Congratulations on your decision Jim! And it's so nice of you to break down and tell us. I bet you are going to be very happy with your decision. I love to fish, but my DH doesn't and I'm a wimpy girl and don't bait hooks. I really wish I could get over that.

Beverly

Good for you! Moving forward and doing things we enjoy is an important part of our lives. Fishing is a good thing!

Nancy

I trust this is not a "career change"? LOL!
Sounds to me like a very happy decision!
And are the bass biting?
Linda C

This group can always be counted on to be supportive of any kind of shopping endeavor! Congratulations on your new boat!

Good for you, Jim! You seem to be keeping yourself busy, and that's a good thing. I would think your friends would be happy you are finding things to enjoy. My mom was a widow at 49, so she still had a lot of years and thank goodness she didn't spend them sitting home wondering what to do!
I don't like to eat fish, but I like catching them..what kind of a boat did you get? Where will you fish..fresh or salt water?. I am a block from the Bay on L.I. but the fisherman complain that the fishing is not good anymore. Or maybe it's just them! LOL

Ditto-Good for you,a hearty round of applause for taking care of YOU! I'm sure Jean would have approved too!

Jim, please accept my support also for your decision. It's important to look forward to things in our lives & I'm sure Jean wants you to live a full life.

I also want to know what kind of boat? What type of fishing? Outboard...single/dual? Center console? Cuddy? Fresh or salt water? Grady White & Boston Whaler are both popular fishing boats in my area. Our dock neighbor has a Grady. Not for fishing though...he's a retired doctor of marine biology & spent his career with NOAA doing underwater research. He uses his Grady for recreational diving. We're right across Long Island Sound from Kathleen. It's about a 15 nautical mile run for us to get out past Montaulk Point to fish. Our boat is so slow & you can't fish from the bow so DH usually does first-mate duties for a friend & goes fishing on their boat.

Anxious to hear more...and I hope you're excited & looking forward to taking delivery.

/tricia

Oh James I am so happy to hear that you have decided to go back to fishing and even happier you decided to share that with us. Enjoy your new boat and happy fishing!

PS: Do I understand from your post you've also gone back to golfing?

Hey Jim, congrats! We want details. I just went fishing last week for the first time in years. I had been promising my 11 year old nephew that I would take him fishing for the last several years and finally made an afternoon free. He caught 5 fish! And I caught one, but I was mostly busy taking his fish off the hook and putting the worm back on (I got on him a little about that..a fisherman has to be able to bait his own hook!).

Anyway, give us some details on your new boat. I had a nice 16 ft fishing boat but due to lack of any actual fishing ability I sold it to buy my greenhouse. For me it was a good decision as I'm sure yours is. Enjoy your time on the water!

Duane

YAY Jim! I love fishing so I completly understand.

Jim, this is good!

I'm with Kathleen, I'm not into eating fish, but if somebody can put the icky worm on the hook, I love to fish! LOL

I can't wait to hear what you name the boat (or is that bad luck to change a name? Can't remember) "Serendipity" actually sounds like a good name. Or maybe even naming it after a special somebody. :)

As an aside, please don't feel weird about posting stuff like this. It's part of your life and we are interested, especially when you sound so excited about something. Congratulations!

What a fun purchase! I think you made the right decision, can't wait to see pictures!

Linda

I picked up on the golf thing too Sharon. Congratulations on the new boat James!! Nothing better than fresh caught fish...have fun!!!

David

Yes, I was wondering if they sold boats on the golf course now too! Sounds good James. And remember, we're your friends too, so pop in here more often!

"Serendipty" yes, that is a wonderful name......

Oh yeah! Another fan of sharing and, for heaven's sake, doing things that give you a goose.

I liked fishing, only tried it one day out on the North Platt River; fly fishing that is, but it's so serene. DH did not, he like the boat ride, though :)

I do eat fish and would love to catch dinner.

Go Jim!

I think that is great, have fun and enjoy your new boat. I like to fish, but only if they bite immediately. However, I love to eat them!

Be sure and share some of your fishing tales.

