Let's kick some life into the site - Reach out to inactive members

Always fun when people who have been inactive for a long time come out of the woodwork. If everyone reached out to a few friends, we might inject some life back into the site.

I've reached out to Chris Med, Tackleman and the Real Iceman. We'll see if they surface.

I’m pretty sure no one gives a crap about what I’ve been up to. I’ll never forget all the good fishing buddies I’ve found on the site. It was a lot of fun for several years.

T-man!

What's up fellas ! How ya doing mitch !

And how is everyone this fine evening!!!.. Nice to check in.....will.do mi h more often

Nice, Beave and Med in the house!

All.is well here... Told my loser #*&! paycheck signer at Elmridge to get #*&! after 24 years and got picked up by another course in no time.. Life at Norwich GC was wondefful but I was done inside..went thru the 2 year process of Dept Of Corrections but decided to head across the street. And so very happy I did... I booked up with the Laborers local.547 and love my job of 3 years so far at Millstone.in Nuclear Construction..
Brendan is a senior and graduating in June so thats mostly.where I have been... Hes off to the Navy late fall. As he chose a career over Alabama University.......will dig in more later...but Mitch has been hounding ths #*&! out of me lately....lol...i feel.the love...chat soon all... Much love!

Yo Med. Was wondering where you ended up. Glad your happy on the other side of the outflow.

Well I've been working a ton on cars lately chevelle is done I found a 85 z28 one owner parked in a Garage since 93 for the wife virgin all orignal super clean car went thru and updated everything and got that all going and ready for her in the spring now working on turboing my 84 cutless with a 5.3 ls always wrenching ..my boys are getting big both as tall as me 14 and 17 yrs old now they have no intrest in fishing hopefully they will come back to it .looking faward to getting out fishing soon

Nice, Steve.

Hope all of you guys check in more often here!

Mitch getting lonely ?

People-hating redneck Mike G in the house!

It’s like Halloween and all the CTF dead bodies are rising out of the ground…..T-Man, Big Beave, Medski, Mike G, etc…..

Do any of you guys still even fish?….or just golfing, metal detecting, bingo-ing, etc….???

So I have faded
in my participation with Ctf over the years, and let’s face it, I have no excuse…lol, for not posting more often. Truth be told I have met some of my closest and best friends on ctf, all walks of life here. Should probably run another Ctf hockey night. Hummmm
A few years ago I had a brush with my mortality, and when all was said and done my family and friends were there for me. Many CTFers were among them. What the #*&! is better then that!!! Hopefully everyone still gets excited to go fishing, and bring the kids. Remember tackle boxes not Xbox’s
See you soon, some oldies.

Bob!

He only hates most people in fairness.

He is a legend in upstate NY

Great thread stirring up those of us who've been offsite for a bit Mitch! Sure is great to see all the familiar names, even if its been too long!! Life is good here for me, just been fishing a bit less often for now!!

Well I just re joined after being gone for a few years. I sold my boats and mostly play golf now.

Welcome back, Louie.

Louie have you lost the desire to fish???!!!!….is that possible for us CTFers???!!!

A Medski sighting! Dam! Lol



Alfonzo

Can he see us? That's the question.

I'm still alive and living in SC where I moved full time in 2016, while still working for the RR in the NE. I fell apart in Feb of 2019 the day after my 60th birthday and have been disabled and here full time since June of 2019.

I have had more surgeries and infections than I can count since that fateful day in February. I am on the mend but will never be the same.

My wife passed very unexpectedly in November of 22 and in mid February of this year I was broadsided by someone making a not too smart left turn, no injuries but the severe arthritis that has crippled me hurts worse than ever. They were good enough to total my truck.

I finally got my sugar under control from not working crazy hours anymore and then proceeded to lose 50 pounds, 40 of which I put on since 2019 when I fell apart.

Fishing here sucks and I am sad to say that the last time I caught a fish was my Piketoberfest win, oh so long ago.

Bob, thanks for checking in.

Sorry for the loss of your wife.

You sure have been hit with a lot.

May not be easy at first, but changing up your diet and adding in some exercise (as best you can; even just walking) can really boost your mood. One day at a time.

Sounds like you already know how to take off weight; trick is to keep it off, as you also know.

Take it all one day at a time. Hope 2023 is a good year for you. Check in here more often!

Yea, sorry to hear Bob of your wife passing, and your healthy issues.

Fishing in SC sucks???!!!

All sorts of OGs checking in.
Miss you all!

Condolences Bob.

I'm not dead yet - will post something in the boating section

I don't fish nearly as much as I used to

YES! jon h in the house!

Yes Don a boat is required, and that is above both my pay grade and my ability to handle launching and retrieving. The few places in the backwaters that I have found are small areas and very crowded. The beaches are for swimming, no structure at all. I went to a pier a few times and the crowd once went wild when someone caught a blue, I walked over and it was about 10" in length..lol

The intracoastal waterway is a fresh water ditch here, nothing like florida. There is a Jetty in one of the state parks that is a mile and 1/4 walk, I have tried believe me..it's too far.

