doublebad.net

These are not/are these not the droids you are looking for./?

2012-02-03T18:47:00.001-08:00

The year is 2012 and my charger is raw. In my rearview mirror is an Escalade driving soccer mom. Where oh where is the mother****ing law?

The bluetooth is turned off in a camera case hanging off my laptop messenger bag. An aged low end android phone (Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept) is plugged into the second charging port on the Sonata.

Last time I checked, the words "Navy Seal", "Firefighter", "EMT", "Priest", "911 dispatcher" do not appear on my C.V.. So the bluetooth mostly stays stowed. I don't need to talk and drive, folks experiencing life or death urgent situations that are more important than me not getting killed by a semi on the beltway need to call some one else.

The main 12v dc port has an inverter and USB charging port plugged into it. There are two more androids, the laptop running fedora 16, an eight year old Palm Tungsten T5, a gaggle of usb adapters and gadgets, charging gear, etc.

As a phone, the Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept is pretty lame. As an android phone, it's pretty lame. The slow processor and limited system memory mean that watching netflix is like Saturday Morning Kung Fu all day long. Soundtracks tend to lag.

It's slow, and it needs to be rebooted at least once a day along with judicious application management ( shut down and/or remove needlessly running applications ) to achieve even feeble batter longevity doing anything useful.

Anything useful is coding, which likely entails bluetooth at a minimum and wifi preferably. Even in airplane mode some application coding can be done. Any language or interpreter I want as long as it's Ruby and Jruby as of this writing. In fact it is amphibious.

Amphibious because Jruby allows one to write complete android apps on the android. With no connection to any network. Write a script, associate it with an icon. Done deal.

With Wifi/3G/4G idedroid allows programmers to create, compile, and test code in almost any language. Something tells me this app/site/suite won't be the last of it's ilk. Even the free version is unbelievably handy.

Modern Android phones with built in wifi hotspots are very nice capable machines. A nice unlocked piece of hardware and a pouch full of sim cards is just what the globe hopping code cutting professional needs.

Closer to home and at the doublebad end of the price spectrum there are many other choices.

Cost of unlocked android 4G hotspot device (no contract, universal sim card must be purchased, not tied to any carrier at any time ) buys an armload of less leading edge hardware.

Why not just have the one device? Two is one and one is none in the nomad game. Your office is anywhere. Printer in your car, bluetooth on your notebook and all of your gadgets. You are a walking network. For writing/maintaining/designing distributed applications this might be a superior approach.

Let's start at the shallow end of the Android gene pool. My personal favorite Shenzhen manufactured SoundLogic 7" Android Netbook 2.2, SD Card slot, 3 USB slots, one RJ45 port, mic in/built in mic, stereo out, built in speakers. Battery absolutely sucks, needs nine volt adapter. Better carry that with you.

3 USB ports mean full sized keyboard and mouse if you so choose. Sooner or later we will have printer support. Bluetooth dongles don't work (yet) but a logitech wireless mouse did.

RJ45 port means you can kick it old school if there's no wifi and only a cable connection available.

The SoundLogic reliably mounts flash drives, my Palm t5, other droids, etc. Also, you can mount the netbook as a mass storage device (flash drive, basically) with a windows, mac, or gnu/linux computer.

The microphone and headphones mean it would rock with skype if you get a better one than the beta it comes with.

If you are willing to do some admin work this thing is a steal, if you want plug and play you will certainly rue the day. This one is for the grown up hackers kids. There is also an OpenWM8650 project to run gnu/linux on this sexy little piece of Chinese manufactured plastic.

Next up is the low end non-expandable Archos 32 PMP android sub/mini/micro/whatever tablet. Smaller than a phone, ipod, or camera it sort of kind of replaces all three plus runs netflix after a fashion.

The camera is crappy, skype calls work well. Old folks with no caller id had no idea they was a' gettin' called from my personal media player.

fingertyping on it sucks, the freedom pro bluetooth keyboard rules. You can cut code on this wee box and connectbot is a gnu app that lets you ssh into real gnu/linux servers and such. I have actually written an article for textbroker on it and gotten paid.

These are not sexy high end android devices that will be sought out by mediaphiles around the globe. Most kids will look at them and want something newer, shinier, faster. In time they will become relics as will we all.

Right now, this year and for a few more perhaps, you can get work done with these old slow low end droids. Are these not the droids you are looking for?

Doublebad Technorant

2011-11-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, this blog is just a nice place to rant/swoon over things like fishing, cooking, boats, whatever.

Not really a commercial venture, I do keep an amazon affiliate link or so around on the off chance that it might cover some of my geekery bills, like my yahoo account that actually hosts doublebad.net, the name registration, etc.

Your humble blogger is something of a closet wanna be geek. Made a living programming for four years back in the last century. Have loved and used Linux since 1995.

In truth, doublebad.net is a playground and messy bedroom of code, images, html, subdomains that are just plain weird, so on and so forth. I've had it for years. The index.html page is just a simple redirect for this yonder blogspot blog here.

But it's a brave new world, now with places like Kodingen aspiring and actual web designers, writers, code junkies, system administrators, networking wonks, and even db admins, all have a place to work and play for free. All you have to do is get to a brower and you're in. Email, news, television, radio, as well it's all out there.

Mobile devices some of us propeller heads have been visualizing, fantasizing, and gossiping about since the seventies are finally hitting the streets. Sometimes the wait has been long.

Example, my Archos 32.

This sad story starts with my 30G iPod classic. Man I loved that thing. I could keep music, audiobooks, documents, videos, any sort of file, and I even dual booted it to run the Apple OS or linux.

Then I lost all my music that wasn't iTunes purchased including presumably DRM files bought from Rhapsody and Amazon.

I was iPissed. No more iTunes store ever. You can use an iPod exclusively from linux without iTunes if you have a shred of geek in your dna.

Then it died. I guess between the hacking of the boot sector and all the wear and tear it just gave up. ( After four years ) Replacing it was a no brainer. With the cloud, I no longer needed or wanted to carry around the library of congress on disk. A few gigs was poppin'.

I wanted wireless connectivity and since 1995 I had been wanting a linux palmtop. Enter the Archos 32. Bought as a Personal Media Player (PMP), it also emails, surfs the web, shops amazon, google market, sends and recieves text to phone messages for FREE ( thanks Uncle Google ) AND makes phone calls to landlines/cellphones in the U.S. and Canuckistan ( Canada ) for less than three bucks per month.( Thanks Aunt Skype! ) Kindle app is bangin', so is the nook app.

As it stands Google Voice will take incoming phone calls and mp3 a voice message to my gmail which I can also listen to, respond to, or ignore. All on my little Archos 32. It doesn't output to a T.V. like it's supposed to do. Getting bluetooth to work with ANYTHING is like going to take some hackery.

According to legend, I can dual boot this little sucker to run Angstrom Linux. Sweet. But actually with Android framework running on Linux, it has more processing power, more storage, a wider range of applications, more development tools, and more connectivity than the AT&T used up half worn out 386 I paid $300.00 USD for in 1995.

As soon as I got Slackware 2.0 linux to work on that old 386 I knew that one day I would carry a server/workstation around with no more effort than toting a pack of smokes or a cassette tape. ( Anyone old enough to remember those ? ).

What about the geek books yo? In the late 20th and early 21st centuries there was a great tradition among programmers and other geeks. Payday at Borders. Yep. If you break into my house I can and will put about four of the collection in a pillow case and knock you right onto stupid street. These books are big and heavy baby.

Just Programming Perl (3rd Edition) and The Ruby Way
by themselves will give anyone a reason to rethink their position after a good swing o' the pillowcase to the dome.

Yessir, walking from Borders back to the cube farm on payday with twenty pounds of dead tree and a belly full of half smokes from the hot dog cart competing with the caffeine bump you just did at whatever espresso bar you could find. Memories.

Geek books in pdf and other E-forms have been around for a while, but reading text on paper is like a lot easier than reading on a computer. Enter the gadget that changed it all. The Kindle.

The e-ink display is what did the trick. Now electronic reading was like reading on paper even in bright light.

Of course, technology being what it is there's not much time to spare before a den of propeller heads somewhere somehow breaks the code and can do a fair approximation of e-ink on garden variety android devices. Game motherloving over, Kindle.

So Amazon is wisely coming out with the Kindle Fire, an Amazon "skinned" android tablet pc.

Problem for Kindle Fire is that more functional android tablets are available cheaper and they all provide unfettered access to all that Amazon.com offers without trying to funnel it down your throat like the Amazon branded and skinned Kindle Fire will.

Kindle fire doesn't even have a working microphone. My Archos 32 will kick it's overpriced arse in any kind of head to head. It ain't gots no bluetooth either, no video output, whiskey tango all over my foxtrot? (WTF?)??.

As it stands, I stopped connecting my workstation to printers in 1999. If'n they cant print from the email or attachment they didn't really need a hard copy, feel me? I was a software engineer not a clerk. Even when I was a warehouse clerk in 2007 I maintained a pretty strict "kill your own trees" policy.

Which at last gentle reader brings me one step closer to point of this disjointed rant. While it's easy to marvel at HTML 5.0 ( conventions agreed upon by yoda like propeller heads that make
the intertubes more accessible on mobile devices among other things ) and smartphones, e-readers, android controlled thermostats, garage doors, yada yada there's another side of that coin.

To a geek like me I look at my Kindle with Wifi and think to myself. Here's a wee linux computer with wireless networking built in, a USB port, and it can't even talk to my other linux devices in a meaningful way.

For crying out loud, with my netbook, droid phone, droid tablet, and Kindle all running linux and all having wireless connectivity I should have one heck of an adhoc network/low rent supercomputer going on.

Then there's the Kindle's non working microphone, lame web browser, goofy screensavers, and Amazon.com skullduggery with the interweb connecivity ( If it can't hit Amazon.com it thinks the world has ended ).

What the hell? this ain't how I remember open source being.

So what does this mean for the non-propeller head no pocket protector having civilian?

It's a brave new world as always gentle reader. Embrace the new technology. If you have any heart and a good head seriously consider Android over Proprietary (Apple, Windows, Blackberry, etc. ) phones and tablets. Remember the first rule of hacking, if they can reach it, they can own it. If you want to know why open source solutions are a good thing, try reading The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric Raymond.

Geeky but worth the trouble if you have no clue what open source means to you the consumer.

The only way to keep any computer completely secure is to not allow any physical or electronic access to said computer. Doing so disconnects one from the net/world. Use common sense.

In the world of H4X0R5, your blogger is a not even rated as a "script kiddie". It would be an ill advised move to bet one's life, fortune, and sacred honor against even a rusty old code cutter like yours truly p3wning any connected device.

Anybody remember the news story about President Obama being bummed about having to give up his Blackberry? DUH, it's a GPS enabled computer with camera, microphone, internet and at least 3g connectivity. Security nightmare for the leader of the world's most powerful nation to be packing that around.

Imagine some hacker turning on the microphone and secretly streaming audio of a sensitive conversation to Julian Assange. Brave new world indeed.

Me, I'm going to keep working on making the "new" wave of technology and future developments work the way that the open source pioneers had long envisioned when a community of volunteers appeared to rally for a call to arms from one Linus Torvalds.

To wit: "Do you pine for the nice days of minix-1.1, when men were men and wrote
their own device drivers? Are you without a nice project and just dying
to cut your teeth on a OS you can try to modify for your needs? Are you
finding it frustrating when everything works on minix? No more all-
nighters to get a nifty program working? Then this post might be just
for you :-)

Open source had been around for a while in 1991 when Linus posted this to comp.os.somethingorother. But Linux made open source and the internet expand exponentially. More importantly, it allows people a real choice between open source offerings like Android and OpenOffice over proprietary solutions like iPhone and MsOffice.

Six years after Linus started working on Linux, I was using it at home and sneaking it into work. My boss at the time had actually written his own operating system, Mmurtl. He thought that Linux was the domain of pimple faced sophomores and often chided me for wasting time with it.

A year after that I paid the bills and bought toys with money made sitting in front of a linux box for the next three years until I got run over by a jeep, yet I again digress.