I like fishing too. When I was a child in Texas, we lived very close to Belton Lake and DF had a boat, but he would take me further away to Lake Whitney or Lake Travis (a couple of times to Lake Texoma, much further away) to fish. I've heard that Stillhouse Hollow and Belton Lake have a lot of facilities still closed, due to the 2007 flood. Although I lived in Houston for four years, I never fished on the Gulf, but a brother visited our cousin in Corpus Christi and went deep sea fishing there, which he liked. Where in Texas are you?

I'm sure you will love your boat. I have an inflatable fishing boat, which I've used on the canals here, but it is not legal on some of the local lakes, as they require a hard bottom. I smuggled it onto Lake Cachuma where DB and I paddled around for a couple of hours until we were asked to leave (thrown off the lake). We were ready getting ready to leave at that time anyway. We also took it to Century Lake in Malibu Creek State Park, where it is legal. Although I live only three blocks or so from the marina here, the only boats I've been on have been ferries to Catalina.

Am looking forward to fishing stories and boating expedition tales.

Lars

I guess I should clarify a couple of things. I played in the second group off every weekend for 12 or 13 years. Our group disbanded when my wife was ill and another guys brother died and he had to to take care of a lot of things for the family. The first four groups have stayed pretty much the same for all this time. I play when one of them calls me with an opening. A guy in the third group moved to Dallas and I got an invite to join them. I jumped on it. So with a regular group and going back to the water I have a lot to look forward to. I've been telling myself I need something to look forward to and to keep patient and things are finally coming around. I'll be golfing on dry land and fishing the many arms of Galveston Bay. If you guys are receptive to pics I'll take a bunch and post my adventures in my new life. Thanks all

Nothin' like a boat, IMHO! Great move, congrats! Also great news about the golf. Thanks for sharing.

Hi James - you regained your interest in boating and fishing just in time for boat gas to go sky high :)
We just filled up our boat last week for the first time this season and it was a shockeroo!

My Dad was a fisherman and tied flies up until the arthritis in his hands left him unable to so. We had trout and trout and more trout for years and years and years! He also loved to deep sea fish and now at 88, he doesn't fish anymore but loves to hear all about it and see pictures - don't forget to post your pictures, please.

It sounds like its something you've always wanted to do and that means it can't be all bad! Make sure it makes your life better then you can justify it ;-) have a ball!!

James, I'm so happy to hear that you are getting back to doing things that you have enjoyed in the past. Of course we are receptive. Can't wait to see pictures.

Ann

James we'd all love to see your pictures. Good for you to get back to fishing and golfing on a regular basis.
It's so important to have something to look forward to and to always have some interesting events coming up in the near future.

Do post photos of your new boat and of course we want to see pictures of the ones that didn't get away!

SharonCb

Nothing like a day out on a boat to take all the stress away and lets not forget partys are fun on boats too! You must tell yourself that You deserve to enjoy your life...golf fish drink eat and be happy!!!!

Several months after my father passed away, my mother blew me away by telling me she was thinking of getting a face lift. She'd never complained about her looks before, and scorned women that did things like that, (my mother could be very opiniated) so I was just dumbfounded. Looking back on it, I can understand why she was thinking that way, because she was still fairly youngish (late 50's) when my father died. Luckily, she never went through with it. Instead, she bought a used RV, and joined a group of other RV'ers to go "camping" with. She had so much fun with her RV and her new friends. It was definately the right decision for her.

I'm betting you've made the right decision, too. I wish you lots of fun with your boat!

Sally

WE WANT PICTURES

(And I'm with Lori316 on the name....)

I've never named a boat but I'll think about it. I just might do it. Serendipity would be great. Fishing boat names around here are things like Trout Killer, Redfish King etc. I would turn heads for sure.

Of course we want pictures Jim - anytime!

Good for you!

My dad loved to fish and hunt all his life. He has a hard time growing old. He's now 77 years old and his health is not too great. He broke down and cried when he finally realized that his health can no longer accept him going fishing and hunting. Not being able to do those things has been his biggest heartbreak so far, so enjoy doing the things that you enjoy while you still can.

