Cold Water Stripers and Trout

Actually had a few minutes this weekend not accounted for and told Tyden to quick get as much clothes on as possible, we were gonna run down to the lake and see if we could get a fish to bite!!

I thought it a long shot to maybe catch a trout, but when I got down to the beach and saw a couple trout rise before getting to the end of the dock I know we were gonna hit the jackpot! It took Tyden all of 3 minutes before he had this trout dockside on a small shallow diving crankbait:



Then it took him all of 2 more minutes before this one was at the dock:


Then a switch to a 1/8 ounce jighead with little blue shad tube plastic and BAMMM, big fish on!




So after we landed the big one and a couple more on the jig we decided to go to a dock over deeper water and see what lurked below in the 25 ft depths....Again all it took was to drop the jig to the bottom and he was hooked up!!




He caught 3 more stripers and after about 45 minutes of fishing we had to get goin, but sure were glad we made the effort to get out!!! I am so excited for ice fishing season, I just hope we get some ice soon! What do you think, we gonna get ice this year and if so when???

Family Fun at Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Mae gets up early with me every morning, and stays up late with me every evening....if you know me, I usually am fishing early in the morning and late into the evening. Here are some pics from underneath Perdido Pass Bridge one evening early December while we were shark and redfish fishing:


The kids fish with me alot, but I always make sure they dont get bored while fishing. We make sure to find crabs, play tag, tell scary stories about gargoyles under the bridge, catch small fish to feed the birds, and just stay entertained with the focal point of outdoor entertainment and not actual boring fishing....



This has been an awesome week to be down in Gulf Shores, Alabama! We have been working on replacing the cabinets at my grandmas beachfront condo at Lana Kai and working on fixing up and redecorating our new condo across the street at Lands End II.

It hasnt been all work and no play though....every day we do some swimming and fishing. Here are a bunch of pictures of me and the kids having fun fishing, exploring, shell picking and just having fun down at Gulf Shores on or near the beach:

Mae is a fishing Machine!




Noah is not scared of nothin: (at least when dad is around)




The new Gulf State Pier is just awesome!! They are putting in a HUGE zipline course across the street which should be open for springtime!! Fishing is great on the pier and the kids always have some sort of animal to look at or get close to. We fed this pelican a couple shrimp and always feed em small pinfish when we catch them....the kids want to catch small fish to feed the birds.... Noah caught a shark this night off the pier, but we kept it down in the water and didnt get a good pic....


Places that you must visit while down in Gulf Shores is the old Hazels off highway 180 near walmart! Best breakfast on the planet:



The kids ate good so they got gumballs:


Also you gotta stop at Souvenir City and at least get a pic with the shark entrance:




So Noah ended up getting his real shark picture after all!!! He reeled in this shark mostly by himself, but had a little help from Uncle Justin:


On Sunday after we ate a feast at local favorite place Desoto's the kids held a surprise 30th birthday party for Brook!! No pics of the party, but did get a pic of our feast:


I mean how can you not take a pic of this picture perfect blackened grouper drizzled in special Desotos Fish Sauce:


My parents meal last night from Ribs and Reds was about as good as it gets anywhere on the planet! They have a meal for two special which once they brought home the leftovers actually fed 4 of us:


So anyhow I have never been in Gulf Shores during December before and was doing tons of research online about whats biting where and I came across this guy- David Thornton. He has a guide service down in Gulf Shores! Only his guide service is totally unique and exactly my kind of outside the box thinking!..... He teaches people how to catch fish from the beach right in front of the condo where they are staying or from the state pier or from one of his secret spots....your choice!

As I researched him more and more online I just had to meet him! Late one night I shot him an email and he replied back we got to get together this week, but his only day was Tuesday....Tuesday it was and let me say when you come down to Gulf Shores you would be a fool not to hire him for an afternoon to gain his 30 years of Gulf Shores Beach fishing knowledge....Here he is rigging up some poles....Dad, Allen, and Justin are in the background:


This is what we were after and is a prize fish to catch off the beach: Super easy to clean and Very Tasty!!! We caught 20 of them last night and cant wait to fry em up! Here is our male model Allen holding up a picture perfect whiting:


David with another big whiting:


This guy wasnt so lucky, but i guess he was gonna die either way, so really we were the ones not so lucky he got bit while being reeled in:



So I got just one more day down here in Gulf Shores and got alot to get accomplished before heading home.....

Gulf Shores, Deer Hunting, Moving.....

So the last few weeks have been a blur...I had a deadline to be moved out and then moved in by Dec 1st and we made that deadline with literally just a few hours to spare....we still dont have countertops or doorknobs or mirrors, but for the most part we got the house livable and moved in...


So that house project took me exactly one year from start to finish working on nights and weekends.... Thanks to all my friends and family who helped build or helped watch kids during the last year....

