Fishing Was On Hold.

My fishing has been put on hold since the beginning of deer season and besides that I usually only fish for bass and catfish now which I do normally during the first part of the year until as I said deer season begins. Anyway with deer season about over you should start getting more post here on my fishing afield for the 2009 year. Perhaps in 2009 if the deer hunting gets slow I may try some fall and winter fishing. Who knows I may even take up fishing for crappie and walleye. My camping trips with the wife this year were all but a disaster so in 2009 there probably won't be any camping trips or at least not with her but maybe with some of the guys from work or my grand kids, only time will tell.

Just A Fishing.

A couple of weeks ago I'd pondered all night while at work about going fishing after work the next morning. Unfortunately, I was to tired to drive the 12 - 15 miles to my catfish hole and ended up going down to the nearby river to fish for bass. I parked by the Hwy 111 bridge, climbed down the embankment and slide into the water by the bridge and began fishing upstream all the way to the dam with nary a bite one. I then started back down stream and had stopped at a big poole using the same spinner bait but reeling it very slowly, so as to allow it to fall to the bottom and to my dismay began cacthing 10 - 12 inch redeye bass. I stayed at this poole for about 40 minutes and left with a nice stringer of redeye bass. I didn't have my watch on so I figured it was about time I get home to the wife before she grounded me from fishing the rest of the year. Those fish made some nice eatin and the wife was happy to boot.

Doctor's Released Me.

Tuesday August 12th, 2008 the doctors check-up was good but not a total relief. The doctor looked at the wound and said it was healing good but to be careful cause it could still bust open again and I'd be back to square one again starting all over on the healing process.The doctor released me to go back to work but on a light duty release only for about another 7 - 10 days or so. I went to work on the 13th and 14th and they put me on the forklift and told me to " just be careful and chill out and not lift anything", but my packing balled up on me and felt like sitting on a rock. I even changed the packing but it didn't do any good the pain was already there and hard to handle without my pain medication. I kept trying to prevent taking any pain meds. due to them being narcotic drugs and not wanting to get dependent on them. Saturday around noon I had my grandsons over to help clean up the yard so it could be mowed and I started hurting again just walking around so now I've been inside sitting around trying to stop the pain again. I think I may have rubbed the covering off the wound and have it opened up again but haven't had the wife check it yet. I'll have her check it in the morning after my shower before dressing it. I just hope I can make it at work the next few days without any more pain. It's good to be able to get off the couch anyway and tomorrow I plan on trying to mow the yard with just the riding mower at least. I may not be able to do that but I have to try. Dad and mom came by today to check on me and they have been seeing a few deer in the lake bed with a couple of nice bucks. Now I just have to finish rebuilding my deer stands and get them up before season starts and re-sight my bow.

Doctors Visit.

Went to the doctors today for check-up and they told me the wound was worst not better. The wound has opened up even more and the infection gotten worst. They put me off work through the 12th of August now and have me doing what they call a wet and dry packing on it ( which is changing the dressing from a wet pack to a dry pack every four to six hours and nothing during the nighttime to let it air out and breath ). I also have to use Hydrogen Peroxide and water ( 50-50 % ) solution on it twice daily to help the infection clear out. It just doesn't look all that good to me but then I'm not a doctor and not making the big bucks for those decisions. Since lying on the couch is all I can do I've been watching alot of hunting and fishing shows on tv on the Outdoor Channel, writing blogs in my website booklet ( which I need to post to my hunting site ) and sleeping alot of the time. I 've been doing paid surveys online but they all want you to buy something or try something free for a fourteen day trial, so I guess I be giving this idea up of making money at home with the internet. I can't win from losing any more. Depression starting to set in some now I think so I'll close till the next doctors visit or I feel like writing something else.

