Fishing Guide

There are several elements that go into creating the ideal charter fishing experience. The most important of these elements are not within the control of the charter service, captain, or the customers:

THE WEATHER: By weather, I am not just talking about rain, hail, sleet, snow, fog and other forms of precipitation. I’m talking about wind, and its effect on the water. Depending on the boat, the size of the waves will determine if and how far out you can go. This is actually one of the huge advantages of hiring a charter - an experienced captain will save the whole group a lot of grief by knowing when NOT to depart, or setting the proper expectations for the most probable outcome of the trip.

THE FISH: Another element that is not in the control of the participants is the condition and location of THE FISH. This is part of the charm and allure of fishing, but it can lead to disappointment, frustration and perceptions of incompetence. Again, an experienced captain can do much to set expectations based on weather, time of day, and permitted types of fish most likely to bite for the conditions, but ultimately you must realize it’s the fish that control this part of the equation, and have been known at times to be somewhat unreliable.

Now, on to variables we can control, and the more you know about them, the better decision you can make about your prospective captain and accommodations.

THE BOAT: This is more than a hull displacing enough water to keep you from swimming. The size, power and hull design of the boat combine to determine the limits of the trip. For example, a 32 ft Sport Fisher will carry 6 guests, will cruise at about 20 MPH, and often cannot proceed because the sea conditions seem to frequently exceed its capabilities by 1-2 feet. That means the happy party met at the dock for no good reason. Contrast this with a 27-ft Catamaran, which can also carry up to 6 guests, cruises at about 35 MPH, and slices comfortably and safely through much heavier seas than the standard “V” hull craft can handle. The huge bonus here is the speed - you spend much less time shuttling out to and back from the fishing spots, and much more time actually fishing. If you look at this whole proposition in terms of fishing time per charter dollar spent, you quickly realize that for twice the fishing time, the type of boat makes all the difference. One other advantage - on those days when it is just not possible to get offshore, the shallow draft of the catamaran gives you the opportunity to fish in the bay system. A word about safety - again the newer catamarans have all the advantages with unsinkable foam-filled hulls and twin outboard motor redundancy - much safer than the bigger inboard boats that try to convince people that size equals safety (which can sink in seconds), and much safer than the boats with inboard gasoline engines that have earned a bad safety reputation for blowing up.

THE CAPTAIN: Experience, intelligence, personality and certification are the keys to success. It’s difficult for you to assess a potential captain’s experience and intelligence, but you can get some clues. Have him talk to you about trips he has cancelled and why. Have him talk to you about the kinds of fishing locations he will be taking you to. Ask him how many years he has been doing this. With these simple questions, you can get a pretty good idea about experience and horse sense, and you will have talked with him enough to find out if his personality is the kind that will knit a group together for a good time. You will also ask about Coast Guard certification, which is required of any charter captain.

Now I’ll rate some of the other amenities:

AIR CONDITIONING: While we are all used to this convenience, in practical terms, it is pretty useless in the fishing charter context. First, you are on the water, and there will usually be a breeze. It’s a lot more tolerable than being on the land. Second, you can only air condition a closed space, and closed spaces generally make people sick in an ocean environment, no matter how cool they are. Also, most air conditioned areas of fishing boats don’t give you a view. You have to ask yourself why you wanted to go on this trip, and then decide if this is really important to you.

SHADE: This is important, even if you bring SPF 3000 sunscreen and wear a hat, you need a place to get out of direct sunlight.

TOILET (Head) - Unless this is a total frat party, this is usually a good idea.

Things you need to be aware of:

SIZE OF PARTY: Generally, more intimate groups have more fun than larger groups. Think about it: You stay more connected to a smaller crowd, and the captain has more of his personal time to share with fewer people.

CAPACITY: This is usually expressed in terms of “average sized people”. Weight is of primary importance for the comfort and safety of everyone, especially on the smaller boats. If the people in your party are exceptionally husky, you might want to drop the count by one. Consult with the captain if you have any concerns. NOTE: Often, you’ll see the boat rated by the manufacturer for 10 people, but the limit imposed by Coast Guard regulations on the same boat for charters may be 6.

WHAT’S INCLUDED? - Usually everything needed to fish is included - rods, reels, bait, ice chest (for fish), instruction (if you want/need it).

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED? - food, drinks, fish cleaning (often offered as an extra option for “tips”).

REFUND POLICY: You need to know what this consists of, because of the uncontrollable variables listed above. If you are happy to keep the outing going when seas are too rough to go offshore, and you want to be able to convert to bay fishing, make sure that’s an option.

DEPOSIT: Most fishing charters will require a non-refundable deposit of some kind, because the company or captain has already committed resources to you that have to be taken off the market. This is a part of the deal. You need to get comfortable with it.

GRATUITIES: Your captain will provide you with the best time he knows how to deliver. If you think he did a good job, an appropriate tip is customary and is always appreciated.

I hope this outline of what goes into a successful fishing charter trip has been of some use and interest to you.