As I start to feel a bit better I'll be making my way 2 hours North and/or South where there is at least structure.

Thank y'all for the condolences, I am OK mentally at this time and am going forward with a newfound sense of life and humor.

Glad you’re venturing and looking around for some shore access spots less used. Good for you.

Even in FL there is a lot of good fishing without “structure” so give some of that Shore acres a shot even with evident “structure”. It’s amazing what swims close to shore….just a 1’-2’ rose or drop in depth is all it takes to draw fish, or even a 5 gallon bucket sized patch of grass amongst a sand flat. Change and difference is just that….fish those and they usually produce.

Is kayak fishing an option for you?…..paddle or pedal?

Good Luck & great seeing you here on CTF again!

Still on the bluefish jhad Jon?

I’ve seen you and your boat here and there this past season, but yes nothing like you used to do on the water. What’s taking up your time these days?….wife, kids, work, house?…all of the above?

I’ve heard about quite a few who have scaled back or stopped fishing lately….hard for me to understand and is a scary thought!!!!!

Sorry about what's going on, and your wife, Bob.. Call me sometime if you want to chat.
I feel honored putting you on the last nice fish you caught, even though you poked off 2nd place trying to net mine
Yes, I won't forget that

Great to see some old CTFers back, I don't post nearly as much as I used to, but still enjoy dropping in now and then.

Let's see who else everyone can dig up and coax a post out of. Reach out to people you know. Let's keep this thread going!

Maybe Chris Med can ask MichaelSWCT to pop in….

Great idea. Chris should keep an eye out for him.

Enjoining retirement! Highly recommend, it’s like 6 Saturdays and a Sunday.
Started to target permit. Keep one here and there, best tasting fish I ever had, good fighters.

You're a legit "if I could go back and do things differently" example for me.

Would have put my working years into one endeavor, instead of spread out across multiple jobs/companies.

But also, I did not risk my life on the job, as you did.

For those who don't know, Lead Pipe is retired law enforcement.

Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. Can't change it now.

And have to be thankful, as covid ruined the careers/lives for many people. Thankful to be back to work in 2021, after covid killed my last job in 2020.

I saw jonh on the water a couple years ago and it was like an apparition. We used to see each other out there all the time, but a lot has happened since the early years of CTF.

I too fish a fraction of what I used to, both inshore and offshore. I now have a "real" job, which means I travel the world and if not traveling, commute to Watertown from Old Saybrook most days. I got remarried 4 years(and want to spend time with this wife ) and have become a grandfather. (Nick the Fluke Slayer is a father now !!)

I guess the old CTF guard is getting older and our lives have become more complicated.

Grampa from Old Saybrook: Congrats to Nick !!!

John, is your son still doing any competitive powerlifting?

Probably of just diapers now.

I have been chastised in the past for not making reports I think my cousin called me a lurcher (what ever that means)

So my new year resolution is to be more active as you could see

I have not been doing much fishing of late During the week I fished a local pond and landed about 15 trout

I am waiting for the water to warm so I could fish the Housi for stripers

Other than that, I've been watching uconn women games and look foreward to March madness

Maybe next report will be more exciting

Bill

Bill, anything you want to post is welcome.

Countdown is on to getting out on the ice again with you next year!

Nice pics,Lead Pipe.

Forgive me Mitch, for I have not posted. It has been a year since my last post. Since that time I have been fishing in both salt and fresh without a single post. I promise as part of my penance to contribute more to the site.

Good to see some old familiar names here, but nobody has it better than Leadpipe!

- TK

Not anymore. He's a full time Physical Therapist (also works tons of OT), a home owner and a father now, so he just does it for fun.

Check check

Well this is a blast from the past.

Thank you Mitch for getting in touch. It’s incredible to believe it’s been 20 years. Very memorable adventures to many places for a number of years. Good times, many characters and I learned so much. I always said to myself “We do the things people watch on TV”. Still fishing in CT also Florida.
I still keep in touch with a handful of truly good people I met through this group.
Hoping everyone is well.

I haven't posted much in the past year but have been busy starting a new life with a new wonderful woman. May 16 I get my second "new" knee then after that I'm done working. Will be trading in my 90 second drive to Highland for a 25 minute drive to Candlewood. Finally going to have the time to figure out the premier seasonal patterns and spots on that lake.

Nice updates Kim and Jon. Hope you can post more often. You're both #oldschool for sure!

[quote=LEAD PIPE]

Enjoining retirement! Highly recommend, it’s like 6 Saturdays and a Sunday.

That brought a tear to my eye.... I getting there slowly but surely.

I'm back ! Only thing different is I got rid of the boats and went to a kayak,

What's up, guys?!?!?!

Ain't it crazy how life changes so quickly? Guiding and managing a tackle shop was a tough way to save for retirement so when Shimano called with a job offer, I had to give it a shot... 8 years later, I'm living in SC and working out of Shimano Fish Division HQ in North Charleston. My official title is Saltwater Product Marketing Manager. Relocating was a major change for me and I miss guiding and ice fishing every day, life was far more simple back then. That said, I like SC a hell of a lot more than I thought I would. I oversee the product launches along with our Pros and TV contracts among other things. I bought a house a couple of miles from the office and am engaged to my high school sweetheart.

