New Here

[David 'PcolaPaddler']

Hi, If you will indulge me for a moment, I will tell a little about myself...

My name is David and I'm new here to BigBluegill.com.  My wife and I make our home in Florida's panhandle.  We have been married for... well over half of my life to this point.

I was introduced to fishing by my older sister's boyfriend when I was in middle school.  He and I spent a good deal of time chasing both fresh and saltwater fish.  We even caught a few.  I just about drove my mother crazy to take me fishing before I was able to drive.

I became interested in fly fishing through magazines and books.  Several years ago, a local fly fishing club held continuing education classes on fly fishing at the local junior college.  My wife and I attended and had a great time.  The classes were very inexpensive (around $25 per person) and covered an intro to fly tying and casting instruction.  If local clubs in your areas offer such classes, I would encourage you to participate.  If they are well run, it is a good bang for the buck and the instructors are usually an interesting bunch of folks.

My wife and I are the proud parents of Buddy, a miniature American Eskimo dog (Eskie).

[Vince Fusco]

Hey David, and welcome to this great family. I think you will find this to be the most friendly and informative site ever created! We all share our passion for big gills, and other fish as well. We have members from many states, and it is very interesting hearing how others persue these strong fighting fish. We all strive to share the information and techniques we have learned through our own fishing experiences, and are able to learn from other members experiences as well. Like most things in life, the more you put in to your passion, the more you will receive from it. Jump right in, and reap the many rewards this great site has to offer. 

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Welcome David......if you love all things bluegill then you should feel at home very soon if not already! The strengths of this site are many.....I'll give you a few that are not found in many places.....knowledgeable anglers willing to share......check out the blogs and discussions here and I bet you get one or two ideas to try/apply  in your waters....mutual respect for others no matter their choice for angling, whether that be a certain pole, reel, line choice, favorite sunfish or  recipe.......it goes on and on.......jsut a great sounding tube for any question you may have....many answers rest with the members of bigbluegill.com......it's been a great resource, I've met new people with a similar passion to mine and I have even fished with a couple members from out of state already.....Good information and great people......it's just plain enjoyable..........Welcome and we look forward to your input!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

16' Tarpon? Man I wouldn't want to haul that thing up and down each time.
But a nice 'yak.
Went to schools at NAS Pensacola years - didn't fish. Lived in Jax and Key West, though, and did a lot of fishing.
Welcome.

[David 'PcolaPaddler']

Hello all & thanks for the comments.

Walt, I do not believe that I have ever fished Apalachicola river.  The extent of my knowledge of that area is that it is the line of demarcation between the Central and Eastern time zones of Florida.  Wouldn't it be nice if the whole state were in the same time zone?

I have fished Escambia, Perdido and Blackwater rivers and a few creeks here in my neck of the woods.  I used to wade & fish a couple of the local creeks.  Most fishing currently is from a 16' Wilderness Systems Tarpon kayak (yellow like a bananna - if you see it on top of a red van or in a gold truck, give a shout).  

[Walt Foreman]

Hi David, welcome to the site!  Do you ever fish the Apalachicola?

[dick tabbert]

Thanks for your intro David. Its a story we can all relate to at some point in time, the names and relationship may change but the goals are the same. Welcome aboard

[Tony Livingston]

Great intro David! welcome to BBG, we're glad to have you.