Fishing on holiday weekends?

[detroit1]

On 5/28/2021 at 4:21 PM, Goldstar225 said:

Nope.  Since I'm retired I get to fish when I want, weather permitting.  I avoid weekends and go during the weekdays.

This will be me in 2024, i can't wait. 

[Black Hawk Basser]

@DitchPanda This dreary weather we've had this weekend sure kept the drunks off of Black Hawk!  They said, I chose to fish a public pond yesterday.  Usually no one is there, it's in the middle of nowhere.

[Bubba 460]

Holiday weekend fishing has not changed much in the last 200 years. lots of people come out for their yearly fishing trip...Misfits galore. I stay away.

 

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, Pickle_Power said:

@DitchPanda This dreary weather we've had this weekend sure kept the drunks off of Black Hawk!  They said, I chose to fish a public pond yesterday.  Usually no one is there, it's in the middle of nowhere.

I went up to the Okoboji area this weekend to visit my parents and I never even wet a line. Got home today around 1 and was out fishing by 330 at my local spot. Windy and cloudy so only a few people fishing. I did a pitiful job of trying to fish clean...lost 3 fish caught 4 and had 1 other bite. 1 fish wrapped up in a tree and 1 hit my bait as I was lifting it out of the water so I didn't get a good hook set...not much you can do about those. Still 8 bites in 2 hours ant bad.

[Koz]

I have only myself to blame. I knew it was going to be a madhouse trying to kayak to some of my favorite sheltered coves out there today. But what ticked me off is that the jet skiers were like a plague of locusts out there, even in the smaller coves off the beaten path.

 

With all the traffic out there I was fishng the shorelines today, but on more than one occasion a jet skier was running near full throttle within 30 feet of the shoreline instead of out in the channel. More than once someone decided to do donuts in my vicinity as well.  Next time I'm going to bring one more rod with a 1/2 oz lipless crank and the next time a jet skier buzzes me I'm changing my target species.

 

But I'm also an idiot for going out there today. But I get so few days off, I had to give it a try. Lesson learned.

[DitchPanda]

17 minutes ago, Koz said:

I have only myself to blame. I knew it was going to be a madhouse trying to kayak to some of my favorite sheltered coves out there today. But what ticked me off is that the jet skiers were like a plague of locusts out there, even in the smaller coves off the beaten path.

 

With all the traffic out there I was fishng the shorelines today, but on more than one occasion a jet skier was running near full throttle within 30 feet of the shoreline instead of out in the channel. More than once someone decided to do donuts in my vicinity as well.  Next time I'm going to bring one more rod with a 1/2 oz lipless crank and the next time a jet skier buzzes me I'm changing my target species.

 

But I'm also an idiot for going out there today. But I get so few days off, I had to give it a try. Lesson learned.

Its not idiocy its passion..we all do it!

[Bluebasser86]

I thought about staying home but decided to take the kayak to a park lake that doesn't allow gas motors but is usually really crowded. Felt like I outsmarted everyone. Fished for 5 hours, there was a couple other people kayaking and only 1 other fisherman by the time I left.

[Big Hands]

I got up Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m. and was in line by 5:45. It was actually less crowded than usual.

 

Truthfully, it was less crowded than usual, and I caught 8 bass before I left at 10:30 a.m.

 

Then we had a rare night fun fish event the same night, so I went to that and caught nine more in gorgeous night fishing conditions. An excellent two-fer in my book.

[NYWayfarer]

The weather this weekend here kept most folks off the water.

 

I hike and fish secluded areas on Holiday weekends.

[Nelson Wormefeller]

Today I overheard 2 young men call my father a MF-er because he had a bucket.  He uses it as a tackle box.  I assume they assumed he was illegally taking bass during spawn season.  I don't like fishing on holiday weekends.

[DitchPanda]

2 minutes ago, Nelson Wormefeller said:

Today I overheard 2 young men call my father a MF-er because he had a bucket.  He uses it as a tackle box.  I assume they assumed he was illegally taking bass during spawn season.  I don't like fishing on holiday weekends.

Sounds like 2 boys that may need a butt whuppin. Amazing what a knuckle sandwich will do for an attitude problem.

[Michigander]

Went fishing today in a remote forest lake and there was a handful of trucks, and people mingling about. So I paddled across that lake, went up a tiny little creek and portaged over a big pile of debris to access a 'secret' lake. Not a soul on that lake other me and the wife for six hours. It was glorious. And the jig bite was on too!

[throttleplate]

went to the detroit lakes area memorial day and lure hit the water at 5 pm. I caught some very energetic bass around 3 lbs and a 4 lb that looked to be full of eggs. They were liking the white chatterbait with a big berkley grass pig 4 inch as a trailer.

 

Also caught them on a white spinnerbait with white kitech trailer. The chatterbait was a bulldozer today as i ran that thing in a foot of water and through the weeds and pad stems.

 

One thing for sure is the water is alot lower than last year and i was wading out darn near to the offshore grass weed line which is usually 10 feet deep on a normal year.

