Hi,
I didn't think much about catching my 16th bluefish, in fact, it wasn't a good fishing day. The fish haven't been biting for the last 10 days or so. But I still try and usually my neighbor Jim goes out with me. Between the two of us, if there are any fish around we'll usually catch something.
So the last month I've been catching a bunch of bluefish sometimes four or five in a trip. So the fish of the month at my fishing club (Stuart Rod and Reel Club) were snapper, bluefish and inshore Mackerel. I have caught no snapper or inshore Mackerel -- not in the last month -- but I have caught a good number of bluefish. so I counted them up before I went to he meeting tonight and the total was 16. At the meeting Frank asked who had caught the "fish of the month." And guess what? Captain Squeeky had caught some and I told them I caught 16- and he said I had him beat. Another member John Wayne caught 16 and since we tied-- John (who had won an engraved hat a number of times) deferred to me- so I won a hat for first place in the "fish of the month" contest!!!
Here's the account of my last two bluefish. The bluefish have been deep, past the sandbar, and they love large paddletails - fished near the surface.
Fishing report 2-9-16 Walton Scrub- outgoing tide water cold around 68 air temp cold around 64, water stained from the dumping of polluted lake Okeechobee water.
I went deep and headed North. My neighbor went shallow and headed South. I told him I would meet up with him off the 2nd pier. I was throwing a 5" white paddletail- I got squat going North so I headed back. I got squat going South- the first hour not even a bite!!! I met up with my neighbor and we fished the piers shallow- nothing. So for the first 1 1/2 hours still not a bite. I went deep looking for a bluefish and the 5th cast or so wham!!! Fish on!!! It was a bluefish and what a fish, easily 4 pounds and it was splashing water all over me. I finally grabbed it and it wouldn't let go of my jig- its teeth were clenched. I got out my pliers-- I couldn't open it's mouth. Finally it put it back in the water- it opened it's mouth and with my pliers I set it free. My paddle tail wasn't so lucky it was torn in half. I used the tail to catch a 3 lb over 20" trout 5 minutes later. I missed another trout. Jim caught his second trout in the same spot and we fished shallow on the way back- nothing.
My Totals: 1 bluefish (my 15th) and 1 very nice trout.
Fishing report 2-10-16 Walton Scrub- outgoing tide water cold around 68 air temp cold around 64--water stained from the dumping of polluted lake Okeechobee water.
Same as yesterday I went deep and headed North. My neighbor went shallow and headed South. This time tho I had some action. First I pulled up a monster ladyfish around 4 pounds that swam completely around me before I knew where it was. On the way back north I hooked a nice bluefish that came in slowly then waited until it got to me to jump. I turned my head as it splashed around - fortunately this time it didn't cut my line with it's teeth or clamp on my jig. As I pulled the leader to grab it, it shook it's head and flipped off. No teeth to worry with. When I met my neighbor South off the third pier--this time I had already caught two fish and he had caught a small jack shallow and a trout. I hooked a small trout off the 3rd pier and then a nice ladyfish.
I went shallow and fished the piers --nothing. I went deep and lost what was probably and trout and then hooked a small trout only ten feet away. As I wheeled it around to me it flipped off. I caught a lady fish and my neighbor hooked a nice bluefish but it threw the lure. we fished shallow on the way back- nothing. It was cold but the sun was out.
My totals: 1 bluefish, 3 ladyfish and 2 trout (really one since I never got the other one close enough to net). A cold but beautiful day on the water
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Inshore Slam- Fishing Report 2-6-16
Hi,
Fishing was slow, but slowly I caught a few fish. It was a nice day not too cold or windy. A nice day for an inshore slam= redfish, snook, trout.
Fishing Report: Walton Scrub 2-6-16. Medium low tide outgoing. Time 12:25pm sunny with clouds windy 5-12mph E. Water temp 72, air temp 72. Using 3/8 oz jig with different DOA baits.
I went down the bank and started fishing shallow. The water looked better today after a week of dirty water being drained into the lagoon from Okeechobee. A guy was just staring to fish at the same time as me only he came down the bank 100 yards North. I went deep past the sandbar and he stopped and was fishing on top of the sandbar!?!
I first threw a DOA keylime paddletail and I got a good strike after a couple casts but missed the fish. I headed North past the other fisherman and went all the way to the post (200 yards) without another strike. I had two pearl white giant paddletails (over 5") that I had been catching bluefish on so I tied one on and headed back South. It didn't take long before I had a great strike- fish on!! This was a big trout and it came up and shook it's head twice before it headed North into the shallower water. I took a pic then it jumped-- a good 20" trout. As I pulled it to me, it flipped off. The pic didn't come out, just a splash :)
I cast back out and on the next cast tap, hook set-- fish on!! I was another nice trout. It came up and shook it's head and the lure came off and flew right back at me!!! Some action at last.
I met the other fisherman on my way back. He said he finally figured out that I went across the sandbar and that's how I got so far out. He hadn't had a strike- he was fishing an electric chicken DOA. I talked to him then headed South. 50 yards away I had a strike, then another then, fish on. By the time it grabbed the bait the bluefish was only 20 feet away and it was crazy. It jumped then took off around me. I pulled it up and got a good look before it jumped and the lure popped out. I was drenched, water had splashed everywhere- even in my mouth!!! I spit it out and kept on fishing.
I went south and another bluefish hit my bait and simply exploded it but it missed my hook. There were three slashes across the head one almost cut the bait into. I tied on my last white paddletail. A few casts later and wham, a strike and a miss. Probably another bluefish, I thought. This time the whole body was gone. Since they were hitting white I took the head off the other damaged paddletail and fished with it's tail!!! Instead of over 5" bait, it was a little over a 3" bait!!!
When I got to the 1st pier, I went shallow. The tide was fairly low now but there was still some deeper water around the pier. I got parallel and cast shallow pulling my lure across the pier supports. Wham- fish on!! It wasn't big but it was a redfish (see pic below). I haven't caught many redfish this winter and I almost lost it under the pier but somehow my line didn't get cut and it swam out.
Small redfish but a redfish although it wasn't very red
I released it and two casts later, wham!! bigger fish on!!! This was snook and it was a nice slot, over 28". I had to get it away from the pier so I waded North and it too went away from the pier. After I unhooked it I held it up to the fisherman I met. He looked my way but didn't say anything. I took a couple pics of the snook but I couldn't find them because I had trouble downloading my pics. Eventually I'll find them and add the snook pics, they gotta be somewhere!!!
The Missing Snook!!! Nice small slot
I went to the third pier and got nothing, so I headed deep. I went way out since it was almost low tide and a had nice strike- missed it. I fished North back toward first pier. Wham fish on!! I set the hook and the fish was twenty feet way before I felt it again. Crazy!!! It was another bluefish and this time I got it in but it too splashed me badly. At least it didn't cut my line!
Two casts later I hook a ladyfish which careened out of the water and skipped 15 feet on its tail. Wow! I got it around and it jumped again and flipped off. I fished North and wham- another bluefish, this one stayed down until it swam by me- it was foul hooked (in the back) and I quickly released it. I caught a Jack on the way back and saw the same fisherman shallow. So I headed back in and talked to him. He said he caught a trout and lost a snook both shallow. So he was excited.
I got a strike shallow but missed it. When got off the water I realized that I'd used the tail of that paddletail to catch most of my fish and it was still on there although badly mauled.
My totals: 2 trout (one flipped off and shouldn't count), 1 snook, 1 redfish, 3 bluefish, 1 jack and 1 ladyfish. A beautiful day on the water!!!
Fishing was slow, but slowly I caught a few fish. It was a nice day not too cold or windy. A nice day for an inshore slam= redfish, snook, trout.
Fishing Report: Walton Scrub 2-6-16. Medium low tide outgoing. Time 12:25pm sunny with clouds windy 5-12mph E. Water temp 72, air temp 72. Using 3/8 oz jig with different DOA baits.
