Fishing Rhino

Sounds like we're talking about the same place. Between the insects attracted to the blooms, and the hatch going on, the splashing of all sizes and species of fishes is non-stop. It's a good thing none of the critters buzzing around are mosquitos. Funny thing about the pond. In the woods surrounding the pond are plenty of mosquitos, and even worse than them, deerflies. On the water, even tight to the shore, there are no bugs that annoy you. Not even at dawn or sunset.

I'm not familiar with milfoil or hydrilla. I don't know how it compares to coontail. That being said, I've had great luck using a Strike King Caffein Shad rigged weedless on a 4/0 Owner unweighted twistlock hook. I've pulled it through the deepest, densest coontail, and it rarely comes back with even a thread of the stuff. That, in spite of the fact that its action makes it dart and dive into and around some if it. The coontail doesn't form mats, and in spite of its appearance, allows the shad type of baits to pass through without a hitch.

Here's a possibility, but I don't know who'd want the hooks. Lobster traps are required to have escape vents. Initially, these vents were held in place with four stainless steel hog rings. Then in one of the better things the government regulators have done, the vents had to be secured on one edge with biodegradeable steel hog rings. In the course of a couple of months, these hog rings would degrade until the crumbled. The vent remained in place, held by the two stainless hog rings. Those remaining hog rings became "hinges", and the vent a door which could easily be pushed outward, allowing lobsters to escape their prison. Every year, the gear being set, had new hog rings installed. Nonetheless, every trap that got hauled had its vent tugged on to ensure the integrity of the biodegradeable hog rings. If they gave way, two new rings would be clamped into place beside them. They worked fine in salt water. Fresh water would be another story. I don't know if it is possible to make hooks that would be strong enough, and hold their sharpness, yet degrade when left underwater in a freshwater fish. That would be an invention someone could make a fortune with, provided they could get the government to mandate the use of such a hook.

Never drink on a boat, even if you are not the operator. If something happens to the operator, you might have to take over the helm.

If you have a bad back, keep in mind that the deep vee will give you a much smoother ride. Get something that is a shallow draft, and it will not be as easy on your back. If it were me, my back would be consideration number one. If a boat aggravates your condition, avoid it. It will curtail more fishing than it will gain you. The shallow draft is better for fishing since it makes more water available, but not as good for anyone with back problems.

LOL. Does the stink emanate from the pond, or those on it? Wanna talk about stink? When I'd come home from lobstering, I had to take off everything but my skivvies before I could enter the house. Good thing we have an attached garage.

I have seen two boats capsize this year. One in May, the other two weeks ago. Both were 12 foot aluminum boats, typical of the round chimed aluminum boats that are common to ponds and lakes. In both cases it was because someone stood up close to the side of the boat. The second had two gentlemen in it, one middle aged, the other a senior. The older fellow was sitting on a milk crate placed on the seat, raising the center of gravity. It's common to see two fishermen standing in these small craft. A dangerous practice because they are only slightly more stable than a canoe. With practice, it is possible to stand in a canoe or a kayak, but I don't recommend it. All it takes is one brief misstep or slip which is followed by a splash.

On my favorite pond, Devol Pond in Westport, I'll share info with a couple of the guys I talk to on a regular basis. We share notes, and info about other ponds. I'll gladly share with others, if it's a two way street. If they are only looking out for themselves, they can find out for themselves. I'm not shy about naming the pond because it is surrounded by private property, and has no public access. I don't hesitate to take others with me, because I know the chances are very high that they will catch some nice fish, and more than a few. I go into some detail in my posts because it may help others, and they can apply or try the baits and methods on their waters. But, I will absolutely not even give a hint to those who fail to show common courtesy to others.