Of course we want pictures! I don't fish myself because of the sun issues (five minutes and I'm toast regardless of sunscreen), but I completely get why people love it.

And sometimes the best memorial to someone is to do the things you love.

Have a wonderful time fishing, and, as beanthere mentioned, don't forget the sunblock!

Woo hoo Jim....sounds like you are enjoying life..NOTHING wrong with that!

Oh yeah, I want pictures!

I love to fish and I can bait my own hooks, LOL. I just went fishing a couple of days ago and managed to catch five very small bluegills. I also "snagged" a minnow. Other people manage to snag rainbow trout (which is what I was fishing for). Not me, I snag a minnow, LOL. I still had fun, and I did manage to catch some walleye the week before, so it's all good.

Have a wonderful time and I want pictures of the fish, as well as the boat!

And now you remind me that I want a fishing boat. A pontoon boat would be good, but I'd rather have something that goes up and down the river.....

So, what kind did you buy?

Annie

Annie, I haven't bought one yet. Here is the lead candidate so far. It's light weight so I can pull it with my Ford Ranger. I don't want to have to buy a bigger truck. The seats will have to go, they take up too much room. Sixteen feet will be just right for me. I can take someone with me but I can load and unload it by myself easily. I'm going back over to talk to the guy in the morning. If I don't find any weak spots with the second look see I'm going to order it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Skiff

Great looking boat James!

Here's how much I know about fishing...I read "live well" as live , as in living not as in alive, and though it must be a built in cooler for wine! LOL

Ha ha, Sharon! I like the way your mind works :)

Hey, I'll bet you could turn it into a built in cooler for wine, or whatever else you like. (grin)

Jim, I figured that you'd have bought it by now, LOL. If the seats have to go, I'm assuming that benches will remain to sit on? I know what you mean about loading and unloading it yourself, I found out the hard way about tents that need more than one person to set up.

it's a nice looking little boat, that's along the lines of what I'm thinking here for the river. You're gonna enjoy that a lot, I think.

Plus, your weather is such that you can use it for a lot of the year, so you'll be getting plenty of time in it.

May all your catches be good ones.

Annie

Nice boat Jim...but where's the head? -maria

Jessy?

Jim,

Did you get your boat???

Here's a few fishing boat names to get you thinking...

Boatweizer
Weather Oar Knot
Never Again II
Debaitable
Braggin' Rights
Learning Curve (painted upside down!) lol
Sunny Side Up
Knot So Fast
Beached Buoys
E-fishn-C
Chub Tub
Fishcapades
Rhumb Runner
Fish Tank
Naut-a-Byte
B.O.A.T. (Bank Owns Another Toy!)

And, if you're braver & don't mind the chuckles...

Happy Hooker
Master Baiter
Pee-2-Lee

Looking forward to pixs!

Our first boat was named 'Whiskey River'.

I love the name of our current tender that we either carry on the swim platform or tow behind the boat...'Little Tender Behind'! Even the Coasties laugh...

/tricia

I always liked "Blonde Ambition."

;)

LOL, Barnmom.

I also like these but not necessarily for a fishing boat...

Sailboat:

'Hang On Sloopy'
'Wind Between The Sheets'

Go-Fast Cigarette-type boat:

'Anger Management'

Cruisers:

'Chicken of the Sea'
'Your Ad Here'

The problem with some of these great names is doing the radio check every time you leave port. It's a bit embarrassing to hold down the button & say, "Radio check, please. 'Passing Wind' in Mystic Channel." lol No telling what kind of response you'd get!

DH wanted to name our current boat 'Attorney Client Privilege'. I said, "No"!

/tricia

Oh yeah, fishing...

No boat yet. They did not have exactly what I wanted so I ordered one two weeks ago. Four to six week delivery. I've decided not to name it. I've never named one and all of them have been lucky. No sense tempting fate. I'm really looking forward to this.
James

You ordered a new boat????? ahhhhhh - the smell of a new boat is way better than the smell of a new car.......congratulations! You'll have fun - even if you don't catch any fish!

Jim,
Congratulations to you on your decision. Sounds like it's just what you need. You'll have to post some pics when it arrives!

Tracey