Your favorite way to fish?

[Mike N]

Many of us get so in to collecting that we don’t have time to fish. When I do fish, here are my preferences in order:

1. Sitting on a fishing pier on a beach using some squid as bait.
2. Fly fishing a bass pond with poppers.
3. Casting spinner baits in a creek stocked with trout.
4. Bottom fishing for catfish near a river dam.
5. Deep sea fishing on a boat, if the water is calm.

[Low Profile]

Also in order
1. Wild large trout in rivers and streams (fly or spin)
2. Largemouth on top (spin/fly/casting)
3. Light line jigging for winter walleye in open water
4. Late season smallmouth in rivers with cranks/topwater/jigs
5. Exploring new waters

Other less frequent endeavors that I find highly pleasurable but don't have immediate access or for some unknown reason don't do enough
1. All night largemouth trips in lakes that contain alewives
2. Winter steelhead
2. Trips to the Caribbean for anything that swims
3. Stripers on the fly rod
4. Remote pond brook trout
5. Late season pike and muskie

Low Profile

[reelsmith.]

I mostly fish the local ponds and streams with light tackle. So it is either spin fishing with "0" size Mepps spinners or fly fishing.

Reels used: Orvis 50a and Pflueger Medalist 1492. I've had both since I was a teenager.

Dean.

[RonG]

Here recently, I go to Publix Supermarket to catch my fish. I love the Cod Fillets.

[Mike N]

Here recently, I go to Publix Supermarket to catch my fish. I love the Cod Fillets.

Don’t you actually live on a lake, El Presidente?

[RonG]

I'm messing with you.

[Bill Muth]

1. Muskie & pike casting
2. Topwater bass
3. Hard water pike
4. Jigging for walleye
5. Trolling (for anything)

[Ray Hencken]

Fly fishing for wild trout, preferably with dry flies but I 'm not opposed to using nymphs. One year I fished a 100 yd pool with a dry fly from bottom to top and caught 3 nice trout. I was going to proceed upstream to the next pool but as I rounded the bend I saw 4 guys with spinning rods . I decided to fish down through the pool that I had left with a #10 wooley bugger with a #18 copper john dropper. That was the best decision that I made all month. I caught 6 nice brown trout 16 to 18 in. on the copper john/ bugger combo. All were released. To paraphrase Lee Wulff, A wild trout should be released to fight another day. By the way, when the 4 spin fishermen rounded the bend later, they got up on the bank and left the pool to me. I thanked them for not disturbing the water that I was fishing. That is an example of true sportsmanship which I also always practice.

[Jim Schottenham]

Let's see, in no particular order:
Topwater plugs for largemouth bass
Topwater plugs for smallmouth bass
Topwater plugs for large Pike and muskies
Top water plugs for striped bass and bluefish on the cape
A 2 weight fly rod and a dry fly to tempt brookies.

[Wayne B.]

1) Trolling or casting for Walleye, Small Mouth, and Pike on a lake in N. Wisconsin
2) Jigging for Walleye, Small Mouth, and Crappie on a lake in N. Wisconsin
3) Live bait (Leeches preferably) with a slip bobber for all the above on a lake in N. Wisconsin
4) Trolling and casting for speckled trout and puppy drum in the Virginia Beach inlets
5) Getting together with some friends and deep sea fishing in the Gulf Stream for anything that makes a reel sing

I have discovered the best way to find good fishing is to marry a wonderful woman who happens to be from Superior, Wisconsin, and whose family has 4 cabins clustered on the banks of a beautiful, bountiful lake in Northern Wisconsin. Retiring in Virginia Beach doesn't hurt either.

[Paul M]

(1) Swinging big flesh flies for late season trophy size rainbows when the bears aren't looking.




(2) Fly fishing with a fly I made, using a split cane bamboo rod that I made for fish big and small.





(3) Float fishing with glass beads for Great Lakes Steelhead.

[Mike N]

Great post, Paul. Love the photos.

Mike N.

[RAM]

Smallmouth bass in rocky, gravelly, fast creeks on Western Highland Rim, TN. On foam bugs, streamers, 5 wt. bamboo rod. Well, at least I used to until I hit 85 and found the wading alone too dangerous. Still think about it a lot, still go to the creeks and daydream. The bass are still there. (Will be buried in sight of one of those creeks. Got a 19” smallie in that creek once-I think.)

Bad Bob

[Mike N]

Smallmouth bass in rocky, gravelly, fast creeks on Western Highland Rim, TN. On foam bugs, streamers, 5 wt. bamboo rod. Well, at least I used to until I hit 85 and found the wading alone too dangerous. Still think about it a lot, still go to the creeks and daydream. The bass are still there. (Will be buried in sight of one of those creeks. Got a 19” smallie in that creek once-I think.)

Bad Bob

I hope you get to fish those creeks again one day, Bob. But if not, memories of days fishing are one thing that definitely get better over time.

Mike n

[Low Profile]

Fun times early Fathers Day morning with my youngest son and some memorable top water bass action

Low Profile

[Mike N]

Wow, now that’s a perfect way to spend Father’s Day!

Mike N

[Bill Sonnett]

Old Lake, Old Tackle, Old Boat, Old Fisherman.

[Brian F.]

Niiiice one, Bill!