Well, it's almost springtime. Today I got out my tackle boxes, rods and reels and started cleaning and lubricating, sorting and organizing. Will purchase my license in a few days.

How many of you take time to fish? Boat or bank fishermen? Favorite fish to catch, or no preference? I usually fish just to get away from the phone, and don't really care if I catch fish or not. I usually catch and release.

Was in Wallyworld earlier. Everything is made in china nowadays, even fishing tackle. Zebco closed the Tulsa Okla factory and moved everything to china. Sigh.

Have any favorite memories of fishing? Camping? I must be in a nostaliga moment.

Gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), March 23, 2002

Answers

Gene, I love to fish. It's way too cold here in NY to even start thinking about it tho-unless you ice fish. I'm just a plain ole bank fisherman, but my husband likes to fly fish. I've tried to fly fish but there's a fair amount of coordination involved that I haven't quite mastered yet. It's so pretty to watch and my dh always seems to catch something even when we're not. Anyway, I don't care what kind of fish I catch as long as I catch something.

Good fishin' to you.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), March 23, 2002.

Our summer's were spent at our "camp" on a small inland lake in Upper Michigan. Saturday morning was time for the 5 of us older kids to load up the "good ship lollipop" a large, 3 seater, wooden rowboat with fishing gear and Dad would take us out on the lake to fish so Mom could have a few quiet hours with the baby of the family and get her housework done without all of us underfoot. Rain or shine we went out. Mostly caught northern pike, some perch and a lot of seaweed! Looking back on it, it's a miracle none of us ever lost an eye to those lures with the hooks in them! Can't imagine that my dad thought that was really a relaxing way to spend his Sat mornings after a hard week in the office, but he seemed to love it as much as we did. Imagine, 5 kids with fishpoles, a mug of hot coffee, a tippy old boat that always needed bailing.... Last summer, my husband took our 4 year old son out in a newer, smaller version of the Lollipop and caught their first fish on that same lake. New fishing memories now being made.

-- rose marie wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

We've got a lake on the farm that I love to go crappie fishing at. Catch the occasional bass and bluegill too. I've also had a chance to go trot lining on the Missouri for flathead catfish at it's lots of fun. The Missouri bounds one end of our farm and the Lamine the other, we need a more riverworthy boat to truly take advantage of the fishing opportunities but have friends who do and like to visit. Now you've given me the bug Gene! I'll have to go wet a line this weekend if I can!

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), March 23, 2002.

Gene, God does not subtract from a man's alotted life the time that he spends fishing. That pretty much sums up my attitude on it. when I am not fishing I am thinking about fishing. Im fortunate to live where a maximum two or three hour drive in any direction can put you into what is probably the finest freshwater fishing in North America. Some folks would disagree but they're only grousing because they don't live here. We mostly bank, sometimes boat fish. Favorite species are smallmouth bass and panfish, but generally whatever is hitting. We also catch and release. The only time we tend to keep any is while ice fishing. There's nothing like a bunch of big perch or bluegill. We've actually been ice fishing and at the end of the day picked our catch up off the ice and brought them home. Put them in the sink with some water to rinse them off before dinner and the frozen fish revive and start swimming around. Just smack them in the head, cut your fillets and pop them in the pan. They don't get fresher than that unless you chew them right off the hook. That doesn't happen all the time but it's pretty cool when it does. My biggest fishing problem is that during the times of the year when the fishing is fantastic beyond belief our business is also busier than all get out. Trying to plan a day off is kind of rough. There are a couple of good spots only 10 min. from the house so I can sneak in an hour or two at times. What's your favorite technique? Over the years I've accumulated a ton of rods but the rig that gets the most use (because it catches the most fish) is an 8' fly rod with an ultralight spinning reel loaded with 4# test. I work very small jigs (1/32-1/64 oz.), small spinners, or micro lures and do very well. There have been many days when the guys in the bass boats tossing huge spinner baits and jointed minnows are doing squat while we nail bass so hard we have to rest because our backs hurt. On days like that, life is good. When the big bait boys are doing good we think we died and went to heaven. You will also get a lot of small fish but the action can be non stop. The biggest bass on this rig went 5lbs., biggest fish was a 9lb. carp, took forever to land. It's good to know there are a few other fishers out there, I was starting to think all anyone did was raise goats LOL. Take care.

