Gaston Lake

I just completed painting Gaston Lake, which is located in North Carolina and Virginia. When I paint a new lake, I often look for unique and unusual names given to rivers, creeks and islands. Most of time I find such a name, for Gaston Lake it's Six Pound Creek. I am not sure how this name came about, but one must consider that it may have been named after a six-pound fish. Speaking of fish, this lake is known for great fishing. In fact, a monster blue cat at over 143 pounds was caught on the Virgina side of the lake, a new world record. 

Here's my finished painting of Gaston Lake with a simple poem on the perimeter and an artistic flair. Click on map to see it a little better.

The dam was built in 1963 along the banks of the Roanoke River.  Gaston Lake is a beautiful blue lake covering about 20,000 acres. The area surrounding the lake is home to more than 150,000 residents. Recreational activities include, boating, swimming, water skiing, jet skiing and wake boarding. The lake has become a popular retirement area and vacation spot. 

Go to my web site LeoLakes.com for more information.

Life's short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Fishing on the river of OZ......

Ok, here's my fishing cartoons of the week. I got real creative this week and went fantasy fishing on the river of oz. Actually it turned out better than my last real fishing trip when I had a flat at 5:15am. Anyway,  I have learned a lot about the river of Oz as you will see in coming weeks.....he...he...he. Wait till you see the really bad wicked witch jig.   

I just couldn't pass up more about the Mayan Fishing Calender. I do wonder if the Mayan fisherman had a real fishing calender?

The "Oh man, bob" cartoon is from a worm's prospective.

Hope you enjoyed and remember "Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream."

Fishing Hole

This post is not so much about a fishing hole, than it is about a hole in my tire on the way to the fishing hole. It all happened at 5:17am on a Saturday morning two weeks ago on my way to Old Hickory Lake in Goldilocks (my SUV). The plan was to meet up with Greasy Ham (That's my fishing buddy) and kayak fish. All of a sudden, I heard the RAP RAP RAP noise coming from the right rear tire as I drove on the interstate. At this point, I realized that my plans had suddenly changed. In the back of my mind, I thought "Dang these tires are only 8 months old, how did this happen."

Anyway, here's a picture of the RAP STAR that ruined my fishing trip. I don't have time to post the complete write-up so stay tuned. 

The fishing adventures of Witch, Bob and Jim

The weekly cartoon has been finished. Enjoy!

I should have waited until Halloween for this one, but I was too anxious. Eye of newt must be some good bait. 

It's obvious,..... a hook job. One of my favorite cartoons.

Hey, I wonder what the Mayan fishing calender looked like? Probably the best time to go fishing was on sacrifice day! D'hat be my plan!

I just finished painting another lake, Greers Ferry Lake located in Northern Arkansas. As you can see from the decor map, it's almost two lakes. These two body's of water are connected by a gorge area called the narrows. The city of Hidgen was flooded to make way for the lake and was moved to a hill near the lake. Greers Ferry is a great recreation lake that is becoming known for rainbows, not the sky kind but the fish type for you non-fishing folk. Speaking of trout, the Little Red River below the dam holds the current world record brown trout at 40lbs 4ozs. WOW that's as much as our two cats.

Click on the map to venture over to my web site and see a larger  picture

Saturday I will put this weeks Baitrageous cartoons on the blog so stay tuned and remember: Life's short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream.  To see more decor maps go to LeoLakes.com

Fish with Buttermilk and Cornbread

My fishing buddy "Buttermilk" also known as Greasy Ham (you know how we are about names in the south) went fishing two weeks ago on J. Percy Priest Lake. Priest Lake, as it is called by the fishing natives, is located near Nashville TN. 


The temperature was 103 degrees, but that didn't stop the fish from biting. Buttermilk texted  these pictures of some bass that he caught on a yellow & blue Bomber. Oh yeah, want to know a little secret? Sometimes they call me Cornbread, so when we go fishing together, it's Buttermilk and Cornbread. 

Remember: "Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream."

Mr. Pot, Bait relations, & Bait Makeover

Ok, what does Mr. Pot, Bait Relations, & Bait Makeover have to do with my blog? They're the cartoons for the week. My favorite is bait makeover. Also, the temp has finally dropped back to normal here in Tennessee. We actually had some rain today. 


This weekend we are headed to Chattanooga, TN for a mini-vacation. Our plans are to see the Chattanooga Aquarium, both the salt and fresh water aquarium. It's been a while since I've visited and am excited to see what's new. I will post a report when we return. Enjoy Baitrageous!

Hey, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream.

Lakes without borders

Unlike most maps, my décor maps have no road names, county lines, or state bounties. There is a reason for this madness. You see, I want you to wander around the lake, river or bay with your eyes, quite possibly bringing back those golden memories of the big one that got away, a boating adventure, or a place that you adore. I have watched folks looking at my maps and you see them traveling the roads trying to get their bearings, and then suddenly they find them and light up like they were on an adventure. Here is my traditional décor map.

Click on map to get a better look!

I have been considering adding a new map variation to my web site, a map with fewer grids and symbols, but a little more artsy and less cluttered. In addition, I included a poem that my wife created. Here’s a sample.

Click on the map to get a better look!

On the map below I went one step further; I have removed all the wording except for the lake name. It certainly emphasizes the body of water and changes your prospective, like where do I start? This gives you the feeling of flying over as a bird or in a plane. 

Click on map to get a better look!

Feedback would be welcome on these two new ideas. I know feedback is difficult, but I would like to know what you think. Also, I will always keep my current traditional map art, but do like to experiment with other possibilities. Remember…….. Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream! 

See more at my web site: LeoLakes.com