A Little of This, And a Little of That

With all this white stuff still hanging around, coupled with the record-cold temperatures we're still having, and everything that is frozen, starting with the North Landing River and including, as of first thing this morning, the water pipes in my house, it's a bit difficult to even think about fishing. However, I'm going to try.

Before going any further, though, let me just say that we dodged a bullet this morning with our frozen pipes. My first move was to get some space heaters aimed inside all the kitchen and bathroom vanities. Then we took a couple of hair dryers to the cold-water intake lines therein.

When those steps failed to show any noticeable difference, I started calling some plumbers. I quickly figured out that the commercial avenue wasn't going to work; they all were slammed with earlier service calls--more than 40 at one of them I called.

One commercial venture, however, was kind enough to give me the name and phone number of an independent plumber with an outstanding approval record, and he really was helpful. After letting me know I was only No. 3 on his list for the day, he told me to crank up my heat in the house higher than normal, keep all the doors to the bathrooms and vanities open, and continue using the space heaters and hair dryers until he arrived.

As things worked out, in the neighborhood of an hour later, every faucet in the house suddenly started running freely. I subsequently called the plumber back and notified him, then asked what he recommended I do to prevent another incident until warmer weather returns. His instructions were to keep all the bathroom and vanity doors open at night, keep one faucet dripping slowly both upstairs and down, and not to push the heat back to a lower setting at night, as I routinely do, until it warms up around here.

This is the first time in all the years we've lived in this house that frozen pipes ever have been a problem. Hopefully, it also will be the last. You can be certain of two things: First, I will keep this independent plumber's advice handy, and second, his phone numbers will remain at my fingertips all the time.

With all of that said, let me now get back to at least trying to think about fishing for a few minutes. What I want to pass along is nothing big; rather, it's just something I found last evening while doing a little online research into another baitcast reel.

I happened across The Old Farmer's Almanac predictions for best fishing days in 2018. Here is that list:

January 1, 16-31
February 15-March 1
March 17-31
April 15-29
May 15-20
June 13-28
July 12-27
August 11-26
September 9-24
October 8-24
November 7-23
December 7-22

Incidentally, after about a week of looking, I finally found a reel like I wanted and ordered it last night before going to bed. I had been looking hard at three different ones, all made by different manufacturers, and I liked all of them about the same. The tipping point for me, though, was that one of them offered a far better drag than either of the other two.

Did I need it? No. Was that ever a consideration? Not really. Was the price right? Yep. Will I use it? You can bet on it.

And finally, I also must pay my utmost thanks to the friend who volunteered to shovel my driveway afternoon before last. He accomplished in about an hour and a half what, when I did it the last time, took me between four and five hours to finish. I've known for a good spell now that I'm not even remotely close to the "hoss" I used to be (not that I ever was much of one), and my friend proved it, once and for always. "You're the best, Shipmate, and I'll be eternally grateful...not just for all the shoveling but for the good fishing conversation we had, too."

To Some It's a "Winter Wonderland"...

And I heard one young, local, female newscaster last evening make this remark, "I can't wait for the snow to start--I'm so excited!"

But considering I once spent 20 months in Adak, Alaska, where I saw this kind of weather every single day, I've got just two words for ya: 

BAH, HUMBUG!!!

If I were to go every day for the rest of my life without seeing another snowflake, I would be perfectly content. In most cases, that white stuff is nothing but trouble for me, e.g., I've had a couple of traffic accidents because of it, and I've lost power several times, too, as a result of it. This blizzard was no exception. The power went off at 5:30 this morning, and it didn't come back on until 4:30 this afternoon.

Take 'Em With You to the Shower

Bet you'll never guess what I'm talking about. And, I'll even go so far as to say you probably won't believe me after I tell you. I didn't believe it, either, when I first read the article, but I was convinced by the time I had read it a couple of times.

So what am I suggesting that you take to the shower? The answer is: your fishing rods.

Suffice it to say that I, too, clean up my bevy of fishin' rods after every trip. However, I've never yet, nor do I ever plan to haul them into the shower with me for an old-fashioned soap-up, scrub-down, and rinse-off evolution. If I did, I fully would expect my wife to call the fellas with the straightjackets to come and get me.

