# If people are going hungry,.....



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

....why don't more people go fishing? 

I've been doing a lot of night time bank fishing here lately. It's something that was a family adventure when I was growing up. We would all load up in the pickup and head to the river with our fishing poles, bait, and a good lantern. Also snacks! Then we would set their, talk, laugh, and occasionally catch a fish or two. You would look up and down the gravel bar and their would be another family or two, or three, all doing the same thing. But it's a past time activity that has died it seems. All this summer whenever I go do some nighttime bank fishing, I'm the only soul out there. 

You would think with the sky high price of meat, more people would be out their trying to relieve some of that expenditure! I can't afford to buy beef steak, or catfish fillets. The price is just too high for me, even tho I receive SNAP benefits, it's still too high cause I only receive enough SNAP to last just about 2/3rds of the month. And that's using it wisely, no junk food. So going fishing and catching a few catfish, sunfish, crappie, or anything of the bass family, is very much a big welcome on my dinner plate since I can't afford many meats at the groceries. 

I wonder, just how hungry people have to get in order to start fishing again?


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

if its easy access its fished out! 

Serious... 

Even then there's pretty stiff competition...

I use to fish to eat now its just for fun!


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## Forlane (Jul 17, 2010)

10+ miles one way to get to a place to go fishing, and living here in California I am not sure it would pay off after getting any legal junk necessary. Maybe if I had a small boat I could take out on the ocean. But I have tried fishing off various piers with no luck.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i will be fishing alot next 2 weeks.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

if you want to get serious....drop the poles and string line with circle hooks.work it like a job .

lot of folks wont do it cause its work...and their allergic to it...lol.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Fish is easy to can. 10 pounds and 90 min (adjust IF you live in High alt) in pints. 
tablespoon of oil and 1.4 teaspoon salt and you are good to go.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

No water near here to fish. We have to drive about 70 miles to the closest.


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## mqualls82 (Sep 6, 2010)

Don't know how to fish or hunt. I was never shown or taken. Walking into a Bass Pro, they've got a whole big section on LURES. Let alone all the other stuff. Then there is all the laws/seasons on fish/animals. Don't need a ticket for two dollars worth of fish meat.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Fishing license, poles, lures, travel to the nearest place to fish, (around here that would be 20+ miles), boat rental since there is no water under any of the piers due to the drought, = $50-100+ per pound of fish. Way too expensive for my taste.


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## cvk (Oct 30, 2006)

LOL, you have to be kidding. By the time they buy a license, tackle, bait and spend gas money (assuming they have a car) to get to a lake they could buy a whole lot of food! I wish I could remember what they used to say it cost per fish that anglers catch but it was totally outrageous. Not to mention they have to know how to fish and have a place to fish. We had fished our whole lives and live in MN but there have been summers that we never got enough fish to pay for bait. That is probably why they don't fish.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

People don't fish because Digiorno pizza doesn't grow in water. People have gotten lazy...catching, cleaning and breading then cooking fish is too much work to do just to eat. They want open box, push button, eat so they don't miss a second of their "Big Brother" marathon.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I had to doublecheck what forum this thread is posted in.

To those of you who dont know how to fish, it is a very easy thing to learn.
5 year old children can do it successfully. 

One doesnt NEED to buy expensive gear. The license may set you back, true.
I suppose that not living near good water is a good reason not to fish.

Learning the seasons/limits is entirely doable.
The info is all readily available online. They dont tend to keep the laws a secret, at least not where I have ever lived.

Why not learn to fish? Teach your kids. 
It is considered a survival skill, isn't it?


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Some places offer free fishing days once in a while depending on where you are. Licenses are not expensive if you use it a lot in a year. Check out garage sales for poles and tackle. Dig worms or catch grasshoppers or crawdads (depending where you are) or even better do what I do and raise some worms under your rabbit hutches. 

Rivers, lakes, farm ponds(a lot of farmer don't mind as long as you ask)...several options of places to fish. 

It is fun and also a great stress reliever as well as some darn good eatin.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

.....and, on those days when the fish just aren't biting, read up on the edible flora that grows in the garden and in the surrounding terrain.

Pick up, dry out, and _use_ those walnuts and hickory nuts, this fall.

Foraging may not even require licensing and strict catch limits, in your area.....yet.....


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

We are lucky enough to live where there is plenty of water, my son fishes almost year around. He has a license ($35 a year here for fresh and salt water) but he likes to surf fish at the beach which can be done without a license. We also have several places around town that requires no license and an old bridge that is a favorite for cat fish. 

My son doesn't have fancy equipment, only the basics but he keeps our freezer filled with a variety of fish. Forerunner is right about the foraging too, he has found berries, nettles, citrus, plums, pecans and chestnuts. My son is actually allergic to fish, but loves the hobby. He has hamburgers the nights I serve his bounty.

I can see how it can be a problem for some people if you don't live near water but if you are lucky enough to be close to it, take advantage and catch your dinner!


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## ketthes (Jul 31, 2012)

Never did acquire a taste for fish. If I were starving, I'm sure I would choke it down to survive, but for now? Blech.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Fish around here is pretty toxic....they recomend eatting the fish here once a month or less...

