Fall is definitely in the air these days as I headed to the lake the air temperature was a balmy 42 degrees. There was no wind to speak of and at this time of year the boat landing was very quiet with only one trailer there at 7:30 in the morning.
After launching the boat I checked the water temperature and current readings are in the mid to upper 60’s all ready. The temps are dropping fast as it wasn’t long ago that we were in the upper 70’s, but fall is definitely in the air and here and this will start to trigger the fish into their fall feeding frenzy.
This particular lake I always start out in the middle as there is an underwater island that has a sharp break off the opposite side. Fished all over the deeper break side with a jig and Carolina rigged plastics bait and couldn’t find or get a bite what so ever.
Since the wind still hadn’t started up yet, decided to go and fish the way that the lake seems to produce some fish on a regular basis, topwater frog action. There is a good portion of the lake that has numerous lily pad fields along its shorelines. Didn’t take long and the waters were exploding around my frog but they were missing the bait and I was missing them. A couple of them were some very decent looking sized fish.
As I progressed to a back corner, I finally connected with a 14 inch largemouth bass and it gave up a good fight. At this point the winds were starting to pick up a little and it was enough that any bite that I had going, virtually disappeared. Went around a good portion of the lake and could only muster up one more explosion and missed that one as well.
Switched gears on baits at this point and started throwing a spinnerbait, 4 inch plastic worm and a jig into shoreline grass and wood. Wasn’t able to entice any bites that way either. Decided before heading home to go back to the middle of the lake and fish the deep break side of the sunken island with a dropshot.
Milled around the area for quite some time and watching the electronics very closely and seen fish on the screen but either they were panfish or non-aggressive bass. Even though there wasn’t much for fish caught, is was a beautiful September morning to be out on the lake and look forward to the next few outings as the fishing will start to pick up as the nights get cooler.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Fishing September 2-5 2011
Labor Day weekend for some means that summer is over and with school starting, summer activities are done and fall things are on one’s mind. But for the angler, fall brings new life for fishing as the fish are going to start feeding for the long winter ahead.
Being this was a camping weekend, wasn’t able to bring the boat along and fishing was contained to fishing out of the kayaks. Conditions this weekend weren’t too bad for kayak fishing as we had fairly calm winds but considerable heat and humidity. Waters are definitely starting to cool down but retained some heat for the majority of this weekend.
Since fishing out of kayaks limits you to what you can bring along, I generally fish the jig/pig through different types of cover. The weather was so nice that the main lake was very busy so fishing out of a kayak is kind of hazardous to say the least. So this contained me to the cove that the campground is on.
So the majority of this cove is roughly 8 feet deep and there are patches of weeds with clear areas around them. By working the jig through and around these weeds, I am putting the bait in front of the fish and this seems to work very well in a couple of particular areas.
Seems like the last few times out there, I am catching fish always in the same general areas so whatever they are attracted to there, it is consistently holding fish. I lost more fish than was caught but the ones caught were in the 2 pound range. Didn’t find any monsters but for the short time out there, was a productive trip.
Being this was a camping weekend, wasn’t able to bring the boat along and fishing was contained to fishing out of the kayaks. Conditions this weekend weren’t too bad for kayak fishing as we had fairly calm winds but considerable heat and humidity. Waters are definitely starting to cool down but retained some heat for the majority of this weekend.
Since fishing out of kayaks limits you to what you can bring along, I generally fish the jig/pig through different types of cover. The weather was so nice that the main lake was very busy so fishing out of a kayak is kind of hazardous to say the least. So this contained me to the cove that the campground is on.
So the majority of this cove is roughly 8 feet deep and there are patches of weeds with clear areas around them. By working the jig through and around these weeds, I am putting the bait in front of the fish and this seems to work very well in a couple of particular areas.
Seems like the last few times out there, I am catching fish always in the same general areas so whatever they are attracted to there, it is consistently holding fish. I lost more fish than was caught but the ones caught were in the 2 pound range. Didn’t find any monsters but for the short time out there, was a productive trip.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Fishing Report August 27 2011
With the big news of Hurricane Irene going to hit New England later this weekend, I made a run up to New Hampshire to do a little pre storm fishing. Weather was beautiful, the calm before the storm, no wind, very hot and humid conditions.
There were a number of anglers out on the water but one nice thing was that the pleasure boaters were in the process of pulling their boats so the anglers had the lake to themselves. The morning started very nicely as my son and I was fishing and he was catching sunfish and my jig pattern was picking up right where it left off.
After a while of fishing he wanted to go do something else so dropped him off at the dock and I headed out to deeper water. There was panfish surfacing all over the lake and the fishing was getting better as the morning was going along.
Seemed that no matter where I stopped to fish, the fish were there and ready to bite and they were hitting basically anything that you threw out there. I was only able to fish a few areas as the fish that were there kept me there wanting to catch more.
They were biting on crankbaits, jigs, Carolina rigged plastics and small plastic worms. Did try some topwater but couldn’t seem to get any fish to go after that so didn’t pursue that too long. Had one location that was producing numbers of fish before I had to leave. This was a main lake point and was fishing in 15-20 feet of water and there was some good weed growth there as well.
Went out for a little while in the afternoon and the wind was starting to pick up a little but the fishing definitely was dying off as well. Did catch the largest fish of the day just before leaving and was fishing a jig in the weeds in 10 feet of water out in the middle of a cove. This was one of those days that you wish that you could stay out there and capitalize on, but with a major storm brewing, it was time to head home.
There were a number of anglers out on the water but one nice thing was that the pleasure boaters were in the process of pulling their boats so the anglers had the lake to themselves. The morning started very nicely as my son and I was fishing and he was catching sunfish and my jig pattern was picking up right where it left off.
After a while of fishing he wanted to go do something else so dropped him off at the dock and I headed out to deeper water. There was panfish surfacing all over the lake and the fishing was getting better as the morning was going along.
Seemed that no matter where I stopped to fish, the fish were there and ready to bite and they were hitting basically anything that you threw out there. I was only able to fish a few areas as the fish that were there kept me there wanting to catch more.
They were biting on crankbaits, jigs, Carolina rigged plastics and small plastic worms. Did try some topwater but couldn’t seem to get any fish to go after that so didn’t pursue that too long. Had one location that was producing numbers of fish before I had to leave. This was a main lake point and was fishing in 15-20 feet of water and there was some good weed growth there as well.
