Fishing and Billiards.

[Island Drive]

They are way over priced, but do use very heavy gauge aluminum that takes rough water much better than say my tracker. I remember when you could buy a new 18ft tracker for 4999 and now I think they are over 20,000. There is a brand, I can't think of that a friend of mine who guides bought, that is just like a Lund, but about half price of one. I will start looking after the first frost and wait and sell my tracker next spring when they bring top dollar.

You might ck out StarCraft. I took a close look at Lund, but being born/raised on a fresh water lake, and later in life spending allot of time in Baja with with 14' Zodiac working the shorlines, I HATE heavy boats, especially ones that are 16' or thereabouts. A comparable inland Lund weights at Least 100lb or more than my SF 14. I've always found knowing what you Don't want when it comes to boats is Most important. I pull mine easily at 6,000 ft above sea level with my 4:10 rear end Volvo with a 2.3 lt 4 cyl. Matching your ego with your boat purchase and the needs of your gear is easier said than done. Now if you park your boat at a pier, Everything changes for the better ))).

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

My ego was never involved in my decision to buy the boat I did. Altho I am quite happy with what I got as a used unit.

I looked at smaller boats like yours and believe me, if I could have found a decent used one like yours I would have been perfectly happy as that is what was most important to me, and that was to have a way to get myself out on the water. Probably would have been considerably cheaper and that would have suited me fine too. Altho Canadian prices for even a new boat like yours is most likely much more than what you paid for yours. We get nothing for free or good deals up here.

I went to look at one like yours one night. The guy obviously posted pics of it when it was new. I was drooling over this boat as I thought, this is my baby.
Well, when I went to look at it, the carpet was all ripped up. There was green moss growing on it. I could see that the wooden floor boards needed replacing very badly. The fuse box was corroded and no electronics worked. The engine flooded easily and took approx 20 minutes and 100 pulls to get it going.
I asked the guy what he would take for it just as a matter of interest as I had already made my mind up that this was a piece of junk within the first 20 seconds of seeing it. He said he'd take 3 K for it. I said have a nice evening Buddy.

The average Lund at the Marina does leave mine in the dust, or wake for the most part.

They go smoking past me with their 250 Mercs as I'm putting along the shore line enjoying the day. I pay no mind. Sure, its fun to go fast but I can put enuff fuel thru mine let alone using a large Merc. 6 bucks a gallon here and believe me, that boat holds more than my truck does.

I'm not an overly rich guy so purchasing new or financing wasn't really an option at this time. By the time my 02 is old enuff to consider newer, I think my fishing days will be all but good memories.

Now, if the Pros here can give me a few fishing tips for next year, maybe I can hit the Wall Eye Trail and win meeself a new one.

 

[Flats]

What I like about fly fishing is that its fun to practice! Been fishing all my life and what I enjoy the most is fishing streams and small rivers. Nothing like fishing new waters for the first time and moving to the next streach of holding water and thinking of nothing but fooling the trout into taking your fly, it must drift just right for that to happen; trying not to blink when fishing fast water so that you don't loose sight of the fly or indicator on the water; or to see the fly or indicator disappear when the trout takes your fly and if not having much success, going down one size in tippet or changing flies and having trout starting to bang your fly. Fishing different levels of the water from the bottom to the surface trying to find where the fish are feeding....hours pass like minutes with no problems....Biggest expense is Gas as I go alone alot from Tuesday to Thursday when fishing buddies are working. I play pool on weekends and practicing alone isn't as much fun.

 

[Cuebuddy]

Oh Hell

I figure if Blue Hog can do it so can I. This was one week ago today. My boy and I went back to the home state and pulled this out of a sand pit. Sorry for the ugly look but I was recovering from a tail to the groin.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Nice one, but it does look like you just took one in the Noogs.

Fly fishing in Colorado. A few years ago, we went for a tour thru the Rockies. I noticed guys Fly Fishing in the rivers and creeks beside the highway. I was thinking, now that looks like a lot of fun.