The year-round fishing opportunities here are endless. I can't remember the last time I chased the little green fish, but I get on the salt as much as possible. We are fortunate enough to have use of a bass boat, skiff, bay boat, and center console but the challenge is finding the time! Lately, I spend more time on the water directing photo and video shoots than fishing but I'll take that over sitting at a desk any day. The deep water is a bit of a run here but we target swords, blue marlin, and the occasional yellowfin. Closer to the dock, I would put our jigging up against any place in the world... There was 2-day stretch where IO had a couple of writers out where over the course of 2 days, we jigged 46 different species. A full freezer is never an issue here!

It's great to look through posts and see some old friends still here!

There are old school CTF members ... then there's Blaine. In a class by himself. #legend

Thanks for stopping in.

Enjoy following your updates on Instagram.

Blaine - do you still have any contact with the owner of the lodge where we stayed on God’s Lake in Canada in 2008? I believe that they are now out of business.
I still remember our eventful trip there with my son and Buck.
Weather conditions were unbelievable.

Hi Mitch and All.

Really loved time spent on CTF and made some lifelong friends here that I still keep in touch with often.

Times are different, Im sure not just for me, but for most of us as we get older. I now rarely have time to fish anymore. I use to be single with simple job and plenty of time to fish. I was also younger and had lots of energy. Now I have a kids, aging parents who need continual care, and a job with little flexibility and long commute. Even when I have time to do something, I rarely have the energy and strength to do what I use to be able to do.. I rarely get enough sleep. Im 35lbs over weight and its hard to even move around like I use to. Twenty years takes a toll and changes alot.


I do love my job and what I do. Im not unhappy, its just not fishing.


I also love having kids and being married, its also just not fishing.. Some balance would be nice but it wont happen.


Around the year 2010, I got to live around the country for a while. I spent a few years in Indiana and then was also close to RI even living ocean front for close to 6 years and catching fish right from my front door and got into kayak fishing. While living there, I could have probably buy a decent boat if I wanted, just didnt have the desire, really like the simplicity of the kayak and enjoying the beauty of the water and land rather than just focusing on fish. Perhaps it is some type of dementia


Times do change. People use facebook alot now for fishing groups, Im not one of them though.


jimmy

Great to hear from so many long time members who for the most part seem to be doing pretty well and best wishes to any who needs them!!! Aging isn ' always so easy but as they say "it sure beats the alternative"....

Jimmy, thanks for stopping in and the update. Hope you can stop in more often. You're definitely a CTF original, from way back in 2002.

One of my most distinct memories is you stopping by one of the first fishing shows I did in Hartford. You created a few poster boards using member pics from the site. Always appreciated that.

I'm still friends with Lee. He's running a tackle shop in Winnipeg and guiding year. round. The lodge needed a lot of work and as you saw, the logistics of getting materials that far north is big money. Lee sold the place a couple of years after we went and the group that bought it just couldn't make it work. Gods River Lodge and Elk Island survived the pandemic. One day I'll get back up there!

So it's not just me???? We have a product development team here that is 7 people. Part of their job description is to spend X number of hours on the water each month. The average age of the team is under 30... Great guys but damn... They run circles around me now. I look at them and think "when I was your age..."

Jimmy it’s great to hear from you. I hope that you can get some free time to fish and do what you love. I’ll always remember striper fishing with you that night and showing me the 9” Storm Shad in Niantic. It also opened my eyes to the negative effect of internet lurkers and spot burners. You single handedly caused a run on those baits at Hilliers and Rivers End after your posts here.
I’m very thankful to have spent time on the water with you and I wish you all the best!

Nice to see some folks pop in and update on their lives.

I'm still around and about to retire after 32+yrs with the fire department. Unfortunately I'm soon to have back surgery so I will miss out on the spring fishing and not be able to get out on my boat for awhile so please keep posting your reports for lurkers like me.

This thread is worthless until you find KC.

Digging him up would probably mean literally digging him up.

Is he taking a dirt nap?

Just a guess.

Not a prolific poster, but 18 years ago I had the pleasure to meet and do some kayak plugging for stripers and blues locally with member Wo Show. I got a pic of one of his better ones in which he could of used longer arms to hoist the whole fish from the water for the quick pic and release.

After a couple of years he purchased a boat, family and work kept him busy, and we lost touch. Until Bill's swap meet, when a now greying Tony visited my table. Pic of Tony(Wo Show) and our fearless leader Bill (pre64).
We had to spend at least a half hour catching up and remembering the good times chasing stripers from the yak. He's still fishing, but now his favorite is plugging for stripers from his boat after dark. Maybe he'll see this post and respond. Would love to know how he came up with his unique screen name.

I miss the days of fishing local small lake tourneys CTF hosted. Beave, Dusty, Tall1, JohnS, Chuck, Stang, Buckcall, even Huskybass.

Seems like a real long time ago!!!