I just checked on previous pages and offerings and noticed some are skipping lines to separate paragraphs so maybe that is one way to do it. I don't like that but will try it next time! Good Fishing! Don.
It was suggested that I break my offerings up in paragraphs to make easier reading. If anyone knows how to do that on this site I would be happy to hear how! I just tried again and tried to start new paragraphs but this site will not allow me to indent 5 spaces to announce a new paragraph!!! Any suggestions will be welcome. Thank you. Don.
Booker T. Washington was known for his many contributions. One of his best was, "The Happiest People Are Those Who Serve Others!" My wife and me were already serving others, (volunteering) long before reading that. The thing we miss most during this virus lock down is that since the lock downs started in March we have not been able to visit and help the elderly and homeless and housebound or hospitalized as before. Of course it goes without saying that we especially miss the family gatherings with our children, grandchildren and now GREAT grandchildren! All of us have been affected in one or more ways. Fortunately my fishing is the one thing that has not suffered at all. In Minnesota the lock down specifically never included fishing and hunting. We were told to go walking, running, fishing and hunting and stave off the baby boom, domestic abuse and divorce and increase in suicides predicted because of the virus. I recently read that the suicide rate was higher for the last month than all of last year. Minnesota's turkey hunting season just ended last week and more licenses were sold and the harvest was 36 percent higher than last year. More fishing license's were also sold this spring and people who haven't fished for years are back at it.
Before the virus our Minnesota DNR decided to add 200 lakes this year and next as Test Lakes where the sunfish limits will be lowered to 5 or 10 daily as an experiment to increase the size of the bluegills. The homeowners on many of the closest and nicest lakes in my area are signing the petition to reduce the limits and also to have visitors drive miles out of their way to have their boats pressure washed and sanitized before placing our boats in "THEIR LAKE". They feel because they live there that "Outsiders" should not be able to take "THEIR FISH" even though they are public lakes with public accesses! There are petitions posted at these lakes for people to sign as to their acceptance or rejection of these changes. Many years ago the limit in Minnesota was 30 sunfish a day and 15 crappies. For years now it has been 20 sunfish and 10 crappies with special regulations on some lakes for 5 or 10 sunfish and 5 crappies. The possession limit currently is the same as the daily limit. The new proposal on an additional 200 lakes includes leaving the possession limit at 20 sunfish but the daily limit at 5 or 10, depending on the final decision. I can tell you I most likely will not be driving 65 miles one way to one of my favorite lakes to bring home 5 sunfish!!! I fish mainly with flies, (on a spinning outfit) and release MANY fish while bringing home the limit of 20 sunfish and 10 crappies. We both like fish and eat mostly pan fish as we like them the best and the Minnesota DNR recommendations are that panfish can be eaten daily but fish that eat other fish like walleyes, bass, northern, trout, salmon, etc. should only be eaten once a month because of the mercury and pcb's in the larger, fatty fish. We are no longer supposed to eat the skin and belly fat from even the panfish.
As I write this I can only hope that many of my favorite local lakes are not affected by the new regulations. If the plan increases the size of the panfish after a test period, the next plan is to add ALL the lakes in Minnesota! As it is now, the DNR officers are divided as to how the already reduced limits on test lakes in Minnesota are to be followed! Some officers state that if we are checked with 5 sunfish on a designated lake, then the officer checks the fisherman on another lake the same day, trying to fill his daily limit of 20, he will be arrested if caught with ONE additional fish because he reached his limit for the day when he chose to go to the lake where the limit is 5! Others disagree. So if we catch 5 at one of those lakes we have to go back the next day to a different lake with the 20 daily limit and take 15 so we have our possession limit, or eat the 5 fish so we can catch 20 the next day. The number of restricted lakes in our angling regulation books is growing every year. The lakes are listed alphabetically and the new ones are marked with a bright red NEW sign each year. Page after page of lakes with special regulations are listed and you had better read about the lake you are going to for the special limit and size regulations or you will be arrested. In Minnesota if you are caught with more than the possession limit when on or leaving the water or you are followed home by the warden who inspects the freezers in your house and finds you are over the possession limit when adding those to the fish you just caught, the warden will seize not only the fish but your boat, motor, trailer and any fishing tackle you had with you. The ONLY way you will get your things back if convicted is to attend the annual DNR auction and be the high bidder! The last number I heard for the fines was $200 for being over the limit and $100 per fish. People have paid thousands in fines in addition to losing their equipment and sometimes their license and right to fish. People I fish with KNOW ME and will call me out for counting the fish more than once before leaving the lake. Many times we are one or two over because somebody wasn't counting right. I am not willing to spend $300 to be one fish over the limit. GOOD FISHING!
Saw1. You are right! 3 lbs, 16 inches. Long day! Not the first time I was wrong!
Tumhoefer. How can you be a fisherman?! Fisherman exaggerate the size of their catch, you report a 4 lb. bass as 3 lbs, 16 ounces which makes it sound SMALLER! Good catch! good picture! Thanks for sharing.
