Sunday, September 28, 2014

Fishing Lure Idea

"Old fishermen may pass, but their bait lives on!" I have been lucky to have a couple of lures that my grandfather fished with in the 20s & 30s. Now, my grandfather was not much of a fisherman, but did fish on rare occasion. When I was a kid, the family cleaned out his home after he passed. My father and I found these old Heddon lures in his shop. My father said he remembered these when he was a kid and fished with them on the Duck River. Just think these lures were used during the depression, & WWII.
As you can see, they have seen better days. In fact, someone tried to modify the top lure for some reason. I do wonder what's the story behind this bait, where was it purchased, and what fish were caught. I'm sure if this bait could talk, it would be fascinating.
They are made of wood. The shellac has deteriorated with age and the paint is starting to crack and flake off. The quality of the craftsmanship is excellent. The diving spoon is thick and made from high quality metal, no rust after 80-85 years.
I bet my father or his brother modified this lure when they were young and decided a spinner would be better added to the front. Oh well, I am glad to have these old relics.They are not worth much to anyone else but me. I do want to preserve the story and place them in a better container. So, I decided to print and build an old fashion lure box made of paper.
You just can't tell the story of an old lure unless you know it. That's why I've been working on an old fashion lure box. I think it would be neat to have the story about the lure on the outside of the box. Folks in the future will know a little more about these old lures and the story behind the bait. I've been working on this project for a while, but I'm taking my time in order to make it right. Think how great it would be to get an old prized lure from your grandfather and on the outside of the box, a story about the lure. It would become a prized possession, a family heirloom that would be handed down.  Remember:  "Old fishermen may pass, but their bait lives on!"

I do custom and personalized lake, river, island or bay decor maps. They make a great gift for the lake lover. If you would like to see if we have your body of water, go to LeoLakes.com


TREASURED MAPS www.leolakes.com


Life is short, get away from the big the screen and get on the big screen.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Stunning technique on how to win fishing tournaments!!

Is winning six fishing tournaments in a row skill or luck? Surely it's called complete dominance, right? Well, two men in Alabama have found the secret to winning fishing tournaments. Here's their stunning technique. It's real simple, just use previously caught trophy fish and slip them in at the tournament weigh in. Now that is skill! Here's the rest of the story.


Tournament anglers become suspicious when two tournament fishermen won six tournament in a row. Anglers informed conservation officers about the uncanny luck of the two fishermen. The officers conducted an investigation and determined the two were keeping previously caught fish and using them at the weigh in. They were found guilty of theft by deception and tamping with a sporting event. The two men will spend 30 days in the slammer and will pay $1,000. Also, they will serve two years on probation, preform 400 hours of community service, and have their fishing licences revoked, along with being banned from future tournaments. As you can tell, these are some really skilled fishermen, what dummies.

Need a great Christmas gift for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred vintage style lake maps on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. Oh yeah, I hide a tiny mermaid in the waters of all my maps that folks love to search for. Find out more interesting facts about my lake treasured maps by going to LeoMaps.com


Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Cannibal Bass, Bugger, & Strip Fly

If fish could talk this is what they would probably be saying.





Need a great gift for the Lake Lover. My maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. Oh yeah, I hide a tiny mermaid in the waters of all my maps that folks love to search for. Find out more interesting facts about my treasured maps by going to LeoMaps.com
Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Lucky Lure

On the header of this blog, I feature a Great Blue Heron. Below is the painting that the Heron came from, which I was painted back in 2007.  I've always enjoyed watching the Great Blue Heron and it is one of my favorite birds. As you can see, there's more to this painting than what's shown on top.
What's the story behind the painting? First, I called the painting "Blue Monday Heron" to reflect the mood in the painting. Can you feel the mood... windy, storms on the way, and a fisherman lost his lucky lure? The old Heron is hunkered down and doesn't look none too happy with his feathers being blown around.  

The lure was lost by some fisherman who was casting for that trophy. Actually, that lure was my lucky lure as a  child. I dug it out of an old tackle box and used it as a prop for this painting. The painting was painted 7 years ago and the original has been sold, but it is still one of my favorite painting.  

Here's a picture of the lure, it certainly has seen better days. I don't fish with it anymore, but I might get another painting out of it. I have a 20"x24" canvas print of this painting hanging in my studio. It interesting how a favorite painting seems to warm a room with fond memories.

