It Was a 3 - 2 - 1 Kind of Day

I boated 3 bass, lost 2 more en route to the boat, and was asleep at the helm when 1 more hit just moments before I quit today.

For a while this morning, I had begun thinking I might really have to work just to keep from recording a skunk. I had thrown an assortment of topwater lures and crankbaits without having any takers in West Neck. Finally, I pulled up the trolling motor and headed for Albright's.

I quickly ran through the same arsenal there with the same dismal results. Accordingly, I picked up the rod on which I had rigged a swim Fluke and only had made a handful of casts with it before I got one of those tell-tale ticks in the line as I was winding ever so slowly. That tick was followed by pressure on the line, followed by movement first left, then right, and finally a hard charge away from me. I immediately set the hook and felt the fish--a good 'un. When I got him turned, he came up alongside the boat at a distance, taking drag as he passed. I had worked him back about 5 or 6 feet from the boat when I felt another hard head shake, and my line just went limp. The Fluke had pulled out of the wire keeper and had balled up on the hook, preventing a solid hookset.

Only a few moments later, I had another nice fish hit a new Fluke but with the same results--again because the bait had come loose from the keeper. I kept working the same area for a spell, with no further takers, so I headed back to West Neck, intent on staying with the Fluke.

On my first cast to a stump, the line went taut the moment the Fluke hit the water, and my effort to take a turn on the reel resulted in a fish jerking back, which prompted me to set the hook. This time, the keeper held, and my reward was the 1-12 bass pictured above. Out of curiosity, I picked up my chatterbait, and on only the third cast with it to the same stump, I boated a 12-incher.

Before I quit today, I added a 1-2 bass to my total of three keepers. It, likewise, fell for the chatterbait.

While still in West Neck this morning, I had a brief discussion with my friend, Jerry, and his fishing buddy, Eddie, who were out trying to develop a game plan for the old-timers' bass rodeo scheduled for Senior Citizen's Day, which is Aug. 21. At the time, Eddie had boated their only fish of the day--this 1-pounder--just 45 minutes after launching.

They were bound for Pocaty upon leaving me, and I never ran across them again. There was an email waiting for me from Jerry when I got home, though. It seems that one fish was their total catch for the day. This was Jerry's first skunk of the season.

They packed it in at 9:30, with hopes that the bite on Aug. 21 will be a lot better than it was today.

My friend, Jimmy, also spent some time on the water today. A discussion with him this afternoon revealed that he had boated a mixed bag today, including two small bass, some crappie, and other assorted fish.

The final report I have here is from fellow-blogger, Charlie, who spent yesterday in the Albright's Creek Oxbow. "Got a 3-5 on the first cast," he said. His day was complete with great topwater action the first hour. He also did well with the SS Minnow and craw, finishing up with 12 bass total. Most were dinks but he did catch three other keepers besides the 3-5. They included a 1-2, 1-7, and 2-2. For the complete story on Charlie's day, including the usual video, check out his blog at http://vbfishguide.blogspot.com/.

All But 2 Boats Weigh Fish Today

It was especially nice to welcome some new anglers into our group today, all of whom brought fish to the scales at weigh-in. There were a total of 24 anglers in 13 boats participating overall.

The big winners today, however, were this team of (from left) Bob Glass and Randy Conkle. They captured 1st place with a bag of five fish weighing 15.15 lbs., including the tournament lunker, which tipped the scales at 5.37 lbs. and was caught by Bob.

Laying claim to 2nd place today was this team of (from left) Chris Fretard and Mike Miller. They weighed five bass totaling 11.65 lbs., including a big fish that went 5.25 lbs.

Finishing the day in 3rd place was the team of Allen Napier and (not pictured) Chris Napier. Their sack of five bass weighed 10.85 lbs. and was anchored by a 3.03-lb. fish.

Wrapping up their day in 4th place was the team of Red Bruun and (not pictured) Al Napier, who weighed five fish totaling 10.41 lbs. Their big fish tipped the scales at 3.58 lbs.

