'Fishing addicts lose all common sense.'

On the way back to camp on my dad's airboat we ran across Jim in his handcrafted airboat as he fished for cats in the deep spots.

When asked from a distance if he was catching any, he held up both hands... Not clearly saying he wasn't, but implying only. While we all know lying is wrong, when it comes to fishing, misunderstandings are always appreciated. At almost the same time his line tugged and he was unable to hide yet another successful catch. He gingerly tossed it in the bucket and continued the conversation hopping no one had noticed.

Even though he has a new airboat, he still is found in the one he built himself years ago. We stopped to visit about the fishing and he expressed his disappointment in his Zebco reel. "After so long, they get grooves wore in them (the real casing) and don't work right any more, I filed them down, but they come back." he said. That tells you how much fishing Jim has done. How many millions of yards of line have to be cast out of a Zebco to cut grooves in it? Unbelievable!

When asked why he was fishing out of his old boat rather than his new vessel he said he wants to get the seat lowered and has it in the shop. And adds it probally won't get done anytime soon. You see, as his focus has shifted from farming to fishing he claims he's losing authority back at the shop on his family farm. He warned us, "They say, once you are addicted to fishing, you lose all common sense." Evidently, according to Jim, that means his projects take a back seat to machinery maintenance and repairs weather he likes it or not.

Seeing that we came from upstream, he asked how the fishing was up there, he said he hasn't been any farther, "...cause, I don't want to get too far from supper." That's Jim's way of saying he doesn't want to get too far from his wife. Who, also stopped by to see us earlier and take a picture of our youngest and his monster catfish for the local weekly paper. She is a community correspondent reporting in by noon every Tuesday so readers know who had who over for supper or who were Sunday afternoon callers at the neighbors, who hosted bridge or whos baby shower was well attended and enjoyed by all.

That's what this blog is all about, as much as it is about sharing our outdoor adventures and encouraging others to play outdoors. It's also about the characters and friends you make. It's about building relationships and making memories. Weather it's on a bike, boat, or in a blind, get out from behind the computer and become an outdoor addict.

It's old river rats like Jim and my dad that make coming down to the Loup a trip worth taking every chance we get.

Airboat ride to a trout spot.

After shooting my dad took us up stream on the Loup in the airboat to visit one of his 'river friends' who invited my boy to try his luck in his stocked trout pond. After struggling with the moss on the edge of the pond he elected to just wade out past it. While he was unable to land a trout, he did hook a large mouth and bluegill.

Bass Pro Shops In Council Bluffs

During one of the small rain storms I went to Bass Pro for the first time in Council Bluffs. This is just a small part of the store.

This gentleman tries his hand at the shooting gallery. The store is huge and a 'must see' if your ever that way.

Tragic Boating Accident this weekend at Branched Oak Lake - 2 dead.

Two men died Sunday morning in a boating accident on Branched Oak Lake Northwest of Lincoln. Read the full story on Omaha.com.

Our youngest's new vacation home & big cat.

We gave our youngest a vacation home (tent) for his birthday. I took him to my parents' Loup River ground to try it out. After sitting by the camp fire under a star filled sky he slept like a rock in it.

This morning he swam, then we went fishing out of the air boat. He caught several including this lunker he found near the fork of the South Loup and Middle Loup. I got a couple too, but, as usual he out fished me again.

There were tons of locals there for the weekend and we had a feast for supper. It's great to get out of the city and spend time up at the river.

Holmes Lake & Antelope Creek Trail

Went for one more quick ride today by Holmes Lake and down the Antelope Creek Trail to Fireworks.

By the way, I was deeply dissatisfied with that place when I went there last year around the 4th of July. Their selection was terrible! They didn't have anything I wanted, no sparklers, no black cats, no cherry bombs... But, I've got to say though, their food is outstanding! But, trust me, it's a lousy fireworks stand.

Anyway, back to my ride, on the way back I ran into seaman Brady and his glorious vessel. It was it's maden voyage under his ownership and he couldn't be prouder. His parents were beaming and happy to see him be able to take it out on the water since getting it for christmas.

Today was a new personal best for me so far during 2009, I logged 52.79 miles.

