2019 Fishing - Bent rods and tight lines

[fattyflattie 4636]

People do. We just don’t like to eat them here. 

 

[Masshole Horn 762]

Hell make cat food out of them. Market it as wild caught or some shit.

[crash_davis 23081]

Just now, Masshole Horn said:

Hell make cat food out of them. Market it as wild caught or some shit.

it's all in the marketing.  chilean seabass sounds so much more appetizing than patagonia toothfish.

 

"Mississippi Riverbass

Wild Caught or some shit."

 

i'll take 2 of those please.

[Brew 3045]

Illinois has apparently had success in somewhat controlling the population through commercial fishing. There are apparently several markets out there where carp has a use. Kentucky is putting money into fish houses around Barkley now to try and increase commercial harvesting 20 fold over what it is on those lakes. We’ll see if it results in some progress.

[El Diablo 4232]

When I was a kid we had an annual carp tournament here on Lake Waco, I think it was in August. First prize was a Zebco 202. Second prize was TWO Zebco 202s. Just an excuse to sit and sip suds. People would weigh in burlap bags with old car parts. Cheating was rampant and encouraged. The late great Earl Golding, the outdoors columnist for the Waco Trib, and his brother started the event. Some years back a group decided to revive the event and the team I was on won the thing. In the process I weighed in a water body record smallmouth buffalo (since broken by some smarmy 12 year old kid). My one shining moment I guess. Anyway, point of this longwinded story is that there was a guy there taking all of the carp that were caught. He had a buyer somewhere I guess, he was halfway taking care of them, throwing them in barrels with some ice in there.

[Cousin Strawberry 1261]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:57 AM, Pescado_Rojo said:

I use the blood knot. 

 

This^^^^^

[Sbbruin 21704]

I guess they feed these tarpon daily.  One comment kinda summed it up: "It's like shooting a domesticated deer at point blank range and calling yourself a hunter."

 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

7 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

I guess they feed these tarpon daily.  One comment kinda summed it up: "It's like shooting a domesticated deer at point blank range and calling yourself a hunter."

 

where is that? what a fucking idiot.

[Sbbruin 21704]

1 minute ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

where is that? what a fucking idiot.

Florida Keys, I think.  BTW, give my best to Hollywood Colt.  He was a good dude.  Hope he's still alive.

Edited August 6, 2019 by Sbbruin

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Just now, Sbbruin said:

Florida Keys, I think.

Florida, man.

[Brew 3045]

I didn’t watch the video, but I’m going to guess it was at Robbie’s.

[DCA_HORN 725]

I guess they feed these tarpon daily.  One comment kinda summed it up: "It's like shooting a domesticated deer at point blank range and calling yourself a hunter."
 

What do you think 90 percent of deer "hunting" is?

[Sbbruin 21704]

21 minutes ago, Brew said:

I didn’t watch the video, but I’m going to guess it was at Robbie’s.

Yes, that's what one of the comments said.

[justhookit 4174]

1 hour ago, Sbbruin said:

I guess they feed these tarpon daily.  One comment kinda summed it up: "It's like shooting a domesticated deer at point blank range and calling yourself a hunter."

 

Haha. Many years ago I was doing my first release of a blue marlin and I made the mistake of putting my hand in its mouth. It wasn’t as bad as that video but everyone on the boat got a good laugh at me. Hurt like hell.

[Sbbruin 21704]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Florida, man.

[justhookit 4174]

7 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Haha. Many years ago I was doing my first release of a blue marlin and I made the mistake of putting my hand in its mouth. It wasn’t as bad as that video but everyone on the boat got a good laugh at me. Hurt like hell.

Picture this, only with the idiot in the yellow shirt with his hand stuck down the throat.

[HouTex 1850]

19 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

1 hour ago, Sbbruin said:

I guess they feed these tarpon daily.  One comment kinda summed it up: "It's like shooting a domesticated deer at point blank range and calling yourself a hunter."
 

