Dave Tackett Fishing

Dave Tackett Fishing Fishing cartoons, wildlife photography, walleye fishing, bass fishing

RIP Don. We had a lot of nice talks out there on the river will miss seeing you.
09/01/2026

RIP Don. We had a lot of nice talks out there on the river will miss seeing you.

Large male Otter swimming up river:
08/29/2026

Large male Otter swimming up river:

If you looked in my freezers you wouldn't find any fish. I quit keeping fish more than 20 years ago. Other guys I know, ...
08/06/2026

If you looked in my freezers you wouldn't find any fish. I quit keeping fish more than 20 years ago. Other guys I know, you'll find their freezers full.

I go out to enjoy the river, the wildlife and maybe catching a few fish that I throw back. If I do find fish, I don't need to catch them all, I may catch a few and then leave. Or I may find fish and not fish there next time I go, letting the fish feed so that spot will be good again, where of you constantly pressure a spot, the fish will find better places to find food without hooks in it and the spot will die permanently.

Most guys around the Mississippi River and the Rock River chase after hot bites or return to where they caught fish the year before, keeping an eye out for boats to follow and wipe out those spots. They keep everything they can, having fish fry parties to make room for more fish in their freezers.

They have look outs, guys who hit all the boat ramps to see how many boats are there and who is out. they hit bait shops to see if anyone was left any fishing secrets. They go over bridges looking. They sit at look outs using strong spotting scopes. They have sneak boats, sneak pontoons for on the water spying. They have fancy electronics to pin point fish where they saw someone earlier fishing, they know all the tricks.

A guy going out without being part of hot bite chase groups, is what these guys depend on because once they hammer spots and wipe the fish out, fish may not replenish the ones wiped out, so they are always on the lookout for some fool to find them a new spot to wipe out.

Raccoon looking fishing for aquatic life along the Rock River:
07/31/2026

Raccoon looking fishing for aquatic life along the Rock River:

07/26/2026

testing

Male Juvenile Kingfisher with a Mudcat and a female was checking it out:
07/26/2026

Male Juvenile Kingfisher with a Mudcat and a female was checking it out:

07/22/2026

I didn't see much this morning on the river.

I used to go fishing and when things were slow, I went around getting photos. I enjoyed that so much I switched and went...
07/22/2026

I used to go fishing and when things were slow, I went around getting photos. I enjoyed that so much I switched and went to going out to get photos, and if I wasn't seeing much, I went fishing.

Lake Erie 1997 - This was a 10 day trip. It started out windy and slow fishing. The main ramp was closed for repairs so ...
07/10/2026

Lake Erie 1997 - This was a 10 day trip. It started out windy and slow fishing. The main ramp was closed for repairs so I had to launch 7 miles away, 7 long miles in rough water.

The first day I did get one big fish after running 15 miles in rough water. I fished all over and couldn't get much found. The next day I found school of keeper size Walleye and caught 20. After that I had to just try to keep with the fish, who were on the move, working their way to the main lake.

On the last day I was tired. I found some bigger fish, but hooked a big drum and lost my hot crankbait. I ran back to Massies cottages and he had some. Back out and the wind picked up and my back couldn't tase it anymore after 10 days of fishing, I need a break. I headed back to the cabin and rested up.

A few hours later the guys in the next cabin over had a bunch of big fish. They were all dunked up and gladly told me where they caught them, which was where I was fishing that morning.

So I jumped in the boat and headed back out. I was trolling spinner rigs in 30' while using clip-on sinkers. A ship was headed my way and I was in the channel. When it got close, a mile away maybe, I started to troll out of the way and all the sudden the depth went from 30 to 18 feet!

Both rods bent over, they were snagged. I stopped, turned around and started trying to retrieve them. I got one and it had a 9 pound Walleye on it! I got that in an grabbed the other rod and started reeling it in and it too had a Walleye on and it was over 11 pounds! It was 33.5" long.

I kept that Walleye to mount. After I got the fish put away the sun was setting a brilliant orange with a ship in the back ground. It was a joyes ride back and the looks on the faces of those guys faces was priceless.

Fishing Cartoon Wife
07/05/2026

Fishing Cartoon Wife

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