In the meantime, corporate interests have been and will be thinking of ways to tie you into their machine until they finally learn the lessons of The ClueTrain Manifesto.

The ClueTrain ran over a whole bunch of companies during the dot-com bust. We wonder how long it will be until those corporations who survived first wave of common sense will fall. They wonder when the damn beanie wearing code cowboys will give up and play their game.

Who will win? That gentle reader is up to you. The man who taught me to really rock with Linux and web programming is now a wage slave to large corporate interest. My Kindle is getting ready to get some USB networking to the underlying operating system like today.

It's still the same old fight, who really owns the internet? The people, or the corporate interests? Or are corporations people too? Qui Vivre Vera.

The future of the Federation lies in your hands. May the force be with you.

Be well, stay doublebad.

Crayfish Dreams

2011-09-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

We have been having moderate success with our crabbing this year. Haven't come home empty handed yet, even after Irene flooded our pots with fresh water from the storm.

Eating and sharing crabs has become a favorite pastime of Crazy Doug and the Green Team.

But some things in life ain't free. We have a commercial clam tong/rake license but the only open clamming ground is an hour away. Enter the humble crayfish.

We have them here, people seldom trap them. There are no regulations or restrictions on them in Delaware.

So we are looking at maybe trying to trap some crayfish and sell them as bait or whatever. We also want to eat some. Actually a lot of them . A crayfish boil is a good old time.

Some corn, potatoes, crawdads, water, vinegar, spices, flame, newspaper, friends, ice, beer, pop, and it's on.

( image shamelessly nicked from http://whatscookingamerica.net/Seafood/CrawfishBoil.htm Which has great instructions for a crawfish/crayfish boil )

Have ordered a high end trap from Terry Bullard in Washington State. After days of googling his website had the words to give us the warm and fuzzy feeling required to pull the trigger. Still, as it should, caution is prudent. We ordered one trap to evaluate.

At nearly fifty bucks per shipped, it's going to have to do something to earn it's place in our gear locker over home made and other more affordable options.

Crayfish are nearly everywhere. Here in the US of A the rusty cray is an invasive species in many places and does not go dormant in the winter. If you live in the lower 48, chances are that crayfish are near you. Not too hard to catch, delicious to eat. Check with your state game and wildlife/fishing regulatory type humans for the skinny in your area.

Cheap, fun, good eating, and for some possible profit. That's Doublebad. Stay safe, love one another.

So many boats, so little time.

2011-08-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Lord, thy ocean is so vast and my boat is so small. So goes the old Irish Fisherman's prayer. My boating/fishing has taken a direction that I did not expect. Have gone from desiring a camp cruiser sail and oar boat to a workboat. A pre-engine era workboat. Not going that far and don't want the hassle of a motor.

As fuel prices rise, rowing and sailing look better to me. I love my little rowboats. Now I need a sturdy get it bloody muddy and scraped up workboat for a crew of at least two, but able to be rowed or sailed single handed.

She has to able to take a load of muddy clams, sturdy enough to dispatch a shark o'er her gunwale or in the cockpit. A centerboard as we run into too many shoals for a daggerboard. Simple rig that can be reefed or struck in a hurry. Light enough and shaped to row at a three knot all day pace.

Out of my little boats, have enjoyed and shared many fine meals. If conditions in the economy continue to decay I would like to be able to spend more time and feed more friends. Like they said in that movie Jaws, "We need a bigger boat" or words to that effect.

Here's one I am looking at, Ian Oughtred's Ness Yawl.

Any suggestions for an old school sail and oar work boat are most welcome. Stay safe and love one another.

A call to action!

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

This status has been going around on FaceBook:

Dear Little Caylee Anthony, Last night on ET they mentioned that your mommy is gonna make lots of money off a book (her story) and a movie. Caylee, we the public promise you "WE" will not buy either one. If you promise CAYLEE, then Copy and Paste it.. I did!! Lets boycott this so she won't make a dime. Repost if you will join this boycott

Don't really know what to say, but I can't imagine any mother wanting to cash in on the death of their child. I won't be buying the movie, the book, or even watching it on cable. Anyone who does any of those things in my house may get a 300lb involuntary lapdance.

Please spread the word and don't let anyone profit off this little girl's tragic death. Some things just ain't right.

Sign of the week

2011-08-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a rural area ( near Catlett/Nokesville Va ) and some of the businesses and churches came up with some pretty witty and humorous signs. Saw this one on FaceBook today and had to share it.

Definitely a Classic!

Crazy Doug urges you to wear a bluetooth if you have to be on the phone while driving and NEVER TEXT WHILE DRIVING!!! Stay safe out there.

this is how we do it.

2011-08-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Forget about paying for crabs. What I paid for the pots and bait was more than offset by the first crab feast. In Delaware, recreational crabbers are allowed two pots, unlimited hand lines, hoop nets, basket traps, and have a one bushel per day limit.

I have been getting a few crabs every day. Some days better than ever. I don't keep any that are "just legal", only those worth steaming and picking. Been a while since anyone on my block paid for the privilege of eating crabs.

Don't begrudge the commercial crabbers anything but the monopoly they hold on the licensing here in Delaware. When the law changes to prevent a small group from monopolizing the resource, I'll quit giving away crabs with great zeal.

My Quiotixesque Mission. Apparently Chicks dig it

Stay safe, and note that even when fired up with socio-economic agnst, Crazy Doug always obeys all relevant laws and wears a PFD. Mind that you do likewise.

I ain't gonna buy no more crabs!

2011-07-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Recently a young friend I mentor ( ex-offender) tried to get a commercial crabbing license so he could earn an honest living. He expected that he would have to go on a long waiting list but was okay with that as he is 23.

Instead he was told that he had to buy one from an existing licensee. Limited Entry Fisheries are good for conservation but raise some social and ethical issues.

Delaware started out with a fair system. 100 pot licenses, transferable to immediate family or a designee who had been on the license for two years if such transfer hadn't occurred after 1995. There was also a prohibition on selling licenses or the privilege of being a designee.

When the number of licensees dropped below 82, the state would award licenses by lottery to bring the number back up to 100. Fair, right?

Except in 2001 the prohibition against selling licenses or designee positions was lifted. So basically we have a small closed group monopolizing a resource that should belong to all citizens.

My solution? If I want to eat crabs I'll pin on my recreational fishing license and get as many as I can up to the limit of one bushel a day. Since it's unlawful for me to sell, barter, or trade any bounty I'll GIVE away what I can't eat. Might have the whole block in my backyard getting their hands messy and their bellies full.

Recently DNREC, our environmental enforcement agency, arrested a 58 year old man for commercial crabbing without a license ( which he couldn't get ), crabbing in non commercial areas ( which he probably had to do to keep the commercial crony squad from shooting a flare into his boat or some such ), and selling crabs ( which has to happen to pay the bills).

Now I don't fault a law enforcement officer for doing their job. Wish they had that much zeal when some BassMaster Wannabe is tossing my kayak all over a "No Wake" zone. Just sayin'

So be socially responsible. Don't Buy CRABS! catch your own or do without until the Limited Entry fisheries are truly socioeconomically responsible and do not support monopolies.

Doublebad Dining

2011-01-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

Last night was my wife's birthday. I surprised her by taking the night off from work, scooping her up as she left her office, and taking her to dinner. I had stashed a gift at the restaurant so I was feeling pretty good about my ability to "SURPRISE"!.

I was the one who got surprised.

This man with the wood fired smoker in his parking lot absolutely made my day! That's Chef Michael of Jesse James Seafood and Barbegue.

Honest smoked meats, Southern style side dishes, sweet tea which would have the governor of South Carolina firing their current sweet tea maker, cornbread to die for, topped off with attentive service and even a spotless unisex restroom.

All on a Doublebad Dollar. Now most of us poor folks won't eat here everyday. But to mark an occasion, you could do a lot worse. Sweet tea or lemonade, soup, appetizer, and entree with two sides will set you back less than fifty bucks for two, and it's of a quality that you won't find near here. A restaurant that could stand on it's own in any market.

Of course you can also get a nice lunch for a sawbuck. Think about it, for not much more than fast food, you could get a sandwich filled with freshly wood smoked meat. Or you can have whatever that minimum wage employee pulled out of the fridge and slapped on the grill down at whammyburger.....

This place is good, do this or your life has been lived in vain good. Check it out.

Crazy Doug is not affiliated with this business in any way, but still thinks you're a dirtbag if you don't have a meal here :)

New Hobby....

2010-11-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while. Been pretty caught up in confronting my illness, obesity related type 2 diabetes. Lots and lots of reading. Decided to buy a domain name and start sharing what I have learned, eventually want to have a site and community of patients and support partners working to educate themselves, help others and work with their medical providers to achieve better health.

It's all about living good right? Currently that site has no affiliate marketing, sales content, or anything to buy. Not what I am aiming for. Right now blogspot is graciously providing the means for me to have a place holder while I build a site.

It's http://sensibletype2reversal.com . Give it click sometime.

Peace,

Doug

NEXT!.....

2010-08-24T17:20:00.001-07:00

Well the Bolger Light Dory made it to the water. I really need to get a trailer. At 130-140lbs and 15'4" she is just a bit more than I can handle on top of the car. I also want to build something that sails.

Mostly, the boat will be used on ponds. I might join a bass club and be the first engineless member of one of the local organisations.

It has to row well, have enough initial stability to stand in calm water at least. The sail rig has to be simple and unstayed, I haven't sailed since I was a teenager. This boat as described in Chapelle's excellent "American Small Sailing Craft" caught my eye.

The first step is to build a model, but that requires lofting to scale. That's a fancy way of saying, you have to draw the boat to the same size as the model you want to build. To do this you use the measurements on the lines plan that give the distance between frame stations. Once those are established to scale, the table of offsets will give you plotting information to help reproduce the boat from side, top, and end views.

It's not an easy thing to explain, Chapelle's "Boatbuilding" and Gardners "The Dory Book" are two good sources of information. Here is the profile view of the river yawl at 1/8th scale, mocked up by a non artist rendering and my lame paint job.

For the first time (sort of) in public, S/V "The Perl"....

The next step is to loft the top and end views, then start cutting out frame stations for the model. Stay tuned.

underway

2010-08-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Phil Bolger has been widely quoted as saying that designing the Gloucester Gull was going to be his ticket through the pearly gates. I am inclined to agree. Here is my attempt at this classic dory built with modern materials. Pretty in plywood.

The maiden voyage of R/V Elsie...

finally

2010-08-07T20:02:00.001-07:00

http://instantboats.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2424 The discussion thread of the build....

Sneaking up on 3d....

2010-06-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

In what has to be the ugliest funkiest Gloucester Light Dory since Phil Bolger made the first one about the time I was born and a 'kind friend' said "If you stand back fifty feet it looks real good".

This one might be a 75 foot boat as opposed to a fifty foot boat. BUT, when my young friend Buddha asked me why we didn't just buy one, I googled it and found one selling for the low low price of $3000. For $3000, I will tolerate some serious ugly.

So here she is, sneaking up on being three dimensional. Have light glued and screwed center frame to side hull panels, transom and stem are dry fit only. Curly funky panel laying on top will be, the almighty willing and barring a risin' of the crik, the bottom hull panel after tracing and cutting.

For when I grow up

2010-05-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well kids, this is my third season fishing and paddling, since the Mary Margaret came on line I can call this my first rowing season. If you can't tell by my posts, I have been wearing the ponds out.

In my mudroom lurks a Plueger Trion 10 wt 9' 2pc rod with an oversized Okuma SLV 12wt large arbor reel, and there's a 10 wt saltwater fly line in the inventory as well.

Now the Walta Drummond can do some Bay and Coastal duty, but I wanted a serious rowboat to take into the lumpy water. Phillip C. Bolger once said that when St. Peter stopped him at the Pearly Gates and asked him what his excuse was he would simply state that he was the designer of the Gloucester Gull, and they would have to let him in.

The latest iteration of this design is the GLoucester Light Dory type VI. Plans are available at http://www.instantboats.com and you can also find an address to buy full size patterns from Pete Spectre at the same address. This is a lightened and narrowed 12' ( bottom length. 15'6" LOA ) banks style dory optimized for rowing, and celebrated as a rowing craft.

