Never Forget 9/11/01

It is a day I will never forget! Where were you on 9/11/01? Every year since 9/11 I have tried to honor those that have died, this year I want to spend it on the water. If you are a Police, Firefighter, EMT, Paramedic, or Military personnel I invite you to come out and bass fish with me. You will receive $50 off your charter on 9/11/14 - 9/14/14. Contact me at kpsfishing@yahoo.com

Awesome bass fishing and awesome lungs

It's been a rough 6 months, a lot of ups and downs with my health post double lung transplant. However I am super excited to just have had my 6 month Bronchoscopy and the report from my doctors that the transplant and lungs are looking great and for the first time since my transplant I will not need weekly bronchs. In fact, the next one is planned for July, I am really just excited about that. 

This also means I can do what I love, Bass fish and do my fishing charters without having to worry about tests and procedures. I know there will be more bumps in this road, but I hope for a few months I can just enjoy the gift I was given.

So let's talk bass fishing. I have been on the water a lot these past few weeks after having to take a month off from transplant complications. The bite has been great, I am defiantly getting people on numbers...usually 20 fish in the boat in 4 hrs. My go to bait for most of my fishing guests are flukes or sinkos, weightless with 10 lbs test fluorocarbon line. I work areas have hydrilla very slow and in depths around 8-10 ft. I will fish an area about 50 square yards for a hour or more at a time, especially if we are catching fish. Working are area that size that slowly is producing a lot of bites. The issue has been getting the big fish to bite. I have managed at least one trophy size fish per charter, it's something that I honestly expect to occur until mid-May. The weather has still been unsteady and keeping the water temps into the low 70's. These temps are causing some of the bass to spawn late, while some are post spawn and just not feeding, and a third of the fish are already in a sum my pattern, feeding constantly on shad and already schooling on shad on the surface. 

I had believed the spawn was over on my lake, I had a lot of big fish in February, which is the normal peak of the spawn for this lake, but these past two weeks I have seen a ton of new bass beds all over the lake. I have been fishing lake Bryan for 5 yrs and have never seen these bass spawn this late. The bigger fish we have been catching have had marks on their tail and many even bleeding from the tail. Usually a clear sign they are clearing off beds, these bedding fish are bedding along slopes that drop down to 15-20 ft, and seem to be on the slopes in 8-10 ft. So I can't see the beds, but just they way they are striking the baits it's pretty obvious they are bedding fish. 

When the winds are calm, I have been seeing bass schooling on shad pretty much all over the lake. This usually doesn't occur until the water temps heat up in June so when it does happen I try and use some top water baits just to see the fish strike top water. The fishing will continue to be great, so if your coming to Orlando take some time to enjoy some of Florida's great Bass fishing.

Week 2 of waiting

Another week has past and no phone call yet. The anxiety is running high in my mind. Sleepless nights and long days laying around trying to gain weight and not doing anything too physical that would burn major calories. Each passing day, I have become more and more in favor of the whole idea of getting new lungs. my fear of waking up intubated plus massive pain is still there but again I am ready for it. I am ready to start a whole new chapter in my life, and once the pain subsides my goal will be get into the best physical shape as possible, so i can finally play with my son, and to restart the job I love of being a fishing captain. It will be better then ever! I want this surgery right now, so I can be back on the water by later summer, and prepare for the busy season and hopefully start fishing some serious tournaments.

Hopefully that call comes soon, but not like at 2 in the morning....I am hoping for a morning or afternoon call like before. Driving 3 hours at 2 am might be rough. Thanks for all the support and emails, I love to get them. Thank you !

Still more tests

Well it's February and again I still have several tests and consults to complete before I will be considered for a lung transplant. This has been a very long and emotional process that was started back in December and was supposed to be completed in two weeks. I manage my disease very well and always stay ahead of the curve so having these delays, and major communication issues with the Mayo clinic really has me down and losing hope in the entire process. I was told last week that they will not even consider doing the surgery until my weight is 130 lbs, I have never weighed more then 105 my entire life. Since my lungs are only function at 22%, I am on oxygen full time and this poor lung function means my body is burning through thousands of calories per day just on breathing. Currently my intake is 6,000 plus calories per day, eating more is just not possible. I am looking into different facilities that will be more willing to roll the dice on the surgery, but my insurance will not cover it until mayo makes a final decision. That decision will not likely come until May.

