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macfish

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Posts posted by macfish

    what a day?????

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    at least you got out and fished.

    We have unlimited rods here in Texas, but only a 100 hooks :D

    macfish here. We have a similar setup in Missouri though not as generous. Unless I'm mistaken our limit is as many rods as you want but only 33 hooks total. I remember maybe 5 or 6 years ago somebody said rods were unlimited on a fishing forum in Missouri and I thought he was nuts and in danger of getting picked up by the Dept. of Conservation. Then I went back and reread the regulations and we are indeed free to fish as many rods as wanted but with a limit of 33 hooks. (I'm sure if I got the number wrong Phone will straighten me out! :)) I think the most I've ever fished at one time by myself was 6 and it didn't help me one bit. :P Jonathan

    Fathead and the nite owl...

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted · Edited by macfish

    macfish here. Rachel, you did a fine job with your writeup. The catfish looks like a channel to me as well though it would help to see the fish's side. In Missouri I have seen channel cats that were yellow, brown, gray and even a small blue one without spots which was definitely a channel and not a blue cat as determined by the shape of the anal fin. As far as the big head goes a friend says that means it's a male fish. When I first saw the picture it looked a bit like a flathead to me and the bullhead did too (color and shape). I'm guessing that was what BB's comment about the color was about, the bullhead. That's a fine looking grassie! Thanks, Jonathan

    Three days - Three koi

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    macfish here. Bill, just about a week ago I commented on a post by Ol' Captain (Horace) who has been catching small koi at very exclusive site in Georgia and mentioned both you (by name) and another koi fisherman from New Zealand and that I hadn't heard anything from either of you for awhile. As Phone mentioned, welcome back! I don't know if you've seen any of Ol' Captain's (Horace) posts on koi, but some of the fish he's caught, though small - maybe mostly 1/2 lb. or less, absolutely glow. Your posts are always very interesting. I can't want until you have some method of posting a movie of a capture or two. The one of popcorn sounds like it would have been fantastic to see! Thanks, Jonathan

    Made friends with a bowfisherman yesterday

    in Carp on the Fly

    Posted

    I tend to be PRO sportman's activities as long as they are legal. While bowfishing isn't my thing I will defend their right to do it. The anti hunting, anti fisherman anti sportsman groups are doing everything that they can to cause us to fight amongst ourselves. I would have had the same issue with another fly fisherman if I had been fishing a stream and a guy walked right up to within 20 yards of me and started fishing when no one else is on the entire stream. We are mostly lucky in our state in that there are many many places to fish. Most of the time on the small streams that we have, if there is another car parked at the entry point, typically a bridge, I will go to the next stream which is only a mile or two down the road.

    I have a problem with the guy's eithics and respect for his fellow sportsman who is sharing the same resource. The second thing that I have an issue with SOME bowfisherman is that they kill them then let them rot so I and everyone else has to smell the rotting fish. That drives me nuts. If you shoot them, you take them and plant them in your garden not just left to rot.

    For the record, I'm a catch and release guy on trout and on carp. The bluegills now, make a nice deep fried treat a couple of times a year but even those I don't try to fill my legal bag limit day after day. Like I said, if that guy was another fly fisherman I would have been PO'd just the same and if he called me and ITCHY OLD FLY FISHERMAN, I would have still wanted to kick his rear.

    Rick

    macfish here. Rick, I don't know what state you reside in, but in many states as you noted bowfishing is a legal and sanctioned sporting activity. That's just the way it is in this country and I would be surprised if that ever changes, especially in regard to rough fish: common, grass and Asian carp, gar, freshwater drum, bowfin, buffalo and suckers, etc. I too support legal fishing and hunting activities but though that's true there are some legal methods I personally have a problem with. I don't dwell on it but I just don't like them or regard them as particularly sporting. When you mentioned leaving dead fish behind you might want to check the law of your state. I reside in Missouri and in our state it does not matter how they catch fish. If someone who captures a fish leaves any part of a dead animal behind in the water or on the banks they are breaking the law and can be fined. I think the time is long past to just ignore such activities. In my opinion anyone who participates in something like that is not a sportman/sportwoman and should forfeit the privilege they are abusing. Jonathan

