What, is no one fishing in 2017?

Come on, let's see 'um!!

Pap

I have been just haven't been taking a lot of pictures.
Leaving Monday to go after big trout. Tuesday will be on a sea plane to the chandeleur island I'll take a few pics, then the 30th Tuna fishing if the weather allows.

Same here. I have access to a private-managed bass lake. I had been a ton right up to hip surgery. Last time out we caught at least 30 over 3 lb. 5 over 5lb. It's some fine bass fishing.

My boss runs a weekend charter boat on Lake Ontario near Rochester, NY. He's taking 6 of us teammates in search of some Salmon 7/7.

Chief, if it's not too much trouble, please post up after your trips especially contact information for the guides. Both a Chandeleur trip and a tuna trip out of Venice are on my "must do" list. Thanks.

On the fishing issue, other than some surf fishing, I have only been once this year a few weeks ago. Fished St. Joe Bay FL and had fun catching Spanish mackerel during the early summer run but could not find the speckled trout like we wanted. But, a special bonus is that we were able to pull up to a shrimp boat and buy about 30 pounds of rock trip. I love those things and we can't get them very often.

Planning another trip some time in July but may I have a chance to get out earlier. It's warm enough now to wade the grass flats and fish for trout and reds. Fun stuff.

Bass fishing is always good here in TN and we're blessed to be surrounded by some great fisheries - Kentucky Lake, Barkley, Dale Hollow, Percy Priest etc. and all within an hour or so from the house.

Heading out on the annual Yellowstone/ Tetons trip soon - trout fishing heaven. I'll have to post some photos afterwards.

Where in the Yellowstone area are you going? I was a fly fishing guide the summer of 1975 and I lived in Island Park, adjacent to the Park.

Pap

Pap, we usually shack up with an old army buddy in Livingston to fish the Yellowstone River between there and Gardiner for a couple days and then head down into the park for a week. We'll fish several spots within the park but I probably like the Firehole most. Went with Wild Trout Outfitters in Big Sky one year down a stretch of the Gallatin River and had a great time.

I don't think there's anywhere in that area where you can't have a great day of fishing -if the trout aren't biting the scenery makes up for it.

If you really want an adventure, go to Ashton, Idaho, then drive to the SW part of the Park at the Bechler Ranger Station. Take the trail up to the Bechler River. A most unbelievable excursion and pristine fishing. Stay at the Elk Creek Lodge in Island Park, Idaho.

Pap

Thanks for the tip - is that off of Henry's Fork? My other half always wants to go to that place in Rexburg to feed the bear cubs and I think Ashton is not far from there - might be a good excuse to accommodate her this trip.

No, the Bechler flows a different direction, and yes, Ashton is close to Rexburg. Also anywhere you go in the Park or outside, take bear spray. Never fish the same water twice unless you live there, too many new and fun places to fish and see in that country.

Pap

Roger that, learned about the bear spray a while back and we carry the bigger bottles. We had a grizzly get a little too close last year -not spray close but close enough for Tennesseans. I carry a small boaters horn also and a couple blasts ran him off. Part of the experience package..

When I graduated forestry school, my first job was with the Forest Service in Island Park, Idaho. I had spent one summer in Montana and lots of black bears but no Grizz. The 2nd day working a clear cut boundary, I was chased up a tree by a grizzly. I went up a lodgepole pine that had no branches for 25 feet and hung in for 30 minutes. He finally left. A year later I was chased back to my truck by another grizzly. This was before pepper spray. Not fun.

Pap

All the time that bear was laughing and thinking "why is he trying to act like a bear hugging that tree"

Here you go Pappy, as promised 6 of my teammates hit Lake Ontario at 6:30 this morning chartered by our boss Capt.Paul who runs a weekend Charter boat. We've been doing this for several years and today did not disappoint. Largest was a 34", 25 pound King Salmon. Several other smaller kings and a Rainbow Trout were boated. As we were pulling in lines for the day I landed a Lake Trout which we released as not really great eating.
Last pick was dinner this evening. Salmon, lemon pepper sauce, chopped Marcona almonds with fresh garden dill. It didn't suck.

Warren,
Did they get cleaned with your super sweet ,new filet knife?

Warren
very nice, good to see you are getting out
Peter

Why you think I was land locked or something
Actually fresh water lake fishing is new to me. I lived in deep canyon salt water in my early days. Total different style of fishing and I'm learning alot. Always a great time.

More from today's outing. Here's Capt. Paul with some roe and some Alewives in states of digestion. This female ate one too many.

Great pictures Warren. Looks like a blast. Do you stay at a lodge?

Pap

No, several of us stay at a nearby hotel to make the 6:30 sail time. We found a rustic local Brew pub on the Erie Canal several years ago and look forward to kicking back; it's been part of the trip.

