Monthly Archives: July 2014

Is An Alaska Halibut Weighing 480 Pounds A World Record?

480-pound halibut landed in southeast Alaska-but it’s not a world record

Editor’s Note: Occasionally, our colleagues in other publications share great stories with us. Today, we’re sharing a great one with you by Andy Martin, a field reporter for California’s Western Outdoor News. Our thanks to WON editor Bill Karr for sharing this one with our readers.
from The Fishing Wire

GUSTAVUS, ALASKA–A Southern California man caught a giant Pacific halibut in Southeast Alaska last week that rivals the sport fishing world record.

Jack McGuire of Anaheim was fishing with Capt. Rye Phillips aboard the Icy Rose on July 3 when he hooked and landed a 95-inch, 482-pound halibut near the mouth of Glacier Bay. The barndoor halibut would likely challenge the 459-pound International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record caught in 1996 by Jack Tragis if it had not been shot and harpooned.

McGuire, 77, was fishing out of Alaskan Anglers Inn in Gustavus for the Fourth of July holiday week. Phillips took McGuire and three other passengers aboard his charter boat to one of his favorite big fish spots in Icy Straight near Lemesurier Island in about 130 feet of water.

The giant halibut hit an octopus fished just off of the bottom. It took off on a long run after the size 16/0 Eagle Claw circle hook dug in, before McGuire was able to ease it off the ocean floor, thanks mainly to the two-speed Shimano TLD II 30 two-speed reel he was using. After a 30-minute give-and-take battle, Phillips spotted the halibut below the boat and let McGuire know it was legal size. In Southeast Alaska, anglers on charter boats can keep one halibut per day as long as it is less than 44 inches, or more than 76 inches.

“It was giant,” Phillips said. “We knew right away it was over 76 inches, but we didn’t know it was going to be bigger than the world record.”

Like he does with all big halibut that anglers decide to keep, Phillips subdued the fish with a .410 shotgun, and then harpooned it. Most guides kill the giant halibut before bringing them onto their boats because of how dangerous they are if they are flopping on the deck. Some anglers have been seriously injured by trophy-size halibut.

482 Pound Halibut

Jack McGuire, 77, of Anaheim, California, stands next to the 95-inch, 482-pound halibut he caught July 3 near Gustavus, Alaska, while fishing with Capt. Rye Phillips of Alaskan Anglers Inn. Photo courtesy Western Outdoor News with permission.

Phillips and two of the other customers used gaff hooks to pull the mammoth halibut over the side of the boat. At first the fish’s gills got stuck on the rail, but after a second attempt they were able to drag the halibut aboard.

Phillips immediately measured the fish, letting him know it was a potential world record. Unfortunately, the fish would not qualify because it was shot and harpooned. Phillips also assisted McGuire by grabbing the line and lifting on the rod during the battle.

McGuire caught the halibut on 100-pound-test Tuf Line and a 240-pound nylon leader. Phillips had rigged the rods with heavy gear because he was targeting trophy-size fish that day.

The massive halibut drew quite a crowd at the Gustavus dock. Dozens of people gathered to see the fish hoisted up for photographs before Phillips filleted it for McGuire. The halibut yielded nearly 200 pounds of boneless, skinless fillets.

Just a week earlier, Phillips, who played baseball at Western Oregon University and lives in Brookings, Ore., during the winter, put a customer into a 275-pound halibut.

Gustavus, located 45 miles west of Juneau, is a relatively unknown halibut hot spot. It typically has the largest average size of halibut caught in Alaska, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game stats, and the small charter fleet fishing out of the Gustavus dock brings in dozens of 200-plus-pound fish each season.

Steve Brown, owner of Alaskan Anglers Inn, said each week many customers catch halibut topping 100 pounds. Last year, when anglers could keep halibut 68 inches or bigger, which weigh roughly 165 pounds or more, anglers fishing at his lodge landed more than 50 of the trophy-size fish. More than two dozen of those were over 200 pounds, including five over 300 pounds.

— Andy Martin
Martin is a Field Reporter for Western Outdoor (www.wonews.com)

Finding Survival Food As A Kid

There are a lot of TV shows about surviving in the wilderness running right now. They have a variety of themes, from a father and son reenacting possible problems hikers, fishermen and hunters may get into and get lost to a couple put into a wilderness setting without anything, including clothes. All these shows take me back to growing up wild in Georgia, where we often tried to “live off the land” for a few days.