While I generally just wipe down my rods with a damp cloth, followed by loosening all the controls and covering all the reels, then standing them in a carousel, I can see the value of adopting a regimen similar to the one used by pro angler Aaron Martens. Here is what he does to take care of his "sticks."

Clean the guides. They get a lot of use and abuse. Over time, stuff builds up on them that can damage your line. In some lakes and rivers, it's minerals, and in others, it's grass and other kinds of vegetation. No matter, it all needs to be removed. "I clean mine with a Q-tip and Reel Magic, WD-40, or, in extreme cases, Dawn dish soap," he says. "Soak the Q-tip real well and then rub all around the guides, both inside and outside, until they're perfectly clean. In some cases, you may want to use a soft-plastic brush, but never use a wire one. The latter will really wipe out rod guides," he continues. "If it's hot out, and stuff is drying on my guides while I'm fishing, I clean them real quickly with water and my shirt, just to get through the day. It only takes a couple of seconds, but it can make all the difference in the world."

Clean the handles and reel-mounting hardware. For this, Martens uses a white towel, soaked with rubbing alcohol. He rubs everything real hard. "When done, you'll be able to handle the rod without it sticking to your hand, which could cause you to lose a fish," he says. Martens cleans even new rod handles the same way, 'cause he thinks there's a lot of dirt on them, too. Besides removing all the nasty cork dust, the alcohol disinfects the handle.

Make them look good. To make the finish last longer and look better, Martens wipes off the blank a couple times each year with Pledge. "It repels water and makes them shine," he says. "You also can use a carnauba-based wax, but I personally think that's a little extreme."

Store them properly. Rods you're not using should be stored in sleeves, which protect them and keep them from getting all tangled up. If possible, always store your rods vertical. That keeps the blanks straight. If you have to lay them down, never do it with a bend in the blank 'cause, over time, that bend will set in the rod, and it'll be ruined. Never store rods in a hot place, like your car or truck. Heat can weaken them. And finally, never lay your rod over something hard, like the boat gunwale or something in your vehicle, where it can bounce up and down on the same spot. That also will weaken the blank and cause it to break under pressure--like when you're fighting a big fish.

Rods don't last forever. "Replace your rods every so often, even if they look good," says Martens. "They weaken over time, and after several years, they go soft and won't hold up like when they were new." The way to test this is to take an old rod and compare it to an identical new one. "You'll see and feel the difference immediately," assures Martens.

A Look Back at Navy New Year 1966

USS Topeka (CLG 8), somewhere in the Gulf of Tonkin

Romeo has been hauled down, at the conn: Captain Buell,

From the oiler off our starboard, we are taking on fuel.

Chemung is her name, she carries it with pride,
She's high in the water and acting as guide.
We're part of a task unit, 77.0.1 is the number,
And all is being accomplished when normally we'd slumber.
Off to starboard, the Gridley moves forth and back,
As friendly sub Bream simulates an attack.
ComSeventhFlt has a schedule established for the quarter,
Indicating ops for Topeka while she's out in the water.
We are down in the Gulf of Tonkin, I mean,
The war has slackened, but we remain keen.
On base course, we speed at ten knots, 'till through,
The gyro repeater shows three zeros true.
With navigation for the steering and the exec for support,
We will have little problem reaching our port.
To the right of the oiler, the Berkeley is parked,
With CTU77.0.1 the OTC (ComDesRon 13) embarked.
RADM Irvine, who's SOPA, in Topeka resides,
77.1, 70.8 and 77.9 are numbers by which he's disguised.
In our ship and others, the vital word is three,
For it's the condition of readiness upon which we key.
Since quick closure's important, considering our position,
Yoke is the summary of material condition.
Radio frequency energy from all radars emits,
Because operations has decided to set Emcon Six.
Impetus for moving and the source of our light,
Comes from 2 and 4 boilers and all generators tonight.
The only lights burning on this very dark night,
Are lights termed "obstruction" (to warn of our plight).
We just rang twelve bells to make very clear,
That what just has occurred was the start of a year.
At 0007, the chief engineer reports,
The fueling is finished, there'll be no retorts.
The helo's JP-5 was topped off just so,
And we're now 98 percent NSFO.
At 0008: "Hoses clear" comes the call,
Weapons' men can be proud, the chore was not small.
At 0011 to 17 knots we did change,
And to 335 our course rearrange.
At 0019 and one minute apart,
The speed is 10 knots, the course is due north.
At 0021 on the Captain's dispatch,
The OOD took the conn for the rest of the watch.
At 0027, the special detail,
Set for replenishment only, is secured from the rail.
One more speed change, and then one in course,
The latter at 0113, 0058 for the first.
As part of the efforts to halt the aggression,
We leave you with thoughts shaped by discretion.
As we are returning to our Tonkin outpost,
We send New Year's greetings to you with a toast.

