Simple Fishing with the Shakespeare Wonderpole / Durango

The little fish were as easy as little fish ever get, they’re expert at robbing hooks of bait but when you do hook them they just pop out of the water. The larger fish tested the rig a bit better, and I was impressed by the way the Durango responded to an 18-inch carp. Carp fight like hell and would be as popular as salmon if there was anything appealing about them in culinary terms. I only missed having a fishing reel a little bit, when I was playing with the carp.

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Fishing for Snakeheads — Frankenfish and Fries, Please

What a shame that people think of new and unusual creatures as revolting things to be killed and thrown aside as dangerous garbage. Snakeheads are delicious, one of the best fish found in Asia in terms of texture and flavor. They aren’t greasy or sticky or disgusting, any more than a bass is before you fry it.

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Frog and Fish Spears, and Trail Spears — Old Tools That Make Sense

Most frog and fish spears are cheap trident spears made with prongs that bend rather than break when you hit something unexpected. People unfamiliar with the craft complain about that, but something that takes this much abuse shouldn’t be expensive. You can sometimes bend the cheap Made-in-China gigs straight again with no tools other than your fingers, or pound them back into shape with a couple of rocks.

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