I went down the bank and started fishing shallow. The water looked better today after a week of dirty water being drained into the lagoon from Okeechobee. A guy was just staring to fish at the same time as me only he came down the bank 100 yards North. I went deep past the sandbar and he stopped and was fishing on top of the sandbar!?!
I first threw a DOA keylime paddletail and I got a good strike after a couple casts but missed the fish. I headed North past the other fisherman and went all the way to the post (200 yards) without another strike. I had two pearl white giant paddletails (over 5") that I had been catching bluefish on so I tied one on and headed back South. It didn't take long before I had a great strike- fish on!! This was a big trout and it came up and shook it's head twice before it headed North into the shallower water. I took a pic then it jumped-- a good 20" trout. As I pulled it to me, it flipped off. The pic didn't come out, just a splash :)
I cast back out and on the next cast tap, hook set-- fish on!! I was another nice trout. It came up and shook it's head and the lure came off and flew right back at me!!! Some action at last.
I met the other fisherman on my way back. He said he finally figured out that I went across the sandbar and that's how I got so far out. He hadn't had a strike- he was fishing an electric chicken DOA. I talked to him then headed South. 50 yards away I had a strike, then another then, fish on. By the time it grabbed the bait the bluefish was only 20 feet away and it was crazy. It jumped then took off around me. I pulled it up and got a good look before it jumped and the lure popped out. I was drenched, water had splashed everywhere- even in my mouth!!! I spit it out and kept on fishing.
I went south and another bluefish hit my bait and simply exploded it but it missed my hook. There were three slashes across the head one almost cut the bait into. I tied on my last white paddletail. A few casts later and wham, a strike and a miss. Probably another bluefish, I thought. This time the whole body was gone. Since they were hitting white I took the head off the other damaged paddletail and fished with it's tail!!! Instead of over 5" bait, it was a little over a 3" bait!!!
When I got to the 1st pier, I went shallow. The tide was fairly low now but there was still some deeper water around the pier. I got parallel and cast shallow pulling my lure across the pier supports. Wham- fish on!! It wasn't big but it was a redfish (see pic below). I haven't caught many redfish this winter and I almost lost it under the pier but somehow my line didn't get cut and it swam out.
I released it and two casts later, wham!! bigger fish on!!! This was snook and it was a nice slot, over 28". I had to get it away from the pier so I waded North and it too went away from the pier. After I unhooked it I held it up to the fisherman I met. He looked my way but didn't say anything. I took a couple pics of the snook but I couldn't find them because I had trouble downloading my pics. Eventually I'll find them and add the snook pics, they gotta be somewhere!!!
I went to the third pier and got nothing, so I headed deep. I went way out since it was almost low tide and a had nice strike- missed it. I fished North back toward first pier. Wham fish on!! I set the hook and the fish was twenty feet way before I felt it again. Crazy!!! It was another bluefish and this time I got it in but it too splashed me badly. At least it didn't cut my line!
Two casts later I hook a ladyfish which careened out of the water and skipped 15 feet on its tail. Wow! I got it around and it jumped again and flipped off. I fished North and wham- another bluefish, this one stayed down until it swam by me- it was foul hooked (in the back) and I quickly released it. I caught a Jack on the way back and saw the same fisherman shallow. So I headed back in and talked to him. He said he caught a trout and lost a snook both shallow. So he was excited.
I got a strike shallow but missed it. When got off the water I realized that I'd used the tail of that paddletail to catch most of my fish and it was still on there although badly mauled.
My totals: 2 trout (one flipped off and shouldn't count), 1 snook, 1 redfish, 3 bluefish, 1 jack and 1 ladyfish. A beautiful day on the water!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Dirty Water- You can Keep it!! Fishing reports for last few days 2-4-16
Hi,
They (Army Corp of Engineers) are dumping polluted water from Okeechobee into our Lagoon. What was clear beautiful water is now brown tinged with red. Here's the thing-- they don't have to do it. If it rained 7 days and 7 nights there might be a problem with flooding. They're just doing --IN CASE THERE IS HEAVY RAIN. Well. . .why don't you wait until you know you have to pollute the lagoon. Sure there are solutions- but nothing is being done. I think if I was St. Lucie County I'd say no to the flow from big Okeecho. Then something would have to get done.
This started about a week ago and fishing has gotten worse- it may have been the weather but now we don't know.
Some random fishing reports:
Walton Scrub 2-1-16; fishing in the afternoon with my neighbor Jim; air temp 71 water temp 68. Wind out of South west, tide high outgoing. Fishing different baits on 1/4 oz jig. I went deep and Jim went shallow. The ladyfish were still schooled with bluefish on a north flat. I caught one, lost two them--then caught two more that I released. I had several mores strikes before I landed a nice bluefish nearly 4 pounds. Lots of action!!!
Jim was going South so I headed South fishing deep the whole way. I caught and released another ladyfish but only had one bite the whole way to the second pier. Jim caught a small trout shallow and we headed back North after fishing the second pier.
After we went back to the Walton Scrub area, I headed to the flat and caught another ladyfish and bluefish. Jim also caught a ladyfish and bluefish. That was it.
Midway 2-2-16 in the late afternoon. Very windy Southeast, some bait -tide high outgoing. Air temp 75 water temp 70. Fished with Jim, my neighbor. It was dead- neither one of us got a strike for an hour. I went deep after we waded South and finally caught a monster ladyfish around 4 pounds. I caught a bluefish that jumped a couple time and finally flipped off. Jim landed a small flounder. That was it- very slow.
Walton Scrub 2-3-16 late afternoon. Very windy Southeast, air temp 78, water temp 71, murky. Incoming fairly high tide. I went by myself, Jim was busy. The wind was gusting to 20 mph. I did my best with the wind at my back. I got a couple strikes, then a nice ladyfish nailed my jig and careened out of the water. I got it close and she jumped a couple time and flipped off.
I kept going north with the wind at my back. I got a hit and fish on!!! This was a big fish but not as big as I thought. When I pulled it to me I saw it was a 6 pound Jack-- the first Jack I'd caught in 3 or 4 weeks!!! I took a pic but I'm not sure if I got the fish or a splash :)
That was the last fish but I met another fisherman out there and went shallow to talk to him. I got one strike shallow and got off the water.
Walton Scrub 2-4-16 about 8am. Windy SE then very windy, air temp 79, water temp around 72. Medium tide outgoing. There's been a warming trend so I thought I'd go early to beat the wind- wrong. By 9am the wind was howling. I only got 30 minutes of moderate wind.
I fished shallow, nothing. I went deep nothing, I went back shallow and after 15 minutes going South I caught a 12" flounder on a white paddletail. It flipped off when I tried to release it. Well, a fish at last!!!
I went deep and nothing, then I went and fished the 3rd pier. After 10 casts, wham!!! Fish on! It was a nice small snook about 25" and 3 pounds. I got a couple pics of it (upcoming) and released it. I went deep off the 3rd pier and the tide was fairly low so I went out a ways. There were 2-3 foot waves with white caps everywhere- wild!!!
Then I got a strike- a big trout grabbed my key-lime paddletail. It was about 22" or so and I go my camera out and took a pic- missed it and brought it around again and it flipped off. Oh well :)
I cast deep and then half-away in my jig stopped- dead. I set the hook- whatever it was it was big- woah!! I tried to stop it and it stopped- I could tell it wasn't a trout or snook and it started peeling of line 10 yards, 20 yards. "Maybe a sting ray," I thought. I figured it was either a 25lb jack or a string ray and it was taking out all my braided line now. I had 80 yards of mono left. What should i do? I grabbed my line with my left hand, I pulled and that slowed it for a few seconds then it took off again. I grabbed the line with my hand and pulled back-- snap-- my line broke. I still had 40 yards of braid so I retied and kept fishing. I got no more bites and headed off the water. At least I caught a snook- they had disappeared for a couple weeks.
They (Army Corp of Engineers) are dumping polluted water from Okeechobee into our Lagoon. What was clear beautiful water is now brown tinged with red. Here's the thing-- they don't have to do it. If it rained 7 days and 7 nights there might be a problem with flooding. They're just doing --IN CASE THERE IS HEAVY RAIN. Well. . .why don't you wait until you know you have to pollute the lagoon. Sure there are solutions- but nothing is being done. I think if I was St. Lucie County I'd say no to the flow from big Okeecho. Then something would have to get done.
