the Back when

Some of the things we did back when are just not believable anymore, this brave new world just can't get with the back when program.
We used to have no size limit and or creel limits on most species in Texas back when, the law read as many as you can keep in an edible condition!
My buds and myself would hit sandbass runs in the spring and just take ridiculous amounts of fish home, we often used our little Volkswagen beetle machines to pull the stringers up out of the water onto dry land.
Now just imagine a trunk full of sandbass in your bug that you had to sit on the hood to close :yikes
It often times took us 4 or 5 hours to clean all the fish when we got home.
Oh the back when days ....
feel free to add your back when stories right here if it pleases ya .....:highfive
and the truth is of course optional :Rofl

Certainly a lot of fish.

I feel like the laws are there because they’ve seen what happens when there are no laws. Few bad apples spoils the batch.

Back when, our first trip to Minnesota was a great trip. 4 of us in the same boat and to keep it legal we all had our own basket of fish. First trip out noone was paying much attention to the others as we were catching 11 inch bluegill, nice size yellow perch, and really nice rock bass and throw in a few northerns. Time to head for the cabin and we start lifting the full baskets in and noticed the quantity of fish in the boat and the reality set in. Neither wife would volunteer to help with the cleaning so just the 2 of us grabbed a cooler of adult beverages (it was a hot day) and headed to the cleaning shack. 4-5 hours later we finally got it done. Good times for sure, my friend passed away 9 years ago but the memories still make me smile

Some of my back when's..... An ice chest full of flounder. No ice. Man that was a bunch(over 100) and saw 2 others do the same at the same time. Used to catch rat reds(12 to 14 inch) and quit when we could not fit any more(usually 75). Caught a bushel of shrimp and a bushel of speckled trout at the same spot one afternoon in a couple hours. Man we had a shrimp boil and fish fry for our customers to die for. Caught 2 brand new garbage cans full of pure shrimp hand pulling a seine on the beach twice. Went to catch a few for bait once to fish for a red fish and caught 4 nice reds in the seine. Never baited a pole, went back to the camp, cleaned and fried them right up. Went one day to try and catch a couple trout for dinner. First cast a 5 lb trout. Went back to the fish shed cleaned it and fried it. Man I can almost still taste it. All this happened when I was a teenager 50 years ago. My uncle had camps to rent where most of this happened with a screened in area for frying and boiling and eating. I worked summers there cleaning camps, cutting grass and whatever uncle told me to do. . Grand Isle, La. Also guided a couple older guys when they stayed with us. Would take them to a light in the bay at night, tie up, let them fill up an ice chest with trout. I would tell them that was all I would clean, but they could fish longer if they wanted. Typically gave me $25. Lot of fish to clean, but I enjoyed every minute and that was a lot on money back then to a 15 year old makin $35 a week. In 1973 we had high water around Morgan City, LA. We could catch so many huge crawfish in a few hours, we almost sank our boat. Also huge blue crabs as well. If we tired of that, we would go to the shrimp/crab processing dock and jerk catfish out by the bushel. No bait, just a long cane pole with a barbless hook, as the fish would be on a frenzy where the peelings and heads where dumped into the river (Atchafalaya). Also we would go catch an ice chest full of bream and sac au lait (crappie) most weekends as well. That was a long time ago, but I for sure have caught many more since as well as having chased bass for years. As I get close to 68, I look back and realize if I never catch another fish, I am way ahead of my limit. I have been blessed when it comes to catching fish. Thing I miss most is giving so many away to people who really appreciated them. Thanks for this trip down back when's Ketchn.

Full ice chests of white trout and ground mullet. Used to put my share of flounder on the table from the piers at night. In the spring those bruiser reds would run up and down the pier trashing everyone's gear until someone managed to bring it to the rope gaff. Work all day. Go catch bait and fish all night. Had a finger mullet on the line for some reds. Thought I was hung in the rocks, as I put pressure on the line I felt it pull back. I set the hook on a beast of a flounder. When filleting the critter a 16 " knife didn't go much past half way. The bottom fillets were an inch thick. It surely ate fine. No pictures and no scales for weight. Just left with memories. Used the have a blast top water bass fishing with Mr Twister floating snake heads and 8" plastic worms. They would explode out of that grass mat and rightly hammer that snake. Stopped at a small creek as threw a few casts with a spinner bait. First cast was to the other bank up under a bush. Thump and I set the hook to my surprise it was a huge bluegill that had swallowed that spinner bait. Biggest bluegill I have caught before or since. Disappointed that it wasn't a bass I tossed it back. Certainly could have been a record fish back them.

Back then there were no cellphones and the world was just fine and we had home phones. I don’t have one and still have a home phone.

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

Back then there were no cellphones and the world was just fine and we had home phones. I don’t have one and still have a home phone.

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Double edged sword. No cell phones made for a simpler time for sure. But no Crappie.com in those days either

That was a big flounder. Biggest I ever seen in person was one my daughter caught about 30 years ago. 6.5 lbs. On a zebco 33, that came unattached about halfway through the battle. First time I ever fileted one. Had always cooked whole, most times stuffed. But we had nothing big enough to cook it in. Memories...... Probably a picture somewhere.

Looking back I wish I had taken the time to find a camera and measure the flounder. At the time I just wanted to get the fish cleaned so I could get some sleep

oh my "D" you reminded me of that same exact thing at the cleaning docks , cept for the one time I was slinging them kitty kats all over the place and tossed them behind me and turned around and .....put an erected LARGE dorsal spine right thru my sneaker , deep into my instep ! :yikes
Man did that OUCH , had the feel of pulling out your entrails as it got pulled out of my instep , man did I limp around for a good while after that episode :banghead

Ouch is an understatement

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

Ouch is an understatement

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And all the folks there, said he needs to go to the emergency room to get that catfish off him ....:yikes
I was in serious pain and immediately thought I don’t think so ...:Rofl
Sure would a made great video, I remember dancing around a good bit with that catfish stuck to me ...:crazy:

Ouch, but the important question is did you eat the catfish?

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Originally Posted by SuperDave336

Ouch, but the important question is did you eat the catfish?

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Never crossed my mind to eat it , was really busy explaining to grandpa I was just fine and didn’t need to go to the doctor and get a shot or anything else :Rofl

Same thing happened to my nephew one day. Went clean through his foot. His dad, my older bil, clipped it and pulled it through. We kept fishin. Can you imagine not going to an aftercare at least these days?

Shoved a fillet knife through my left arm cleaning fish after fishing all night. Pulled it out, gave it some anti bacterial ointment and went on my way. Luck fella I was.

Back when the only thing I wore while fishing was a pair of bibs, no shirt, hat or shoes. Looked like a lobster after fishing. Now I don't go fishing without a long sleeve shirt, hat, sunglasses and gloves. My first 8 lb bass caught in 1979. Attachment 445706