California Palm Springs Hike

October 23, 2022
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs Canyon Trail

Fifteen miles long, Palm Canyon is one of the areas of great beauty in Western North America. Its indigenous flora and fauna, which the Cahuilla people so expertly used, and its abundant Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm) are breathtaking contrasts to the stark rocky gorges and barren desert lands beyond.

Deep Sea Bachelor Party

June 25, 2022
Orange Beach, Alabama

Zeke's Landing and Marina

Blake was getting married so the boys headed down to Orange Beach for a bachelor party and fishing trip. Our party of seven met the captain and crew at daylight, packed the boat and idled to the Perdido Pass to catch baitfish. After loading the live wells with fresh cigar minnows and mullet we started fishing for our target species, red snapper. We fished several wrecks and underwater structures. Red snapper school with other fish that are similar in size and the biggest fish are usually swimming at the top of the school. Red snapper are bottom dwellers so their eyes are on the top of their head and oriented upwards which helps them spot baitfish swimming above. It's risky for the smaller snapper to hang out above the larger fish because they can easily eaten mistaken as bait. We moved from reef to reef and structure to structure catching fish from smaller and larger groups. We ended the day with a limit of snapper that we put on the grill that afternoon.Bachelor party fishing trip

Catch and Release in the Grease

March 5, 2022
Locust Fork, Warrior River

Spring time in Alabama brings about blooming flowers, cold weather and great largemouth bass fishing. I took a quick fishing trip to one of my favorite bass spawning locations on the Warrior River and landed a nice 3lb largemouth while she was protecting her newly made bed. 

The blackened dinner entrée paired well with some fresh green beans, red potatoes and chardonnay. 

Talladega National Forest

January 22, 2022

Talladega National Forest

I had ambitious plans to scout the food plots in Talladega National Forest near mount Cheaha and then hike the mountain afterwards. I spent the afternoon checking food plots for deer sign and discovered rolling swaths of burnt timber. Large parts of the Talladega National Forest are routinely burned to promote healthy tree growth. Unfortunately, this removes most of the underbrush forcing deer to leave those parts of the property. Also, this property is one of the few public lands that permit dog hunting during deer season. The burned timber and hunting pressure from dog drives makes this challenging territory for whitetail hunters.