Now, reading up on fly fishing, it is a serious art form, from just learning to spool your reel, maybe getting into tying your own flies and learning how to study the fish as was posted. Like I said, very much an art form in all aspects.

My wife commented to me one night, fly fishing would be fun. You have to be kidding me.
I spend enuff of my fishing time looking after her rod and her little mess ups and now you think I am going to learn how to spool a fly rod for you.

She watches fly fishing videos and thinks that is all there is to it is to stand in a stream and flick your line in and out, back and forth.

She has neglected to watch the technical videos, so fly fishing is not an option by a long shot in our future.

 

[SmoothStroke]

Nice

Impressive, Some hardcore fishermen here with lots of desire and knowledge.
Great stories men.
P.S. There is no such thing as the perfect boat, believe me I have been trying for years.

 

[Sloppy Pockets]

Is that $350 a day, PER PERSON?

Fishing thread! How'd I miss this one?

Joey, back in my guiding days I used to pull in over $2K/week just taking folks trout fishing. PLUS tips. I've had days where I got two $100 tips (morning and evening sessions). No boat. Just me, two sports, my truck, and a river to wade in, so the most it cost me per day was maybe $20 to take them out. But they usually took me to lunch and dinner, so I made out on that more than the gas cost me.

Still, that's nothing compared to what top Atlantic salmon or Labrador brook trout trips run. You're talking thousands per week per fisherman. Gotta be grandfathered into those gigs, though.

My experience was that it was a rare fly fisherman who knew close to what I do, and those guys don't even need the guiding. Just point them at the hot streams and sit back in the shade and leave them alone. But that's maybe one in 50. The rest are as dumb as bass. Sure, they'll drop names of famous rivers they've been to, but then I look in their fly boxes and every fly was bought online from Orvis or the like.

Then they start to cast, and the morning is spent giving casting lessons instead of fishing because they can't get 30' of line out of the tip-top without entangling themselves in it. For real fun, take them in some heavy water they are whining to fish in and watch them cry like babies once they feel that river pulling at them. More than once I had to reach out and grab some guy by his wader suspenders when he slipped off a rock. Like babysitting grown men most of the time.:angry:

Some of these guys, I would give them a fly that was a perfect match of what was hatching at the time, tie on a good tippet, tie the fly on for them, point exactly to where the fish were rising (they usually can't even see the rise forms), tell them how to lay down a good drift, tell them when the fish came up to look at it... and refuse it (which was almost every time). Then I'd take the same rig out of their hands and lay down one perfect cast and there'd big a nice fat 20" brownie on the line before the fly moved 6" downstream.

There's a lot of skill in fly fishing IMO. You can spend your whole life learning and never get close to the end of it. Same with other types of fishing, though. I've surf fished on Cape Cod when the fish are migrating, and it's like a human stadium wave as the blues or stripers come blitzing through a massive school of bait fish, and the every rod along the shore gets bent over one by one as the fish move through the school of desperate bait, who take to the air in a futile effort to escape. Lots of fun, but not much skill. But the guys who can read the weather and the tides and lunar cycles and know just where to go during a new moon night to fish a live eel for 40 pound stripers (and leave the drag marks in the sand to prove they got them), well they're in the same league as the best fly fishers as far as I'm concerned. Too bad I don't live on the ocean or I'd be right there with them.

 

[Sloppy Pockets]

Nice one, but it does look like you just took one in the Noogs.

Fly fishing in Colorado. A few years ago, we went for a tour thru the Rockies. I noticed guys Fly Fishing in the rivers and creeks beside the highway. I was thinking, now that looks like a lot of fun.

Now, reading up on fly fishing, it is a serious art form, from just learning to spool your reel, maybe getting into tying your own flies and learning how to study the fish as was posted. Like I said, very much an art form in all aspects.

My wife commented to me one night, fly fishing would be fun. You have to be kidding me.
I spend enuff of my fishing time looking after her rod and her little mess ups and now you think I am going to learn how to spool a fly rod for you.

She watches fly fishing videos and thinks that is all there is to it is to stand in a stream and flick your line in and out, back and forth.

She has neglected to watch the technical videos, so fly fishing is not an option by a long shot in our future.

