8 to leadwood

[Smalliebigs]

2 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Do you guys think smallies are caught on trot lines?   I have several spots that I have been consistently catching fish from the past 3 years and about a month ago it really dropped off.  That’s when I noticed beer cans in the trees.  They strung 3 trot lines in the area.  I didn’t touch them but they did not have identity tags on them. 

oh monkey dodo......if they have no identity on them I cut them every time screw'em

[top_dollar]

Just shy of 18 inches.  Probably pushing 7# id say.

[top_dollar]

On 6/2/2020 at 9:03 AM, Smalliebigs said:

oh monkey dodo......if they have no identity on them I cut them every time screw'em

a few weeks ago i saw probably over a hundred unmarked at the big slow pool just above leadwood.  Baited with hand size bluegills.  Seemed like the bait was wayyyy too big to catch what would be swimming in that section.  Im in the cut them camp too, but there were so many I would have been there all day.

[Al Agnew]

7 hours ago, top_dollar said:

a few weeks ago i saw probably over a hundred unmarked at the big slow pool just above leadwood.  Baited with hand size bluegills.  Seemed like the bait was wayyyy too big to catch what would be swimming in that section.  Im in the cut them camp too, but there were so many I would have been there all day.

I suppose there MIGHT be one or two flatheads big enough to eat one of those hand size bluegill, but upper Big isn't exactly known as a big catfish river.  When I was a kid we fished for catfish at night all summer, and I think the biggest we ever caught was about a 6 pound flathead.  We were lucky to catch a half dozen 1-2 pound channel cats in a night.  But boy, could we ever catch bullheads!

 

[Deadstream]

On June 2, 2020 at 9:03 AM, Smalliebigs said:

...if they have no identity on them I cut them every time screw'em

You better look close on both ends.. That attitude will get your posterior beat or shot.  AND make people saw sides off of your precious smallmouth..  DON'T ever mess with anybody else's gear. EVER.  If you really think its a bad set call the DNR... You are not the judge.  

[fishinwrench]

40 minutes ago, Deadstream said:

You better look close on both ends.. That attitude will get your posterior beat or shot.  AND make people saw sides off of your precious smallmouth..  DON'T ever mess with anybody else's gear. EVER.  If you really think its a bad set call the DNR... You are not the judge.  

I have to agree.  My grandpa shot a guy in the arm for running his limb lines.  And he wasn't what anyone would consider a violent person.  

How does "no tag" on a trotline effect you?   It doesn't. I'm sure whoever set them has enough family members to justify the number of hooks.   The tag thing is MDC  BS, and you aren't on the payroll.   Wanna run a trotline? Just rip the tag off first.  Piss on that! 

If you wanna play vigilante on the river then do it at night when the gigging party's are happening.  

[top_dollar]

8 hours ago, Deadstream said:

You better look close on both ends.. That attitude will get your posterior beat or shot.  AND make people saw sides off of your precious smallmouth..  DON'T ever mess with anybody else's gear. EVER.  If you really think its a bad set call the DNR... You are not the judge.  

Filleting a smallmouth would be a weird way to get revenge on someone lol.

[top_dollar]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

 My grandpa shot a guy in the arm for running his limb lines.  And he wasn't what anyone would consider a violent person.  

If you shoot a guy for messing with your limb line, you are the definition of a violent person. 

[top_dollar]

10 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

I suppose there MIGHT be one or two flatheads big enough to eat one of those hand size bluegill, but upper Big isn't exactly known as a big catfish river.  When I was a kid we fished for catfish at night all summer, and I think the biggest we ever caught was about a 6 pound flathead.  We were lucky to catch a half dozen 1-2 pound channel cats in a night.  But boy, could we ever catch bullheads!

 

I bet that big slow pool is a good spot for catfish, but I'd think about cutting those bluegills up in chunks to catch normal sized cats.  Actually now that I'm thinking about it, I'd just eat the bluegills. 

[jdmidwest]

Covid has made many more fishermen and given them lots more time to pursue them.  I wonder if MDC will adjust their models on catch and keep this year?  There has to be more fish in the freezers than ever.

Fishing tackle sold out every where, trolling motors, fish finders, boat stuff, and kayaks.  People are staying close this year and outdoors in droves.

I got lucky, my new boat runs shallower than the Water Patrol this weekend.  He came up river sniffing around and could not run the shoal I was parked on in a cove enjoying watching the grandkid enjoy the river I grew up on.  We were legal, but why bother us when you  have a full lake of idiots below.  We had the river to ourselves Sunday.