The Catch-All Fishing Thread 2014

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Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Bangkero posted:

fly fishing chat:

trout season just opened in Ontario this past weekend so my buddies and I went and did some fly fishing. It was awesome and watching all those orvis videos really helped out with my cast. My buddy caught this little fella using my fly:

The fly was a big success so I want to get some more. Anyone know the name of the 5 flies on the lid in the pic (closest to the top, not including the worm)?

Nice 'bow. No clue on those flies, though. Ask at your local fly shop. Except for the basics, though, names are usually all over the place and highly localized. If you tie 'em yourself, just make 'em look the same and have the same weight.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2013 23:33

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 09:32

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Koivunen posted:

We caught a salmon, too, which was quite unexpected.

That's a lake trout. Delicious fish, usually hang out deep in the lakes up there. It musta been coming shallow to spawn.

DoctaFun posted:

I took a half hour that evening and brought my ultralite. I only had one little spinner that looked like a trout might like it so I tied it on and gave it a whirl. I had no idea what I was doing, and the creek was tough to fish, but I hooked into this one almost immediately!

Nice brown! I LOVE the MN driftless. If you are around the Rushford area, I can recommend some killer spots. Definitely seconding learning to flyfish. If you have access to a private creek like that, you'd haul them in hand-over-fist. No pressure = easy to catch trout. Saute a couple in lemon-butter. They taste amazing. And you're actually helping the population as long as you aren't over-harvesting.

Pham Nuwen posted:

Can anyone recommend a decent, low-cost fly fishing setup for a beginner? I'd like to try it but don't want to drop a ton of money right off. I have a Walmart, Big 5, and Dick's nearby, or could go with amazon. I'd probably be doing primarily shore fishing on lakes and maybe some streams.

Edit: I saw a 5/6 weight Scientific Anglers kit at Dicks, according to their website it's $110. Also a Quarrow kit with bag (http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11440117&cp=4406646.4413993.4414792.4414801) that may be my best option...

What are you fishing for and where?

# ¿ Sep 3, 2013 23:22

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Pham Nuwen posted:

I ran off to the nearest reservoir tonight to try out the new gear. I'm total poo poo at casting still, but from the shore I caught two little 4-5" bass in about an hour. The first was on a Woolly Bugger, then another on a Hare's Ear nymph. Casting that #10 Woolly Bugger was a bitch, especially with the wind... I got a bit spooked by that big hook whipping around past my head.

To the fly fishing guys: how do you get the line/lure in and out of the water? I string the leader and line out the tip, end up with 6' of leader and a foot or two of line hanging out the end. Tie on a fly and hold the rod up high to keep the fly off the ground. The videos I've seen all seem to start with a bunch of line out lying on the water, but what's the best way to get it out there, especially on still water?

Best way is to take a free class at the place you bought the combo.

Teaching yourself is hard and will introduce a ton of bad habits that will take forever to un-train. A good lesson will take half an hour and teach you everything you need to know. Trust me on that one.

Second best way is to pull out a bunch of line off the reel and make a series of increasing length casts.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2013 12:22

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Drunkboxer posted:

Any advice for trout fishing in western NC for a middling baitcasting/spinning gear saltwater fisher who doesn't really have the time or funds to take up fly fishing on short notice? I also didn't bring any of my stuff, and wouldn't really want to blow a lot of money or redundant spinning gear. Just went on a short hike today and started salivating at some of the rainbows and brookies I saw swimming around. I'll probably do something regardless, but on the off chance someone had some great idea I thought I'd ask.

Sorry I didn't see this until now. Where abouts are you talking about? Spinning tackle is great for trout if you use low test and some small mepps spoons and stuff. I can recommend some specific places depending on where exactly you are.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2013 16:25

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

tesilential posted:

Snook seasoned opened up after a 3 year closure on 9/1/13. Slot is 28-33" and I finally got my bad boy last night after 10 min of fishing.

First first fish on an Aqua dream 1/4 spoon (white), second fish ever on any spoon. Talk about building confidence in a bait.

Caught a bunch of slot reds and shorter snook last week, but this was the prize:

My longest red at 33"

I'm super lucky to live 2 miles from my favorite inshore flat. I get to fish any day of the week after work and pick and choose when to go based on the tides.