I gots to have one Now you can buy a professionally built one for 3-5 thousand of your basic American Dollars. A 'home built' might be had for two grand and change. Waaaay out of the Doublebad league, so I must try to make one.

Shown above are all of the parts pieces except the bottom, gunwales, oarlocks or those pins ( yet to be determined ) and foot stretchers. Might try to make a set of oars too as this recession ain't no joke.

If I can pull this off I'll have a rowboat that will stand some lumpy water as my skill develops. Stay tuned for updates, might have something to show you bigger than a bluegill before winter hits.

Please stay safe and always wear your PFD on the water!

Another magic evening

2010-05-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Water temps are up, and the fish are letting us know it's time for them to take it up a notch. Cool stuff happening every where on the bank at Derby pond tonight.

One angler caught a nice keeper large mouth, north of a pound certainly. Yours truly bagged the near citation weight crappie shown, Tessie did some Van Damage with a bamboo pole and borrowed minnow and our regular fishing buddies were reeling in crappie at an unfunny rate.

Very pleasant evening. I am under pressure to explore other waters, but the crowd at Derby is known to us and it's not too far from home. Going to be time for another outing in the Walta Drummmond soon.

Also, work has begun on a Bolger design #140 type VI Gloucester Light Dory. A classic rowing dory styled after the very capable Banks Dories of yore. Can't wait to get that one launched, it has crab pots written all over it.

Fly fishing has become a consuming addiction, and I have also had the Pen Rod Extreme out this year, mad fun with bobbers and minnows or bubble floats and a dry fly.

Stay tuned for another Pen Rod Extreme Video sometime in the next few weeks/month. It should be a good one.

Everyday can't be Sunday...

2010-05-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

But today was! My young friend called me up early this afternoon and asked me if I was going to try and 'catch that bite'. Which is teenspeak for 'Hey, get off your middle age butt and take me fishing, because I won't be young forever and you won't be forever!'.

So I did. My young friend caught 35 fish from the bank of derby pond tonight, mostly sunnfish, bluegills, and shiners or mill roaches. There was a very nice crappie, a bass, and more crappie.

Take kids fishing! It's important. I still like to take my kid out and he's been a corporal for some time now.

What a great evening. I even caught a nice pumpkin seed on the three weight ( along with a mess o' crappie and shiners) that put up a splendid protest.

In my case it's more like my young compadre takes me fishing, I am just the one who drives. We dug up some backyard worms for bait and the youngster bested every angler who dared cast from the bank including me.

There's something magical about watching a younger person totally immersed in a fit of angling bliss. Something that stays with you and somehow validates you.

I hope that years from now when I have departed the stage my friend will still be out there, with a younger apprentice in tow. That's how it's supposed to work.

Have you done your part? Have you gotten yours? Get some! your story is waiting for you. Stay safe and love one another.

I'm Crazy Doug and I approve of this message.

A fly tying experiment.........

2010-04-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

The humble, affordable, easy to tie and deadly effective fur ant has become my favorite fly. It is a dry fly, although mine seem to get water logged no matter how much scientific anglers fly float dressing is applied.

They also seem to work really well waterlogged just below the surface or really waterlogged and sinking.

All the literature I have seen and experienced fly fisherfolk I have encountered tell of the fur ant tied with black dubbing, black thread, and black hackle.

We have also read that fish see lighter colors better in bright light and clear water, both of which exist this time of year.

So tan thread, hare's ear dubbing, and tan/brown hackle feather was used to create the fur ant shown above. Initial testing is positive. The hand sized bream pictured was hauled in near mid day when mostly tiny if any fish are caught.

More testing is needed, but initial empirical results are promising. Stay tuned for more......

A very Crappie Evening

2010-04-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

For the past two evenings the wind at Derby Pond has been brutal. This morning was unseasonably cool and I had one weak strike in over an hour of casting. This evening started slow, then turned magical as the light faded.

Incredible top water action on my favorite rig, fur ant on my three weight. Some of the Crappie were hitting and fighting like Sunnies or Bluegills ( bream for all you southern types ).

As it got darker, it became a fish on every cast type of proposition. It was hard to leave. This was a catch and release outing, so all of these fish were returned to battle another day.

A few warm days headed our way, might have to target some bass soon, might not. The panfish action is incredibly rewarding to me right now.

Please stay safe, and get out there. Your story and pictures are waiting for you. Peace

Another cold windy day.....

2010-04-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Another impossibly lucky crappie on the fly rod, home tied woolly worm... Get out there and get yours!

under less than ideal conditions....

2010-04-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dateline April 27, 2010
Derby Pond Camden, Delaware --

Tied a few flies today, so after dinner I had to run down to Derby Pond and try my luck. There was a family of three fishing so I moved well away from them and began tossing a woolly worm into the wind with my eight weight.

The fine crappie in the photo managed to get embarrassed by being captured for all time before being released.

When I looked up the family of three ( hereinafter referred to as the 'Children of the Corn' ) were all fishing right where I caught the crappie.

So I moved back to where they were and caught a bluegill with a just tied fur ant while watching the less than polite Children of the Corn get skunked.

So today we learned two Doublebad Lessons:

1.) Always drink upstream of the herd - no exceptions.

2.) When you see somebody catch a fish, it ain't cool to cast right on top of them.

The weather kept most of the crowd off the bank tonight, Windy and cool,

I can't believe I got a topwater strike, even out of that little bluegill. It must have been pretty mad to find a fake bug, hook in his mouth, and so on.

An awful lot of work for two fish, only one of them a 'keeper'. But sometimes that's what it takes. As my good friend Slabmaster Mike says you '...earn your stripes...' when the fishing is tough.

It felt pretty good to be the one to catch fish tonight, especially with the Children of the Corn displaying less then decent manners.

Go on out and get some, dress for the weather and stay safe! Your story is waiting for you!.

The Mary Margaret strikes Back!

2010-04-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Took my Mary Margaret ( Phil Bolger Designed/Self Built Big Tortoise 8'x3' plywood rowing punt ) to her home port of Derby Pond in Camden Delaware this afternoon. The water was a bit cool for top water fishing, but being a stubborn fat donkey I stuck to my trusty fur ant on my three weight pan fish assassin. The Three Forks rod and Martin Mountain Brook reel did their part.

The action was very slow, I had ten sunfish to the boat by 1800 hours, but all were tiny little 'where the heck did I put my hot sauce and crackers' sized jokers. Then I was rowing out ahead of my young friend Curt whose trolling motor was not adequate to keep up with fat middle aged bald guy. *Me*.

Finally as the sun went down I found an overhanging tree facing south and managed to cast under it. Five keeper Sunnies went into the fish basket then the last cast of the evening brought me the fine crappie you see above.

The Mary Margaret takes some getting used to, and I need to get a small mushroom anchor. But with a little practice and by keeping that windward shore, she makes a fun little fly fishing platform. Seated of course.

As always, I wore my pfd. So should you. Stay safe and make sure you get some, Dougie style or Doublebad like, it's your call ;) .

Night Moves

2010-04-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Sunset today we lit out to Derby Pond for some catch and release. Tessie bagged a feisty little chain pickerel, landed it, but it bit through the six pound test mono line and released itself whilst the camera was being fetched.

The perch she bagged was not so lucky, and suffered the humiliation of being photographed as did the little black crappie I caught with the fly rod. All fish and anglers will live to fight another day.

I used my Wal-Mart 4 weight crappie rod ($16.00 USD) and Tess went low tech with a bamboo pole. Her Perch was among the finer trophies captured from the bank this evening. Of course slabmasters Shawn and Mike were doing their thing, look for the Sultans of Slab blog as pictures have been gathered.

This is a good time of the year to fish over much of the country, please be safe and wear a PFD if you go out on the water. Temps are low enough to cause hypothermia in a hurry over a wide area.

As always, stay safe and get some!

Fish and Grits, via fly rod...

2010-04-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

Three weight with a factory tied fur ant ( Came with my Martin Mountain Brook 3 weight reel ) to be precise, and the crappie fell to my Wal Mart 4wt crappie rod equipped with a vintage pflueger reel and a 'defectve' Orvis line from the bargain box at the pro shop and a little wet fly, mostly tan with a hint of red and flashabou. Looking like an emerging flying critter.

Gorgeous morning at McGinnis Pond. Glass calm water with steam rising. The action wasn't all that strong but a couple of hours of work and we had breakfast.

I like to catch and release, but sometimes you have to make a meal out of what you catch. Remember what fishing is all about. Most folks hereabouts don't eat any freshwater fish. They think the ocean salt purifies the water..... ( advertising campaign from after WW11, still having an effect) Salt will kill bacteria, but not remove PCB or mercury. Any water in our ponds will reach the ocean in a day or so, so......

Bottom line, you should limit consumption of fish from all sources. Kim Wayans ( yes the sister of the famous Wayans Brothers ) got very sick from eating market salt water fish. Mercury.

So enjoy a meal now and then, best in the spring when the water is still cool.

Get out there and get yours! Remember to stay safe and love one another.

The frist bass of 2010

2010-04-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

So there I was fly fishing at McGinnis pond, middle of the day, not much action. From the boatramp area I was catching small sunnies and crappie on a tan colored nymph wet fly with a hint of flashabou.

Then I took a top water Bett's popper and my eight weight to the North side and bagged two keeper sunnies. The fur ant on a three weight produced one more nice sunnie and then this 13 inch buck bass checked in to be embarrassed by having his picture taken.

The cool part was a fellow with a few years on me trying to catch a bass with two huge plastic minnows telling me about how he had skills.... ROFL and all that. He watched me land that bass on the three weight and he took his skills elsewhere.

Too bad this little buck couldn't have showed up when I fished that tournament on Garrison's lake..... Oh well. I still got five points for showing up. Truthfully I am having so much fun fly fishing that I might give up the tournaments.

It's mad fun being competitive with the boat people in my little inflatable kayak, but I get more enjoyment out of catching little pan fish on the fly rod. The odd bass or chain pickerel just makes it even sweeter.

Of course I still have that dream of taking a carp on the fly, and soon it will be time to make some more pen rod extreme videos.

So get out there, be humble, stay safe, and gently show the know it all types what's up when you can. Peace.

a very good day at pond....

2010-04-15T17:40:00.001-07:00

Dateline April 16, 2010

Derby Pond, Camden Delaware....

Sunrise, out with the unruly youngster who trounced me so badly at Wyoming Mill Pond in '08. I did some justice to the murderous sunfish and embarrassed a crappie with a photo op. The youngster got a nice yellow perch on a nightcrawler, strung about 2' below a bobber.

Not too much was caught by the boat people today, apparently the bass action was slow. I did well with pan fish on the fly rod, all caught on wet flies. one woolly worm, when it wast broken off ( chain pickerel perhaps?) I tied on a tan nymph with a trace of flashabou.

I caught a slew of tiny sunfish, the smallest was captured in time for your viewing pleasure and mirth.

Top water flies, even my beloved fur ant were singularly unproductive today. I may try for some pan fish at McGinnis pond in the a.m.. Qui Vivre Vera as those whacky French would say....

While I did catch some nice crappie and sunnies, I put in my time and caught many many throwbacks of both species, even a tiny five inch bass. But action is action and the minnows, lures, and night crawlers seemed to have limited effect.

One gent showed up just before sunset pitched his minnows out and had a grand afternoon. The olive woolly worm with black tail seems most productive at present, and I need to tiem some more.

For those of my regular readers who are tired of Derby Pond posts, please bear with me. I am trying to goad a trusty ally into taking up his tackle and folding chair. He is missed.

In the meantime, stay safe and take a kid fishing. Even if the kid has a kid and another one on the way ;)

Finally, found out what this sign is for....

2010-04-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

For some time now I have been lobbying for the 'No Wake' sign pictured above to be replaced with one written in OTM ( other than Mandarin ) Chinese. Namely because too many buttheads who take their boats out on McGinnis pond don't seem to comprehend the English version. En Frances? Espanol?

I don't know, but these fools just don't seem to comprehend the sign as written. I can and do challenge them forcefully when they hit the Walta Drummond with a wake, they always have the same lame excuse " I was checking out the motor..." . IDIOTS!