We were never really in a survival situation since home was just a few minutes away, but we liked to think we had to find food and shelter to survive. Since my friends and I lived in a rural area we were used to gardening, eating anything we could kill or catch and using nature. But being out in the woods pretending we had to survive was fun, especially knowing the comforts of home were close.

Our survival tools were our trusty BB guns and later .22 rifles and .410 shotguns, so getting squirrels, birds and sometimes rabbits was no problem. There are very few kinds of birds I have not eaten at some point but a few, like redbirds and bluebirds were off limits. And we never tried buzzards, for obvious reasons.

All kinds of plants were eaten, too. There was a weed that I never knew the name that grew all over the fields, and its roots were crunchy and had a nutty flavor. We usually ate them raw but often put them in squirrel and bird stew. One of us always had a mess kit along with its fry pan, pot, cup, knife, fork and spoon so we could cook things in a lot of ways.

Mushrooms grew wild but we were afraid to try them. We knew some were poison so we left all of them alone. But there were acorns, which tasted terrible, dandelions, poke weed and other plants we did eat. And hickory nuts were good if we could crack them open.

We never ate bugs and worms, we never got that hungry, but we did consider it. A few years ago on a trip up the Amazon River Linda and I took a tour of the jungle with a Brazilian military captain that taught survival skills to troops. He showed us a lot of different kinds of food from tarantula spiders to vines that held water.

At one point he cut a palm looking bush and shelled out a small nut. He said the nut, a palm nut, was edible and tasted like coconut. Then he split open the nut and showed us a white grub inside, saying protein was important and these grubs were good.

When he asked if anyone wanted to taste it I popped it into my mouth and bit down. It tasted like coconut. So I will eat worms and bugs, even if not starving to death. And I guess I would eat a buzzard if really, really, really hungry.

The branch provided several kinds of food but we didn’t try most of them. Crawfish were small and would not have made much of a meal but we knew we could eat them. And the small bream and catfish in the branch were so tiny we didn’t want to clean them. Under real survival situations both would make a good stew.

In the spring we even tried bird eggs. They were not bad boiled in branch water in our mess kit pots over a campfire. Since my family had 11,000 laying hens I usually packed some chicken eggs along to eat. That is not really survival but just keeping them whole taught ways to protect the food we found and how to handle it with care.

Our shelters were very simple lean-tos built by tying a sapling between two trees, leaning other sapling trunks against it and covering them with sweet gum branches with leaves. I doubt they would have stopped much rain but it was the best we could do with what we had, and we were proud of them.

One of the biggest problems folks on the survival shows have is making a fire, a necessity under survival conditions and for us boys in the woods. We tried rubbing sticks together, making sparks with flint and steel and using a magnifying glass. Nothing worked for us except the magnifying glass so we always had matches with us.

I spent hours dipping the heads of strike anywhere matches in melted wax to protect them from water. They were carried in a small box and could be counted on to produce a fire when scratched against a handy rock. I am not sure I could start a fire without the right tools but I know how it is supposed to be done.

Pretending to need to survive is fun but I don’t think I would want to do it under real conditions where my life might depend on my skills.

Why Are Animal Rights Fanatics Going Crazy and Facebook Removing Kendall Jones’ Pictures?

Animal rights fanatics get all worked up about a hunting trip and Facebook removes Kendall Jones’ pictures.
from The Fishing Wire

And finally – I wish it were a “finally” for these sorts of stories – a personal note on the brouhaha that erupted when 19 year old Kendall Jones posted harvest photos from an African safari.

Animal rights folks have succeeded in getting her photos pulled down on Facebook and they’re all fired up thinking they’ve scored a great victory of some sort.

They haven’t. But they’ve proven that the same irrational fear and overreaction that caused the Salem witch trials isn’t far beneath the surface in some people. Their celebrating the digital lynching of a 19 year old girl whose only crime is liking to hunt and having the money to pursue her passion- legally- is yet another reason we all should be afraid for our country.

