Pompano
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Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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1987 Catch and Release ...or... Want Shore Lunch?
Hola! What we have here is a thread about 'Fishing'... pure and simple. You will want to go elsewhere if you need to vent about politics, religion,
your personal soapbox frustrations, etc.
The reasons to fish are so vast...and the least of them is catching the biggest or most fish.
If you have a yen to add more enjoyment to your time on the water, then I recommend light tackle and 'catch and release' for some rare times.
I think every angler should try out ultra-light fishing at least a few times, and I’d even go further and say everyone should keep an ultra-light
combo and tackle on hand. You never know when and where an opportunity for small gamefish will present itself. The light action rod, thin line, and
small lures associated with ultra-light fishing offer a ton of excitement and a very rewarding experience that is hard to match. Some of the most fun
I've had on the Cortez was using ultralight tackle to pitch into a baitfish boil. A real hoot!
Prepare for the endeavor by picking up the right gear setup, carrying a small needle-nose or a curved hemostat to handle the small hooks of
ultra-light lures (I flatten the barbs for a cleaner and quicker release), and a landing net to lessen damage to the fish. If you’ve been looking for
something different when fishing your local waters, ultra-light may be just what you’ve been waiting for.
Some common light tackle lures that I use from time to time for catch and release...and also for the dinner table. All will catch fish, but a proven
favorite of mine is a swim-tail jig w/spinner.. it will catch most any small fish..salt or fresh. And for just plain crazy sights, try one of
these..a Mad Mouse. Spin it back on the surface and watch something explode on it from below..and please try to have a camera ready to catch the
action...something I have yet to accomplish!
Sometimes I even take one from my collection board, but am careful not lose any.
Head for your favorite tackle store and buy an ultralight outfit...you WILL have fun!
Lots of folks are really missing out on the excitement that walks hand in hand with ultra-light tackle. As its name implies, ultra-light fishing
entails using a very light action rod, light line (usually in the 2 to 6-pound range), and small lures.
Try them around rocky points and islands...like I did in the photos below. This particular island is just 1/2 mile from mi Coyote Bay casa in the Bay
of Conception. We took this movie in 1987 and made the captured pics from it..hence the blurriness. Conception Bay has many islands and shelving
shorelines....and catch-and-release of small gamefish was great on all of them. Experimenting on them today should still bring the avid fisherman
hours of fun.
Here we are checking the sonar for a steep dropoff that I know about next to Barga Island. It's all part of the aquarium character of the Bay of
Conception..where all the fishes of the ocean once came to reproduce..and a lot of them still will do if given the chance.
At the time of this outing the Bay was teeming with fishes of every species. What fun I had with ultralight gear...priceless!
1987
Take some time casting around the whole area..and most likely you'll be hooked up before you know it. Just don't expect any heavyweights
nowadays...but hey, that's not what you're looking for anyway, is it? You're here to have fun casting, catching, and releasing..
It didn't take long before we had a pretty varied selection of baby gamefish kept alive and healthy in the aerated live-well.
Time for some ID and release.
This a huachinango rojo or red snapper. Scrumtuous! A little taco sized one....any other time...
..but today he goes back to grow up to become a full dinner.
Next we scoop out a barred sand bass..
..and off he goes. (Grown up these are also delicious table fare.)
A 'getting-bigger-sized' sierra mackerel.
One of my favorites for ceviche, but back he goes.
One of my least favorite fish..the Cortez barracuda
Oily, slimy, toothy ....nuisances I calls 'em! Outta my boat!!
Okay, we've done our bit on restocking this part of Conception Bay. It's time to be
HEADING HOME and do the boat chores.
Some fun facts about Catch and Release.
On the other hand....Don't do it in Switzerland or Germany...
In Switzerland and Germany, catch and release fishing is considered inhumane and is now banned. In Germany, the Animal Welfare Act states that "no-one
may cause an animal pain, suffering or harm without good reason". This leaves no legal basis for catch and release due to its argued inherent lack of
"good reason", and thus personal fishing is solely allowed for immediate food consumption. Additionally, it is against the law to release fish back
into the water if they are above minimum size requirements and aren't a protected species or in closed season.
It pays to know how to handle a fish to ensure it's survival. During an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation study, up to 43 percent of fish
released after being caught died within six days as a result of inadequate holding and weigh in procedures during tournaments. 
Outfits for Ultralights - just some suggestions.
Features of rods that optimize line protection should be utilized to the fullest. For one, that means using a long rod that keeps a maximum amount of
line out of the water. I would suggest using a rod from 8½ to 9 feet long.
