Stevester 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Go to your local YMCA and sign up for a pilates class. Save the dopey comments please, it really has helped me minimize back and hip issues that I have lived with for a few years. Plus you are likely going to be the only guy in there with a bunch of women clad in work out gear. You can tough it out. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
portlyjoe 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 A table spoon of honey mixed with a1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon each morning is a great way to keep your joints moving freely. I have severe back issues as well but I continue to go all out when I fish. In season, I'm out four to five nights a week and then weekends. This simple holistic, thing along with good stretching has allowed me to fish as much as possible. I dont know why it works; it was shown to me by a sixty-five year old mason whom I wouldn't tangle with today. It won't hurt to try some glucosamine chondroitin with MSN. is a great way to loosen everything up. @ Mike I always wondered how you Fla people deal with gators..I mean don't they think you're a snack? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shoebop 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 del Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaFly 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 I used black bullheads in my masters' thesis research, and caught them from a eutrophic lake, using cane pole and bobber and beef liver for bait. The lake was full of gators, but they tended to just lie offshore and watch. One day two big bulls got into a chasing match and kept getting closer, so I packed up and left. I've never encountered on in the water while I was jon boating or canoeing. I don't string my catch over the rail in the water (that attracts sharks in saltwater, and I'd guess it would attract gators too). Most of the gators I see in lakes are small (3 feet or less). If I encountered a big one, I'd head for shore, you betcha! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cannonx4 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Thanks for all of the advice. I guess I will just have to suck it up and keep on keeping on! I will definately start the day from now on with a couple of ibruprofen. I am a run and gun fisherman, wide open from the time the truck door slams. Looks like I am going to have to slow down and enjoy the scenery more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 trust me on this! dont take lasix! youll be peeing just about every hour on the hour the "golden years" suck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Staying fit (keeping fit...) is a problem for all of us in today's world since we alternate long periods of relative inactivity with short periods of physical exertion - and no one I know is getting any younger... My recipe (when I follow it) is to exercise regularly -for me, that exercise is poling a 1000 lb skiff around for my anglers for hours at a time. I feel beaten up when I only have one booking in a week, but if I'm going day after day I actually feel better and better.... Since I'm only 66 I'm hoping to be able to do what I do for another few years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saltybum 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 After two knee replacements and arthritis just about everywhere else I've found that limiting my time on my feet makes a big difference for me. Used to go all day offshore, inshore, beach or flats. Now I'm cutting it to about 4 hours on a boat and 2-2.5 on the flats or I'm paying for it the next day too. I'm 60 fairly fit so weight is not a problem. Just that darn fishing buddy Arthir. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artimus001 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 getting old sucks, period. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
utyer 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Back to those Gators: I was paddling down one of the OLD Kissimmee River channels last spring, and ahead of me on a grassy bank were two huge "logs." I had been down the same area a few months before, and didn't remember those "logs" at all. No sooner had I thought that then one of the "logs" grew legs and lumbered down into the river. Then the second one grew legs and did the same thing. The river was pretty narrow, and having no experience with swimming '"logs," I turned around and decided to fish UP stream. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artimus001 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 snapping turtles are what i have to deal with. a quick tap on the back of the shell sends them running. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Most may not know that 'gators will also come into pure saltwater if they like the conditions.... We have one spot near Lostman's river where big 'gators will actually come sit next to your skiff, waiting for you to hook something. I'm guessing that some foolish folks have fed them, but they do make me a bit nervous when they're hanging out within ten feet or so of my skiff. Once or twice with an angler hooked up I've made a point of prodding one with my pushpole to keep it away from the fish -it's like pokng a log, they're that hard and pretty much not movable at all. The usual reaction is a loud hiss from Mr. Gator, but that's all. I'm careful not to leave my pushpole anywhere near one since the poles are not the cheap item they were thirty/forty years ago... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaFly 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Capn Bob... sounds like you would get a kick out of reading Totch Brown's book "A life in the Everglades". There were two PBS documentary films about/with him, the latter shortly before his death. He was amazing! Caught gators with a hook on a stick, and shot them when he got them to the surface. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NohackleHS 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 Unfortunately, I injured my back when I was in my mid-30's and I'm now 69. Here are some short term tips: - When you are wading a stream, try not to stay in one standing position too long. - If there's a boulder near by on the stream bottom, try propping up one leg on it. Then after a while, switch legs and prop the other leg on it. Propping your leg up will remove some strain off of your back. - If you know where the back pain will develop or you start to feel pain in a specific area, you can apply a Capsaicin hot patch (Salonpas) onto the area. These patches are easy to find at your local drug store. - Don't be afraid to take a break and do some back stretching and back exercises; they only take a few minutes. There are lots of web sites that will provide you with some exercises you can do even with waders on. In the long term, probably the best thing to do is to start a back exercise program. I do them every day and they take only about 10 minutes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
motownphilly 0 Report post Posted March 9, 2015 I have back issues too. Just purchased a pair of Simms Giude boots. Expensive but i was havung same issue. I jooe they will be the answer. quote name="kentuckytroutbum" post="620124" timestamp="1425827475"] Could be the wading boots that you are wearing, not giving you enough support. Might want to wear a back brace belt. Also, have you talked to your doctor about suggestions on what to do? Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
