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Daily Blog Archive for December, 2008

A winter time must see life saving video!

December 26, 2008

Last Saturday I watched ESPN2's coverage of the Bluegrass Brawl down on Kentucky/Barkley that took place this past summer. It was the event that KVD won by the skin of his teeth after a last day charge by Tim Horton. It was the tournament following Wheeler, down in Alabama, where Kevin just barely lost. Almost back to back wins by the bass meister. That KVD is a phenomenal angler, and if you were to put money on someone to win the Classic in February it would be hard to bet against him.

The other day, I opened up the Bass Fan website to find a featured article on Nate Wellman . Nate was a student of mine when he was a sixth grader in Jenison Public Schools. I had both Nate and his sister McKenzie. Nate was always an outdoor kid and was a fish fanatic even back then. He's been working to become a competitive touring pro for a number of years. I remember fishing with him in several of the B.A.S.S. Federation State Championships, and have been following his exploits now that he's been fishing the FLW Tour events. Here's a couple of old shots of Nate.

B.A.S.S. State Team Qualifiers

That's Nate in the center next to my buddy Ron Hicks

I have combined some blog info that I started but didn't complete, so this entry may be a tad bit disjointed, but then again aren't they all.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. It's a stressful time and really can become quite commercial in a hurry. You kind of get caught up in the need to buy more things. It's fun to give things to others, but in this economy you have to be ready and able to pay the bill at the end.

One of the things my wife and I decided we wanted to get each other was a Garmin Nuvi Streetfinder GPS. I have been looking at and trying out some and decided to get the Garmin Nuvi 260 . It doesn't have every bell and whistle, but all I want is an easy to use model. I have other electronics that I can watch pictures on, or listen to MP3s on etc. I found New Egg to have the best price, and you don't pay tax or shipping. My son buys lots of stuff for his computer business each year from New Egg. If you think you may be interested in one yourself here is a link to a short tutorial on the Garmin 260 that's on You Tube . It gives you a quick overview, and it looks quite easy to use. It is rated quite high by buyers who have filled in product reviews on New Egg. A unit to consider if you have any money left over.

In cruising the net for the last few days, I noticed a couple of articles. One was about our Ray Scott buddy and Federation Nation Director Don Corkran. We spent a couple of days with Ray and Don when Don Fowler and I went down to fish at Ray's estate. Don Corkran came for dinner and then came back the next day to fish with Ray against Don and I.

Me, Ray, Don F. and Don Corkran

It appears that BASS/ESPN Outdoors has decided to trim its budget by reducing staff and our buddy Don, who has worked for us federation nation anglers for the past twelve years, is not going to have his contract renewed. I for one, would like to wish Don the very best! With his expertise, I'm sure he'll land on his feet running. Who knows maybe he'll even join the ranks of us retirees. Here's a picture of Don on stage with the "Bass Boss" and Jamie Laiche in the 2007 Federation Nation National Championship.

Don Corkran B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Director

Well, I have a bunch of other topics for the blog, but I also have a bunch of things to get done today. So, it's time for the parting quote of the day. It comes from a guy by the name of Greg Anderson. He once said that "You can't expect to prevent negative feelings altogether. And you can't expect to experience positive feelings all the time... The Law of Emotional Choice directs us to acknowledge our feelings but also to refuse to get stuck in the negative ones."

December 18, 2008

The Christmas season is taking its toll on the blog. At least that's the excuse I'm using for now. My son and his girlfriend came to visit, and we had a great time. Prior to their coming, I had quite a list of straightening and cleaning objectives. Having company is something we should schedule regularly to help maintain things around here. I tend to be a procrastinator, so putting things off till the last minute comes naturally for me which isn't good. I should take my own blog advice and never start a new day without first finishing it on paper. Having a planner, or a whiteboard, with objectives for each day of the month certainly is the first step in managing ones time. Getting the blog done today will cross off one of my "To Do's."