Now, if you lived a mere 3,000 miles closer, I'd be only too happy to take your wife fly fishing.

Casting is not all that hard with a good teacher. She won't be picking up 50' of line off the water and double-hauling a weighted Clouser 90' out there anytime soon, but for the basic 30-40' cast needed 95% of the time, I can teach that in a few hours. Besides, women pick up on fly casting way easier than most guys do. Most dudes think they are going to get somewhere using muscle instead of timing and finesse. Women are born knowing about finesse. You should encourage her to get into it, she will truly love it (and so would you I can almost guarantee).

 

[RBC]

Ok, we all read the threads re what is wrong with pool.

This past weekend, a wall Eye Tourney was held on a Lake, (Last Mountain Lake) approx a 45 minute drive from my city.

Professional anglers from all over Canada and the USA.

My friend, who is and his entire family are avid anglers are out camping at one of the parks where the derby originated the weekend before.

The anglers are already there a week ahead of time to get their hot spots marked and practice.

My friend is chatting with one of the anglers from the USA, sponsored in part by Berkley.

His boat is worth 75 K. His electronics are worth approx 100 K. Some of these guys have covered boat trailers pulled by semis.

He travels the fishing circuit. All his expenses are paid for. If he is in the top 20%, his wages are $250 K. If he makes it into the top 5%, his bonus doubles his wages.

Now, you know how fishermen like to embellish a tad on the fish stories but providing that this guy was telling the truth, its pretty amazing that Pro Anglers can get this type of sponsorship and we are lagging a bit in the billiard industry.

A lot of money in fishing equipment, boats, rods, reels lures and line.

Not trying to post a stupid thread and maybe the comparison between the two are way off base as far as sports are concerned, but just wondering as to why Pro Billiards can't seem to get a bit of the action re a decent cash flow.

Its most likely more difficult to get yourself some good sponsorship in fishing re numbers of anglers as opposed to Pro Players.

For every one of these guys, there are probably what ever number of struggling anglers out there as well, just as in the Billiard industry.

We have our top pros and the rest seem to struggle as well. I'm almost shocked and yet not at the numbers thrown out there.

Probably for the most part, just wanted to relate a little story to the members here.

I have a decent fishing boat, good electronics from my finder to trolling motor, yet most days couldn't land a fish if my life depended on it.

Apparently I need fishing lessons more than I need pool lessons.

Blue

It's really pretty simple.

Look at how many people fish, and how much money they spend on fishing.

That's what draws all those companies trying to get a shot at their spending.

If we had that many people playing pool and spending that kind of money to play pool, then things would be a lot different.

It all comes back to the public. After all, that's where all the money really comes from.


Royce

 

[Maniac]

Nice fish pics........

Some nice fish/boat pictures being shown.

I don't catch a lot of big fish as I tend to scale down my lures/tackle trying to put more fish in the boat (as my son and I are always keeping score of who has caught the most fish on any given fishing trip). I am of the school of thought that I'd rather boat 15-20 bass in the 2-5 pound range than 2-3 in the 6-9 pound range. But.....that's just me.

Another good thread (we've had quite a few lately)!!!

Maniac

 

[Put_upor_shutup]

I have a nice like new bass tracker, I will trade you for that Lund. I sold my deep sea boat and my center console striper boat when I quit guiding and only have the tracker left. I now have to buy a 22 ft center console or am leaning toward a Lund or something similar with the walk through windshield to guide out of next year. I really like the 21ft Lund style for the room it has in the back, which is perfect for trolling. Funny how here in the south you never see a Lund boat, ever! I know its the number one boat on the walleye trail up north.

Ha ha ill play u some 8-7 one pocket and a set of fishing.

 

[Cuebuddy]

Nice one, but it does look like you just took one in the Noogs.

Fly fishing in Colorado. A few years ago, we went for a tour thru the Rockies. I noticed guys Fly Fishing in the rivers and creeks beside the highway. I was thinking, now that looks like a lot of fun.

