Pumpkinseeds are cool looking fish, but lots of places now consider them invasive species. We live on a ~400 acre lake, and our Dept ofFish & Game just posted a bulletin to NOT catch & Release, but rather throw them to shore. Their numbers are impressive here. They're stunting smallmouth growth in the Lake in just a few short years.
Interesting; I don't know how a pumpkinseed would stunt bass growth when bass love to snack on them!
My daughter and I have caught dozens of pumpkinseed over the last few years but that particular one was just so pretty. The photo doesn't do it justice really.
Sunday I had a rare solo fishing trip and landed one nice white bass and one big channel cat. The bass was on a kastmaster and the channel cat was on a nightcrawler. I had trouble getting the rod out of the holder that cat was pulling so hard.
In reply to golfduke :
Interesting. There used to be a lot more of them when I was a kid in the 70's, they would polish up a sandy spot on the bottom for their nests and they would be all over the bottom of the cove at my parent's place. Then the loons came back in the 80's and 90's and you don't see the nests like that anymore. The crayfish have disappeared too, I haven't seen one in years.
I got out fishing for the first time this year on Saturday, near Ft. Fisher/Bald Head Island. It was great for my mood. As a bonus, the day was beautiful, and I was catching croaker.
While waiting for that next fishing trip, make sure to hide your boat behind a fence (mural) that's painted like... your boat. :)
Camping at a reservoir we've never been to that is pretty close to home this weekend. Oldest daughter caught her first walleye, from the shore with a micro jig! So awesome. It was a little guy but a new species is always a blast.
photography was tough as the sun was down and it was getting dark fast. I'd caught a Sauger earlier and we assumed it was the same thing but when she brought it in it looked "different." And then she noticed the white spot on the tail and I noticed the glassy eyes. Pretty sure it's a walleye.
I got ouin the canoe for a bit today.
I went up North to visit the family and was fortunate enough to paddle 12 miles on the CT river with my brother, and do some rock hopping up on the mountain brook.
Ever see a fallfish? I thought I had a nice brown trout on, but no such luck.
This pike was so small and attacked with such fury (as they do) that he made it into the photo gallery.
Excellent views.
Brook hopping with brookies.
We weren't the only things out fishing.
Pretty good views here, too.
For reference, here is my daughter next to the brook.
So camping a lot in Michigan, and we have an inflatable to take out on lakes to fish with.
Over the last year or so, I've noticed one really odd thing- fish seem to most reliably hit a yellow spinner. Or at least one with majority yellow. Gold or silver spinner doesn't seem to matter. And any other color, I can't recall when I last caught anything.
A good variety of fish, too- small brook with a small yellow roostertail, large (not quite legal) northern, crappies, small mouth bass, bluegill, etc. Got a legal (14") small mouth yesterday on the first cast with a yellow roostertail.
Don't really understand the appeal to yellow, but I'm going to go with it.
First day out for my wife and me yesterday here in Colorado - caught our limit of 8 nice rainbows in an hour and 20 minutes, which rarely happens for us, usually takes several hours. Two of them were delicious last night, the rest are in the freezer. Going back out again in a couple of weeks. The best part of fishing for trout here in the mountains is that they live in such beautiful places that it really doesn't matter if you catch a bunch or get skunked, the day is always worthwhile for the scenery.
When I (rarely - I'm lazy and usually use bait on the bottom of the lake) use spinners I've also noticed that yellow works well.
I got this little guy today at lunch today.
A lot of bass in the lake behind our house
We've been fishing in the river downtown. They removed several of the low head dams and did some cleanup and reseeding work on the banks and it's made a real difference in water quality. It's also gotten rid of the muck on the river bed so they're nicely wadable when the water is low. The other night my 9 year old caught her first Saugeye:
Bonus was it was on a lure she found while fishing. We really enjoy gleaning abandoned fishing gear and this has proven to be a good one:
almost lost it myself a couple times when it's caught on rocks but I've managed to free it so far!
I'm heading down to Fenwick Island, DE next Friday and staying at a house on the Little Assawoman Bay. Was hoping one of you experts could give me some fishing tips. I've never fished saltwater that wasn't guided and not sure what to fish for, when to fish, or what to use. I have my standard freshwater stuff. What would yall recommend for fishing? Snip of the place I'm staying below.
Dock or boat/kayak fishing?? The answer is, as always, it depends. Some of your bulkier frewshwater equipment will likely suffice for just standard dockfishing. I'd pop your head into whatever the closest marina/tackle shop is and ask the locals though, as they'd be able to tell you way more than some stranger on the internet, ha.
In reply to golfduke :
Dock mostly but I will have access to a kayak. I do have a surf rod/reel that I've never used as well.
In reply to golfduke :
Dock mostly but I will have access to a kayak. I do have a surf rod/reel that I've never used as well.
It's hard to go wrong with a frozen shrimp on a circle hook. I caught some awesome fish with a $20 WalMart rod/reel combo and that setup. No weight or anything, just hook and shrimp. If you want to up it a bit, cut bits of squid are also very productive. Also if you chum you'll get some really great fish coming in.
There are as many different setups to try as there are people. Adding a sinker will get it to the bottom faster and land different fish. I caught my biggest fish (nurse shark) on a whole squid on a circle hook with a sinker to get it to the bottom.
That looks like a great dock to fish from.
In reply to Scotty Con Queso :
Don't overthink it. Fish are fish. They like cover and also like currents that push baitfish towards their hiding spots. Find those, and you'll get fish.
As previously stated, every dock you see will probably have fish holding near it. That's the easy button. Drop bait right near the pilings- like an inch or two off of them. The canal docks will be holding fish, and that's more protected water in a kayak.
The channel and pockets near the bridge would probably be great in the kayak. Be careful of currents and boats. I'd also fish every inch of water around the island and the mainland points to either side.
Near the middle of your circle, the area in between the two canals near the swimming pool is probably good.
Oh, and that little setback to the north that borders Shulz road? Fish that (and the docks near it).
Should be able to get ahold of Sheepshead that far north, right? They like shrimp and when you chum the water by knocking the barnacles off pilings they go batE36 M3.
Pull in some pin fish with your smaller stuff, then put one of them on a hook on your biggest rod and throw it out in the water to get et.
Might get lucky and hook into something fun like a red drum
Little more to it than that, below is a decent basic vid.
Thanks for all the info! I did also remember that the bait shop is across the street - walking distance from the house. I'll likely start there and ask what's biting.
Well I got skunked in Delaware. But I did go fishing in a local creek here in Pittsburgh yesterday and today. Was able to hook some bluegill and small smallies on a super duper.
Summer fishing has been tough. We're in a pretty bad drought here and it's been hot - for this area - and the fish are not energetic. We've managed a few nice fish but more skunk trips than usual. It's still enjoyable but I'm ready for better fishing. As fall comes on it should pick up some. We sure could use some rain though.
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