If you like my painting, then you may want to visit my website. I have over two hundred lake, river and bay maps on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalized lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com

As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click here www.LeoLakes.com

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, or at least enjoy one on your wall.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Beautiful Russian River

Often, I have folks order and receive one of my maps only to re-order other maps for friends or family as gifts. This is just what happened not long ago. I had a nice lady order a map of Lake Tahoe. She liked the map so well, she ordered a custom map of the Russian River, which is located in California, for her parents whom have a summer cottage on the banks of the river. 

The Russian River is a beautiful river. It's 110 miles long and is north of San Francisco, running through Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. This area is very fertile and has many wineries along the river, including Kobel Champagne Winery. This map runs from the mouth of the river to about Forestville. 


I always try to add as many names of towns, bends, points, creeks etc... to the maps for interest. In fact, most folks don't even know that there're names for most features along a river or lake that go back to when the area was first settled.  When I complete a map, I look for the most interesting element. On this map of the Russian River, there are many. One such name that stands out the most is Slaughterhouse Creek. Just what took place here? I'm sure there's a story in this name, but I couldn't find any information about it on the net. Anyway, here's what make my maps so unique!

I hide a few fish and even a tiny mermaid in the waters of my lakes. Yep, but they're very shy and don't like to be found. Folks just love'm, especially the kids. You might even think they move around overtime.

You will find no road names, county, or state lines on my maps. I have found that folks enjoy traveling the roads with their eyes, while trying to get their bearing. I call this the "Leo Lakes gaze."

I call my maps Treasured Maps because every treasure has a Ruby and so do my maps, each have a Red Ruby Meridian.

I add a vintage plane flying over my maps to signify an adventure to your treasured lake, river, or bay.

You will find wildlife in all my maps. These signify the natural beauty of your treasured lake, river or bay. I use wildlife that is common to the subject lake, such as Canadian Geese, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagles and others.

You can add a star or symbol with a few words to mark that special place, it maybe the location of the lake house, the spot where you caught that trophy fish or some grand view. This will make a very special gift for the lake lover. 

Did you know that you can always tell if its morning or evening on a Leo Lakes map? Just look at the shadows cast by the wildlife, is the shadow on the east or west? If it's on the west, then it’s morning time. Oh yeah, I have had folks tell me that they change through the day, but don't believe them.

If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com


Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, or at least enjoy one on the wall.

Friday, September 5, 2014

HOT New Fishing Idea, Liquid Waders!


AMAZING "Liquid Waders". 

Just think, having waders that can be carried in your pocket and are easy to slide into. Liquid waders sounds like a neat product, until I did this cartoon. Just say NOooooo!

As you can see, I occasionally draw my own cartoons about fishing. Some cartoons are funny and some, not so funny. Sometimes I get into the weeds, as they say, but hopefully they will be entertaining. Enjoy!
If I named this cartoon, I would call it "fish boobs." I'm not sure, but I don't think fish would be attracted to these, but who knows. My wife said they probably would, because fish have small brains. Hmmm...



I know folks that would buy one of these, "The Ultimate Tackle Box!" I wonder why Bass Pro doesn't offer them? 

Anyway, enough with cartoons. Check-out my vintage style maps that I paint of lakes, rivers, and bays,  These maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalized lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com


As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click here www.LeoLakes.com

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, or at least enjoy one on your wall.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Wow, check out this catch.

Wow, check out this catch. A buddy of mine went down to Panama City Florida over labor day for a mini vacation. While down there, he ate at Captain Anderson's, probably the most famous restaurant of the gulf coast. In fact, I have been there many times starting at age eleven. It's a Great place for seafood! Anyway, my buddy didn't expect to see this hauled in at the dock near Captain Anderson's, a large gator.   

This gator was over 12 feet long! In Florida, gators have become so common they are a nuisance. There's even a hunting season to harvest gators every year.  


Gators that are harvested are required to be tagged, measured, etc... and that's what happened here. I wonder how many breaded gator bites this thing will produce? 

Check the picture out to the right. This really gives you an idea of how big this bad boy was. I would've hated to meet up with this alligator while fishing in the numerous small lakes in Florida. It's kind of different when fishing in Florida and knowing that you can be fishing with a small lizard and be eaten by a monster reptile. You certainly approach fishing and water much more cautiously....but that's what makes it fun!  

Check-out my vintage style maps that I paint of lakes, rivers, and bays, including Choctawhatchee Bay. These maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalized lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com


As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click here www.LeoLakes.com

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, or at least enjoy one on the wall.