What do you think 90 percent of deer "hunting" is?

I agree with this 100%.  This is my pet peeve.  High fences and introducing specially bred deer should be illegal in Texas.  I know a lot of guys that brag about the 170+ B&C deer they shot while driving around on a Tahoe on their or their rich friend's 5,000 acre ranch in So.Tx.  The ranch owners even give the deer a name or number and can identify the same deer from year to year.  Those guys are farming/shooting deer, not hunting. 

[Brisketexan 104537]

So, on Sunday -- which was not the greatest day for our family, what with the news and all, I got to do something that made me happy.  We were down in Surfside, hanging out at the beach.  I was tossing a popping shrimp topwater in the surf (NADA was happening), while my buddy was bobbing in the waves drinking a beer, and we were shooting the shit.

An 11 year old kid had been out there earlier watching my kids fish, and decided he had to try it himself.  He came out there with a rod and reel that was a little too big, rigged for bottom fishing, but not the right way at all.  He was struggling a bit, and asked me some questions.  So I tucked my rod under my arm, and helped him with his rig.  As he would cast out, I coached him on keeping the line taught so he could feel the bite, keep his rod tip at a mid position so he could keep the line taught but set the hook, etc.  After a few casts, he hooked a decent little whiting.  Nothing exciting for any of us who've grown up fishing the coast....but this was a little 11 year old african american kid from Arkansas -- he'd never fished salt in his life.

He hooked that fish, and man, you'd have thought he'd hit the lottery.  He took it in to show his dad, they put it in the cooler so he could fry it up later, and back out he came to keep trying.  As we were leaving, I visited with his old man, and helped him rig up with a smaller hook from their tackle box.  And I told 'em he was a helluva fisherman, keep it up.  Hopefully, he will.  Fishing's a good habit.

I didn't catch a damned thing all day.  But it was a good day fishing.  It still surprises me how happy simple things like that make me.  I didn't catch a fish, but I helped a kid catch a fish, and that feels 100X better, you know?

[Lat22 3994]

9 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

where is that? what a fucking idiot.

That’s at Robbie’s in Islamorada. You try to do that today and you’re going to jail and probably getting your ass kicked before the cops get there. 

[Mac8111 2103]

We once did a bullshit corporate trip out of key west and one of our guys hooks up a decent Barracuda and the captain talks him into getting a mount. (Capt obviously gets a cut of the action). As we are back at the dock, the Capt is writing up the paperwork and same guy tosses a line out with 100 tarpon around. Tarpon hits it , wraps around the pole and is off the line in less than 15 sec. Captain talks guy into mounting that one too. Lol


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[Braff Zacklin 13406]

2 hours ago, Lat22 said:

That’s at Robbie’s in Islamorada. You try to do that today and you’re going to jail and probably getting your ass kicked before the cops get there. 

Was going to rep this, but noticed you were on 666 and didn't wanna fuck wit yo flo ... so I'll find you later. Stay wicked, sir.

[Braff Zacklin 13406]

4 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

but this was a little 11 year old african american kid from Arkansas -- he'd never fished salt in his life.

Ah, but that's how it starts. My parents unintentionally got me hooked on the sport on a trip to the Arkansas Ozarks when I was 3. It's been all downhill from there.

You created an addict, sir, and I salute you.

[troph 24560]

Ah, but that's how it starts. My parents unintentionally got me hooked on the sport on a trip to the Arkansas Ozarks when I was 3. It's been all downhill from there.
You created an addict, sir, and I salute you.