Meanwhile I am trying to get on the water on a limited basis but as much as my mind and heart want to fish, my body physically won't allow it many days. I am doing all I can to make charters happen, but it is a day to day deal, so booking in advance is tough because I am not sure what will happen tomorrow let alone a month or two out. So for those that are calling, thank you! I won't leave people hanging, if I can do the charter I will, if not I will put you in the right direction to someone that can take you fishing. Thank you all for your continued support and patients with me!

2013 will decide my future

Another year has come fast, and honestly I am not prepared for what will happen or may happen in 2013. My health being on the front burners and will be all year. I believe this year will be do or die for me. My disease has come to the fork in the road, will I get my lung transplant or will I become to sick for surgery and potentially slowly fade away in a hospital bed, like many CF patients I have known over the years. The whole process has been grueling to say the least, not only on me physically, and mentally, but on my family, especially my wife. Not enough credit can be given to her, because she is what is my drive to stay alive. She also is the quarterback of the team, making critical decisions though out this part of my life. Pre, during surgery, and post surgery decisions are all made by her. A roll i knew she could handle, i just wish it was later on in our lives, but its not. CF has shown its evil face, and despite 33 yrs of fighting the batlle, it is beginning to show the signs of how it's winning the war on my body. Each new test, shows how slowly and damaging Cystic Fibrosis is, and no matter how compliant and careful I have been, it didn't totally keep the disease from causing a lot of internal problems that may not be able to be repaired. My overall role continues to be very painful, but easy. My wife Michele has the hardest job of managing my post transplant care, which is months long and 24/7. She will still maintain her job, as she is the main bread winner of the family, and she must also play both roles as a parent and homemaker. Again, my job is easy in comparison, and every day I realize more and more how awesome and amazing she is. If this surgery happens and I am given this new lease on life, it will be spent taking care of her as much as I can for the rest of my life. I know what she has to see and what the disease is doing to me physically and mentally. I am changed from this experience but from what i hear about other CF patients going through similar situations. It has been very difficult to see people do well and see people die, because right now, i am one of those people, and it tears me up wondering which statistic will I be when it's done.

There still remains several days at mayo for testing and hopefully in a month or two, I will know more and if I will get listed at the mayo.

As for fishing, it really is on hold. Now I do have a few charters scheduled and will be doing my best to make them happen. Fishing is very hard for me right now, because I am on oxygen full time. Anywhere I go I need my oxygen tanks, even taking a shower takes time and a lot of energy, so you can image the physical strength needed to hook up a boat and launch it into the water. There are days I literally have not energy or desire to even shower, because the poor oxygenation of blood in my body just wears you down. This has been the hardest think to grasp for me. My entire life has been go go go, a infection here and there with a few weeks of being sick...and I would be good to go for months...now I am on iv antibiotics going on 4 months straight. It's frustrating because I love fishing, and I love what I have accomplished with this business. I beat the odds, and took more crap from older local captains over the years, but despite their hate, I prospered and made great friends and memories doing it. Oh, yeah, The business name, website, trademarks...all protected for a very long time, long enough that my son will be able to do with it as he pleases. (sorry this really is to spite my haters)..What I miss, all the people I have met. I am trying my hardest to continue taking out those that have returned to fish with me year after year. It's never been about making big money or having the biggest baddest truck or boat, it's about touching the people that love the sport but love sharing it with a loved one, son, daughter, mother, father, husband, and/or wife. That's what's important, and hopefully God will allow me to continue my work here, so I can show my son the true meaning of life, and what really is important.

So to everyone checking out my site. Email me, tell me when your looking to fish, and I will give you honest answers about the fishing, and my health. As usually I take no deposits, and if something happens that will not allow me to do the charter, I will give you plenty of notice and hopefully guide you to someone that can help you . I will also be giving updates on the transplant as they happen so stay tuned.