Turns out that a fake bug on a string cast near this sign can be very productive for landing some nice sunfish and reddear. Even the occasional Crappie. Was out at the crack of dawn with my trusty 3wt. panfish assassin doing VanDamage to these little murderers, four keepers, not bad.

The water at McGinnis is about as good as it gets if you want to eat some fish, my motorhead buddies notwithstanding.

Now if we could just grown some manly parts on my speed demon buddies and teach them to row them little 16 footers across that little pond....... _sigh_ a battle for another day. Today, I am having fish and grits for breakfast. Good times.

By the Dawn's Early Light

2010-04-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hit Derby Pond this a.m. before the sun came up. Nothing serious, a little casting practice from the bank. Had a few awesome strikes ( in the corner for those who know the place ) but only landed a few small pan fish.

The Crappie had a bit taken out right behind the head, apparently an old wound all healed up now. The sunfish was the largest of four caught in that magic hour of transforming from dark to daylight.

Used a three forks 7.5' 3wt with a Martin reel and one of the 'dry' flies that came with the reel in a nifty little case.

Andrews Lake / Fly Rod/ Panfish......

2010-04-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

You can spend as much as you want and more than you have on any hobby/obsession. Fishing is an excellent example. In the sweet water game, there are $6000 bamboo fly rods, guided trips to Alaskan trout streams, $30,000 bass boats, $50,000 tow trucks, high dollar reels and rods...

Or, you can find another way. Today I took my modestly priced inflatable kayak along with a 3wt fly rod ( Cabela's house brand, picked up on the cheap at a yard sale) a modestly priced Martin reel ( bought on the cheap at ebay ) and some hand tied fur ants ( again, simple and cheap ) and had a blast rounding up some pan fish for a friend who put in a request.

This is the essence of Doublebad living. Do your thing, regardless. If you have the bread and the inclination then by all means enjoy your success as you see fit. If you are of more modest means, then you have to be a bit more creative. I can assure you that the afternoon just spent paddling and casting around Andrew's Lake did not suck.

Note the PFD! The water is cool enough to ruin your whole afternoon and get into the newspaper on a stupid. They still haven't found one angler who capsized into that Nanticoke River about this time last year. ALWAYS ALWAYS WEAR YOUR PFD. You ain't impressing anybody by doing without.

Look at it this way, would you want to cause me to perform mouth to mouth? I didn't think so. So be safe, but get there with whatever you have and do the deed.

At the risk of repeating myself....

2010-04-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here in the Mid Atlantic Region, and many other places in the Northern Hemisphere spring is in the process of springing. It's getting more pleasant to be outdoors and people are taking advantage. Especially those of us who were recently uncharacteristically snowbound.

That means the young folk as well. Now here we have a choice. We can remain self absorbed and let the youth determine their own course at all times, or we can spend some time with them and perhaps guide them a bit. I am going to strongly recommend that concerned folks spend some time with their kids and other young people if you possibly can.

Kids do need time to themselves to learn and experience, but they also need acceptance, validation, and guidance from their elders and others. Fishing is a great way to spend time with kids.

Nothing fancy is required. Catching some pan fish at the local pond or down by the creek will do nicely. Check out these pics and you tell me if you think these youngsters will go fishing with an older person again. Yes they will.

Both of these young men have plenty of temptation and opportunity to do mischief on a daily basis, like most of our youth today. It never hurts to give them an option.

A word of advice, if you aren't used to taking young novices out don't plan on doing much fishing yourself. Don't worry about it either because making it happen for a youngster is a million times more exiting than catching the fish yourself.

The next time you think about an outdoor doublebad adventure, consider taking a kid ( yours or somebody elses, don't matter ) along. Even if your kid wears chevrons and carries a machine gun for a living. ;) Big kids still benefit from your attention and the great outdoors is a great way to share time together. Besides, as we age a frisky youngster can be handy to have around in the out of doors.

Welcome 2010

2010-04-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

The 2010 fishing season is here! I greeted the new year by introducing this fat little bluegill to my fly rod and the humiliation of being photographed. Nobody has asked me to bring them bluegills so this lucky dummy was released, tasty though they are.

Not to be outdone, My great nephew bagged the first fish and biggest crappie caught from the bank of Derby Pond tonight. Here is DirtyDan the NetMan with his trophy. Like a true sportsman, he used a lure when everybody else was using live minnows. Keep an eye on that kid.

Get out there and get some! Stay safe, and take a kid fishing. I'm Crazy Doug and I approve of this message.

Boat building as a hobby and obsession

2009-09-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Well,

The boat building bug has taken full hold. My previous post has been removed as Duckworks Magazine has published it as an article. It's a fine webzine and really the only magazine for home boat builders who like all kinds of boats. Give them a click and please check out my debut article on Duckworks.

I am so happy with the Mary Margaret that the next project is already underway. This one is going to be a bit more ambitious while still being simple, inexpensive and lightweight.

The next boat will be the impossible dream, light enough to car top, able to row or sail, and enough boat to sleep on in a pinch.

That's a pretty tough order to fill. Bolger's Cartopper has been used as a camp cruiser. Mike Monies made an incredible journey in the 2009 Texas 200 and his account can be found here.

Another candidate that has bona fide credentials is Jim Michalak's Piccup squared pram. Sean Moffit made the wet dry run of the Outer Banks 130 (OBX130) and also wrote a fine account of his adventure. Check it out here.

Many novice boat builders and some who should know better quite often make the mistake of jumping straight into the building process. Making a model(s) first can be a very smart move.

You get to make your mistakes cheaply and quickly compared to a full sized build. Models are also very valuable in the design selection process. Reading accounts and catalog descriptions of different boats is a wonderful way to day dream. Making a three dimensional model takes the evaluation process to another level.

It's better to spend money on plans, build a model, and realize that it's not the boat for you than it is to buy plans, lumber, do a bunch of work, then realize it's the wrong boat for what you want.

Here is my (crude) model collection so far. I want a car top boat that I can travel down the Broadkill River from Milton to Lewes, then continue to the Rehoboth Bay and down to the Indian River Inlet. Camping on the boat might be necessary.

The designs under consideration are ( from left to right) Bolger's CarTopper, Gavin Atkin's Doris the Dory, and Michalak's Piccup Squared.

Having a scale model in hand, even a crude one like these, is invaluable for choosing a boat to build. Modeling gives you a solid understanding of the construction process, especially if you are using the building key from plans.

Stay safe, and stay tuned for more on model building.

KIDS!! Please remember that boat building adds another layer of danger to the already hazardous world of fishing and boating. Learn to use tools properly, and take sensible precautions. Note that even t though I am in no danger of sinking ( fat floats after all ) That I always wear a PFD - SO SHOULD YOU! Every Time!

Back in the Walta Drummond

2009-09-25T08:03:00.001-07:00

Now that I have built the Mary Margaret, there is a choice of craft for pond hopping. Also, realized that boat building had become an obsession. Hadn't been out in the 380x for quite a spell.

A car top rack has been installed on the Sonata to carry rigid craft. It also makes jumping from pond to pond in the Inflatable Sea Eagle Explorer convenient in the extreme. Just remove the seats and skeg, tie her up on the roof, and proceed.

Check out all the pretty pics from Coursey's pond and Derby pond. It was a really nice day for a paddle. Sadly, we did not ship a saw in the stores of the 380x. That big tree across the creek ended our planned run up to Killen's Pond from Coursey's.

Still it was a pretty day and a great day at pond.

Enjoy the view. Remember to stay safe. The four leading causes of preventable fatalities are:

1. PFD not worn or improperly worn.
2. Falling overboard.
3. Capsizing.
4. failure to maintain a good lookout.

By using a stable craft like the 380 explorer and wearing an approved PFD three out of four are mitigated. ( As long as you don't try to stand up)

Always, Always wear your PFD.

Peace.

Building a better Bass Boat

2009-09-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. It's not that the Walta Drummond and the Pen Rod Extreme haven't provided some excellent outings. They have.

Also discovered a new addiction. Fly fishing. You can actually get into this game on a Doublebad dollar if you do your homework and shop around. My first rod/reel/line/backing/leader set up was given to me and there were already some Betts poppers in my tackle box. Instant fun.

The next setup was fourteen dollar "vintage" reel from ebay that had line, backing, and leader on it paired with a sixteen dollar Wal Mart rod. Got some fly tying tools and material on the cheap, and bagged a mess O' keeper bluegills fly fishing from the Walta Drummond.

The Sea Eagle 380x is an amazing stealth fishing platform. A couple of things occurred to cause this weathered eye to cast on other craft. Picked up a passenger, a dear family friend who lost their mate. The 380x handles two but it's not ideal especially for the long days on the water that I have come to enjoy.

Then we watched Larry Dahlberg's excellent "Fly Fishing Basics, Panfish and Bass" DVD. That brought our casting game way up. The Explorer series of inflatable kayaks is decent to fish from and adequate for fly casting, but being a beginner makes it harder.

Sea Eagle has some nice inflatables you can stand up in. But these are tough times dollarwise. Much websurfing lead to me making a boat.

Understand that I have a couple of months as a carpenter's helper and no skill at wood craft. With what we found online and in print, managed to make a water tight rowboat. Better Bass Boat?

In Delaware YESS!!!!!!!. All of our ponds with public boat ramps are no wake zones. Motor boats are only relevant in the rivers and the bays. We have over a hundred sweetwater ponds in this little patch of sand called The First State.

A rowboat just makes sense. No registration required, the ponds are so small that if you object to the workload of rowing it might be a good idea to stay off the water.

It's a big kids game and is played for keeps. Every year a few volunteers sacrifice their lives in every area to prove that boating is dangerous.

We still haven't found one unlucky angler who capsized in the Nanticoke River last spring.

Getting back to the rowboat, there are designs that can be car topped. You sit up nice and high for a good cast, it's way easier to answer the 'call O' nature' than in a kayak. Staying out for extended periods is easier. A small punt or skiff has more useable space than a yak that's bigger on paper.

So I made one. Reading "Instant Boatbuilding with Dynamite Payson" gave me enough information to start. The forum at http://www.instantboats.com filled in the rest. The result is shown above.

The discussion thread from the build is here: http://instantboats.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2271

Reading through the thread you can see that while board traffic ain't heavy, the knowledge and help you get is.

Now the Walta Drummond has a sister named Mary Margaret. The Mary Margaret is as accurate a build of Phillip C. Bolger's Big Tortoise as this rookie wood butcher could manage. She is light enough to fit on my luggage rack. That means we can take two boats to the pond at the same time in the same Sonata.

If you are standing on the bank wishing you had a boat - KNOCK IT OFF!!! Online boating safety courses can be affordable or free. In Delaware you can study and take a practice exam for nuthin.

When you get ready for your certificate, pay just shy of thirty bucks and take the online exam. They mail you your certificate. Required for younger skippers born after 71 ( I think) and good for an insurance discount with most agents.

This day and age, you never know who is going to spill something in their lap and want to sue you, so I got mine even though my age would let me slide without.

Build your own boat, or buy an affordable sea eagle. Stop pining for a pretty bass boat until your finances and priorities allow it. Get safe, get out there, and get some.

I'm Crazy Doug, and I approve of this message.
KIDS! remember to wear your PFD ( life jacket) or you will end up looking just like me. I went out without one as a youngster only one time and lookie how I turned out. DONT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!! Oldheads, wear it or I will give you a hug. I mean it.

Peace, love, and stay safe.

The Pen Rod Extreme

2009-05-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

I have written and rewritten this post about three times now. Normally, don't have much trouble putting pen to paper or digits to keyboard. This topic is a bit different.

Your humble respondent discovered a new toy, that ain't no toy. When the 380x is in the trunk of my four banger sedan and the great nephews are in the back seat, there is precious little room for fishing rods.

Online we went in search of one of the well known portable fishing gadgets only to find a new player in the space, the Pen Rod Extreme. This is a 57" telescoping ultra light rod that is available with an assortment of reels. The only place to get them is http://www.penfishingrods.com .

My excitement over this gear really can't be described. When I commenced to shopping, was pretty much resigned to settling for a "gimmick" or novelty item that might catch bluegills if they weren't feeling too frisky.

