Finding Vacation Rentals in North Lake Tahoe

The main difference between North and South Lake Tahoe is that most people who live on the lake year around tend to own houses on the northern end. Here you'll find housing developments of the highest quality, serene resorts, campgrounds, beautiful beaches as well as shopping and dining as good if not superior to the choices in the busier, more crowded southern end of the lake. North Lake Tahoe vacation rentals tend to favor the more family-oriented traveler, seeking peace and serenity. Because there are more permanent living facilities on the north shores, there are more houses and condos available for rent to tourists than there are on the southern shores. Furthermore, the resorts dotted throughout the area are, for the most part, more of the smaller, boutique resorts rather than the larger, bustling hotels. Because the northern shores are in California there is no gambling there. This major difference accounts for the total difference in ambiance between the two locations around the lake.

There are concerts, art shows, dance recitals and other local gatherings on the north shore that are more typical of a small town while the south end is more typical of a Las Vegas atmosphere. In Lake Tahoe you'll find more emphasis on skiing in the winter and mountain play all year round. You can take the Heavenly Gondola Tram into the mountains and hike to your hearts content. Then cool off with a relaxing swim in the lake. In the summer the Renaissance Fair holds its annual merrymaking in the hills around the north shore.

North Lake Tahoe is well known for its community living. Resort condominiums are springing up all over the area. They feature many of the same luxuries found in the major hotels with maid service, beautiful pools, lakeside cabanas and recreation rentals, with one exception ? you're an owner not a tourist. True, you can rent out your condominium to tourists as a source of extra income. Or you can just buy it and keep it to enjoy for the rest of your life. In North Lake Tahoe you get the best of both worlds ? the peaceful serenity of the mountains and the lake situated minutes away from the glamorous nightlife at the south shore casinos.

Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals Info provides detailed information on South and North Lake Tahoe rentals, as well as Lake Tahoe home, condo, and cabin vacation rentals. Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals Info is the sister site of Hilton Head Rentals Web.

If It Is The Lords Will I Will Live

My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly even deep. Reflecting on almost a half century of life. Some of it better than I would have imagined in my youth. Some not.

All in all I am glad that this present life is not all I have been given from the hand of God. At night I tend to wonder what it will be like to be on the other side of death's door.

According to the Reverend Gary Davis "Death don't have no mercy in this land." Thank God, Jesus does. Two or three mild strokes and a minor heart attack over the last 6 years could well have something to do with the way the stream of my consciousness flows.

Not melancholy thoughts. Thoughts of a hope and future God has prepared for me beyond the valley of the shadow of death. Makes me want to do right and be appreciative of what He has given me on this side of the valley and yet not to pin all my hopes and dreams on family and friends and the things that make life enjoyable in the present.

There is a day of reckoning and a day of rewards coming which will fit all of us out for eternal life. James, the brother of Jesus says it much better than I could hope to.

James 4:13-15 Weymouth NT

Jam 4:13 Come, you who say, "To-day or to-morrow we will go to this or that city, and spend a year there and carry on a successful business,"

Jam 4:14 when, all the while, you do not even know what will happen to-morrow. For what is the nature of your life? Why, it is but a mist, which appears for a short time and then is seen no more.

Jam 4:15 Instead of that you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we shall live and do this or that."

I need to learn humility. I wrote "we need" first but decided that was a cop out. This isn't a lecture, it's me sitting here in a nice warm quiet room, comfortably reflecting on the nature of human life.

What is the nature of human life? Nothing substantial, whether it's you, me or Michael Jackson. We live our lives from day to day and at any moment our breath could be terminated and our next conscious thought would occur before the presence of almighty God.

This life which seems so concrete to us is no more solid than a mist or vapor, a fog we walk through while heading towards God's light. That doesn't mean it is unimportant but it is impermanent and insubstantial compared to the life awaiting beyond the confines of incorporation.

Instead of steadfastly setting our faces towards our own plans and purposes, there I go with that "we" business again. You have to figure this out for yourself, you can't ride on my revelation of impermanance.

Anyhow, here's my thought:

I have some things I want to do and accomplish while still in the body, but I need to learn to temper my desires with the the fact that, "If it is the Lord's will, I shall live and do this or that." If it is not His will then I will be moving on to bigger and better things in the presence of the Lord.

Peace.

About The Author

Pastor Ray Stark
Celebration Christian Chuch
After a half century of life
30 years of marriage
22 years of pastoral and missionary work
and 20 years of parenting I hopefully have something helpful to pass on to you. Peace.

website: http://www.celebratingjesus.org

blog: http://www.celebratingjesus.blogspot.com

Cracking The Billable Hours Ceiling

How many of you made as much money as you wanted to last year? Don't be shy; raise your hands. Hmm, I don't see too many hands out there. What would you say is the cause of this gap between your goals and your earnings?

While you could certainly name the economy or inadequate marketing as the culprit, I'd like to suggest a third alternative. It may be the constraints of the billable hours model that keep you from your financial goals.

Let's face it, there are only so many hours you can actually bill to clients. For example, the national average for consultants is 22 billable hours per week. You can only raise your rates so high and still find enough customers. And if you spend more time on marketing, that's less time you have available to bill.

But there's a way out of this trap. No matter what type of business you're in, you can use intellectual property to crack the billable hours ceiling. Here are just some of the ways to start tapping into this resource today:

Package your process. What if every time you began work with a new client, they paid an up-front fee before you spent even one hour with them? If you sell a process rather than your time, clients will pay for access to your previously developed materials. Examples are workbooks, forms, assessments, surveys, games, self-paced programs, and train-the-trainer packages.

Give a class. When you assemble a group of people to learn together, you can earn more per hour than working with them separately. Classes can be given at your office, at a rented (or borrowed) facility, on the phone, or on the web. Your market for classes is not just your clients -- think about what you could teach your colleagues as well.

Record a tape, CD, or video. The simplest way to make recordings is to capture your live classes or speaking engagements on audio or video. Make your unedited recordings available immediately on the web or by phone. More polished recordings can be made with the help of a local studio or editor, or you can learn to do this yourself with the right equipment.

Write a white paper, workbook, or booklet. Short publications like these are easily within your reach, even if you don't consider yourself a writer. A simple 20-page booklet might have as few as 4000 words in it. If you've written four articles to promote your business, you've probably already written this much. These are perfect formats for e-books, which cost you nothing to print.

Author a book. This might seem an impossible task, but if you write one page a day, five days a week, at the end of a year you'll have a full-length book. If writing isn't your strong point, find an editor, ghost writer, or even a co-author who has the skills you lack. You don't have to wait until your book is finished to start selling excerpts as articles and white papers.

Market other people's products. If you don't yet have your own product, don't let it stop you. You can begin earning passive income by selling other people's books and tapes, becoming a re-seller for software or assessment tools, licensing someone else's process, or joining affiliate programs. Any of these products can be marketed in conversations with prospects and clients, in your standard marketing kit, in mailings or newsletters, on your outgoing voice mail message, and on your web site.

If you've been counting on hourly fees for your entire income, you may be surprised at the impact developing your intellectual property will have. It will add not only to your revenue, but also your professional credibility. And in poor economic times, you will find that prospects who hesitate to pay for personal service will still purchase classes and information products.

About The Author

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients NOW! Since 1992, C.J. has been teaching business owners and salespeople to make more money with less effort. She is a Master Certified Coach and leads workshops internationally. Read more of her articles at http://www.getclientsnow.com

Managers: Are You PR-Fit?

Can you honestly say that your business, non-profit or association's key outside audiences behave in ways that help lead to your success on-the-job?

Or, have you pretty much ignored the reality that target audience behaviors can help or hinder you in achieving your department, division or subsidiary's operating objectives?

Truth is, your unit's public relations effort can never be truly fit until the primary focus of the PR people assigned to you is shifted from tactical concerns to a more comprehensive public relations action blueprint like this: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

What such a foundation gives you is the ability to help persuade those important external stakeholders to your way of thinking. Which can cause them to take actions that lead to your success as a manager.

Any idea how to make that happen?

First, tell your public relations team that you're serious about nailing down what those outside audiences with the behaviors that affect your unit the most, really think about your organization. After you list the external stakeholders, prioritize them so we're certain we're working on one of your key target audiences.