Rhino, perhaps I misunderstood what you're asking to get out of your post. One does not have to benefit finacialy to promte something. What's in it for the recreational angler? I don't know. What's in it for you? Relaxation, destress yourself, being outdoors? Think about it. The goal of promoting is to interest others so they will take up the sport. What's wrong with that. If no one promoted the sport to me then I would never have experienced the joy of catching a fish. Do you really want twice as many fishermen on the pond with you? Should I be bitter if I see you fishing the same water as me? After all, if no one promoted the sport to you then I would have the pond to myself without you on it. Promoting the sport of fishng by educated people such as you or me can be done as to encourage others to fish responsibly. We can teach others the benifets of catch and release and recycling fishing line and the proper way to dispose of our trash or whatever . I do not mind sharing my pond with an educated, responsible fisherman. First, I never said there was anything wrong with promoting any sport. I was attempting to get at the driving force encouraging the promotion of a sport. It usually involves economic gain. Of course we can promote anything we believe in without regard to financial gain. See posts regarding the states promotion. They cite a litany of what is good about fishing, and then add, as if an afterthought, "Oh yeah, and we'll get more revenue from it." Regarding someone promoting the sport to you. I suspect that you would have found some recreation that you enjoyed. My dad, a good ol' redneck boy from Georgia hunted and fished. When I was a young sprout, he set me up with a bamboo pole, kite string, a cork stopper (bobber), hook and worms. That was it. Too young to handle a gun, though at ten or eleven, I got a Red Ryder BB gun, and never shot my eye out. I enjoyed plinking, and target shooting, but never developed an interest in hunting. I went with some of my buddies duck/goose hunting in the dunes at Horseneck Beach, but never got the idea that having to bundle up, and sit still in one place and wait for the prey to show up was fun. I'm all in favor of educating people who fish, and those who will fish. The problem is some people just do not care. They are lazy, indifferent, and inconsiderate of those with whom they share fishing facilities. They know better. They know it's wrong to litter, and trash an area. People drive down the road tossing their beverage containers, sacks from McDonalds, or Burger King, scratch tickets, and all other manner of trash out of their vehicles onto other folks' properties. What they need is some kind of wake up call, like one I administered. When I was lobstering, some slob from a nearby town left three plastic bags of their trash on the dock alongside my berth. I poked around and found it had mail addressed to them in the trash. I took a five minute ride to a state road that passes through town to the state beach. I set their trash on the ground, at the base of a traffic light. I also plowed snow for the state, so I knew the foreman of the highway garage, and during one storm, I asked if he recalled finding some trash on route 88. He did. The State Police were called, and paid a visit to the individual. He had to go pick it up, and was given a citation for littering, which resulted in a thousand dollar fine. When I told him the story, he laughed, and said they deserved it. That is the only kind of education people like that understand.

The keel appears to be riveted on. You should be able to have a single piece formed to fit over the damaged section. Any metal working/fabricating shop should have the shears and brakes to make a close fitting piece. Slip it over the keel and weld it in place. That assumes the aluminum is thick enough to weld. The keel serves two purposes, one to stiffen the hull, and the other to keep the boat on track. I'd seek a metal working shop, and rely on their expertise. Shop around and get some estimates, and references.

To promote a sport means to attempt to get more people involved in it. Muddy's purpose is not to promote the sport. It is to help others in the same way he was helped. He is passing on the compassion that others showed to him. I'm in no way opposed to anyone who wants to encourage others to take up the sport. The promotion of fishing, and every other hobby/activity is a product of Madison Avenue. As for the people it helps, I suspect that the numbers hurt by another's fishing obsession are higher. Fishing isn't really the problem or the salvation other than by circumstance. Any troubled youth, or person for that matter, must of necessity have something to replace the void left when they give up something. For some it may be fishing, for others a church, temple or synagogue (religion), or any other activity. True "redemption" not only leads away from something, it also leads to something. At the heart of any rehabilitation is the concern and compassion from others, and a desire to change. If you were to take all the members of the bloods and the crypts fishing, how many do you suppose would turn over a new leaf? I'd be surprised if a single gang member would be changed by the fishing experience alone. Recreational Fishing in Washington State: Big Business Business owners who depend on and benefit from recreational fishing for salmon and shellfish formed Fish Northwest in 2005. Fish Northwest believes that the State of Washington can do much more to increase recreational fishing opportunity, while at the same time protecting and enhancing our salmon and shellfish. We also believe that achieving this goal will not affect tribal treaty fishing rights and is compatible with commercial salmon fishing. The organizers of Fish Northwest believe that the primary reason why the State of Washington has not made recreational fishing for salmon and shellfish a priority is because of the lack of understanding regarding the economic value of recreational fishing. The following information clearly demonstrates that recreational fishing is in fact a very important business in the State of Washington. It also illustrates why it is in our state's interest to develop policies and programs that promote the growth and development of recreational fishing. http://www.fishnorthwest.org/ Fishing contributes approximately $1.5 billion to Georgia's economy each year. DNR estimates more than 10,000 jobs in Georgia are related to sport fishing, which generates $15 million in state income taxes, and $19 million in state sales taxes. A major bass fishing tournament can have as much as a $5 million economic impact on a local community. A championship event can have a $27 million economic impact. Go Fish Georgia is designed to promote and enhance boating and fishing tourism in Georgia and to boost economic development in communities across the state. This initiative will result in quality fisheries resources statewide, including family friendly fishing and recreation access points that will increase fishing participation in Georgia. http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=3179590 http://www.caltrout.org/documents/caltrouteconomicreportjan2008.pdf BASS, the focal point of what has grown into a multibillion-dollar fishing industry, has created a publishing giant with Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times, Fishing Tackle Retailer and Junior Bassmaster Magazine. BASS produces "The Bassmasters" weekly television program which airs on ESPN2, the Bassmaster Tournament Trail and the Bassmaster Classic, recognized around the globe as fishing's world championship. The first Classic, held on Lake Mead near Las Vegas, Nev., awarded a winner-take-all paycheck of $10,000 and was witnessed by a straggling handful of spectators. Today, tens of thousands of people cram into coliseums to watch the daily weigh-ins, and $1,194,500 is awarded to the anglers $500,000 of which goes to the champion.[/i] http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/about/news/story?page=about_bass_20090105 Even BASS talks about growing the numbers, just like golf, NASCAR, and other sports. My opinion is that we are viewed as little more than pawns in the overall scheme of things. They all sound good on the surface, but in the end, for the powers that be, it boils down to the dollar. In some cases we serve as unpaid volunteers to promote this or that.