Week two of transplant eval

Hello everyone

I am back in Orlando now after completing week 2 of 4 weeks being evaluated for a double lung transplant. This week was fairly easy, no major procedures but a lot of consults. The biggest one was our last consult for the week. I met with the GI doctor, mainly to discuss issues with my GI track. Other then changing some meds and other stuff to start gaining the weight I need to have the surgery, the main topic was my liver.
What was really discovered from several tests last week, is my liver is very enlarged and damaged. It's not from drinking...I don't drink. The damaged is because mucus has blocked many veins going into the liver, and inflammation from lung infections have caused major scarring to the liver. Although there is a lot of tests to be completed, there is a very good chance I will need a double lung and liver transplant.

We also learned that I will need someone with me 24 hours a day for at least 2 months after the surgery. The strong combination of meds and their side effects could cause several scenarios to happen, and if something does occur, my doctor needs to be notified immediately. Then they will make changes to my meds, and/or have me go to the ER.

Also learned many other things...like always sitting in back seat of the car for the first 3 months. Zero raw foods, like sushi or oyster, can't share food or utensils, separate towels, etc. Just a lot of little thinks the average person would never believe.

As for fishing...same remains, it's day to day if I can do a charter, and I really can't book to far in advance since I don't know when I will get listed.

So that was a little of this week...off for Christmas but back on my B-day for two more days next week.

Felt good to be back out 11/7/12

Today was the first time fishing since early August. My lungs are slowly improving but now where near what they where at 3 years ago. I will be stating the lung transplant evaluation on Dec11. It is a 10-15 day out patient study that involves several invasive procedures. That means this will finishe Christmas Eve or after, wont know until our first day. But it's a 3 hour drive to Jacksonville so we will have to pay for a hotel for a week or so.

Having not been on the lake in so long was such a wake up call for me. I love fishing but love seeing people catch fish is better. The hydrilla in the lake has exploded and is starting to over take it, so they will be doing some spraying and adding 900 grass carbs this week. This forced me to fish deeper then normally, but it paid off with Kathy from Ontario as she landed this 7 lbs 5 oz bass mid morning. Not bad for not being on the lake more .

Also on a very sad note, I learned of the sudden, unexpected death of a friend on the lake Biff. Biff was one of the few that did not sell their private property to hotel owners. He was already wealthy from his boat repair business he sold years ago, and retired in his early forties. I spoke to him October 16... He died possibly that night or right after in his bed while he was sleeping. Very sad to see him gone, he did a lot to help me with my boat and business.

I hope do get a few more trips before thanksgiving but I need to try and take day by day.

Below is Kathy from Ontario and her trophy bass

Orlando transplant doctor appointment results

Some good and bad news from today's appointment with the Florida transplant doctor. Bad news: I need to do the 2 week evaluation process sooner then later. My fev1 which is the main number used to define lung function is at 22%. When this number stays below 30% for a year that number will more then likely not go back up. So I am close to being under the 30% mark for a year. The only shot at increasing this number will be through Pulmonary rehab. This will be critical for me to gain as much function back as possible, and this week was wasted thanks to the rehab facility not calling me or my doctor back after a week a calling them. So because they are only there Tuesdays and Thursdays, the earliest I can start will be a week from now. He also said is that this transplant will have to happen no matter what at some point, we are all hoping later then sooner. Also not having the evaluation done, and one bad infection could land me into the ICU and having to be intubated on a ventilator. At that point, I would not be able to complete the evaluation phase, and would likely die shortly after.

