Fishing With Face

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With hooks on fish I want to release I have real good luck with making sure I have a small pair of pliers. I just grab the hook with them and let the fish move the hook to the point where the hook is barely still in, then help by shaking. Off they come every time. Don't sweat it with the pain thing, as long as you don't kill them by admiring them too long is the thing.

Quote: Face

Touching these areas causes no response from the fish

A bullfrog seems to feel nothing away from the head area. You can split them wide open in the belly - there is zero reaction. Of course, only feel free to check that out if you are eating the legs.

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I also know that the same action has the benefit of funneling money to those who protect it. The money I spend on this activity goes to enact and enforce laws to establish creel limits, ensuring the fish are not killed to extinction. It funds clean up efforts of garbage and industrial waste. It funds hatcheries which bring to life millions of fish that would otherwise not exist. It protects waterways from pollution and desecration. It establishes education to teach people ways to properly handle fish to protect them that they would have otherwise been ignorant about. It encourages stewardship

Exactly. Unless you are a poacher you are helping, not hurting, the creatures.

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I ... walk out of the crick with pockets full of crushed beer cans and old fishing line

That sounds like me. I hate seeing that stuff. The county I live in has a lot of slobs too. If you were in a mood to rag on country boys, there are just a lot, a lot, who get real used to the idea that the woods are a great place to dump everything. They get to where they don't see it I guess. Those good ol' boys can have a lot of good qualities but this is a common bad one. End rant. Actually some of the problem around me are the college students.

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And all that is just the direct benefit. Look at me and my kid.

I am and I am proud of you.

Quote: FrGamble

That picture of the mounted fish reminded me of how beautiful fish are.

Do you also see beauty in that Coconut Crab that scared you?

Quote: odiousgambit

That sounds like me. I hate seeing that stuff. The county I live in has a lot of slobs too. If you were in a mood to rag on country boys, there are just a lot, a lot, who get real used to the idea that the woods are a great place to dump everything. They get to where they don't see it I guess. Those good ol' boys can have a lot of good qualities but this is a common bad one. End rant. Actually some of the problem around me are the college students.

It's odd, but that's all too typical of country folk. You would think that those who engage would be the most vigilant, but it seems to almost be the opposite. Especially in "public access" areas made by the state, where they make it easy for folks to reach the water, those places are often a complete disaster. Thankfully they've started installing garbage cans and even used fishing line receptacles, but even then, it's such a mess. I just today went to an "easy to reach" spot, and sure enough, there were discarded worm containers just tossed in the weeds. The parking lot is literally right there. Just take it out!

Quote: OG

I am and I am proud of you.

Thanks. Means a lot =)

It was a hot one today. I am sufficiently crispy, and will probably be peeling in a few days. The kid wanted to go fishing all weekend but I was trapped at work, so I made it a point to get out nice and long today.

His casting limitations didn't last long. He's getting to almost halfway across the big water, and that's good enough. I was really hoping one would surprise him today, but no luck on that front. The water has gone low, so I spent too much time fording the crick to fetch my snagged lures. Still, I ended up losing about $15 worth, and that put me out. Normally it's whatever, but I just can't afford it nowadays. One one of these retrievals I had to walk a good distance through the water, and man, I saw lampreys everywhere. I saw 7 in about 60yds of walking. Jonny L had 4 in his crick behind his house. I saw 2 more last time I was out. Dunno what's causing the explosion, but I expect the DEC to come in and turn the water Kool-Aid green before long. I've never seen one before catching one last year, and now they're all over. Bastards.

With the heat came the snakes. They weren't in super thick, but they will be soon. I think we saw 4 or 5 in our area, and one was a chunky boy. Of course, I had to have it. With the fishing off and the kid excited about the snake, I chased it for ~40min off and on. Every time I thought I lost it, I'd eventually happen upon it again. It finally swam into a large cut in the shale where I could outflank it, and I had him.



One of the larger ones I've been able to nab. Gods, but do they stink! I can't ever seem to nab one without getting their musk all over my hands and all up my arms. And that's not something you can just rinse off. I like just about every stink in the woods, but I still haven't warmed up to water snake musk. Bleh ><

With nothing biting, we left the train bridge and tried out the park. I hooked one almost immediately and handed off the pole, and damned but if it wasn't the biggest bass of the year. Crick smallies are usually sub-2lbs, but this one would've been at home in the lake. Maybe not quite 3lbs, but close enough to call it so. I tried getting a pic, but Jax said it was too big to hold. He did try, but said the teeth were too sharp. Lol, gotta put that kid work to toughen up his hands =)

After that fish I found that all the snags had depleted my spool so much I couldn't cast where I needed. Even wading some 30' into the water, I was still hitting the end of the line and falling short. I decided to pack it in and watched the kid hunt tadpoles, a skill he has down better than myself. He brings one up with every snatch, and he hasn't squashed one yet. I couldn't keep up and had caught none, until I found a little hidden pool with literal pounds of the things piled on top of each other. I called Jax over to show him and he didn't even know what it was; it looked like a black, shiny sheet in the water. I told him to get closer and as his shadow fell on them, they scattered in a million different directions. It's fun to watch amazement unfold on his face =)

2 spots down and he wasn't done yet. We went down to the car bridge and I though for sure he'd get one. We usually have luck there, and now he was casting further than halfway. But once I took him into the water, he decided swimming was more fun. Having never swam in moving water before, he though it was funny to float along without trying and run into me over and over. Whatever, as long as he was having fun. I did hook one here eventually and handed this one off, too. This one he said was his size and was more than happy to hold so I could get a pic.



18-7 now. I better get the boat working if I have any chance of catching up. I had it running the other day, so will hopefully take it out soon to see if it's worthy. If not... crick season is almost closed and the ponds are weeded to hell and back. Guess it might be lake kayak time o.O

How in the world do you catch those snakes? Or better yet, why?

Stand in the water in the dark, hold out your hands comfortably in the water in front of you, when the snakes senses the heat of your hand and thinks it is prey, it will strike with an open mouth, so reach behind its head with your other hand and grab it. Just don't put your hands parallel to the water surface because then the snake can bite and close down its jaws on your fingers.

Quote: FrGamble

How in the world do you catch those snakes? Or better yet, why?

It's sort of funny. Usually they're all but impossible to catch (Water snakes, anyways. Others are easy peasy). While they'll bask on the hot rocks, they almost always are partially in water. As soon as you approach, they're down and gone. But there's one particular area where the fast current is right against shore, and it almost perfectly matches their swim speed. They'll go in, submerge and start swimming, but they just swim in place. If I don't move, they'll land almost right back at my feet. The last snake I caught I caught just like this. I spooked him into the water so I just hunkered down and waited. 30 seconds later he swam right back into me lol. Some you can catch unawares and high on the rocks. Those you just run to get between them and the water. They'll never go anywhere but a dead bee line straight to it, even if you stand in their way. Those are usually the worst because they know they're in trouble and they're hot and feisty. Those bite as soon as you reach for them. On the other hand, if you can nab one that's already in the water, they feel somewhat "safe" and almost never turn to bite.

This one was big enough to swim faster than the water, and like I said, it took a good 40 minutes to get him. I tried the fast water trick, but he was big enough to get out of it. I tried getting between him and the deep water, but he saw me coming. He couldn't see me when he submerged and I did get a hold of him once when he dove, but I underestimated his strength and he ripped away. Finally I just cornered him. It's all slate back there, and a huge chunk got ripped out making a big pool away from the main flow. When he went in there, I just hopped in the crick between him and the deep water. Corner him, flip him out of the water, grab him up.

