1 (edited by Tenement Funster 2016-02-19 12:08:16)

Topic: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Here in Nova Scotia, our sport-fishing season starts on April 1st ... just 6 weeks away. We've had unseasonably mild weather this winter, and there should be lots of open water (ice free) by then. So guess who's excited? lol The rituals of tying flies, cleaning gear, checking waders for leaks, etc. is in full swing, and my fishing buddies and I are constantly trading emails and texts about planned trips this Spring. My favorite species to target are trout (speckles & browns) and smallmouth bass, but we also go for shad, striped bass, white perch, and of course Atlantic salmon. There's nothing like hooking into a nice fish ... the tug is the drug, as Dad used to say!

I know there's several other anglers on Chordie (NELA, Zurf, etc). What kinds of pre-season rituals do you go through? What are the seasons, favorite species, etc. in your area?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B5RyZzOq180/VscFCEm0ufI/AAAAAAAAAJk/ChW9Ebt3bfA/w640-h480-no/rghhh%2B004.jpg

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

I'm an avid smallmouth bass fisherman and normally I spend 50-70 days a year floating streams for smallies. I used to lake fish but now spend about 95% of my time on streams.  "If it ain't flowin', Ol' Ed ain't goin'"  Due to a knee replacement last summer, I was limited to under 30 days so I'm rarin' to go this year. My Buddy Doug and I talked last night and plan on hitting one of our favorite local streams tomorrow.  Air temps are supposed to hit 50F today and tomorrow which should bump up the water temps to mid to upper 30's and hopefully put a smallie or two in a "bitin' mood".  Winter is one of my favorite times to float fish. I may only get one or two bites all day but it's usually a big fish.

I really don't have any pre-season rituals I go through other than plan trips and spool new line on all my reels. My raft, canoe and yaks are always hanging in the garage ready to be loaded at a moments notice and rods & reels, tackle, waders, pfds, dry bags, coolers etc ready to go.  When I get a call that one of my buddies want to float a stream I can be loaded and pulling out the drive in about 45 minutes.  If an over-night camping trip is involved it might take two hours to make sure I have everything.

During a normal year I fish in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia with occasional forays to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri or even out west to Montana and Idaho.  I've  done 21 fishing trips in the Quetico/Boundary Waters area and am planning another one this fall.  I may need to move it up a little to mid-August as my son and his wife are expecting their first child in early September (my 5th grand youngun).  I'll also do a couple trips to WVA and at least one to KY and VA.  I think it should be a good year.

DE

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

I used to fish more than I picked. Sadly with work (and living in a God-forsaken desert) those days are long gone, but the wife and I are planning a move to TX in a few months and I'm looking forward to connecting with big bass and also making occasional trips to the coast for kingfish, trout, and drum.  Can't wait!

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

While ya'll were talkin' 'bout going phishing I done slipped off and done it. Done real well on some slab crappies, today. They been being in the deep creek channels holding just off'n the ledges. Been catching them 18 to 20' deep on popcycle and critter glitter jigs. Since my health seems to getting better I'm going phishing more and more. My plans are to phish at least 3 days per week and if'n the wife will let me I'll phish the weekends. as well. Since I'm not doing any tournament phishing, anymore, I'm just enjoying myself and phishing where when and how I want too. Crappie and bass are spawning, now. Carp will start spawning next month (we don't phish for them) and the channel catfish will be robbing they're beds - that's when we load up on some good eatin'. Startin' in late may the blue gill will start they're spawn so I got me a whole lotta choices. I do need a good phishing partner, though. Who wants to go? The truck is hooked up to the boat as ya'll are a'reading this.

