Feathers and Fins

From an aspect of someone who works with custom metal work all the time it always surprises me when people I see metal working that cant be within mm of exact. With so many machines available today that have such high precision there is no excuse for it for a major manufacture not to be almost exact on anything metal related. With metal breaks up to 24feet and plasma cutters stomp shears all computer controlled I don't get it. The Hammer days should have been gone a long time ago. Also not impressed to see ice in any show boat anyplace, they should have had covers available and covered them and then cleaned them out. That right there would make me find a different boat at minimum and certainly a different dealer.

Na Chris we already have some great buffies on the wall and shelf. They are going to meet jalapeño sleeping bags, actually there was more of them present today then I have seen in 4 years, we actually had found several flocks of teal to our surprise after the last cold snap. Going to finish off today and one of the targets are cans and redheads we found to late yesterday. One of those will certainly get saved for the wall the Bulls were in full color and just amazing to watch. I still have a hard time shooting them but today they are off the safe list.

I HUNT, Therefore I am out all year Doc you need to launch at PC and go toward Montne, fish live brooder minnows 30 to 50ft deep under the birds you cant miss the birds no way in this world. Striper boats were working them yesterday and I was marking lots of fish. It will be a tough bite with so much food available for them but they are there.

I just pull my boat to the top of the ramp so truck is level and boat is still angled and let gravity drain it out only takes a few seconds.

Truth on Beaver is they can go from March to June really good but it is a big lake and takes a lot of work to learn where they are or might be. If you want your best shot on the Main Lake late April would be when I go. White below the dam Randy ( rps ) is the expert on that area. White up-river around war eagle March can be very good. There is no real season though.

Great way to finish it off Marty. Now when the fishing heats up you two will have to come down for a day and a fry.

We went out today for a goose shoot and to try some fishing and ended up having to call my wife to bring use coffee, food, shells and decoys. I had already changed the boat out for fishing but today we ran in to thousands of ducks and were forced to switch back to hunting mode. Sometimes the man up stairs throws you a present and today was one of those days. 2 honkers, 4 mallards 2 goldeneye 4 bufflehead 2 lost birds well eagle food for sure.

Al, I have to disagree with you on them not being able to live in the Ozarks, I know they could but the reason they wouldn't is people shooting them, Bears live here as do deer and many other critters. Man is the only thing that would stop them and its a shame. I know you have probably heard them at night in the Yellowstone and there is nothing on this planet that will stir a person deep down to the soul. To many it would be fear but to a few it would be spiritual. It is a shame people would kill them for no other reason than they are a wolf. I use to try educating people on them but like with snakes or sharks the word strikes hatred and fear in to people and its to bad if they only understood how timid they can be or how much they will protect and defend and provide for the pack they might start seeing them in a different way. But when the Media from the Bards of old to the Modern Media has depicted them as evil its become ingrained in peoples mind. Bad PR.

Von, the difference is VERY easy to tell apart, It would be like putting a Giant Poodle and a Standard next to eachother for a true dog on dog comparison, I have worked with both Coyotes and Wolves and even at distance you can tell. No we do not no the circumstances so I am giving the guy the benifit of the doubt, But it is ILLEGAL in Missouri to shoot a DOG As I said earlier in this post a Wolf could be mistaken for a Large Sheppard and in a state that it is illegal to shot dogs I do question the shooter as to why he would shot an animal the size of a Sheppard? The animal shot was 80lbs typical coyote is about 30lbs that is a major size difference. Either the animal was (A) Harassing or harming the landowners livestock, at which point he would have the right to protect them or ( He shot what for all purposes was an animal the size of a dog which unless was as by law was doing any actions in the regs that give him the right to shoot it He broke the law. Or © he did not properly identify his target and shot it, Missouris hunting regulations or a permissive sytem and as Wolf is not listed makes it Illegal to shoot them.

I dont take offense, Im looking at it as if i was going to buy one. First concern is though ranger is a well know well respected maker will their venture in to the alum market be a good one? I have seen other makers try getting into new markets and not succeed and the product wasnt that great in the end. Aluminum I think of Tracker, Lowe, Lund and War Eagle they know how to built them from years of doing it. When it comes to building your own boat if you do it through the factory it will always be more thats just a fact of anything factory. If a guy is handy and somewhat mechanically inclined he can do it cheaper and same quality or better. Doc using you as an example the modifications you just did through a factory would probably have been a couple grand easy and you did it for how much? lol I am more interested in the "bones" of the boat than the cosmetics, I can put the pretty make-up on myself but i cant build the bones ( ok i could ) but im not going to lol.

Phil how is Jackson doing in the boat with his recent eye issues?

I think people hate wolves more than snakes some days. I wish my X wouldn't have destroyed my photo albums I would be happy to post pictures of me laying with my wolves ( NOT HYBRIDS ) We were members of the pack our boys were more protected in our yard or in the house than if the marines had been on guard and never not one time did they show aggression toward us or friends so long as we were home. Come over when we were not and you took your life in to your hands. I miss them and would not hesitate to have another in my life. Wolves are part of nature and you cannot mistake one for a coyote, it would be possible to mistake one for a large Sheppard though which makes me concerned when I hear of people shooting them in states like MO where they are rare. I am NOT saying this was a macho jackass but I do have concerns about people making proper ID. As to hunting them, Predator control is needed yotes are getting out of control in some places Wolves can become an issue and I have nothing against controlling the population but it needs to be done under strict regulation just like any other hunting or fishing and if you get caught just shooting one for fun then get the fine.

