Who loves fishing ?

[Psychobilly]

Spring has been very late here this year.
The river is finally open but the banks are still lined with massive chunks of ice, making access very tricky. I went to my home spot today to check progress.

As I made my way down and along the bank I saw a lot of very fresh moose tracks and some fresh dung. At the hole there were 15-20 foot wide ice sheets on the edge, about two feet thick, sloping toward the river, and covered with a layer of slick mud. There was a very small section of exposed rocks at river's edge so I climb/slid across the ice and made my way to the open spot.

I got set up and made a cast or two when something made me look to my left. About 30 yards away, coming straight toward me along the riverbank, were a momma moose and a yearling calf behind her.

I called out in a calm voice "Hey mooses, I don't wanna mess with you, Go around the other way".

Momma looked at me and cut up the bank and around me with the young-un close behind. She must have miscalculated or been unable to find a route as she had to double back along the hillside above me, but luckily there was no sign of aggression, and after the split second of "WTF?" when I first saw a 600-800 pound moose coming straight toward me, I never felt threatened.

I admit my spidey senses were on full alert the rest of the time I was there, but nothing happened, not even a bite. Me and my skunk still came home smiling.

Damn bro! Sounds like a beautiful place We don't have Moose here, though one of my spots where I landed my largest fish (a big Carp) has a Coyote den like literally right by it. They don't ever come out or anything and i haven't ever personally had an issue with them out there, but part of that is possibly them sensing "That fucker is waiting for it to be self defense so he doesn't have to buy a license, and I bet he's gonna feed us to a Catfish" LOL.



That was like 3 years ago; Almost shredded 40 pound Mono leader LOL.

 

[Amarok]

Sounds like a beautiful place

I'm the first to say that it isn't for everybody, but I love it.

Where I live is a bit colder and more rugged than many people prefer but that means less people, which makes me happy.
I recently mentioned to someone that with being outside so much and rarely going to the city, I see about 100 piles of deer scat for every human being. I'm good with maintaining that ratio.

I hear coyotes singing every evening, I'm starting to establish a connection with the local crows, I'm getting to know the deer trails in the creek valley.

Life is good.

 

[Psychobilly]

I'm the first to say that it isn't for everybody, but I love it.

Where I live is a bit colder and more rugged than many people prefer but that means less people, which makes me happy.
I recently mentioned to someone that with being outside so much and rarely going to the city, I see about 100 piles of deer scat for every human being. I'm good with maintaining that ratio.

I hear coyotes singing every evening, I'm starting to establish a connection with the local crows, I'm getting to know the deer trails in the creek valley.

Life is good.

I admit that I do enjoy having the Woods as "the back yard" cause I can go fuck off just about any time and walk around for hours. I've probably scared the shit out of hikers now and then; There's a county park that starts at the end of the property line, and in Summer time a big dude with a huge beard covered in sweat with fish blood stains walking out there.... Haha.

 

[Psychobilly]

^ Why I'd actually end up dying in India or Thailand LOL. Goonch are a Catfish species and until a few years ago no one seemed to know very much about them; Now I've seen a picture of one that was over 7 feet long, but according to locals, they get a lot bigger than that, and apparently over 10 feet isn't unheard of, which is about how big they would need to be to devour a grown man.

There's lots of stories of them attacking humans, and I tend to think that's true as Catfish are essentially top predators, and even though they will scavenge if they're starving, they actually generally are the top predator in any given river unless a MUCH bigger Bull Shark is around.

My Weed obsession for Cheese and Chemdog is a lot like my Catfish obsession when it comes to angling. The sheer amount of experimentation you can do at a river to see what will make a Catfish attack is just interesting to me; You may catch a bunch of little Catfish with a chunk of soap, worms, fish, snails, fruit, and even weird shit like gummy candy, but for a true giant you are WAY more likely to have success with live prey; And I also feel like our "World Record" Catfish here in America are nothing compared to how big they were just a hundred years ago.

Mark Twain said he saw Catfish over 200 pounds in America. The problem with these REAL giants being caught is not because they don't exist anymore; It's that no one is out there using a 40 pound Carp as live bait; The World Record Flathead for example is 123 pounds; Inside it's stomach was a massive Buffalo. the largest one caught illegally was 139 pounds, and Blue Catfish, which have a current record of 143 pounds, have the ability to get a lot bigger than that; There's pictures of a guy who caught a Blue Cat, and it was so big he couldn't even get a full picture because he couldn't lift it. I saw two of those pictures and it could very well have been 200 pounds.

