Good morning to all-
Well, Fellers, down here on the Gulf Coast, my fall garden is looking good. Got collards, lots of broccoli, cauliflower planted and looking good. Very promising for late fall/winter harvest.

but this morning- bad news. those dread deer hoof marks in my garden. Nothing eaten yet, but that big old neighborhood doe knows what’s there now, so it won’t be long if I don’t do anything.
So I did something. I set my metal fence posts around t garden and used old worn-out fly line to make a barrier to my garden. then I tied on empty plastic Wal-Mart bags. for some reason, critters hate the sound and motion of plastic bags blowing in the wind. I do hope this will keep the deer out.

What do you fellers do to keep the deer out?

You all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good afternoon to all-

Fellers, I find your blizzard advice to be very helpful- I don’t expect to ever need to use this advice, but I have it now.

Down here when hurricanes come, it’s difficult. Each storm is different, and each storm does different things. Our most recent hurricane- two years ago Hurricane Sally- was not a particularly strong storm, but it just sat on us for two full days- rained hard, hard, hard and blew. We’re about 30 miles from the coast, but we still had plenty of 100+ mph winds for two days. when it rains like this down here, the ground- there’s nothing in the ground here but clay and sand- no rocks of any kind- gets saturated with rain and the trees don’t have anything to anchor them. So they come down. We lost several outbuildings, eight kayaks, lots of fishing gear, fencing and other stuff. Power was out for a week or so.
It was interesting to sit by a window and watch the neighbor’s roof blow away.
By the way, according to our enlightened law down here, when a storm hits, whatever damage happens to your house or property, it’s your loss. Even if the neighbor’s tree falls on your house, it’s your loss- the neighbor has no responsibility.
Just about the worst storm damage I’ve had to deal with- I was a teacher at a public school that was built over 100 years ago. A storm took the roof off the school and filled up my classroom with a couple of feet of water. After the storm left, the sun came out and it got hot, hot, not.
Fellers, you ain’t lived nor smelled until you get to smell 100 years of kids and everything they do in a classroom cooked up for a week or so in hot Gulf Coast sun.
It would gag a maggot, let me tell you.

Anyway, thanks for your information, and I hope we don’t have to deal with a storm, and I hope you don’t have to deal with a blizzard.

Ed

Good morning to all-

lindyrig79- Well, Brother, I fish the Gulf of Mexico fairly often, and I reckon that qualifies as big water.
I will admit that big, cold, deep freshwater makes me a bit uneasy. those freshwater waves build up quickly when it comes on to blow.
Tell me about the big water fishing up there- I’m interested.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Well, it has dried out a bit here on the Gulf Coast, so I’ve pulled weeds and tilled and have some space ready for fall potatoes. My broccoli plants are looking very good, so they’ll be going out in a week or so.
It’s a different gardening world down here compared to you fellers. We won’t get frost until some time after Christmas, and we’ll be past frost around Feb first or so. We don’t get much cold weather here- and I like it!
Our Satsuma trees- a kind of mandarin orange and our blood orange trees look good and the fruit is hanging heavy and getting bigger- about the size of baseballs now.
I’m cutting okra every day and we are getting all the sweet peppers we can eat. I don’t grow hot peppers- why grow something that we don’t use- ever.
We’ll pull and dig peanuts in just a little while.
And i do envy you Midwest fellers who can grow tomatoes. Maters just will not grow here- and that’s a terrible loss, in my opinion.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Stevenoak- I hope you’ll stay with Florida Sportsman- I do some work for them- they’re good folks who are working hard to present good information in an attractive format.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Well, Fellers, my favorite outdoor print magazines- the next one that writes me a check for an article I wrote…
Seriously, the print outdoor publication business is probably less than 25% of what it was even 25 years ago. Many, many print publications have been put out of business by online sources.
the thing about that- a lot of the stuff that gets put online- for outdoor sports and for life in general- would be good to put around your tomatoes in the garden to make them grow. There’s a lot of bad stuff put online before readers, and there’s no accountability on the part of the writer.
I like ALL print outdoor magazines.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Well, you Northern Fellers are sure making me feel jealous… I can’t grow tomatoes down here on the Gulf Coast- too hot, too humid, and every disease and bug known to man- and some that are not yet known- prosper down here and eat tomatoes just when they start to show color and get ripe.
I am growing some good sweet peppers, and I am going to slice a bunch up and grill them for supper tonight- a little olive oil, and little pepper on top, and when they start to wilt and get charred edges- take them in and eat them up fast.
But I surely would love to be able to grow my own tomaties again like I did up in the Midwest.
you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Good advice given to you so far. the Mustang brand is quite good. and do be sure and get a PFD up to your weight. A slow sink from a too small PFD is better than nothing, but being floated on top is a whole lot better.
And remember, in most states if you are using an inflatable PFD, you have to wear it at all times- can’t remove it like standard PFDs

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good evening to all-
Lord, fellers- and I thought those of us who live in the South took smoking and grilling seriously!
I enjoy reading your recipes, and I think I will learn something here. If I might make so bold as to provide one of my favorite smoking/grilling recipes for your consideration.

