fin

Our wardens cover about three counties, and that’s just ridiculous. There’s no way they could cover all that territory even if they worked 24/7. They earn very little and are required to have a college degree. Park managers used to have some authority, and that helped spread the work around, but that authority was taken away because enforcement got too dangerous. The system is broken. If someone wants to poach, in whatever form, it’s not that hard. And from what I’ve seen, people are willing to go through some pretty crazy stuff to get a few fish. Regular law enforcement officers have their hands full, so they’re not going to get involved.

The wardens I’ve met all take their job serious, I don’t put any fault on them. I’ve had some give me their cellphone number so I could call them directly. Otherwise you have to go through the State Patrol dispatch. Dispatch workers don’t know anything about the regulations or anything related to hunting and fishing, so you have to explain every little thing to them, and in the end, it’s a waste of time because the warden is two counties away and dispatch has no idea where they are.

In my opinion, part of the answer lies in some type of deputy system, where fishermen or hunters can get qualified to report directly to wardens and be able to text them photos of violators in real time. But the main thing is they just need to add more wardens. The state loves to take in the money for sports and fishing, but they are don't want to spend a dime on it.

I just got finished tying my first braid rings going by Ott's instructions, and if Milliken ties his the same way, there's no way he could end up with a larger loop on the first hook. So that larger loop is  either intentional or he ties it a different way than Ott.
 
 

I have used hot-melt glue to test experimental lures before I switch to epoxy for a permanent seal. Rubber cement might work, but it might peel off, which it has a tendency to do.

Banjo minnow?