More Photographic Evidence of Why You Should Visit Crocodile Bay Lodge

Check out the new photos of Crocodile Bay Lodge --- and the great fishing --- in my Escape! Gallery.

Crocodile Bay Lodge on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica is a great luxury and family-oriented destination for fishing, eco-tours, and just relaxing around the pool or at the spa. It's one of my favorite places, and I highly recommend it.

Inshore, you can catch roosterfish and snapper, and, if you're really lucky, maybe even a monster snook. Offshore, you can catch marlin, sailfish, dorado, tuna, and a host of other species, as well as see whales and dolphins.

By the way, Costa Rica is a safe and friendly country in Central America,  only a 2- to 3-hour flight from Miami and Houston. You will fly into the capital city of San Jose, spend the night, and then, the following morning, take a quick flight to the lodge.

Speaking Out for Hunting Important for Future of Fishing

The anti-fishing movement has many faces. PETA is one of them.

This website is about promoting and protecting recreational fishing. But here’s an article about hunting that you should read anyway.

Because of a lawsuit, the U.S. Forest Service is considering a ban on hunting with firearms in about 67,000 acres of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan. It was filed by a lawyer who alleges that the service favors hunters and snowmobilers over those who are looking for a quiet experience.

“Life requires compromise,” he says.

Remember the “c” word. You’ll hear it used by those who think that we should compromise on angling access issues as well.

My question remains: How, exactly, do we compromise with people who want to force us off the water? When we give up access, no matter how small the hit this time, what do we get in return?

What we get is a prolonged death instead of a quick one. We become the lobster in a pot of water, which is slowly warmed until suddenly it is boiling and the lobster is dead.

So, remember the “c” word, take note of what’s happening with hunting as well as fishing, and consider this lament about passiveness from a German pastor who watched Hitler’s rise to power:

First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Activist Angler Shares Secrets from Better Bass Fishing

Activist Angler with a 9-pound bass.

Here are excerpts about “hot spots” from my book Better Bass Fishing --- Secrets from the Headwaters by a Bassmaster Senior Writer.

Secret: Most “hot spots” aren’t static. That’s because fish shift their positions, as current, winds, and other variables change. For example, you might catch fish on the backside of a stump row, but later come back to find empty water. Possibly those bass have moved a few feet to a nearby breakline. Don’t fall into the rut of casting to the same spots in the same way every time and then moving on if you don’t get bites right away. Those fish might be feeding in deeper--- or shallower--- water just a cast away.

Secret: In general, finding the right locations are more important during summer and winter. That’s because bass tend to school and stay in the same places for days or even weeks during these times. By contrast, lure selection can be more important during spring and fall. Fish roam more then, looking for places to spawn and chasing bait in the shallows.

Secret: Ninety percent of bass anglers fish within 30 feet of shore and no deeper than 10 feet. But the pros know that finding concentrations of fish is a key to winning tournaments, and those concentrations more often are found in deeper water around structure and cover.

Secret: Understanding the terminology will make you a wiser and more successful fisherman. “Structure” is part of the typography of a lake, reservoir, or river, and includes dropoffs, ledges, and humps. “Cover” refers to aquatic vegetation, timber, brushpiles, rocks, and manmade fish attractors. Bass typically relate more to deep-water structure during winter and summer and more to shallow-water cover during spring and fall.

Christmas and Hanukkah are coming. If you’re looking for gift for your favorite angler, please consider my book. Read more about it here.

Feds Want to Destroy Fish Habitat in Gulf of Mexico

What happens when you have an administration that governs based on ideology instead of common sense, science, and the will of the majority?

Just take a look at this nation’s policies for energy, environment, and natural resources and you get a good idea.

Millions of dollars of public funds wasted on green energy strategies that don’t work, while access to domestic gas and oil is denied and prices continue to rise.

A National Ocean Council that will tell us where we can and can’t fish.

A National Park Service that wants to deny public access to public lands and waters, first at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and then Biscayne National Park.

And now this incredible piece of insanity, driven by an irrational hatred of all things petroleum: The U.S. Department of Interior has issued a directive to remove all idle oil rigs from the Gulf of Mexico.

Never mind that these rigs provide great habitat for marine species of all kinds, as well productive areas for sport fishing. Never mind that they serve as huge vertical reefs, offering structure and coral where otherwise only barren, smooth bottom would exist.

None of that matters. These rigs represent an industry that this administration wants to bring to its knees, and, consequently, they must be destroyed.

The American Sportfishing Association says this:

“This misguided directive will remove vital marine habitat and degrade the recreational fishing experience. Fortunately, Senator (David) Vitter (R-LA) has introduced legislation that will allow these structures to remain in the Gulf and serve as vibrant artificial reefs with all the accompanying benefits to marine life.

“The Rigs to Reefs Habitat Protection Act of 2011 (S. 1555) will require a full assessment of whether a platform supports coral or other protected species, as well as those of recreational or commercial value, before a determination is made whether or not to remove the platform. Under the act, platforms supporting substantial reef ecosystems would be allowed to remain in the Gulf as artificial reefs – protecting habitat and sportfishing opportunity.”

Go to Keep America Fishing to voice your support for this bill.

And when you vote next November, remember that this administration is not a friend of the millions of anglers in this country.

Save Your Electronics with a BHEESTIE Bag

I took my cell phone for a swim this past summer. I won’t go into details, but, suffice to say, they were embarrassing.

On the plus side, I can claim unscheduled --- but spectacular --- departure from three different types of watercraft: canoe, bass boat, and, now, jon boat.

Wish that I had a BHEESTIE Bag then. My thoroughly soaked Nokia would have provided a great test for its ability to remove moisture from personal electronics.

Instead, I took out the battery and SIM card --- as I learned to do following an embarrassing bathroom episode with another phone. Then I popped the phone in the freezer for a few hours. Finally, I baked it on low for awhile.

Does my phone work again? Yes . . . And no, depending on which buttons that I push. And it does strange and unnatural things, such as telling me Mike Jones is calling when it’s really Jim Smith.

But back to the BHEESTIE Bag, which retails for about $20. The name refers to a servant who draws and carries water.

In this case, water-absorbing beads in the bag pull moisture from cameras, iPods, and other electronics, including cell phones.

The bag can be used for “daily maintenance.” Maybe your cell phone didn’t get dunked, but it was with  you during a rainy day of fishing. Just drop it in the bag for a few hours.

If the electronic actually gets soaked, then remove the battery and put the gadget in the bag for 24 to 72 hours.

The company says this:

 “The BHEESTIE Bag was specifically designed for daily maintenance of small electronics, but is also used to revive accidentally soaked electronics.

“Every situation is different and we cannot guarantee it can save every time. But the sooner the electronic gets in the BHEESTIE Bag, the better the chance of a save."

I tried one of the recommended tests for the bag: I put ½ teaspoon of water each on two small squares of sponge. I put one sponge in the bag and left the other out. After 24 hours, the sponge in the bag was much drier than the sponge that had been left out.

Just wish that I had a BHEESTIE Bag following the jon boat episode. That’s okay, though. Kayaks and flats boats are waiting eagerly for me and my cell phone.