Let's Go Fishing!

[Bear Up North]

My computer desk (and my view) looks out on my backyard. There it is.....my tarp-covered bass boat, waiting for this ole' Bear to get well and return to some fun fishing.

I have been a fisherman (not quite the same, quite often, as a "catcherman") for many years. I used to have boats that were big enough for the sometimes wild waters of Lake Erie. The western basin, often called "The Walleye Capital Of The World" is a great place to fish. For years my dad and I would be out on the lake, hauling in limit catches of walleye and (in the fall) limit catches of perch. Yum!

I sold my last big boat about ten (10) years ago. About six (6) years ago I bought a small bass boat. Just the right size for a hassle-free fishing trip. I usually leave the house very early in the morning, drive a little more than an hour NW of Swanton, OH, and fish in the lakes of the Irish Hills (Michigan) area. Good bass fishing, both smallmouth and largemouth......some northern pike, some walleye, some panfish. My boat is the perfect size for me to be alone and easily launch and go.

We also take the boat on our Upper Peninsula (Michigan) vacations. A great time is had.....getting up early (letting Katie sleep-in in the tent), walking to my beached boat (Van Riper State Park Campground), heading out on Lake Michigamme (beautiful lake). It's a tough lake to fish but I have managed to catch some panfish and some smallmouths. Have never caught a northern pike on this lake. (Another fun lake is AuTrain, just west of Munising. Catch walleyes and pike on this lake.)

Years ago I tried trout fishing. Actually caught dinner a few times when out in the western states of Wyoming and Montana. I have done some lake trout and salmon fishing in the areas east of Cleveland, on Lake Erie. Went fall stream-mouth fishing with my older brother, who lives in the Fairport Harbor area. Had no luck, but as they say.....

"A day fishing and catching no fish is better than a day of no fishing."

Asking other Cyburbians: Do you like to fish? What kind of fishing?

Bear With Speed Stick, Bait-Casting Reel, & Weight-Forward Spinner

[Richmond Jake]

Oh yes, I fish. Trout fishing all over No. California. Salmon and steelhead in the Matole (sp?), Ten Mile, Big River, Noyo, Garcia, Russian, and Navarro rivers. Some success, too. And of course, here on the Gulf last summer with the boys...

[Cardinal]

I grew up fishing all summer long. It was mostly panfish with the occassional bass or perch thrown in, but I loved it. We would also go out on Lake Erie when my grandparents had a home on the lake. In a typical day we might each bring in a half dozen 2-pound bass. Over the last few years I have not been out at all.

[Chet]

I grew up fishing with dad on a bass boat every summer weekend. Great bonding fun. Grandpa had a 22' viking for Lake Michigan coho fishing. Also great fun. I have to say, the lake Michigan fishing was way more enjoyable, but really, just being on the lake was the best. Whn he died in '94 I was offered the boat and the Ford Bronco to haul it. Unfortunately, the wife and I lived too far inland to make it practical, and the mooring fees in Milwaukee yacht club made it also not practicle. My cousin in San Diego now uses in it the Pacific with his wife and Kids. I'm jealous.

[SkeLeton]

hmmm they only thing I've ever caught, was an escapee carp fish from one of my dad's cages in the river. (Back in the day when he did research with carps) Oh and I was fishing from the border of the river, got no fishin' boat.

[Budgie]

I'm a mud cat on chicken livers or stink bait kinda guy.

[JNA]

Can you believe that I NEVER went
Surf Fishing growing up at the Jersey Shore;
Fly Fishing when living in Colorado - Blue River in Summit County;
and
since I don't fish I am not scared of what might be caught in the Ohio River.

[Zoning Goddess]

I have a large dolphin on my family room wall that I caught when I was around 9, although my little brother likes to claim it as his (but possession is 9/10 of the law). We used to catch bream in the lake by our house but it was always us vs. the 'gators.

I always liked deep-sea fishing, at least until I started getting sea-sick.

[Rumpy Tunanator]

I fish. Caught alot of stuff over the years.

Sunfish (or pumpkinseed), bluegill (or bream), perch, catfish, carp, bullhead, crappie, bass (lm,sm,bl), pike, drum (sheephead), trout (rainbow), round goby (gotta kill those on site), salmon, barracuda, flounder, red snapper, crab, crayfish, water moccasin, snapping turtle, painted turtle, shad, suckers, seagull, duck, frog, stickleback, etc.(I'm probally forgetting some).

These have at one point ended up on my line.

Even though we have a good musky fishery here on the upper niagara river and around the erie basin and buffalo river, I've never caught one. We also apparently have sturgeon in the river, but I have never seen one caught. Jeeze, I live on lake erie and I don't think I've ever caught a walleye.

[zman]

I was fishing last weekend,
Fly Fishing on the open waters ofthe Yampa River while I was in Steamboat Springs.
Yes I will fly fish, catch and release (I'm usually hiking at the time too) and catch some wild 7 to 8 inch Brown Trout. (Not too big, but they are fun to catch)
I typically like the mountain streams and catching the cold water fish.
I did catch a barracuda in Belize while bone fishing in the mangroves.

It fun, but I haven't any equipment right now, I gotta use Dad's.

[boiker]

yes.. fishing. I have only been fisihing the last 4 years of my life or so, but I enjoy it tremendously. My father in law, his brothers, his boys, friends..including myself all go on a fishing trip to downstate Illinois in mid-May. We fish mainly for bass and have competitions for most fish...biggest fish..etc. We'll also fish for pan fish to have a large fish fry. We caught bazillions of Red ears last time.

[Tranplanner]

Used to go fishing with my dad and some of his friends when I was young - then our cottage got broken into and all the fishing gear stolen. Never replaced it and haven't fished since.

