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Dik Hz posted:You might try a 3-way swivel, if I'm reading your rig right. It'll let each part rotate individually and greatly reduce tangles. Interesting... I'll give this a shot, thanks for taking the time to reply. Another trip out fishing my favorite location which is a quarry and canal right next to each other, and wow sunfish galore. I caught two smallish bass, but would get action from the sunnys as soon as the bait hit the water on most occassions. Fishing a little deeper than usual seemed to get past the sunny frenzy and into bass/trout territory. Five inch rubber worms rigged up texas style seemed to get a whole lot of bass attention. The water was clear enough that I could see them following my lure. A turtle was hanging out right next to me all morning and would sometimes also chase my lure. I'd just have to reel it in a little faster to avoid him getting hooked up. I also saw, and took a video of one of these... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_(animal) Great trip all around.
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Jun 25, 2012 15:30
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I've watched a few youtube videos on perch cleaning, specifically https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzq_KFYHCkA and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5nJdcs9oA. It seems pretty easy. Anyone have any suggestions on how to learn to clean fish or is youtube the best option? No one I know seems to know how to do it except for a guy who lives a few hours away.
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Jun 26, 2012 17:42
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Obsoletely Fabulous posted:I've watched a few youtube videos on perch cleaning, specifically https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzq_KFYHCkA and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5nJdcs9oA. It seems pretty easy. Yeah, that YouTube video is pretty much how to do it, there isn't that much to it, really. Your filets will be quite a bit uglier and you'll leave more meat on the bone at first, but you'll get the hang of it. I like the skin so I generally scale the fish which is a tremendous, messy pain in the rear end.
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Jun 26, 2012 21:29
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If you are going to fillet your own fish one of the best things you can get other than a good knife is a really nice find grain wet stone to keep that blade sharp. I have been using the same knife for four+ years now and the blade is still razor sharp, every now and than I just run it across my stone and I am good to go for another batch of fish.
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Jun 27, 2012 06:26
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These knives are just amazing for the money. http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47513-6-Inch-Boning-Fibrox/dp/B000QCNJ3C/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806116&sr=8-8&keywords=fibrox Also, for small fish, get a filet glove that protects your hands. If you dont you WILL cut yourself badly eventually.
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Jun 27, 2012 15:09
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IM FROM THE FUTURE posted:These knives are just amazing for the money. That is a nice looking knife with good reviews, might have to pick that up and give it a try. I looked around for a good kevlar glove that fit snug and wasn't loose and I had trouble finding one. Anybody have a recomendation on a glove? I fish a lot and clean a bit of fish every week and haven't cut my self in years but I don't want to test my luck with how sharp my knives are.
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Jun 27, 2012 21:38
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Rythe posted:That is a nice looking knife with good reviews, might have to pick that up and give it a try. I looked around for a good kevlar glove that fit snug and wasn't loose and I had trouble finding one. Anybody have a recomendation on a glove? I fish a lot and clean a bit of fish every week and haven't cut my self in years but I don't want to test my luck with how sharp my knives are. I have this one http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cu...hield+cut+glove Its available in XS. And while its not exactly snug. It does the job and actually makes gripping the fish easier. I dont always use it. But when I am filleting small fish or a fish with tough skin or other parts that require force I put it on. IM FROM THE FUTURE fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Jun 28, 2012 |
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Jun 28, 2012 17:06
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So my new stradic FJ 4000 arrived and after reading they are shipped dry I attempted to lube it. Turns out that is harder than I thought. Ended up breaking the bottom worm head cover since I didn't discover the top screw that was holding it in.   I gave up and just put 3 drops of oil on the maintenance port. You've got to be mechanically inclined to get in to the gears. I also discovered that my 10 yo quantum rod does not handle braid well. The guides started to grind as I spooled it. Any recommendations on a good cheap inshore rod? Basically a cheaper alternative to the St Croix Mojo.