With the coming of winter each year you read heart rendering stories of people falling through thin ice and drowning. In our area, there are a multitude of gravel pit lakes. The lakes are dug to mine the glacial moraine gravel and then once dug and mined out, the property around them become home lots with expensive waterfront price tags. With all of this water around, it provides temptation to many young kids who go out exploring the newly formed ice. Consequently, there is a real need to pay heed to the dangerous conditions that may be present themselves by watching videos like this "What To Do If You Fall Through The Ice." There is also a very good article on the same subject available at this Minnesota Sea Grant site where they have an article on "Hypothermia Prevention: Survival in Cold Water." This article has some very good tips for outdoorsmen, and whether you're a veteran of cold weather activities or not, you should read article and watch the video. I'm going to be leaving the video link from "You Tube" up on the blog throughout the Winter and early Spring season.

While I was perusing the net today I found a very entertaining and informational article that the FLW folks did with David Dudley. It's titled Dudley the Closer: Part 1 .

Another site I found, after visiting Skeet Reese's New Site , was a list of radio shows from Ultimate Bass with Kent Brown . You can visit the site and view a list of radio shows that are archived. They are hour long shows that you can listen to on the computer. I don't see where they have podcasted any of the episodes, so it doesn't look like you can take them off the computer and listen to them in the truck or on a MP3 player. I haven't listened to any yet, but they are something that I may put on while I'm typing the blog or doing something else like walking on the treadmill.

I got an email a while ago from Ed Dyer, and he included some pictures of a nice whitetail that he harvested this year. It's a dandy, and the best part about it for Ed is that he shot it on land that he is soon relocating to. As soon as he sells his home in Byron Center he's moving. He's planning on retiring and building on the land that this brute use to call home. If you're interested in relocating to the Grand Rapids area, Ed has a nice house on a nice lot that he's hoping to sell soon. Here's Ed's big buck.

Ed Dyer's Big 2008 Buck

Well that's it for today. Time for the parting shot. I liked this quote a lot, and I think if you are a people person this is something that you are probably practicing without any thought at all. Carl Buechner once said, "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

December 9, 2008

Nuts! No snow day today. My wife was hoping to have a day off today because of the snow storm that was forecasted, but it didn't happen. That means I'll be home today doing house straightening chores by myself. My son and his girlfriend are coming for a weekend visit, and my fishing stuff is still in the living room from my Cherokee Lake trip in October. Consequently, I don't have a lot of blog time.

In the last blog I said I'd put up the second article from Jess Caraballo Tips and Tricks From The Back of the Deck . The coangler dos and don'ts if you will.

When I read part two, I had just visited a thread at Dan Kimmel's greatlakesbass.com website that discussed the new B.A.S.S. Marshall program which does away with coanglers.

I have mentioned before, that Rick Skinner and I have signed up for the Cold Water Clash in July up in Escanaba. Since then my buddy Steve "Reno" Block has also signed up, and the Regan twins from Hudsonville are also taking part.

If you read the thread from Kimmel's site above, you'll see that some guys think that B.A.S.S. is crazy to ask $100 to sit in the back seat of a Elite pros boat for a two days and maybe three. You can read my reply which is based on my retired point of view. Retired or not though I think it's going to be a blast. A week of camping with buddies, hauling the boat up for some fishing time, and getting to hob knob with some of bass fishing's greats sounds pretty good to me. I'm seriously considering a couple of more Elite Series tournaments down in Alabama come this Spring. If you have or haven't considered becoming a Marshall, make sure you read Kimmel's thread and get the pros and cons. You do have to go into the program with a mindset, and be ready for what then unfolds. Let me know if you plan on going, and maybe we can all find a common campground.

Dandy Don Fowler sent me a couple of emails today and one included a shot of his 2008 buck he harvested down on his property during this year's Michigan firearm season. The picture was taken by Sue Knaisel from Pilgrim Village in Cadillac . Steve and Sue Knaisel have the best northern mid Michigan tackle shop and resort in that neck of the woods. Steve and Sue cater to the whole spectrum of anglers. Often, because of inventory cost, you won't see the range of serious fishing tackle that they have in a local shop. Seeing is believing, so if you're in the Cadillac area make sure you stop in and check them out. By the way, they will soon be one of a few select shops that will be carrying the new Koppers Live Target hard baits. Here's Don's buck.

