A Guide to Cozumel Vacations

What kind of traveler are you? Do you want everything handled for you so all you have to do is arrive at the airport on time and everything else is already arranged? Or do you like to be a hands-on manager of your vacation planning? Do you want to arrive at your luxury hotel with your time scheduled out in advance ? massage at 3, dinner at 6, dancing at 8 ? or do you prefer to arrive at your efficiency suite, grab the local yellow pages and let the adventure begin? Whatever it is you want, however you like to travel, as long as you enjoy beautiful island paradises, great food, a choice of adventures to experience and friendly people, you'll find it on Cozumel. Start with a travel agent in the town or city where you live. Cozumel is such a well-traveled area that many vacation packages, from the simple to the lush, from the relaxed to the vigorous, are readily available through companies that specialize in arranging them.

By booking packages you can save time and money and be assured of getting exactly what you want out of your precious vacation time. First tier packages include airfare, transportation (either a rental car or a prepaid service to take you to your hotel and back to the airport) and a hotel room. Second tier packages include all of your food, drink and rental cars if needed ? all arranged for and prepaid in advance (remember tipping is usually not included). Third tier vacation packages include the activities, if any, you would like to experience on the island while you are there. You can prepay for scuba excursions and lessons, snorkeling adventures, day trips to visit the ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula, babysitting and adventures for the kids, massages and essentially anything else you can think of for your maximum pleasure. The advantage of arranging all this in advance is that you won't have to do it when you arrive and you'll probably save some money as well.

Vacation packages deal in volume and hence they get discounts for all of the goods and services they provide. All of them mark up their costs, of course, but still, you'll end up saving money by going through them. You can even schedule free time to relax or try some new experiences you hadn't planned for. You decide. After all, it's not only your money, it's also your vacation, and you should get exactly what you want at exactly the price you would expect to pay.

Cozumel Info provides detailed information about Cozumel beaches, weather, vacations, real estate, hotels, and more. Cozumel Info is the sister site of Punta Cana Web.

Are you Bringing Light or Discord?

We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness directly reflects the discord in which many of us find ourselves within our own personal lives.

Humanity, as a whole, cannot rise above our current level of negativity and discord until we do so on a deeply personal level.

I ask you to take a scrutinizing look at the current state of your personal affairs, and the level of accord, or discord, you are currently engaged in with those who have been dearest to you in your own life.

Have you forgotten "why" certain people have come into your life?

The answer is so you can rid your innermost self of any negativity.

If you are acting out, then YOU have the personal responsibility to share your thoughts in a gracious manner, and create harmony, even with those you may not agree with.

It is time to let go of people who no longer serve your highest evolutionary growth with love, respect, in a gentle manner, and without judgment.

This is critical.

Judgment is the paradigm that pits nation against nation, sister against brother, and lover against friend.

Release judgment. It is each person's individual right to live the life of their own choosing.

It is each person's individual responsibility to share in a humble, gracious, and sincere manner anything that displeases him or her. Fear of rocking the boat creates inner tension. As within, so without. If we feel tension inside, and we do not express it in a healthy manner, then we are contributing to the tension in our outer lives with the people we come into contact with.

However, once our feelings are shared genuinely, then we are free. We are free of tension, discord, and imbalance within ourselves.

As a result, we will begin to experience true freedom.

? Copyright by Barbara Rose, All Rights Reserved.

Barbara Rose is an Internationally acclaimed public speaker, spiritual author of: "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" "If God Was Like Man"and "Individual Power: Reclaiming Your Core, Your Truth, and Your Life", founder of The Rose Group publishing company, inspire! Magazine, Institute of Higher Self Communication, and Rose Humanitarian Alliance.

She works in Divine Cooperation with others to uplift the spiritual consciousness of humanity. Through a Divine Spiritual gift she brings through information to create the highest vision of your life, and our world. Her internationally praised seminars, widely published articles, Higher Self Certification intensives, and Divinely Channeled private consultations have changed the lives of thousands across the globe.

For enlightening info, contacts, books, articles and resources to help you become your highest self, visit Barbara's website: http://www.borntoinspire.com

Your Clients Buying What Youre Selling

Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her cleaning business. For the past 3 years, she'd run the same ads in the same publications with the same results. She would generate enough new clients to make up for the ones she lost due to normal attrition, but she was never quite able to get beyond her mediocre success.