Next, you and your PR team must interact with members of that audience by asking a number of questions aimed at finding out how you're perceived. Look for inaccurate beliefs, troublesome misconceptions, potentially dangerous rumors, and any other negativities that might translate into target audience behaviors that could hurt you.

Of course, you could hire a professional survey firm to interact with members of your target audience and gather the perception data you need. But that can get expensive indicating, at least to me, that the alternative use of your own PR staff to handle this chore, is the better choice.

Question now, how to achieve that public relations goal? Obviously, you need the right strategy to show you how to do it. Luckily, where opinion/perception is concerned, there are really only three strategy choices: create perception/opinion where none exists, change existing perception, or reinforce it. And be certain the strategic choice you made clearly fits your new public relations goal.

Now, remember that the message you use to communicate your corrective message to members of your target audience is not only crucially important to the program's success, but a real writing challenge for you and your public relations team. The message must be clearly written as to why the offending perception really needs to be clarified. Supporting facts must be above challenge and believable if your message is to be persuasive. And, it should be compelling.

Delivering your message, perhaps surprisingly, is not a complex assignment because you have a long list of communications tactics to help you do the job. They range from media interviews, emails, personal contacts and newsletters to facility tours, press releases, brochures, consumer meetings and many others. The only caution here is to check and double-check that those you choose are known to reach people like those who make up your target audience.

Sooner rather than later, you will need to determine how much progress you're making in altering the damaging perception and its equally damaging follow-on behavior. This is also not a complex challenge.

Here, you and your public relations people must once again interact with members of your target audience and ask questions similar to those used in the earlier benchmark monitoring drill.

The big difference this time around? You'll be alert to change. In other words, you want to see clear indications that the damaging perception is actually undergoing alteration in your direction.

You can always add more communications tactics, increase their frequencies and sharpen your message to move things along at a faster clip.

The result for you as a business, non-profit or association manager, will be a workable department, division or subsidiary public relations blueprint that succeeds in creating key outside audience behaviors that help lead you to success on-the-job.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com.

Children Cooperate When Appreciated

Do you want your child to cooperate with you more?

Children are much more likely to cooperate with adults who like being with them and who let them know they are worthwhile. This builds a level of trust and a feeling of safety. Within that environment, they are more likely to respond by being helpful and pleasant.

Relationships are created step by step. Sometimes the smallest things - a word of encouragement or small act of appreciation - can tilt the balance and create a whole new energy in a relationship.

We all need to feel accepted and approved of.

If your children walk into the room and you look up and smile, glad to see them, they will receive the message:

"I am worthwhile."

"I am welcome and appreciated."

That unspoken message creates an atmosphere in your home that feels safe and inviting.

So start looking for things you appreciate about your child.

We humans tend to notice the things we focus on.

Let me give you an example. I never paid much attention to cars and trucks. If the one I had got me where I wanted to go, I was happy, so I didn't notice what other people were driving.

A few years ago, I bought a Saturn sedan - turquoise. Very pretty, I thought. For the next several weeks, everywhere I went, I saw Saturns. And lots of them were turquoise. I hadn't noticed before, because I wasn't thinking about Saturns. But all of a sudden, there they were. Everywhere.

What changed?

My FOCUS.

My ATTENTION.

After buying a Saturn, I was thinking about Saturns, so I noticed the ones around me. It's human nature. We notice what we look for.

Look for the things you want to see in your child.

Do you want him:

- to be smart?

- to take responsibility?

- to be capable?

- to be lovable?

Then look for those things in him.

If you look for things he is doing wrong, you will find them.

If you look for things he is doing right, you will find those as well.

If you look for things you can praise, they are there, but you have to notice.

Just as the Saturns were all around me, I didn't see them until I was focused on them. The same is true of people.

Your children are doing things now that would please you, if you took the time to notice. And they are waiting to be acknowledged.

Stay in your heart.

When you are not in your heart, you are likely to be judging, condemning, looking for things that are wrong. And remember: whatever you look for, you will find.

So why not deliberately think about things that you feel good about? They are there, waiting for you to notice.

Make a list of the things you most enjoy or admire in your child.

- Think of qualities she has such as a sense of humor, a tender heart or determination.