Nice fish! I'd love to be able to hit the flats for redfish.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2013 23:08

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

DoctaFun posted:

I'm not super experienced on the river, I went a few times last year with a buddy of mine last year who's kind of a river rat. He has a really nice boat though, Ranger Reata 1850, he has the i-pilot trolling motor which makes staying in one spot super easy with the virtual anchor feature it has. I will not be so lucky with my 25 hp Evinrude . I might just try trolling cranks or something.

If you have a boat, the Mississippi River is THE place to fish walleye in the twin cities. No one fishes pool 2 because it's catch and release only, and a lot of people are intimidated by the river, but there are some HOGS in there. Last year we caught a 27.5" and a 26.5" walleye back to back, within 1 minute of each other.

I'll be sure to post in here if I'm able to get out there.

I saw a great Bob Jensen Fishing the Midwest episode where they fished that area this time of year. They were pulling 20+" walleyes out of brush piles with what looked like catfish rods. It looked amazing. Good luck!

# ¿ Oct 4, 2013 00:30

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Arctiidae posted:

Anyone here ever done serious Tenkara fishing? I love backpacking, so the compact rods look fantastic, but I have no clue about it. Any advice?

A good buddy of mine swears by it. The rods are pretty fragile, though. He claims that it's the best way to present small dry flies and soft hackles.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2013 14:43

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

DoctaFun posted:

I spent the weekend up at Lake of the Woods and had some good fishing! We got to the cabin at about 4:30 and got out on the water by 5 PM. We saw a few boats stacked up in an odd spot for this time of year so we decided to check it out. As soon as we got on the same contour line as they were we started graphing fish. You couldn't put a jig on the bottom without getting bit INSTANTLY. We fished for a little over an hour and put 26 fish in the boat, but probably missed twice that many bites. It was fast and furious.

We got up on Saturday expecting heavy winds(if it's windy you just flat out don't fish Lake of the Woods, way too dangerous), but it was calm! We hustled to the harbor and started fishing around 9:45. We had our 8 walleye limit in 40 minutes, and had 42 fish in the boat by 11:30. The size of the fish was really nice too, I think we had 6 or 7 slot fish(19.5"+), and all our keepers were like 17-19", just beautiful fat walleyes. Biggest of the day was this SUPER fat 24.5 incher. I also caught a few pike which was fun, had a ~35" pike get off next to the boat .

Fishing slowed down and we ended the day with only 74 fish for the two of us. Sunday was too windy to fish so we fixed a bunch of stuff around the cabin and headed home on Monday. Overall a pretty good weekend!

Nice walleye. When Lake of the Woods is hot, it's hot. I wish I could get up there more often than once a decade.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2013 01:45

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Farking Bastage posted:

I've recently gotten into kayak fishing. I've always lived near the FL coast and have fished most of my life. After recently catching the ocean kayak bug, I realized pretty quick that you can get to areas that would demolish even a well rigged flats boat.

The setup:

14' Perception Prism Sit on top Kayak
DIY milk crate with rod holders
DIY anchor trolley
DIY stakeout pole
a shitload of parachute cord for tethering things.

If you have the tinkering bug, you can have a lot of fun rigging up various things to make the fishing easier, and save a ton of money to boot. For instance I made the anchor trolley out of a ring, two swivel snaps and about 30 feet of paracord when kits for this cost 50 bucks or better.

I live in the Florid panhandle and there's a TON of places to launch and catch red drum(redfish), Speckled sea trout, bluefish, flounder, cobia, all from protected waters. I generally go out either in the St Marks area or Panacea.

I tried a new area last weekend with pretty awesome results.

I paddled out about a mile to where there is a series of oyster bars at the mouth of a small creek emptying into the bay. As soon as the tide started to come in, I caught this little guy.

16" Redfish, but not a keeper with the current Florida regulations. Tossed him back and moved a little deeper out.

There's one large oyster bar a couple hundred yards out from where they usually put the crab pots. As the tide started coming in, there were birds roosting on it, water is almost rolling in over it. I eased up around it, turned and drifted on the current back towards the end of it. Tossing a gulp shrimp on a 1/16 jighead and BAM, not even 10 feet from my 'yak, this guy takes me for a ride.

24" Redfish! I use a Penn International 965 with 12 pound line on it, and he nearly spooled me twice. By the time the fight was over, I was about 50 yards away from where I hooked him, including a couple of times where he ran under the bow. All I had with me was a stringer, so I ended up coming in after that for fear of losing him to numerous bull sharks in the area.

Obligatory fish selfie

Nice fish and nice report. But if a 24" red is spooling you on 12# test, you need to turn up your drag.

