Flw Pittsburgh

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Some thoughts on the 2nd Amendment

Several weeks ago we received an email criticizing me for being a man of God and talking about his love, but having a link(in our old shop) to an online gun and accessory store where someone could purchase "assault rifles" and this was somehow contradictory. Obviously at least a halfway liberal person, they stated that you do not hunt deer with them but that "we all know what they are used for." I simply responded, "Yes, to remind the government that THEY work for US."

I think(and you can correct me) that Thomas Jefferson said,"The beauty of the 2nd Amendment is that you don't need it until they try to take it away." The current administration is possibly one of the most anti-gun, anti-personal liberty, anti-capitalistic one we have ever had. So that battle rages on with groups like the NRA, who have made great judicial leaps in the war for freedom.

In the last 16 years and few months that Obama has been in office the federal government has grown at an alarming rate. Don't get me Wrong, I like G.W. and have fished with him on numerous occasions back when he was governor of texas(By the way George, let me know if you want to come check out the new ranch in Oklahoma), but The government grew to nearly 2.5 times is previouse size with the passing of post 9/11 security bills. The same fences used to keep the bad men out can also keep us fenced in. Now with the Gov taking over private business it is looking even more like an Owellian police state.

Here is where the big 2A comes in. All leagal wording aside, the 2nd Amendment was put in place to prevent a tyranical government from removing the rights of the people. I know there is potential for blow back from this from people who buy into the "everything is okay" mindset, but it is just NOT OKAY. The public figures who are favor more strict gun control almost always seem to have armed guards near by. You would think they wouldn't even be able to speak with that kind of firepower so close the way they talk about how dangerouse it is when the public at large is allowed to own even 1 gun.

Here's the thing, when the government comes in to clean up "problems" with in the country. What do the police have? what does the guard and military have? Fully Automatic "assault weapons." So how are you supposed to stand against the best trained police and military force if you don't have a single fire arm? The people need to understand that the people need full access to the same weapons the military uses(don't blow that out of proportion, I don't mean scuds and LRMs, nukes, etc).

I favor gun control for criminals, people who have commited violent crimes with firearms should not be allowed to own them. That's fine. Mental disabilaties? Eh, you better be specific. A recent bill(supported by McCain) stated that peoples with mental illness' could not purchase(or own, something to that extent) a firearm. The bill is very vuage and could take 2A right away from soldiers who seek help for PTSD, among others. The bill was coined by the NRA as the Veterans Dissarmament Bill.

Besides I like firearms and I like Shootin' 'em. Just got in a butload of amunition for my Sport Utillity Rifle(AR-15)

Any way, just a few thoughts. Not really structured, I know. Good Fishin' and GOD Bless.

Reiterating a really good point

I was just browsing through the Aug/Sept issue of FLW Outdoors magazine when I ran across in article by David Hart. The article, "One in a Million," discusses fishing on crowded waters. While FLW does have A rule, one single rule, that is very specific and the conditions are rarely met. On smaller lakes crowding is obviously going to be a bigger problem, but the key is treat the other boaters as would want them to treat you. It gets hectic in the fast paced game of tournament fishing, but being able to stay calm and focas on trying to catch fish and no the other anglers can mean the difference between knowing when to move on and when to stick it out. It's always a gamble either way. You never know how the fish will react to sudden pressure, as in the event of a tournament. All you can do is play the cards you were delt. Just remember to play nice. Great article David.

Avoiding a Backlash

The Backlash, the birds nest, over running. It goes by many names and is one of the more common problems faced by anglers. Everything from a small twist or knot all the way up to something that looks like you need a brushhog to take it out. It is not a matter of if, it is in fact a matter of when. It doesn't matter if your a novice just getting into the love of fishing or a professional angler like myself, you will run across this problem several times during your life as a fisherman. Each time you stop to fix it, you lose daylight and precious time in a tournament situation. A little bit of prevention and practice go along way in the field.

In order to understand how to avoid a backlash, you must first understand exactly what causes them. There are actually a number of contributing factors, but the keys are the Brake and drag settings and thumb control of the spool. You see, what is happening when a backlash occurs is the spool spins faster than the line can be released from the spool casing. This causes multiple rotations of line to bundle within the spool casing and can catch, tangle, and twist(ultimately weakening your line each time).

As with any process involved in fishing, more experienced anglers will have fewer mistakes than novice angler. However, they are in no way immune. What the more experienced anglers have done is understand what speeds work best for a particular line, and the line does make a difference. Lines with rough textures create more drag through the control eye and low the speed of the line through it.