The good news: despite being at 22% he would not list me right now, because I can still do some physical activity and not in need of oxygen full time. That being said, i do need oxygen at night, during longer walks, even doing things like cleaning the house. Pretty much anything I do physical for more then 6 minutes, my oxygen level drops into the low 80's unless i have the oxygen on. By allowing my oxygen to drop this low, it causes more damage to my heart and could mean that at some point I would need a lung and heart transplant. So I always need to have it nearby and use it when I feel short of breath, even if its just for a few minutes.
Another good thing is that while I was admitted three weeks ago, a good majority of the testing needed was completed. So other then some more blood work, some X-rays, the only major procedure is the heart cath test, which is the worst part of the eval. Other then that it is a matter of finding a team and facility I like and I feel I will have the best chance with. Then it's meeting with all of that teams people and working out the financial aspects. Still a lot of work, but the two week eval could only be a weeks worth. I am still waiting to hear from Mayo clinic which should hopefully be next week to schedule the initial visit. Depending how i feel with Mayo, i still might meet with the entire Orlando team. I had a better vibe meeting with Dr. Pelaez today then I did during my admission a few weeks ago. He was very honest and answered everything we asked. The only thing holding me back on going with them is that the team has only done 3 transplants together. They have many many surgeries combined just not together here in Orlando. The doctor also said that I do need to gain some weight, I am hoping to add another 15 lbs plus some muscle mass. He was happy to see my abdominal pain was better and that I also started insulin. My osteoporosis is also severe, and must be addressed, but my endo will do a IV medication next month to help improve that almost immediately once administered. The side effect to that med is usually severe joint pain for several days after the infusion.

So.... I did have some relief after today but overall it is a lot of bad with some good....I am still pretty much depressed, scared, and trying to come to terms with a lot of stuff. Those feelings are not going to ever change, it is only going to get harder as time goes on so I have to learn how to manage all of that stuff. I am eager to start rehab and bust my ass hard to gain as much lung function as possible. I have also realized that rehab is not going to be a short term gig, but something I will and willing to have to do for the rest of my life. I have come to terms with the realization that I can no longer do a million things like I used to; running a business, foundation, and being the best father and husband as possible. I know my limits now, and those limits mean i cannot please everyone all the time like I have over the years. Everything I do from this point needs to be in my best interest so I can be around for Michele and Casey as long as possible. They are what gives my life meaning and purpose. So the foundation will have to stay on the back burner until I can find someone to run it, fishing will have to stay next to it until I can gain some lung function and muscle to be able to load and unload the boat from the trailer. I need to work out, and rest a lot. Just getting Casey ready for school in the morning and getting him there wipes me out. Playing with him for an hour even wipes me out, so until I can do that stuff all day, everything else will have to wait. So thanks for all the help from those that are and for all those prayers. I will still need a lot of both for a long while.

So it begins...

Tomorrow is the first of several doctor appointments I am not looking forward to. Tomorrow I see my infectious disease doctor. He is great, but it can be a battle to get the iv antibiotics I need. The ID doctor i see while i am admitted has completely different philosophies on treatment then my outpatient doctor. My hospital ID likes to hit these infections with the strong iv meds and usually more then one at a time, which I prefer. My outpatient tends to use the milder antibiotics, saving the strong stuff for major infections down the road. Once the bacteria becomes resistant you are pretty much screwed. However, this infection has been very bad and lowered my lung function dramatically, so this is a major issue. What also hurts me is that in the middle of my out patient therapy, I was admitted and they changed some things around. Now, 10 days later, I have to go back to the outpatient ID doctor, so they will want to go back to being more conservative. All of these problems stem from my insurance company not accepting my in hospital ID as a outpatient. Now I still could see the in patient doctor but it would be another $2500 out of pocket annually plus the office fee of $80 per appointment they require. Since I see my ID like 30 times a year, that's way to much to pay out of pocket. I have been on antibiotics for 1 month straight and there has been improvement but I still need the hard stuff. I had told my outpatient ID doctor I believed this was a severe infection and that it would be at least 2 months of antibiotics, it once again looks like I am right.
The key here is that patients know their body, and I know what's wrong and how long it takes to recover. In case anyone is keeping score I have been right on every diagnosis I believed I had since this all started. The hard part is getting the doctors to realize this before the results confirm it. Those few extra days of treatments that I know will work before the tests come back always benefit me in the long run. So tomorrow will suck because I will have to plead my case to continue my therapy, but I will get it, and will continue to recover. Thursday will be the tough day, seeing my pulmonologist and figuring out a game plan for this up coming lung transplant. I will continue to fight, and never give up. I just hope my brain can handle all the bad news and stay strong. I just want to live and watch my son grow, and grow old with my wife...giving them both all the love I can in the process. I can't write into words how much my love for them grows day by day, and how much it hurts knowing that one day CF will win. I just hope it's not until I am 80.