BTW, I'd love to hear a bullshark kayak fishing story. :P

# ¿ Oct 26, 2013 07:40

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Falukorv posted:

edit: When i say "trout" i mean the European one, Salmo trutta, specifically the oceanic subspecies Salmo trutta trutta.

We call 'em brown trout over here. Small spinners are great for trout, especially bigger trout. Also, every trout eats worms.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2013 02:48

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

DoctaFun posted:

I need a sanity check here, can you guys take a look at this article?

http://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/fishing/reports/1347125/

I think the first picture is tampered with. Does anyone else agree?

Comparing it to the third overall picture, the back end of the boat in the first picture looks REALLY wide, that dude is standing a couple feet in front of it and he covers up like half of one half of the boat. Then in the third pick, which looks like he's sitting in a similar position in the boat, he takes up about half of the back end of the boat.

Either way those are some dandy pike, but am I crazy for thinking that first picture is a little messed up?

Standard fishing pose. You make only your finger tips visible and hold the fish out with straight arms such that your arms can't be seen. The viewer's brain thinks the guy is holding the fish close to his body when in reality it's a lot closer to the camera, making the fish look massive.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2014 23:21

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

UnhealthyJoe posted:

Looking for information about fly fishing gear.

I want to get a new rod (only have a starter one i bought at cabellas)... What is the best performance/cost at the moment? I see orvis, scott and other brands but honestly it means very little to me. Im told orvis is the best of the bunch.

Flies... do discount flies matter? I am curious if it is worth paying double the price for a fly or just get the discount ones? I rarely lose flies due to snags anymore, usually just line breaking.

Nets? Any preferences? my last one got eaten by a bush...

Thanks for any input.

Honestly, rods are a personal preference thing. I love the slow load of old Phillipson Fiberglass. But rods are a quality of life thing. Once you learn to cast, you can cast anything. And rods won't catch you any more fish. You'll catch just as many fish with that $30 kit rod from WalMart. But if you like a certain action, go ahead and get the rod that feels good to you. It's worth it and it'll last forever (or until you fall on top of it right before you start fishing 1000 ft up and 4 miles in from your car).

Also, some discount flies are good, some are trash. You'll just have to experiment and find ones that work for you. I recommend tying your own, just so you can tie what specifically works on your home waters. After a couple years, you'll learn what works and doesn't work on your home water. And you won't be able to find that exact pattern with the right weight that you want in the right size for sale when you really need it.

# ¿ Aug 17, 2014 19:46

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Planet X posted:

I went fishing today. There were a lot of (rowdy) trout that I'm sure were laughing at me, as this was my first time fly fishing. Unfortunately, I'm stuck on the bank because I don't have a kayak or waders yet. Any fly fisherman here? I didn't land any, but got a lone bluegill. The good news was that with the cooler temps and football Sunday, I had the Monocacy River (Western MD) all to myself:

I still need to get the hang of it, and look forward to doing this more. I did a little spin fishing too, but no luck with the smallmouth I was going after. Maybe it's getting too cold for anything other than trout, I dont know.

Random question: For catfish, I always used chicken livers. You sit them on the bottom and wait for them to be picked up What other baits or techniques to folks here use for channel cats?

I flyfish. And wet-wade. No waders. Check out the Shenandoah National Park if you're serious about fly fishing. Best wild brook trout fishing in the world, imho.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2015 00:22

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

LingcodKilla posted:

Barbs are unnecessary for sport fishing. Bait fishing with barbs on stuff that you may have to release is laaaame.

Minnesota did a study on barbs for fly fishing and found that barbs on artificials didn't negatively impact survival rate. I bring fewer trout to hand without barbs because they're more likely to get off if they jump. I don't mind, and I'll gladly comply with the locals laws where I am. But I don't debarb my hooks unless I have to, because :effort:

# ¿ Mar 12, 2016 23:58

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Armed Neutrality posted:

From what is probably your study in Minnesota:

"Fish are easier to release, and, with less injury to both fisher, and fish than with barbed hooks. There is significant evidence among fish populations of fish with damaged mouth parts due to being caught multiple times and released."

And:

"Success rates (per cent of fish landed) are not markedly different than when fishing with barbed hooks over time."

Barbed hooks are pretty dumb when it comes to more delicate fish like trout. Also it's sort of a jerk thing to do to use a method more likely to harm a fish you may want to or have to release.