 

The pads just arnt developing yet as they are few and far between and weed growth looks far behind also but the bass were still hangin around but not as many as usual.

 

At 8.30 i picked up the crappie rod and wife and i caught a stringer of crappie with the biggest one at 12 inches using gulp 2.5 inch minnows and i had a bass hit my minnow and i lost him so i picked up the chatterbait and landed a nice 3.5lber that was just a jumpin with energy. We got home at 11:45 pm.

[Happybeerbuzz]

This was the first time since I got my boat that I managed to have the disapline to stay off the water Memorial Day weekend.  Every year I tell myself “never again” because of the traffic and chaos at the ramps but this was the first time I did not go. I feel wiser. 

[TnRiver46]

 

My fiance got her first ever carp on the fly rod yesterday, glad we decided to boat on memorial day. They were cruising around eating the brood x cicadas. 10.5 lbs and about 28 inches

[bulldog1935]

I make a point to keep my kayak put away from holiday weekend boat traffic.  

Many new boaters on maiden outings.  

Most of those weekends record kayaker kills somewhere.  

 

[galyonj]

7 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Most of those weekends record kayaker kills somewhere.  

 

We finally ran into holiday shenanigans yesterday evening. There was what I assume a family horsing around in the water behind us as we attempted to put in.

 

I think it was lucky for everybody last night that the motor's a cranky old 2-stroke and didn't wanna start, because I turned to look as I was turning the key, and one of them had maneuvered two or three feet aft of us and nobody but me seemed to be paying any attention.

 

Probably wouldn't have killed her if I'd gotten the boat started. Might've just took her foot or something. However, any day I don't have to talk to the cops is a good day for me, so we just secured it back onto the trailer and went home.

[BassNJake]

9 minutes ago, galyonj said:

 

We finally ran into holiday shenanigans yesterday evening. There was what I assume a family horsing around in the water behind us as we attempted to put in.

 

I think it was lucky for everybody last night that the motor's a cranky old 2-stroke and didn't wanna start, because I turned to look as I was turning the key, and one of them had maneuvered two or three feet aft of us and nobody but me seemed to be paying any attention.

 

Probably wouldn't have killed her if I'd gotten the boat started. Might've just took her foot or something. However, any day I don't have to talk to the cops is a good day for me, so we just secured it back onto the trailer and went home.

My dad uses the saying "cant fix stupid" and it applies too often at boat ramps

[galyonj]

2 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

My dad uses the saying "cant fix stupid" and it applies too often at boat ramps

 

So true. And I think people just don't respect that one can get away with being an idiot until the precise second that one doesn't get away with it anymore. And it'll turn into a real bad scene in a big hurry after that.

 

I guess that applies to a lot of situations, to be honest.

[huZZah]

2 minutes ago, galyonj said:

 

So true. And I think people just don't respect that one can get away with being an idiot until the precise second that one doesn't get away with it anymore. And it'll turn into a real bad scene in a big hurry after that.

 

I guess that applies to a lot of situations, to be honest.

I fear it’s the new American dream: be stupid for as long as possible so you can have kids that do it too

 

Darwin was on to something... ?

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, huZZah said:

I fear it’s the new American dream: be stupid for as long as possible so you can have kids that do it too

 

Darwin was on to something... ?

Sometimes makes me wish I could give Darwin Awards to people personally. ?

[gim]

29 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

My dad uses the saying "cant fix stupid" and it applies too often at boat ramps

 

Other than the wake boats, the access points are what keep me from going to public waters whenever I want to.  It is supposed to be 90+ degrees here next weekend and you can rest assured I will NOT be out there during anything resembling normal daylight hours.  The first really warm weekend will bring out all kinds of recreational riff raff that haven't launched their boat since last summer.

[MN Fisher]

13 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

Other than the wake boats, the access points are what keep me from going to public waters whenever I want to.  It is supposed to be 90+ degrees here next weekend and you can rest assured I will NOT be out there during anything resembling normal daylight hours.  The first really warm weekend will bring out all kinds of recreational riff raff that haven't launched their boat since last summer.

You could always take the 'little boat' to Little Long - they got a 10hp restriction...just make sure you got your Trout Stamp for the year - it's a designated trout lake.

[gim]

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

You could always take the 'little boat' to Little Long - they got a 10hp restriction...just make sure you got your Trout Stamp for the year - it's a designated trout lake.

 

I may have to try a night trip.  Its more of a mid-summer kind of thing but might be worth a try.

[Bubba 460]

7 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

Other than the wake boats, the access points are what keep me from going to public waters whenever I want to.  It is supposed to be 90+ degrees here next weekend and you can rest assured I will NOT be out there during anything resembling normal daylight hours.  The first really warm weekend will bring out all kinds of recreational riff raff that haven't launched their boat since last summer.

 

You have no idea how many times I just shake my head in baffled bewilderment at the sheer stupidity of people. Some of these brainless, inconsiderate morons are beyond hope. OK , look, I might be the brightest  light bulb in the house but at least I am aware of my surrounding and what's generally going on. I am considerate to a fault and most of the time have my act together once 9:00 am rolls around.