I've caught Channel Cats over 10 pounds with a big hunk of spicy Slim Jim for bait, and caught similar sized ones using a White Perch filet. Flatheads on the other hand; You're better off using live fish or lures, and they do NOT like to scavenge. Incredibly species to say the least!

@Amarok

If you ever find yourself in the mood for a road trip and end up here in the Mitten, we should probably go for a little trip to the river I know Canada does have Channel Cats, but I'm not sure they go as far out as your area. We do have some species of Mad Tom here that are incredibly small Catfish, and live in the Northern parts of Michigan, but I'm not sure if you have them there.

Also I don't have some weird hatred of Bass, I just prefer Catfish, Carp, and Sturgeon is all. The memes making fun of Bass Anglers are simply funny in my opinion in case it bothered anyone.

 

[AlienAthena]

View attachment trim.DDFA5673-8227-4593-893C-FFEF09C45280.MOV
1 of the 2 beavers that have taken up residence at my little spot. They are completely demolishing the little trees around lake but no complaints from me they’ve created some new paths lol

 

[Psychobilly]

View attachment 116274
1 of the 2 beavers that have taken up residence at my little spot. They are completely demolishing the little trees around lake but no complaints from me they’ve created some new paths lol

Hey! They prefer to be called "Vagina Squirrels" ! LOL

 

[Amarok]

View attachment 116274
1 of the 2 beavers that have taken up residence at my little spot. They are completely demolishing the little trees around lake but no complaints from me they’ve created some new paths lol

@AlienAthena (or anyone else) have you ever heard them making vocalizations?

The other evening there were two of them at my spot just before sundown and they were making this sound to each other that I can only describe as a soft whine/purr. A third one showed up from a different direction and all three were making that sound.

I can't recall ever hearing that before, but I'm thinking that is maybe because the sound of flowing water usually muffles it. ?
Or maybe it is something to do with mating season? /shrug Anyway, it was cool to experience something new (to me).

Also, it was great to see that the ice absolutely destroyed the lodge that they built last fall in the middle of the hole access. Stupid river rats like clogging up fishing spots, so it is cool to see the river itself clearing them out.

 

[Amarok]

My kid just sent me this.
Somehow they got hold of a certain member's final dumb moments.

 

[AlienAthena]

@AlienAthena (or anyone else) have you ever heard them making vocalizations?

The other evening there were two of them at my spot just before sundown and they were making this sound to each other that I can only describe as a soft whine/purr. A third one showed up from a different direction and all three were making that sound.

I can't recall ever hearing that before, but I'm thinking that is maybe because the sound of flowing water usually muffles it. ?
Or maybe it is something to do with mating season? /shrug Anyway, it was cool to experience something new (to me).

Also, it was great to see that the ice absolutely destroyed the lodge that they built last fall in the middle of the hole access. Stupid river rats like clogging up fishing spots, so it is cool to see the river itself clearing them out.

Nope I’ve never heard the sound but I usually have headphones on. I’ll make sure to keep an ear out next time. They’ve made their lodge along the bank so there’s no clogging going on. I was happy to find out they’re vegetarians so no real impact on the fish. My biggest problem is the Osprey; i’m convinced they’re taking the bigger fish lol

edit: a quick google search tells me it’s not the osprey so must be people

 

[Amarok]

Nope I’ve never heard the sound but I usually have headphones on. I’ll make sure to keep an ear out next time. They’ve made their lodge along the bank so there’s no clogging going on. I was happy to find out they’re vegetarians so no real impact on the fish. My biggest problem is the Osprey; i’m convinced they’re taking the bigger fish lol

edit: a quick google search tells me it’s not the osprey so must be people

On this river there are very few spots fishable from the bank, so when a family of beavers blocks a chunk of bank with a lodge and then builds a food stash of branches going 20-odd feet out into the river, it screws things right up.

The predators that really bug me are the pelicans. They've really established themselves around here over the last 20 years or so. They eat a large % of their body weight in fish every day and they live in groups.

 

[Psychobilly]

My kid just sent me this.
Somehow they got hold of a certain member's final dumb moments.

View attachment 116310

I feel attacked hahahahaha!

