When did it Start

I was hooked on fishing the first time I tried. I caught my first fish the first time out. It was a spring day I recall on a lake where my father and some of his friends owned a cabin, I believe I was 8 years old. I was waiting in about 3 foot of water throwing a spoon lure. My first fish was about a 3 or 4 lb and it was a Northern Pike. The initial bite and the fight excited me. I fished for about an hour or so and ended up catching a total of 4 fish some slightly larger and some smaller. If I was more experienced I probably could have caught a lot more. I did get a little discouraged when I missed some. Heck one of them would have been a lake record, haha joking. I did keep them all and the grown ups cleaned them and we all ate fish and bread for dinner. I was excited about the catching part and felt useful providing dinner. I know lots of fisherman and not many can tell a first time fishing story quite like mine.

Younger Days of Fishing

As a kid I went with my father whenever he went. I have such good memories camping both in a tents, campers, or cabins. In high school I went with child hood friends. We would catch a ton of fish but a lot of the times I was kind of the teacher. The funny thing is no one was interested in learning how to clean the fish so I cleaned a lot of fish, lol.

The years I Was Absent

I enlisted in the USAF in 1994 and got out in 2001. I really didn't do any fishing during this time. Maybe less than a handful of times. Only fishing gear I had was a small tackle box with two fishing poles that I still had when I was a kid. I was in my 20s and I had other things going on in my life at the time. I got back to it shortly after my military days.

Back at it

Well I got back into it quickly once my son was born. I had to show him the ropes like my father showed me. I went and got some more fishing gear so we didn't have to share. I also gave some lessons to a lot of his friends.

Fishing is hobby that has consumed a great chunk of time for me. To date I have over 30 rods and reals and thousands of gear such as lures, nets, back packs, bags, and a boat. Heck I got bags and back packs just for certain species of fish.

What species do I target? Well all are fresh water species because I don't live near the ocean. They include: northern pike, walleye, catfish, crappie, bass, drum, and blue gills.

When do I like to go? The morning time has always been my favorite time to go. How early you may ask well I've went as early as 4 a.m. but usually go out at 6 o'clock. I have fished at all hours though. A lot of species are difficult to catch at night. If I'm in a catfish mood I will sometimes fish at night.

I fish all four seasons here. I like the spring the most, a lot of fish spawn during this time. My next choice would be the fall because most fish will try to pack up on food before winter. Both these seasons are a little cooler too which is more comfortable fishing. Summer can sometimes be enjoyable but when it's extremely hot fish don't tend to bite. I will fish in the winter through the ice but you have to be aware of ice thickness. If you have an ice hut or igloo it can be kind of comfortable. This doesn't mean you can dress light because you have to bundle up.

So I fish lakes, streams, and rivers. I will have to say river fishing is my favorite. There is so many more species of fish there. If you do simple fishing with a worm,you often don't know what you have until you see it. There are are several species of carp and catfish. Also there are drum, walleye, Sauger, mooneye, skip jacks, sturgeon, gar, suckers, and many more. Lakes are often stocked with as little as 5 species such as crappie, bluegill, catfish, and walleye. Streams are kind of an in-between but they are usually narrow and kind of shallow. I will fish streams sometimes for trout. I have plenty of secret spots I go to on all three that I keep quiet about.

I usually like my secret spots for a couple reasons. One is they are not over fished. Another is I also like to be alone at times. When I go to popular places sometimes I maybe the only one catching fish. What happens? I get other fisherman curious which leads them to asking a slew of questions:

What are you using? Which leads them to ask, do you have any extras you can give me?

Why are you throwing back your catches?

Do you mind if I fish near you? My least favorite of all questions I'll usually just leave and go somewhere else. One time I had a guy actually follow me well he came near me again about 5 minutes later because he wasn't catching anything than asked what am I using, lol.

I guess maybe it's a sign Im a good fisherman. I do notice I get a lot of attention when there are people around.

Keep or Not

I consider myself a conservative fisherman. Do I keep everything I catch? No, I'll throw the small and the really big ones back. But the big ones why? The large fish are the best breeding fish. Not only that they can be a chore to clean. Sometimes I go to just catch and release. Hey if my freezer is full and I'm not filling orders for someone I just throw back. Ok I fill orders for some that work in the food industry. Now they don't use them for their business but for their families and themselves. I have one friend who owns a sushi restaurant and one who owns a seafood restaurant. So they do well so why do I do it? I get compensated via trade. Both are Chinese owners and they can't find fresh whole fish here. They can find whole fish but it's usually a few days old. They tell me the fish is to mushy and mine is firm how they like it.

I think I need to make friends with some of the Filipino girls at their restaurant. I love the food and want to try some things that may not be on the menu (I'm talking food). I'm not going to lie lumpia is way better than a standard egg roll. A lot of you are from the Philippines do you think they would do a fish trade?

Final Thoughts

Well I started at a young age as my father did before me. I just enjoy fishing and try to get out at least once a week. It's really relaxes me and it's nice to be one with nature as well. If you have young kids get them out and let them try it. They may just really like it and it is really fun watching them get excited. That's all I have. Keep the lines tight!!