Bling, because I can

Life is short, so I have to say what made me laugh last night....every once in a great while, I look to see what the competition is doing. I really do not worry what other freshwater guides do, especially since I fish on a private lake, and I never see anyone. I have to say, I got a good chuckle from some of what I saw. Since I started, I have been harrassed by several guides over my low prices, and how I do things. I get harrassed, because I am young, and that I am from the North (as they put it). I havent received any calls or emails in a while. But when I get something, I take it as a badge of honor. I must be doing something right since I am still in business 8 yrs later. Anyway it made me laugh seeing them try and copy what I have been doing since day one.I used that positive energy to help me get through what I expected to be a bad day. I can't express this enough, I share my story about Cystic Fibrosis to educate and make awareness to a horrible uncurable disease, not to get pitty. Just this past month we lost a friend and young man that my foundation was helping to this awful disease, Eric was only 13 yrs old. Today I had to face the music and have lung function tests done to see where I stand. Like I figured my lungs have become worse, very bad actually. In March 2011 my lungs functioned at 35%, today it was 21%. I inhale with both my lungs, less then 1 liter of oxygen. A normal person or even a smoker of 30 yrs takes in 3-4 liters each breath. This would normally set off major alarms with the doctors, it sure did with me. This should have led to hospital admission, 24 hrs a day on oxygen, and a emergent appointment with the lung transplant team. However my doctor came into my room, without seeing the results, and said "you look really good". I chuckled and said you didnt see the tests yet, he then looked and reassured me that yes this is a serious infection, but there is no permanent scaring on the lungs from xrays back in 2011. He believes that with the aggressive treatment plan I am on, I should gain all this lost lung function back. I took this as a sign; I have dedicated most of my life to helping others, today I realized I need to dedicate my time towards my treatments, so I can continue to take care of the two most important people in my life; my wife and son. With this being said, I will take another few weeks to focus on my health, not fishing. I am hopeful I can join my friend this Sunday to fish a tournament, but I am not going to push my recovery.I haven't totally eliminated fishing from daily schedule. These past few weeks I added some Bling to my boat. I didn't get anything free from these guys, and I don't promote businesses unless I think they provide good customer service and a good product. That said, if you are looking for some boat bling then check out the LED kits from Blue Water LED. The kit included lighting for all my cabinets, livewells, deck lights, and even trailer. It will help in the early mornings and when I fish night tournaments, but honestly I did it because they look really cool. There are several photos below, and please check their website www.BlueWaterLED.com Thats the update for now, hopefully I can get back on my feet here soon.

Holy lung infection Batman!

Wish I knew how the fishing is, but for the last two weeks I have been battling the worst lung infection I have had in 9 yrs. I could not even walk from room to room without being short of breath. This past Thursday my doctor and I decided it was time to pull the trigger and use the strongest iv antibiotic as possible to get rid of the pseudomonas growth causing the infection. As CF patients age and get lung infections, the bacterias that cause these infections become resistant to antibiotics. This particular infection only has two antibiotics it's not resistant to. We were using the intermediate antibiotic Merrum but it wasn't doing a thing. So we called in for the hard stuff. I thankfully am feeling a little better each day, I was actually able to walk around home depot without oxygen and without being short of breath. I am hoping these improvements continue!

We did get a lot of rain from issac but it brought some slightly cooler temps, I mean like from 98 degrees to 94 degrees, but that little change will lower the water temps to where the fishing will get back to normal. I am disappointed that I can't do charters this holiday weekend but hopefully I can resume fishing next weekend.

Praying for a friend and one of my founding board members

Today, all my thoughts and prayers are for a good friend, board member to my foundation, and fellow Cystic Fibrosis patient; Erin Taylor. Erin, like me, has battled CF her entire life, and being in her late 20's the disease has put a huge beating on her lungs. For the last few weeks she has had trouble breathing, and has been coughing up blood. Just a few weeks ago she finished the extremely long process to become eligible to be place on the lung transplant list. The tests require hospital visits, everyday for 2 full weeks. This past weekend, she was again admitted to the hospital for coughing up more blood, and being short of breathe. Last week, they also said she was number 4 on the list, but number 1 in her height requirement. Last night at 1 AM, she received a call to drive up to Jacksonville, FL because they had lungs for her. As I am writing this she is on the operating table for what will be a 8-10 hr long surgery. She is incredibly strong, so I am asking that all your prayers go her way. Besides being a key person for my foundation, she is the first CF patient that I could share (really bitch too) about how much CF sucks, and she understands what I go through because she deals with the same stuff. Erin you are an amazing person, and hopefully this will be a huge success and you can tell me how great it is to Breathe normally for the first time in your life !!!