Went out for a little while in the afternoon and the wind was starting to pick up a little but the fishing definitely was dying off as well. Did catch the largest fish of the day just before leaving and was fishing a jig in the weeds in 10 feet of water out in the middle of a cove. This was one of those days that you wish that you could stay out there and capitalize on, but with a major storm brewing, it was time to head home.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Fishing Report August 24 2011
I usually never get out fishing during the week but a fellow coworker has been fishing a local pond and been catching some nice fish so we made a plan to hit the water after work. Upon arriving at the lake, the water quality is very apparent as it is crystal clear and clean looking.
This is an either paddle or electric motor only lake and makes for a body of water that doesn’t receive high pressure as easy accessed lakes do. There was only one boat out this afternoon but the winds were blowing very hard so hugging the shorelines and back coves was the plan for not getting blown all over the lake.
We went right for the first island and worked our way around it and wasn’t 10 minutes I felt the tap on the jig I was fishing and the first fish of the trip was on. This 3.5 pound largemouth gave a great fight and was caught away from the island in 4-5 feet of water. Now that our excitement had been peaked, we were pumped for the rest of our trip.
As we were going along we were fishing different looking shorelines and I was switching between the jig and a plastic worm. We went over a submerged tree and I could see a huge bass lying underneath it in the clear water but when the corner of the boat came to close it disappeared. I was able to get an average sized bass out of the weeds on the plastic worm.
We get to the back corner of this cove and it was a perfect scenario, timber, pads, weeds and shade and you couldn’t find a better looking place. My partner said that this spot usually gives up a good fish and on that cast I had set into a bass almost as big as my first fish. Two good fish and now I am really pumped and want more.
The wind is starting to blow a lot harder and it is swirling all around no matter where you are fishing and boat control was a little tough. We worked our way all the way to the end of the lake and I picked up another small fish off of a log sticking out of the water on the plastic worm.
We wanted to go to the other side of the lake but when we tried the wind had another story for us so we turned back from where we came from and worked everything again. So on this trip back through the same areas, my plan was to fish the jig but instead of fishing the shoreline I made all of my casts out into deeper water and see if I could find any cruising deep water fish.
This had paid off as I was able to pick up two more fish with another that was a little less than 2 pounds. As the evening was winding down, my partner had a rough outing as he wasn’t able to connect with any fish but we definitely had a great time out there. I am already looking forward to making another trip out there soon and see if we can find some bigger fish.
There are a number of these town ponds that they allow you to put cartop boats into and the fish that swim in these waters are generally unpressured and grow to some very nice sizes. So if you have some of the waters around you, if the town allows it, try fishing them and you may be pleasantly surprised.
This is an either paddle or electric motor only lake and makes for a body of water that doesn’t receive high pressure as easy accessed lakes do. There was only one boat out this afternoon but the winds were blowing very hard so hugging the shorelines and back coves was the plan for not getting blown all over the lake.
We went right for the first island and worked our way around it and wasn’t 10 minutes I felt the tap on the jig I was fishing and the first fish of the trip was on. This 3.5 pound largemouth gave a great fight and was caught away from the island in 4-5 feet of water. Now that our excitement had been peaked, we were pumped for the rest of our trip.
As we were going along we were fishing different looking shorelines and I was switching between the jig and a plastic worm. We went over a submerged tree and I could see a huge bass lying underneath it in the clear water but when the corner of the boat came to close it disappeared. I was able to get an average sized bass out of the weeds on the plastic worm.
We get to the back corner of this cove and it was a perfect scenario, timber, pads, weeds and shade and you couldn’t find a better looking place. My partner said that this spot usually gives up a good fish and on that cast I had set into a bass almost as big as my first fish. Two good fish and now I am really pumped and want more.
The wind is starting to blow a lot harder and it is swirling all around no matter where you are fishing and boat control was a little tough. We worked our way all the way to the end of the lake and I picked up another small fish off of a log sticking out of the water on the plastic worm.
We wanted to go to the other side of the lake but when we tried the wind had another story for us so we turned back from where we came from and worked everything again. So on this trip back through the same areas, my plan was to fish the jig but instead of fishing the shoreline I made all of my casts out into deeper water and see if I could find any cruising deep water fish.
This had paid off as I was able to pick up two more fish with another that was a little less than 2 pounds. As the evening was winding down, my partner had a rough outing as he wasn’t able to connect with any fish but we definitely had a great time out there. I am already looking forward to making another trip out there soon and see if we can find some bigger fish.
There are a number of these town ponds that they allow you to put cartop boats into and the fish that swim in these waters are generally unpressured and grow to some very nice sizes. So if you have some of the waters around you, if the town allows it, try fishing them and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Fishing Report August 21 2011
This summer it has been tough finding time to get out fishing and this will have to definitely change once the ice season comes this winter. Went to a lake that I fish regularly and this was the first time out there this year. Normally numbers are not the catch but there is usually always a good fish or two in the fish caught for the day.
The lake has been getting a lot of pressure this summer from a number of bass clubs fishing their tournaments out there. This weekend for a change didn’t have any and the lake was fairly quiet when I had arrived. Calm conditions, cloudy with breaks of sun, cool when the sun wasn’t out but hot when it did come out. Water temps were in the mid 70’s and water color is pea green at the present time.
Normally I like fishing the milfoil patches but looks like there is a more stringy grass growing in the lake this year. I started in a creek mouth that has a large flat out in front and after working around from the weed edge to up on top, only was able to catch a very small lagermouth bass.
I went to another cove and fan casted the crankbait around in some deeper water but wasn’t able to locate any fish there either. I did pull a decent largemouth, biggest of the day, off of a point in the weeds on a Carolina rig. I moved to a back shallow cove with lily pads and fan casted a topwater frog and the waters there looked very good but came up empty handed.
The wind was picking up at this point and I had followed a shoreline casting a crankbait only to catch a couple of small bass. At this point I was seeing that the shallow bite was not going to come around and found a deep sunken island in the middle of the lake but got the same results.
At this point I figured that I might as well call it a day and headed off the lake by noon time. It was very nice to get out on the lake once again and wet a line after so long. Was hoping to get into a couple of decent fish but just couldn’t locate them on this trip. Wednesday I will be heading out onto a local reservoir with a fellow from work that has been catching some very nice largemouth this summer. Weekend coming will be heading to New Hampshire for a day or so and hopefully the coming hurricane allows for a full day of fishing.
The lake has been getting a lot of pressure this summer from a number of bass clubs fishing their tournaments out there. This weekend for a change didn’t have any and the lake was fairly quiet when I had arrived. Calm conditions, cloudy with breaks of sun, cool when the sun wasn’t out but hot when it did come out. Water temps were in the mid 70’s and water color is pea green at the present time.