It’s funny how the first fish caught even if little can hook a kid. I don’t fish as much as I want and frankly like to go with people who know what they are doing but it’s my favorite outdoorsmen type sport - same thing happened to my 9 year old. Total bust out there but his one fish, super small ignited his imagination. Why? Because he caught it.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

On 8/6/2019 at 12:46 PM, HouTex said:

I agree with this 100%.  This is my pet peeve.  High fences and introducing specially bred deer should be illegal in Texas.  I know a lot of guys that brag about the 170+ B&C deer they shot while driving around on a Tahoe on their or their rich friend's 5,000 acre ranch in So.Tx.  The ranch owners even give the deer a name or number and can identify the same deer from year to year.  Those guys are farming/shooting deer, not hunting. 

I prefer native deer with a high fence as long as the place is big enough.  That way your neighbor with ten acres abutting your 5,000 acre pasture doesn’t shoot 38 two and three year old bucks.  Places around us are all high fenced big ranches.   Many deer never even see the fence. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19330]

On 8/10/2019 at 11:10 AM, Johnny Sack said:

I prefer native deer with a high fence as long as the place is big enough.  That way your neighbor with ten acres abutting your 5,000 acre pasture doesn’t shoot 38 two and three year old bucks.  Places around us are all high fenced big ranches.   Many deer never even see the fence. 

That's my Father In Law's set up. When he inherited the ranch, he tried to get all his neighbors into a management plan for the area. He was an extension agent, and spent most of his career in Kerr County. He knows all the biologists in the State Deer Program, so he had one of them over to the house and invited the neighbors. They all said it was a great idea, and they were all for it. The next year he walked into the convenience store down the road, and there were all his neighbors on the "Big Buck Board" showing off the 3 1/2 year old basket horned 8 points they agreed not to shoot. He high fenced the following year (pissed off all the neighbors, but fuck'em) and has been turning out some pretty fantastic bucks for the past 4-5 years. Every deer on the place is a descendant of the deer that were there when the fence went up. He does a helicopter survey every year and gets tags for a specific number of bucks and does, and follows the program to a T. It's amazing what you can get out of "inferior" Hill Country bucks when you let them grow up and feed them enough. 

[LaunchPad 10]

We are headed to Costa Rica(Papagayo) in June, what are fishing conditions like this time of year?  Any recs for boats?

[Johnny Sack 8397]

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 8:44 PM, Pescado_Rojo said:

That's my Father In Law's set up. When he inherited the ranch, he tried to get all his neighbors into a management plan for the area. He was an extension agent, and spent most of his career in Kerr County. He knows all the biologists in the State Deer Program, so he had one of them over to the house and invited the neighbors. They all said it was a great idea, and they were all for it. The next year he walked into the convenience store down the road, and there were all his neighbors on the "Big Buck Board" showing off the 3 1/2 year old basket horned 8 points they agreed not to shoot. He high fenced the following year (pissed off all the neighbors, but fuck'em) and has been turning out some pretty fantastic bucks for the past 4-5 years. Every deer on the place is a descendant of the deer that were there when the fence went up. He does a helicopter survey every year and gets tags for a specific number of bucks and does, and follows the program to a T. It's amazing what you can get out of "inferior" Hill Country bucks when you let them grow up and feed them enough. 

I love reading success stories like that.  People that bitch about high fences don't understand the time, money and delayed gratification that goes into building a herd with the right age structure and nutrition needed to produce trophy bucks.

But low fence can work well if you have a big enough place and are surrounded by like-minded neighbors.

Edited August 13, 2019 by Johnny Sack

[HouTex 1850]

2 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

I love reading success stories like that.  People that bitch about high fences don't understand the time, money and delayed gratification that goes into building a herd with the right age structure and nutrition needed to produce trophy bucks.

But low fence can work well if you have a big enough place and are surrounded by like-minded neighbors.

