Conference wahoo::fishing

     "Johnny Roaches" are American Sunfish - the ones with the orange
    belly; not BlueGill sunfish.
    
    --The Skoal Bandit

    Bluegills are different than sunfish as Bandit states. Crappies
    are a species unto themselves (I have heard various other names
    for them as well..ie; calico bass!) All are "Panfish" and if you
    put in the effort to fillet are great eating. Hybred bluegills can
    get in the 2-3lb range and that size crappie (also called papermouth)
    are also common.
        I had never heard kiver,calico bass, or.....hornpout! for another
    one. I found hornpout in Mass. means catfish (different from bullheads
    I assume! Bullheads are brownish in color and do not get near the
    size a nice CAT can which is blackish in color. 
    
                         An interesting subject of discussion!
    
       NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~  
                                
    

    
    I did a lot of fishing in MA when I was young and the 'kiver' was
    just about all I ever caught 
    
    They do put up one HELL of a fight for there size! It is now my
    son's best fish. I small kiver (sunfish) just bends his rod and
    sends his line 'a wirling. He loves it and I love the look on his
    face!
    
    Last year he really wanted to 'cook' a fish he caught. So when he
    got two big ones (oh about 6 inches from head to tip) we cooked
    them up, and yess indeed, they are good tasting.
    
    barry
    
    

    Me, I call dem lunch, less its in de afternoon, den I call dem dinner!!
    
    Coonass

    I have also heard "Johnny Roaches" called "Pumkin seed" I did not
    realize that "Blue Gills were not the same fish. Also thanks for
    the clarification on "Crapie" those are what we called "Calico Bass"
    or "Rock Bass" where I grew up...and I thought "Bullhead" as I know
    them were what fishermen in Ma. call "Hornpout" also ie "Catfish".
    

    Barry,
       I agree, the real joy comes from watching the kids.  My daughter
    just loves to catch sunfish one after another while I am struggling
    to catch old bucketmouth.  We'll have to get together sometime with
    the kids.
                            Bill
    
    p.s  thanks for the flyfishing magazines.
    

    
    
    When I met my husband, he told me he fished and if I wanted to see
    him on weekends I better learn to fish too. Well, he wasn't stupid.
    He brought me to a small pond for my first time that was brimming
    with pumpkinseeds. I must have caught a dozen and had the time of
    my life. He knew what he was doing. I now go fishing with him almost
    all the time. I'm still not quite as avid a fisherman as he is though.
    
    Patty

    re; .5
               Ah, yes...sorry but to further complicate things ROCK
    BASS are also a species unto themselves. They indeed are different
    than Crappies. Darker in color and indeed, they love rocks and the
    holes they provide.......very good eating as well. If you fish salt
    water they look like mini BLACKFISH (or TAUTOG as they are also
    called! ha ha!) minus the teeth!
                                                NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I think those bass are called sea bass and almost black in color.
    They are evry good eating and are caught around the cape and rhody.
    
    Capt. Codfish
    
    (if you want to get into salt water name calling how about Menhaden
    aka. Moss bunker, pogies, shinners...)

    Capt. Codfish..... re: .10
    
                 Funny thing you mention pogies....thats what a buddie
    from New York called em on our last trip out for Cod out of Westport.
    I promptly said "what are pogies?" After he decribed them to me,
    I said "Oh, you mean SCUP!" Ha Ha!
    
                                              NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~

    
    
             I call all of the above BAIT!!!! I catch them and put
             them on a hook with steel leader and a bobber,then
             cast them buggers out and hope a Northern or Muskie
             is around,if so,hold on and get ready to run up and
             down the shoreline!!
    
    
                                       Lindsay "the kiver killer" Allinson

    Yo Linsey,
               speaking of not recommended for the faint hearted......
    an excellent "bait" is the stomach of a sunfish, kiver, pumpkinseed...
    whatever you want to call them.....
               Once on a hook it will STAY on, just like pork rind.
    All fish love it! Yeh, muskie will eat em but thats not how I fish
    for muskie.......

    Porgies are Scup, Pogies are Menhaden.
    
    Capt. Codfish

    Sum local names:
    
    Crappie = sac-a-lait
    Hornpout = channel cat
    Bullhead = mud cat
    striped bass = barfish
    carp = buffalo
    ? = grenel
    ? = spoon-billed cat
    pike = jackfish
    alligator gar = garfish
    
    An Black Bass = Black Bass!! all de times,
    
    Coonass

    Coonass,
    
    Thanks for the information,  but you're dead wrong on a couple of
    those.
    
