Cleaning 20,000 Panfish and the big 1000 post

[captain54]

 This subject started,when my wife said,are you cleaning more fish? Seems like all you do is clean fish? How many gills do you think you cleaned since you been ice fishing? Well I had to think about it. I've been married for 27 years so she's seen me clean plenty.There's a lot things that happen over 50 years,I started ice fishing at 7,but didn't get serious till my about 17 and out of school.Always was a jig man,love Gills but crappie and perch are always welcome.I average over 400 a winter,and do a few ice out trips in very early spring,40 years x 400=16,000 + 40 years of spring ice out,at least 100 more fish x 40 years= 4000,not counting 10 years when I could only fish weekends, with my Grandpap,Uncle or Dad.So guessing 20,000 fish is probably a under guessing,but it's mind boggleling to think about cleaning all those fish.The 1000 post where a lot quicker than the 20,000 panfish.One thing that has made it all possible THE MISTER TWISTER,all those years of hand filleting with my old Rap knives,I don't know how I did it.I hope all you ICE fishermen and gals can have as much fun as I have had,and I hope have many more years of icing the winter time gills.

[fishermantim4]

me and my fishing partners have brought home over 600 fish this winter already.  but i think my fish bags in my freezer has a hole in it, it doesnt seem to want to accumulate at all for me. o well lots of ice left this year, congrats on your 1000 post.

[caddy084]

This subject started,when my wife said,are you cleaning more fish? Seems like all you do is clean fish? How many gills do you think you cleaned since you been ice fishing? Well I had to think about it. I've been married for 27 years so she's seen me clean plenty.There's a lot things that happen over 50 years,I started ice fishing at 7,but didn't get serious till my about 17 and out of school.Always was a jig man,love Gills but crappie and perch are always welcome.I average over 400 a winter,and do a few ice out trips in very early spring,40 years x 400=16,000 + 40 years of spring ice out,at least 100 more fish x 40 years= 4000,not counting 10 years when I could only fish weekends, with my Grandpap,Uncle or Dad.So guessing 20,000 fish is probably a under guessing,but it's mind boggleling to think about cleaning all those fish.The 1000 post where a lot quicker than the 20,000 panfish.One thing that has made it all possible THE MISTER TWISTER,all those years of hand filleting with my old Rap knives,I don't know how I did it.I hope all you ICE fishermen and gals can have as much fun as I have had,and I hope have many more years of icing the winter time gills.

Nice post captain, and wish you many more seasons doing what we love to do best. Also kudos on the electric fillet knife. About the only thing the old Rapala gets used for anymore is trimming out the rib bones......

[Perchjerker]

Congrats Captain54 on your 1000 post    I just graduated Rookie status with 100 Only took me 4 years, wholly crap that means I'll be 97 when I hit 1000 at this rate.....Good Fishin to ya !  Not like you need any catchin luck with 20 grand on the table. hehehe

[iceaddiction]

wow do you throw any fish back seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ski Hunter]

wow do you throw any fish back seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was wondering how long till someone said that...took longer than i thought 

20,000 over a lifetime compared to commercial guys who net 20k+ a year outta Erie   

[iceaddiction]

I know it just sounds like he keeps everything i catch alot per year but i only keep a much smaller number because i dont keep dinky fish thats all.  if you eat them keep them i am a big fan of that but i see people that throw nothing back down the hole and i dont get that. thanks
Ryan

[RedfishHunter]

Congrats Captain 54. I have been ice fishing for almost 45 years also....but never kept counts...

[jayswimmer09]

congrats on the 1000

[john t.]

Congrats, and many more

[Ironeagle]

 nice job,  i know who to talk to if i have questions about gills now! 

[salmonrebel]

Congrats,...Captain54.
...On both your, years of fishing and your thousandth post here! ...You just gotta love them panfish.
They are delicious...That's why we eat them.
I've never kept any kind of count of all the fish I've caught...But, it's been many over the years.
Great to see you've been very successful, and passionate about this great sport...and also sharing a great story here with all of us here.
Sounds like you got a great wife too. 8)

[geothefisher]

Congrats to you on your 1000th post!  Hope you have many more!

