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Big toms or big fish this spring?

DannyBoy

Well-Known Member
Fish for me!! :way:

I tell myself every year that I'm going to get serious about turkey hunting but then I start catching fish... and don't go turkey hunting.

I busted out the green camo and face paint once last year for a fun little 4th season turkey hunt via canoe along with a good friend. I got a Tom to thunder off within the first 5 minutes of float time, set up on him, and pulled him in on a string. Unfortunately, we made the rookie mistake of setting up too far down a steep hill so we watched (and called) helplessly as he strutted for a good 10 minutes just out of range. Big 'ol double beard. Oh well. We got a few others to fire up but never did make anything happen.

I'm a fisherman and will always be a fisherman. Here's a couple of my better catches last summer.

4lb. 8oz 'Sippi Smallie (crappy cell phone pic)
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A friend and I bought a dumpy little 16 foot, 75 h.p. boat last summer and spent a lot of time on a very high Des Moines River. Absolutely hammered white bass and hybrids on several occasions but had the most fun chasing big flatheads and channel cats. A few of our better ones.

50ish lber
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Could have thrown a ditchtiger down his hatch!
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A couple others... from the same outing.
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Ended up fishing Lake Oahe in September for salmon, as they come up shallow. We got hammered with high winds and spotty rain almost every day but still managed a few salmon, walleye, and a ton of northerns. Hero shots have yet to be developed off a disposable, as we all forgot digital cams, but here's what I put in my freezer. MMMMMM, great eats. Smoked salmon absolutely cannot be beat!

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In all honesty though, the fish I'm most proud of were the ones caught at the hand of a determined little 2 year old (now 3). He had previously reeled in a nice little cat on Lake of the Ozarks the summer before. Then on Fathers Day last year he caught some bluegills with me. Finally, on a cool day last August, he caught his first set of solo 'gills. That's bait the hook, cast (with a little help), set the hook and reel her in. I even graduated him to a 'big boy' ultralight and he did some great work with that, as well.

My son, Blaine!
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Big boy pole.
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He's just as proud as me.
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I'm beyond ready to get back after it. Should be another great summer! Oh, and good luck to you silly turkey hunters. :grin:
 
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I'm all about big fish.... but ONLY after I shoot a few turks in the teeth.....
 
I gotta say that crappie & shrooms is my favorite meal of the year, but there is'nt much better in spring than a crisp morning and a big tom out in front of you.
 
We don't have turks, but bears are springy...

Fish all the way for me.

That's exactly why I'd be a great fit in one of the provinces. No silly turks to waste my time chasing in the spring and better fishing!!! And bear hunting... I could get used to that.
 
uhhhh i used to love fishing but now it seems i hit the crappie spawn in some ponds between 2 & 4th season, then Minnesota for a week for some walleyes. That seems to be the extent of my fishing any more because I'm always hanging stands, trimming stands,trail cams, food plots, scouting, shooting my bow etc.. Guess i'd rather work on my hunting stuff rather than fish anymore
 
Guess I better get out and try to kill a longbeard, see what the rage is all about :) More than likely, all my favorite spring waters will be flooded, AGAIN, anyways...
 
I gotta say that crappie & shrooms is my favorite meal of the year, but there is'nt much better in spring than a crisp morning and a big tom out in front of you.


got my mouth watering.. nothing beats some crappie filets, shrooms, fresh turkey breast dipped in ranch dressing, a side of fresh asparagus and an ice cold beer....................
 
got my mouth watering.. nothing beats some crappie filets, shrooms, fresh turkey breast dipped in ranch dressing, a side of fresh asparagus and an ice cold beer....................

I'll second that, minus the turkey, because I never have any!!
 
always hanging stands, trimming stands,trail cams, food plots, scouting, shooting my bow etc.. Guess i'd rather work on my hunting stuff rather than fish anymore

That's what I've found out the past few years too... haven't bought a turkey tag in 5 years or so and used to do a ton of fishing in the summer but that had been just as long ago too... it is pretty well just something to do with whitetails the entire year and yotes in Jan & Feb
 
I'm definitely a die hard turkey hunter, but also love crappie fillets. We have a couple of crappie ponds on our farm and sometimes after a morning hunt I'll run to town and get some minnows and catch a few. As others have said, nothing beats fresh fillets and fresh mushrooms. Throw a gobbler in the mix and you have spring heaven. :way:
 
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