R. T. Reitmeier
Ensign, U.S. Navy

Ron Wraps Up Another Successful Season

Today was my last trip of the year. With it being a balmy 46 degrees, and winds running 10 to 12, I had to get out one more time in my kayak before the freeze. I ended up catching a skunk, but had to try. The next few days aren't supposed to see the mercury rise above 30, and coupled with the predicted winds, it's a bit too much for me. One of this year's highlights was a 24-lb. blue cat that I got on an ultralight with a beetlespin. I also caught a citation yellow perch that qualified me for a Master Angler Certificate. Another highlight was a PB striper at 29 inches, which provided a bunch of tasty meals. During the year, I was treated to some amazing sunsets, a bunch of wildlife, good friends, good times, and some tight lines.

Following are my totals for the year:
778 LMB (majority were dinks, but a few pole-benders)
182 white perch
112 stripers
61 yellow perch
29 bowfin
119 speckled trout
69 chain pickerel
154 crappie

Those totals included 319 trips, 1,159 miles, 911 hours, and 16 skunks. Had a discrepancy between my fishing log and kayak trip app, so will have to fix that next year.

Happy New Year's and tight lines to one and all in 2018.

Pungo Ferry Ramp Construction

Here's the way things looked earlier today, when I took a ride out there. No workers were in sight, so I eased down close to the scene, snapped three shots, then left.

Celebrating an Ending, Welcoming a Beginning

"O, What a Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice to Deceive!"

That familiar saying by Scottish novelist Walter Scott (1771-1832) is similar to the way I've felt since stumbling onto an Internet story a couple days ago. I've gone in circles since then, trying to find the pieces of the puzzle I feel are missing. I happened onto another lead yesterday evening, but when I checked it out this morning, I again came up empty-handed.

Let me clarify that I don't really think David Meeks, a reporter with the Sun-Sentinel at the time, set out to deceive anyone with this story. For some unknown reason, though, no one bothered to tell the rest of the story (e.g., like whatever happened to the inventors and their invention). In the meantime, here is what I know so far:

Around Halloween 1998, auto mechanic Ralph Millen (age 45 at the time, so would only be 62 today) and his wife, Janet, or "Queen," as he calls her, were in Mount Dora, FL, for a week's vacation. A greatly anticipated highlight of their vacation was a fishing trip to Lake Dora. It was going to be a chance for Millen to satisfy his passion for bass fishing, which dates back to his childhood on a small lake in Michigan. What they couldn't have known is that the fishing trip wouldn't turn out the way they had hoped.

In a nutshell, Millen's equipment that day didn't cooperate. As any bass angler who uses spinning equipment will tell you, "lateral line twist" is an unavoidable annoyance. When the twisting is extensive, it occasionally works itself farther up and causes backlash from the line severely overwrapping itself inside the reel. In a worst-case scenario, you can't cast, nor can you reel. That's what happened to Millen, who was left holding a massive tangle of uselessness.

"It was the only reel I had that day," said Millen, "so, basically, I got a real expensive boat ride. I didn't get to fish nothin'. I ended up just pouting in the boat a little bit."

That day's episode bothered Millen all night, and he started brainstorming about it. While his life's work was car repair, he also had experience as a commercial artist and hailed from a family of design engineers. He started designing and drawing, looking for a solution that, as far as he knew, had eluded the major fishing-tackle companies--a system that would not cause lateral line twist. And he came up with something.

"Honestly, I designed it just for me," he noted, "but after I field-tested it a couple of times, I couldn't believe the difference. It went from being a problem to no problem at all. It virtually eliminated lateral line twist."

