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Fish for Dinner: What Kind of Fish Are Great for Catching and Eating?
There’s nothing quite like a meal freshly picked from the lake and the satisfaction of knowing that you went out and caught your own dinner. Kids love to do it, and it’s a great way for parents to bond with their children. But what are the best kind of fish to catch and actually prepare in a meal?
In this article, we’ll take a look at several types of fish that make the best “eating fish.”
-Walleye.
Walleye is considered one of the best-tasting freshwater fish and can be thrilling to catch, with a record 42-inch Walleye being the largest ever caught. Walleye will provide plenty of meat to cook as the typically grow to over two feet in length. They’re not an easy fish to a small child to catch without the assistance of an adult, which can make them a bit problematic.
Walleye have excellent vision (their light-reflecting eyes give them their name) and typically come out during low-illumination (think dawn and dusk) or in choppy waters, where they have an advantage over prey. Walleye can also swim deeper, which can make them more of a challenge to catch.-Bluegill.
Very popular in the upper Midwest (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan) and Texas and Lousiana, Bluegill are smaller than Walleye, but easier to catch. They are considered to be on par with Walleye in terms of taste, and can be caught relatively easily by children with simple bait such as worms or flies.
Bluegill are also called “panfish” because of their size and the methods typically used to cook them. They are also a great fish to help teach your son or daughter how to fish, as they can be quick biters and will tend to come up to shallow waters to feed.
-Smallmouth bass.
Growing anywhere from two to six pounds, smallmouth bass are a relatively medium-sized gamefish that live in both rivers and lakes, and can be caught by simply “angling” techniques or with flyfishing. Smallmouth bass have a reputation for being fighters when hooked, and typically can make some splashing when near the top of the water. This might help your child learn how to work with fish that fight back.
Smallmouth bass are great for cooking as well, with a clean white meat that goes great with dinner.
Many of these types of fish are relatively common and will make a great fish to seek out during your next camping trip or visit to the lake. Learn more about each fish to easily identify them and teach your children about the different species.
Photo Credits: e53
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Tips for Merging Your Camping and Fishing Trips into One
For those of you with an entire family to please, finding an ideal summer vacation can mean coming up with more questions than answers. Will the kids enjoy camping? What might we do while camping? How can I get some fishing in? Should we go north or south this summer?
The clever vacationer will be able to answer many of these questions with one simple answer: one vacation that includes something for everyone.
Half of the battle of vacationing effectively is filling your time with activities and adventures that truly help you cut loose and relax. On vacation, idle time can often be wasted time. That’s why this article will explain how to merge a camping and fishing trip into one fun, easy vacation.
First, the other half of vacationing effectively is planning.
If you’re going to have a great fishing trip on top of a great camping trip, you’ve absolutely got to scout for the best sites that integrate both. Some great camping sites won’t have any access to good fishing, and some of the best lakes don’t have any camping possibilities whatsoever. You’ll need to search for a camping site, first and foremost, but you’ll also have to make sure it has access to a clean body of water that’s known for good fishing.
Set aside one Saturday well before your vacation simply to do research. Make good use of search engines and their mapping tools to find phone numbers you can call immediately to get a good idea of what camping sites might work best for you. Keep a list of your impressions of each, and whittle down your list to the top three or so candidates.Second, you’ll want to consider how you’ll actually accomplish your fishing once you’re at the site.
Can you do it off the platform? Chances are you’ll want to rent a boat instead, so this should be one question you ask your campsite early in the conversation: are boat rentals available, and how much do they cost?
Don’t be afraid to ask about the local fishing, specifically the types of fish you can expect to catch and how deep the lake might be. These will give you clues as to what bait to bring, and a little more research will help you make the most of your fishing outings once you’re out on the water.
Once you’ve done the planning, much of the vacation will fall into place. Simply bring along the right baits, tackles, and tools you need to catch fish and be ready to enjoy a camping trip that will keep the entire family occupied.
Photo Credits: radcarper
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Saltwater vs. Freshwater Fishing: Which Is Best For You?
True fishing enthusiasts might consider the “Saltwater vs. Freshwater” argument to be moot, when the answer might be “why not both?” But for the rest of us, we’re not totally sure what kind of fishing is the best for us, our temperaments, or our families. In this article, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of each type of fishing, and how you and your family fit in to the different approaches.
Saltwater Fishing
Advantages: Saltwater fishing satisfies the adventurer’s heart, especially if you’re going deep-sea fishing. Saltwater is connected to or in the ocean, resulting in a greater variety of sea life and a larger scale of the different types of fish you might catch. In addition to catching fish, however, you might also catch sharks or rays. Saltwater fishing can also yield some more “impressive” visual fish. Freshwater lakes tend to have a lesser degree of variety and will typically only yield certain species.
Disadvantages: Travel and location. Not everyone has access to saltwater, whereas freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams are more plentiful throughout the non-coastal areas. In the Midwest and along the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri river basins there are plenty of lakes and rivers to provide plenty of convenient fishing spots. The problem? These are the freshwater spots. If you’re not on the coast, getting to saltwater might pose a problem.Freshwater Fishing
Advantage: As mentioned before, access is always a big issue. Freshwater is simply easier to get to for most people, as it’s more common to have a lake within driving distance than an ocean or gulf. Freshwater fishing goes great with certain lifestyles, especially with typically laid-back activities like camping. Freshwater fishing can also easily be an entire family trip, while deep sea saltwater fishing excursions might have to exclude a few children.
Disadvantages: Although there are plenty of fish to find in freshwater, the true variety of underwater life really doesn’t compare to the open sea. The more attractive and exotic fish are typically saltwater fish. Other species like shark can also be found in saltwater; with a few rare exceptions, this is not the case with freshwater fishing.
Determining which kind of fishing best suits you will depend on a few things: your travel plans, your location, and your temperament. Many people find freshwater fishing adventurous enough; for others, there’s no comparison. Some people want to avoid the adventure altogether. Take a moment to review the disadvantages and advantages to each, and keep a mental list about the kind of fishing that better suits your personality. What kind of fisher are you?
Photo Credit: colorblindPICASO