When I first saw the pic of the ranger above, I thought it was a tracker PRO16 then went and looked at its price of 14,000 vs a tracker at 12,000 for the same size. I hate paying for the name lol

The winning would be which boat catches the most walleye oh wait, that's a win for all of us.

That can be arranged, Hunting season closes Sunday so after that im all about fishing.

190tx

Lowrance!

Old question and so many variables with the lines and manufactures and how you store the equipment etc. I have got to the point I have mandatory line changes. March1st, May 1st, October 1st. Then there is necessity changes for instance if I'm trolling a lot I need to change it more or if I'm fishing heavy cover as I like to keep a full spool at all times and break offs and abrasion will quickly take line off the spool. When I have nicked up line I will not only pull to that point but also at least 10ft past it. If I develop line twist I will also pull 10yrds past the ending point. Another thing to think about is at the end of each trip to run a q-tip through your guides if the cotton snags you have a problem also run it through the reel areas where line might touch.

Ive built a few for clients. Some as cheap as a few hundred dollars to a couple in the thousands of dollars with double pane tempered glass and heat units. What are you wanting to do in it seems to be the biggest factor in cost. The most expensive one I built was 16 grand they used it for Orchids and other exotic plants.

Little higher but not much I have heard very good revues of the Humminbird® 859ci HD DI combo. The only way to get better than that is Lowrance HDS system but that is serious money.

Its an interpretation rule Wayne but now the NFL has come out and said Welker was legal the fat lady has done her singing and BB can now have more cheese to go with his wine.

Congrats Mic, Prayers work man I do believe I will be thanking the big guy tonight as well

Every boat I owned I customed it to my needs, I searched a long time for a new boat when I moved up here and settled on the tracker for price, ride, towing, gas, and setting it up for what I wanted. Never been big on spending tens of thousands on a boat when I can buy a new one for cheaper than I would have a Big Name boat the money I saved I can put in to the ( I WANTS ) and still come in way under what most others do.

There is something I call the "GET REAL" factor. Would Bellichick have said one word had Welker delivered a hit like that when he played for Bellichick? Come get real of course he wouldn't. Welker has always played hard and to my knowledge never delivered a hit I would call intentional to take out someone actually to me he was one of the few classy Pats. and I HATE the Pats. Was it a pick play? Yes Was it an illegal hit? NO contact was made with Talib at the same time the ball and receiver touched that makes it a legal hit. Was there helmet to helmet? NO it was shoulder contact in fact Welker turned away to make contact. Are the Broncos masters of the Pick? YES Does NE use pick plays? YOU BETCHA Is BB crying like a punked little baby because he isn't going to the superbowl, My Opinion is YES SIR HE IS.