When an entity like Facebook – which has recently admitted it jacked around with the emotions of their users by essentially using them as lab rats to study how people respond to news -is so concerned with political correctness that it pulls down hunting photos, it’s time to be concerned.

The lynch mob isn’t extinct in America -it’s just re-labeled as online campaigning for causes, allowing the nameless, faceless, and the gutless to call names, throw digital rocks and then drop back under their rocks until the next time they get a chance to take a shot at someone.

It’s about time someone said “enough” and counter-attacked. But we wouldn’t want to be called mean-spirited, would we?

Fishing Lake Weiss In June

Lake Weiss is usually a great lake to fish in June with lots of quality bass in shallow water, even in the heat, so the Spalding County Sportsman Club scheduled our June tournament there last weekend. We should have known fishing would be tougher than normal. Sam Smith said during practice on Friday he talked with several local bass fishermen and all told him fishing was the worst it had been all year.

In the tournament 12 members and guests fished for nine hours on Saturday and nine more on Sunday in extreme heat. There was little breeze either day, making the heat even worse. We landed 63 keepers weighing about 94 pounds. There were six five-fish limits and no one zeroed for the two days.
I got lucky and caught a limit both days. My ten keepers weighed 16.93 pounds for first. Russell Prevatt had the best one day catch with a limit on Sunday weighing 12.5 pounds and his eight weighing 16.51 pounds for the two days was a close second. Sam Smith had nine bass weighing 13.04 for third and fourth was Mickey McHenry with seven bass at 10.83 pounds. Zane Fleck had a pretty 6.08 pound largemouth for big fish and it broke the cumulative pot for the third time this year.
I went over on Friday and spent a couple of hours riding around to get orientated on the lake and check some spots where I had caught fish there in years past. I also looked at some places I had put on maps in Alabama Outdoor News articles. Those old articles, with GPS coordinates, really help.

Although I made only a few casts Friday one of them provided a key for the tournament. In my last club tournament there about five years ago I had caught some good fish by casting worms and spinner baits under overhanging trees along the bank. The only fish I hooded Friday hit a spinner bait on that pattern in the late afternoon.

Saturday morning I ran to a bridge and started fishing it with a topwater plug at 6:00 AM. I quickly caught a keeper spotted bass then lost another keeper that jumped and threw my plug. At that time I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to hook a keeper so I was not too upset at losing one.

After working some gravel banks and points I went to docks at about 10:00 AM and fished a small jig and pig around them. Although I caught two keepers in the next two hours, I had fished a lot of docks without a bite.
After noon I decided to try the overhanging brush pattern and ran to the back of Spring Creek where trees overhang the water. Although the water along the edge is usually only a couple of feet deep, and you can’t hit five feet of water with a 30/06, it sometimes works. Even though the water was almost 90 degrees.
I caught two keepers in the next hour then a bad thunder storm made me head for the van, parked at the Spring Creek ramp. I sat in it for over an hour. I hated to miss fishing but will not go out when lightening is flashing. I did not get a bite after the storm.

At weigh-in I was first in line. After my fish were weighed I headed to the van and campground since another storm was coming and just got parked on my campsite before it hit. I had no idea I was in second place with my little limit.

Sunday morning I decided to try Cowan Creek since I had not found any concentration of fish in Spring Creek. As soon as I stopped I got a nice three pound largemouth on a spinner bait from a grass bed but after an hour did not get any more bites around grass. At 7:30 I cast under an overhanging tree and caught a small keeper on a spinner bait. That made me fish that pattern and I got four more keepers on spinner baits and worms under overhanging trees in Cowan Creek before the 3:00 weigh-in.

I didn’t think I had a very good catch and was surprised to win. It helped I was the only one with a limit both days.

Is Ethanol Gas Damaging Outboard Motors?

Yes – Ethanol Gas Is Damaging Outboard Motors
from The Fishing Wire

Having been fortunate enough to enjoy amazing spring-like weather from the deck of a boat on Tennessee’s Douglas Lake, it was tough to get back to work after the first real weekend with cooperative weather in some time. Having spent a large portion of the weekend enjoying family and recreation reminded me why I love the outdoors in the first place.