Great summer fishing!
Thanks for the pictures.

No Billy, I've been using this one for a few years around the kitchen and taken it fishing a few times. I do wish I'd brought my 11" Behring fillet blade with the fossil handle. Would have been faster and a better choice on those big Kings.

In the smoker she goes.

Warren, Those out to be awesome when you are done. I found out today that Costco started selling the 20lb bag of hickory wood pellets(Traeger brand).

Eric,

Hickory is great on mostly everything. I use the small chips in the smoking pan. This time I'm using apple wood chips but I also have some pecan and mesquite available.

Warren, I use the hickory wood pellets on my charcoal briquet BBQ. Once the briquets are red hot I sprinkle the Hickory wood pellets over them. I prefer the pellets over soaking the wood chips. I have never tried pecan before, sounds good.

Looking pretty tasty there Warren!! I smoked a batch of jerky today. Used hickory today but also use your trio you mentioned and also keep a batch of cherry on hand as well. Enjoy!!!!!

Thanks Steve, yes I have cherry; guess I missed that.

140 degrees, done!

Don't let em get cold
Looking good!

Thanks Dave, great finger picking food.

Good looking meal - always tastes better when you harvest it yourself and put in the work.

Thanks Dwight, no doubt about that.

Went on our yearly trip to visit friends and then relatives in Northern Ontario.
The fish were not nearly as big as what Warren caught. As well I gave blood to every biting creature the good Lord created. We usually go in September, but can not do that this year.
Then we took a day trip to Moosonee, Ontario. My American friends will have to look that place up in their atlas. And NO I would not recommend a trip there.
Caught a small pike/jackfish the first cast off the dock. Then we took the boat and caught 2 lake trout, about 8 lbs each plus 2 more that were 3 lbs or so.
It was a spectacular morning on the lake.

A few more pics.

Also saw a dead young moose with an eagle feeding on the carcass, but did not get a pic.

On the way home Tuesday a young moose came out of the bush, thinking of crossing the highway. No time for a photo at 100 KMH/60 MPH and he went back in the bush, thank goodness.

Spectacular Rod. I had the opportunity to see Moose several times in the wild but only 1 small Bull. Glad you had a good time.Thank you for the pics.

Hi Rod
Nice photos and fish. I haven't fished in many years, but you can't have time to do everything, and fishing is pretty far down the list now

Peter

Really beautiful fish, moose, and especially lake shot Rod', Thanks for posting.

Very nice. I just booked a red snapper trip for next Sunday. Hope the weather cooperates.

Went out bow fishing with the boy this weekend - queue up the Jaws music..

Damn, talk about teeth.

He was still unhappy when we got him in the boat. The gar are everywhere in the rivers here and now the Asian carp have gotten a foothold so bow fishing has gotten pretty popular in these parts. There's about as many bowfish tournaments now as there are bass ones. They will go out and shoot 30+ carp on an average night.

Dwight

Man what a great photo. Is there much fight to them?

They're pretty feisty, Rod. I've caught a few while bass fishing on rattletraps but they'll usually break off after a good but brief fight. Even bow fishing they will fight pretty hard after the arrow goes thru them. He probably has some good sized cousins up there where you are.

Yeah, we had those in the rivers in Kansas (when I was younger). Horribly annoying to deal with when you're fishing for anything else.

Got a fav lure or jig? yeah, not any more -- the resident gar will snatch it and snap your line with a couple of shakes. done and gone.

Dwight

I am not into fishing big time. But I did look up on the internet and yes we have Gar in Lake Ontario.
Next time I am at my local outdoors store, I will ask them about the fish.

The southern version can get Big!

Those referred to as Alligator Gar?

The earlier post by Boomer51 is an Alligator Gar, yes.

I'm not sure what that beast on the pallet can be. I'm thinking maybe a bamalam version of the Loc Ness monster.

(edit) After looking it up, seems that I was mis-informed. The big monster is an alligator gar and the Boomer51 pic is a long-nose gar.

We called them Alligator Gar in Kansas, apparently we were wrong.

Back in the Bayous of Belle River they eat 5-10 lb. Nutria.
Wild looking to see them swimming then a big splash and gone.
They can terrorize a trout line in a hurry!
Of course the Cajuns eat the gar as well!

Please don't tell me it tastes like chicken.....

Gar balls, Sauce Piquante, never tastes like chicken.
It's not as good as Angels on horseback .....but still good eatin'.

Hey, if you put enough Cajun seasoning on it, cook it long enough, and get the gumbo going, it all tastes like chicken, but good. Wine, gumbo and song. Ahheee!
Pap

Thanks for beating me to that Pap. Still shaking my head.

