vernon

This is gettin' a little weird......😒 Do you like movies about gladiators?

She probably would be just fine with that but she's not allowed to drive the boat anymore so........🤭

I actually bought a pair of those snippers a few years ago after you recommended them. They work great and I'm pretty sure that the fish we hooked deep will be OK but I'd still rather just avoid the deep hooking altogether if I can. And you're right - those babies will cut about anything with minimal effort.

We did the slack line dead sticking deal a bit early on in the trip but ended up with a couple deep hooked fish so we gave it up. It just kills me to hurt those beautiful fish and it just ain't worth it. As for Ned in general it was probably the fewest fish we've ever caught on the little dude. Lots of trips by the second day its about all we fish from then on but not this year for some reason. We caught probably 80 - 90 percent of our fish just slow reeling the little Keitech on one of Bo's 1/8 oz. crappie heads. Although we tried the deeper fish on the flat gravel and the extended points quite a bit we just never figured it out. We ended up mostly "pond fishing" the swimmer either paralleling or just casting to the bank in pretty shallow water in the pockets and coves and they would just load up on it. No discernible strike at all it would just get heavy. On the steeper banks we would let it fall and quite often a smallie would just rip the rod out of our hands before it got more than six or seven foot deep. But only on the drop. The fish that we did have hit it hard while slow reeling either missed or came off almost every time and I'll be danged if I know why. A bunch of times we'd have what felt like a decent fish on for eight to ten seconds and then - poof - they were gone. We didn't really see very many beds but what was really weird is I think we only caught three Spots the entire week and they were all little ones. Had maybe a dozen largemouth and a half dozen really nice Googlers but everything and I mean everything else was smallmouth. I can't remember a spring trip that we didn't catch a bunch of the big football Kentuckies but I guess I can't say that anymore. Overall I'd say we averaged twenty or so fish a day with four to six keepers. The first few days we had several nice three to three and a half pounders but later in the week the keepers became more marginal and not as fat. Of course we're fat, old and lazy and seldom get out there before one or two o'clock so if they were biting in the morning the only way we'd know is if we read about it. We didn't do as good as we had hoped and anticipated for this time of the year especially with the rising water and the color being so good but what with the up and down and in and out weather conditions I guess maybe it wasn't to be unexpected. And, yes, for that I blame myself!🤦‍♂️

Hmmm. We may be gaining some traction here.......🤔

And a parka. And flares. Lots of flares......☄️

By the way we’re just pulling out to head home. Y’all can consider this morning a little goodbye “kiss”. However Kathy and I will be back in six short days and I promise to bring plenty more gifts for everyone!⚡️🌊🌪

Aha! I knew it! At least somebody finally had the guts to say it! But don’t think for one second that that changes anything!

I shall recuse myself from discussing forthcoming weather (you can thank Mixer, Snagged and others) but as for the water we’ve been at Indian Point since last Friday and have run as far upstream as Baxter without incident and the water is quite clear. Bring the boat I say. It is a trip to the lake after all!

Ever seen a grown man naked?

Bingo!!

And you think I didn’t know that? The audacity is unnerving.

Keep pokin’ the bear.........😠

Aw, c’mon man! Shirley you can’t be serious!! I’ve been expecting platitudes of thanks and appreciation for my good behavior to this point and now you wanna throw rocks for one measly little thunderstorm? I am without words..... Well, not really but seriously this week has been like Palm Springs compared to most of our visits!

Can you describe the ruckus sir? You’re probably too young to get that but maybe not. Plenty of oldsters that will have no problem!

We ARE friends! Who but a true friend would care so much about you to be so brutally honest even if it meant ripping your heart out? Tuff love can be..........well, TUFF!🥰 You'll thank me later!

Ahh, c’mon! Practice is overrated! Plus, after four years you know you’re gonna stink it up anyways so you just as well save the money and frustration of going to the range! You’re welcome.....😜

Et to?😳 You've changed. I don't even know you anymore.............😦

"Self centered"? Now that's a little harsh! Am I not sharing all that nature has to offer (and then some) equally with each and every one of you? And to be honest I don't really even know how I do it. It ain't like I'm looking your direction and twitching my nose or anything....🧹🧟‍♂️ And besides, I've done WAY worse than this in the not so distant past so y'all might wanna show a little more gratitude! I will actually be on site in a touch over 24 hours and that's typically when things start to get really interesting so.......

Those guys have been there three or four times when we've been there and in general I find them to be pretty rude. Especially when they're out there "scouting" or whatever they're doing during the day. They've literally ran right over my line on more than one occasion when I'm like twenty yards from the bank! I gotta say though, those nuclear lights they use are pretty impressive.......

Just thought I'd provide y'all with a little "preview." 🌊⚡🌩️ See ya Friday!!😁

Shortly after it had opened back in the mid 90's I bought a boat from Jimmy Houston Marine down in Tahlequah, Ok. His son in law was managing the operation at the time and although Dower was a really nice guy he didn't have a clue what he was doing. Well, that actually worked out in my favor as I'm pretty sure I got that boat for around cost. When I picked it up he even asked me "How did I do on the price?" I think it might have literally been the first boat he ever sold. Well, since I had priced the same boat with five other dealers and he was at least three grand cheaper than the next best I'd say he did pretty good. In fact I showed the paperwork to Steve Monte at Steve's Boat's and Bob Parkey the Ranger rep and they both said that there was no way in heck that he could seriously be selling me that boat for that price and that there had to be a mistake. Anyways, while the boat was being built we went down to the Tulsa boat show where Dower took me to meet Jimmy. What. A. Jerk. He started lecturing me on not under powering boats and how "guys like you are always under powering boats to save a few bucks" (although the boat had already been ordered with the max rated outboard). He even said, "Don't be bringing that boat back down here and come crying to me when it doesn't perform because you put too small a motor on the back." He had the KU-OU basketball game on a little TV in his booth and me being a KU guy I wanted to watch a little bit. He spent the next twenty minutes brow beating me with all the reasons that KU was over rated and how HE could do a better job coaching Kansas than some guy named Roy Williams. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and left to walk around the rest of the show but OU ended up coming back and winning. Well, Jimmy tracked me down on the other side of the arena to brag about how he had told me that KU was over rated and that HE woulda won that game if he had been coaching KU. Finger in my chest and the whole bit. Never saw him again but I couldn't help but smile extra big a few weeks later when I drove that Ranger off the lot knowing I mighta got at least a little piece of Jimmy Houston Marine that day. Was sorry to recently hear about his wife's illness however as she seemed really nice.

T-shirt launcher....☄️

Well, where else could they get catfish that would be closer? I mean it's not like there's a bunch of lakes or rivers nearby with catfish in 'em for cryin' out loud!

Just a little somethin' to let y'all know that I'm thinking about ya! For what it's worth we had at least six inches here so it's not like I exempt myself from any of these phenomenas. We're ALL in this together Hope the local Emergency Broadcast System is in good working order.......