Date: July 20, 2004
To: Pier Fishing In California Message Board
From: sethook
Subject: After gutting your catch
It would be superb if everyone inspected the guts/stomach of their game fish keepers/catches, so that we could be enlightened on the feeding behavior of fish. Just a thought. Thanks to RedFish for turning my attention to this when he mentioned inspecting the guts of a keeper leopard he caught before, and this way he found the best bait for leopards, and I bare witness. Two fat 4 1/2 leopards landed in less than a 2-hour period of time, on the same bait. While live smelt and squid didn't produce as well!!!I think this might be a secret, so I better not say or he might get mad. I am sure a lot of you already know anyways, but I was just really impressed..
Now go get that fat one and cut it's stomach open if you decide to keep it
Posted by calrat
All my rockfish species seem to LOVE crabs. I always cut the stomachs open to inspect and always find a crab or two in there.
Posted by Ken Jones
Same with North Coast cabbies.
You're right, it's always good to check the stomach to see what the fish are feeding on. However, don't limit yourself to just that local food when determining your bait. Fish are opportunistic feeders that feed on food that is readily available and sometimes, when several anglers are fishing an area, and tossing out bait, the fish will change their eating habits to reflect the new food that is available.
Posted by fishingrod
I agree Ken, I once gutted a mack to use as bait and found a chicken wing bone in its stomach.
Posted by dompfa ben
I caught a perch that paid off like a slot machine. A 1.5# barred surfperch that had a quarter and a dime in its stomach. Must have been attracted to the flash of some kid's ice cream truck money. What was surprising was that it swallowed it. Now, if I can find that Ancient Sand bass with the gold Pieces of Eight in its gullet...
Posted by dompfa ben
My favorite legend from a fish's stomach...Has got to be the one my dad told me as a kid, a tale shared with him and my mom on their honeymoon by a charterboat captain. Apparently, a newlywed couple, very much in love, decided to take an afternoon cruise on a sailing ship off the Kona coast. Much to the delight of the groom, the package included a chance to catch a big Hawaiian bluewater fish on the troll. Without warning, the weather picked up considerably. While the crew attempted to bring down the mainsail, a gust of wind swung the beam towards the newlywed bride. As a reflex, she threw her hand up in front of her face as she ducked out of the way. Luckily, the beam glanced off of her left hand, but to her great dismay, she discovered the blow had knocked her engagement ring off of her finger.
The bride was reduced to tears, clinging to her husband as the squall passed. While the financial loss was great, both were saddened at the loss of something so emotionally valuable. The sailboat headed for port, and the captain offered to buy the couple dinner as a mild consolation.
About 20 minutes from port, one of the trolling rods starts zinging "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!" "Number three! Number three! It's your rod, let's go!" shouted a crewmember. The heartbroken husband jumped to his feet, threw on a rod belt, and took the rod as a bull dorado danced across the surface of the cobalt seas.
It was a short fight on the heavy trolling gear, and the fish was brought to gaff quickly. The captain, still trying to placate the saddened couple, offered to have the fish cleaned and prepared for their dinner. Back in port, the mahi mahi was filleted and sent to the kitchen. As the knife passed through the second side of the fish, the crewmember charged with cleaning the beast heard an unfamiliar "clink" on the blade. Upon further investigation of the stomach cavity, the crewmember was amazed to find the woman's engagement ring. The ring was returned to the couple at dinner, and both of them were awestruck at what they considered a miracle. The Moral of the Story: "Ladies: If you want jewelry, it's best to let your husband fish."
Posted by 2d
Isn’t' a standard kokanee trolling rig called a "wedding ring"?
Posted by scooterfish
Fly fishermen have been pumping the stomachs of freshwater trout for a long, long time for this very reason... matching the hatch is a critical component of fishing success no matter where you are, be it with natural or artificial baits. Scooterfish
To: Pier Fishing In California Message Board
From: sethook
Subject: After gutting your catch
It would be superb if everyone inspected the guts/stomach of their game fish keepers/catches, so that we could be enlightened on the feeding behavior of fish. Just a thought. Thanks to RedFish for turning my attention to this when he mentioned inspecting the guts of a keeper leopard he caught before, and this way he found the best bait for leopards, and I bare witness. Two fat 4 1/2 leopards landed in less than a 2-hour period of time, on the same bait. While live smelt and squid didn't produce as well!!!I think this might be a secret, so I better not say or he might get mad. I am sure a lot of you already know anyways, but I was just really impressed..
Now go get that fat one and cut it's stomach open if you decide to keep it
Posted by calrat
All my rockfish species seem to LOVE crabs. I always cut the stomachs open to inspect and always find a crab or two in there.
Posted by Ken Jones
Same with North Coast cabbies.
You're right, it's always good to check the stomach to see what the fish are feeding on. However, don't limit yourself to just that local food when determining your bait. Fish are opportunistic feeders that feed on food that is readily available and sometimes, when several anglers are fishing an area, and tossing out bait, the fish will change their eating habits to reflect the new food that is available.
Posted by fishingrod
I agree Ken, I once gutted a mack to use as bait and found a chicken wing bone in its stomach.
Posted by dompfa ben
I caught a perch that paid off like a slot machine. A 1.5# barred surfperch that had a quarter and a dime in its stomach. Must have been attracted to the flash of some kid's ice cream truck money. What was surprising was that it swallowed it. Now, if I can find that Ancient Sand bass with the gold Pieces of Eight in its gullet...
Posted by dompfa ben
My favorite legend from a fish's stomach...Has got to be the one my dad told me as a kid, a tale shared with him and my mom on their honeymoon by a charterboat captain. Apparently, a newlywed couple, very much in love, decided to take an afternoon cruise on a sailing ship off the Kona coast. Much to the delight of the groom, the package included a chance to catch a big Hawaiian bluewater fish on the troll. Without warning, the weather picked up considerably. While the crew attempted to bring down the mainsail, a gust of wind swung the beam towards the newlywed bride. As a reflex, she threw her hand up in front of her face as she ducked out of the way. Luckily, the beam glanced off of her left hand, but to her great dismay, she discovered the blow had knocked her engagement ring off of her finger.
The bride was reduced to tears, clinging to her husband as the squall passed. While the financial loss was great, both were saddened at the loss of something so emotionally valuable. The sailboat headed for port, and the captain offered to buy the couple dinner as a mild consolation.
About 20 minutes from port, one of the trolling rods starts zinging "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!" "Number three! Number three! It's your rod, let's go!" shouted a crewmember. The heartbroken husband jumped to his feet, threw on a rod belt, and took the rod as a bull dorado danced across the surface of the cobalt seas.
It was a short fight on the heavy trolling gear, and the fish was brought to gaff quickly. The captain, still trying to placate the saddened couple, offered to have the fish cleaned and prepared for their dinner. Back in port, the mahi mahi was filleted and sent to the kitchen. As the knife passed through the second side of the fish, the crewmember charged with cleaning the beast heard an unfamiliar "clink" on the blade. Upon further investigation of the stomach cavity, the crewmember was amazed to find the woman's engagement ring. The ring was returned to the couple at dinner, and both of them were awestruck at what they considered a miracle. The Moral of the Story: "Ladies: If you want jewelry, it's best to let your husband fish."
Posted by 2d
Isn’t' a standard kokanee trolling rig called a "wedding ring"?
Posted by scooterfish
Fly fishermen have been pumping the stomachs of freshwater trout for a long, long time for this very reason... matching the hatch is a critical component of fishing success no matter where you are, be it with natural or artificial baits. Scooterfish