Goodness Gracious Great Balls of…

Mackerel!

What can I say, it’s been a very long and boring Tuesday!

Tarpon On The Feed

It hard to beat the thrill of watching big fish feed all around you when you are fishing. Its even more exciting when its big tarpon!

via Way Up Steam

Save Our Cats From Fishermen

We showed you some footage a little while back of cats being used as bait that was clearly fake. Well, someone has figured out a way to make some coin by spreading lies about fishermen and selling shirts. Now I’m not saying that people have never used cats as bait, maybe they have, but its certainly not a contributing factor to the decline of the feline population. And showing carefully edited videos, that not only fail to show a hook actually in a cat, or a fish actually eating a cat, is laughable.

It’s really unfortunate that people prey on the gullibility of others to make a quick dime. The site doesn’t try to hide anything, they even clearly state that they are a FOR profit organization. If anyone out there can actually show me footage of of a cat REALLY being use as bait, I’ll buy a shirt myself!

via Single Barbed

Another Day At The Office

This guy is all business, he even has a floating desk!

Catching Trout from noshoes on Vimeo.

I really need to make one of those for myself!

Worlds Rarest Lure

The 10-inch Haskell minnow has been refered to, by previous owner Tracey Shirey, as the “Holy Grail” of fishing. This, almost pricless, artifact of fishing history was previously bought for $101,200. Holy Crap! Kerry Chatham is the new owner and declines to tell how much he paid for it, but its previous owner vowed only to sell at double the investment.

The lure was designed by Riley Haskell of Painesville, Ohio and was the first articulated bait ever patented, reciving Patent #25,507 on September 20, 1859. Haskell was a gunsmith, his expertise with manufacturing aided very well with the construction of his lure, but repairing firearms is most likely what “paid the bills”, especially during the Civil War. The Haskell minnow was a very ornate design, a rarity among lures of the era, having eyes, fins, distinct scale pattern, and a spinning tail.

To this day the lures tail still spins, a sign of its durability and quality construction.

“There’s probably been four (owners),” said Chatham, who also owns three smaller Haskell minnows. “The patent was 1859, but this was made before that … probably about 1850, well before the Civil War.

“We feel like it probably is (the only one), because it is so big and it was not feasible to make that piece and try to fish with it. That’s why you see so many of the (smaller) bass and pike size, and not many of the muskie. That’s why we only have found three of those.”

Since then, Chatham said, he has had half a dozen “serious offers, which I consider to be more than what I paid.” One person offered $500,000, which Chatham declined.

Link & more at fortwayne.com

Live Dogs Used as Shark Bait by Rich Douchebags

On a small volcanic island situated in Indian Ocean the some eccentric wealthy yacht owners go out fishing for Great White and Tiger sharks, but it seems that’s no longer good enough, or perhaps it never was. At least two dogs have been been recently found alive with huge double hooks through their snout and another through one of their legs. Luckily these two dogs were able to free themselves, somehow, from the fishing lines they were attached to and escape a grotesque and horrible fate. This is truly one of the most disgusting things I can ever imagine seeing. I have occasionally made passing comments and jokes about using kittens for Musky bait, but I would never actually do these things. All I can really say about the situation is that the punishment should fit the crime.

STRAY dogs are being skewered on hooks and dragged behind boats as live shark bait, The Sun can shockingly reveal.

The cruel practice takes place on French-controlled Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where Prince William spent two holidays.

A six-month-old labrador pup was recently found ALIVE with a huge double hook through its snout – like the dog above – and another through a leg.

The pup was found in a coastal creek and is thought to have somehow freed itself from a fishing line.

But other dogs and kittens have been chomped up and swallowed by sharks.

The RSPCA plans to petition the French government, demanding an end to the hideous torture.

From Shannon via Infowars

UPDATE: Clive also pointed out some information on Snopes urban legend reference that says while the practice has happened in the past it is very rare and isolated to a few amateur, but perhaps still rich, douchebags. Snopes also has a letter written from the French Embassy to Washington D.C. that sheds a little bit clearer light on the whole situation.

Thank you for writing to us with your concerns. We too denounce the barbaric practices you refer to. Such acts are obviously illegal and will not be tolerated on French territory. But while we share your revulsion, we would like to emphasize that the practice of using live dogs or cats as shark bait is in fact exceptional and isolated. It was never widespread nor traditional, but introduced by ruthless individuals, and has been strictly banned for decades now.

And in good taste I removed the joking reference to Reunion Fishing Club.