The last money envelope today went to this team of  new anglers (from left) Colton Monds and Eric Meyers, whose 3.96 lbs. total weight for four fish was closest to the 3.20-lb. tag picked in the mystery-weight drawing.





Here is how all the other contestants finished:

     * The team of John Matyiko and Mark Cable, five fish, 9.89 lbs. total weight, 3.40-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Mark London and John Goodman, five fish, 7.32 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible, five fish, 7.04 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Ronnie McLaughlin, five fish, 6.36 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre, five fish, 5.56 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The new team of Jake Milligan and Zack Rhodes, four fish, 4.47 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Ken Testorff and the team of Jeremy Gatewood and Charlie Reed didn't weigh any fish.

Overall, the anglers today weighed 53 bass with a total weight of 92.66 lbs. The average weight was 1.74 lbs.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday after next, Aug. 9, from safe light (about 5:45 or 6 o'clock) to 2 p.m. I hope you can join us.

Duo Records Slow Day on Northwest

Jerry and his friend, Eddie (pictured here) were casting before 6 o'clock this morning, and Eddie quickly caught this nice fish, which fell just an ounce shy of 2 lbs., along with a smaller one.

It was an hour and 15 minutes into the fishing day, though, before Jerry caught his first and only fish of the day. "The bass maybe would have stretched to 12 inches if I had fanned the tail," he said.

Conditions weren't too bad when these two anglers began their day. In fact, they described it as "comfortable, with overcast skies, and water temps in the high 70s. Water clarity was great."

After they had boated that third fish, however, it came time to start digging. "We plundered through our tackle boxes to hopefully find a lure that would land another fish or two," said Jerry. "Unfortunately, we couldn't find such a lure."

And so the reports of slow days on the water continue.

Not Many of Us, But We're Still Game

Six (and maybe seven) of us old-timers have Aug. 21 circled on our calendars. That's Senior Citizen's Day and, more importantly, the date set for our Bass-Fishing Rodeo.

As advertised since my first notice of this event, everyone age 60 or over, or who will turn 60 on Aug. 21, are welcome to join us at West Neck Marina. Planned fishing hours are 6 a.m. to 12 noon.

Costs will include a $10-per-person entry fee (with 100 percent payout), optional $5-per-person big-bass pot, and $5-per-boat ramp fee. Unless more people show up than are currently expected, this will be a winner-take-all event. Participants can fish solo or no more than two per boat. Weigh-in is limited to three fish per boat in consideration of the higher temps we usually have this time of year.

Once our day on the water has concluded, we all can sit around and swap fish stories over a BBQ sandwich, if you want.

At the moment, the names I have on our list of participants include Skip Schaible, Jerry Gardner (and perhaps his neighbor), Al Napier, Red Bruun, Jim Bauer, and yours truly. Any more eligible old-timers who would like to join us should email me with their name and a good daytime phone number. My email address is: kenneth34@cox.net.

Look forward to seeing y'all there. Yee-Haw!

Slow Days Seem to Be Here to Stay a While

I'm sure he wasn't trying to duplicate my numbers from yesterday in West Neck Creek, but that's nevertheless what Jim Bauer did today. His best fish of the day was this 1-14 bass, which grabbed a plastic worm that Jim was fishing at the time. He also boated one 14-oz. dink on a chatterbait.

If these had been his only catch of the day, Jim might have been a bit disappointed. However, he was all smiles as he pulled 22 nice crappie out of his livewell.

I'm taking my time doing this blog post tonight because I'm running on fumes after fishing several hours yesterday, then spending about another 10 hours on the water today. Ordinarily, I wouldn't put in such a long day, but my wife has been out of town a couple of days now, so I've been getting in some extra licks. Suffice it to say I'm not even thinking about trying for the third day in a row tomorrow. I'm shutting off the phones when I go to bed tonight and don't plan to rise and shine tomorrow until I feel like it. That's the way I roll when it's just me holding down the home front.

