I’ve spent the last few days setting up my “ice shanty” preparing for the sturgeon spear fishing season. Tomorrow (Saturday), let the fun begin. It is going to be -25 degrees F. windchill to kick off festivities. I get to stand over a large hole in the ice, poised with a spear in my hand, and wait for one of the large ugly creatures to cruise past my hole. I will probably get 10 days to stand in this poised position. Really? Be still my heart.
The sturgeon season is supposed to be difficult this year. Normally you can see down into Lake Winnebago about 20 feet. This year the Lake is murky and it is clear to a depth of 5-6 feet. It is hard to believe that there have been fishermen that have gone sturgeon fishing for 30 years and never seen one of the creatures. If I were a stay at home wife and my husband went fishing for 30 years and never saw a fish, I’d check his equipment. I’d also check the closest taverns (and motels).
This is my financial insight for the day. The Bank of Japan just announced that they were going to move to “negative 1/2% interest rates”. That means if you bought a CD at a bank for $100 for one year, at the end of the year you would not only not get any interest payment (nor the normal return of you $100), you would get back $99.50. You lost $.50 for your 1 year investment. The reasons for “negative rates” relates to confidence in the money system. $99.50 return of your money might be better than alternatives 1 year from now. Imagine being retired and your IRA’s going down in value.
It is a complex web the world weaves.
Today is mandatory “fish day”.
Love,
Dad