Fishing for Everything that Swims

When asked what I like to fish for or the fish species I write about, my normal answer is that I fish for everything that swims. I suppose that's not technically accurate. Dogs and grasshoppers sometimes swim. Still, I truly am an all-species angler, and I enjoy variety not only in the sizes and shapes of the fish that I catch but in the settings, the gear and the techniques used.

Ice-fisherman? Yep. Fly-fisherman? Yep. Worm drowner? Occasionally. Bass fisherman? Yep. River rat? As often as possible. Catman? Absolutely. This list could go on and on, and the answers would remain similar. I don't do a lot of big-water salt, but that has as much to do with opportunities and writing markets as anything else. I certainly enjoy a day on a big boat, the chance catch something huge and the ever-present uncertainty about what might take the bait next.

I do prefer to have a rod in my hand, when possible, and I favor fishing situations where I'm figuring out what I want to fish with and where I want to cast. That said, I've enjoyed some wonderfully fun days on the water with guides where my part in the process honestly has been that of battling fish to the boat after they bit.

A fondness for variety adds to my excitement about next week's travels to Crawford and Mercer counties in Western Pennsylvania. I'll fish three lakes in three days, and each is quite different in its offerings, the ways anglers approach it and the species it is likely to yield. Likely catches include black and white crappie, walleyes, bluegills and smallmouth bass. However, largemouths, channel cats and various sunfish are just some of the other species that could end up at the end of my line.

Keep and eye on the blog and my Jeff Samsel Fishing facebook page. I have high hopes of posting good photos and having fun stories to tell, with plenty of nice variety in the mix.