Try as I might, the best I could do today was four bass, led by this 1-6. I also caught two that weighed 1-4 and one that tipped the scales at 1-5. I had those four by 1 o'clock and thought sure I'd have a fifth one by the time I quit at 4 o'clock, but that wasn't in the cards.

Like yesterday, I threw a topwater, chatterbait, spinnerbait, a medium-running crankbait, and an extra-shallow-running crankbait. I managed to catch one bass on the topwater, but all the others once again fell for the extra-shallow-running crankbait.

I had some half-hearted strikes by other fish throughout the day but didn't get hooked up with any of them. They always were gone by the time I got around to trying a hookset.

I'm not sure if I'll get in another day before our next tourney, which will be a week from tomorrow. In all honesty, I'm not certain it'll make any difference, given the way the bite is right now. I'll just have to wait and see how things go between now and then.

Nottoway Report Better Than West Neck Report

Jerry called West Neck Marina last evening and heard that the water was high and muddy. That's all it took to convince him and his friend, Eddie, to pack up and head to the Nottoway River this morning.

Their outing netted a total of six bass, with the two best ones weighing 2-2 and 1-12. The bass in this photo is the 1-12.

Jerry and Eddie hadn't been to the Nottoway in more than a year, so they weren't sure what kind of conditions to expect there. What they found was low, muddy water, but there was a bite, and that's usually all it takes to satisfy a bass angler who is just out for the pure enjoyment of his chosen sport, which was the case with Jerry and Eddie today.

While I did find muddy water in the ramp area of West Neck this morning when I launched, several areas where I dropped the trolling motor looked just fine. One cove that I tried out had exceptionally clean water, but the best I could say about the bite as a whole today is that it was slow.

This 1-14 was the best of only two bass that I boated today. Both fish fell for an extra-shallow-running crankbait. I tried a spinnerbait, chatterbait, medium-running crankbait, some soft plastics, and a topwater--all to no avail.

By the time I launched this morning, the north winds had blowed long enough to start lowering the water level, but there still was plenty left at day's end. I plan another trip tomorrow but will be running south then. I probably would have gone that direction this morning, if it hadn't been for the fact I got a late start and didn't feel like mixing it up with the big boys that I heard running the river.

With any degree of luck, I should have something to talk about in another short post tomorrow evening.

A Not-So-Funny Thing Happened to Me This Morning

A 3- or 4-foot water snake, similar to this one, greeted me as I raised the door to my boat-storage building at West Neck Marina. He was all stretched out under the tongue of my trailer until he saw me, then turned and high-tailed it toward the back of the building.

As luck would have it, this was a morning when Steve still was on the premises, so I went and told him about my unwanted visitor. His response was quick and decisive. He grabbed a shovel from the bed of his pickup, hopped on the golf cart, and went to confront the snake, which still was in plain view at the back of the building.

His first thrust with the shovel missed its intended target--the snake's head--but sunk into its back. While keeping the snake pinned to the ground, Steve reached for a piece of 4 x 4 I had at the back of the shed, and, on about the third or fourth swing, connected with his original target. He then scooped up the orange-bellied critter on the shovel and carried him away for disposal.

As I was watching this evolution unfold, I was reminded of an early morning venture many years ago when I had come in close contact with another one of these water snakes. I was throwing a Jitterbug just before daybreak and was dragging it back from a long, narrow cut, when I spotted something following the bait. I momentarily stopped retrieving the lure, and whatever "it" was stopped, too, but when I resumed the retrieve, "it" started following again, as well. Once "it" got closer to the boat, I saw enough of the tell-tale orange in what light there was to know what I was dealing with but wasn't sure what I should do.