 

[Ramjet159]

On this river there are very few spots fishable from the bank, so when a family of beavers blocks a chunk of bank with a lodge and then builds a food stash of branches going 20-odd feet out into the river, it screws things right up.

The predators that really bug me are the pelicans. They've really established themselves around here over the last 20 years or so. They eat a large % of their body weight in fish every day and they live in groups.

Got a bit of a soft spot for Pelicans . We’ve stuffed up a lot of their once plentiful habitat forcing them to areas they don’t traditionally inhabit .
Ever seen the movie Storm Boy ? It’s a ripper of a tale about a young lad much to the ridicule of his father hand rearing a disposed pelican chick and forming an inseparable bond , it’s a really nice little movie made in the late 70s

 

[Amarok]

Got a bit of a soft spot for Pelicans . We’ve stuffed up a lot of their once plentiful habitat forcing them to areas they don’t traditionally inhabit .
Ever seen the movie Storm Boy ? It’s a ripper of a tale about a young lad much to the ridicule of his father hand rearing a disposed pelican chick and forming an inseparable bond , it’s a really nice little movie made in the late 70s

I don't think I'd ever seen them around here until the early 2000s. Then it was just the lakes west of Edmonton, but they'd moved into the river in the city in the years before I left. I saw them near my place for the first time the other day. There were 2 or 3 soaring around up high in the strong winds.

Raccoons are another critter that is quietly moving in. As many of you may know, hunting and fishing forums are often a source of information that may not be well known outside those communities. It isn't generally acknowledged that rakuns (copyright Ricky of Sunnyvale)are around, but there are enough trail cam pics and tracks and the odd one getting hit by a car, that I have no doubt. I've seen tracks myself numerous times, though not a live one yet.

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I've never heard of Storm Boy, I'm afraid.

 

[Psychobilly]

I don't think I'd ever seen them around here until the early 2000s. Then it was just the lakes west of Edmonton, but they'd moved into the river in the city in the years before I left. I saw them near my place for the first time the other day. There were 2 or 3 soaring around up high in the strong winds.

Raccoons are another critter that is quietly moving in. As many of you may know, hunting and fishing forums are often a source of information that may not be well known outside those communities. It isn't generally acknowledged that rakuns (copyright Ricky of Sunnyvale)are around, but there are enough trail cam pics and tracks and the odd one getting hit by a car, that I have no doubt. I've seen tracks myself numerous times, though not a live one yet.

---------

I've never heard of Storm Boy, I'm afraid.

Once you see one with it's head stuck in a jar, my joke about looking like one when someone has a jar of Cheese or Chem will come crashing through, and you'll giggle as you attempt to pull it off LOL. We have lots of them here; they can be downright vicious, but then again, they're competing around these parts with coyotes and possibly a breed of Wild Cat. Wife and I were walking in the woods one day with her youngest, and while we were walking through the trail getting deeper into the Woods, we both heard a sound that I had not heard out there before, and she instantly grabbed the little one and headed back toward the car, as I walked towards the sound we heard allowing them to get back before I came in. I have no idea what actually made that noise, but I know a Feline noise when I hear one too, and I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Wild Cats are rare (I've never seen one out there) but people have seen them on their trail cams not far from here, and I think that may have been what we heard that day.

 

[Amarok]

I went exploring today.
Started out checking a trout lake but it was still frozen so I went hiking and checking out the area instead. There was so much animal sign, it was amazing. Getting through the brush was easy because there were game trails everywhere. I saw a badger den(presumed), a fishercat, some loons, snow geese and a bunch of other birds. Everywhere I stopped I could hear grouse beating their wings in the distance, and even some frogs singing.
I also found this, as well as a few feather piles, showing that the predators have been eating well.



Then I drove to the river and explored. I was checking out spots I'd marked on a sat map and looking for access points and fishing holes.
It was so fun. I found some new spots, confirmed some others and eliminated a few possibles. Once again there was critter sign everywhere.
I should have got a photo of every kill spot I saw, but only took a few.




I also saw a lot of predator poop, including some fresh bear droppings. They were full of berries; not sure where he found those.

It was so nice to be out. I also met a local farmer/landowner and now have permission to access miles and miles of riverbank, even though it's all marked "No Trespassing". Life is good.