-- JJ Grandits (JJGBDF@aol.com), March 23, 2002.

I usually go with the hubby. We do both bank and boat fishing. Towards the end of April we have the smelt run here by Lake Superior. Lots of fun. We like walleye and perch most of all but we also catch lake trout, splake, coho salmon, chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, some herring, white fish, northern pike, small and largemouth bass, rock bass, sturgeon, muskie. This is the advantage of living near Lake Superior. Then there is sucker, bullheads, carp, lawyers that aren't too popular to eat. Hubby likes to ice fish with the kids but you won't catch me anywhere near the ice! Our weather has been sooo cold that I think it is making more ice on our rivers and lakes.

My favorite memory is hubby fishing on a smaller inlake. He caught a muskie. When he got it into the boat it tried chomping on his bare feet. All I could see from the shore was hubby trying to hit it with the oar. What a funny sight!

-- Jean in No. WI (jat@ncis.net), March 23, 2002.

Yeah, that brings back a lot of memories. I used to guide fishermen and hunters in NW Ontario for nearly a decade, before the govt got on it's high horse about foreigners. We had good times and lots of fish caught, a lot of small ones released. Good moose hunting thruout the 60's and 70's.

I spent half a lifetime fishing and hunting worldwide and still am able to make a pilgrimage to Belize, Costa Rica and Ecuador. While I lived off two trout streams (WY & MT) I have no interest in them, rather would fish saltwater for the wider variety of species and much larger poundage. This is not to say that I didn't fish sweetwater for decades, only to become frustrated even more.

The fishing equipment has gone full circle it seems, coming back to China & Japan once again. Sad isn't it?

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

I like to use an ultralight, a line, and a hook. I just drop that worm in any shady location and see what is there. Out here, that is usually crappie or baby bass. Catfish are also present but you have to sit a long time to catch one, and I don't have the patience to sit for an hour with no action. This year I bought a sticker for my 8' bass boat for the first time since we got the kids. I figure they swim well enough to go boating, now, if you add life preservers. I am a big believer in life preservers. If the boat DOES go over, a child is too likely to panic and it gives me an edge. They are only 8&9 years old but they are almost as tall as I am. Must be all of that good feeding, hehehehehe!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 23, 2002.

I take a book and a cane pole to the creek or my old Zebco 202 to a pond. Bream and pond catfish for me. Don't have much time to go that often, too busy raising bait worms.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

Gene, I spend as much time fishing as I can. I have been thinking about fishing all winter and can't wait to get out to some of my favorite fishing spots.

I love fishing for Rainbow Trout and Bass.

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), March 23, 2002.

HI Gene, My hubby and I are in love with fishing ( hubby loves fishing more than me in the spring...LOL), I love to catch anything mostly, but I usually ( dont know why) catch red ear and sun perch ect... Hubby is a catfisherman. or a bassfisherman, LOL... heck I think he would be a sharkfisherman, if we had any in indiana. He loves to fish and will walk around with a smile for a week when he catches a big one.

Just a funny story, We got our daughter , via our first overnight fishing trip didnt catch one fish, Just a 10lb daughter...LOL

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

Does anyone else salt-water fish?? Hubby and I can't wait til mid-April when we'll put our boat back out on the mooring. We live for the weekends when we head out across the open ocean and fish for mackeral, stripers, flounder and salmon!! We pack a lunch and spend the day boating with the seals and the dolphins! Occasionally we'll see a whale break the water's surface.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 23, 2002.