Even under those pleasant conditions, it’s tough to stop being a reporter -or at least listening to conversations that wouldn’t interest most other boaters. There were a couple of items that I think bear more investigation and conversation from anyone who uses a boat in pursuit of their interests – personal or commercial.

First, what’s the real deal with the ethanol controversy? Today’s news section carries a release from the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS) taking exception with the Missouri Corn Growers. Seems the growers put out a call for a concerted push by consumers to get more ethanol mixed into gasoline as a quick-fix for high prices.

BoatUS puts forth the now-familiar warning that more ethanol is virtually certain to damage small engines like those on outboard boats, as well as lawn mowers, motorcycles, generators, gas-powered blowers and any one of the myriad of gasoline-engined devices we all use on an almost-daily basis.

They cite the fact – not the assertion- that since the inclusion of ten percent ethanol in gasoline there have been increased problems with those engines. Their argument is focused on boats, but I have spoken with enough small engine manufacturers and repair shops to know that the ethanol is definitely the one change blamed for many of the fuel, fuel line and fuel system problems that have turned formerly-reliable pieces of equipment into recyclables.

At this point, the EPA has specifically prohibited the use of the newly-proposed E15 in marine engines, but not the multitude of other small engines. That raises the very real concern that distributors may accidentally dispense E15 to docks and marinas. Fuel mistakes have caused documented aircraft fatalities, and I realize that’s an extreme example that’s perilously close to fear-mongering. But I’d also argue that having an engine conk out in the midst of a rapidly-deteriorating weather situation is a life-threatening situation in the marine environment. The Coast Guard might also back me up on that argument, too.

But the hazards of this new fuel isn’t just the worst-case scenario. Our society seems fixated on “actionable” situations, those times when something breaks and your lawyer says there’s someone to “look to” for responsibility. If the quick mart where you normally buy gas for your mower switches to E15 and doesn’t clearly label the change, you could find your power tools, motorcycle, ATV or boat paying the price. At that point, it’s normal for people to “lawyer up” and go looking for someone to make them whole again.

I don’t think that’s the intent of E15, but it’s hard to judge motivations in a legislative and regulatory world where it seems the thicker wallet has the best odds of getting changes made in their favor.

So I’m encouraging everyone to do a lot of investigating before even considering saving those pennies per gallon on gasoline.

And if there’s a definitive answer to the question, I’d invite you to share it with me. In turn, I’ll share it with our readers. After all, none of us is as smart as all of us.

Is It Water Sports Season Yet?

Water Sport Season Upon Us
Jim Shepherd
from The Fishing Wire

Having spent most of the past three days on a boat enjoying terrific weather, it’s obvious that it’s boating season across most of the country. Hurricanes notwithstanding, it seems the boating industry is finally catching a break after virtually falling off a cliff in 2006 and ’07. But the numbers I’ve seen from the industry say 2013’s numbers were up 10.7 percent over 2012, and the manufacturers are telling me they’re seeing strong upticks in the blue collar boating segment, i.e., those in the 25-45 year old range who have kids.

Boats are back on the water (above) and last year’s great fishing gear- like the Fish Hunter (RIGHT)-a smart phone based individual fish finder mounted on last year’s improved Ugly Stik Gx2 combo are being put to good use.

Fish Hunter

They’re the group that disappeared in 2006 and contributed to a drop the industry said was 60-70% in the non-elite boat category. High-end sales had slowed, but those don’t really reflect the economic realities as the wealthy sportsmen are those who really do have disposable income and aren’t hampered when credit gets tight.

Good news for the fishing industry as well – and a reflection of the fact that that segment is recovering is the number of new products we will see rolling out next week when ICAST kicks off in Orlando, Florida.

Primarily known as “the tackle show” ICAST is a great reflection of both the U.S. and global health of the fishing industry. And as the releases that start appearing in today’s wire and will be large segments of the industry news all next week reflect, new efforts are centered on growing fishing as a viable recreational activity.

Key, of course to any sport’s growth is the youth market. With high school and collegiate tournament fishing kicking up across the country, it’s safe to say the teens of today will be in-touch with their inner angler. But the key to the industry’s ongoing health is recruitment of young anglers and the affordability of gear to the core angling fans.