What I got was a real fishing rod that stores in an 8" cylinder that resembles a large pen or marker.

The manufacturer's marketing plan is ingenious. Happy customers make videos of themselves using the product. We do this out of love for the Pen Rod Extreme. Mike, the president and CEO of http://www.penfishingrods.com loves us right back and calls us his pro-staffers.

So not only do you get the Ultimate Ultra Light Experience, you get a chance to make your own videos and develop a following just like the pros.

Can this thing really catch fish? A picture is worth a thousand words, and a good video probably is worth some millions. Here are my first two: *EDIT* ( or three )

Your respondent is so stoked over these rods and reels that I will never be happy with this post. Just can't seem to do them justice, perhaps time to leave it alone and let the videos (mine and others) do the talking.

Till next time, stay safe and don't forget to love one another.

Rollin' with the Sultans of Slab

2009-04-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Dateline Camden Delaware, Derby Pond
April 23, 2009

The Walta Drummond is in dry dock once more. A new bellows pump and a high speed low drag electric are on the way. So this evening was a good time to throw some lures from the public bank at Derby pond and take in the sunset.

Two anglers show up there regularly. Looking like they have no business at a fishing hole. Business casual dress, but all about business. I am proud to call these two men my friends.

They are skilled at the art of crappie busting. They throw citation fish back in to the pond with boring regularity. Tonight, they each caught specimens that were stunning even for them. Here is one of them, caught by Slabmaster Shawn.

Your respondent managed a nice angry chain pickerel, and a respectable 14" buck bass. But this crappie was the one that needed capturing in time before returning it to the pond.

Every darn day, folks with big trucks and trailers towing expensive boats will have less to report than the Sultans of Slab. Count on it.

Forget about what you don't have that the television hosts do. Get out there and put in your time. Sharing moments like these with friends is living the doublebad life. Get some.

Stay safe and take good care.

Pretty babies..... A day at the pond

2009-04-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

I Finally got serious about fixing the I beam floor of the inflatable kayak. Previous attempts to locate the leak with a spray bottle of soapy water had proven fruitless. A call to Sea Eagle hit the jackpot. Seems like the employee who had phone duty today normally worked in repairs and returns.

Correct instructions for finding a leak include slathering the suspect component with soap and lots of water. Buckets if needed. Found a pinhole from a hook, and a dent in the O-ring seal for the floor.

A hair dryer focused on the O ring took out the dent. A patch from the repair kit was not allowed to set up properly but held well enough. May have to do over. It was a beautiful day on the East Coast today.

Got underway at around 1600 hours ( that's four p.m. EST for all you civillians) and had a grand time. Heavy action on the CREME live color worm, and a fish or two on a pumpkin seed soft stick bait. Ultralight rods, the micro spin and an ugly stick, cobalt spinners, four pound test berkley trilene.

Caught a whole bunch of small bass and chain pickerel. A fat bluegill and two keeper bass were culled from the pond. Before you catch and release types flame this blogger, bear in mind that this pond is becoming stunted with small bass. The best way to fix that is to cull some smaller males.

The floor is good, still need a new pump. Thinking about the MB50 electric, it's only thirty dollars more than a new foot powered pump. The footpump is probably adequate for most folks.

When a man who can do reps on the calf raise machine at 1400 lbs tries to inflate the pontoons until they can't go any further (as per the instructions on a dealer site) the little Italian plastic bellows pump can't hang.

Once again, worked the shallows not available to conventional bass boats and got lots of action. Had some big bass biting, but my game is not there yet. Lost quite a few mushy pick ups that the big fish execute.

Can't rightly say how many little babies we caught, didn't even bother to take pics of most. Had both keepers jump completely out of the water in the fight, and one smaller male escaped the hook by jumping. Also had a 16 inch pickerel jump clear.

Here are a few pics of the little chumps we managed to hook. The Sea Eagle 380x did it's part in getting me to the action, I just have to get more skill setting the hook.

The smaller bass usually strike aggressively and are therefore easier to catch. Might switch to fire line for better hook sets. Also probably need to tighten the drag some.

Until next time, stay safe!!! Once more this blogger was the only boater on the pond wearing a PFD. They still haven't found one of the anglers that went into the Nanticoke river two weeks ago. His partner was recovered, tragically not alive though.

Captain's blog - innaugural bass for 2009

2009-04-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the Walta Drummond finally got to go for a short paddle today. Made the trip to Derby pond as I am want to do when shallow water and plenty of help nearby is indicated.

Water temps are still a bit chilly for much derring do. Had some bluegills tear up my GULP worms, and finally got this little bitty 10 inch bass on a creme live color worm. Using my new ultra light Ugly Stick with a nice cobalt ultra light spinning reel. Four pound test, as you can't find any two pound test in Delaware.

Surrounded by underachievers..... Still, it was a nice afternoon paddle. The ice has been broken for the 2009 bass season. I wore my PFD and so should you, every time.

Stay safe, and come back soon.

Hope to be underway tomorrow, on the bank today

2009-04-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

The weather looks good for a nice paddle down the Murderkill River from the source below Coursey Pond. The first bit of this river is actually more like a lake and according to a senior angler we talked to today, formed by nature.

We battled the mighty carp again today, and are ready to chill out and kick some bass or reel in some panfish. Managed an eight pound carp on the shakespeare micro spin rod with upgraded reel and six pound mono. Also finally caught a fish on the hair and bolt rig.

After unhooking the baby cat, we put the rig back in and came up with a very pretty four pound common carp with some of that brackish water coloring going on.

Still hoping that carp angling catches on here in the states. The Brits have the game down pat.

Had a fellow today tell me about his 30 lb carp he shot with a bow. The same man was being extremely careful to return the crappie he caught unharmed. The carp was not shot for food, or even fertilizer. Just shot with an arrow for the sheer hell of it and left to rot for the turtles and catfish. Puzzling.

This attitude is why at times you may detect a bit of antipathy towards certain elements the bass crowd from this angler. Carp are considered pests because of their perceived impingement on the bass population.

In truth, the Asian carp, also known as grass carp, silver carp, or Amur carp is causing havoc in some places after escaping from catfish farms in 1993. The common carp has been in our waters since the late 1800's. It was around long before catch and release became popular. They were imported and distributed as a food staple.

Eating carp was very popular in the U.S. until some time after WWII. In the early 1900s', well heeled diners in New York at the Waldorf and Astoria were ordering carp in Rhine wine sauce. For real.

Please don't kill fish or any other creatures for kicks. If you need a rush, I used to be a Special Police Officer in Washington D.C. public housing. Ole' Doublebad will make the introductions and set you up with real pucker inducing adrenaline charged activity. Or try bail bond enforcement in West Philly without backup or a gun.

I have and it beats any "rush" you will get from sticking a fish that can't fight back.

To those who bowfish and make use of the kill, we salute you! Bait, catfood, people food, whatever. I do own a bow made just for fishing, and if we ever get down to our brother-in-law's place in Florida, going to try and make some 'gator meat. That sounds like "rush" in a can to me.

Here is today's catch, including our first ever fish caught on a hair and bolt rig....

Stay safe and take good care.

Another Day in the Doublebad Life

2009-04-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

There are three young men I often see at one of my favorite haunts. One of them got a new outfit this evening and picked his spot. Unlike many of the impatient folks, this man hung in there and got his bass.

Your respondent has seen countless hopefuls with all kinds of high speed low drag navy seal endorsed gear do a whole lot worse. The angler above used a modestly priced outfit, no excuses, and delivered on skill.

No small accomplishment from the bank where the pressure on these fish is unreal. I can count on one hand with digits to spare the number of keeper bass we have seen pulled in on that bank with well over a hundred hours in that spot. This bass won't break any records or garner a citation, but it is still a real accomplishment.

The daylight was fading so the doublebad thing to do was to back up his cell phone photos with some from the ship's camera ( a well beaten cannon sureshot with a broken video display) and post them up so the gang can view and retrieve them.

Enjoy the photos. Hat's off to this sportsman for sticking to his guns and accomplishing what we have seen many fail to do.

The bass was released to fight another day. Take note of the way the fish is held, so as to avoid injury. Also note that the angler wet his hand before grabbing the fish. If you aren't going to keep them, that's the way to do it.

Proving once again that the outdoors belongs to all, and adventure belongs to those who will put in the work. Get some and stay safe.

Stand by for a message from the Captain - All hands set condition zebra throughout the ship....

2009-04-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

And like, um, prepare to cast off. Haze gray and underway and all that. We can go for another paddle because I finally fulfilled my CARP DREAMS!!!!! It has been a long couple of weeks.

Stubbornly I have tried to catch a carp in derby pond fishing from the public bank. Corn, Uncle Josh carp bait, doughballs, boilies, pop-ups, even Gulp bloodworms. Nyet Tovarich. No carp. The skipper was questioning every detail.

Our local hero, and one of the few bass boat operators we respect, suggested a different venue. Indeed we hooked a small carp, but got excited and left the net by the guardrail. Rather than injure the little skupper, pulled it onto some soft mud and lowered the rod.

Finally it occured to me that knowing that there were carp in a 30 acre pond was a long way from knowing where the "swim" was located. Back to the spillway beneath Coursey's Pond. The small creek would not give the carp acres and acres of water to avoid us in.

Then too much of a good thing. Had one running on my tiny four foot shakespeare micro-spinner rod with an upgraded Cobalt ultra light spinning reel and six pound test (now that's a fight lads and lasses). We also learned that our hair and bolt rigging and boilie making skills were adequate when the clutch on the baitrunner reel and tiger spinning rod started screaming.

The Mrs. made a gallant attempt to reel in the carp on the larger rod while the skipper battled with the ultra light set up. The fish on the hair and bolt escaped the humiliation of being netted and photographed. The fish above were both caught on ultra light tackle. WHAT A RUSH!!

If you are into catch and release, why not go for the biggest fish and baddest fight? Are you doublebad? If of course you are just not-so-good, then stick to bass and other small fish. (Actually, I like to fish for bass too. They just don't get as big or run like carp do. Whole different fight.)

The one bloke in the background with the two offspring actually asked me if the fish was from that water. Your humble respondent was sorely tempted to reply "No buddy, I have had this damn thing in my carry on bag all the way from Cancun just to make you look bad in front of your kids". But, as Dennis Quaid said in his epic portrayal of Doc Holiday in "Wyatt Earp", "...self control got the better of me.".

To me the carp are gorgeous. They put up a great fight, are wary, intelligent, and large compared to other fresh water fish in most places they are found. There are no muskies 'round here.

The southern pike, or chain pickerel, does not get as big as the carp hereabouts.

You to can get your own thrill on with any old fishing pole (10 lb test and up is recommended) a can of corn, some small hooks and a sliding sinker setup. Get some.

The carp in the pics are named Larry and Brutus. Larry was pretty cool, mellowed out right away after being netted, even rubbed my hand like a house cat on release before turning back into the creek. Brutus was an @$$ about the whole evolution. Tried to take the net back into the creek and almost made it, and was generally non cooperative. They weighed 6.5 and seven pounds respectively.

Please be safe, wear your oakleys or other eye protection during the fight. These things can get huge and bust up tackle. Keep a close eye on your rod unless you dig watching it get dragged into the drink. Treat carp with respect, release them unharmed or dispatch them humanely if you are going to eat them.

Always release trophy size carp unharmed. They do not make very good eating. In fact, with the most skilled preparation the carp is good table fare. They are not great and will never taste as good a bluegill, bass, or crappie.

I released these boys unharmed, and won't keep one unless the water is crystal clear and the beast is less than five pounds. Maybe not even then.

They are not "junk fish". They are called that by lesser humans what ain't got the wherewithal to dance with the "queen of the river".

Below are some of my favorite carp links.

History of the carp.

Carp.com.

Ny Times article from the late nineteenth century on the first "true" carp served in Metropolis.

Carp Angler's Group tips and articles.

Captain's Blog, cheap thrills - no purchase required

2009-03-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

This blogger does love his inflatable kayak. Doublebad is proud to be an affiliate marketer of the same fine craft.