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Jun 28, 2012 18:40
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I have finally decided to break down and ask for help on SA. I'm a newbie fisher even though technically this is my 2nd season. I live north of washington dc, there are a ton of lakes (some pre-stocked) and a great deal of opportunity to (what I thought would be very easy) catch some fish! I went from about May til September last year fishing probably once a week average at the various lakes around me and did not catch a single fish... in fact, I did not get a single bite! I've read all there is to read and watched the youtube videos on how to catch bass (since they seem to be the "easiest"), I have several rods and a wide array of lures. I've tried plastic worms (texas and wacky rigged), spinner baits, crank baits, you name it. I've gone morning, afternoon, evening. Mostly fishign from shore, although I rented a paddle boat once last year and rode around to various spots that seemed exactly what I should be looking for and still got nothing. There is obviously something very fundamentally wrong with what I'm doing and I can't figure out what it is. I've tried soliciting help from real people in the area, but none of my friends/family have any interest in fishing so I'm kinda on my own. I feel like I've covered most of the basics about my situation, but please feel free to ask about whatever else would be important. At this point I just want to catch a fish! that's it, I don't care what it is, I just want to know that I have the ability. Please fishing-goons, any help you could offer would be most appreciated!
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Jun 28, 2012 22:57
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imac1984 posted:I have finally decided to break down and ask for help on SA. I'm a newbie fisher even though technically this is my 2nd season. I live north of washington dc, there are a ton of lakes (some pre-stocked) and a great deal of opportunity to (what I thought would be very easy) catch some fish! I went from about May til September last year fishing probably once a week average at the various lakes around me and did not catch a single fish... in fact, I did not get a single bite! I've read all there is to read and watched the youtube videos on how to catch bass (since they seem to be the "easiest"), I have several rods and a wide array of lures. I've tried plastic worms (texas and wacky rigged), spinner baits, crank baits, you name it. I've gone morning, afternoon, evening. Mostly fishign from shore, although I rented a paddle boat once last year and rode around to various spots that seemed exactly what I should be looking for and still got nothing. There is obviously something very fundamentally wrong with what I'm doing and I can't figure out what it is. I've tried soliciting help from real people in the area, but none of my friends/family have any interest in fishing so I'm kinda on my own. I feel like I've covered most of the basics about my situation, but please feel free to ask about whatever else would be important.
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Jun 28, 2012 23:00
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Dik Hz posted:The Potomac River up above DC is one of the best smallmouth bass rivers in the world. Likewise the Shenandoah river is the #1 smallmouth river in the USA. Have you fished either? I described both in the last thread and can dig out that info if you don't have archives. I tried fishing along the toepath a couple weeks ago near great falls, but had no luck (obviously). I heard from a friend when he was hiking down there that there were fish EVERYWHERE. I do have archives, so I'll go dig up your post about that area and see what I can learn. I'm guessing you're around here?
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Jun 29, 2012 00:28
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Since it was 99 degrees today and my AC was broke I decided to go fishing at a reservoir about 45 minutes away. I was fishing between two groups of swimmers about 200 yards on either side of me with  .Large mouth bass were biting it as soon as it hit the water. I've never seen a surface bite in real life before, it was amazing, just like a fishing show. They were leaping out of the water to try and get off the hook. So much fun. I only managed to reel two in. I'm counting the second one even though it shook off the hook because I figure if it falls off and hits me in the foot it counts. A few others managed to get off the hook while jumping.
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Jun 29, 2012 02:16
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To the fly fisherman out there: Are the really lightweight swivels/snaps marketed for fly use actually viable? I hate having to retie flies, widdling down my leader to the point of hindering my casting. This leads to me having a longer leader than I can manage really so that's self-defeating. A tippet seems to be more trouble (and one more knot) than it's worth. Then again, I suck at fly fishing right now.  For some extreme fly tying, check out Graham Owen.
