GLADES

I disagree about Holiday Park. There are alot of huge bass (size and bags) caught out of there every year. The problem this year was the high water which is now receding. The place will be excellent from Feb - Aug. If you are fishing there curently, go south and get into the flats while the water is still higher. That is your best bet until the water drops and the fish move into the perimeter canals in the coming months.

You might want to clean that boat up and put it up for sale. There are alot of old boat/motor enthusiests who could be interested. Check for websites that cater to these people and present it there. Spending alot of money for that boat to be a reliable fishing platform would not be a wise decision. You can pick up a good used bassboat on craigslist. Check the site before you spend a dime on that one.

I think in tampa the Cards will win. The steelers are not as tough on the road. How can a 9-7 team win the Super Bowl?

Grilled sirloin burgers, black beans and rice with Lousina hot sauce, chopped tomatos and onions as toppings, and a couple of cokes.

I caught the blackfin tuna while we were drift fishing for kings. We were catching about 5 bonito for every king. We were drifting in 150-250 ft off of Hillsboro Beach, 3-4 ft chop. There is a red bouy there, I think it marks a wreck. I would say that the bonito and tuna fight equally hard. In my limited saltwater experience, the tuna, bonito, and kings usually swim together, you just get lucky sometimes.

I like both shows. Survivorman- Les usually does a good job on how to set up a camp improvising to create a shelter, start a fire, and natural first aid. He usually has trouble catching meat - I think he is a vegan. Jugling the cameras while doing all this alone definately is more tiring. Man v Wild - Bear subjects himself to harsher invironments and does a better job living off the land. He definately will eat or drink anything that wont kill him. He tends to stay on the move and although he has help, he take more risks to demonstrate his point. That one episode were he was stung by the bee in the face, then later killed a snake,ate the meat, stripped off the skin and urinated into the skin like a canteen. Man that is hard core. I voted for Man vs Wild

One man's trash is another man's treasure. I like fishing in both fresh, brackish, and salt water. Being in south florida, we are fortunate to have excellent fishing 365. If the freshwater bite is off due to high water or cold fronts, there is usually something biting in ocean or bays. Bass fishing is my favorite, but sometimes it is great to change up. I once caught a 30lb blackfin tuna off a small boat using a 15lb rigged medium action spinning rod. That was the most memorable fish I ever caught. He took my line down to the spool a couple of times, leaped out of the water,came to the edge of the boat then took off again. Finally he tired, about 40 minutes later, I boated him. Mighty tasty grilled over charcoal.

Tell me where your secret snook spots are?

If anyone in the pompano beach area likes to buy fresh caught fish, the charter fleet at the hillsboro inlet sells kingfish, dolphin, tuna, snapper, etc for cheap. A couple of weeks ago, I bought 2+ lbs of fresh kingfish, filleted, for $6

I used to fish for snook and tarpon alot when I owned a open fisherman a few years back. Mainly in the Hillsboro inlet in Pompano Beach, Port Everglades inlet, and around the New River in Ft Lauderdale. I used to use crankbaits and/or live shrimp. If you guys dont mind a third wheel, I would be interested in going sometime.

Judge #3 - Hilarious...I was laughing so hard I had tears coming out my eyes. Thanks.

...GET...OFF....MY....LAWN ! Classic Eastwood. I thought Gran Torino was the best movie I have seen in some time. The best part about was there were no computer special effects. Just a good story and a few lessons, and a surprising sad ending. I saw the Day the earth stood still with Reeves and Connelly. I thought the movie was crap. To much PC'ness and cheap computer animation. The story was altered from the original as well. Save your $$ on this one.

Isn't Presque Isle in Maine? My dad hails from there.

I fish there now and then. Check your PM

X2 The LED's are the best

I seen seen manatees swimming in lake Okeechobee rim canals on many trips there, grazing on the grass. I wonder how they survive there with all the big gators. You can sometimes see beavers (otters?) florida panthers, bobcats, deer, as well as wild hogs on the waters edge. All the varieties of tropical and preditory birds are pretty cool to observe. The thing that gives me the heebeegeebies is the huge 16' python snakes that are now part of the everglades. I would probably be shootin holes in my boat if one of those critters crawled in.

It was a perfect Jan day for fishing today. Nice 7lb LM Doug. Was the pilot of that plane spying on your fishing spot?

Do any of you guys own a classic car or old school (20's-70's) muscle car or hot rod? I used to own a "built to the gills" small block 1966 mustang. I sold it in 1999 and I regret more every year. That car was a blast to cruise the Ft Lauderdale strip and Federal Hwy in. It ran low 12's on street tires. I will get another toy in a few years.

I have an 02 which is basically an 03. I have had very good luck with our car. My wife drives it around town and the occaisional day trip. It has about 73K miles on it and is Ford dealer serviced. The only problem I ever had with the car was the a/c fan motor (at 30K miles) which the dealer replaced for free. The car is on its second set of brakes, 2nd set of tires, and second battery. No complaints. It seems odd that after you had some work done at a repair shop that you have these issues. Did the trans give any signs of failing prior to visit to that repair shop? Did you go to a neighborhood repair shop or dealership? I would definatlely get another opinion before I would decide anything. If the car is in otherwise good condition, it might be worth repairing if there is actually something wrong. Vacuum/hydroilic hoses can be pulled or cracked, causing the trans to seem like it is shot. I would take it to a ford dealer and see what they have to say.

Holiday Park L67A - Flats X2

You can also launch from Moorehaven public boat ramp. I read in a recent report that the monkey box area is producing some nice fish. Regarding Loxahatchee, there are some nice 5-10 lb bass in there. The flats off of the L67 canal (holiday park) should have some big toads.

Ceasar salad with garlic croutons

Medium rare for me, with a little salt and black pepper.

The older boats are heavier than the more modern designs. I have a 1984 procraft f/s with a 150 2.0L merc and it tops out at 52 MPH. If I removed the trolling motor and the two batteries I could probably get 55 MPH with a 23P. Because of the hulls weight, I get alot of slippage with a 3 blade prop. I am using a 22P 4 blade and it works OK. It is a compromise on pickup and top speed. I need decent pick up due to thick hydrilla here in south florida. If you really want to go faster, put a 2.4L 200 powerhead on your mid/lower unit if the hull is rated for it. It should get you into the 60's. I would just be happy with your rig until you can upgrade to the faster machine.

The Fins need to beef up their offensive line if they expect to win any games in the playoffs. You have to control the line of scrimage to win in the playoffs. The Ravens made them look weak. Chad is a game manager and cant carry the team. Today he tried to do too much, and made the critical mistakes. We are heading in the right direction though, and despite the bad loss, it was a great season. At least we wont have to hear about the Pats and Brady for a while, or the whole Jets disaster. Parcells is staying in Miami, and we need a another draft or two to beef up the holes with better talent. Hats off and good luck to the Ravens.