Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted October 26, 2020 9 minutes ago, porkbutt said: i just took my son trout fishing this weekend. he loves it. im not crazy about it...saltwater for me. we tried fly fishing a bit but we kind of amateurs. did well with spinners. i got 2 good brown trout and he got a bunch of rainbows we eating tonight. he'll probably want to upgrade his cheap fly rod and reel this christmas. How are you cooking the trout? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted October 26, 2020 Even fresh, wild trout taste awful Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted October 26, 2020 5 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said: Even fresh, wild trout taste awful Really? I've always enjoyed it. I remember making it as a nice, cheap meal back in college. Easy to clean and easy to cook. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted October 26, 2020 2 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said: Even fresh, wild trout taste awful I would never order trout in a restaurant given other fish on the menu. I find them to be quite "fishy". The best way that I've ever eaten trout was breaded and pan-fried on an open fire on the river bank just off the stringer. But that was 40 years ago in Canada. I think I'll just continue to release my little friends when I catch them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted October 26, 2020 5 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said: Really? I've always enjoyed it. I remember making it as a nice, cheap meal back in college. Easy to clean and easy to cook. If I made a list of fish that tasted better, the list would be a hundred fish long. Maybe it is because they typically are caught in clear, cold water that people think they taste better than what they do.I put them in the below grouping of edible, but not tasty fish. trout king mackeral Bluefish stingray gaftops blue runners false albacore Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted October 26, 2020 6 minutes ago, fricker66 said: I would never order trout in a restaurant given other fish on the menu. I find them to be quite "fishy". The best way that I've ever eaten trout was breaded and pan-fried on an open fire on the river bank just off the stringer. But that was 40 years ago in Canada. I think I'll just continue to release my little friends when I catch them. Very fishy tasting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
porkbutt 860 Posted October 26, 2020 huh tastes awful??? i always thought it was pretty good. and we just gut, spice up and grill. ETA...no way false albacore!!!! they are not even edible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted October 26, 2020 30 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said: If I made a list of fish that tasted better, the list would be a hundred fish long. Maybe it is because they typically are caught in clear, cold water that people think they taste better than what they do.I put them in the below grouping of edible, but not tasty fish. trout king mackeral Bluefish stingray gaftops blue runners false albacore I've never had any of those other fish. I've have trout smoked and I've had it on the grill. I would keep the fish whole, put seasoning and butter inside it then wrap it in tinfoil and then put it on the grill. When it was done the meat would pull off the bones and away from the skin, delicious. Trout is not near the top of my list but I still like it. I enjoy all kinds of fresh water fish. Walleye, pike, bluegiil, crappie, perch, catfish and even bass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted October 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Hawkeye21 said: Trout is not near the top of my list but I still like it. I enjoy all kinds of fresh water fish. Walleye, pike, bluegiil, crappie, perch, catfish and even bass. Walleye may be the best freshwater fish out there. I guess the population isn't high enough for it to be widely distributed, but it is a tasty fish. Not a big fan of the others on your list, except maybe perch, but most perch filets I've eaten are about the size of a Dorito. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cloaca du jour 2,064 Posted October 26, 2020 I prefer the fine succulent orange roughie... The carp of the sea...given a fancy name Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted October 26, 2020 48 minutes ago, fricker66 said: Walleye may be the best freshwater fish out there. I guess the population isn't high enough for it to be widely distributed, but it is a tasty fish. Not a big fan of the others on your list, except maybe perch, but most perch filets I've eaten are about the size of a Dorito. I enjoy pike. They offer a lot of meat and some thick filets. My local water is the Mississippi River so I grew up eating all kinds of different fish. We even eat freshwater drum and carp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted November 24, 2020 I fished the beautiful Ken Lockwood Gorge on Friday and came away empty. I missed one native brown and couldn't get him to go after my fly after his first run at it. It'll be getting a little too cold for me to fish soon so I'm hoping for a nice day in the upcoming weeks to get a last hurrah. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted November 24, 2020 43 minutes ago, fricker66 said: I fished the beautiful Ken Lockwood Gorge on Friday and came away empty. I missed one native brown and couldn't get him to go after my fly after his first run at it. It'll be getting a little too cold for me to fish soon so I'm hoping for a nice day in the upcoming weeks to get a last hurrah. When I lived up north I fished year round. I broke a rod once because I lifted a fish out of the water and it was -20. Just learn to dress, although you need to fish spring creeks or below dams when it is that cold. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted November 24, 2020 8 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said: When I lived up north I fished year round. I broke a rod once because I lifted a fish out of the water and it was -20. Just learn to dress, although you need to fish spring creeks or below dams when it is that cold. My favorite time to trout fish is in the winter. It's the only open water fishing there is for me and I don't care for ice fishing. I think 10 degrees was the coldest I ever went and it was a pain with the rod and line freezing up. I was comfortable otherwise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mookz 1,286 Posted November 24, 2020 15 hours ago, fricker66 said: I fished the beautiful Ken Lockwood Gorge on Friday and came away empty. I missed one native brown and couldn't get him to go after my fly after his first run at it. It'll be getting a little too cold for me to fish soon so I'm hoping for a nice day in the upcoming weeks to get a last hurrah. One can only imagine how your onions must be feeling about now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted November 25, 2020 6 hours ago, Hawkeye21 said: My favorite time to trout fish is in the winter. It's the only open water fishing there is for me and I don't care for ice fishing. I think 10 degrees was the coldest I ever went and it was a pain with the rod and line freezing up. I was comfortable otherwise. Fly fishing does not work at that temperature. You need to fish a thin braided line with a heavy, 3/8 oz mepps spinner. You can cast through the frozen eyelets this way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted November 25, 2020 9 hours ago, MTSkiBum said: Fly fishing does not work at that temperature. You need to fish a thin braided line with a heavy, 3/8 oz mepps spinner. You can cast through the frozen eyelets this way. My winter plan is to shoot for days where the temperature gets above 45, subject to work. I have been very comfortable fishing mornings at that temperature, and that is just warm enough to prevent freezing line/eyelets. We typically get a few days per month in Dec/Jan/Feb that reach that temp. If I get 3-5 days on the water this winter, I will be delighted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted January 8, 2021 I went out on January 2nd. The air temp was about 45 and the water temp was 39. I was able to fish comfortably for about 3 hours and caught a very nice native rainbow trout, probably about 16 inches. Because of the cold water temp, it was not particularly active....kind of like hauling up a slowly wiggling log. I used a gold hares ear nymph. I had another hit, but missed it. Forecast for this weekend is high of 40. I may have to test it out. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted January 8, 2021 2 minutes ago, fricker66 said: I went out on January 2nd. The air temp was about 45 and the water temp was 39. I was able to fish comfortably for about 3 hours and caught a very nice native wild rainbow trout, probably about 16 inches. Because of the cold water temp, it was not particularly active....kind of like hauling up a slowly wiggling log. I used a gold hares ear nymph. I had another hit, but missed it. Forecast for this weekend is high of 40. I may have to test it out. Fixed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted January 8, 2021 I was just keeping with the theme of the thread. (I misuse wild and native all the time, so thanks for the correction) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted January 8, 2021 1 hour ago, fricker66 said: I was just keeping with the theme of the thread. (I misuse wild and native all the time, so thanks for the correction) Brookies are native to the north east. The only native trout I have ever caught have been cutthroats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted January 8, 2021 3 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said: Brookies are native to the north east. The only native trout I have ever caught have been cutthroats. We have native brook trout here. I know a great spot on private property that has a good amount of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted January 8, 2021 3 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said: We have native brook trout here. I know a great spot on private property that has a good amount of them. It looks like they extended a little bit into Iowa and Illinois, but not much. Mostly an north east and upper mid west fish. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=939 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cloaca du jour 2,064 Posted January 8, 2021 Please change the title of post. Black needs capitalized or changed since you are inferring that blacks pretend to be something they are not, and in doing so facillitated the wrongful abduction and possible trauma to an innocent fish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted January 8, 2021 2 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said: It looks like they extended a little bit into Iowa and Illinois, but not much. Mostly an north east and upper mid west fish. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=939 NE Iowa is pretty much the only part of the state with trout streams. Wisconsin has some great ones too. The driftless area really is a great place for the outdoors enthusiast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted January 8, 2021 B Just now, Hawkeye21 said: NE Iowa is pretty much the only part of the state with trout streams. Wisconsin has some great ones too. The driftless area really is a great place for the outdoors enthusiast. Driftless fly fisherman are funny. They won't tell you where they catch fish...it's like a top secret fishing area. I think it's because the streams are pretty small and access is a problem, but the mystery is a little over-the-top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted January 8, 2021 1 minute ago, fricker66 said: B Driftless fly fisherman are funny. They won't tell you where they catch fish...it's like a top secret fishing area. I think it's because the streams are pretty small and access is a problem, but the mystery is a little over-the-top. Unless it's a on a stream through private property, it's pretty hard to keep spots a mystery in Iowa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BiPolarBear 476 Posted January 8, 2021 On 10/26/2020 at 1:21 PM, fricker66 said: Walleye may be the best freshwater fish out there. I guess the population isn't high enough for it to be widely distributed, but it is a tasty fish. Not a big fan of the others on your list, except maybe perch, but most perch filets I've eaten are about the size of a Dorito. Walleye is the best native freshwater fish that I have eaten. Barramundi, from Australia, is also excellent. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill E. 658 Posted January 8, 2021 On 9/21/2020 at 3:31 PM, fricker66 said: It gave a nice little fight. Used a 4 wt. Allen with my grandfather's Horrock-Ibbotsen reel, which I recently restored. What a beautiful little fish. I live on a salt water river and caught a nice trout the other day on an Electric Chicken. About once a week when the tide is right I walk out on the dock and throw the line a few times. I quit if I do not catch something in like 5 minutes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill E. 658 Posted January 8, 2021 51 minutes ago, BiPolarBear said: Walleye is the best native freshwater fish that I have eaten. Barramundi, from Australia, is also excellent. I love having walleye and yellow perch when I go back to Erie a few times a year. Nothing tastier. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted January 10, 2021 Just pulled back into town, we fished 8 hours today and I caught 4 fish, 2 undersized reds, a sheepshead, and a hardhead. Not the best day on the water. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BiPolarBear 476 Posted January 11, 2021 On 1/9/2021 at 6:11 PM, MTSkiBum said: Just pulled back into town, we fished 8 hours today and I caught 4 fish, 2 undersized reds, a sheepshead, and a hardhead. Not the best day on the water. You had a better day than my land-locked ass I'm sure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MTSkiBum 1,587 Posted January 12, 2021 40 minutes ago, BiPolarBear said: You had a better day than my land-locked ass I'm sure. It was pretty cold as well, mid 30s most of the morning. That is pretty cold boating around at 40 mph. I think the temp slowed down the fish bite as well, but need to keep going so I can learn the bay. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted January 15, 2021 Who's drinkin' fishin' this weekend? High of 46 tomorrow. Water temp still hovering in the high 30s, so I may give it a go. The water is not that cold with a few layers under my waders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted January 15, 2021 10 minutes ago, fricker66 said: Who's drinkin' fishin' this weekend? High of 46 tomorrow. Water temp still hovering in the high 30s, so I may give it a go. The water is not that cold with a few layers under my waders. I doubt I'll get out fishing but I do plan to work on getting organized. The winter is usually when I clean my reels, put new line on, organize tackle, rig up my kayak and plan out my tourney schedule for the year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted March 24, 2021 So far, so good. I am 3-for-3...have caught at least one trout in each month of 2021. Most recently, on Sunday, I landed a very aggressive rainbow who rose to the top to munch on a little black stonefly. This was surprising given that the stonefly hatch has just begun here and the water is still below 45 degrees. Just as I released the little guy back to his world, I saw a massive bald eagle in the tree canopy. I guess he was hoping for a snack. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HTH 67 Posted March 24, 2021 1 hour ago, fricker66 said: So far, so good. I am 3-for-3...have caught at least one trout in each month of 2021. Most recently, on Sunday, I landed a very aggressive rainbow who rose to the top to munch on a little black stonefly. This was surprising given that the stonefly hatch has just begun here and the water is still below 45 degrees. Just as I released the little guy back to his world, I saw a massive bald eagle in the tree canopy. I guess he was hoping for a snack. Nice! Learning how to fly fish is still on my bucket list. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted March 25, 2021 I still haven’t been out fishing this year. Have a tournament in a month though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fricker66 91 Posted June 3, 2021 Greetings fellow fishermen. Well, it has been a successful year thus far and I wanted to report my results. I have caught trout in every month of 2021 thus far, so I have 7 months to reach my goal of catching 1 trout in every month. Of course, I expect July and August to be challenging due to warmer water, which is not a trout's friend. In 2021, I have brought to net and successfully released 183 trout, all on flies. I have yet to kill one and am pretty proud of that. It is currently dry fly season here, so I pulled in an astonishing 23 trout on Memorial Day. I have fished 24 times, often for a few hours before work, and have been skunked only thrice. I do not use any rigs nor indicators (bobbers)...just a single fly tied to the end of my tippet. Most of Monday's catch was utilizing an Adams dry pattern. Tight Lines! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye21 1,840 Posted June 3, 2021 17 minutes ago, fricker66 said: Greetings fellow fishermen. Well, it has been a successful year thus far and I wanted to report my results. I have caught trout in every month of 2021 thus far, so I have 7 months to reach my goal of catching 1 trout in every month. Of course, I expect July and August to be challenging due to warmer water, which is not a trout's friend. In 2021, I have brought to net and successfully released 183 trout, all on flies. I have yet to kill one and am pretty proud of that. It is currently dry fly season here, so I pulled in an astonishing 23 trout on Memorial Day. I have fished 24 times, often for a few hours before work, and have been skunked only thrice. I do not use any rigs nor indicators (bobbers)...just a single fly tied to the end of my tippet. Most of Monday's catch was utilizing an Adams dry pattern. Tight Lines! Congrats on the great start to the year. I haven't been trout fishing yet this year but I've been fishing bass tourneys. I'm off to my best start ever. Managed to place 8th, 5th and 2nd in the my first 3 tourneys. Debating on going to one next weekend but it's 4 hours away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites