Most fishermen have an interest in history, some more than others.

We need to have that and sometimes it serves us well. I have fished on the Indian mounds out in front of the dam, really way out in front of the dam and caught fish. Kept some of them too. But if I had brought up an artifact, probably wouldn’t have kept that. Might have possibly kept an arrowhead or spear point, but there is no way that I would think about keeping a human remains at all. No bones or a skull as that will bring you some kinda bad luck. Maybe not, but that is what I have heard.

We traveled out to the Choctaw Indian Casino and Resort at Philadelphia, Miss., this week to a hunting show. The first morning it was 65 degrees and did feel good.

The second day it was on up in the 70s at daylight and reminded me of what I had left behind in southwest Georgia. The cool day was excellent and folks were interested in the hunting goods. When the temperature went back up, folks were less interested in hunting and stayed close to the one-arm bandits and cool air or the swimming pools. Thank goodness that won’t deter the vendors from getting their wares ready for the fall seasons, which will be here before we realize it. The heat is here today and will be gone, if not tomorrow, then before long.

I know age is what is doing it, but time passes so much faster these days when we have decided to refer to age as experience.

Experience is what teaches us to stay close to that cool air or in the water. Sunscreen at least in the water and don’t get burned and have to do to the doctor. They don’t have much mercy for those that should know better.

I have had two medicines this week that have not agreed with me and right now I am red as a beet. Tomorrow I hope the doc has at least a little pity for what I have been through this week and will give me something that will do away with all these ills and let me get out into the sun again and catch a few fish.

My hands have been swelled up and I am not so sure that I could have felt a strike if I had gotten one this week. And with my new glasses not suiting me so good there is a possibility I might have missed a sinking float on my graphite pole. I can hardly see how next week will be any worse for me and should really be a lot better.

Being past the full moon we shouldn’t find as many panfish beds as we did the first of the month, but I bet you will find plenty. Bream and red-eared sunfish, shellcracker, seem to bed without stopping during the first part of the summer and only resort to the major moon during the last part of the summer. That is the way it has worked out the last few years. Maybe it is because there are so many fish in the lake that some are bedding all the time. And because we are all such good fishermen, we find them without any trouble.

One thing I did see that I remembered from last year was the pack rack from Knight and Hale. It is a round two-piece plastic unit that has a series of peaks and valleys built into both the top and bottom of the unit that when turned against each other makes the sound of horns clashing. It really is a compact way of carrying a pair of rattlin horns. And also because of the peaks and valleys, it locks into itself so that it can be carried without making noise. I mentioned that to mention this. 2010 will see a magnum size of the pack rack. A deeper tone to portray bigger and heavier bucks. Using the big one, be prepared to scare off smaller and less aggressive bucks that really don’t want a behind kicking.

Hunting season is coming, but a ways off. Fishing is the key right now.