"I feel a little stuck," she shared in our last call. "Every time I try running another ad or sending another mailer, I only generate enough new work to make up for the additional cost I've expended. I can't hire an additional employee until I get more work, but I can't seem to get more work. I really want to make more income for myself and my family and think I could do it if I could just get some of these new marketing strategies to work out."

My next question threw her -- "What are you selling?" "What do you mean? I'm selling cleaning services," she responded. "No, what are you REALLY selling? Or look at it this way, what are your clients buying?"

It took a couple more rounds before she understood what I meant. Many service business owners run out to the marketplace without a clear understanding of what they are selling or what their clients are buying. After awhile, they start getting clients by the shear fact that they've approached enough people to generate some interest. The problem comes once they've reached a plateau and can't seem to grow beyond it.

It's like golf. Anyone can learn to hit the ball and, if given enough strokes, get it in the hole. They can even become pretty good ... but only sometimes. The rest of the time, they are hooking or slicing uncontrollably. They never play a consistent game. The key to success in golf is technique. If you do the right things consistently, you'll play a good game every time (well, almost!).

In business, it's the same thing ? you need to do the right things consistently. Almost anyone can learn how to make a sale. It might not be in record speed or at a profit, but they can make the sale. The key is in being able to generate sales consistently up to and beyond your plateau.

Linda thought she was selling cleaning services, but upon closer investigation over the next couple of weeks, she learned that her clients were buying something a lot different. Based on surveys she conducted with her current clients, she learned that they hired her because they were buying:

• more time to spend with their spouse & children

• a clean house (not actual the actual "cleaning" service)

• time for themselves & their personal interests

• stress relief for taking one thing off of their plate

• marital bliss (no more fighting over household responsibilities)

This was a light bulb moment for her. She realized that her ads and mailers were selling a "cleaning service" when in actuality her prospects and clients wanted to buy a solution to their problems ? not enough time, fights with their spouse, harried lifestyle. If she could provide the solution to just one of those pains, she would be serving her clients well.

Then quicko, chango, switcheroo ? she re-focused her marketing efforts to focus on solving her prospects' problems and began targeting overworked professionals and families with children. These simple changes helped her finally grow beyond the plateau where her business had stalled.

So, ask yourself -- are your clients buying what you're selling? What are you currently selling? If you contacted your clients this week, what would they say they are buying from you? Are you sure? Why not jot down a few questions that you can ask your clients during short, phone surveys this week?

Don't have enough clients to do this yet? Perhaps you can work it into your conversations with prospects? Ask them why your service does or does not sound like something that will benefit them. Yes, I know this is hard, but the answers are your ticket to faster success.

Afraid to do this? Then it's even more important! Trying to sell the wrong thing to the wrong people is just extending your learning curve and the length of your journey to sustainable success. So go for it!

About The Author

Kimberly Stevens is the author of the ebook series, *The Profitable Business Owner: A Step-by-Step System for Starting & Running a Successful Service Business*. Download Sample Chapters & get her free MiniCourse, *The 10 Most Common Mistakes Business Owners Make & How To Avoid Them* at: http://www.askthebizcoach.com/ebooks.htm

kim@askthebizcoach.com

PR: Lets Talk Fundamentals

How much more fundamental can you get than this? As a business, non-profit or association manager, if you don't get your most important outside audiences on your side, you will fail.

To me, failure means key target audiences that don't behave as you want them to. For example, capital donors or specifying sources who look the other way, customers who fail to make repeat purchases, community leaders working closely with your competitors, prospects still doing business with others, organizations looking elsewhere to propose new strategic alliances and joint ventures, and even legislators and political leaders overlooking you as a key member of the non-profit, association or business communities.

All that can change in a New York minute when you base a public relations effort on this simple premise: 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 those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

The primary benefit of that premise to you as a business, non-profit or association manager is the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

And that's very doable. Especially when you take the time to list your most important external audiences, then prioritize them according to the impacts they have on your organization.

The real key to success using this premise is actually gathering information as to how members of your key, external audience perceive your organization.

If you have the resources available and can afford professional survey help, fine. If, however, like most of us you don't, the best alternative is for you or your colleagues to begin interacting with audience members. Ask many questions starting with, "Have you heard of us? What do you think of us, if at all? Have you ever done business with us? Why do you feel the way you do?"