Cite it please. Because the first result from google is a pro-barbless person admitting that the study didn't show a lower mortality rate for barbless.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2016 23:42

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Stalizard posted:

Hey you guys I started fly fishing and it was fuckin awesome, hooked up on a couple of tiny trout and brought em in by hand and now fly fishing is all I ever want to do for the rest of my life

Got the first one on an elk hair caddis that was wet enough to sink a little, got the second one on a prince nymph with no strike indicator and a lot of beginner's luck

The best part is you get to go out into the woods by like a rustic bridge and you have an excuse to be in the prettiest place you've ever been for a few hours

First trout on the fly is a life changer. Grats on that. What part of the country are you fishing in?

# ¿ Oct 9, 2018 05:02

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

DoctaFun posted:

Hit up Mille Lacs again this past Sunday for a few hours, got into some more nice smallies! Even had a bonus 27.25" walleye thrown in!

Had a 20.25" and 20.5" smallmouth, my two biggest ever!

Smallmouth fishing is ridiculously fun. They're hyper aggressive fish that hit just about anything and fight hard. And they're everywhere in that lake. Those are some nice ones, though, and I'm super jealous. 21" smallmouth is getting pretty close to the state record. Nice walleye too, btw.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2019 00:50

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

A Pack of Kobolds posted:

Holy poo poo, I thought you had abandoned this thread!

Lurk a lot, don't post much. My in-laws bought a beach house so I've been doing a lot of surf fishing lately. We got beach revitalization this year to repair the damage Florence did which killed fishing all summer, but Dorian opened up the holes again.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2019 01:38

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

A Pack of Kobolds posted:

Real bass tastes so loving awful that it's a wonder that anybody associates the word "bass" with good food fish.

Striped bass is quite possibly the tastiest fish on the planet. But your regular largemouth or smallmouth bass would be a trash fish if rednecks couldn't catch them. Crappie or die, for me.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2019 04:03

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

LingcodKilla posted:

On the east coast the call striped sea bass �rockfish�.

I�ve only heard of a few people insisting on calling rockfish �sea bass�. Usually if it�s something it�s �snapper� or �rock cod�.

I've only heard of them being called rockfish in Maryland. Virginia and south on the east coast they're definitely called striped bass or stripers. The true striped bass pros on Mantauk call them stripers also.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2019 00:30

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

charliebravo77 posted:

I just bought two saltwater fly setups and I live like 800 miles from the nearest place I can use them (unless i fish for LMBs or musky or pike with them). Gotta practice if I want to fish for bonefish and redfish, right? That's what I'm telling my wife and bank account anyway.

I was in NoLa last summer on vacation and got a guide to take me flyfishing for redfish. Holy gently caress is it hard. He got me over a dozen quality shots in 3 hours and I only got 2 hookups. One landed.

You absolutely gotta practice and bring your own rod to kill it down there. I'm used to slow glass 5-wts and he was asking me to put a weighted fly at the end of a super fast 9-wt within a dinner plate from 60' out on a moving boat. I could do it with my rod, or his rod with a week to practice. I honestly can't believe I caught one, looking back at it.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2019 04:23

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

King of Bees posted:

The biggest difference with moving water is flipping your line to keep the drift looking natural, ie no tension on the tippet

I kinda disagree. You catch way more trout within a couple seconds of your fly hitting the water than you do at the end of a long drift. The biggest difference with moving water is patience. Take your time and analyze a pool or run. 90% of your fish are caught on the first cast. So take your time and make your first cast your best cast. Based on your observations, you should know if the trout are at the tail end or head of a pool or run. You should know where they're feeding in the water column. You should have an angle planned out, and keep low to avoid spooking them. You should observe the currents and eddies and have the appropriate weight on your fly to get it down to where the trout are feeding if you're nymphing. If casting dries, you should have your fly treated so it floats how you want it to. You should be looking for slack water. Take the time and observe before rotely casting every inch of water.

My father gave me the best advice: The best way to fish a promising pool is to smoke a cigar before you fish it. It gives you time to observe and keeps the mosquitoes off you. I don't smoke, but the advice is apt.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2019 02:46

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

King of Bees posted:

I hear ya. We're talking the same language. I think your first few seconds are the most drag free. My advice is when you're having to float (or sink) a fly some distance to get over the fish. There's different current speeds hitting every length of the line and keeping it as natural floating as possible is the skill I'm talking about. Basically it's just flipping the line to keep tension off. Trout, especially limestone creek trout, definitely balk at.things that don't look natural.