- Think about abilities he has, such as artistic, musical or athletic.

- Think about good times you have had together - memories that make you smile and feel your heart connection with your child.

Write them down.

Then, take time to sit quietly and think about those things.

Read over your list. Stay with it until the love wells up within you. When you get the FEELING of love, sit with it for a few minutes. Savor it?without an expectation that it will be reciprocated. At this point, this is all about YOU - your thoughts, feelings, actions.

Then take that feeling of love with you every time you interact with your child.

You may start to see results right away - changes in your child. If so, that's great. If not, give it time.

This process is about transforming something in yourself, rather than trying to change anything in your child.

Now, as you go through your day, not just today, but every day, look for things to appreciate in your child.

Then let her know.

Tell him you love him.

Tell her what you appreciate about her, be sure that it is totally sincere.

Do not let any day go by without acknowledging your child at least once. More is even better, (but don't over do it, or it may seem phony).

Appreciation is very powerful.

Whenever you bring feelings of appreciation, rather than judgment, you are in a powerful position to invite your child to join you.

As you begin to notice the positives and express your appreciation, your child will respond, but do not expect or require a change in his behavior. That will happen naturally, in its own time. This is not about him - it's about YOU.

As you are falling asleep tonight: be sure you are in your heart.

Use pictures, memories or thoughts about your child that invite the feeling of appreciation. Perhaps it will be a memory from today.

Fall asleep considering the things you appreciate about your child, and allow yourself to enjoy the feeling of love that wells up within you.

Then surely, you will have sweet dreams, knowing you just created a tomorrow filled with love.

Pat and Larry Downing have many years of experience counseling teenagers and their parents, conducting family mediations and leading workshops and support groups. They are co-authors of the e-Book, "Feel Good Parenting: How to Use the Power of Your Heart to Create an Extraordinary Relationship with Your Child."

For more information on how to create relationships that are peaceful, harmonious, cooperative and joyful, you may go to go to http://www.feelgoodparenting.com to sign up for a free e-Course and a free e-zine for parents.

This article is copyright protected.

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on websites, provided you include ALL the above information about the authors, as it appears, including copyright information and live website link.

We Have Compiled a List of Wireless Cell Phones General Cautions and Warnings

For the most part, wireless cell phones are safe. And who could deny the convenience and freedom they have bought to our lives. Wireless cell phones bring our family and friends closer and allows us to do transact business more conveniently than ever. But, take note as we compiled a list of general cautions that you should be aware of.

Never place your wireless phone in the microwave as it will explode.

Coins, paperclips or pens in your purse, bag or pocket may short circuit the + or ? terminals of your mobile phone battery. (Hint: the metal strips on the battery.)

Do not disassemble your cellular phone.

Do not sit weighty objects on the power cord. Furthermore, do not crimp the power cord as it may cause a fire or electrical shock.

Do not take or receive calls when your cellular while charging the phone as it might short circuit your cellular phone causing electrical shock or fire.

Do not bend, twist or heat the power cord. Do not use the plug if you notice that it is loose. This can cause a fire or electrical shock.

The power plug must be firmly connected. This might result in extreme heat or fire.

As we said in the beginning of this article, wireless phones are very safe if used correctly. We wish to enlighten our cellular phone customers about proper use of their new cellular phones.

Catherine Kenyeres is a free lance writer and publisher for Best-4u-Cell-Phones.com. Catherine provides the latest information, reviews and comparisons for cell phone clients.

Online Payday Loans Offer Quick or Instant Approval For a Fast Cash Loan

Online payday loans companies offer quick approval with their online application process. Once you have entered your personal information and source of income, you can be approved for a payday loan in as little as five minutes, and a cash advance can be deposited in your checking account the next day.

Online Application

Online payday loan companies do not require a credit check or faxed copy of your latest pay stub. You will be required to provide contact information which includes your phone number and address. You will also need to provide information about your income. Most payday loan companies require a work history of 90 days or other income of at least $800 a month. Once you submit your application online, you will receive approval in less than an hour. Many payday loan companies approve applications within minutes.

Once you have received approval of your application, you will also receive notice on how much you can borrow. Your state's laws and your income level will determine the maximum amount of your payday loan. Most loans are approved for amounts between $500 and $1000.