Listen carefully for signs of negativity, and watch for untruths, false assumptions, inaccuracies, misconceptions or flagrant rumors.

Obviously, the data you gather from this monitoring activity form the basis of your public relations goal. For example, correct that untruth or inaccuracy, clear up that misconception, or spike that rumor.

Now here, you encounter three forks in the road.

You need a strategy to show you how to get where you need to go. But only three choices are available to you when dealing with matters of perception and opinion: create perception where there may be none, change existing perception, or reinforce it. And make certain the strategy option you choose flows naturally from your new public relations goal.

It's writing time ? hard work preparing the actual message designed to alter people's perceptions leading, hopefully, to the behaviors you need to help achieve your objectives.

The corrective message is crucial. It must be clear about just what perception needs clarifying, and why. Your facts, of course, must be truthful, logical and believable in order to be persuasive. And the tone of the message should be compelling if it is to command attention and alter perception.

Next step is easy. Pick your "beasts of burden," the communications tactics you will use to carry that brand new, corrective message to members of your target audience.

You have a very long list of such tactics at your disposal. The only caveat is, make sure each one shows a proven record for reaching people like those who make up your specific target audience.

Tactics range from electronic magazines (called eZines!), speeches, brochures and emails to radio/newspaper interviews, press releases, newsletters, facility tours and so many more.

Shortly, you will start to wonder if you are making any progress. And that means a second round of Q&A with members of your target audience. Same questions as before, by the way, only now your focus is on signs that their perception has been altered to reflect that described in your carefully prepared message.

You can always speed up the effort by introducing new communications tactics, and by increasing their frequencies. Also, not a bad idea to check that message of yours one more time for both factual accuracy, and for how successful it was at actually impacting opinion.

Clearly, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you benefit most when your public relations program succeeds in creating the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2003.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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

Bedtime and Sleep Habits

Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for parents, that is! Often at the end of a long day all you want is a little peace and time for yourself. After all, you have probably devoted the entire to the service of children in some form.

Whether it is putting bread on the table or being gainfully employed in an unpaid position as housekeeper and cook, you deserve a break.

Come on, kids, be reasonable!

But children do not always see bed-time from a parent's perspective. They often dispute calls for bed and complain loudly that it is too early.

None of the other kids at school go to bed at 8 o'clock, Mum. "It's not fair." is the sort of line that is used in thousands of homes each night.

Others procrastinate with toilet-time, last minute drinks and detailed arrangements of teddies so that bed-time stretches by half an hour before parents realise what is happening.

Some parents are plagued by jack-in-the-boxes who reappear as soon as the bedroom light is turned off while others have night-callers who keep parents busy with comments such as: "I can't get to sleep."

If bed-time presents difficulties in your home try the following ideas at kids' bed-time so that you can maximise the time you have for yourself and your partner.

Decide on a time with your child then stick to it. There are no hard and fast rules about appropriate bed-times for children. However they should suit both parent and child. Discuss appropriate bed-times with children. Some youngsters fail to see that sleep is a biological need. They see it as something imposed on them by parents. I am constantly amazed how reasonable children can be when they have had the chance to participate in the decision-making process.

Establish a bed-time routine well in advance that signals the end of the day. A known routine such as quiet time, drink, toilet and story lets children know what is expected of them and enables them to plan accordingly.

Reduce over-stimulation before bed-time by ensuring children are engaged in passive activities such as homework, reading or watching television.

Distinguish between being in bed and being in the bedroom. Children differ in the amount of sleep that they need. It is pointless to expect them to be in bed at a certain time each night and go to sleep. It is more realistic to be in their bedrooms at a set time. They can then regulate their behaviour. Once away from the adult world children generally fall asleep fairly quickly. Young children may remain on their beds surrounded by a favourite toy or books to keep them occupied before they fall asleep.

Be firm with procrastinators at bedtime. Resist children's efforts to involve you in calls for drinks or assistance with forgotten homework at bed-time. Once in bed ignore their calling out and demonstrate that you are unwilling to participate in their games.

One parent I know begins reading a bed-time story whether her child is in bed or not. As her daughter treasures her story this is generally enough to have her rushing to bed.

Temporarily remove distractions at bed-time. Sometimes turning off the television can be enough to send children to bed.