Thanks to the industry around here. Poisoning everything.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

NickieL said:


> Fish around here is pretty toxic....they recomend eatting the fish here once a month or less...
> 
> Thanks to the industry around here. Poisoning everything.


Fish being "toxic" is largely non-sense. It was instituted to eliminate inland freshwater commercial fishing. Tho it still goes on. 

Read the studies... Most states have "toxic" limits so low you couldn't eat anything at all if they were to regulate it the same.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

The family and I fish quite often and get good catch's of various "pan" fish. One thing to note for those unaccustomed to fish and game laws.. Tho they do vary. A lot. Sport fish and pan fish are generally regulated very different.

For instance here in PA. "Sport" fish like Black bass, trout, Walleye, pike all have strict limits and size restrictions. Pan fish on the other hand like Bluegill, catfish, perch, and many others have no size limit and you can catch 50 a day. A real bounty.

Also as a rule... Pan fish taste better and are easy to catch.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Where I live, fishing licenses cost $25, and most of what is caught is pan fish. While delicious, there is not a lot of meat on pan fish. Then, there is the gas to get to the stream! 

I love fishing. So many people go shopping for their entertainment and I never have. Compared to that fishing is REALLY cheap entertainment, with some food when you are done!


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm not bashing younger people. Every generation has it's problems. But many of them don't know how to cook anything. And, they won't take the time to do it. They want their food right now. To me, especially if you're poor; you better know how to cook.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

We were at my son's house yesterday for fresh fish his girlfriend caught while he was at work last week. He works as a safety officer in the oil field business. He works 2 wks on and 2 wks off. While he's at work his girlfriend takes his boat and runs their trot lines.

She loves to fish and hunt with him, she's a prepper, not hard core but I think she could be given time.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

NickieL said:


> Fish around here is pretty toxic....they recomend eatting the fish here once a month or less...
> 
> Thanks to the industry around here. Poisoning everything.


Same here along the Ohio River. Most rivers/waterways are polluted and fish have high concentrations of heavy metals, especially mercury. They recommend you limit the number of fish you eat each week/month from local waters.


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## OnlyMe (Oct 10, 2010)

I would like to, am near water and have my dad's old rods/reels. That said, I honestly don't know what I would do with the fish once caught. Any recommendations for how to clean a fish and do whatever would be necessary to turn it into a meal? How would I know if I caught a fish if it was safe to eat? Website suggestions are welcome. Thank you for any input.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

I had fish in my stock tanks until last year. Tanks dried up and the varmints got the fish. Had recently stocked with catfish too. Now I have some water, but no fish to catch. No need for lic on my own land, but need one if I go elsewhere. Hit the age where I can get a senior lic now that is pretty cheap, considering, but would still have to drive a good ways to get to fishable public water.
Ed


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

In populated areas the good fishing places are fished out and sadly a lot of the water is polluted and the fish contaminated. If you are hungry that of course will not be of much concern. 

Where I live the water is pure and the fish uncontaminated - except for the salmon. Stocks are still high - except for the salmon. And of course we have to have regard for the bears and eagles and not strip the streams even more. Everyone we know fishes but thousands don't. And a lot of people really don't like fish. I guess if you did not grow up with it it would be hard to stomach.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

For the cost of the gasoline to drive to catch a couple of little trout, I could purchase 3 pounds of beef.

That doesn't include any day use fees, license, or equipment.

Yes, my family knows how to fish and does fish, but it is a recreational hobby, not to put meat on the table.

Not to mention, there are more productive ways to spend your time if money is short, like working for some cash instead of sitting on a river bank.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

By the way, I disagree that anyone is going hungry in this country unless they are the children of dopers who are spending their food stamps for dope.


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## Groene Pionier (Apr 23, 2009)

elkhound said:


> i will be fishing alot next 2 weeks.


fish jerky in the future?


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

oregon woodsmok said:


> For the cost of the gasoline to drive to catch a couple of little trout, I could purchase 3 pounds of beef.
> 
> That doesn't include any day use fees, license, or equipment.
> 
> ...




I'm a mite past working for cash now. Between heart attacks, bypasses to legs, broken legs and chronic leukemia I no longer have the durned stamina to work. I can piddle in the garden some, tend to a few chickens, and manage to sit on the bank to fish, don't know if I could handle hunting without having someone to do the leg work for me of fetching and moving what I shot.

That being said it would be more productive of me sitting on the bank than trying to work for extra cash.
ED


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

oregon woodsmok said:


> By the way, I disagree that anyone is going hungry in this country unless they are the children of dopers who are spending their food stamps for dope.


You might be surprised at the number of basically seemingly good folks who spend their money on cigarettes, are seldom hungry, and forget to feed their kids................


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

OnlyMe said:


> I would like to, am near water and have my dad's old rods/reels. That said, I honestly don't know what I would do with the fish once caught. Any recommendations for how to clean a fish and do whatever would be necessary to turn it into a meal? How would I know if I caught a fish if it was safe to eat? Website suggestions are welcome. Thank you for any input.