To reach the young, it’s going to take more than simply downscaling size, price and quality of gear and putting a kid’s toy logo on it. That’s a realization that it seems Rebel Lures is taking seriously. In today’s news, you’ll see news that Rebel’s introducing a new line of kids lures that are far more than the scaled-down baits of adults. Their new lines feature barbless hooks and soft bodies that make them look like small lures, not reject adult baits.

There will be the usual amazing array of pieces of “smart gear” to help all anglers catch more fish. I’m hoping the new crop of gear contains something as awesome as the single piece of high-tech gear I’d consider the “sleeper” from last ICAST. That’s the Fish Hunter (www.fishhunter.com) , a high-tech, sonar-based piece of gear that gives an individual angler the high-tech advantage of a boat-based sonar rig. I’ve been using it on Tennessee’s Douglas Lake the past two weeks and have simply been amazed at the effectiveness of a piece of gear that looks like an oversized float on the line above my lure.

And it wasn’t just me. Douglas Lake anglers have been fascinated with the idea of having a “man-portable” sonar unit. One borrowed the unit from me for one of the area’s one-day fishing events. He returned the unit with word that the ability to use it as a secondary scouting unit was one reason he brought home a check from the competition.

And I’m hearing affordability is another issue being addressed this year. I was set to see a first-hand example of affordable gear with high-performance characteristics two weeks ago in Wisconsin while fishing with some industry friends.

Sturgeon Bay Smallmouth Grow Big

The name on the hat says “Ugly” but the 6-pound, 3-ounce Sturgeon Bay catch being held by guide Jeff Weatherwax (right) says the results with the new “secret” gear was anything but ugly. And Pure Fishing’s Hunter Cole (left) got in on

Sturgeon Bay Smallmouth

the action with some nice hookups of his own. Jeff Samsel photos, with permission.

Unfortunately, the weather and American Airlines joined forces to change a simple two-hop trip into 36 hours of essentially wasted time. Instead of fishing on Sturgeon Bay, I found myself spending a miserable night on a cot along with thousands of other disgusted travelers in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

After two cancellations and a 24 hour delay, I admitted defeat and headed home. And know precisely why many air travelers with say we’re no longer passengers, we’re third-class cargo. Air carriers are making record profits whie operating with all the care and cordiality of bulk freight haulers. Who cares if travelers are inconvenienced, right?

Anyway, my fortunate friends spent some quality time fishing with the smart guys of Pure Fishing. One of the writers, Jeff Samsel, being an all-world nice guy and very knowledgeable angling authority, shared his impressions of Shakespeare’s newest rod and reel. Although I won’t give away the specifics, Jeff really liked the newest model.

Samsel says the new rod/reel combos were very tough- but offered a very good touch and feel when casting everything from 1/8 ounce hair jigs to rigs with one-ounce swimbait jig heads. That’s a wide variety of weights and shows the versatility I’d expect from a rod designed to be used by anglers of almost all skill levels – in fresh and saltwater situations.

Jeff says the hooksets were simple and the landing abilities were really solid.

Both Fishing Wire Editor Frank Sargeant and I will be in Orlando next week for ICAST – and I’m looking forward to seeing the newest innovations in everything from artificial baits to computer-based navigation and fish-finding tools.

And I’m hoping that if you’re one of our readers and happen to see me there you’ll take time to introduce yourself and let me know what you’d like to see covered in the wires. After all, we’re here to keep a simple promise: too keep you posted.

What Is the Land & Water Conservation Fund?

Land & Water Conservation Fund: A Program We Can All Agree On
Randy Newberg
from The Fishing Wire

In today’s political world, rare is the program over 75% of Americans can agree on. To have that support, it must be a Red White and Blue idea.

Well, one such idea exists. It’s existed since 1965; the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Fifty years ago, back when people actually solved problems, the oil and gas industry, along with hunters and anglers, agreed on a program to mitigate the known impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration.

It was decided, and supported by all, that some of the offshore royalties would be earmarked to this new account, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The purpose – Use those funds to restore habitat and enhance public access. Imagine that. A good idea supported by all sides, even Congress. There was a time in this country when good ideas were not the enemy of politics.

Roll forward fifty years. The LWCF has invested $13 billion dollars into public access for hunters and anglers, in the process, helping all outdoor recreation. Millions of acres of public access has been acquired or improved. Thousands of boat ramps, fishing piers, and fishing access sites have been funded.

