Articles by Bob Alexander on ArticleSnatch.com

Midnight Bandits And My Cat Spike!

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

My cat Spike was mad! He is used to eating breakfast around 7:00 a.m., but I didn't awake until almost 8:00. I heard his meowing in the garage and from the sound I knew he was still in his bed, but complaining that breakfast had not been served! He gets loud when he's not fed his Meow Mix on time. The sight that welcomed me was not pretty. The vagrant band of raccoons that visit my garage on a regular basis had discovered the buckets of pecans I'd picked up during the day. I had collected more than I had time to process, but this didn't bother the raccoons. They proceeded to crack and shell pecans all over the garage. Over the last several years my garage appears to have become a half-way house for raccoons. They use my cat's food dish to treat themselves to human food without having to scatter the contents of my garbage can all over the yard. Spike's cat food is also more nutritional! **End Summary** Topics: cat]]> cats]]> tuna]]> cat food]]> raccoons]]> Meow Mix]]> vitamins]]> minerals]]> pecans]]> ]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.redfishbob.com

It Is Never Too Cold To Go Fishing!

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

When weather conditions are bad outside, I sit inside with a roaring fire and remember the time when I was brave enough to tackle the elements, hitch up the boat and head for the river. The lousier the winter weather, the better the fishing for sauger on the Tennessee River. Down here in the south we call sauger, "jack salmon". As a kid, fishing on the river below Guntersville Dam, I never knew there was such a thing as a sauger until I grew up and read a copy of Field & Stream magazine, and for the first time saw a picture of the fish they called a sauger. I thought they were confused! Last year on a dreary, cloudy, cold and miserable morning at daybreak, my brother and I drove down highway 421 from Huntsville, Alabama to the Guntersville dam. As rotten as the day was, the parking lot just above the launching ramp was filled with cars and trucks with a boat trailer connected to each. We immediately knew the jacks were biting. We put the boat in the water about a half mile west of the dam. **End Summary** Topics: fishing]]> Tennessee River]]> jack salmon]]> sauger]]> Field and Stream]]> Guntersville Dam]]> Wheeler Dam]]> Wils]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.redfishbob.com

We'll Give Thanks At Thanksgiving For What God Has Kept Us From!

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

For my family, Thanksgiving has always been the day that friends and relatives get together to thank God for His blessings on us for the last year. We'll have the kids and grandkids over, the house will be noisy and the aroma coming from the turkey and dressing in the kitchen will be maddening. Before we eat, we'll all gather at the table and give thanks not only for what He has given us, but what He has kept us from! He kept me from having the big one take me to that big fishing hole in the sky. Three stays in the hospital with a bum ticker is not a lot of fun, but for excitement value, it can't be beat. After a while though, it gets boring and you just wish someone could fix the problem. I'm certainly not complaining! A week in the hospital with beautiful nurses coming in and out of my room day and night is not a terribly bad way to spend a few days. I guess God's not finished with me yet. **End Summary** Topics: Thanksgiving]]> turkey]]> turkey and dressing]]> fishing]]> fishing sites]]> hurricanes]]> Hurricane Ike]]> Galvest]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Who's Lying The Least, My Choice For President!

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

At the beginning of this vicious presidential race I complained that there wasn't a lot of difference in the two candidates, John McCain for the Republican Party and Barack Obama, a Democrat. Being a political conservative, I thought that John McCain had entirely too many leftist leanings and Barack Obama was much too liberal for me to even think seriously about giving him my vote. Since they both officially became their party's nominee for president, a lot has occurred to change my mind about one of them. Let's take the lies being told by both sides. While we all know that lying is part of our political process, the trick is to determine which candidate is fibbing the least; the hardest thing to do in any election. The trouble with these two fellows and their campaign staffs is that they talk so much without saying anything concrete; it's hard to distinguish the truth from a fabrication. I try to determine whether the politician who is speaking can actually deliver what he is promising. If I think he can, then I figure he's probably telling the truth about other things. **End Summary** Topics: Barack Obama]]> John McCain]]> political process]]> campaign]]> campaign staffs]]> candidate]]> national defense]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Become A Millionaire While You Sleep! My Kind Of Work!

