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3-8-2010  We have had an extremely long stretch of wonderful weather here.  Every day has been sunny and in the low 40's F (4.5 - 7 C).  Unfortunately I live on a dirt road, apparently Oakland County, MI has not discovered tar and sand.  I washed my truck last Wednesday and as of this morning it was still pretty reasonably clean.  As soon as it rains it will be an awful red/brown two-tone from the windows down as the road turns to muck.

 

I talked to a friend's wife today, who told me her husband had gotten the boat out this weekend.  "He is like a little kid" she said.

 

3-4-2010  Welcome to Michigan Summer!  40 degrees and sunny and I saw someone in shorts.  Maybe it will get everyone thinking about fishing.

 

The best Salmon Fishing Show in the Great Lakes area is being held this weekend in Birch Run, MI by the Flint Steelheaders.  Too warm to ice fish, too much ice to fish, this is the best place to be this weekend.

 

Unfortunately I do not have a booth this year, I am not doing any shows this year, but there will be plenty of other things to see.

 

2-25-2009  I have had several fishing clubs purchase 100 packs of the Offshore Planer Board Releases.  This is a great way to save some cash.  Get with your buddies who run big boards and split the cost, saving you big $$$ over buying smaller packs. 

 

Summer's almost here ...

We can now see the deer moving around.
Yep, won't be long. 

 

 

 

 

2-22-2009  I don't know if I should be happy for this guy or jealous.  A new customer from Washington State sent me these photos of one of his Canadian friends.  In case you were wondering, that is a 74 lb. King. 

 

Actually, I am kind of jealous of the green grass and flowers.  We got about 8 inches of "winter wonderland" today.

 

2-19-2010  One year ago today was Jenny's last litter.  "Bear" is now about 70 lbs, "Tyler" the yellow is with my brother and doing well and I saw pictures today of the littlest pup, "Boomer" who has grown up well.

 

The two litters were a lot of fun but I must say I'm kind of glad I don't have to face that again this year.

 

If you are interested in a Lab pup, contact the Rooster Ranch and Nick will be happy to set you up with the best dogs I have ever owned.

 

 

I got these pictures in an email today.  Twin albinos have got to be pretty rare.

 

2-10-2010  As you can see, some new products are here, some great new reels.

 

The new Sealine LCX Reels and the new Saltist reels have GREAT new drags and anyone who has spent an eternity pulling in lead core or copper will LOVE the Saltist High Speed reels.

 

Check them out!

 

Priority Mail shipping is FREE on these reels, saving you $16.95 compared to a "major online retailer". for the Saltist STTLW40LCHA.  Remember, it's not the price on the web page that counts, but the final price at checkout.

 

Of course for our Silver and Gold level discount customers, you can save 5 or 10% more!

 

2-8-2010  Call the White House on Monday!

On Monday in Washington, D.C., President Obama's staff is holding a closed-door meeting about what actions the federal government might take to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. While you can't see what happens in the meeting, you can call the White House at 202-456-1414 to voice your opinion.

Make Your Opinion Clear: Close The Locks And Stop Asian Carp From Entering The Great Lakes

If everyone who signed up at StopAsianCarp.com called the White House at 202-456-1414, the President would hear from thousands of people in the Midwest who want the locks closed and the Great Lakes protected.

Call Monday: 202-456-1414

So, on Monday morning, please grab your phone and dial 202-456-1414. Call the White House. Tell them you know there is a closed-door meeting about Asian carp today but you want your voice heard.

Permanently close the locks in Chicago before Asian carp can get into Lake Michigan and beyond, ruining our lakes and killing thousands of jobs.

Rumors of a federal plan that would leave the locks open most days have begun to be published in media reports. For example, under one scenario the locks would be open four days per week and closed three days. This makes no more sense than keeping criminals in jail four days a week and hoping nothing bad happens on the other three days. When will the emphasis be placed on protecting the Great Lakes instead of the narrow interests of one state?

Thank You For Your Help

Your vocal efforts on this issue have helped raise the level of attention paid to this crisis here in Michigan, across the Midwest and now in Washington. As our multi-state lawsuit continues before the U.S. Supreme Court, we can only hope that officials in charge will change their stance and announce immediate steps to close the locks and move toward a permanent separation of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins. With your help, we can make that happen.

