Me and Captain Ahab

[Big Skyz]

This is my buddy Dave (also recently dubbed Captain Ahab). I call him that because he's always been clean shaven and just this year he's gone with a more sea worthy look. We were the best of fishing partner's back when we both lived in Sidney. About 10 years ago he moved to Western Montana and 3 years after that I moved about 6 hours closer to where he lives (he's still 4 hours away.) Anyway we don't get to fish together much anymore, but it just so happened I had to be in his part of the state Wednesday and Thursday. I knew if I called him he would know where some fish were biting and we were able to slip in a quick evening fishing trip Wednesday afternoon. The fish of choice were large and small mouth bass. They don't have a long growing season in Montana so they don't get particularly huge. The state record LM is only 8.8 lbs and the record smallie is 6.7 lbs. So we knew we weren't going to catch any whales, but it's all relative to where you live. What we did do is have a lot of fun and I don't care who you are catching bass is a good time.

So here's my buddy Captain Ahab with his first LM of the day. Pretty darn decent for around here.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/DaveBell7-16-14B_zps203c62b0.jpg

Me with one of many smallies we caught.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/TroyEchoLakeMT7-16-14_zpsac6e14f1.jpg

Last but not least Dave with another chunky little smallie. He caught more and bigger fish than I did, but I didn't care. I was just out there to have a good time, and to spend time with an old friend that I hadn't shared a boat with in a long while. I'm still riding the high from time well spent.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/DaveBell7-16-14D_zps89840abe.jpg

[Thumper]

Old friends are worth their weight in gold. I spent the day today with my bestest friend in the whole wide world as a kid. We were practically joined at the hip while growing up and have been friends since we were about 7 years old. I think I got him hooked on estate sales ... we hit 'em today and he'll be here at 6:30 in the morning so we can hit 'em again tomorrow. (have four sales to hit tomorrow) He just retired a couple months ago and lives 15 minutes from me, so I have a feeling we'll be spending a LOT of quality time together. Congrats on some great fish with an old friend ... it don't get much better than that!

[Sunshine]

Nice fishes!!!!!
Nothing more fun then fighting a bass.
I can also tell you they are good eating!!! :)

I haven't fished our lake in years and it gets stocked with rainbow trout each year.

I know for a fact there's small mouth bass in there and caught my fair share of them.

Don't have my little boat anymore, so can't get out to my spot.
Never did good from shore.

Looks like you guys had a good day!! :D

[Captain]

That is good stuff Sky. Congrats.
Looks like the coyotes are getting a break in your area this year! ;)

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Buckrub]

Y'all don't have crappie?

Just kidding. That's great, and pics are awesome also. You should sell photos too.

[Big Skyz]

Yes we have crappie, we just get too distracted by all the other fish. The biggest problem in MT is not finding fish it's deciding which kind to go after.
Captain, the break will be short lived, this winter (once the rattle snakes go away) I will let the air out of the coyotes again.

[Buckrub]

Yes we have crappie, we just get too distracted by all the other fish. The biggest problem in MT is not finding fish it's deciding which kind to go after.
Captain, the break will be short lived, this winter (once the rattle snakes go away) I will let the air out of the coyotes again.

OK, wait...........

You have crappie, but you CHOOSE to go after other fish???

Wow. Maybe we don't need to meet after all. I might have to knock you upside yore haid.

Just kidding............I like 'em all too, but crappie is the tastiest by far. I went yesterday, in the rain!!!

[Big Skyz]

Nope Bucky I have to disagree, and so will 99% of the people out here. Walleye and perch out here taste better than crappie. In fact, I rate walleye as the number one freshwater fish for the table in the entire nation. You'll rarely, if ever, see crappie listed on a menu in a restaurant, but walleye is common through the midwest and west...there is a reason. Now don't get me wrong, crappie isn't bad, but it's not better than a good walleye fillet.

[quercus alba]

email me a couple lbs of those fillets and I'll be the judge of that

[Buckrub]

Nope Bucky I have to disagree, and so will 99% of the people out here. Walleye and perch out here taste better than crappie. In fact, I rate walleye as the number one freshwater fish for the table in the entire nation. You'll rarely, if ever, see crappie listed on a menu in a restaurant, but walleye is common through the midwest and west...there is a reason. Now don't get me wrong, crappie isn't bad, but it's not better than a good walleye fillet.

Hahahaha. You tickle me. Yankees are so weird.

I ate FRESH walleye twice, home cooked by 'experts', at TW's house. They were good. I'd rate them about 85% of a crappie, taste wise. You don't see crappie on a menu because it's illegal to sell game fish without a special license.......so I dunno how walleye get there. Trout get there, I think, cause they are bought like catfish......from commercially raised ponds, etc. But I never saw walleye on a menu anyway.............course, I ate in Montana restaurants several times, and never saw cornbread or sweet iced tea either, so.........I have to sort of snicker at comments from a yankee trained palate. :)

"99% of the people out there"??? OUT where? Ed, you one of the 1%? I sure am. So is my entire state. And yours. And all the South. And most of the East. And the midwest. And.............

