ATOT Official Fishing Thread 2018

[Jeeebus]

It's fishin time, ATOT. Share your 2018 catches here in the ONE AND ONLY officially sanctioned (umm not really) ATOT Fishing Thread 2018.

Not currently ideal for offshore fishing with the wind constantly blowing, but we're trying to get out there when we can. Thought it would be somewhat calmer this morning but it was a sloppy mess. Solid 3 - 5 seas so we were getting pummeled / sprayed constantly. Not in the mood to venture too far so we hit some wrecks within a couple miles of the inlet.

This 30 lb amberjack decided to hit a vertical jig and then made the unusual choice to not dive straight into the wreck. Most of the time there's nothing you can do as they are massively strong. Drag locked down and they scream line out until they cut you off. I had grand plans of smoking up some fish dip today, but unfortunately it was completely infested with worms. Felt bad because it entirely went to waste. Next time we'll just snap a pic and send him back.

 

[kage69]

In FL right?

Last bunch of amber jack I caught was the same, all worms. Next time I go to the Keys going to stick to trolling past the reef, sailfish, tuna, mahi mahi, etc.

Waste? You didn't save him for chum or strip bait?

 

[lxskllr]

I caught a dozen of these last week...

It was really easy. They just about jumped into my hands.

edit:
Oh, and no worms

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Oh man, I thought it said fisting.

 

[Jeeebus]

Waste? You didn't save him for chum or strip bait?

bait freezer is already full of bonita and blue runners. he fed the fish in the lake instead.

 

[Imported]

Trying to plan a fly fishing trip sometime this year with my brothers. Not sure if I want to stay local (Upper/Lower Sac River?) or fly someplace yet.

 

[Kaido]

Dang, I haven't been fishing in years. That's probably the only thing I miss about living in Florida 🙁

 

[Jeeebus]

And we're back to the normal winter winds blowing at 20 - 25 mph. Seas are 8 - 9 today, so I'll be catching fish at the grocery store.

 

[herm0016]

We are going to brace / meta / ara lake in Ontario for a fly in week in may.

should be catching our limit before, eating our limit, and catching it again after lunch!

 

[Chaotic42]

Caught a bunch of crappie and bass yesterday in southern Illinois. For some reason the pic is rotated strangely, but you get the idea.

 

[Chaotic42]

Three frog bass on the shore today. Not bad.

 

[herm0016]

leaving on Thursday for CANADA!!!!!! I'll have some fish stories after I get back.

nice little catch.

 

[Paladin3]

The smallmouth bass just started hitting here last week on Lake Pend Oreille, ID. I caught three on a Texas rigged Strike King coffee and salt pumpkin colored worm last time out with the largest about 2.5 lbs. My first four trips out this season prior to that I was only hooking up on small perch if anything.

I did catch what I thought was a walleye, but turned out to be a 4lb squawfish. They are trash fish around here because they eat the salmon, steelhead and other game fish, plus don't taste very good. Killed it and left it for the osprey, which is one of the coolest part of fishing around here. Except for the hottest part of summer, you can watch osprey and bald eagles diving after fish on almost any body of water around. After a bit you get a little jaded by the sight of a bald eagle flying by with a trout wiggling in it's talons.

 

[Paladin3]

Hit my fav spot at the lake around 8am. Three hours later I'd lost track of how many smallmouth bass I had caught, something north of a dozen. The old reliable Carolina rigged worm bumping along the bottom was killing them. My smallest ran about a pound, biggest maybe close to 3lbs. Gotta break down and buy a scale so I can weigh my fish for real.

Best part of the day was when two kids I occasionally see at the beach came along. They are brothers, probably 10 and 12. When I told them the fish were biting they ran home and came back with a pole, but had a little trout fly/jig they weren't going to catch anything on. So I set them up with a worm hook and a few plastic worms. As I was showing them how to bump it along the bottom I got a nice hit on their little rod, which I handed to the older kid and he played the fish like a pro. He had a little ultralight pole with 6lb mono on it, but landed a smallmouth that must have been ever bit of 4lbs, the biggest fish I'd seen all morning.

The kids were freaking out. I showed them how to grab the fish by the lip to get it out of the water without breaking their line. They whooped and cheered, and took photos of each other with the fish then released it. I took photos of some of my catch before releasing them, but forgot to take a photo of those kids. It was a good day.

 

[Paladin3]

Spent two hours at the lake again today. Instead of fishing plastic worms along the bottom I went with a hard plastic diving crank bait colored to look like a little perch. First cast I hook up a smallmouth, then something I didn't immediately recognize (photo 1.) Later I realized it was a squawfish/pikeminnow and instead of releasing it I should have killed it because they are an invasive species in our lake. I hate killing a fish I don't plan to eat, though. Then I hooked up another smallmouth, and finally what I am pretty sure is a walleye (photo 2 & 3.) I was about to grab it by the lip when I saw the teeth and realized it wasn't a bass.

I would have stayed longer, except the water is up so high on the lake that it was over the top of the little pier I fish off of and my sandaled feet were getting cold.

 

[Jeeebus]

Was in Haiti today. Jamaica tomorrow. No fishing on this cruise though. That said, I did notice cruising speed was 16.8 knots which is great for wahoo. Not sure I can hang a rod off the 17th floor though.

 

[Chaotic42]

I keep hearing that there are walleye, smallmouth, and muskie here in the waters I fish, but I've yet to catch or see any of them. One day.

 

[Paladin3]

If anyone needs a good baitcasting rod and reel combo at a good price, the Abu Garcia Black Max Low Profile Combos are on sale at Wally World. I've got the 6'6" medium action one-piece rod and love it, which is only $45 with free shipping compared to a normal price of $69. The 7' medium heavy action combo is $10 more.

The Black Max combo gets rave reviews and is an excellent value at the regular price. At the sale price it's a steal. I use the Black Max 6'6" medium rod and reel or an Okuma ultralight spinning setup for 99% of my fishing.

 

[herm0016]

got back this morning...
the crew

unloading our gear and loading up the people leaving.

brace lake outfitters was top notch. Highly recommended.

camp from the water

some of the fish, we came back with our limit on frozen. ate about 5 walleye for lunch everyday, fried up in a skillet over an open fire. Nothing can really top that.

shore lunch!

a clam ate my jig...

33 in pike

 

[Paladin3]

Looks like you had a heck of a fun trip. I'm not jealous, really, I'm not.

 

[Chaotic42]

Don't be jealous:

 

[Paladin3]

Went out today a bit before dusk and caught a small perch, a fat little crappie and a 7lb 5oz pike. The pike was fun on a lightweight pole with 6lb mono. I was sitting on the dock with my feet almost in the water and he jumped completely out of the water about 5 feet from me.

 

[Muse]

I haven't been fishing for almost 50 years. My sister gave me some salmon filets and they've been sitting in my freezer almost 10 years. I don't buy fish anymore, OK I open a can of tuna once every 4 months or so. Fish are way too high up the food chain for me.

 

[herm0016]

we took our 2 yo fishing over last weekend on grand lake. did not catch anything, but it was fun!

 

[Paladin3]

I haven't been fishing for almost 50 years. My sister gave me some salmon filets and they've been sitting in my freezer almost 10 years. I don't buy fish anymore, OK I open a can of tuna once every 4 months or so. Fish are way too high up the food chain for me.

I toss everything back because I love fishing more than eating fish. I just haven't found a fish I like as much as plain old ocean cod, which I buy in the store when I'm in the mood for fish.