    A Hornpout is a Bullhead.  Mud Cat is another common name for the
    Flathead catfish in the South.  A Channel Cat is totally different
    then the other two cats.
    
    
    Carp and Buffalo are also two totally different species.
    
    You had ? = spoon -billed cat.  Could this be the Paddlefish?
    
    As for ? = grenel, you have me stumped.  What is a Grenel.
                            
    Please don't take offense to these corrections.  I realize there
    are different names for these fish in every part of the country.
    
    Bill

    Me, I dunno whot a grenel is, cept a grenel. I know dat if chew
    ketch wun chew better use pliars cauz dey will bite chew. Dey got
    teeth dat are sharp an dey look lak a goggle-eye. Dey will tear
    op chore takel too. Habn't cotched many ob dem, dey are purty rare.
    
    Dem spoon-billed cats are most distinct now. Chew kin still find
    dem mounted on fish camp walls.
    
    Somebuddy tol me dat buffalo wuz wut chew call carp, but I nebber
    seen a carp, so I jes dunno.
    
    De mud cats are yellow an brown an de channel cat or blue cat are
    blue an grey. Arnt de hornpout lak de channel cat??
    
    Coonass

    Mud cats I believe are what we call, yellow bellied hornpout.
    Not good tasting, compared to white belly hornpout.
    
    Jim
    

    
    
    How about Sculpins?
              Goose fish.
              Crokers.
              Ling.
              Pogys.
              Tom Cod.
              Whiting.
              
    Fillett of Sole??  Not in the U.S.A.   We have Floun'da.
    
    Any other names??
    
    

    Is a monk fish the same as a goose fish (ie. Big mouth, teeth, ugly
    actually an angler fish)?
    
    Bruce

    
    The Genel he is refering to is a Bowfin , in Fla we called them
    mudfish , they are tough and not worth anything , however they do
    put up quite a fight and will tear up tackle .
    
    Al
    

    Coonass,
             Is it possible Grenel that you refer to are Walleye?? You
    discribed em perfect. Google eyes, sharp teeth, tear up your
    tackle..... If so, you left out one thing, GREAT EATING!
    
                              NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~`

    From Upstate NY;
    
    A Sunfish is a "Sunnie"
    A Bluegill is a Bluegill
    A Crapie is a Rock Bass is a Calico Bass (all the same)
    A Bullhead is great eating (2 lb max) (NOT a Catfish)
    Carp is Carp and don't bring them in the boat! ("Scum Fish")
    I guess we just like to keep things simple!
    
    Don

    Da grenel look lak a bluegill, not long lak a bass. De biggist'un
    I eber saw wuz mebbe 1/2-3/4 pound. Dey fight lak a sumbish so chew
    know wen chew got wun on de line. Dey jerk an dey run sorta at de
    same time. Blue gill jes jerk an go to de bottom, sac-a-lait jes
    run, lak bass. Allegator gar fight an jerk and den jes kinda let
    chew reel dem in until chew try to git dem outta de water, den dey
    break chew line(unless chew shoots dem furst).
    
    Mebbe ole Coonass go to dem liberary an reads op on dem, mosly look
    at dem pictures, an fin out what de rite proper name fo dem is.
    
    Coonass

		<Catfish are for eatin'....and catchin'.>

	I have caught and eaten catfish of a number of varieties since I 
grew up as a youngster in Texas.  I'd rather eat a catfish than almost any
other fish I know.  I was, however, taken by the number of names and 
discriptions given in this file to the various catfish.  In the Winter issue
of Massachusetts Wildlife, there is an excellant article on catfish in Mass.
Some of the highlights are as follows:
	The are five species of the North American catfish in Mass. Only the 
brown bullhead is a genuine native.  The other four species - channel cat, 
white cat, tadpole madtom and the yellow bullhead - have been introduced.
The bullheads are also known as black cats or horned pout. Large channel cats
ranging from 10 to 20 pounds have been taken in the Connecticut River.
	The current state records are: 3# 8oz - bullhead; 9# 3oz - white cat;
and 23# for channel cat.  There are no creel limits or minimum length require-
ments for catfish in Mass.
	The article in Mass. Wildlife has much more information like how
to identify each species; how to clean and cook them; and how to catch them.


	The TEXICAN

Hey, Coonass....

 		     YOU STILL CATCHIN' DEM PIRAHNA ???


Now I know why you got stubby fingers!

    
    	I have a few more...
    