[capt.crappie]

I know it just sounds like he keeps everything i catch alot per year but i only keep a much smaller number because i don't keep dinky fish that's all.  if you eat them keep them i am a big fan of that but i see people that throw nothing back down the hole and i don't get that. thanks
Ryan

Yea I was fishing next to a guy last week who kept every fish he caught. He said he doesn't eat them he grinds them up & throws them in the garden. What a waste  People like that I just take the meaning out of good sportsmanship.

[iceman260]

Congrats on 1000th post, but i was thinking about catches and that number seems way low, before we had limits on panfish we used to catch a couple hundred a day. Been fishing forty also.

[timbobber]

congratulations on your lifetime of fishing success, and may you catch and clean another 20K

[Ironeagle]

so you use Mr twister electric fillet knife? i never used one. always wanted to. they that good?

[captain54]

Yes there good,gone through about 5 or 6,but I cut a ton of lake Erie eyes,and lake Ontario kings with them,the large fish have some really heavy bones and can beat up the twister,they make a salt water version,that would be better for big fish,cutting gills and crappie are a breeze. I can do it all,fillet,skin,and cut the ribs out all with the Twister.You may ruin a few fish at first,but once you get onto it ,you'll never go back to a hand knife.Wal Mart will have them on clearance sometimes for $15-20 buck,when they do I buy a couple,and always have an extra on hand.

[Ironeagle]

thanks il give it a try.

[FISHHUNTER80]

CONGRATS ON EVERYTHING!! I THINK YOUR FIGURING IS VERY GOOD. IF ANYTHING IT MAYBE A LITTLE LOW. I FIGURE IN PA WE GET ABOUT 12 WEEKS OF ICE FISHING A YEAR. IF YOU GET OUT A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK AND FILLET 35 FISH EACH WEEK THATS 420 FISH EACH ICE SEASON. OF COURSE THATS JUST ICE SEASON. IF YOUR LIKE ME YOU FISH IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER TOO.

[Locnar]

Take anglers of Captains skill and multiply them many times, then have them fish for many years in NE PA or elsewhere and what do you get? Many public waters with populations of stunted panfish and others. This is not suprising. Having great skills at fishing does not mean one should keep every single fish they catch. Fishing should not be all about numbers and creel limits. Just because fish and boat says 50 fish limits are a god idea does not mean they are. When you get so many good anglers on the ice with resources such as iceshanty the fish are in real trouble. Lets police ourselves seriously. Ive seen NE PA go from good when I was a kid in the 80s to pretty pathetic nowadays. I was once a a ketchup and grease over catch and release guy, but for some reason once I got in my 20s and became very good at catching almost everything anywhere in NE PA I stopped keeping almost anything except stocker trout in lakes they should never be in. Just a thought for you guys, some of us are just too good at this and we need to stop the silly fill our freezer mentality that has crushed the public waters. Its not poor forage base, or X predator fishes introduction, or PCBs in the water, its US, as in those with the most skills, we are the problem, so lets fix it.

[Ironeagle]

Locnar... to each his own, 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish. so he does good..., don't mean he or others bank every fish they catch. give him a break.   all the problems you seem to see on your waters don't always point to guys keepin so many fish. how do you know thats the whole truth maybe it is from  biological faults. poor spawning areas, feed, vegitation to hide young fish, who knows? and i don't know of many waters that are not public? other than trout streams that are posted. but this is ice fishing, i don't see many private lakes. so thats were everyone is goin to fish. weather they keep or take thats up to the fisherman.

[JAZII]

The only reason for stunted panfish in any lake is do to not enough harvest. A lake can only support so many fish per acre.
Did you know that at any lake you need to remove 4 lbs. of panfish for every lb. of bass, to keep that lake in check?

