On 5/4/2021 at 2:41 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Buy her one of her own. My wife has a St. Croix Avid Pearl/Quantum Energy PT combo I bought her that cost more than a lot of mine. She likes it though and it lets her fish without the constant tangles and issues of a cheaper combo, meaning I spend more time fishing instead of fixing her rod and reel and she doesn't get frustrated and want to go home sooner. It was a worthy investment. 

 

Yeah, it's kind of in the works. 

 

I've already got a 1000-size Daiwa Revros without a home, and I've been wanting to try a Dobyns rod, so one of their ML spinning rods would match up with that reel pretty perfectly, and would have a similar feel to the ML/F rod she was using this weekend.

 

She's spent yesterday evening shopping for boats. lol

Will a Walleye try to eat a 6" MB Magdraft Freestyle? You bet! Three about the same size did, and a bunch more tried before cruel, cold rain ended the night. 

 

 

Finding these Toothy Freaks in some surprisingly skinny water this season . . . .

A-Jay

Just now, A-Jay said:

Finding this Toothy Freaks in some surprisingly skinny water this season . . . .

Maybe they were chasing something....who knows.

Just now, MN Fisher said:

Maybe they were chasing something....who knows.

They were - 

Just about every jerkbait I threw today . . 

A-Jay

Just now, A-Jay said:

They were - 

Just about every jerkbait I threw today . . 

A-Jay

Well that too - but I was thinking you got between them and a school of something...and your jerks distracted them from real prey.

Super early I expect that.  I've spent a lot of openers whacking thin overnight ice off of some really Northern lakes and the big pike are always sunning themselves up in the shallows.  Catching a bunch of 30"+ fish in a canoe is a blast.  Gorgeous fish Andy.

With the weather, a crazy busy work schedule, and in the middle of selling and buying a new house, we haven’t had much time this year to get out for a float. 
Finally got out this morning with the kid for a pike fish. In three hours we caught ten pike, saw at least that many more that followed and didn’t hit, and a few out of season bass. No monsters today, but it sure was nice to get the string stretched. 

Shore fishing for a couple hours this morning - first non-bass of the year is a hammer-handle

Finally caught the rare Gila Trout! Caught 9 today too. Beautiful colors! Most fell for the trout magnets and the largest was victim to an atomic tube. All caught and released on the beautiful East Verde River in Arizona. 

Now I just need the Apache Trout to catch all of the AZ trout species on my list 

 

I caught my first Bullhead Catfish and a Crappie in the most pressured place in Portage! I caught the Catfish on a red crappie tube of all things, and it put up a nice fight on my ultralight. I caught the Crappie on some new Ned Rigs that I got, and all fishing was done at Lakeview Park, which is one of the most pressured places in Portage. 

It’s been a fantastic multi-species year so far. I am enjoying catching all that my local waters have to offer.

 

I spooled up my old Shimano Symetre 1500 reel with 6# line a paired it with my St Croix 6’ ML Avid and caught some big Pumpkinseed.

 

Big Yellow Perch as well

 

Bottom fishing for Brown Bullheads

 

 

Paddletail swimbait fishing for Chain Pickerel

 

 

Ned rig fishing for Rock Bass

 

Was fishing for bluegill, but I'll take this as well

This past weekend was one of those "What kind of fish haven't I caught yet?" trips. White bass, wipers, walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, spots, blue cats, channel cats, a flathead, both kinds of crappie, and drum all made their way into my kayak. I think other than gar, carp, buffalo, goldeye, and any sunfish species I pretty much caught everything in the lake. 

I have been obsessed with the Bullhead fishing this spring. I have a rod rigged with a Nightcrawler on a circle hook each time I am bank fishing. I tie a bell on the end of my rod as a bite alarm so I can concentrate on other species while that bait soaks. That bell has been such a welcome sound this season.

 

48 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

I have been obsessed with the Bullhead fishing this spring. I have a rod rigged with a Nightcrawler on a circle hook each time I am bank fishing. I tie a bell on the end of my rod as a bite alarm so I can concentrate on other species while that bait soaks. That bell has been such a welcome sound this season.

 

Are these dinner or catch and release? Bullhead fishing for food is still kind of a big deal where I'm from

They'd be bait if I was catching them ?

This one was fun on the light tackle gear. A 6’6” ML spinning rod, 4# braid to 6# leader using FG connecting knot. 

 

15 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Are these dinner or catch and release? Bullhead fishing for food is still kind of a big deal where I'm from

Catch and release. I did give a couple to a fishing buddy. He loves to eat them.

I caught my 2nd Northern Pike ever yesterday! Went out at a different place and couldn’t get anything today tho. The place that I fished yesterday was a brand-new spot to me!

Went surf fishing yesterday with my son. Got this good sized sail catfish , which was the best fish of the day. Also caught around 10 small sharks , and a few whiting and spots.

 

I frequently cross paths with big hybrid bluegills in the ponds I fish. This one came on a Teeny Pop-R.

The lady caught a pretty nice shellcracker this evening.

 

Found some nice bream beds today...Had fun catching them on a roostertail...

Those look like tilapia; not bluegill.