Over the years, unusual catches have been highlights that are remembered. It is not always the size of the fish that creates memories but the unique species or circumstances where they were caught.
After seeing the above photo posted in a fishing forum, it gave me an idea. Last winter I spent several days on the ice trying to catch a carp. I have caught lots of carp and some true monsters but I had never heard of anyone targeting them in the winter. Game on.
I never did get one but did find an area that was holding them during the winter, so as soon as we get some decent cold weather and I can get back there, the quest will restart.
A trip a few years ago to the Ottawa River was a cool experience. We were in search of sturgeon and as it turns out it was the last season the species was open in Ontario. Four anglers spending day and night hunting a sturgeon resulted in one being caught. Not big by sturgeon standards but we sure were excited.
The best part of the trip was the tons of channel catfish we landed in our search for a sturgeon. The action was unexpected but also non-stop. Besides the channel catfish we caught pike, bass, walleye, panfish and a mooneye. I had caught mooneyes before but the one landed by my friend was huge. Of course we were not trying to catch them and besides noticing the size of the 2lb fish we snapped a photo and kept fishing. Upon our return home, someone checked the Canadian record for mooneye, it was 1.43 lbs...oops!
Sturgeon, carp, catfish, mooneye, not exactly the glamour species but they certainly stand out in a long list of good memories. I would bet that most of us have similar experiences and memories. While we may pride ourselves with big fish catches, it the unique or oddball fish and the circumstances that surround them that truly add to the stories we tell.
It's a gar.... :)
No comments:
Post a Comment