Watercraft

Throughout my childhood my dad, uncles, grandpas', etc. all had boats. And I spent countless weekends at lakes, usually Harlan County Reservoir, and Sherman Dam. When I was 15 my grandpa Duke gave me a old 50's era boat that would seat 5 and had a 50 horse outboard Mercury. It had a white hull and red top, lots of chrome and black upholstery and black engine. He restored it and it was sharp and ran good. I sold it back to him when I was around 22.

After that I got busy with life and didn't have anything to take out on the water. Duke died in 2000 and I borrowed the 'little red boat' a couple of times from my grandma. In the meantime my dad got a air boat to use on his new river ground near Centura and we'd get rides and fish for catfish off it when we went there.

Fast forward to 2008. We're in Lincoln for our first spring and I take the kids to Holmes Lake to catch bluegill. The have a ball. Just using zeboco 202's, a split shot weight, plain hook with some kernels of canned corn and a bobber. Fishing off the rocks on the bank you can see 4" bluegill come out of the rocks and take the hook, one right after the other. It's a hoot. We throw them all back.

Then it hits me, the big blue expanse is calling me, and I get the itch for a boat. I know I can't afford one, and the wife is a bit of a landlubber, but I can't get it out of my mind. I find myself checking craigslist and even looking at a couple of boat stores, Sams Club and Scheels. I decide what I need is a Two Man Bass Boat. Long story short, I tell my grandma about my dream and she tells me that she gave a small boat to my dad years ago for the kids to play on at one of the ponds on his river ground. I call him and ask about it, and he says it's still around, that he never liked it and it hasn't been used. He said I'm welcome to it if I want it. Another quick check of craigslist yields a minkota trolling motor and battery for $75 in Beatrice, a quick drive down there and a trip out to Cairo and I'm once again a seaman! The wife sarcastically calls it "his rubbermaid tote".

It's real small, rated for 1 person or 250 lbs. but since I'm tipping the scales at 150 lbs. and the two youngest are around 80 lbs. I figure we're safe to use it as long as I only take one at a time. I just throw it in the bed of the pick-up and go. We had allot of fun with it all summer last year.

You'd think that would pacify me... wrong, then I get to thinking about all the fun I had canoeing the loup growing up. Hmmm. I need a canoe! So, back to craigslist I go. I watch for a few months and even tried trading a atv trailer for a canoe to no avail. Then one day I check again. And deep into the depths of craigslist I find that UNL's Rec. Dept. is having a inventory liquidation sale. Starting on a Thursday at 10am and continuing through the weekend. It's a worthless ad. And I figure I'm the only guy in cyberspace that has seen it.

The appointed day arrives, I sneak out of the office and get to UNL at 1/4 to 10 feeling confident that I'll get a canoe or two. You see, the ad said they had like 13 or 14 canoes from $30 - $70. (their usually over $200 for a decent used canoe in the paper or online) I neglected to tell the wife about the UNL sale, but I'm thinking I can save face if I pick-up two. One for me and one as a gift for her. (typical testosterone thinking, huh?) Or, if she wasn't delighted with her new vessel I could sell the extra for enough of a profit to cover the one I'd keep. Essentially getting a 'free' canoe and not taking anything away from the family grocery budget. I'm feeling pretty smart!

Back to that morning at UNL, as I round the corner of the building I find a herd of over 50 outdoorsmen! After a few minutes someone from the rec. dept. comes out with numbers 1-60, everyone draws one and the person with #1 gets to go first. They announce everyone can pick up to 3 canoes and when their gone, their gone. I draw # 27 *bummer* I see the guy with #1 and ask him how many he's going to get. He said he wants two, but decided he'd get 3 and sell one. I ask what he'd have to have to sell me the rights to buy his 3rd canoe. We agree on $25. I pick a $60 canoe and when the dust has cleared I've got a nice used canoe for a total of $85. Still well below what it's worth.

That was in January of 2009, we've had it out a couple of times and love it. For one reason or another the wife or 17 yr old hasn't come out on it yet. But it shouldn't be long. Even though she's not much for canoeing, I think I've sold her on the idea of a romantic sunset cruse. I don't know if I've got to stand up and sing as we go under the bridges on Holmes Lake like the gondola guys do in Italy, but I'll let you know how it goes. I told the girlfriend of my 17 yr old about how great it'd be if he took her out on it some quite, serene evening and she ate it up. Even if he'd rather be playing basketball, I'm hoping she'll help get him out on the water sometime soon. Of course he's too busy and too cool to go out with me on it.