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dream fishing trip recommendations?

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hammer33

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Oct 26, 2018
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Looking for suggestions.
Here is the scoop. Dad turns 88 this year. Want to take him on a "full service" fishing trip. According to him "My offshore days are over" so marlin/tuna etc are out.
Will need a decent place to stay with meals and guides. Want to bring fish home.

What trips would you recommend for 3-4 days of fishing that included accommodations/meals and the ability to bring a cooler of fish back? Probably limited to the US...
Salmon/walleye/trout/stripers ---- or inshore redfish/trout/flounder? Other??

Thanks!
 
Honestly for freshwater it would be hard to beat RSIMMS and crew. Depending on the time of year, you could do a days bass fishing on one of the hottest bass lakes in the country, you could do a day of catfishing, a day of crappie fishing and a day of drifting for a mixed bag. Plenty of lodging nearby and plenty of food options
 
I've experienced most every type of fishing the states have to offer and many locations abroad.

My pick, without question, is Venice LA. I'd fish at least 3 days and stay with a lodge where they offer flats skiffs and bay boats. Spend a day in the flats skiff sight fishing in the backwater. One day in a bay boat for numbers and size. And one day on the bay boat fishing the nearshore rigs for snapper, cobia and tripletail.

You'll have a full cooler and the food and accommodations are usually fantastic.

2nd pick would be the Florida keys out of Islamorada area fishing the gulf side from florida bay up into the Glades.
 
x2 on the Venice recommendation! Unless you get "weathered" out, you are about guaranteed to catch a bunch of fish that are really good to eat. And, the Cajun food they serve down there is at the top of my list as well.
 
hammer33 said:
Looking for suggestions.
Here is the scoop. Dad turns 88 this year. Want to take him on a "full service" fishing trip. According to him "My offshore days are over" so marlin/tuna etc are out.
Will need a decent place to stay with meals and guides. Want to bring fish home.

What trips would you recommend for 3-4 days of fishing that included accommodations/meals and the ability to bring a cooler of fish back? Probably limited to the US...
Salmon/walleye/trout/stripers ---- or inshore redfish/trout/flounder? Other??

Thanks!
Click to expand...
If he's up to it, I'd say Ontario Canada.
Can fly all the way to Kenora and plenty of resorts on Lake of the Woods.
Get a guide or you'll get lost, trust me😀
I assume you've done most of your fishin in the south so this would be a nice change of pace.
Fresh caught walleye cooked on an open fire in bacon grease is hard to beat.
A 40" pike smackin a spinner bait is heart stopping.
 
We have fished canada and had a great experience. Canada North Lodge. With the crazy vax passports and low possession limits we are going to skip Canada. Going back was our first thought but with all the political nonsense we are going to pass.
Wonder if there is anything comparable in ND, MN, WI ?

Fished Venice several times and it was awesome, I just think it will be a bit to taxing on him and he doesn't want to go offshore to fish the rigs. Delacroix or Hopedale are still on the list and Venice is not out either but we will be staying inside fishing the marsh if we choose that route.

Keys are an option as well. Especially if we try and make the trip happen in the winter months. Yellowtail snapper fishing on the inshore reefs or redfish in the back country.

Any specific lodges or guides anybody could recommend and we will check them out.

We have fished with Rsimms several times and its been great.
 
Grandslam11 said:
Honestly for freshwater it would be hard to beat RSIMMS and crew. Depending on the time of year, you could do a days bass fishing on one of the hottest bass lakes in the country, you could do a day of catfishing, a day of crappie fishing and a day of drifting for a mixed bag. Plenty of lodging nearby and plenty of food options
Click to expand...
I appreciate this a great deal! To load the freezer a catfish trip is the best option, crappie if the timing is right. That said, I was going to also recommend a redfishing trip in Venice, Louisiana. Specifically I'd go with Capt. Brandon Ballay with Venice Outdoors (https://www.veniceoutdoors.com/). A friend/client/fellow TNDeer member recommended Capt. Ballay to me. Now I'd never fish with anyone else down there. I LOVE redfish - catching and eating!
 
hammer33 said:
We have fished canada and had a great experience. Canada North Lodge. With the crazy vax passports and low possession limits we are going to skip Canada. Going back was our first thought but with all the political nonsense we are going to pass.
Wonder if there is anything comparable in ND, MN, WI ?

Fished Venice several times and it was awesome, I just think it will be a bit to taxing on him and he doesn't want to go offshore to fish the rigs. Delacroix or Hopedale are still on the list and Venice is not out either but we will be staying inside fishing the marsh if we choose that route.

Keys are an option as well. Especially if we try and make the trip happen in the winter months. Yellowtail snapper fishing on the inshore reefs or redfish in the back country.

Any specific lodges or guides anybody could recommend and we will check them out.

We have fished with Rsimms several times and its been great.
Click to expand...
Richard Black. If you can get him.

The rigs I'm referring to in Venice are in sight of land and no different than fishing the marsh on a nice day.
 
rsimms said:
I appreciate this a great deal! To load the freezer a catfish trip is the best option, crappie if the timing is right. That said, I was going to also recommend a redfishing trip in Venice, Louisiana. Specifically I'd go with Capt. Brandon Ballay with Venice Outdoors (https://www.veniceoutdoors.com/). A friend/client/fellow TNDeer member recommended Capt. Ballay to me. Now I'd never fish with anyone else down there. I LOVE redfish - catching and eating!
Click to expand...
When the best recommends someone I would pay attention!
 
I would avoid bass fishing. Even if you're on the best lakes with the best guides, they simply don't bite some days.

The Venice trip sounds like it'd be awesome.

I fished for reds in the flats in south Texas this fall, and it was a lot of fun.
 
Pilchard said:
I've experienced most every type of fishing the states have to offer and many locations abroad.

My pick, without question, is Venice LA. I'd fish at least 3 days and stay with a lodge where they offer flats skiffs and bay boats. Spend a day in the flats skiff sight fishing in the backwater. One day in a bay boat for numbers and size. And one day on the bay boat fishing the nearshore rigs for snapper, cobia and tripletail.

You'll have a full cooler and the food and accommodations are usually fantastic.

2nd pick would be the Florida keys out of Islamorada area fishing the gulf side from florida bay up into the Glades.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Venice has it all. Rent a houseboat and your guide will pick you up and drop you off on the back deck.
 
We have fished with Rsimms and his other guides several times. Awesome trips every single time.

We have fished LA several times from Point Aux Chien, Hopedale, Venice Rigs, and even the MRGO.

I have to keep in mind his age and physical ability. Long boat rides are out. Rough water is out. He has flatly told me he doesn't want to go offshore fishing again.

Thanks for all the suggestions !!!
 
Doesn't necessarily fit your description of filling the cooler, but my father and I fished lake St. Clair with Tom Keifer in June 2020 and had a blast. Just smallies we had 67 the first day and 58 the second. Didn't catch any giants, but had several pushing 5lbs.
 
Look at the ads in the outdoor magazines. You will find a sackful of destinations. One can get websites for each one. Good luck. I'm waiting for the weather to get decent for trout fishing. Rain and snow had blown out the streams.
 
@hammer33 if this is a dream trip that I thought may be one of the last BIG trips I would be going on together then id holler at @7mm08. Not only does the fishing look great but the scenery is also. I believe it's the Red Wolf Lodge in Alaska. Just gorgeous area and I'm sure 7mm08 could fill you in on all the details. I spent a few weeks out in Alaska and did quite a bit of fishing and I'm hooked. The weather is great in late summer.
 

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