Who loves fishing ?

belleswell

In Bloom
The migration of walleyes from the east end of Lake Erie has begun. They swim along the southern shore of the lake from the deeper end of Lake Erie
and head west where the majority of them run the Maumee river in Ohio and the Detroit river in Michigan. The launch we use is at Elizabeth park in Trenton
just upstream a little less than a mile from Lake Erie. One can always count on them showing up between the 7th to the 10th of April. They might be
a little earlier this year because of the mild winter.

The lower river fills with these fish and limit catches are usually the rule. Using an electric trolling motor to slow our drift, we vertically drift with jigs tipped with minnows.
We also fish for perch in the canals on Grosse Isle that are also filled with perch that have come from Lake Erie to spawn. Perch and Walleye are my #1 and #2 for eating,
so a few trips to the lower river are always worth the drive.

I caught and released my personnel best about 8 years ago. A female that measured 35 inches and weighed 14 1/4 lbs. She was
probably only a 12 lb fish but had over 2 lbs of eggs in her. Big ones do not taste as good as males in the 2 to 5 lb size so nowadays we release all of the big ones.
Especially the females bloated with eggs. U513OWr.jpg



Catch and Release the big ones..jpg


At the mouth of the Detroit river in Lake Erie for perch. Some are jumbos.
Lake Erie Perch (2).jpg
 
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Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
Never tried it.
Very similar to Trevalla with maybe a slightly richer flavour but just deluxe . We used to drop line fish for them both at the same time . New Zealand has a greater population . We’d fish on the edge of the shelf in epically deep water . The fish would halfway up in the lines pop to the surface with air bladders swollen from being pulled from such deep water . Occasionally we’d get raided by seals and Orcas that would annoyingly pluck the fish off our lines at their leisure . The seals would float on top munching away and looked like they were almost laughing at us . Buggers !!!!
 

Bullfrog

In Bloom
Blue eyed Trevalla , now you’re talking . One of my faves pulled from up to a kilometre deep water . Did you ever get Harpooka as well ?
So wonder they don't blow up. Or do they? Gotta bring em up slow I'd imagine.

Remember catching freshwater yellow perch in 70 ft, what's that 20 meters or so. When they were really biting 2 at a time, I'd get excited and bring em in too fast, blow the guts right out their mouths.

Can't even fathom fishing that deep. The oceans themselves blow my mind having never seen one. Was on the Gulf side of Florida, I guess that counts, didn't seem all that different than Lake Michigan as far as the water view, too cold to swim in when I was there, just like Lake Michigan. Walking on the piers wished I had a fishing pole, fish everywhere.

Edit: that'll teach me to not read through before I open my mouth. :)
 

Bullfrog

In Bloom
Very similar to Trevalla with maybe a slightly richer flavour but just deluxe . We used to drop line fish for them both at the same time . New Zealand has a greater population . We’d fish on the edge of the shelf in epically deep water . The fish would halfway up in the lines pop to the surface with air bladders swollen from being pulled from such deep water . Occasionally we’d get raided by seals and Orcas that would annoyingly pluck the fish off our lines at their leisure . The seals would float on top munching away and looked like they were almost laughing at us . Buggers !!!!
Probably smiling at you for the easy meal, they probably love em too. Totally ignorant when it comes to the ocean.
 

Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
Probably smiling at you for the easy meal, they probably love em too. Totally ignorant when it comes to the ocean.
I agree . They’d follow us for days sometimes just raiding us when they were hungry .
USA has way more population living land locked or inland than we do . Basically 90% of us live coastal so it’s a huge part of our lifestyle . Sadly though we totally messed up our countries domestic shipping and now it’s all foreign flagged ships . You guys were smart enough to employ the Jones Act which protects your domestic shipping from foreign flagged vessels protecting both your ports and jobs .
 

Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
So wonder they don't blow up. Or do they? Gotta bring em up slow I'd imagine.

Remember catching freshwater yellow perch in 70 ft, what's that 20 meters or so. When they were really biting 2 at a time, I'd get excited and bring em in too fast, blow the guts right out their mouths.

Can't even fathom fishing that deep. The oceans themselves blow my mind having never seen one. Was on the Gulf side of Florida, I guess that counts, didn't seem all that different than Lake Michigan as far as the water view, too cold to swim in when I was there, just like Lake Michigan. Walking on the piers wished I had a fishing pole, fish everywhere.

