Feeding Frenzy at Bass Pro Shops

[wolfe]

Well, we spent another Saturday a.m. at Bass Pro Shops! I will definitely have to commit to some more ice fishing now, as Brian picked up an auger. It's a manual one, but a decent model, according to the staff dude. It's called a Lazer. Hope he didn't steer us wrong. I'm clueless.

Also got a couple more ice fishing rods to replace the two that broke recently. Couldn't resist a few small lures (seeing Big-O and Topwater's selections last week, I realized I was using stuff that was too big) and some wax worm / grubs. Heck, we even got an ice scoop.

While watching the amazing fish swim around in that cool tank, we realized the staff was going to feed the fish in 10 minutes. We hung around to see; they apparently only do this a few times a week and we got lucky enough to be there. It was so cool to watch. They first dumped in some kind of chunky, square pellet that broke down real quickly. The fish got super agitated and obviously knew it was feeding time at the zoo! Then the guy released assorted sizes of minnows -- lots of them. The fish went WILD! A pike in the tank swam down a minnow, grabbed it and proceeded to bang face first into the glass right above our heads. The one musky in the tank ran its prey right up to the surface of the water where it made such a big splash that Ty, Shane and I got wet. I was really impressed with the speed of the trout. They were like quicksilver. (FF, there was a gorgeous, fat brown trout in there, with the bright orange belly like yours had.) These minnows didn't have a chance. Even the bluegills and crappie were sucking down sizes I wouldn't have thought possible. It was an experience to watch, like nothing I've seen before -- and literally right in front of our eyes. The kids were amazed, but in typical Tyler fashion, he was rooting for the minnows. Several fish were swimming around with minnows hanging partially out of their mouths. The largemouth in there were unbelievable, one in particular that had a gut I couldn't believe.

Anyway, it was fun and if ever you are planning to visit a BPS, try to find out if they're feeding the fish that day and try to see it. It's amazing.

W.

[DV_8]

Hi Wolfe,

Well my son and I didn't catch anything at the fishing derby today but had a great time anyway even though it was pretty cold with the wind. I saw WIG catch a few walleye while I was fishing near him lucky guy Which BPS did you go to? My family and I are going to Florida for two weeks in March and I was planning on spending a day at the BPS in Auburn, New York on the way back from Florida. Do you think the whole family would enjoy the store? I can't wait to go myself....I have a list made up already and keep adding to it as time goes by. Hope I don't run out of money when I get there, I hear you can go nuts in that place. My sons are 13 and 16. They like fishing but aren't crazy about it as I am. Is there other stuff there than fishing and hunting? Thx. TTYL

[wolfe]

DV_8,

I wonder if you're still awake as I reply to your post...?!

Glad you had a fun day out, and kudos for making it in the first place...even if you didn't catch anything. It's good to just be outside in the fresh, albeit cold, air.

Yes, the BPS location I patronize is the Auburn store. It's only about 35 minutes from my house. I think your kids would still get a bang out of the store. There's just so much eye candy, you know what I mean? The tank alone is really impressive with many species of freshwater fish, some quite sizeable. (Again, if you get lucky enough to time it right and get to see a feeding, I assure you, your boys will think it's COOL.) There are mounts all over the place, even hanging from the ceiling (geese) and murals, outdoor displays, etc. It is obviously geared towards fishing and hunting, but there is a fabulous display of boats right in the store, as well as out in the lot. My kids love look'g at those...as well as the ATV's. (Hubby drifts towards those nice Merc engines...!) Also there's, a gift, book & home section, clothes, camping, etc. I enjoy going and until lately was able to go in and not spend too much. Since the holidays, though, I've been getting naughty and dropping some bucks there! It's just a fun place to spend a couple of hours browsing through...

Let me know if you need any info on things to do while passing through the area...if you're spending a night over, etc.

Take care,

W.

[ganman]

Wolfe,

You talked about the speed of the brown trout..... One of my biggest thrills in fishing is to skate a weightless bucktail streamer or big dry fly over bouldery slicks on those tumbling Adirondack rivers up near Saranac or Lake Placid. With the fly skating against the current faster than any buzzbait those browns literally launch themselves at the fly. The thrill from a 20 inch brown is easily the equal to a 5lb smallie, largemouth or even a muskie. The precision and speed of the attack is awesome! Most people think stream browns are picky and that is often true, but sometimes......WOW! The stories I can tell.

[wolfe]

hi ganman,

I look forward to the years ahead when I can explore different styles of fishing for new fish species. As my kids get older and more flexible, I plan on learning more about fishing streams for trout. Saw an old time fly fisherman on TV this morning, one of the best supposedly, Joe Humphrey. He called this kind of fishing a "romance" ...and I can see the attraction of it.

But yeah...those trout, rainbows included, seemed the fastest in the tank, hands (fins) down!

W.

[Wall-I-Guy]

Sounds like feeding time would be incredible to watch I wonder if they do it that way in Toronto too

[RJ]

We were lucky enough to be at the Auburn store when they had that going on.....

That big rainbow trout is by far the most agressive in the tank.....

Great to see!

RJ

[wolfe]

We were lucky enough to be at the Auburn store when they had that going on.....

That big rainbow trout is by far the most agressive in the tank.....

RJ

RJ, I agree 100%. The big brown was also a rocket. And I thought it was pretty funny to see the pike and musky fly over to the feeding site as soon as the 1st pellet hit the water. It was almost like you could see them thinking: DINNNNNNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

W.

[Up 'Em]

Hi Wolfe,

I have really learned a lot watching those fish. I wish I had seen the feeding frenzy.

I am amazed each time I watch them to see the largest fish touring around in groups just below the surface and the smaller fish floating deathly still in little cubbies and holes. Hours go by and they barely move at all. It is just so remarkable to watch how they behave. You can really learn a lot from it.

T.