Fish Suit

Oh, looks like little Johnny is an artist!

 

I couldn't resist doing this cartoon of these waders hanging on the wall and little Johnny's artwork all over his dad's fish suit, as little Johnny calls them. Looks like that's a permanent marker in Johnny's hand. Hmm, wonder what daddy's reaction will be? Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!  



Thought my cartoon of this bass fit with the last post about the piranha. Enjoy!!

Piranhas in Percy Priest?

I fish in this locate lake and this has been in the news lately.

SMYRNA, Tenn.- A local fisherman's startling catch at Percy Priest Lake has people talking and wondering how and if an exotic fish from South America could end up in Smyrna. Bill Haynes says there is no doubt what bit his bait Saturday is a Piranha; Native to Amazon, this one somehow ended up in a Tennessee lake and Haynes says it was likely at the hands of irresponsible pet owner. He's been fishing his entire life and said even this took him by surprise, "You know what you're fishing for, but that doesn't mean you know what you are going to catch," he said. Never was that more true than what he reeled in Saturday night from his boat on Percy Priest Lake.

The Piranha exotic fish is known for its sharp teeth, sensationalized in Hollywood for its killer instinct and quick bite. And seeing it next to a Tennessee catfish in the catch bin shocked many eople docked at Percy Priest. Haynes said the fish tried to snap at him Saturday night and even ate the 15 blue carp that were also caught. "If you get them stirred up, they will probably bite you back. I know he was trying last night," he said. Haynes took a closer look at the teeth on the fish, many of which were broken off but growing back in. Bill believes this fish came from the Amazon to an aquarium before finding a home in Percy Priest. "People get them in their aquariums and they get tired of them or they get too big and they don't want to kill them, so they bring them here and turn them loose, and it's against the law," he said. What puzzles Bill even more than seeing a Piranha next to a catfish, is that they both took a bite of the same local bait. "This dumb fish bit a hot dog," he said.

Now Old Man Bill's got all of Dock C talking and watching the water for what exotic pet they might catch next. "I'm not getting in that water. If you see me in it, it's because I fell in not because I jumped in!" he said. A biologist from the TWRA is coming to take a look at the fish on Monday morning and confirm what species it is. This is not the first report of a Piranha being caught in Percy Priest Lake; a similar catch was made by a woman last year. It is uncertain if they are affecting the local habitat.

French Kiss your Bait?

Kissing bait for good luck is something a few fishermen partake in. I put a little humor in this ritual with "fench kissing your bait." Enjoy.

 

 

I normally do a few of these cartoons every week, if you like, join my blog or add a comment.

 

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

 



Who Dunnit Mystery!

It all started yesterday, Sept 15, 2012 in the ten acre woods when two bodies were discovered……….

Mr. Bunny lived in the meadow across the road from the ten acre woods. He spent most of his days with his wife and 12 children in their beautiful two hole house, only coming out in the early morning and late evening to eat. Something was different about this day and Mr. Bunny could probably sense it. While Mr. Bunny was enjoying a second helping of fresh clover, he was suddenly and brutally attacked.  The evidence indicates that Mr. Bunny struggled with his attacker but was not able to free himself. He was killed on the spot and his body was dragged from the meadow, across the street, and down the ten acre drive.

Forensic evidence suggests that Mr. Bunny died from bite marks around the neck area. Also, the time of death cannot be certain, but rigamortis had set in and Mr. Bunny was likely killed sometimes on the evening of the 15^th.

While police were canvassing the area, another body was discovered only 25ft up the drive from Mr. Bunny. This body was that of a field rat that also lived in the meadow. It appears this victim was murdered in the same fashion as Mr. Bunny however, evidence indicates Mr. Rat was killed on the morning of the 16^th.

Police indicated that there are four known predators of interest. All four are being interviewed.  

 

Mr. Storm

Mr. Stormy is a grumpy 4 year old cat. Police commented that it was difficult to get anything out of Stormy. After interviewing Mr. Stormy, Police have concluded that Mr. Stormy is a house cat and has never been outside. Stormy commented "I did not do it, there is no way. I’m a full time house kitty!"

 

Mr. Gray

Mr. Gray was very cooperative and seemed to like the attention even suggesting a suspect. Mr. Gray commented that he bet that it was that mean cat Spot Nose that lives outside. Police have also concluded that Mr. Gray is a full time house kiddy and had no means of leaving the house at the time of the murders.