Sight fishing bedded Gills is definitely fun! One method to find the bedding Gills is to slowly move downwind of suspected spawning areas until it smells like someone just cut open a fresh watermelon. Head upwind looking for a calmer spot on the slightly rippling water. That calm spot and watermelon smell is caused by millions of tiny bubbles released by the spawning Gills. I have used this method successfully a few times after reading about it many years ago. Always worth trying on a new lake but I know the spawning areas on the lakes I have fished for years.
Perch, Sunfish, Crappie, Walleye.
I chose the Army Reserve 6 year program, 5 1/2 years meetings and 6 months active duty. I never knew war. I have the deepest respect for all who served. I have always felt bad about the treatment the Vietnam Vets had to endure when they returned home after serving their country. At first many would not wear any clothes that would identify them as having served in Vietnam and I understood why. Gradually I saw more indications in the form of hats, uniforms and medals. I ALWAYS go out of my way to shake hands with and thank any Veteran for their service to our country. As the theme goes, "All Gave Some, Some Gave ALL!!!" They all did what they were asked and told to do, sometimes in wars we should not have been in, but they did their duty, so we could remain FREE. My biggest regret is that after we survive this Pandemic we may not be able to shake their hands anymore. I will still thank them.
Not necessary for a man to leave the water and find a bush. A five gallon pail works just great. Dip a little water from the lake and cover your privates with the pail while relieving yourself into the pail and then dispose of contents in the lake and wash out the pail for the next time and the fish on the way home. It is much easier than trying to maintain your balance when relieving yourself over the side of the boat. For women a porta potty pail with lid and cover works great and even better with some kind of cover for her.
No need to cut through the rib bones and dull your knife. Hold the fish down with the back towards your knife hand. Make the first cut behind the gills. Turn the knife 90 degrees and follow the spine down only as deep as the ribs, then after clearing the ribs push the knife all the way through and fillet to the tail. Lift the top of the fillet up and run the knife from the tail to the gills again just feeling the ribs with the tip of the knife. Lift the fillet up and run the knife up and over the ribs working your way from back to front and remove the fillet from the fish, sans any bones. Flip the fish over and do the same on the other side and then discard the carcass. Now skin the fillets from the tail end up, easily done in one motion with a sharp fillet knife. (I use a Rapala and keep it sharp). You can also fillet up to the tail and after cutting up over the ribs and removing the rest of the fillet from the fish flip it over with the fillet still attached at the tail and remove the skin from the fillet. I prefer to remove both fillets and set them aside, discard the carcass and then skin the two fillets and proceed to the next fish. With this method you do not have any rib bones to remove from the fillet after cutting through the ribs.
The DNR in Minnesota recommends not eating any skin or belly fat from fish. When I scaled fish I would use a large spoon and place the fish under water in the sink to keep the scales from flying around. My wife had no problem with me cleaning fish in the house if I avoided making a mess. It also helped that she loved eating fresh fish! I know many men who complain their wives won't let them clean fish in the house. After my wife died I found another good woman who shares her love for fish and also has no problem with me cleaning them in the kitchen. I clean mostly sunfish, crappies, bass and northern pike. I fillet most fish now but occasionally prepare a few sunfish the old way, scale them, cut the head, fins and tail off and fry them. The skin does enhance the flavor of sunfish if the fish come from clean water but again the skin is forbidden by the DNR.
I prefer to fish alone but always say I don't fish alone. There are always three of us, me, myself and I. We get along just fine. We go when and where we want, stay as long as we want and watch other fisherman in high powered rigs tear across the lake and leave the fish behind for us. I fly fish with a spinning outfit and Rainbow torpedo float and know when the sun has warmed the mud bottom bays the fish will be active in late afternoon until dark. I watch others fish with bobbers and bait and catch few if any because the fish are looking for insects. When the fish are near or at the surface they will literally attack the fly on every cast. Many times I leave home at 4 PM, start fishing at 5 PM and am catching fish until dark because others have to be home by 6 PM for supper. I soon tired of fishing in large boats owned by others that were impossible to anchor and were too easily raced across the lake. If I am with them, I have to go along with fishing at the wrong time or wrong place and having to go home about the time I know the fish will start feeding. Enjoy the peace and quite and lack of stress from arguing with others about when and where to fish and when to leave.
My late wife died of cancer after 39 months of suffering. We did everything the doctors said but caught them in gross negligence a number of times, resulting in a written apology from the hospital and their assurance that things will be better! NOT!!! The negligence got worse!!!
I follow the belief that doctors are "practicing medicine." I seldom see a doctor and have lived a clean life. At 81 I am fortunate to not take ANY medication, just vitamins.
I cut my thumb to the bone on two sides. I had been using super glue for treating paper cuts and minor cuts and knew the medical field has been using super glue for surgery instead of staples for a long time. I pinched each deep cut closed and had my wife (I remarried) place super glue on the cuts. The cuts soon healed and as usual the super glue disappeared and no infection occurred as was always the case. My wife's friend recently gave birth again. All four births have been by c-section and this time super glue was used instead of staples.
I will go to the doctor if necessary but will avoid them until then.
Catching fish by hand is also illegal in Minnesota.