    I only know these fish by one name "White Perch", "Yellow Perch",
    "Dase", "Northern Pike", "Small Mouth Bass", "Rainbow Trout", "Brown
    Trout".
    
    I know these fish by a couple of names "Chain Pickrel" or "Pickrel",
    "Large Mouth Bass" or "Black Bass", "Brook Trout" or "Brookies"
    or "Squaretail", "Lake Trout" or "Touge".
    

    One more type not mentioned, I use to catch them in upstate New
    York, Haven't cuaght one in Mass. yet.   They called them Red Eye
    Bass.  It had Eyes like a walleye but with a red outline, looked
    like a largemouth but slightly shorter and fatter.
    
    They fought like smallies.
    Is there a red eye bass????

    One thing about the hornpout, they got horns comming out on the
    sides and they'll stick ya if you don't hold them correctly. If
    you do get horned, my grandfather used to tell us to rub the 
    wound on the tail of the pout, though I think it had more of a placebo
    effect, than real cure.               
    
    Jim

    re.; .29
                 Rock bass (or black bass) usually have red eyes. I
    have yet to catch one in Mass. I assume their eyes are red because
    they drink like fish.......
                
    I agree, cats (fish) are great eating. The only hassle is pulling
    the shin off with pliers.....but once that business is taken care
    of put em in some egg and corn meal and deep fry those babies and
    you have a feast on your hands!
    
                                           NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Re .?
    Yes, I believe the goose and the monk are the same fish.
    
    Barry
    

    
                 ANOTHER NAME FOR THE POGIE IS "BUTTERFISH"
        
                AND THE BLUES IN OUR AREA LIKE THEIR BLED'N BUTTER.

    re:31
    The technique I use to clean hornpout no pliers are needed. Don't
    ask me to explain it here though its to complicated.
    
    Jim

    
    Hey Bill how are ya,
    
    Wanna go fishing with the kids hu? Well that sounds like and armtwister
    to me :-).
    
    I've got the boat, if she's into it lets do it.
    
    barry

    I have been catching a fish for years now, that I have been calling
    chubs.  The correct name is Mummichog.  Ever hear of them.  They
    are usually found in brackish water, but there are large populations
    in Cobbetts pond in Windham, N.H, where I catch them.  Mummichog
    are quite small (4-5 inches maximum size), and are fantastic bait.
    
    There is one other fish I frequently catch in streams that I have
    no idea what it is.  Possible a dace?  Please help out:  6 inch
    maximum size, dark on top white belly red pectoral and dorsal fin.
    always found with trout in moving water.

    I Find pliars to be no problem.  Just put the 'pout in warm water
    for a minute.  This loosens the skin and makes it a great deal easier
    to peel off (one piece with one pull).
    
    Bill

    Re.;31,34
    A young friend of mine dazzled me with his method of cleaning a
    catfish.  He inserted both thumbs deep into the gill and snapped
    the head off.  This exposed a "Tee" at the top of the backbone.
    He held this "Tee" between his index and middle finger and pulled the
    skin down with his free hand. All the insides dropped out and he
    had two fillets remaining.  I watched him clean about a dozen fish
    this way.  This whole process took less than five seconds to complete
    per fish.
    
    Lou

    re: 38
    That sounds like the way I do them, howerver I don't remove the
    head entirely, it acts like a handle to pull the skin off with.
    Also, before you pull the skin off you have to run a knife down 
    the back and peal a corner of the skin back on each side near
    te head. Failure to follow the correct steps will result in
    the skin tearing, and you'll have to finish the job with pliers.
    
    Also warm water sounds good, I'll try it next time.
    
    Jim

    I used to catch a few "grenel" or bowfin back when I was fishing
    amongst the cypress trees of an old oxbow lake.  Never tried to
    eat one, but they put up a heck of a fight.  It wasn't unusual to
    catch them 3-4 pounds and they would hit the plastic worms we were
    using for Bass.
    
    In Mississippi we called crappie "white perch", and I took a few
    around the 3 pound mark.  Now that was some good eatin'.
    
    For salt water:  In the Florida gulf they catch Cobia (which I believe
    is the proper name).  In Alabama, the same fish is called a "Ling".
    In Miss., the same fish is called a "Lemon Fish".
    
    Mark,
    

    
    I know this may be out of place, but while on the subject of cleaning
    hornpout, I have a decent recipe to share.  
    
    I steam my pout in a tin foil "tent" as follows:
    
    
    Place one pout on a 10-12" piece of tin foil.  Fold the tin foil
    so that the bottom is three layers thick and leave enough foil
    on either side to completely wrap there fish.  
    