Finally, awesome fishing !!!

The past few weeks has been hell on the water. Fishing has been slow, low numbers and nothing with any size. Yesterday Mark only landed a few fish...I was mad as hell and honestly lost sleep last night over the poor fishing. Thankfully today was awesome. I fished the same areas I fish all the time, areas that always hold fish. The conditions were they same as it has been the last three weeks, hot and 10-15 mph winds out of the southeast and southwest. The only change I did was fish the same areas but at completely different times.

The day began slow but Brian from Illinois stayed focus and fished hard, and at 930 he landed a 5 lbs 13oz bass on a Texas rigged sinko, again the same baits I have been using. Brian retied the hook, next cast lands a 4 lbs 10oz bass...2 casts later another fish at 3 lbs 13oz...then the very next cast another 3 lbs 9 oz fish. It was such a rush for both of us....in total Brian landed nearly 12 bass in 4 hrs, plus several that shook of the hook.

Again a awesome day and proof that my lake still has big fish, you just have to fish hard and stay focused when the water temp is 86 degrees.

On a health note, lungs seem to be improving, but I am now on 2 iv meds and 1 oral antibiotic for two separate bacteria infections in my lungs. Plus the 10 other meds I take daily.

Over 20 fish each charter in 4 hrs

Today my doctor agreed to stop my round of IV antibiotics after two weeks of 5 treatments a day, totaling 6 hrs of infusion time each day. The bacteria I had in my lungs was very serious and a strain that can destroy lung tissue. Thankfully I called the doctor as soon as I felt the infection coming on. Had I not, this could have become very serious and even life threatening. It also marks the first time, in a very long time that I was only on these meds for two weeks. Usually I am on them for 4-8 weeks before I feel slightly better.

I have been pacing myself by only doing 3-4 charters a week. Over doing things will make me sick. So I had charters Monday and Tuesday this week so far. They were really fun mornings. As many anglers know, it's hard to catch fish when you have casual anglers, meaning they fish a fee times a year, or new anglers that have never fished or only fished once or twice before. As a guide I do everything to select the proper baits that are easy to use and produce results. I am proud that during both these charters, the anglers all had double digit numbers. Monday, I took out Mark from the UK, a very experienced Pike and Carp angler. It was his first bass fishing charter, and he did great. He had about 15 bass in the boat, and about 20 bites that mark didn't get them or they shook off the hook right near the boat. I am mad at myself because I didn't retie the line when I should have and this 6 lbs bass broke off right next to the boat.

Tuesday I took out Glenn and Art, both from Montana. They in total landed 30 bass. Most being in the 1-2 lbs ranges Glenn lost a really big fish at the end of the trip, again because of the line breaking. I definitely came across some bad line with the berkley vanish, so new line for all the reels. Art did manage a decent fish near the 5 lbs mark, hopefully I can get this photo off my digital camera to post it.

These fish have been crushing the baits, as soon as they hit the water or during a fast retrieval . Weather continues to be in the 80's and humidity is starting to move in. That means the bite will slow up just a little but the top water bite will be getting stronger.

I have one more slot open this week so hopefully we can book that day.

Below is photo of Mark and glenn, again small fish but catching 20 of these in a few hrs on artificial baits is something to be proud of!

The perfect day

After a week off the water from having diverticulitis, I am now trying to get past a lung infection. I am on 2 iv antibiotics which I have to administer 5 times a day and it takes 6 hrs of infusion time. That means while i am on the boat I have my iv meds running. It's been really hard to get motivated to do anything let alone charters but the fishing has been so good, it's hard to say no.