JAZII

[Locnar]

Im in college studying to become a biologist, but I am also a fishing nut at all times of the year. I have heard/read many biologist reports, while also being hands on in that I fish these lakes. My point is not to make anyone feel bad or to judge, I am guilty of taking my share. With the massive influx of people from Jersey/NY in the last 30 years, I being one of them, the lakes in NE PA have been hit hard and yes it is the amount of better fishermen not the biology. Only a handful of lakes such as Tobyhanna are limited due to nutrients/forage, this is not the case in nearly every public water. The problem is GOOD fishermen keeping the genetically robust in the population and leaving many of the genetically inferior members to become the foundation, this leads to stunted populations. Culling small/medium small fish and letting larger fish go seems to be sacrilege, but it is neccesary and we need to be the ones to do it. Throw out the Fish and boat regs and regulate yourselves. Honestly if I caught the world record any fish tommorow Id take a few pics and let her go.

[Pajns]

CONGRATS Cap !!!!   Hope to see many more posts.....

[captain54]

Just to set the record straight I'm not Amish. I have the highest standard of any fishermen,I've never kept a gill under 8 inches,and when I'm getting true bulls over 9,8's go back,somedays I've caught well over a hundred gills and crappie a day,and may only keep 20- 30 fish,I've never taken a 50 fish limit in years don't keep any fish.I keep bulls that you only could dream about.,Do you think your going to get all bulls,you have to WORK FOR THEM,I ice fish,I don't dead stick and drink and party,and I don't post every frickin picture of fish ,I know what they look like.I've fish this  lake for 40 years and have seen little to no change in keeping my 400 or so bulls a year,there are gills of every size in the lake from 3-10 inches ,so I think,there are going to be big gills next year and many more,like I said I've been doing the same thing for 40 on this lake. Sorry I bother some of you guys,but I'm not sorry I know how to fish.Ive seen a lake ruined by putting reduced limits of 10,only to see that lake turn into land of the dinks,do to over population,so to each his own,You keep and fish how you want and I'll keep doing what I do best.No matter what someone post,somebody got to posted negativity,jealous,or full of hate.I'll be fishing tomorrow and I'll be keeping more big 9 inch plus bulls and slabs,goodnight to all you whiners.

[captain54]

Tough bite today but great day to fish,fished 8:00 am till 5:30 pm,caught a lot of fish in the 7 1/2 to 8 inch range (released them to grow),but I only keep bulls iced 23 from 8 1/2 - 10 inches most where over 9 inches, also caught a small pike jigging and a LM over 17 inches,my son had a rough time too 17 bulls,1 LM over 15,bass where released.We must be fishing it out.Very neutrel bite,they looked at it for long periods before hitting,would not chase,they only hit a size 14 Gill pill,orange and chartreuse.I think it was to sunny,I always do better on cloudy days,yes the bulls where fussy today but there's always tomorrow.Another day at the office 9 1/2 hours,that's a keeper catch rate of 2.5 fish per hour,I think I worked for them today.

[mobey3]

Congratulations Captain!   Keep it up!! More power to you!  Go out and get your fish, they really are GREAT eating!   Again, Congratulations on both accounts!!

[captain54]

Fished Wedsday,wow off the charts,they started slow but the mid day fishing was crazy,total tally 30 Slabs 10- 11 1/2 inches 52 Bulls,8 1/2-9 3/4 inches,started with the Gill Pill,then the Frosty,then spanked them on the clean Rastso's,My son hooked a big pike on his jigging pole and lost it after a long battle,do to getting in the weed bed,that petty much turned them off but caught a few more keepers about an hour later.Our best day so far.Another 8 to 5:30 day at the office,I love this kind of work.Release over a 150 fish 7-8 plus inches and several crappie from 4-9 1/2 inches.

[Ski Hunter]

I forgot we live in PA...where if god forbid you kill a fish to eat you are guilty of murder and should be thrown in jail to rot