“Daylight in the swamp,” shouts the self-elected General in charge of the Morning Rise. “I got some pannycakes going, and they look good!”

“How can you tell? It’s impossible to see through the smoke,” I wheeze, following the lighted haze from the kitchen like a firefighter breaking into daylight. “For God’s sake, put some clothes on Chew,” protests one of the morning flock, “I’m loosing my appetite.”

“Give me a minute, I’m trying a new recipe. Who would have thought WD40 could …

“I got a real good deal on the float tube, but the only swim fins they had left at Bendover Bob’s Bait and Barber Shop cost me an arm and a leg”, explained Tracker. “Bob personally recommended this high-capacity, state-of-the-art hand pump designed specifically for belly boat inflation. Bob also mentioned that I was quite shrewd to have purchased these accessories before one of his knowledgeable customers bought them. Why don’t you take the first shift driving and I’ll just …

It was the week before opening weekend, 1996. I was out in the swamp setting up a deer stand for my son. It consisted of a 12 foot ladder with a platform on top, leaned against a tree. I was out there alone (first mistake) and told nobody where I was going (second mistake).

I was in surgery around midnight that night to rebuild the shattered bones. To this day I have 5 pins in my ankle and I can feel …

It was a brutally cold couple of days before the opener in 1981…