Don't worry, you will. I suffered a fall about 2 years ago and my back hasn't been the same since. No noticeable damage, just pain. I wear a brace when it gets bad but mostly I just sit back in my chair and go fishing. I stand when I need to but mostly sit. 40 + years of every sport except golf, and I'm taken down by a slippery ladder. :-/ If he's lucky. Some never make it to "old". I'm fortunate. Not many aches and pains, but other things don't work as well as when I was younger. And when it comes to women, it's all in the perspective. When I was nineteen, women in their forties looked ancient and tired. At 67, the nineteen year olds still look good, those in their forties look like kids, and even some grandmas are appealing. Please, don't tell my wife I said that.

The past few weeks have seen excellent fishing. But, the ledges and deeper rocky bottom have shown signs of slowing down. Yesterday, with the hyacinth and loosestrife in bloom there have been hordes of dragonflies buzzing around the shallow shorelines. Iridescent blue, orange/brown, brown, black and other colors in sizes ranging from a small helicopter to a big mosquito. Needless to say, (So why am I saying it?) the bass have been very busy feeding on them. The past few days I've been tossing a three inch, actually more like twenty of them, *** trick worm hung on a Jackall Wacky Jig, against the vegetation, and hauling them out. But, some of the fish were deep in the weeds. A weedless topwater would be good. Even my slow brain catches up. I've got just the thing, a Space Monkey on an Owner 4/0 weightless twistlock hook. I'd only fished it for a few weeks in this stuff when it was starting to grow, and the bass were in the shallows. Into the hyacinth and water lilies. Forget about the loosestrife, that would be like tossing into kudzu. The southerners will know what I'm talking about. Three casts, and another monkey later, a three pounder, a three and a half pounder, and a three and a quarter pounder. By the time I finished that one area, I had boated nine fish, the smallest over two pounds, and lost as many when they managed to wrap the line around several weeds and pull free. Tomorrow, I just may toss the monkey using the Nitro combo with forty pound test line. May not be very sporting, but when dealing with good sized bass in troublesome cover, it may be called for. It won't cast far, but twenty feet is plenty. Saw a single hyacinth twitching as a fish moved around it. It wasn't ten feet from the canoe. Tossed the bait, and the bass was on it in a flash. Have to reorganize the gear in the canoe to accomodate the type of fishing I'll be doing tomorrow, and hopefully beyond. Skinny down on the worms and jig hooks. Put in an extra stock of the monkeys and a few Rage toads. Maybe a Rage craw or two. They make like them even better than the monkey. Don't see how it could be possible, but it's a pleasant thought.

Here's my thought process for posing this question. Every hobby or recreation I've been involved with has an underlying theme of promoting that particular thing. I mentioned golf. Who gains the most from the promotion of the game of golf? Why it is none other than the PGA, and the manufacturers of golf equipment. Back in the sixties, it was banner news on the sports pages when Jack Nicklaus earned a hundred thousand dollars in prize money. Very few people played golf, and even fewer watched it on television. What's th best way to get those television numbers turned around, so a tournament sponsor will be willing to part with even greater sums of money? Let's get the ratings up by getting more people involved in the game. NASCAR: Let's get folks other than the redneck crowd interested. Lets promote it to the masses. Worked pretty well, but now NASCAR is finding out how fickle the masses can be, while turning away those who brought them to the dance. Stick and ball sports, more of the same. No more AL and NL in MLB, or two divisions in football. Nah, lets split them up into even more divisions so we can have playoffs to keep the fans excited. In most cases, promoting anything is about increasing revenues, not making things better. Those who stand to gain the most, are the ones hyping any sport. So, there you have it. My question was not born of a desire to keep others off my fishing holes, or to keep as few as possible on them. I don't care how many people fish or don't. I put neither the waters, nor the fish there. They are as much yours as they are mine, and vice versa.