By now, the lure was close enough I could snatch it from the water with the rod, which is what I did. Instead of waiting to see what the snake was going to do, though, I brought the lure back down and slapped the water with it, hoping to scare the snake away. At the same instant, the snake moved--directly into the path of the Jitterbug, and both trebles found their way into his hide. I spent the next several minutes literally "beating the snake to death" by repeatedly slamming him against the water's surface. Eventually, both hooks tore out, but he already had given up the ghost.

It's nothing new to find various creatures (notably frogs and lizards) moving around in my boat-storage building, but I'm hoping today's run-in with a snake marks the fist--and last--such encounter. You can bet I won't soon forget this experience. I say again, "I don't like surprises."

A Foggy Start to an Otherwise Beautiful Day

Because of this morning's dense fog at tourney start time, the vast majority, if not all, of the 18 anglers in 11 boats elected to start their fishing day in West Neck Creek. Once the fog had lifted, you could hear outboards firing up all over the creek, as everyone started departing for their favorite holes.

Standing in the 1st-place winner's circle at day's end was Wayne Hayes, who weighed a bag of five bass totaling 11.70 lbs. His big fish weighed 3.66 lbs.

Coming in a close 2nd was this familiar team of (from left) Randy Conkle and Bob Glass, who brought five bass to the scales weighing a total of 11.68 lbs. Bob's big bass today, which tipped the scales at 4.06 lbs., was good enough to claim big-fish honors.

Finishing in 3rd place was this team of (from left) Chris Fretard and Mike Miller. Their five bass weighed 10.91 lbs. They didn't weigh a big fish.

The final team to go home with a money envelope today was this team of (from left) Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible. Their five fish weighed 5.80 lbs., which was closest to the 5.70-lb. tag  pulled in the mystery-weight drawing. They didn't weigh a big fish.




Here is how all the other competitors finished today:

     * Al Napier, five fish, 10.87 lbs. total weight, 3.25-lb. big fish.
     * Mark London, five fish, 10.16 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre, five fish, 8.35 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Steve Bailey and Jason Fittro, four fish, 6.43 lbs. total weight after 0.25 deduction for one dead fish, no big fish.
     * The team of Rob Chatham and Ken Testorff, four fish, 5.29 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Jim Bauer, three fish, 4.09 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of John Matyiko and Hayden Capper didn't weigh any fish.

Overall, the anglers today weighed a total of 45 bass for a total weight of 85.28 lbs. The average weight was 1.89 lbs.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, from safe light (about 5:30 a.m.) to 2 p.m. Here's hoping you can join us.

"JennyB" Is the Name, And Fishing Is the Game

Newlyweds Will and Jenny Bauer love outdoor activities, not the least of which is fishing. Until recently, however, they were limited in those pursuits to bank fishing, mainly for stripers, near the Lesner Bridge, so they told me in an interview Sunday afternoon, July 6, 2014. That all has changed now, since they acquired the old Blue Fin V-bottom Will has affectionately named "JennyB." The boat originally belonged to his granddad.

Will and Jenny aren't the only ones who have benefited from this acquisition. My long-time friend and Will's dad, Jim Bauer, who inherited the V-bottom when his father passed, is all smiles these days, too. Why? Because he no longer has to pay a second boat-storage fee. When he strokes that monthly check to the storage facility, it's just for his Skeeter. And I'm betting you that, if he were a few years younger, Jim probably still would be turning cartwheels from signing over all the paperwork for that second boat to his son.

This photo shows how the 31-year-old boat looked when Will and Jenny began what, to date, has turned out to be a four-week restoration project. They started by getting rid of all the dirt and rust, removing outdated equipment, and, yes, even conquering a surprise or two along the way. One of those surprises turned out to have quite a sting--a yellow jacket, no less. It had set up residence in a well-hidden area but came buzzing to life when Will got a little too close for comfort while gutting all the old interior. It nailed him so quickly he didn't have a chance to defend himself.

At its absolute bare-bones stage, before Will and Jenny started putting anything back, the boat looked like this.

