Friday, March 18, 2016

Final Post

Hello Folks,

Yes, it has been several months since my last post and I'm sorry for just letting you hang.

But I have been keeping track of my fishing buddies on Facebook and they are actively fishing on the Susquehanna River and catching nice size early-Spring smallmouth bass.

As you can tell, I have loved writing "Fishing With Dad" over the years. This, however, will be my last post.

God bless!

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Received MRI Copy Disc Today - November 3, 2015

Hello Folks,

I was able to take a trike ride this past week before I went into the health campus to get my MRI on Friday evening. I received the MRI copy today but have yet to hear from Dr. Marotti's office regarding what the plan is as a follow-up to this MRI.

I will continue to keep you updated as I hear more news.

Take Care and Stay Safe,
Dad

p.s. I picked up a "Nutcase Helmet" in Black Matte (L) off of Amazon, a pair of warm bicycle ear muffs from Nutcase, and a bicycle tool kit. I had an Alien II bicycle tool kit when I bought my SUN bicycle, but I must have forgotten to remove it from my bike or carrying case when I sold it (Dang!)... The one I just bought off of Amazon was retailed priced at $50.00 and I picked it up on a great sale for only $10.00... The reduced price took a bit of the sting out of not finding my last tool kit.

I also got into the "Susquehanna Fishing Tackle" shop yesterday and picked up two "Chatter Baits (Elites)" and some "Innovations - Little Dipper" trailers with the $25 Christmas (2014) gift certificate from my middle brother, Jim.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Upcoming Spinal MRI

Hello Folks,

It has been over a month since I last wrote to "Fishing With Dad". I have been trying to exercise the best I can with my Catrike Villager Trike on the river trails along the Susquehanna River. I last rode this past Wednesday on the Northwest Trail from the Riverfront Park Boat Launch off of Rt. 441 to Decateur Street, Marietta, Pa. The round trip took about 5.5 miles in just under an hour. Afterward, I was extremely sore in my left replaced knee and I developed an acute sciatic back pain on my drive home that ran down into my right leg... "Enough is Enough!"

I arranged an appointment with my spinal surgeon, Dr. Louis Marotti. Dr. Marotti did the fusion on my L5(6)S1 back in 2013. I had instant relief and was pleased with the work that he had done. Over the past few months, thing have deteriorated. So this past Friday, I visited with Dr. Marotti and he arranged for an update MRI (with and without contrast) for my lower lumbar at the MRI Group on the Lancaster General Health Pavilion/Campus. This will take place on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. I have to be there by 6:30 p.m. to complete my paperwork. an MRI usually takes about 40 - 45 minutes long.

I want to thank all my fishing buddies for all they have personally done for me over the past years. But I truly think my days of fishing are over...

I will keep "Fishing With Dad" updated on my MRI results and what the good doctor wants to do as a follow-up to the MRI. He mentioned possibly more physical therapy or epidural spinal injections. If my spine has deteriorated above and /or below the fusion site, he may want to increase the fusion... I trust his opinion and hope for the best results. 

Take Care and Be Safe,
Dad

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

"Ride With Mike"... September 12, 2015

Hello Folks,

As you have noticed, my fishing days have dropped significantly since I sold my G3 1860 DLX with the Yamaha 115/80 mod-V boat this past March. Since then, I have picked up my physical activity by peddling my recumbent Catrike trike. I have been riding on the Susquehanna River Trail at the Enola Low Grade Trail and the Northwest Trail between Marietta and Bainbridge, Pa.

On Saturday, September 12, 2015, a group of us peddled (bicycles and trikes) from Rohrerstown, Pa. to the Lancaster (Pa.) Square... a 7.2 mile round-trip. We left from the "Recumbent Cycles of Lancaster" at 10:00 a.m. and returned by noon. We had a registration period in the morning and food available for us upon our return... Thanks to Scott Barrows and his wife for setting this up this ride.

It was the first time I peddled my trike on the city streets. The river trail doesn't have many grades to it, but city streets do. I started the ride towards the front and ended by in the rear... LOL! I basically peddle with my strong right leg and my replaced knee leg (left) follows along. I am peddling with one leg... Not bad for a 60 year old kid. :)

Mike King was involved in a motorcycle accident over thirty years ago and after recovery, he pushed his wheelchair from Fairbanks, Alaska to Washington, D.C. During his ride, he passed through the city of Lancaster along the route that we took during our recent ride... This was the "30th Anniversary" of his ride...

We are currently doing a "Virtual Ride" following Mike's route from Fairbanks, Alaska to Washington, D.C. and back... A donor recently stepped in and offered a $1.00 per mile for our return trip up to $5,000... What a nice move on their part. We have already passed by Chicago on our return back to Fairbanks.

Things have been rather difficult on me this past summer... I am doing my best to stay positive as I continue to stay healthy despite all that I am dealing with physically. I recently was offered to participate in a study involving N.A.S.H. Cirrhosis at the Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Md. but I decided against it because of the amount of time involved and it is a blind study. Which means that I could put a year's worth of time into the study without ever receiving the medication intended to improve my condition... It wasn't an easy decision, but I feel I made the correct one for me and my family.