    Next comes the goodies - chop up some celery and onion and
    garnish the pout, at salt and pepper and other spices to
    suit your taste.  Then add a few slabs of butter over the
    top of this salad and wrap the fish.  leave enough room
    in the tin foil tent to let the steam build up. and wrap
    the ends tight so the butter won't drip out.
    
    To cook them, I use my gas charcoal grill set on medium
    heat.  Cook for about 10-12 minutes depending on the
    size of the pout.  The fish are done when the meat
    flakes easily off the bone with a fork. 
    
    No greasy frying or pans to clean up.  and the fish keeps
    all of its natural flavor.   Can't wait till warmer waters
    
    The Harbor Master
    

    
    
    re .36
    
    Sounds like a DACE to me.  They do share the same habitat as a trout.
    You will probably only ctch one if you are using bait on the bottom.
    ie, grubs or small worms etc.
    
    

    There is a book called ( The Lure of Sportfishing ) it can 
    be found in most book stores, i got mine in the Merrimac book store
    next to Shaws on 3A. This book covers almost every fresh water and
    salt water fish you have ever sceen or heard of. There are too many
    experts in this note. Dont let them lead you down the garden path
    only to make you look like a jackass in the presents of most folk
    who have the ability to read a book. This book is only about $20.00
    and has mutch more info. than you will ever use in fresh or salt.
    I fish every day, my wife has to bring me home at gun point almost
    every night and it is all because of  "that dam book". I have cought
    three times as many fish as compared to before I read it.
    I have scene all of the Glen lyle tapes and have been a avid reader
    of Field and Stream for 25 years. This book has ansered all of my
    questions.
    
    					Danny Day 
    

    re.44 Yo I'm a nail and board man too. I also like this new break
    the head idea! I'll give it a try.
      
                                         NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~

    Hey Boudreaux,
    
    Wit a bak name lak dat an recipes lak dat chew got a LOT of frans
    were I cum frum!! Chew brought chewsef down to South Loosiana an
    chew find chewsef a gooood time, o yea!!! Deres a lot ob Boudreauxs
    down dere an dey lak to cook an eat all de time..
    
    Coonass

    Re:36
    	I agree with .42 that's what I call a Dace....

    re:44 & 45
    OK, don't misunderstand, you have to cut right behind the head,
    but only enough to break the spine. Perhaps the best way is
    when the weather warms up we can get together for a night of
    pout fishing, then I'll show you how.
    
    Hey Coonass, I got a question. I got a book on the Acadians from
    the library, its called The Acadian Miracle, by Dudley Leblanc,
    He's from Louisiana. In the book he list the names of the Acadian's
    that lived in Acadia before the British sent them into exile. I
    can't find Beazly. I found Boudreau, Leblanc, Richard, and others.
    Are you sure your Cajun ? Beazly dosn't even sound French, never
    mind Acajun.
    
    Jim Richard

    
    Re:43
    
    Danny,
    
    	Thanks for the tip on the book it sounds interesting. I believe
    most of the fishing noters know enough to know they don't know
    everything.The intention of the topic was to have fun and dicuss
    some interesting regional and colloquial names for different
    species.

    I agree, The Lure Of Sportfishing is a great book.  My Wife gave
    it to me for Christmas, and I have learned much from it.
    
    Bill

    re.44
    
    Bob,
    I left out some details.  Actually you insert both thumbs into the
    gill, snap the head away from you, place a thumb into the stomach
    and pull away towards the tail. That cleans the insides. Grab the
    head and the "T" snap the head from the "T" and continue to pull
    the two apart.  When you are done, one-hand holds the "T" and meat
    and the other has the head and skin.  It takes longer to describe
    than to do it.  Personally I would not try this with a larger catfish
    but it sure is quick with the smaller ones.
    
    Lou

I used to fish the Mississippi commercially (Trot line and hoopnetter)
when I was younger so a buffalo fish aint strange to me atal. Here's my 2c 
worth.
            
    We used to call Bowfin (Blowfin) a dogfish (Midwest)..definitely
    not a Grenel as scribed by Coonass (sunfish like). Dogfish are like
    half hornpout and half eel, fight real good, taste real bad!
    
    Carp are yellowish gold/brown colored, Buffalo fish are greyer silver
    colored and have larger scales than carp. Also grow bigger than carp and
    have less bones than carp.

    Sheepshead are freshwater drum.
          
