Who loves fishing ?

[Amarok]

The post on the jokes thread reminded me of stories.

A couple summers ago I was out on my home water. This is a large lake about 70 km from the city, and my favorite spot is about a 1 km long point that has a steep dropoff running parallel for it's entire length. I have fished this spot hundreds of times over about 15 years and I know it well and have my techniques dialed in.

I approached a deep flat out near the end of the point. There was only one other boat in the area. I picked a spot to start, probably 40-50 yards from the other boat and began fishing vertically. I adjusted my position as I found the walleye and I started hammering them. I would play them out before bringing them up and I was using jigs with single hooks. When they were up to the surface, I would reach over the side of the canoe and unhook them without the fish ever leaving the water. It was pretty low key, I don't yell or freak out, I fish. .

Anyway, the entire time a guy in the other boat was lecturing, teaching his companion in a very pompous and know-it-all manner to be an awesome super fisherman like the guy himself. He would call out the running score every time he caught a fish and I believe he was up to about a dozen when I pulled anchor and shifted my spot(they had been there for a while when I arrived).

Mr Awesome noticed me moving and called out to me in the most patronizing voice imaginable, asking if I'd managed to get any yet. I reached over and grabbed the clicker I used to keep track (it's like the one doormen use to track capacities in clubs) and I read off the total. "Yeah, I'm up to 28." (~IIRC)

The running commentary suddenly shut off. Within 10 minutes or so, Mr Awesome remembered somewhere else he wanted to be and I fished in peace for the rest of the day.

 

[Ramjet159]

The post on the jokes thread reminded me of stories.

A couple summers ago I was out on my home water. This is a large lake about 70 km from the city, and my favorite spot is about a 1 km long point that has a steep dropoff running parallel for it's entire length. I have fished this spot hundreds of times over about 15 years and I know it well and have my techniques dialed in.

I approached a deep flat out near the end of the point. There was only one other boat in the area. I picked a spot to start, probably 40-50 yards from the other boat and began fishing vertically. I adjusted my position as I found the walleye and I started hammering them. I would play them out before bringing them up and I was using jigs with single hooks. When they were up to the surface, I would reach over the side of the canoe and unhook them without the fish ever leaving the water. It was pretty low key, I don't yell or freak out, I fish. .

Anyway, the entire time a guy in the other boat was lecturing, teaching his companion in a very pompous and know-it-all manner to be an awesome super fisherman like the guy himself. He would call out the running score every time he caught a fish and I believe he was up to about a dozen when I pulled anchor and shifted my spot(they had been there for a while when I arrived).

Mr Awesome noticed me moving and called out to me in the most patronizing voice imaginable, asking if I'd managed to get any yet. I reached over and grabbed the clicker I used to keep track (it's like the one doormen use to track capacities in clubs) and I read off the total. "Yeah, I'm up to 28." (~IIRC)

The running commentary suddenly shut off. Within 10 minutes or so, Mr Awesome remembered somewhere else he wanted to be and I fished in peace for the rest of the day.

Oh yeah hehehe love those stories of the guy with the big flash boat and all the ripper gear who watches DVDs on how to fish . Console of the boat looks like a space shuttle with GPS Sonar 3D , a radar that would let you know the Chinese are close . Seats that look more like lounges but can’t fish worth shit .
Don’t get me wrong , I’ll take a boat like that . But I’d catch just as much fish with a life raft

 

[Amarok]

Oh yeah hehehe love those stories of the guy with the big flash boat and all the ripper gear who watches DVDs on how to fish . Console of the boat looks like a space shuttle with GPS Sonar 3D , a radar that would let you know the Chinese are close . Seats that look more like lounges but can’t fish worth shit .
Don’t get me wrong , I’ll take a boat like that . But I’d catch just as much fish with a life raft

You saw the belly boat (btw, ordered yours yet for shark fishing? ), and the view from the pontoon boat. The canoe is also right down in the water. If I can't touch the water from my seat, I'm too high out and too far from the action. If a good sized fish doesn't have an opportunity to soak me with a decent tail slap, I'm not as happy as I could be. I've owned bigger craft, but storage, maintenance and above all, the fishing experience are better for me when I scale down.

