The Fishing Thread

[Easy 6]

Searched around & only found the video fishing & BassMasters threads, i know their are plenty of outdoorsman here, so i figured it'd be cool to draw upon the Planets vast experience in all things fishing.

I only use spincast reels & fish mostly large/smallmouth bass & cats. My choice of reels is quite the source of derision from many people i know 'duffer gear', but i haul in my share of 6 pound bass & 10-20 pound cats on that gear no problem. With a little know-how you can use just about any technique you want to on 'duffer gear'.

Berkley Powerbaits are a big part of my trick bag, the difference between those & regular stuff is night & day. My best action last summer came on Mister Twister scented white curly tail grubs, on one day fishing from shore to a bridge pier, i caught smallies, bigmouths, perch & even 1 carp believe it or not... great day. But my bread & butter is a texas rigged Berkley worm, it'll wiggle through any kind of cover without getting hung up.

With cats i strictly bottom fish, no bobber & bait is just as basic... but its always in 2's to give'em a real treat... a shrimp/with a nightcrawler, liver/chunk of cheese etc. Cats are mostly for night sport to me, time to kick back a lil...

So thats me style, how do the rest of you guys get your fish on? What do you fish for, what do you use? IIRC Missouri's trout season just kicked off, anyone getting anything?

[Mike in SW-MO]

Leaving for Florida in the morning. 5 days on Captiva Island. 5 fishing charters laid in.

Oh yeah.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Mike in SW-MO

Leaving for Florida in the morning. 5 days on Captiva Island. 5 fishing charters laid in.

Oh yeah.

[Bwana]

It's been one hell of a long winter around here and it's not over. Right now some of the ice on the Yellowstone river and other rivers in the area are breaking up which is great in one way but is starting to cause a lot of flooding. It’s going to be awhile before I can get to the waterways around here to swing some fly line.

[R8RFAN]

Major ice storm here , been living in the RV with the generator... Power was out for a little over 2 days.
I would have been out there this weekend... 60's both days.. Maybe next week

[Easy 6]

Tried my luck at the local lake this morning for a little bit, not a single bite on any of the artificials I was using, things just haven't heated up enough yet... every sumbitch with something that floated was out on the water and they weren't having any luck either.

Of atleast 40 different boats I watched, only one guy pulled in a very small bass, everythings still shaking off the chill.

Hows it going for the rest of you cabin fever sufferers?

[redshirt32]

If you guys/gals ever get to go to Canada fishing, I would seriously consider a fly in out post northern Ontario.
Cost about $1600/1800 per head for 7+ days that includes gas from KC and back and all the food and drink you can fly in to your private cabin and Lakes all to yourself.

20 LB + Pike caught 2010

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by redshirt32

If you guys/gals ever get to go to Canada fishing, I would seriously consider a fly in out post northern Ontario.
Cost about $1600/1800 per head for 7+ days that includes gas from KC and back and all the food and drink you can fly in to your private cabin and Lakes all to yourself.

20 LB + Pike caught 2010

Check out Cobham River Lodge in Manitoba…13 trips and never disappointed

[kccrow]

I've rented a houseboat and fished Lake of the Woods from the Canada end... rental out of Kenora, Ontario. I wanna say it was 1800 for the boat for a week and it holds up to 6 people. Tow your boats behind as you travel and set up for the night. Good times. Great walleye fishing.

[Easy 6]

Gah that's one beautiful dinosaur you're holding redshirt... is that something you'd eat or let go?

I'm guessing a solid muscle fish like that would be something close to freshwater halibut... thick chunks of flakey white flesh and very little fat... I'm thinking fried and eaten, whats the protocol up there?

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by scott free

Gah that's one beautiful dinosaur you're holding redshirt... is that something you'd eat or let go?

I'm guessing a solid muscle fish like that would be something close to freshwater halibut... thick chunks of flakey white flesh and very little fat... I'm thinking fried and eaten, whats the protocol up there?

I know you directed the question to redshirt but I'm up in Michigan and we eat em. The "barely legal" ones (24" min) are the best. IF the person knows how to filet the Y bones out, they are awesome. I guess you could compare it to halibut a bit.

