where are all the anglers?

[DoubleEagle]

I loved to Fly fish for Largemouth Bass when I was a Teenager.

Dry Flies and Poppers.

The best was real Grasshoppers....it was hard to not tear them off the hook while back and forth casting.

Usually best to just strip out a good length  of line , then a one overhand cast in a Farm Pond.

One weekend my Dad and a friend of his and me decided to go look for this Lake Dad's friend had heard about years earlier that was owned by a Company that made something like Clay Tile products.

It was supposed to have Largemouth Bass .

Anyway, he knew about where this place was so we drove about an hour to where we parked the car , found an old road going into the woods and decided to follow it .

Sure enough there was a Lake not far into the woods.

We stared fishing and it wasn't long before I caught what was a good fighting Fish.

When I finally landed it ...wow , it was a Rainbow Trout !

Cool...So we fished until we had a cooler full and suddenly it dawned on my Dad,.... this was no accident we happened upon a Lake that had Trout in it ...it must be a private stocked Lake.

We hurried up and got the heck out of there and back to the car.

Once in the car we decided to drive up the road to the 1st house we came to , stop and ask if there was any place around there to fish.

Sure enough .

We were told for a fee we could fish a Lake with Trout in it.

So we paid the fee and went back and caught more Trout and left...I think that's about the only dishonest thing I can think of that my Dad ever did.

Most of the Trout were in the 20 inch size and were a lot of fun to catch on Spinner Bait and 6 lb. Test Mono.

Dolph        

[Le Pirate]

No. There is no video of what I described. Just my brother and his friend telling me. I know it's true because I have been there shooting carp and gar when the pit levels got real low from evaporation. They would fill up from flooding rains that would wash in tons of river fish. Then they would get stuck when the water would recede. Summer would come and the 100+ degree weather would bake the pits and the water would shrink down to a foot or two. Again, not sport fishing. It was just a fish massacre via AR15s! It certainly wouldn't appeal to everyone. Just saying'.

Just a FYI

There is a 1 per day limit on Alligator Gar in Texas now. Too many people wiping out 30+ a day has destroyed the population, so last year TPWD moved to control the taking. Trophy gar have become a more popular target here, so we've had to move to managing the species.

Just a couple years ago (before the reg change) we could travel up and down the rivers and see guys with 20+ poles set up along a mile or 2 stretch trying to hook gar. then they'd catch them, kill em, and leave them on the bank. I've never really understood why you'd put that much work and money into catching something to leave it on the bank 

[fastwin]

Did not know that. The shock/massacre was a few years ago and on private property... don't know if that part matters any more.

When I was a kid sand bass fishing with my Dad at Lake Lewisville we would fish for gars for fun between the sand bass runs. There was a wooded section of the lake where the gars liked to hang out. My Dad made "lures" out of old fashioned clothesline rope. He would take a 6-8" length of rope and bend it in half. He'd wrap heavy wire around the bend so two 3-4" sections would hang free. He'd then strip the plastic cover off the two sections and would fray the inner rope/cord. Like stripping a piece of electric wire. We would tie our fishing line at the "bend" and once the frayed rope got wet it would have some weight to it for casting. The gars would strike the lure and get all their rows of tiny teeth tangled in the rope. No hooks involved. Reel 'em in and use pliers to pull the rope free of their teeth. The lure was good for about 6-10 gar before the rope was gone or too messed up. Wasn't like we had a lot invested in the lures! Lots of fun... good times!!

[Le Pirate]

private property is okay

[Got Duc]

Trout opened up here today. The water is still a little too cold but I plan on putting on the waders soon.

I am actually looking for a new set. Any suggestions?

Simms or Orvis is what I have been looking at

[JEFF_H]

i want some waist-high waders to replace my chest ones.
i dont wade that deep, and the waist ones will be cooler in the summer
simms/orvis not in my budget...more like cabela's brand 

[Got Duc]

Nothing wrong with cabbalas. I have a gift certificate to Orvis  that is the only reason they are towards the top

[Bun-bun]

When I was a kid, I used to fish for crappie and bass in the local golf course water hazards.






Now it's pretty much salt water only. Stripers will be here in the Chesapeake Bay soon, then the Red Drum, black Drum, and Cobia will come in. After that it's the Spadefish, with Spot and Croaker coming in with the flounder about the same time (early June). Then we get into Tuna season. When they head North, we'll target Marlin and Sailfish, then the Stripers will start their Fall run. That lasts into January, when it all dies down til April, when it starts all over again.

[live2ride]

When I was a kid, I used to fish for crappie and bass in the local golf course water hazards.






Now it's pretty much salt water only. Stripers will be here in the Chesapeake Bay soon, then the Red Drum, black Drum, and Cobia will come in. After that it's the Spadefish, with Spot and Croaker coming in with the flounder about the same time (early June). Then we get into Tuna season. When they head North, we'll target Marlin and Sailfish, then the Stripers will start their Fall run. That lasts into January, when it all dies down til April, when it starts all over again.

I'm a salt water fisherman too.
here's some of my last catches this winter.

blackfish (tautog) - the largest was just over 9lbs


100 porgies - me and my bro limited out in about 5 hours.  

I have yet to catch a striped bass in my life.  I dont know why but everytime I target them, I end up with a bluefish instead.  Got any tips?  usually use poppers or diamond jigs when targeting stripers.

[Bun-bun]

I have yet to catch a striped bass in my life.  I dont know why but everytime I target them, I end up with a bluefish instead.  Got any tips?  usually use poppers or diamond jigs when targeting stripers.

SLOWLY troll a combination of the following. when you start getting hits, change to whatever they're hitting.
Try an umbrella rig with 6-8" curly tails or rubber fish with a 10-12" follower with a #8 10 #12 hook embedded in it. set this on the outside of your spread, on an ourigger if you have one.
Troll Manns stretch 25s or stretch 30s in the center and back about 100'
Troll live bait with eels on a dropper rig on the other outrigger. About 16-20 ounces works for us, you want it bouncing off the bottom.
Troll at no more than 4-5 mph. We take one engine out of gear and set the other in drive at idle speed.
I pour my own dropper rigs. If you ever get down to Hampton Roads, holler, I'll take you out.

[Got Duc]

We live bait for the strikers up here in NY. Montauk is the spot 

[live2ride]

We live bait for the strikers up here in NY. Montauk is the spot 

I'll cast snaggin hooks on bunkers and live bait them but even then i always end up with freaking blue's.  I really wish montauk was closer.  your seabass and tog fishing is so much better.  but at least we have 18" keepers in jersey for fluke.

[Got Duc]

The fluke size has a lot of people pissed here. Nj and CT both have lower size limits.

We get some real pigs up here with fish in the 40's not uncommon

[mookieo2]

I plan on starting to get my boat ready this weekend. Somehow I never make it for flounder season.