Normally I like fishing the milfoil patches but looks like there is a more stringy grass growing in the lake this year. I started in a creek mouth that has a large flat out in front and after working around from the weed edge to up on top, only was able to catch a very small lagermouth bass.
I went to another cove and fan casted the crankbait around in some deeper water but wasn’t able to locate any fish there either. I did pull a decent largemouth, biggest of the day, off of a point in the weeds on a Carolina rig. I moved to a back shallow cove with lily pads and fan casted a topwater frog and the waters there looked very good but came up empty handed.
The wind was picking up at this point and I had followed a shoreline casting a crankbait only to catch a couple of small bass. At this point I was seeing that the shallow bite was not going to come around and found a deep sunken island in the middle of the lake but got the same results.
At this point I figured that I might as well call it a day and headed off the lake by noon time. It was very nice to get out on the lake once again and wet a line after so long. Was hoping to get into a couple of decent fish but just couldn’t locate them on this trip. Wednesday I will be heading out onto a local reservoir with a fellow from work that has been catching some very nice largemouth this summer. Weekend coming will be heading to New Hampshire for a day or so and hopefully the coming hurricane allows for a full day of fishing.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Fishing Report July 20 2011
Summer time brings on vacation time and BWS and family headed west for the first time for most of the family. Renting a home in the Rocky Mountains near the town of Canon City, put us in some gorgeous scenery as well as close enough to fish a well known trout river, the Arkansas River.
The Arkansas River is primarily a brown trout fishery but there are some rainbow trout mixed in certain locations and when caught is a nice bonus. Since spring time we had been watching the water flows for this river as CO had a high snowfall this past winter and that is dumping a lot of water this late into the season into the river. By now the water flow should be at summer rate but it was still flowing at almost spring rate yet.
The conditions are getting better as each day passes but another week or two and that would have setup for a prime time to be fishing this river. As with any family vacation, fishing will come second hand to the sightseeing and family activities that are planned. Went out one night in Canon City and tried a few locations but was unable to find any slack or slow water compared to the ripping flow. These trout hang where fast water meets slow water, seam area, but in Canon City there wasn't any of these seam areas.
My son wanted to try his hand at trout fishing, as he has never fished for them before, so I had decided to take a drive and go on the other side of the Royal Gorge. We found a boat landing area that had an island in the middle of the river and the main flow was on the backside and there was a small shoot on the near side that created exactly what we were looking for.
Didn't take long casting the Egger's Spinners at this seam area and I had caught a 19 inch Brown Trout that was a real fighter and didn't want to come in. I lost a couple of smaller Brown Trout as they took to the air and threw the lure right after getting a good look at them. My son yelled that he had a fish on and after his battle he had caught a nice 15 inch Rainbow Trout and his excitement was unbelievable. He had lost 1 or 2 other Brown Trout as well and for the short time we were there, it was a very fun trip.
I had driven back to this location one other night and lost 2 small Brown Trout to their acrobatics after setting the hook. All in all it was a productive trip out West, just wished the flows were lower and that would have offered a much better scenario for this fishing trip but it was great to be back in the state of CO and definitely going to have to make the trip back once again.
The Arkansas River is primarily a brown trout fishery but there are some rainbow trout mixed in certain locations and when caught is a nice bonus. Since spring time we had been watching the water flows for this river as CO had a high snowfall this past winter and that is dumping a lot of water this late into the season into the river. By now the water flow should be at summer rate but it was still flowing at almost spring rate yet.
The conditions are getting better as each day passes but another week or two and that would have setup for a prime time to be fishing this river. As with any family vacation, fishing will come second hand to the sightseeing and family activities that are planned. Went out one night in Canon City and tried a few locations but was unable to find any slack or slow water compared to the ripping flow. These trout hang where fast water meets slow water, seam area, but in Canon City there wasn't any of these seam areas.
My son wanted to try his hand at trout fishing, as he has never fished for them before, so I had decided to take a drive and go on the other side of the Royal Gorge. We found a boat landing area that had an island in the middle of the river and the main flow was on the backside and there was a small shoot on the near side that created exactly what we were looking for.
Didn't take long casting the Egger's Spinners at this seam area and I had caught a 19 inch Brown Trout that was a real fighter and didn't want to come in. I lost a couple of smaller Brown Trout as they took to the air and threw the lure right after getting a good look at them. My son yelled that he had a fish on and after his battle he had caught a nice 15 inch Rainbow Trout and his excitement was unbelievable. He had lost 1 or 2 other Brown Trout as well and for the short time we were there, it was a very fun trip.
I had driven back to this location one other night and lost 2 small Brown Trout to their acrobatics after setting the hook. All in all it was a productive trip out West, just wished the flows were lower and that would have offered a much better scenario for this fishing trip but it was great to be back in the state of CO and definitely going to have to make the trip back once again.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 2 2011 Report
Holidays are a great time of year as this gives you that extra time to enjoy fishing and camping at the same time. We spent the long weekend in New Hampshire and even without the big boat, brought the kayaks along to be able to get out on the water.
I started the day searching for some of the smallmouth that live in these waters and fished deep points as well as shallow rock shoals. I tried one deeper point that had numerous large boulders but just couldn’t seem to find the smallmouth. So change of gears was made and started fishing shallower water looking for largemouth instead.
I fished a main back cove that has a lot of different types of structure from rocks, mud, sand, gravel to weeds as well. As the morning went along more and more pleasure boaters were coming out and fishing off of the main lake was getting very difficult. So a move was made back to the arm that the campground is located in as this area is a no wake zone so the waters aren’t so rough.
The water depths in this area are all about the same from 5-8 feet deep and have a fairly dense weed base as well. Decided to stick with a jig and pig and work this bait through the weeds in search of fish. Didn’t take long and the first fish was hooked and was a nice 2 pound largemouth. Continued to move around and fan cast and work the jig through the weeds and all in all had a pretty good success doing that.
The technique was making long casts and slowly work the jig back through the weeds and if it got hung up in there, give the rod a quick and fast jerk to break it free. By doing this I was able to catch 6 largemouth throughout this area with the biggest pushing 3 pounds. Never had a lot of confidence in the jig/pig but by forcing myself to fish with it, I will be throwing this bait a lot more in the future.
I started the day searching for some of the smallmouth that live in these waters and fished deep points as well as shallow rock shoals. I tried one deeper point that had numerous large boulders but just couldn’t seem to find the smallmouth. So change of gears was made and started fishing shallower water looking for largemouth instead.
I fished a main back cove that has a lot of different types of structure from rocks, mud, sand, gravel to weeds as well. As the morning went along more and more pleasure boaters were coming out and fishing off of the main lake was getting very difficult. So a move was made back to the arm that the campground is located in as this area is a no wake zone so the waters aren’t so rough.
