Harps

Top 10 list for me with fly rod this year. I’ve caught some of these in the past, but not on a fly rod. A little ambitious….we’ll see….. Wiper Bowfin Flathead Chain Pickerel Grass Pickerel Musky Tarpon Snook Pompano Jack Crevalle

Go for some other species as well, and take your grandson. Trout are fun but you can catch most anything on a flyrod if you set up right for it. If you only have one rod, set-up for trout, you can use that same rod for panfish and some light bass fishing. Opens up some more opportunities!

Late to this party, but how is this ‘slam’ defined? Maybe I missed that.

Haven’t added any new species yet this year, fishing has been curtailed by life. In an average year I’ll catch LM, SM, bluegill, greenies, whiteys, maybe a few crappie, maybe a few goggleye, longears….oh yeah, rainbows and browns. If I’m lucky I get to go up north and catch some Northern Pike. Or go south and catch some saltwater fish, mainly redfish, sea-trout, ladyfish. Weirdest fish? Gafftopsail catfish maybe. Bowfin are on the bucket list.

Not so much destinations, but species. I try to catch as many species as I can each year on a fly rod, and hopefully add a couple I've never caught before.

Go ahead. Tell them.....

My understanding is that they stock 1 musky per acre per year (so around 850 fish per year). I think the stockers are 12-14 inches on average. I fish for them on occasion, but I can't catch them. I don't know who's more stupid — me or the musky.

Articulated koi streamer.

Ever watch Fly vs. Jerk? European pike tournament on a channel I watch called ‘kanalgratis.se’ (available on YouTube). Trackers and Nitros make appearances on there pretty regular.

He’s probably never heard of Johnny or Bass Pro, although they do sell a surprising amount of Trackers an Nitros over in Europe.

I like to fix deer several ways, fried nuggets in a pan (don’t over-cook), stew (cook a loooong time), jerky….. But @Chief showed me my new favorite a few years ago on a float trip. Take a 2-3 lb rump or blackstrap cut, coat with olive oil, salt and pepper (add some rub or other spices if desired), do a quick sear, move to the side and smoke at a low temp (250-275) until deepest internal temp is 130, and take it off the grill. Slice it thin across the grain and enjoy however you please. We enjoyed it on hoagies with fresh veggies and a little salad dressing on the river that day. I was instantly impressed. I have served it cooked this way to folks who ‘don’t like deer meat’ and they thought it was roast beef. They had no idea. If you properly handle the deer at harvest and get the meat cooled quickly as possible, it makes little difference (IMO) if it’s a young of the year, a middle age doe, or a gnarly old buck - they all taste the same, more or less, if properly handled. I will admit the younger deer will be a little more tender than a mature buck or doe.

No. And yes they are legal.

I have no problem with anyone until they try to mess with me. A stranger throwing a line with a hook on it across my boat is something I took as messing with me.

I think photos were posted. Maybe. A few years ago. Those Amish have their own weird language centered on a series of grunts and croaks. Head jerks and blinking provide subtleties.

😬 He was looking at a power stroke of a paddle upside his head if he messed with me.

One of those bastards cast a line over my boat as I paddled by several of them standing on gravel bar, and I don’t see how it wasn’t on purpose. I should have cut his line, but I was a good Christian and flipped the line behind me with the paddle. I put a power stroke down and then glanced back over my shoulder and gave him my best ‘try that again’ glare without saying a word. I don’t know what he was planning to do there, but it felt like he was trying to pick a fight.

But they don't all use the gravel area. I routinely see kayaks being launched/pulled out on the ramp. That's fine unless there are other people waiting to use the ramp. I was out there a couple weeks ago and there was a couple with their kayaks on the ramp, vehicle in the road, sorting things, giggling, putting lotion on. Other boaters waiting for them to get out of the way. Completely oblivious. Was out there a couple of winters ago, and there was a small group of guys, on the ramp, with spotting scopes and cameras set up bird-watching the loons. I waited a number of minutes for them before I had to get out and explain the error of their ways. Completely oblivious. I take my boat to a lot of ramps, but that one wins the prize for displays of stupid.

At least the bike folks don't hang out at the ramp. Ramp etiquette is lacking at times on Fellows, and increasingly it's the newbie kayakers that can't understand the concept of put your boat in the water and get out of the way of others waiting for the ramp.

I got the same response when I visited the new 'shop' (currently virtually empty of usable fishing gear). I don't know what they think they're accomplishing with this. The ship on non-native minnows sailed decades ago. The lake/river is full of non-native species, so selling minnows that weren't there in the 1800's is accomplishing nothing. So folks will source their minnows elsewhere and guess what, they're probably non-native as well. I'm not a big minnow buyer on this lake so it's not a huge factor to me, but I find it kind of dumb. What I think this actually is about is they don't want to have to take care of minnows and the the life support they require. And they don't want the minnow aroma in their clean new 'shop.' The new people running the shop are not anglers, me thinks.

Sounds like the crappie spawn is over then?

Raising the seat on mine cured a couple of problems. Highly recommend it on these 12Ts.

That's what lots of Cocaine and "White Crosses" will do for ya.

Half of this is 73% fake news.

Family's stayed healthy. I've fished with good buds and caught some fishes this year.