Thornback

Aarrg matey, I tell it with a pirate's accent. And no cutthroat brings more than 239 beans aboard me ship.

I take no more than 239 beans. Why stop at 239? Because one more would be 240.

The reason some people work like a horse is because their boss rides them -- Gabriel Heatter

That's not a good sign. Over the years I could write a book on fishing partners. One guy would start singing as soon as we got on the water, happy guy. Another guy would have the most negative attitude. He would drag me down after a few hours of listening to him. I always caught more bass than he did and he kept calling me lucky. Another guy would catch the first bass and start rubbing it in. If I caught the first bass I would ask him if he was going to catch that day or just watch me. We had a ball fishing and smack talking. I do believe a positive attitude makes a fishing trip more enjoyable, and produces more bites.

Do it the government way -- cut a section out of the middle and add it to the end

I live out in the country on an acre and I used to dig a deep hole with post hole digger and dump the pieces in the hole and refill the hole. Once in a while a night critter would dig them up so then I started just dumping them in a corner of the acre and let the critters have them without digging for them. But now I do catch-and-release. I do think the suggestion of cleaning at the lake and tossing the waste back in the water is a good one.

Have your home's potable water tested and you might be surprised what it has in it. I once tried to drink some distilled water. It had a horrible taste compared to my well water which is full of iron and lime

The killing of Cecil has generated a lot of news and a lot of controversy. We need to step back and ask ourselves a few questions to get a better perspective. Would the lion be in the news if it didn't have a name? Did the dentist know he was breaking any laws? Should the dentist's practice be destroyed because he killed the lion? Did you know in the wild other lions will kill lion cubs? Did you know in the wild hyenas will kill and eat lions? Do you recognize that lions are not on equal with humans? Did you know lions will fight each other and brutally kill each other? Did you know a lion in the wild will live about 10 to 12 years? Did you know lions have killed humans? IMO the dentist and his guides should pay a fine and let the incident be over. No one should go to jail and no one should lose their ability to earn a living.

I've drank Coke all my 75 years and I've never had a heart attack, never had cancer, never had a stroke, am not diabetic, and only 10 pounds over weight. I can go fishing by myself and manage the boat unloading and loading quiet well. Certain things go better with Coke, like hamburger and fries. Iced tea goes better with fried fish. OJ goes better with breakfast food. I drink maybe one can of Coke a day. I also love milk, OJ, and Gatorade. I don't like the taste of water unless it is almost freezing cold. But all these drinks have water in them. When I go fishing I take a sandwich and drink a half can of Coke while eating the sandwich. Later while fishing I might drink Gatorade or OJ. Too much milk, too much water, too much Coke, all can have some not so perfect effect on our system, so moderation, moderation, moderation, is the way to go. Dried beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and good for you, but you don't want to OD on beans

You did good. Thanks for all the pix.

I would suggest having a nice chat with the coach and try to educate him. When my dad was 18 he was near a lightening strike and was knocked unconscious and temporarily paralyzed, his father was killed by the same lightening. 15 years later Dad's brother was killed by lightening. Powerful stuff and can strike out of nowhere.

My wife was driving alone when a guy just suddenly crossed the center line in front of her. Totaled our just-over-one-year-old F150. She wasn't injured, thanks to shoulder harness, seat belt, and air bag. We had only one vehicle and a deputy came to my house and gave me a ride to the scene. When I arrived my wife ran to me crying and asked what we were going to do. My reply, "We'll buy a new truck."

I extended a rod handle once. I cut off one inch from the end of the rod handle, then I drilled a hole in the end of the rod handle, then drilled the same size hole in the end of the piece I had cut from another rod handle. I cut a piece of aluminum round stock that would insert into each hole. Using epoxy glue in each hole I then inserted the rod into the holes and pushed the two handles together. Worked just fine.

We usually do what comes naturally and resist any change. I cast right hand and reel right hand. Thus every cast I change hands but I don't even know I'm changing hands. If someone asked me if I changed hands I would probably say no unless I thought through my motions. I have a fishing buddy who casts right but reels left so he always uses reels with left handed handles. He doesn't like to change hands. He's happy his way and I'm happy my way, he catches bass his way and I catch bass my way

I use all the muscle I can to set the hook. Then keeping the rod bent I reel like a mad demon. Usually when the bass is to the boat they are too stunned to fight. I then lip 'em and bring 'em aboard. IMO the longer the bass is in the water the more chance of losing it. I can't remember the last time I lost a bass after the hook set.