Limestone creek trout are way easier to catch than wild mountain trout. Scud pattern, lead in the scud body. Even feeding trout will take it. Limestone pools and runs are deep, so get your nymphs down. Mountain trout are an absolute bitch when they're in the tails foraging. When they're keyed up at the head of the plunge pool, they're easy.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2019 04:14

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Harry Potter on Ice posted:

I read a story when I was younger about someone army crawling up to rivers to catch big lunkers that normally wouldn't bite, not breaking the water until you read it kind of thing. This summer, 20 some years later, I saw a bass at the end of a dock that wouldn't bite and came back the next day, stopped a good 10+ feet from shore and cast to the end of the dock where I saw it last and nailed it almost instantly. I didn't fish the rest of the day, I felt like such hot poo poo. One cast, one fish, go relax and drink something cold and replay it over and over. Trick the ol wiley fish and let it go until next time. Going to think about that fish for a long time

I wouldn't say I army crawl, but I definitely approach pools on my hands and knees.

My grandfather didn't flyfish, but he was an absolute master of trout fishing. One time, when I was ~4 years old, he told us he was going fishing in the stream across the field from his house. Limestone spring creek in the middle of a cow pasture. It was eroded as gently caress, but there were still some trout in it. He told me and my bro to come down in 15 minutes. He walked across the field, made one cast with a worm under a bobber. He was far enough away from the lip of the stream that he couldn't actually see the water. First drift, caught a 14" trout, which is huge for that stream. We get down there and he smiles at us and told us that he was saving that one for when we came to visit. He knew exactly where it would be and caught it first cast without ever even seeing the water. What a legend. The trout tasted fantastic. My grandma sauteed it in lemon butter with a watercress salad.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2019 04:18

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Harry Potter on Ice posted:

I want to fish little cricks like that so badly but never have, great story

Hell, it might even be true.

Where you at. If you're in the driftless I can put you on water like that.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2019 05:08

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

charliebravo77 posted:

WI Driftless area? I'm in Chicago and am definitely planning to jump over the border. I've been hunting and fishing in the IL Driftless area for a few years now.

MN driftless. IL driftless is hopeless because it's too far south and needs heavy hatchery support to be decent. Southeast WI is tough because of all the blokes from Chicago daytripping. To get real good fishing, you need to be willing to drive further than your average Chicago day-tripper. Mat at the Driftless Angler in Viroqua, WI should be your starting point. There's a shitton of good water around there and he can give you tips on what's fishing well. His updated fishing report is at: https://www.driftlessangler.com/blog He'll put you on the popular creeks. Just open up the WI DNR web page and look for smaller water nearby with public access. You have to put in some leg work to find the amazing holes. Nobody will every tell you about them. But they exist all over. Don't ignore 1/4 mile spurs off main branches. They may look skinny, but they have amazing springs full of huge trout. My fishing buddy once pulled a 16" wild brown out of a pool the size of a large jacuzzi tub in a spring at the base of a willow tree. The run up to it from the main branch was about 18" wide at most, and 24" deep.

I'm not going to spot-burn WI Driftless, because all the water I've fished there has been because my buddy put me on it. They're not my spots to share.

Generally speaking, the best fishing in the driftless is in MN south of I-90. Nobody ever fishes it because it's far from a major population center. And the MN DNR prioritizes habitat restoration and purchasing easements from farmers over stocking. But that's a long hike from Chicago. I personally think Rushford, MN is the capital of the Driftless, but many people will disagree with me. All the water within 10 miles of there is A++ trout water.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2019 00:56

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

charliebravo77 posted:

Cool, I've been poking around the DNR site and checked out an interesting spot in person while squirrel hunting a few weeks ago. It's class III but it's also an hour drive from home and I get the impression lots of people probably don't hit it since it's not your typical picturesque stream.

I don't want to sound like an rear end in a top hat, but Class III is trash. An hour from Chicago doesn't get you to good wild water. By all means fish it and have fun. But it's a far cry from the water I'm talking about.

Edit: btw, that stream looks typical for public access WI driftless streams.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2019 05:04

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

charliebravo77 posted:

That's close enough for a long weekend, might have to check it out once it's slightly more tolerable to be outside for several hours. I also have a wild hair about going to north central Nebraska in the spring and doing a ~9 day trip to turkey hunt and fish a bunch of offshoots of the Niobrara River.