The water depths in this area are all about the same from 5-8 feet deep and have a fairly dense weed base as well. Decided to stick with a jig and pig and work this bait through the weeds in search of fish. Didn’t take long and the first fish was hooked and was a nice 2 pound largemouth. Continued to move around and fan cast and work the jig through the weeds and all in all had a pretty good success doing that.
The technique was making long casts and slowly work the jig back through the weeds and if it got hung up in there, give the rod a quick and fast jerk to break it free. By doing this I was able to catch 6 largemouth throughout this area with the biggest pushing 3 pounds. Never had a lot of confidence in the jig/pig but by forcing myself to fish with it, I will be throwing this bait a lot more in the future.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Fishing Report June 19 2011
Father’s day is meant for fishing and that is where you found us, exploring our favorite lake in New Hampshire. Haven’t been up there fishing yet this year and always look forward to the time that is spent searching these waters for large and smallmouth bass.
Arrived early and the lake was fairly quiet with little wind, high sunny skies and a number of boats already out fishing. Went to the back lake to start the day and fished the main flat with a Carolina rigged plastic bait. Second cast yielded the nicest bass of the day working the bait through the weedbeds that frequent this area.
It didn’t take long and the winds really kicked up and made fishing very tough on this lake as they were coming straight down the lake with nowhere to get out of it. With the winds so strong this didn’t allow fishing specific targets and areas and I had to do more of a junk fishing type day. By junk fishing I mean that being you can’t sit on a spot, you just go with the wind and fish fast with fast baits that cover areas quickly.
Went along a variety of shorelines and cover and mainly fished a crankbait, weedless frog, and when you would get out of the wind a little throw the Carolina rig. There was a handful of fish caught this way but the sizes were on the smaller side as opposed to being able to work specific targets or area for the larger fish.
Water temps are starting to rise as a majority of the lake was at the 69-70 degree range which at this time of year is still way behind. Three different baits were used that caught fish and they were a medium diving crankbait, the Carolina rigged plastic bait and also a fish imitating swimbait caught a fish.
After being pounded on the water for most of the morning, I was out of there around noon time with 5 largemouth bass caught. Not a bad outing but feel that if the winds weren’t so high that targeting certain areas a little more thoroughly, more fish and bigger fish could have been caught.
Arrived early and the lake was fairly quiet with little wind, high sunny skies and a number of boats already out fishing. Went to the back lake to start the day and fished the main flat with a Carolina rigged plastic bait. Second cast yielded the nicest bass of the day working the bait through the weedbeds that frequent this area.
It didn’t take long and the winds really kicked up and made fishing very tough on this lake as they were coming straight down the lake with nowhere to get out of it. With the winds so strong this didn’t allow fishing specific targets and areas and I had to do more of a junk fishing type day. By junk fishing I mean that being you can’t sit on a spot, you just go with the wind and fish fast with fast baits that cover areas quickly.
Went along a variety of shorelines and cover and mainly fished a crankbait, weedless frog, and when you would get out of the wind a little throw the Carolina rig. There was a handful of fish caught this way but the sizes were on the smaller side as opposed to being able to work specific targets or area for the larger fish.
Water temps are starting to rise as a majority of the lake was at the 69-70 degree range which at this time of year is still way behind. Three different baits were used that caught fish and they were a medium diving crankbait, the Carolina rigged plastic bait and also a fish imitating swimbait caught a fish.
After being pounded on the water for most of the morning, I was out of there around noon time with 5 largemouth bass caught. Not a bad outing but feel that if the winds weren’t so high that targeting certain areas a little more thoroughly, more fish and bigger fish could have been caught.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May 22 2011 Report
This has to be one of the coldest, wettest and slowest starts to a spring in a long time and making for some tough fishing as well. The fish should be into the spawning mode by now and they are definitely quite a ways behind the times.
Lakes are still fairly quiet as anglers are still waiting for the warmer weather to come along and make their experience a little more enjoyable. This makes it a little easier for us getting onto the landings and of course this day was not anything different with cool 48 degree air temps and 15 mph winds blowing.
Water temps have actually dropped a little from the last trip out with 55 degrees being the average from what we were finding. Not knowing what the fish’s mood was going to be, we started out with casting crankbaits to cover water and look for the aggressive fish. That bite never really materialized and a game plan change had to take effect.
Figuring now that the fish were sluggish, changed up to fishing a jig and cruise the shoreline looking for any fish that may be getting ready to spawn. Didn’t take long and a fish took the jig right along the shoreline and after a few reels of the handle came unbuttoned. This was a good sign showing that slowing down was what they were looking for as well and they are utilizing shallow water even if it is still cool.
Moved out of that cove and went to a point and there is a dock coming right off of the point and the end is in about 4-5 feet of water. One hop of the jig and a fish picked it up and felt good as the fight ensued; with the help of my netting partner we were able to get the 3 pound largemouth into the boat. It was nice to finally get that first fish out of the way for the beginning of a new open water season.
We moved around the point and down the back side without finding another bite. Out off of this point there is a gravel underwater hump that comes to 2 feet deep on top with weeds around the outer edge. I through the jig up on top and the second cast a 1 pound bass nailed the jig and felt like there is a pattern coming together at this point.
My son was fishing the hump with a small crankbait and he was having good luck as well as he had caught a small pickerel and a crappie. We worked all around this island and wasn’t able to find anymore bites. We wanted to try one more location before calling it a day.
He wanted to go to the area that we fished during the ice season and see if we could muster up a fish. Unfortunately this area was being blasted by the winds and the water was a little cooler in this location and we were not able to find any fish. The wind and cold temps had taken its toll on us and we decided to head in.
It was nice to finally get him out on the open water once again and after watching him fishing today, he is going to be having a great season. With the holiday weekend coming up, never know what our fishing adventures are going to bring us and really looking forward to it.
Lakes are still fairly quiet as anglers are still waiting for the warmer weather to come along and make their experience a little more enjoyable. This makes it a little easier for us getting onto the landings and of course this day was not anything different with cool 48 degree air temps and 15 mph winds blowing.
Water temps have actually dropped a little from the last trip out with 55 degrees being the average from what we were finding. Not knowing what the fish’s mood was going to be, we started out with casting crankbaits to cover water and look for the aggressive fish. That bite never really materialized and a game plan change had to take effect.