Avoid sitting with young children until they fall asleep. This may be all right once in a while but habits are easily formed and often difficult to break. Many parents who sit with young children until they drop off discover that they have made a rod for their own backs.

Ignore or return boomerangs to their rooms and give them a minimum attention. Children will generally tire of being jack-in-the-boxes when they get little feed-back for the behaviour. If you have an extremely persistent boomerang then you may have to steel yourself for several nights. Be persistent and give little feed-back to them.

Bed-time with adolescence needs to be negotiated. They are generally capable of regulating their own sleep however it may be necessary to remind them your need for some time alone.

Impress upon children that night are yours and extremely precious. Short of a nightmare or an earthquake, you do not wish to be disturbed.

Michael Grose is Australia's leading parenting educator. He is the author of six books and gives over 100 presentations a year and appears regularly on television, radio and in print.

For further ideas to help you raise happy children and resilient teenagers visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au . While you are there subscribe to Happy Kids newsletter and receive a free report Seven ways to beat sibling rivalry.

Recent Cell Phone Advancements

Cell phones have come a long way since the early days of the 1980s when they were the size of a brick and weighed almost as much. Today, cellular phones come with built-in cameras, polyphonic ringtones, and high-tech games. New "3G" mobile phones are also capable of downloading full motion video and full spectrum music. Whereas there were only a few manufacturers of cell phones in the 1980s, today there are many. In addition to original manufacturers such as Motorola and Siemens, today phones are manufactured by Sony-Ericsson, LG, Toshiba, Samsung, Hitachi, Danger, Palm, HP and others.

As wireless cell phone use increases around the globe, the old CDMA and TDMA standards are being replaced with GSM, the global standard outside of North America. Relatively new mobile phone companies such as Vodafone and T-Mobile in Germany and NTT DoCoMo in Japan have taken advantage of increased cell phone use by expanding their mobile phone offerings and plans world-wide. Also, traditional computer companies are moving or have moved into the cell phone industry-PalmOne manufactures the Treo 650, HP is coming out with its own smartphone PDA and Microsoft powers the operating systems of many of the newest cell phones on the market.

In addition to being used as a method of wireless voice communication, cell phones have within the last decade morphed into mobile computing platforms. These new cell phones are powerful enough to power many applications that only a few years ago required one to be stationed at a desktop computer.

Concurrent with technological innovation and increased adoption worldwide, prices for both hardware and service plans have dropped steadily over the last decade. Whereas only a few years ago most cell phone service providers required 3 year contracts with heavy penalties for early cancellation, now one can get a free state-of-the-art phone with only a one year contract.

Beyond the cell phone hardware, whole new industries have sprung up catering to the needs of cell phone users who demand accessories such as cell phone covers, screen-savers, and ring tones. As well, SMS (simple messenging system) and MMS (multimedia messenging system) lingo is slowly entering the cell phone society vernacular. Use of shorthand abbreviations such as LOL (laughing out loud), SWAK (sealed with a kiss) and G2G (got to go) has become second nature to teenagers who are the main users of phone messenging globally.

(c) 2005 Philip Liu - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Philip Liu is a freelance author and publisher currently based in New York City. Philip publishes regularly on his websites, Cell Phone News + Reviews (focusing on cell phone news, rumors and reviews from around the world), and DTVScoop - Plasma, LCD Reviews + News (focusing on digital television news and reviews).

What?s All the Hype about Omni Military Loans?

The average person some time in their adult lives will come across a time where they will need to take out a loan. However, if you're in the military you aren't just the average person. Omni military loans are specially designed for the ease and convenience of military personnel. This is not to say that your regular bank loan isn't going to cut it, but Omni military loans have the "home court advantage." Most of Omni's offices are conveniently located close to military establishments and also in Europe.

Omni military loans are more convenient by a large margin when compared to your run of the mill loan. Not only do you have close offices to the base but, if you want to conduct the whole thing from the comfort of your home you have that option too. Omni's website is open 365 days a year 24 hrs a day. Omni military loans also work in conjunction with DFAS, this allows you to set up monthly allotments. Talk about no hassle! Not only do you have prompt monthly payments but you can monitor it with DFAS online! If you set up monthly allotments, you have zero paperwork and less fuss.

Could there possibly be more? With other lenders you might have application fee. With Omni military loans there are no up front fees. Omni military loans range from $500.00 - $10,000.00 and can be taken out for numerous different reasons. Once your loan is approved you even have the option of the money being direct deposited into your bank. This is a miracle for military personnel that are over seas. Omni military loans should definitely get a second glance if you're military, it's worth your time!

