I didn't do a lot of fishing as a youth, but here are some of my memorable fishing spots:
My parent's pond on what we called the Womacks pasture.
Brace's Pond
Crigger Bottoms
The upper end of the Mound Branch watershed lake.
Good ol' Uncle Pete was the caretaker at Polk Daniels, so I did most of my fishing there.
Larryj
I used to travel through Elk County, taking in the sights, and saw lots of ponds. How do you know a good one from a bad one?
Water coming out of the draw-down pipe, weeks after any significant rain would be a good attribute. Means the pond is just below, or directly over a spring or seep, allowing it to maintain a more consistant water level, and not "go dry".
The best ever bull head pond was in the middle of the half section we owned in Union Center Township. The old timers swore there was a spring in the bottom of it, that the pond had never gone dry. There was also a well close to the pond that the old timers said watered all the neighbors cattle during dry spells. It had filled in and we never had it cleaned out, but we knew the location. We could almost always catch all the bullheads that we wanted within a hour or two. We never caught anything else out of that pond. I am not going to give the location because I don't own it any more and the present owners might not appreciate the location being sent out into never, never land.
We spent many weekends at Polk Daniels, always caught a carload of bluegill. Had lots of fun, Dons' girls were all prissy about bait and such but found out how much fun it was to catch fish. It didn't take long for them to figure out it was a lot more fun to bait yourself than to wait on somebody to do it for you. The tackle took a little longer though, and hook removal longer still. Besides the boys didn't seem to be impressed with an able bodied girl whinin' for dad to take off their fish. Ha!
Quote from: Wilma on August 25, 2009, 06:56:30 PM
I am not going to give the location because I don't own it any more and the present owners might not appreciate the location being sent out into never, never land.
Good point, wasn't thinking that way. I redacted the locations on my post.
Quote from: sixdogsmom on August 25, 2009, 07:15:34 PM
We spent many weekends at Polk Daniels, always caught a carload of bluegill. Had lots of fun, Dons' girls were all prissy about bait and such but found out how much fun it was to catch fish. It didn't take long for them to figure out it was a lot more fun to bait yourself than to wait on somebody to do it for you. The tackle took a little longer though, and hook removal longer still. Besides the boys didn't seem to be impressed with an able bodied girl whinin' for dad to take off their fish. Ha!
Here I am again missing out on the fun. Bullheads are my favorite fish. My mouth is drooling, just thinking of them. Best eating there is. MK&O use to have a bullhead pond. There was nothing else in it either. So many and you could not keep ahead of them so there were so many tiny ones all the time.
Fishing spots: Polk Daniels has many fond fishing trips and memories. Old Moline City Lake was great as was the Santa Fe Lake. Spent many hours on the river behind Nelson's, I believe or could have been the Olson's or both. Did a lot of fly fishing at the New Moline City Lake. Or it was new back then. Spent my childhood on the Wildcat, catching crawdads, frogs and tadpoles. Fished some at the Plum but that was mainly for swimming. That was our Day Care. Does anyone swim there now? The Basin at Elk Falls was always a fun time. Swimming and fishing the same area. Depended on the weather and how the creeks and rivers were running where we went. Wow-Now I will never get to sleep....
I don't mean to be a kill-joy and I'm not accusing anyone on here of doing it, but we've had a lot of problems with people trespassing to go fishing. Even going as far as cutting locks on gates, taking down water gaps (and cattle getting out), and being in locations they had no business of being. I suppose "back when", it was OK to just drive into a neighbor's pasture and fish, but people probably had more respect for the land (and probably OK'd it with the landowner first, too). Now, people leave beer cans and trash and gates open. Also, like hunting, land has been leased out for fishing rights to people who PAY, and other people who think they have a "right" to be there only interrupt that business transaction.
I would say that 99% of landowners would grant you permission if people only ASKED (and also be respectful of cleaning up after themselves).
TRESPASSERS WILL BE MOLESTED!
Always we had permission where we fished. Now I would need to fish at a close pond or lake where there was not much walking. Use to go the the Crater Lakesi in Colorado with uncles, brothers and my Dad. You had to walk in. Talk about cool clear water and the trout. Here I go again.. Maybe the pink rainbow is my favorite. Depends where you are.........
Granny, Frank & I used to fish a lot when we were first married. We had several ponds that we had permission to fish and would go on Saturday evening, take our supper fish all night and fix breakfast before coming back to town. Also fished in some creeks and the river! What fun! Oh, except for the time we built a bon-fire and I got poison ivey all over the back of my legs! It was July and HOT---sure was hard to wear nylon hose to work with poison ivey.
Myrna
Frank took two of our grandchildren and our oldest son fishing last Saturday -- what fun they had. Our granddaughter is 6--she caught the most and the smallest fish!
Fishing with my Dad are some of my fondest memories. And the worse. Remember one time when I stepped on his brand new fly pole and the snapping sound was deafening. I was probably about nine. His heart probably was in the same condition as mine at the sound of the snap. It was hard to come up with money for the special things. We use to seine for minnows with a seine that Grandpa had hand tied. Used it for many years. Repaired it many times. My two oldest daughter like to fish but the others are too girlie. Would not hurt a little worm or fish. Two grandson fish, hunt and very good shots. We don't seem to have time for it any more. Also, love turtle soup. Give me a good old snapping turtle and lunch will be served.
Jerry could not walk down wind of poison ivy or he would have it all over. It is a painful irritating rash as memory serves me. One time for me and that was enough.
When I was little, I once seined in Rock Creek just south of the bridge out by the cemetery. Well, anyway, I helped. Okay, I watched as my Dad and my uncle came up with a surprising amount of bait.
There was not much water in the creek but there were large pools here and there. I did notice a big rock wall which made the creek take a turn. By and large I thought Rock Creek was pretty lackluster, tame, and boring.
One year though, after heavy rains, the creek was bank full and water came flowing fast and heavy under the bridge crashing up against that rock bluff making a heck of a loud noise. From within the southeast part of the cemetery looking out and down from the fence, and when the water is up, Rock Creek looks like a good size river flowing by.
OK, this is a wild shot in the dark that maybe some of you can help me figure out. My most memorable fishing spot in Elk.
Here is what I remember about the place from the late 60's early 70's. The place was a special place that we went to catch crappie. It was near Howard and on a paved highway. I think it was near a cemetery. We used to sit on the limestone walls of the bridge and fish in the 25 foot wide creek\stream below. I know that is not much info., but it seems to me that it was a unique special place because of the great crappie fishing. Just a stab in the dark.
David