Torn

[jdmidwest]

Hammering the same water all the time makes you really good on that body of water normally.

Several years ago, I made a motion to fish some new waters each year to change things up.  Those trips are not usually productive as the normal spots I pound, but add some excitement to the sport. 

I carry a license for MO, Ark, and TN and will travel to each during the course of the year.  And I switch it up, lakes and rivers.  Boats and wading, sometimes a kayak. 

This year, I fished Truman in MO for the first time, Chicamagua in TN,  and Degray, Greeson, and Quachita in Arkansas for the first time.  None fished better than Pickwick or the TN River, Current River, or any other of my normal streams.  But I saw new places and want to go back and do all of them some more when time permits.

[Ham]

5 hours ago, Harps said:

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.

Do Tell! How many species are you normally able to catch? What are some of the more unusual fish that you’ve been able to get?

[Hog Wally]

1 hour ago, jdmidwest said:

Hammering the same water all the time makes you really good on that body of water normally.

Several years ago, I made a motion to fish some new waters each year to change things up.  Those trips are not usually productive as the normal spots I pound, but add some excitement to the sport. 

I carry a license for MO, Ark, and TN and will travel to each during the course of the year.  And I switch it up, lakes and rivers.  Boats and wading, sometimes a kayak. 

This year, I fished Truman in MO for the first time, Chicamagua in TN,  and Degray, Greeson, and Quachita in Arkansas for the first time.  None fished better than Pickwick or the TN River, Current River, or any other of my normal streams.  But I saw new places and want to go back and do all of them some more when time permits.

Truman is my favorite lake in this state. I have fished there more than all other impoundments combined.  

[Al Agnew]

It's an interesting question.  I aimed for many years to own a home on a river, where I could walk out my door and fish whenever I wanted.  Got it in Montana on the Yellowstone.  But I also wanted a home on my favorite Ozark river.  Just moved in August to a home on the Meramec.  In either place, I can fish from my own land, though neither place is really perfect for wading.  But in either place, I have 50-75 miles of river within 45 minutes drive, and the nearest boat ramp is less than 2 miles away.  And I can be pretty darned happy fishing the same stretches over and over, given that I have that many miles that close.  Big River used to be my "home" stream, the stream I grew up on, and I always fished it a lot more than anywhere else.  I'm sure I'll still fish the same stretches of Big I always have, as well, and now I'm pretty close to the Bourbeuse, so I'll fish it more than I have in the past.  In Montana, I have the Boulder and the Shields that are not far away, and I'll fish them quite a bit.

But it's always fun to fish new water, or even just water I haven't fished in a while.  Every late summer I do a multi-day solo float somewhere else in the Ozarks.  Most years, I'll fish someplace else in Montana with my buddies.  I once had the goal of fishing a river in every state (well, except a few that simply don't interest me, like Kansas or Mississippi).  I guess I no longer have that goal, because I don't have the drive to travel that far every year anymore.  But there are sure streams I haven't fished that I want to, like the Devils River in Texas, the Smith River in Montana, the Snake in Idaho.  And a bunch of streams I want to get back to at some point, like the Penobscot in Maine, the New in Virginia, the John Day in Oregon, the Salmon in Idaho.  And a lot of Ozark streams that I floated many years ago and haven't been on them since.

Other kinds of fishing?  Not really.  I love rivers too much.  Give me smallmouth or trout or river walleye and I'm happy, though I wouldn't mind catching some of the more obscure bass species, like shoal bass and guadalupe bass.  

I do usually go on one or two trips a year to places far from my homes.  But other than that, I have enough water within an easy drive that I don't really wish for a lot of exotic locales.  

 

[Hog Wally]

8 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

It's an interesting question.  I aimed for many years to own a home on a river, where I could walk out my door and fish whenever I wanted.  Got it in Montana on the Yellowstone.  But I also wanted a home on my favorite Ozark river.  Just moved in August to a home on the Meramec.  In either place, I can fish from my own land, though neither place is really perfect for wading.  But in either place, I have 50-75 miles of river within 45 minutes drive, and the nearest boat ramp is less than 2 miles away.  And I can be pretty darned happy fishing the same stretches over and over, given that I have that many miles that close.  Big River used to be my "home" stream, the stream I grew up on, and I always fished it a lot more than anywhere else.  I'm sure I'll still fish the same stretches of Big I always have, as well, and now I'm pretty close to the Bourbeuse, so I'll fish it more than I have in the past.  In Montana, I have the Boulder and the Shields that are not far away, and I'll fish them quite a bit.

But it's always fun to fish new water, or even just water I haven't fished in a while.  Every late summer I do a multi-day solo float somewhere else in the Ozarks.  Most years, I'll fish someplace else in Montana with my buddies.  I once had the goal of fishing a river in every state (well, except a few that simply don't interest me, like Kansas or Mississippi).  I guess I no longer have that goal, because I don't have the drive to travel that far every year anymore.  But there are sure streams I haven't fished that I want to, like the Devils River in Texas, the Smith River in Montana, the Snake in Idaho.  And a bunch of streams I want to get back to at some point, like the Penobscot in Maine, the New in Virginia, the John Day in Oregon, the Salmon in Idaho.  And a lot of Ozark streams that I floated many years ago and haven't been on them since.

Other kinds of fishing?  Not really.  I love rivers too much.  Give me smallmouth or trout or river walleye and I'm happy, though I wouldn't mind catching some of the more obscure bass species, like shoal bass and guadalupe bass.  

I do usually go on one or two trips a year to places far from my homes.  But other than that, I have enough water within an easy drive that I don't really wish for a lot of exotic locales.  

 

I keep thinking I want to go after them Shoal bass also. And now that I think about it more, the North Branch of the Susquehanna river for Smallies. 

[Harps]

On 12/14/2022 at 8:01 PM, Ham said:

Do Tell! How many species are you normally able to catch? What are some of the more unusual fish that you’ve been able to get?

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.

[Ham]

31 minutes ago, Harps said:

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.

Shoot me a PM when you are ready to drive a little. Dave has a great bowfin spot. I’ve caught bowfin on fly in a few locations. 

[Johnsfolly]

On 12/15/2022 at 6:11 AM, Hog Wally said:

I keep thinking I want to go after them Shoal bass also.

If you do go after shoal bass, I would suggest the Upper Ocmulgee River in Jasper CO Georgia. We were bank fishing, but a kayak or boat would get you into some great spots. This location lived up to their namesake 😉.

They fought hard and used the current to their advantage.