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Military-Loans-Online.com. He provides more military auto loans, home loans, payday loans and military motorcycle loans that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

The Most Important Investment You Can Make For Your Old Age - And No, Its Not Money!

When I was twenty-two, I was befriended by a woman named Doris who was thirty years older than I was. Although Doris was then a fifty-two year old woman, she did not feel it was inappropriate to befriend me. She did not operate with the social belief that she should choose her friends only from people her own age. We became very close friends and remained so until her death at the age of eight-two.

When Doris turned seventy-five, she was already widowed. The week she turned seventy-five, Doris threw two birthday parties for herself, one on a Wednesday night, and one on Saturday. Over thirty different people attended each party. I was the only person invited to both. In all, about seventy of Doris' friends came that week to celebrate her birthday. On both nights many people stayed until past one in the morning.

As I looked around the room at both parties that week in amazement, I noticed that the people attending her birthday parties were of all ages. They included toddlers, teens, middle-aged people, and the elderly. Doris had never restricted herself to making friends only within her own age group. She had always made it a point to befriend people of all ages. Consequently, she did not suffer the same social fate so many elderly people face when their circle of same-age friends starts to dwindle from sickness and death. I hoped that when I was the same age as Doris that I would be able to have as many friends and acquaintances gathered to help celebrate my birthday.

I didn't know any other people her age who could throw two birthday parties in one week, and have seventy people show up. I wondered how Doris had made so many friends. She had never been wealthy, but over the years Doris and her husband had made a practice of opening their hearts and their home to many people. They not only befriended a lot of people and maintained those friendships over the years, but they also befriended the children of their friends, and stayed friends with the younger generation.

I noticed that whenever I brought some of my own friends with me to visit Doris, she never treated my friends as expendable people that she would never see again. She was gracious and kind and interested in all of them. Her caring about each human being was always apparent. When we finished our visit, Doris would often extend an invitation to the friends I had brought to come and visit her again, and many of them did so.

When she issued invitations Doris never seemed as if she were inviting people because she was lonely or desperate for company. Her invitations were always genuinely joyful. She loved meeting people and wanted to see them again.

As Doris neared the end of her life, she became very ill. Yet, she never lacked for love and support from the many friends she had kept making throughout her whole life.

I learned something important that week at Doris' two birthday parties. I realized that we make a big mistake if we tell young and middle-aged people to invest their money for their old age, but neglect to tell them that it is at least as important to invest in relationships with other people.

We make a mistake if we don't tell people that it is just as important to invest kindness in the people we meet, and invest our interest in them. There are other kinds of investment accounts besides those that are held by banks. A big bank account won't make up for loneliness in your old age.

I decided that if I wanted to have as many friends as Doris did, I would have to keep making friends and keep maintaining friendships my whole life. I would have to make friends with people of all ages, including those much younger and much older than me.

Older people confront unique challenges in trying to maintain a satisfying social life. Many people find it difficult to make new friends as they get older.

As people age they often face social, health and monetary challenges. Older people may become less physically mobile. They often have less money to spend on recreation and entertainment. Older people are also more likely to suffer from depression. They may be physically frail and afraid to go out at night. Even if they remain healthy themselves, aging people experience the deaths of long time friends and spouses, resulting in a shrinking circle of social and emotional support.

In the modern western world, older people are often treated as if their usefulness is finished, and as if what they have to say is not really relevant to the young. A lot of older people are shocked to discover when they retire at the age of sixty or sixty-five, that the friendships they thought had developed at work do not survive the retirement party.

In many modern societies, older people are socially marginalized, and left to socialize solely with each other. People in North America are much more segregated along age lines than people in some other parts of the world. In North America, teenagers tend to socialize with other teenagers, and older people are expected to make friends with other older people.

No matter where you live, or what your age, you do not need to follow your local society's dictates about what age your friends should be. You do not need to restrict yourself to making friends only with your own age group.

If you are concerned that you may be lonely in your later years, the time to start doing something about it is now, no matter what your current age might be. As you grow older, make sure you stay living in the present, not in the past. In your conversations with others, don't be fixated on who you used to be, or on your current ailments. Be willing to make many social approaches to others, no matter what the outcome. Stay interested in the current world, stay optimistic, and keep a youthful, open mind.

