i wish freshwater fishing was like salt water fish

[robertdilbert]

small mouth are fun, but when you hook into a shark that almost pulls you overboard its a whole different game of fighting, and it doesn't take a big shark to do that.

don't get me wrong, fishing is fishing, but when I can use one bait and pull out 5-10 different species in a 2-4 hour span its really nice. I wish I could take a can of worms and head to the creek and slay them, just isn't that easy with the freshwater.

[DJD]

small mouth are fun, but when you hook into a shark that almost pulls you overboard its a whole different game of fighting, and it doesn't take a big shark to do that.

don't get me wrong, fishing is fishing, but when I can use one bait and pull out 5-10 different species in a 2-4 hour span its really nice. I wish I could take a can of worms and head to the creek and slay them, just isn't that easy with the freshwater.

Im with you on this. I love to fish and since I grew up saltwater intracoastal fishing I always wish I could go back to that when times get tough fishing fresh water. Creeks are pretty easy to fish with small baits and red wigglers but the fight and size of the fish don't compare to salt.

[timmbur22]

I feel much the same way. If I lived near the coast, I probably wouldn't fish freshwater much, although I would miss smallmouth and trout fishing. Like many of you, I only get to fish saltwater once a year and look forward to making the trip down to St. George Island and sometimes Tampa Bay.

...and you are right, it is a different game altogether and much better tasting IMHO.

[riverrat12]

Yep love me some saltwater fishing and can't wait for my few trips to the ocean a year. Guess that's why I fish for big cats up here, closest thing to a freshwater shark I can find. Don't get me wrong, I love freshwater to but there's just something about the smell of the ocean. I think I was a sailor in another life. And I'm with sweetwater Blackend Mahi Mahi YUM!

[sweetwater]

small mouth are fun, but when you hook into a shark that almost pulls you overboard its a whole different game of fighting, and it doesn't take a big shark to do that.

don't get me wrong, fishing is fishing, but when I can use one bait and pull out 5-10 different species in a 2-4 hour span its really nice. I wish I could take a can of worms and head to the creek and slay them, just isn't that easy with the freshwater.

I'm thinking a grouper instead of a shark. Around the marinas it's common to hear the term "slammed by a freight train", that means getting hooked up to a large black or gag grouper and losing it. I've seen guys that are built like an Alabama linebacker get literally brought down to their knees and be unable to stop the freight train from getting back to his lair in the reef or wreck and then shred a 100 lb. leader without so much as a second thought. Only a savvy grouper groper will bring a freight train to the gaff, unless you're extremely lucky.

[stripernut1]

i will be in the salt for 12 days end of september, cant wait. i was born in miami fl and my dad and granddad were commercial fishermen in islamorada when i was a kid so i grew up living the dream. love me some dolphin (anyway you fix it is fine with me). love catching red snapper, big groupers, ajs, kings....but the meanest and fastest and absolutely heart stopping critter i ever hooked into are the big wahoos, if i can have only one bite all day please let it be a big wahoo! and please let me land it, and please let me grill it with some oak chunks....oh man i cant wait.

BUT...in the meantime i will continue to chase whats locally available, and i will enjoy every minute of it

[sweetwater]

i will be in the salt for 12 days end of september, cant wait. i was born in miami fl and my dad and granddad were commercial fishermen in islamorada when i was a kid so i grew up living the dream. love me some dolphin (anyway you fix it is fine with me). love catching red snapper, big groupers, ajs, kings....but the meanest and fastest and absolutely heart stopping critter i ever hooked into are the big wahoos, if i can have only one bite all day please let it be a big wahoo! and please let me land it, and please let me grill it with some oak chunks....oh man i cant wait.

BUT...in the meantime i will continue to chase whats locally available, and i will enjoy every minute of it

Watch out for those wahoo teeth too. I went hoo trolling with a friend once and up until then you would've never convinced me that you could catch fish trolling at 20 knots but we sure did. We had a problem with cudas biting the tail off of the wahoos though. Come to find out, because of their broad tail a cuda is faster than a hoo or a king for a short distance and they will rise up and bite their tail off then eat them at their convenience. Amen to eating the phin, anyway is a good way.