It's fun climbing into a bud's $80k toy and zipping down the lake at 45 miles an hour. Generally though, while those guys are out zipping, I'm gliding along silently, finding all the honey holes those guys never even considered.

Fishing, like growing, though, are things to be enjoyed in whatever way makes a person happy.

 

[Ramjet159]

You saw the belly boat (btw, ordered yours yet for shark fishing? ), and the view from the pontoon boat. The canoe is also right down in the water. If I can't touch the water from my seat, I'm too high out and too far from the action. If a good sized fish doesn't have an opportunity to soak me with a decent tail slap, I'm not as happy as I could be. I've owned bigger craft, but storage, maintenance and above all, the fishing experience are better for me when I scale down.

It's fun climbing into a bud's $80k toy and zipping down the lake at 45 miles an hour. Generally though, while those guys are out zipping, I'm gliding along silently, finding all the honey holes those guys never even considered.

Fishing, like growing, though, are things to be enjoyed in whatever way makes a person happy.

The Belly boat gave me a good belly laugh . I can see the search party out looking for me when I don’t return home and finding a shredded plastic donut with my fingernails poop and and a few sharks teeth stuck to it . Yeah look I love the concept but I also really like the concept of relaxation while I fish . There’s a reason I don’t surf . I agree though . The big comfy rigs are nice but it’s worlds apart from the bare essentials and really being able to take in what fishing in beautiful surrounds is all about .
By the way , are Grizzlies good swimmers ? Just curious ?

 

[Amarok]

By the way , are Grizzlies good swimmers ? Just curious

I had the opportunity to ponder that question on a more than merely intellectual level a few years back.

Can't remember if I posted about it earlier, but a friend and I watched as a griz took down a young moose less than 100 yards away from us in Jasper Park, along the shore of Maligne Lake. We had a small, under-powered electric motor on a heavy 14 foot boat, as no gas motors are permitted on Maligne. It was fucking terrifying in a way I've never experienced. The power, speed and pure purpose in that massive killing machine will stay with me until I die.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

By the way , are Grizzlies good swimmers ? Just curious ?

Yeah.... they run fast too... few years back I was hiking in the Tetons in Wyoming and saw a Grizzly a few thousand feet away... didn't think he saw me so I stopped to take a picture... all of a sudden the dude was staring right into my telephoto lens and turned, started barreling down the mountain towards me...

I'll never know if he was charging me or just heading in my general direction, I didn't stick around to find out...

 

[Amarok]

If in the wilderness, this handy guide to common tracks may be of use.

 

[Amarok]

 

[Amarok]

Me with another good pike.

 

[Ramjet159]

I had the opportunity to ponder that question on a more than merely intellectual level a few years back.

Can't remember if I posted about it earlier, but a friend and I watched as a griz took down a young moose less than 100 yards away from us in Jasper Park, along the shore of Maligne Lake. We had a small, under-powered electric motor on a heavy 14 foot boat, as no gas motors are permitted on Maligne. It was fucking terrifying in a way I've never experienced. The power, speed and pure purpose in that massive killing machine will stay with me until I die.

Sometimes when you watch documentaries and witness creatures in real life you think jeez that thing has some serious power and in reality unless your extremely lucky if your on its menu you really don’t stand much chance . Polar bears , Grizzlies, Great White Sharks and Crocodiles are just a few of those creatures I’d definitely not like to get up close and personal with .
I live in a City of only 17000 ( a city ?) and we have over the last 20 years lost a good 7 people I can recall to Great White attacks . It’s never a pretty event . Only a couple have survived due to a bit of luck and the shark only being kinda hungry .

 

[Frosty78]

I used to fish Alot.....

Me too, then I decided to breed a football team

 

[Frosty78]

Sometimes when you watch documentaries and witness creatures in real life you think jeez that thing has some serious power and in reality unless your extremely lucky if your on its menu you really don’t stand much chance . Polar bears , Grizzlies, Great White Sharks and Crocodiles are just a few of those creatures I’d definitely not like to get up close and personal with .
I live in a City of only 17000 ( a city ?) and we have over the last 20 years lost a good 7 people I can recall to Great White attacks . It’s never a pretty event . Only a couple have survived due to a bit of luck and the shark only being kinda hungry .