Pick a sunny day in late April, and you'll get a caddis hatch, no streamside vegetation, hungry fish, and the best the area has to offer. There really are no bad times, though.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2019 05:08

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Rev. Bleech_ posted:

And thus my year ends with a fruitless quest for the brown and rainbow trout that NC wildlife stock for the winter in eastern lakes, with nothing but a dinky bream to show for it.

Biggest fish of the year, a blue cat weighing 10 pounds, with a 6lb black drum behind it. 34 catfish, 22 red drum, 14 bream, 8 pinfish, 7 largemouth, whiting and spot, 6 croaker, 5 white perch, 3 black drum (all three porkers), 2 eel, bluefish, and sandbar sharks and 1 each for golden shiner, chain pickerel, bowfin, american shad, warmouth, spotted sea trout, pigfish, and white bass for a total of 127 fish between March 24th and today.

Surely I'm not the only one here spergy enough to log every fish caught, am I?

My wife got me a super cool fishing log book for my birthday, so I log everything. It's kinda fun.

Where are you in NC? I can probably put you on some nice delayed harvest trout if you're willing to go to the middle of the state. If you want wild trout and you're in the eastern 2/3 of the state, the closest trout water to you is the Smith River by Martinsville, VA. I'll put you on the best access if you want.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2019 04:46

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Unperson_47 posted:

Would you mind posting a link to this fishing log? Seems like it'd make a good gift for a young fisherman in-law of mine.

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...paign=138847367

That's the one my wife bought for me. It's pretty cool.

# ¿ Dec 31, 2019 03:49

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Rev. Bleech_ posted:

Greenville, and my prospects for getting to that part of the state are low But apparently the stocking of rainbow and brown trout in Indian Lake in Tarboro for the winter (supposedly to make room in the hatcheries for the following spring) was pretty popular last couple of winters, so hopefully they do it again this year.

Oof. That's 3 hours from Martinsville and any decent trout water. You're probably better off chasing specs in the intercoastal.

# ¿ Jan 2, 2020 00:53

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Ghostnuke posted:

Are there any tricks to fishing in water that is icy, but not thick enough to walk on? I'm trying to get trout out of my local stocked pond, last time I went the water was frozen over but just barely. I could wade through it just fine, but definitely couldn't punch a spoon through it at 20 yards.

Stay home. New ice means recently dropped temps, which shuts off fishing. If there are any spring creeks in your area, that's your best bet for trout in the winter.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2020 05:20

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

A Pack of Kobolds posted:

Anyone ever catch a burbot? They're not in many lakes around here, but freshwater lingcod sounds worth a drive to the mountains.

Once, up in Minnesota. We call them eelpout up there. I'm absolutely in awe of Walker, MN, which hosts an Eelpout festival including an 8000-person ice fishing tournament, and a 5k race partially on a frozen lake, called the Eelpout Peelout. Unfortunately, permitting issues killed it for this year.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2020 04:23

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Yooper posted:

A few years ago I spent a day for Halibut in Alaska. Knowing that my sealegs are non-existent I applied a scopolamine patch 4 hours prior. I was able to casually observe the other dozen people on the boat projectile chumming while I just stared at my pole and waited for that mondo halibut. Eventually the swells calmed but scopolamine is amazing and I'll never fish in a boat without it.

When I did deep sea fishing in the gulf stream off the coast of North Carolina, I took the non-drowsy version of dramamine the night before and the morning of. I was perfectly fine. The one guy who swore he never got sea sick wound up vomiting into my brother's lunch. But he did reel in a nice white marlin. So I guess he won.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2020 03:56

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Anyone in NC or VA want to go fly fishing up in the mountains?

# ¿ Feb 26, 2020 02:01

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Gooch181 posted:

A little 5wt fly rod that breaks down and fits in a tube case would probably be my go-to for a hiking rod; no worries about getting it snagged up on stuff if you have to break brush. I'm sure you could wrap the reel of a spinning rod up with something to make that just as viable.

I hike to fish, so I normally just carry my rod. Even when I'm camping, I'm usually on a stream side trail so I like having the rod ready to cast. When breaking brush, hold the rod backwards by the butt and point it back along your forearm. The rod tip will follow your arm. 5-wt 7' 2-piece btw.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2020 02:07

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

King of Bees posted:

On plain beaches the fish down here are in the trough, on the drop past a sand bar or on the sides of a rip. Occasionally they're just right in the waves eating churned up clams.