Don Fowler's 2008 Rifle Deer

Just in time for Christmas, which my wife says is any time if you fish and hunt, are a bunch of new products that you may want to start justifying the need for. One of those is a uniquely designed baitcaster from US Reel . The reels claim to fame is that it casts farther and reduces back lashes with its revolutionary see saw reel take up feature.

Another product that caught my eye was a battery monitor from Argus . I know, I'm always wondering how my batteries are doing and if I have a good charge on them or not. These monitors look very easy to install and are simple to read.

Well, things to do and people to see today, so that it for today's blog entry. The parting shot of the day comes from John Gierach. He once said, "If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong." People do that to me, but it's all the time. I don't think I want to know what John G. says about that. Take care and make sure you take time out of each work day to do something you truly enjoy.

December 5, 2008

I called and talked to my good friend Rick "The Cementman" Skinner today. We discussed the B.A.S.S. Elite Cold Water Clash up on Bay De Noc that we have signed up for. We're going to be B.A.S.S. Marshall's and can't wait! Today on the B.A.S.S. site KVD has an article up called Learn from the Best , where he gives his opinion on what it will be like fishing with a Marshall rather than a coangler. I think it's going to be very exciting, especially after hear what KVD had to say.

While surfing today, I also read an article by Berkley about there hand poured worms. This year on Erie, in the Sandusky event, the boater I drew was throwing some four inch hand pours and catching some pretty nice smallies. He convinced me that I needed to order some, and I now have them in good supply should I find myself back in that situation again. Here's the article, if you want to see why "Bigger is Better" .

Last year, in December, I started to put links up to websites that might serve as a Christmas list savers. One site that my computerized son has tuned me in to is woot.com . It's a site that offers one item a day. Most of their offerings tend to be of the electronic variety, but today it was a marshmallow shooter that I just may need to order. A pneumatic repeating marshmallow shooter for $4.99 should find its way in to many a young boy's, older kid, fun loving man's Christmas stocking. Now, should you click on the Woot hot link the shooter may not be there. If it was up on Friday, it will be gone on Saturday. I don't know if you can go back and order something you saw several days ago. I haven't been using the site long enough to know. I haven't seen where you can navigate back though. It's a pretty cool site, and I've ordered several things from it without any problems.

Well the Vawter Boys are back at it again! If you've been reading the blog, you read about and saw the big Pike County, Illinois bucks that the boys got with their bows. Some bruisers to be sure. I just got another email from Brent, and he attached some more pictures of the deer that he and his brother Bryan shot during the Illinois gun season.

Brent Vawter with another monster buck.

Brent and Bryan with the ten pointer.

Bryan with a nice nine pointer.

Another shot of Bryan's corn fed brute.

Brent and Bryan are heading back down to Pike County, I think this weekend for the muzzle loading season. After a couple days of thunderstick hunting in Illinois, they head to Kansas on another hunt. I told you before that these guys are a couple of huntin' and fishin' fanatics. Besides being a couple of avid outdoorsmen though, they are two of the nicest young men that you could hope to meet.

That's going to be it for today. Tomorrow maybe I'll have some time to talk about Boyd Duckett's prediction that it's going to take 20 lbs. a day to win the Classic down in Louisiana in February. I also have to post that second coangler tips article. They can wait for tomorrow though.

The parting shot today I stole from a Roger Hornsby baseball quote. I took out baseball and inserted bass fishing. It fits, and it works. "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no bass fishing. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Take care and enjoy the weekend.

December 2, 2008

I usually break the blog up by the month, and even though it's now December, I'm going to put this entry in with November. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll have a bit more time, and I will be able to put together the December page.

