Itching to go fishing
Spring is approaching and along with that also comes Fishing season to which quite a few locals enjoy. Either you are a pro or amateur we can all agree on something it's relaxing and fun plus might come away with a good dinner if you're like me and eat what you catch. The weather should start warming up for fish to start biting around April or May and a few species will be spawning closer to the shore which means jackpot if you're fishing from shore. I know I hope to go a few times this year if not more. The past few years haven't been able to go so really looking forward to when I can get out there. You can bet a good six hours or so will be spent.
Growing up fishing has been an on and off theme during the summer months since Dad enjoyed to fish and would drag me along. I didn't really develop an enjoyment for it until I got older though. When I was a kid and teenager i didn't exactly have the attention span to sit for hours at a time watching pole lines so I had the tendency to walk off and go entertain myself then come back and try again. Dad was the one that caught the fish but i caught a few but most of the time my line got stripped as i wasn't paying attention. I also didn't check my poles alot to see if bait was on there or to keep changing locations of casts. When I hit adulthood my interests were sparked as Dad, mom and me went fishing and he taught me how to put hooks on my pole, how to cast well and to check my lines often and stay alert. When I met my husband his father and brother would fish at the Lake they were living on at the time and would fish with them. They taught me more about what type of bait, hooks,sinkers and line to put on for various type of fish as well as how to use lure. They taught me bass go by movement so you want something on there to grab their attention and to keep the line moving with choice of lure to grab their attention. They taught me the better chances of catching catfish are using sinkers and they even told me you can use small fish like minnows as bait but I still haven't found it in me to use one since I kind of felt bad for the small fish. Yeah I know wishy washy girl. Haha. My bait of choice is simple which is earthworms which is how I was taught by my Dad. I have used meal worms a few times. I have nailed Bass, bullhead Cat, a few Channel cat, crappie, perch and Bluegill. The lake we lived on at one time had a over population of Bluegill so we caught and ate alot of those. They aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed so don't hold a high opinion of them other than they are delicious.
Anyhow reguardless of the type of fish or even what luck I am having I still enjoy the fresh air and the sound of birds and nature. My skin ends up nuked to hell by the sun rays atleast my arms do and whatever is not clothed. My skin would probably thank me if i invested in this invention called sunscreen. Even after this I don't mind. I also enjoy dangling my feet in the water. I just enjoy it even if i dont come home with a whole lot. If it's big enough to eat I'm keeping it. Food is food and fishing has saved my bacon a few times when broke having some stored in the freezer to fry days later. I prefer to fish the local lakes in the area and dont really care for the river since it is a joke how polluted it is. The last time i fished the Illinois river caught a carp and when we went to clean it the fish contained worms. I have never fished at the Illinois river again. I might sound like a wishy washy girl again but was grossed out by it. It grossed me out enough not to trust the rivers but it might have just been the species too. My brother n law said they are prone to parasites and they taste awful. I would rather not try for carp again. That experience pretty much grossed me out from it which is weird since I have no issues ripping an earthworm to shreds without even gagging so go figure.
Enough of my amateur fishing encounters I wonder what other experiences other people have or what do they enjoy catching? Do they eat what they catch or throw back? I wonder how people got started and who taught them?
Growing up fishing has been an on and off theme during the summer months since Dad enjoyed to fish and would drag me along. I didn't really develop an enjoyment for it until I got older though. When I was a kid and teenager i didn't exactly have the attention span to sit for hours at a time watching pole lines so I had the tendency to walk off and go entertain myself then come back and try again. Dad was the one that caught the fish but i caught a few but most of the time my line got stripped as i wasn't paying attention. I also didn't check my poles alot to see if bait was on there or to keep changing locations of casts. When I hit adulthood my interests were sparked as Dad, mom and me went fishing and he taught me how to put hooks on my pole, how to cast well and to check my lines often and stay alert. When I met my husband his father and brother would fish at the Lake they were living on at the time and would fish with them. They taught me more about what type of bait, hooks,sinkers and line to put on for various type of fish as well as how to use lure. They taught me bass go by movement so you want something on there to grab their attention and to keep the line moving with choice of lure to grab their attention. They taught me the better chances of catching catfish are using sinkers and they even told me you can use small fish like minnows as bait but I still haven't found it in me to use one since I kind of felt bad for the small fish. Yeah I know wishy washy girl. Haha. My bait of choice is simple which is earthworms which is how I was taught by my Dad. I have used meal worms a few times. I have nailed Bass, bullhead Cat, a few Channel cat, crappie, perch and Bluegill. The lake we lived on at one time had a over population of Bluegill so we caught and ate alot of those. They aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed so don't hold a high opinion of them other than they are delicious.
Anyhow reguardless of the type of fish or even what luck I am having I still enjoy the fresh air and the sound of birds and nature. My skin ends up nuked to hell by the sun rays atleast my arms do and whatever is not clothed. My skin would probably thank me if i invested in this invention called sunscreen. Even after this I don't mind. I also enjoy dangling my feet in the water. I just enjoy it even if i dont come home with a whole lot. If it's big enough to eat I'm keeping it. Food is food and fishing has saved my bacon a few times when broke having some stored in the freezer to fry days later. I prefer to fish the local lakes in the area and dont really care for the river since it is a joke how polluted it is. The last time i fished the Illinois river caught a carp and when we went to clean it the fish contained worms. I have never fished at the Illinois river again. I might sound like a wishy washy girl again but was grossed out by it. It grossed me out enough not to trust the rivers but it might have just been the species too. My brother n law said they are prone to parasites and they taste awful. I would rather not try for carp again. That experience pretty much grossed me out from it which is weird since I have no issues ripping an earthworm to shreds without even gagging so go figure.
Enough of my amateur fishing encounters I wonder what other experiences other people have or what do they enjoy catching? Do they eat what they catch or throw back? I wonder how people got started and who taught them?
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