Fish Camp

Can you think of anyplace else you would like to be as much as fish camp??

I like to hear about other peoples fish camp. So I would like to tell you about ours. Then I am looking forward to reading about yours.

We fish a small lake here in Central West Virginia called Sutton Lake. It is really a nice lake that is really secluded. Very little so called "improvements" on the lake. You can run for miles and see nothing but the mountains, black bears, deer, and lots of great Crappie water.

We as a group have been fishing there since the early 70's. We have had as many as 50 fisherman at one time in camp. With the kids and wives and such. Just an overall family oriented camping situation.

There is always at least 10 to 12 people in camp. Some guys stay there for as much as 60 days in a row.

We all fish as a group. We share everything. That includes bait, gas, food, and whatever else any one individual may need. Then we all sit around the campfire at night and talk about the day, and whatever else.

We all go the ramp and put in and normally all take out at the same time. The youngins help us oldins with launching, and whatever someone may need. Several of us are handicapped, but that is no big deal to our group.

I hope everyone has an opportunity to fish like this in their lifetime.

One day I watched my buddies two little girls accidently knock the whole bucket of minners into the lake. It wasn't five minutes before two boats were over there making sure the kids had more minners. I gave them my whole bucket. Heck I can fish with jigs and tubes, or not even fish at all and just enjoy watching the kids catch fish. Man I enjoy watching the kids catch a mess of Crappie. Those two little girls are also pretty good fisherman!!

Also one of the most fun things is to watch the generations grow up. I can remember alot of the guys who have their kids with them fishing when they were just kids. Now we have to teach another generation how to catch fish. What a great problem to have!!

How about your camp?? Tom.

Enjoyed your post! I wished every fisherman out there had your outlook on enjoying the outdoors and fellowship! We sometimes get a little too serious and forget to stop and smell the roses along the way! Thanks and God Bless You

We used to go down to my cousin's place in Kentucky. He had a pole building with a screen porch on it and a barrel stove. One yellow light on the porch and two of them inside. All powered by a surplus military generator that weighed 14 million pounds. Unloading that beast from the truck and loading it back up were the two worst days of the year.

Pit toilet, and a fancy shower with a 100 gallon stock tank set on a platform made from railroad ties. Always filled the tank in the evening so the water would be warm the next afternoon if you wanted a shower. Drinking water all hauled in with you.

Many folks would show up with an air mattress or cot and a sleeping bag and set up on the screen porch at night. A few brought a tent and even a couple of fancy RVs. Sometimes there might be 30 people there, and sometimes only 4 or 5 of us. Usually somebody was there most every day from March to deer season.

One 20ft table across the end of the building was the kitchen. Sometimes there might be 5 Coleman stoves going on it and a dozen coolers under it. About a half dozen round tables and several metal lawn chairs painted about a half-dozen faded colors. Fly strips and chains hanging down all over the ceiling for Coleman lanterns when more light was needed for the full-contact Pinochle games or in the evening when the generator was off.

Boats ranged from canoes to banged up tin boats to bass boats. The trailer boats were launched by backing right into the lake. Ramps were for sissies. Might take an extra truck to pull the boat out.

There were at least 2 or 3 trot-lines out somewhere, and catfish was on the menu several times a week.

I thought I was big stuff when I could drive and got to go to town and make the ice run.

Good times!

I enjoy the all fish camps the we attend. Brenda and I have met a lot of nice folks. My favorite of all times were the TEEZUR Jigs tournament get togethers hosted by Richard Williams.

Sounds like great times to me. I don't have anything like those going on now but did as a kid. My parents owned the local campground on Lawrence creek ( tributary of the Ohio river ) and it was usually filled with campers & tents all thru the spring, summer & fall. They sold bait & fishing supplies, rented johnboats, and had plenty of dockspace with a small concrete ramp. 2 shelter houses & the baitshop itself. It was really a great place to grow up & the fishing was quite good back then. It's still there now but privately owned by someone else, I still go up sometimes being it's a 1/4 mile from my house. But not the same anymore. Makes for great memories. Wish I could do it all again.

Great stories so far.

My local Boy Scout council has a camp in the Canadian Boundry waters. Camp holds 40 people, plus camp rangers. Camp is located on an island in a private cove on a private lake way off the main drag. Nearest neighbor is next lake over, nearest gas station only has boat docks, bait, groceries, and a resturant. We took 30 youth and 10 adults for a week of fishing and boating. Had a great time, and I got to spend some real quality time with my youngest son for a change. Just me and him most of the week.