June 25th, 2008
By Arthur

I mentioned last week about the pond that my father-in-law has and about the fish that are stocked in the pond.  There is nothing I like better than fishing at a private pond, and more importantly than that, the pond is a perfect place to get kids involved in fishing.  We definitely did that.

The pictures you see are from last week.  The mother-in-law just sent them to me, because I was a slacker and forgot our camera that night.  We definitely got the kids involved that night, and even got the real youngsters involved in fishing.

My 8 month old nephew got to test out his feelings about his first live fish, and that went very well.  The minute he saw it he was immediately touching it and putting his finger IN IT’S MOUTH!  I thought that was hysterical.  It definitely proved he was ready to start fishing already and doesn’t have any fear when it comes to slimy wet creatures.

I also got to help my 3 year old niece fish with her pink Dora the Explorer pole (notice it is pink Jody!).  She was having a great time, but couldn’t quite grasp the whole idea of holding the button down AND casting at the same time, so Uncle Arthur jumped in and helped her.  I had a great time and knew it would be great practice for the years to come.  She was all about casting and reeling in the fish, but wanted nothing to do with touching the fish or baiting the hook.  In fact, at one point when I was baiting the hook near her, she promptly told me “it scared her”.

The kids had a great time, and despite the niece being a little afraid of the fish, she still didn’t want to quit reeling ‘em in!

I can’t wait to get out there again.  One of these days it is going to be with my kids, but until then, the nieces and nephews are great companions.

Popularity: 26% [?]

June 15th, 2008
By Arthur

I didn’t get to check the trailcam, but I did manage to have a great outdoor-related weekend.

On Saturday night the wife and I headed over to her step-father’s private pond. A few years back they stocked the pond with bass and bluegill, and we finally decided to check it out and see how the fish were coming along. I had saw a few gills the last couple of years up on the beds, so I knew that they were doing pretty good, but I couldn’t have been more pleased with the fishing results we had.

The fish do need a few more years to grow, but if we pratice catch and release, we will have quite a fun little pond to fish. I didn’t have the line in the water for more than 10 seconds and I already had a bite. A few gills were almost keepers, but the bass still need a couple of years. We did catch one that might have been 8 inches or so, but it is going to take some time before they get big! I’m hear to tell you though, that I honestly didn’t care about the size of fish, what mattered most was that it was an awesome time. It is going to be a great little spot for the kids in our family, just simply because of the instant gratification. There is no waiting for fish to bite and that will keep the kids interested and coming back for more. I was a slacker and didn’t bring the camera with me on Saturday so hopefully I will have some pictures to share of the pond fishing soon. I just have to get the mother-in-law to send them to me this week.

We also found some time to practice with the bows on Father’s Day. My brother’s boys got in on the action as well and they both had bullseyes at 40yds. I know that looks like I’m crazy, but I am so not kidding. It was awesome and just goes to show you how far youth bows have come in the last few years. We would never allow them to shoot that far at a live animal, but for bragging purposes it was a lot of fun. I even got a mug shot of one of the boys after his bullseye, but I was a slacker and didn’t take a picture when the other one got his. Sorry Tyler G.

It was a great weekend all the way around, and we got to do quite a few things outdoors. I’m hoping to get to the trailcam at some point, but for now it will probably do some good to leave it in its current spot undisturbed for awhile. We could not have asked for a more perfect weekend and everybody had a really good time.

Popularity: 21% [?]

May 29th, 2008
By Arthur

Jeff ended up spending Memorial Day the way that I should have spent it…fishing! It was Jeff’s son’s birthday, and every year for his birthday his mom takes him down to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Indiana. There are a number of these parks throughout the United States, and there are quite a few in Indiana as well. It made for a perfect setting for Jeff and his clan to get some fishing in.

Jeff and his fiance have 4 kids between the two of them, and Jeff managed to get all of them in on the fishing. One of the boys even managed to catch his first fish by himself. Apparently the park has their own private ponds, and they are well stocked with some hybrid bluegills, as well as bass, and an occasional catfish. My two year old niece even got in on the act as well, and even though her Dora pole was left at home, he still managed to talk her into catching a few fish.

I wish that I could say I was involved in this fishing adventure, but I wasn’t. The wife and I were slackers and decided to go to dog obedience instead (plus we weren’t invited like everyone else…haha..I had to get that one in Jeff). Hopefully, sometime in the future, we will have the opportunity to stay at one of these parks. They look like an absolute blast for kids as well as adults.

Man I want to go fishing!

Popularity: 25% [?]

May 07th, 2008
By Arthur

Yesterday, after reading my post, Jeff called and alerted me to something that I had forgotten about. The DNR made a change to bass regulations that allow for a Catch and Release season before the actual bass season starts. I think this law was in effect last year as well, but I cannot remember for sure. I know that I was pretty pleased when he told me, even if it did exist last year!

It used to be that we had to be very careful when we were out fishing in spring for pike, because you always ran the risk of catching a bass. Now, while I don’t think the DNR would have given us any trouble, it was something that you always had to be conscious of. Now that problem is fixed.

Now in Michigan, on all the Lower Peninsula waters including the Great Lakes, there is a Catch and Immediate Release season for bass that runs from the last Saturday in April through the Friday before Memorial Day. Perfect. Now we can actually target bass and not have to worry about it while stumbling across a few pike at the same time.

This whole post may seem silly to a few of you reading it, but to me I think it is a great move by the DNR. It helps all of us Michigan anglers who are having some serious fishing withdrawals catch a few Largemouth without having to worry about any repercussions. It also helps us find some good fishing spots before the season actually opens the Saturday before Memorial Day.

What a great move by the DNR, and I can’t wait for this weekend and my shot at catching the first one of the season—-and then releasing it of course! (In case I had any doubters).

If any of you would like to see the regulation concerning this particular season you can find it here.

Popularity: 28% [?]