First, I use a Big Green Egg. I do expect this thing will work just fine on any smoker/grill that can be moderated in temperature. I usually smoke/grill the meat for four to five hours- temperature is set to about 250-275 degrees.- seems to work!

Here we go:
1. Get a cheap tough beef roast. If there’s a lot of marbelling- that’s good.
2. Put that cheap roast in a cast iron skillet that will fit on your grill and will allow the lid to close.
3. Get two cans of cheap beer. Pour one of the cans of beer over the roast so that the roast is sitting in a pool of beer. Drink the other can of beer- always makes things better.
4. slice an onion on top of the roast after applying pepper, salt of your choice, and any other seasoning which pleases you.
5. Tent a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the roast- you don’t want a tight seal
6. When the coals are going well, toss on your favorite smoking wood- I like pecan wood for beef- hickory for pork- but that’s just me.
9. Put the skillet on the grill and close the lid. Adjust the temp so it runs steady at 250 or so. then go drink another can of beer.
10. After an hour or so, check to make sure the beer in the skillet has not evaporated. If it’s getting low, add another can of beer- it’s important to keep the roast steaming in the beer and not get dry- it will burn, and that’s not good.
11. After about three hours, remove the foil so the meat can take a really nice crust and color.
12. when the roast tests out to 160 internally, it can be taken off. Let it sit in the beer and age a bit and cool. When cool enough to handle slice and serve on good bread with a horseradish sauce.

A cold can of beer goes very, very well with this grilled/smoked beef- just sayin’

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good evening to all-
Here on the Gulf Coast we sometimes have bad infestations of biting bugs on the water.
A lot of us use Skin So Soft- seems to help, Although if you come home from a fishing trip smelling like you’ve been visiting some ladies of negotiable affection from the smell lingering on you, it might take some explaining- just sayin’
Actually, I fish with a buddy and the bugs- no matter what kind- just eat him up, but they leave me alone. Don’t know why, but he’s a biting bug magnet. Lets me spend my time casting and not swatting, so I like fishing with him.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good evening to all-
Well, brother, there in the Spring River of north Arkansas I would be willing to bet that you’re seeing carp of some kind rolling. they do that sort of thing, and I can’t think of anything else that fits your description.
There are loads of trout in that flow, and even some quite good walleyes.
I’m betting on carp that you see.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Howdy Fellers-
I do enjoy reading about the gardening activities of you folks up north.
Down here on the Gulf Coast, we’re in the middle of our gardening “dead Zone”.
Mid summer down here limits us to peppers, okra, peanuts, and some oriental veggies that can take the heat and humidity.
Our green beans are long gone, the only taters we have left I am saving to serve as a fall planting for winter digging, and salad greens- forget it- they’re all gone.
We can’t grow tomatoes down here at all. Too humid, and the nights are too warm for them to set fruit much.
But…
I’ve got my first brocolli plants started and doing well for planting out toward the end of September. We grow lots more veggies here in the fall/winter than we do in summer. We’ll get salad greens in October until frost- which most years is some time after New Years. Fall taters will be dug around thanksgiving most years. Also, our satsuma trees- these are a variety of mandarin orange, will give us baskets and baskets of ripe, sweet oranges for eating making the best orange juice that ever was from Thanksgiving until we eat them all or get sick of messing with them..
I really do like hearing from you all about your garden growing.

you all keep well and be safe- Ed

Good evening to all-
Bill- I think you will enjoy your kayak fishing- I have for the past thirty years or so.
You are absolutely correct in planning to wear a PFD when kayak fishing. No matter what kayak you choose, that PFD needs to worn every time. I would like to recommend one of the many inflatable PFDs- once you have one on and fitted right, you’ll forget you have a PFD on. Regular non-inflatable PFDs have gotten much more comfortable lately, so get one that fits and is good to wear- and wear it!
I would recommend you look at a 12 foot long kayak for most fishing applications.Shorter kayaks are good for small, protected waters, but that extra length makes for a faster, better ride. There are hundreds of very good fishing kayaks in the 12 foot length- I’d try to see if I could get try-out rides in as many as possible. Many kayak shops offer on the water try outs for potential buyers.For serious fishing, I would say that sit on top kayaks are better. They offer better visibility for the angler, and the storage space is more often better arranged for fishing. Pedal powered kayaks are superb for fishing- especially in big water or strong currents, but you’ll pay quite a bit more for a pedal kayak over a paddle boat.
Perhaps the most important part of choosing a fishing kayak- the seat. Your backside is going to be in or on that kayak for hours at a time, and a bad seat makes the time a misery. Modern fishing kayaks have great, elevated, well made seats that make fishing a pleasure. Again, try a bunch of them out and see what fits you best.
The fishing gear you have on hand now will work. You really don’t need any sort of special “kayak rod and reel”.
Finally, I would recommend that you look at a used kayak for your first fishing kayak. Lots of times these used kayaks come with added-on gear and bells and whistles that you won’t have to buy. And you should be able to find a used kayak for fishing at a very reasonable price.
I hope this helps- looking at kayaks for sale at the end of summer is a good time- folks who want to buy that next year’s new model will be looking to sell their old boats at a low price.
Let me know if I can be of more help to you.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good afternoon to all-
Brother, thank you for the referral. I would be proud to talk with the owner about such a trip. Can you put him in touch with me?