I learned how to clean fish as a kid, but someone had to show me. Here's a tutorial:

How to Clean/Gut a Fish: 12 steps - wikiHow

If it's a big enough fish, you can filet it by running the knife under the meat, along the ribs. But most fish can be cooked bone-in. Frying is the easiest way to cook a fish - wash and dry it, dip it in a beaten egg, roll it in cornmeal or flour, and add it to a pan of hot oil. You just use your fork to "comb" the meat off the bones as you eat it.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

I this that the feasibility of fishing depends upon where you live. Fish is not safe to eat anymore in some areas.  We are lucky in that there is abundant fishing here, fairly easy to catch, tasty types like brook trout, but most folks aren't that lucky. A fishing license is at least $25 here, per person, and there are various laws, restrictions, etc. I usually fish for brookies because they are good, easy to catch and are a non-native species, crowding out and eating the cutthroat trout.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

I used to fish all the time before I moved here. But then i lived near a lot of cleaner water...around here, no way. Industry ruined that.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

I ate spoonbill for supper last night then went at 3:00 am this morning and caught 7 crappie and was home by 8:30 ( before it got too hot!) My family eats alot of fish and game.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Did all you people afraid to eat fish actually check the studies? I'm not saying all bodies of water are safe. But in actual practice the fish your eating from the supermarket has more pollution especially farm raised it is the highest. Sometimes to the point of being rejected and sent over seas.

Most states restrict at 10% the level the fed sets for commercial fish. So for instance if the feds say you can have 10 ppm for mercury in fish for a healthy meal unlimited. The state rating is 1 ppm for reduced consumption to one time a month and none for pregnant women. They are very safe , some say over cautious guidelines.

As a side note on mercury in fish... The only place where people were actually harmed from fish consumption was a tiny village in Japan. They were eating fish at a level of 250-300 PPM. Daily as their main protein source for several years. Even then it was less than 50% that had any symptoms. This is a world of difference from the trace to 1pp billion in most fish in the US.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Actual mercury in fish = OK

Alleged mercury in vaccines= autism????

:-/


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

chamoisee said:


> Actual mercury in fish = OK
> 
> Alleged mercury in vaccines= autism????
> 
> :-/


Actually it is different mercury... LOL

One is "free" mercury. One is an oxygenated form. Think rust kinda. The oxygen atom allows it to attach to other molecules and stick around. 

The natural form passes harmlessly. It is like lead in this regard. Lead the metal is fine. Eat a fishing weight and you will live and be fine. But it is a huge amount of lead a few thousand parts per million. Oxygenated lead is whats bad for you (that's what is in paint.) Not batteries. Tho the epa regulated them for kids. Strange isn't it.


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

stan, I'm interested in checking out some of these studies. Any suggestions on what specifically to look for or where to find them?


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

nightfire said:


> stan, I'm interested in checking out some of these studies. Any suggestions on what specifically to look for or where to find them?


Sure. 
Fish Scam 

Seems it has been black listed by google.. For telling the truth perhaps? I found it a few years back when researching about the state advisory in PA. Curious I looked into it more.


If you feel uneasy about the site above.
Check the federal regulations for selling fish. Check the EPA's craziness.
Then check the state recommendations. You will find that the state recommendations for restriction are an order of magnitude greater. A store bought catfish can have 1 PPM. A farm pond catfish from down the road needs .1 ppm just to meet the once a month requirement.


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

great, thank you for the super quick response! I have a map from the state showing what fish should not be eaten or how much to eat of each fish in the adirondack park/region of NY. It's a national park site, and therefore I would think not have the toxic pollution levels of like, say the Hudson River. It just seemed kinda weird to me, unless they were doing it to try to preserve the native fish in the lakes and rivers. Though I'm not sure what's native here as I haven't actually researched it!


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

nightfire said:


> great, thank you for the super quick response! I have a map from the state showing what fish should not be eaten or how much to eat of each fish in the adirondack park/region of NY. It's a national park site, and therefore I would think not have the toxic pollution levels of like, say the Hudson River. It just seemed kinda weird to me, unless they were doing it to try to preserve the native fish in the lakes and rivers. Though I'm not sure what's native here as I haven't actually researched it!


Here is the study from NY...

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/hgfish.pdf

You should note that the study is noted in n / ng. To us that's Parts Per billion. So divide the number by 1000 that they give for the various fish to compare the federal guidelines at least in magnitude. Also not that the federal rules are 10 x smaller than what could cause a problem to anyone eating fish daily over the course of their whole life... Which isn't the average American diet.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Determining the amount of mercury in a fish is pretty simple, actually.


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## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

I think it comes down to laziness. I had a bout of that Tuesday night which I'll explain in a second. Here in FL a fishing licence is under $20 granted salt and fresh water are separate licenses. I'm about to get a salt water licence even though I don't have a boat to go off shore and you don't need licence to fish off the beach. The reason? Shrimp. They are making their annual run up the river and for $17 a can get a 5 gallon bucket full at a time. Even if I only if I only go a couple times it'll more than pay for itself. People here usually just use cast nets off of one of the piers in the river. Unless the water is down or the weather is bad I see people almost everyday fishing from a bridge in a creek on my way to work using cane poles. You don't need a licence to use a cane pole from a bank here. Money isn't an excuse. It's just that people are lazy. Granted most of my gear is fairly expensive, especially compared to the average does setup, but that's because I bought it as more of a hobby when i was single. Now for my lazy moment. I was just behind someone that hit a deer Tuesday night. It was still flopping when I drove up. I had my DWs car since it gets better mileage and I had gotten off late for work. My plan was to go home to get my truck and go back to get the deer. I was already pretty tired though (work a late shift and with staying late got off after midnight) and wasn't prepared to deal with cleaning a deer so after talking with my DW about it i ended up passing. It wasn't a big deer and some meat would have been lost from the impact, but it should have yielded 30-40lbs. What it taught me is to go ahead and get the basics setup incase it happens again. Including a place ready to clean it and some large bags so that it can at least be quartered and placed into the fridge/freezer to actually process the next day.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Usingmyrights said:


> I think it comes down to laziness. I had a bout of that Tuesday night which I'll explain in a second. Here in FL a fishing licence is under $20 granted salt and fresh water are separate licenses. I'm about to get a salt water licence even though I don't have a boat to go off shore and you don't need licence to fish off the beach. The reason? Shrimp. They are making their annual run up the river and for $17 a can get a 5 gallon bucket full at a time. Even if I only if I only go a couple times it'll more than pay for itself. People here usually just use cast nets off of one of the piers in the river. Unless the water is down or the weather is bad I see people almost everyday fishing from a bridge in a creek on my way to work using cane poles. You don't need a licence to use a cane pole from a bank here. Money isn't an excuse. It's just that people are lazy. Granted most of my gear is fairly expensive, especially compared to the average does setup, but that's because I bought it as more of a hobby when i was single. Now for my lazy moment. I was just behind someone that hit a deer Tuesday night. It was still flopping when I drove up. I had my DWs car since it gets better mileage and I had gotten off late for work. My plan was to go home to get my truck and go back to get the deer. I was already pretty tired though (work a late shift and with staying late got off after midnight) and wasn't prepared to deal with cleaning a deer so after talking with my DW about it i ended up passing. It wasn't a big deer and some meat would have been lost from the impact, but it should have yielded 30-40lbs. What it taught me is to go ahead and get the basics setup incase it happens again. Including a place ready to clean it and some large bags so that it can at least be quartered and placed into the fridge/freezer to actually process the next day.


i carry a set of knives in my truck and stone.i always carry a bucket..both large and small,a milk crate and a bushel basket.the things people dont want is unreal....fish,apples,etc. i use to really gather more before becoming a landowner and having my own land base of goods.now i just add things i cant produce on my homestead.

lady just asked yesty if i was coming to get apples this year.should yeild 20 plus 5 gallon buckets for free.


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## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

Free is good. Its amazing what people let go to waste because they dont want to go pick it, clean it, etc.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Picking up road kill here is illegal. One of the guys my DH works with was arrested for poaching when he tossed a deer he hit in the back of his truck. The really sad part is he is a vegan and just wanted to take the deer to bury.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

stanb999 said:


> Also as a rule... Pan fish taste better and are easy to catch.


Yep, your right there. I've been eating a fried sunfish for breakfast instead of sausage or bacon. 



Ruby said:


> We were at my son's house yesterday for fresh fish his girlfriend caught while he was at work last week. He works as a safety officer in the oil field business. He works 2 wks on and 2 wks off. While he's at work his girlfriend takes his boat and runs their trot lines.
> 
> She loves to fish and hunt with him, she's a prepper, not hard core but I think she could be given time.


If he ever gets tired of her, please send her my way! That's the kind of wife I always wanted.



oregon woodsmok said:


> By the way, I disagree that anyone is going hungry in this country unless they are the children of dopers who are spending their food stamps for dope.


Yep, there;s a few people I know who have Snap benefits that buy beer and cigarettes all the time. (not with the food card) Makes you wonder if they sell their groceries and buy beer with the money. 



whiterock said:


> I'm a mite past working for cash now. Between heart attacks, bypasses to legs, broken legs and chronic leukemia I no longer have the durned stamina to work. I can piddle in the garden some, tend to a few chickens, and manage to sit on the bank to fish, don't know if I could handle hunting without having someone to do the leg work for me of fetching and moving what I shot.
> 
> That being said it would be more productive of me sitting on the bank than trying to work for extra cash.
> ED


You might try small game hunting. Use a blind and shoot squirrels, dove, etc. 



Mom_of_Four said:


> I learned how to clean fish as a kid, but someone had to show me. Here's a tutorial:
> 
> How to Clean/Gut a Fish: 12 steps - wikiHow
> 
> If it's a big enough fish, you can filet it by running the knife under the meat, along the ribs. But most fish can be cooked bone-in. Frying is the easiest way to cook a fish - wash and dry it, dip it in a beaten egg, roll it in cornmeal or flour, and add it to a pan of hot oil. You just use your fork to "comb" the meat off the bones as you eat it.


