Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8543640)

Even a slow days fishing, out on the water, observing nature... beats a lot of other ways to spend a day, R8ers... looks like that might be a pretty good sized lake you're on.

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8543885)

Thats the smallest one I fish on, it's a watershed lake

4 bucks to put in and 2 bucks to fish, it was a fun day but way too windy
http://s19.postimage.org/540d55j77/Capture.jpg

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8543935)

Had planned to get out today myself, but it was very windy here as well.

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8527521)

They aren’t much of a problem in the river but lakes and ponds are swarming with them. They’ve pretty much ruined fishing the bottom in several spots. Only choice is to find a hole deeper than the turtles are going or go to slip bobber rig and keep your bait off the bottom, which is what most of us around here are doing.

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8564847)

It should do the trick for atleast a little while, but i'm thinking your transmission will burn out sooner rather than later, but if you only paid $1000 for it i guess its no big deal.

What i'd be more worried about short term, are the brakes on that little thing, i'd make sure they're in perfect working order & go gently on them whenever possible.

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8564816)

Would you pull this boat with this truck?


I hooked my boat to my little Mazda b2300 4cyl and pulled it around my neighborhood, I stopped it on hills and restarted to simulate leaving boat ramps, I braked hard a few times to see if it stopped fine... Everything seemed fine...

I have been a Tractor Trailer driver for over 25 years pulling double trailers so I am really not what you would consider a rookie at heavy loads, My truck is old , 200k + I only gave 1000 bucks for it 5 years ago (I have put 60k on it with only replacing the brakes )

Would you pull this boat with this truck? I have an Explorer but I hate pulling a boat with an SUV . Boat is a 16.5 Monark with a 50 hp

http://s19.postimage.org/jw4o0nkoj/IMAG0276.jpg

Originally Posted by MahiMike (Post 8564872)

I used to pull my 25 foot offshore boat out with my Ford Ranger. Surprisingly it worked. Wouldn't wanna go outta town that way though.

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8564858)

I have brand new brakes and the tranny is manual, the thing I worry about the most is the clutch when exiting the water

The specs on the truck say it will tow 1600 lbs with a tounge weight of no more that 500..

I know the tounge weight is probably about 200

Originally Posted by tooge (Post 8564966)

supposedly a brother in law of a co worker. SE kansas at buffalo lake.

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8565001)

Interesting. Motorcycle Drag Racing buddy texted me the same picture a couple of weeks ago. Didn't say where it was caught but claimed it's a new state record, 5 lb 9 oz.

Originally Posted by tooge (Post 8565050)

same thing I heard. 5 lb, 9 oz new state record. Regardless of if it is a legit story, it is one big assed crappie

Originally Posted by tooge (Post 8564966)

supposedly a brother in law of a co worker. SE kansas at buffalo lake.

Originally Posted by ZootedGranny (Post 8565476)

Turns out it was 4 pounds, 15 ounces, and caught in Illinois 2 years ago: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/..._kinkaid_lake/

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8564816)

Would you pull this boat with this truck?


I hooked my boat to my little Mazda b2300 4cyl and pulled it around my neighborhood, I stopped it on hills and restarted to simulate leaving boat ramps, I braked hard a few times to see if it stopped fine... Everything seemed fine...

I have been a Tractor Trailer driver for over 25 years pulling double trailers so I am really not what you would consider a rookie at heavy loads, My truck is old , 200k + I only gave 1000 bucks for it 5 years ago (I have put 60k on it with only replacing the brakes )

Would you pull this boat with this truck? I have an Explorer but I hate pulling a boat with an SUV . Boat is a 16.5 Monark with a 50 hp

http://s19.postimage.org/jw4o0nkoj/IMAG0276.jpg

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8567597)

I went to the lake with the truck today and damn near didn't get out... Started raining when we were having the best fishing day this year and then started lightning so we had to go...

I smoked the clutch up a bit, felt like the boat was chained to a tree... I will not be using that anymore to pull this boat, may get me a second smaller one.

