I know some of you all must partake. Over the last year or so, I've gotten back into fishing and now that I'm back in my home state of Montana am looking forward to some premium trout fishing time this summer. I'm currently just a cast fisherman but am curious about fly fishing and will probably try that this summer with a guide. Found this site on Tenkara fishing which is like fly fishing without the reel. Anyone ever done this? https://www.tenkarausa.com/ Also, looking to hear advice, trips planned about any type of fishing and of course all the fish tales you care to offer.
Great thread. I dabbled a bit in kayak fishing last summer. I only went out twice. Bought a bait bait casting reel, which I hadn't used since I was a kid. Really, I haven't been fishing consistently since I was a kid. Back then, I had my dad to rely on. Now, I'm 2,000 miles away from my dad. This summer, I look forward to more kayak fishing. I'd like to go out in a couple weeks during my Spring Break, but the water temperature temperature will probably only be about 40, and God forbid I flip (which I've never done locally), I'd be screwed. Last year, I only caught one fish out of the kayak – a bass that I'd estimate at about three to three and a half pounds. It was such such a thrill though! Eventually, I want to work my way up to muskie and pike. Eventually eventually when I get good, I want to try and organize a kayak fishing tournament for charity in my area.
Moved here from northern California and one of the things I miss most (and there are only a few I miss) is trout fishing in rivers and creeks. The most relaxing thing in the world... wading down stream, casting to a rising fish or even just to a spot that looks "fishy". Rainbows, browns, and brook trout. Always wanted to go high in the mountains to try golden trout fishing, or to travel to Montana and Alaska to try there.
I'm moving back to Houston soon (Clear Lake) and fishing is one of the things I definitely want to get back into. Used to love going out on the 61st pier in Galveston when I was younger. I've heard that Texas City has some decent pier fishing now, so I'll probably check that out.
I fished a lot as a kid, rarely caught anything, and always threw it back in. I haven't gone fishing in a while. Do you guys fish for cooking? I never learned how to properly handle a fish if I was going to keep it.
I love fishing. I don't have a ton of experience by any means. But most of the time when I go fishing, it's salt water fishing. I like just wade fishing, or getting on one of the boats and going out by the channel islands. It's a ton of fun. I do also enjoy fishing fresh water, but I haven't done it since I was a kid. I think the last time I went fresh water fishing I was still in high school. I would love it, though if given the choice, I'd still go salt water fishing. I guess that's just where I'm at right now. No matter what kind of fishing you do, it's almost always fun.
Ive seen a few reds caught at seawolf. Also tons of catfish. I like the 61st street pier, much larger, and less crowded. Just got me one of these and it is a beast.
In CA. I go for red snapper a lot. Cooking it is awesome. On a good trip you go out on the boat, and easily pull in more than your allowed limit. Then you can throw back the smaller ones even if they are legal size, and just keep the biggest 10 (or whatever the limit is). On the same trip it's possible to catch other fish too including sea bass. Those are huge. The best part about these trips is that you can tip the deck hands, and on the way back they'll make fillets out of all the fish you just caught. Then you have it to eat, and it is incredibly fresh and tasty. The other thing is sometimes we'll fish in groups, and one group that enjoys fishing more will do the fishing, and the other group will clean and cook them. Then everybody helps clean up. I'm usually in the group that fishes. I've prepped my own fish a few times, but it's usually too long between trips for me to actually say I know what I'm doing. The first couple are far from perfect for me, but after that, I'm okay with the rest of them.
Great replies so far! I'll share my story last year. My brother and I set up a trip with a guide. We figured no point in going out fishing without catching any and neither of us had done much fishing for the past 30 years so we knew we would need help to have any fun. Anyways, we finally settled on a place called Kings Motel and Guide service in Twin Bridges, MT about 40 miles north/northwest of Yellowstone National Park. http://kingsflatline.com/ For 3 nights lodging, 2 days floating the rivers, equipment (but you can use your own) and all food included it came to $1,500 each. But man...were we taken care of. We floated the Madison the first day and the Big Hole the 2nd day fishing for Rainbow and Brown trout. Both of these are decent sized rivers about 60-80 feet across so lots of room to maneuver. Our guide Matt has fished (according to him anyways) the rivers in that area just about every day for the past 20 years. He definitely knew where the holes were and we would anchor and try each of them for 15-30 minutes depending on how they were hitting. Aside from knowing where to cast, he also was quick to try new things if something wasn't working and of course if your rig got tangled or lost your line he could get us going again quickly. BIG help there. I would say over the course of 2 days, we caught about 25 fish between my brother and I and x 3 that number of strikes so we had PLENTY of action. The largest was about 18 inches with most of them in the 10-14 inch range. Its a family run business with Matt (the son) doing the guide work and his mother Marsha doing the cooking. Believe it or not, the cooking was the best part of the trip. That lady knows what she's doing in the kitchen. Lodging is a renovated motel they spruce up and rent out. Check the link for pictures. Anyways, I highly recommend them if you are looking for a nice Montana trout stream experience. We're goin back again this summer!
bump. the kayaking has gotten me back into fishing, it's been a long time since I did much. good largemouth fishery near us, so that's where I'm starting.
I have to hand it to you, Lebron. You've disguised yourself expertly with this account! [*golf clap*]
Jack in the background seals it for me. Great pic...even if a little dated. Growing up in Texas, I would bass and crappie fish with my dad and grandfather. I love bass fishing. Especially with plastic worms. But now living in the Pacific Northwest, it's a totally different ballgame here. The fishing is based around trout and salmon. Not my cup of tea. Here, people drop in a hook with a piece of garlic on it to catch stuff. Boo! We've got one lake here in the Portland area, Henry Hagg Lake, that touts a fair amount of bass in its population. Haven't hit it up....mainly because I don't think it will be like fishing in the South. The water here is too dadgum cold.
Since this thread was started, I've had two kids and bought a new house. Because of the two kids, I don't get to kayak much anymore. But the new house has a 12 acre lake out back that's filled with largemouth. Winning!
Myself and @updawg took a fishing trip one time way back when to fish the White river in Arkansas. We found it very difficult to catch even a single trout. I know the secret is to talk to other fishermen to see what flies are working. We still didn’t catch jack. But, I think maybe the line we were using was too big as the trout could see it. I caught one freshwater trout but I hooked it on the side of its head. It shook loose as soon as I reeled it in but I still count it. Another time my parents took me trout fishing to Colorado. Didn’t catch a single trout. People were using miniature marshmallows to catch them. Didn’t work for me. Freshwater trout are smart. If one thing is off, then they be like FU and pass on what you are offering them. I would like to do it again but with someone who knows exactly what it takes to catch them. Saltwater fishing is so much easier. Lake bass are doable with a fake worm.
I prefer saltwater to freshwater. Love deep sea fishing. Went with my uncle several years ago and hooked up on a lot of blackfin tuna, and that was fun fishing.