Here you get a view of how the boat looks today--after a lot of sweat, elbow grease, and overcoming all the surprises. Besides a new, reinforced transom, the boat sports a completely redesigned interior, complete with new seats, new flooring, all new carpeting, new wiring, a kill switch, fire extinguisher, life jackets, new jack-wheel on the trailer, all new stainless-steel hardware throughout, and more. And most of which hasn't been replaced has been reworked, including Will's "trolling motor." He and Jenny jokingly use that term to refer to the boat's two original paddles, which, as you might imagine, required a great deal of effort.

Despite all the work and nearly $1,200 they've already invested in this project to date, both assure me they aren't done yet. For example, Will especially is interested in upgrading the boat's fusebox, but his No. 1 priority is getting the 1979 9.5/15-hp Evinrude up to snuff. Toward that end, he has ordered a new carburetor kit that he assures me will get installed as soon as it reaches him. At the same time, he's going to replace the current battery with one that has enough oomph to crank the outboard, since it indeed does have an electric-start feature.

After all, that pull-start routine is about to put Will at parade rest. He even told me that he was going to use his day off Monday just to recuperate from all the pulling he had to do Friday and Sunday. They originally had planned to go fishing again Monday.

Both Will and Jenny also want to install a Bimini top on their V-bottom. Can't say as I blame 'em, given how hot it gets around here sometimes, especially this time of year.

And last but by no means least, the 1979 boat trailer still needs a fair amount of TLC. They've already done some work on the tongue area, but both nod in agreement that more needs to be done to the rest of the trailer before they feel totally comfortable with it.


This "to do" list, however, isn't stopping the couple from enjoying their new "toy" on the water in its current configuration. To put it as simply as I know how, they've been "having a ball" ever since they took the boat on their maiden voyage in it week before last.

They were just returning to the ramp from that maiden voyage when his dad showed up to snap this photo of the happy couple.

Will and Jenny are catching some kind of fish on every trip. A week ago Saturday, when I met them for the first time, they had a largemouth bass, a crappie, and a yellow perch in their bucket. On Sunday, they were telling me about a big bowfin Will had gotten hold of that day. But what they had in their bucket wasn't that bowfin. It was four more nice crappie, and I immediately "smelled" the influence of Will's dad. The giveaway was when they told me they had been up around the West Neck Bridge Sunday. I can't tell you how many times over the years I've known Jim to circle those bridge pilings with a flyrod in his hand, pulling one slab after another into the boat.

Will and Jenny both readily admit that Jim has shared some of his favorite haunts and tricks with them, but they also told me they are developing some on their own. For instance, they told me they're going to sample the fishing in some of the local lakes with "JennyB." They also plan to spend some time on Lake Gaston--again like a certain guy with a handlebar mustache I happen to know. In fact, Will and Jenny told me they want to try and retire on a piece of lakeside property there one day.

These two, whom I've a couple of times already fondly characterized as "peas in a pod," definitely have some plans for the future. For openers, they quietly got married May 13th this year--so quietly, as a matter of fact, that Jim didn't even find out about it until a week or two later. They showed him their wedding bands for the first time the day they met him at his storage facility to have their first look at the boat they now own.

Jim had known for a spell that a wedding was in the works--he just didn't know any of the particulars. I'm guessing, though, that he figured it would be something formal. Will and Jenny, however, as they explained to me, had their reasons for exchanging marriage vows in a simple, low-key ceremony. They're saving their money and Will's leave for a special honeymoon.

Remember I earlier said they both love outdoor activities? Well, these two adventurers plan a backpacking honeymoon in Europe. They told me it could happen as early as this fall--at least, that's their current thinking. They both have backpacking experience, so why not do something like this? Makes perfect sense to me.

This marriage was a long time in the making. As Jenny explained to me Sunday, she was 19 and attending school when she first met Will in Savannah, GA. He, meanwhile, was 23 and working as a graphic artist, following a four-year tour of duty in the U.S. Army.

