Thread: Back to Basics

Experienced the same thing this summer. Went by myself one day and had more fun fishing than in a lot of years. Caught a bunch of bruiser bluegills on crickets like my grandpa used to take me when I was little. Anybody want to buy some muskie equipment?LOL

Welcome Jethro.It only gets better,and even more exciting,lol.So,now we have bass stuff for sale,and musky stuff,lol.

Just last night, I saw this quote from a very good English fisherman:

"Fishing is simple. It it us anglers who make it difficult! Just remember to keep things simple, and those small things make a mountain of difference!"

Well, I guess I am in the early stages. I fished a lot on rivers and creeks in Montana when I was a kid. A few lakes too. The greatest thing ever was getting to cook and eat your catch! I didn't really fish for many years and just this last year or two I started getting back into it.
My goal when fishing is always simple. Catch some dinner! That and have fun I like to try new things and learn something every time I go out.
I don't think I could be a tournament fisherman. I don't like to fish that way. The only competition I like is the friendly kind. My kids and I always see who gets the most fish and who gets the biggest. Each day is usually a different person. Last trip out to the mountains, my youngest daughter (3 years) caught the biggest fish of the trip. My second youngest caught the most. I guess you could say that they both outfished their dad
I will admit though, I do get grumpy if I go out several times in a row and get skunked. I tend to pout a bit. I guess fishing just brings out the kid in me every time.

myself I went to the darkside for a while Flyfishing!!! and I stopped all other types of fishing I went back home for a few days and went crappie fishing with my brother, jigs under floats and had a blast.

After that weekend I said the hell with it, I got back home pulled out the melters and lead and poured over a 1000 jigs one day and almost another 1000 the next and did some powder painting.

I still do some fly fishing but I now use it as a mix with all my other fishing, it's just too much fun to use only one style.

Fatman

Originally Posted by azslabber

I am getting older now,I have the same passion for fishing that I did as a kid,maybe stronger.I find my self fishing the same way as I did when I was a kid now,more then ever before.We caught fish to eat way back then,not because there was a tournament where you had to let the fish go,and try to win some money.Bought thousands of dollars of stuff that I did not need.Maybe hundreds of thousands,lol.Through all these past few years all I really got that is different is a boat.A slip bobber and a bobber stop,oh yea,and an Eagle Claw gold size 6 Abedeen hook is the only real things that I have that will consistantly work.My bass days really ended a couple of years ago,but,it is much more fun fishing for panfish then it was all them other years.Now,I make my own lures,jigs,and I am in the process of growing my own worms.I would trade all of my crankbaits and all that crap for a box full of slip bobbers and hooks.I love panfishing,and they taste so good.

AMEN

I really burned out on fishing altogether too. I fished several Central U.S. bass tournament trails for 9 years as a sole means of income as this was my dream. It became a real grind and I grew tired of it to the point of missing several prepaid tournaments. Lost most sponsors then took an offer to direct for 1 of the trails I frequented. This helped us stay in the game for a couple more years but eventually quit this too.

Until I started leaving my bassin' rigs @ home I could not enjoy a fishing trip as it was all in preperation/learning for the $$$ side of bass fishing. Business to me. I took my father from time to time but he hindered my style as he solely fishes for bluegills with live bait. After realizing I was leaving him @ home and hiding my fishing from him I decided to try his style next time we fished together and swore to myself I would leave the bassin' rods @ home. I did and have rejuvenated my passion for fishing.

We kept and filleted over 900 sunfish and 'gills this year. (He keeps tally on a calendar and has specific #'s by species too:rolleyes We fished 4-5 days some weeks and always @ least 2 times weekly until it got too cold for Dad. I burned up a new electric fillet knife this summer! Bought 2 when I replaced it so I have an extra to leave in my truck.

I do not want to know how much $$ is sitting unused in my garage as I haven't fished for bass in 2 years. Starting to want to fish some tournies again but think I will give myself another summer of 'gills to make dang sure.

Originally Posted by Fatman

myself I went to the darkside for a while Flyfishing!!! and I stopped all other types of fishing...Fatman

BLASPHEMY! I admit to bassin' but I could never pick up a fly rod! LOL

Seriously, fly rods give me nightmares. Lil' whispy, thin, light actioned $800 piece of somethin' I will break in 10 minutes!

I used to fish for crappie during the spawn then fish for the blue gill during the summer. Always enjoyed the blue gill trips and pretty much never went home with an empty cooler. Then kids came along and the boat gave up on me. Now that I have another boat I have fished for bass some but I enjoy fishing for the crappie and blue gill better.