Part of the reason we're here...

[Robyn Summerlin]

From today's Writer's Almanac...

It's the birthday of Izaak Walton, born on this day in 1593. An English biographer, he is best known for The Compleat Angler, or The Contemplative Man's Recreation (1653)—a guide to the joys of fishing with over 300 new printings. It combines practical information about fishing with philosophy, descriptions of nature, and quotations and continues to be one of the most popular fishing books ever written.

Walton said, "... and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling."

Robyn S.

[Ron Mc]

thanks for the head's up.

I borrowed your quote and posted it on a couple of other appropriate boards.
Thanks again.

[reels4me]

Little did Izaac know, that there`s hardly a body of water that
isn`t plagued with some type of " recreational" motorized vehicles
on lakes and even canoes and rubber rafts going right through the hole
in the river you`ve driven 200 miles for that secluded time on
your dream spot. YIKES ! Sorry to disturb your sleep Izaak.
Old Grumpy Geezer

[Reel Geezer]

Here's another gumpy old geezer that agrees with Jack. I'm fortunate to be able to fish during the week and stay home weekends. However, I've blown my stack twice this summer. I'm on a lake nine miles long and three miles wide and there are only 5-6 boats on the whole lake, and some idiot pulls in and cuts me off on a spot I'm fishing. I really blew my stack when a man with a young boy pulled in about 50 feet from me, and read him the riot act for what he was teaching his son. Both times I pulled up my electric motor and found another spot. Today's fishermen are not being taught angling ediquette and proper fishing manners.

[Steve]

Geezer,
If fishing wasn't "a calmer of unquiet thoughts," you might have blown your stack even more frequently. At least the guy with his son was probably just ignorant. I think a lot of those moronic water- and jet-skiers go out of their way to louse up our fishing.

[Ron Mc]

Guess I'm blessed in the TX Hill Country. I can always find a crossing where I can wade far away from everybody. (And if I can't do it here, I can drive to the next county road.) The people I do run across then are doing the same thing I am, so it makes for pleasant interaction.

[Harvey]

JET SKIERS! Arggggggg! We have Jet Skiers fishing tournaments down here. You get one point for hookin' them, Two points for jerking them off the ski, Three points for dragging them to the boat and an extra five points for smacking them on the a** with a canoe paddle. On a good day with a stout pole and 30lb test line, you could rack up at least a thousand points. Jet Skies are now banned from some places down in the Keys. The targeted places are the better bone fish flats. The straw that broke the camel's back was that of all people, Curt Goudy, was fishing in the flats off of Islamorada some years ago and while tussling with a bone on a fly, Some idiot cut between him and the fish. Word got out and you can just guess the amount of stink that was raised. Now they have restricted areas in which you can't go. Best thing that even happened in the keys!

[joe klaus]

Harve:
We have those jet skiers tournaments down here in Texas too with just slight variation in the rules. You get 1 point for a clean miss from either a 44 or 357 if it scares them away. You get 2 points for a miss that scares them so bad they fall off and let the jet ski go without them. 3 points for shoulder wound. And 5 point bonus for bulls eye --right between the eyes:-)

[reels4me]

Hey Joe is that for Salt water or Fresh, ever have one mounted?

[Harvey]

Joe:
I guess there is a diffrent outlook in Florida. We are catch and release and we only mount the female of the species and they have to be over 18 years of age as opposed to the Texas and Michigan rule where they can be as young as 12 and must be family...

[Don Champion]

Bet you guys can't guess what I used to keep a surf rod with a musky lure on it for when I am bass fishing! Great action!

[Wildfish65]

Yeah, I can see Isaac fishing to win in a Bassmasters Classic on the Test.

[reels4me]

I`m sure glad I`m not alone on the peace & quiet scene.
Keep Bit---, Love to all,GRUMP-- for short!