The whole point of doublebad.net is that one does not have to spend a fortune to have a grand ole time in the great outdoors. Watching outdoor television can leave the impressionable thinking that they don't have enough money to enjoy fishing or hunting. Folks who have money may be convinced that they haven't spent enough.

So what's it all about? Check out the pictures above of my great nephew. This is his first outing with a real fishing rod and spinner reel. He has only caught one tiny bluegill with one of those "toy" rigs prior to today. Check out that smile. That amigos is what it's all about.

It's not what kind of boat you have, or even if you have a boat. Doesn't matter whether you bought the finest tackle and chartered or bought the finest boat and captain or stood on the bank of a ditch. Sharing the ride, especially with those we care about. that's what matters.

That my friends is living the doublebad life. The six year old is using a rod from the trash can and a reel from my collection that was made redundant. He caught four fish (an american eel was landed but escaped before the slow moving obese old man could raise his camera) and skunked many experienced fishermen in the same stretch of creek.

We were fishing the spillway below Coursey Pond in Kent County Delaware. The lad was allowed to cast a plastic worm on a circle hook for bass as well. We put him under a tree and had him casting towards overhanging branches. The child took instruction well and focused on accuracy, distance be darned.

He made at least twenty casts without hitting a branch or getting hung up. Meanwhile he was surrounded by grown folks trying to cover the whole creek with every cast. Seemingly the more seasoned anglers were competing to see who could snag the most expensive lure in the biggest tree. Seemingly, they all won.

You can imagine the pride the lad had when he finally packed up and pulled out a fat stringer of tasty panfish. (the captain contributed some catfish and a sunfish to the frying party).

If a particular possesion will add to your enjoyment without breaking the bank, that's pure joy. Try not to forget the simple pleasures. We spent no money today except a happy meal celebratory feast for the victorious angler. We had a ball. Whether you are making meat or practicing catch and release remember to share the love.

It's especially important to introduce young folk to the outdoors.

While this blogger would be okay if every visitor to this page was inspired to buy a Sea Eagle (and drink yerba mate while reading their amazon books...), I will be happier if we can help some folks find smiles in God's country.

Until next time, stay safe!!!

Edit the Edit - We have noticed it before, seems to be worse already this season. Most ponds (plugged up ditches and creeks meant to maximize profit for builders by creating lakefront property and subsidized by federal money as "fish restoration habitat areas") have "limited" bank fishing. (Read very little public access to the bank). This leads to wannabe bass masters working their lures across everybody's casting lanes in an attempt to reel in a five pounder like the T.V. show hosts.

See Dick. See Jane. See Dick try to catch a lunker bass from the crowded bank. See Dick cast over everybody else's lines. Don't be a Dick. It makes Jane look like she married an oaf.

If a six year old can muster enough patience to fish the bottom, and have some success, what excuse is the rest of the crowd claiming. Be a good sport, if the scene is crowded, put away that buzzbait (especially in forty something degree water), the spinners, jerks, cranks, and other gadgets. Tie on a pater noster or slip rig and chill out.

Captain's Blog - Big fish, little water, and the inflatable kayak

2009-03-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last July was a good time to set out on Coursey Pond. The water was well green from algae so it was up the creek towards the state park. Unfortunately the state park pond seemed to be the source of the Saint Patrick's Day colored water.

Headed back down the ditch, it was decided to flip a few berkley power worms into some likely holes.

This is a small creek. In some places it would have been hard to turn the 380 around. There were times when we wanted to be able to raise the directional stabilizer, may have to rig something up yet.

Here is the biggest bass that was actually put into the kayak in the '08 season. Holding the fish is ad hoc bass model and good friend Buddy. He and his wife were rounding up some fish from the bank near the boat ramp. On Buddy's tape that particular specimen measured a respectable 17".

The lure was a berkley black powerbait lizard on a J-hook. Rod was a shakespeare microspinner with the cheap factory four pound test line. Needless to say that was quite a fight in tight quarters. Nothing but an inflatable kayak was going to get in that part of the creek during a drought summer.

This kind of work is why we prefer the inflatable kayak as a platform. The most popular explorer, the 380 is versatile in the extreme.

I certainly have caught the fishing bug. Still, half the fun is paddling along and just enjoying the ride. The best of both worlds.

Most of the trips around here involve less than a two mile paddle to reach the prime remote holes. Places where only canoes and kayaks are likely to tread. The canoe is superior in many ways to the inflatable kayak. Shallow water is not such an arena.

When the bottom gets real close to the surface, there is only one boat to have if you want to ride on.

Time to go? If your boat needs to fit in a trunk or live in a closet then again your choices are limited to the inflatable.

So I will trade the ability to stand, mount a motor, or a sail for the ability to get into these tight spots and fish for these rare and majestic torphy bass.

The craft seems to cruise at two miles per hour, near as we can figure. Sprinting is not my thing, only done on final approach to the boat ramp. Other designs that allow you to sit higher or even stand may be indicated for some skippers.

We chose the more restrictive seating arrangement in the Explorer for stability and safety. Simply put, the 380 Explorer will laugh at rough conditions that will confound more ergonomic fishing vessels.

Early on last year we were hit by a wake from an ungainly craft on a little pond. It was a canoe killer wake. The Sea Eagle 380x laughed at it and turned the capsizing wave into an amusement.
That makes up for the trade off in tracking and glide ratio for me.

These observations should matter to the folks who are contemplating an inflatable but not sure of what they need. Forget about what you need. You will get what you want long before need enters into it. If you want one all around craft, then the inflatable kayak is hard to beat. The Sea Eagle Explorer series comes out on top for price and versatility.

2009 has arrived

2009-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mcginnis pond in central Delaware. The water was cold and the air pretty warm. Windy, sunny and bored looking fishermen everywhere (that includes the ladies, we don't discrminate). There were usually two bass boats in the pond at any given time and them I joined the mix.

The Walta Drummond was the only human powered craft on the tiny impoundment. I tried throwing a creme live color worm, a berkley black power worm, a white johsons beetle spinner, and a creme spoiler shad.

The latter finally proved productive in part of the pond avoided by the other boats. Perhaps because I was parked in some brush about fifteen feet from the road and right across the water from the boat ramp.

One fine crappie hit the beetle spinner with white grub, then we got hung up and lost that lure. I tied on a creme spoiler shad and got another very nice crappie. We called that dinner and tried not to gloat to hard at the motor and trailer crowd who had very little to report.

Once the again the Sea Eagle inflatable turns the fishing moron into a hero amid sporting types with many more dollars to spend on the hobby.

To be sure the inflatable kayak is a niche item, but if you have got the bug you have got to get one of these.

In our second season we would like to report that the hull is dandy, the floor may have a slow leak so we may get to post some repair kit action. The footpump is still a bummer, but has been patched so that it works.

Handling gets easier over time. Remembering my first outing in May of '08, yesterday was very dry and smooth. I no longer splash myself or drip water from the paddles unless it is more or less intentional. To observers it must be really funny to watch the big fat guy seemingly effortlessly gliding across the pond with aplomb.

But the craft has become much easier to handle with practice. Compared to my weapon of choice, a seventeen foot rigid canoe, it still handles like a plastic trash bag filled with packing peanuts. But since I don't care to cartop such a craft, and I can no longer kneel, the 380x will do fine thank you.

I still wish I had held out for the 420. The extra foot would be nice when going tandem. Since 90% of my time is spent solo, the 380 is the shizzy.

Check out that pic of the shallow water. With my big butt on board the 380x was sailing in less than eight inches of water. That's cool beavis.

Enjoy the pretty pics of the assembly process and the trip. Stay safe and wear your PFD or I will marry into your family. Or something. Peace.

Captains Blog: Youth and Skill overcome Old Age and Treachery

2008-06-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Dateline June 21st, 2008 Wyoming Mill Pond Delaware. (Delawhere?)

When the Walta Drummond arrived, invitations were extended to a few folks who were not likely to take the skipper up, but it would have been rude not to offer a fishing trip. One such invitee was my adopted son (of sorts).

I met him when he was not long out of basic training. A mild mannered 19 year old farmboy from Iowa doing his duty for God and Country. An ace aero mechanic in the Air Force, United States thereof. His parents and mine own jarhead son are far away so we kind of adopted each other.

Now my other son is a Staff Sergeant, married with a version 2.0 due soon. He called the other day and asked me to take the IK on a rescue mission to retrieve a prize lure from his relatively new father in law.

After he was done saving the free world on the night shift he changed into civilian attire and we set out to Wyoming Mill Pond. The lure was located and rescued, then we decided to fish.

I paddled up the pond searching for the headwater. The pea soup green of the pond did not inspire me to catch any panfish there, and we were in the heat of the day.

The creek feeding the pond was gorgeous. Going up as far was we cared to go the cool crystal clear water allowed us to watch a nice fat little catfish swim past us without a care in the world. This was our cue to set forth with great determination rustling up some panfish.

Going back downstream we spied a cove with an irrigation intake for a cornfield hiding behind a thick patch of lily pads. It looked deep and had a good deal of shade.

Shazaam!. The kid whipped me good. My lures were no match for his nightcrawlers. Ten panfish to my five. We got crappie, perch and bluegills. Fifteen tasty panfish in all. Of the fish thrown back were a one pound bass and two baby bass that hit the lure at the same time.

Of course your blogger was gracious and mature. It was an even tone that the writer used to tell the Staff Sergeant that he was grounded until he was thirty.

The 380x did fine with two anglers aboard. The skipper is 5'11" and 300lbs while the Staff Seargeant is 6'2" and 160 lbs.

Note in the picture of the gloating unruly young Staff Seargeant holding up his fat stringer to my measly catch that the water in the background does not look like you would want to fish in it.

Notice also the water in the pic of the two baby bass hanging onto my lure. The Sea Eagle 380 Explorer lets me go from one to the other without a trailer or or motorboat. Paddle power to the people yo.

So take a kid fishing. Even if the kid is getting ready to have his own kid. Kids need time with their elders on the water, sharing good times and relaxing. Remember to be safe. Peace.

Captain's Blog - learning curve

2008-06-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's day to me! While the better half of the Mr. and Mrs. Doug franchise was at Mom-Mom's today I exercised my Father's Day pass and went fishing on Massey's Mill Pond. The Walta drummond and the Shakepeare Micro-Spinner were on a kill mission.

A request for Largemouth filets was placed by a local cook. That would mean killing a fish that would upset tournament anglers. Best to do that on a pond where they don't have tournaments. One other problem, I am not a skilled angler who can count on catching a bass big enough to filet.

A trip to the tackle store after watching some fishing shows secured some Berkley Power Bait. I wanted black worms but moron that I am ended up with black lizards. Fair enough, freak baits are indicated when bass aren't biting.

The water is a good bit warmer than it was earlier when I had an incredible run of luck with the CREME live color worm. That action has dried up.

Doing the best I could I rigged the lizard for weedless action and went to work after making sure that the live color CREME worm still was not hot. Immediately we got a ten inch male and threw him back. Then a whole string of missed hook sets and fish coming unbuttoned. I changed the way I was rigging the lizard and caught a 13 inch male. Not really filet material.

More missed sets and a few more escapes. Finally a big fish. Too big. couldn't bring myself to kill that one. It was released without being lifted from the water. Just opened that huge mouth and stuck my hand in there with room to spare and unbuttoned her. Big Girl.

More missed fish, then finally the one you see in the photos above. Upon landing I asked two guys who looked like they knew what they were doing about the proper way to rig my soft stinky plastic lizards.

The lads were very charitable in not laughing in my face. Seems the old fat guy (me) was using a hook designed for live worms on a plastic bait. They gently showed me the right kind of hook to use and the proper method for weedless rigging. When they saw the two fish I kept they were amazed that I landed them.

More shock occured when they saw the ultra light micro spinner. The one fellow told me he did not want to fish with me when I learned how to rig my tackle. The young anglers were assured it was beginner's luck. Mostly true.

The writer had tried to study a technique for catching sluggish fish in warmer water and endeavored to mimic it. Produced plenty of strikes, just not doing well at getting them into the Sea Eagle 380x.

So the white water designed Sea Eagle 380 Explorer is more Bass Boat than any one man needs. Something else I was wrong about. Learn to live within it's limits and you will be richly rewarded with much action.