[Niner]

Sky, that bass in the first pic is a really beutiful fish. Good coloration and looks healthy as can be.

Y'all may have a short growing season for the Large Mouth Bass.....but we have a NO growing season for smallies around here. Maybe up in the north GA mountains, but not around here.

[Niner]

Everybody has different taste preferances. My wife, for instance, loves her some fresh tomatos. I, on the other hand, will not touch one. I DO like fried green tomatos, but the raw red ones....bleck, uggg, yuck. Same for onions. The only onion I like is sauteed Vidalaia onions. Those "sweet" ones they import from South America in the winter aren't too bad.

My point is, what one man thinks is the worst table fare going.....another man will eat his weight of it.

[Big Skyz]

Bucky sometimes your lack of reading comprehension gets you in a lot of trouble. Your read what you think you see, and not what is written. I said 99% of the people "OUT HERE", NOT "THERE" will take walleye over crappie. Big difference between here and there as in about half the of North America difference. Then again you guys eat a lot of crap down there we consider fish bait so I'll take that into account as well.

As for what you saw on the menu's in Montana, or rather, what you didn't see. You were in podunk eastern Montana. There isn't what I'd call a real restaurant on that side of the state for the most part, with perhaps, a couple exceptions. Mostly eastern Montana serves beef and beef, unless of course you'd like beef. If you go places like Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, or Billings you'll find all the sweat tea, corn bread, and walleye your little heart desires.

[DeputyDog]

Bucky, crappie are good, but around here we usually fish for them in the winter through the ice. I think they are a lot better then. The prime fish around here are largemouth, perch, and bluegill. A lot of restaurants around here sell bluegill. I, for one, don't understand you southerners fascination with catfish. I don't like it at all and will gladly order walleye if it's on the menu.

[Buckrub]

Bucky sometimes your lack of reading comprehension gets you in a lot of trouble. Your read what you think you see, and not what is written. I said 99% of the people "OUT HERE", NOT "THERE" will take walleye over crappie. Big difference between here and there as in about half the of North America difference. Then again you guys eat a lot of crap down there we consider fish bait so I'll take that into account as well.

As for what you saw on the menu's in Montana, or rather, what you didn't see. You were in podunk eastern Montana. There isn't what I'd call a real restaurant on that side of the state for the most part, with perhaps, a couple exceptions. Mostly eastern Montana serves beef and beef, unless of course you'd like beef. If you go places like Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, or Billings you'll find all the sweat tea, corn bread, and walleye your little heart desires.

Well, Big Sky......guess what? You're right. I did NOT see the 'here', I saw 'there'.

Not that you care, but most of my time here is spotty.......I'm doing this and that, and come in here to the computer for 2 minutes......I check in, post, answer something, then leave. This isn't my 'sit all day and stare' site. So I read too fast. And I did then. Sorry, forgive me.

And I'd be tickled to death to eat beef, cornbread, sweet tea and walleye (which are danged good!) in western Montana. I hope you'd entertain a visit at least for a few minutes if/when I do.

Again, I've eaten both and danged sure prefer crappie, big time, but both are good eating fish. I should have simply said "I like crappie better" and left it at that. As usual, I said too much.

Sorry.

[Big Skyz]

It's kind of a silly debate anyway from my end, as I'm really not a huge fan of any freshwater fish. I'll take dolphin fish or red snapper over any freshwater fish any day...and I'd rather have crab or lobster over any fish ever created. Heck half the time a good bacon cheeseburger is what I want more than anything. I could go the rest of my life without eating fish and get along just fine, but to never eat another bacon cheeseburger...oh, I don't even want to think about that. :D

[Thumper]

It's kind of a silly debate anyway from my end, as I'm really not a huge fan of any freshwater fish. I'll take dolphin fish or red snapper over any freshwater fish any day...and I'd rather have crab or lobster over any fish ever created. Heck half the time a good bacon cheeseburger is what I want more than anything. I could go the rest of my life without eating fish and get along just fine, but to never eat another bacon cheeseburger...oh, I don't even want to think about that. :D


Ditto what you just said B/S. The first time I went bear hunting waaaay up in Northern Ontario, we were at the far end of a lake that was 27 miles long. We had to take 10 days of supplies into camp in a 14' aluminum boat with a 15hp outboard. It was a looooong trip to run back and forth to the fish camp for any supplies. I'm NOT a big fish eater, but have tried most everything at one time or another. When I got to camp and asked WTF we were gonna eat for the next 10 days, I was told, "Walleye". (at THAT time, I'd never even heard of a walleye, much less eaten one) I 'bout gagged and wondered how many days I could make it without eating before I dropped dead. I knew we had powdered milk and Bisquick, so I had plans of living off pancakes. After ONE day, when my buddy would ask what I wanted for breakfast, I'd say, "WALLEYE". The same went for lunch and supper. I couldn't get enough of it! I've had crappie/bream/pearch/bluegill/sunfish/panfish ... whatever you want to call 'em, I've had 'em. Give me walleye ANY day ... IF I have to choose fish that is.