go a few casts without a hit, I'm already thinking about changing to another color. Not so much with my "favorite" colors.

Hey Eric, the brakes are fine. Right now, I'm in GA, sans boat. Our daughter had surgery so we came down for a couple of weeks to help out. I expect they'll make Pickwick just fine, provided I do. You're gonna love Pickwick.

We all know that nothing can stop the tide. The problem is for each rising tide, there is a falling tide. What goes up, must come down.

We don't have food delivered, but from what I've read, it's the owners who make out by skimming the tip, or portion thereof that the driver would have received by adding a delivery charge. But, speaking of deliveries, should we tip the UPS or FedEx driver when they drop off a parcel? What about the tip canisters on the top of the counter at Dunkin Donuts and other establishment where you place your order, and pick it up yourself at the counter?

Why? It's only seven months away. It'll be here before you know it, and seven months of your life will have passed by.

Somewhere in the system there should be a 3 amp fuse. At least there has been in the four Humminbirds I've installed on my boats. There is no way a three amp fuse would handle the power draw required to kill a good, fully charged battery in just 15 minutes. I had to install the fuse in the power lead to the battery. The units did not come with a fuse in their power leads. Heck, that much power draw would melt down a 14 - 18 gauge wire. If you've got a buddy or acquaintance who's an electrician, or is handy with wiring, and have them take a look at it. Otherwise, I'd take it to the shop. You'll have to pay a few bucks to get it sorted out, but how much frustration, and lost fishing days are you willing to put up with vs. the cost of getting it fixed?

Unless you have access to high definition maps, topo maps while extremely helpful do not show many of the small humps and holes that exist, and finding them by dropping a "sounding lead" would be like finding a needle in a haystack. And yes, I have used a sounding lead from time to time during my years as a commercial lobsterman. You'll notice the recess at the bottom of the lead weight. Tallow, a type of grease from animal fat, regular grease, or soft wax is used to fill that recess. When the weight settles to the bottom, the grease will pick up a sample of the bottom and show if the bottom is sandy, mud, clay, etc., and what color the bottom material is. Common colors include greens, grays, browns on the waters I fished. It will even pick up tiny shell fragments, and small pieces of gravel. It is however tedious and time consuming. For some reason, the computer I am currently using does not have access to the editing features which include the post image icon. Click on the link below to see a rendering of a typical sounding lead. http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/shipwrecks/logbooks_lesson/sounding_lead.jpg Here's an example of a high def map from Navionics. I can post this image because I have it in my Photobucket album which allows me to copy the image code directly to a forum message. The problem is finding those humps w/o GPS. However, once you have located a good piece of bottom it should be relatively easy to return to it, unless it's a good distance from the shore. You'll need a notebook, so you can record your ranges which will get you back to that spot. For example, "Line up the flagpole with the left corner of the yellow house. That piece of productive bottom will always be along that line, unless someone removes the flagpole. You may be a hundred yards from shore. If possible make a note of that. Get further away from shore, position yourself so the corner of the house and flagpole are alined, then head toward shore keeping the pole and corner lined up. If you have a sounder, you'll be able to see that hump, or a change in structure or cover. If possible get a bearing on other landmarks. It may be a couple of easily identifiable trees. Again, head for the pole and the corner of the house, keeping your eyes on the "two trees" and when you are in line with the pole and the corner, and the two trees, you are on the spot.

You don't need the fancy electronics, though they do have advantages over the basic depth finder. You can buy a small screen, basic depth finder for under a hundred dollars. They will more than adequately show bottom contours and composition. Their advantage is that they give you a visual of depth changes, vegetation, and structure. For example. Start with a patch of bottom where you frequently catch fish. Make a pass over that area and take a good look at the display. Does it show an irregular bottom, is the bottom echo a wide or narrow line? Is it dark, nearly black, or a lighter shade of gray.? Does it show anything above the bottom echo? That could be vegetation. Once you have fixed in your mind what is on the screen, look for similar bottom. When you find similar bottom, fish it. For starters, keep it simple. Don't get involved in making all sorts of adjustments to your display until you master the fundamentals. I've found the default settings work just fine for doing what I suggested above. Save your pennies, and buy a name brand, econo version of their depth finder, fish finder, sounder, or whatever name you may call them. It will be money well spent, provided you take the time to learn how to use it, and apply its abilities to improve your success on the water.

I'll hazard a guess. Rage Tail did not always pack their baits in a "clam shell". I think they started about four years ago. Obviously there are still some of the older packages in back store rooms or where ever. Unlike food stuffs, I doubt the stocks get rotated. They get put in store rooms on top of or in front of goods that are already there. From time to time they ship enough to get into the older packages, and those not in blister packs end up on the racks at your local sporting goods stores or bait shops. I only take one out of its protective packaging when I'm going to use it. I still have a pack or two of craws without the protective shell.

OK, for those who objected to the games being played with substitute refs, what would you have done were you in charge? Would you have cancelled the games? Would you have given in to the demands of the refs? You may choose any other course of action. The first two were just possibilities. Please explain the consequences of the course of action you would have chosen.

So, the "real refs" are returning to the field. That's too bad. All the hubbub about the replacement refs has been great entertainment.

That is the canoe I have. It is quite stable. I can stand and cast without any problem of it feeling uncomfortable. Having tried it, I still do most of my fishing while seated.

The beauty of many of these Cape ponds is that they are relatively small, and all of them can be fished from a cartop boat with a trolling motor or even small enough to be paddled. Not only is there smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing, there is also fishing for trout and salmon in some of them. Years ago we lived on the Cape and there is a nice little freshwater pond in Truro, just across the dunes from the ocean, Horseleech Pond. It is small enough to be fished by paddling, or rowing. As an aside there was, and may still be a nudist colony along the northern shore. It had plenty of pads, and plenty of nice size bass. It's not easy to find, but it does have a public access, but no parking for boats with trailers. Keep in mind, we lived on the Cape in the early 1970s, and things can change. But the last I knew, the pond was still accessible to the public. Many of the ponds on the Cape have horsepower limits, while some do not allow any gasoline powered outboards. Even the largest such as Mashpee/Wakeby and Wequaquet can be fished comfortably with small boats and small outboards. They can be fished with a trolling motor, but unless you are familiar with them, you'll spend too much time moving around on them, and can easily run your battery down in a long day of fishing. I do have to correct Grampa on those pickerel. The four pounder he referred to was actually 4.8 - 4.9 pounds, and the larger was closer to 5.5. I distinctly remember commenting that their combined weight exceeded ten pounds. But that's Grampa. He likes to minimize things.

I'm not sure that "shallow arch" is a design feature. There is no reason I can think of to have a "hook" in the keel. It has a plastic tube in the keel which I would assume is to stiffen the keel so it does not belly up or down in the middle. In spite of that, the canoe is comfortable, and can take a pretty nasty chop head on. To me, it's a cosmetic thing more than a structural weakness. There is one possibility for that shallow arch. With the bow and stern deeper in the water than they would be were the keel straight, the boat will hold a course better, and will not have the tendency for a breeze to spin it like a saucer. The canoe in my avatar has a straight bottom with no keel. The wind raises holy heck with it, especially gusty swirling winds. I've had it anchored and the wind has literally swung it around the anchor in shallow water. The square stern is much nicer to fish from. It's the same length, but more stable, and has more room for gear. Nothing wrong with the paddlin' canoe. It's just different.