Edit: that'll teach me to not read through before I open my mouth. :)
lol to put it in context how deep we’d fish we had hydraulic haulers recovering our lines , I can’t recall the exact rate but let’s just say if you got your fingers in the spool say goodbye to wiping your butt with that hand again . Anyway it would take us about 10 -15 minutes to haul a line with no stops . That’s a fair time when you’re just straight hauling and not fighting a sport fish . Some of the underwater canyons were just epic to watch on our electronic sonars / sounders . It’s pitch black at those depths so you’d just know huge predators were lurking . Giant Bass and Giant Squid . The stuff of underwater horror movies lol . One particular fish called the Oil Fish virtually had hooks on each scale so it clearly sent a message , try eating me and you’ll pay the price .
 

Bullfrog

In Bloom
lol to put it in context how deep we’d fish we had hydraulic haulers recovering our lines , I can’t recall the exact rate but let’s just say if you got your fingers in the spool say goodbye to wiping your butt with that hand again . Anyway it would take us about 10 -15 minutes to haul a line with no stops . That’s a fair time when you’re just straight hauling and not fighting a sport fish . Some of the underwater canyons were just epic to watch on our electronic sonars / sounders . It’s pitch black at those depths so you’d just know huge predators were lurking . Giant Bass and Giant Squid . The stuff of underwater horror movies lol . One particular fish called the Oil Fish virtually had hooks on each scale so it clearly sent a message , try eating me and you’ll pay the price .
That is so wild. Would be quite something to experience.
Exactly how I imagine those depths, horror movie scary. It's another world.
 

Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
That is so wild. Would be quite something to experience.
Exactly how I imagine those depths, horror movie scary. It's another world.
There’s plenty about the creatures of the sea we are still yet to discover. Scientists still don’t know the full migratory patterns of the biggest living creature on the planet today . The Blue Whale . It’s such an amazing planet we live on . We so take it for granted at times I believe .
Anyway humans do what we do I guess and everyone views the world in a different way .
I kind of feel a little sad for those that never leave the cities and are consumed with the every day hustle of just surviving and providing for family .
I get it but it’s a shame many will never get a chance to stop and smell the roses so to speak .
 

Chefdave

In Bloom
Your so right, i do think in 50 or so years from now we will know more through technologies rapid advancements in oceanic exploration. I miss the ocean grew up going multiple times a year as a kid and fishing as adult. Live only 3.5 hours to ocean but never go anymore. Its sad.
 

Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
Your so right, i do think in 50 or so years from now we will know more through technologies rapid advancements in oceanic exploration. I miss the ocean grew up going multiple times a year as a kid and fishing as adult. Live only 3.5 hours to ocean but never go anymore. Its sad.
I’ll bet if you went to the coast the moment you smelt the Ocean all those memories would flood back so much more vivid . My affiliation with the Ocean is one I am forever grateful for . Without bitchin too much I’ve had a fair bit of turmoil in my life the last couple years and when I head to the coast it all fades away . As the song goes , Nothing else matters 👊🏻
 

Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
Ok so after a good few years my little rocket is back out on the bay where she’s happy along with her owners . Let’s see what the dusk into evening produces . Hopefully we catch a few tasty saltwater thingys . IMG_7886.jpeg IMG_7887.jpeg Yep , she can even drive boats . IMG_7894.jpeg I’ve hooked a medium sized ray . It’s a bit of playtime . IMG_7897.jpeg She’s out fishing me again ………. I need to re evaluate my methods
 

Ramjet159

pHeno pHisher
Have you ever seen Whiptail Ray ? They interest me a bit and I'm not sure if they are common or not.
I know the species you mention but no I can’t recall personally seeing one . That’s not to say they don’t inhabit our areas . I’ve seen huge rays over the years though . Dinner table size . Barbs nearing 15 inches long or more . As ugly as they look they’re actually pretty graceful to observe .
 

Amarok

bad mother chucker
Staff member
Moderator
As ugly as they look
I've always thought rays were beautiful.
I'll never forget my friend's description of night diving with massive rays in Hawaii. They came after the food that was attracted by the lights from the huge hotels over the bay. She said the way they swooped and twirled was as graceful as ballet, except it was 3-dimensional, covering 40 feet of the water column.
 
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