Buffalo

Last week, I traveled to Buffalo, New York to shoot an episode of Stihl's Reel in the Outdoors with my good friend and guide, Tim Braun. Now the Buffalo area of Lake Erie holds a special place in my memory, as that is where I won the $100,000 All American Championship early in my career. Yeah, when we still had to paddle our boats and my shorts were way too short (for a guy anyway..)

The fish were just moving up on the beds and we caught over30 bass in four to six feet of water, primarily on a Lucky Craft Slender Pointer 112 SO in. Misty Shad color. That color is nearly dead on the Emerald Shiners. The Smallies feed on that this time of year. We caught several over five pounds, and all beneath the Buffalo skyline. Fishing in Buffalo is without questuon, better than it has ever been!

Fabulous New Zealand!

As I write this I am still recovering from the jet lag after my trip to the South Island of New Zealand. I traveled there last week to shoot an episode for Scent Lok's High Places. I have always been fascinated by New Zealand and dreamed of going there someday, and after 50 years, I finally got my opportunity!

 My primary goal was to take a Himalayan Tahr with a bow and arrow and capture it on video for the Show, which was no small order given the extremely mountainous terrain the Tahr live in and their keen senses. I was only about an hour off the valley floor the first morning of the hunt when I realized how tough a hunt this really was!

We climbed over 2500 vertical feet in the first two and a half hours. My stairmaster machine definitely did not prepare me for what was some of the steepest climbing I've ever experienced. The only thing that took away the pain in my lungs and legs was the absolutely incredible views that were more amazing than anything I've ever seen.

 Late in the day, we spotted a big Bull Tahr bedded in the mountain cliffs and after climbing above him and a calculated stalk playing the wind, I got a clean shot inside 20 yards. By the time we reached the truck with heavy packs at dark, my legs were noodles and I began to wonder if the 30 hours on airplanes, planning and physical punishment were really worth it. The answer came to me pretty quickly. I had been given the opportunity to experience something very few people do and felt truly blessed just to be there. You're darn right it was worth it!

Live Action with Andy Morgan

Today, I had a chance to view a piece of video we shot last month on Lake Chickamauga for with Andy Morgan for the upcoming season of Stihl's Reel in the Outdoors. It just proves that you never know whats going to happen when you get out of bed in the morning! I hope you enjoy this video clip....

Championship Round on Wilson Lake

For the past several days, the Ultimate Match Fishing Crew and I have been shooting the championship round on Wilson Lake in Florence Alabama. The fishing has been great, and the matches very exciting. I love this area and the people! Unfortunately, I have nearly lost my voice (probably due to the numbers of fish I have had to do commentary on). Guess I will have to rely on my co-host, Fish Fishburne, who is never at a loss for words...

Fish Fushburne and some of the UMF crew prepare for the days shoot

Scout II

After yesterday's blog, I had some requests for photos of my old 1972 Scout II. Well, it took some searching, but I found the one and only picture I ever had taken with that old truck.

I thought it was very appropriate that I had the hood up in the photo, as that is the way it was most of the time. If you look closely, you can probably see the puddle of oil underneath it from that leaky rear main seal. She wasn't real pretty, but neither were those short gym trunks I had on in the photo. Hey, they were stylish in the day, and still are if you are blond, female and under 17 years old...

That old Scout sure wasn't as flashy or trustworthy as that new Silverado I'm driving now, but it did teach me a thing or two about working on cars and provided me some lasting memories. Even if most of them were bad!

White Allen Chevrolet

Yesterday was a great day! It made me think back to the days of pulling my boat to tournaments with an old International Scout II.  I had to hold the wheel with both hands when I stopped because the brakes pulled so hard to the right. Every time I got a tank of gas, I had to pour in a quart of oil since the rear main seal leaked so bad and I didn't have the $300 to fix it!

The reason for my flashback to my late teens was the new 2012 Chevy Silverado 4X4 Truck I picked up from White Allen Chevrolet in Dayton, my new vehicle sponsor. Twenty-five years ago, I could never have dreamed of driving such a tow vehicle. Yeah, my job definitely has its perks these days.  I have sure logged a lot of miles since that old Scout II that I cussed so much in my early years, but looking back I probably wouldn't have changed a thing. It was part a of the growing up process...

Benefit for Hospice of San Angelo

Yesterday, I was in San Angelo, Texas to emcee the Suddenlink Open Bass Tournament benefiting San Angelo Hospice. Before the event, I had an opportunity to display my Outdoor Channel truck and boat at the Suddenlink facility while meeting fans who stopped by. The event went very well with some big bass being weighed in on O. H. Ivy Reservoir despite the windy cold conditions. In the end, over $16,000 was raised for Hospice of San Angelo!