I bitch about high fences and I completely understand the time, money and resulting gratification that goes with it.  I simply object to the "hunting" nature of a deer taken in that environment.  They are raising deer and harvesting them.  And that's ok.  Just don't brag about the 170 point B&C you shot from 75 yards at your friend's high fenced ranch while riding around in his Range Rover at mid-day.  Any 12 year old with about 30 minutes of work on the range can make that shot.  If it were legal, it would be no different than netting off a section of Baffin Bay and growing your own trout and controlling the harvest.  Sure, that would take time and money and some would find some gratification at routinely catching 33 inch trout.  Or it's like catching a 7 lb. bass in a stock tank.  It's fun, but it's not the same as catching that same sized bass in a wide open public lake/reservoir.  The essence of hunting, and fishing, implies a degree of randomness and luck which is removed in the high fence, game-managed environment.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

Just now, HouTex said:

I bitch about high fences and I completely understand the time, money and resulting gratification that goes with it.  I simply object to the "hunting" nature of a deer taken in that environment.  They are raising deer and harvesting them.  And that's ok.  Just don't brag about the 170 point B&C you shot from 75 yards at your friend's high fenced ranch while riding around in his Range Rover at mid-day.  Any 12 year old with about 30 minutes of work on the range can make that shot.  If it were legal, it would be no different than netting off a section of Baffin Bay and growing your own trout and controlling the harvest.  Sure, that would take time and money and some would find some gratification at routinely catching 33 inch trout.  Or it's like catching a 7 lb. bass in a stock tank.  It's fun, but it's not the same as catching that same sized bass in a wide open public lake/reservoir.  The essence of hunting, and fishing, implies a degree of randomness and luck which is removed in the high fence, game-managed environment.

I disagree.  Unless you’re talking about a small place that is high fenced.  Deer on a 10k acre high fenced place are no less wild and require the same skill to harvest as deer on a low fenced place.  Deer on a large place may never see a fence in their life   

Hell, we have a 600 acre pasture high fenced off for red deer.  I’ve had hell finding those fuckers many times.  And that’s a small pasture.  

[DCA_HORN 725]

Not a lot of timed feeders in the wild is his point I believe.

[justhookit 4174]

On 8/12/2019 at 6:56 PM, LaunchPad said:

We are headed to Costa Rica(Papagayo) in June, what are fishing conditions like this time of year?  Any recs for boats?

Not positive but I’m pretty sure fishing is pretty good up there that time of year. These guys https://fishtale2costarica.com/ keep their boat in the marina I am in during the winter but take it up to Papagayo in the summer. They are the only boat I personally know up there.

[justhookit 4174]

Forgot about these guys https://www.wetassfishing.com/. Probably the most well known boat up in that area.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

15 hours ago, DCA_HORN said:

Not a lot of timed feeders in the wild is his point I believe.

The presence or absence of feeders has nothing to do with high fences. 

[HouTex 1850]

25 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

The presence or absence of feeders has nothing to do with high fences. 

Agreed.  But my point remains.  This is from the B&C rules for recording trophies and supports one of my points.  There's a reason they don't accept deer taken from enclosed pastures.

https://www.boone-crockett.org/about/positions_Records_Eligibility.asp?area=about&ID=6B455080&se=1&te=1

IV. Confined by artificial barriers, including escape proof fenced enclosures;

As stated above, the Club’s records program is a gauge of the success or failure of conservation and game management policies and programs.  Data kept by the Club’s records is the measurement of antler and horn growth, which is considered as an indicator of age and habitat conditions.  Wildlife managers use these data to make game management decisions.  As such, the scientific purity of this data is of utmost importance to managers and Club.

Artificial barriers and escape-proof fences typically mean that the animals confined within are managed by private individuals and are not free-ranging.  Including data in the records books on such animals undermines the usefulness of the data to wildlife managers who are charged with overseeing the health and regulated hunting of free-ranging animals.

In addition, game species and their habitat within an enclosure can be managed or manipulated in a way that is not possible under free-range conditions.  Often such manipulation is for the purpose of growing the largest antler and horn sets possible in the shortest amount of time.  The Club has determined that including data on animals taken from enclosures creates a greater possibility of unnaturally grown or genetically-manipulated specimens skews the data, making it worthless to game managers.

