Fishing; lake, ocean, river or stream?

I've most done freshwater fishing but a little bit of saltwater... I always wanted to learn ocean
fishing and all, but I'm a real land lubber type. 😅

As far as bait, I would mix it up... the fish kinda' told me what they wanted. I'd almost always start
off with artificial.

I don't do any fishing these days... :cry:
 

We are catch and release people. Especially in our lake here in the community.
We used to go to Wisconsin for the lakes there, I hate river fishing, currents are too unpredictable and sand bars move.
Trout fishing a biggy here in Mo but I never did that. We use both tackle (mostly flies) and live depending what's biting
especially after a good rain.
 
Used to fish quite often, and was loving the ocean fishing in
florida, then the Missouri lakes too....but it's been several
years since I've had that enjoyment. Mostly I used lures of
various types, tho minnows and worms too....caugt a 5 pound
largemouth bass in florida on a "sputterbug" lure LOL..still
recall that name.....1756234670495.png
 
hawkdon said:
Used to fish quite often, and was loving the ocean fishing in
florida, then the Missouri lakes too....but it's been several
years since I've had that enjoyment. Mostly I used lures of
various types, tho minnows and worms too....caugt a 5 pound
largemouth bass in florida on a "sputterbug" lure LOL..still
recall that name.....View attachment 445628
Click to expand...
we have some similar to that and I am not allowed to use them as I tend to catch every stray branch around us.
 
I haven’t gone fishing in over half a century!
😉🤭😂

I used to enjoy going out in the spring to dip smelts from a fast moving stream/river or fish for bullheads off the dock at a small lake.

For me it was more about being out in the night air enjoying a beer or two before going home for a late night breakfast feast of fried fish and all the fixin’s.

Bullhead dinners are still popular in the spring but these days the fish are farm raised.

1756235997025.jpeg
 
Aunt Bea said:
I haven’t gone fishing in over half a century!
😉🤭😂

I used to enjoy going out in the spring to dip smelts from a fast moving stream/river or fish for bullheads off the dock at a small lake.

For me it was more about being out in the night air enjoying a beer or two before going home for a late night breakfast feast of fried fish and all the fixin’s.

Bullhead dinners are still popular in the spring but these days the fish are farm raised.

View attachment 445635
Click to expand...
I loved when the whole family went frogging during season, roasting hot dogs, waiting for dark, laughter, kids having fun. Then the frog leg fry the next evening. I won't eat frog legs at a restaurant, no comparison. Of all the wildlife we had to eat during the recession of the early 70's frog legs are the only things my sons will eat now of wild life. You mention squirrel or racoon to my sons now, they gag instantly. I say it just for fun to watch them :ROFLMAO:
 
IrishEyes said:
Then the frog leg fry the next evening
Click to expand...
Oh no frogs here, I'm afraid of them.

Went drop line fishing in the ocean off Provincetown many years ago; caught a hake.
Went lake fishing maybe a dozen times over my life; it's not my favorite thing to do.

When a date was teaching me how to cast I suddenly heard him say don't move so I froze then turned my head and saw him taking my hook out of the side of his face with the blood running down. The fool was standing behind me. Gawd!

I enjoy lake fish but I much prefer ocean fish, in fact that's all I've eaten for the past few years are fish from the ocean; cod, haddock, halibut, salmon, bass, swordfish and of course tuna and my favorite ocean perch.
 
RadishRose said:
Oh no frogs here, I'm afraid of them.

Went drop line fishing in the ocean off Provincetown many years ago; caught a hake.
Went lake fishing maybe a dozen times over my life; it's not my favorite thing to do.

When a date was teaching me how to cast I suddenly heard him say don't move so I froze then turned my head and saw him taking my hook out of the side of his face with the blood running down. The fool was standing behind me. Gawd!

I enjoy lake fish but I much prefer ocean fish, in fact that's all I've eaten for the past few years are fish from the ocean; cod, haddock, halibut, salmon, bass, swordfish and of course tuna and my favorite ocean perch.
Click to expand...
I prefer ocean fish too. Grandpa used to go cod fishing and that was so wonderful tasting. Crappie is about the only fresh water fish I will eat now.
 
IrishEyes said:
I loved when the whole family went frogging during season, roasting hot dogs, waiting for dark, laughter, kids having fun. Then the frog leg fry the next evening. I won't eat frog legs at a restaurant, no comparison. Of all the wildlife we had to eat during the recession of the early 70's frog legs are the only things my sons will eat now of wild life. You mention squirrel or racoon to my sons now, they gag instantly. I say it just for fun to watch them :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
When we were kids we used to go frogging at Tupper Lake NY.

We also enjoyed perch, sunfish, squirrels, rabbits, and deer.

The sunfish or punkin seeds were filleted, the little silver dollar sized pieces of fish were dipped in a tempura style batter that puffed up when fried.
 
