A Quarter Century of Sobriety

26 years and 2 days ago my Mom passed away. Hard to believe its been so long ago. Probably still why I don't like April Fools Day ...

25 years ago today I walked into the Heartview Foundation Rehab facility in Mandan, ND and have not used alcohol or drugs since that day. My Mom's death had much to do with that. Well, not her death really; more her life leading up to the day she died. Mom had her issues with substance abuse too. Bourbon and pain killers, often at the same time, kept things "interesting" to say the least during my formative years. I distinctly remember saying to myself that I'd never "be like her".  But in reality, the fruit didn't fall far from that tree .... not far at all.

When she died, she was 50 years old and about 8 months sober. That was the longest I can remember her ever being drug and alcohol free. It was different. Although she had been through rehab a couple times before, it didn't stick. But this time she looked different, sounded different and talked different. This time it seemed it was  finally going to be behind her. Then in a flash, she got sick and died.

Going through her things after she passed I found her Big Book of AA as well as other books from her days in rehab. Inspirational reading material is very common in the "treatment process". Books full of daily readings meant to keep you thinking about why it is you want to get sober and what its going to take to stay there. I knew by this time that I needed help, I just wasn't 100% sure what kind of help I needed. The passages I read in these books really affected me. The more I read them, the more I felt that this might be the answer I was looking for to "fix" my own life.

So, one year following Mom's death I found myself in the Heartview facility talking with an addiction counselor and being told that I was an addict and that if I was ready to quit using, they were there to help and show me how. At that point it was actually a relief, mostly because I was half sure they were going to tell me I was not an addict, I was just crazy. Long story shortened, they did help me sober up ... they couldn't do anything about the "crazy" part of me except to teach me how to embrace it and call it my own. 

I could probably write a book on all the reasons I thought I was justified in turning to drugs and alcohol to get from one day to the next, but to be brutally honest, it would be a pretty boring book. Every addict has a tote full of rationalities to justify their indulgences and I was no different. "Mom drank; Mom shot up pain killers; Mom embarrassed me; Dad's not in my life; I'm different; I don't fit in; I'm not good enough." The reasons are never-ending and mostly irrational, but the bottom line is I was an addict with a disease; still am, although now I simply choose to treat my disease, not practice my indulgences, and live with what life has dealt me the best I can, sober and with the help of my Higher Power, my friends and my family.

It's 25 years later now. I'm still straight and sober. I don't really even think about it much anymore except when the 3rd of April rolls around. I don't miss drinking alcohol, smoking pot or eating mushrooms. I don't miss popping pills to stay up, then popping more pills to come down. I don't miss snorting, toking, slugging or huffing. I'm glad I don't use anymore. I'm still crazy from time to time ... but the only excuse I need these days is "just cuz that's me" ...

Mom, I know you weren't happy about leaving us so early in life. I also know you left those books right where you figured I'd find 'em. Thanks Mom ... I needed that. But then you always knew what I needed.

Building My Favorite Popper for Bass Fishing

I LOVE fishing topwater lures for bass! There's simply few angling experiences more thrilling than the surface explosion of a fish taking a bait as you watch it happen before your eyes. And while there are about as many types of topwater lures as there are ... well, let's just say there's a lot ... I find few are as versatile and effective as a popper.

But as a self-proclaimed "Tackle Tinkerer", I've never found a "perfect popper" right out of the package. For my money, it takes a few modifications to make the Perfect Popper, and it starts with the right lure, a Storm Rattlin' Chug Bug. I like these because they have a more subtle pop than most other poppers, and with the right modification and a little practice, you can "walk the dog" with this bait adding to it's deadliness.

Step #1: Change out the factory hooks for more premium hooks - I use Mustad Triple Grips, including a Mustad Dressed Triple Grip Treble on the rear. (I like a red hook on the front - just personal preference). The feathers of the Mustad Dressed Treble give a much more seductive action than the stiff and flashy dressing that comes on the factory rear hook.