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In a moment of insanity, when my brain must have escaped for Guadalajara, I replied to an email that asked if I was interested in a home based business opportunity. Since then my mailbox has been stuffed with postcards, brochures and letters inviting me to become rich almost overnight. Every day, another two or three "offers" hit my mailbox assuring me that with absolutely no money and no effort, I can be certain of making thousands of dollars in my spare time. All this without ever leaving my easy chair or talking to anyone! In addition to the stacks of mail I'm receiving through the US Postal Service, my email account is inundated with offers that will make me an instant millionaire. I'll only have to buy their programs and I'll be rich! Isn't America a great country? I'm a student of the "There's no such thing as a free lunch" school of thought, but some of the brochures and letters I've received lately, make joining one of these opportunities quite tempting. Troubling economic times have made the idea of making extra money more appealing than it did a few years ago. **End Summary** Topics: home business]]> home business offers]]> no selling]]> opportunities]]> while you sleep]]> home based business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Bad News From Wall Street Makes Me Want To Go Fishing!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

All the rhetoric from politicians and bad news from Wall Street are making me sick and I'm going to do something about this problem. I'm going fishing! In these uncertain economic times and with both presidential candidates getting nastier when they talk about each other, I find this is the perfect time to go on an extended fishing trip. Since the same guys that got us into this mess to begin with, have promised us that they're going to fix all of our economic problems, there doesn't appear that there is much my government requires of me in this situation. In fact, I don't think they want my help at all in figuring out how to save our country financially; my congressman ignored my opinion on the mortgage bailout bill. I think I can better serve my country by sitting on the beach with a rod and reel while watching diligently for terrorists to invade us via a hijacked shrimp boat. A troubled economy is nothing new. Will Rogers, in speaking about the Great Depression of the '30's said, "It isn't what we need that is hurting us, it is what we're paying for that we have already used up. **End Summary** Topics: Wall Street]]> economy]]> economic problems]]> mortgage bail out]]> shrimp boat]]> rod and reel]]> Great Depress]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

No Jail Time For Grandma!

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

My diminutive, white haired, 88 year old mother-in-law drives a red sports car and is now being threatened with prison time. Well, maybe not prison, because no one in their right mind wants to envision a little old lady pushing a walker and being led to the hoosegow by burly armed sheriff\'s deputies. The whole thing started a few weeks ago when she got a ticket because she parked her car in a handicapped zone just as she does every time she drives to the mall. This time though, her parking permit had expired and the decal stuck on her back window was out of date. Sounds simple doesn\'t it? Take a few minutes to write a check and send it to the address on the ticket that was under her windshield wipers and the problem is solved. Wrong! Governmental bureaucracy rears its ugly head! Buying a new sticker for her car would have been no problem if she\'d remembered that the old one was expiring. Her memory was jogged last week however, when she received a summons demanding that she pay up or the local constabulary would throw her in jail. **End Summary** Topics: prison]]> hearing aids]]> handicapped parking permit]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Roy Rogers Cap Pistols and German Chocolate Cake!

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

I remember one special Christmas morning, when dad and mother yawningly turned the Christmas tree lights on in the corner of the living room, illuminating all the wonders that Santa had brought the night before. This was before television and computers and well before video games. As though it was yesterday, just as the morning light was seeping through the windows, I saw a red cowboy hat and a Roy Roger's gun and holster set under the tree. On the other side of the tree there was a tan cowboy hat and pistol set. This one was for my younger brother. As I recall, that was the extent of my Christmas gifts. By today's standards it was sort of skimpy, but our family couldn't have enjoyed the day more. In addition to our genuine cowboy outfits, Santa brought mom a new hand bag while dad got another tie. It was a wonderful Christmas morning! A fantastic Christmas! The day however, was just beginning. **End Summary** Topics: Roy Rogers]]> Roy Rogers Cap Pistols]]> Christmas morning]]> Santa]]> Santa Claus]]> coconut cake]]> fruitcake]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

My Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey Was A Huge Success!

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

My wife wouldn't let me in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day! Even though the aroma emanating from the oven was making me giddy, Except for the food I cook on the barbeque grill, I'm not allowed even close to the kitchen! The turkey I smoked this year was the best I have ever cooked, bar none. It's not bragging if it's the truth. Guests for Thanksgiving must have thought so too, for we had no turkey left over except a few scraps for the cat. I did something different this year. I decided to bring the bird. For years I had heard that this would somehow make the turkey taste better. I thought it would only make it taste salty. Was I wrong! The taste was wonderful! Brining the bird flavors and seals in the juices, making extra seasoning unnecessary. Smaller turkeys are easier to smoke than large ones and they're more likely to fit in the brine bucket. It also allows it to cook more evenly, for when I lifted the lid to take it off the grill, the turkey fell apart; it was so tender. My reason for not having brined the bird before now was simple. **End Summary** Topics: turkey]]> smoked turkey]]> brining turkeys]]> brine]]> kosher salt]]> brown sugar]]> sage leaves]]> hickory chunks]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Troublesome Times On The Apalachicola River!

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

To those of us who've spent early evenings mesmerized by astoundingly beautiful purple and gold sunsets over Apalachicola Bay in Northwest Florida, the drought in Georgia and Alabama is becoming a personal matter. Even though I live 400 miles from this blissful bay between Apalachicola and St. George Island, I dream that some day I'll be a resident of the area and fish to my heart's content! I hope the bay will continue to be the wonderful place it now. While attending the annual Oyster Spat Festival on St. George Island in the early part of October, I learned what a spat was and the trouble Apalachicola oysters were facing due to water shortages in Georgia. I also learned that in addition to killing my grass at home in Alabama, the drought was responsible for the Apalachicola River not pouring enough fresh water into Apalachicola Bay! After a little investigation I learned that a spat is actually a baby oyster; a fact I never knew. I'd never really given the subject of how oysters reproduce a lot of thought! **End Summary** Topics: Oyster Spat]]> Oyster Spat Festival]]> oysters]]> bay oysters]]> Apalachicola River]]> grouper]]> snapper]]> redfi]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

How To Quit Smoking...Lie!

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

I would have killed for a cigarette! My nerves were shot and my future brother-in-law was congratulating me for having the physical and emotional strength to quit smoking. He said all this while he lighted another one. I had to keep smiling and pretend the smoke rising from the cigarette didn't bother me at all! As far as my fiance knew, I had given up smoking months before. She didn't know that this was really my first week without nicotine. I loved to smoke cigarettes! As the old southern comedian Brother Dave Gardner once said, "I love to smoke! I'd smoke chains if I could light them!" That used to my sentiments exactly! I smoked at least two packs of cigarettes every day for over twenty-five years. Except for the headaches, congestion and constant cough, I enjoyed every minute of my decades of smoking. The secret to quitting is to find someone who is more important to you than the pack of smokes in your pocket; tell them you've quit smoking just for them. If you've really given up smoking, then you're not lying. **End Summary** Topics: cigarettes]]> quit smoking]]> headaches]]> congestion]]> constant cough]]> nicotine]]> second hand smoke]]> cold tur]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Questions Not To Ask At Funerals!

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

I've attended more than my share of funerals and memorial services over the last couple of years. As a result, I've compiled a list of questions that I've overheard and which I don't think are appropriate for such solemn occasions. Here's the list in no particular order: .01 "Can I have his bass boat? I'll pay you for it of course, but I'm sure Steve would have wanted me to have it at a very reasonable price. After all, we've been friends for all these years." This question to the widow of a fishing buddy of mine is not altogether a heartless attempt to get a good buy on a boat. After all, the departed had recently installed a new depth finder and sonar equipment! Better still, dear old Steve's memory would be fishing along side us when we hit the crappie beds in the spring. As any true fishermen know, wives do not really appreciate the boat in which her dear departed husband spent so many hours relaxing. She just sees it as something that took him away from her so often. This is the time to make a deal on the boat! . **End Summary** Topics: funerals]]> mermorial services]]> cremation]]> mourn]]> life insurance]]> death]]> corpse]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

The Grandmother Of All Colds!

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Never trust anyone who has a bad cold or flu and tells you that it sounds and looks worse than it really is! Such people are not to be trusted! I'm sure there are those who believe exactly what they're telling you, but they're probably in the minority. Those are the stoic ones who will weather the storms of life with a smile and more intestinal fortitude than most of us will ever have; certainly not me! I have a cold now and I want the world to know that I feel that death is the only thing that will make me feel better. The only real relief there is when you feel as lousy as I do, is to whine and moan about your illness, until those around you are ready to put you out of your misery. I know that most people would prefer I shut my mouth and suffer in silence, but that would rob me of the only pleasurable activity possible during my cold! My head aches, my eyes itch and burn as tears run down my cheek, soaking the pillow where I lay my feverish head. **End Summary** Topics: colds]]> flu]]> body aches]]> eyes itch]]> coughs]]> stuffy nose]]> sore throat]]> cough syrups]]> cold remedy]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

I'm A Garage Sale Junkie!

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

It's Saturday morning and the sun hasn't appeared over the mountains to the east, but I know it's time to get up, get dressed and head on out to the truck. A car just won't do this weekend! No, I'm not going fishing. I'm armed with this morning's newspaper with listings for Garage Sales. I need the truck in case I find something large that I just have to have. The ads in the paper help get me started in the right direction, but I'm an expert at finding them without help! I'm a garage sale junkie. I can spot a garage or yard sale sign stuck on a stick at an intersection a block away. With several places to start, I head for the one closest to the house. My heart begins racing as I back the truck out of the driveway and roar down the road toward the first address in the paper. Even before I get there I see several cars parked on the side of the road in front of the house. Darn! I'm not the first to view the riches laid out on the front lawn and drive. **End Summary** Topics: garage sales]]> yard sales]]> yard sale sign]]> estate sale]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.homeandgardenbob.com

Why Make Painting A Room Difficult?

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After having had such a great time on my fourth mini vacation of the year, my wife must have decided that I'd had just too much fun and I was going to have to do penance. Her method of torture was to make me paint a couple of rooms that were, in her eyes, becoming dull and in dire need of paint! I approach painting a room as I do almost everything; why make work of something that could be fun if you give it half a chance? Painting is such a project. I pretend that I'm creating a masterpiece that will be praised by all. At the same time I put as little effort into painting as I possibly can. If you don't watch it, you can make painting seem like work! We want a stress free painting experience so we'll only buy a few things we need instead of spending a lot of money. Spending money to most of us is stressful so we'll do as little of that as possible. You'll need a good paintbrush, probably one that will use latex paints, since that's the overwhelming choice today for paints. **End Summary** Topics: paint]]> painting]]> paintbrush]]> putty knife]]> step ladders]]> spacklin]]> sandpaper]]> deglosser]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

You've Gotta Be Nuts To Noodle For Catfish!

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The first time I experienced the fear and excitement of watching someone noodle for catfish, it scared the heck out of me. Noodling, or grabblin as it's called in some circles, is fishing for large catfish with nothing but your hands and maybe a pint of Jack Daniels. It's a dangerous sport! That day I was fishing on the Tennessee River for anything that would bite. About a hundred yards downstream from where I sat, there were two men looking up and down the bank searching for something. As I watched, one of them waded into the water with his clothes on, and began slowly walking down the bank, feeling for something on the bottom of the river. His head started gradually disappearing under the now muddy water. In less than a minute the man shot to the surface in an explosion of water, his arm stuck in the mouth of an enormous catfish which was squirming and flopping around, fully intent on escape. From my vantage point I couldn't tell who was winning the battle, the fisherman or the fish! **End Summary** Topics: catfish]]> noodling for catfish]]> noodlin]]> grabblin for catfish]]> Tennessee River catfish]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

My Cat Spike And New Raccoons!

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

No one has ever accused my cat Spike of being smart. It's not that he's excessively stupid, it's just that he has a one track mind and if he decides he wants something, it's full speed ahead for him. Forget about the consequences! Last year during the great raccoon raids, he was dumb enough to be caught three times in the animal trap provided by the city. These are the kind of traps that do not hurt the prey, but lures them inside a cage with a tidbit of food. Then, when the varmint steps on the trigger near the bait, a trap door slams shuts and the animal is caught. They're then carted off to a better and safer environment away from humans. Pets that are captured are released to their owners. They're stuck with us! A few nights ago just after dark, I baited a new trap with a can of cat food and explained to Spike that this trap was just like the ones I used last year and for him to stay away. Turning his back on the trap and the cat food, he calmly strolled to his bed in the garage. **End Summary** Topics: pets]]> cats]]> raccoons]]> cat food]]> animal trap]]> pet door]]> coyote urine]]> coyote]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

St. George Island Cool Down!

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After two weeks of 100 plus degrees temperature, it was too hot for even Spike the cat to be overly concerned about the mouse population at our house. With record breaking heat this summer, I decided to take a few days off my grinding schedule and head to the beach where summer winds were cooling things off! I know it sounds crazy, but August breezes off the Gulf of Mexico made the mornings and late afternoons quite pleasant. It was actually cooler in Florida than it was at my home in Alabama. Miraculously, our favorite rental house was vacant on St. George Island, just four miles across the bridge from Apalachicola, Florida. I love fishing in this area because you don't have to have a boat to catch enough fish for dinner. Just buy a few shrimp from the bait shop, stick them in the freezer until you're ready for them and you're in business. I usually start my day fishing on the Gulf side of St. George Island State Park. The older I get, the more I like to sleep late. Since the park doesn't open until 8:00 am anyway, I wasn't wasting vacation time sleeping. **End Summary** Topics: St. George Island]]> St. George Island Florida]]> Apalachicola fishing]]> Apalachicola Florida]]> oyster bars]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

College Football and Catfish!

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

College football is only a few weeks away and I'm having a hard time waiting for the opening kick-off! My enthusiasm for this time of year is twofold; I start thinking about river fishing and listening to the University of Alabama play football on Saturday afternoons. For more years than I care to remember, I've spent a lot of my Saturday afternoons in autumn, on my boat anchored in the middle of the Tennessee River, just about a mile downstream from the Guntersville Dam where big catfish roam! With my radio tuned to a station that carried broadcasts of the Crimson Tide and two rods baited with chicken liver, I would spend a leisurely afternoon fishing and cheering for the "Tide". If I were out of range from a station that carried my team, I would tune to any SEC school that I could receive on my old battery powered radio. Saturdays on the Tennessee River in autumn are usually warm and calm but without the stifling heat of summer. Usually only one or two of the turbines at the dam are churning the water to white foam, while making the current downstream gentle and peaceful. **End Summary** Topics: cat fish]]> fish]]> Tennessee River]]> Guntersville Dam]]> boats]]> Bald Eagles]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Barbeque and Home Made Ice Cream, A Dream Vacation!

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Most of us take vacations for granted today. I know I do. Growing up, I can't remember my father or any of my relatives taking one. Back then it was hard enough to raise a family by working every day, without taking a week or so off without pay. The closest thing to a vacation my folks had was a weekend off from work such as on the Fourth of July or Labor Day. Our families would all get together to cook barbeque and make homemade ice cream whenever one of those special weekend holidays came around. That's about as much of a vacation as I remember. I was a kid then and didn't realize that on these holidays in the summer, we were making memories that would last a life time. We just knew that our parents didn't have to work that weekend. My dad and a couple of uncles would fire up their old black smoker grills they had made themselves out of 55 gallon drums. The grills had handles on each side of the grate to make it easy to lift off and add more coals to the fire. **End Summary** Topics: barbeque]]> backyard barbeque]]> barbeque pork shoulders]]> smoker grills]]> ice cream freezers]]> home made i]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

My Mexico Beach Cobia!

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

My fishing rod, nestled in its PVC holder that was stuck in the sand, twitched, then slowly began a graceful bow toward the surf. I grabbed the rod, set the hook and expected to feel the frenzied pulling of a Pompano, like the one I had already caught that morning. This one didn't feel like a 2-3 pound fish. It felt as if I had hooked onto a snow plow! I swiftly set the drag on the big reel. It immediately began screeching as the fish ran off yard after yard of line, headed toward Venezuela! I was fishing into the surf on the Gulf of Mexico at Mexico Beach, about twenty minutes north of Apalachicola, Florida. The morning was breathtakingly beautiful, with vanilla clouds suspended between a bluish green sea and a sky so blue that it had to be an original color, not even found on a Sherwin Williams paint chart! This was the 19th of March, a wonderful day to be fishing. I'd caught a couple of pompano that were in the ice chest, and was about to pour another cup of coffee when the fish struck. **End Summary** Topics: Mexico Beach Florida]]> Apalachicola florida]]> Pompano]]> Cobia]]> trophy fish]]> shark]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

I Love Apalachicola Bay Shrimp

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Most of the shrimp we eat speak a foreign language. Like most folks, I'd never really given a lot of thought to where the shrimp I eat come from. During my last trip to my favorite fishing grounds, Apalachicola Bay and St. George Island, Florida, I learned quite a lot about shrimp! Before this I was just happy to be able to eat all the shrimp I wanted and not care where they had spent the night before! My family and I were preparing a huge pot of shrimp that we'd bought from the back of a pickup truck on the side of the road; next to the long bridge from St. George Island to East Point on the mainland. We were using a couple of recipes that we had just gotten from the fellow who had sold us our shrimp. Our fish salesman's name was Ernest, the captain of his own shrimp boat, the "Mary Nelle". He'd lived in East Point, Florida for most of his life; shrimping for the last 12 years. He sells most of what he catches to local seafood distributors and picks up extra spending money selling fresh shrimp out of his pick-up truck. **End Summary** Topics: Apalachicola Bay Shrimp]]> Apalachicola Bay]]> St.George Island]]> shrimp]]> foriegn shrimp]]> shrimp scampi]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Picking Up Snakes For Jesus!

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Challenges to our faith come in different ways for different people, but I'll admit to a decidedly lack of faith when it comes to creepy, slithering things that bite! That lack of faith comes from my belief that I'm wise enough not to tempt God with foolish activities. Down here in the South, there's a curious phenomenon that I call picking up snakes for Jesus. It's definitely not for everyone and usually occurs in small churches that have very little, if any, affiliation with national organizations. Understandably they do not have a large following. To those of the serpent sect, holding a poisonous snake is an outward expression of their faith in the Lord. Followers of this notion quote the New Testament in Mark 16:17-18, in which Jesus Christ says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe in my name; shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. **End Summary** Topics: faith]]> faith in God]]> rattlesnakes]]> timber rattlers]]> Jesus]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Apalachicola Seafood Gumbo and Me!

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

We'd been fishing all morning, it was now lunch time and my daughter-in-law and I were hungry. Pulling the trolling motor aboard, we headed to the nearest marina just across St. George Island from where we'd caught a couple of redfish and several trout. After crossing the bay, we eased up to the dock of a shore side marina in Apalachicola, Florida. Our little 16 foot fishing boat looked out of place near 4 large shrimp boats, as we tied it off next to a solitary gas pump. After making arrangements with the attendant to top off the tank, we walked up the boat launching pad to a large seafood restaurant. I'm a seafood nut and I love seafood gumbo. In my continuing search for the perfect seafood gumbo, I order the dish at every seafood restaurant I stumble across, and if the full parking lot of this restaurant was any indication, this place served up some good food. We followed our waitress to a window table that gave us a great view of the harbor. **End Summary** Topics: St. George Island]]> Apalachicola]]> Florida]]> Apalachicola seafood gumbo]]> seafood gumbo]]> redfish]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com

Fishing For A Fishing Partner!

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Fishing alone can be fun, but sometimes you just have to get away from everyone. When you've had it up to your ears with noisy crowds, smoking automobiles and TV reality shows that dig into your very last nerve! That's when a few hours on the water with just you, the lake and possibly a fish, could just save your sanity! Catching something is not necessary for a successful convalescent get-a-way, but it could increase your inventory of big fish stories. Sometimes though, you just want company, if for no other reason than to show off your fishing skills to someone who hasn't seen them before. There's only one rule to follow when selecting a companion for on the lake. Make sure the person you have in mind, has good sense and doesn't talk a lot. I usually fish by myself! Carpenters, plumbers and other guys who work with their hands are at the top of my fishing buddy list, and when they speak, they usually just grunt a little without even trying to get a conversation started. They have a natural feel for fishing; **End Summary** Topics: fishing]]> marlin]]> fishing line]]> big fish]]> fish]]> bass boat]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com