Complications from Surgery

Went to doctors appointment today, they were upset cause fiberplasty has broken lose and infection set up. Seems as though I wasn't supposed to be sitting in a tub of water for my bath or sitting at all. My release instructions weren't explained to me just written on paper. Now I'm off work for at least another week and my pain medication doubled and a strong antibiotic to boot. Now I may end up losing my job over this surgery due to missing too much work, even though I was under a doctors care I can only miss 8 days in a year even with a doctors excuse. I go back to the doctor Friday the 8Th at 11:00 a.m. and hope the antibiotics are working and the surgery healing up but for now will just have to wait and see. First time surgery you never know what to expect or what questions to ask when your released to go home.

Surgery update.

Surgery had me worried but it's all over with now and wasn't as bad as I figured it would be. Though I haven't talked to the doctor myself yet, my wife, mother and father was there with me during the surgery and spoke with the doctor after surgery while I was in recovery. The doctor told them everything went well and that he was sending the warts off to have them checked for the possibility of cancer. As for my endoscopy, the doctor said I had an ulcer and ask my wife if I had been under any stress, said that is what causes ulcers( with all the kids staying with us, health problems,financial problems,work not getting done around home,not sleeping good and trying to stop smoking and cut way down on the caffine---no stress here at all). Anyway I'm scheduled to return to the surgeon for follow-up only this time Monday August 4th at 3:45p.m. and then I'll have alot more questions for him. The hospital called yesterday to check up on me and told me to lay around the house buck naked so the wound would get air to it and heal faster. This part I like but have to make sure I lock the doors. Get to bath for the first time today since surgery on Tuesday and man do I need a bath. Pain pills are the strongest he can give me and at times they just don't seem to be working at all (Dilundid 2 mg every 3-4 hours). I'm just glad they didn't have to do any skin grafts. Okay enough for now will update more later as reqiured or needed.

Health Update.

Was supposed to go fishing tonight but had a doctors appointment and he scheduled me for minor surgery on my leg tomorrow. the doctor has taken me off work till Monday August the 4th so since I can't do anything but sit around the house I'll try to post a few articles on all my websites for everyone and visit alot of sites as well. Catfish are hitting really good here right now as they are coming off beds and filling their gut. Have been getting alot of reports of big 18,19 lbs and bigger fish being caught on crawfish, nightcrawlers, chicken livers and shad and minnows and bream. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of any of them just reports. Keep on fishing and posts me some articles and THANKS EVERYONE for your concerns.

Fishing Update

It's been some time now since my last post so let me fill you in. I've been busy with my job,working around the house and helping out my dad so I really haven't had the time to get online. I have managed to go fishing some after work for a couple of hours and early mornings and late nights. I caught a nice 12 1/2 lb. channel catfish three weeks ago that gave me a really good fight on my ultralight rod with 6 lb test, then three days ago I caught a stringer of nice red eye bass at the river using a small spinner bait on my ultralight rod and that was a ball. I 've fished a few ponds at night and caught a few decent largemouth bass which I threw back , so I guess that's about all the fishing time I've been able to do lately. My dad's health and mine too is worst now so I have to try to help my parents with their work around their place and keep working on my place as well which doesn't leave much time for my fishing. Hunting season is getting close and I've got to get all my ducks in a roll before it gets here or I won't be going come opening day if my health allows me. I've missed out on reading everyone's post and leaving comments on their stories so much that everyone has probably forgotten me but that will change now. Everyone keep fishing and post those articles as I will do the same.

40 Years of Heritage

40 Years ago in a small town in Tennessee, lived a family of five brothers growing up to the wonders of the great outdoors. It was around this time that I have some of the most fondest memories of growing up fishing on the banks of rivers and streams with my dad and four brothers. Fishing for me back then was probably the best I've ever known cause at that time I never had to worry about license, rules and regulations or what kind of fish I was going to try to catch. Back then all I had to worry about was getting my chores and school homework done and coming back home on time. Sometimes when I would go to wade the creek, which was just 1/4 mile from my home, I would get up at daylight and be gone all day long fishing and swimming till I got tired and still didn't want to go home then. On Sunday morning us boys would have our chores done by 9:00 a.m. so dad would carry us to the river. I remember the cardinals singing in the tree tops and the fish would be biting even if it was nothing more then bream and perch. These were the good times and my how they have changed. Now days a body goes through an act of congress just to get ready to go fishing but it's all good and fine as long as I have great company along to enjoy the day or night with and make new memories for when I can't go any longer. Isn't this what fishing all about anyway, making memories and sharing them with the ones you love. Make plans now to get together with someone you know and go fishing this year or find a new fishing partner to go with you and make someone else happy too. Passing on your fishing expertise is always an experience in it's self and keeps our heritage alive for years to come.

