Trav

There is no point in arguing over faith. Im not saying that because I dont have a "higher power", but because I have studied it extensively. Not because of a "soul searching" quest for the truth, but to aquire my degree in Philosophy. As anyone who has blundered down the scholastic path of higher learning should know, the prerequisites are the mountains to pass before you can drink from the spring of personal interests. Well, my mountain was Religion. A subject I dreaded to undertake, but without, I wouldnt have truly understood why the human race does why it does. Did you know that there are over 3000 documented religions dating back over mankinds existance? And thats just the tip of the iceburg if you were to disect each and every sect over the ages. One thing I learned is that they are all wrong or they are all right. No one religion can claim the proof of a higher power over another. Mere existance can not be claimed as proof. Niether can the claim that "with no disproval then is must be so". The facts are, it is real to those who worship. No matter what is done or said the human race would not have evolved without the crutch of faith. It is a very powerful motivation tool and it is a tried and proven anvil. No matter what the belief, it is what trillions of humans hold on to or they would just give up. There is a reason why it is called Faith. Because in the minds of believers it is unwaivering. Just ask any terrorist why they strap on a bomb. The king can bring the peasants to church but he cant make them believe. Nor should he. Humans are a fickle lot. It is in thier nature. Or there wouldnt be so much conflict over this very subject. Now just because I am not a warring murderous anarchist does not conclude that I must have some "religious" morality anchoring me to solice calm ideals. It is true that I happen to not need the crutch of a faith to survive my daily toils. But I am a good person because my parents raised me that way. Simple as that. They get all the credit. And anyone who really knows me will say my life started out pretty dire and because of it I am looking at terminal consiquences. I accept my life the way it is and hold total responsibilty for both the bad and the good. I dont need to seek forgiveness from what I consider to be a cultural transgressor. OK, with that all said. Lets just agree to leave the religious arguments in your church, synagogue, mosque, or for some, your logs, rivers and woods. I for one cant stomach the issue. Not to mention, I can out preach my non-belief better than anyone can attempt at thiers. Im really not the guy you want to have a wizzing match on this subject. But if you want to to put the gloves on over politics I am definatly your man. HaHa (GO MCCAIN) I believe we strayed from the topic at hand. I can see why it has and the comparisons to cults might have been our error. Let me put it back on track. Whos land is it? Its the governments land and dont you forget it. You may "own" some land but you still have to pay taxes for that priviledge. If the government wanted your land they would just take it. Of course you will get fair market value but all the same, all your sentimental ties to that land doesnt mean squat. Just ask the thousands of people whose farms are drowned under Tablerock Lake. And NO I cant believe that some left-wing liberal organization can ever achieve anything as dramatic as formatted in that clumsy description of conservation revolution. Mentioning titles like "founding fathers". Sounds like some kind of revolution to me. As bad as "our nation" might be, or can get, you havent seen anything until they decide to squash your so called founding fathers back into the 60s. Or have you forgot what dear old law-and-order Nixon did to those flag burning counter-culturists. I may not have any faith in a higher power, but I do know that we live in the best darn country in the world. Good or bad, we are what we are because we freakin took what we wanted. Anyone or thing that got in our way learned a hard lesson. We are fighters and we dont like to loose. So tell your founding fathers that if they were of any salt at all, they wouldnt send some sales-pitch into a fishing forum to drum up diciples. I dont "college try", I slug it out or fail. I cant speak for anyone else but I AM NOT BUYING!

Well the pleasure cruisers are the ones that keep me off the water on weekends. People used to lower thier wake when passing a fisherman. As far as controversy, You can stir up the fire with an evinrude alot fast than with a stick. wink wink

When I was 12 years old my grandparents took me to Yellowstone on a summer vacation. I saw 3 Bald Eagles eating the corpes of a dead Bison. I was on a guided tour and the tour guide explained to the group that Eagles are primarily scavengers. She compared them to Hyenas because most of thier diet comprised from stealing food from other animals after the prey has already been killed. I never looked at the bird in the same light. Over the years I have even wondered if Ben Franklin was wanting the National Symbol to be a Turkey because the Eagle Symbolized our nation too well.