Nela

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

NELA, I can't tell you how jealous I am that your climate allows you to phish year 'round! Our seasons are completely closed for 5 months of the year (October thru March) to allow our main species (trout & salmon) to go about their spawning & migration rituals unmolested. On top of that, our water temps drop so low that the rest of the lake dwelling species just hunker down for the winter, in a hibernation state. There's a few ice fishing species available during the winter months (white & yellow perch, stocked rainbow trout, smelts, etc.) but the ice is dodgy most of the winter, so it's not always safe. The few times I've gone ice fishing, I got bored quite quickly, even though a few fish were caught. Sitting on a stool and dangling through an 8" hole in the ice while trying to keep warm just isn't my cup o' tea. Keep on them Crappie, NELA!

http://www.zanderland.fi/images/Ice_fishing_head_Zanderland_Finland.jpg

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

I usually throw some files in a box and head out to the river until I get cold.  That's plenty of ritual for me.  smile

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Read.  I read, read, read, read, read.  I read about streams.  About boat ramps.  I read about techniques.  I read about how to present this fly or that lure.  I read about paddling skills.  I read about which rivers are polluted (a sad addition to the material).  I read the regulations.  I read magazines, books, fishing reports, solunar tables, and blogs.  When I finally get to the water, I forget everything I read. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Zurf wrote:

Read.  I read, read, read, read, read.  I read about streams.  About boat ramps.  I read about techniques.  I read about how to present this fly or that lure.  I read about paddling skills.  I read about which rivers are polluted (a sad addition to the material).  I read the regulations.  I read magazines, books, fishing reports, solunar tables, and blogs.  When I finally get to the water, I forget everything I read. 

- Zurf

lol This sound way too familiar, Zurf! lol I also spend a lot of time on Google Earth looking for new places to try.

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Zurf wrote:

Read.  I read, read, read, read, read.  I read about streams.  About boat ramps.  I read about techniques.  I read about how to present this fly or that lure.  I read about paddling skills.  I read about which rivers are polluted (a sad addition to the material).  I read the regulations.  I read magazines, books, fishing reports, solunar tables, and blogs.  When I finally get to the water, I forget everything I read. 

- Zurf

I used to read books and magazines about fishing until my oldest fishing buddy (he's in his late 70's now) told me many years ago ....  "Kid, at some time ya gotta stop reading them comic books and find things out for yourself."

DE

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

I agree with your buddy, Dirty Ed, but getting away isn't real easy. Taking the family along is even more effort.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

It's now five weeks to go! With maps & GPS units in hand, my best friend and I are planning a pre-season scouting trip on March 26th, and will be on the water at first light on April 1st. Gettin' all antsy with excitement!

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

With now only four weeks to go, I got fishin' fever somethin' fierce. I just went cover-to-cover through the latest issue of "Fly Fusion" magazine, and I honestly can't tell what a single article was about. I just did it to ward off the heebie-jeebies I'm having from excitement. As Dad used to say, "The tug is the drug!"

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5FfM36Qw0MI/VtozFg1L1bI/AAAAAAAAAKA/pB-EKBntcaM/s720-Ic42/P8250168.JPG

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Tenement Funster wrote:

As Dad used to say, "The tug is the drug!"

And it appears that you need a fix....BAD. smile

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[b]Today Is Only Yesterdays Tomorrow[/b]

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

"The tug is the Drug"   - I like that!

Good lookin, smallie TF, ya catch that on a long rod?

DE

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs

15 (edited by Tenement Funster 2016-03-05 14:27:37)

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Thanks, DE!

That was caught on my 10ft - 7wt (an ORVIS Clearwater) which is usually my "go to" rod for smallies. Casting from a kayak, I like the extra foot in length to keep the line higher off the water ... especially on the backcast. The "fly" used for this is my own version of a Sneaky Pete, which casts like a bullet for a heavy fly, and dives with a trail of bubbles on a quick line strip. Really drives them nuts, and will bring the big lunkers up when nothing else will. It looks more or less like this:

http://www.orvis.com/orvis_assets/corpimg/0619_flyex.jpg

I like to paint them Chartreuse in color, with a couple strips of Red crystal flash in the tail, and also use Chartreuse legs ... "If it ain't Chartreuse, it ain't no use!" And UJB is absolutely right: I need a fix real bad!

16 (edited by NELA 2016-03-05 14:36:56)

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Hee, hee, hee. I went phishing, yesterday. Caught me a whole bunch of crappies. Fishing about 18' deep along the channel edge using some homemade 1/16 oz hair jigs that I tyed. Culled down to what I thought was an even dozen but when I got home there were 13 in my livewell. The ones I kept were between 1 1/2 and 2 1/4 pounds each. Gonna have us some mighty good eating, tonight.

