Hi, just want to drop in and say hi.
I just joined the NAFC and I'm looking forward to checking things out in the club. And maybe meet some new folks who are into fishing as I am.
A little bit about myself. I'm from Maryland. Was born and raised there. But later on in life, my mom and I have since moved to Florida. We both love it as the weather is nice all year around.
I have family, both in Maryland and California as well as Florida. My dad and younger sis reside in Maryland. My older sis lives in California. My sisters are both married and my big sis has kids. Everyone enjoys camping and fishing. Except for my youngest sister's hubby. He hates camping. Isn't into fishing as much, either.
My sis isn't into fishing as much only because she doesn't like putting earth worms on the fish hooks!
Oh well... more bait for me to catch fish with!
But I love to fish and camp. So does my parents.
So while I was growing up in Maryland, I discovered quite a few fishing places I had success with. And for the most part, I grew up freshwater fishing. My top favorite. The one place I remember that was my favorite childhood camping/fishing location to hang out at with my parents was Shad Landing. The Potomac State Park. Man, that place brings back great memories...
I did a lot there -- besides camping -- I rode my bike, and saw wildlife, like the deer and raccoons... and of course fish!
My favorite fish species I caught were definitely the bass. And catfish. I remembered, my sister and I would catch a lot of them. My younger sister had caught the biggest one there. It was a 16 inch largemouth bass and I had to help her reel it in, too. It was great fun! I also caught 15 inchers. Still, my youngest sis holds the record in the family for the biggest bass there.
Then there was my trophy Catfish I had caught at Shad Landing some years later... I caught the most biggest one in my record! A 16 inch catfish!! Boy did I wanted to clean that sucker up and cook it over the fire. Man, ain't nothing like catching and cooking your own fish, too. Delicious!
However, my dad went against my inner instincts (my instincts told him we should cut and clean the fish and put it over ice in the cooler.) and said the fish would be fine in a bucket of water he had.
D'OHH!!!!
I think any experienced fisherman or woman should know by now to *NEVER* store fish in a bucket of water and expect to clean it and cook it later. Once the fish dies, you can't eat it.
UGH!! I was so mad and upset !!
Yeah, the fish died and we had to donate it to the raccoons in the forest.
But the place was so awesome. I had lots of success catching bass and other types of fish, too. I think sunfish or perch. I'll have to look at my photos again. Oh! And speaking of fish and mishaps...
There was this one time I had a string of nice size fish, bass and perch or something, and I had tied the string with the fish to one of the dock rings. Figured they'd be safe and the fish can live and breathe until it's time to clean them and cook them. Right? Wrong! Oops!
I forgot the raccoons are sneaky little thieves!!
Next morning, my string of fish had been upped and eaten by those darn raccoons! Should've just cleaned the fish and put them over ice in the cooler....
Ah, memories... and then there were the times when my big sis and her first son, Nicholas, came to the park to camp/fish with my dad and I. Nic was I think 5 yrs at the time and was totally new to fishing. And fishing etiquette. Oh boy...
Well, things went fine. Just when I was fishing off the dock and Nic was with me, (he couldn't fish by himself so it was either me, my dad, or his mom.) I had to, uh, be the good aunt that I tried to be and tell him not to cast too close to people. Or ya know, the fish hooks could hook into the nearest person. Or an eyeball.
And most of us savvy fishermen/women know too well about tetanus from rusty fish hooks. He was also casting above his head like taking a something and bringing it down to smash the ground with.
I had to tell him a few times of this before he got huffy and mad and stormed off (typical children, especially boys!) back to the campsite. then he complains to my dad and says he hates me for telling him how to cast safely!
Fortunately, my dad saw the humor in my nephew's pouty behavior.
Whew! Safe.
Oh boy and then there was the hysterically funny moments of my big sis catching her line in the trees when we were at my secret fishing spot. (Not gonna say where, because it's a secret!
) Naturally she gets to cussing and ranting under her breath about trying to get the lines untackled when she casted. My secret to casting if there's a bunch of trees around? Cast like a baseball player. No problem.
Ah well, we did get many bites, strikes, and fish. Along the line, my sis and her son went for a nice canoe stroll down the channel. Shad Landing offers canoe rentals and stuff which is also fun that I want to try.
In fact I want to get my own inflateable boat and go further down the channels and stuff and do some more experimental fishing too.
Well, that sums up all the memories I have sooo far about my fishing life. I also look forward to finding fishing spots in Florida, too, to do some freshwater fishing. I love it. But my mom is scared to death of the gators in freshwater.