Fishing by George Hernandez

Exploring fishing.

Intro
Equipment
Links

Intro

When I think of fishing, I think of on-shore, rod-and-reel, recreational fishing. There is of course all sorts of fishing.

My dad's fishing. He grew up in the Philippines and did salt-water fishing. He dived and made harpoons from scratch. He waded for shell fish. He could make fish traps. When he went to the Shedd Aquarium, he could point out certain species of fish and tell you if they are good to eat or what sorts of experiences he had with them. I'm sure that sort of stuff is probably much more interesting than the kind of fishing I grew up with.
Commercial food fishing. I think it is fine and honorable to make money from catching fish to feed people. There is fish capturing for aquariums. I'm also fine with this. But with both kinds of fishing, I have concerns about over-fishing and environmental damage.
Big game/trophy fishing. I'm sorry but that seems rather juvenile.
Fly fishing. I have no personal experience with it, but that kind of fishing seems almost like a religion, especially if you watch the movie A River Runs Through It.
Ice fishing. Sorry, but freezing on ice in a little igloo is not my cup of tea.

Like I said: When I think of fishing, I think of on-shore, rod-and-reel, recreational fishing.

Having grown up in Chicago, my fishing experience is largely with Lake Michigan. Given the PCB levels in Chicago water, that also means primarily catch-and-release. That means catching these:

Small-Medium: Panfish (Yellow Perch, Sunfish, Bluegill, Crappie), Catfish.
Medium-Big: Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout.

For me fishing is quiet get-away time. Fishing is zoning out, letting your mind wander. Fishing is thinking like a fish. Fishing is not so much about how big or how many, but it sure is nice to get a nice catch.

Equipment

Rod. I prefer a nice long graphite rod (ca. 6 feet) with ceramic guides and a cork handle.
Reel.
- Baitcasting. Never used it. It is supposedly more accurate but harder to learn, esp. in order to avoid the line backlash of "birdsnests". I think trolling reels are baitcasting reels with depth guage equipment on the reel.
  - Line weight: Any, but heavier preferred..
  - Lure is released with thumb.
  - Spool axis is perpendicular to the rod.
  - Reel is top side of the rod.
- Spinning. My preference. Accurate enough for my casual needs. I rarely got birdsnests. It can work with lighter lures.
  - Line weight: Under 30 lbs, but esp. good for 10 lbs or less.
  - Lure is release with fore or middle finger.
  - Spool axis is parallel with the rod.
  - Reel is bottom side of the rod.
- Spincasting. Easiest to learn because of the button release. I had more mechanical problems with spincasting reels than spinning reels.
  - Line weight: Under 30 lbs, but esp. good for 10 lbs or less.
  - Lure is released with thumb.
  - Spool axis is parallel with the rod.
  - Reel is top side of the rod.
Stick rod. Usually a longer bamboo pole (ca. 8 feet) with an equal length of line with hook, weight, and float. For real casual, sit back and wait fishing.
Lures. This is where the fishing industry goes nuts. There are all sorts of spoons, spinners, hard bodied, soft bodied.
Weights.
Floats.
Stuff to keep your fish.
- Wire basket. I like this best for small fish.
- Bucket with water. If you don't have a wire basket for small fish. Have a 2nd bucket with line so you can change the water on occasion.
- Stringer. Pretty inhumane for small fish, but the only way for big fish.
Line. Simple monofilament in the right weight for your expected fish size. Bring several kinds with you just in case.
Long necked net. Only if you're a long distance from the water and need to haul in big fish.
Short necked net. Only if you're a short distance from the water and need to haul in big fish.
Tackle box.
Leaders.
Pre-snelled hooks.
Snaps.
Accessories.
- Flashlight.
- Needle nose pliers.
- Hook remover.
- Small sissors.
- Knot guide. Until you memorize the stuff.
Something to sit on.

Links

Links that lead to off-site pages about fishing.

Chicago
- Boating Safely [uscgaux.org/~0950206/boating_education/classes/boating_safely.html]
- ChicagoFishingLinks.com.
  - Chicago Park District Fishing
- Fishing in the lakes, ponds and streams of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County [fpdcc.com/tier3.php?content_id=43]. Including fishing regulations and info about fishing locations.
- Garfield Park by the GarfieldConservatory.org at 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60624, 312-746-5100 has a nice fishing hole.
- LakeJulian.com. 'Lake Julian Trout Farm. ... Family owned and operated since 1937'
- Montrose Harbor
  - I've done most of my shore fishing of Lake Michigan at Montrose Harbor --its piers and rocks. Yellow perch and salmon.
  - Park Bait Co., 600 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago, IL 60613, 773-271-2838. Hours 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. I pick up fresh worms from these guys before fishing. BTW: There is another bait shop on Montrose, but it's far inland at Pulaski Road (4000 W).
- Skokie Lagoons
  - My family went fishing there several times when I was a kid. Lots of bluegills and bullhead catfish. I particularly remember falling in the water and pulling myself out by the roots of a tree.
  - Located between I94 (aka the Edens Expressway) and the towns of Glencoe and Winnetka. 'N. of Willow Rd., S. of Lake-Cook Rd., E. of the Edens Expressway. Parking and launching ramp S. of Tower Rd., E. of the Edens. For Sailboats, canoes, and rowboats.'
  - Skokie Lagoons [pages.ripco.net/~jwn/skokiel.html]
  - Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois [fpdcc.com]. Look for maps in the Skokie Division.
  - http://maps.google.com/...
Knots.
- dnr.state.il.us/fish/Knotgde.htm. A few common knots used by fishermen, illustrated.
- Knots [W]
- marinews.com/fishing/fk_main.htm.
- fishingcairns.com.au/page6-1.html.
- tnoutdoorsmen.com/knots.htm. Nice pocket-sized illustrations. Good explanations of when to use which knots.
- netknots.com/. Non-fishing knots too.
Miscellany
- FisheryCrisis.com. There are many sites that go over the problems with the sea and this is one of them. People think that disappearing fish won't affect them but it does. Fish is the greatest source of protein for people on the planet. The fact that they can't catch fish as big as they used to harms my soul as well.
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources [dnr.state.il.us]. Don't forget to get your fishing license.
- Noodling. Catching big catfish bare-handed. n1 n2 n3 n4 n5.
- Zebco.com/fishing/tips/tips1.htm. Fishing tips.
- Geocities.com/angling4sport/howtobuy/reels/reels.html. Basic reel guide.

Page Modified: (Hand noted: 2007-11-01 04:44:38Z) (Auto noted: 2007-11-17 06:09:21Z)