Despite feeling crappy this morning I pushed thru it and got to the ramp, I am glad I did. Today I fished with Terry ( who has had three awesome charters with me over past two yrs) and his friend Shawn both from IN.Terry is a cool guy and a very good angler. This was the first time I met Shawn and quickly saw he was also a very good angler and learned he is a marine. My dad served as a marine in Vietnam so the moment I saw Shawn marine corps jacket, I knew he was a great man. I was also blown away when he said his son is in the NFL draft this year so I am really rooting for him in two weeks. I meet really cool people being a guide but this was special. Seeing the pride in Terry's eyes was cool. I already bet his son going to the buffalo bills.

These guys had probably one of the best days I have had on my lake in a long time. The bite was on with a lot of smaller bass but they both had giants. Shawn landed a 8 lb bass with a watermelon seed fluke. It took a good 10 minutes to get her in the boat... I felt instantly cured, it was a big ass fish. The photo doesn't give the fish justice. I was still on my big fish high when Terry landed a 6 lber within 5 mins after Shawn's. The bite slowed dramatically after that but in the last hour we pulled a few more smaller ones in. Hopefully the charters I have the rest of the week produce like today.

Best of luck to Shawn's son, hope he gets that big money and one day a Super Bowl ring.

Terry's fish is the first photo, Shawn's is the second.

Fishing with Roger from UK--- 2/11/2012

Two days ago marks the 4th straight year that I am fishing with Roger, who has become more of a friend then a client. Roger lives in the UK and comes to Orlando every February with his family. While his family hit all the Orlando Attractions, Roger flys over for one purpose...Bass fishing. Roger is an avid carp angler and for those that are not familiar with fishing in Europe they mainly fish Carp and Pike. Roger is one of my favorite clients because he fishes all over the world. He spent this last Christmas in Kenya and showed me some amazing giant carp, and pictures where he was touch wild elephants and in arms length of a pack of lions. I love taking people out guiding because I love learning about them and their experiences. Having CF and currently only have 29% lung function, it is very difficult for me to travel. Fishing the last two days has really been a struggle. High winds, and cooler temperatures, plus a visitor on the lake that found one of my productive fish attractors fished my area really hard at the beggining of the week, and they have some serious lock jaw. The lack of ediquete some anglers show is disappointing. Roger and I still have three more days on the water, but tonight and tomorrow night Orlando is under freeze warning. Hopefully by Tuesday when the weather warms back up so will the bite. I also dropped the remaing 15 PVC artificial fish attractors into the lake. Hopefully this will allow me to have 6 total locations that will always hold fish. The attractors in the 30ft areas will be very productive in the summer when the water gets into the upper 80's. My war with Cystic Fibrosis is continuing. Each day is a battle and after my recent doctors appointment my current lung infection of MRSA is not going away. I have been on IV antibiotics for over a month straight now, and the MRSA growth has not changed. I have a medport in my chest, like what Cancer patients get. However mine has been in for 6 years. I must do two infusions a day that last a hour and a half each. I am still having long painful, breath taking coughing spurts that last 10 mins minimum. Today after getting up early I have been doing nothing but sleeping on the couch. I also got a new feeding pump which I use to place nutritional formula in a tube that is in my stomach. I am required to consume 6,000 calories a day or I lose weight and can become very sick. These feedings give me 2000 calories each night. Despite feeling as bad as I do, I can't wait to get back in the water Tuesday.