For the smaller panfish varieties, I make a slit down the back on each side of the fins and a slit down the belly on each side of the fins all the way to the tail, and then a slit on each side from top to bottom just behind the head. Then I take a pair of pliers and pull the whole skin (with the scales still on) off all the way to the tail. Then pull the fins off and then twist the head off. I end up with a nice peice of fish that still has bones and a tail fin . I salt and season. Then roll them in yellow cornmeal and panfry them. For catfish, I pull the skins off and then fillet the meat off the bones. 


Well the time of year and what I'm fishing for will determine my fishing method. Although I had a dad when I was little, he wasn't always home and he rarely ever took me fishing or hunting. All the hunting and fishing knowledge I know, came mostly from reading about it and the going out and trying out what I had just read. Also, some of my fishing and hunting methods came from going with a uncle and some of his sons and grandkids. But, I would have to say most of my success came from reading fishing and hunting magazines most all of my 52 years of life. 

As far as gear goes, you don't have to have $20,000 - $50,000 bass boats. You don't have to have the most expensive fishing pole on the rack. You don't have to have a tackle box filled with hundreds of dollars worth of lures. 

I don't, and I catch quit a few fish in a summers time. All I have is a old used canoe that I bought for $200 dollars several years ago. It probably paid for itself within the first couple of years I owned it. I buy the cheapest rod and reels. I do have to buy a new rod and reel every couple of years. I love to fish with a ultralight for the panfish and I will virtually wear one out in a couple of years. 

We also have a few people around here that fish with a canepole for catfish. There's a art to that also. I use to have a BIL that would wade and fish the nearby river right in the middle of the day and catch his limit of catfish in just a few hours. I for some reason just never could catch on to how he done it. I could stand right there and fish the same spot next to him and never catch a thing, meanwhile he'll be pulling them in like it's no big deal.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

People these days are just weird about food. We've had a couple living at our bigger farm in exchange for farm work for the last several years. There's a huge very fertile garden spot right by a good creek, and a huge pond filled with fish. Also turkey and deer and every other kind of wild critter galore. Do you think they grow, hunt or fish one smidgen of food? No. The wife won't even eat the free range chicken eggs from the chickens we gave them. They are on food stamps and eat garbage processed store food! Unbelievable...


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

I don't actually eat fish, but I do know how to fish, and could probably gut one if I had to. I remember watching my Dad gut fish when we would catch one back when I was small. 

Forerunner, what's the simple way to determine the mercury in a fish? Probably something really obvious, but I don't know. I think it would be good knowledge for an emergency.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Oh, yeah......

You just grab the fish by the gills and hold it up vertically, then look for the horizontal line. It'll be a siverish line with a reddish flare, depending on which angle you're veiwing it from.
The higher the line on the fish, the more mercury...... :whistlin:


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

can you also tell the temperature from it? :goodjob:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Not really.

IME...fish don't bite too good when it's real hot. :shrug:


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

But very poor source of food here due to cost...Effective methods of taking enough fish to make it cost effective have long been outlawed..State wants to keep THEIR fish for recreation of city folks and source of income to pay the CS officers wages an perks..


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2012)

All other things aside, there are a lot of comments about the "safety" of eating fish. So.......... Are you guys comparing the safety of eating fish to the safety of eating Big Macs? The safety of eating factory processed frozen entrees with more than 10 chemicals, each with more than 8 syllables? Or what? I mean, I know exactly what I'm eating. Most of the time. But, there are only a tiny handful of people who can say that. If you'll eat a Big Mac, or a Chicken McNugget, you can handle anything that comes out of any cesspool, anywhere.


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## lazyBum (Feb 27, 2012)

I don't like to fish. I waste all day barely catching enough to make a fish stick. Then some preteen girl casts in right next to my lure, and instantly hooks a nice bluegill. And another, and another, and another. Wouldn't even share her secret.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Bluegill like the shade.
Bluegill like live bait or a lure that looks alive.
The depth should be so that the bait has vanished from your sight
Lastly, polarized sunglasses will allow you to see a couple of feet deeper in the water, and chances are you can then SEE the schools!


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Oldcountryboy said:


> ....why don't more people go fishing?
> 
> ....
> 
> I wonder, just how hungry people have to get in order to start fishing again?


Everyone here does a lot of fishing. DD moved off and loves fishing, they used to set the table with their catch very often. The area she moved to is so polluted that they are afraid to eat the fish they catch so even tho they still love to fish, now they catch & release for health reasons.

If you go to the river/lake and find dead fish floating, then I'd assume the fish is not safe for human consumption. Sure you could go down river to another spot, but who's to say if it's any safer there?