Money Deposited Electronically

Your cash advance can be electronically deposited into your checking account the next day. You can skip waiting for a written check, taking it to your bank to deposit, and then waiting a couple of days to clear. With an online payday loan the whole process is quickly and discreetly handled online.

Easy Payments

Payments are also handled online. Most payday loan companies by default will charge your checking account finance fees after your next payday. However, you can choose to pay a portion of the balance or the total loan amount. Your payments are processed online, so you don't have to worry about mailing in paper checks.

Speaking With A Representative

Even though your entire application and repayment plan can be processed online, you can speak with company representative if you have any questions. If you need to change your repayment plan, they can approve those changes. They can also answer questions about fees and rates, but reputable companies will list that information on their website.

To view our list of recommended payday loan companies online, visit this page: Recommended Payday Loan Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website with articles and information about various types of loans.

Are YOU Ready for Bonza Bottler Day?

BONZA BOTTLER DAY is any day when the date and the month have the same number. Bonza, I'm told, means "excellent" or "really great" in Australian, and there's some suggestion that "bottler" means the same.

Bonza Bottler is a "just because" kind of holiday, started a decade or so ago by the late Elaine Fremont who believed the world needed more holidays. On BBD, we are called to let loose, just for the joy of it, and Ms Fremont's original wish was that we celebrate without alcohol or other artifical stimulants. Celebrate using just our natural ability to be joyous -- even in hard times, letting this part of ourselves play out . . . come out to play. Think of Snoopy, dancing madly to music maybe only he can hear. Think of Shrek and Princess Fiona, giggling and roughhousing as they walk through a field.

Wicki, our Boston Terrier, is a great believer in "just because." She loves to wrestle with Dudney, our 12-year-od cat, and we, in turn, never tire of watching the two of them pouncing and leaping and rolling around. Dogs and cats are not supposed to play together -- their styles are too different, says Conventional Wisdom. But for nearly 4 years now, cat-dog play has been a regular and delightful aspect of our family life.

If they can do it, why can't we? Play, that is. Just because. Take time out from the Tasks of Life, step aside from our accustomed ways of being, and Celebrate. Why? Just because. May you enjoy your own Bonza Bottler Day. This month. This week. Why not today?

Maureen Killoran, MA, DMin, is a Life Coach with a passion for helping people connect their strengths with their vision. Maureen offers dynamic individual and group coaching, work team empowerment training, teleclasses, and a free monthly e-zine, "Seeds of Change." Her articles are published on over 89 websites, and have been translated into several languages. don't miss her latest e-book, "Spirit Tickling: A Workbook for Curious Souls" http://www.spiritquestcoaching.com

Swordfishing in South Florida

Southeast Florida Swordfishing ? "Purple Fever"

Once you have your tackle ready to go, let us describe a typical drift out in South Florida's Gulf Stream. We are basing this drift using 4 lines. Some of your center console fisherman may be able to fish 5 or even 6 rods, but we believe 4 rods is sufficient and will cover the fathoms needed to catch that broadbill you have dreamed of. Swordfishing off the southeast coast of Florida has really taken a turn for the better. We are experiencing a fish size of 75-100lb on average. Although we are deemed to be the breeding grounds and anglers routinely catch "Pups", we have our share of three-hundred pound plus fish move through. November thru January is usually some of our best months, as the water temperature is cooler. But with all good comes some bad. The seas are usually much rougher this time of year. In the summer time, we don't see as much action, but we still get our share. This is a year-round fishery and will be around for a long time as long as we don't abuse it. We ask that you please report you fish! Please report your catches and releases. We know you are not required to report a release, but by reporting that we are routinely catching the numbers, lessens the chances of commercial fisherman entering our waters. We cannot stress enough how important it is to report our catch.

We also want to practice safety especially while night fishing. We suggest that each angler on your boat carries a glowstick and whistle in his/her pocket. This way if they were to accidentally fall over, you would have a means of finding them. Another strong point is no sleeping! Cargo ships constantly are running through the swordfish grounds and if you are sleeping and they are on autopilot, trouble could be approaching. We have had some close calls to where we actually had to pick up and move to avoid a collision course with some freighters. Bottom line, if you want to sleep stay home.