Figuring now that the fish were sluggish, changed up to fishing a jig and cruise the shoreline looking for any fish that may be getting ready to spawn. Didn’t take long and a fish took the jig right along the shoreline and after a few reels of the handle came unbuttoned. This was a good sign showing that slowing down was what they were looking for as well and they are utilizing shallow water even if it is still cool.
Moved out of that cove and went to a point and there is a dock coming right off of the point and the end is in about 4-5 feet of water. One hop of the jig and a fish picked it up and felt good as the fight ensued; with the help of my netting partner we were able to get the 3 pound largemouth into the boat. It was nice to finally get that first fish out of the way for the beginning of a new open water season.
We moved around the point and down the back side without finding another bite. Out off of this point there is a gravel underwater hump that comes to 2 feet deep on top with weeds around the outer edge. I through the jig up on top and the second cast a 1 pound bass nailed the jig and felt like there is a pattern coming together at this point.
My son was fishing the hump with a small crankbait and he was having good luck as well as he had caught a small pickerel and a crappie. We worked all around this island and wasn’t able to find anymore bites. We wanted to try one more location before calling it a day.
He wanted to go to the area that we fished during the ice season and see if we could muster up a fish. Unfortunately this area was being blasted by the winds and the water was a little cooler in this location and we were not able to find any fish. The wind and cold temps had taken its toll on us and we decided to head in.
It was nice to finally get him out on the open water once again and after watching him fishing today, he is going to be having a great season. With the holiday weekend coming up, never know what our fishing adventures are going to bring us and really looking forward to it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Fishing May 1 2011
It was nice to be able to get out onto the open water once again and cast a full sized fishing rod as opposed to fishing the short stick. Lakes are fairly quiet these days yet as with the cool temperatures the pleasure boaters and lakeshore owners have not come out to play yet.
Water temps were in the mid 50’s the morning started very calm but didn’t take long as the winds picked up making for a cold day on the water. Since it is early spring decided to fish with a suspending jerkbait, and hopefully find some largemouth bass.
Fished primarily some back coves on the north to northwest side of the lake and first thing in the morning seemed to be the most productive. Once the winds started blowing quite a bit any bite that was had would totally disappear for the rest of the day.
Casting primarily to the shallow shoreline the pickerel were fairly active as they were the primary fish that were willing to show themselves. After the first hour the winds picked up and after trying many different places on the lake without a bite, decided to call it a day.
Was nice to be able to get out on the open water once again and enjoy some spring fishing again.
Water temps were in the mid 50’s the morning started very calm but didn’t take long as the winds picked up making for a cold day on the water. Since it is early spring decided to fish with a suspending jerkbait, and hopefully find some largemouth bass.
Fished primarily some back coves on the north to northwest side of the lake and first thing in the morning seemed to be the most productive. Once the winds started blowing quite a bit any bite that was had would totally disappear for the rest of the day.
Casting primarily to the shallow shoreline the pickerel were fairly active as they were the primary fish that were willing to show themselves. After the first hour the winds picked up and after trying many different places on the lake without a bite, decided to call it a day.
Was nice to be able to get out on the open water once again and enjoy some spring fishing again.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Fishing February 12 2011
We fished primarily before noon until the sunset with temps in the low 30’s with a fairly stiff breeze blowing most of the time. This particular lake had a number of anglers grouped up in different areas that allowed everyone to have room on the ice to themselves.
After all of the snow storms that we have been experiencing was pleasantly surprised to find the walking conditions very favorable. There is a good layer of compacted snow with 2 separate layers of slush pockets underneath until you hit the 6-8 inches of clean ice. Power augers are the way to go as the anglers that were hand drilling were having a tough time with the slush pockets.
Have fished this lake numerous times during the open water seasons but have never ventured out onto the ice. This lake has a variety of fish species as that is what we were looking for as we weren’t to concerned about which ones but as long as one of them was going to bite, that was going to make our day.
The primary area that we fished was a point that came out with shallow coves that went back behind on each side. The front of the point would drop off into deep water fairly fast and we were working all the different aspects of the shallow areas into the deeper waters.
The shallower waters would have small pickerel on that were caught on tipups and for jigging there were only small perch caught. For the deep water areas we were fishing out to 20 feet deep and the tipups weren’t doing anything but jigging produced many crappies and sunfish.
Working the deeper waters with electronics proved very successful and allowed you to see if you were fishing a productive hole or not as many holes had no activity in them. The jigs of choice were T.H.E. Jig from CKOutdoors and also the “Slug Bug” from Northland Tackles “Bro’s Bug Collection”.
All in all it was a good day to be out on the ice and enjoying some time with my son again as he has been coming a long ways year after year. With the warming trends coming shortly, trips need to be made to the ice as our ice season doesn’t last long once the sun starts getting much warmer.
After all of the snow storms that we have been experiencing was pleasantly surprised to find the walking conditions very favorable. There is a good layer of compacted snow with 2 separate layers of slush pockets underneath until you hit the 6-8 inches of clean ice. Power augers are the way to go as the anglers that were hand drilling were having a tough time with the slush pockets.
Have fished this lake numerous times during the open water seasons but have never ventured out onto the ice. This lake has a variety of fish species as that is what we were looking for as we weren’t to concerned about which ones but as long as one of them was going to bite, that was going to make our day.
The primary area that we fished was a point that came out with shallow coves that went back behind on each side. The front of the point would drop off into deep water fairly fast and we were working all the different aspects of the shallow areas into the deeper waters.
The shallower waters would have small pickerel on that were caught on tipups and for jigging there were only small perch caught. For the deep water areas we were fishing out to 20 feet deep and the tipups weren’t doing anything but jigging produced many crappies and sunfish.
Working the deeper waters with electronics proved very successful and allowed you to see if you were fishing a productive hole or not as many holes had no activity in them. The jigs of choice were T.H.E. Jig from CKOutdoors and also the “Slug Bug” from Northland Tackles “Bro’s Bug Collection”.
All in all it was a good day to be out on the ice and enjoying some time with my son again as he has been coming a long ways year after year. With the warming trends coming shortly, trips need to be made to the ice as our ice season doesn’t last long once the sun starts getting much warmer.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Hard Water Coming
Seasons are changing quickly and many have done or are putting their summer fishing items away and getting ready for winter. Don't be unprepared when that hard water season finally comes and start getting your gear ready now. Reels should be lubed and new line put on; rods need to have their eyelets inspected for imperfections. Augers need to have their blades sharpened and also motors ran and tuned up. Batteries all need to be charged and ready so that first trip to the ice will be a fun and productive one.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
Fishing August 21 2010
We had picked up a couple of single person kayaks to replace a tandem kayak that we had and decided to take them out and try them and do a little fishing. We went to a small pond that has motor restrictions so is great for taking canoes and kayaks out without having to worry about bigger boats.