Yep, Sa is known like West Oz. Stay the fuck outta the water

 

[Ramjet159]

Yep, Sa is known like West Oz. Stay the fuck outta the water

Yeah sure is . Caught a monster off Esperance , Eastern Group Islands in the late 80s . That place is just plane scary .
I often thought if my fishing boat ever sinks I’m not afraid of drowning . I fear the wildlife’s menu .

 

[Orion]

these are the bluegills I really loved to catch back in the day...11 of them over 700 and the biggest was 925 and happened to be a very high grade fish in the 90's that brought a whopping 38k at auction....the picture of the Slob feeding on bunker was taken a couple years ago right off the coast of Maine and the other was a R.I. Tuna Tournament fish from the early 70's when I started fishing for them...My mentor and I once landed 5 400lbers in one trip, he passed of cancer 5 years ago after battling cancer for 17 years...the first doctor he went to told him to pack his bags you got 3 months....well 15 years later that doctor died and ole Captn was still alive...what a life we live.

 

[Ramjet159]

these are the bluegills I really loved to catch back in the day...11 of them over 700 and the biggest was 925 and happened to be a very high grade fish in the 90's that brought a whopping 38k at auction....the picture of the Slob feeding on bunker was taken a couple years ago right off the coast of Maine and the other was a R.I. Tuna Tournament fish from the early 70's when I started fishing for them...My mentor and I once landed 5 400lbers in one trip, he passed of cancer 5 years ago after battling cancer for 17 years...the first doctor he went to told him to pack his bags you got 3 months....well 15 years later that doctor died and ole Captn was still alive...what a life we live.

Yeah baby , that’s what you call a fish . So much respect for these powerhouse ancient roamers of the big blue . Ancient Greek mythology describes even greater massive beasts in schools so big it’s looked like you could walk across them . I’ve seen schools up to 200 tons rippling on the surface the size of 3 football fields. I can only imagine how massive the schools used to be before modern methods reduced numbers .
The introduction of purse seiners to our shore in the 80s from international fishers really impacted our fishery and eventually led to the introduction of Tuna quotas to manage and help restock the species to a sustainable level again .
knowadays our tuna fishery has recovered to healthy numbers .

 

[Ramjet159]

I have the jaw of this big girl mounted on my wall at home . Was caught only a few miles off the coast of our city harbour . 1981

 

[Ramjet159]

Pic I took 1987 from the Crows nest or mast head looking down at the Crew . Crazy Canuck second from left . At night we’d be walking around with sweaters and tracksuit pants . He’d be walking around in his jocks . We’d be like “ Man can’t you feel the cold ? “ he said “ I’m from Canada , this ain’t cold ! “

 

[Orion]

Yeah baby , that’s what you call a fish . So much respect for these powerhouse ancient roamers of the big blue . Ancient Greek mythology describes even greater massive beasts in schools so big it’s looked like you could walk across them . I’ve seen schools up to 200 tons rippling on the surface the size of 3 football fields. I can only imagine how massive the schools used to be before modern methods reduced numbers .
The introduction of purse seiners to our shore in the 80s from international fishers really impacted our fishery and eventually led to the introduction of Tuna quotas to manage and help restock the species to a sustainable level again .
knowadays our tuna fishery has recovered to a healthy numbers .

yup the good ole days were awesome...they have been hurt bad and the reason I no longer wish to fish for them...when I was young it was like there were plenty to kill...now not so much!

 

[Orion]

I have the jaw of this big girl mounted on my wall at home . Was caught only a few miles off the coast of our city harbour . 1981 View attachment 57966

Seen a bunch of them big girls out there usually feeding on dead whales and killed a few big Makos and Threashers but never was a big Shark guy but if we didn't have so many big Bluefin back then, I could of been.

 

[Orion]

I knew this guy personally...Captn Mundus...the guy they modeled Captn Quint after in the movie Jaws....