N Florida Mike

Got that right!

As I stated on a recent post, it has been a cooler summer than normal here in N. Florida. I think the avg. temp last year in july was 96. We had 5 straight days with temps over 100. The fishing was poor. I did get a 7 pounder on a frog. This year, they have bit well all summer. Temps have generally been high 80s and low 90s. There has been a LOT of rain and cloud cover. They have been all over the flukes ( early summer ) and senkos ( later summer ) We'll see what september does. Traditionally, it isnt one of my better months. October-dec. is usually on fire here, esp with small, ribbon tailed worms.

I like Alan Jacksons version. Just heard it last week.

I groaned out loud when Ratliff got that 2.11 and went ahead. But he seems like a great young man too. Nolan, it was great seeing you fishing . You did us all proud.

where is that , Lake Norman ?

I smell cigar smoke in my house every now and then.I think its because a former owner smoked them. Cant connect the dots on what causes it to flare up from time to time.

Ive always been more interested in the pacific theatre of the war. For some reason, the battles in the solomon islands interest me the most , I Just watched some of the Pacific recently. Had an uncle that was in the navy on a carrier in the pacific during the war. He wouldnt talk about it much. A great book is " Gaudalcanal diary " and I love the book " PT 109 " which is about John F. Kennedies' experience in the solomons in the war.

We actually did that at a church mens retreat .We tied an old rag or something to somebodies line and had a teen wrap it around his hand/arm and hang on. ( This was at night ) Then we found a gullible friend and got them to hold the net while we hollered " Its got to be a world record " , and all the while the teen flopping and jumping and pullin.Finally, We'd " work him in close " and as the friend leaned over with the net, our teen in the water would suddenly come up out of the water with weeds all over him and make as horrified a sound as possible. One of our friends fell backwards into a boat he was so scared. ( He was ok but very embarrased )?

Got a free offshore fishing trip from my job. It was the second least productive day Ive had offshore fishing but it was still fun. One of my co-workers ( the one next to me ) was seasick all day and never put a line in the water so my day was great compared to his.

Any time on the river system is good !

I get the urge to fish worms for bass several times a year. I have a worm bed with what we call wigglers. Not nightcrawlers but they work well for numbers, not size. Biggest bass Ive caught with them is 3 1/2 pounds or so. I use a # 4 or # 6 wire bronze hook, usually eagle claw. I put a small float about 16 inches or so up from the hook, and I put a bb shot 5-6 inches above the hook to help cast it. I hook the worm once through the band. You need to gently cast or youll throw the worm off. You can fish without a cork but you cant cast very far that way. You will catch a lot of dinks and pound sized fish but the bigger the worm, the bigger the bass.

Id like to go fish some wild , remote lake up north and camp out for a week or two and get some smallmouths., since Ive never caught one . I think Id be content with largemouths just to get back to Rodman 0again someday. Its only about 60 miles away, but it might as well be 6,000 with my lack of time and extra $ to go.?

Got 7 this evening , all on 5 inch senkos. Stayed up at my end of the lake again and fished eel grass pockets. Had a couple on that felt bigger, but gave me the slip. I did get this one anyway. Tried the frog again awhile, and nothing again. Frog bite has been almost non existent for me this summer. Im not sure whats up with this weather but its been a very rainy but relatively cool summer . The fish have never slowed down this summer. It felt almost like the early fall out there this evening.

Huh. Does it fit right under the housing ?

When I was in my twenties I was fishing the Ocklawaha river with a girlfriend. All of a sudden she yells "Duck " !! Being the smart individual I am, I said " Where ? " She screams " DUCK NOW "!!! So I did , just in time to go under a big nest of hornets on a cypress tree limb. Glad I had been pretty good to her up to that point, or there might have been no warning !?

I like watching metal detector videos, esp. aquachigger. My b.in law is a relic hunter in the Richmond area .

I had an owl get tangled up in my line one night out back when I had a live shiner on. I cant figure out how it happened, because I had gone inside so I didnt see it. He had flown up in a bush with the line. When I reeled in the line was UP in the bush, not down in the water. Imagine my suprise when I pulled back the branches and an owl was sitting there staring at me. Unfortunately I could not reach the owl, so I cut the line. He seemed to be ok and was gone next morning so...hope He's ok Also had a hawk swoop down and attack a frog as it was dangling just before I cast.I immediately hit free spool and he let go.

Better come get you one . They have been biting good all summer !

Ive got a quantam baitcasting combo out in the lake that fell off my kayak last year. Take a much needed vacation to Florida and help a brother out. Glad you got it back for Lake though. My wife once caught a baitcasting combo at a local pond and gave it to me for Fathers day. Its what I had told her I wanted for fathers day !

For me, the Bible is like oxygen-just couldnt live without it. I would love to see those battlefields. I have been to manassas, some of the battlefields around Richmond, Chickamauga, lookout mountain, and several smaller battlefields. Every year I try to go to the Olustee Fl. battlefield reenactment, about an hour from me. It is excellent !

I do some hunting and camping, but not as much as I used to. I take an occasional hike by myself or with my G- daughter, who I also swim with , kayak and take to the beach etc. I am a fan of SEC football and baseball (Go Gators ) . I play a 5 string banjo ( Scruggs style ) Love music, but esp. Bluegrass / old time appalachian music. And I am a Civil war and Ww2 buff. And I love reading / studying The Bible.

Congrats ! Not many people can say they broke their pb twice in 2 casts ! What did you catch them on ?

Some of the decisions they make have me shaking my head, and I make comments like they can hear me lol. The guy last night that couldnt catch any fish was one of them. He kept complaining about all the current. Im like " Man, take a walk until you find a bend in the creek and find some calmer water" !!. I dont care for the guy that yells and curses at Mongolia because the weathers not perfect. Another one is always about to cry when he kills something to eat. Im thinking "of all the things to cry about and hes worried about killing animals to eat " But that guy is actually pretty good at it so he's earning some respect...