Kent Walters is loosely affiliated (as a customer) with Captain Anthony’s Fishing Charters in Freeport, TX, a fishing charter service that has been in operation in the Freeport/Galveston area for over 7 years. Captain Anthony Blewitt hails originally from England, and has a delightful “Crocodile Dundee” style of relaxed competence - Coast Guard certified and passionate about fishing. If you are in his area, there’s no need to look any further. If you are not in his area, look over his website, and look for someone playing the same general tune.

See http://www.freeportfishingcharters.com. For additional resources, articles and a web directory, see http://www.fishingcharterinfo.com

Over the past few months, several investment professionals have brought up the topic of the down-and-out company of the day and whether to buy now as a speculation. Last year, K-Mart was the big news, and everyone wanted to know whether this was a good stock play. Today the news is focused on WorldCom and its downfall. Thus, some people are pondering this stock for quick profit potential.

Here’s the scoop: Don’t buy WorldCom.

I know! It’s impossible for MCI to disappear: they’re too big, they’re too popular, their service is excellent, etc. That’s the good news that everyone is talking about. But there’s another side a darker side to the story. The company filed for bankruptcy because of their massive debt load, not just because of accounting failures. The accounting failures probably only came to light as a result of the company’s lack of funds.

In the end, it will be the same story as K-Mart. It won’t matter whether K-Mart or MCI survive, the shareholders will not. If the business survives still debatable in K-Mart’s case, but more likely in MCI’s business ownership will be transferred to the bondholders and other creditors by law. This is what bankruptcy courts do. Shareholders get nothing. If you want to gamble on MCI/WorldCom, you might consider their bonds rather than their stocks, although that option may not be great either.

So, is it pointless to look at “down-and-out” stocks as quick turnaround opportunities? Well, we may avoid the “down-and-out”, and instead just invest in the “down-and-uncertain”. These can be awesome opportunities, but be aware that the risks are sometimes high among these downtrodden firms.

Here is a list of 25 of these beaten down stocks which today sell for under $5. Some are well-known businesses, other names are less commonly known. Some are dot.coms suffering from the fallout of that moniker, while some languish in other areas of high tech. The energy market has taken more than its share of hits since Enron’s collapse, and that industry is well represented on the list. Telecom, still reeling from WorldCom’s collapse, is also present. For variety, the list includes everything from media to education, from international trade financing to pencil-graphite production.

If you’re convinced that buying the beaten down is the best way to make money, this should provide you vastly better choices than K-Mart or WorldCom. Anything on this list is better than those two doomed stocks. While a few are pending investigation (*starred), most have fallen simply because of the whims of the market. Some are even maintaining profits in this tough environment.

With the market in the doldrums, out-of-favor companies sometimes fall more than would be rational. As a result, you might find great buys in stocks like this. But in this market, there are great buys everywhere. The question is when to buy.

Market timing is not necessarily wise, but when the market is falling as harshly as it has been, one can afford to wait until the stock is so low that you are virtually certain it can’t go lower. Some of these stocks have reached that level.

To send comments or to learn more about Scott Pearson’s Investment Advisor Services, visit http://www.valueview.net

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide variety of clients. His own newsletter, Investor’s Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally, and in the U.S.

What are the bass fishing secrets? Oxygen availability, spawning place and food are the factors for making the bass thrive in water.

Being very strong fighters, bass are very difficult to catch and bash fishing has become one of the most popular recreation sports.

Bass fish are found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, streams or in ponds. When hooked, largemouth bass resist fiercely. Largemouth bass are also very big in size. Small mouth bass known to fight on the surface and jump in order to throw the hook.

Bass-fishing method includes a standard bait, spinning or casting gear with live bait or artificial lures. Using fly-fishing to catch smallmouth has become very popular in the recent years.
According to a survey done among the profession bass fisherman, the top 3 lures for catching bass are plastic worm is the most popular followed by spinner bait and crank bait.
Bass fish secrets includes various different methods, which are explained below:

Locate an underwater spot or well-structured area most hospitable to bass.

Find out from lake managers or rangers about underwater trees or shelters of rock, which are man made.

Since bass are known to prefer minnows and they nest in sandy spots, try to locate large schools of baitfish in sheltered areas, which are close to shore, and in coves.

Schedule your time of fishing to coincide with the feeding time of basses - late evening or early morning.

When fishing for bass in mossy or weedy area use weedless hook setup while working down the weeds.
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Top-water lure with sizeable movement are known to attract the bass particularly during heavy feeding time.

When bass are located note down the exact location immediately because bass are known to feed in the same area repeatedly.

To make bass tear up the bait, use baits which are soft, and have natural colouring such as zoom lizard. Position yourself below the canopy of tree and against the shorelines. Bass tend to think that the food is falling down from the trees and go for it.

Use Senko worms of 4 inches length and preferably matching the colour of the weeds and the water. Bass loves this bait. From the above Bass Fishing Secrets select one which you find appropriate to your fishing location.

Check out Bass Fishing Secrets for the best available bass fishing info on the web.