[Woonerf]

Yes, I too fish and have enjoyed it since my youth. My father was a fisheries biologist for the State Fish & Game so he always had a reason to get out either on a state boat or our own. My brother and I joined him often.

Our journeys would be recorded in a diary or fishing report. Several times when very young I remember Dad giving me the honor of describing our trip in the diary. I continue to write a fishing report entry after each trip I make. I highly recommend for you all to do the same. It is wonderful to read about the trials, tribulations, successes, failures and locations for each trip years later. Years of detailed reports have provided me with trends, locations, lure or bait suggestions, etc. that were effective in the past that I can use on subsequent trips to my favorite fishing hole.

[donk]

I kick myself for not taking up a few offers I had to go flyfishing on the Miramichi River. Had to turn most down because they were from developers/applicants who wanted to build there dream "camp".

As teh saying goes in in Miramichi, a bad day fishing on the River is better than the best day at work". Hard to believe people pay $1500/day to fish and stay there.

[nighthawk1959]

Budgie, I knew I liked you for some reason. A few heavy rods, some very smelly bait, a couple of lanterns, and a cooler full of the beverage of choice along with a nice desolate river bank is probably the best way to spend a summer night for those of us with no SO to ask "Just where have you been all night?" If you are liucky the fish won't bite and disturb your drinking!!

[SlaveToTheGrind]

I grew up fishing in Minnesota. Many a day were spent catching fish at the lake a block from my house. In the winter time, the hill above the lake served as the sledding hill.

Every summer I go to my family cabin in Washington to fish there, too. To make it even better, my parents just bought a Sea Doo GTI adn they will be buying a boat as well.

I fish here in Utah as well. Fly fish the rivers mostly or the alpine lakes around the Uinta Mountains.

[Bear Up North]

About a year or so ago I opened this thread with a comment about "getting well" and looking out the back window at my tarp-covered bass boat.....anxious to wet a line in pursuit of MR. FISH.

OK.....it's a year later. I am well now! The count down begins......

My son and I have already been talking about getting the boat over to the small lake near the Indiana border that is full of bass. His smart-axx comment, "Hey, Dad.....am I gonna out fish you again?"

Dang, I won't be able to blame it on the chemo.

First warm day, I'm practicing my casting.
_____

Bear Wakes Up From Mid-January Dream

[noottamevas]

Was on a survey by the river today and got bit by the fishing bug hard. Didn't get a pole in the water once last year mainly due to the birth of the twins. Gonna be different this year. I think I'll restring my poles and inventory my lures this weekend .

[Bear Up North]

Was on a survey by the river today and got bit by the fishing bug hard. Didn't get a pole in the water once last year mainly due to the birth of the twins. Gonna be different this year. I think I'll restring my poles and inventory my lures this weekend .

Back in the summer of 1976 I was on a 3-week road trip in a VW mini-bus. As we cruised back toward home base (Toledo), from the Pacific coast, we stopped at a little lake and campground in the offical savemattoon neck of the woods. If I remember correctly, it was called Ramsey Lake.

We stayed there a couple days and fished for bass and blue gills. We caught some of the biggest and tastiest 'gills I ever had.

A long time ago, but I think I remember a lot of trees, a smaller-sized lake, maybe a short drive from the interstate. I pleasant final stop on our Pacific Coast "excursion".

Bear With Hot-N-Tot

[Bear Up North]

It's that time of the year in the "Valley of the Maumee". Every year at this time, the rapids and riffs of the Maumee River, from Maumee upstream to Waterville, are filled with hundreds of fishermen. Some days the anglers are stacked so close together they are crossing each other's lines, etc.

The reason? Walleye, by the millions do their annual migration dance up the Maumee River (and the Sandusky River). Anglers without the "hole in the water that you pour money in to" (boat ) can spend just a few bucks for waders and cast for Walleyes.

If they snag a "Walter Jay", they would be advised to throw it back. Snagging is not allowed and, yes, you are being watched by fish and game folks.

BTW.....these Walleyes usually weigh between 1 and 12 pounds. Average weight is probably about 2 pounds. Good eating. Yum.

This Bear hasn't done the river fishing thing in a long time. Last fish I caught in this manner was actually a Saugeye.....a cross between a Walleye and a Sauger. (I was spoiled by Lake Erie fishing......warmer weather fishing.)

Bear

[Tom R]

I'm looking for a little bass boat myself. Something I can pull with my 4 cyl Saturn SE and push with an electro-troll. Any suggestions?

[jmello]

The wife and I are in the market for a boat right now! We found what we thought was a great buy this weekend, but it turned out to be much older than we thought. We are only about 15 minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway, Atlantic Ocean and various navigatable rivers, so there is much fun to be had.

As for previous fishing experience: I began fishing for blues with my uncle as a child. More recently, it has been mostly flounder. We also enjoy clamming and crabbing (in New England). This summer I hope to move onto snapper and grouper, assuming we land a boat in time. I only believe in catching things I want to eat and I don't like the taste of freshwater fish.

[Budgie]

LAW-ree and I might go to my aunt's farm for a little fishing this weekend.

[cololi]

Another fly fisher here. I absolutely love sitting in a cold river as the sun is setting and a hatch is happening. For me, nothing beats pulling trout from a river on a dry fly. Having a blue ribbon trout river less than 30 minutes away makes summer tolerable for me.

[zman]

Another fly fisher here. I absolutely love sitting in a cold river as the sun is setting and a hatch is happening. For me, nothing beats pulling trout from a river on a dry fly. Having a blue ribbon trout river less than 30 minutes away makes summer tolerable for me.

You don't have to tell me twice. Dry fly are much funner.

I should hit the river soon myself.