Now lets fish!

Locating The Swordfish Grounds:

As you may know swordfishing takes place at night, as they are primarily nocturnal feeders. Leaving the dock in the late evening hours and coming back to the dock after midnight is the standard, depending on the time of the sunset. Calm seas have much to do with the decision of when to go out. Swordfish can be caught when it is rough or calm, but we must think safety first. The combination of a gps and good fishfinder is essential when finding good solid structure to start your drift. Off the South Florida coast, our sword grounds are generally between longitude 79-51W and 79-49W. This is roughly 15-18 miles off our coastline. A fishfinder that goes to at least 1500 feet is very beneficial; as you will see the canyons and structures that hold the bait, hence attract swordfish. *Tip ? If you want to find the fish, set your fish finder range to just 100ft and you will find bait such as Tinker Mackeral or Sardines. Where there is bait, there is Sword! Swordfish are known to roam these deep depths around ridges and valleys. With the two combined units you are already ahead of the game. Radar is also an important piece of equipment, but not absolutely necessary. Once you are satisfied with your location, you want to spend the next 5-20 minutes figuring out your drift. The drift is a very important aspect. If you have heard that the bite is strong along the 79-50W line, you want to make sure you are drifting on this line. A top-notch sea anchor can work to keep you in this zone. Deploy your sea anchor off the boats center cleat for the best drift. But maybe, the bite is fluctuating from the west 48 lines to the 51 lines. In this case you would want to drift over and over these grounds. Turn on your vhf or check out our reports to see where the most action is for the night you are going out. With the proper drift you can stay in the zone all night and have baits soaking for the majority of the night. Don't be in a rush to put the baits out. Take your time and factor the wind and current and decide, "Am I going to push in shallow or out deep". Which side of the boats are the lines going to be on? How much wait should I be using to get my baits to the desired depth? How fast will my drift be? All these factors are worth considering before you turn off the engines and decide where you are going to ride out a drift.

Tackling Broadbills:Although a live bait seems ideal when setting out to catch any gamefish, don't rule out your dead baits! Bobby Boyle of RJ Boyle Studios came out with a shirt that says, "Live Bait Sux". Bobby definitely has a point when it comes to swordfish. As a beginner in swordfishing, we suggest sticking to just one live bait and the rest dead baits such as squid. You ensure a much better hookset when using a dead-bait, and your strikes will definitely not suffer from not using live-bait! Your sole livebait can be fished just under the boat around 85 feet down. It will blend in with the other baits that have congregated around your boat.

Lets discuss rigging your rods. We use mostly 50 wides, but have a few 80's that are ready for that big wintertime swordfish. A 50w is plenty sufficient for swordfish. With the invention of hollow-core braid, guys can load their 30's with the over 700 yards and be able to fish their light tackle rods for broadbills. When spooling the reels we suggest marking the last 400 feet of your line. Mark the line using waxline half stitches. This will enable you to easily drop your baits to the desired depth without having to count every time you setup. A counter can be used to count off the desired feet. If you can leave a loop in the waxline marker on your line, this would be ideal. Later on we will teach you how to tie the balloon or jug to that loop in the waxline. It is very important to make sure the waxline does not slip! Your first knot that will be used on your mainline is the popular bimini twist (about 5 ft). The knot acts as a shock absorber and is very beneficial to the rig. Take your bimini twist right to the ball bearing snap swivel and tie an offshore knot. Have this combination on all four of your rods.

Lets discuss your rigs. We first start out by measuring 15 feet of 200lb ? 400lb mono leader. On the top end we crimp a loop using a nylon thimble so that we can attach it to our ball bearing snap swivel with ease. On the other end, crimp a 8/0 ? 11/0 hook. Make sure the hook is very sharp, if not sharpen it. You should be able to press it against your finger nail and make a nice dent. On the hook you want to place a bridle that is used to bridle your live bait. It is a loop that is about 6 inches in diameter made out of rigging floss. Attach that bridle to the hook and you are set. Attach your live bait rig to your rods ball bearing swivel. At the swivel top circle you want to also attach 1 electralume and a flasher at your discretion. This helps to make your bait visible to the swords.

