JohnF

Perhaps the folks who can't find 'em? JF

But girls lead to parties, and parties are the obstacle to succeeding at school. Nothing like a wife at home to keep yer nose to the books. That being said, yer right. The campus is definitely a happy and prolific hunting ground. JF

Sound like the all to common type who think the world owes them something just cuz they went to school. Ya gotta make yer own opportunities. JF

I've seen too many folks with nothing but schooling. They know nothing about the world and generally putzed up their first shot at life as an adult. I'm not knocking an education. It's a great asset, probably even a must these days, but in some ways it's overrated, or perhaps misrepresented. My suggestion is to add 30 or 35 years to your current age and if the sum exceeds 65, go get an edykashun, right quick. If not, then see the world (or go guiding), have some fun, but be prepared to postpone taking on much responsibility (wife, family, mortgage, etc) until the edykashun is completed and a life career path established. Speaking from experience it's a lot easier to settle down to schoolin', long term career responsibilities and a family if one gets the itch scratched first. Or another way of saying it - it's a whole lot easier to grow up when you're growed up already. Back in the day they called it sowing your wild oats. I have no idea what that really meant but it sounds kinda cool. If the itch is real bad, scratch the sucker. You'll appreciate school and all a whole lot more after the itch is fixed. JF

This is an example of lucking out, but it also speaks to the advantage of using an o-ring for wacky rigging. I asked at the CTC parts counter for o-rings. The guy asked "What size?". I said, "Oh, 'bout this big." holding up my fingers. So he came back with a handfull of assorted sizes which he gave to me, gratis, and off i went to play with 'em. They worked great. I rolled them onto the various sized worms and have caught some really decent smallmouths with them , including my PB that I described here a while back. Not one worm has gone missing. It's a great system. Having the BPS rigger just makes it easier to set up, and gives you the right sizes. JF

jeez. Ya kinda ruined the allure of sushi there. Seriously. I guess that's why I like bass fishin'. The two little lakers I caught this summer were some kinda stinky & slimey compared to my neighbourhood smallmouths - but they sure tasted good. JF

I'm hardly an authority on this, but I've been paying attention, to others' comments and to my own experiences, and the conclusion I've come to is that I want one longer rod for spinning - i.e. a 7 footer. I've got a variety of inexpensive (read crappy) 6.5 - 7' rods and though I like none of them very well, I dislike less (???) the longer ones. I've got a reasonably good short (5.6') spinning rod which is hands down my fave, but it doesn't give me the distance I'd like with plastics. Ergo, a longer (7') good rod will be more to my liking. That's a really convoluted vote for the 7 footer. JF

Wasn't in the Stratford flyer either, but for what it's worth the Stratford store has had packs of 4 plastic trays bundled for $9.95 for quite a while now. Having siad that I don't look every time I'm in so they may be gone but I figured why pay extra for the bag I don't need. JF

When do you defend yer thesis? JF

The same one as was just on tonite? Fishmaster Steve with Pete Bowman? JF

Yer 3'3"? JF

Not hard to believe if you've raised live breeders in an aquarium. If you leave any others in with Mom they line up under her as she drops the babies to scoop 'em up before they even get opened out. JF

Man! I loved those adventures when I was yer age. .......... Hell! I still love 'em in my dotage. Have a ball. JF

Read "State Of Fear" by Michael Crichton. It's fiction so not exactly gospel, but he cites a lot of interesting references to debunk the global warming fears. Of course, there are folks who dispute his cites but they are as far as I know all real and factual. They may be used somewhat out of context for effect but are nonetheless interesting and thought provoking. JF

This whole topic is huge, and abused by too many politicans and lobbyists to serve their own particular ends, though in some cases well-intentioned. I've done a little reading and essentially what I read was that although there are isolated instances (the proof offered to support global warming theory) of the world heating up, the various world temperature monitoring sites aren't really proving any overall warming trend. Personally, I believe the world has a life of it's own (not necessarily the same kind as we have) and will change over time just like each of us, and the effects we impose on it may speed up or slow down the changes but the changes will continue to happen with or without us. I'm not defending our adverse contribution habits here, just saying that the warming appearance in certain areas and perhaps even world-wide will happen when it's ready to happen for reasons and influences other than those we impose. If you look at it rationally, the world suffered through severe flooding and at least one ice age without our industrious (industrial?) help. Why should man take all the credit for any changes we see happening today? That's pretty arrogant in a way, stuff worthy of the best politicians, so let's not play into their hands too quickly. I'm pretty cynical when it comes to politicians any more, after too many years of watching them slip and slide on our emotions and our needs to get what they want. Global warming may well be happening, but I doubt man can do much to stop it, only alter the rate and degree. Who knows? The end result may not be all bad for us. On the other hand there may be some natural law beyond our ken that says we are here for a limited time only, our earth an exhaustible and finite resource, and this apparent warming is simply another step in the consumption of our main resource, and in our decline and fall. How's that for an apocalyptic view of man's existance? On that note I'm off to the office to pay the tax for another day of declining and falling. JF

Hmmmmph! Yer basic trip of a lifetime, the kind you do annually. The char colouration is incredible. BTW ***** + JF

I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know him personally but his comments and insights were always worth reading here. JF

I think yer right. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/photoout.asp?id=261 JF

I'm no expert but considering where you caught that shark, it's coloration, shape, etc, I'd bet on Nurse Shark. It's obviously a juvenile so there are bound to be some things that are different from an adult Nurse. They're very common around the Florida reefs. Quite sedate. They are most often seen sleeping on the sandy bottom or with their heads stuck under a reef overhang. They're the ones scuba divers encounter most often. They have little fear of divers in the water. JF

No fishing. Was hoping to get out to the river this evening but business stuff got in the way. Golf and theatre with friends from T.O. Saturday, then off to Cleveland on Sunday morning for a few days. JF

Treat her nice. She is Madam Whatsit after all. She must be pretty classy, royalty even. JF

OK. I'm envious. So now when we visit BPS we can just follow the sound of maniacal giggling to find you????? JF

Definitely a ***** report. Thanks. JF

Don't fergit the snakes. Speaking of snakes, a friend of mine was scuab diving (actually doing a shallow drift dive down one of those gin-clear Northern Florida spring fed rivers) and when he got to the exit point he eased on over and surfaced at aladder. He climbed the ladder and as his head and shoulders cleared the water he felt an extra weight dragging on him. Thinking he'd surfaced beneath a floating branch or weed he brushed at it, and it moved tooooooo much. He dropped back into the water and looked up to see a 5-6' snake undulating away across the river. Gives me the heeby-jeebies just thinking about it. He doesn't know what kind of snake it was. I asked "Does it really matter?" JF

Taking yer car & kayak? A friend of mine spends a few months/yr in the Everglades and does a lot of kayak fishing - fresh & coastal waters. Or go a little south to the Keys and do some flats fishing. I can probably get some locations for you if you're mobile. JF