Now, reading up on fly fishing, it is a serious art form, from just learning to spool your reel, maybe getting into tying your own flies and learning how to study the fish as was posted. Like I said, very much an art form in all aspects.

My wife commented to me one night, fly fishing would be fun. You have to be kidding me.
I spend enuff of my fishing time looking after her rod and her little mess ups and now you think I am going to learn how to spool a fly rod for you.

She watches fly fishing videos and thinks that is all there is to it is to stand in a stream and flick your line in and out, back and forth.

She has neglected to watch the technical videos, so fly fishing is not an option by a long shot in our future.

I grew up in Nebraska flinging spinners and drowning worms. Moved to the High country and caught many trout with the same tactics. Fly fishing is huge where I live and I am one of the last hold outs. Here is a story from todays paper.

http://www.vaildaily.com/news/8023349-113/tournament-fishing-fly-chioffi

 

[Island Drive]

Impressive, Some hardcore fishermen here with lots of desire and knowledge.
Great stories men.
P.S. There is no such thing as the perfect boat, believe me I have been trying for years.

Only if he conditions are perfect for that boat and the water conditions.

The zodiac I had when I spent over a month in BAJA was perfect, tho on the sea of cortez side I always went out early and about one or two PM when the winds picked up it was a piece of cake coming back, and it was Unsinkable. Saved a few lives during my stay. Got a lobster out of a Pacific side trap during a day dive :grin: it barely fit in my ditty bag. Had to cut the tail in medallions, took two days to eat, it was too big to steam.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Good article. It sounds like that young fellow has his future cut out for him.

Maybe we can compare him to a young Reyes or SVB of the fishing scene.

If sponsors aren't all over him already, he will never have a problem finding and keeping them.

I have watched quite a few videos re fly fishing but concentrating on getting better from the boat. I would rather get good at one side of it than less than mediocre at both.

Besides it seems that I have spent enuff just starting out and I haven't scratched the surface yet. I can get pretty obsessive with hobbies and it wouldn't be long before I'm buying a ton of stuff to tie my own flies.

I like puttering around with things that require a bit of minute detail at times. I can see myself getting totally wrapped in tying flies and learning to spool a reel and tie leaders and knots etc.

That is part of what I enjoy about fishing so far, tying knots, making a few rigs etc. So, when I joke about having to look after my wife's rod, its just that, joking as I enjoy taking care of that end of it as well.


When I can start putting a few nice ones in the well on a regular basis, I'll be a happy camper.

 

[John H]

Fishing is really hard but it's nowhere near as tough as playing pool WELL.

Regardless of what anyone says, all things being equal (equipment, etc), anyone is allowed to catch more fish than the next guy on any given day.

I have a friend who devoted his life to fishing before he became disabled. He was a very, very strong fisherman -- knew everything about everything - and every possible variable and every technique.

One day, he accidentally caught his treble hook into his sweat pants and while he was carefully trying to unhook his lure from his pants, I caught 3 monster Godzilla-like bass....one right after the next.

Of COURSE, the moment I hooked each fish, I REALLY played it up....letting the fish take line out.....reeling it in....letting the fish take it out....reeling it in..... basically, I acted like I needed a "FIGHTING CHAIR" with some hot chick to pour water over my over-heated reel in order to get each of these fat-azzes landed.

He got SO enraged, he lost his temper and ripped the treble hook from his sweat pants by yanking the line and two of the treble hooks embedded in the palm of his hand (the thumb pad of his palm). The hooks were DEEEEEEEEEP. He was totally screwed.

As any good friend would do, I reeled-in my lizard and took a good look at his hand. I basically told him we needed to go to the emergency room ASAP because he's 100% going to need that surgically removed and a tetanus shot to boot. Red faced and pissed, he flat-out refused and pulled out a pocket knife and started to cut at his palm, trying to dig it out.

At that point, I figured F-IT, fish are biting....and went back to casting. I caught one more bass and .... you guessed it.... made sure I took 5 mins to reel that puppy in. Once I landed the 4th bass, he flat-out "carved" a deep trench around the hook and cut through the muscle and freed his hand.