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Jun 29, 2012 02:36
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Unperson_47 posted:To the fly fisherman out there: As a fly fishing guide, I can personally tell you to suck it up. I have to re-tie rigs all day long. I must tie over a hundred knots a day. Its all part of the game. I can tie knots and flies on without even looking now.
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Jun 29, 2012 05:25
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perabyte posted:As a fly fishing guide, I can personally tell you to suck it up. I have to re-tie rigs all day long. I must tie over a hundred knots a day. Its all part of the game. I can tie knots and flies on without even looking now. Ah well, I suppose it's not really that big of a hurdle. I'm used to having to retie while bass fishing pretty often though snaps and swivels have still kind of spoiled me a bit there. I'll just have to practice tying the more complicated knots used in fly fishing.
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Jun 29, 2012 07:48
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I've heard of steelhead fisherman using swivels, but yeah, you should just learn to tie the knots. If you make your own furled leaders beforehand it can help cut down on the knots as you should only have to reattach the tippet and flies periodically. This is more or less the method I use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs
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Jun 29, 2012 14:56
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imac1984 posted:At this point I just want to catch a fish! that's it, I don't care what it is, I just want to know that I have the ability. But ... from what I've been exposed to, I'd say live bait can't be beat if you just want to reel in a fish from the shoreline. A bobber, a hook, and a worm is a good way to catch sunfish in these parts (New England).
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Jun 29, 2012 21:19
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Unperson_47 posted:To the fly fisherman out there: Just gotta use tippet and suck it up. If you're cheap, like me, 4# fluorocarbon works just fine. You give a bit of flexibility, but it's not a dealbreaker. Besides, having to retie your whole rig gives the pool a chance to rest.
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Jun 29, 2012 21:36
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I want to go boating Wednesday. I have gone fishing at the national parks a couple time near here but I can't manage to catch anything. I think those areas are overfished. That's why I want to take a boat and go somewhere that isn't overfished but boat rentals are so drat expensive.
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Jul 1, 2012 04:47
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ilc23 posted:I want to go boating Wednesday. I have gone fishing at the national parks a couple time near here but I can't manage to catch anything. I think those areas are overfished. That's why I want to take a boat and go somewhere that isn't overfished but boat rentals are so drat expensive. Might be a good time to give kayak fishing a try. Google up your area and see if there are any local kayak fishing forums or anglers in the area, I know in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas if anybody post on the forums that they want to give kayak fishing a shot we all are more than happy to lend them a extra kayak and take them out on the water with us for the day.
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Jul 1, 2012 05:13
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I'm going to be in the Outer Banks (Hatteras) in North Carolina in August, and I'd like to get in some surf fishing. I have an old Penn 10 reel I plan on bringing, and I'll be picking up an inexpensive rod. I grew up freshwater fishing, but I've never been surf fishing. Can anyone give me (or point me to) some good tips on essential tackle, baits, and rigging?
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Jul 3, 2012 00:05
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me your dad posted:I'm going to be in the Outer Banks (Hatteras) in North Carolina in August, and I'd like to get in some surf fishing. I am more familiar with surf fishing off of the coast of Florida, what kind of fish are you going to be targeting out in your area? I used squid, shrimp and live mullet most of the time while I was fishing on the coat for Whiting, Croakers and anything else that swims out there. I ran a pretty simple rig of a 2-4 oz pyramid or egg sinker, depending on current, with a 2ft steel leader underneath the sinkers with a hook (size various on fish species)bait with the above mentioned baits. I always found the best of time o fish was always with the incoming tide, as it was going towards high tides, but that is just based on my personal experience. Surf fishing is a lot of fun, you really do not need a ton of money worth of gear or any fancy rigs, plus the amount and type of fish you can catch off of shore is pretty dam amazing.
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Jul 3, 2012 01:58
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I don't know what kind of fish I'll be after. I guess I'll leave the hooks out of the equation until I get there, and talk to a local shop to see what's being caught. So the rigging will leave a sinker on the bed, with bait floating a couple feet overhead? That's easy enough. How does one read the surf?