First up on today's entry is some more pictures from Rick "Mr. December" Mast. The guy loves to fish and catch fish he does. He took a mutual friend of ours, Grayson, out on Hardy Pond to look for some of those good eating walleyes that like to bite there this time of year. I've mentioned Grayson several times in the blog and if you recall he's one of the owners of the Outdoorsmen Pro Shop located on Baldwin Ave. just west of Meijers in Jenison.

Rick described November 30th's weather as fantastic, even though his dress belies the fact that it was downright cold. For many outdoorsmen though, their hands may be cold, but catching fish always warms their souls making those frigid days seem a lot warmer. Here are some of the smallies that they found while prospecting for those walleye that haven't decided to bunch up yet.

Rick Mast with a November 30th Hardy Pond Smallie

Grayson testing the late November waters for bronzebacks.

One of Rick's last fish of November, but not his last of the year I would bet.

One more of Rick's Hardy Pond smallies.

I expect Rick, and probably Grayson as well, to be back out on the water several more times before the end of the year. Remember this New Year's Eve photo I had up last year featuring Rick?

You gotta love it!

I've pretty much given up on this year's fishing, especially from a boat. However, I am thinking about next year and signed up this week to be a B.A.S.S. Marshal for the Cold Water Clash. The Clash is a B.A.S.S. Elite Series event up in the U.P. on Big Bay De Noc. It cost $100 to fish, which sounds like a lot to some when think about going out as just a rider. The way I look at it though, it's a real bargain. I'll get to ride all day with three of the top bass fisherman in the world.

If you sign up early enough, and are registered in the top fifty, you will have the opportunity to watch and learn from three different pros. In an Elite event all the pros fish the first two days so they need more marshals and all marshal's who sign up early enough will ride with a pro each of those two days. The third day tournament officials cut to the field to the top fifty and consequently they won't need as many Marshals. The last day they cut to 10, and cameramen ride with each angler on the final day. Not only do you get to learn from the best for several days on the water, you also get a hat and a shirt. Not a bad deal in my estimation.

My buddy Rick Skinner and I have signed up and will be taking our campers up for the week. We'll probably be pulling a boat along as well. If you want more information call Denette, in the tournament division, at 1-877-BASS-USA. If you are planning on signing up, you'll need a credit card, your social security number, and your B.A.S.S. membership number.

As I've mentioned before, next year I plan on curtailing my tournament fishing, and I'm planning on just fishing some BFLs as a coangler. I notice that Bass Fan has an article written by last year's FLW Tour coangler of the year, Jess Caraballo. Jess actually wrote a two part article on Coangler Dos and Don'ts . It's a good read. I'll put up part two in the next blog entry.

I haven't heard yet from Mr. Kimmel over at Greatlakesbass.com about whether or not I won his fishing video contest. I should win either first or second. There were only two entries. If you missed the video link, here it is again. Check out Salmon Fishing With Captain Steve .

There is some new bait buzz. Rapala has reintroduced a product that is in the same ballpark as Gulp that they call Trigger X . On the Bass Fan site you can read about how Trigger X use to be marketed by Mustad. They called it "Ultrabite." It's a fish activation stimulant that CEFAS, an environmental research agency in Great Britain, came up with for the commercial fishing industry. Their claim to fame is much like Gulp's except Trigger X materials contain no PVC. The only soft bait on the market that doesn't. If you check out the link you'll find it takes a while to load, and in my opinion, it really doesn't give you much information. I liked the looks of the creature bait though, and I'll be on the look out for more information concerning the new bait offering.

Well, that's going to be it for tonight. Time to hit the showers. Just did a few miles on the treadmill and have finally quit sweating. I need to get back into some kind of shape so I don't feel that when I'm on the treadmill that I have to have the phone in my pocket in case I need to call 911. I was doing so good with my exercise regimen this summer, but boy can I fall off the wagon fast.

The parting shot for today comes from an unknown source, but it certainly makes a lot of sense. "The more specific your vision is, the better your chances are of making it become a reality." Focussed determination. Sounds like it should be a part of every plan. Take care and make sure you take some time out of ever work day, even if it's just a few minutes, to indulge one of your passions.