Jenny told me that she and Will dated off and on for a few years before a separation occurred as the result of a motorcycle crash that claimed the life of Will's brother. His parents really wanted him to be closer (they had lost one son and didn't want to lose another), so he picked up and moved back here. Over the ensuing years, the two looked for each other--unfortunately, to no avail. Then, however, technology caught up with them, and Jenny found Will again in 2012. She sent him her phone number, and he called at 10:30 p.m., July 3. Nearly six hours later--about 4 a.m. July 4th--their conversation finally ended. To this day, Jenny refers to that as "the best 4th of July ever."

From explosives specialist, to graphic artist, to master gardener, to machine equipment operator--that describes the work-history path of Will Bauer. In his current post as a machine equipment operator with the City of Virginia Beach, he's one of the guys with the dubious honor of running those spreader trucks that sand and salt the roads during the wintertime around here. And he was quick to tell me Sunday that there's a certain amount of danger involved with that detail, especially when drivers ignore all the warnings to stay off the roadways so people like him can do the job they're paid to do.

He described an incident not so long ago in which he was moving down this icy road at about 5 mph, laying the sand-and-salt mixture, when what should appear from the other direction but a car with no way to pass safely. Will said he got as close to the edge of the pavement as possible--actually too close, because as luck would have it, the pavement gave way. His spreader truck subsequently wound up on its side in the ditch, with both wheels on the driver's side in the air. His only path of escape was the driver's side door, which, as he explained, felt like it weighed a ton, given the position of the truck.

Nevertheless, he managed to get out, and the cop who had been following him at the time called in the incident. Tow vehicles arrived on the scene, righted the truck, and Will drove it back to the shop for workers to readjust and tighten down the spreader. It already was past his quitting time, though, so he just headed home.

When I asked Jenny about what kind of job she has, she explained that she's unemployed at the moment. In the past, however, she has held some excellent jobs in photography and layout. Like any experienced photographer, she always has a camera with her--as was the case Sunday when she showed me a nice outdoor model with a super lens. She has been using it to capture photos of as many different kinds of birds as she can find anytime Will and her are outdoors. And if my guess is right, that'll be most of the time, especially now that these two have the "JennyB."

I wish this couple nothing but the very best. To borrow the words from an old Eddy Arnold tune that I've always liked, "May your troubles all be small ones, and your fortunes ten times ten."

(Following is an automated slideshow of photos taken by Will and Jenny Bauer of the whole "JennyB" restoration project. All but the first and last photos used in the text of this story are from the same series. The last photo in the text was taken by Jim Bauer, and yours truly contributed the first one.)

Big-Bass Winner Takes All

That's the kind of instant-catch-and-release tourney Jerry, his two sons, Tom and Chris G., and their family friend, Chris V., decided to have yesterday.

As Jerry explained, "My son, Tom, and his family are in town on vacation from their hectic lives in California." That's all the reason his son, Chris G., needed to suggest a little friendly competition. Everyone agreed to toss $5 into a pot, with the angler posting the trip's biggest catch claiming all the proceeds.

Said Jerry, "Everyone caught plenty of bass and had a good time." At the end of the contest, though, it was Chris G. who owned the show with this bass that weighed 2 lbs. 1 oz.

In 2nd place was family friend, Chris V., whose bass weighed in at 1 lbs. 12 ozs.

Jerry's big catch for the day--good enough for 3rd place--was this fish, which tipped the scales at 1 lb. 9 ozs.

And finishing in 4th place was Jerry's son, Tom, who boated this bass weighing 1 lb. 5 ozs.

It wasn't until everyone assembled for an afternoon picnic that the losers had to pay up. During this setting, Jerry had to take his share of good-natured ribbin' about two younger guys beating him with bigger fish, but the 63-year-old proved he could "hold his own" when they all decided to play some cornhole.

In summing up the day's activities, Jerry noted that he had one surprise while they were fishing. "When I lifted one bass into the boat, a small 'live' frog fell out of its mouth," he said. "The frog was a little dazed but swam off when I tossed it back."

