Quillback

Looks like a great time! I have eaten shark, used to be able to buy shark steaks in New England. Can't remember what type of shark they sold, might have been blue shark. It was tasty. Never have cleaned one.

Garden has been so-so for me this year. Got some good broccoli early, then the heat came early this year causing it to go to seed earlier than it should have. Had one cherry tomato plant that did really well, two other plants were bush plants that were supposed to grow well in containers, put out a few really big tomatoes, but after that the fruit started splitting and the vines wilted. Blaming that on heat also. Grew some cukes in containers, they have done fair usually get a couple per day, but not the numbers I usually get. Green beans are doing well right now, planted them late, around mid-June and they have started putting out beans the last week or so, this cool, rainy weather has helped. Just planted some sugar snap peas and more beans last week, dunno if the beans will have time to produce before the frost hits, but I think the peas will do OK.

I thought you posted that pic because that fish bore a resemblance to JF. 😜

Good on you for making the effort. You never know, guy might have left, drove home, backed the boat into the garage and never realize they left the rods back at the ramp. I could see myself doing that.

I throw them out in the street and let the birds have them. Remind me of a Catalpa worm except bigger and green. Might be a good catfish bait.

When I lived there I can remember a petition drive that I was part of to get those Snake river dams removed, I think that was around 1990. They're still there and people are still trying to get them removed. I would love to see them go, but beginning to doubt it will happen in my lifetime. Used to see estimates that about $1 billion per year is spent on Columbia/Snake river basin salmon restoration. It's not really restoration, it's more about keeping a remnant population alive.

Beautiful country, I miss it. They had a squawfish bounty on the Columbia while I lived there, they were trying to get rid of them as they are a predator of salmon smolts - that was the thinking at the time. $3 each. Supposedly there were people making $50-60K per year fishing for them. I've always heard that if you want to do a smallmouth float, do one on the John Day in Oregon. Remote country and many smallmouth. There are guides will take you on a multi-day float on the John Day and target smallmouth.

Ahhh, that makes sense.

St Lawrence is a week away. I was looking at Group E, guy by the name of Rick Morris has a selection rate of 22%, far and away more than anyone else. Never heard of him myself, and he's not my selection, but thought that was interesting. Maybe he did well in a past tourney on the St. Lawrence?

Those flatheads are ugly sons of guns, but they do pull. I usually will get one or two a year accidentally while bass fishing and it's usually around September. Don't know if it is coincidence or if they get more active this time of year during the day.

Yeah, I'd say that first one is a hybrid.

I know what you're looking for, had a few instances of that earlier this summer. Wish I had taken some screen shots. Might run across some this fall.

Wrench I've never said that stuff about LOZ. I wish it was closer so I could fish it, it's a great LM lake. If crap builds up inside of LOZ folks , well this is not the thread to foul with that crap.

HAHA, I was thinking that if there was a contest to catch the smallest fish, things could get pretty interesting.

Ugh, just the thought of a freezer full of stocker trout makes me want to hurl. I can eat trout maybe 3-4 times a year at the most. Having to eat my way through a freezer full, no thanks. The sad thing is how many of those folks with freezers full end up tossing them after they get freezer burn?

Guy should get 6 months just for being stupid. Sounds like he's been warned but is still selling.

It is a gift for sure. Come fish it some time, you might have fun, and you need to have some fun, being a sour old man is not the way you want to spend your remaining years.

I'll take a picture to record my trophy.

I can call a fish a "trophy" and not feel obligated to get it stuffed. 😄

Wow, hate to hear that. I am wondering what could've caused it?

Based on my local lake fishing experience, a smallmouth over 19" is a quality fish, and I'd put a trophy at any over 5lbs. Over 6 lbs. would be an exceptional fish.

Wow!

Very interested to hear about your trip.

I have a buddy that has a Shimano DC, one of the earlier models, can't remember which one it is, but not a Curado. We were out fishing one day, and he had it set to "Long Cast" or whatever that setting was. He was throwing a 3/4 oz jigging spoon with that thing, and it was way further than I could throw anything with my stuff.

Get out between the storms. Be nice to see some water running into the backs of the coves, but yet not enough to flood. That's probably asking for too much, LOL.