For these reasons the Club has chosen to exclude game harvested behind an artificial barrier or escape-proof fence from its records program.  

And the Fair Chase Statement supports my other points:

https://www.boone-crockett.org/huntingEthics/ethics_fairchase.asp?area=huntingEthics

FAIR CHASE STATEMENT
FAIR CHASE, as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club, is the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the game animals.

HUNTER ETHICS
Fundamental to all hunting is the responsibility to conserve wildlife natural resources, especially game species. Hunting involves the regulated harvest of individual animals in a manner that conserves, protects, and perpetuates the hunted population. The hunter engages in a one-to-one relationship with the quarry and his or her hunting should be guided by a hierarchy of ethics related to hunting, which includes the following principles: 

The Fair Chase hunter:

1.Knows and obeys the law, and insists others do as well

2. Understands that it is not only about just what is legal, but also what is honorable and ethical

3. Defines "unfair advantage" as when the game does not have reasonable chance of escape

4. Cares about and respects all wildlife and the ecosystems that support them, which includes making full use of game animals taken

5. Measures success not in the quantity of game taken, but by the quality of the chase

6. Embraces the "no guarantees" nature of hunting

7. Uses technology in a way that does not diminish the importance of developing skills as a hunter or reduces hunting to just shooting

8. Knows his or her limitations, and stretches the stalk not the shot

9. Takes pride in the decisions he or she makes in the field and takes full responsibility for his or her actions

I agree with you that even on a high-fenced ranch--especially as you get into the thousands of acres territory--that there's no guarantee.  Just like you don't catch a huge bass everyday when fishing a stock tank.  But shooting a deer under those circumstances--especially when the ranch is less than say 1,000 acres or so, is not "embracing the 'no guarantees' nature of hunting."  

I'll get off my soapbox by giving some anecdotes and comparing my own hunting experiences.  I know several guys who did not hunt growing up and only took up shooting deer when invited to high-fenced, game-managed ranches by friends and/or clients.  They went 3 or 4 times (i.e. weekends) over a few years and they each have two very nice trophies hanging in their offices.  Nice odds there.  I hunted in South Texas low fenced open range from when I was 12 through my middle 20's.  In my 30's and 40's I hunted more sporadically, but always in open range.  During those early years I spent probably 15 days each year in the field in very good deer country.  In all that time I killed one very nice buck--but no where near what you would see on a high fenced, game-managed ranch, and I missed the largest buck I have ever seen alive (200 yds., easy shot, and I just plain missed him--that's another story).  

Don't misunderstand--I'm not condemning those who shoot or raise deer in a high-fenced environment, I'm just saying the shooting/hunting experience is apples and oranges, and I roll my eyes when I hear about the guy who, after his first or second trip ever, brags about the huge buck he shot on a client's high-fenced ranch.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

The presence or absence of feeders has nothing to do with high fences. 

You’re harvesting petting zoo animals. It’s ok, you enjoy it and it’s good to be outdoors enjoying yourself.

But @HouTex‘s analogies are spot on. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19330]

I thought this was the fishing thread. (apologies for my part in the derail)

[Johnny Sack 8397]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

You’re harvesting petting zoo animals. It’s ok, you enjoy it and it’s good to be outdoors enjoying yourself.

But @HouTex‘s analogies are spot on. 

I will have to agree to disagree and move on.  

[fattyflattie 4636]

18 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

I will have to agree to disagree and move on.  

That’s all that can be done on this issue.

3 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I thought this was the fishing thread. (apologies for my part in the derail)

Well the big group I’ve fished with since college is doing the “summer” week long trip down in Rockport (usually a spring, summer, and winter trip). I’ve got real life stuff taking up my time this trip, and damn it’s hot, but I’m not going to lie - I’m going to be sad when the texts start showing up every evening.  Even if it’s 103* it would be nice to get down there for a week and knock the dust off the boat.   

[Pescado_Rojo 19330]

3 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

That’s all that can be done on this issue.

