Crappie Fishing in late February!

 Here we are. The new potatoes went in the ground yesterday morning, so we are taking an afternoon fishing trip. Headed southbound towards what we in the family like to call "Flee Hill Fish Camp" on the historic Saint Mary's River Kingsland, Georgia. Dad is loaded up in the truck, so it looks as if I will be leading the voyage!

 Nothing here, just a fully loaded boat with plenty of things to trip over. You can bet one thing, I have c old ice for the fish, minnows with aerator, bucket to sit on, and loads of confidence in that I see fish hitting the top of the water and looking active. Time of day is 4PM with slight to no breeze, some cloud cover but clear skies, downturn of the moon, and brackish blackwater.

 First fish caught! It's a Crappie of average size. This is probably one of the smaller fish. I did loose a bass and 3 Crappie as I was steering the trolling motor while fishing, but when you catch 20 total, it's still a good stringer.

 Here is dad with his first one of the day. Its another Crappie. He turned it on during the afternoon and I presume him to have the "most caught title"! I love this shot of dad. Aviators, sunhat, liping a fish, and gunning for more!

 This is the lone Blue Gill that was caught be me. This is on of my favorite in the pan fish family.

 Dad holding up our stringer.

 Me,  and our catch for the day.

 Picture of the dock at nightfall.

Fish, "the other white meat"! Healthy, I would say!

Plowing 2011

 Ok people, Spring is around the corner and its time to get the garden haired up and ready for planting. This year we should have more pics and info for the blog. Enjoy!

As you can see, we laid out the rows for planting. It sure was hard keeping the rows straight running the tractor in this soft soil. This was done using a two row cultivator. First order of business, get new potatoes in the ground in Feb, before Presidents Day.

This is my friend Pete. He is the brains behind this operation...lol Actually, he is a great mechanic and helped me give the old tractor a much needed tune-up. She is an 8N Ford Tractor. We are going to name her, so if you have a suggestion just leave a comment. For all you mechanics out there, we changed the coil, plug wires, ignition switch, and topped her off with some fresh hydraulic fluid. Thanks Pete!

Homemade Fish scaler

 

This is Red,  one of our fishing buddies down on the Saint Mary's River. Pictured is his homemade fish scaler. It is run by a motor off of an old washing mashine and is belt driven. As you can see, there are bottle caps riveted to the inside of the cage which takes the scales off as the barrel turns. If you catch a large number of fish, this is very handy. This was the first time I have seen one of these, but it works and is very unique. My cousin Ben and I may build one of these in the near future.

More Pics of fish scaler

 

I loaded about 20 fish at a time and ran the scaler for about 7-10 minutes.

This is a picture of me trail riding in southern Arizona. As you can see in the background, Arizona is more than just flat desert land. This is one of my favorite outdoor activities. You can be surprised at the amount of muscle strength involved in riding horses. Usually it takes a good month for your muscles to adjust to the daily grind of trail riding.

Oh, Ranger!

"The Long, Long Trail A-Winding—"
Hello, hiker, how does it go? How far to camp—a mile or so?
Just a little way farther,Just around the next corner,Just this big hump and another,Just a mile or two more.
How far is a mile, I'd like to know,When you're hitting the trail on a tramp? Oh, a mile is as far as you've yet to go Till you've hoofed it on into camp.
—Rhymes of the Rangers

Hiking/Trail riding in National Parks can be an Adventure!

The legions of stay-at-homes who know the trail but vicariously, some because of apprehensions of the rigors of the wilderness, some because it is too much work, others because of queer notions of the dangers involved, have some weird ideas about the trails. To answer a few of the questions that are asked of the rangers:

-Yes, you might meet a bear. Just give him a chance and he will amble into the woods. No, you needn't fear wolves, or mountain lions.
-Altitude? Yes, it affects some people. Those with weak hearts should avoid trails that lead into the higher mountains.
-Yes, carry a compass, if you wish, but in the high western mountains you don't need it as much as in the eastern woods, because in the Rockies or the Sierra or the Cascades you can always see some high peak for a landmark. Yes, sir, the trails are well blazed, with a capital I carefully cut on trees, and small piles of rocks, known as ducts or cairns, and junctions are marked, but it's a fact that some hikers can't read or won't, and some of them do get lost.
-Yes, ma'am, women can do it. Thousands of them do hit the national park trails without male escorts. In fact, more women are seen on the park trails than men.
-No, you don't need a guide to hike the park trails, but sometimes it adds to the fun to join a party under the leadership of a ranger naturalist, who conducts hiking expeditions without charge in the national parks.
-Guns are out, Dude. No shooting, except with a camera. In fact, guns are forbidden, in the parks.
-Shoes? They're the most important item of your costume. When you hit the trail, the shoes do the hitting all the way. Cheap, poorly made shoes are no economy. Good shoes, with strong soles, are essential. High ones are preferable, large enough so that you can wear two pairs of socks, silk or cotton next to the feet, wool next the shoes.
-Clothes? Well, something tough and warm. Khaki knickers stand the gaff. Women as well as men wear them. A light raincoat is useful in occasional showers. A warm woolen sweater is needed for the cool mountain evenings, when the campfire warms only one side of you at a time.
-Yes, bring a knapsack, one that rides comfortably on the back. It will hold the raincoat, sweater, the extra pair of socks, the flashlight, the toothbrush, and the lunch. The hands should carry nothing, unless a walking stick.
-A camera? By all means. Preferably a small one that straps on the belt or hangs from the shoulder. Bring plenty of films.
-A first-aid kit of the Boy Scout type is useful. You probably will never use it, but if you need it at all you need it much.
-No, speed isn't the thing on the trail. The race is to the tortoise, with the slow but steady "poison oaker" stride. They seem to be just barely moving along, but they keep going while the speed-burners have to rest.
-Trouble? Forget it, unless trouble troubles you. Then have someone call up the rangers on the nearest trail telephone and they will arrange a "drag out."
The "drag out" is the emergency service maintained day and night by the national park rangers for hikers in distress. Maybe night falls on a hiker who neglected to bring a flashlight. Maybe he loses his nerve on a steep down stretch of Yosemite's spectacular Ledge Trail. Maybe she has missed the trail and is lost. Maybe it's a sprained ankle, or a more serious accident. Maybe it's morning, noon, or past midnight—a ranger is always on duty at headquarters to make the "drag out" if need be. Most of them are unnecessary, but the rangers must always respond to the call for help for the sake of one in ten who actually needs it.

Reference:http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/albright3/chap8.htm

Savannah River Expedition

This was a 15lb. catfish that I caught with rod/reel using a live brim on a bottom rig. My cousins and I camped out for 4 days...it was a great time!

Send in your pictures of your outdoor fun!

Let me hear from all who would like to share outdoor adventures they have experienced. I will post my latest. There is no specific genre of adventure required. It can be hunting, fishing,watersports,sporting events or even kite flying. Use your imagination and atleast give a short description of location/activity. Pictures added to posts are favored to give all followers a glipse of the beauty. Lets go exploring.
                                                                                                                     Stay Active,
                                                                                                                     Jason A. Clark