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

The most fishing fun DH and I ever had was some years ago at a neighbor's farm lake. We could keep all the bluegill but had to throw back all the bass. The bluegill were coming off the nest and it was all we could do to keep our poles baited and in the water. We'd no sooner throw a line than we'd have a strike. We hauled in fish for over 3 hours and brought home over 200 good sized hybrids. It about killed my soul to have to throw back a 5+ lb largemouth though. I almost cried because that had been the fight of my life not to lose my pole or break my line hauling that monster in to shore. I caught him on a meal worm too.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Forerunner said:


> Oh, yeah......
> 
> You just grab the fish by the gills and hold it up vertically, then look for the horizontal line. It'll be a siverish line with a reddish flare, depending on which angle you're veiwing it from.
> The higher the line on the fish, the more mercury...... :whistlin:


And, if you happen to fish in the evening and the fish glow enough for you to find your way home....still useful, but not tasty. Might not be Mercury but something else.....


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

lol you could then make glowing fish sticks that would be easy to find in a power outage! :teehee:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

.....and they'd be real popular with the kids.


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## MidwestGal (Nov 5, 2010)

Anyone remember this fish from Springfield near the Power Plant?


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## MidwestGal (Nov 5, 2010)

I wonder how polluted the fish from China at WalMart and the other stores are? I'll bet more than my good old mercury-laden fish...


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## fishinshawn (Nov 8, 2010)

Forerunner said:


> .....and, on those days when the fish just aren't biting, read up on the edible flora that grows in the garden and in the surrounding terrain.
> 
> Pick up, dry out, and _use_ those walnuts and hickory nuts, this fall.
> 
> Foraging may not even require licensing and strict catch limits, in your area.....yet.....


I'm glad I'm not the only one that does this. We go out all summer foraging, berry's, fruit, sometimes we even find veggies. I also fill the freezer with fish, rainbow trout, cut throat trout, bass, salmon, steelhead. Add to that a few wild turkeys, and barter some extra fish for eggs and chicken, all of that makes quite a dent in our food bill.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

forget it


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

heres one for you....last few years in my area fisg ban because of pcp's.....never before....the thing that caused pcps was out lawed in 1970...up until now no fish tested for it.....doesnt that sound weird to you.doesnt show for 40 years then suddenly it does...on the river...the lake above this section didnt show any pcps in the fish......hmmmmmmmm


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

elkhound said:


> heres one for you....last few years in my area fisg ban because of pcp's.....never before....the thing that caused pcps was out lawed in 1970...up until now no fish tested for it.....doesnt that sound weird to you.doesnt show for 40 years then suddenly it does...on the river...the lake above this section didnt show any pcps in the fish......hmmmmmmmm


I bet if you look into it. They lowered the acceptable level. 
Not saying any is good for you.


Quick google...

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/15431.html


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

Cliff said:


> People these days are just weird about food. We've had a couple living at our bigger farm in exchange for farm work for the last several years. There's a huge very fertile garden spot right by a good creek, and a huge pond filled with fish. Also turkey and deer and every other kind of wild critter galore. Do you think they grow, hunt or fish one smidgen of food? No. The wife won't even eat the free range chicken eggs from the chickens we gave them. They are on food stamps and eat garbage processed store food! Unbelievable...


I pretty much gave up hunting and fishing when I got married long years ago. My EX wouldn't eat anything she hadn't been raised eating. I had a huge amt of quail one time the first year and she wouldn't eat any. No way would she try dove, or venisen or anything else. She would fish, but wouldn't eat the fish that were caught. 
Now, I got a son in law that will provide me with deer meat, which I will eat, but my DD won't. Of course with her it isn't the meat but the seasoning he puts in the sausage.
Dove cost more than they are worth to me, on the license, and in the cost of shells. I do like dove on the table with cream gravy and biscuits though.

It dosen't take much for a single person, so a mess of bream goes a good ways, or a limit of quail or dove.

Ed


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

Oldcountryboy said:


> .
> You might try small game hunting. Use a blind and shoot squirrels, dove, etc.
> 
> 
> ...


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

I know how to fish, but I don't actually do it. As others have mentioned, it can be costly. We bought our fishing poles dirt cheap at Big Lots years ago and purchased the cheap lures that they offer. I noticed that Ollie's Bargain Outlet had some fishing tackle. I might pick up a few items at an end of season sale. The only way that I'd probably fish on a regular basis is if we had a pond that we stocked.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

The other thing is that even though I do fish, I feel terrible about: 

Impaling the poor earthworm, who has done nothing worthy of being speared alive and then slowly drowned to death. 

Hurting the fish as I pull the hook out of its mouth. 

Threading a stick through its delicate gills and out its mouth so it can stay fresh and alive in the water.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

stanb999 said:


> I bet if you look into it. They lowered the acceptable level.
> Not saying any is good for you.
> 
> 
> ...


thanks for finding that article for me.helped me understand..they changed the level..huh..wonder about all the catfish i consumed now...my liver must glow....


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## wes917 (Sep 26, 2011)

Fishing doesnt have to be expensive. I love fishing, and fly fishing as well. If your willing to tie flies and pour jigs it can help offset the cost. Its cheaper to buy in bulk and sell extra flies, jigs, and weights to offset cost. If you raise worms you also negate bait costs, and get a grear fertilizer for your garden. Having water access is obviously a need, but where available more people should fish


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## JohnL751 (Aug 28, 2008)

I only read the start of this thread but I think some people have the wrong idea about this fishing. The fish they caught was just a bonus to what they were really doing.

They went to the river to be togather. To set around and talk. Where I grew up we went fishing and out fox hunting where we set around the camp fire and talked and listened.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

JohnL751 said:


> I only read the start of this thread but I think some people have the wrong idea about this fishing. The fish they caught was just a bonus to what they were really doing.
> 
> They went to the river to be togather. To set around and talk. Where I grew up we went fishing and out fox hunting where we set around the camp fire and talked and listened.


For some its about having fun and relaxing. For many its about food. One of the guys at work doesn't buy meat at the store. He raises, hunts and fishes or doesn't eat meat.


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

DH went fishing for 4 hours last weekend and came back with nothing.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Well.....at least _one_ of you got a four hour break from the other, no ?


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## cvk (Oct 30, 2006)

http://www.wric.com/story/19199656/t...treams-heat-up


Thousands of fish die as Midwest streams heat up
Posted: Aug 05, 2012 12:40 PM MDT Updated: Aug 05, 2012 12:50 PM MDT 
By GRANT SCHULTE
Associated press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Thousands of fish are dying in the Midwest as the hot, dry summer dries up rivers and causes water temperatures to climb in some spots to nearly 100 degrees.

About 40,000 shovelnose sturgeon were killed in Iowa last week as water temperatures reached 97 degrees. Nebraska fishery officials said they've seen thousands of dead sturgeon, catfish, carp, and other species in the Lower Platte River, including the endangered pallid sturgeon. And biologists in Illinois said the hot weather has killed tens of thousands of large- and smallmouth bass and channel catfish and is threatening the population of the greater redhorse fish, a state-endangered species.

So many fish died in one Illinois lake that the carcasses clogged an intake screen near a power plant, lowering water levels to the point that the station had to shut down one of its generators.

"It's something I've never seen in my career, and I've been here for more than 17 years," said Mark Flammang, a fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. "I think what we're mainly dealing with here are the extremely low flows and this unparalleled heat."

The fish are victims of one of the driest and warmest summers in history. The federal U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states are experiencing some form of drought, and the Department of Agriculture has declared more than half of the nation's counties - nearly 1,600 in 32 states - as natural disaster areas. More than 3,000 heat records were broken over the last month.

Iowa DNR officials said the sturgeon found dead in the Des Moines River were worth nearly $10 million, a high value based in part on their highly sought eggs, which are used for caviar. The fish are valued at more than $110 a pound.

Gavin Gibbons, a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, said the sturgeon kills don't appear to have reduced the supply enough to hurt regional caviar suppliers.

Flammang said weekend rain improved some of Iowa's rivers and lakes, but temperatures were rising again and straining a sturgeon population that develops health problems when water temperatures climb into the 80s.

"Those fish have been in these rivers for thousands of thousands of years, and they're accustomed to all sorts of weather conditions," he said. "But sometimes, you have conditions occur that are outside their realm of tolerance."

In Illinois, heat and lack of rain has dried up a large swath of Aux Sable Creek, the state's largest habitat for the endangered greater redhorse, a large bottom-feeding fish, said Dan Stephenson, a biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

"We're talking hundreds of thousands (killed), maybe millions by now," Stephenson said. "If you're only talking about game fish, it's probably in the thousands. But for all fish, it's probably in the millions if you look statewide."

Stephenson said fish kills happen most summers in small private ponds and streams, but the hot weather this year has made the situation much worse.

"This year has been really, really bad - disproportionately bad, compared to our other years," he said.

Stephenson said a large number of dead fish were sucked into an intake screen near Powerton Lake in central Illinois, lowering water levels and forcing a temporary shutdown at a nearby power plant. A spokesman for Edison International, which runs the coal-fired plant, said workers shut down one of its two generators for several hours two weeks ago because of extreme heat and low water levels at the lake, which is used for cooling.

In Nebraska, a stretch of the Platte River from Kearney in the central part of the state to Columbus in the east has gone dry and killed a "significant number" of sturgeon, catfish and minnows, said fisheries program manager Daryl Bauer. Bauer said the warm, shallow water has also killed an unknown number of endangered pallid sturgeon.

"It's a lot of miles of river, and a lot of fish," Bauer said. "Most of those fish are barely identifiable. In this heat, they decay really fast."

Bauer said a single dry year usually isn't enough to hurt the fish population. But he worries dry conditions in Nebraska could continue, repeating a stretch in the mid-2000s that weakened fish populations.

Kansas also has seen declining water levels that pulled younger, smaller game fish away from the vegetation-rich shore lines and forced them to cluster, making them easier targets for predators, said fisheries chief Doug Nygren of the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Nygren said he expects a drop in adult walleye populations in the state's shallower, wind-swept lakes in southern Kansas. But he said other species, such as large-mouth bass, can tolerate the heat and may multiply faster without competition from walleye.

"These last two years are the hottest we've ever seen," Nygren said. "That really can play a role in changing populations, shifting it in favor of some species over others. The walleye won't benefit from these high-water temperatures, but other species that are more tolerant may take advantage of their declining population."

Geno Adams, a fisheries program administrator in South Dakota, said there have been reports of isolated fish kills in its manmade lakes on the Missouri River and others in the eastern part of the state. But it's unclear how much of a role the heat played in the deaths.

One large batch of carp at Lewis and Clark Lake in the state's southeast corner had lesions, a sign they were suffering from a bacterial infection. Adams said the fish are more prone to sickness with low water levels and extreme heat. But he added that other fish habitat have seen a record number this year thanks to the 2011 floods.

"When we're in a drought, there's a struggle for water and it's going in all different directions," Adams said. "Keeping it in the reservoir for recreational fisheries is not at the top of the priority list.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Nasty........but I bet it's cycled like this multiple times before there was a news media.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Forerunner said:


> Well.....at least _one_ of you got a four hour break from the other, no ?


Now there you go! We should always look for something good in things that appear to be bad.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

We lost hundreds of fish from our big pond when the temps were in the 100's


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

Plenty of good fishing where I live. But gotta have a license. One way around it: take a kid with you and show him/her how to fish. I've never had a fishing license but gone fishing many times with my kids - it's OK if I've got the pole in my hand to show them how to cast and help them reel it in. And since I'm "just mom" if my 14 year old son happens to catch our dinner, it's doubtful the park ranger is going to think I did it instead. ;-)


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

I'm really surprised by the problem people have with the fishing license?
Did you ever look into what they pay for?

Here it's 22 bucks.. 

But the state buys lots of real estate all over the place to access lakes and rivers. They improve the lot, they put in boat ramps and parking. Some even get a porta-john (even lakes and river access in the middle of now where).

They stock lots of fish. Millions a year of all different varieties.

Then they have the trout stamp.. which is 10 bucks more. :grit:
But they stock a ton of trout, from little streams to big lakes. Advertise it. Tell you where to go to be successful. It's not hard to catch your limit at least a few times.


The above costs money. Fisherman pay for it. I really don't see it as such an issue. Have you ever priced fish in a market? 6-10 dollars a pound, easy. I can catch a dozen pounds a year just taking the kids out and enjoying the day. Better than a movie or other entertainment. Cheaper too. IMHO.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Forerunner said:


> You might be surprised at the number of basically seemingly good folks who spend their money on cigarettes, are seldom hungry, and forget to feed their kids................


This is so true..I know a person who cant grow a garden (never even tried to put in a single tomato plant...sheesh), and cant buy produce because fits too expensive (even from the farm stands  ) Plenty of money for smokes for the adults in the householdf :shrug:..they dont go hungry, but a diet of pasta and ground beef with no vegetables cant be good


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

My daddy took us all fishing from the time we could hold a rod...during my high school years, my boyfriend and I would go night fishing for catfish or a date. Now, we are lucky to live near a lake. My youngest son got a kayak for his birthday, and he uses it to get into "the good spots" to catch fish. Fishing is one of the nicest, best things you can do for yourself or your family IMO...and thef beneits are tasty


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Grandma taught us to fish. I grew up fishing, running up and down these hills. It wasn't all about the meals either. We scouted for hunting seasons, elk, bear, deer. Good exercise. I have a hydroponic greenhouse that I raise a few yellow perch in. I also have a small farm pond with bluegill and largemouth bass. We eat fish 4 times a week. Being close to the ocean we get salmon, steelhead, halibut and tuna regularly. I smoke a lot of fish. A favorite is just take a fillet, season it and put in a skillet with a little butter. I grew up fishing the creeks for trout, 6-8", salt, pepper and butter, rolled in tin foil, thrown on a camp fire. Those little bluegill fillets are so delicate and full of flavor....James


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

While I was in the river a couple weekends ago cleaning out 200 lbs of garbage with my friends, we noticed a lot of crawdads....and all of them dead.....


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

NickieL said:


> While I was in the river a couple weekends ago cleaning out 200 lbs of garbage with my friends, we noticed a lot of crawdads....and all of them dead.....


Here in the midwest the fish are dying of heat.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Terri said:


> Here in the midwest the fish are dying of heat.


yes..this was one of the front stories on yahoo news this morning.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

stanb999 said:


> I'm really surprised by the problem people have with the fishing license?
> Did you ever look into what they pay for?
> 
> Here it's 22 bucks..
> ...


 
I don't have a problem paying for the license. For us its all logistics. 1 small lake, 2 larger lakes about 60-80 miles from here . 2 are used recreational so fishing from the shore doesn't really work and we don't have a boat. The other lake is small and doesn't allow anything with a motor on it so the shore is very crowded. On top of that no one here believes in following leash laws so you have kids, who need a leash, and dogs, who should be on a leash, running in and out of the water chasing off the fish. 


For the cost of deisel, camping, licenses and headache, I'll go to the store.


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

I grew up fishing for salmon and trout in beautiful, clear rivers in Northern California. But we haven't fished in decades and seriously, between caring for the goats (fresh milk) and the garden (fresh produce) this time of year, I'd much rather buy fish locally (as long as it's not farm raised). A person can only do so much.


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