Step #2: I add an oblong split ring for a line tie. I just find this to be an easy and effective way to ensure the best action when working the lure. The oblong split ring also makes it tougher for the line to get caught in the wire of the ring when fishing, lessening the chances of break-offs from line wear. This style of split ring is a little tough to find, but well worth the effort.

Step #3: The final step may well be the most important one, at least as far as making this lure "dance" like no other. I add a Storm SuspenStrip to the belly of the lure near the rear. The SuspenStrip is a small (1" x 1/4") self-adhesive strip of lead tape. The added weight makes the lure sit "tail down" when at rest. It's my opinion that this position combined with the action of the feather tail helps trigger more bites when the lure is at rest between pops, as well as making it easier to "walk" the bait on a steadier "stop & go" retrieve.

 There may not be any "Secret Weapon Lure" when it comes to bass fishing, but in my experience, a well fished popper that has been modified to get the optimum action and attraction is tough to beat. Give it a try on your favorite bass water this season and let me know how it works for ya.

Label Me “OCD” - Organized, Compartmentalized and Departmentalized

I don’t know what it is about being organized that can make one the target of ridicule and side-ways looks, but I’m living proof that it happens. For what ever reason; being organized these days, especially if you’re an angler, gets you some odd looks and remarks from fellow lure chunkers. I admit, I may take it to extremes now and then, but being organized when it comes to my fishing tackle helps me when I get that all-to-precious time on the water.

Some folks’ idea of “being organized” may be a bit different than mine, but I guess it’s all in what works for you. I know one prominent angler (whose name I won’t mention here, but many who know him can guess the identity), would consider himself organized because he can walk into his garage and in a relatively short time of digging through boxes and moving a few things around (lawn mower, bait buckets, landing nets, and more boxes), can find just the lure he is looking for to take on his next fishing trip. Me on the other hand; all I need to do is walk into my “fishing room” and look for the appropriately label box or container to find what I’m looking for. Whose better organized? I suppose it’s all a matter of preference.

Two things are essential to be a more organized angler, time and a good label maker. Time is always the hard one. We all lead such busy lives these days, it’s a wonder we find time to go fishing at all. For this reason, most of my “organizing” takes place over the winter months when I simply have more time for such pursuits. My personal organization is what I refer to as OCD … no, not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but rather Organize, Compartmentalize, and Departmentalize. Being both a multi-species angler and a hopelessly insatiable collector of fishing tackle, I find this system works well for me.

Departmentalization is the process of categorizing my baits and tackle for particular species. I have tackle boxes designated for walleye, pike & muskie, bass, catfish, trout & salmon (stream and Great Lakes separately) and then panfish. Anything that doesn’t fit into those “departments” goes into the “Miscellaneous Tackle” department. For those baits that might be used for more than one species, I try to get duplicates so I don’t have to “cross-departmentalize”, or transfer from one box to another.

Compartmentalizing is taking the various lure categories for each species and organizing the various lures in individual boxes or tackle bags. For instance, I have a large bag designated for walleye crankbaits. In that bag I have several boxes labeled for the type of cranks in each box; Medium Diving Cranks, Deep Divers, Rogues, Hot'N Tots, and so on. Soft plastics, spinners and bait rigging essentials I compartmentalize in binder bags, then those all get put in separate bags.

I use the same basic system when it comes to rod and reels as well as fishing line. Most of my rod and reel combos are stored vertically in my home-made rod rack. I try to keep rods designated for specific species and techniques stored together making it easy to find just the right outfits to load in the boat once I’ve determined what the target will be for that fishing trip. Since the ceiling in my basement fishing room is a bit on the low side, rods longer than 7 and a half feet long are stored horizontally in a rack mounted to the ceiling. Fishing line is hung on pegboard for easy access, with any surplus supply stored in a large plastic bin kept under the workbench.

The Organizing is done primarily during the off season when all the boxes are gone through, inventoried and then stored on shelves (designated by species and lure type) in the “fishing room”. When it comes time to go fishing again, I simply read the labels on the boxes and binders, load up what I need in the right tackle bag, and off I go.

