Well, I gave it a shot...

[Telbone]

Hit good ole Lake Mead after work today...

I met and fished with one of my wife's co-workers. Real nice guy that I look forward to fishing with again. Unfortunately, the weather really sucked. Strong winds were prevalant, and only a couple of carp on the flat we were fishing. We gave up after a couple of hours and tried some striper near the 33hole. The winds were really bad by this time and fly casting with a light weight rod was nearly impossible. We tried though and came up with naught.

I'm not sure if we could've possibly planned a worse day for weather, but I met a new fishing friend and that always makes for a good trip.

Later,
Mark
[signature]

[Powermaker]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] The last week or so the wind has been brutal. Since I got back into this fishing thing I've had more trips like you described than I've had productive days. But it's always good to get out the house even though the longer I'm gone the longer the Honey Do list gets. Coincidence? I think not. [/font] [/size]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] David [/font] [/size]
[signature]

[Telbone]

David,

I've noticed you post a bit about coming back to fishing. Same thing happened to me. I grew up a fishing fanatic in Louisianna where I'm from. Allthough I fished for and caught everything I could, largemouth bass where my main game. I even managed to win a couple of small tourneys for kids and one for adults. I couldn't imagine not fishing...

After I graduated I didn't seem to have the time or the inclination to fish. I traveled a bit for a few years in the military and then afterwards I was just too busy drinking and chasin' women to fish.

I really didn't fish for a good 12 years. For at least half of those years I was married and quite settled, but when I'd get the inclination to fish, well I just didn't have the gear anymore.

Well several years ago I was lost... I didn't like Vegas and we were here because of the living it provided and I was stuck. I was starting to get quite depressed and one day walking through a department store I picked up a cheap spinning combo and fell in love all over. I started fishing again and boy has it been a blessing. I still don't like vegas, but as long as I get away once in a while, I'm fine living here. To be honest, there's not many, if any, cities that I can say I like.

It still amazes me that I went that long without fishing, especially with how much I truly enjoy it! I was wondering about your story. From your posts it seems to me that you really enjoy fishing and I was wondering what led you away from the sport? If it's none of my business say so, I was just curious.

Have a nice day,
Mark
[signature]

[Powermaker]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] Well it all started as a wee little lad in the hills of,,,, ah never mind. Nah really, way back when, as a teen the family would spend weekends out at Lake Mead just about every weekend. Fishing all day and all night. The fish were plenty back then. As the years rolled by the fishing became more and more bleak, to the point of in a weekend we would maybe catch a few fish. The next few years, with a friend in tow we would only fish at night and still come home with nothing. Then adulthood strikes, I stumbled onto a job that worked me 7 days a week 12 hr shifts for about a year and a half, yep I was tired but the pay was great. Needless to say I didn't have time for much of anything except (as with you) boozing and chasing women, although the women usually won because I was too tired to catch them. After that stint was over my father gave me a boat, 17' Glasstron. I didn't have a clue what it took to maintain a boat and this boat had problems right out of the chute. The way I figured it some boats were made for skiing and some for fishing this boat was made for drifting. There wasn't a time I took it out that I didn't have to have it towed back in. This is where the real disinterest in fishing started. That boat sat in my driveway for years, I just didn't want to work on it because I didn't what it to fail me again, so it sat there. I even sold it to my mom (her offer) then three years later she gave it back to me. It never left her driveway either. Finally I decided to donate it, it was too run down to sell. A week after they picked up the boat, I received a call from a Brother-in-Law inviting me to go fishing. I went just to get out of the house. My first cast after about 9 years of being castless. I hooked a Black Bass, it was only about a pound, but it felt good. That was the only fish we caught and the rest is history. That one bass sparked it all and now I'm hooked. Since I found this site and hooked up with Southernman, who has showed me Lake Mead isn't the only place to go fishing. There's more fish in a different pond. It use to be all about catching fish and nothing else. I also think being older we learn to relax more easily than in the younger days. Now if I go out and not catch anything I still have went out. The fish are only bonuses now. I use the "just returned to fishing" as a crutch, so if I ask a real stupid question or say something really ignorant I can say "Hey, I'm new at this". But I know, someday I'll have to lose the phrase. This the condensed version, the book is due out this June. [/font] [/size]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] David [/font] [/size]
[signature]