    Koi Poetry

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    macfish here. Horace, very lovely! The colors on those fish are just saturated! Your adventures with koi have remind me of two members of the forum who have caught koi in the past. The two I'm referring to sort of focussed on them. In the case of one gentleman whose name I cannot remember he lives in New Zealand and there are evidently no carp there but they do have koi, or at least they do where he lives. In the Southern hemisphere they're in their winter right now so he may be reading stories about our catches here and we read his stories of catches during our winter. I cannot remember the name of the other gentleman either but he is a friend of Louis who has a koi pond and he goes out staking and catching koi. Was his name maybe Bill? Great job again and thanks for sharing them with us. Jonathan

    Grass Carp Flies

    in Carp on the Fly

    Posted

    macfish here. MrP, that is some right fine writing. I don't know that I've ever read anyone else who gave me a better read into the perspective of the fish. One glorious early morning I saw a grass carp feeding in a lake and almost lost my breath. It flipped the biggest tail I'd ever seen out of the water, losing itself in enjoyment. Jonathan

    2010 The Larry Trip!!!!!

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    macfish here. Mike/BB, I know a little about stool samples. Had to go through that back around '88 when I got slightly sick for awhile. Giardia. Had it for a month, diagnosed it myself through reading over a Merck's Manual, went to the doc who prescribed the meds after I told him why I thought I might have it (after trying unsuccessfully 2x to find Giardia - not easy), 2 courses of meds then it was over. Not much fun getting rid of it but definitely better than having it. I'm way up in the Northeastern corner of Missouri. Glad you're home safely. Jonathan

    2010 The Larry Trip!!!!!

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    macfish here. Big Bird (Mike, isn't it?), great story and post! I wish I could have been there. I have the distinct impression that are no dull moments with you around unless you are comatose. Still keeping you and Cindy in prayer. By the way, was it food poisoning or some virus, etc.? Jonathan (or maybe you just needed some grits to properly clean you out)

    The Sycamores-

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    macfish here. Ol Captain, I wonder if Missourah has beat your neck of Georgia for high temps this past week. I think it's been right around 96 every day for the last two or three without the heat index and about 105 to 110 with it. It's been so hot for the last three or four weeks that the only time I fish now is from 4AM to about 9AM and from about 7:30 or 8PM to about Midnight. I haven't caught many fish but I've had more than my share of big soft shell turtles. On the other hand ya all always seem to be bringing in a lot more folks than I do here. What's in your bait bucket? Tight lines and great tales! Jonathan

    Killing carp?

    in Carp on the Fly

    Posted

    macfish,

    Thanks - you should have picked on snaggers and giggers. I'd have agreed with ya' them guys's stoopid. Ohh geez, now you gotta be down on noodlers, and grabbers, and snaggers, and giggers, and if you're married, naggers.

    Phone

    macfish here. Phone, it's partially that I don't like the technique because it doesn't seem sporting, but more because I'm concerned about long-term survival of the fish. Well, to be honest I also have a problem with those who seem to fancy themselves above the law. One thing I particularly like about Missouri (besides the great beauty of many different type throughout the state) is that they take conservation and sportsmanship very seriously. My brother-in-law told me just a few days ago that Missouri has the best conservation program in the country. It may not be the very best but I believe it is one to be well proud of. Jonathan

    Killing carp?

    in Carp on the Fly

    Posted

    macfish,

    Good post and I certainly see where you are coming from. You're right with the rest of us. - Except -

    You've got noodling or grabbing all wrong. First, Missouri does have a season. But more important grabbing is 99% C&R even if you don't want it to be. If ever there was "mono-a-mono" it would be noodling and grabbing. And, once you are successful you are not obligated to keep the fish. In fact the fish doesn't even have a hook wound. Some day I'll have to take you on a shinny out on a fat sycamore overhanging a river in South MO. The only gear you need is a red or white handkerchief. That's how you start a grabbing session. Until you learn - if you can even touch one in a hundred I'll give you a big atta-boy much less grab it and hold on.

    Same is true of noodling cept it is done a little differently. You gotta stick your hand and arm back into a hole in the bank or under a log that is more likely to hold a turtle, snake, or varmit than it is to hold a fish. Then you have to stick your hand in its mouth and get hold of the bottom jaw. If you get sceert and jerk your hand it will come back to you with all the hide pulled off by Mr. Whiskers teeth. If you want to noodle in the MO River one guy has to stand on the bottom of the river while his partner stands on his shoulders to noodle the cut in the bank. Bottom guy has to be able to hold his breath really good and trust the top guy to get off when he starts to run out of breath - even it the top guy has got a fish. Ohh, success noodling does not obligate you to keep the fish either and it ain't hook stuck just like in grabbing. Although in the case of noodling it is 99.9% C&R instead of 90% even if you don't want it to be. I'll show you my old battle scars on the back of my left hand that are 55+ years old next time we fish together. Actually they are chicken scars, I always got skeert and jerked. It got so bad they made me be the bottom guy - darn near drown a couple times. Now days noodlers are softies, they wear kevlar gloves - wooses.

    See, I told you I don't belong in the flyrod fishing section.

    Phone

    macfish here. Phone, I'm not sure I know what you mean about Missouri having a season for noodling or grabbing? If you mean for nongame fish such as carp (grassies, commons and Asians), buffalo, suckers, gar, etc.) well, okay. If you mean for catfish (specifically flatheads and blues), they did have a trial season experimentally for one or two years in three rivers, two of them up here in my Northeast corner of the state, but determined that it was too detrimental to allow it to continue. What I was told and later read officially from the Dept. of Conservation was that when the male was removed from the nest (and it is on the nest to protect the eggs), the eggs became infected with fungus and in virtually all examined nests where a fish was removed they had a 100% mortality rate. I know it still goes on because I've talked to folks who do it illegally. Unfortunately they seem to think they have some sort of right to ignore the law. Yeah, I've heard stories about sticking the hands, wrists and arms into the logs and undercuts and getting the skin on the wrists torn off as the blue does its roll. I've never seen the old-timers' scars, but I do believe they exist. On a road about 10 miles from my house there is a sign identifying a group which has volunteered to keep that section of road clean. The group's name? Noodlers Anonymous. Phone, I would truly be honored to fish with you one day. I don't care if it's south Missouri, northern Missouri, mid-Missouri. You're one of the most interesting folks we've got and I bet you can spin tales all night long, all of them absolutely guaranteed to be 100% true, cross your heart and hope to be fried to a little crisp by a lightening bolt. I might even be convinced to revert to the old days when I fished with a Zebco 808 and some type of Abu Garcia spincaster. I was about 15 back then and lost more than my share of Snagless sinkers, hooks and line in the Mississippi. Boy, did I ever have fun riding my bike to the river on Saturday mornings with my three brothers to spend the day getting bit up by mosquitoes, roasted to lobster red by the sun and if we were very lucky maybe even catching a fish or two. Cheers, Jonathan

    Killing carp?

    in Carp on the Fly

    Posted

    macfish here. Clay34, do you get the same or similar question from folks when you release fish that they would normally eat? I am pretty much a total catch and release fisherman and I have caught several large flathead catfish. From everything I have heard about them they are the best eating catfish of all and I've been told that is true whether they are 3lbs. or 55lbs. For me the bigger and older the fish is the less I would want to kill it. I guess it's almost like a respect thing and also that I'd like to enable them to help keep their species going. That's also a reason I am not a fan of trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, noodling or grabbing. None of those methods seem to me to be very sporting and noodling or grabbing is also (thankfully) illegal in Missouri. As far as carp go I have never been challenged to kill common carp instead of releasing them since many people here catch and eat them. I have been given a hard time by a friend/fellow fisherman who is also my boss about catching Asian carp (bighead and silvers) and having released them alive. The Missouri Department of Conservation allows the unrestricted capture of as many as possible grass carp, common carp and Asian carp. They do not insist that a person must kill them but they wouldn't shed any tears over any type of carp being removed from waters. Jonathan

    Zebco's do last forever!

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted

    macfish here. Inphamous, if you had just kept the story to yourself you would have been able to keep the rod and reel. Unfortunately you put the info on the Internet and it won't be long and Phone will be coming forward to claim it. Who else could it have belonged to? It was a Zebco and an ancient one at that. It must have been his. :) Jonathan

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