Take care and Be Safe!
Dad   

Sunday, August 30, 2015

John Williams - UHMW Poly Bottoms

Hello Folks...

I have a very good fishing friend, John Williams, who has started out in a new adventure. He is now placing UHMW Bottoms onto custom and stock boats... Please view my past blog entry (Monday, April 20, 2015) and you will see the excellent work that John does.

Anyone interested in contacting John regarding a UHMW poly bottom being placed on your jet rig, please contact John Williams at:

runthechute@juno.com

I am sure that John would be pleased to give you all the information you need regarding UHMW and your particular boat...

Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad

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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Fishing with Josh Kreider on the Susquehanna River 08/23/15

Hello Folks,

I have fished only twice since my last report. A few weeks ago, I took a very short trip with my good buddy, Dell Jackson. We launched from the Columbia ramp when the river was reading only 3.8' at the Harrisburg, Pa. gauge. Under these conditions, the water level at Columbia is low over the ledges and we scraped a few times when we went south over the main  ledge into the rock garden.

The wind was blowing rather hard from the northwest and, along with the current, made it a bit difficult to see and run his trolling motor... The TM was toast after about half hour! We caught two smallmouth bass in less than thirty minutes and I felt had we been able to keep his trolling motor running, we may have had a pretty decent evening of fishing.

When the trolling motor dies on us, we headed back to the Columbia docks and checked out the 24 volt system's batteries. We found that one of the positive terminals was loose. This may have been the reason we lost power so quickly... It was tight enough to run, but the charge may not have been good from the night before... Oh well, we'll get 'em the next time, Dell.

This past Sunday, I met up with Josh at his home at 4:30 a.m. and we headed to the Mt. Joy Diner for an early breakfast... Cream Chip Beef with homefries taste awful good at that time of the morning! After breakfast, we headed up river and launched just below Harrisburg, Pa. The water temp was in the 70s and the air temperature was brisk 58 degrees... What a Beautiful Morning!

I caught a quick bass on a Black Neon colored tube and then Josh took over with several on his green pumpkin Chatterbait and trailer. The Chatterbait was the ticket... Even I caught one on a borrowed Chatterbait from Josh. I only had a white Chatterbait and the fish seemed to be attracted to green pumpkin... Slow rolled on the bottom.

I had tossed Chatterbaits for largemouth several years ago, but this was my first smallmouth bass on a Chatterbait. I was slow rolling it back to the boat and as I was winding my line up to the boat, I hesitated to talk with Josh. At the moment of stop and go, a bass was triggered to hit my lure.

We also tried some topwaters without success... A Sammy and a Buzzbait. Josh also tossed a plastic stickbait without a hit.  We both tossed spinnerbaits, too.

Overall, it was a slow day and we probably only caught about twelve bass in six hours we were on the water.

Steve Halbleib and his partner were fishing further south than we were and had a slightly better day than we had by tossing spinnerbaits... I know there was one point in the day that Josh told me that Steve had contacted him and said he had about fourteen fish by himself... Good job, guys!

The river level at Harrisburg was 3.85' and the water was stained from the rain we had a few days earlier. Josh said that he and Steve were out on Saturday and caught over twenty bass. The water clarity was a bit better than what we faced on Sunday... But, that's okay. I think that fishing under tough conditions often makes one more patient and a better angler overall. One must have diversity in order to figure out what the smallies want under those conditions... And no matter what one throws on certain days, it can just be plain hard to catch a fish under certain circumstances.

Our Susquehanna River can be so forgiving and plentiful at times that we can become spoiled rather easily...

Thanks to Josh for offering me a trip in his Rock Proof boat with a Yamaha 115/80 jet drive... She's a beaut!

Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Fishing With Josh Kreider on July 4, 2015

Hello Folks,

It has been quite some time since I last posted a fishing report. To tell you the truth, I have only been fishing three times since I sold my G3...

This past July 4th, Josh Kreider asked me if I wanted to go fishing. I jumped at the chance despite the fact that it was suppose to poured all day long... LOL!

We headed to breakfast at the Mt. Joy Diner and then to the Juniata River for a great day of smallmouth angling... We caught over 54 bass throughout the day. Our largest was a 19 7/8th" smallie and a lot of 18-19" smallmouth, also.

So, sit back and enjoy some of the pics we took during the pouring rain...

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I hope you enjoyed eyeing-up these beauties. The Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers have been on fire over the past month. Many anglers are catching their "personal best" over the past three weeks. So, if you get a chance to head out to the river for some smallmouth action, don't hesitate to take the opportunity.

The rivers have been filled with water and, in fact, the predictor gauges are suggesting that the Susquehanna River at the Harrisburg, Pa. gauge will be rising to 6.7' which is very rare for this time of the summer.

Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad