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We've been talking about a letterhead fishing event and finally somebody took me up on it. Fellow letterhead Eric (Chuck) Elmgren , striper, sign maker, walldog and a major hunter gatherer answer the call.
He drove down a couple Fridays ago from Chicago to fish with me. I finished a semi and off we went to fish a lake just outside Pontiac. On Saturday we fished the Vermilion River. It was more fun than humanly possible. So we decided to include others if they're willing and we don't care where we fish as long as it's freshwater and we can have a few beers. Around here we have nicknamed a fishing "man-vacation" as a ... macation.
Here's a couple shots:
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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Yeah, Jon, you notice how he holds it REAL close to the camera and then steps back a bit....hehehehe And Billy, yes they WERE dinner! We had fish, potatoes, fresh corn on the cob , slice tomatoes from the garden and ended it off with a nice crispy apple crisp. I love to cook "country" food and I think Eric will be back.
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Sonny, the bass go for spinner and buzz baits and an occasional small bluegill on weedless hooks. They can get big from eating all those bluegills and a baitcast reel on a medium medium rod with a 12 lb line can yank 'em thru the weeds.
Catfish will take it all. I had an enormous one go for a spinner, but usually red wiggler worms and some fish them with liver. I only eat the smaller cats.
Waxworms on slip bobbers for the bluegill and we're not sure about the crappie, but I'd say slip bobbers and minnows. Some folks have had success with small jigs with tubes.
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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Yers is spose'd ta ketch & relees dem bass fishes.
Jus kiddin' man. I miss hittin' them lakes back there. Pulled them squawkers in all the time. Never ate em' just gave them to the neighbor.
Jack
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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-------------------- Eric Elmgren ericsignguy@comcast.net A & E Graphic Signs Park Ridge, IL "The future isn't what it used to be" -Yogi Berra Posts: 192 | From: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS | Registered: Aug 2009
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Here'a a real fish...A Big Eye Tuna caught in the Bay of Islands New Zealand. I'm 2nd from right and fellow Letterhead Tom Smith is on my left. The weight of 120.2kg (265lbs)was a near world record.
-------------------- Norman Biss aka KiwiNorm Living and working in one of the best countries on earth... Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand norman.biss@gmail.com Posts: 141 | From: Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand | Registered: Nov 1998
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I find it quite humorous that you guys dressed to kill! Bill, with his offical fish fry shirt and Eric there to shoot the fish if all else fails. Oh well as long as there was beer!
-------------------- Tom & Kathy Durham House Springs, MO Posts: 654 | From: House Springs, MO | Registered: Apr 1999
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Nice fish Norman, now how you gonna get him into those little cans?
-------------------- Eric Elmgren ericsignguy@comcast.net A & E Graphic Signs Park Ridge, IL "The future isn't what it used to be" -Yogi Berra Posts: 192 | From: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS | Registered: Aug 2009
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Welcome aboard Eric.......Tom already commented on your shirt, lol......later my friend...(how's the "kid?")
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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Man, bet you guys had fun. I havent fished one time this summer, and I sure do miss it. Jane made me drool talking about the cookins too. mmmmmm.....
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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Nice Sardine Norman,lol. now this is a TUNA! Thats a friend of mine standing next to an almost 900 pound Bluefin Tuna caught just 5 minutes from my house....Now that's a fish! and no it is'nt photoshoped.
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SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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-------------------- Eric Elmgren ericsignguy@comcast.net A & E Graphic Signs Park Ridge, IL "The future isn't what it used to be" -Yogi Berra Posts: 192 | From: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS | Registered: Aug 2009
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I don't think that bad boy would fit on my fillet table, Neil, ... ha, ha, ha, ha!
Look at the size of that pole. Mercy!!!!!!!! I've never been deep sea fishing, but it's all a matter of time. As long as you can drink beer too ....
Tom, you should have been with us when the boys and I went to visit Eric and Ron at their second shop in Wilmington, IL. Talk about a bunch of hunters. 2 steps into their shop there was a hoist hanging from the rafters that they used to hang their prey to be cleaned. The blood stained floor beneath was evidence that several animals probably turkey and deer had been gutted at that spot.
Eric was going to teach me jug fishing for catfish until he saw the size of a few of them circling below the dock. Then he said, NAH, I think we can skip on the jug fishing.
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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I'm sorry but if something that big bit on my line, I'd throw in the pole. 900 pounds! Why wouldn't the fish pull you in, pole and all! That's almost 1/2 ton of tuna cans...I'll pass on that trip!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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When I worked for someone else, they would never let me clean fish in the sink or hang and skin and butcher deer in the office, just one of the advantages of being self-employed.
-------------------- Eric Elmgren ericsignguy@comcast.net A & E Graphic Signs Park Ridge, IL "The future isn't what it used to be" -Yogi Berra Posts: 192 | From: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS | Registered: Aug 2009
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That is a former partner of mine, Rober Schamper, when we used to build log homes, that was a long time ago, but that fish was caught about 3 years ago... Bluefin used to be plentyfull here, but they were almost wiped out... but are now making a comeback of sorts... funny thing, back in the 60's and 70's it was up to the person who caught it to get rid of it, they used to be dumped. But now, that fish was packed in ice, and on a jet to a Japanese fish market with in 24 hours and sold close to 20 grand! They bid on them there... but unfortunaely my friend was only a guest on the boat, he did actually catch it, but the owner of the boat is the one who got the money.
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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Ouch Neil..!! You win. But I would like to know what type of tuna and size of line. Oh and Eric, we had it smoked and it was delicious.
-------------------- Norman Biss aka KiwiNorm Living and working in one of the best countries on earth... Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand norman.biss@gmail.com Posts: 141 | From: Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand | Registered: Nov 1998
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It's a Blue Fin Tuna Norman, I have several freinds who used to fish these back in the 60's and 70's, Look at this monster caught off Nova Scotia.
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