Not just bass either. We had a grand time earlier in the afternoon in the shallows trying to get some panfish. Almost every cast produced a fish, but they were closer to bait size than eating size. None were kept. One little pumpkin seed doubled the rod, wrapped around a lily pad, and generally did a fantastic bucketmouth impersonation. The lure was a two inch CREME live color worm.

We did that in places where bass boats fear to tread.

Seriously not intending to offend any sporting types - but there are times when the watchful eye of the skipper spots an approaching vessel on the pond. She will be covered with glitter paint and have many chairs with tushy cushions. There will be many motors for travleling the 12 to 101 acre ponds we have in Delaware.

Seriously, respect the planet and check out some paddle power. If you fish with a buddy get the 14 foot 420x. Be manly men (or girly girls as the case may be) and use those manly (and/or girly) muscles to get across those little puddles.

Yet I digress. Bass Boats are fine if you like that sort of thing and are not into living eco/green. Point is, good day on the water. Stellar performance from the 380x. Local cook has requested filets of freshwater bass ( I am afraid to ask.... but she is a gifted cook. Sure she has her reasons) And I got a nice frying fish. Plus we got a pig up to the boat, even if we did not take it out of the water. Really a thrill with the tiny Microspinner.

Please be safe and always wear your PFD on or near the water.

Captain's Blog - a fine mess of fish

2008-06-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have learned to catch something besides panfish. Even had a little early success. Putting in a pond @ 0500 hours on Sunday June 1 2008, Five bass and one chain pickerel and one nice crappie were done for by 0700 hours the same day.

A recommendation on a lure from a seasoned local proved accurate. Using a CREME live color re-usable worm was productive to say the least. Two fish that ran afoul of that pond's slot limit and one baby bass were also released. Never have understood catch and release, but now that some bass have been landed it makes more sense.

These particular specimens were doomed as a good friend and former neighbor having a birthday last Thursday had indicated an interest in some fish and grits. Being born in Mississippi on the tail end of the Great Depression this man has no qualms about eating freshwater fish. The contents of the cooler shown above were greatly received by folk who know good eating.

The chain pickerel is particularly tasty. They need to be dispatched and gutted quickly. Stringers and live wells do not help this fish. After cutting out the backbone and cutting the meat into four inch chunks they are cross hatched about a centimeter deep. Deep frying in hot oil dissolves the tiny bones and provides a sweet firm meat.

Bass are good and Crappie is king.

The Sea Eagle 380 explorer isn't what one thinks of when they think Bass Boat. You can do a whole lot worse. First off, no trailer and no gas guzzler required to tow it. It goes in the trunk of my Sonata and we get 32 mpg with my Grandpa driving style.

Space is limited, you have to remain seated. You can reach waters other craft can't. Lily patches can be paddled over or through without harming them. Structure can be navigated and exploited in a manner which will confound any Bass Tracker or similar craft.

A good sized fish on a stringer will move the 380x about. Think of it as an erratic trolling motor. The paddle does not seem to spook fish, and it drifts with a breeze, current, and has a fair glide rate. Typically if the wind in a pond is blowing towards the spillway you can paddle up to the headwater and drift back down working your lure and making minor course corrections with the double blade paddle supplied with the craft or a featherlight four footer from Wally World.

Despite my lack of knowledge and experience (fishing with lures for about ten days now....) I don't seem to have any trouble keeping pace with the folks in the expensive boats. Not considering any tournaments, but did read about one tournament won by two guys in a kayak.

My trusty panfish killer, the Shakespeare firebird has been replaced with an ultra light Shakespeare Microspinner. Any fish caught on this rig is a fun time. A keeper bass or a two foot chain pickerel is a sporting event. Can't wait to hook a citation sized fish on this one.

Still looking forward to putting together that carp rig, but need a month or two of battling lesser fish to get my moves down so a big carp can school me all over.

So the Explorer series are killer fishing boats - within their limitations. With those limitations you gain some advantages that users of more traditional craft can only dream of. Not the least of which is getting 30 mpg + to and from the landing.

Stay tuned for further adventures, and stay safe. THAT MEANS WEAR YOUR PFD. DON"T WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE COOL PEOPLE IN THE BASS BOATS DO!! WEAR YOURS!! (Beisdes, do you want to follow some clown who needs a motor on a 30 acre pond??? Citizen Please.)

Edit - Made a fine carp rod with a Shakespeare bait casting medium heavy reel and a 7' two piece Berkey medium heavy rod. On the first cast we created a fine bird's nest of 30 lb test Shakespeare ugly braid. Expensive cast. I still have it, now with less of that expensive ugly braid on the reel. For the boat I acquired a Shakespeare Tiger Spinner combo of the Father's Day sale special variety. Roundabout 7' or so takedown rigged with 12 lb test.

My carp still eludes me.

We have come full circle on the Explorer 380. It is a fine bass boat. The footpump is in need of it's second repair in one month of use. Now the plastic top plate has cracked. Therefore, your rambling blogger must close for now and man the repair kit. Be safe.

Captain's Blog - Infaltable Kayak care & feeding/Homeland Security

2008-05-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Dateline Smyrna Delaware 24 May 2008 1949 hours.

Today was a nice sunny, mildly windy, holiday weekend day.. The kind of day where a lot of boat owners would think about putting in at their favorite spot and striking out. But here in Delaware it is the first day of what one of the local Nanticoke Native Americans calls "the time of the onlookers".

Yup we got tourists and vacationers. I personally would rather have a virulent case of pubic crab lice, just a preference not a personal statement. Boating with some of these idiots is a certain way to raise your blood pressure and not a bad way to get injured or killed. Jet-ski's in fishing ponds, big wakes thrown at kayaks and canoes in the canals, drunks at the helm everywhere, you name it and they pretty much do it.

So today was another day to bust up a marketing assertion relative to the Sea Eagle Explorer Series. All boats require some work. Compared to conventional craft the Explorer series, indeed all Sea Eagle inflatables are virtually upkeep free.

Virtually meaning almost the same as. A little love and care is needed. The craft can be stowed wet or put up in the rain for short periods. I use mine alot, and the mud from one river still in and on the kayak will not keep you from enjoying the silt, fishblood, and grass stains from the next lake.

What is needed is to let the Explorer dry out from time to time and and a little wiping down won't hurt the performance of the boat either. Besides, it is care free if you recruit small terrorists like the ones in the pics on this post.

Putting terrorists to work cleaning your 380x contributes to homeland security. When my great nephews are so engaged they can't be putting housepaint on Pop-pop's travel trailer, pulling up tomato plants, jacking baby bunnies from their dens, riding their bikes into the path of terrified motorists, or any of the other terrorist acts this covert cell engages in when Uncle Doug ain't around.

So clean your boat now and then, don't store it wet for more than a couple of days. If you can capture and force labor from tiny terrorists you are protecting the neighborhood, small critters, garden plants, and some elderly gentleman's travel trailer.

The task could have been accomplished within 20 minutes plus drying time. But when you have little ones at work sometimes you make a game of it and keep them in it. The Captain and crew of the Walta Drummond remained landlocked today. Still we had fun with the Sea Eagle Explorer.

The little miscreants took a real interest and it was a hoot watching the four and five year old kids trying to operate the bellows pump. They did manage to fill the low pressure floor.

The dainty strings used to tie the bow and stern storage bags on were replaced with real cord. Gear was taken out to dry and the storage bags were inverted and hung on the line, as well as they carry bag.

Besides, learning to take orders might just keep them safe when we take them on the water.

Till next time, keep your PFD on whenever you are on or near the water. Peace out.

Captain's Blog - in search of the "best" fishing hole in the Sea Eagle 380x

2008-05-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

The other day whilst acquiring some light tackle in the fishing section O' Wally World (aka Wal Mart) the writer had occasion to converse with two extremely tough looking fellows.

Their fierce appearance aside, these were friendly well mannered types. More importantly these men in their forties had been fishing local waters their whole lives. I mentioned that I had found many small panfish on Massey's Mill Pond near Smyrna Delaware.

The pair opined that even better action could be had in the spillway below the pond. That creek flows into Garrison's lake. They did not know if the creek was passable from Garrison's lake to the spillway.

If any boat can make the trip the 380x can. With plenty of rain lately there will seldom be a better time to make such an attempt. Massey's Mill Pond is rich with aquatic plants, mostly lilies.

In Europe natural swimming pools are popular. From what this blogger has read this entails 50% of the water surface being planted with aquatic plants to "clean" the pond. Massey's Mill pond meets this criteria by my estimate. The spillway below the dam being well aerated with some of the cleaner pond water around would seem to be good habitat.

This day, Friday the 23rd of March 2008 is the day to make such an attempt.

For solo fishing we take one seat, an extra PFD, some rope, primary PFD, repair kit, paddle tethers, Shakespeare firefly spinner combo, hooks, line, sinkers, floats, some spinner lures, leatherman, stringer, 8' AB40 kayak paddle, four foot feather brand canoe paddle, bellows pump with hoses, Harkey valve tool, bottled water, sarongs. playmate cooler, waterproof matches, rescue blanket.

The single bladed feather brand canoe paddle is indespensible for those tricky strainers when the double blade gets in the way, also for doing a little navigating with a fishing rod in the other hand.

Ship's Armory is entirely cold steel - One Sjambok for any aggressive canines and/or water moccasins who actually come in the water or charge us while taking a leg stretcher break on the bank, Bushman survival knife, the sadly discontinued tanto shaped 1" tuff lite, and the new kudu folder.

Check them out @ http://www.coldsteel.com . The president and ceo is another fat guy, but in much better shape than me. Lynn Thompson is a passionate martial artist and outdoor adventurer. He sells good stuff, right priced.

Unlike some ventures, if you buy a Sea Eagle or Cold Steel product you are getting an item that the employees, managers, and even the big dogs at those companies will push their chips into the middle with. Rare for gear of that sort, both companies price their goods to appeal to my Scottish DNA.

Spare PFD is shoved under bow storage bag where it can be gotten to quickly for casting to some fool without a PFD in an emergency.

We put in at the boat ramp on Garrison's lake at 1139 EST. Landing was done at 1953 EST. In between were some of the finest times on the water I ever had.

A nice stringer of 8 fat panfish was procured and a tasty plate of fried fish MacNuggets is next to me as I type.

We made it under the railroad trestle at the head of the lake and about a mile up the stream towards Massey's Mill Pond. The railroad trestle mandated a portage and when I came to the next one upstream it was time to turn around. Besides, there was some fine fishing down stream.
This time we startled a proud buck next to the creek. In addition to our panfish a small bass and a small perch had to be thrown back.

The skipper did observe a water snake that could have been a moccasin and two beavers were seen, one shy one upstream and one at the hole by the railroad trestle who couldn't seem to care less. Thought he was getting in the boat for a minute. Not really sure what Chipmunks do next to a fishing hole but there were two of them doing it with no attempt at stealth.

Also watched a grey heron take off with a catfish so fat it looked like it would be hard to carry for the bird.

On this trip the Sea Eagle 380x really explained itself. It's not the ideal flatwater craft for "endless hours of paddling". It is a magic freakin' carpet.

No other craft on the lake could have taken the trip we took today and seen the sights we saw. Between the shallows and the take out, the sharp rocks on the bottom and all the barely submerged logs in murky water, it was an inflatable or nothing.

Due to the harsh nature of the creek, it was a durable quality inflatable or nothing.
Now I have to learn to catch something besides panfish.

All of the lakes and ponds administered by the fish and wildcritter folks hereabouts are slow "No Wake" zones. I do not know if it is universal but so far all of the bass boats we have observed only use the trolling motor. The 380x gets around much better than they do into places they cant. With a little care one can sail right over lily pads. If they are up out the water you can bull your way though.

Will probably stay off the water for the duration of the Holiday Weekend. Kind of like New Year's Eve and drinking. Bartenders call it amateur night for a reason. Same with boating on a Holiday weekend.

Till next time, stay safe and always wear your pfd on or near the water.

Peace.

Captain's Blog: Rolling on the River

2008-05-22T17:48:00.001-07:00

Dateline: Magnolia Delaware 22May08 2050 hours.