Nela

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

That's a nice bunch o' slabs, NELA ... I'll bet they tasted good. You know (of course you know!) that you're driving me a bit bonkers by telling me this, don't you? lol

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Me n mine had a mess of crappie fillets, homemade hush puppies, fried taters, coleslaw and other fix'ns fer supper last night. Shore was good. Didn't go phishing this weekend as I did not want to fight the crowds. Got the boat ready to go Monday morning, though. Been tying up some crappie jigs, putting on new line, installing new updates on my depth finders and just getting things in order.

nela

19 (edited by Tenement Funster 2016-03-12 00:01:54)

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Three weeks to go ... wishin' I was fishin'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA3P0oVDB0Y

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Well, after all my braggin' it looks like our phishing season is over for awhile. It's going to take some time for the flood waters to go down and since there were a lot of waterfront properties damaged our local lakes and rivers will be closed. There are several bridges that were destroyed as well as roads that are undermined so just getting around is going to be tough. TM, you need some company when ya'lls phishing season starts? I can bring the Winnabago, set it up in your front yard and phish everyday with you fir at least 2 or three months. Just be me n the wife (and our dogs). Please let me know ASAP so I can send out a forwarding address and have my retirement checks sent up there. Really lookin' forward to phishing with you. Ya'll have anywhere that I can buy a cane pole when I get there? Also. will I need to bring a shovel, or can I use one of your's, to dig worms. Hope you got a big yard as we may need a lotta worms.

Nela

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

NELA ... been hoping your rain is starting to subside, and your waterways are getting back in prime fishing condition. I'd love the idea of going fishing everyday for 2 or 3 months, except that I'm still employed full-time. We squeeze it in on Saturday's, and I've got a couple extra days booked off for the the start of April. A couple guys I fish with have been counting down the days as well, so we're itching to get on the rivers and casting for trout. I don't use worms, as I find that fly fishing is more effective for trout.

Tight lines, my friend!

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

It's now just two weeks to go ... I'm going insane! My best fishing buddy just texted me last evening, to say that his new waders have arrived. That good news, so I won't have to listen to him gripe about his soggy butt this year! lol Our Spring weather is shaping up to make it the best season opener we've seen in a couple of years, so I've got it bad.

http://www.flyfishingtoons.com/_Media/catchtheafterworkhatch_800p_med_hr.jpeg

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

A couple of our lakes have just been re-opened to phishing after the floods. The property owners are not real happy with this as a lot of lakefront property is still under water. Boats cause wakes that could damage their dwellings, piers and boathouses. Not only that but damage due to erosion is still going on. I'm beginning to have phishing withdrawal and will have to get my "fix" in pretty quick.  Been spending my time repairing my gear, tying up a bunch of crappie jigs in various colors and just getting everything ready.

TM. you and yore buddies hang in there. Ya'll will soon be out there with a twinkle in your eye, a grin on your face and a can of VI-INNEY sausages in your pocket. Stay dry, my friend. (Oh, a good quick fix for leaky waders is to carry a can of "Flex-Seal" spray with you.)

nela

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Flex Seal ... I never even thought of that ... what a great idea! Greg's waders were covered by warranty (ORVIS) so they sent him a new pair. And there's nothing like a can o' cocktail weenies, beef jerky, my wife's cinnamon buns, and hot cocoa in a thermos to keep a feller on the water when the fish are biting.

Re: Fishing Season - Six Weeks!

Tenement Funster wrote:

Flex Seal ... I never even thought of that ... what a great idea! Greg's waders were covered by warranty (ORVIS) so they sent him a new pair. And there's nothing like a can o' cocktail weenies, beef jerky, my wife's cinnamon buns, and hot cocoa in a thermos to keep a feller on the water when the fish are biting.

Hmmm... when I was a kid, it was always a cooler full of soda (pop?  Coke-a-Cola or Root Beer) for me and Budweiser for Dad along with several bags of potato chips, and a soggy sandwich or two.  smile  Usually my pockets were filled with worms.  ha ha!  Course, we fished on the lake in a tiny aluminum boat. 

April is almost here.  Hang in there!

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