    Mud cats sound to be same as flatheads, they have a flathead (looks like
    someon hammered them..:^). ) and are mottled brown in color. Get
    really big #40-50+ and Eat good.

    Bullhead come in two flavors white and yellow, depending on their
    belly color. Yellows are known in the northeast as hornpout. Whites
    eat good, get up to #3, #4..  Yellows taste muddy when too big.    
    Dont usually get all that big.        

    Fiddler cats are small size channel cats, fiddle with your bait.

    Channel cats are long, lanky and silver colored with a few tiny
    black spots here and there. Get fair sized #10+
    
    Blue cats are like fidder/channel cats but they are literally blue and 
    usually dont have the spots the channel has. Get quite large #20+.
    
                                               Tight lines
    
                                                   Ed                        
    
    
    
    

    Me, I didn say dat I wuz a carrier, I wuz a victim ob Cajun culture!!
    De origional Cajuns did cum frum Canada, but dey wuz habing so much
    fun dat many peoples joined dem on de way. Hell, I know sum
    Fitzgeralds, Rubensteins, O'Briens an Jones dat is as Cajun as dey
    cum. Dey all speaks, cooks an libes Cajun..
    
    Anodder book chew might lak to read bout Cajun Loosiana is Les Acadiens
    d'Asteur(Todays Cajuns) , a bunch ob pictures by Philip Gould, the
    Acadiana Press, Lafayette, LA. De chapters in de book are: J'ai
    ete-z-au bal(Cajun music), Samedi soir et dimanche apres-midi(Saturday
    night an Sunday afternoon), Les courses de campagne(Racing the bush
    track), La peche aux ecrevisses(Crawfishin), Les vacheries
    Acadiennes(Cattle raisin), Les pecheurs de chevrettes(Shrimpin),
    Les recolteurs de riz(Rice farmin), Les peigeurs(Trappin), Pioneers
    offshore(Les plonneirs d'en pleine mer), La roulaison(Harvestin
    sugar cane), La Toussaint(All saints day), Les boucheries de
    famille(Family boucherie), Le courir des Mardi Gras(The Mardi Gras
    Court), Et puis Asteur...(and now...) Its de bes book Ibe seen on
    de Cajun culture, bout festivals, an horse racin, an de voodoo,
    an fishin, an trappin, an cookin, an all de good ting de Cajuns
    do.
    
    Deres only two rules in Cajun country, 1)Hab a good time, an 2)
    don forget rule 1.
    
    Coonass
    

    Merci Beaucoup Coonass,
    			   I hope you wern't taking offense to my
    inquisition, I was just curious, because I belong to the 
    Acadian Cultural Society, and most of the La. Cajuns members have
    names like my family, Leger, Hebert, and Richard. We have that book
    in our Acadian library. One thing don't push the French at me to
    hard, I lost my civilization when my parents didn't teach me to
    speak it.
    
    Back to fishing, and stuff. Justin Wilson use to have a show on
    PBS. He cooked a carp, that looked to me like what we call a
    sucker, only it was bigger than what we have here. Does anyone
    no if the suckers we have hear are the same. The only thing the
    suckers here where good for that I know of,was target practice
    with a bow and fishing arrow.
                   
    Thanks 
    Jim

       Can someone tell me who the author of 'Lures of Sportfishing"
    might be?
                                                   Thanx,
                                                   Denny
    

    
    	suckers most of the suckers i've seen in some brooks that i've
    fished seem to run 10-14" and in schools of 20 or so, i hooked one
    one day while fishing the brook, they put up a good fight but with
    a face only a mother could love.
    
    Carp, I was fishing off a warf on lake quinsig  one sat morning
    it was aout 8' of water and clear and when i looked down there
    was a school of carp so BIG, it wasnt a big school but the carp
    were HUGE, I stand a good 6'4" and they were as long as me, i think
    these would have fit the catergory if killer fish because if i fell
    i think they would have swollowed me without chewing first, I didnt
    even try to hook one of those monsters, it would have taken a surf
    caster to land of of those creatures, well thats enough i'm getting
    flash backs and my knee's are shaking,,,
    
    
    						Ronni

    
    
   YO COONASS,
    We might have to start a seperate note about CAJUNS.
    
    I remember sometime ago hearing about these CAJUNS that would hunt
    turtle.. They would locate these very large/very mean and nasty
    suckers (like BIG snapper types) and then go under the swamp water
    and tug these guys out from under rocks and logs.
    