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Well, fellers and fellets-
I was going through my photo files looking for some Smoky Mountain trout photos for an article I’m working on, and I found this photo- I haven’t seen this shot for a while- almost forgot about it.
This is my best redfish- got her a couple of years ago over in Louisiana. she went something over 40 pounds.

good fight, it was.

You all be safe and keep well- Ed

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Stevenoak- I reckon as long as you fellers can stand to have me around, I’ll be here.
I have to warn you about winter down here. It can be rough, Last winter, we got down to about 28 degrees a couple of nights, and five years ago, it snowed! I’ve got photos of the snow which piled up on my orange trees- oranges look funny with snow on them, I’ll tell you. Of course, as soon as the sun came up, the snow melted and it was 70 degrees the next day.
It takes about 8 or 9 hours to get down here on the coast from St. Louis- depending on the traffic and fools in Memphis, so you could figure out a driving time from your location.
Truly, winter is pretty soft down here, and the fishing is quite good. I’d be proud to tell you fellers about it and even offer some advice for guides and places to stay.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good afternoon to all-
Rodwork- Lord, Brother, that’s a hard one to answer. For little baby rat reds in small creeks and canals, a standard freshwater spinning rig- with 10 to 12 pound test line will work fine. for slot reds- say 5 to 8 pounders, a heavier medium weight spinning rig with 20 pound line is good. for the big old bull reds, you’ll want a heavy as you can get spinning rig with 30 pound line. The same general line and rod actions will work for level wind gear, too.
For fly fishing, I like a 7 or 8 weight rod for most reds, but when I go after the big old good ones, I use my 10 or 12 weight fly rigs. For all fly rigs, you’ll want a good bit of backing line on the reel- a five pound red will run the whole fly line out in just a little bit when hooked- you need that backing line.
You generally won’t need fluorocarbon leaders with reds- they’re not leader shy at all. Many anglers in cloudy water use just straight braid to their lure or bait- no leader at all.

Rigging for reds is not hard, and if you’ve rigged too light for the fish, you’ll know it in just a moment after the fish is hooked.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good afternoon to all- Fellers, I just posted a very short article in the “articles” subsections. I wanted to tell you all a little about the fishing down here on the gulf Coast. If you get a second, give it a look-see. you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Good morning to all-
Brother, it ain’t hard to transport a kayak- even a big old good one like you have.
I’ve car-topped and truck hauled kayaks from here in ‘Bama to Arizona and down to the Keys. It’s important to have either a good, solid cartop rack or a good solid placement in a pickup bed. Good tie downs are crucial.
Even heavier kayaks can be carefully lifted to ride in car top carries- I’ve done it, and with some work and study beforehand, it’s not too bad.
That’s a good thing about having a fishing kayak- it doesn’t have to be “here” or “”there”- it can be taken to both places.
I like your photo work, too.

good day to all- Ed

Good morning to all- I hope you fellers won’t mind a new goy posting a photo- but I want to try and see if I can get one to load to share with you all.

This redfish came from Biloxi Marsh which is in Louisiana. these fish are a whole lot of fun to catch, but especially from a kayak.

Let’s see if this works- you all be safe and keep well- Ed

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Good morning to all-
Yep, I kayak fish quite a lot. I write a monthly Kayak Fishing column for a major gulf coast magazine- Great Days Outdoors, and I’ve done a few books on kayak fishing.
I’ve fished from a kayak in tiny little backwaters and way the hell and gone out in the open Gulf of Mexico for big red snapper.
Kayaks can be just about the best fishing boats- as long sas you keep their limitations in mind.
Up until Hurrricane Sally a couple of years ago, I had a bunch of different kayaks, but that storms put a huge sweet gum tree down on my boathouse and my neatly stacked, properly stored rack of kayaks was crushed into splinters. A bad day that was, Brothers.
My favortie fish from a kayak is redfish, and you just ain’t lived until you’ve hooked a 25 pound redfish and it tows you around for a while.

you all be safe and keep wll- Ed

Stevenoak- good morning to you-

Gulf shores is about 20 miles south of me- I live up north Of I-10, but I spend a lot of time down on the coast fishing- there’s some fine fish to be caught down there. Good to meet you-
Ed