Haha I keep telling you guys that if we kill all the humans there will be no more arguments over who is right or wrong. As far as oil is concerned, the earth can emmit for c02 all on its own with our help. A couple choice volcanoes like the one under yellowstone and all the damage that the human anthill has "footprinted" will be irrellevant.

Thanx guys

I have been using a pair of gloves designed for playing football in cold weather. Reebok made mine, but all the major sports brands have something similar.

Can you find a prop for a 1961 Evinrude Fastwin 18-horse outboard? Been needing to get one. Prefer steel. Would even pay a couple extra bucks if you could find one that increased my g-forces...haha

OH BOY!!!!! Where do I start with this? Do I even start at all? I fear that this whole thread will be 450 pages of why Trav is right all along with the whole "total extermination of the human species" theory. Yet I will try to focus on just the errors of the idealogical purpose as was proposed. Along with what DC mentioned there are too many social ramifications to consider. More than I care to mention, but as an Athiast, I, more than most, can see that even considering such an idea based on any religious "principles" will make the organization an automatic target as fanatical. It is no different than a bunch of jews buying up property in palenstine. 4000 years of history has played on that quest and the jury is still out. Sportsman have guns right? Ha. Like that wont attract attention. Just ask them folks in Waco, oops, you cant. The only way to get land and keep it, is by force. Just ask the native americans. Your "island" wont be an island at all. It will still be American soil. Subject to all the laws of the land. That includes eminent domain. The human anthill will eventually consume your little preserve if the taxes dont do it first. For if it is "private" as explained, it wont have any sancuary from uncle sams greed. But rest assured, as DC said, it will be consumed by greed from within. As noble as the philosophy sounds, the human race is destined to be its own enemy and there is nothing practical, noble, sensable, or reliable about any of it. Just chaos, greed, and destruction. Freakin Humans are consistant and predictable as whole so I know I am not the only one who sees this. So you can wrench your earnings away for some inevitably failed cause, or you can buy a truck, a boat, a house, get a dog, have a couple kids, pay your taxes and squat like the rest of us hard working americans. We are all watching the same decline of social and economic morals every night on the 6 o clock news. AND THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE! Quit thinking like wet-nurse liberal and except your fate as a human. Hopefully you will be able say when your old, that you served your country well, produced offspring that did the same, you lived with some dignity, and didnt believe in socialistic crap as your proposing. Thats all I have to say about that-Forrest Gump I saw the webpage and my feelings are still the same. Get a job. Get a hobby. You have too much time on your hands.

Welcome

Haha I guess in a perfect world only fisherman should be allowed on the lake. Wink

Went back after the one that got away but no such luck. Wind was beating up that shoreline today. Ended up in bull creek to stay out of the wind. Caught 8 sport bass and 2 bows jerking the shoreline. Was a pretty uneventful outing today. Was nice to be the only guy on the lake. I didnt see a single fisherman other than myself. Just the way I like it.

Try fishing roark creek after a good rain. Its like fishing the muddy missouri because of the run off from branson construction. Rec Watercraft.....I was referring all forms of watercraft with the exception of fisherman. But the poll wasnt set up to clarify that. So any interpitation works. And litter is pollution. Just the most visible form.

Haha My dog might be a tough little scrapper and varmit killing machine but "she" doesnt think thats butch at all. If she is bringing you beer it has to be a date. You better not break my little girls heart!

I feel that land development is silting the lake at a dramatic rate. Pollution is on a global scale. And with the discovery of the zebra mussell as well as the rapid growth of hydrilla threatening to choke off Bull Creek, that this issue should be addressed alot more seriously by the MDC.

Another touchy subject?