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8535212)

A float trip like that alone sounds incredible, but thats a killer mixed bag indeed, those kind of days are always the best.

Drum are fighters in their own way, not athletic but they really know how to hug the bottom, in my experience they'll pull down like a catfish twice their size, took my trusty Zebco spincast several good turns to get them in... just a thick slab of a fish, i've heard they're not the best eating though, so havent tried that, supposedly very bony & oily.

Originally Posted by Red Beans (Post 8567622)

Drum are not too bad eating. Just deep fry them well, and make sure the breading is fairly flavorful. Honestly, they're probably a bit more of a whiter meat than catfish, with about the same taste, and the meat is a bit more flakey.

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567630)

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567630)

Originally Posted by Sofa King (Post 8567641)

Oh yeah.


But if you cook them perfectly, hiding all the flavor of the fish, they aren't bad. LMAO I keed i keed. Drum are a shit fish we never keep.

Originally Posted by Red Beans (Post 8567649)

Seriously, you have to deep fry them. Wouldn't eat them any other way. :) Kind of River Rat style to eat drum, but it's no worse than eating the Channel Cat.

Originally Posted by Sofa King (Post 8567605)

Get a bigger pickup.

Originally Posted by Sofa King (Post 8567605)

Get a bigger pickup.

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8567683)

Or a 4WD. Stick it down in low range 4WD and you’ll crawl right out.

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8567668)

I have an Explorer to pull it with.. I just like the MPG of the pickup

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567665)

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567665)

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8567719)

Drum is damn good eating, at least as good as channel cat.
I like a nice big fillet though, so I can cut it in chunks and cut the red meat out in the process. The red meat is the nasty stuff with the fishy taste, get a mouth full of that and it’ll put you off eating fish for a while.
That’s also why we kick back flat heads and blue cats smaller than about 20#. I made the mistake of taking a 10 lb’er home once and by the time I got through cutting out all the red meat I was left with a handful of white fish meat, maybe a pound, and a trash can full of fish guts.

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567688)

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567731)

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8567758)

I’m a big fan of top water, it’s just a little early in the season yet.

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567754)

Originally Posted by Simply Red (Post 8567769)

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8567789)

:shrug: You might be on to something. We’ve had a really early mayfly hatch and the frogs are already out and spawning too. Haven’t given it a shot yet but the plan is to go out tomorrow after work so maybe I’ll try some bass fishing after I get my cat poles set.

Originally Posted by Sofa King (Post 8567810)

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zy9Cm1kY8SM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8567892)

Sounds like i got some bad advice on eating drum, gonna have to try one this year, i know a spot on the illinois river where you can pull 5-10 pounders out all day long on nightcrawlers.

Originally Posted by mr. tegu (Post 8568266)

I hate drum because I never fish for them and so I always catch them fishing for crappie and while fighting it I am thinking I have a monster crappie. Those drum fight hard though so fun to catch regardless.

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8567892)

Sounds like i got some bad advice on eating drum, gonna have to try one this year, i know a spot on the illinois river where you can pull 5-10 pounders out all day long on nightcrawlers.

Originally Posted by NewChief (Post 6545939)

With a fly rod? The only saltwater fish I've caught with a flyrod are all upper panhandle fish like specks, redfish, ladyfish, and mackeral. Out of those, I think redfish are the most fun due to having to stalk them and being able to sight fish to actively feeding fish. But hell, really a school of -any- kind of saltwater fish is a lot of fun... nothing like a bunch of bluefish busting bait.

I've caught just about everything in the salt on conventional tackle, because my parents were -very- into saltwater fishing when I was growing up. I caught my first sailfish when I was in 5th grade. Dolphin/dorado are hard to beat, though. So much fun, and such good eating. I'd love to go bonefishing, though I'm not sure I'm a good enough caster to do it justice. I'd really, really like to fish for one of these babies, though (fishing buddy of mine in the pic):
http://www.mcflyshop.com/images/reports/papagallo.jpg

If you've never seen people target these bad boys, it's pretty awesome:
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Catching a tarpon is also on my list.