This started about a week ago and fishing has gotten worse- it may have been the weather but now we don't know.
Some random fishing reports:
Walton Scrub 2-1-16; fishing in the afternoon with my neighbor Jim; air temp 71 water temp 68. Wind out of South west, tide high outgoing. Fishing different baits on 1/4 oz jig. I went deep and Jim went shallow. The ladyfish were still schooled with bluefish on a north flat. I caught one, lost two them--then caught two more that I released. I had several mores strikes before I landed a nice bluefish nearly 4 pounds. Lots of action!!!
Jim was going South so I headed South fishing deep the whole way. I caught and released another ladyfish but only had one bite the whole way to the second pier. Jim caught a small trout shallow and we headed back North after fishing the second pier.
After we went back to the Walton Scrub area, I headed to the flat and caught another ladyfish and bluefish. Jim also caught a ladyfish and bluefish. That was it.
Midway 2-2-16 in the late afternoon. Very windy Southeast, some bait -tide high outgoing. Air temp 75 water temp 70. Fished with Jim, my neighbor. It was dead- neither one of us got a strike for an hour. I went deep after we waded South and finally caught a monster ladyfish around 4 pounds. I caught a bluefish that jumped a couple time and finally flipped off. Jim landed a small flounder. That was it- very slow.
Walton Scrub 2-3-16 late afternoon. Very windy Southeast, air temp 78, water temp 71, murky. Incoming fairly high tide. I went by myself, Jim was busy. The wind was gusting to 20 mph. I did my best with the wind at my back. I got a couple strikes, then a nice ladyfish nailed my jig and careened out of the water. I got it close and she jumped a couple time and flipped off.
I kept going north with the wind at my back. I got a hit and fish on!!! This was a big fish but not as big as I thought. When I pulled it to me I saw it was a 6 pound Jack-- the first Jack I'd caught in 3 or 4 weeks!!! I took a pic but I'm not sure if I got the fish or a splash :)
That was the last fish but I met another fisherman out there and went shallow to talk to him. I got one strike shallow and got off the water.
Walton Scrub 2-4-16 about 8am. Windy SE then very windy, air temp 79, water temp around 72. Medium tide outgoing. There's been a warming trend so I thought I'd go early to beat the wind- wrong. By 9am the wind was howling. I only got 30 minutes of moderate wind.
I fished shallow, nothing. I went deep nothing, I went back shallow and after 15 minutes going South I caught a 12" flounder on a white paddletail. It flipped off when I tried to release it. Well, a fish at last!!!
I went deep and nothing, then I went and fished the 3rd pier. After 10 casts, wham!!! Fish on! It was a nice small snook about 25" and 3 pounds. I got a couple pics of it (upcoming) and released it. I went deep off the 3rd pier and the tide was fairly low so I went out a ways. There were 2-3 foot waves with white caps everywhere- wild!!!
Then I got a strike- a big trout grabbed my key-lime paddletail. It was about 22" or so and I go my camera out and took a pic- missed it and brought it around again and it flipped off. Oh well :)
I cast deep and then half-away in my jig stopped- dead. I set the hook- whatever it was it was big- woah!! I tried to stop it and it stopped- I could tell it wasn't a trout or snook and it started peeling of line 10 yards, 20 yards. "Maybe a sting ray," I thought. I figured it was either a 25lb jack or a string ray and it was taking out all my braided line now. I had 80 yards of mono left. What should i do? I grabbed my line with my left hand, I pulled and that slowed it for a few seconds then it took off again. I grabbed the line with my hand and pulled back-- snap-- my line broke. I still had 40 yards of braid so I retied and kept fishing. I got no more bites and headed off the water. At least I caught a snook- they had disappeared for a couple weeks.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Top Ten Biggest Mistakes Drivers Make
Hi,
Fishing has been quiet in the lagoon. The water got cold and the snook left- so did the Jack. I've caught some nice bluefish, mostly big; 3-4 pound range and a lot of ladyfish. There are still a few trout and redfish around but they are hard to find and scattered. The trout and reds are shallow on the inside of the sandbar for the most part. My main concerns are the lack of grass at Walton which died out in August during super-high tides and rains and draining water out of Okeechobee into the canal and into the lagoon (which started again recently). The water is warming so maybe the fishing will improve.
Here are My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves and although they are mistakes and lead to accidents; most of them wouldn't get the bad driver a ticket. These bad drivers are mainly guilty on one thing- being completely oblivious to every driver on the road-- but them!!!
My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves (in no particular order although they all piss me off):
1) Stopping in the middle of the road to make a right hand turn. This has happened to everyone and it makes my blood boil. The driver in front of you is turning right- there are no cars in the turn area and instead of turning- the driver stops in the middle of the road for a second or two and then turns!!! What??!! I'm driving right behind them and I've already slowed down now-- I have to stop; and everyone behind me has to stop!!! Rule of the Road: Unless the lane that you are turning right in is blocked or backed up-- do not stop to make a right turn.
The same thing is true for a left turn if there are no oncoming cars- do not stop in the middle of the road if it's safe to turn. Just turn without stopping and speed up slightly into the turn (only if it's safe) to avoid making the vehicles behind you stop. Be considerate!!!
You can also cut across the intersection to keep traffic going (you get out of your lane sooner) but - be careful- you can't do this if other cars are in the intersection.
2) Driving 10mph under the speed limit in good driving conditions. What??!!! You just don't feel like driving the speed limit-- you have no place to go and aren't in a hurry-- SO WHAT!!! Aren't you aware that other people may need to get somewhere and they don't want to spend an extra 20 minutes driving behind you. The other part of this is: Speeding excessively and weaving in and out of traffic. It's OK to drive over the speed limit- in fact- I recommend driving 5-9mph over the speed limit to keep traffic flowing. On the other hand there are drivers who are maniacs who drive 20-30 mph over the limit and pass vehicles right and left. This is extremely dangerous and either you'll get a ticket or get in an accident. You can't speed excessively and avoid mistakes by other drivers- and-- they will make mistakes. In my opinion people that drive way under the speed limit or way over should -- get off the road-- both are very inconsiderate and dangerous.
3) Not paying attention to driving-- while: talking on the phone (doing anything on or with a cell phone); eating; drinking; talking or arguing with passengers; looking at a map (GPS, written directions; reading anything); listening to excessively loud music; doing make-up (grooming); changing clothes -- the list goes on and on. Texting is an obvious --don't text while driving period-- but if you're doing any of these other distracting things- pay attention to the road first. Texting has proven to be very dangerous- it's as bad as being intoxicated and driving but-- so are the many other distractions.
How many times have you seen someone talking on the phone who-- has no awareness of any vehicle on the road-- it's just them and their conversation- the driving is automatic- until something goes wrong. This talker can't be considerate of you or anyone else driving- because they aren't paying attention. Rule of the road: Pull off the road if you want to write down directions or have a deep conversation-- driving comes first.
4) Turn right on red- If there's a red light and you are turning right-- do not sit there until the light changes- turn right on red. Obviously you have to look and see if it's clear. Good drivers already know whether it's clear to turn right when they pull up and stop at the light. They don't sit there for 10 seconds to figure it out. There's nothing that makes me crazy faster than someone who either doesn't know the right on red law or doesn't care.
5) Not knowing how to merge into traffic. I'm pulling onto an interstate - I start to accelerate so I'm doing 55 by the end of the ramp so I can merge into traffic going 55. The driver in front of me stops!!!! What??!! I slam on my brakes and the cars behind me also stop. The stopped driver in front of me waits-- for every vehicle to be out of the way before accelerating on the ramp and getting on the interstate. If you don't know how to put on your left signal, accelerate and merge into traffic-- you shouldn't be driving. That's not to say you can't stop but only if the merge ramp has ended should you stop in most situations.
6) Improper spacing and not keeping flow with traffic. These are three different situations but they follow the same principle. Situation 1: You pull up to a stop light and there are ten vehicles in front of you but one car leaves a gap of 3 car lengths between their vehicle and the one in front of them- for no reason. Then everyone else behind them is 2 1/2 car lengths further away from the light- and-- someone that may have made the light won't make it because of this driver; a driver who didn't pull up to the car in front of them at the light. They may think- "What difference does it make?" but they obviously don't care about anyone driving behind them. The first driving principle is: be considerate!!!
Situation 2: Improper spacing is also frequent by bad drivers while driving. They just aren't in a hurry and instead of driving 3 or 4 car lengths behind the car in front of them in a 30mph speed limit-- they drive 10 or 12 car length behind or more- for no reason. Then the light turns yellow, they stop-- they missed another light- wasted another 2 minutes but what worse- you're driving behind them!!! Rule of the road: Keep pace with traffic.
Situation 3: A maniac driver who is either in a hurry, or drives like maniac all the time, is behind you. You're going 47mph in 40 speed limit. The maniac is right on your tail- only 1/2 car length back. If you had to stop suddenly they would run into you. The other problem is: you can't watch the road properly when someone is on your bumper and you have to watch them. What do you do? You can slow down and let them pass you or pull over and let them pass you. Otherwise you have to put up with it until you turn or they turn or they pass you. Rule of the road: Do not tailgate, use proper spacing- a car length for every 10mph. You have to be able to stop if the car in front of you stops.
7) Failing to use turn signals. How many times has this happened: You're driving down a two-lane road and slow to make a left-hand turn. There's an oncoming car- far away but coming quickly so you stop and wait for them to go by before you turn. Then the oncoming car, now only a few car lengths away, puts on their right-turn sign and turns right. You could have turned 20 seconds ago if you knew they were going to turn!! Use your turn signals to let other drivers know what you are going to do- not only does it save them time- but it can prevent an accident.
8) Not Driving in their lane. This seems simple but how many times have I seen bad drivers swerving out of their lane; almost running of the road; or, moving over the lane line when you're driving next to them- so you have to switch lanes for fear of being hit. Are these drivers intoxicated? Distracted? Maybe, but in most cases they aren't paying attention to their driving. I drive in the middle of my lane- almost all the time-- I don't have any trouble. There are drivers who can't seem to do it- they go over to the left riding on the line , then the right. What??!! Rule of the road: If you can't drive in your lane - get off the road- you shouldn't be driving. You'll either drive in a ditch or hit someone.
If you're driving on a four lane highway and you have two lanes to drive in - drive in one lane or the other- not both. If there is no one on the road it really doesn't matter-- if anyone is around - drive in one lane.
9) Not using common sense. Things happen that are outside of the normal driving experience, not all the time but enough so that the driver must make a decision. A storm comes through and the light was hit by lightning. It doesn't work. What do you do? You don't just stop and wait for the light to come back on!!!! Or for the police to come!!! Let's be practical. You stop, signal if you need to, and carefully go your way being prepared to stop if necessary. The intersection is now like a four-way stop-- no big deal.
A car has stalled out in the middle of your lane, in two-way traffic; it's in a no passing zone. You can stop and wait for a tow-truck to come, or, pass the car in the other lane when it's clear. What do you do? You pass the car when it's clear, breaking the law by passing in a no pass zone. Use common sense.
There are many instances where things happen-- a garbage truck is making stops; a postman has a delivery; a UPS truck pulls over but is still partially in your lane. Use common sense, be careful but keep traffic flowing.
10) Not being considerate; or; being over-considerate. There are many times you can let someone pull in front of you or turn in front of you - that won't really slow you down and helps them. If you can help someone - do it. Then there are times where letting someone pull in front of you- slows traffic and is the wrong time to let someone pull out. Letting someone pull in front of you when you are going close to the speed limit and cars are behind you is wrong. You have to stop- and the cars behind you have to stop- one of these cars may not be prepared to stop or see you letting the car pull in front of you- an accident could happen. It's not the right time.
Here's another example of being over-considerate: A driver is leaving a sporting event and driving slowly on a two lane road. A line of cars is waiting to get on- there are 30 cars, many of them just pulling up, while this driver has been going slow for 15 minutes in stop-and-go traffic. The driver lets one car in, then just sits there while all 30 cars pull in front. Over-considerate? Yes. And-- all the people behind the driver had to wait 30 cars and 5 more minutes when the driver decided let them in.
What should have happened? The driver should have let one or two cars go and driven ahead-- preventing other cars from pulling in front.
Always be considerate, whether it's moving over slightly to let a car into the right turn lane, calling 911 for a stranded motorist, or stopping to move a turtle out of the road. We're all in this together, let's help- but not too much, because you need to take care of what you need to do as well.
Fishing has been quiet in the lagoon. The water got cold and the snook left- so did the Jack. I've caught some nice bluefish, mostly big; 3-4 pound range and a lot of ladyfish. There are still a few trout and redfish around but they are hard to find and scattered. The trout and reds are shallow on the inside of the sandbar for the most part. My main concerns are the lack of grass at Walton which died out in August during super-high tides and rains and draining water out of Okeechobee into the canal and into the lagoon (which started again recently). The water is warming so maybe the fishing will improve.
Here are My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves and although they are mistakes and lead to accidents; most of them wouldn't get the bad driver a ticket. These bad drivers are mainly guilty on one thing- being completely oblivious to every driver on the road-- but them!!!
My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves (in no particular order although they all piss me off):
1) Stopping in the middle of the road to make a right hand turn. This has happened to everyone and it makes my blood boil. The driver in front of you is turning right- there are no cars in the turn area and instead of turning- the driver stops in the middle of the road for a second or two and then turns!!! What??!! I'm driving right behind them and I've already slowed down now-- I have to stop; and everyone behind me has to stop!!! Rule of the Road: Unless the lane that you are turning right in is blocked or backed up-- do not stop to make a right turn.
The same thing is true for a left turn if there are no oncoming cars- do not stop in the middle of the road if it's safe to turn. Just turn without stopping and speed up slightly into the turn (only if it's safe) to avoid making the vehicles behind you stop. Be considerate!!!
You can also cut across the intersection to keep traffic going (you get out of your lane sooner) but - be careful- you can't do this if other cars are in the intersection.
2) Driving 10mph under the speed limit in good driving conditions. What??!!! You just don't feel like driving the speed limit-- you have no place to go and aren't in a hurry-- SO WHAT!!! Aren't you aware that other people may need to get somewhere and they don't want to spend an extra 20 minutes driving behind you. The other part of this is: Speeding excessively and weaving in and out of traffic. It's OK to drive over the speed limit- in fact- I recommend driving 5-9mph over the speed limit to keep traffic flowing. On the other hand there are drivers who are maniacs who drive 20-30 mph over the limit and pass vehicles right and left. This is extremely dangerous and either you'll get a ticket or get in an accident. You can't speed excessively and avoid mistakes by other drivers- and-- they will make mistakes. In my opinion people that drive way under the speed limit or way over should -- get off the road-- both are very inconsiderate and dangerous.
3) Not paying attention to driving-- while: talking on the phone (doing anything on or with a cell phone); eating; drinking; talking or arguing with passengers; looking at a map (GPS, written directions; reading anything); listening to excessively loud music; doing make-up (grooming); changing clothes -- the list goes on and on. Texting is an obvious --don't text while driving period-- but if you're doing any of these other distracting things- pay attention to the road first. Texting has proven to be very dangerous- it's as bad as being intoxicated and driving but-- so are the many other distractions.
How many times have you seen someone talking on the phone who-- has no awareness of any vehicle on the road-- it's just them and their conversation- the driving is automatic- until something goes wrong. This talker can't be considerate of you or anyone else driving- because they aren't paying attention. Rule of the road: Pull off the road if you want to write down directions or have a deep conversation-- driving comes first.
4) Turn right on red- If there's a red light and you are turning right-- do not sit there until the light changes- turn right on red. Obviously you have to look and see if it's clear. Good drivers already know whether it's clear to turn right when they pull up and stop at the light. They don't sit there for 10 seconds to figure it out. There's nothing that makes me crazy faster than someone who either doesn't know the right on red law or doesn't care.
