Any Fishing Enthusiasts here ?

[PDXJULES]

And ice fishing is by far my favorite thing in the whole world to do.
Howdy....

I was raised in NW Montana and we enjoyed Snowmobiles on icy lakes...but the big gas motors kept us warm. So - is it about the Whiskey?

 

[mdees88]

I would have been sooo POed, looks like you got it back at least.
(It was kinda funny )
Your pics are great, they make me sigh.

That was my buddies rod. He was mad, I was loving it. We chased the fish around for 10 minutes and finally got it back, lol.

 

[PDXJULES]

I'm sitting in my blind wishing i was fishing

Nice deer photo - wonder what attacked that tree? I miss having Venison in the freezer. We always had varied cuts of Deer and Elk for lunch and dinner...and could bring other kids over from school for a Venison Burger when we wanted to - that was wonderful. I don't think our parents noticed we also helped ourselves to beer!

Fishing, swimming, water-skiing was often, every summer (I moved to Oregon at 18 for College and more year-round entertainment and things to do) as Western Montana has many lakes. We caught mostly Trout, at clear forest lakes with free year-round public access. Lakes and streams have colorful gravel shores, and waters were regularly stocked by friendly government employees and hatchery folks from who knows where? We always had a ski boat and my dad taught anyone to water ski who could swim and wanted to try it - so he was a very popular dad in our town. It was a great way to grow up.

Our family owned a Gambles store so us kids were lucky to have access to all the Tackle, bait and equipment we hoped to try out. Simple shiney spinner casting lures with big worms was always the best - as long as I handled my own tackle I always caught the First Fish, Last Fish, and - you guessed it - the biggest fish! I'd heckle my dad and brother about it too - ordering them before my first cast to decide quick who among them was gonna clean or cook the trout - cuz I was gonna catch 'em! Wasn't just beginners-luck or a fish story either! Fish go nuts for human female hormones...so have your daughters shine your lures and tie on the bobbers. Truth is, I loved spending time with my Dad - but didn't really like to eat fish til i was an adult. Native American, Japanese and Greek versions of Salmon, and Chef-prepared trout and seafoods really opened my mind and expanded my palate.

For a holiday, our NW MT family would drive up and rent a log cabin and wood boat in Alberta or BC Canada for Pike - as their lakes hadn't been messed up yet by mining...like the USA let happen - long ago before the devastating impact was understood. My dad was a Dale Carnegie Mr Hospitality --person, but warned us to do what we could to run off any geologists who come around in their white trucks because they were coming to destroy our way of life. We shared a mountain range with Canada called the Bob Marshall Wilderness - with more large game than any other place in the Americas. Never had cats due to allergies, but for awhile, I had beautiful Mountain Lion and twin Bobcat pelts on my bedroom walls. Never once had a bad dream about the permanently fierce teeth. Local folks expect and deserve reasonable access to any protected lands, and Grizzlies do their part to keep the tourists from over-camping the high woods. At one lake west of Calgary BC, Pike filled My folks would not let us put fish in the fridge or freezer, so we'd give away whatever we didn't cook the same day. He formerly led hunting trips (we sold all the equipment and licenses for our area) but my dad quit hunting and fishing when he moved to Trout Lake , MT and lived a lot more simply with less stuff in his later years. He gave away the meat from his last kill, and called me to say he'd quit hunting. I was quite shocked, and thought, Lord he's truly not got much life left. He put out salt licks for deer, cussed out flocks of wild turkeys who scratch up the roots of trees, He joked that he ran off the hunters...and was running a god-damned nature reserve! Thank goodness for books, sports, snowplows, carpentry projects and friends - he enjoyed himself til his last months. Glad I was able to be with him when he passed at his home. I still have a casting reel he'd kept, and also a prized antique book detailing Model A/T Motor Car Motors, which he used in restoration projects. Those were Good Times.

