If you are a regular at the reading my column, you know that I am trying my best to raise my son to be a cracker by taking him hunting and fishing often as I can. We have not been hunting too much this year since bow season. Finally, we got to go and was invited to hunt with some friends over near the Orlando area. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when a nice buck stepped out onto the food plot. From about 40 yards John(age 10) squeezed off a round from a .243 and hit his target. The 115 pound 6 point was a fine buck for his first one. The blood ritual was passed up because he got a good dose of that last year when he took his first doe. It was too cold anyway. We stopped over at the new Bass Pro Shops Outdoors World in Orlando both before and after the hunting trip. That was our fourth trip to the men’s mega mall. I received a gift certificate and needed to pick out a few tackle organizers. Almost everything I needed was there. My problem was not having enough money for my wants. However, my needs were met with some pre-planning and budgeting. As of 5:30 this morning the bay water temperature was 43 degrees. I do not remember it ever getting that cold. Fish kills are evident even near the Springs. A dead snook was found in front of Duke Lane’s house in about 3 feet of water. Capt. John Bazo who had a nice feature article in Florida Sportsman Magazine found it. He and his party of one also caught a live 22 inch snook and a 28 inch redfish in the head waters of the Homosassa River. Bay News 9 and Fox 13 have been airing fish kills along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Most of the fish are jack crevalles. In the barge canal, Capt. Matt Flemming reported fish kills of jacks there, too. What all of this cold weather has done is pushed the fish into areas where the surface water temperature is 60 degrees or higher. At MacRae’s yesterday 19 keeper trout were caught off the docks by various anglers using TT Mirrolures. My daughter, Courtney and her friend Beth Woods fished with me and they caught 2 trout and 2 ladyfish in two hours of fishing. We missed the bite. It was Beth’s first ever fishing trip so I wanted to maked sure she caught a fish. She learned how to cast real good before the trip was over. Both her and Courtney were about frozen before we decided to head in. I think Beth likes fishing and will return to try again sometime. For best bets, fish the main spring fed rivers. Monitor the water temperature and maybe even try the warm water discharge of Florida Power north of Crystal River. Use jigs to fish the bottom, work them slowly. TT Mirrolures will catch larger fish. Live pilchers will produce catches if you can find them. Shrimp will work good, too.