Bring Gas Prices Down

This was sent to me in an e-mail , see if it makes sense to you. THIS IS NOT THE 'DON'T BUY' GAS FOR ONE DAY, BUT IT WILL SHOW YOU HOW WE CAN GET GAS BACK DOWN TO $1.30 PER GALLON.

This was sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. If you are tired of the gas prices going up AND they will continue to rise this summer, take time to read this please.

Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea.
This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May!
It's worth your consideration. Join the resistance!!!!
I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a gallon by next summer, and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down?

We need to take some intelligent, united action. The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas.

It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.
BUT, whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $2.00 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $3.19 for regular unleaded in my town.

Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers.

With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.

The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.

How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas.

But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL.

If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices.
If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x10 = 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.
If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!

If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!

(If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am . so trust me on this one.

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days !!!

I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you!
Acting together we can make a difference.

If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $2.00 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

Keep it going!!!

Spring Fishing's Coming

I can't wait for spring to get here. The rains come, the creeks swell, the fish move up into the creeks and then when all returns to normal and the waters warm just a little bit, the fishing is really great everywhere. I love fishing creeks and rivers in the springtime cause the action is so fast and you never know just what you might catch. There's lots of ledges and over hanging tree branches that hold fish but you have to take your time fishing these spots to be effective and catch the fish. Sometimes you have to wade back thru a hole and change baits to get them to bite but its worth it just to get the full enjoyment of creek fishing. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time when you go creek wading so you can fish the holes slowly and be sure to take in all the scenery as you wade. Remember to that the bottom of the creeks are going to be very slick up until mid summer, especially if there's any current at all, due to the winter cleansing. Remember also to keep just the fish you intend to eat or put in the freezer and only keep the fish of legal size limits.

Lake Sturgeon Project in Tennessee

In the year 2000 Tennessee Wildlife resource Agency began stocking lake sturgeon in the French Broad and Holston rivers near Knoxville, Tn. and again in 2006 stocked Cheatham Reservoir of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tn.. The lake sturgeon is Tennessee's largest species of fish growing to weights of 300 lbs. and lengths of 8 feet long and living for up to 150 years old. To date more than 50,000 Lake Sturgeon have been released into Tennessee's rivers. Movement studies of the lake sturgeon have already shown that they travel great distances after being released and some fish which have already been caught and released have shown the fish traveling 250 miles and going through 4 dams before being caught by an angler. Some of the lake sturgeons are equipped with transmitters for research study and monitoring of the fish . Lake sturgeon are an endangered species in Tennessee and should be released immediately without harm to the fish. If a lake sturgeon is caught by any angler, TWRA would appreciate a photo and approximate length of the fish if this can be done without harm to the fish or delaying the release. In addition to the photo, your name, address, phone number, when and where you caught it and what you were using for bait should be sent to your regional office or call the Fish Management Division at 615-781-6575. A numbered Lake Sturgeon Certificate will be sent to you as appreciation of your report. TWRA is hopeing to be able to allow a managed sport fishery of this primitive species in years to come if the program succeeds.