Yeah, Congress has managed to pilfer $17 billion dollars from the fund for other uses, but I guess we’ve come to expect that. Congress can make amends for past sins by reauthorizing this popular program in 2015. Hopefully placing the funds in a trust account, reducing the temptation of diversion.

A 2013 survey of Americans showed that LWCF enjoys a popularity quite the opposite of Congress. Over 85% of those asked want to see LWCF continue; marking 93% approval among Democrats and 78% among Republicans. The support in 2013 has grown from 81% support in the 2009 survey.

Congress could do something that almost all Americans support; reauthorize LWCF. I suspect the oil and gas industry prefers that a small fraction of their royalty payments stay earmarked for something beneficial, such as LWCF, versus tossed to the dark abyss of Congress.

Hunters are the greatest beneficiary of LWCF. Especially seeing the NSSF survey shows that losing “places to hunt” is the top reason people are hunting less. LWCF has provided more places to hunt than any program, ever. LWCF is the quiet program that provides matching funds to states, conservation groups, and local agencies to fund hunting and fishing access.

In my back yard of Bozeman Montana, the Gallatin National Forest has had over 200,000 acres of access acquired or improved by LWCF. All who hunt and fish can probably find a similar LWCF story in their back yard. Maybe your favorite spot.

In the coming year, Congress will face reauthorization for LWCF. Hunter, anglers, and the groups who represent us need to pressure Congress to reauthorize our most important access program, LWCF. In 1965, our legacy of hunting and fishing was handed a gift in the form of LWCF. Now is the time to make sure we can do the same for those who come after us.

Randy Newberg is the host and producer of Federal Premium’s Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg, making him the voice of self-guided public land hunters in America; where he shows the common hunter uncommon experiences available on our western public lands. You can catch his show on Thursday nights, only on Sportsman Channel and you can get more details about his hunts on his forum www.HuntTalk.com

Poletap Smartrod Review

What is the Poletap Smartrod?

Smartrod Bullhead

For many years I would fish at night for catfish. We put out trot lines, limb hooks and jugs and let them do the work. But we also loved to sit on the bank by a fire with a line or two cast out waiting on a catfish to bite. But it was hard to know when you got a bite.

There are products like little bells to attach to your rod tip to let you know when a fish is on your line, but if you put several rods out you don’t know which one to go to. And in the dark it is hard to grab the right rod quickly.

A few weeks ago I was sent a new product to try out. The SmartRod from Poletap is a modern way to know when a fish hits. On the handle of the spinning rod is an electronic device that detects a tap indicating a bite. When a bite is sensed red lights start flashing and an audible alarm sounds.

The heavy rod comes with a big spinning reel loaded with red line. The outfit is heavy and strong enough to handle big catfish.

I set out the SmartRod on my pond leaning against a post on the dock.

I took the rod to my pond and baited up with night crawlers from Berrys. I tried it a couple of ways, putting the rod in a rod holder attached to a board on the dock and also leaning the rod against a post. Since I tried it out during the day, after casting out I sat and watched to see how the rod worked.

There was some wind that day and I was happy to see wind blowing the line didn’t set off the alarm even when set on high. There are three settings, high, medium and low, so you can compensated for conditions. You can also turn off the audible alarm and just use the lights so you don’t disturb the peace and quiet of fishing at night.

I have bream and bullheads in my pond and it was not long before I saw the line twitch a little. I was surprised the alarm didn’t go off. Then the line started moving. A bullhead had taken the bait and swam toward the dock. It then swam out toward deeper water and the line moved without really jumping any.

When the fish pulled the line tight the alarm and lights went off. I would not have seen the slight twitch and line movement in the dark but the reel on the outfit comes with red line, so it was easy to see in the daylight.

That might be a good thing that the alarm didn’t go off from the slight bite and line movement. Catfish and bullheads are notorious for nibbling baits and not taking it and you can try to set the hook too early if you are watching. The alarm didn’t sound until the fish pulled, which is when you set the hook. Since the rod was in a holder or leaning against a post the fish hooked itself.