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Jul 3, 2012 02:40
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me your dad posted:I don't know what kind of fish I'll be after. I guess I'll leave the hooks out of the equation until I get there, and talk to a local shop to see what's being caught. Talking to a local shop or anglers is the best way to approach a new area, they will help you target fish specfic to that area along with any time of rigs or gear you might need along with bait. I do this anytime I travel away from my local lakes, always head to the fish cleaning station to chat up anybody there for some advice. Not sure what you mean by reading the surf. Do you mean the tides or the actual waves as they come into shore?
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Jul 3, 2012 05:46
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Tide schedules. You can look online, or pick up a tide schedule book at any local hardware or tackle shop. Whenever it says the PM high tide is, fish before that in the evening. Or morning of you're willing to wake up that early. Use a Carolina rig as a basic, ask around if anything else is working well. But for the baits mentioned above, Carolina is a good place to start. If you go for perch, you can pick up some grub lures. There was also a picture posted recently with a 3-way swivel that you can use. I think something with less resistance between the pole and the bait would work best (sliding sinker type deal). You want to let the bait to flow freely in the water. If the fish grab it they shouldn't feel anything initially. jvick fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Jul 3, 2012 |
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Jul 3, 2012 05:47
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Awesome, thanks! I've had a pretty lackluster fishing year and maybe this will shake things up.
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Jul 3, 2012 10:36
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Unperson_47 posted:To the fly fisherman out there: Here in Europe tiny little metal rings are pretty common at the end of a leader, so small they actually float. I make my own furled leaders and use them at the end of those.
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Jul 5, 2012 16:24
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Anyone know where to get soundings/depth charts for inland lakes, specifically in the UP of Michigan? I swear I should be able to find these, but other than a real general contour map can't dig up anything.
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Jul 13, 2012 03:23
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mastershakeman posted:Anyone know where to get soundings/depth charts for inland lakes, specifically in the UP of Michigan? I swear I should be able to find these, but other than a real general contour map can't dig up anything. I just got back from a seminar on skinny water fishing (by the guy who wrote the book) and he recommended Navionics as basically google earth on crack. Allegedly it shows "all the holes" right in the palm of your hands. Many lifetimes worth of knowledge or $35.
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Jul 13, 2012 04:02
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mastershakeman posted:Anyone know where to get soundings/depth charts for inland lakes, specifically in the UP of Michigan? I swear I should be able to find these, but other than a real general contour map can't dig up anything. The DNR maps at http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31431_32340---,00.html will give you contour and on a lot what the bottom is like; vegetation, sand, mud, etc, and what the shoreline is like. The Navionics app in iTunes is only $10 for the US or $15 for US and Canada.
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Jul 13, 2012 12:24
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Obsoletely Fabulous posted:The DNR maps at http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31431_32340---,00.html will give you contour and on a lot what the bottom is like; vegetation, sand, mud, etc, and what the shoreline is like. Yep, those DNR ones are the ones I'd looked at - I was hoping for more specific soundings, but the contours are good enough. The app seems pretty nice, especially if the GPS signal is accurate enough to let you know if you're at the edge of dropoffs. Thanks guys!
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Jul 13, 2012 19:39
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Obsoletely Fabulous posted:The Navionics app in iTunes is only $10 for the US or $15 for US and Canada. The HD tablet version, however, is $35 
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Jul 15, 2012 04:08
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So for my birthday the other day my gf got me a new surfcasting rod and some tackle and took me down to Race Point on the tip of Cape Cod! No bites other than a crab that latched onto the sand eel I was using for bait but still a great day with her. Sadly my phone fell in the parking lot so the pics of the new gear are temporarily lost but I'll post them asap and I'd love to hear if the gears any good. I'm relatively new to this and all I can say is I like it!