The afternoon started warm and bright sunshine but as the day wore on it turned cool, fairly windy and the clouds came in thick. There were a few folks out there trying their hand at fishing and we picked our first location and paddled over to that area to give it a try.
My son enjoys panfishing and today was going to be a day of letting him do this type and enjoy the experience of catching fish. We were fishing the shoreline areas and using T.H.E. Jig about a foot underneath a float. We were finding out very quickly that the smaller fish were closer to shore while the bigger sunfish were out in deeper water.
With the breeze blowing into the area that we were fishing, we let the kayaks blow onto the shoreline and then casting out toward the depths really was paying off. After catching numerous fish, the action seemed to die down a little so we moved down the shore and the action picked up again.
The wind was blowing quite a bit so we moved to the other side of the lake to get into a little more protected areas and the fish in the first couple of places were fairly slow in biting. We decided to try one more spot and there was a rock sticking out of the water so that allowed us to sort of anchor ourselves in one spot.
Didn't take long and he was reeling in one fish after another and as long as he was casting towards deeper water, the bigger fish would be biting. He was very excited as we had hit the mother lode of fish and he would count one after another. The afternoon went on and on but as the weather turned towards the bad side, the fishing slowed and we wanted to get off the lake if anything was going to happen.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
The afternoon started warm and bright sunshine but as the day wore on it turned cool, fairly windy and the clouds came in thick. There were a few folks out there trying their hand at fishing and we picked our first location and paddled over to that area to give it a try.
My son enjoys panfishing and today was going to be a day of letting him do this type and enjoy the experience of catching fish. We were fishing the shoreline areas and using T.H.E. Jig about a foot underneath a float. We were finding out very quickly that the smaller fish were closer to shore while the bigger sunfish were out in deeper water.
With the breeze blowing into the area that we were fishing, we let the kayaks blow onto the shoreline and then casting out toward the depths really was paying off. After catching numerous fish, the action seemed to die down a little so we moved down the shore and the action picked up again.
The wind was blowing quite a bit so we moved to the other side of the lake to get into a little more protected areas and the fish in the first couple of places were fairly slow in biting. We decided to try one more spot and there was a rock sticking out of the water so that allowed us to sort of anchor ourselves in one spot.
Didn't take long and he was reeling in one fish after another and as long as he was casting towards deeper water, the bigger fish would be biting. He was very excited as we had hit the mother lode of fish and he would count one after another. The afternoon went on and on but as the weather turned towards the bad side, the fishing slowed and we wanted to get off the lake if anything was going to happen.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Fishing August 15 2010
Heat, which is all I can say about this summer and it, definitely is having an affect on the fish as well as they are not as predictable as they normally are. Went to a northern MA lake and the water level is fairly low compared to other years and the waters are starting to cool a little as most temps were a little over 75 degrees.
This particular lake when the heat is on like it is the algae bloom is in full force with a tint of green to the water. There is milfoil in this lake as well but this year it is much thicker and there are more areas that have it then previous years.
I arrived at the lake to little wind but that changed as the morning went on to a stiff wind across the main lake. Started fishing a creek mouth that generally has a good number of large fish in the area and target the clumps of weeds that have gravel open areas around them. Worked the area a few different directions and only was able to locate a couple smaller largemouth bass.
Moved over to a point that leads out into the open lake and there weren’t any biters in this area as well. Decided to move to the wind blown shoreline and run this with a crankbait just to try and locate some aggressive fish. Only was able to catch one small fish down this whole stretch.
All in all it was kind of a disappointing day on the water as only a few fish were caught in the few hours that I was out there. Was watching others fishing the same general areas and it didn’t look like they were having much action as well. As the temps start to fall, this will trigger a feeding binge for the fish to get into their fall feeding. Times are going to get better as we move towards the ice season and this is the time of year that many hang it up. Take advantage of these coming months as the fishing is only going to get better.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
This particular lake when the heat is on like it is the algae bloom is in full force with a tint of green to the water. There is milfoil in this lake as well but this year it is much thicker and there are more areas that have it then previous years.
I arrived at the lake to little wind but that changed as the morning went on to a stiff wind across the main lake. Started fishing a creek mouth that generally has a good number of large fish in the area and target the clumps of weeds that have gravel open areas around them. Worked the area a few different directions and only was able to locate a couple smaller largemouth bass.
Moved over to a point that leads out into the open lake and there weren’t any biters in this area as well. Decided to move to the wind blown shoreline and run this with a crankbait just to try and locate some aggressive fish. Only was able to catch one small fish down this whole stretch.
All in all it was kind of a disappointing day on the water as only a few fish were caught in the few hours that I was out there. Was watching others fishing the same general areas and it didn’t look like they were having much action as well. As the temps start to fall, this will trigger a feeding binge for the fish to get into their fall feeding. Times are going to get better as we move towards the ice season and this is the time of year that many hang it up. Take advantage of these coming months as the fishing is only going to get better.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fishing report for August 8 2010
Been a while since been out on the lake fishing in the boat and had an opportunity to fish a new lake in New Hampshire. This particular lake is a fairly good sized and deep clear water lake that supports a good trout population as well as some very nice smallmouth.
I arrived early at the lake with calm sunny conditions with a number of boats trolling the deep water in search of trout. Air temps were mid to upper 70's with high 80's to come later and the water temps were a surprising 73 degrees but because of the deep water here, 60 plus feet, which keeps the lake a little cooler from the hot summer we have been having.
The water here is gin clear and without any wind figured that the shallow dock bite might not be a good place to start searching for smallmouth bass. Opposite side of the lake there was a rock shoal that I worked with a few different baits that consisted of a carolina rig, crankbait out on the deeper edge and also a weightless senko style bait. There didn't seem to be anything searching the rock cropping for a meal.
Moved off of this shoal and there was a fairly good sized flat going out into the lake. Fan cast this area with a crankbait as well as worked it over with the carolina rig with a couple of different style plastic baits. In the 15 foot range there was a little vegetation that grew off of the bottom up to 6 inches in height and was hoping that the fish were cruising looking for a meal.
The far end of the lake is more of a shallower flat as the deep water is on the north end through the middle of the lake. Moved down to the far end of the lake and was hoping to find more weed flats and see if maybe I could find a largemouth bass since the smallmouth were a little allusive.
Concentrated on water depths of 13-20 feet of water and was figuring that with the hot summer and clear water these fish may be in deeper water. Fished mainly the carolina rig and kept switching the plastic baits trying to find one that maybe these fish wanted. Was fishing a french fry type plastic in 15 feet of water and felt a good bite.