The bullheads I caught were small, about ten inches long, so the rod reacted to a very small fish. A bigger fish would probably take the bait more quickly and sound the alarm faster.

The outfit did its job. At night you would know which rod to grab immediately, but would not let you know to grab it until the fish was hooked, so you would not pull the bait away from the fish. It would be a great outfit to have if you like to fish at night.

You can see more information on the Smart Rod at http://tackobox.com. There is also a video on YouTube. A video shows how to use it but instructions on the rod make it very easy to use. The combo sells for about $50.

What Is The Georgia Outdoor News Outdoor Blast?

If you like hunting and fishing shows you should love the Georgia Outdoor News “Outdoor Blast” scheduled for July 25 – 27, 2014. The show will be held at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth and will feature hundreds of hunting and fishing vendors in booths where you can see their products and purchase them, some with nice show discounts.

On Saturday and Sunday the “Truck Buck Shootout” will be held at the show. In this shootout, hunters that qualified by killing a big deer last season will shoot at targets with pellet guns and the winner will get a truck. On Sunday the Georgia State Duck Calling Championship will be held there.

A special attraction this year is a gun give-away sponsored by the magazine. Each hour of the show a drawing will be held for a gun, with 21 guns given away. All you have to do to enter is attend the show and sign up at the GON booth, there are no raffle tickets to buy. And there are no BB guns – the least expensive gun is a Mossberg .22 bolt action.

I will be helping out at the GON booth all three days – hope to see you there. (disclaimer – I write for Georgia Outdoor News and am a freelance employee.)

How To Avoid Summer Headaches

A Pain In the…Head – Summer Headaches

Editor’s Note: While battling a skull-cracking headache over the weekend, one of our friends wondered what might cause him to have more headaches in the summer. We did some checking around, and guess what? Summertime is one of those times when there’s an increased chance of headaches. There are a number of reasons- and we thought you’d like to know them. The information is courtesy of the National Headache Foundation, and comes along with a reminder that June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (who knew).

During the summer, there is an increased chance of exposure to the triggers and other precipitating factors of headache. Vacations, air travel, the beach, picnics, and partying are not always fun times – especially if you are laid low with a migraine or other headache. The National Headache Foundation offers these helpful tips on avoiding these summer spoilers:

1. The sun can be especially bothersome if you have migraine. Looking directly or indirectly at the sun can trigger a migraine attack. Don’t forget your shades – sunglasses, visors, or sun hat when you are out and enjoying the sunshine at the beach, tennis court, golf course, or a baseball game.

2. Changes in barometric pressure are well-known headache triggers. Watch out for those sudden thunderstorms and windy days – even in July.

3. Watch your fluids when you are at the beach or some other outdoor activity. Drinking plenty of water – not soda – will help prevent those “dehydration” headaches. You don’t want to drink too many soft drinks containing caffeine which can also contribute to your headaches.

4. Backyard barbecues and picnics may provide you with food items that you wouldn’t normally eat. The sauces and dry rubs on those tasty ribs may contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) to which many headache sufferers are sensitive. The spread at a picnic may include aged cheeses, hot dogs and other meats with nitrates, and pickles – all items found on headache diets. And let’s not forget the beer and cocktails served at those summer parties – watch your intake!!!

5. You’ve invited 50 friends to your July 4th celebration – and the stress is getting to you. Plan ahead and be organized – you don’t want to spend the day or the day after, in a dark, quiet room as you try to get rid of that migraine.

6. The joy of a long weekend or vacation can be quickly ruined by a headache. Try to stay on your normal sleep schedule. Oversleeping, not getting adequate sleep, or missing a meal can all contribute to a headache.

7. Everyone says “travel is no longer fun.” Traveling by plane is particularly stressful. Who can tolerate the airport inconveniences, the long delays, and the lack of food service on these flights? Purchasing a healthy snack and a bottle of water prior to boarding may help you avoid a travel headache. Try to avoid alcoholic beverages before and during your flight – those cocktails will dehydrate you. Also, the oxygen on planes, although the cabins are pressurized, is never at normal levels. If you are burdened by “altitude headaches,” your physician may offer some remedies to help prevent the headaches associated with air travel.

Hopefully, these recommendations will help you truly enjoy your summer and make the most of the great weather and sunshine.

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