5) Not knowing how to merge into traffic. I'm pulling onto an interstate - I start to accelerate so I'm doing 55 by the end of the ramp so I can merge into traffic going 55. The driver in front of me stops!!!! What??!! I slam on my brakes and the cars behind me also stop. The stopped driver in front of me waits-- for every vehicle to be out of the way before accelerating on the ramp and getting on the interstate. If you don't know how to put on your left signal, accelerate and merge into traffic-- you shouldn't be driving. That's not to say you can't stop but only if the merge ramp has ended should you stop in most situations.
6) Improper spacing and not keeping flow with traffic. These are three different situations but they follow the same principle. Situation 1: You pull up to a stop light and there are ten vehicles in front of you but one car leaves a gap of 3 car lengths between their vehicle and the one in front of them- for no reason. Then everyone else behind them is 2 1/2 car lengths further away from the light- and-- someone that may have made the light won't make it because of this driver; a driver who didn't pull up to the car in front of them at the light. They may think- "What difference does it make?" but they obviously don't care about anyone driving behind them. The first driving principle is: be considerate!!!
Situation 2: Improper spacing is also frequent by bad drivers while driving. They just aren't in a hurry and instead of driving 3 or 4 car lengths behind the car in front of them in a 30mph speed limit-- they drive 10 or 12 car length behind or more- for no reason. Then the light turns yellow, they stop-- they missed another light- wasted another 2 minutes but what worse- you're driving behind them!!! Rule of the road: Keep pace with traffic.
Situation 3: A maniac driver who is either in a hurry, or drives like maniac all the time, is behind you. You're going 47mph in 40 speed limit. The maniac is right on your tail- only 1/2 car length back. If you had to stop suddenly they would run into you. The other problem is: you can't watch the road properly when someone is on your bumper and you have to watch them. What do you do? You can slow down and let them pass you or pull over and let them pass you. Otherwise you have to put up with it until you turn or they turn or they pass you. Rule of the road: Do not tailgate, use proper spacing- a car length for every 10mph. You have to be able to stop if the car in front of you stops.
7) Failing to use turn signals. How many times has this happened: You're driving down a two-lane road and slow to make a left-hand turn. There's an oncoming car- far away but coming quickly so you stop and wait for them to go by before you turn. Then the oncoming car, now only a few car lengths away, puts on their right-turn sign and turns right. You could have turned 20 seconds ago if you knew they were going to turn!! Use your turn signals to let other drivers know what you are going to do- not only does it save them time- but it can prevent an accident.
8) Not Driving in their lane. This seems simple but how many times have I seen bad drivers swerving out of their lane; almost running of the road; or, moving over the lane line when you're driving next to them- so you have to switch lanes for fear of being hit. Are these drivers intoxicated? Distracted? Maybe, but in most cases they aren't paying attention to their driving. I drive in the middle of my lane- almost all the time-- I don't have any trouble. There are drivers who can't seem to do it- they go over to the left riding on the line , then the right. What??!! Rule of the road: If you can't drive in your lane - get off the road- you shouldn't be driving. You'll either drive in a ditch or hit someone.
If you're driving on a four lane highway and you have two lanes to drive in - drive in one lane or the other- not both. If there is no one on the road it really doesn't matter-- if anyone is around - drive in one lane.
9) Not using common sense. Things happen that are outside of the normal driving experience, not all the time but enough so that the driver must make a decision. A storm comes through and the light was hit by lightning. It doesn't work. What do you do? You don't just stop and wait for the light to come back on!!!! Or for the police to come!!! Let's be practical. You stop, signal if you need to, and carefully go your way being prepared to stop if necessary. The intersection is now like a four-way stop-- no big deal.
A car has stalled out in the middle of your lane, in two-way traffic; it's in a no passing zone. You can stop and wait for a tow-truck to come, or, pass the car in the other lane when it's clear. What do you do? You pass the car when it's clear, breaking the law by passing in a no pass zone. Use common sense.
There are many instances where things happen-- a garbage truck is making stops; a postman has a delivery; a UPS truck pulls over but is still partially in your lane. Use common sense, be careful but keep traffic flowing.
10) Not being considerate; or; being over-considerate. There are many times you can let someone pull in front of you or turn in front of you - that won't really slow you down and helps them. If you can help someone - do it. Then there are times where letting someone pull in front of you- slows traffic and is the wrong time to let someone pull out. Letting someone pull in front of you when you are going close to the speed limit and cars are behind you is wrong. You have to stop- and the cars behind you have to stop- one of these cars may not be prepared to stop or see you letting the car pull in front of you- an accident could happen. It's not the right time.
Here's another example of being over-considerate: A driver is leaving a sporting event and driving slowly on a two lane road. A line of cars is waiting to get on- there are 30 cars, many of them just pulling up, while this driver has been going slow for 15 minutes in stop-and-go traffic. The driver lets one car in, then just sits there while all 30 cars pull in front. Over-considerate? Yes. And-- all the people behind the driver had to wait 30 cars and 5 more minutes when the driver decided let them in.
What should have happened? The driver should have let one or two cars go and driven ahead-- preventing other cars from pulling in front.
Always be considerate, whether it's moving over slightly to let a car into the right turn lane, calling 911 for a stranded motorist, or stopping to move a turtle out of the road. We're all in this together, let's help- but not too much, because you need to take care of what you need to do as well.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Cool Water- Cool Air Fishing Report Jan. 26, 2016
Hi,
The cold lifted and so did the wind and rain so yesterday, Jan. 25 my neighbor Jim, and I went wading in the lagoon. There just aren't many good fishing days.
It was almost dead low tide so we went deep past the sandbar. I go a few good strikes and headed North while he headed South. I landed three big ladyfish in about the first 10 minutes and lost a couple more. Pound for pound ladyfish are one of the most exciting gamefish. They go absolutely crazy- leaping, skitter walking on their tails, plus they have speed and power. These were big ladyfish (they get up to about 5 pounds) too -- in the 3-4 lb range. I caught a smallish trout 15" casting shallow. Then I turned back North to follow Jim. Ten ladyfish later I caught up with him. I went shallow and fished the third pier then went back deep. I got into a school of bluefish and one just flat out busted by 8 pound test-- it was only 4 pounds. Bluefish jump and they are wild too but they have teeth and if you're not careful they will cut your line. That's what my fourth bluefish did- I should have grabbed him but he was too wild. He got the line in his mouth and snap- there goes my jig!!! My last jig! I went over to Jim and he was ready to go. We got off the water.
I remember this time of the year from last winter- the water gets cold. The snook disappear, and so do the Jack. The trout are around and are larger but not schooled up and there are some deep and shallow. The ladyfish are cruising the shoreline along with schools of bluefish and an occasional mackerel or pompino.
Fishing Report 1-26-16 Walton Scrub, 3:20 pm, low tide outgoing. Water cold, under 70. Sunny, wind 12 mph SE air temp 74. Fishing different DOA plastics on a 3/8 oz jig. No camera.
It was a little warmer and a little windier today. The water was crystal clear again and I started heading North with the wind mainly at my back. I made long casts with a fairly heavy jig-head in shallow water. As I worked out near the sand bar area. I got a hit- fish on!!! It came up and shook it's head, a nice trout I got it over to me and reached down to grab the leader- it jumped one last time and flipped off- instant release!!! The trout was around 18," a nice slot.
I headed deep- a guy fishing off the first pier was headed my way so I went out deep and started fishing. My third cast and wham!! miss, wham!!! miss, wham!! fish on!!! At huge 4 pound ladyfish soared into the air!! She was pulling drag and leaping right and left. It took 3 minutes to get her in and another 25 seconds to get her in my hand to be unhooked. I released her and splashed the slime off my left-hand. After I cast back out-- Wham!! - a smaller lady fish crashed the surface. I quickly caught 3 ladyfish that I unhooked and 2 that jumped off.