Millen's concept was amazingly simple. He redesigned the bullet weight used with soft plastics so that a swivel would fit inside the weight. The concealed swivel allowed the bait to spin freely, with no subsequent line twist.

He showed the invention to his brother-in-law, Walter Schatzel (age 38 at the time, so would only be 55 today), a detective with the Hollywood, FL Police Department, who, like Millen, was a weekend warrior on area lakes. After trying the gadget, Schatzel said, "Ralph, this is so simple. Somebody must have already come up with the same thing or something similar."

Millen and Schatzel looked through every tackle catalog they could find but didn't come across a single trace of anything like it. They then hired a lawyer and checked with the U.S. Patent Office but still could not find anything like it. So they patented the invention as a "Millennium Twist" (the out-of-focus photo at the beginning is the only one of the invention I could find). Here's the online link to their patent: https://www.google.com/patents/WO2001087061A1?cl=en. Then came the big step: finding some pros who would try it.

They got the Millennium Twist into the hands of Gary Dobyns and Dave Rush, who both gave it rave reviews. "I was waiting for someone to burst my bubble," said Millen, "telling me they had used something like this for years. Instead, though, Dobyns and Rush were asking where they could get more of these. Rush even wrote a testimonial, calling the Millennium Twist 'a must for any fisherman who uses fishing line.'"

Soon, major tackle companies got interested, and Millen reached agreements with Eagle Claw hooks, Bullet weights, and Culprit worms. Those companies made gear to Millen's specifications and shipped it to his garage, which, at the time, was in Miramar, FL. At one point, that gear, including 200,000 artificial worms, a pallet of weights, 1.2 million hooks, and some very high hopes, shared space with all of Millen's auto-repair equipment.

In April 2000, Millen still hadn't made a dime of profit off his invention, but he and Schatzel still were assembling each one by hand...and they were starting to get noticed. Customers were able to order them through a now-nonexistent website (where you supposedly could get a 100-piece set, including a variety of hooks pre-attached to barrel swivels, for $29.95 a set), and Millen just had signed a deal with the Home Shopping Network for a series of infomercials.

"I'm hoping this someday is my primary source of revenue," he said. "I don't want to be greasy the rest of my life."

In 1998, sales of fishing tackle, not including major items like boats, had reached $44 billion, so it was rather amazing that no one in research and development at some huge company had thought of this idea before Millen.

He wasn't looking to make a fortune with his invention. Instead, he just wanted to find something that would prevent line twist, so he could spend more time fishing and less time working.

Believe it or not, this is where the story I found online just suddenly stops, with absolutely no further indication of whatever happened to the Millennium Twist or its inventors. As I said in the beginning, though, I'm still digging, so hope springs eternal. It seems bizarre to me that someone would go to the trouble of getting a patent for his invention, and then just suddenly drop the whole idea, but then I don't claim to be a mind-reader.

Enjoy It While You Can...

'Cause the day is coming when that wrinkled skin you get from sitting out there on a boat in an all-day rain won't entirely fade away as you dry. Don't be fooled by those who will try to convince you that "getting older" is just a state of mind. I'm here to tell you it's that and a whole lot more.

Just wait 'til the day comes when you start to scratch your head and happen to notice all those wrinkles in the skin on your bent arm. Sure, those wrinkles (most of  'em, anyway) disappear as soon as you put your arm down, but I think I safely can say you won't be able to get that image of those wrinkles out of your head. And if you want to really get grossed out, try striking a full-body manly pose in the au natural in front of the bathroom mirror after you've seen those wrinkles on your arm. There's no hurry; just wait 'til one day when you're getting ready to step into the shower. A word of caution: You might want to make sure that your significant other isn't standing behind you at the time.

So, what got me to thinking about this topic? Well, it started with a Christmas morning email from my friend, Skip. His note read as follows: "Yesterday morning, despite it being misty, rainy and cold, I ran into Eddie Sapp at 7-11. He had his boat hooked up and was going fishing. I couldn't help thinking, 'Ah, to be young again!'"

"My sentiments exactly" was my first thought. Then I mulled it over for a moment or two and came to the conclusion there might be a blog post in that statement. Following a little bit of Internet research, I knew I could make something of Skip's comment. Turns out I learned a couple of things in the process, too.