Jerry went on to note they all have caught bass before with baitfish in their mouth but never one with a live frog. "I guess this bass thought he had hit a bonanza with both a frog and a fluke within seconds of each other," he concluded.

Heatstroke: What To Watch for and What To Do for Victims

In the summer of 1949, when I was only 6 years old, two great-uncles from Kansas City, MO, visited my folks' home in Oswego, KS. They planned to spend a few days fishing the Neosho River. As it turned out, though, that vacation ended in tragedy for one of them.

While sitting on the bank of the Neosho, in the hot August sun, without a hat on his head, my Great-Uncle Chris had a heatstroke and died. Had cellphones been around back then, there's a chance my uncle's life might have been spared, but, of course, those devices still were several years away at that point.

Even with all the cellphones today, heatstroke continues to be an emergency that kills hundreds each year and leaves many more disabled. What makes it so severe and potentially life-threatening is the fact the body's normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control, become inadequate. The main sign of heatstroke is a markedly elevated body temperature--usually more than 104 degrees F--with changes in mental status, ranging from personality changes to confusion and coma. The skin may be hot and dry, although if heatstroke is caused by exertion, the skin may be moist.

Other signs and symptoms may include:
     * Rapid heartbeat
     * Rapid and shallow breathing
     * Elevated or lowered blood pressure
     * Cessation of sweating
     * Irritability, confusion or unconsciousness
     * Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
     * Headache
     * Nausea
     * Fainting, which may be the first sign in older adults

What To Do for Heatstroke When You Can Get Help

Call 9-1-1 immediately. Never wait and see if someone with heatstroke is going to get better on their own. Their organs are cooking.

Until the ambulance arrives, cool the person off as best you can. If they can walk, and it's not far, get them into air-conditioning. Otherwise, have them lie down in the shade. Take off all but their underclothes. Spray or bathe them with cool/cold water and fan them. When the victims are unconscious, place them on their side so their tongue won't impede their airway.

What To Do for Heatstroke When You Can't Get Help

Your only hope is to cool the person off as quickly as possible and get some fluids in him/her. In addition to the earlier guidelines, here are some more tips:

     * If you have ice, place a pack on the person's groin and armpits, and under his/her neck.
     * Even if available, there's a debate about whether someone with heatstroke should soak in a tub of ice water. The problem is, if his/her heart stops, it's going to be difficult to do CPR. The majority recommend doing whatever gets a victim the coolest the fastest.
     * Soak a sheet in the coolest water possible, and wrap it around the victim's bare skin.
     * Fan the victim for the cooling effect of evaporation.
     * If the victim is alert enough, have him/her slowly drink as much cool water as possible. Make sure they're sitting upright enough not to choke.
     * If you should have access to intravenous fluids, now would be the time to give them.

Even if you fully hydrate and cool someone with heatstroke, they'll have multiple-organ damage, so get them to a medical facility as soon as possible.

(The previous item and the one that follows are designed as reminders that we're heading into the dog days of summer, when it pays to stay alert to your body and what it's telling you.)

How To Prevent Heatstroke

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing. Wearing excess clothing or clothing that fits tightly won't allow your body to cool properly.

Wear light-colored clothing if you're in the sun. Dark clothing absorbs heat. Light-colored clothing can help keep you cool by reflecting the sun's rays.

Drink plenty of fluids. Staying hydrated will help your body sweat and maintain a normal body temperature.

Take extra precautions with certain medications. Be on the lookout for heat-related problems if you take medications that can affect your body's ability to stay hydrated and dissipate heat.

Never leave children or anyone else in a parked car. This is a common cause of heat-related deaths in children. When parked in the sun, the temperature in your car can rise 20 degrees F in just 10 minutes. It's not safe to leave a person inside a parked car in hot weather for any period of time, even if the windows are cracked or the car is in the shade. When your car is parked, keep it locked to prevent a child from getting inside.

