Well, unfortunately, we received word back from Carol at the Intrepid that it's really to far out to work up a charter price for our trip.

In reality.......I didn't think about that.
Especially with Robin Hood and Friar Tuck being sworn into the White House next month.

Then with their proposed tax increases and incessant need to buy foreign oil instead of our own, who knows what the prices will be by then?

So, we'll try to get a price at the Fred Hall show which puts us out a year and a half. Hopefully we'll get a price.

Don't worry. We're still shopping this around to the other operators as well.

Merry Christams to you all.
Be safe.

Lots of things on hold and up in the air and any money that we have set aside has taken a 40% reduction in value. I'm glad I invested in metals when I did, no not gold but lead and steel. I needed a quick $500 yesterday and my neighbor has been wanting a Winchester Mod 51 that's been gathering dust in my shop so today we are both happy. Probably could have asked for more but it was a Christmas present for his dad.

So boys and girls our Mark Smith "Charkbait" Charter is still targeted for 2011 but we have to get a shorter booking window for the boats to calculate costs.

Pigsticker, Keta and I wish you all the most blessed of the Christmas season.

Pigsticker -

Cool about trying to get a charter together. I think that would be nice. I must say, however, that your politics about our current economic crisis might be shadowing the reality that no matter who's in charge now, we're going to be in trouble for a long time. Moreover, the remarks really don't have a place in the charter-booking plans.

Do you think that if we bought our own oil we'd be paying any less? Do you think that if we employed Americans to do so, we'd be paying any less?

Tax increases? Well, I do know that taxes have not been "lowered" during the last two terms, and if the runner-up had been elected, any proposed "cuts" wouldn't be cuts at all, and *gasp* might actually make Robin Hood's plan look like a Christmas ham instead of just stuffing.

Does the solution require another Chief who will sit by idly as small businesses dry up and only the strongest, wealthiest ones can survive?

Either way, fish hard, and don't worry about pointing fingers at people who you think might be destined to fail in a failing system .

Oh, and I hope that the charter idea gains momentum and works - a good group of guys on a fun trip sounds great!

Happy Holidays!

- Mike

Well, since YOU brought it up....

The Housing crisis was traced back to Clinton deregulating the Brokerage and trading of bad paper on wall street. But! It's actual start began way back in 1979 with Carter.

We would pay a BUTTLOAD less for everything if we did away with the UNIONS. I was raised in a Union household as my Dad was Union. OH MY GOD was Dad a scumbad Union member. NEVER, EVER, EVER grateful to have a job. He always said, " what's in it for me "? Along with everyone else at his work.

I have seen this Countyr produce oil when it was as low as $13.00 a BBL. But, when it hit $12 a BBL, they had to shut in all the wells.

Then, once our entire Country went to " Shut In " status on the production side of our oil. One month later, after we began begging the middle east for more oil, they raised the prices very high and they had us over the barrel.

How do I remember this. I was in the Oil fields and lost my job when the Oil tanked.

For such a Prosperous and thriving Leader of the Free world..............We sure are sending a vast majority of our money to other Countries for goods that we can produce, make, refine, drill, etc. right here at home.

Just think about how much TAX revenue would be made, from purchasing those BILLIONS of bbls of crude, from our own country. Amazing huh? Nope. That amount plus more, is going to those who want us DEAD!

It's just my view that you ALWAYS take care of your OWN first.

And yes, it's been a very, very long time since D.C gave a damn about the American people.

Now? They only care about themselves.

But I am also, dead set against giving my MONEY to the welfare scumbags, illegal aliens for their food, medicine, education, etc.

Case in Point.....Katrina. Those losers are still on the Gvt's dime after 3 years.

Spring, 2008. The midwest, mainly Iowa, was wiped out by floods. Did ya see the farmers and the small town folks on the news.

They were saying, and I am paraphrasing them here. " We'll rebuild. And we don't need no Government help or interference here"

Wow. THAT! is the American spirit.

I am guessing that Mikey, yer fairly young? 20's? maybe some college?
Democrat and a liberal?

Maybe a little college . Would you care if it was a private Christian school where they don't pollute and fill your mind with Conservative BS kinda like all public schools that only fill your mind with Liberal BS?

Oh, I started forming my opinions long ago - in my church and with my hard-working, morally-upstanding patriotic American parents.

I think those people in the midwest had hope and the means to repair and fix their property because they had hope and the means to fix and repair their property. In New Orleans, not so much. As far as Katrina, the bigger problem was that we knew that a major event was going to happen, and nothing was done. Even as it was happening, "hand outs" for all of those "lazy, welfare scumbags" was delayed and delayed and delayed. It was a big deal because there were so many people - hundreds of thousands and maybe millions. America proved its true weakness in my opinion. A nation is only as strong as its weakest link. I wish it was easy to say that these people should rise up and better themselves, but when you have two strikes against you, it can be pretty hard. The truth is, neither you or I know what it's like.

Unions? Oh I agree wholeheartedly - they have overstepped their bounds time and time again, flexing their muscle and tying up the country in bureaucratic tape that hinders any type of agreement or progress.

No argument here about the illegal thing; I shouldn't have to pay for someone who doesn't pay into the system themself. If I can't afford health care, it's not fair that I have to foot the bill for an illegal who just had a baby in one of my hospitals. Same goes for my tax dollars funding teaching ESL in schools.

