DanielG

The other day I was rummaging through the attic of the lake house where I live. It's an old family home I moved into twenty years ago. I came across this Ocean City salt water reel #143 from 1956. That's the year indicated when I google it anyway. I was born in '55 so like me it's old. Knowing our fishing prowess in this family, my guess is that it was used maybe 1-5 times (probably the low end) as no one had many options to do any ocean fishing here even if we are in Maine. And I never heard of anyone going out more than a handful of times to do so. I'll be keeping it as it's 'in the family' but in my limited knowledge of anything but some lake bass and crappie fishing here on my lake I don't think I'll be using it anyplace, ever. Just thought it might be of interest. If anyone has any fishing hardware insight into this I'll be watching.

Just picked up the 3000 vanford. I've got a Curado.

It's a sort of western... Good movie the too soon abandoned tv series was fantastic.

Serenity

Actually, I don't think I have any regrets. And if I do maybe just tiny instances. Everything went to plan and what I didn't plan just sort of worked out. Sixty seven now. I look back and it was all much better than I probably deserved. Just a bunch of good decisions I guess and a little luck. Hardly knew that they were good decisions when I made them as I was so young.

2 kids in their 30's now. Best thing I ever did. After having them you realize that it's what humans are here for. We're part of the animal world and it's what we do and we come to reaiize it over time.

...

There are some of us out here who have one spinning and casting setup that is sort of as generic as we can get it. We used to use bamboo poles as kids (Ya, I'm that old) and what we have now is nirvana in comparison. Purely recreational fishermen and by that I mean it's an activity but not an obsession. I'm trying to think of some activity that some people do that is like how some people fish and can't currently come up with anything. Like having two dozen fishing rods and 300 lures, many that have never gotten wet but the entire thing is taken on the boat each time. Very interesting to see and read about this here.

This is where I live. Southern Maine. Drone shot.

YES!!!

I live on it. Or one the bank anyway.

I have some teaspoons around the place. So, I decided to make a spinner bait with two spinners on it. If the ice ever melts I'll see how it does!

Well, all spooled up and no where to go here in Maine.

License? We need a license? Actually When you reach a certain age here in Maine you can get it a lifetime license. I'm sure some other states have one too. I keep it in a zip lock on the boat all the time. Never was asked though. When I was a kid I did have a warden drive up from about a mile away to tell me my cushion strap was broken though.

One spinning, one casting. My needs are simple.

Seems to make sense I think. If you're left handed you want the pole in your left hand right? Or do I have it wrong. My casting reel is the same way though.

Well it's moveable to either side. Interestingly I'm a lefty but crank a reel as a righty.

This came in the mail today about two weeks earlier than expected. Just as the ice is forming. Looking forward to trying it out in the spring. Putting it on a Fury rod I've had awhile. I'll be going back to mono. Don't care much for fluoro and I do like braided but not leaders so much. As I get old(er) well, maybe just old, the fingers are fumblier by a factor of 3x. Joining braid and leader is not too fun any longer. Besides, I did mono for umpteen years since I was 8 years old so it's no stranger.

Here's one for a good head scratcher. I spent a couple of hours killing time during winter in Maine in my shop. I had this brilliant idea of using giving my very occasional use multitool another job. To shake my paint bottles. It actually worked.

I just wanted to put together a quick spoon. I make a lot of baits but never a metal one. I decided to use a teaspoon as it looked the right shape. A short video showing the build (8 min). 16 F here right now so I decided not to put it in the water right now. And when I do want to it will probably be ice. Happy holidays everyone.

ALIEN. We saw it about 35(?) years ago when my wife was a week overdue and we were trying anything to get her to pop. Around Christmas. Must have been holiday blockbuster time. Anyway it didn't work but we check it out most holidays. It's a family tradition.

A few years ago I caught a bass and was taking the treble hook out from a crankbait. He flopped and I got hooked good in the belly through my t-shirt. I tried and tried to get it out but with him flopping around and the hook in good it wasn't working. I have a platform boat with electric motors. It goes slow and I was 30 minutes from home as the crow flies. I head back. A bass hanging from my belly. One BIG eye looking up at me the whole trip. I began talking to him. "hold on guy, we'll make it" Well, he didn't make it. He died in my arms... er... belly. I got home and was actually able to cut him loose squeeze the fat and yank the hook out. I take fish off at arms length now.

When I take off here at the lake I'm on, there's a particular length of water that's just crappie. I put on some of those Berkley swim shad paddle baits. The $5 a bag at Walmart. White or dark depending on cloud cover. Get's 'em every time.

I own a couple of poles, one spinning and one casting reel. I make most of my own baits. But... some of you guys are crazy. On facebook when I post a bait I get a bunch of guys saying 'how much?' I don't sell them just make one once and awhile for myself. And some guys pull up in their bass boats and they have hundreds of baits onboard. Some a slight variation of color of the same bait multiplied by 30. So, I think it's fishermen that make the shortage, not the bait companies.

NIce tree. I was told they break easier than many other species. We had parked our truck and small camper underneath a grove of them. A huge wind rolled across the lake towards us. Hard to walk into type of wind. I pulled all of it out into a field. Good thing... lots of branches came down. Some enough to dent. What's with this sudden onslaught of wind there anyway? Happened twice in a week.