Lets rig your other 3 rods for a dead bait. A swordfish favorite is the squid. There are a number of ways to rig a dead squid, but the best method is to have the hook exposed half way down the mantle. We find this much more effective that placing the hook down by the eyes of the squid. . Once you have all four rods ready to be deployed, get out your jugs and weights, along with copper/telephone wire. Have the gaff ready to be deployed as some days you may drop the baits right into swordfish territory. We don't know how many times we seem to drop a bait right on a swordfish. Tip* If you like to take your time in setting up, that's fine. Go ahead and put out a flatline while getting your other rods ready. This way if you have a curious sword come to the boat, you atleast have a bait in the water. We have seen them come into the light on numerous occasions. If you don't have a bait in the water, most likely they will just leave.

Setting up your first Drift

Drifting for swordfish is very very effective. Providing that you have your baits staggered, your chances of catching a South Florida Sword are very good! Now that you have 4 rods that are ready to be deployed, lets get some lines in the water. Once you find your desired area to fish, shut off all engines. Here you will analyze your drift. You can deploy a sea anchor if you think you are going to need it. Once you are satisfied with the direction and speed of your drift, get the first line out. As a general rule of thumb, get your longest lines out first, meaning jug/balloon baits. Check out our forums and communicate with fellow swordfish anglers regarding everything mentioned here. You may even find out what depth the fish were biting out the night before. But a general rule of thumb is on a New Moon, you fish the baits shallower. And on a full bright moon, you fish them deeper. Tip* Be sure to have a bait at 100 feet and 300 feet. These 2 depths are critical. Once you get a bite on one, you can adjust your other rods accordingly.

With the first rod, attach the live bait rig, along with your electralume and flasher. Then take about 12 inches of telephone wire or a #64 rubber band and attach a 32-ounce weight to the swivels top circle. Wrap the telephone wire about 6 times and pull to ensure it breaks away. Put it back on and let your bait down to desired depth. For this exercise, we will go 300 feet on the first line. Once the 300-foot marker on the line comes up, attach your jug or balloon to the loop you left in the waxline using telephone wire. You can attach the balloon or jug using telephone wire or a small rubber band. Again, test to make sure it breaks away when pressure is applied by fish. Let the float out about 50-80 yards from the boat. Don't forget to put a glowstick into your jug for visibility.

Do the same to the second rod, but this time go to 200ft and let it out on the jug/balloon about 30 yards. It is very important to test different depths by the 100's. Don't forget to attach a lightstick to the jug/balloon for visibility. Once you have the 2 lines out on the jugs, lets move to your tip rods. The tip rods are called tip rods because that is exactly what they are. You will see the tip of the rod bounce heavily when a fish is slashing the bait. These rods are being fished right at the boat at varying depths. Apply the same rigs as mentioned above and set these rods at 150 feet and 100 feet. These will be your most active rods, as they are in the direct light of the boat.

Now that you have 4 lines in the water, lets get your 4ft light out and put it on the opposite side of the boat, to avoid direct light into your eyes. Turn off all boat lights and sit back and listen to your rods. Check all lines as needed. If you don't have any action within 30 minutes to an hour, start by checking your tip rods. If the baits have been slashed than bring in your balloon/jug rods and re-bait. The 4ft green light can be a very important piece of the puzzle when swordfishing. We have had bait by the dozens including bar jacks, flying fish, and dolphin come to the light. With the bait we have seen swordfish follow right behind them. When swordfishing you want to have your best game turned on. Without the light at the boat you might as well stay home. We deem this light very effective. Think about when you see a boats navigation lights about 10 miles away. Imagine a swordfish. Their eyes are enormous and we bet can see much better than we think. This could be the difference between a fun-filled night and a very frustrating night. Check out the forums for more information on the secrets and tips. Fish On? Now What?

