Fishing Thread

[EagerBeaver]

I had thought that poster Wallseye had started a fishing thread around 5 years ago, and I searched for but could not find it, or the equivalent of it. So here we go. Wallseye I hope is still checking MERB because he is very knowledgable on this subject.

I am starting the thread because I rented a lake cabin directly on a lake in upstate New York next week, and I plan to go fishing and had questions on my equipment. My objective is to catch bass and pike or pickerel. I have been to the lake as a child, and as a younger man, and have personally caught bass and pickerel and pike there, and I believe walleye and lake trout also swim around in the lake. I have not been fishing in years so am not really up to snuff on what is the current state of the art equipment as far as lures and plugs. I prefer artificial lures over using real live baits, which I find messy.

My existing equipment is a Shakespeare Alpha Graphite fishing pole and a Penn reel spooled with 6 pound test monofilament line. I went to Walmart today and bought the following lures:

Rapala original floating minnow plug
Rapala "Husky Jerk" longcasting plug
Hula Popper
Kastmaster 1 ounce spoon
Eagle Claw Barrel Swivel leaders (one dozen, size 10)

I also bought a small Plano tackle box for $9.

Is there anything else I need? I will be fishing from a boat, and a dock. Are there any hot new lures and baits I should be aware of?

 

[Fradi]

You might want to get some plastic worms, minnows, frogs that mimic live bait.
for sure get yourself a pair of long nose pliers, it is a bitch getting hooks lures out of fish with bare hands.
Good luck, fishing is very relaxing and a lot of fun.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The market seems flooded with plastic worms. I never liked using them. There is a brand of plastic worm called “Gulp” that seems omnipresent on the Walmart fishing department shelves.

Great suggestion on the long nose pliers. I hadn’t thought of that. I actually have a pair and will throw it in my tackle box.

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

Alberta redneck fishing. This is more difficult as blasting caps are hard to get. Get one of those bubble fish tanks and black out the sides, put it in the water and you can see into the lake, lower a blasting cap near a hook and some bait.... When the fish approach ice a D cell battery and set off the blasting cap, scoop up the fish when they float to the top.
Plan B... Get a few white bleach bottles ( make sure they are clean, you do not want to harm the fish. Tie fishing line to the handle with some weights and different baits ( corn, hotdogs, worms, ) Have a few floating around and when they start moving you have a fish, chase the bottle and drag it in.