The river of Oz

This week I was sucked up and carried to the river of Oz. Since this is my cartoon of the week, I went fantasy fishing.  Yep, I said fantasy fishing! Just think, if there were fantasy fishing, then the river of Oz would be a top destination. Of course you would need to watch out for those flying monkeys, but the rewards could be epic.

Remember those munchkins?  I once met a Munchkin that was in the original Wizard of Oz at the mall. I was there with my 6 year old. You know the oddest thing happened, the Munchkin sang the song “The Witch is dead”, however he was cantankerous and sometimes sang “The Bitch Is Dead.” This was humorous especially when you looked around and seen the faces of the other parents.  Anyway, what kind of bait do you think those munchkins fished with at the river of Oz? I think I know.

The best bait always follows the monofilament road!

The Scary Crow Spinner is a great bait that can be picked up at bait shops in Emerald City.

Unfortuntely, you must use lots of bait oil to have any luck with the Big Tin Crank!

This is a fantastic bait, but just doesn't have the heart for all situations.

You can't go wrong with the Wicked Witch Jig, the Wizards favorite bait.

Hope you enjoyed my little fantasy fishing trip and remember get away from the big screen and get on a big stream because you're not in Kansas any more.

Bottling Relief

Do you remember the best feeling as a kid? I certainly remember mine. It all started when I was 8 years old and my family was helping clean my grandma’s yard on a hot southern, summer day. We started by removing a large amount of vines growing around the edge of her yard and on a fence.  

Being a little kid, I did as the grownups did; I pulled the vines up too. As I started pulling, I think the vines were possessed and knew what was in store for them. These vines put up one heck of a fight. In fact, I found myself all tangled up in leafy greens and probably looked like a cherry tomato in a salad bowl from the sunburn that I had been working on. Anyway, I had to use all of my 8 year old muscle to free myself from the wild vine. Finally the job was complete. We placed the vines in a large pile and burned them to ashes.  For a hard day’s work, grandma’s cold iced tea hit the spot for the long drive home.

When we arrived home, I started to break-out in little watery bumps, up one leg, then down the other, up one arm and down the other, even the face.  Then, the itch began and I mean itch. Oh, it felt soooo good to scratch and scratch and scratch. In fact, soooooooooo good my eyes rolled back in my head. Lucky for me, my mom applied Calamine lotion which helped soothe the itch.  The damage was already done, all that scratching created scabs which burned, especially while taking a bath and this was Sunday night, bath night for me.  After the painful hot bath more Calamine lotion, but now I looked like a strawberry dipped in cream. 

Yelp, that vine was Poison Ivy. I finally got over that bout and learned to spot the vine. I still end up in the middle of it on occasion, but I’m not as allergenic. Just think, if I could bottle that feeling of relief without the scratching, then I would become a Buzzillionaire.

Under the bobber, insane, get a room

Here's the cartoons of the week. Enjoy!

Get away from the Big screen and get on a big stream!

 Finally, finished the post about the "flat tire fishing trip" that happened at 5:17am on a Saturday morning four weeks ago. I was headed to Old Hickory Lake in Goldilocks (my SUV) to fish. All of a sudden, I heard the RAP RAP RAP noise coming from the right rear tire as I drove onto the interstate. At this point, I realized that my plans had suddenly changed. 

Well, after AAA arrived and a total of about 1 hour and 15 minutes went by, I was finally headed to the Lake. Unfortunately, this day was one of those 100 degree days that's now common in the south. I was hoping to finish my fishing by 10:00 am. However, I was so late to the lake that the fish were not biting so I spent the day taking pictures. Enjoy.

There must be a Canadian running for office? He or she is the one on the stump! You should have heard all the quacking. I don't think they are republican or democrat, but could be the goose party and what a party it was.

 What a beauty! 

Looks like this fisherman is relaxing in 100 degree weather. Boy that certainly is a white shirt, no.... wait a minute, that's a farmers tan? Hey, that's Greasy Ham my fishing buddy. 

I cast my lure right to the edge of that log in hopes of hooking a big old hog. I didn't get a bite, but I might......have.

Here's a Great Blue fixing to fly into the shade. Did I say fixing?

Often on the lake you see some unusual things..... Holy Mackerel, Paul Bunyan has moved south. He must be inside under the air conditioner. Did I say under?

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

The Best Fishing Gear, Ever?

Do you want to be the best fisher-man or woman? If you do, then you must have the very best gear. Here's my top gear choices to make you the very best. First, you must dress like a fisherman and the very best company for that is Fishionista Outfitters (pronounced fish-ion-knee-sta-us, like in Fashionista),. Their motto is simple, "Don't just wade, wade in suede." Click on this ad and read, you will see what I mean!  

Next, you must have superb flies. Here's a company that will not disappoint. Believe it or not, they grow their own feathers. Read their ad and I think you will agree!  

Lastly, you need a quality boat. This company makes the finest kayaks on the water. I bet they will be the most comfortable kayak you ever sat your butt in. Take a look at this ad.

Okay, you have likely figured out that this is all humor, in fact this is the Baitrageous Cartoons of the week. I am planning on improving the graphics of these and putting them on my web site, LeoLakes.com for folks who want a little fish humor in their life. I hope you enjoyed and remember: Get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!!!!!!!!

Philosophy Under the Bobber

You probably never thought of what happens under the bobber, but now you know.

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."