Rants and Lessons

I've slowed down some.

I know it and so does my son who berates me at times for drifting over a muddy bottom instead of getting out and wading it. I simply tell him that I can cover much more ground by drifting and while that's true he knows that I'm getting older and my knees and back are not what they once were.

The truth is that I have never liked wading in the muddy stuff and I've mentioned that fact before in this magazine. Even when I was in my teens I hated wading in the sucking muck that would steal wading shoes and leave your stocking-foot waders vulnerable to oyster shells. More than once in the cold winter water I had to crawl out of seemingly bottomless mud and vow never to do it again. Once I reached the comfort of the boat or hard ground I would forget that vow and be back in it soon enough.

No more though, those times are well behind me and I do not miss them. I seem to catch just as many quality fish on good hard bottom or from drifting in the boat so to me it's a no brainer to stay away from the mud.

I guess that in life one adapts to the age of his body and one avoids those things that cause a person grief. I know that I do, well most of the time anyway.

I used to be on the water well before daylight. In some cases this was because I wanted to beat the crowd but some of the time it was to be there in the water fishing at the crack of dawn. Now days though, I study the tides and the moon phases and I fish the major and minor periods with much success. Heck I even have my son doing the same thing and he's every bit the diehard fisherman I once was. I rather enjoy heading out well after my friends have left and getting into the fish in a matter of minutes, and it is especially gratifying to learn later that they really didn't catch many until the solunar feeding period rolled around.

I call it fishing smart but some say it's just lazy fishing. Maybe I'm not as mad at them as I once was or maybe, just maybe, I like a relaxed lazy day of fishing. Okay, I do enjoy a lazy day of fishing when my mindset is that I don't care if I catch anything at all as long as I am out on the water. You youngsters will understand that statement some day if you don't already.

I spend enough time traveling on land running here and there, fending off tailgating morons and others who never learned how to drive or what the word courtesy means; I do not want to put up with that on the water. Mac Davis had a hit single back in the early 70s, "Stop and Smell the Roses" and, just like the song says, getting in a hurry while on the water just doesn't appeal to me. And while I may not smell any roses I might catch a whiff of that wonderful watermelon scent that tells me trout are feeding nearby. In fact, when fishing, the only place that I do hurry and wish everyone would is at the boat ramp. Slow down. Get up earlier if you need to be at a certain fishing spot by a certain time.

Boat ramps now there's a topic that can spin me right off into being a cranky old salt. I mean really folks, how hard is it to have all your gear in the boat, the plugs in, the transom straps removed and the boat ready to float? Blocking the ramp for fifteen minutes while doing all these things only irritates those waiting to load or unload and there's no reason for it.

Also, if you haven't had your boat out in a while you really should hook it up to the water hose at the house or boat barn and crank it up. Blocking the ramp while you try to start the motor until the battery is dead just isn't cool. Put all your gear into the boat while parked anywhere but on the boat ramp. I've seen grown men blocking a ramp while one of their party spent five minutes cast-netting for bait right where everyone had been unloading.

And if you can't back a trailer–learn! The boat ramp isn't the place to practice when others are waiting for you to get out of the way. If you can't do it, just admit defeat and ask someone to do it for you. They won't mind helping you and it will speed things up and help them to get unloaded and out of the way.

And while I'm on the subject of boat ramps–don't park your boat in the middle of the ramp while you walk off to get your trailer. Tie the boat off so it doesn't prevent someone else from loading or unloading. Courtesy goes a long way and most will repay you with the same if given the opportunity.

So most of my rants are over now but I reserve the right to add to the list at a later date. Just enjoy the time that you get to spend on the water and share that time with others when you can. Treat everyone as you would want to be treated and instead of getting mad at the ramp or anywhere out on the water, just smile and understand that some folks just don't know any better and some folks just don't care. Make sure that you know better and that you do care and Karma will be good to you.

I turned 59 this past August and while that may be my age I don't feel like it, which is a good thing. I do look forward to making it to 60 and God willing I'll celebrate that milestone in 2017. I would like to be on the water on that special day. I want to see the sun rise over the Lower Laguna and see the lights of Port Mansfield as I head back to port in the evening. I want to see, hear and feel a nice trout blow up on my topwater fishing with my son on my 60^th.

Be safe.