I surf fish in North Carolina a lot, and 90% of the fish I've caught are in the first trough. But my beach has a 3-5' deep trough at high tide 10' off the sand. And there's a persistent rip that's survived the last two hurricanes within 100 feet of my beach access point. I gotta get their early when it's busy, because it's really obvious from the beach structure, and every knowledgeable fisherman sets up on it with a 4-rod spread. 10% of fisherman catch 90% of the fish.

@LingcodKilla: Search for beach-reading tips on youtube. Some pointers: Go at low tide and look for darker water. That indicates holes. Look for trails of wash bubbles going out to sea past the outermost breakers. That's a clear tell of a rip. Look for places where the surf never seems to break. Avoid spots where the waves break all the way in and don't fish there; it's a sandbar. You want places where the waves break, then get flat, and then crash hard right on shore. That indicates a deep trough system. Your flounder, reds, blues, sea mullet, black drum, pompano, and trout will be in that trough. It's often much closer than you think. Don't just chuck your bait as far as you can.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2020 20:03

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

EvilJoven posted:

Mrs 25" walleye says hello.

Wife and I landed her together. I hooked her and pulled her up, she spat the lure out right at the hole, wifey noticed she was snapping at the lure while floating back down the hole, grabbed my line and gave it a good yank. "Lower your rod you'll get it!"

We put her back after this pic. Go forth and multiply and fill the lake with more gigantic hyper aggressive extremely dumb and tasty fish.

We did bring 7 eaters home though.

Nice walleye. That's a 6-pounder, right?

# ¿ Mar 26, 2020 20:05

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Big_Gulps_Huh posted:

I've been interested in fly fishing for about 10 years now (since I went to basic with a buddy who did nothing but talk about it for 10 weeks) and finally just moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota, so it's time to get into it. Budget is limited so I was thinking about getting a little Wal-Mart special rod & reel combo (with a fly assortment) & a landing net... is that all I need? I did some reading and lots of folks say waders are essential... can I not just fish from the banks of a small stream? Are there any good online resources ya'll would recommend? No free workshops nearby & I don't feel like paying $25/hour for group lessons.

You don't need waders and you definitely don't need a net. What's your budget? If you can swing $200, the cheapo Bighorn combo from Cabelas is $100 for a decent rod+reel. Add in fly line ($40), a 3-pack of leaders ($10), tippet ($5), a fly box ($5), and the recommended flies from your local fly shop ($20-40) and that's all you need. If you're going to spend money, a general rule of thumb is that the closer to the trout it is, the more important it is. Good flies > correct tippet > flexible leaders > good fly line > nice rod > functional reel. Although, as a beginner, you're going to get the most bang for your buck by buying a decent fly line. Anything by Scientific Anglers is going to be good and reasonably priced.

When I started fly fishing, I was unemployed and wet-waded with a $5 pair of boots I bought at a garage sale. If all you can afford is the $60 Walmart combo, go for it. You'll catch fish.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2020 14:21

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 09:32

Dik Hz: Feb 22, 2004; Fun with Science

Stalizard posted:

Do any of you fly fishing types have any ideas for a pair of shoes I can wear in the river that won't trap all kinds of grit and chew my feet to shreds? Here in Georgia it's warm enough that I can get by without waders for like 9 months a year, and I've just been wearing chacos and tevas. They work ok if it's just for a few hours, but if I fish a full day the grit that collects under the straps becomes totally crippling. Loosening or tightening the straps doesn't help, nor does trying to rinse them out periodically.

I am open to nearly all styles and budgetary considerations, I just want to be able to fish two days in a row and know I'm still gonna be able to walk on day 2.

My brother in law swears by Crocs but I don't want it to come to that. I hope you understand.

I splurged on some 5.10 Canyoneers and they are amazing. My style of fishing here in North Carolina is to hike in a couple miles, wet wade, and hike back out. With a pair of 5mm Neoprene socks, they're perfectly comfortable. I've done some overnight in-and-out trips and they've worked great. However, I have high arches and narrow feet. If you have wide or flat feet, they would probably hobble you.

Before I bought those, I used my brother's cast-off combat boots. The Airforce specified boots that are rated for in-flight operations have the best grip I've worn. They're built for people working on in-flight C-130s when the back could be open.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2020 21:08

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > The Catch-All Fishing Thread 2014

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