The New Huntmastersbbs!: Set, Hook, Release!

This is topic Set, Hook, Release! in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.

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Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 26, 2018, 07:49 AM:

It has been an exceptionally long winter. We sent all kinds of records for snow depth and cold. Finally we have a little open water although most of the lakes are still frozen. I needed an excuse to break in my new pair of Simms G3 waders. A friend of mine got us permission to cross some private land to access the Missouri River. We went for a long hike, and it worth every step.

Unbelievable day.

Another slab.

Love these new waders and the Korker's wading boots are the bomb. I wore them all day for nearly 11 straight hours of hiking and fishing. My feet are the only thing that isn't sore this morning. [Wink]

Just yarded them out all day.

This last fish really made my day. What a fight he put up. I can't think of a single thing I would have changed about the day other than I wish my youngest daughter could have been with me, but she had to work. Hope y'all enjoy the pics.

Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on March 26, 2018, 08:22 AM:

I think that you caught more big trout in a day than I've caught in my entire life.

[Eek!]

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 26, 2018, 10:12 AM:

Ditto what ko ko said! Damn, this guy is the Hugh Heffner of trout fishing. Thanks for posting, Troy. Always a pleasure looking at your gorgeous fish.

By the way, that last one. You said; what a fight "he" put up! Maybe 6 pounds or so? Is that a female Rainbow?

Good hunting. El Bee

Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 26, 2018, 10:14 AM:

Leonard, it's a male. I didn't weigh it, but I'd say your weight guess is pretty spot on.

Koko, trust me when I say I never take living here for granted. I've lived in other states and I know first hand how different it can be.

Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on March 26, 2018, 10:44 AM:

Yeah, you've got awesome fishing up there but we've got world class scorpion hunting and I don't even have to leave my yard to do it. [Smile]

Although........I have caught grayling down here.

Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 26, 2018, 12:06 PM:

Koko which state are you in?

Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on March 26, 2018, 01:51 PM:

I'm in Arizona............yeah, grayling.
There's a small lake up on the Rim that has them in it near where I hunt every Aug.
A couple of lakes in northern Az. have northern pike, too.
Plus, we have Apache Trout & Gila Trout.
I need to do more fishing.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 26, 2018, 03:23 PM:

Seems like I've run into grayling on the San Carlos? Where the Black and White rivers converge, I think it was? I believe Mormon Lake, which isn't more that a couple feet deep has Northerns in it but it's so choked with vegetation that you really can't fish with rod and reel. I think archery tackle or a frog gig might be an option?

Good hunting. El Bee

Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 27, 2018, 05:07 AM:

Koko, Arizona is one of those states I lived in that make me appreciate the fishing opportunities I have up here. Yes, Arizona does offer some great fishing, but probably not the volume of choices Montana has though. You guys do have some incredible predator hunting though. What I'd give to be able to hunt grey fox!

Posted by UTcaller (Member # 8) on March 27, 2018, 05:58 AM:

Yeah Very nice fish Troy. But if I lived up in Beautiful Montana, I’d be fishin Fort Peck for big Walleye....😉 Speaking of Which the Walleye should be getting ready to Spawn, might have to dust off my fishing pole

Posted by TRnCO (Member # 690) on March 27, 2018, 06:02 AM:

most awesome pictures Troy. A little envious.

Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on March 27, 2018, 11:46 AM:

Troy them is sum pigs ! I've caught a few like that browns and bows in the Eastern Sierra but not like that days haul!

Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 27, 2018, 12:20 PM:

The trouble with the blue ribbon quality of the Missouri River is that it spoils you for just about anywhere else, except maybe Alaska when it comes to trout.

Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on March 27, 2018, 12:44 PM:

I should be so spoiled. [Smile]

For a little while today I got to pretend I was Troy. Went to our local put & take pond and caught a quick limit of stockers. Nothing of size but no qualms about keeping them for the frying pan.

Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 27, 2018, 03:24 PM:

Koko, fishing is fishing and I find it all fun including put and take fisheries. Glad to hear you got out. As a kid growing up in Sierra Vista there several well stocked ponds on the military base. My friends and I would fish them 3 to 4 times a week all summer long. I learned a ton about fishing while hammering those put and take ponds. My last summer there I was 11 years old. I didn't keep count of the bluegill, channel catfish, or bass I caught, but I did decide to count the rainbow trout I landed. I landed exactly 75 rainbows that summer. I thought was pretty good for a little kid growing up in the desert. Those were good times.

Posted by MI VHNTR (Member # 3370) on March 27, 2018, 06:33 PM:

VERY impressive pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by earthwalker (Member # 4177) on March 28, 2018, 04:21 AM:

I still can't believe the size of those fish!
Thanks for posting them.

Posted by DanS (Member # 316) on March 28, 2018, 05:01 AM:

Wow, that looks like fun. I can tell you that the Missouri River doesn't look like that over here in Missouri.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 28, 2018, 09:55 AM:

Good one, Dan!

I grew up on the Mississippi, hydro damns and controlled flow. So far as I remember, you can't get past Minneapolis in a boat?

At my part of that river, it wasn't much more than the Colorado is, out here. Really, the Colorado is a two bit river compared to the Missouri or the Mississippi. And, compared to the Miss. which they tell me is a mile and a half wide as it enters the Gulf, I have seen where the Colorado ends in what you might call a swamp, in Mexico. In other words, hardly a drop goes to waste.

Then, there's the fishing. In the parts of the Colorado that I am familiar, (excluding the Grand canyon) you have Stripers and Carp, that's about it, as far as I know? And, as long as I lived in Minnesota, I never saw a trout?

Our friend in Montana has a hell of a deal, I agree with others who say they haven't caught that many trophy fish in a lifetime. For me, I never have! I don't think I ever caught a fish over even 3 pounds? And, 3 pounds was a big deal. Like Paul says, the Eastern Sierra has decent fishing but you won't be cranking out ten or twelve lunkers in an afternoon. That's insane, Troy!

Good hunting. El Bee

Posted by JP (Member # 4095) on March 28, 2018, 11:04 AM:

"As a kid growing up in Sierra Vista there several well stocked ponds on the military base."

Not a pond left on the fort, all as dry as a popcorn fart, and have been for years.

Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on March 28, 2018, 11:46 AM:

JP, that breaks my heart. The nicest one was called the Officer's Pond. It had beautiful mature trees around it. It looked like something out of a magazine.

Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on March 29, 2018, 03:47 AM:

Leonard
The Colorado has some incredible trout fishing From Lee's Ferry south I did a three day float trip saw trout as nice as the trout pictured didn't bring fishing gear on that trip ,so sad !
This was through the Vermillion Cliffs to Bright Angel Trail in the big ditch.

[ March 29, 2018, 03:50 AM: Message edited by: Paul Melching ]

Posted by Az-Hunter (Member # 17) on March 29, 2018, 06:05 AM:

Truth right there Paul. Ive fished the Lees Ferry portion a few times long ago with my brother. They had quality fish that were equal or even bigger than those pictured. Don't know how it is now, but in its day, it was a premier fishery.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 29, 2018, 07:26 AM:

Yeah, I don't know about any of that, although I have hunted around Lee's ferry. but from Lake Powell to Holiday Shores, for me, that's a black hole, fishing wise. I know there must be trout somewhere, but I just haven't seen any?

That's another thing. Before I die, bucket list. I would love to do two weeks on a houseboat on Lake Powell! Damn, that's a beautiful lake! The thing that appeals to me is the number of coves to tie up and spend a quiet night damned near alone and owning the place. Big trout, I don't know, but there has to be some damed nice bass in there, big mouth. That is my idea of SERENITY. Just wish the water was a little warmer, for jumping in, I'm a total pussy for cold water. (talk about shrinkage!)

Good hunting. El Bee

Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on March 29, 2018, 11:43 AM:

Leonard
We used to park our motorhome on Lone Rock beach and moor our boat just off shore been in every canyon on the lake we would do every Fourth of July there. But there is nothing like a striper boil to get you excited ! we would go back as far as the depth would allow and then walk of the front of the boat for a hike really cool stuff to see !

[ March 29, 2018, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Paul Melching ]

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