Originally Posted by Red Beans (Post 8568430)

If my wife will eat it, it's not terrible. She has trouble with Channel Cat sometimes, but not the Drum. Give it a shot, but for God's sake, cut out that ****ing mud line!

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8568484)

Yep, always get rid of the dark meat.

Another old trick my stepdad always used to help get the muddy flavor out of wild caught cats, is to take them home alive to a big cooler, tub or whatever you got & keep them in fresh tapwater for 3-4 days, adding in some fresh water every day, before eating.

Originally Posted by Red Beans (Post 8568500)

Try letting the fillets marinate in light saltwater in the fridge for twenty four hours or so. It helps a lot. Not sure my wife would be down for a tub of catfish on the deck, but I'm sure the raccoons would love it!

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8568521)

All of this great fishing talk, and here i am sitting around on the ****ing computer on my day off :shake:

Think i'm going to get off my ass for a bit..

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8568484)

Yep, always get rid of the dark meat.

Another old trick my stepdad always used to help get the muddy flavor out of wild caught cats, is to take them home alive to a big cooler, tub or whatever you got & keep them in fresh tapwater for 3-4 days, adding in some fresh water every day, before eating.

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8568521)

All of this great fishing talk, and here i am sitting around on the ****ing computer on my day off :shake:

Think i'm going to get off my ass for a bit..

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8568595)

:LOL: You’re off work and you’re sitting around talking to us? About fishing?
I think I know the cure for this situation.

http://reelmccoyfishing.tripod.com/s...fisherfall.gif

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8569046)

Thats exactly what i did at the local lake, even for just about 2 hours it was full of surprises, glad i got out, on a 3in split tailed plastic minnow with a jighead i got my first ever crappie, a fish i've never really went after, maybe just a half pound, but it Slammed it just doing a twitch & reel, swallowed it whole, it was very lucky dr. free is pretty nifty with the needlenose... a very shiny, pretty fish, another first.

After that got two one pounder bigmouths & a six inch painted turtle who also lived through the ordeal... nothing big, but a very pleasant time nonetheless, small fish will fight too. I'm also going to look forward to some killer striper fishing out there in a few years, there were huge, 4-6 inch packs of them all over the place mixed in with the bluegill.

Got that & now the draft in just a few... pretty good day off.

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8577553)

I hate it when the screen looks like this and they won't bite
Big ENE wind here today

http://s19.postimage.org/ient2u5bn/IMAG0278.jpg

Originally Posted by lewdog (Post 8577564)

Cheating at fishing, just like the Raiders cheat at football and suck at it.

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo (Post 8598293)

Bummer, I have yet to go fishing this year. I got to get geared up for it, need a new fishing pole and lack of gas money is still making it tough to get to do things.

Originally Posted by scott free (Post 8598329)

Whatever your situation, try to spend a few bucks on it... even a Snoopy zebco combo, beginner tackle kit & a dozen live worms, is enough to have some good luck... it will get you out & about, beats sitting around the house clicking a mouse on a slow day, ya know.

Originally Posted by lewdog (Post 8577564)

Cheating at fishing, just like the Raiders cheat at football and suck at it.

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8598938)

That’s not “cheating”. Crank phone, dynamite: THAT’s cheating.

Originally Posted by Sofa King (Post 8598930)

Destroyed some really nice Walleye's on the river this weekend. Down by Platte and Chamberlain. Limited out with some really nice fish.

Originally Posted by Radar Chief (Post 8598943)

You had better luck than I did. Right after sunset something picked up my perch and started walking around with it. I set the hook and felt enough of a tug to tell it was something big just before the swivel snapped. Which is always pleasant.
I rigged back up but stayed until midnight and didn’t get another hit.

Originally Posted by R8ers (Post 8598942)

It's funny ... people think just because you know where they are at means they are basically just gonna jump in the boat LMAO