 

Mr. Creamy

Mr. Creamy is an indoor/outdoor cat. He is a loner and kind of crazy. Police have determined that Mr. Creamy had the means and the motive to murder the field animals. In fact, Mr. Creamy was outdoors and no one had seen Mr. Creamy during the time of the murders. Creamy is a cat of interest.

 
 

Mr. Spot Nose

 

NO PICTURE AVAILABLE FOR SPOT NOSE

 

Mr. Spot Nose is the bully of the neighborhood. He beats up every cat that’s near and has even been seen chasing wild turkeys. Police can’t even find Spot Nose to interview. Spot Nose is a cat of interest.

 

Police have completed a profile of the murderer that suggests the murderer is a predator, likes for his victims to be found, kills in the early morning or late evening, is a pathological murderer who preys on small helpless field animals. A policeman was quoted as saying “we have a serial killer in our neighborhood” stay in your hole. Stay Tuned for more information on this riveting story…………….

Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad...............

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

Why did Bob's buddies laugh at him.

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

The story behind an old fishing lure!

I have been lucky to have a couple of lures that my grandfather fished with in the 30s. Now, my grandfather was not much of a fisherman, but did fish on a rare occasion. When I was a kid, the family cleaned out his home after he passed. My father and I found these old Heddon lures in his shop. My father said he remembered these when he was a kid and fished with them on the Duck River during the depression.

As you can see, they have seen better days. In fact, someone tried to modify the top lure for some reason. I do wonder what's the story behind this bait, where was it purchased, and what fish were caught. I'm sure if this bait could talk, it would be fascinating.

They are made of wood. The shellac has deteriorated with age and the paint is starting to crack and flake off. The quality of the craftsmanship is excellent. The diving spoon is thick and made from high quality metal, no rust after 80-85 years.

I bet my father or his brother modified this lure when they were young and decided a spinner would be better added to the front. Oh well, I am glad to have these old relics.They are not worth much to anyone else but me. I do want to preserve the story and place them in a better container. So, I decided to print and build an old fashion lure box made of paper.

Now folks in the future will know a little more about these old lures and the story behind the bait. "Old fishermen may pass, but their bait lives on!"

The above is a proto-type box and I am working to improve. I think it needs to be a little thicker and better graphics. I will add a new picture when I finish.

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big the screen and get on the big screen.

Run like the Wind!

All I can say is run like the wind!

Hmmmm... looks like Bob was wearing a cap too.

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Bubba invents a new fishing sport, sort of!

Bubba has been thinking! What would be better than combining two popular sports such as shark fishing and hillbilly hand fishing. Bubba can see it now, his own TV series showing him hauling in hugh Great Whites. The rating would be outrageous and Bubba would be a star. Then........

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream! 

 

Hillbilly Handfishin

I know you have reached way back to the edge of the fridge, searching under the frozen peas and corn to pullout that package of frozen trout.

You didn’t know it, but you just Hillbilly Handfished, sort of. This recreational activity is taking over the country. In fact it's so popular, signs are going up everywhere to ban this sport. Well maybe not in New York City. Did you know that you can actually hire a Hillbilly Handfishin guide? Yep, he or she can show you the appropriate technique; yes Hillbilly Handfishin has technique just like trout fishing.

Believe it or not this is the only natural way to catch fish because no bait is used so no animals/worms are harmed,”The all Natural Caught Fish!”  In fact, Hillbilly Handfishin caught fish may be coming to a health food store near you. Be lookin for them!

I can’t wait to show tomorrows cartoon, I think it’s just too funny and may be my best!

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream! Oh, and try Hillbilly Handfishin.

Outrageous signs & Best fishing product, 2013!

Outrageous signs! You’ve seen them near recreational, boating, and fishing areas. They are big, yellow, and rectangular. The goal is to communicate caution by using the international language, simple pictures. Now days they are just getting outrageous for some of the messages they’re trying to convey. Not to be out done, I came up with my own humorous signs that you may see at a recreational area near you. I call them “Guess the Sign.” I will be adding new ones every day or two this week. Here is today’s sign.

It’s a known fact, banjo music make fishermen very nervous. If you were unaware of that fact, then you may need to watch the movie……….Deliverance. If you hear banjo music when fishing, kayaking, or boating……RUN FAST in the opposite direction.

Now this brings up the hottest new product of 2013! Do you want to protect your favorite fishing hole from other fishermen that are trying to catch your trophy? Some clever fishermen are using banjo music, yep banjo music. They install a motion detector that is connected to a battery operated CD player. When a fisherman comes near their favorite fishing hole, banjo music starts to play. Boy, fishermen run so fast they often leave their fishing gear behind along with that trophy fish. Look for this new product in recreational stores near you.