The other thing, which I think really has more effect on this is thumb control. This is where practice and muscle memory come into play. Having a looser brake/drag setting allows for smoother casting many anglers rely on thumb control to maintain their casting and prevent birds nests. Take you rod and real set up out into your back yard or porch and practice casting with a plug. Start with proper overhand technique and vary the pressure you put on the spool with your thumb while allowing the spool and line to move smoothly. Be sure not to stop to spool abruptly. This can cause the bait and line to jerk back in your direction slightly and can cause a larger splash and spook the fish. Once you think you have mastered this with proper over hand technique you can then move on to practicing with other casting motions you normally use.

One final thing is reel maintenance. Make sure you keep you spool oiled so that it does not catch or rust with in the casing. If you don't this could cause the spools speed to become irregular during casting. A little bit or Reel Magic every now and then will take care of this. I keep a can handy on my boat at all times.

Practice and it will save you time and headaches in the field.

Fishing with Children

It is really great to see communities

involved in the lives of their children. Not only does this teach kids an enjoyable hobby where they can place their abundant amount of energy into, but it lets them know that there are people in their community that care for them.

Every year hundreds of groups, communities, and individuals from around the country promote the outdoor lifestyle and reach out to children of all ages. Where most are centered around teaching water safety, regulations and ethics, there are a few groups out there that cater to the more important concepts.

Contributing to the overall well being of a child is possibly the most important thing adult can do. There are so many things out there that can get kids into trouble, so many things that can sidetrack them from the more important things in life. Hey, I'll admit even I may have skipped school once or twice to hit the water, but I wasn't out vandalizing property, doing drugs, or getting involved with the wrong people. Not only that, being out on the water with a child gives you the chance to bond out in God's country. Groups like the Fellowship of Christian Anglers Society,F.O.C.A.S, do just that.

Here in Oklahoma the local chapter of F.O.C.A.S. along with myself, hold an annual Kids Fishing Day, scheduled so that it coincides with the Oklahoma free fishing weekend so that volunteers can fish as well. Each year about 500 kids come and enjoy a free event payed for by entry fees of the Annual FOCAS Jack Houston(my father) Memorial Tournament here on Lake Tenkiller.

At "Kids Day" we teach children all the important water safety and fishing regulations as well as a little bit of astronomy and biology in a way that children find interesting and entertaining. Most importantly we have a session that the children go through that teaches the word of God and the Love of Jesus Christ. The entire event is centered around teaching children about the wonders of gods country and how it can be applied to our daily lives.

There is so much that these children will never be exposed to once they grow up, it is important that we teach them at this age when their minds are like sponges. Some of these kids may have never heard about Jesus before this event, while others may have grown up in church. The important thing is that we teach them that Jesus loves them, that we love them. That there are people who care about what happens to them and what they do with their lives. Many of the children who participate come back years later as volunteers so that they can have the same effect on another child.

So speak with your local fishing club, local chapter of FOCAS or even your church family. Get involved, teach these kids what really matters in life. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.

My first Blog

Well folks, welcome to my Blog. I will try to post as often as I can. I travel quite a bit, and unfortunately, coupled with my small town country boy background general lack of computer use has put me in a precarious position. I will tell you now, I may have a hard time posting regularly. If you have any questions or would like to hear about something in particular feel free to email me here or on my website through our contact form.

I Just got back from filming some bow hunts in South Africa with my son Jamie, and one of my grandsons, Kyle, so I am playing catch up here at the office and will post more on that later. Right now I want to make you all aware of a couple things that we have going on right now.

First and foremost We have the Outdoor Legends Energy Sweepstakes. With the Help of Premium Energy, You can enter to win a two-day trip to fish Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Myself. Not just one, but all three of us. The winner will be drawn out after Labor Day. Be sure to stock up on All Day Energy and Extreme Energy because there are hundreds of instant winners left. Prizes include many of the products we use every day: Signature series rods, baits, calls, etc.
All Day Energy and Extreme Energy:"When 5 hours just won't cut it!"

Back over on the Jimmy Houston Website we have added Jimmy Houston on demand. You can watch any Jimmy Houston Outdoors episode from 2005-2008, new episodes will be added as soon as possible.
We also have several different Jimmy Houston Products for sale in our e-comerce site. Purchase Books, Sunglasses, DVDs, and more. All shipped directly to you.

Hopefully I will be able to post my appearance dates and locations on the website as well. For now, here is a short list of up coming events.

• 7/25 First Assembly of GOD Broken Arrow, OK 730 AM
• Jul 30-Aug 2 FLW Cup in Pittsburg, Penn
• Aug 4-5 Northern Wholesale-Private Sales Group Tourney Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Aug 7-16, Chevy Night Aug 11 FLW Tourney Dardanelle, AR
  
• Aug 26-27 Bass Pro Grand Opening Altoona IA
  

That looks like that's about it for now. When I get a little longer to sit down and write I will tell you about my trip to Africa, You should see those porcupines!