    What can you tell us about this.  I saw pictures and it looked very
    dangerous to say the least.  also these turtle are becomming very
    rrare due to over harvest
    
    TBDW (who do enjoy dem crawfish...backs and fronts) HOT, HOT, HOT...
    

    Dunno bout "suckers", but buffalo r pink!!
    
    Yep, dey do hunt dem turtles. De sofshell ar used to eat and de
    snappers are used to sell. Dunno bout runnin out ob dem, but since
    dey got no laws in Loosiana, least none dat dey obey, it wudnt suprise
    me. Chew kin ketch all de fish chew wont, hunt all chew wont, an
    dem oil compagnies kin dump all de stuff dey wont to an nobody pays
    any attention as long as dey kin hab a good time, which is all de
    time!!
    
    Sum years ago dey took off de "protection" ob gators an 'spected
    to git a lot ob dem. Suprise!! proples been huntin dem all de time!!
    
    So dey probably will run out ob turtles, but dey find sumptin else.
    
    Coonass

    
    	RE: .54
    
    	  Suckers, are edible in early spring. Once the water temp starts
    	to rise they develop worms and are not good for eating. Myself,
    	I've never eaten one, but then again I don't eat any fish anytime
    	(allergic).
    
    	G_B

    Well,
          I'll fish for anything and have fished carp. It is some great
    fishing. Carp are a tremendous game fish and fight like wild banshies.
    I typically used corn with a weight heavy enough to keep a line
    tight so as to monitor "HITS" by watching my rod tip. They hit light
    and you need to set the hook quick. Even tried eating em once when
    told they were not bad if soaked in vineger first......yuk. Don't
    do it. They can and do get HUGE and there are many CARP fishing
    clubs in many parts of the country. I'm a fan and if you have never
    tried it do it because you are really missing something. That is
    of coarse unless you feel such an ugly crummy tasting fish is below
    you......But it will gain your respect when you tie into one....
    
                   NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Nightcrawller,
    		what ponds in Mass. havev them, I'd like to try.
    
    Thanks in advanced
    Jim

	I'll admit that it's been several years since I've fished
	for Catfish, hornpout, or whatever they are called.  But,
	so far no one has described the catfish my grandfather and
	I use to catch.

	My grandfather had a favorite catfish pond/lake in Roaring
	Spring TX.  We use to catch dozens, at anytime during the
	day or night.  They were a dark green in color.  When my 
	grandparents moved to Blythe, CA. on the Colorado River,  the 
	catfish	we caught there were the same color, maybe a tad 
	lighter, but huge.  They called them Channel Cats.  The only
	other place in New England where I've seen what I call a
	channel cat, I caught out the Concord River about 18 years
	ago, not nearly as big, but it was green in color like all other
	cats I had caught in Tx. and Ca.

	Hey, to me a I call'em all Cats.

	Bryan

	My grandfather use to nail the heads of all catfish he caught
	up on the outside wall of his workshop.  Kinda like seeing a
	barn in Vermont decorated with deer antlers.  
    

    
    reply. concerning where to catch carp!!!
    
    like I mentioned before lake quinsig holds some pretty big monsters
    and you'ld probably need a short surf caster for them guy's. but
    if you deffinatly want to go for carp and hook on to one, there's
    a place in worcester incase your not familiar with the area it green
    hill park the ponds there are loaded with them and atleast once
    a year they have a fishing derby, talk about fightr's i hooked one
    last year and it took almost 45 min to land him, on 4 lb test line
    he would get 15 to 20 feet from shore and turn around and run like
    hell, all in all it was a good time, well time to go.
    
    				Ronni

    re .61 
               YO Jim,
                         Just about any river will certainly have em.
    Also probably most ponds and lakes as well. A previous note mentioned
    that Lake Quinsig has monsters. I used to catch them in the midwest
    and they would go anywhere from several pounds to well over 20 to
    30 pounds. Bottom fish for them with corn. They fight better than
    most game fish.....some bait shops carry a specialty bait for em.
    I think its made in texas... a blood bait of some sort? Look through
    the notes file, I seem to remember a note or two on these crazy
    fish.
                                   Good luck, and fishing on the bottom
    is relaxing with that cold beer in hand waiting for that hit. A
    good way to mix it up and aquire different skills too!
    
                                             NIGHTCRAWLER~~~~~~~~~~~

    Can ennybody hep ole Coonass?? Does anyone know a fish called a
    "muff"?? It mebbe hab another name, an I don know if it are fresh
    or salt water.
    
    Merci beacuop,
    
    Coonass