Fishing Rhino

We fish for the same reason people play golf, or bowl, play tiddlywinks, or play cards. Because they are all sources of pleasure and enjoyment. They are diversions. They are challenges.

Coffee. There are two times I drink coffee. The first is when we go out for breakfast, and the second is when I'm driving in the wee hours. It's decaf with breakfast, and high test when driving.

I'm convinced that dementia or Alzheimer's is tougher on the family than the patient. It seems to me that it would be much worse to be of perfectly sound mind and totally debilitated. Knowing every moment that you are awake you are totally dependent, and your physical condition is hopeless. My dad had early stage Alzheimer's the last few years of his life. It never progressed to the stage where he did not recognize family or friends. He knew that he had it. He could tell you of things that happened years ago, but he had no short term memory. He could carry on a lucid conversation. Physically, he was pretty good, having survived a serious heart attack when he was 59 years old. In spite of that, he was able to have an active life well into his 80s. His demise came when his wife had to be placed in a home because of serious physical issues. He lived by himself, for a couple of years, but without her to see that he took his meds as prescribed he had further heart problems, and ended up sharing a room with her in the "rehab" facility. Among the things he did on a daily basis was to look through the help wanted pages. He felt there had to be something productive he could do. His Alzheimer's prevented him from comprehending that he would never be able to do the simple things he enjoyed such as traveling and gardening. The thing he hated most was not being independent, but his memory problems prevented him from dwelling on that. He went to bed one night, and never woke up.

Electrical tape makes a great pressure bandage, as long as you don't stretch it too much and turn the bandage into a tourniquet. Electrical tape is great for stopping leaks that occur when a pinhole in copper tubing results from minerals in the water. Fold the electrical tape into a square patch about a sixteenth of an inch thick. Using an appropriate size hose clamp, put the "patch" over the hole and tighten the hose clamp until the leak stops. Works like a charm.

Secretary of state says, your size would not change, but you'd be inside out.

I've tried fishing the solunar tables, but have found that I have much better luck fishing lakes, ponds and rivers.

Not yet. 36 more days for me.

You're gonna find it's fact, not theory. From this forum: "Posted March 24 2009 - 12:05 PM I read about this in a bass master magazine and it works great... You take the little metal piece from the top of a dental floss container and it works like a charm. very inexpensive and highly effective. you can either leave it on the container or take it off and super glue it to the bottom of the end of your rod for convenience"

Braid cutters? I thought everyone knew the best braid cutter is the cutter that comes on a dental floss dispenser. It cuts braid just as easy and clean as it does floss.

Try a few wraps of electrical tape in two places. Wrap the end of the hitch, and wrap it where it is just inside the receiver. You still want the hitch to fit easily into the receiver, while reducing the play. The tape will act like the rubber bushing in shock absorbers which prevent the components from clattering together. The tape prevents metal on metal contact. The tape should last a while since the hitch does not slide back and forth in the receiver.

Condolences. Take care, and God bless.

Same cop, a few years later. We were out cruising one night when my buddy's car broke down. The cops came by while on patrol, and gave us a lift to the police station so we could call someone to get us and bring something to tow the vehicle home. While we were waiting, the two door cop came into the office, carrying a couple of smooth rounded stones. Someone had been breaking windows in one section of the town, and he gathered those for evidence. He tried to impress us with his detective work, telling us that he knew they came from the beach because he licked one and it was salty. My friend told him that maybe a cow had peed on the rock earlier in the day. The cop behind the desk did a 180 on his swivel chair so that Joe could not see him laughing. My friend managed to keep a straight face, and when what he said had sunk in Joe got a sour look on his face.

One important note. Because of the configuration of the tying point on the jig head, the line is susceptible to damage, particularly on rocky bottom. With a Jackall type of jig head, it's the front of the weight that is making most of the contact with rocks, not the line. With the Gamakatsu, the knot is the leading edge. Even if you do not detect fraying on the line, the loop(s) around the tying "bar" are taking a beating. On a couple of occasions, The bait has parted company from the line. I have found there is a partial loop at the end of the line, showing the failure was due to that leading edge gradually wearing away. Retie frequently, whether you think it needs it or not.

Here's a funny tale about a cop. And this guy went on to become the chief of police in Westport. Circa: late 1950s. My buddy had just got his license, and we were out joy riding around town one afternoon when a cruiser pulled up behind us, turned on the bubble gum machine, and sounded the siren. We pulled over. The officer walked up to the car, looking it over, and asked for a license and registration. The car was a yellow Studebaker coupe. The cop went to the cruiser, and came back in a few minutes, explaining that there was a report of a stolen yellow two door Studebaker. He said that the car didn't match the description because they were on the lookout for a two door car. My friend said, "This is a two door." The cop replied, "No, you know what I mean. Two doors on each side." Cops have their moments too.

Once you assume the throne, errr, the seat of power, uhhh the office of the president, you can issue an executive order to put a stop to such nonsense. Meanwhile, the gory scenes in the movies and television get ever more graphic, not to mention the video games.

You are correct. Gamakatsu G-Finesse Series Wacky Jig Head.

Ah, a Jackall. I used to use them all the time. But I now prefer these. When fishing in vegetation, grass and other plant stems can wrap around the eye and the shank. After a while, the weed guard falls off from getting bent and realigned. This thing sheds grass and plants like water rolls off a duck's back. The weed guards are titanium and are like spring steel. You can twist 'em, flex 'em, and they snap right back into shape. Notice where the eye is located. No shank for grass to wrap around. My problem is they are lead, and cannot be used in Massachusetts waters. But, when I'm out of state, on waters where lead is not banned, it's what I use. Price is around the same as the Jackall or the Inichi wacky hooks.

Glad to hear the good news. The other, not so much. Do get a second opinion. Then you, or you and your family can make a reasonable, informed decision. There are no guarantees in medicine. You have to play the odds as you and your family see fit. The more input the better. Whatever course of action you take, know that your friends at Bass Resource are pulling for you.

Love the rainy days. Cuts way down on the boating traffic, pleasure and fishing. No distinct shadows. What is above the surface is obscured by the disturbed surface of the water. Also agree with those who fish areas where water drains into the pond/lake/river, carrying insects, grubs, worms and whatever to provide an easy meal for the fish.

Spend enough time in a bar and you get something after you get home.....................................................................a hangover.

I did. It was an article about some skin care concoction that would take years off your appearance. I was wondering why you sent it to me. Thought I must look pretty haggard. Well, I do, but that's to be expected when you're my age.

It's no different than any other plastic bait when it comes to weightless or not. It depends on currents, depths, and the type of fishing that suits you. I rarely fish a wacky rig weightless, even in shallow water. Some of my friends prefer to fish them weightless, even in deeper water. You'll need to experiment to find what suits you best.

Resale value should be at or near the bottom of your priority list. "Eventually", you plan to move up to a nicer boat. That eventually sounds like you may be a few years in whichever you decide to buy. Buy the boat that you believe will best suit your needs, the boat that you would rather fish from. Why spend a few years fishing from a boat, and thinking, the other boat would have served me better? The resale value difference, even if it's a couple of thousand dollars is not a good trade off if you aren't as happy as you would have been fishing from the other boat for the few years you'll own it. If it's a toss up, then resale value becomes a more important factor. But if you prefer one boat over the other, for whatever reasons, get that boat.

As the Secretary of State, I hereby declare this thread to be a sorry state of affairs.

Hey, rubbin' is fishin'.