Once you hear the drag being taken out or you see a fish surfacing, you want to jump on that rod fast. Each rod should have a different color light that distinguishes it from your other rods. The enables you to determine which rod the fish is on. You should of had your drag set at practically nothing, just enough to keep the bait from taking off line. Get on the rod and start cranking until you get tight on the fish. Once tight, start increasing the drag until you hit about 8-16 pounds of drag. Too much drag may cause the hook to rip from the soft mouths of these fish. The hook will automatically set and you are in for a fight of a lifetime. Have a buddy put the belt on you, so you can stand up and fight the fish properly. Do not arch forward or your back will begin to hurt very quickly. Do not rush the fish. These fish get in excess of 400lbs and have been known to keep anglers on the wind for over 8 hours! Once the fish is at the boat, it is ideal to have one guy handline the leader and another guy with the gaff. We also suggest using wind-on leaders. This will help avoid the dangers of hand-lining a big fish. A swordfish has to be at least 47 inches to keep. So before hitting it with the gaff, you want to decide if you are keeping the fish or not. We recommend not keeping a fish under 60 inches. This will help the bounce back of the swordfish industry. If you do decide to keep the fish, you want to gaff the fish right in the gill plate to avoid ruining the meat. Always wear tough leather gloves, as the bill is very sharp. *Tip ? Keep your hands together when leadering the fish. This will help avoid the dangers of hand lining the fish.Tight Lines,Swordfishing Central

Michael Grimm
http://www.swordfishingcentral.com

What Is A Credit Report?

Even if you have heard of a credit report, you may not know exactly what it is. If so, this credit report article is for you. Learning about your credit report is important in any campaign to eliminate credit card debt and obtain a good credit status. So, you should at least know the credit report basics.

What is this credit card report then? For a start, whenever you borrow money from a legitimate commercial lender, your record of repayments will be public. Each time you make a payment, whether it is on time or late, it will go on the record on which your credit report will be based. Also, each time someone requests a copy of your credit report, that will be noted as well. If you are involved in a bankruptcy, or have a tax lien, it will all go on the credit report.

So, as you can see, your financial transactions, as they involve credit and debt, will be available for all to see.

Why Does the Credit Report Matter?

A credit report is often thought of as something that lenders use when deciding whether or not to extend you credit. That is true-you will not be able to apply for a credit card, car loan or mortgage without the potential lender first checking to see if you are credit worthy. Additionally, though, insurance companies are now using credit reports to determine whether or not someone would be a good risk, as are employers. If you are thinking of renting an apartment, house or commercial space, remember, you will need a good credit report!

Getting a Copy of Your Credit Report?

You have decided, then, that your credit report is something you should take an interest in, and you are right. But how do you get a copy of your personal credit report? There are three credit reporting agencies, and it's a good idea to get a copy of your report from all three-just in case there are discrepancies. The credit report agencies are:

Experian (located at www.experian.com)

Trans Union (located at www.transunion.com )

Equifax (located at www.equifax.com)

You will have to provide the following information to the credit reporting agencies, in order to get a copy of your credit report: a) your full legal name, (b) your current address, as well as your last (if you've been at your current one for less than five years), (c) your date of birth, (d) your social security number and (e) a signature. You are entitled to one free copy of your credit report every year, but you will need a copy from all three agencies. Expect to pay a small fee to receive any other copies.

What Are The Other Free Credit Reports?

It also may be possible to get a free copy of your credit report if you meet certain criteria. They are:

* You are unemployed, but plan to look for a job within the next two months.

* You have been the victim of credit identify fraud, or some other fraud that will affect your report.

* You are currently receiving welfare payments.

* You've recently had a credit application turned down.

What If You Don't Like What You See In Your Credit Report?

If your credit report has bad marks on it, you have two possible courses of action, depending on whether or not the marks are true. If you have made some mistakes in the past, there is no magic formula that will erase them! You will have to get some help-either through a credit counseling company-or simply work to pay off your debts and be on time with your payments. Those marks will stay on your report for seven years-or ten years for a bankruptcy.

If, on the other hand, you find that there are false statements on your credit report, you have some options to clear them up. You should write a letter to each credit reporting agency explaining the mistake, along with any proof that you have to back up your claims-such as paid receipts-and then wait. They will have 30 days to investigate the claim and make a decision.

Having a good credit report is key to all your financial future as far as credit transactions go. If you have never seen your own credit report, why not take the step now and get a copy?

Roy Thomsitt is owner and part author of http://www.eliminate-credit-card-debt-now.com