Ain't eating no gar balls OR Rocky Mtn. oysters.....no matter how much Cajun sauce they've soaked in.

Too damn funny Duke. BTW, I agree

Believe me Duke, Rocky Mountain Oysters, don't taste like chicken.

Pap

Bruce's in Severance, CO, rents out duck blinds in the Fall - Show up early for breakfast and your blind assignment:

We will have to hook you up with the angels on horseback for sure!
Which is a 20 count shrimp butterflied open with a oyster stuffed in then wrapped in bacon double battered then quick fried.


Sauce Piquant is a style of cooking used for rabbit, duck, alligator, chicken and seafood. Just about anything you can dream of has been used to whip up a sauce piquant.
A sauce piquant is tomato based using a combination of whole, stewed, sauce and paste, and, uses a small roux.

Thanks Chief for splainin the recipes to dem other fella's! Now, I be hungry. Off to da freezer! Man I miss dat place!

All this talking about RM Oysters reminds me of an old joke...

The punchline is "sometimes the bull wins."

Oysters; just had a dozen today in Sag Harbor, NY. Local catch, they were awesome.

Chandeleur trip couple of shots. This guy is awesome. Limited out in 3-4 hours! Great accommodations & food, awesome staff!

Nice catch brother congrats.

Thanks for posting up the pics Chief. Looks like a dream trip to me. Wading? Live bait or artificials?

Wowzer!! Live shrimp?

Pap

All artificial so many mullets and poggys around that artificial is the best choice. Fish we caught were full of fingerling mullets. No shrimp out there only in the inlets with the grass.
1st cast at 7:45 had limit at 10:20. 125 fish, missed no telling how many as we were wading instead of being in a boat.
That 6 foot difference in height was hard to get used to.
Going back on May 2-3. For BIG trout between April 10th to 1st week of June.
That's when the 6 plus pounders make up the majority of the catch!

Really sweet Chief. Must have been a beautiful day in the water.

The salt water trout are my favorite eating, even better than snapper, IMHO.

Pap

Largemouth bass from a pond walking distance from the house

Pappy,
The salt water trout,is that what we call weakfish up here in the N/E???

Wayne

Yes, I believe so. The states around the Gulf all call them trout. Confusing to me at first, since trout means rainbow, brookie, brown, etc. I don't know the story. Maybe like lung fish became monk fish and they sold more t consumers. Who would want to eat a lung fish?

Pap

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weakfish

I caught my share of Weakfish when I lived on Long Island. Lots of fun on light tackle, great eating too.

Okay Chief. I sent them an email about booking a trip. Not sure if I can swing it but I'm going to check it out. Long weekend in N'awlins and some great fishing sounds like a great combination to me. :-)

Like these guys, maybe?

I've been fortunate enough to surf fish, & only on the Outer Banks of N. Carolina, ever, a not nearly enough times, in my short life. Love fishing for, catching & eating trout and they are never better than caught and cooked in my huge, old, two-handed skillet, right behind the dunes.....caught just after daylight, keep on catching and cooking & eating 'em for every meal for two days....day & night. Magical.
AND my most unusual time was in the mid '70's in Buxton, NC, two days before the hurricane hit picking them up in the surf and pilling them into 5 gal. buckets. Beaching themselves to escape schools of this other friend. Like GOD sending them in to feed me.
Grateful

Wally,

Same pond where you get those snapping turtles? Nice bass, about 8#?

Right on Chief!!! Great Pic's Great TRIP!!!! Send pic's of the fish fry!!!!!

Warren, I am guilty of pulling 3 or 4 snappers out of this pond. The bass weighed 5 pounds, but another fellow had pulled an 8 pounder out right before I caught that one.

You go right ahead Wally, I'll watch from the sidelines.

Groundhog lake Colorado. After elk hunt, we decided to fish a while.
Oklahoma crappie jigs killed them lol

Wow, nice cutthroat. Feisty I'm sure.

Pap

Very nice Marty. Good eating I imagine. Sounds like a great trip all the way around.

Great time spent. I’m fortunate

Took my Son D.J. fishing before the Corp sends him to Japan.
Had to throw a lot back to get some Reds small enough to eat, still limited out but had to keep at it to get them in the 17-20 inch range.
And snapper season was over so none of those were able to be kept either.

Wow, what a great outing!! Did you hire out or on your own? Super pictures.

Pap

On my own. They had a tournament that week told 2-3 boats where I catch the bulls for fun.
One of them took 2nd.

Had to pick on my boy, he had to cheat & use 2 hands to hold one of his bulls up for that picture.
Told him I would move over so you only saw one arm holding it.
Was a pretty good fish.

Nice fish. Safe travels DJ!

Certainly, safe travels and a smooth return state-side.

Thanks guys!