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To: Jerome who wrote (3146)	7/22/2002 12:44:00 PM
From: robert b furman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 7822

Off Topic - Fishing Report: My legal dept says I can report all catches as we have back up photos. First - off we fished with a guide named Mike Frenette.I've been Fishing with Mike for 15 years.It is like going to visit an old friend.He is an exceptional person as well as guide. We fished in the Gulf of Mexico - where the Mississippi Rivers flows into the Gulf.The Marina(Cypress Cove) is in Venice Louisianna.It is about 75 miles South of New Orleans Basically we take a 1-2 hour boat ride out into the Gulf looking for Blue water.The gulf currents move the blue water depending on the wind,flow of the Mississippi. Once we find blue water we use Fish Locators to confirm fish below us and then cut Pogey to create a chum line that descends down to the lower depths. Our best day was an incredible fishing event.The blue water was only about 20 miles out and we were fishing just off a floating submersible oil drilling rig.I had just asked Mike what the little green spacks in the water were and he had identified it as plankton. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon and a rain storm came thru.It only lasted about 30 minutes.Mikes radar had identified it as a light cell - just a refreshing rinse.Nonetheless the 3-4 other sport fishing boats had called it day. As the rain storm passed we had a school of Bonita surface.Bonita's are a cousin to Tuna but not edible.They are fun to catch however.The intensity of the schoolbecame a frenzy as we thru chum out to them. As we were playing with the Bonita - we marveled at the frenzy.The Bonita were actually jumping out of the water and biting the bait.We were holding the bait 6 inches above the water and they were jumping for it.We were just like little kids laughing at the frenzied fish. Suddenly I looked out the back of the boat and this huge animal is slowly coming towards the boat - it was 4 feet wide and about 30 feet long with round spots on it.I always wondered what I'd say when surprised/paniced - I found out then.I screamed " OH SHIT!" Mike what in the Hell is that?By then this huge fish was brushing up against the boat! Mikes response was A Whale Shark. Whale Sharks can be up to 50 meters and weigh up to 27 tons.Very little is known about them.They are often seen in the Gulf ,but very little research has been done on them. Whale sharks are the largest species of fish in the waters.They are huge plankton eaters-thus their name Whale Shark. The shark seemed very curious about the boat.We were fishing on a 36 foot Contender - a great boat (it was only 2-3 months old). As we observed it slowly going around the boat it actually put its nose out of the water and rested it in the gill plate of the boat(stern part of the boat the 3 Yamahe outboards attach to).Mike Frenette actually scratched this huge animals nose!!! At that very monent the Bonita had been joined by a school of Yellow fin Tuna - Exactly what we were fishing for. The frenzy boiled the water.Within 2 minutes all 5 of us were hooked up.Yellowfins make an incredible first run once they're hooked.As we all were holding onto our rod and reels - struggling to reel in hundreds of feet of line - inch by inch. As one of us would get a fish to the top Mike would gaf the fish and then it took 2 of us to lift the huge fighting fish into the boat. At the end of the frenzy all of us were exhausted and couldn't catch another fish do to complete exhaustion. We had literally filled the carch wells up completely. It took the next half day to process the catch (filet and vacuum seal the tuna. I had to go to a Sams store to buy Mike an additional freezer to freeze up the catch.We had overwhelmed his normal freezer.I thought it was the least I could do for having experienced such a wonderful sight of Mothe Natures beauty. Whale Sharks are said to have their own ecosystem follow them.I suspect we confirmed that does in fact occur.Any fish so huge that can support itself by filtering out plankton must travel the ocean currents that are trully clean. The final tally after 6 and 1/2 days of fishing with 5 men fishing was a vacuum sealed and frozen pile of fish that filled 3 120 quart coolers and 7 60 quart coolers.We barely had room to get all 5 of us back in our Suburban.The rearend of the Suburban squatted all the way home. The next day my buddy from Nebraska Fed Expressed his share home.The contents weighed 165 pounds.I took 2 coolers as we were past the weight limit. We all knew that trip was an unbeatable experience. The hard to get to waters of the Gulf of Mexico are literally home of the most diverse and rich fisheries of America.I love fishing Alaska for Halibut and Salmon and I understand thode fisheries to be truly huge.But the diversity of species and ample populations are just simply incredible. If you need to get away from the market and the phone - it is a vacation I highly recommend.I try to do twice a year. My portion of the fish will feed Jan and I for over year.I'm also priviledged to share the catch with those who aren't as fortunate as I to have made the trip. For those who need an economic justification - the local fresh fish store sells tuna filets for 20.00 a pound times my 165 pounds makes a 3300.00 bonus to my freezer.The trip cost the 5 of us 12,000.00. Putting the price tag on spending a week with three of my key managers and my hunting and fishing buddy from childhood isn't really the right way to look at it. The entire trip with friends was made exceptional with out the catch or whale shark sighting. In total it all added up to like the mastercard ad says : PRICELESS I really do thank the maker for giving me the wealth of life to experience the true glory of the world we live in.To experience sights that few people see is perhaps the greatest wealth of a persons life.I've been a lucky person. It helps keep this lousey market in perspective.Many times I realize I'm watching the market too close and lose balance in life. Times like now - make it more aparent. Bob