Because ultralight lines break so easily, choose a rod with an action and material that provide a lot of “give.” The desired bend is a noodle- or
fly-rod type of action. My choice is to opt for glass rods instead of graphite. Also, pick “high-footed” rod guides that minimize line slap against
the blank.
Use spinning reels that feature silky‑smooth drags and line rollers. Also, choose spinning reels that have a fast retrieve ratio. This is
valuable when a quick turn of the handle might get you on your double line or leader, and you can increase pressure as the action draws boat-side.
And for those times where the catch needs to become Shore Lunch...
I use this kind of ultralight catch-n-release when the walleyes are line-shy Up North.
Or for a delicious bunch of crappies from ice-cold spring waters. These papermouths are suberb game taken with an ultralight rig.
If you want to be sure of dinner, use live bait...and the ultralight will let you feel the slightest pickup.
The reward being a delicious...SHORE LUNCH! In this case..Walleyes! No fish can compare on your plate.
Hope you all have a great time with your ultralight catching-and-releasing...and enjoy a shore lunch when you can.
Thinking of 'lunch'...I gotta laugh a little. "What's the two things they tell you are healthiest to eat? Chicken and fish. You know what you
should do? Combine them, eat a penguin."
And probably most important of all advice...as when I was reminded at my last blood test...Be Positive!
One of my favorites authors, Thoreau, summed it up for me. "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are
after."
[Edited on 5-29-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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sd
Nomad
Posts: 487
Registered: 3-19-2008
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I love the cat cartoon Pompano!
Light tackle Dorado fishing is so much fun. I have a Penn 955 (no longer made) and use 12-15 lb line. Much more fun than heavy tackle.
Thanks for sharing all of your travels, always very enjoyable to read.
Scot
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
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Roger, I hunt elk with my two adopted boys. We are known as the "Bone and Release" bunch. I find it very difficult to release an eating size
walleye....No finer eating. I share your enthusiasm for ultra lite tackle. When the barracuda are massed at Punta Prieta , just around the corner from
Mulege, its a hoot to battle em on ultra lite stuff....So far this year, I am still land bound,messing with doctors...Stay well..
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6001
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Number three on your board, the Hula Popper! Fifty plus years ago, it was my go to lure for large mouth bass in farm ponds, either the red/white, or
black. I wonder if you can still get a rubber skirt for them? I am afraid an ultra light would not get one of those bass out of the cat tails where
I found them.
Some of the most enjoyable salmon fishing I have done in AK is going after the smaller pink salmon with a short ultra light set up. Those pinks are
so willing to bite on just about anything! We would catch and release, keeping just a couple of females for the bright red roe, and when a school of
silvers or chum moved in and started breaking our lines, we would pick up the heavier rods and fill out our limits.
My favorite catch anything lure is a Panther Martin, black with yellow spots. Casting upstream and retrieving fast just off the bottom works
wonders.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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sd, I agree on light tackle dorado fishing being a blast! That 955 Penn of yours must give you tons of enjoyment. Thanks for coming along on these
trips, Scot.
chuckie, I can relate to being called Bone & Release on the elk. My favorite big game for the table,too. And as for the walleyes, well..those
fresh fillets are so much appreciated, especially by my parents long ago. My Dad would start salivating when we talked walleye trips to Canada.
AKGringo, I remember casting that Hula Popper next to a weed line on the Churchill River in northern Manitoba. As I popped that lure back to our
canoe, I looked just behind it and saw a pair of eyes following it. Those two eyes were about five inches apart...a giant northen pike. Unnerved me
so much I jerked the lure away and damn capsized the canoe! Fun day.
Yup, Panther Martin potato bugs are lethal for anything finny. Caught some nice salmon from shore near Naknek years ago.
I'm glad to hear you guys are doing the fun thing with your ultralights. Viva the release, too!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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msteve1014
Senior Nomad
Posts: 947
Registered: 12-2-2006
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I release lots of calicos around here, but I can't tell my neighbor. When we said we caught a lot of fish but only keep a few for dinner, I am either
a liar or just stupid. If I bring some home for them, it is never enough. The small ones taste good too, I am told. There is no excuse except not
catching fish. So now I have what I have and I am just a bad fisherman because I can not fill the boat.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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I agree with msteve1014 and while ultra light fishing is fine I'm only going to take as many as my family/ friends can eat in a day or two (no need
for a freezer) so my motto is CATCH AND FILLET!
Bob Durrell
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