Johnsfolly

I don't believe that gas will get over $10 gallon. Has it even gone over $3 recently in MO, AR, or LA? We do get $0.20 to $0.30 swings pretty frequently out this way. Haven't gone above $3.50 but hasn't gone below $3.00 either.

That's an awesome tribute!

@Lance34 and @MarkG52 great job guys on those crappie! Like seeing and hearing about folks catching a bunch of fish this early in the year.

@Ketchup I agree with DJ and Marty on a great hunt but even better sharing the memories of your son on this hunt! If you don't hang up his bow, I hope that you can take a bunch more deer with that bow.

Always wondered where it came from🤣

The Rock world darkens again with the loss of Robbie Bachman of BTO Bachman Turner Overdrive. His brother quoted that maybe Jeff Beck needed a drummer.

I think that he was one of the best guitarists that maybe you hadn't heard about. Never seemed to get the attention like many others.

"It's only wafer thin!"😉

FIFY 😉

Looked like a nice day to be out fishing!

I am in the same mindset as @Quillback in that I don't really eat fast food burgers that often anymore. Back in Columbia, we would go to Culver's and I like their mushroom and swiss butter burgers with their onion rings. We don't have culvers out this way. Mostly eat chicken sandwiches from Chik-Fil-A or Arby's. I like the smoked brisket and the reuben from Arby's. Thinking back nearly all of the recent MCD sandwiches over the last year or so were filet-o-fish sandwiches. I don't like Wendys burgers. Their chicken sandwiches are meh. Whoppers are ok and I might have one or maybe two every so often. Dec 2021 was the last time I ate at a Five guys, which I do like, but lately have been getting their hotdogs. I remember that because it was part of a tautog fishing trip in Ocean City 🙂.

"Poor old fool.", thought the well-dressed gentleman as he watched an old man fish in a puddle next to a pub. So, he invited the old man inside for a drink. As they sipped their whiskeys, the gentleman thought he'd humor the old man and asked, "So how many have you caught today?" The old man replied, "You're the eighth."🤣

Now that's my kind of bass!

They were actually very good.😉

Who came first Freddy's or Steak and Shake? I prefer Steak and Shake, but that may be due to having them more often. Only been to Freddy's less than a handful of times.

We learned a few things and would definitely come more prepared on another trip. The guy next to us had a flasher that was a flexible plastic that would lay against the line when cast unlike the metal ones we were using that catch the wind on each cast. I have to see how we could make them ourselves. Everyone was mentioning that it's been weird this year. Typically these fish show up around mid Dec and would be really hot and heavy by now. This year they just started to show up and seem to be in more diffuse schools (at least yesterday). So instead of everyone getting bit with multiple hook-ups, most would get one of two down the line.

A big part of going after the herring was to try and make some meals with this fish. We had never eaten herring. I have had sardines before. With only three fish I was limited to only a single dish. I found a fish with marinara recipe online and went with that one. We used the small italian cipollini onions which we just peeled and left whole. Coarse mince on 8 garlic cloves (actually could have used more garlic). Added to ceramic baking dish with olive oil. Mixed in a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of Italian stewed tomatoes that I gave a fine chop. Mixed in about a tablespoon of oregano and another of basil. Put into 375 deg oven for ca. 25 mins. until the sauce was bubbling. I added the cleaned herring fillets and covered with the sauce. Cooked until the pasta was done then served. Note to self would be to cook the onions longer before adding in the fish. Also as mentioned more garlic! Could have used some crusty bread as well.

I was planning on an attempted herring trip back in December to close out last year. Instead, the herring did not start showing up in the waters around NYC and Long Island until last week. Packed up the family, rods, Sabiki rigs and a cooler with ice and drove out to Brooklyn NY about a three and a half hour drive. Saiki rig with flasher First spot was Canarsie pier. The tide should be falling and there were three guys fishing. I walked around and there was very little evidence that herring were being caught. Very few scales on the cleaning stations was not a good sign. We discussed going to the second spot that I had targeted for this trip and drove another 40 mins to Magnolia Pier in Long Beach, Long Island. There were six guys on the pier, the cleaning tables were covered in scales and the one guy was trying to sell us herring that they caught at sunrise. All folks including the guy in the shed/tackle store said that the herring would not likely show up until after 3 pm and the best action would be between 5 and 6 pm. It was a little after noon at this time. I had the micro gear in the car and saw large numbers of silversides. We put on some pieces of silversides that we bought and did some microfishing. Livie and I both caught a few just to get some fish on the talley board for 2023. We had a great lunch and back at the pier just after 3 pm. A few guys were still fishing. Around 3:30 Livie got us on the board with our first Atlantic herring. This would be a lifer for all of us. We thought that they might come on fast and furious, but no. We got hit with a biting cold wind. Sue and Livie went back to the car to warm up. I kept our spot on the rail. Around four pm the folks came pouring in and lined up the railing. Livie and Sue came back. The wind was blowing our flashers like kites and cutting our casting distances. A few herring were caught all along the pier. Lots of tangled lines and folks getting short tempers. One point of comic relief was the guy trying to sell his herring was getting everyone to give him the words for herring in multiple languages. The one guy near us had these fish down. He caught double digit numbers while the rest of us were getting a couple. Livie didn't catch another and Sue didn't catch any. I caught a couple and lost a couple. We left around 5:45 pm. The bite had slowed down and the cold was getting to us. Also a long drive tempered our spirits as well. I spoke with Livie today and she would be willing to give it another try now that she knows what to expect for the cold and the fishing!

They work well for night trout fishing down in Taneycomo.

Most likely nightcrawlers.

First Lifer of 2023 - Atlantic Herring 😁

Jeff they are typically found in the lower bay closer to the ocean during the summer and fall. During drier years they can follow the higher salinity water to about the midpoint of the bay. Big bull reds follow them into the bay as well. I've eaten cobra and it is a tasty fish. I have never caught one but the seem to fight on the line and in the boat😉. I have some spearfishing stories about how tough cobia can be. But will save those for another time.

We're in western Long Island hoping to catch some lifer herring. Found that they will be active late afternoon and early evening. Had the micro rigs in the car and got on the 2023 board with a few Atlantic silversides. Livie's Hope that the herring give us a shot.

Jeff a couple of nice smallies!

I think that they are neat fish. There is an eelpout/burbot festival in Walker Minn every Jan/Feb. Seems like the ice-fishing equivalent to bike week in terms of drinking, etc.