Set the hook and the fight was on and wasn't quite sure if this was a bass or a trout as the feeling wasn't quite what I was use to. I had hooked this fish on a long cast and it surfaced right away but couldn't tell what it was. Finally as the battle was coming to an end, I could see that it was a nice smallmouth and boat a chunky 2 pound fish. Worked over this area for quite some time in hopes of finding a school there but that wasn't going to happen.
Not sure if I will get back to this lake anytime soon but wouldn't mind going back when fall gets here and the fish start feeding for the winter season. This lake does get busy after the noon hour and the landing is one of the best ones that I have been to in New Hampshire so far.
I arrived early at the lake with calm sunny conditions with a number of boats trolling the deep water in search of trout. Air temps were mid to upper 70's with high 80's to come later and the water temps were a surprising 73 degrees but because of the deep water here, 60 plus feet, which keeps the lake a little cooler from the hot summer we have been having.
The water here is gin clear and without any wind figured that the shallow dock bite might not be a good place to start searching for smallmouth bass. Opposite side of the lake there was a rock shoal that I worked with a few different baits that consisted of a carolina rig, crankbait out on the deeper edge and also a weightless senko style bait. There didn't seem to be anything searching the rock cropping for a meal.
Moved off of this shoal and there was a fairly good sized flat going out into the lake. Fan cast this area with a crankbait as well as worked it over with the carolina rig with a couple of different style plastic baits. In the 15 foot range there was a little vegetation that grew off of the bottom up to 6 inches in height and was hoping that the fish were cruising looking for a meal.
The far end of the lake is more of a shallower flat as the deep water is on the north end through the middle of the lake. Moved down to the far end of the lake and was hoping to find more weed flats and see if maybe I could find a largemouth bass since the smallmouth were a little allusive.
Concentrated on water depths of 13-20 feet of water and was figuring that with the hot summer and clear water these fish may be in deeper water. Fished mainly the carolina rig and kept switching the plastic baits trying to find one that maybe these fish wanted. Was fishing a french fry type plastic in 15 feet of water and felt a good bite.
Set the hook and the fight was on and wasn't quite sure if this was a bass or a trout as the feeling wasn't quite what I was use to. I had hooked this fish on a long cast and it surfaced right away but couldn't tell what it was. Finally as the battle was coming to an end, I could see that it was a nice smallmouth and boat a chunky 2 pound fish. Worked over this area for quite some time in hopes of finding a school there but that wasn't going to happen.
Not sure if I will get back to this lake anytime soon but wouldn't mind going back when fall gets here and the fish start feeding for the winter season. This lake does get busy after the noon hour and the landing is one of the best ones that I have been to in New Hampshire so far.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Fishing July 17 2010
It was time to head back to New Hampshire and fish one of our favorite bass lakes. Weather wise the summer is continuing on with its heat and abundance sunshine, light winds and the waters are warming very rapidly and are reading in the low 80's at this point.
Was able to get out early and my son wanted to go along as well and he had multi-species on his mind as we set out onto the lake. After launching the boat and heading out onto the lake, we went around the corner and stopped at our first place of the morning.
This is a back cove that has a rock shoal that comes almost to the surface if you don't watch for it as it isn't marked. Stayed out in the 10-12 foot range and was fishing with a crankbait and only a couple of casts and the first smallmouth was coming to the boat. Was fan casting this area and seemed to be loaded with fish and a number of largemouth were caught as well but they were all mostly small fish.
My son was fishing for sunfish and they were surfacing all around us and he was having a great time catching one after another. We were in search of bigger fish so we left that area and went to the other end of the lake as there is a big flat there and looking for fish that may stay in the area after spawning.
Worked the deeper waters as well as the shallower flats and was fishing with a carolina rig and just couldn't get anything to bite. Left there and went to a small cove off the main lake and at time there are some nice fish in the weeds and rocks of this area but had the same results as the previous location.
We only had a certain amount of time that we could be out there and wanted to try one more location. This location is a flat in the main lake with water depths around 8 feet deep and there is a ridge that comes off of this out into the main body of the lake. Years past this area yields some of our biggest fish but lately has been dead. Always like to see areas come back to life and hopefully this one will.
There is one location here that is a small rock pile in the weedbed and if you can locate that, the bigger fish of the area usually congregate there. Was fan casting a carolina rig looking for this spot and the line went tight and went to set the hook and broke the first fish off. Felt like a big fish and through out a buoy marker while I retie. Cast back into that area again and another good bite came on and boated a decent 2 pound largemouth.
Kept working around that area and had a numerous bites and they were all feeling good but between the break offs and loosing fish on the way back to the boat, made it very frustrating. It was getting that time that we needed to get off the lake and even though we missed a number of fish, we felt it was a very productive day for the middle of July.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Was able to get out early and my son wanted to go along as well and he had multi-species on his mind as we set out onto the lake. After launching the boat and heading out onto the lake, we went around the corner and stopped at our first place of the morning.
This is a back cove that has a rock shoal that comes almost to the surface if you don't watch for it as it isn't marked. Stayed out in the 10-12 foot range and was fishing with a crankbait and only a couple of casts and the first smallmouth was coming to the boat. Was fan casting this area and seemed to be loaded with fish and a number of largemouth were caught as well but they were all mostly small fish.
My son was fishing for sunfish and they were surfacing all around us and he was having a great time catching one after another. We were in search of bigger fish so we left that area and went to the other end of the lake as there is a big flat there and looking for fish that may stay in the area after spawning.
Worked the deeper waters as well as the shallower flats and was fishing with a carolina rig and just couldn't get anything to bite. Left there and went to a small cove off the main lake and at time there are some nice fish in the weeds and rocks of this area but had the same results as the previous location.
We only had a certain amount of time that we could be out there and wanted to try one more location. This location is a flat in the main lake with water depths around 8 feet deep and there is a ridge that comes off of this out into the main body of the lake. Years past this area yields some of our biggest fish but lately has been dead. Always like to see areas come back to life and hopefully this one will.
There is one location here that is a small rock pile in the weedbed and if you can locate that, the bigger fish of the area usually congregate there. Was fan casting a carolina rig looking for this spot and the line went tight and went to set the hook and broke the first fish off. Felt like a big fish and through out a buoy marker while I retie. Cast back into that area again and another good bite came on and boated a decent 2 pound largemouth.
