Daniel My Brother

I'll bet with a little instruction your wife would do fine with a baitcaster. You'll never know unless you give her a shot.

Very nice gar!

A couple of quick questions: Is it legal snagging season where you live? In Missouri we're not allowed to snag 'rough' fish until September. Not sure if this is regulated in Illinois. Is the carp you are targeting a Silver, Bighead, Grass, or Common Carp? If it's a grass carp it was probably stocked to control vegitation, and very likely sterile. Chances are whoever put it in the lake would like to keep it there. Grass carp are very long and lean, and have larger mouths than common carp. These fish won't normally take prepared baits. If it's a common carp you can catch it on any number of baits. They'll eat corn, worms, dough balls, and more. We used to mix corn syrup with wheaties. You will have more success, and fun, fishing them on light line with little or no weight. Common Carp have mouths that are small and circular. If it's a Silver or Bighead carp, it's an invasive species and needs to die. In fact, it's illegal to return these to the water alive in Missouri, and I believe Illinois (though you may need to read up). These fish are not difficult to snag. I use a 11/0 treble hook with a built in weight, and heavy gear. When I see a silver carp I'll cast just beyond it, reel up close and set the hook. They are so thick in the waters around here that you can sometimes snag 'em blind. They are good fighters and good eating, but cleaning them is tricky because of all the bones. Good luck to you. Here's a silver I got snagging a while back:

I have a buddy who's very much like this. He expects action when he fishes. The solution for him is having lots of places to fish, and targeting a lot of different species. In the spring it's crappie and bass. Soon after we usually target bluegills for a trip or two. On Sunday we're planning to go after catfish, they love the warm weather. We'll be using live shad and nightcrawlers, so just about any fish that swims is fair game. This fall we'll target white bass when they start their run. After that we'll go snagging for Silver and Bighead carp....maybe even catch some gar. Eventually we'll float the Eleven Points and fish for smallies and trout. In addition to this, he may book a trip or two to go deep sea fishing in the gulf, then try for redfish and trout while he's down there. Something is always biting if you're ready to catch 'em.

Great fish!

Hmmm...I thought this story would have a happy ending.

From The Onion

Excellent job! Sounds like a blast of a time. I do wish the pictures we're a little smaller so I could see them without scrolling across the screen.

Hey BFM, I've heard 'em called a lot of things, but Gaspergou is a new one on me. That is a good one. ;D ;D I can't wait 'til I catch one so I can hold it up to my buddy and say "Gaspergou!"

Both are edible, though I wouldn't eat a drum -- and I'll eat just about anything. Smallmouth are tasty, but usually have pretty strict guidelines on catch sizes and limits. The one in your picture on the right would not likely be a legal fish where I live.

The silver fish is a freshwater drum. The greenish brown fish is a smallmouth bass.

Excellent post. You are certainly making the most of your time on the water.

Great post. Very entertaining read and pictures.

Good for you DRhodes! You see a problem in this country. You're not trying to assign blame for this problem You're not trying to explain how we got here. You're not giving in to the hopelessness of it all. You're just asking "What can I do to help?"...and then you're doing it. If you were here I'd buy you an ice cold Heineken Corona Miller Budweiser...Sam Adams!

VOTE FOR PEDRO PAUL! It's fast, easy, and you'll tick off a guy named Hollywood. What could be better?

My biggest problem with bringing friends is that they're usually ready to call it a day before I am. A lot of people get anxious for the ramp when you haven't had a bite in two hours. I don't. That said, I always put the invitation out there.

I used to do both. Then one day, while waiting for a painfully slow group ahead of us tee off, I thought to myself "Man, I'd rather be fishing"...and it occured to me that I never went fishing and thought about being anyplace else. Now I only play about 3 or 4 times a year, usually when I visit my Dad, and that's about it. I don't miss it.

I see a lot of hawks, but you don't often get to see them in action. Very cool.

You're at 517 and climbing. Good luck!

Hot BBQ or Asian Zing.

I read, with great enjoyment, the recent bashing of Carrot Stix. I really don't know if they're good or bad, but it's good schadenfreude just the same. That said there is plenty of gear that I love which others only love to bash. If I believed everything I read on these boards I would think all Pinnacle reels are junk, even though my Extant has performed flawlessly for years. I've read that Bass Pro Shop's rods are mop handles, while my Lightning Rod has been compared to a baseball bat. These are among my favorites. Recently I learned that my Rattlin' Rogues are inferior, and my favorite line is a slinky. Surprisingly, the stuff that I've been the least impressed with seems to be the most popular on these boards. My Citica D has been a disappointment, as has the KVD Line Conditioner. This criticism is not personal. You're not calling my wife ugly or my dog smelly. At worst, you're driving down the price of the gear I like to use, and for that I should be thankful. How about you? What crappy gear do you somehow manage to catch fish with?

The lights are on sale now at Cabelas. The bow light is $15, the stern is $20. The floor is not attached. It just sits on the ribs. I'll sometimes pop it out to go catfishing in. Here's a pic from the bottom

Very solid video. I look forward to more!

When I was a kid we were out to catch any fish that swam, so probably a nightcrawler.

I fish out of a 1436 jon. It's fine with one person standing or two sitting. I put in a sunken front deck that helps keep my center of gravity low. 12 volt, 36# trolling motor moves it around the lake with no issues, a 9.8hp mercury gets me on plane in a hurry. Overall, a very affordable, dependable way to get off the bank. That said, if I had it to do over again I would hold out for a wider boat...48 inch minimum. One other thing, consider LED running lights for the front and rear. No wires to run and I haven't had to change the batteries in 3 years. Definitely one of my better purchases.