Fishing

[The Poojer]

or the icky worms

 

 

I just sit on a dock and stare at the water. All the fun of fishing, without the frustration or mess.

[Captain_Quint]

Longnose or alligator gar?

 

Be careful... They are actually finding out that alligator gar are an effective weapon against adult size Asian carp. Gar are one of their few natural predators outside of stinking polluted Asia:

 

http://www.pjstar.com/news/20160804/alligator-gar-as-weapon-against-asian-carp-no-more-than-fish-tale

 

Alligator gar. And dont worry, its like trying to bring a circular saw to the surface. Only happens every once in awhile. Most of the time they just frustrate the hell out of you. Jaws are like bone, so you cant catch em. Have to snag them or use a bow (which is more of a texas thing).

[ExiledInIllinois]

Alligator gar. And dont worry, its like trying to bring a circular saw to the surface. Only happens every once in awhile. Most of the time they just frustrate the hell out of you. Jaws are like bone, so you cant catch em. Have to snag them or use a bow (which is more of a texas thing).

We have bow fisherman that go through every night with spots and flat bottom Jon boat. They claim it's all legal? Yeah, but what Game Wardon is out in the city of Chicago @ 1:00 in morning in February, let alone in a launch on the river!

[Captain_Quint]

We have bow fisherman that go through every night with spots and flat bottom Jon boat. They claim it's all legal? Yeah, but what Game Wardon is out in the city of Chicago @ 1:00 in morning in February, let alone in a launch on the river!

In alot of states, any nongame fish can be had by pretty much any legal method including bow and spear. That would include gar, catfish (not blues), carp, eel, etc.

 

Not sure about Chitown though!

[GoBills808]

Yes, good thread BTW. Been going my whole life, mostly shoreline and on friends boats. Recently got a fishing kayak which has been a blast.

 

Being in the islands allows access to awesome fisheries. We get mahimahi, yellowfin, wahoo from the kayak maybe 3-400 yards offshore.

 

Shoreline is good for ulua (prize gamefish), all kinds of good eating reef fish, in the summer when it's calm we hit the spearfishing spots.

 

Would love to go ice fishing at some point.

[CountDorkula]

We have a private neighborhood pond that is stocked every other year. No fishing license required. Its great. Been fishing once a week for teh last 3 weeks. Not much biting currently.

 

Bass

Crappie

Bream

Catfish

Carp

 

Been trying shallow and Mid range crank bates. trick worms, spinner bates.

 

Only caugh a 1Lb bass in three times out, but you cant beat beer and fishing.

 

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

I don't get out as much as I used to, but my dad and I take an annual trip way up north to Quebec for a week. We do almost nothing but fish, eat, drink beer, and sleep. It's all walleye, smallmouth, and pike. No cell service, no tv. It's the best weekend of the year.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Yes, good thread BTW. Been going my whole life, mostly shoreline and on friends boats. Recently got a fishing kayak which has been a blast.

Being in the islands allows access to awesome fisheries. We get mahimahi, yellowfin, wahoo from the kayak maybe 3-400 yards offshore.

Shoreline is good for ulua (prize gamefish), all kinds of good eating reef fish, in the summer when it's calm we hit the spearfishing spots.

Would love to go ice fishing at some point.

This sounds great. I love salt water fishing. My folks have a place down in MB, and we go down twice a year and do a ton of pier fishing. Catch a lot of spanish mackerel, bluefish, and whiting with the occasional black drum or flounder. My Father has crab traps too, and we sometimes get into the stone crabs.

 

I was watching a YouTube video with my son last night...a dude kayak fishing for flounder in what looked like the FL keys. It looked like a lot of fun. The guy had his kayak all rigged up.

[Hurricane]

I don't get out as much as I used to, but my dad and I take an annual trip way up north to Quebec for a week. We do almost nothing but fish, eat, drink beer, and sleep. It's all walleye, smallmouth, and pike. No cell service, no tv. It's the best weekend of the year.

That sounds awesome..