I boated down to powersite and cranked up 5 sport bass. One was just shy of 2 pounds. Digital said 1.13. On my way back home I stopped and jigged lil georges along the cliff across from the long beach boat docks and caught one brownie hovering at 30 feet of water. Digital put it at 4.1. I got ahold of something else just 100 feet away from where I got that one so I am assumming a big brownie. And I mean BIG! I fought it for a good 15 to 20 minutes then nothing. Just came off the hook. The way it was fighting I am almost sure I had it foul hooked. I was jigging pretty agressively. I have snagged em before with that style of presentation. Anyway, If I was to make a guess, it was well over 10 pounds. But if it was foul hooked a stout 5 pounder might have done the same. I guess I will never know for sure. If anyone catches a huge brownie with hook scars in its tail....I had him first!...Haha

Haha, Trip to where? Are we fishing? Is it free? Open Bar? Are we talking a psycodelic trip? I am sooo confused!!! darn brown acid! Fill me in DC, I cant see ya! Haha

Its the only dock on Taneycomo that is guarded by fire breathing T-Rex's and has flying Gryphons giving it shade...Wink

DC How did my name get into all this? Haha Im sure you guys dont want to hear from this side of the Republican Gene pool! Im pro-war/anti-human. I believe that this planet has an infection. It is infected because it is infested with parasites. And the parasites are killing the host. The Human Anthill needs to be eradicated or this planet will die. The Human Anthill must be dealt with or when this planet is dead the parasite will just jump like a flea to a new host. It must be stopped now before that can happen. It wont be long before saving the planet will turn into saving the galaxy. The only way to stop this madness that we are seeing is to pass around the special kool-aid and make sure everyone drinks it. No measures shorter than that will be enough. Thats just my point of view. But nobody will listen to an old "in your face" athiast! Haha

I am always getting gifts from friends and family of these type. I have never spent a dime on them but I do own the Banjo, the walking worms, and the swimtail minnows. Now I have tried them all and with some success but to tell the truth they catch more dust than fish. To be fair, I tend to have my group of "confidence" lures that I prefer so that is why I rarely use them. I figure, "why mess with success". When it comes to lures I always tell people never leave thier "confidence" at home. What catches ya fish there will most of the time work here.

I just got myself a nice land and sea cam. Will send you some pics when I see something that would fit your criteria. Want any underwater pics? They dont enlarge as well but might make a good pick for a summer month.

I was just gonna use my blog as kind of a photo gallery. would be alot easier if I could just attach in one simple step.

Haha, I dont bait my dock. But I do make it feel like home. I sink plenty of cover. Yet, I have failed to catch a crappie out of my little nest. I would guess it is because my docks sits right in the current channel and the water stays pretty cold year round. Even the Bass say "See ya later" when they are running alot of water. As far as fishing all the time, It helps that my boat stays in the water and I just have to walk to it. Dont envy your situation with kids. I already went through that phase of my life. Enjoy them while you can though. Wont be long and they will be to busy for you. Haha

I was a guide for eight years and I have to agree with MoTrout. You cant beat the "School of Hard Knocks". I never was a guide for flyfishermen and was very fortunate to guide on waters where catching fish everyday was the norm. I never supplied tackle, only expertise on locations and techniques. I got out of the trade because of the people. Most were grateful but there were those that just got greedy. For lack of a better word. Fifty fish wasnt ever enough unless you can give them that world record or that trophy mount. You, as a guide, have to be friendly and even charming to assure the clients have a good day. They, afterall, want to have a good time. As I got older I found myself disliking my work and quit before I eventually detested the sport. Maintaining my zeal for the sport was more important than selling its benefits to ametuars for money. Its not glamorous at all. Its a service job. Like all jobs it can turn into a grind. Im a firm believer that a man should change careers at least 3 times in his lifespan to be a well rounded individual. I really enjoyed my time as a guide. It was a blast for it to be my first career. I am sure you will love it too, if you make it. Just walk in with your eyes wide open and dont let your desire to work in the sport fishing industry stain the fact that your doing it because you love it.

Got busy this morning so fished the rain this afternoon. BRRRR. Needless to say, I stayed under the shelter of my dock. Turned out to be a good thing too. The bows must of had the same idea because I caught 26 stockers in just under 2 hours. I was just vertical jigging little 1/2 inch twirly tails. White with blue tips and red lead-heads. No Bass though. Guess they dont take kindly to all the immigrants. Haha. Just kidding guys. Truce!