Another thread got me thinking well remembering and thought I might share where I grew up The Salton Sea. There is so much I didn't put in this and wish it was the same place I grew up but pollution has unfortunately cost it a lot. But for me it was magical back in the 70's and 80's. I hope you can close your eyes and see it as I did as a child to young man. Enjoy It was a magical place a beautiful place, yet at the same time a scary place. The morning fog some days was only 10 feet above the ground you can walk a levee and look across it like a medieval battle scene; it even smelled like death with the decomposing earth around. But this place produced vast amounts of game to pursue and fish to catch. Nighttime temperatures often dipped to freezing and daytime highs could be well over One Hundred degree’s. This place to me was home though. It was about Family and Friends about Nature and most of all fun. The morning sun was unbelievable, to those who have never seen it dancing across not only the sky but the bottom of the clouds and on the water. The mountains surrounding it and the Great Salton Sea would catch its Morning and Evening rays the different colors in it would make any light show seem armature in compare. It was as if a master Painter had unfurled his canvas and was starting to paint a magnificent painting, as you just sat and watched. Greens, yellows, oranges, blues and purples it was as if all the colors of the rainbow did not want to be left out of the scene. Fish were jumping and slashing about chasing baitfish all around leaving streams of water and bubbles upon the canvas as if they too wanted to help the painter with his masterpiece. Small shore birds darting in every direction quail calling in the distant sage and mesquite. It was often hard to concentrate on the ducks that were coming in at you like guided missiles. Pintail were so thick some days you could have used a butterfly net so it seemed to get them, just like when you were a kid running around chasing the beautifully colored butterflies. Teal flew so close and so hard I actually had my hat nicked by more than one. The Canada and snow geese could always be heard but were difficult to hunt. The area was certainly not for the novice to hunt it could take your life fast. There were many perils to this area from sink holes that only a trained eye could see as the ground to most just looked the same to the hazards underwater. There were old tractors, cars and building parts, worse of all old farm equipment that barnacles made sharper then when they were new, they could cut you to ribbons in a brush of the skin. Deep drop offs were another problem for any who dared to wade this area. Your gun and gear was in just as equal a danger as your body, Salt weed and salt water would quickly rust anything metal and the muck could jam even a single shot shotgun. Nothing was safe or protected. Yet every year countless people braved the area, they did it for the sheer number of waterfowl that could be found here. Now growing up with a club in this area I was afforded the luxury of watching my elders and learning from them when we chose to go out of the pits and jump shoot the open areas where those less fortunate hunted. We knew the area and were able to walk areas where others dared not because of the dangers. This was truly an area where heritage was passed on. For without the knowledge of those before it would have been too dangerous to hunt. As I grew to a man I enjoyed the freelance much more than sitting in the pits and often was found wading these areas. I will never forget people stopping me and telling me how dangerous it was and then watching me casually walk out to a point a half mile from shore never getting more than knee deep in the water. They seemed amazed as they had tried getting there just to be turned around by waist deep muck. To me there was no danger but this was from being shown an old submerged road bed by my father and uncles when I was younger. It zigged and zagged and you had to know its path or be over your head quickly or stuck in the muck. But the rewards of trophy sized Corvina or limits of waterfowl made it more than worth the risk which to me were none as I learned the area well from those before me. The mornings always started off the same, the old men were up first making coffee and a breakfast of bacon and eggs. They would wake the rest of us up one by one and we would take a shower to rinse off the sweat from the night’s sleep and wake ourselves up. It only took about a half hour just perfect time for breakfast to be finished. Everyone regardless of hunting the club or going out on the big water or freelancing the outside edges of club always sat down for breakfast together. It was a tradition that all family and friends be there and none would dare disrespect that. The Club you see was founded by Worldly travelers of places called Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima and several had Marched from a place called Bataan, other members were in more familiar names like North Africa, Paris and Berlin. And when they came home made a promise they would gather each year and be thankful to be able to spend time with each other and their families but most importantly to remember friends who didn’t make the journey home. It was strange as a child seeing these tall powerful figures who could take any injury start to shed a tear when they spoke of them. We hunted the early morning for waterfowl usually done shooting by Eight A.M. we would return to the clubhouse and clean the morning’s game. We traded in our duck guns and heavy waders for smaller light weight more manageable light guns and jeans to chase the quail we had been hearing all morning. These Quail were spirits that lived in the desert area in front of the clubs houses. They would run and fly to the mesquite and sage brush making them just a glimpse and on occasion one would become non-spiritual and give the shooter the shot. We did this till noon when we returned to the clubhouse where by then the old men had cooked a lunch of duck fit for kings from the mornings shoot. We would sit around laughing and eating this bounty with our friends and family. No matter how hot or cold it may have been. The food always seemed to make it comfortable. The comradely made the entire world seem unimportant except for being there at that time and that place. A quick step in the clubhouse after lunch would find many of us sleeping on the floor belly’s full and very content. The old men were always playing pinochle or poker while we slept with all eyes on the barometer for if it started to fall we would all be woken as if a fire was in the clubhouse. They knew if it fell the Corvina would be biting and it was all men man the boats as we would launch them to chase those powerful delicious fish. If not we would get the Three P.M. wake up to return to the blinds to finish the days waterfowl hunting. In the evenings it was all about eating freshly BBQ’ed steak and corn on the cob we picked while hunting quail. After dinner we would walk to the North pond only but a few steps from the tables we were eating at and toss our lines in the pond for some of the catfish that swam the water, or get in the old row boat and chase the big bass in it. The kids myself included played on the island that our Grandfathers had built a fort that the Calvary would have been proud of in the Indian Wars; in fact several Calvary members had help build it. Their kids were the first to play in it then their grandkids. Yet even with all that there was still so much more to this wonderland! The Great Lake it was built near offered skiing and diving opportunity beside the bountiful fish and game opportunities. The canals that fed the farm fields were wide with roads alongside them. Though today to many it would seem dangerous it was very common to see people water skiing in the canals being towed by a truck on the roads that ran alongside them. This was also a place for the family as often the women would come as well during the cooler months, It was common to smell fresh pies or brownies being prepared or to see the women knitting or reading books while carefully keeping an eye on the kids. Here was a place you would never hear a person yelling at the kids for getting dirty or making a mess. This place was for kids to be kids no matter their age. It was not a unfamiliar site to see a young man walking around with a beer in hand or skinny dipping in the pond, here we were allowed to get away with things that no way would be allowed today but what person would dare tell our grandfathers we can’t do this or that there for this place was for the kids. I know they built it now to remember what they went through in the war but more so to give us all a place to go all year a place where there were no rules not laws no yelling or screaming. A place where the world stopped while you were there a place that will always be fondly remembered in my heart and all those who came there This was truly a dream place for a young man to grow up around family and friends. A place where you became a man in many ways! I think about this place often and usually end up picking up the phone to call one of the other boys I grew up with. At Forty Years plus we are still best of friends from the relationships we made back then. Where so many people have friends for but a few years, we are still friends after all these years. It was that place and those times that built relationships that last forever. It was that simple place on the North Shore of the Great Salton Sea that memories that will last a life time were made.