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, but always be aware of banjo music.

 

Mud, Fishing Inflation, & Barefoot

A Blast from the PAST! I remember the late sixties and seventies as a kid, barefoot on the river bank, mud squeezing between the toes and fishing. Yes, we had shoes in the south but preferred not to use them in the mud. How did this memory come about? I was looking in my father's old tackle box the other day and found a few of these snelled hook packages. If you are not familiar with snelled hooks, basically they're assorted sized hooks with 6-8" of monofilament line attached. They're great for kids to easily tie the hooks to the fishing line. Interestingly, this package cost $0.98 for 60 hooks. It was purchases at Fred's, a store that still exists today. I think this package is 40 to 45 years old.

I am great at determining useless information, so this got me thinking about the inflation of fishing gear.  I did a little research to see if I could find today's cost of snelled hooks. After some Internet surfing, I found a package that is still being sold today and is similar with 48 hooks. The cost is $3.59. Now, doing a little math, I found that the increase in Snelled Hooks have averaged 6-7% over the last 40-45 years. So what does this mean? It means fishing gear is double the historical inflation rate of 3-3.5%. Why, because they can? Of course, this may not be for all fishing gear, but appears to be for snelled hooks.  

Anyway, check out the knot diagram on the package. Great, for kids learning to tie knots.

Last but not least, the back panel. Hope you enoyed this useless information. Hmmmmmm, it's raining outside and my shoes are off. Maybe I will..........Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Pimping Your Kayak, Cartoons of the week!

Do you want to pimp your kayak? Well, here's some kayak ideas that you may have never thought about. I bet you will incorporate them into your kayak. Anyway, the Cartoon of the week focuses on Kayak Fashion, from the kayak hoody to the metro sexual kayak all the way to the western kayak. Now here's the deal, leave a comment if you enjoyed!!!!!!!!!

This will be a hit, very functional. Actually, this hoody doubles as a rain hood, great for the fisherman. The Kayak Hoody may be coming to malls all across USA.

There is nothing like dressing for success. The metro sexual kayak is all about looking good with the main focus on matching. Great for the city park fountain or duck pond!

The "Boss Hog" of kayaks. Check out the horns! No doubt about it, look for them in the boot section of your favorite western store.

I hope you enjoyed my twisted humor! Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Worlds Largest Freshwater Aqaurium

Do you remember as a kid having a fish aquarium? I do, my aquarium was 10 gallons and stocked with guppies and gold fish, boy do I mean guppies.They could reproduce like rabbits, first two then 30 in just a few days. 

Recently our family visited a really big Aquarium, The Tennessee Aquarium, actually two aquariums, freshwater and saltwater.

This is no kid aquarium, its gimongus. The freshwater aquarium is the largest freshwater aquarium in the world. The best way to describe it “walls of fish.”

You walk along walkways next to the 30-50 ft tall aquarium wall. The walkway slowly slopes down until you are on the bottom, great for viewing fish. There are other sections that feature hands on exhibits like the butterfly garden.

Looks like a freshwater Dory from the movie Finding Nemo? We saw sharks, grouper, jelly fish penguins etc…. This aquarium has a wonderful layout that’s easy to follow and helps naturally control congestion.

The water is so clear, the fish look like they are in high definition.

I will finish this post with a picture of rainbow trout. If you are ever in Chattanooga Tn, then visit the Tennessee Aquarium, it will be well worth the trip. Remember: Life's to short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream.

 

 

 

 

Toons of the week: Prince Harry, The Pearl Rig, Bob

I couldn't resist doing a little humor about Prince Harry.



A fishing snap swival & fishing weight, brillant. For the non-fisherman, a pearl rig is a type of fishing system sometimes referred to as the Alabama Rig.

 An almost famous idea that just didn't make it. Kayak transportation.

The Process of Fishing

The Process of Fishing in Black & White

(A six stage event)

The Bait

 

The Cast

 



The Adjustment

 

The Watching

 

The Bite

 

The Catch

 

I couldn't resist using these pictures that I shot last March of my father-in-law fishing on Lemon Bay in Florida. They were in color but I converted them to black and white for a better effect. I like the black and white photos, they're so much more dramatic. I didn't plan on making fishing into a six stage event, however after putting these pictures in time sequence, it became apparent that fishing is a six stage event. Sure, you might be able to elimanate one stage, but not any more.    

Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream.