Outdoorsman Thread

[orvet]

Beautiful Small Mouth Eustace!
Are they native to your area or they a transplanted species?

We don't have pike around where I live, it is a bit too warm for them. I understand they are fun to catch.
Nice mess of fish!!

[Eustace]

Beautiful Small Mouth Eustace!
Are they native to your area or they a transplanted species?

We don't have pike around where I live, it is a bit too warm for them. I understand they are fun to catch.
Nice mess of fish!!

Actually the first time I see such fish. I have been fishing for 40 years, but when I caught this fish today, bulged my eyes.I had only seen such fish in fishing shows on TV. Then I called a friend who told me that for several years, some people had been secretly stocking various rivers and lakes with this type of fish.
The fish is apparently in good health. According to you, how old is?

[orvet]

The age of fish depends on the climate. In a cold climate Bass grow much slower then in a warm climate like the southern states of the US. Up in the Great Lakes region according to one fishing show I saw, they said a 5 lb Smallmouth Bass can be over 10 years old, because they grow so slowly in such a cold climate.

I am not an expert on Smallmouth Bass growth rates, (just at catching them) but I imagine someone here on the Forum may be able to give you a better idea of the age of the fish than I can.
What would you estimate the weight of that fish to be? Do you think it would weigh as much as 2 kilos?
The other thing that would be helpful to know is what is the climate like where you live? How hot does it get in the summer, how long does summer last?
How cold are the winters and how many months of winter do you have?

Knowing these things would make it easier to guess that fish's age. It certainly looks healthy and well-fed. It is apparently thriving! Was it a river or a lake where you caught this fish?

With this information someone may be able to tell us how old fish. If not I can take the information and research to see how old it might be.

Did you eat the bass? They are very good eating.

[Eustace]

The fish was about 35 cm and no more than 700 g.
The climate in Bulgaria is at the border between the subtropical and temperate zones. We are also influenced by the Mediterranean climate. We have clearly expressed 4 seasons, about three months each. For most of the winter temperatures do not fall much below zero Celsius. But there is always one period (5-20 days), usually in February, when temperatures drop below zero and sometimes reach -25C.
Given the extremely decreasing fish populations in Bulgaria, for several years I have been practicing fresh-water fishing on the catch-and-release principle.
Thank you Orvet! I really wonder if this species will develop in Bulgaria. I'm not sure if that's good or not.

[TripleF]

I had one bite today.....

[doglegg]

A couple of keepers there Scott.

[kootenay joe]

Happy looking kid ! and 'old timer' too !
Did you share it so you both got some to eat ?
kj

[zzyzzogeton]

The age of fish depends on the climate. In a cold climate Bass grow much slower then in a warm climate like the southern states of the US. Up in the Great Lakes region according to one fishing show I saw, they said a 5 lb Smallmouth Bass can be over 10 years old, because they grow so slowly in such a cold climate.

I am not an expert on Smallmouth Bass growth rates, (just at catching them) but I imagine someone here on the Forum may be able to give you a better idea of the age of the fish than I can.
What would you estimate the weight of that fish to be? Do you think it would weigh as much as 2 kilos?
The other thing that would be helpful to know is what is the climate like where you live? How hot does it get in the summer, how long does summer last?
How cold are the winters and how many months of winter do you have?

Knowing these things would make it easier to guess that fish's age. It certainly looks healthy and well-fed. It is apparently thriving! Was it a river or a lake where you caught this fish?

With this information someone may be able to tell us how old fish. If not I can take the information and research to see how old it might be.

Did you eat the bass? They are very good eating.

I never knew that my fisheries degree would be useful on a knife forum.

Assuming that the fish is not scaleless (like a catfish) or small scaled (like a trout), you take 10 non-lateral line scales from the "shoulder" of the fish in question and then examine them under a microscope, counting the number of WIDE annuli or rings on the scales and get an average of the rings. The reason you need to examine multiple scales because some scales may be replacement scales.

Their are other techniques for determining the age of small scale and scaleless fishes.

[cudgee]

G,day, hope everyone has had a good weekend. There is a company over here called Kent Saddlery, they make high quality leather products, and they are the last of the old outback travelling salesman, akin to your old covered wagon tinkers in the opening up of the west. The husband and wife who founded the company are retiring from their yearly outback sojourn, and they have made a short TV segment on them. For anyone who is interested, google Archives Channel ABC Landline, it should come up November, look for Travelling Saddler. As is the case over in America, it is sad that another piece of our history is coming to a close. Hope you all have a good week.

[jerryd6818]

G,day, hope everyone has had a good weekend. There is a company over here called Kent Saddlery, they make high quality leather products, and they are the last of the old outback travelling salesman, akin to your old covered wagon tinkers in the opening up of the west. The husband and wife who founded the company are retiring from their yearly outback sojourn, and they have made a short TV segment on them. For anyone who is interested, google Archives Channel ABC Landline, it should come up November, look for Travelling Saddler. As is the case over in America, it is sad that another piece of our history is coming to a close. Hope you all have a good week.

Couldn't find it on YouTube so here's the link: ---► https://www.abc.net.au/landline/travell ... k/11711556

[dlr110]

I just watched that film and they seemed like great people. I can imagine the people at the stations and their excitement every year knowing the Kent's would soon be there. Your very right, it's sad to lose those kinds of traditions and it will be hard for those people to not see each other again.

My niece's husband has his own business of making custom saddles and other leather works, I'm going to share the film with him. Thanks for posting it.

[New_Windsor_NY]

Nature fights back.........

[TripleF]

Happy looking kid ! and 'old timer' too !
Did you share it so you both got some to eat ?
kj

It's in the freezer till we catch a few more!!

[Colonel26]

Right across the fence from my farm. They haven’t been coming back on my side of the fence until after dark. Been a lean season so far.

[dlr110]

Awwww close, but yet so far. You'll get lucky.

[cudgee]

Nature fights back.........

Very, very funny.

[TPK]

Nature fights back.........

lol! So he got a 1 pointer I guess.

[dlr110]

I'm still sorting out pictures from our trip to Alaska, but thought I would share a few more today.
These 3 are my wife Cheryl and I in front of the Ulu Knife Factory in Anchorage and then inside.

[dlr110]

Here are some of the sites as we drove from Anchorage to Soldotna. Around almost every curve there was a "scenic turnout" to stop and take pictures or go down a short trail. The water is called the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet.

[dlr110]

This was when we did some shopping and sightseeing in Soldotna, which is the closest town to where we were staying.
The open air market was there end of the season farm produce and some other items.

[dlr110]

Just to give you a look at where we were. That drive from Anchorage to Soldotna is about a 3 hour drive without stops.

[Quick Steel]

Very enjoyable photos David R. Thank you.

[jmh58]

Kool pics David!! Thanks for sharing..
John

[treefarmer]

A few pictures from a camera on the lease:

Some old man checking the deer feeder

Looks like a buck for a grandson

About to lose all its' spotts

Looks like the whole family is enjoying supper together, except for ol' Hartford

Treefarmer

[TPK]

Nature fights back.........

A doe walks up to a buck and says: "Nice figure, do you work out?"

Buck answers: "No, but I do "Skip dinner" sometimes."

lol