Well the big group I’ve fished with since college is doing the “summer” week long trip down in Rockport (usually a spring, summer, and winter trip). I’ve got real life stuff taking up my time this trip, and damn it’s hot, but I’m not going to lie - I’m going to be sad when the texts start showing up every evening.  Even if it’s 103* it would be nice to get down there for a week and knock the dust off the boat.   

My group is down in Mansfield this week. Couldn't make it because I've been turbo fucked with work since I got back from Mexico, and the boy starts school tomorrow and we wouldn't have been able to stay more than two days.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

56 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

My group is down in Mansfield this week. Couldn't make it because I've been turbo fucked with work since I got back from Mexico, and the boy starts school tomorrow and we wouldn't have been able to stay more than two days.

I fish a pink humpback strike pro wake bait down there almost exclusively.  And damn the fish in Mansfield love it.  

[Mac8111 2103]

Heading to POC tomorrow. Have six days of fishing planned In the next week and half.

Big work groups each weekend and I am squeezing in some scouting time.




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[Pescado_Rojo 19330]

Forrest is supposed to have my boat done tomorrow if Jack gets him the prop. I'll probably drive down Friday night, pick the boat up Saturday morning and fish the rest of the day then head home. I'm flying to Florida Sunday for work. 

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

What are some of the spots I can fish within an hour or two of Austin? No boat, just shore fishing for bass and such. I like rivers and secluded. Is that possible on public land in the hill country? I haven't really looked at the googles yet. 

[Brisketexan 104537]

What are some of the spots I can fish within an hour or two of Austin? No boat, just shore fishing for bass and such. I like rivers and secluded. Is that possible on public land in the hill country? I haven't really looked at the googles yet. 

Hit any number of hill country rivers. Pick up a copy of Fly Fishing the Texas Hill Country - has lots of access spots in it, and pointers. My copy is 25 yrs old, and lives in my car.

[Ollie Slatt 289]

13 hours ago, BBQ2Bayou said:

What are some of the spots I can fish within an hour or two of Austin? No boat, just shore fishing for bass and such. I like rivers and secluded. Is that possible on public land in the hill country? I haven't really looked at the googles yet. 

While not "secluded," some of my favorite hill country fishing is actually in the Austin suburbs.  The San Gabriel and Brushy Creek are both worth exploring.  Also check out Reimers Ranch on the Pedernales. 

If you feel like venturing further, the Blanco and Llano are beautiful.   

[fattyflattie 4636]

On 8/14/2019 at 3:27 PM, fattyflattie said:

I’m going to be sad when the texts start showing up every evening.  

“Mornings have been fair until today when the air boat brigade showed up (on east end near Goose Island). Lots of good reds shallow from Quarantine back to Allyns, trout decent (17-20”). A 27” trout that resembled an eel swallowed a spook and couldn’t be released.  Full moon has been solid fishing from 2000 thru 0001”.  

“Had 1.5 limit of reds before the fucking airboats showed up. Scattered after that”. 

It just dawned on me 2 of the guys in the group browsed, at a minimum, on shaggy.  Don’t know if they’ve made the trip over. I don’t think they are into shit pics, so probably. 

Edited August 16, 2019 by fattyflattie

[4th and 5 4914]

Ran from the Rio Grande to north of town today looking for tarpon...no luck. Said fuck it and went to a nearshore snapper spot and got a couple limits on light tackle.

[fattyflattie 4636]

6 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

Ran from the Rio Grande to north of town today looking for tarpon...no luck. Said fuck it and went to a nearshore snapper spot and got a couple limits on light tackle.

That is my sept goal.  Hit the pass over and over looking for a poon, and replenish freezer with any state snapper I can find.  

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

I’m going fishing. I’M GOING FISHING!

[Braff Zacklin 13406]

6 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

I’m going fishing. I’M GOING FISHING!

Pics or it didn't happen.