I've done them all, but prefer stream fishing with live bait (Stone Fly nymphs when I can find them).
When ocean fishing I use squid or if I arrive at low tide, I get muscles off the rocks and use them.
When lake fishing for bass, it's mostly rubber worms.
I used to do a lot of catch and release, but I've gotten soft I guess, because I just don't want to torture the fish anymore for my enjoyment.
If I'm going to eat them, then that's different, but bass and many ocean fish are predators and high in mercury, so don't want very many.
 
My early memories go back to pulling Northern Pike out of the lakes of Wisconsin and Ontario. Then I moved to Montana where every thing was trout this and trout that, usually from a river or a stream. I did it too, but it wasn't as good as the big lunkers of the Midwest. But I went on to the more important wonders of Western Montana and took to the trails, mountains, and ski slopes.

But then my wife and I bought a sail boat and kept it on the West Coast, where every summer, we sailed north to British Columbia's waters, where I was introduced to the heavenly mystery of King Salmon, and that was the apex of my fishing experiences from then on. Everything else paled in comparison. And when you end up with a 30 pounder in the boat, the feast starts, and fresh salmon cannot be compared to the stuff in the grocery store, which is OK, but not fresh. It would be like comparing a T-bone steak to a bowl of tofu.
 
We once went fishing in Spain. Well we... I just sat there. I can't fish. I got the great idea to go barbecueing cause you can do that in Holland. Not in Spain where it was insane dry. One guy used methylated spirit cause it didn't hurry up. Lets throw the whole bottle on it. Then the reed got on fire. They tried to put it out which did not work and we caused a wild fire and had to drive off and leave the fishing gear there. There was one teen boy who kept getting through the fire to save the fishing gear and I was useless and only screaming hysterically because of that boy. We drove off when we heard helicopters. Sorry.
 
I started fishing at age 7, first trip was for Boston mackerel out of Pt Pleasant NJ, I caught nine and had some of the meanest bird's nests one could imagine.

From there I went on to fly fish for trout, and then began bass fishing. I caught my first 5lb largemouth in SC in 1982. I fished in club level and national bass fishing tx's in St Lawerence Seaway, Lake Champlain and the Potomac. I fished Esopus Creek mentioned above and up and down the entire length of the Hudson for striped bass and black bass. The Champlain Canal near Deb's house was one of my favorites. I've also fished numerous lakes in FL, Lake Anna, VA, Lake Fork TX, Columbia R, Wa, Snake R, ID, and countess other places. My all time favorite lake is Lake Stilwell on the West Point Military Academy, when I was a member of the WP Bass Club. I got to fish it 100's of times.

I've surf cast in Baja for jack caravelle and rooster fish, the 2 winters I lived there on the beach in my truck. I spear fished daily in the Baja and the Bahamas as well. I caught my first Marlin out of Cabo w my soon to be wife in 1992 on our 2nd date.

When I lived in NY one of my customers owned a 31' Bertram out of Point Lookout and we fished at least once a week beginning in March on through December. I became a regular "crew member" on his boat for about 10 years until he died. We fished for mackerel, sharks, tuna, giant bluefin tuna, bluefish, false albacore, stripped bass, black fish, fluke, and flounder as the seasons progressed. We fished the Hudson Canyon on overnight trips that were 80+ miles offshore. One night we caught a tiger shark that was about 12' long!!!

Our honeymoon was a trip to Tropic Star Lodge, Panama, we've fished Hawaii, and the Bahamas, fly fishing for bone fish, and bottom fish, both guided and unguided. At tropic star we caught marlin, tuna, jack cravelle, sailfish, amberjack, mahi(aka dolphin fish), rooster fish, and various near shore species as well.

My last few trips to Guatemala were fly fishing for sailfish, which I would say is the best combo of fun and excitement that I've experienced . Fighting marlin and tarpon and tuna can be completely exhausting, and demoralizing when you lose one, but sailfish seem to offer the best combo of seeing the fish take the bait and a decent but not too hard a fight with lots of spectacular jumps. The flies are about the size of a chicken and you actually see the fish at close range take the fly. I love topwater!

This is a pic of me on the Ebbey Slough out of Sitka, AK on a trip w my wife in 1996, probably hooked up on a halibut. (I had more and darker hair in those days!). Looking back on my fishing career it fits my lifelong theme of "anything worth doing, is worth over doing!"

AKfishing1.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Panama making bait first thing in the morning. We kept those baits alive until we needed them.

TropicStarbait.jpeg

My wife is hooked up on a marlin.

TSmarlin.jpeg

Once the offshore bite petered out we went inshore to fish. My cry to the Spanish speaking Captain and mate, "a la casa de Senior Gallo!." (to the house of Mr Rooster)

My wife's roosterfish boatside.

TSroosterboatside.jpeg
 
Paco Dennis said:
Born in California, stream fished for trout as a youngster. Bait, lures, and fly fishing. Move to Missouri. We have two stocked farm ponds near us. I fished for large mouth bass mainly with plastic worms, and some different lures. I really liked fishing. Oh we also ocean fished off the rocks near Monterey, Calif too. :)
Click to expand...
Let me know what bass baits you use or would like to try and I'll put a package together at no expense to you.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top