Blood was pumping from his palm as he fished with his off-hand until he caught 4 bass himself (prob the same I just released... we were prob casting over some nests or something). Only then would he agree to leave --- he didn't want to leave unless he was at least even. I didn't catch any more for the rest of that session, as my luck had ended.

The point of me telling this story is that I'm a total fuggin' RETARD when it comes to fishing. I can hardly tie a lure on right and I have NO CLUE which lure to use during which seasons or weather patterns. I have NO CLUE how to work the lure -- I just twiched it randomly, pretty much.

Many times, I'd hit some sea weed plant and think I had a monster fish so I'd YANK the rod trying to set the hook (on the plant) and the damn lizard would fire out of the water and go sailing above us. We didn't lose any eyes, so that's good.

I think that's what compelled him to not let me leave without him "catching-up" because he KNEW I'd tell the world that I kicked his teeth-in at fishing and I don't even fish....literally...at ALL....ever. He had to lend me one of his "bad" rods and I used one of his chewed-up lures.

It's my humble opinion that all things being equal (equipment, etc), fishing is like poker. ANYONE is allowed to beat the top guy on earth for a single session if his luck runs perfectly. If cards flow my way, I'll bust Phil Hellmuth in a single heads-up session. I'm a mega-big underdog, but if the cards come and I suck out and make a few correct decisions, you never know -- I might have to fade his crying afterwards.

In pool, there's literally ZERO CHANCE that a "random non-pool player" can beat the top guy in the world regardless of how his luck runs.

You can skull-hook a fish.... you can't skull-hook a 7-pack while trying to beat a pro in a race to 15.

Just sayin'.

It is one thing to get lucky once in a while, it is another to be able to repeat something time and time again. That applies to both fishing and pool. In my opinion the variables in fishing far outweigh those on the pool table.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Different lakes, rivers and conditions. Different pool halls, cloth, rails and opponents.

You are most likely correct in the long run but maybe certain aspects of the two can be a little close at times as well.

.

 

[Cuebuddy]

Good article. It sounds like that young fellow has his future cut out for him.

Maybe we can compare him to a young Reyes or SVB of the fishing scene.

If sponsors aren't all over him already, he will never have a problem finding and keeping them.

I have watched quite a few videos re fly fishing but concentrating on getting better from the boat. I would rather get good at one side of it than less than mediocre at both.

Besides it seems that I have spent enuff just starting out and I haven't scratched the surface yet. I can get pretty obsessive with hobbies and it wouldn't be long before I'm buying a ton of stuff to tie my own flies.

I like puttering around with things that require a bit of minute detail at times. I can see myself getting totally wrapped in tying flies and learning to spool a reel and tie leaders and knots etc.

That is part of what I enjoy about fishing so far, tying knots, making a few rigs etc. So, when I joke about having to look after my wife's rod, its just that, joking as I enjoy taking care of that end of it as well.


When I can start putting a few nice ones in the well on a regular basis, I'll be a happy camper.

I know what you mean! I don't halfass hobbies either, its all or nothing and the cost of getting set up to start fly fishing scares me. I do get a kick out of watching the noobs with the cash who buy all the crap to fly fish, they don't always realize that you can catch as many fish and enjoy the sport just as much without all the equipment.

The locals who watch these folks who come here and drop a grand on gear call it

"The Orvis Hatch" :grin-square:

 

[Cuebuddy]

A few years ago I found a Willie Hoppe pool cue on Ebay that had been converted to a surf rod.
I wish I had printed the pic and the description of the pole for this thread. The rod looked bad-a$$ and still had the WH signature on the forearm.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Definitely times when I might feel like throwing mine in a river but as far as making a rod out of one. I'll pass as I'm not that bad a player most days.

Maybe they would make a good low deflection rod.

I do know that my first ice rod was a short piece of Bamboo with some cloth braid wrapped around the end. When we sold and moved out of the Valley, that was one piece that was left in the tool shed.

Just sentimental but I do wish I still had that piece of Bamboo.

My Dad made that for me.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Why not combine the two?

You are a sick man.

Ken