Why Did You Start Fishing?

[sandbur]

Our family used to fish bullheads each spring. We had some steel fishing rods, and level wind reels with braided line and usually steel leaders. Worms from the garden. Then I remember fishing bullheads with my Grandpa a few times.....before a friend and I started fishing together at one of the small lakes in Southern Minnesota. We'd get dropped off in the morning and picked up in late afternoon with a stringer full of bullheads. Cleaned 'em with a big chunk of wood, a nail and pliers to get the skin off.....gutted them and a good rinse in cold water.

Had to learn how to eat bullheads carefully.....without choking on the bones. Later started fishing the MN river with some freinds and we would pull big treble hooks at the dam to hook fish. Mostly carp. I was always envious of folks living further north where those waters held some walleye and other game fish. Now......I live summers on a great Lake.....and have not gone fishing in two years.

I ran into a collector of those steel rods. He claims to have hundreds of them.

 

[sandbur]

I grew up on a resort in north central Minnesota. Our family fished during slow times, but Dad always had an extra boat around. We fished some evenings and Sundays

I am currently enjoying our winter northern pike spearing season. It is based on tradition and I also make wooden fish decoys. There is a big culture of these wooden decoys in the northern states, maybe a bit less so in Wisconsin.

 

[sandbur]

I grew up on a resort in north central Minnesota. Our family fished during slow times, but Dad always had an extra boat around. We fished some evenings and Sundays

I am currently enjoying our winter northern pike spearing season. It is based on tradition and I also make wooden fish decoys. There is a big culture of these wooden decoys in the northern states, maybe a bit less so in Wisconsin.

I think Wisconsin winter spearing tradition is for sturgeon and only tribal on other waters.

 

[b116757]

He is most likely on the big lake we used to use chainsaws to cut the hole in the ice for this they nearly filled the ice tent floor had to be careful not to fall in. Maybe Minnesota allows it on inland lakes idk I guess.

 

[356]

I started fishing when I was 5 or so. I’d go to the creek near our house in San Lois Obispo (CA) and catch trout and perch. When I was 16 I got into deep sea fishing for Yellowtail, Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish. Later we delved into shark fishing and caught (and released) a few Makos, Blue and Hammerhead sharks. That is also the year I started fly fishing, which I continue to do periodically here in Missouri.

Hunting has taken over fishing as my primary game pursuit, but I do enjoy dropping a line in the pond or hitting a trout stream once in awhile. And if a gigging opportunities arises, I’ll do my best to adjust my schedule!

Like others on the forum, we stock our pond for the grandkids, as it gets them out of doors and helps make a connection to the food they eat. When I retire I hope to find more time to fish.

 

[sandbur]

I started fishing when I was 5 or so. I’d go to the creek near our house in San Lois Obispo (CA) and catch trout and perch. When I was 16 I got into deep sea fishing for Yellowtail, Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish. Later we delved into shark fishing and caught (and released) a few Makos, Blue and Hammerhead sharks. That is also the year I started fly fishing, which I continue to do periodically here in Missouri.

Hunting has taken over fishing as my primary game pursuit, but I do enjoy dropping a line in the pond or hitting a trout stream once in awhile. And if a gigging opportunities arises, I’ll do my best to adjust my schedule!

Like others on the forum, we stock our pond for the grandkids, as it gets them out of doors and helps make a connection to the food they eat. When I retire I hope to find more time to fish.

I probably fish 4-5 times as much since I retired.