Fishing Trip with My Grandsons.

Saturday morning plans were made for a fishing trip with one of my grandsons, Kaleb. As usual another grandson, Cody decided he wanted to go by late Saturday afternoon. I spent the day Saturday going over all my tackle checking it and getting it ready for Sunday's adventure. 4:15 a.m. Sunday morning my two grandsons and I got up, had breakfast and coffee and discussed facts about fishing. My grandsons had been fishing before but were anxious to learn all they could about fishing from me. So many questions and a lifetime for them to learn. Although I have many years of fishing behind me and more memories of fishing than I can ever disclose to them, I only hope I will be here long enough to show and teach them everything I know about fishing and the outdoors. 5:00 a.m. we loaded the gear up and headed to my favorite honeyhole. As it was still dark out, on the way there was conversation about the road, the fog, a opossum which crossed the road in front of us and of course fish and fishing. As we went through town, we stopped at Wal-mart Supercenter to replenish my supply of 5/0 laser point catfish hooks then back on the road again. 6:00 a.m. and dawn was just breaking. We were just minutes away from my honeyhole and my grandsons were already seeing the water beside us above the dam. As we pulled into the parking lot we could see the Great Falls waterfall and that the lights were flashing on the construction bridge to the Hydro-plant, indicating that the turbines were running and the dam flood gates were open. We got out of the truck and walked the upper trail as the lower trail was under water. Kaleb and Cody were both in awe over all the swift water, the falls, the vultures flying around over us, the fog hanging over the water, the wild flowers and wanting to know where we were going to be fishing. When we finally found a place along the bluff where we could get down to the waters edge to fish we went back to the truck and got our gear. Returning to the water, I began showing both grandsons how to put the chicken livers on the hook, how to cast the bait easy enough not to throw it off, how to cast out and handle the large catfish rods so as not to throw them in the water and how to cast into the swift currents and eddy's without getting crossed over each others lines. Though my two grandsons were more into casting out and reeling in to quickly to give the fish time to bite, they both did a wonderful job of listening to my instructions, and their casting out skills were well appraised, however they were both in open waters without trees, protruding rocks or logs and stumps. Although we all started out free lining our baits, I decided to put a sinker on and try bottom fishing. Knowing this to be a mistake in the fast moving current, I wanted to see if the fish were on the bottom of the river. As anticipated, I got hung up and lost my hook and sinker which turned out to be a good opportunity to show my grandsons how to tie on a hook. We'd been fishing for about 2 hours now and both grandsons were beginning to get alittle dis-interested due to not catching any fish. We decided to move to another fishing spot, one where the water wasn't swift and fast currents so we moved to a spot above the dam next to a bridge. Unfortunately after fishing there for another hour or so and still not catching any fish we decided to head for home and try fishing another day. On the way home we discussed the day of fishing and the fun we had even if we didn't catch any fish. Before reaching home they wanted to know when we would be going again. My only reply was " maybe the next weekend I'm off work". Another great memory for my collection.

Fishing We Go.

Well just a short update on my fishing. This Sunday ( April 12, 2009 ) I plan on getting up at 4:30 a.m. and heading out to Rock Island State Park for a morning of fishing for catfish with my grandson Kaleb. If all goes well we should come back with a nice bunch of fish for the skillet but they'll have to wait cause I'm cooking up a nice deer roast with all the trimmings. We'll be using chicken livers and fishing just below a spillway along the river ledges drifting the livers free lined. To date the smallest catfish I've ever caught there was probably 5-6 pounds. I'll give you full length report on our fishing outing later this coming week.

Weekend Fishing Update.

Well I had planned on going fishing this weekend but the weather just didn't cooperate so I ended up visiting blogs and giving my support to my fellow bloggers and doing some research on a sickness I've just been diagnosed with. I did check the fishing report for my area and found out that the fishing was slow right now due to the weather and the cold running the fish down deep. Most fish ,of those being caught, are running from 10-35 feet deep on channels or drop-offs. These fish are being caught on mostly jigs or live minnows. Hopefully I'll get the chance to go fishing two weeks from now when I'm off on the weekend again. There has been some rumors that the catfish are biting now for the past month or so, so maybe I'll give catfishing a try when I go. March usually starts the catfish feeding good and getting ready to start going on beds so it should start getting exciting around here through the last part of July or August. Anyway I'll give a update to you on the fishing here after I go in two weeks and hopefully the weather will be better by then and the fish will be biting.

Fishing Was On Hold.

My fishing has been put on hold since the beginning of deer season and besides that I usually only fish for bass and catfish now which I do normally during the first part of the year until as I said deer season begins. Anyway with deer season about over you should start getting more post here on my fishing afield for the 2009 year. Perhaps in 2009 if the deer hunting gets slow I may try some fall and winter fishing. Who knows I may even take up fishing for crappie and walleye. My camping trips with the wife this year were all but a disaster so in 2009 there probably won't be any camping trips or at least not with her but maybe with some of the guys from work or my grand kids, only time will tell.

Just A Fishing.

A couple of weeks ago I'd pondered all night while at work about going fishing after work the next morning. Unfortunately, I was to tired to drive the 12 - 15 miles to my catfish hole and ended up going down to the nearby river to fish for bass. I parked by the Hwy 111 bridge, climbed down the embankment and slide into the water by the bridge and began fishing upstream all the way to the dam with nary a bite one. I then started back down stream and had stopped at a big poole using the same spinner bait but reeling it very slowly, so as to allow it to fall to the bottom and to my dismay began cacthing 10 - 12 inch redeye bass. I stayed at this poole for about 40 minutes and left with a nice stringer of redeye bass. I didn't have my watch on so I figured it was about time I get home to the wife before she grounded me from fishing the rest of the year. Those fish made some nice eatin and the wife was happy to boot.

Doctor's Released Me.

Tuesday August 12th, 2008 the doctors check-up was good but not a total relief. The doctor looked at the wound and said it was healing good but to be careful cause it could still bust open again and I'd be back to square one again starting all over on the healing process.The doctor released me to go back to work but on a light duty release only for about another 7 - 10 days or so. I went to work on the 13th and 14th and they put me on the forklift and told me to " just be careful and chill out and not lift anything", but my packing balled up on me and felt like sitting on a rock. I even changed the packing but it didn't do any good the pain was already there and hard to handle without my pain medication. I kept trying to prevent taking any pain meds. due to them being narcotic drugs and not wanting to get dependent on them. Saturday around noon I had my grandsons over to help clean up the yard so it could be mowed and I started hurting again just walking around so now I've been inside sitting around trying to stop the pain again. I think I may have rubbed the covering off the wound and have it opened up again but haven't had the wife check it yet. I'll have her check it in the morning after my shower before dressing it. I just hope I can make it at work the next few days without any more pain. It's good to be able to get off the couch anyway and tomorrow I plan on trying to mow the yard with just the riding mower at least. I may not be able to do that but I have to try. Dad and mom came by today to check on me and they have been seeing a few deer in the lake bed with a couple of nice bucks. Now I just have to finish rebuilding my deer stands and get them up before season starts and re-sight my bow.

Doctors Visit.

Went to the doctors today for check-up and they told me the wound was worst not better. The wound has opened up even more and the infection gotten worst. They put me off work through the 12th of August now and have me doing what they call a wet and dry packing on it ( which is changing the dressing from a wet pack to a dry pack every four to six hours and nothing during the nighttime to let it air out and breath ). I also have to use Hydrogen Peroxide and water ( 50-50 % ) solution on it twice daily to help the infection clear out. It just doesn't look all that good to me but then I'm not a doctor and not making the big bucks for those decisions. Since lying on the couch is all I can do I've been watching alot of hunting and fishing shows on tv on the Outdoor Channel, writing blogs in my website booklet ( which I need to post to my hunting site ) and sleeping alot of the time. I 've been doing paid surveys online but they all want you to buy something or try something free for a fourteen day trial, so I guess I be giving this idea up of making money at home with the internet. I can't win from losing any more. Depression starting to set in some now I think so I'll close till the next doctors visit or I feel like writing something else.

Complications from Surgery

Went to doctors appointment today, they were upset cause fiberplasty has broken lose and infection set up. Seems as though I wasn't supposed to be sitting in a tub of water for my bath or sitting at all. My release instructions weren't explained to me just written on paper. Now I'm off work for at least another week and my pain medication doubled and a strong antibiotic to boot. Now I may end up losing my job over this surgery due to missing too much work, even though I was under a doctors care I can only miss 8 days in a year even with a doctors excuse. I go back to the doctor Friday the 8Th at 11:00 a.m. and hope the antibiotics are working and the surgery healing up but for now will just have to wait and see. First time surgery you never know what to expect or what questions to ask when your released to go home.

Surgery update.

Surgery had me worried but it's all over with now and wasn't as bad as I figured it would be. Though I haven't talked to the doctor myself yet, my wife, mother and father was there with me during the surgery and spoke with the doctor after surgery while I was in recovery. The doctor told them everything went well and that he was sending the warts off to have them checked for the possibility of cancer. As for my endoscopy, the doctor said I had an ulcer and ask my wife if I had been under any stress, said that is what causes ulcers( with all the kids staying with us, health problems,financial problems,work not getting done around home,not sleeping good and trying to stop smoking and cut way down on the caffine---no stress here at all). Anyway I'm scheduled to return to the surgeon for follow-up only this time Monday August 4th at 3:45p.m. and then I'll have alot more questions for him. The hospital called yesterday to check up on me and told me to lay around the house buck naked so the wound would get air to it and heal faster. This part I like but have to make sure I lock the doors. Get to bath for the first time today since surgery on Tuesday and man do I need a bath. Pain pills are the strongest he can give me and at times they just don't seem to be working at all (Dilundid 2 mg every 3-4 hours). I'm just glad they didn't have to do any skin grafts. Okay enough for now will update more later as reqiured or needed.

Health Update.

Was supposed to go fishing tonight but had a doctors appointment and he scheduled me for minor surgery on my leg tomorrow. the doctor has taken me off work till Monday August the 4th so since I can't do anything but sit around the house I'll try to post a few articles on all my websites for everyone and visit alot of sites as well. Catfish are hitting really good here right now as they are coming off beds and filling their gut. Have been getting alot of reports of big 18,19 lbs and bigger fish being caught on crawfish, nightcrawlers, chicken livers and shad and minnows and bream. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of any of them just reports. Keep on fishing and posts me some articles and THANKS EVERYONE for your concerns.