Tax revenue going to people that want us dead? You sure? Is that conservative propaganda that keeps our minds closed and stalled? Why do they want us dead anyway? Is it because of our freedom and liberties? Or is it because we routinely proclaim that we are the greatest nation in the history of the world and we have no problem showing it?

And you're right, it has been a long time since D.C. gave a damn about American people - real American people. I couldn't agree with you more. If you take care of your own, that should be roughly 300 million people if I'm not mistaken...if one is so patriotic and America-loving.

We might just have a difference of opinion of the American spirit, that's all .

As a side note, I was just thinking, I know people complain about losing prime fishing and hunting lands because of nutjob left-wing tree-huggers, but what about when they close off your hunting lands to build a refinery or for other projects? Well, if we can drill here, why not?

I am guessing that Piggie, you're a little older, maybe early to mid 50's, maybe a little college yourself?
Republican and a Conservative?


Man, it's Christmas - can't we all just get along? . I sincerely hope you have a wonderful Christmas (the last hour of it anyway)

Done. No more of this political crap.

And no. I hvae always fought for my beliefs. I never go down without swinging.

Let's just keep this site for fishing.

No problem . I just hope that "keeping this site for fishing" means not to throw in thinly-veiled political jabs out of the blue be they about Robin Hood or Friar Tuck, unless one expects a little resistance. Amen! Tight lines!

Mikey, you need to look into more sources for your information. Most of the problems we are having today can be traced back to congress and bought and paid for polititions.

As far as checking my "sources for information," I'm pretty sure I said "I think" or "I believe" when I posted my opinion about something. Or, I asked a question. As far as so-called "sources," I didn't see any of those posted from anyone else, just good old-fashioned opinions, that's all. And don't worry, I agree about the problems being traced back to corrupt politicians and Congress' inability to do anything about it - and that's on both sides of the aisle.

No worries Mikey. My Friar Tuck and Robin Hood remarks were straight forward and not jabs at all.

When you look at the rate on capital gains now, then Obama wanting to raise that to 28%.

SCREW him. If the politicians aren't out there, doing the house flipping, then leave my investents alone.

Especially if the sole intent is to go to a socialist type of Government with all of these added and raised taxes to support illegals, and dead beats.

Feel free to step up and support them if you'd like...............I never make jabs.

I say exactly what I mean and mean exactly what I say.

BUT! You seriously hit the nail on the head. Both side of the aisle are so corrupt that it is disgusting.

We need to do away with every politician and start anew. And, with a 3 patry system since the 2 party is no longer working.

Politicians need to be sent to prison for the exact same crimes that the lay person is.

Remember the house banking scandal? Floating bounced checks to the House bank? 1 Senior politician has in excess of $200,000.00 in deliberate bad checks. This is fact.

He was not ordered to repay, or fined!

I have read of regular folks going to jail and prison for $100.00 bad checks.

If those who make the laws, aren't held to the same laws as we are???????/ Then we are in seriously deep doo doo.

William Jeffers. Dem from Louisiana. Video taped taking $90,000.00 in bribes, and hiding the money in his freezer and the paper's in his office on the hill. Then, his peers, arguing that his office is off limits to federal searches in a criminal probe????

Wait a minute. The Politicians were therefore saying that their offices are exempt from criminal probes because of their locations and becuase there is privelaged information in their offices??????

I don't think so.

The mind set of " I am above the Law " is rampant on the hill and like you said, both sides of the aisle are tainted due to this.

Mikey, I'm being polite with you. Just look around a bit more before deciding what you think. Often what you are allowed to see is not the full story. The reason congress will never do the right thing is they are polititions and most of them are corupt.

Keta - it's all good. Just because I believe differently than you or anyone else, doesn't mean that I'm not looking around though...the interesting points that Piggie brought up most recently are not going to be disputed by me; I know those to be true. Anyone, and I mean, anyone caught in mischievous dealings and corrupt acts should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, just like you or I. Rest assured that I'm also not a wet-behind-the ears college freshman at Columbia or Cal .

They should also be required to submit "evidence" and forced to allow search and seizure of all incriminating property. Piggie mentions Jeffers from Louisiana, I would submit Dick Cheney, for one, who argued that he was above the law himself, and was exempt from providing sensitive documents, the list goes on and on.

The unfortunate thing though is, that I also see that money, bottom line, is the driving force for a lot, if not, every decision for which a lot of people base their opinions on, and their money only (i.e, "my money," "my investments," etc.)

Very interesting points indeed - a 3 party system would seem to make things a little less lopsided, but of course, we're years off from any legit organization like that.

That's one of the strength of our country.

No viable 3rd party exists and the two parties are only looking out for themselves.


Look into the history of socialism/communism, it's a failed system. Monopolistic capitalism is another failed system but it appears that those in power are further consolidating and merging and creating a mega corporation. We can't take from those that earn and give to those that will not work and survive for long as a country. FYI, my anual income is below $21,000.

If you are after Cow tuna and Super Cow tuna, why Hurricane bank? The past few years BIG tuna are being caught on the 10 Day trips in December. Might this be a consideration? Could be 11 or 12 days instead of 10 days. Would cost less than a 15 day trip. Just a suggestion.