Royane Real is the author of several self help books available at her website. This article is taken from her new downloadable book titled "Your Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends". Check it out at http://www.royanereal.com

Fishing Equipment Tips

Cheap Sinkers

Spark plugs make excellent disposable sinkers. Need some cheap (free) fishing weights? Go to any gas station and ask for them. Then, loop a rubber band through the electrode and then tapping the wire down the plug can be attached to a loop of monofilament. The rubber band stretches when the plug is hung up, and even if the extra stretching force isn't enough to break free, the band will break before the monofilament.

Jig Weights

Jigs are one of the most versatile game-fish catchers in either fresh or saltwater. It is so important to have the right weight jig for your line weight. If the jig is too heavy for the line, you will loose your jig far too easily. If the jig is too light for the line, its swimming pattern will be disrupted and it won't be ass effective. This simple chart will help you select the correct jig:

Line Strength Jig Size
4-lb. Test 1/16 to 1/8 oz.
6-lb. Test 1/8 to ? oz.
8-lb. Test ? to 3/8 oz.
10-lb. Test ? to ? oz.
12-lb. Test 3/8 to 5/8 oz.
14 to 20-lb. Test 5/8 to ? oz

Treble Hook Replacement

When replacing the treble hooks on your lures, there are a few things to consider. Chang the split ring too because it is subject to stress and rust. Use a stainless-steel split ring for strength. They do not spread or rust as to most of those that come wit h the plugs. Don't, however, use stainless steel hooks ? they are more easily bent out of shape by a fighting fish. Also, if a fish gets away with your plug, stainless steel will not rust out, as a plain steel hook will. Lastly, get some split-ring pliers ? they make changing your hooks easy.

Extra Springs

If you use a spinning reel, you have probably had a spring break when the fishing gets really hot. Always carry extras (use a 35mm-film canister) ? and make sure to have a little screwdriver along as well. Practice changing it before you go out

No-slip Soles

If your winter boot soles are worn, just cut the liner to match the sole of an old sneaker. Fasten the felt to the sneaker sole with a non-soluble glue. Please a heavy object on top of the sneaker overnight, and by morning you have an all purpose non-slip shoe.

Snag-proof Spinners

Treble hooks are oftentimes "trouble" when using spinners, causing snags. Make them snag-free by removing the treble hook and replace with a single hook. Next thread on a three to four inch twister-tail grub and Texas-rig it.

Downriggers

Need to drop your bait down deep? Fish are very uncooperative creatures, and don't always hang out near the surface. If your depth sounder is alerting you to fish down deeper, a downrigger can really help out.

If you aren't exactly sure what it is, it is simple. It is a spool holding between 200-600 feet of steel cable. There is a weight attached that is between 6-12 pounds. Additionally there is a quick-release line gripper, just like a clothespin.

The fishing lines from your rods are attached to the quick-release mechanisms. Then the entire thing is dropped down to the depth you want. The bait is far enough from the weight and line gripper not to spook the fish. If you get a bite, the line is released from the gripper, so it is just you and the fish!

Some downriggers have fish-attractant properties (either electrical, or a special kind of paint), but not most of them.

Downriggers work great for deep trolling, and some even have an electronic crank that will bring everything up. If you need to get at deeper schools of fish, these are highly recommended.

Nail Polish Helps

Does your spoon, spinner, or plug get the paint chipped after only a few casts? Use clear fingernail polish to protect the paint and increase durability. Carry a bottle with you when you are fishing, and give it a shot.

Ferrules

If there is dirt on your ferrule it can contribute to rapid wear. Make a plug out of wood to help keep the female ferrule clean.

Is your ferrule stuck? Use "Liquid Wrench", which you can get at any auto-parts store. Just spray it around the male ferrule and let it drip down. In a few minutes you will be able to pull it apart.

Getting Out Line Tangles

Use a pair of large fabric needles to work out these tangles. They have a smooth finish which won't damage the line as you work the mess out. They are also handy to sew canvas tarp, leather, or carpet strips.

Pocket Tackle box

Attach a cord to your pocket tackle box, so you don't worry about dropping it in the water or leaving it behind. Just drill an undersized hole near the back of the box and insert a small eye-screw. A know will stop the cord from slipping through the eye. Just put a clip on the other end so that you can secure the rope to a belt loop or buttonhole.

