Fishing Journal Entry 7

5/21/16

Finding a day without rain that hasn't required working late has been a real challenge lately.  However, I finally managed to squeeze one in.  I decided to take my wife and children along on this trip for some family time.  I also invited my dad to join us (the kids love their time with grandpa).

The sky turned from sunny to cloudy.

The temperature was 73 degrees with skies that changed from sunny to cloudy.  The barometric pressure was 30.12 and falling.  We fished at a local pond (one of our favorite fishing holes).

Here's dad with the big fish of the day.

The picture above shows dad holding his only catch of the day.  A largemouth bass that measured just shy of sixteen inches long.  Watching him reel that one in was a load of fun!

My Smallmouth Bass

Once again we all fished with minnows.  I also used many different crappie lures in several color combinations (all of which netted nothing).  I caught one smallmouth bass, and one largemouth.

My Largemouth Bass

On this outing I managed to out-fish my wife as she and the kids were unable to bring in any fish.  Days like this help us teach our children that you can still have fun outdoors even when success eludes you.

By the way...It began raining this evening just as we were packing up to head back home.  I sure am glad we were able to squeeze this fishing trip in.  It is supposed to rain on us again this whole next week.  Perhaps summer will intervene in this weather pattern and allow more family fishing days  sometime soon.

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- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Preparing Your Compound Bow For Storage

After archery season ends, many hunters simply hang their bows up and forget about them until it's time to head back into the woods the next year.  If you are planning to store your compound bow for a long period of time it is very important to prepare the bow properly.  Getting your bow ready for storage is a simple task and can literally be done in a matter of a few minutes.

The first thing to do before tucking that bow away is to wax the strings.  You can either purchase , or if you want to make your own you can use a mixture of bow rosin, bees wax and olive oil.  To make your own use approximately one part bees wax to two parts bow rosin.  Melt these together in a small pan and add in a few drops of olive oil.  Allow the mixture to cool and check to make sure the consistency is suitable for your needs.  Be sure to liberally apply the wax while working it into every part of your bow string.

Next, lube all of the moving parts on your bow.  Don't neglect your bow cams.  Without properly working cams your bow is useless.  Use a teflon or silicone based lube designed for use on bow cams/wheels and apply a light amount.  Work it in by drawing your bow a few times.

Finally release the tension from the limbs.  Adjust the tension screws on your bow limbs to take the draw weight down as much as possible.  It is crucial that you don't loosen the screws more than their maximum number of turns.  The maximum number of turns allowed varies from bow to bow.  To find the maximum turns for your bow, refer to the owners manual.

Your bow is now ready to store until you want to start using it again.  By taking a few minutes of your time to care for your bow before tucking it away you will help extend its life and prevent a lot of problems in the future.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day