05-01-2015, 04:00 PM
So...due to work circumstances, yard projects, side jobs, etc., it has been a few months since I've been able to make it out fishing. Pathetic, I know! The cold sweats and shaking from the withdrawal symptoms were almost too much for this fishaholic to bear. At least I was able to read about fishing from y'all's great posts.
I finally had a day off of work with some cooperating weather and was looking to hit the water to get my fishy fix. I contemplated breaking out the fly rod and hitting the stream or busting out the float tube...but instead decided that my four year old needed some good daddy/daughter time while her older sisters were in school. We packed our PB&J sandwiches with some cheetos and drinks, grabbed the pink princess pole and set out for Mantua.
It was about 1:00pm when we arrived at the parking area on the SW corner. We walked a little ways, checking out a heron, pelican and a whole bunch of frogs along the way. We found a spot on the bank near all of the floded timber. I saw a school of bluegill that appeared to have some decent sized specimens and decided to fish there. All it took was a tiny piece of nightcrawler below a bobber to do the trick. I had taken my poles, but didn't even get them out. Instead I opted to play fishing guide and just bait hooks and handle the fish. Between the eating of sandwiches and cheetos (still visible on my daughter's face in the pics), my kiddo reeled in about 20 gills. About 2:30pm we decided to pack it up. It was at that time that I taught my girl about picking up after trash-fisherman. We took an extra grocery sack of garbage out with us. Honestly, peoples! PICK UP YOUR CRAP! (I know this doesn't apply to BFTers, but I had to vent.)
Ended up taking 12 gills home: the biggest ones and the ones that took the hook too deep. I filleted them in my garage cleaning station in my normal OCD fashion: smallest to largest. The kiddo watched as we filleted. This batch got batter, panko crumbs and a dip in a hot oil jacuzzi. Poor man's shrimp!
Little Sis had fun and was sure proud of herself when the fish she caught fed the whole family for dinner.
I finally had a day off of work with some cooperating weather and was looking to hit the water to get my fishy fix. I contemplated breaking out the fly rod and hitting the stream or busting out the float tube...but instead decided that my four year old needed some good daddy/daughter time while her older sisters were in school. We packed our PB&J sandwiches with some cheetos and drinks, grabbed the pink princess pole and set out for Mantua.
It was about 1:00pm when we arrived at the parking area on the SW corner. We walked a little ways, checking out a heron, pelican and a whole bunch of frogs along the way. We found a spot on the bank near all of the floded timber. I saw a school of bluegill that appeared to have some decent sized specimens and decided to fish there. All it took was a tiny piece of nightcrawler below a bobber to do the trick. I had taken my poles, but didn't even get them out. Instead I opted to play fishing guide and just bait hooks and handle the fish. Between the eating of sandwiches and cheetos (still visible on my daughter's face in the pics), my kiddo reeled in about 20 gills. About 2:30pm we decided to pack it up. It was at that time that I taught my girl about picking up after trash-fisherman. We took an extra grocery sack of garbage out with us. Honestly, peoples! PICK UP YOUR CRAP! (I know this doesn't apply to BFTers, but I had to vent.)
Ended up taking 12 gills home: the biggest ones and the ones that took the hook too deep. I filleted them in my garage cleaning station in my normal OCD fashion: smallest to largest. The kiddo watched as we filleted. This batch got batter, panko crumbs and a dip in a hot oil jacuzzi. Poor man's shrimp!
Little Sis had fun and was sure proud of herself when the fish she caught fed the whole family for dinner.
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