All I can think of are jokes about fish and being deaf. Like this one: Two fish are swimming along minding their own business when they both run smack into a solid concrete wall. One fish says to the other, “Dam!”

And how does that other one go about if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make any sound? And that of course has morphed into something like, If a woman talks and there is no man around to hear her…….. ah, I guess I’ll leave that one alone.

Where’s this all going? An assistant biology professor at Western Kentucky University seems to think that noises that man has created are making fish deaf. He thinks that sonar and the abundance of commercial shipping might be causing fish to go deaf.

Trout will be wired and subjected to sounds and then retested to see if they have become deaf.

I certainly hope that as part of the experience they make sure to include whether the fish that may or may not be able to hear after were tracked as far as male and female, as some male fish might have tendencies to have “selective” hearing loss.

Dwayne E. Nesmith, 43, of Island, Kentucky is a fool. He and his fishing buddy, Brian K. Thomas of Dawson Springs have been winning fishing tournaments all over. Some of their haul has included winning over $15,000 in cash prizes and a $30,000 bass boat over the last 4 years.

Their technique was simple. Stash a bucket full of fish someplace of the lake ahead of time, motor out to it, empty the contents into a live-well, sit back and drink a few brews and then return to weigh-in later on. Only problem for this clown is someone ratted him out.

Dwayne E. Nesmith, 43, of Island, recently pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft by deception over $300 in Marshall County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to two years in jail on each count, the sentence to run concurrently, and was given probation, The Messenger of Madisonville reported.

Nesmith will also pay approximately $7,100 in restitution, which is half of the winnings he and his fishing partner, Brian K. Thomas, of Dawson Springs, won in team tournaments.

Nesmith is prohibited from holding a fishing license during his probation.

His partner will appear in court on similar charges on February 5.

Tom Remington