The guy wading was getting close- I hadn't seen him catch anything, but he had seen me catching fish. He was casting but I'm not sure what- and he was fishing nearer the sand bar, while I was out 20 yards deeper. I started South toward him-- fishing into the wind. He looked at me, then quickly turned and headed South moving fast. There was no way I could talk to him--not a very friendly guy!!!
I watched him fish as I cast deep. I caught two more lady fish- then he headed shallow and fished the third pier. I hit a ladyfish spot and hooked one on almost every cast. After 15 minutes of wild action I headed South to the shallower flat off the first pier where I got into some bluefish yesterday. I hit the same area but nothing was there. I turned and headed back North and hooked and released a nice 4 pound bluefish that didn't cut or break my line. I caught 10 more ladyfish and headed shallow. The sun was getting low
It was only 2 1/2 feet deep inside the sandbar and very clear. I was making long casts with the wind to my back. I thought, "At least no one has fished here today."
Then wham!! Fish on!! I thought it was a ladyfish but when she put her head up and shook I knew it was a monster trout!! I was shocked how big the trout was and how skinny the water was!!! She jumped half way out of the water several times and I wheeled her to me. I thought, "She's four or five pounds at least!" I measured her on my rod stock and released her- what a fish!!! [Later I checked her length, she was 23 1/2 inches, only the third biggest I'd caught this winter- I thought she was at least 25"]
I headed back South toward by entry spot, casting as I went. Then--fish on! This one didn't jump and didn't put up as much a fight- another trout around 20" probably 19" or so- a very nice fish! I made a couple more casts - the sun started dipping below the tree line- I got off the water.
My totals- 30-40 hooked ladyfish and I released about 12-15 of those- the rest flipped off. 1 nice bluefish and 3 trout with a very nice 23incher. A great day on the water!!!
The cold lifted and so did the wind and rain so yesterday, Jan. 25 my neighbor Jim, and I went wading in the lagoon. There just aren't many good fishing days.
It was almost dead low tide so we went deep past the sandbar. I go a few good strikes and headed North while he headed South. I landed three big ladyfish in about the first 10 minutes and lost a couple more. Pound for pound ladyfish are one of the most exciting gamefish. They go absolutely crazy- leaping, skitter walking on their tails, plus they have speed and power. These were big ladyfish (they get up to about 5 pounds) too -- in the 3-4 lb range. I caught a smallish trout 15" casting shallow. Then I turned back North to follow Jim. Ten ladyfish later I caught up with him. I went shallow and fished the third pier then went back deep. I got into a school of bluefish and one just flat out busted by 8 pound test-- it was only 4 pounds. Bluefish jump and they are wild too but they have teeth and if you're not careful they will cut your line. That's what my fourth bluefish did- I should have grabbed him but he was too wild. He got the line in his mouth and snap- there goes my jig!!! My last jig! I went over to Jim and he was ready to go. We got off the water.
I remember this time of the year from last winter- the water gets cold. The snook disappear, and so do the Jack. The trout are around and are larger but not schooled up and there are some deep and shallow. The ladyfish are cruising the shoreline along with schools of bluefish and an occasional mackerel or pompino.
Fishing Report 1-26-16 Walton Scrub, 3:20 pm, low tide outgoing. Water cold, under 70. Sunny, wind 12 mph SE air temp 74. Fishing different DOA plastics on a 3/8 oz jig. No camera.
It was a little warmer and a little windier today. The water was crystal clear again and I started heading North with the wind mainly at my back. I made long casts with a fairly heavy jig-head in shallow water. As I worked out near the sand bar area. I got a hit- fish on!!! It came up and shook it's head, a nice trout I got it over to me and reached down to grab the leader- it jumped one last time and flipped off- instant release!!! The trout was around 18," a nice slot.
I headed deep- a guy fishing off the first pier was headed my way so I went out deep and started fishing. My third cast and wham!! miss, wham!!! miss, wham!! fish on!!! At huge 4 pound ladyfish soared into the air!! She was pulling drag and leaping right and left. It took 3 minutes to get her in and another 25 seconds to get her in my hand to be unhooked. I released her and splashed the slime off my left-hand. After I cast back out-- Wham!! - a smaller lady fish crashed the surface. I quickly caught 3 ladyfish that I unhooked and 2 that jumped off.
The guy wading was getting close- I hadn't seen him catch anything, but he had seen me catching fish. He was casting but I'm not sure what- and he was fishing nearer the sand bar, while I was out 20 yards deeper. I started South toward him-- fishing into the wind. He looked at me, then quickly turned and headed South moving fast. There was no way I could talk to him--not a very friendly guy!!!
I watched him fish as I cast deep. I caught two more lady fish- then he headed shallow and fished the third pier. I hit a ladyfish spot and hooked one on almost every cast. After 15 minutes of wild action I headed South to the shallower flat off the first pier where I got into some bluefish yesterday. I hit the same area but nothing was there. I turned and headed back North and hooked and released a nice 4 pound bluefish that didn't cut or break my line. I caught 10 more ladyfish and headed shallow. The sun was getting low
It was only 2 1/2 feet deep inside the sandbar and very clear. I was making long casts with the wind to my back. I thought, "At least no one has fished here today."
Then wham!! Fish on!! I thought it was a ladyfish but when she put her head up and shook I knew it was a monster trout!! I was shocked how big the trout was and how skinny the water was!!! She jumped half way out of the water several times and I wheeled her to me. I thought, "She's four or five pounds at least!" I measured her on my rod stock and released her- what a fish!!! [Later I checked her length, she was 23 1/2 inches, only the third biggest I'd caught this winter- I thought she was at least 25"]
I headed back South toward by entry spot, casting as I went. Then--fish on! This one didn't jump and didn't put up as much a fight- another trout around 20" probably 19" or so- a very nice fish! I made a couple more casts - the sun started dipping below the tree line- I got off the water.
My totals- 30-40 hooked ladyfish and I released about 12-15 of those- the rest flipped off. 1 nice bluefish and 3 trout with a very nice 23incher. A great day on the water!!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Richard's Rules for Operating a Motor Vehicle
Hi,
No, this is not about fishing--but has everything to do with getting there. These are my rules for the road and maybe you agree with some of them!!!
You must remember that traffic laws are arbitrary and they may not be right in some situations. For example, you pull up to a light in the middle of nowhere- the light is red, but it doesn't change- it's broken or the sensors didn't see you. There are no vehicles there- what do you do? You drive through the red light. Pretty simple. This time there are other cars there- you wait, they go through- then you drive through the stuck red light. Yes, you've broken the law- but the law is arbitrary. What are you going to do - sit there until they fix the light?!! Now let's look at one last red light example: you drive to an intersection in the middle of nowhere- there are no cars there- you stop, look - no one is there and proceed through the intersection. What's the difference between all three? Not much.
Let's look at an example of an arbitrary speed limit. You have a double lane highway, turn lanes with a median strip-- a road that is never crowded and the speed limit is 30mph. It not in a residential area. In good driving conditions and light traffic you should go at least 10 mph over the limit and probably more- the only reason you may not want to go more is to avoid getting a ticket. The speed limit is set too low for this road!!
Now let's look at another arbitrary speed limit, there's a busy two lane highway with turn lanes in the city. The speed limit is 50mph- it's pouring down rain, you can barely see- you drive 25mph which is a safe speed for the conditions.
Here's an arbitrary double line in two-way traffic: You are driving on two-lane road in a double-line no-passing zone. The car in front of you has stopped in your lane. A passenger gets out and goes up to a house while the driver waits in the road and blocks your lane. What do you do? You wait until it's clear and pass him -- in the no-passing zone, What else can you do?
The point being that speed limits and most traffic laws can be arbitrary- what do you do? Use common sense; drive safely.
Purpose- The purpose of driving is to get from point A to point B (your destination) in the fastest, most expedient way-- and be a safe driver at all times. If you're driving and you don't care about how fast you get somewhere- consider this: If you save 20 minutes driving a day (2 hours 40 minutes a week) you'll save around 120 hours a year or nearly 6 days of time. Because time is valuable to me- that's what I do!!!
