Fishing...

 

No normal blog post today. There doesn't to appear to be any actual news other then the aftermath of the Biden airstrikes and the Jamal Khashoggi thing (which I still don't care about at all). So I figured I would do something a little different and talk about one of my hobbies. 

I've been a fisherman all my life, ever since I was a kid. I always enjoyed catching panfish when I was growing up and my family and I even took a couple trips to Canada for a fly in fishing trips. I have always enjoyed it but in recent years I haven't gone as much. Indeed, I think I only went twice last year, hardly enough to justify the price I paid for my license. 

This year is going to be different. For one thing, my other major outdoor hobby, shooting, is going to be difficult at best or even impossible. I still have quite a bit of ammo at home but not so much that I can go more than once or twice this year. And considering the shelves were bare today when I was looking for ammo at the sporting goods and hardware stores I don't think I will be getting any 9mm or .223 anytime soon. 

This means I needed to find another outdoor hobby and since I still have a ton of fishing stuff and live in one of the best parts of the country for the sport I have decided I am going to significantly increase the time I go fishing. 

The picture above is what I picked up recently. I live in Northeast Wisconsin and we have one of the most productive walleye fisheries in the world and it's about time I started trying to catch some. I usually go for panfish and bass but I've caught a few walleyes in my day and it's time I did so again. Since most of my stuff is for panfish I had to pick up some new crankbaits and larger jigs. 

Later in the year I might try and go for catfish or maybe even gar and bowfin. These aren't fish that I have gone after before and I might like to try a new kind of fishing that I am not used to. It wouldn't cost too much to get the gear for it and it's not like I am spending my money on anything else. 

I also think that I am going to try and learn how to clean fish. I have tried it a few times in the past but never quite got the hang of it and mostly just do catch and release. I am thinking if I catch any "trash" fish, like sheepheads (freshwater drums) that aren't going to make it I will keep them just to practice. Plus I always wanted to try drum simply because so many people disdain them (probably unfairly).

My big disadvantage is that I don't have a boat. Thankfully there are a ton of places up here that are good for shore fishing. I know that the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay has some great shore fishing and there are all kinds of places near the rivers that feed into Lake Michigan and the Winnebago pool lakes that allow for shore fishing. Plus I know a few people with boats. 

Will this effect my blog at all? Perhaps. The nights I go fishing might be nights that I don't get a full post up. If there is interest and I actually catch anything I might post my catch but that might be it on those days.