 

[Ramjet159]

I went exploring today.
Started out checking a trout lake but it was still frozen so I went hiking and checking out the area instead. There was so much animal sign, it was amazing. Getting through the brush was easy because there were game trails everywhere. I saw a badger den(presumed), a fishercat, some loons, snow geese and a bunch of other birds. Everywhere I stopped I could hear grouse beating their wings in the distance, and even some frogs singing.
I also found this, as well as a few feather piles, showing that the predators have been eating well.

View attachment 116422

Then I drove to the river and explored. I was checking out spots I'd marked on a sat map and looking for access points and fishing holes.
It was so fun. I found some new spots, confirmed some others and eliminated a few possibles. Once again there was critter sign everywhere.
I should have got a photo of every kill spot I saw, but only took a few.
View attachment 116423


View attachment 116424
I also saw a lot of predator poop, including some fresh bear droppings. They were full of berries; not sure where he found those.

It was so nice to be out. I also met a local farmer/landowner and now have permission to access miles and miles of riverbank, even though it's all marked "No Trespassing". Life is good.

Most farmers our way are good like that . What they don’t like is morons coming onto the property unannounced leaving rubbish and trashing the place .
We all know the story . There’s always a few nobs that stuff it up for the rest .

 

[Amarok]

Most farmers our way are good like that . What they don’t like is morons coming onto the property unannounced leaving rubbish and trashing the place .

I spent over an hour standing in the road talking with this guy and only one other vehicle went by. Apparently during hunting season that tiny little back road is almost bumper to bumper with what he calls "drive-by hunters". Most of them are city boys with no respect and fewer brains.

So yeah, I can absolutely relate to not wanting those assholes running around on your property. Even a lot of fishermen leave garbage and empties around. Fuck those guys.

Like I said to this guy, this is my home now, and these are my neighbors. I want good relations with everybody. (Not that I am disrespectful at other times, but it's especially important to me in this case.)

 

[Ramjet159]

I spent over an hour standing in the road talking with this guy and only one other vehicle went by. Apparently during hunting season that tiny little back road is almost bumper to bumper with what he calls "drive-by hunters". Most of them are city boys with no respect and fewer brains.

So yeah, I can absolutely relate to not wanting those assholes running around on your property. Even a lot of fishermen leave garbage and empties around. Fuck those guys.

Like I said to this guy, this is my home now, and these are my neighbors. I want good relations with everybody. (Not that I am disrespectful at other times, but it's especially important to me in this case.)

City boys hehehe yep pretty well sums it up .
What you’ve never known you’ll never miss I guess but life in the big metro without ever experiencing nature at its best is kind of sad to me ??‍♂️

 

[Amarok]

I don't think I've asked you, @Ramjet159 , about the Aussie MMA fighters in the UFC. You've got some interesting ones.

You've got Volk and Bobby Knuckles who are both tough as hell, but also seem like good men. Guys it would be fun to drink a pint or smoke a doob with.
Then you've got Tuivasa. Also tough as hell, but drinks beer from a stranger's shoe and seems like the next beer might be the one that starts him trashing the pub and everyone in it.

There's actually a bunch: Jess Rose Clark, Tyson Pedro, Dan Hooker and even more I think.
It's almost like you blokes like a good scrap.

Any thoughts or insights or local stories?

(I know it's the fishing thread, scroll on if ya don't like MMA. ;-P )

 

[Ramjet159]

I don't think I've asked you, @Ramjet159 , about the Aussie MMA fighters in the UFC. You've got some interesting ones.

You've got Volk and Bobby Knuckles who are both tough as hell, but also seem like good men. Guys it would be fun to drink a pint or smoke a doob with.
Then you've got Tuivasa. Also tough as hell, but drinks beer from a stranger's shoe and seems like the next beer might be the one that starts him trashing the pub and everyone in it.

There's actually a bunch: Jess Rose Clark, Tyson Pedro, Dan Hooker and even more I think.
It's almost like you blokes like a good scrap.

Any thoughts or insights or local stories?

(I know it's the fishing thread, scroll on if ya don't like MMA. ;-P )

I don’t mind MMA . You just have to admire their toughness and skill set . Tuivasa is about the only one I’ve watched of late . My son is all over it so he’d know all your queries .
I’m more into Australian Rules football although it’s not what it used to be either because of rule changes over the last couple decades that leave players wondering just how hard they can attack the ball without being penalised .