02/10/2012 - Bringing back the blogging

It's been a long time since I have used this blog, but it is now part of my business website. I plan on talking about fioshing, battling Cystic Fibrosis, and any other thought that comes to mind. This year marks my 7th year of being a fishing guide. It's also has been the first year that I am truly excited to be able to take people out. It has taken me 3 years on my lake to really learn what does and doesn't work. Also adding artificial bait attactors over the last few months has proven to be a great idea by me, and is really making my clients happy from the big fish that have been caught off these attractors. The spawn is coming shortly, my water temperature is still below optimal spawning temp but hopefully in the next few weeks and some warmer weather the spawn will be on. I get a lot of questions during my charters but my favorite is why are my rates low. Many Captains will say you get what you pay for, well in a sense you do. You get to be in their $60,000 boat and $40,000 truck. I have taken harrassment from several Orlando/kissimmee Captains threatening me to raise my rates. It will never happen. I am proud to say I drive a 10 year old vehicle, a fully paid 16ft nitro bass boat that I have no intensions of ever getting rid of. Since I have very little overhead, I get to charge less, still make a profit, and gain more business. Plus last I checked the economy still sucks and people can't afford $250+ for 4 hours of fishing. I have been operating my own guide service since I left being a guide at Disney 5 years ago, so I must be doing well if I am still here. The pictures I post are clear evidence of what my clients catch and when they fished with me. Now some of the dates may be spread out, I assure you it has nothing to do with the bite. Having Cystic Fibrosis and having it constantly get worse, I sometimes have to take weeks at a time off from fishing. I also have a 2 year old son, and I never fish on days he has preschool. So with saying that, I am not on the water each day, but no matter the conditions, time of year, or amount of time off the water, I put my clients on fish. I have been back on the water a lot the last two months and below are just a few of the fish my clients caught. These clients caught these fish and I was out sick for nearly 4 months prior to their charters. I love fishing but I love watching my clients catch fish even more !!

Orlando Fishing Report 05/26/09

After 1 week of what was close to being nonstop rain, many Floridians are left with major clean up and some 30+inches of rain in some Central Florida areas. I wish all of those people the best in trying to recover from there loses.

The fishing has been very rough this past week, the lake I am on is at least 3 ft higher than it was last week, and the fish are no longer huddled up in my spots. I went from having my clients catch 25 fish in 4 hours, to getting less than 10 a trip. The high waters have caused these fish to become lethargic and spread out.

We are mainly catching these fish on deep diving crank baits or weightless sinkos. As for specific depths, I havent keyed in to that except anywhere. I have been catching fish in deep, and shallow water all week. The rains are letting up and its hot so hopefully in a few weeks the water will get back to normal.

"OrlandoTrophyBass.com" fishing Report 05/18/09

May is my favorite month of the year, great bass fishing, and it’s Cystic Fibrosis awareness month. Before I get to my report, I wanted to thank everyone who has come out and fished this year so far. As of May 16th during the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walks in Orlando and Tampa, we raised over $1100 for Cystic Fibrosis research and closer to my $3000 goal for the year.
The Month of May has been another spot on month for catching bass. Watermelon red and green pumpkin seed flukes have been working the best for me. This month most of my clients have been catching 25 + fish in 4 hours off these two colors. The hours between 7 and 9 am have been the times most of the numbers are coming. However, later in the mornings have been when the bigger bass 4+ pounders have been caught, still using the flukes. If the bite really slows down I have them switch to a weightless black/blue sinko. We have not had much luck with shinners, a few here and there, despite having caught several fish that spit up the shinners they have been feeding on. Same goes for top water lures; they have been throwing poppers and horny toads with a few here and there, but when we switch to the fluke the action of that bait sinking in the water like a dead bait fish, just drives the bass nuts. The large majority of the fish are being caught in 7-9 ft of water, in clear water, over hydrilla. The water temperature has been holding steady around 80-82 degress. I expect nothing but great fishing during the month of June.

Capt Kevin Przybyl
www.orlandotrophybass.com
“Casting towards a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis”

Another week has passed and fishing continues to be great. On a 4 hour fishing trip my guests have been catching 12-20 fish. The fishes sizes continues to vary from 1 lb to 6lbs. Soft plastics seem to be doing the best for catching these bass. Super flukes in watermelon red, and silver have been working the best. A close second has been green and black sinkos, weightless; these sinkos are producing the bigger fish that are caught. The month has brought warm weather, but at times some strong winds, making fishing with weightless plastics a little more challanging. The water temperature is around 72 degress and the fish have been very active even after a cold front has come through.

This past week, between trips I was able to take out my wife, brother and sister-in-law out for a few hours. They have very little fishing experience but in total they caught 9 fish in less than 2 hours. My wife leading the way with 5 solid keepers. I really enjoyed spending that time with them we were all very relaxed after spending those few hours away from the attractions we went to earlier that week.