Weighing Fish

Everyone wants to know how much that massive bass I caught weighed but I didn't weigh it.  I didn't want to risk hurting that beauty so I opted for the photo and release option.  Sure it might be easy to just hook the fish but even the most seasoned angler can cause permanent damage to the fish.  Since we are catch and release anglers we want to return the fish to the water with as little stress (damage) as possible.  This way he can go home, get fatter and get ready to be caught again.

So follow this easy, inexpensive and most importantly least stressful method to weigh that 15 pounder so you can brag to your buddies... just don't forget to take a picture too!

• Catch the fish
• Put fish in a plastic bag
• Think Publix, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc.
• Thread the hook of the scale through bag handles
• Mark the weight
• Subtract the weight of the bag
• Weigh the bag alone in advance
• Usually 0.3-0.35 ounces
• Post to Facebook!

So all you need to effectively weigh your fish is to add plastic bags to your tackle box.  Then when you're done fishing you can use the bag to collect all your garbage.

Fish On!

Had a great day fishing the canals!  Not a lot of bites but I made them count!

Fish On!

New Gliss Line could replace Braid

Here is a link to an artice about the new Gliss Line that could replace braid...

https://www.angling-international.com/new-line-tipped-replacement-braid/

Swearing at Fish

This past weekend I was out fishing the canal but was getting skunked.  I was using night crawlers then switched to a crank bait but nothing was working.  I saw fish jumping so I knew they were there.  Then I remembered one of my favorite episodes of River Monsters in which Jeremy Wade and his native guide couldn't get a bite.  Then the guide started swearing at the fish in his native tongue and BOOM he had a bite!  Then Jeremy started to swear at the fish in his own British way and he had action!  Thought to myself why not give it a shot?

After launching a fierce verbal assault (think Al Pacino last scene of Scarface) I landed this guy...

Fish On!

Fish On!

Great day fishing the canals this morning!  Caught two nice peacock bass and a bunch of mayans... Fish On!

Fumble III

After the gator took off with my shiner trap I knew I needed a new strategy.  So I went to my local pet store and bought a 10 gallon tank starter kit and hooked it up in my garage (Lisa was surprisingly cool about this).  Then it was time to go stock up on shiners as my plan was to fish first thing the next morning and not have to waste time going to the bait shop.  Of course I show up without my bait bucket and had to buy another one (great job Jason!).  With my new bucket and a dozen shiners I was in business and on my way home.

Once I got home I put them in my new tank and realized these weren't the same shiners I grew up catching.  These were BIG- like 3-4 inches!  My little 10 gallon tank was big enough for maybe 2-3 but not 12!  They all started to huddle next to the aerator due to lack of oxygen in the water.  It was clear they wouldn't last an hour so I released them into the pond by my house.

It became obvious that if I wanted to use shiners I would have to buy them on the way to my fishing hole.

Fumble II

I decided I wanted to step up my game a little and switch my bait from artificial lures to shiners.  Rather than buy shiners from a bait shop I decided to catch my own so I bought a $10 wire shiner trap.  I thought this would be an easy endeavor since as a child I literally pulled thousands out of the creek behind my parent's house.

So the next time I went fishing I brought my trap, put in a little bread, hooked up the chain and tossed it in the canal like I did hundreds of times as a kid.  Then I grabbed my pole and started fishing.  About 30 minutes later I heard the chain start to move only to look up and see a 4ft gator cruising down the canal with my trap!

Time for a new strategy!

Fumble I

Last time I introduced you to the Laughing Pescador while mentioning that I experienced a few mishaps or as I like to call them "fumbles" along the way.  Well this would not be the Laughing Pescador if I did not start out with the "fumbles" right out of the gate!  The hardest part is deciding where to begin...

When I first started fishing the canals I lost a lot of action because my line was snapping.  I thought there was some giant bass out there crushing by rig.  I decided to do a little research to see what could be taking my lures when I stumbled across my problem- I was using normal everyday knots to tie my lures on!  Realizing my error I quickly learned, mastered and memorized the palomar knot.

It's a strong knot and easy to tie so I recommend you perfect it and commit to memory.