Would love to add Salmon fishing and ocean shellfishing to my retirement activities, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on equipment. I've been deep-sea fishing a couple times, but hated the early mornings. May as well do it again, now that the dang chickens (and old age) have made me a morning person! My partner was born in Oregon so his annual License is cheap. Now I love Sushi and a bit of Sashimi, and my city has many places where Pros do it well. Potlucks and BBQ parties and Restaraunt Menus around here usually involve Salmon and Shrimp. Amazed at the abundance of seafood and crawfish caught in Oregon. We don't eat much lake trout anymore, as heavy metals are a serious risk...and we read labels of seafood we buy at stores for source waters. Now that there are excellent Breweries and restaurants in coastal towns, I'm considering buying a little piece of land on the Pacific Coast - so clamming and Crabbing and Rock Fishing may well become a thing. Elk are so plentiful, maybe I can luck into an annual hunt, or help wrap meat for a share. Tho I grew up in a hunting family and helped out in my dad's basement bullet-making enterprise, I'm not interested in having guns - as too many family members have died from interactions with them. Bullets can really bite. I do enjoy watching people catch and cook fish - from all around the world - on Youtube. These are the Good Times, too.

Enjoy your fishing, and involve your grand-daughters or women friends in rigging up your gear - so ya don't get Skunked!

 

[PDXJULES]

My favorite thing to....

OMG - that's what I'm talking about. Admire your pluck - but I could NEVER do it. No amount of Early Times could get me to sit there for hours! I remember getting frost-bitten toes after having to shovel heavy snow for an hour - to be able to Ice Skate for a few minutes...then had to walk home. I cried all the way, and after. You know I won't be doing THAT again, either.

Oddly, I am the first one in the neighborhood to shovel walks and driveways in winter, tho. Breathing that crisp air is awesome. Maybe you aren't that crazy after all?

 

[PDXJULES]

Then you would like Steelhead and Salmon.... You feel like you hooked a VW

Ya, Salmon can give one a real game and a workout.

I went for SwordFish off Costa Rica's Pacific side a few years back, after running into an old MT classmate who worked catch and release SportFishing. That size fish can be quite a drag also! The Boat Crew keep rods in steel holders till time to reel em in - and usually assume folks want THEM to handle it all. Wasn't my first time telling dudes to back off my gear. Sure needed help on the hauling in net tho. I don't think I got a photo, dangit. Maybe my buddy has one. Beautiful fish, like a giant hummingbird...and easy to spot on the horizon - see a streak of silver jump straight up...and head on over. The Sport-fishers are sad to see commercial boats trawling near there, while stocks are threatened. I don't think I need to do catch and release again, but it was a time...and we LOVED eating fresh fish on shore. You can carry in your fresh catch and hand it to a Chef. YUM!

 

[jnicholes]

Haven’t been on this thread for a long time. Not much to say fishing wise this season, but I did get a duck and a bear in hunting season so far!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

Haven’t been on this thread for a long time. Not much to say fishing wise this season, but I did get a duck and a bear in hunting season so far!

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congratulations on your bear and duck!

never really got to do any fishing this year. so now am just going to wait till ice fishing.

did get a few rabbits and grouse for the table.

 

[jnicholes]

congratulations on your bear and duck!

never really got to do any fishing this year. so now am just going to wait till ice fishing.

did get a few rabbits and grouse for the table.

Yesterday while hunting, I saw a bunch of carp jumping. Then, I jumped this male.

 

[LittleLakePhil]

I was raised in NW Montana and we enjoyed Snowmobiles on icy lakes...but the big gas motors kept us warm. So - is it about the Whiskey?

 

[LittleLakePhil]

OMG - that's what I'm talking about. Admire your pluck - but I could NEVER do it. No amount of Early Times could get me to sit there for hours! I remember getting frost-bitten toes after having to shovel heavy snow for an hour - to be able to Ice Skate for a few minutes...then had to walk home. I cried all the way, and after. You know I won't be doing THAT again, either.

Oddly, I am the first one in the neighborhood to shovel walks and driveways in winter, tho. Breathing that crisp air is awesome. Maybe you aren't that crazy after all?

A year ago my wife of 38 years took her life.
So I spent a year not fishing. Starting to get out again.