It might have been the new world record.

Instead it was enjoyed as fish tacos on a Baja beach.

Last week, angler Kevin Shiotani landed an amberjack near Cerralvo Island in the Sea of Cortez after a grueling 25-minute battle that most of the Tailhunter International Sportfishing crew estimated to weigh at least 135 pounds, according to Pete Thomas Outdoors.  Had the fish been officially weighed it might have threatened the International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record amberjack caught off Japan in 2010. That fish weighed a whopping 156 pounds.

Word is that no one on the boat was thinking record at the time of the catch. [ Read Full Post ]

May is quickly turning to June which means makos are heading north in waters along the East Coast. The mako's hard-fighting, high-flying qualities and ferocious predatory nature make it a favorite among shark fishermen, but they've also made it a YouTube star.

In the last few years these sharks have been filmed shredding swordfish, harassing spearfishermen, and gobbling down seals. To celebrate the upcoming shark season, we put together the 8 best mako videos on the web.

1) Flying Mako Shark

If you have a little space to grow some plants, you can get a lot of enjoyment and even some medicinal relief from growing your own remedies. While these should never take the place of professional medical care, it’s nice to have a sense that you are not helpless, should you end up having to fend for yourself. This is a list of 10 great plants that you can pick up now at home improvement stores and garden centers, and set out as your own personal medicine garden. [ Read Full Post ]

The tactical shotgun is perhaps the least understood firearm used for defense or competition. The skills and techniques employed for shooting a rifle or handgun are extremely similar, and for most shooters it’s easy to learn one if you have mastered the other. But the shotgun requires a much different technique.

There are two approaches. One is to shoot purely from a tactical aspect, using sights for every shot. But that limits what you can do and how fast you can do it. The other aspect is to learn to shoot a shotgun the way it is designed to be shot. That is, to learn wingshooting techniques and apply them to tactical shooting.

Tactical shotgun shooting for competition or defense is a multifaceted thing. But the bottom line is that the better and faster you can shoot it, the higher the odds are for victory. [ Read Full Post ]

How do you get a black bear down from a tree? Leave it alone and let it climb down … or, you tranquilize it and tether it to a crane.

This from Business Times: "According to the Colorado Springs Fire Department, a female black bear climbed and got stuck in a tree Sunday morning, though residents did not notice the bear until about 3 p.m. that day.

That’s when the fire department and officers from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department were called in to subdue the bear."

The first attempt to tranquilize the bear failed, and the bear climbed even higher up the tree. Five hours later, with a crowd of locals gathered round, the bear was finally sedated and hauled from the tree by a crane. [ Read Full Post ]

With our wounded economy limping along as pathetically as a run-over possum, and no apparent relief in sight, you might be wondering if you can afford to buy emergency supplies and survival gear right now. Car and home payments, light bills and groceries do seem to have most of our attention these days. But does this mean that we just forget about preparedness? Or put off our purchases until “better times?” What if there are no “better times” ahead?

Most often, if you really want something, you’ll find a way to make it happen. So let me offer five ways to come up with the cash and five high-value/low-cost preps. [ Read Full Post ]