Also in the last couple weeks we built this awesome dock out near Fiatt!!




And oh yeah, Deer Camp was awesome!!







Also sneaked out with the kids on Sunday afternoon:



So anyhow, there wont be any rest at our house anytime in the foreseeable future with stuff yet to finish, so we packed up some suitcases and headed down to Gulf Shores, Alabama to just play with the kids and catch up on some SLEEEP.... Before we left though we had to make sure all ducks were in a row on this our next project:


So anyhow I do most of my shopping at gas stations and while headed down to Gulf Shores yesterday I found a one lb reeses peanut butter cup package on a shelf near the cash register.......Im the best dad ever:




Which brings me up to today...I woke up to the waves crashing and the sun rising...


Then Mae, Noah, Drake, Brook, and I went for a couple hour walk along the beach picking up sea shells, dodging waves, and talking to all the snowbirds out fishing.



Then we headed to the pool and hot tub! So anyhow for those who don't know, Gulf Shores is my home away from home! We know everyone down here and always make our rounds catching up on whats happening... Dad, Justin and I spent the afternoon driving to all the bait shops talking to all the guys and gathering all the local fishing reports! Here is what we are after this time of year:


From there we hit up Docs all you can eat popcorn shrimp and fried fish baskets! Then squeezed in an hour of fishing down on the east side of the Perdido Bridge. We lost one big shark and caught a couple other trash fish and then headed back to the condos to warm up with some mudslides and the hot tub in the dark, slow drizzling rain...

We just downed some frozen pizzas and got the kids to bed and now to bed for myself!!! This vacation is exactly what the doctor ordered, I cant wait to get rested up!!! Its gonna be a much more hectic winter than I had planned....

Also a couple other things to mention real quick is that THANKS to InFisherman Magazine this month, my phone has been ringing off the hook from folks across the midwest wanting to come and chase trophy bluegills this winter! Also this Sunday at 5:20 pm tune into the outdoor connection online. I will be on the show live with Jerry Kripp talking about growing and ice fishing for trophy bluegills!!

Last tidbit is to pay attention to old InFisherman Ice Fishing Guide reruns and current Midwest Outdoors episodes to catch some very fun fishing episodes with Herman Brothers on some awesome central Illinois lakes!!


Good night all! I hope to post some fish pictures tomorrow night!!!!!!!

Fishing Education and Christmas Gift Ideas....

Here is a bunch of information about the hooked on fishing park fundraising gift ideas, open houses this month and some general park info! Hopefully you guys all take the time to go visit the park during one of the open houses or set up a tour anytime!! The place looks amazing and this year we had well over 3500 children and seniors fishing at the park!!!!

I need your help though to keep it rolling!

 

Yall all know my passion for fishing. However, there is something that perhaps you do not know about me, and that is my passion for teaching and providing fishing opportunities for children and seniors!!

Hooked on Fishing is a not-for-profit organization that I helped found in 2007 along with a partner Mike O’Reilly, owner of Prairie Home Alliance. We leased the old Dixon fish ponds in East Peoria, brought them back to life, and in 2008 we started to fulfill our mission, “To teach the sport and joy of fishing to local children, special needs groups, and seniors by providing the location, equipment, and education free of charge.”

This venture has grown each year since we started it, and this year was our most successful ever; thousands of kids, senior citizens, and special needs individuals were able to enjoy fishing at the park. We hosted scout groups, nursing homes, churches, schools, park districts, day care groups, and community groups from all over the area. The park was staffed by volunteers who helped visitors fish, taught lessons on fishing, held fishing derbies, and kept the park maintained. The park has turned into an awesome venture that is becoming well-known as an important asset to the community. I am so proud to be a part of Hooked on Fishing, and I would like to give you the opportunity to also lend your support to this worthwhile organization. Basically I need your help!

In 2013 we have plans to expand our programs even farther, and involve even more kids, seniors, and special needs groups. We are trying to expand our group of supporters and sponsors as well, and this is where you come into the picture. We need financial support in order to maintain our programs and retire some debt resulting from park improvements. You could help us tremendously by becoming a donor. The park is recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 organization, so your donation will be tax deductible.

We also are having open houses at the park every friday and saturday in December! Please come on down and check out the new clubhouse and facility! Check the website for more info.

Please visit the website www.hookedonfishingpark.org to learn more about what we are doing, or give me a call if you have any questions. If you would like to visit the park and take a tour, that can also be arranged. But please, seriously consider making a donation to this very worthwhile cause. You can make your donation on-line at our website, or you can mail your check to Hooked on Fishing, PO Box 176, Washington, IL 61571.

We look forward to hearing from you. THANK YOU so much. I very much hope I can count on you for your support.

Nate