[GoBills808]

This sounds great. I love salt water fishing. My folks have a place down in MB, and we go down twice a year and do a ton of pier fishing. Catch a lot of spanish mackerel, bluefish, and whiting with the occasional black drum or flounder. My Father has crab traps too, and we sometimes get into the stone crabs.

 

I was watching a YouTube video with my son last night...a dude kayak fishing for flounder in what looked like the FL keys. It looked like a lot of fun. The guy had his kayak all rigged up.

I've never had as much fun fishing as I do on the kayak. Self propelled, really enhances your range of target species, plus you get to tailor your setup exactly how you want and it's new enough that no one can tell you your doing it wrong...

 

You throw in fuel costs and it's a no brainer.

[dib]

I caught half a fish once, I was reeling in my catch and a barracuda bit it cleanly in half.

[BuffaloBud]

It's been almost 40 years since the last time I was there - My father's parents owned an island on Lake Nippissing ONT. No power, no running water, no telephone. Man, the quiet was just outstanding. And the fishing (walleye, pike, muskie) was tops. 43in, 37# muskie was the last fish I caught there.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

I don't get out as much as I used to, but my dad and I take an annual trip way up north to Quebec for a week. We do almost nothing but fish, eat, drink beer, and sleep. It's all walleye, smallmouth, and pike. No cell service, no tv. It's the best weekend of the year.

 

http://www.tamarac.ca/walleye-fishing-trip-at-lake-hebert.php

 

This is where we go. Amazing walleye and northern pike fishing. I caught a 13 pound walleye when I was 10 years old. Thought I was pulling in a manatee.

[BuffaloBud]

 

http://www.tamarac.ca/walleye-fishing-trip-at-lake-hebert.php

 

This is where we go. Amazing walleye and northern pike fishing. I caught a 13 pound walleye when I was 10 years old. Thought I was pulling in a manatee.

DUDE!! Great looking place.

[Beef Jerky]

I am a lock and dam operator in Chicago.

We lock 10s of thousands of pleasure craft (pc, ie: recreational craft) a year... One of the busiest pc locks in nation.

Here is a thread I did up:

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/165007-life-on-the-lock/#

This year has been a mild winter, have been getting fisherman sporadically all winter @ times between ice cover. We are done for good now. First the duck, goose hunters come until iced over or waterfowl season ends in early January. Yes. This one location that you can hunt in the city limits of Chicago, not a joke either! ;-) And that spot is right above The Lock on Lake Calumet (gr8 bass fishery BTW). Of course hunt and fish Lake Michigan and Indiana waters.

Where I work has really exploded as a prime bass fishery the last 20+ years. Smallies love the "Structure" afforded to them by the industrial complex. Great kept secret! We are a metal structure an a smallie wonderland. Old stereotypes die hard... Not too many people know.

Here is a crew of bassboaters I locked back from upper pool (Lake Michigan) a few years ago:

If you like other outdoors stuff, I have some bald eagle sighting puctures from last week. Not too great of pics, but you can make the bald eagle out high in the tree tops. I gotta learn to back my zoom lens before work on winter days. Time of year bald eagles are roosting here.

What kind of hunting? We have a park near me that allows deer hunting every few years to keep the population in check. They are only allowed to Bow hunt.

Oh and that's one awesome job.

[Augie]

We took the boys to a trout farm in NC that was so stocked you could walk across that water! You didn't even have to bait the hook! You could catch them as fast as you could cast. Of course, we went to the pond with the large fish, and only later realized why they had so many signs that said "you caught it, you bought it"! Ooops!

 

Grouper fishing off west coast of FL for my sons B-day was almost as crazy. Went 20-30 miles out and caught them so fast we were feeling bad abaout it. But it's not a regular thing for us.

 

 

We probably eat fish at least 4 x's/week (salmon last night, tilapia tonight), but I'll let someone else do the work.

[ExiledInIllinois]

What kind of hunting? We have a park near me that allows deer hunting every few years to keep the population in check. They are only allowed to Bow hunt.

