I recently had to take a couple of days off to clear my DVR. It was almost at 97%; what other option was there?

It’s not like the shows will be shown again later on! Whatever the case, after a couple of hours of forensic science and cop shows, I end up at that show about whaling or saving whales, however you see it. Thanks to the environmentalists’ saddling and bridling of the NMFS like a Mexican burro, my tolerance for the enviro movement is nil. Did anyone else cheer when the Shonan Maro 2 smashed into the Ady Gil? I laughed, I cheered… Hell, I shed a tear… in laughter. That was by far the highlight of my 12-hour couch trip, TV-a-thon! It’s not that I’m pro-whaling, it’s just that I’m anti-enviro. The more I see of these people, the less I like about them. Just take the word “environ-mental-ist” for example. As you can see, without rearranging letters, mental is as much a majority of the word as it is in the movement. Need I say more?

Okay, if you say so.

In my estimation, there are two kinds of environmentalists. There’s the 99-percenter and the 1-percenter. Of these, the 99-percenter is by far the worst, both ethically and morally. The 99-percenter is the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing capitalist who finds a cause to exploit to the 1-percenter and other bleeding heart types who believe everything the media tells them. The 99-percenter uses a cause they don’t give a crap about to keep the cash flowing in the direction of their cause, which is more than likely their own pockets. Like the good capitalists they are, they use that money to further manipulate the media, governmental agencies, and general public to solicit more support for” the cause.” Hey, I just noticed that governmental ends in mental, too… Correlation? You bet! In case you missed the point, I’m saying that 99% of environmentalists are both morally and ethically bankrupt. They find a cause, use propaganda in the media to sway the public, then ride the wave all the way to the bank!

On the other hand, there’s the 1-percenter. The 1-percenters actually believe in the cause they support. It’s admirable, but unfortunately, in my estimation, often driven by mental instability and fueled by the propaganda spewed by the 99-percenters. Which brings us back to the War of the Whales…

Hooray for the Shonan Maru 2! (Sorry, couldn’t help it!) Seriously though, if you watch the show, you may see some of my theory in action. Very few of the 99-percenters appear on the show; they remain in the shadows counting the TV royalties and donations. The 1- percenters remain on center stage willing to die for the whales. Really? How much good can you do for the whales if you’re dead? That’s just mental! “… Here lies so-and-so. He died in vain so a whale could later be harpooned and eaten in Japan.” Not on my tombstone. I just don’t see the draw. It should probably say: “Here lies so-and-so. He was a sheep. Baah, baah.”

Speaking of sheep, the water on the bottom is freezing and the sheephead are feasting on the lobsters. When the water approaches the mid-50s, the lobster can hardly defend themselves. It makes them easy targets for the hardier packs of sheephead roaming the reef. If you’re lobster diving anytime soon, spear a couple of sheeps for the cause.

Unfortunately, the cold water has negatively impacted much of what we fish for offshore. The bottom fishing last month was poor, except for a few areas where the amberjack and mangrove snappers rose above the thermocline to feed. In addition, the pelagic reef fish like kings and cobia were very sporadic due to the lack of bait on the reefs. The cold water sends the sardines, cigar minnows and greenies looking for warmer conditions.

As far as bottom fishing goes for August, we will be at the mercy of the thermocline. Typically, by mid or late month the cold will be gone. As long as it stays cold, look for the fishing to be rather slow. The key will be finding areas where the fish are holding above the cold layer. If you can find them up in the water, the mangroves will bite both Spanish sardines and small live baits. You will have to fish flourocarbon leader and may have to go as light as 20#. Fish with as heavy of a leader as they will bite, because they tend to run straight to the wreck when hooked. If you find the amberjacks in mid-water, large live baits will work best, but they may fall victim to speed jigs also. Chances are, when fishing for either mangos or ajs, the elusive red snapper will eat you alive!

The live baiting on the reef this month will likely remain sporadic. To put together a decent day, you may have to try several different areas. Just keep moving around until you can find a little action. Your best action will likely be a few kings and bonito, but a cobia is always a good bet too. You should probably expect to catch a few sharks and barracuda also.

I must go now to formulate a plan to make the cold-water upwellings my new cause.

Wanted: Sheep to support my cause.

See ya on the pond!

Baah… Baah…