Thread: My DIY Projects and Great Adventures

I have a friend that just got out of hospital after an encounter with hornets. I lived is South Carolina and they have to run a close second, summer there was a total war zone with insects, I saw Palmetto bugs as big as mice. Turkeys are busy up here in Iowa rooting the young off on there own but should here them soon.

Originally Posted by gobbler

Florida has the biggest and meanest insects of anywhere I’ve been, ya’ll were very blessed not to get stung, especially tearing a nest down!

You ever see or hear many turkeys on your adventures?

Yes sir. Florida is eat up with turkeys. We see them all the time. This past spring saw a monster gobbler strutting and calling. He had a harem and looked to be a busy boy. Every year I get lone females hanging out in the yard, brooding eggs nearby.

One day the schnauzer was barking and I went to see and a troop was on the other side of his fence. They were easing up on him. I called the boy to save him basically. They were gonna do him up.

Thanks again I caught some fish on your gifts.

Today was definitely a slow day but I got a few nice ones. Most were 11” or so and were given a reprieve. The new deep dish Colorado blades were a hit. The rod tips went jingle jingle jangle from the vibrations and the fish preferred them to the jigs with no blades. Made a few more jigs with them today and plan to get after them tomorrow. I want to catch fewer fish but bigger fish. The blades seem to entice nicer fish,

Originally Posted by gobbler

Florida has the biggest and meanest insects of anywhere I’ve been, ya’ll were very blessed not to get stung, especially tearing a nest down!

Eh, I’m from Illinois, and moved to Florida about 8 years ago. I’ve been stung, and bitten tons. But I found out about “tea tree oil”. It made all the difference in the world. Get bit, apply tea tree oil, all’s good. Seriously I almost moved till I found out about the stuff.


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I’ve quit picking my figs because of the hornets. The Yellowjackets are starting to build up their numbers and will be a force to be reckoned with this fall.

Man them hornets would have to just go. I love me some figs. Mine come due around Independence Day, but it isn’t hornets that bother me….squirrels. They get in the tree and take a single bite out each one. Wouldn’t mind if they just ate the thing, but they seem to want to just ruin them for me. Saw many a good squirrel fall out of that tree. I suspect the branches are slick or something.

My brother had a hot tub on his porch and screened it in, only he forgot to add a screen door. Anyways flies would accumulate on the screen on the inside. Hornets would fly in, snatch a fly and fly away with them. Hornets also eat yellow jackets. Watched them snatching them off of fallen peaches. They would land on their backs, sever their heads and fly off with the writhing corpses.

Watched a video presentation where hornets were attacking a honeybee keepers nest. They placed little cameras inside so we could see. The hornets would fly up and snatch a bee and fly away. Well every so often a hornet would make his way inside and the bees would swarm it. Not to sting it to death, rather they would form a meatball around it and vibrate their wings. This caused the interior to heat up and the temperature was survivable by them, but not the hornet and he would die.



Anyways here are some under spins with the new deep dish Colorado blades.



They are all excited because daddy is taking them fishing today. 1/8 ounce heads, size #1 EC hooks and Crappie Magnet Slab Curly bodies. My two most productive colors, even though some days they want something else. These stay kind of close to the boat.

I have plans to make more of these using the 1/0 Victory hooks. The fish were getting tagged by those hooks yesterday and only had two or three escape before being landed. I also noticed something else. Usually I lift the fish aboard and let them flop about on the deck and most times the hook pops out and I can quick recast before having to handle the devil. The Victory hooks don’t pop for some reason, rather remain lodged. Unsure why as the barb is actually smaller than the Eagle Claw sickles. Seems harder to remove as well. My guess is that the fact they are sharper than the EC hooks is at play here. Maybe a smaller sleeker hole. Something.

I had considered trying a different lake this morning but my crappie friend said we should stick with the current lake. He and his crappie cowboy friend who rides in the back of the boat caught only 50 some fish yesterday and complained, but figured it must have just been an odd day. I thought the weather was perfect, cloudy skies, slight breeze, not too terribly hot. I set out at O’Dark Hundred with my lights blazing and this boat comes straight up to me. I thought -you got to be kidding me, what a jerk. It was cowboy driving and they hollered at me. Wanted to know why I was up so early. I hollered back its only early for grumpy old men. Yes, they are about 80 years old these two guys. Their lures smell like Geritol. I suspect they fart a lot as they talk about all the fish they catch. I suspect they will tell me to follow along behind them again this morning. I did that for a while yesterday but wasn’t doing so hot so I jetted off and left them in search of……well mostly searching with a little catching mixed in.

Well time to get ready to go. Today is last somewhat calm day as far as winds the rest of the week. Windy days are fishable still, but I downsize to four rods as the boat spins and four lines to unwrap is my max.

Those are some good looking baits

Originally Posted by Slab

Eh, I’m from Illinois, and moved to Florida about 8 years ago. I’ve been stung, and bitten tons. But I found out about “tea tree oil”. It made all the difference in the world. Get bit, apply tea tree oil, all’s good. Seriously I almost moved till I found out about the stuff.


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How about building up your auto-immune genetics by doing some daily tee-tree oil "shooters", Ed?

u2s

Slow days for me. Started out breezy and as soon as I decided to move towards the smooth water edge, it stopped blowing. Amazing how that works.



Kept some for dinner. Making enchiladas tonight….mmmmmm. Ooooey Goooey Cheeesy mess….with some rice and vegetables. Definitely getting better at cleaning fish and have learned to only take home what I will want to clean and eat for dinner.

My crappie friend and his crappie cowboy buddy said they caught 50, but I ain’t so sure about that. They just weren’t biting that well. Saw others and they looked bored as if bites were hard to come by, too. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, doesn’t really matter.

I might try again tomorrow but the weatherman says high winds. I will look at forecast in morning and decide then.