Oh and that's one awesome job.

Game birds.

 

https://www.wbez.org/shows/curious-city/where-can-you-hunt-in-chicago/2b6be04f-58b5-441c-8bd7-3d452553427c

 

Prior code § 193-32; Amend Coun. J. 5-16-90, p. 15819:

 

Any person licensed to hunt under the provisions of The Illinois Wildlife Code, as amended, may hunt or kill game birds in the open season as provided by the laws of the state, within the following prescribed districts and portions of the city: upon Wolf Lake and along the shores thereof; upon Lake Calumet and along the shores thereof; and upon the Calumet River and along the banks thereof.

 

Provided, however, that no weapons shall be used for the purpose of hunting such birds, or killing or wounding, or attempting to kill or wound such birds, other than a shotgun, and that such shotgun shall not be discharged anywhere within 750 feet of (1) any building or structure used or intended for human habitation or employment, or to be used as a barn or stable; or (2) the centerline of the right-of-way of Stony Island Avenue.

 

Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $100.00 nor more than $250.00.

[4merper4mer]

I caught half a fish once, I was reeling in my catch and a barracuda bit it cleanly in half.

That fish had a rough day.

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

 

http://www.tamarac.ca/walleye-fishing-trip-at-lake-hebert.php

 

This is where we go. Amazing walleye and northern pike fishing. I caught a 13 pound walleye when I was 10 years old. Thought I was pulling in a manatee.

That place looks really nice! My dad went on a trip to the Gouin reservoir many years ago and tells stories of the "road to Clova" apparently it was not a very well groomed road! Based on the addresses in your link that must be close by?

 

We go to Lake Kipawa...http://www.taggartbaylodge.com/ Awesome cabins and great people running the camp. The fishing is good and we are not so far out that we couldn't get to a hospital if something bad happened.

 

We also went to a place years ago that I still consider the most beautiful place I've ever seen in person. It was essentially the farthest north that you can reasonably drive to. About 15 hours north of Rochester. The last couple hours was spent on a logging road. We saw one other person the entire week we were there! The fishing was tough due to our total unfamiliarity with the lake and extremely high water levels though. http://www.wetetnagami.com/

[Johnny Hammersticks]

That place looks really nice! My dad went on a trip to the Gouin reservoir many years ago and tells stories of the "road to Clova" apparently it was not a very well groomed road! Based on the addresses in your link that must be close by?

 

We go to Lake Kipawa...http://www.taggartbaylodge.com/ Awesome cabins and great people running the camp. The fishing is good and we are not so far out that we couldn't get to a hospital if something bad happened.

 

We also went to a place years ago that I still consider the most beautiful place I've ever seen in person. It was essentially the farthest north that you can reasonably drive to. About 15 hours north of Rochester. The last couple hours was spent on a logging road. We saw one other person the entire week we were there! The fishing was tough due to our total unfamiliarity with the lake and extremely high water levels though. http://www.wetetnagami.com/

 

Yeah, Hebert is really nice. Great fishing obviously, but it is really nice to completely "unplug" and get away from civilization. When I was a kid they didn't have flushing toilets, so going to the bathroom in the morning in the outhouse was horrendous, but now they have indoor showers and toilets in each cabin. They also now have a satellite phone for emergencies. I remember back in the day my Father joking that if someone died we would have to prop their body up in the corner until mid-week when the plane came in with supplies There are only 4 cabins on the entire lake, so it is really low-key. And there is a guide that stays there all season long to help you find the fish (although it's not difficult), but they usually speak very limited english.

 

The drive on the dirt road to Clova is absolutely brutal. I think it usually takes us 8-10 hours to go about 65 miles. There were times when the road was completely washed out, and we would have to shovel dirt into the holes so we could pass. Craziness. Supposedly, they take better care of the road now. We'll see.

 

That Lake Kipawa place looks very nice. I like that you can fish for bass as well. The lake looks huge though! How do you find your spots? Do you get a guide? The cabins look very nice too.