Remember, know where you are going and how to get there. This seems obvious but it is a major time waster. People don't have the correct address, can't remember exactly where it was, forgot to load GSP, start driving before they load the GPS. It's also dangerous to punch an address in a GPS while driving- not more dangerous than texting- but it's close.
Rule 1: Always think of the other driver first. What? you say! What about me?!? You may be driving, minding your own business-- but the other driver can kill you!! There are a lot of vehicles on the road- and you need to watch every one of them- as much as possible, and you need to consider what could happen if they do something wrong- like swerve in your lane, stop unexpectedly or run into something (hopefully not you). You also need to think of pedestrians, children playing, bicyclists, mopeds, dogs, cats, low flying birds, and in Florida turtles and yes - land crabs!!! There's a lot to think about and be prepared for. One of the best things about thinking about the other driver is: you can be courteous. You can let someone turn in front of you or go around you because you are paying attention and you want to help other drivers.
Rule 2: Always consider traffic lights, stop-signs, turns, and speed limits.
A) Traffic lights; you should see the next light and be aware of when it will change (as much as possible). Why? If it's going to be red when you get there-- it makes no sense to keep the same speed- slow down a little to around the speed limit or maybe less and hit the light on green. Consider also that you could speed up slightly or change lanes to a open lane and make the light. Go for it!! If there's a yellow light, stop-- if the intersection is crowded but I always go for it as long as the intersection is clear (no turning cars waiting) and I'm past the light before it turns red.
To save time at long intersections (where the light take 2 or 3 minutes to change) there are several things I sometimes do, for example, if the left turn signal has just turned red and it's green to go straight-- I go straight and make a U-turn, then turn right, sometimes before the green light has even changed.
B) If you come to a stop light or stop sign and are turning right- be prepared to turn immediately, stop, or slow almost to a stop- look and immediately turn right. If you are turning left at a stop sign do the same thing- stop or slow to nearly a stop, look and proceed.
C) There are two types of turns I make. If there are no cars in the intersection I proceed directly to the exit point. This saves time but make sure there are no vehicles there. If there are other cars I proceed into the intersection and stay in my lane.
What if someone turns (cuts) in front of you in the other lane when you are going straight? Good for them unless they almost hit you or make you stop- it keeps traffic flowing!! Don't get upset or honk your horn just because they turn in front of you.
If you are turning left on a busy two-way street, do not stop unless necessary because every car behind you will have to wait along with you. Look for an opening in the cars in the left lane and speed up or slow down in order to turn left in between them without stopping.
D) More details on speed limits later. You always need to know the posted speed limit. This is easy with a GPS but pay attention to the signs. I recommend you drive a minimum of 5mph over the speed limit on most roads- depending on driving conditions and posted speed limit.
Rule 3: Always consider the driving conditions and the condition and type of your vehicle. You can only go as fast as safe driving conditions allow-- there's ice, snow, hail, sheet, rain and even wind (sand storms). This proves how arbitrary speed limits are!!! Also you need to consider the condition of your vehicle (tires, light, brakes, turn signals) and drive accordingly. Example: bad tires, no traction in rain or snow- sloooow down.
I was driving my father-in-laws van to Eden, NC through the rolling hills on a winding two-lane road in the 1990s- the speed limit was 55. The van was big, it barely fit in one lane. It was also very heavy, slow to stop and the steering was loose (not broken- had a bit of play to it). It was hard to keep it in one lane going 50 anything over that and you were out-of-control.
Rule 4: Drive as fast as safely possible considering the speed limit and driving conditions. This is a big one for me-- if you can't drive the speed limit in good conditions-- get off the road. Unless you are pulling a heavy load and can't go faster-- there's no excuse. One cause of accidents and road rage is driving too fast or too slow and not considering the other person. By driving 10mph under the speed limit someone might get reckless and try and pass you and get hurt. Yet if you pass the slow drivers and drive 10mph, they can't understand why you would drive that slow!!!
A) In general, drive 5-9mph over the limit. In two-way traffic- keep pace with the car in front of you- never tailgate, always keep close unless they are excessively speeding.
B) You need to keep pace with traffic in all situations. If the speed limit is 45 - it's a safe road and good driving conditions--and everyone's going 55 you better step it up and go with the flow. Driving 5-9mph over the limit is normal driving. Example: you are on a major 4-lane highway across the state- no stops only exits, everyone is going 70mph and the speed limit is 55mpd-- you're going to get run over (tailgated) and have cars dangerously swerving around you- speed up to 65 at least (assuming good driving conditions).
Rule 5: If you can't talk on the phone and drive, pull over. This has many variants. If you want to text or write down directions- pull over. If you can't drive and eat pull over. Obviously don't drink alcohol and drive, but don't drink any beverage if you can't drive- just pull over. If you are talking, eating or drinking you need to very careful. If you can't follow Rule 1 or 2-- then don't talk, drink or eat. Just because you're talking on the phone doesn't mean you ignore everyone else-- one of those people you are ignoring could kill you!!!
No, this is not about fishing--but has everything to do with getting there. These are my rules for the road and maybe you agree with some of them!!!
You must remember that traffic laws are arbitrary and they may not be right in some situations. For example, you pull up to a light in the middle of nowhere- the light is red, but it doesn't change- it's broken or the sensors didn't see you. There are no vehicles there- what do you do? You drive through the red light. Pretty simple. This time there are other cars there- you wait, they go through- then you drive through the stuck red light. Yes, you've broken the law- but the law is arbitrary. What are you going to do - sit there until they fix the light?!! Now let's look at one last red light example: you drive to an intersection in the middle of nowhere- there are no cars there- you stop, look - no one is there and proceed through the intersection. What's the difference between all three? Not much.
Let's look at an example of an arbitrary speed limit. You have a double lane highway, turn lanes with a median strip-- a road that is never crowded and the speed limit is 30mph. It not in a residential area. In good driving conditions and light traffic you should go at least 10 mph over the limit and probably more- the only reason you may not want to go more is to avoid getting a ticket. The speed limit is set too low for this road!!
Now let's look at another arbitrary speed limit, there's a busy two lane highway with turn lanes in the city. The speed limit is 50mph- it's pouring down rain, you can barely see- you drive 25mph which is a safe speed for the conditions.
Here's an arbitrary double line in two-way traffic: You are driving on two-lane road in a double-line no-passing zone. The car in front of you has stopped in your lane. A passenger gets out and goes up to a house while the driver waits in the road and blocks your lane. What do you do? You wait until it's clear and pass him -- in the no-passing zone, What else can you do?
The point being that speed limits and most traffic laws can be arbitrary- what do you do? Use common sense; drive safely.
Purpose- The purpose of driving is to get from point A to point B (your destination) in the fastest, most expedient way-- and be a safe driver at all times. If you're driving and you don't care about how fast you get somewhere- consider this: If you save 20 minutes driving a day (2 hours 40 minutes a week) you'll save around 120 hours a year or nearly 6 days of time. Because time is valuable to me- that's what I do!!!
Remember, know where you are going and how to get there. This seems obvious but it is a major time waster. People don't have the correct address, can't remember exactly where it was, forgot to load GSP, start driving before they load the GPS. It's also dangerous to punch an address in a GPS while driving- not more dangerous than texting- but it's close.
Rule 1: Always think of the other driver first. What? you say! What about me?!? You may be driving, minding your own business-- but the other driver can kill you!! There are a lot of vehicles on the road- and you need to watch every one of them- as much as possible, and you need to consider what could happen if they do something wrong- like swerve in your lane, stop unexpectedly or run into something (hopefully not you). You also need to think of pedestrians, children playing, bicyclists, mopeds, dogs, cats, low flying birds, and in Florida turtles and yes - land crabs!!! There's a lot to think about and be prepared for. One of the best things about thinking about the other driver is: you can be courteous. You can let someone turn in front of you or go around you because you are paying attention and you want to help other drivers.
Rule 2: Always consider traffic lights, stop-signs, turns, and speed limits.