Sincerely,


Mike Cox
Michigan Attorney General

2-2-2010  Punxsutawney Phil is held by Ben Hughes after emerging from his burrow on Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., to see his shadow and forecast six more weeks of winter.

Had he not seen his shadow we would only have a month and a half of winter left.

 

2-1-2020  I grew up thinking that everyone had a can of Bag Balm hanging around.  I use it for minor cuts and sores on the dogs because it sticks to the wound even after they lick it, and I have never figured out how to keep a dog from licking a wound.  When I was a kid at my grandparent's farm if you were good you got bag balm, if you got hurt being bad you got iodine.

 

Well, the stuff is 100 years old and still going strong:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100131/ap_on_re_us/us_bag_balm

 

1-29-2010  I am passing this email along for your information.  Of course it is a political statement by a politician.  My printing it here is not in any way an endorsement of anyone, just information. 

 

Stop Asian Carp

Thank you again for standing with me to protect hundreds-of-thousands of Michigan jobs and the Great Lakes from the immediate crisis posed by Asian carp.

Your efforts over the past month have helped put the pressure on President Obama and Washington, and although most in D.C. continue to stand in the way of a desperately needed solution, some have begun taking notice.

Because you care so deeply about this issue, I wanted to send you a quick update to keep you apprised of the latest developments.

Late yesterday the Obama administration set a February 8th date for a meeting with the governors from Michigan and Wisconsin. If Governor Granholm can get the locks closed in such a summit it would be good news for Michigan and the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, I will continue to pursue all avenues to ensure we protect the Great Lakes and our jobs from the threat of Asian Carp.

The U.S. Supreme Court is still considering Michigan's request to close Chicago-area locks connecting carp-infested waterways to Lake Michigan and has set a deadline for other states and interested parties to submit briefs by February 19. President Obama continues to defend the narrow interests of his home state but others are beginning to act.

Over the course of the last week, thanks in large part to your efforts, new bi-partisan efforts to protect the Lakes have been launched by lawmakers in our State and Nation's capitol.

Congressman Camp and Senator Stabenow launched the CARP Act, Michigan's full Congressional delegation has signed a letter asking the President's administration to act quickly and state lawmakers have formed the Michigan House Shoreline Caucus and are preparing to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court backing Michigan's request to protect jobs and close the locks.

Below you will find links to recent media coverage of these and other positive developments.

Unfortunately, there is still much more work to be done. The most recent carp DNA evidence, found in Lake Michigan, indicates this invasive species may be setting up shop inside the Great Lakes as we speak. The front door to Lake Michigan remains wide open even as these waterborne aliens threaten to devastate the Lakes' $7 billion fishery and hundreds of thousands of jobs connected to the health of the Lakes. The need for each of us to act has never been greater.

Thank YOU for standing up and making a difference.

Sincerely,

Mike Cox
Attorney General (MI)

 Visit StopAsianCarp.com and Sign Our Petition

 

 

1-25-2010  The above came to me labeled "Michigan Ice Fishing", but of course it could be anywhere.  It looks extravagant, but I am sure he has less money in that than I have in my boat.

 

One thing for sure, I bet he does not leave that out on the ice when there is a possibility of a thaw!

 

This one made me smile:

 

 

Dog For Sale 
Free to good home. Excellent guard dog. Owner cannot afford to feed him anymore, as there are no more drug pushers, thieves, murderers, or molesters left in the neighborhood for him to eat. Most of them knew Jethro only by his street name; 'Holy $&%#!!!!!!'

 

1-11-2009  I reached a milestone here, the barn is now completely insulated!  It took quite a bit of work and some help from the kids home from college to get it done.  Two layers of Styrofoam give the walls an "R Value" of 11.8.  You can already tell how much less the heater comes on, and that is big $$$$.

 

I answer to some questions, no I am not doing any shows this year.  Shows take an enormous amount of time and even worse, money.  We have 2 kids in college so some things have to go.

 

What we do have is some exciting new products coming for this year and some exciting promotional programs in conjunction with some local fishing tournaments.

 

1-6-2009  This is a petition to keep the shipping canal closed in the Illinois River so the Asian Carp can't get into the Great Lakes. http://www.gopetition.com/online/33175.html

12-31-2009  Well, this year had it's ups and downs for all of us, here is to a much better 2010!