Marcia: Sure do. My boat's going into in the water off Louisiana about June. Picked up a 35-ft. aluminum crew boat for the price of the DD671 engine alone. Terrific buy and it goes far enough off-shore where I can get into some nice Cobia.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Way to go Gene! I'll fish in a pond,lake,ocean,river or ditch. In the rain, in the sun or in the dark. Row boat, bass boat, paddle-boat, pier, bank or wading. I'm not species-selective. Whatever is biting is okay. And if nothing is biting, I'm still enjoying every minute. Fishing time is limited around here. Best story? The day a "jumping" mullet jumped in the boat with us. Made a terrific supper!

-- Debbie - ne NC (demeads@inteliport.com), March 23, 2002.

Almost time to go after the sandbass here in Oklahoma. They are my favorite fish to fish for. When they start spawning you can sometimes catch 30,40,50 fish in just a few hours time. In fact sometimes you can do so good on the bank that a boat isn't really necessary. If we would ever get rid of these little cold snaps that keep taking place every week the sandies will start biting real good.

Also almost time to bowfish for spoonbills.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), March 23, 2002.

All I have to do is walk out my front door go about 50 ft. and down the bank to one of missouri's cleanest rivers. I prefer to wade & fish and I like catching just about anything. Catfish, bass,( black brown or white, drum are real good fighters and sense I always release I don't care if they are good to eat or not. there are lots of other kinds of fish in this river also.It is real popular with the canoe crowd so in the summer you have to fish under the boats sometimes. You should see the suprised looks on the faces of the people in the boats when I pull a big bass right out from under their boat. Its a little to nippy for that just yet.

-- Corky Wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.net), March 23, 2002.

al...a 35 ft. boat is a really good-sized boat!! What are Cobia?? We have a 21 ft. Bayliner with a cabin, but would like to get a smaller aluminum boat (maybe 10 ft.) for hauling up our lobster traps.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 23, 2002.

I love to fish. Taught all four daughters to fish. We have a 21=foot pontoon barge. Bought the barge and the truck quit working so we have had to have someone else pull it to the lake or river for us. Last year I got a rubber raft. 8 foot long. Talk about relaxing! Put in just before dark so you can get your bearings. Set until the other boats leave. Put in three or four lines rigged with a slip weight, circle hook and a large wad of worm. Sit back and relax until the boat moves and reel in the catfish. A friend of mine goes with me and we girls fish all night long. I haven't been able to convince my usual fishing buddies ( husband and male cousin) to try it yet. We are planning a raft trip down river this summer when the river gets low enough for us to float at a slow enough speed for the big cats to catch our hooks. I hope it will take a couple of days. Oh, yes, my Uncle Buck taught me to never put a worm in the water without spitting on it. I read somewhere once that fish prefer female fishers. I think they can tell from the spit. The guys don't catch much if I don't go.

-- Robin in East Texas (Southpawrobin1@aol.com), March 23, 2002.

Marcia: Cobia, commonly called Ling or Crabeaters are dwellers of the Eastern seaboard (MA - Bermuda-FL) and the GOM (TX-FL). Powerful and strong fighters, found mainly offshore and/or around oil rigs for which LA has plenty. 30-50#. You're Bayliner is perfect for that kind of fishing. I wouldn't bother using a skiff to pull pots. al

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), March 24, 2002.

Robin: It's just that you're line is in the water more than our's. We spend all our time re-baiting your hooks and taking off your fish, that's all.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), March 24, 2002.

Hey yall im 12 years old but i have caught some big fish just the other day out on Gentry creek in Morris Oklahoma i caught a 37 pound catfish for more details email me.

-- Bart Levi (bassmaster11_7@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.

hey marcia i have a 12 foot flat bottom mabye we can talk and make a deal

-- bart levi (bassmaster11_7@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.

Bart...Oklahoma is a little too far for me to be looking for a boat!! I'm in Maine!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 26, 2002.

ok just go to your boating store youll find one

-- bart levi (bassmaster11_7@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.