Avoiding Line Twist

Line twist is the leading cause of fouled fishing. To check for it, pull off enough line to span your outstretched hands ? about 6 feet. Next, bring your hands together in front of you, causing the line to drop into a loop. If the loop wraps around itself, you have line twist. Remove it by trolling about 100 feet of line behind a boat. Next install a ball-bearing swivel to prevent future line twist.

Knots Are Key

One of the most important things in losing or landing a hooked fish is your knot. Be certain the knot you are tying is strong and properly tied.

To make sure, tie your usual knot and test it against other knots. A good test is to take two four-inch sections of a broom handle with the screw eye in the center of each. Tie a knot in each screw eye and pull steadily until you see which knot survives. Do it 10 times to get an average. The knot that holds best should be your new knot.

Anchor Pulley, Keep it Quiet

If you use an anchor pulley, you risk spooking the fish as most pulleys eventually start to squeak. Try this alternative to a pulley:

Get a large U-bolt, a few nuts and washers, and an old-style glass or porcelain fencepost insulator.

Slip the insulator on a U-bolt, drill a couple of holes to accommodate the bolt, and tighten it to the mounting surface. The anchor rope will slide freely in the insulator's groove, and the anchor lowers and raises as effortlessly as with a pulley, especially once the rope is wet.

Casting Poppers

Casting poppers with a fly rod is awkward. To get better distance bore a slightly undersized small hole in the popper, just big enough to fit a BB in. It should fit snugly and will give you another 30 feet of casting distance at least.

Cheap and easy depth finder

Using two felt-tipped markers (red and black) mark an anchor rope as follows: A single red mark around the rope at five feet, a red and black mark at 10 feet, a single red mark at 15 feet, two black marks at 20 feet, a single red and two black marks at 25 feet and three black marks at 30. Use the color code red for every five feet and multiples of black for 10 feet.

Netting baitfish

Increases the efficiency of your minnow scoop by putting a bend in it. Just turn the wire handle down 90 degrees, then push the net back on line. The forward-positioned net makes it much easier to trap a baitfish against the inside of an open-top bucket.

A Cheap Anchor For A Fishing Boat

For holding a good-sized boat over a rocky bottom, use a large swivel snap to fasten four fee of heavy chain to a standard mushroom anchor. You can get one from a junkyard. The chain boosts the anchor's weight and holding power, provides convenient handles for lowering and raising, and gives extra leverage when an anchor jams in rocks or snags. When he brings it aboard, he coils the heavy chain on a bed of old foam-rubber pads so it doesn't rattle around or dent his boat. In calm water, he simply unsnaps the chain and uses the mushroom anchor by itself.

Copyright 2005 EveningSecretFishing.com Fishing

Frank Faldo is a Long-Time Fisherman and friend of EveningSecretFishing (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/10_Fishing_Gems.php )

Feel free to use this article on your website or anywhere else - but all links and bio information must remain in tact.

Recognizing the Signs that You Might Need Credit Counseling

Most families in America today have a credit card; some have two or more. The type of credit card you own, gold, platinum, ext, is almost a status symbol in society. The concept is a good one, using your good credit to purchase big-ticket items that you may need time to pay for. If used wisely, credit cards can be a dependable resource, however, sometimes we are unaware of the fact that we are overspending. Some may think that if they are able to make the monthly payments, then their debt is under control. This is not always the case. These are some signs that you may be in or going in the direction of having a major financial crisis.

* You use your savings to pay monthly bills.

* You pay only the minimum monthly payments on any of your credit cards.

* You take out cash advances to pay your credit card bills, or other bills that you may have.

* You are over or nearly over your credit limit on one or more credit cards.

* You have been turned down for loans.

* You receive calls or letters from collection agencies.

If you think that you may have a debt problem, there is help. Credit counselors are trained to help you get out of debt in a very short period of time. Some can even help to make you debt free in as little as 18 months. Your individual situation may take more or less time. Even if you have good credit but have made unwise choices while using your credit card and you want to preserve your good credit, you mat benefit from credit counseling. Many credit counseling agencies will provide you with a free debt analysis to help you understand what actions that you can take to reestablish your credit without bankruptcy.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Debt-Relief-Solutions.com. He provides more debt relief, consolidation and credit counseling information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.