For example, did you know that cold weather puts pressure on the heart, especially in that of...ahem...the elderly? The cold temperature thickens the blood and constricts the arteries. I had a good firsthand example of that during my latest fishing trip, when I happened to stick myself with a treble hook. It took several seconds for a single spot of blood to appear on my index finger, and then it just sat there in a blob until I wiped it on my jeans. According to the British Heart Foundation, this pressure on the heart results in it having to work harder and causes an individual to be more susceptible to a heart attack or stroke.

A person suffering from cold temperatures also may be affected cognitively, showing signs of clumsiness, lack of coordination, confusion, and sleepiness.

Older people, most notably those with existing medical conditions, further are more sensitive to the effects of hot weather, as well. For example, people suffering with heart disease will find it more difficult for their bodies to circulate blood properly and dissipate heat. Certain medications also can cause problems for some elderly during hot weather. Diuretics, for example, cause water loss, and, therefore, when the outside temperature increases, dehydration is accelerated.

Anyone who knows Skip knows that he often fishes with an umbrella over his pedestal seat during summer. He and at least one other fellow tournament angler, whom I know, take medications that are affected by their exposure to the hot sun.

The reality is that the older we get, the more sensitive we become to temperature changes.

According to Al Lindner, anglers 30 years old or younger and competing on the tournament trails are focused solely on making a name for themselves. As they grow older, though, a lot of other things become more important to them. Read the entire InFisherman article about the changes that occur in the mind and body of old anglers by clicking on this link: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/catching-fish-and-the-mind-and-body-of-old-anglers/.

Closing the Book on Another Year

I will remember the 2017 tournament season for three distinct reasons. For openers, this year marked the first time the Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Angler of the Year competition, now in its fifth year of existence, actually turned into a genuine race to the finish line among six anglers. Claiming victory at the end, however, was Bobby Moore (right), who finished the year with 149.82 lbs. of fish.

Another reason this year will stand out is because a new record was set during the season-ending two-day Classic. The team of Wayne Hayes and Al Napier (below left) shattered the 30-lb. barrier for the first time in the Classic's seven-year history. They captured 1st place with a grand total of 32.69 lbs. of fish for the two days. This same duo also claimed the seasonal-lunker award with a 6.82-lb. bass that they weighed during our July 22nd tournament.

Also noteworthy this year was the fact that, for the first time ever, the overall average weight of our tournament fish through 17 qualifying tournaments, plus the Classic contest, surpassed the 2-lb. mark. We've been close a number of times...but that only counts in horseshoes. The final average for 2017 was 2.17 lbs.

My hat's off to everyone for making this year another one our dear ol' bewhiskered founder, Dewey, would have been proud of, had he been here to celebrate the occasion with us. Of course, I've always felt like he's with us for every tournament in spirit.

As for my personal stats, there really isn't much to report. My year-to-date numbers are 295 fish boated, with five skunks en route. Of that 295, I had 14 fish that went 2 lbs. or better, five that went 3 lbs. or better, and one that went 4-9, which I caught just two or three weeks ago.

My INT (I'll Never Tell) bait figured into some of those numbers but not to the extent it did in 2016. My most memorable experience with the INT bait this season was one early morning in West Neck Creek back in mid-summer. Through nothing but a sheer lucky cast, the topwater lure landed in a spot I normally could have only dreamed about hitting. I then let it sit still for several seconds before just barely twitching the rod tip, and the water then exploded in a bigger crash than I ever can remember witnessing any other time in my life. I set the hook as soon as I felt the fish, but the hookup was only momentary. I then watched the wake of what looked like a motorboat as it departed the scene.

I spent a considerable number of trips this year experimenting with some different baits and found a few that produced fairly well. I used a soft-plastic rig with better-than-hoped-for results during the spawn. And, too, several topwaters worked better than usual during the early springtime. In recent weeks, I've been giving the nod to a a shallow crankbait that has been yielding consistent success.

I had hoped to get in a few more trips with that crankbait this month, but with only 40s showing up for daytime highs in the 10-day forecast, it isn't likely I'll see any more action until after New Year's. And I'm not the only one looking at that kind of plan. I ran into Dave this past Tuesday when I was on the water, and he also was saying that day's trip might be his last one for the year.

