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2023 Fishing Thread

Hold on to your rod. Caught a 40" Musky on a #12 last week.
My son and I went out for Musky a few times. Never did get one, all that ever happened was I lost a $30 lure. But I haven't given up! Plan on making a couple trips to that lake this year to test my luck again.
 
Hold on to your rod. Caught a 40" Musky on a #12 last week.

That's awesome :flushed:


No pic but caught a rainbow on a small rebel crickhopper crankbait last night. I casted beside a fallen tree and watched it race out 6 feet from under the roots as soon as the little grasshopper crankbait started to wiggle, almost a topwater hit. One of the more exciting catches of the year so far.
 
My son and I went out for Musky a few times. Never did get one, all that ever happened was I lost a $30 lure. But I haven't given up! Plan on making a couple trips to that lake this year to test my luck again.

I did a fair bit of musky fishing with my father when I was a boy. It was my favorite. Truth be told sometimes when he took me with him deer hunting I was disappointed not to be musky fishing.

At some point I fell in love with deer hunting and after moving out of the area for school and work, hunting deer has been the thing we would do when I could make trips home.

This is the first musky I've caught in a long time. No where near the biggest, but I wasn't fishing for musky so I had ultralight gear and it was pretty lucky to boat the fish I think, and awesome. My dad happened to be fishing with me, so it was pretty special.

We usually don't net them. We use wool gloves that help grip the fish, but didn't have them. My dad is a pro at grabbing these fish...I'm not, and it can get dicey, especially when there's a big lure. I know of a few fishermen who have ended up with hooks in their arms and been hurt pretty badly. I didn't have to grab this one, so no complaints (even if it was only a #12 hook). :)

I hope you and your son have some luck. They're a lot of fun to chase, more like hunting than fishing in many ways.


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How would you rate it for table fare? :cool:

Bullhead are actually good eating. I never would keep them until a Canadian fisherman let us in on it and showed a few of us how he skins them (nailed to a board and skinned pulled off in a single piece with pliers). They're a camp favorite now for many, and we catch loads of perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and walleye.
 
Bullhead are actually good eating. I never would keep them until a Canadian fisherman let us in on it and showed a few of us how he skins them (nailed to a board and skinned pulled off in a single piece with pliers). They're a camp favorite now for many, and we catch loads of perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and walleye.
Possum turn their nose up at bullhead but if'n you likes it, have it.
 
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And one of several bluegill it caught.

I'm finding that water conditions seem to matter a whole lot more fly fishing compared to everything else I've ever done. The only times I've felt like I'm really doing well have been early morning, late evening, and just before the rain started dropping today.

Also, barbless hooks are the cat's meow for flies. I don't feel like I lose any fish, the fish seem to hook themselves, and releasing them (and occasionally my clothes) is much easier. Definitely buying barbless exclusively for panfish flies just as a quality-of-life thing.

I haven't really been making real flies. Just having fun slapping stuff together during down time. Here's my latest abomination.

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We'll see if a little contrast and some bright colors help in the stained water here.
 
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