As for why... I dunno. It's fun? I like seeing, touching, feeling, experiencing. Many people own and enjoy cats and dogs. Many people enjoy touching them. How is this any different? Why limit yourself to two animals in a house or 8 animals on a farm when there's a million things out there to touch, feel, and experience? Doesn't matter if it's a 150lb python or 15lb snapping turtle or a fledgling robin or newborn bunnies or a mess of tadpoles or a big wolf spider or a baby kitten or a field mouse or whatever... I want to hold it, touch it, experience it. I suppose I got a bit of hunting dog in me. Everything I see, all I think is "CATCH IT!" =)

But more specifically, I have a thing about fear. I do things and go places where you can't have irrational fear. There's a 40' stretch on the way to that spot where you're kind of "mountain goating" along the face of a cliff. It's not a "cliff" cliff, not like you're going to fall and die. But if you so much as slip, there's no recovering. You're gonna fall and slide down razor slate and nothing is gonna stop you from falling into a chute where the crick forces past an enormous rock. You won't die, you probably won't break anything. But you will be very bloody and half drowned. I take my kid here. I can't freak out about something as silly as a bee or snake or spider, and I sure as hell want to instill that same mentality in him. Same with driving. It's nasty here in the winter, and at least 10 times a year I'll find myself doing 65 traveling North but facing due East. Irrational fear has no place here. Irrational fear is what causes people to stand on the fat pedal and have a "Jesus take the wheel" moment. I can't deal with people who have fear reflex reactions. That snake or spider isn't going to pay you any mind and never will so long as the world exists. Yet you'll still risk lacerations and contusions and broken ankles running away from it, and might knock me over in the process and have me suffer same? Or swing you arms like a madman because an unidentified bug buzzed your head and hook me in the face with a double treble? GTFO of here with that mess =p

So I do it to teach him. I never, ever tease him in the field. No making surprise hissing noises or pretending to throw something at him or chasing him. He used to be pretty scared of fish. Now he knows which ones have "prickers" (fin spines), which ones he can lip, which ones he can't, and will hold all the ones he can. I got him to hold the garter snake I caught last year. He wouldn't hold the water snake because it smelled so god awful, but he did touch it and got close to look it all over and ask questions. And I know it's working just the way I wanted. We were out in the moving water today, waist high on him. A biting fly landed on his forehead and he just told me and leaned toward me so I could get it. No flailing and losing his balance, no swinging his arms and hooking my face with his lure.

It's important. So even things I don't like to catch (lamprey, that big snapping turtle last year), I catch to teach him. Danger, fear, respect for life, appreciation for nature, the lessons are endless.

Quote: Fleastiff

Stand in the water in the dark, hold out your hands comfortably in the water in front of you, when the snakes senses the heat of your hand and thinks it is prey, it will strike with an open mouth, so reach behind its head with your other hand and grab it. Just don't put your hands parallel to the water surface because then the snake can bite and close down its jaws on your fingers.

I have yet to feel a snake bite. Don't get me wrong, I really don't like it. There is something deeply ingrained in the psyche about getting bit, especially by reptiles. But their teeth are so very fine, like the spines on the stem of a thistle. The biggest bite I got was from a rat snake a tick smaller than the one I just caught, and I felt absolutely nothing. It bled quite a bit, but there wasn't even a mark. No swelling, no redness, no irritation, nothing. A prick from a raspberry thorn is infinitely more painful.

I imagine the 150lb'er I held would've smarted a bit, but I was 18. Reflexes like lightning and I evaded the one time it tried to strike me. But powerful. Ye gods! It was supposed to be two of us holding, but the other guy bailed as soon as it was on me. I had to hold it by myself, and just the squeezing it needed to do to stay on me was mind blowing. I can't even compare it to anything. Maybe a blood pressure cuff made for an elephant and powered by a V8 Chevy. Just the weirdest feeling ever, like a running back's thigh only without a bone in it.

Well, my kid is leaving for Florida, and with the crick bath water warm, there was only one option left. I did have the boat running in the driveway, but it's impossible to test it at the high RPM it was breaking up at on land. So what the hell, let's go out and give it a shot.

