Krissa and I are going camping on Columbus Day weekend. The weekend coincides with my 26th birthday.
Up in Massachusetts, in Savoy Mountain Park, there are two ponds...well, I've seen the maps, and if those are ponds then I think the same misperception of scale which applies to American food portions might be in play with regard to bodies of water, but whatever they are, there are two of them; North "Pond" and South "Pond".
North "Pond" contains trout.
South "Pond" contains yellow perch and bass.
The largest yellow perch caught in Mass. weighed 2lb 12oz.
Now...I've caught bigger.
Fishing for yellow perch effectively involves the style and technique of fishing that I'm used to - I know how to adjust the length of the trace for different feeding times and temperatures, how to identify swims and have a vague idea of how to read and interpret fishsign, to about the same level of skill that I have a vague idea of how to read and interpret mandarin chinese.
(That ripple was a fish, and that symbol means something, respectively)
So; do I read up on and try out a completely different style of fishing, and if so, do I try fly-fishing for trout, or whatever-you-do type fishing for bass?
Does anyone have experience of fly-fishing or fishing for bass? How easy are they to pick up? How do you fish for bass?
Go with what you know this time and go for the other fish next time. That way this time you'll enjoy it because you know what you're doing and next time you will know they lay of the land (water) to try something new.
Who said we were going more than once?
If you enjoy it and you like fishing, surely?
Well, this is in a park in Massachusetts, about five hours' drive from New York. We don't have a car and you can't fly-fish in Central Park.
Okay, Stuart, I was upset enough over at K's blog with the news that the two of you would be scampering around where bears also scamper. I am now simply flabbergasted by the sheer amount of things in this world I don't know. I mean, for me to understand the kinds of things you know about how to catch fish, they would have to attach themselves to the line already gutted, cooked, and accompanied by a lovely sauce verte. You guys ASTOUND me with your amazing abilities!
Do not hang the big fish where the bears will get a look at them!
Random lady fly-fisher here. Fly-fishing is a lovely sport, and yes you can fly-fish for bass but trout would be better. Still, I'd recommend not having a go at the fly-fishing this time around. If you are anything like me and do not have the patience of a buddhist monk, then you will need a very calm and considerate teacher to educate you on why it is fun to fly fish, since guaranteed you won't catch anything but a tree your first go at it. If you want to try it anyways, find a good guide up by the park by stopping in any local fly shop and asking for a recommendation.
Also, it might be too cold up in MA in October to catch trout. I dunno.
You can catch bass with a spinning rod too. Or live/once-upon-a-time-live bait.
Have fun!