The label maker I use prints out nice white labels with black lettering which are easy to read, don’t smear when wet and stay on through just about anything. I know others use a permanent marker to accomplish the same thing, but in my experience, marker eventually fades, and it’s tougher to “re-label” a box in the event I need to.

I understand that my system is not ideal for all anglers. Most of the dyed-in-the-wool muskie anglers I know get by just fine with a less orderly approach; just put a bunch of favorite lures in a tackle box and head for the water. But if you’re a multi-species angler with a larger-than-average collection of fish-catching trinkets, this is a great way to keep everything organized and easily identified.

Lessons for January Golf in Wisconsin

It started innocently enough; with an email news bulletin from one of the several golf course mailing lists I subscribe to. A 9-hole course just south of town, Sherwood Forest Golf Club, was letting their faithful know they were re-opening the course in light of recent unseasonably warm and snow-less weather and offering $10 unlimited golf for those brave (or crazy) enough to hit the links. The thought intrigued me. The thermometer was to nudge 34 degrees by mid-day, and with a blustery 15 mph wind, that would put wind chills in the mid 20's or so. OK, not the most comfortable weather I've played golf in, but as long as I was dressed for it, I should be fine. Besides, the sun would feel nice anyway.

So I pulled the clubs out of the basement and readied everything for the golf course. Even in the driveway as I was loading up, the breeze against my face had me second guessing my decision, but I continued undeterred. I learned many years ago, layering is the secret to outdoors comfort in winter, and for this outing I layered up just right; A heavy long-sleeved tee and insulated sweat pants, an insulated vest, and a heavy wind-shirt. A light weight stocking cap and a pair of light gloves (to wear when not swinging the club), warm socks, my water-proof Footjoys and I was set.

As I pulled into the course parking lot, I was relieved to see there was at least one other truck in the lot - proving I was not the only idiot out to play golf today. The club house was closed for the season, but there was a drop-box at the door, so I dropped in my ten-spot, loaded my golf bag onto my push cart and headed for the first tee box.

Even though I had not swung a club since Thanksgiving weekend, the first couple holes went really well and I was pleasantly surprised with how I was hitting the ball, especially with the driver. I ended up playing a round and a half and overall the afternoon went great. My first experience at playing winter golf was a fun one; I even ended the day with a Birdie!! It did however come with some very important lessons that I would like to pass along here.

Things to consider when playing winter golf in Wisconsin (or other cold climate locales):

• Consider adding a small portable drill to your list of golf accessories, with a drill bit the same size as your tees. Wooden tees are VERY difficult to push into Frozen Tundra!! Pre-drilling a hole could prove helpful.
  
• Frozen fairways are GREAT for improving your "distance off the tee" stats!! Hit the ball with a low-driving trajectory and the ball with run forever!!
• Skipping the ball across frozen water hazards is considered a good play!
  
• When hitting approach shots to frozen greens, take a club less than usual and play the ball to bounce and run up on the green. It doesn't matter how high you hit it or how much spin you put on a shot, the ball will not stop on the green the way it does in summer, but rather will react as if you are trying to land it on an ice rink ...
• While approach shots roll forever across the frozen greens, putts are very slow by comparison. The grass on the greens is much longer than normal and they tend to play like you are putting on frozen shag carpet.
• Don't worry about pulling the pin out before putting. You'll find most of them are frozen in place anyway.
• And the biggest lesson I learned .... Winter golf will do nothing for you if you're looking to improve your game, but it can work wonders on a case of "Cabin Fever"!! Fun is the name-of-the-game here ... period!

This winter has been an unseasonably warm one here in NE Wisconsin, and we are WAY behind in our yearly snowfall totals. I'm absolutely sure Mother Nature will get it in gear pretty soon and dump on us Big-Time, but as long as they keep the course open, I think I will keep trudging around out there chasing that damn little white ball .... at least until I loose it in a snow bank anyway.