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Jul 16, 2012 02:58
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I went fishing with my dad a week ago. We came back with 7 small perch and these breams, which are now in the freezer, waiting to be smoked: We also caught some roach and a small ide, but since neither of us knew how to cook them, we ditched them. That won't happen again, since yesterday I finally received an order I've been waiting for a long time: a cookbook on how to prepare practically any coarse fish you could expect to catch in Finnish waters.
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Jul 22, 2012 22:52
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Jasper Tin Neck posted:I went fishing with my dad a week ago. Nice catch. What were these guys biting on if you don't mind me asking?
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Jul 23, 2012 14:30
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Jasper Tin Neck posted:I went fishing with my dad a week ago. We came back with 7 small perch and these breams, which are now in the freezer, waiting to be smoked: 
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Jul 24, 2012 01:24
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Just have to throw out a recommendation for any anglers who may be close enough to justify the trip... Glendalough State Park (more specifically, Annie Battle Lake) in NW Minnesota just produced for me some of the best fishing of my life. Caught my personal record bluegill (12oz, which isn't saying much... but I don't fish them often, so there you go.) and had a blast doing it. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/glendalough/index.html Beautiful lake with no houses (other than a guest house that the DNR keeps) on it, which is a rarity in the area. No motors (gas OR electric), or electronics allowed on the lake. I personally spent most of my time flyfishing in the stream that leads out of the lake (currently under some bridge construction, but you can just hop off the temporary foot bridge and wade downstream for quite a ways.) The babby sunnies were curious to the point of biting at my toes.  The bigger ones were even more curious about my choice of fly (I mostly used poppers.) The camping was less than idea due to the heat we've been having, but the beach is just as beautiful as the rest of the lake. I will definitely be spending more time there in the future. Now that I've got the fever, I have to ask, does anyone have any recommendations for brands of fly rods? I'm a beginner at the sport, so I'd like to avoid something pricey at the moment. Something around a 4 or 5 weight, 2-piece would be ideal. I'd mostly be fishing on lakes, but it would be nice to get a rod that was capable of maneuvering in tighter streams, since that's what is mostly available for moving water around here.
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Jul 24, 2012 22:59
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EnsignVix posted:Nice catch. What were these guys biting on if you don't mind me asking?
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Jul 25, 2012 01:04
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Apparently, I've missed this thread. I'm headed to the Stockton Delta tomorrow fishing for channel cat. I haven't been there for years. I have my chicken livers and round hooks ready and rigged extra rigs in anticipation. Can't wait, hopefully I'll have a good fish report.
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Jul 29, 2012 06:42
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YarPirate posted:Now that I've got the fever, I have to ask, does anyone have any recommendations for brands of fly rods? I'm a beginner at the sport, so I'd like to avoid something pricey at the moment. Something around a 4 or 5 weight, 2-piece would be ideal. I'd mostly be fishing on lakes, but it would be nice to get a rod that was capable of maneuvering in tighter streams, since that's what is mostly available for moving water around here. My recommendation would be to get a four-piece rod. They're easier to pack down and I don't think you lose anything with the two extra joints, personally. I have a 2-piece trout rod and a 4-piece bass/saltwater rod and the bass rod is easier to stick in the car because the rod tube is shorter. Definitely cast fly rods before you buy. Starting out, you need a rod with an action that 'feels good' with your casting stroke. My impression is that most people are suited by a 5- or 6-weight 9' rod with a medium action that loads well. For brands: Temple Fork Outfitters is good for the money, they're kind of an everyman's rod and you can get them at big stores like Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. Or at least they were last time I was shopping for a rod. I also had the chance to fish for a weekend with L.L. Bean's Double L combo a few years ago, too, and it was actually a pretty nice rod and reel setup. I had a lot of fun and caught a lot of fish with it. You run the risk of looking like a yuppie but my experience is that their freshwater gear is well-made and reliable. Plus you can scoop the rod at an outlet store sometimes for cheap, which is kind of nice.
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Jul 29, 2012 14:47
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