Wading Creeks and Streams

Creeks and streams are abundant all around the world and many of them are have some really great fishing in them if you find the right spot. Most people who fish are what I call the " seldom fishers " , who I refer to as those group of people who only pretend to know what they are doing when they go fishing and end up fishing from the banks somewhere where they can drive up to the edge of the water and fish almost out of their vehicles. The next group of people who fish I call the " amatuer fishers " who know something about fishing but catch very few fish when they go. Then we come to the " professional fishers " who seem to know everything there is to know about fishing and usually can catch fish anywhere they go and at anytime. As for me, I guess I'm whats called an amatuer fisher and only catch fish if they are biting. My favorite way to catch fish is by wading the creeks and streams at a slow pace, usually wading upstream so as to keep any mud and debris that is stirred up from the bottom flowing behind me. Depending on the time of year as to the type of bait or lures that I take with me and what kind of bottom I fish. During spring thaw the smallmouth bass run upstream to the dams to spawn and can later be caught just about anywhere in the creeks and streams as the water temperatures change. Just about all species of fish will spawn in early spring with the exception of a few species which will wait till the water temperatures have warmed to around 65-68 degrees. As you wade these creeks and streams there are a few hazards you want to be carefull of such as slick bottoms, snakes and swift currents and even fences across the waters. Wading creeks and streams can be an enjoyable event but it can also turn out to be a very bad situation if care is not taken while fishing. Please make sure you use caution when stepping off ledges in the waters as these can sometime be very deep drop-off putting you in over your head. Next time you go fishing give this method a try and see if you don't come out with some great fish but remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for someone else to have a great time catching.Please remember also to check your size limit in your area before you go fishing and when in doubt throw them back.

Big Catfish -- Catch-em if you can

Catfish are thought of by many people as strictly bottom feeders when in all reality they are just like any other species of fish, feeding at any depth. Most species of catfish crave certain foods for their diet but will eat just about anything you put before them. Understanding these fish and doing alittle research and study work will allow anybody to be able to catch one of these monsters of our waters,whether it be from a lake,reservoir,river or pond. As of 2007 there are 36 extant families and about 3,023 extant species of the catfish family. The largest flathead catfish ever caught to date was taken in Independence, Kansas weighing 123 lbs. 9 ozs but is no match for the world record Giant Mekong Catfish of Northern Thailand, the largest of which was caught May 1, 2005 weighing in at an unbelievable 646 lbs. Today the Giant Mekong Catfish are on the critically endangered species list and are illegal to fish for in certain waters of Thailand. Other catfish around the world of substantial size include the European ( Wels ) Catfish and of our very own yellow catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish and the shovelbill catfish (spoonbill ). Now I do a good bit of catfishing in the summer months and do quite well at it but it depends on where I go as to how I fish for them. In one area of a river I fish I use a 2-4/0 hook with no sinker and let my big chunk of chicken liver drift under the ledge rocks producing some nice 10-25 lb catfish where as at another spot I fish I like to use a sinker and fish the bottom for channel catfish and flatheads producing fish from 1 lb to 15 and up to the 78 lb fish posted on one of my other websites. Fishing for catfish can be slow,easy and laid-back or it can be fast and furious with lots of action and excitment.Don't expect to catch any perticular species of catfish all year long as each species go on bed at different times are just don't feed while on beds. It all comes down to one important fact about catching catfish, you have to be at the right spot at the right time to catch fish.

Technology and Tackle.

Todays fishing world is just as full of fish of all sizes and different species as it was over 100 years ago but the technology to catch these fish have changed dramaticly over this time and more so just recently. Rods and reels, boats, electronic eqippment, baits and lures, lines and even the technics have all changed to make fishing more productive and enjoyable. As you walk through your favorite fishing tackle store or look through your favorite fishing supply magazine take a moment to notice just how many different varieties of the same type lures or rods you'll find that do exactly the same thing. Now they say choice is good but too much of a good thing can be confusing to alot of people. Me myself, I like to run into my tackle store grab exactly what I'm after and get out to the fishing hole,but let a salesperson or someone in the store that knows you see you there and it's 20-30 minutes before you get out of the store to go fishing. There is one great way of getting your fishing supplies before your trip and that is to go grocery shopping with the spouse everytime and depending on where you get your fishing supplies either drop her (or him ) off and go get your tackle or like at Walmart Supercenter just go to the other end of the store and have them meet you there when their done shopping. In the next few post I plan on discussing ways of catching big catfish and wading creeks and streams for fast action fishing.