BOAT SHOW WAS A BLAST!!






I thoroughly enjoyed the Boat Show this year. Yes, it was a bit smaller than in years past and that reflects the blow our economy has been dealt, but I got to catch up with some old friends and make some new ones and that made it all worth it.

This photo is of Miss Angelina M. This young lady has great timing! She was a few yards away from my booth when I gave out our last free wristband for kids. She’s so cute, I couldn’t stand to send her away empty handed, so, I presented her with the little tackle box that we had the free wristbands displayed in!! Not 10 minutes later she returned and proudly showed me how she had decorated the box with decals — so we did this pose to display her handiwork.

I’d like to thank Dave Hill of the Austin Fly Fishers for taking 8 hours out of his life to help me man the booth on opening day. He hand carried 215 silicone wristbands from Austin intended as giveaways for children advertising the SKIFF (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) Program. Those vanished by mid-afternoon on Saturday.

My boat is due out of the shop this Friday (did some fiberglass work on her bottom and prettied her up a little for the season ahead) so I’ll be back on the water and looking forward to some winter “sniping” given this extended cold snap. Sniping is like icefishing on open water, making extensive use of sonar combined with very exact boat control to target deep, suspended fish — both white bass and hybrid stripers.

I do fish year ’round and the winter months offer some of the best fishing of the year — plenty of birds to point the way to the fish, no boat traffic, no heat, no mosquitoes … what more could you ask for! Of course I watch the weather and hand-pick days with the right combination of wind and sky conditions to ensure success. If you’re thinking about a winter trip, be as flexible as you can in identifying potential dates before you call or e-mail so that we can choose the best conditions for your trip.

See you on the water!!