Favorite Fishing Destination

[smallmouthjoe]

I would love to go to one of those secluded lakes in Ontario where the only way to get there is by float plane. Really, I would love to experience a fishing trip anywhere. I've only fished in The Ozarks and honestly I've only really fished for bass, I haven't experienced Missouri trout fishing at all.

[kdan]

Given the chance to choose any trout destination in the continental U.S., I would choose Missouri and Arkansas. You would be hard pressed to top what these two states have to offer. If you want size or just sheer numbers, they have it all.

I agree with you "laker", I have been out west a few times. Between the long hikes, rattlesnakes, bears, wolves, and mountain lions I gotta say I will be staying home. I think I might injoy a trip to Argentina, Chile, New Zealand or maybe even Greenland. But with the way the world veiws Americans, I will still be staying at home. (let alone the cost).

[KCRIVERRAT]

Here in the midwest, I love the Jacks Fork. I've floated it so many times I've learned what's around the next bend... except I haven't spent enough time on the upper from the Prongs down to Alley. Only three overnighters in my lifetime. Beautiful!

Did a couple of trips to N.W. Ontario, my last being a fly-in in 2005. Awesome walleye or pike... whatever trips your trigger.

Scenery wise, Colorado you just can't beat IMO. Fun stuff, trout out the ying-yang.

End the end, I'll say the Missouri or Arkansas ozarks, since they are closest to me, offer my favorite fishing for the type of fishing I love... smallmouth!

Wife and I are going to Grants Pass, Oregon in june on an invite from one of her customers at work to steelhead fish the Rogue River. He's providing the guide! Anyone here on the forum have any experience on that river?

STREAMS RULE!

KC

[ozark trout fisher]

I agree with you "laker", I have been out west a few times. Between the long hikes, rattlesnakes, bears, wolves, and mountain lions I gotta say I will be staying home. I think I might injoy a trip to Argentina, Chile, New Zealand or maybe even Greenland. But with the way the world veiws Americans, I will still be staying at home. (let alone the cost).

The west is tougher to fish, but you have the most beautiful mountains (and trout) anywhere in the country. I almost forgot to include the area where I'm from, Northwestern Colorado. Awesome mountain fishing for cutts and brookies, lower down you have rainbows, browns, pike, and some surprisingly nice smallmouth bass. Not to mention the best scenery I've ever experienced, between the high plains, foothills, and the true high country. I am biased though. I have never been to Alaska, but that's where my folks are from, specifically from a tiny town in the interior, somewhat north of Fairbanks. They say nothing in the lower 48 can compare. I really need to get up there soon, but realistically it would just be too expensive.

The ozarks are most certainly beautiful as well. It's pretty in a different kind of way than Rocky Mountain west though, more charming than breathtaking. Personally, I need a bit of both. We certainly are blessed with an amazing variety of fish, so I'm most certainly not complaining.

[KCRIVERRAT]

OTF, your quote... "more charming than breathtaking", when comparing the Ozarks to the Rockies, is dead on. I am talking scenery...

[Al Agnew]

I guess it depends upon your idea of scenery. I find the upper and lower ends of the Buffalo River to be about as breathtaking as anything out West.

And the Ozarks is what I call "friendly country". You can't get into life-threatening trouble nearly as easily in the Ozarks. No class 5 rapids. The poisonous snakes aren't bad. No grizzly bears. I don't worry about cougars or wolves when in Montana, but those grizzlies maul people every year, and I never quite get really comfortable when I know I'm in good grizzly country. Very changeable weather that can put you in big trouble if you're not prepared. And the closest I've actually come to really being in serious trouble was while climbing around in the mountains and getting out on a scree slope, following a herd of elk. I found out that elk can go where humans can't. Got out so far, and couldn't go any farther, could BARELY turn around and go back. One slip would have started me and the rocks downhill, and 20 yards downhill was a 100 ft. sheer drop.

For pure trout fishing, though, it has to be the rainbow trout streams of Alaska. I can take the salmon fishing or leave it--it's fun for a while but gets a little boring after a few days. There's something about catching fish that you know are going to die in a few weeks at most that somehow turns me off. But those huge, totally wild rainbows...wow. And catching them, while certainly doable, isn't always easy. That's another thing I like about fishing...a challenge. You'll catch several big ones a day in good water under good conditions, but it still isn't a sure thing. Missouri trout are fun, and I love trying to catch big brown trout in both MO and MT, but no trout fishing I've ever done quite comes up to Alaskan rainbows. Although my one real trip for Salmon River, Idaho, steelhead comes pretty close.

Don't care for lakes all that much, don't like catching pike all that much, walleye are kinda like crappie up north, good to eat but not enough fun to catch to do it for a week on end. So I'm not too gung ho on the Minnesota/Canada trips for those fish.

Don't get me wrong...all fishing is fun. But if we're talking dream trips, I'll always opt for stream smallmouth or stream trout.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Al, it'd be nice to experience the trips you've had! A trip to Alaska is in the making once the wife retires. Walleye ARE boring after awhile, but four guys each having their own boat, with five lakes to portage, playing with our walkie talkies (yes... they ain't radios to me), and seeing a wolf and a few moose for the first time... priceless!

As you know, they were melt in your mouth walleye. Portages by foot were an adventure in itself also!

KC

[Chief Grey Bear]

Don't get me wrong...all fishing is fun. But if we're talking dream trips, I'll always opt for stream smallmouth or stream trout.

Since we are talking dream trips, as crazy as it may sound, I have always wanted to go the the lakes in Finland that inspired Lauri Rapala to create one of, if not the single greatest bait to date. I just think it would awesome and inspiring to fish the same waters with his creation.

If you haven't ever read his story, take a moment and google it.

[kdan]

I have read every post on this topic. Each one of us has a great place we have visited, and I must say every place you have been sounds exactly like some where I too would like to go. As for me, I have very much injoyed reading about "your" favorite.

[old larry]

I like the waters in the Ozarks as well but the Rivers in Minnesota churn me up! I am sure they are not as pretty as our waters but the size of the fish is quite a nice change. I like western waters as well but the distance is just so daunting. The John Day is hard to beat for beautiful but I was on a couple of creeks in Washington this summer that were indescribable in their beauty. If I want a pretty stream the Jacks is all that!

I have my compass set to the north country when ice melts...............fish on!