Take it easy during the hottest parts of the day. If you can't avoid strenuous activity in hot weather, follow the same precautions and rest frequently in a cool spot. Try to schedule exercise or physical labor for cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or evening. Taking breaks and replenishing your fluids during that time will help your body regulate your temperature. (On a personal note, I sometimes take a break from fishing--even on tournament days--and just go for a little boat ride to cool off when we're in the middle of a summer heat wave. I've also fished with others who draped a damp cloth over the back of their neck on hot days.)

Get acclimatized. Limit the amount of time you spend working or exercising in the heat until you're conditioned to it. People who are not used to hot weather are especially susceptible to heat-related illness, including heatstroke. It can take several weeks for your body to adjust to hot weather.

Be cautious if you're at increased risk. If you take medications or have a physical condition that increases your risk of heat-related problems, avoid the heat and act quickly if you notice symptoms of overheating. If you participate in a strenuous sporting event or activity in hot weather, make sure there are medical services at the event in case a heat emergency arises.

All Is Well With Yours Truly

Earlier today, I had a friend stop me and ask, "Have you been doing any fishing? Are you OK?" He went on to explain that he was concerned because he hasn't seen any new posts on my blog. So I decided to put up a little note "to explain myself," for lack of a better way of putting it.

The simple truth as to why I haven't posted anything about my fishing trips is that I haven't been on the water once since our tourney last Saturday. There are a couple of reasons involved. First and foremost, I just don't fare so well any more when the temps and humidity reach current levels. Second, I've been taking care of some things around the house. Third, I've been trying to get organized for a couple of future blog articles.

And there's even more. On the heels of some recent research I did, I've been debating whether I want to pursue an altogether new venture. However, I'm not opening my mouth to the general populace about this idea until I've had an opportunity to discuss it with an old "sounding board" who has yet to ever let me launch an ill-advised scheme. If he tells me to forget it, that's exactly what will happen, and none of you ever will know what I was thinking about. I don't mind a little public ridicule from time to time, but I pick and choose, too.

The one thing I will say a little bit about is the blog story that likely will get posted sometime next week. Thanks to a long-time friend, I learned about a fella and his bride who have transformed an old fishing boat into something to be justifiably proud of. I anticipate having access to an abundant supply of photos to help tell this story, and I firmly believe it's going to be popular across a broad segment of my readers. If my plans hold together, I will be interviewing the fella and his bride this Sunday and picking up the photo disk they have ready for me. Then it will be up to me to put everything together.

Some of you probably also remember the first in what I had hoped was going to be a regular series on my blog that I initiated last year. It was titled "A Day on the Water With..." My first, and to date only, subject was Mark Ingram. Shortly after doing that story, I was in discussions with a couple other anglers, but they and I have had continuing scheduling problems for first one reason and then another, so I'm planning to try and get hooked up with another subject while I work on those problems. That particular inaugural story was one of the most popular to date, so it's in my best interests to try and get the series back on track, then keep it going.

There's yet another blog story I've had in the works for months now but can't do anything with until I get the photos I've been promised, as well as the answers to some questions I posed to family members some time ago. And, as if that isn't enough to keep me busy, I've also been trying to work on the first of a couple or so books I promised myself I was going to write when I retired for the second time better than four years ago. I spend many hours in front of this computer screen during the course of any given week--perhaps as many as when I was working fulltime as an editor. As my wife frequently reminds me, "I sure get tired of looking at the back of your bald head." There are times when I think she really considers throwing something at me to get my attention.

In any event, this is my long-winded way of letting all of you know I'm fine. I just haven't been to the water in several days and truthfully don't know that I'll get there again before the next scheduled tourney on Saturday the 12th. At the moment, I just want Hurricane Arthur to hurry up and get past us and on out to sea. Here's wishing everyone a safe passage.

Oh, and incidentally, if any of you have fishing reports or other ideas for some stories, send 'em my way.