This time in 2016, I just had logged my 1,000th blog post, and my blog pageviews numbered 200,000. This 2017 year-end wrap-up article marks my 1,209th blog post, and my blog pageviews now stand at more than 276,100.

In closing, I would be remiss if I didn't thank Steve for allow us to continue holding our tournaments at West Neck Marina. I also owe him and our anonymous benefactor a big "thank you" for another super cookout at the conclusion of our Classic. What a perfect way to end the season!

And finally, let me wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Until I see you again come March, stay safe.

People Can't Even Keep a Simple New Year's Resolution...

Let's face it: People who begin each year swearing they are going to lose weight and/or to start eating healthy are a dime a dozen. The vast majority routinely fail miserably...usually in a very short period of time.

"So what," you might ask, "are the chances of someone keeping an 'ambitious' New Year's resolution?"

One might logically be inclined to respond, "About as good as hell freezing over."

As one writer I found, however, puts it, "Summoning the will, the courage, the effort, and then doing your utmost, is the noblest act a man or woman can execute. Personally, I boast a history of failures: some noble, some not so much."

This writer went on to detail that while still in search of his destiny at 21, he opted to become a tournament fisherman.

"My partner and I won our first competition when he caught the only bass on a wintry fall day. The following spring, I took first place in a two-day tournament...and spent the night in my van."

Eventually, the writer learned that fishing for money all but ruined fishing for fun, which caused him to, as he explained it, "cut short my Babe Winkelman emulations and get married, instead."

At age 23, he bought a house with his wife, they had a baby, and he immersed himself in family life and an $8,000-a-year job as an English teacher.

"I tried to supplement my income by making homemade fishing lures, which failed to sell," he said, "but nonetheless saved us a tiny bit of money when I used them for Christmas and birthday gifts."

He subsequently adapted his woodworking skills to make bigger things, like furniture, and then, at age 30, decided it would be smarter to pursue things that required use of his brain, rather than his hands.

"Eureka!" he thought. "I'll write fishing stories."

His first published piece appeared in Carolina Sportsman, followed by stories in Midwest Outdoors and Outdoor Network.

Though satisfying at first, the life of an outdoors writer meant a restricted number of topics and an even more restricted range of audiences. Accordingly, he branched out and today writes commentaries on everything from politics to dog training for newspapers around the country.

The main thing is that he's happy where he is today, despite all the many dead ends he had to endure getting there. In his words, "It is the reaching, I believe, that defines and fulfills us as human beings."

His advice to everyone: "Resolve to fail, early and often, in the New Year."

My Wish for One and All

Let us keep Christmas,

holding it close to our hearts...

for its meaning never ends

and its spirit is the warmth and joy

of remembering friends...

Merry Christmas

and

Every happiness in the New Year.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017

Monday, Dec. 18 (from Ron)...Fished HRBT this morning from 0430 to 0630. Caught three at 18, 19, and 20 inches, respectively, so one for the oven. When I cleaned him, was surprised to see the stomach contents. I have some soft-plastic DOA shrimp lures and a hard plastic one that I may have to try next trip. Then again, the paddletails have been working, and they match the minnows I am seeing along the light lines. The weather was much nicer and a pod of dolphins were swarming around Willoughby Bay at sunrise.

Tuesday, Dec. 19 (from Ken)...Reckon you might say it was a day for the "old farts." Five of the six boats I saw on the water today had seniors at the helm. I fished from 9 to 2 and had my first hit on about my fifth or six cast, but it happened so fast I didn't even get a chance to try setting the hook. For the next couple of hours, I had absolutely no action at all. It wasn't until I decided to move above the bridge that things picked up. I ended up boating three bass, all about a pound apiece, and lost one more the same size enroute to the boat. Also caught a small pickerel near the end of my trip. Ended up once again catching all my fish on the same crankbait I've caught everything on my last three trips. The secret seems to be the 4.7:1 baitcaster I'm using, fished dead slow. Don't know when I'll get back out again--just depends on what the weather does. Would like to get in another trip yet this week, but will just have to wait and see.