A lot of people pickle pike. They also steam with lemon/butter/pepper or fry them Cajun style. Perhaps redshirt can give you more than me. I prefer Walleye but there are many that like Pike over walleye.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by kccrow

I know you directed the question to redshirt but I'm up in Michigan and we eat em. The "barely legal" ones (24" min) are the best. IF the person knows how to filet the Y bones out, they are awesome. I guess you could compare it to halibut a bit.

A lot of people pickle pike. They also steam with lemon/butter/pepper or fry them Cajun style. Perhaps redshirt can give you more than me. I prefer Walleye but there are many that like Pike over walleye.

That's exactly the kind of honest answer I was looking for, didn't know they were so bony, they sound almost as hard as filleting a carp... its like you need a true surgeon to make them edible.

Sounds like a fish I'd love to catch but would let go unless in an emergency, because of the difficulty in eating... but if I had to, yeah, I could pick those steamed bones clean.

[redshirt32]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Check out Cobham River Lodge in Manitoba…13 trips and never disappointed

Thanks HCF ill give it a look
I love Canada fishing you can throw a plain silver/ gold hook in the water and I bet you could catch a fish.

I had a Mepps white bucktail just hanging over the boat on a extra rod and one of the small pike jumped out of the water to try to eat it.

While catching Walley sometimes the big pike will try to eat it before you get to the boat, it's just crazy fishing in protected waters of Canada

nothing better

[redshirt32]

Originally Posted by scott free

Gah that's one beautiful dinosaur you're holding redshirt... is that something you'd eat or let go?

I'm guessing a solid muscle fish like that would be something close to freshwater halibut... thick chunks of flakey white flesh and very little fat... I'm thinking fried and eaten, whats the protocol up there?

Back in the day you would club it in the head and have it on a wall and eat it, I caught a 47 inch tiger Muskie in 1981 and that's what we did dam shame... I'm all about catch and release now why destroy the blood line of this monster or any monster it's so stupid.

We let all pike go and the big Walley go, the small Walley filet up good and you can catch your supper on the way back to the cabin before dark.

Anyone that destroys a pig Pike or Muskie should be used as bait, you get a nice pic and release it, the taxidermist can make a replica for your wall.

Little pike are good eating but why bother if you have a stringer of walley to fillet and cook every night.

[redshirt32]

Originally Posted by scott free

Gah that's one beautiful dinosaur you're holding redshirt... is that something you'd eat or let go?

I'm guessing a solid muscle fish like that would be something close to freshwater halibut... thick chunks of flakey white flesh and very little fat... I'm thinking fried and eaten, whats the protocol up there?

When I first started going to Canada we would book in lower Ontario, and they would have 6 /7 cabins and they would cook your meals, but you had to be there to eat them or go without ? Cant leave a guy a cold plate of food ive already paid for?

The guides will cook you a shore lunch, fried pike, fried taters and of course beans. Nice but I can cook better than the shit they serve and pay less for my trip.

We buy all are food and drink load it and gear in plane take off on water and land on water.
We buy Steak/ to eat with are Walley and salad, always taters and some beans, Beer and Makers Mark/ Crown Royal, if your gona do it do it right
eat and fish like a king.
We always cook more food than we can eat... propane stove/freez/hotwater heater/fridge, but solar power 5 volts light, no air no fan, one emg sat phone.
And the best a shithouse to dump in.

Booked an outpost and never looked back, you gota have your shit together its hard work fishing all day, the good ones have only one cabin on the main lake, there is no one else fishing there. Then there are portage lakes that you can walk to and they have a boat and gas for you there.

If your lucky the last person pulled the plug and dragged the boat up on skids so it would drain. That's were you find the fish I caught and bigger Walley do a little work walk where most wont.

People are to lazy/scared/old /disabled to pack all that gear and walk on trails that may have a flag here and there to lead the way, when its to easy to stay on the main lake and catch fish like you've never caught before GPS is a must everything looks the same easy to get lost.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by redshirt32

Thanks HCF ill give it a look
I love Canada fishing you can throw a plain silver/ gold hook in the water and I bet you could catch a fish.

I had a Mepps white bucktail just hanging over the boat on a extra rod and one of the small pike jumped out of the water to try to eat it.

While catching Walley sometimes the big pike will try to eat it before you get to the boat, it's just crazy fishing in protected waters of Canada

nothing better

Up in the boundary waters, wy wife netted a pike that was chasing a walleye I was reeling in. Just reached down with her net and scooped up the pike while she was trying to net the walleye. I freaking love fishing for pike.