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Consistency, the greatest asset of fast-food burger chain McDonald’s, can also be its greatest liability. While patrons are attracted to the fact that their menu is predictable and tastes basically the same no matter where in the world you re eating it, the burger joint still embarks on experiments to add some variety. The McRib was a success; the McPizza, less so.
In the early 1990s, the chain decided to go where it had never gone before to introduce a new hamburger and name it after someone. It would not be the Ronald, after its enduring clown mascot, nor would it be the Mac Tonight, after its unsettling foam-faced commercial lounge singer. It would be the namesake of the most famous athlete in the world and one of the most famous people in the world, period.
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Kim Fundingsland/MDN Mark Braun, Bismarck, hoists a cubera snapper caught in the shallow flats near Key Largo, Fla. A rare catch in inshore waters, cuberas can grow to 100 pounds or more.
KEY LARGO, Fla. – The boat slowly passes through a canal lined with spacious homes, an assortment of boats of all sizes moored in front of them. Spectators mere yards away line the route, mostly great white herons and brown pelicans, but a few early rising fishermen too. The latter dangling lines from atop protective sea walls and catching fish.
Sometimes dolphins or manatee use the same passageway that connects the Atlantic Ocean side of the narrow Keys with Gulf of Mexico waters. Later, when the full warmth of famous Florida sunshine tops the palm trees, iguanas will emerge to sun themselves and flaunt their incredible and varied coloration.
kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com
Although saltwater is known for producing very large fish, there is a wide variety of species beneath the surface. Here Mort Bank, Bismarck, holds a slender needlefish that chased his topwater presentation. Needlefish are a common forage for many saltwater predators.
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KEY LARGO, FLORIDA – Some days are better than others but, try as it might sometimes, there’s really no such thing as a bad day on the water with a fishing rod in hand and an outboard motor behind you.
I’ve been fortunate enough to experience hundreds, perhaps thousands, of wonderful days fishing. That includes fishing in northern Canada to the Florida Keys and several points in between. At times I’ve caught a lot of fish. At times the fishing was not the best. But not one time can I recall having a disappointing day fishing. Sure, some days were better than others, even a few days others would think were downright lousy. I just don’t share that view.