It still broke up. I know it's gotta be something completely stupid; there were a few times it would catch and run smooth full bore. But a few seconds later - cough, sputter, gurgle. I don't know eff all about outboards, but I suppose that'll be the next DIY installment as I teach myself how to fix one =p

But with just the kid inside and the lake calm, we were able to get on plane and make good enough time to head three points over and make one, big, 4 mile trolling pass. I did have a talk with him before we went out. Lake fishing is unpredictable, especially when I'm not on top of it every single week and I haven't been since the tourney last August. And if the fish ain't biting, there's nothing else to do. No water to swim in, no tadpoles to chase. You don't even get to cast and reel over and over, it's just cast and wait. But "he knew" and "he was ok", so we gave it a shot.

It was pretty much garbage to start. I expected to hit as soon as we crossed the first point, but all we nabbed there was weeds. 10 minutes went by, then 20, and soon the complaints followed. "You're not good at this", "We're not going to catch anything", and all of the other fun things that come out of kid's mouths =) I just talked to him, explained what we were doing, sang to him, whatever. It was a challenge he needed to overcome, so I did my best to help.

He quieted down and became conversational after that, and as the minutes ticked by, I think we both forgot we were fishing. And of course, always when you're not paying attention, Fish On! The pole bent over and I was able to show him what a strike looked like, and he managed to loose the pole from the holder without dumping the holder overboard. I saw it jump so knew it was a small smallie, and just then my pole blew up as well. So I set down the pole I was holding (I had two, one in holder, one in hand) and began reeling it until he got his in. There I switched up and let him reel that one in while I released the other. And of course, while I still had his in my hand, the third pole blew up. Nothing for an hour, then three within a minute. 2 little smallies and a rock bass, the fishing was on =)





Seeing their size I knew we had gotten shallow, and that perked me up thinking we were gonna get into a mess of little guys. Little is better than nothing, and he'd have a blast either way. Well,... no. We crossed the point and his pole got slammed. Before he even loosed it I knew it was a big sheephead, and he was in for a treat.

It immediately began peeling line, and I was able to get him to work with the drag. If you hear it sizzle, just let it run. When it stops, start reeling. And even in the excitement, it sank in right away. He pulled and tugged and got knocked off balance during the runs, but sure enough, he managed to wrangle it in. A good 7-8lbs, too, and he held it.



After that we banged into a few more big sheep, 2 or 3 if I remember correctly. I stopped taking pics because my battery was going low and we already doc'd the sheephead, but he wanted one more and insisted on holding them all regardless.



So, little fish, then garbage fish, that'll probably be it. Well,... no. Then we lit into the smallies, and some decent sized ones at that. Bigger than anything he's ever caught at the crick, and they came fast. One after another with only a few minutes wait in between. We had hit the groove and he was buzzing hard.



Done yet? Nope. Wouldn't you know it, then we got into the white bass. Apparently the kid was aiming to knock out the cycle in one fell swoop.



And no sooner did he drop that back in did he hook a jumbo perch. Seriously... walleye, catfish, and trout. That's pretty much all he needs to complete to lake cycle. Every other one he banged out within three hours on his first real time out on the lake.



By this time I had drained my trolling battery and had nearly emptied my main battery, so we called it a day. He asked if he could drive... and why the hell not? I started it up, put it in gear, and had a seat in the back. He was a little too close to the breakwall coming in, but after enough commands of "Left. Left. Left. LEFT.", he got us around it and into the crick. I told him to stay in the middle, and he stayed in the middle. I told him to swing around the fishermen on the breakwall, and he swung around them. I told him to mind the 5 kayakers and he minded the 5 kayakers. We got to the dock and I should probably take over instead of entrusting a 6yr old to put us in the slip... but why the hell not? I tell him to get ready to cut hard right, he says he's ready. We line up and I tell him to cut. He cuts. I tell him to straighten out. He straightens out. And other than a quick blip of reverse to slow us entering the slip, I didn't touch a single control the whole way in. He brought us from the lake, up the crick, and right into the slip all by himself.

He's 6. Proud dad moment =)