A) Traffic lights; you should see the next light and be aware of when it will change (as much as possible). Why? If it's going to be red when you get there-- it makes no sense to keep the same speed- slow down a little to around the speed limit or maybe less and hit the light on green. Consider also that you could speed up slightly or change lanes to a open lane and make the light. Go for it!! If there's a yellow light, stop-- if the intersection is crowded but I always go for it as long as the intersection is clear (no turning cars waiting) and I'm past the light before it turns red.
To save time at long intersections (where the light take 2 or 3 minutes to change) there are several things I sometimes do, for example, if the left turn signal has just turned red and it's green to go straight-- I go straight and make a U-turn, then turn right, sometimes before the green light has even changed.
B) If you come to a stop light or stop sign and are turning right- be prepared to turn immediately, stop, or slow almost to a stop- look and immediately turn right. If you are turning left at a stop sign do the same thing- stop or slow to nearly a stop, look and proceed.
C) There are two types of turns I make. If there are no cars in the intersection I proceed directly to the exit point. This saves time but make sure there are no vehicles there. If there are other cars I proceed into the intersection and stay in my lane.
What if someone turns (cuts) in front of you in the other lane when you are going straight? Good for them unless they almost hit you or make you stop- it keeps traffic flowing!! Don't get upset or honk your horn just because they turn in front of you.
If you are turning left on a busy two-way street, do not stop unless necessary because every car behind you will have to wait along with you. Look for an opening in the cars in the left lane and speed up or slow down in order to turn left in between them without stopping.
D) More details on speed limits later. You always need to know the posted speed limit. This is easy with a GPS but pay attention to the signs. I recommend you drive a minimum of 5mph over the speed limit on most roads- depending on driving conditions and posted speed limit.
Rule 3: Always consider the driving conditions and the condition and type of your vehicle. You can only go as fast as safe driving conditions allow-- there's ice, snow, hail, sheet, rain and even wind (sand storms). This proves how arbitrary speed limits are!!! Also you need to consider the condition of your vehicle (tires, light, brakes, turn signals) and drive accordingly. Example: bad tires, no traction in rain or snow- sloooow down.
I was driving my father-in-laws van to Eden, NC through the rolling hills on a winding two-lane road in the 1990s- the speed limit was 55. The van was big, it barely fit in one lane. It was also very heavy, slow to stop and the steering was loose (not broken- had a bit of play to it). It was hard to keep it in one lane going 50 anything over that and you were out-of-control.
Rule 4: Drive as fast as safely possible considering the speed limit and driving conditions. This is a big one for me-- if you can't drive the speed limit in good conditions-- get off the road. Unless you are pulling a heavy load and can't go faster-- there's no excuse. One cause of accidents and road rage is driving too fast or too slow and not considering the other person. By driving 10mph under the speed limit someone might get reckless and try and pass you and get hurt. Yet if you pass the slow drivers and drive 10mph, they can't understand why you would drive that slow!!!
A) In general, drive 5-9mph over the limit. In two-way traffic- keep pace with the car in front of you- never tailgate, always keep close unless they are excessively speeding.
B) You need to keep pace with traffic in all situations. If the speed limit is 45 - it's a safe road and good driving conditions--and everyone's going 55 you better step it up and go with the flow. Driving 5-9mph over the limit is normal driving. Example: you are on a major 4-lane highway across the state- no stops only exits, everyone is going 70mph and the speed limit is 55mpd-- you're going to get run over (tailgated) and have cars dangerously swerving around you- speed up to 65 at least (assuming good driving conditions).
Rule 5: If you can't talk on the phone and drive, pull over. This has many variants. If you want to text or write down directions- pull over. If you can't drive and eat pull over. Obviously don't drink alcohol and drive, but don't drink any beverage if you can't drive- just pull over. If you are talking, eating or drinking you need to very careful. If you can't follow Rule 1 or 2-- then don't talk, drink or eat. Just because you're talking on the phone doesn't mean you ignore everyone else-- one of those people you are ignoring could kill you!!!
Happy New Year 2016
Hi,
I haven't been making regular posts, hope to start back soon. Walton Scrub is still the place to go- at least the fishing is usually good. Yesterday my friend Ken caught a redfish, jack and some small snook and I caught a trout a couple jack and a bunch of snook, 2 of which were decent (around "26") but not slots.
There have been a good number of snook shallow (mostly small) and I caught a slot near a pier last week. The weather has changed and today has been the coldest day this winter.
Fishing Report 1-12-16 Walton Scrub, 4:00 pm, low tide- outgoing; wind out of North East 15mph air temp 63, water temp around 70. Fishing 1/8 jig with DOA split-tail plastic, sparkle color. No camera.
Not a comfortable day on the water. I went with Jim, my neighbor. It was cold and I wasn't dressed for it and the wind. I went North shallow --fishing in the wind. I was trying to find some snook around the treeline, but they weren't there. Finally after 10 minutes I got a strike and landed a nice 17" trout.
I looked at Jim and he was headed South so I turned back and tried to catch up. It was much easier with the wind at my back and when I cast near the shore I could keep the bait moving- like a jerk-bait and twitch it as I brought it in. About the 3rd cast with the wind I had a nice strike- fish on!!! This was bigger and it came up and splashed so I figured it was a snook. Nope-- a very nice trout about 23"!!! Two more casts and wham- another strike - fish on- and this one was moving and jumping!!! Snook on, it wasn't big but still was a good 24" - about the size of the trout. I released it and kept going toward Jim. Another strike- another nice fish, it came up and tried to throw the lure- a nice trout about 20". I had it deep hooked and left my pliers so I called to Jim who waited while I swam the fish over to him. He was released and had no trouble swimming away!
Now I wanted to catch a redfish for a slam. We fished down a ways and I hooked a ladyfish that jumped high in the air and flipped off. We continued down to the piers- nothing. I went deep and had two strikes- but nothing and we headed back- two strikes but nothing. That was it, we fished about 80 minutes and got off the water.
My totals: 3 nice trout, 1 snook and 1 ladyfish. A chilly hour or so on the water!
I haven't been making regular posts, hope to start back soon. Walton Scrub is still the place to go- at least the fishing is usually good. Yesterday my friend Ken caught a redfish, jack and some small snook and I caught a trout a couple jack and a bunch of snook, 2 of which were decent (around "26") but not slots.
There have been a good number of snook shallow (mostly small) and I caught a slot near a pier last week. The weather has changed and today has been the coldest day this winter.
Fishing Report 1-12-16 Walton Scrub, 4:00 pm, low tide- outgoing; wind out of North East 15mph air temp 63, water temp around 70. Fishing 1/8 jig with DOA split-tail plastic, sparkle color. No camera.
Not a comfortable day on the water. I went with Jim, my neighbor. It was cold and I wasn't dressed for it and the wind. I went North shallow --fishing in the wind. I was trying to find some snook around the treeline, but they weren't there. Finally after 10 minutes I got a strike and landed a nice 17" trout.
I looked at Jim and he was headed South so I turned back and tried to catch up. It was much easier with the wind at my back and when I cast near the shore I could keep the bait moving- like a jerk-bait and twitch it as I brought it in. About the 3rd cast with the wind I had a nice strike- fish on!!! This was bigger and it came up and splashed so I figured it was a snook. Nope-- a very nice trout about 23"!!! Two more casts and wham- another strike - fish on- and this one was moving and jumping!!! Snook on, it wasn't big but still was a good 24" - about the size of the trout. I released it and kept going toward Jim. Another strike- another nice fish, it came up and tried to throw the lure- a nice trout about 20". I had it deep hooked and left my pliers so I called to Jim who waited while I swam the fish over to him. He was released and had no trouble swimming away!
Now I wanted to catch a redfish for a slam. We fished down a ways and I hooked a ladyfish that jumped high in the air and flipped off. We continued down to the piers- nothing. I went deep and had two strikes- but nothing and we headed back- two strikes but nothing. That was it, we fished about 80 minutes and got off the water.
My totals: 3 nice trout, 1 snook and 1 ladyfish. A chilly hour or so on the water!
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