[SWIM JIG]

OK first off Harvy you best get some bigger wexford line for the big BLOW! you folks think its tough in your area try lake erie, heck on a good day it goes like this, Big shot know it all fishermen use planer boards thus taking up 2 to 4oo yrds of waterway, The things are kind of cute and some have blinking lites on them, My dog loves to play with them, these guys think the own the lake, I feel sory for them and tie on a sheep head so they can reel in a excuse of a fish, then you get the Crowders, just got to see if they can paint the boat, well best way to keep them away is when fishig raise the stern drive unit, these folks woulnt help their mothers so they give a wide berth, next just as you get settled some airplane heading to Cleveland hopkins developes some trouble and off loads a few thosand lbs of jato all over the place and on the boat! Then comes the 47 ft race boats doing 100 mph plus doing their racing, never could understand why they stand up to run a boat, they look like bull riders, Now we use a tactic of running west and drift to the east, about 1/1 mph. with the outdrive up, we know they wont help us the fools give us a wide clearance as these folks dont help others, the jet skiers arnt much bother as at 19 miles out we are just about in Canadian waters and those guys dontlike jet skiers! if we get bothered too much we catch the OH # , radio to the game warden that a certain boat has under size walleyes under 15 in. then we watch the fun! Ok next month I get My Ohio Concealed gun permit. Things will get a tad bit noisy as we tarke practice on white caps! Now Go Fish and enjoy life ha ha Col. m. Lorens aka SWIm JIG

[joe klaus]

Milt:

You're going to have to offer more explanation to Harvey about your permit. He lives in South Florida. They don't need no stinkin permit in South Florida to carry a concealed weapon.

My fiends up in Jax don't lay claim to Miami. They call it--"Yourami"

[SWIM JIG]

Now joe, you as a attorny knowes dis hear laws? in this parts of the world , we must give fair warning! Ha ha YUP took years to get this thing passed in OHIO you can still have one as long as the thing is in a holster or visible. Now I can be able to be like the bad guys I can hide mine too! Now it will become a guessing game! oh yah, the permit calls for a $35.00 fee, yup dis hears government in Ohio taxes everthing! My favorite weapon is a FLARE GUN they burn thru anything and mark the thing you hit! my second best conciled is my trusty 30 cal luger, they be fast and accurate, then comes my Colt det special with explosive rounds! makes a mess of 34 lb carp! anyway Joe you need to bid on the lead recovery rights in cleveland, Cincinatti , Columbus, Akron , Canton, Lorain , youngstown and Elyria , they could be a good second income! As for florida in these times you can have my share , dont need it, my oldest kid lives in clifton texas and she always has her trusty 30 cal lugar only she says folks are peasfull and she gets very little target practice, should she go to Miami? is the practice beter there? I need to go study for my conciled permit, Your Ohio conection Col. milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG and Harvy Be carful you may drop that cannon on your bare feet!

[Harvey]

Joe, I have news for you! We in Ft. Lauderdale don't lay claim to Miami either. I don't speak their language. Se? As far as guns, you can almost buy them in your local 7-11. Well, at least you can buy one in the parking lot if you can't find one in the dumpster but I am sure it is that way everywhere.

[SWIM JIG]

Harvy are you a old enough to buy a gun? or do you need a permision slip? Here in Ohio we just pick them up after a shooting cops dont want them as then they just have to solve the crime! Ha ha , On a more serious end I and I belive I can speak for all the members lets hope you and all our Florida members get out of this naty weather in fine shape and no property loss or injuries, I and our faimly have all of you in our thoughts and preyers, Col. Milton lorens and faimly aka SWIM JIG your ohio conection

[Brian F.]

I wanted to get some photos in but felt bad about continuing the "Info Needed" thread. Thought this might be a better place. The two kids and I went out on a little bass boat with a local fishing show celebrity recently. We passed on the peacock bass and catfish to have fun with these red devils. Do you think Walton meant anything like this when he wrote about fishing?



My son is just like Dad, gets that crazed look in his eye when he catches something.

Oh, I guess these are legit, technically, as both photos have reels in them, right.?

[Guest]

Those are great pix...What kind of fish are these?
Looks like some type of snapper or even something
from the ciclid family.

[Brian F.]

I believe they are Cichlids, called Red Devils. They put up a pretty good fight for the kids. The lake we were on has all kinds of introduced aquarium fish but the bass and peacock bass seem to still thrive.