Released from work early today and decided to try a float that looked good on Google Earth. From the spillway on Moore's lake down the creek to the St Jones river that runs through Dover and back upstream to the parking area at the lake.

After launching here it was under a footbridge,
under a larger bridge on South Street then downstream towards the St. Joan.

The Walta Drummond did an excellent job of demonstrating some of the strengths of this design. Very shallow water in the creek littered with enough lumber to abate the fuel crisis in Haiti. My experience with canoes tells me that only a craft like the 380x could make that trip without a whole rack O' difficult portages.

Somebody had done their work with a saw a little ways downstream, but the area from the South State Bridge to the expensive homes with canoes on the bank was pretty raw.

The writer was patting himself on the back going down stream for finding a route around a downed tree forming the mother of all strainers. Of course ignorance is bliss and your humble blogger was blissfully ignorant of the tide table. This would be rectified when we tried to go back upstream :-| .

The notion was to paddle a ways downstream from the dirty lake and find a fish to cook up. When I got down by the river the fish I saw jumping clean out of the water scared me. Not wanting to be towed to Cape May N.J. the skipper changed the mission to paddling and sightseeing.

Absolutely gorgeous is the only way to describe my after noon paddle. Big carp of varying hues running in front of the IK along the banks. Clear sections with schools of minnows. Birds of Prey fishing for dinner. Two snapping turtles with heads as big as my fist. One we saw in his entirety as the turtle lazily swam under the bow and turned downstream on the port beam as we paddled upstream.

A few geese and some Mallards were also seen. And those huge fish jumping sometimes completely out of the water. Bass perhaps, I was not close enough to any of them to get a good identification.

The weather was cloudy and a bit cool for this time of year. A windbreaker worn under the PFD did it's job. Winds were advertised as 15-20 mph. We had to work in a few places but the boat was true. After every "hard" paddle we could always find a little calm cove out of the wind to relax in and watch the minnows play.

A Beaver crossed the stream about the time it became apparent that the tide was getting low and a rough portage would be needed around that strainer from heck.

The only place to land was littered with tangled fallen branches. A cold steel bushman knife in the bow storage bag was put to good use taming the brush and the 380x was lifted over the log resuming the journey upstream until the South State Bridge.

Now the tide was low enough that another portage was needed to get under the bridge.

Some young kids (8-12) from the neighborhood by Moore's Lake took interest in "Mr. Kayak" trying to get under the bridge. The 8 year old was leading a rescue effort down the bank as the kids saw a chance to get wet, muddy, and save the fat old guy. I managed to call them off and made the last portage.

The children were wonderfully curious and were waiting for me in the little pond by the spillway. Of course the all wanted rides and they were all told only if their parents told me it was okay in person. Nice young folk though. They offered to carry the kayak for me.

Four and a half hours after putting in my afternoon paddle was complete. Another hour jawing with local anglers catching and releasing bluegills and bream in the spillway pond allowed the dirty/muddy/slightly bloody Walta Drummond to be cleaned up a bit and well dried.

All in all a beautiful paddle and some lessons learned. We need to pay attention to the tides! At one point calling for an extract further downriver was actually under serious consideration. Also have to work out a way to transition from paddle to camera so pictures of the birds, fish, and turtles can be shown .

Tomorrow is another day off from work and the dream is to paddle Garrison's lake as far up the headwater as we can. Possibly all the way to the fabled fishing hole under the spillway of Massey's mill pond.

Till then, stay safe! always wear your PFD on or near the water (note my spare under the bow storage bag in the pics - never know when you might have to toss it to some fool in the water..)

Images captured from the I.K. Walta Drummond by the Captain

2008-05-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Clickety Pop! (click on any picture to see a larger one)

It is hard to describe the beauty this blogger finds in common places with his trusty Sea Eagle 380x. Pictures do more than words ever could. Here are some images for your viewing pleasure.

The writer feels impelled to mention that all of these places are very accessible, on public waters near main roads here in central/southern Delaware. So boat safely, and enjoy.

Captain's Blog Moore's Lake Dover Delaware

2008-05-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to paddle in the St. Jones river below Dover from Lebanon Landing to Voshell Mill. Upon arriving at the landing the mud slick ramp, fast current, headwind and sign requiring any boat using the ramp to be registered made me chicken out. Options for getting underway without the ramp did not look very safe for this large man with a bad wheel.

So it was on to Moore's lake. Thirty minutes give or take of paddling took me from the boat ramp near the dam to a final strainer in the stream at the headwater. even though it is fully developed all around, still a nice paddle as the shoreline is nicely timbered.

Compared to Derby Pond and Massey's Mill Pond, Moore's lake looked pretty dirty. The bass anglers I saw land a nice 15 inch fish did not keep it. There are plenty of turtles and some waterfowl, geese, heron, etc, but not as many lillies or other water vegetation as the other two ponds we have sailed.

It is a certain shame that living "on the lake" has become so fashionable amongst the elite 'round these parts. I reckon that the (insert appropriate descriptor/adjective here) don't realize that a pond or lake entirely ringed with houses ain't much of a water feature. The phrase akin to defecating in one's own nest comes to mind.

Still, it is a body of water that is accessible and fun to paddle. Fish can be caught but I would eat no more than one serving per year from this polluted pond, if that.
On the next cruise we will have to remember the camera. One blue heron let me get within 10 feet of it as I drifted in the 380x.

The 380 Explorer was great as always. Tubby, wallowing, slow, stable and reliable just like her captain. As slow as the explorer and I are, we had no trouble tracking a couple of young canoeists who were paddling like renters. No knowledge of paddle strokes, just changing sides every other stroke or so. Sitting on the thwarts as well.

So how fast is the 380 on flat water? As fast as some dippy chick sitting up in a canoe and not knowing how to paddle, that's how fast.

Well, we have some pics of Derby Pond, hope to get them up tomorrow. One other thing, I am the only person I have seen on these five outings wearing a PFD. There have been a few drownings this year however.

Boating is great, kayaking is even better - but be smart, paddle safe.

Peace, Yo.

Captain's Blog - Maiden Voyage of the Walta Drummond

2008-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

My inflatable kayak arrived at my workplace on Tuesday March 6, 2008. Since it had only been ordered the previous Friday that seemed prompt enough.

The Sea Eagle Explorer 380 was made for whitewater, but this was not the plan. Here in Delaware we have so many places to paddle. Ponds, lakes, slow rivers, bays and the Atlantic. The Explorer 380 was chosen for it's capacity and versatility. Not ideal for the ocean or flatwater, but one could do much worse for either.

More can be spent on an inflatable, but finding a better one? My research indicated otherwise.

So that very afternoon a suitable type III PFD was obtained and the kayak was taken out to Derby Pond near Camden, Delaware. A small fifteen acre pond promised to be relatively free of fast moving craft and other annoyances.

Inflation and set up was a snap and all too soon the 380 was ready to launch. I had not been on the water in a small craft since before my right hip and knee were badly smashed in a motorcycle mishap. Nervous was a good way to describe my frame of mind.

Seeming to forget everything I knew about boarding small boats the kayak was plunked into the shallow off the bank and the skipper nervously contemplated a boarding strategy. Local fishermen are mostly friendly knowledgeable sorts and this worked well for the one man crew of the I.K. (inflatable kayak) Walta Drummond.

Such an angler expertly recognized that the fat guy in strange attire was about to make a big splash and scare some fish. Passing on a Utube opportunity of a lifetime the man ran over and stabilized the kayak while I boarded and gently gave me a few pointers on using the boat ramp that should have been unnecessary.

Sitting amidships, I paddled off into the pond. The first thing I noticed was that diamondback turtles sunning on a log were letting me get very close until the paddle moved. Geese were wary and seemed to enjoy making lot's O' noise whenever the craft broke their fifty meter bubble.

A grand swan had to be discouraged from boarding without permission. Squirrels on the bank seemed curious or oblivious as the case may be. This is an awesome wildlife watching platform.

Paddling is nothing like a good canoe, but with my smashed leg kneeling is out and sitting in a canoe is something we just won't do. Quickly the boat was teaching me how to respond to it's quirks and progress was decent. Not a racing shell, but a stable whitewater boat that can actually be made good use of on calm water.

The draft was amazing as well. This paddler weights 300 pounds, and I swear the I.K. sailed in waters not more than six inches deep. Measured with a dollar bill. The shallows where the bass boats could not run belonged to me.

A fishing license has been obtained, but some more time is needed before the crew of the Walta Drummond tries to walk and chew gum. On her third voyage we did carry a man formerly on the state's most wanted list around a larger pond so he could fish, but that's another tale. ( With a few photo's).

Till then, take good care.

Sea Eagle 380 Explorer Captain's log

2008-05-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I have posted. Still working with kettlebells and a little deadlifting. Not too much progress getting smaller, but clothes are looser and arms and chest starting to show hints of strength.

Now I have found a new exercise hobby. To wit: Paddling. Recently acquired a Sea Eagle 380 Explorer kayak. Full disclosure - this will be an affiliate site.

My motives are two-fold. While researching my purchase I came across some terse owner reviews and lots of sales and affiliate happy talk. Easy to find. Here is what they don't tell you in the happy talk world of direct and indirect sales:

BOATING IS DANGEROUS!!!! I have sailed everything from canoes and rafts to the U.S.S. Nimitz. All of it can lead to the early harvest of the unwitting, unwary, or sadly sometimes, the unlucky.

Canoes and Kayaks may well be the most dangerous type of recreational craft. Here in Delaware I am told that folks fall out of these more often than any other craft. On March 7. 2008 a 27 year old man died in one of our ponds less than one hundred feet from shore. No PFD (personal flotation device), no chance of survival.

So first things first - SAFETY FIRST! - there are boating safety courses offered for nominal cost or free, some online.

Here is the big one, wear a personal flotation device (life jacket, PFD). Our local authorities estimate that 80% of the drownings they investigate could have been mitigated by proper wearing of pfds'. This includes vests worn but not zipped up.

I wear mine whenever I am underway. I may unzip it and use only the strap if in less than one foot of water. Otherwise, on and on right. This blogger swims like a fish. Okay, a big fat fish, but I can swim. It don't mean nothing if the water is cold, and or you are exhausted/injured and/or all of the above.

Here endeth the lecture. The second motive is to see if I can generate some commissions to put towards all of the extras one simply can't live without when paddling about in their inflatable kayak.

The Sea Eagle 380 Explorer comes from a long tradition (36+ years) of quality inflatable boat building from the folks at SeaEagle.com
.

This inflatable kayak is described variously by various folk, my favorite was in a user review at paddling.net: "An inflatable kayak is really more like a canoe that you paddle like a kayak which handles like a raft" or words to that effect.

These boats are made for whitewater but many seem to use them on flat water. Now many ship with a "directional stabliizer" (skeg) for better tracking on flatwater. The stabilizer is neither required or desired on white water. For calm water many say don't leave home without it. I agree.

The 380 is 12'6" long, NMMA approved and rated for 750 pounds of crew and cargo. Sea Eagle does make more affordable craft, but your humble blogger is a whopping big bastard and the more affordable 330 and new 370 are better for those under 220 lbs. Also the explorer series are high pressure inflatables with better handling and durability.

I bought mine to paddle the ponds here in central and southern Delaware. The kayak arrived last tuesday (March 6, 2008) and as of today (March 12, 2008) has been under way four times. Three times I have been solo on Derby Pond near Camden and once with a passenger in Massey's Millpond near Smyrna.

Initial setup is frightfully easy. In addition to being mechanically stuck on stupid your blogger is overweight with a badly mangled right leg. We still managed to get the craft out of the boxes, assembled and inflated in about thirty minutes the first time. Subsequent time from parking car to under way has shrunk to about twenty minutes to unload boat, inflate, rig seats and paddle tethers, secure gear and launch.

Landing, deflating and stowing the craft takes about the same.

All Sea Eagle boats are affordable, and there is a model to fit nearly every budget. The warranty is strong and they have an unmatched 180 day trial period. This is my first inflatable, but it feels very right.

Flat water handling is not as good as a conventional canoe, but not bad at all and stability is good.

Tune in for some reports of outings and pics. Gotta run for now