Muddy, it is wonderful that someone had the thoughtfulness to do that. And, I'm thankful and more than a bit heartened to hear of your experience. But the fellows that helped you, did not promote fishing. They found a common shared interest. (see highlighted area). It just happened to be fishing. What really helped you was the fact that someone truly cared about your well being. They found something that you liked, and steered you in that direction. Their compassion, and your desire, is what turned your life around. Had your interest been gardening, and they took you under their angels' wings, and spent time with you gardening the result would be the same. Now, let's look at the other, dark side of the coin. How many times has a recreational activity been at the heart of the destruction of families, and individuals? The country and western song "I'm gonna miss her" comes to mind. That song would be silly if there wasn't a bit of reality behind it. I personally have known many who neglect their families because they are fishing addicts, and their family is not at the top of their priority list, or at least below their pursuit of fishing. Any, otherwise healthy activity can have the same affect that alcohol, drugs, and gambling do on families. Two of the aforementioned three are legal. Dale Earnhardt Senior's first marriage ended because he was spending grocery money to buy racing tires, hoping to get it back with his winnings. There may have been other factors as well. I'm passionate about fishing. Too passionate, truth be told. The lawn needs mowing, the trim needs painting, the sticking door needs to be sanded to relieve the offending section, etc. None of those things need urgent attention. They can wait. I'm going fishing. Now, I gotta feed the dogs, get them tended to, and I'm off to the pond. God bless you for sharing your story Muddy. NO TOM: I am promoting it get it SERENTIY BASSERS was formed IN THEIR HONOR; We take guys fishing straight out of detoxes and jails, most of whom never fished> I>really am not being negative to you at all, and the other fellas who responded did so , BECUASE YOU ASKED THEM TO, if you do that many may not agree with you, that is far from being judgemental BTW the last thing i think about when I am fishing is that it is some kind of political act I don't think you said anything negative about me. I certainly did not read anything in your post, other than an an honest, straightforward answer to my question. If I gave you the impression I took anything you posted as criticism of me personally, then I communicated badly, and apologize for doing so. Your Serenity Bassers is a noble effort. But, even then, your purpose is not to promote fishing, but to help others. Fishing is the means you use to do it. Just a comment on the negativity. Calling someone else (me) selfish is not a response to the question I asked. It's a personal comment directed at me. about me. Seems they could not come up with a single reason why we should promote fishing, or chose not to post it, but preferred to comment about me.

Who has a negative attitude? I asked a simple question. What is in it for the recreational, amateur fisherman to promote it? Now, if you want to get down to keeping kids off the street, that's fine. It's a reason. But, conversely, and I asked the question in a previous post, though not in these words, how many divorces are the result of a fishing spouse neglecting their family. How many kids grow up seeing daddy or maybe mommy heading out with their buddies to the fishing hole, leaving him or her behind? As for polluting our resources, there are plenty of fishermen who do that too. Go to any boat ramp, or shoreline, and look around. Discarded fishing line is not tossed there by non-fishers. I've seen old carpeting and boat parts from a fishing boat project tossed into the woods alongside launch areas. Empty bait packaging strewn here and there. It's not non-fishing individuals who discard the carcase of a fish on the shoreline after filleting it. Fishing has its share of slobs. We as a group are no better or worse than any other cross section of our society, though we might like to think otherwise.

They are beautiful. The colors are vibrant. The flash when swimming is tremendous. I could not get a hit on them either. Haven't tossed one since May. That I hate treble hooks more than likely plays a part. Last year I used various colors of the Mepps Black Fury lures in sizes three or four, and they produced. Haven't used them yet this year.

