Spring is funny, and not ha-ha funny either. Yesterday (Wednesday) I was driving on the freeway from Brownsville to Harlingen, Texas, on the way to a doctor's appointment at 3 PM. The trucks outside thermometer read 108 degrees. I was in the doctor's office for maybe 15 minutes. When I came out there was a wicked wind coming out of the north and the temperature had dropped to 98. By the time I got back to Brownsville it was 89. This morning (Thursday) it was 63. Now its up to 72, but the wind is ripping. I checked the ten day forecast and the temps are decent enough but there are no days in the next week and a half when the wind will be under 20 MPH.

Last week I stopped by Bass Pro Shop to pick up 6 quarts of 4 stroke engine oil and the oil and fuel filters needed for a 100 hour maintenance on my Mercury engine. The charge was a little over $110. I also had the guys at the marina do a detail job on the "Hooker", top and bottom, replace some cleats that were getting dingy and give her a good going over. Another hundred. I've decided to re-do the aft casting deck with Sea-Dek so I'm going to run over there today and set about making a template for that area. I think I can do it with one roll so it will only run about $80 for the Sea-Dek plus contact cement, etc. Of course that will make the console look rather dated so I better figure on another roll to do that and the areas on the forward deck around the trolling motor and the live well.

I think I've figured out what to do with my time when I can't go fishing. Maybe I can get a job as a door greeter at WalMart, at least I could get a discount on fishing and boat stuff.

First of all, welcome to the forum, Evjoy. Secondly, welcome to South-Texas and the Laguna Madre. We have a sizeable bunch of us on here. Are you a boater? Texas Parks puts out a fishing report every Thursday for both fresh and salt water fishermen. It's kinda like Chamber of Commerce weather reports, it's always good even if it isn't. There are so many different fishing techniques down here you almost have to be specific as to how you're going to get your line wet. The beach/surf fishing is starting to heat up as the water heats up. Off shore types have been pretty quiet lately but I'm sure the action around the RGV artificial reef is pretty good. Bay fishing is in the transitional phase right now with the trout and reds returning to the bay from the gulf. They will be heading for the flats and their spawning areas for the next month or so. All the fish that migrate annually from Gulf Waters to Bay Waters have to come through a very limited number of inlets and those waterways the place to be now. Bait shops, tackle stores and the piers and docks are where you can get current and quick info on what's happening. And, of course, you can always hire a guide for an outing. It is supposed to be 103 degrees here in Brownsville on Wednesday although the predicted high for SPI is only in the high 80's - so TP&R will have reports on Thursday that says the fishing is hot! And they might just be right.

When I bought this "trucklette" Hyundai a few months ago I traded Marilyn's 2017 CRV in on it. Although I'm happy enough with the Hyundai I get constant reminders from Marilyn she really misses her Honda. I think that was our 4th or 5th Honda in a row. And I'll admit too that the CRV was a very nice car. If it had been 4WD or AWD I probably would have kept it and had a junker truck as a 2nd vehicle. The one and only gripe I've ever had with any Honda was that they need to work on keeping road noise out of the cabin. I'd offer my 100% endorsement and MK would likely double that. Whatever you do, keep Mama happy and the rest will work out fine.

Where are you at and how and where have you been fishing?

I can't wait to find out. Were they?

Thanks for the endorsement, Leo. She is a sweet boat and, like I say, I'm just 'toying' with the idea of selling her. Maybe I could make it one or two more years without hurting myself or someone else. I did have an older guy go overboard a couple of years ago in a pure accident when he got tangled in a rope. We were in about 18" of water but it was spring cold and that really frightened me. I'm going to have the guys at the Marina get her all spiffed up for the summer and maybe try some of these ideas everyone has mentioned. All my kids/grand kids live up there in the nether reaches and aren't boaters or die-hard fisherpersons or I'd just give it to one of them. Or I might just leave it to the kidney foundation. We'll see. But it just seems a shame that what we used to be able to do with a handshake now requires two lawyers and a suit from treasury to accomplish. Tsk, tsk.

Ok, I'm 83 years old and I'm toying with the idea of selling my boat. I've supplemented my fishing experience by getting into beach fishing a couple of years ago, so its not like I want to give up fishing all together. I could still go out with my pro-guide friends occasionally. But, selling my boat, I'm afraid, would turn into a major fiasco.

Since the demise of local newspapers and want-ads, ones choices of listing a boat are very limited. Dealers aren't interested in consignment sales and the nation wide boats-for-sale sites are a joke. I sold a car recently on Facebook Market Place, and in spite of taking every and all precautions, demanding and getting cash dollars, the deal still got partially screwed up. You don't just walk up to your friendly bank teller and plunk down $15k and say deposit this to my account anymore. As it turned out, the young couple that bought my VW never filed the necessary forms required by the state, the car was suspected of being part of a robbery a few months later and guess who had to write letter after letter recounting the sale, what identification I demanded, etc. I think its all over with now and I've stopped worrying about going to prison.

I live in a boat hungry area and I have just what everybody is looking for. Is there an honest way to do this or do I have to start lurking around the Tracker Marine dealership and "psst, hey buddy, you wanna buy a boat" routine. And just ask FlyGuy, it is just as bad for the buyers.

Welcome aboard the forum, B&H. Where are you located?

You know, when the Padre brought this up about triggers, I was completely in the dark. I'd never heard of the product or the situation that made it necessary. When I You-Tubed it I found a whole bunch of information and I ordered a couple for my beach set-ups. I have experienced having the bail close during casts and snapping the line but I never had it lacerate my finger. It's a good thing you guys keep me up on stuff!

Any pictures of the 30 year old strippers?

Boating is the easy part and you'll pick it up easily. I do hope you live on a lake and have docking facilities though, because trailering, loading and launching are the hard parts. Just keep in mind that when you drive a car it turns from the front, the back wheels follow. In a boat the stern turns first. That's kind of a tricky concept and is best done very slowly when trying to do any close maneuvering. Boats have no brakes! That's a frightening thought, huh? If an 84 year old lifetime boater would offer one bit of advice it would be - don't boat alone! Here in Texas the rules change somewhat if you are alone in a boat as to kill switches, personal floatation devices, and what equipment to must have on board. Take the easy way, have someone along. Welcome to the forum, by the way.

When I went out with that pro friend of mine last week we made a quick stop way down on the furthest end of south bay. It had mangrove on both banks of this inlet and after we'd been there for a few minutes I noticed that there were no flamingos and I asked Danny about it. He said that many of them had frozen in that same storm. That was the first I'd heard about it.

Yeah, I follow them too.

Yeah, Gordo. And today it is 30 MPH gusts.

I think that must have been early, early in the morning, Leo. Not being a morning person I wouldn't know.. I'm more of a tea-time fisherman. All things in moderation, you know?