Wondering what happened to-

[GILBERT G]

Jeff... that's a great story for those that think Drugs & Alcohol are the only addictive things in life.fun can be just as devastating, the good thing is that those papers opened your eyes and sent a message to your Heart and you listen to it cause nothing replaces your family I remember you telling me your situation and I'm so happy to know you made the right choice of dedicating your time for your family & job thxs for sharing your story...take care

[jackiekennedyfishingguide.com]

Any addiction is not healthy, I've had a few oh heck a lot of different ones, probably all that can be had. Moderation is the name of the game. I work hard and don't get to fish all that much but still close enough to enjoy the work combined with the sport. I know I'm very blessed. Working can also be an addiction. As for training others to do your job, no one will run your business like you do, but you can delegate some authority.
If people are fishing to out do themselves or everyone else every trip it soon becomes a very strenuous activity and brings on more problems than it cures, get out and enjoy fishing.
You post should open a few eyes, but probably the ones who need em open will just glance over it. Congratulations for getting your priorities in order.

[GILBERT G]

Hey Jeff when you see Mike aka double daddy tell him hi for me

[Snapshot]

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jeff. As stated, many of us have some issues or habits that takes time away from the family. I was an avid almost obsessed salmon and steelheader while in Oregon and when I also put off family and some work but managed to re focus and everything worked out for the best. WE have to put our God, family and work in order and if we can do that, life seems to have more joy and happiness.

I anticipate another where is he is your fishing partner for several years is lurking out there as well. Where is John3:16. We loved reading about the times spent on the lakes.

[tylerdan]

Tylerdan is still around also. Just don't get on the water as much as I used to. Still check in this site often.

[Lou The Fisherman]

Good to see you make a post Tylerdan. Hope you doin well. When you get a chance to wet a hook where do you normally go??

[Guitarcfd82]

Add my name to the list Jackie

I use to log in every hour on this site every day . I never missed for a day for about 3-4 years unless the site was down . This site wasn't even enough for my addiction so I joined two other popular sites and logged on to them several times a day too .

I never missed an invitation to go fish and I put it before everything in my life . Every trip was a contest to out catch my previous trip or any other person's trip on any other website . One night trips turned into three and four day marathons !! I was about as obsessed as you could get . I even made my jug gear and fished during work and in between jobs instead of working and building my business . The invention of the smart phone really helped because I could get on the fishing websites 24/7 !!!!!!

Most my money went into fishing gear and not into making my business better and grow . My business went to almost nothing because I didn't care and my wife hated me which most everyone who ever came to my house knew because I put my fishing before everything !!! So many people told me they thought my wife would put me in one of my chum buckets or shot me ! She was always yelling about the mess, the smell , the bait in the freezers , and the time that I dedicated to making my fishing posts , responding to pm 's , and helping others learn how to fish and jug !

Divorce papers in July 2012 put an immediate end to what I thought nothing could never be stopped . All my fishing gear went into storage that night and my fishing website and jugging addiction ended that night . To this day , my fishing gear is still in storage . Getting divorce papers and having the thought of losing my wife and my two daughters was the worst thing that I have ever had happened to me . My options that night was a gun to my head or to change my addiction from fishing to my family and business . So my extreme efforts after I got served made her want to rip the papers up after a few days but it took lots of months to get her to not hate me and to forgive . My last efforts was to tell her to not work any more last year because she kept telling me again that she was unhappy and crying a bunch because she hated her job and that they would not let her go to alot of the cheerleading contests out of town for my daughters . I pretty much let my wife do whatever she wants now cause I feel that I am married to the best wife in the world ! I do not feel that I could ever replace her because my standards are too high if I am trying to out do her by finding a better catch !

So I have worked extremely hard on my business and rebuilding it since the divorce papers a few years ago . I had to completely rebuild by business and start from the ground floor on everything . I went from one large customer who really was not that profitable to over 700 customers . I have gone from just me to having six people now helping me to keep up with all the work that I have . I work seven days a week and usually pull two all nighters a week at my shop . I am number one on goggle and my phone rings off the wall now !!! All my competitors, x partners and x employees who stole my customers and told me they would crush me have gone out of business this last year except for one company but he and his son really don't do alot of the stuff that we do so they really are not competition to us . So like fishing was a few years ago for me , I got really obsessed at being bigger and better than everyone else in my industry here in Houston. My wife comes to work every day with me and spends a few fours each day helping me in the office . It has been a good way for us to spend time together . My wife smiles more these days and she has been able to spend much more quality time with my girls and their out of town cheer leading events . They went to Vegas, Chicago , New Orleans , Dallas , Galveston and Oklahoma this year on road trips .

So my situation with Fishingtx has been from like you said a life change and change in priorities.

On a happier note !! I am beginning to think about organizing my business better so that I can have more free time . My goal is to duplicate myself several times and have trained people that can do what I do so that I will not have to work so many hours . I really would like to go fishing to get away and get my mind off stressful stuff ! I think that it would be a great therapy for me since I have been working so much which i think is not healthy . I am thinking what may be the best for me since I am so limited with my time is to just go with fishing guides or other fishing friends on the site who have their own boats . I have been taking to Double daddy about going in on boat with him since he lives on lake houston now and he has more time than me to up keep it .

I've got a similar story there Jeff...and I am one of those people you didn't hold back to help out...you and many others on this site. Like you I was on here just about every day, always learning something new, always knew someone here would have an answer to a question. My divorce papers came around the end of July 2013. I fought for a solid six months to save my marriage, unfortunately she had her mind made up. Well, there's more to that story that involves another man, it ruined me for fishing for a solid year. Well, not just fishing, it ruined me period for a solid year and half. I'm glad that you were able to change the course of your marriage and get things back on track. I know full well the truck that hit you when she presented you with the divorce papers.

Wish you the best and hope to hear from you soon.

[tylerdan]

Lou, I live and fish on Lake Palestine outside of Tyler.

[Gentleben]

Got is great , lifeis ebautitifulllllllllllllll

What i realy meant to say is many left when the big breakup and are running with thiefs , honestly i wish they would stay there .I feel that bird of a feather will stick together..
There is nothing lower than thiefs!!

[GILBERT G]

Compadre We're right by your side