My last post drew some requests from the community asking for more, so I thought I would do another in the same style. If ya'll enjoy reading these, I'll keep em up. If not, I will pipe down and go back to the kids table! Here goes...

After last weeks jaunt through the Mitten State, I had a busy work week lined up this week. �Monday and Tuesday were full days in the lab here in Dallas, then it was up to Colorado on Tuesday. �I landed in Denver just in time to see the sunset over the front range, it sure made for a nice drive to the hotel!


Wednesday was another full day in the lab before catching the last bird back to DFW and�Thursday was yet another packed day in the lab. �There was a recent question as to what I do for a living, so I �thought I might share a little more on the topic- A few years back we developed some gear to simplify a technique to cross total blockages using small "bridging collateral channels" or the natural bypass channels the heart will form to feed blood to portions of the heart that are starved as a result of the blockage. �Previously these patients would have required an open heart bypass procedure and months of recovery time from such a traumatic procedure. �Using this new approach, they stay overnight for observation and go home the next day with little more than 2 small bruises where we gain access to the femoral artery in the groin. �Normally, we cross blockages forwards or "antegrade", but using these collaterals, we crossover from the opposite side of the heart and through the blockage backwards or "retrograde". �The end result is a continuous guide wire entering the left groin area through a guide catheter (just a long plastic tube, not the bladder kind we all fear), traveling up the aorta, down the left coronary artery, through the collateral channel crossovers, up the right coronary, through the blockage,�back into a second catheter, down the aorta and out of the patients right groin area. �We then use this wire to deliver balloons and stents to the blockage. �The end result (when all goes right) is a patient that no longer needs a traumatic open heart procedure and is no longer limited by their chest pain symptoms. �Here's a picture to help visualize-


OK, enough of the geeky stuff! �On to the important things! �Friday morning I was PRIMED up for some hybrid chasing! �Hit the lake early and had a beautiful morning waiting for me. �Left the ramp about 6am, idling out of the marina, completing my launch checklist, I went to fire up my electronics and pushed the power button on the Elite 5... Nothing. �Hmmm... Checked the connection: good. �Fuse: good. �Double Hmmm... Grab my ipilot remote and push a button and get the dreaded "all icon" screen. �"What the heck?! �I know I had a full charge on the battery last time I put it away..." I pull the top off my battery box to check my master connection and realize what has happened. �When I was installing the ipilot, I was too lazy to install a separate switch for the TM. �I just used a ring terminal and would secure it to the positive post with a wingnut before launching, and remove it after recovery. �Last time out, I must have forgot to disconnect it and my Ipilot spent the last week and a half looking for a satellite in my garage, draining the battery. �What started as a great morning to chase hybrids just became a great morning for a boat ride! �Ran down the lake as far as Yankee point, sipping coffee and checking a couple empty spots for topwater action, all quiet. �Minh did a fly by in his new battlewagon and gave a wave, what a nice looking ride! �At this point, I decided that I would salvage the morning and use it to pick up a dedicated switch for the TM and some lengthened fuel line to relocate my tank further forward. �


After Friday mornings debacle, I got a call on my way home that Taylor's new shotgun had come in, so I made a little detour to pick it up. �I knew it would make her day after a long work week. �We celebrated with a sushi date, then went home and she learned how to clean her new Winchester SX3 20ga.

Saturday morning, we yielded the lake to the amateurs and headed for the gun club instead. �Tay was so anxious to shoot her new gun, it was cracking me up! I was dragging my feet leaving the house because I could tell the excitement was killing her. �My dad used to do this to me when I was a kid, it would drive me nuts, but now I see he was just taking time to enjoy the moment. �It was warm and breezy, but that didn't keep us from getting out and bustin' some clays! �Tay broke the first 3 targets with the first three shells through the chamber- good shotgun juju I think! �


Saturday evening, I had arranged with a couple buddies to go do some night fishing. �We loaded up the Yeti with provisions and hit the ramp about sunset. �



Stopped by Silverside's slip on our way out where the Mad Scientist himself was putting his boat away after a slaying. �He's been back in the laboratory cooking up some new voodoo and gave me some to test out:


We waded out into the chaos cautiously as sunset is "last call for jackwagonpalooza" on the Hub. �Seriously folks, be careful out there. �Keep an eye out and give other boats a wide berth. �Once we cleared the mess at the bridge, we pointed the tin rocket south and made a beeline for less crowded water. �



We marked a TON of fish, stacked from top to bottom in 28-16fow, but could not get ANYTHING to bite after sunset. �We slabbed. �Nothin. �We threw spinners. �Nothin. �We threw Sassy Shad. �Nothin. �I even had some catfish rods out with hot-dog chunk dip bait nastiness on it. �Nothin. �We fished until 1:30am before heading back up to the I30 bridge and spending another 45min of fruitless effort. �Our only thing to show for the night was this:


We also had a UFO sighting! �This thing hovered around us for a little while, all of our Sassy Shad started to glow strangely!



After Saturday nights skunking, Tay and I decided to forgo any lake activities and head back out to the gun club for some more shooting, then spent the afternoon by the pool. �Nothing like some Max-4 camo to give a place some class!


So, yes, you read correct, not a single fish brought to hand last week! �I am home this week, and with it being a holiday week, things should be pretty quiet on the work front so I am hoping to get a little more solo time in the boat and do some serious chasin' before relinquishing the lake back to the amateurs on the 4th. �See ya'll on the water! �

Tight Lines,
GG �

Cliff notes?
Hope to see you Saturday night!

I shoot also, what gun club was that?

Dually noted! Cliff notes = Im a forgetful dork who doesn't catch any fish and am obsessed with my overpriced cooler.

Im not sure if I will be there this weekend, we are planning on doing some work up on the ranch to get ready for waterfowl season. I guess it depends how much we get done!

Elm Fork. Our first time there. Nice place to shoot!

Keep em coming!! Enjoyed the read

Enjoyed the read. You are one smart man. good to hear you are enjoying the texas life. I will never enjoy the summer here with how hot they get and I miss my skiing in the winter, but texas ain't all the bad, eh....

Ya, Eh! Thanks Nick, I don't think smarts the word though... its rare I get all my brain cells moving in one direction together. Hence, leaving the TM hooked up... I hear ya on the heat! I think it affects the brain cells!

Carson was your I pilot deployed. I though when you locked it closed it went into a shut down mode and wouldn't drain your battery. Mine doesn't drain the battery or did I just read your post wrong?

Yet another quirk of the Powerdrive V2... No auto shutdown upon stowed position. Between this and the jimmy rigging I had to do to run the TM transducer cable... i wish I would have popped the extra $$ for the Terrova. Oh well! Next time!

Great read Carson! Sure wish that was my UFO out there! Need to get time to do some night trips.

Those strip lights mean serious business, Jeff! Where did you get yours if you don't mind me asking? I think the green machine may need some eventually.

Keep up the good work on heart surgery. My fat azz will need that one day.

So you're a duck killer and a life saver, I like your style!

kelly

I'm outta breath just reading!! Haha. Great read, just wish I was half as interesting as you sound!! See ya on the water

Mike