Muddy, it is wonderful that someone had the thoughtfulness to do that. And, I'm thankful and more than a bit heartened to hear of your experience. But the fellows that helped you, did not promote fishing. They found a common shared interest. (see highlighted area). It just happened to be fishing. What really helped you was the fact that someone truly cared about your well being. They found something that you liked, and steered you in that direction. Their compassion, and your desire, is what turned your life around. Had your interest been gardening, and they took you under their angels' wings, and spent time with you gardening the result would be the same. Now, let's look at the other, dark side of the coin. How many times has a recreational activity been at the heart of the destruction of families, and individuals? The country and western song "I'm gonna miss her" comes to mind. That song would be silly if there wasn't a bit of reality behind it. I personally have known many who neglect their families because they are fishing addicts, and their family is not at the top of their priority list, or at least below their pursuit of fishing. Any, otherwise healthy activity can have the same affect that alcohol, drugs, and gambling do on families. Two of the aforementioned three are legal. Dale Earnhardt Senior's first marriage ended because he was spending grocery money to buy racing tires, hoping to get it back with his winnings. There may have been other factors as well. I'm passionate about fishing. Too passionate, truth be told. The lawn needs mowing, the trim needs painting, the sticking door needs to be sanded to relieve the offending section, etc. None of those things need urgent attention. They can wait. I'm going fishing. Now, I gotta feed the dogs, get them tended to, and I'm off to the pond. God bless you for sharing your story Muddy.

First. I expected the "selfish" judgements. It has nothing whatever to do with selfishness. You have yet to see me post a thing, complaining about "jerks on the water". Or complaining about someone jumping into a spot where I was heading. I don't care how many fish. If you want to encourage your children to fish, that's fine. If fishing enables you to spend time with your children, that's great. Take your kids fishing, golfing, camping, to little league, to their soccer games, etc. Fishing is no better than any of the other activities you can share with your children. The important thing is to spend time with them, period. It's what we enjoy. It does not mean others will, or should. If it keeps kids off the street, better yet. In fact, if anything is selfish, it's expecting our kids to participate in our activities so the time spent with our children does not curtail what we like to do. While it's fine to encourage our children to pursue some healthy activities, it is more than a bit unfair to expect them to like something, because we do. See how easy it is to be critical, and make a harsh judgement of others. I find it to be typical of every other form of recreation. Doesn't matter if it's hiking, camping, golfing, stock car racing, whatever. They all have organizations to promote the sport. Now, aside from the personal "selfish" judgements, why promote the sport? How will it improve the sport? How will it improve fishing? Funny that not one thought to mention the influence numbers have on our elected tormentors when it comes to cleaning up pollution, or passing legislation which protects the waters we fish, or any other legislation which protects our rights to fish.

I hear that expression used from time to time. Why does one want to promote the sport, and encourage others to participate in it? I can understand anyone who earns their income from fishing, be it the manufacturers, tournament pros, and guides eagerly promoting the sport. More money in their pockets. What's in it for the recreational angler? Think about it. The goal of promoting is to interest others so they will take up the sport. So, we do an outstanding job of promotion, and the number of anglers doubles. Do you really want twice as many fishermen on the pond with you? It happened to golf. When I started, a round of golf, walking, generally took three and a half hours. Now, the target is a four and a half hour round. That target is not often met. On some courses it can take over five hours to play a round of golf. At least with golf, new courses were built to accomodate the burgeoning number of players. Not so easy to do with fishing.

At the moment, I'm partial to coppertreuse. Chartreuse, Watermelon/red, junebug, watermelon/chartreuse laminate, bumblebee, tomato core, root beer, baby bass, smokey shad, and a host of others, have been effective for me. Can live with any of them.

Why am I reminded of the margarine "tastes like butter" ad, with Mother Nature hurling lightning bolts saying, "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature."?

Jiminy Cricket

That potential world-record-tying largemouth bass caught in Japan earlier this month might have some problems getting certified by the International Game Fish Association. It may have been caught in an area closed to fishing. Jason Schratwieser, conservation director for the IGFA, said the Japanese Game Fish Association has the record application. Schratwieser said he hasn't had a chance to see it. However, word out of Japan is that the bass may have been caught in an off-limits part of Lake Biwa, one of the world's most ancient lakes, located in Shiga Prefecture in Japan. Manabu Kurita, a pro staffer representing Deps Tackle Co., in Japan, reportedly caught a 22-pound, 5-ounce bass that would tie the current IGFA all-tackle world-record bass of 22 pounds, 4 ounces caught by George W. Perry on June 2, 1932. (Association regulations state that a bass must weigh 2 ounces more than Perry's to break the record.) The bass measured 29.4 inches long, but girth measurements were not given. It reportedly was weighed on a certified scale. Kurita used a bluegill, according to reports. If Kurita caught the bass in a restricted area, it would not qualify as a world-record bass, according to Schratwieser. I'd say the article is somewhat vague about the status of the place where it was caught. It is called three things, closed, off limits, and restricted. Which is correct? Are any correct? Who imposed the status of that section of the pond? Each can mean different things.