Weird Fishing Techniques

[John Waldman]

As an American fisherman and writer, last year I asked users of this website for help finding truly weird ways of catching fish for a book I was working on. This is to thank those who replied and to let anyone interested know that 100 Weird Ways to Catch Fish has been published in paperback by Stackpole Books.

As a long-time angler, I became interested in the many interesting, innovative, and oftentimes downright weird ways of outwitting fish. Some of these are ancient and primitive, such as poisoning, foot fishing, shark noosing, and the suprisingly gentle art of "tickling" trout. Some are old but sophisticated, like fishing with the aid of cormorants and otters. Others are modern but primitive, nonetheless, such as "noodling"---the grabbing by hand-in-mouth of large catfish after feeling for them in muddy waters, or calling them towards baited hooks with noises made by "klonking." Yet others are modern and highly technical, such as gas ballooning for tuna off seaside cliffs and poaching fish with homemade electrical shockers.

The 100 essays in the book mix fact, lore, and anecdotes describing the great lengths to which fishermen are willing to go to extract these relatively dimwitted yet challenging creatures from lakes, rivers, and the sea. On the book’s cover, a retired school bus driver in Washington rigged a giant slingshot to the side of an ancient Volkswagen Beetle. By rearing back about twenty feet on the rubber sling, he could fire his railroad spike sinker and bait well out into the Columbia River to catch sturgeon.

For those who are interested, the book is available via internet booksellers, such as Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. Thanks again, and tight (taut?) lines.

 

P.S. Because there is no general fishing forum I also posted this on the coarse fishing page.

[Sharkbyte]

Here in the Thames estuary we go Cod Tickling. Its just as productive as using a rod and you don't need to waste any money on bait.

 

 

Forget the bit below, I've made an exception with this post.

[maidstonemike]

When we had flounders in our estuary, they could be caught by ' griping'. Pushing your hands down in the mud untill you felt one.

[Sharkbyte]

I remember doing the same as a kid and coming home with 2 dozen sole like creatures.

 

I was really upset when my parents told me panty pads don't make good eating.

 

....and this one.