Kept working around that area and had a numerous bites and they were all feeling good but between the break offs and loosing fish on the way back to the boat, made it very frustrating. It was getting that time that we needed to get off the lake and even though we missed a number of fish, we felt it was a very productive day for the middle of July.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Friday, July 23, 2010
Fish those Docks
The summer is here and will be for a while yet, as this is warming our lakes quite a bit. Fish are seeking cooler waters these days to get away from this heat and many go deep but there are also some that stay shallow. These shallow fish are looking for areas to get out of the sun and a great place for this is boat docks. Fish congregate underneath these docks in the cool shadowy areas and wait for prey to seek out cooler waters as well. Fishing these docks can be very rewarding and by casting your baits up underneath these, you will be very well rewarded. Give them a try next time you are fishing especially if the sun is shining.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Fishing MN July 10-13 2010
Being from the Midwest it is always nice to go back home and we never get to go that often. But this was the year that we make the trip back to Minnesota and always look forward to the fishing that we will get into.
I am fortunate that my parents live on a lake in northern MN and this makes it very easy to get on the lake any time of the day. The last time that we were there, we had come across a location on the lake that gave us a number of large bass and I couldn’t wait to get out there and try it again.
The location is an underwater hump between a point and an island and tops out at around 8 feet of water. I generally position the boat on top of the hump and then cast out into the deeper water bringing the lures back to the weed edge that is growing on this hump.
There was one general area that if you hit it, there was some of the best bass that I have caught in this lake. There is a corner on this hump that has an indentation and these bigger fish are schooled up in this area. Had 3-4 cast in a row that produced a 3 pound plus largemouth on each of those casts.
The morning bite was generally the better time at getting these fish but the second day there was a major cold front that came through. This front really shut down the bigger fish and this hump seemed to be void of fish at that time. We started working other areas and finding that the better fish were in deeper water and a few small fish were in the lily pads.
The last day of the trip our best location started producing better but wasn’t to the point as the first morning flurry that we had. I had a good friend come up for a couple of days along with his teenage son and between those two, my son and wife; we really had a great few days of fishing together.
Always enjoy getting back to MN and to have time to fish the waters there. One day would really like to drive out there and bring the boat along and fish a number of the old favorite lakes that I use to frequent so often. Plans are in the works for making a trip back this winter to do a number of day’s ice fishing.
I am fortunate that my parents live on a lake in northern MN and this makes it very easy to get on the lake any time of the day. The last time that we were there, we had come across a location on the lake that gave us a number of large bass and I couldn’t wait to get out there and try it again.
The location is an underwater hump between a point and an island and tops out at around 8 feet of water. I generally position the boat on top of the hump and then cast out into the deeper water bringing the lures back to the weed edge that is growing on this hump.
There was one general area that if you hit it, there was some of the best bass that I have caught in this lake. There is a corner on this hump that has an indentation and these bigger fish are schooled up in this area. Had 3-4 cast in a row that produced a 3 pound plus largemouth on each of those casts.
The morning bite was generally the better time at getting these fish but the second day there was a major cold front that came through. This front really shut down the bigger fish and this hump seemed to be void of fish at that time. We started working other areas and finding that the better fish were in deeper water and a few small fish were in the lily pads.
The last day of the trip our best location started producing better but wasn’t to the point as the first morning flurry that we had. I had a good friend come up for a couple of days along with his teenage son and between those two, my son and wife; we really had a great few days of fishing together.
Always enjoy getting back to MN and to have time to fish the waters there. One day would really like to drive out there and bring the boat along and fish a number of the old favorite lakes that I use to frequent so often. Plans are in the works for making a trip back this winter to do a number of day’s ice fishing.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Fishing report for June 27 2010
Luckily I have a few ponds nearby that I can fish if I only have a few hours to get out and there is one small 100 pond close that works very well for this. Usually fish here a few times throughout the summer and seems lately that there are more anglers fishing here as well.
Arrived early and there were already a number of boats in the water. Sunny skies with no wind at all and air temps around 75 and water temps were reading between 74 and 77 degrees. This pond has very dark water and the weedline only goes out 4-5 feet. Most of the pond is developed and one end has a heavy lily pad field as the rest of the pond is a few docks and clean shorelines.
In the middle of the pond there is a gravel hump that comes to within 1 foot of the surface and the northern end of it has a finger that goes halfway across the bay that is 6 feet on top and drops off into the deepest part of the lake on the west side. I generally start working that ledge to see if I can find some of the large bass that live here and worked this area for quite some time but couldn't find a bite.
Went over to where a creek comes into the lake that has a big lily pad field in front of it and usually fish this area with a weightless frog. Fan casted all around and in the past this area has given up some big fish but today only a small pickerel was going to hit.
Left there and went to the other end of the lake and started fishing a dock that had a couple of boats as well as a pontoon tied to it. Casted a senko type bait around these objects and pulled 4 small bass of these. Generally this ends has a good sized area with milfoil and working a weightless worm around finds you some fish but I was unable to find any of the milfoil and have a feeling that they may have treated this area.
Following the shoreline around fishing with the senko looking bait, picked up another couple here and there but just couldn't find any size. Worked a few more docks and boats but wasn't getting the results that I was looking for. Moved back out to the gravel hump and was working this area with a carolina rig and felt like the sinker had wedged itself in between a couple of rocks. Lifted it again and and the line was moving and set the hook, the line screamed to the surface as a nice 3-4 pound largemouth went airborne, so did my bait.
Very frustrating when you lose a large fish but that is why it is called fishing and not catching. Worked all around the area to see if I could find any other fish and wasn't able to get any bites. It was getting more boat traffic out there so decided to head out and get a few other things done. Fish right now seem to be scattered around with the smaller fish shallow and bigger fish deep.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Arrived early and there were already a number of boats in the water. Sunny skies with no wind at all and air temps around 75 and water temps were reading between 74 and 77 degrees. This pond has very dark water and the weedline only goes out 4-5 feet. Most of the pond is developed and one end has a heavy lily pad field as the rest of the pond is a few docks and clean shorelines.
In the middle of the pond there is a gravel hump that comes to within 1 foot of the surface and the northern end of it has a finger that goes halfway across the bay that is 6 feet on top and drops off into the deepest part of the lake on the west side. I generally start working that ledge to see if I can find some of the large bass that live here and worked this area for quite some time but couldn't find a bite.
Went over to where a creek comes into the lake that has a big lily pad field in front of it and usually fish this area with a weightless frog. Fan casted all around and in the past this area has given up some big fish but today only a small pickerel was going to hit.
Left there and went to the other end of the lake and started fishing a dock that had a couple of boats as well as a pontoon tied to it. Casted a senko type bait around these objects and pulled 4 small bass of these. Generally this ends has a good sized area with milfoil and working a weightless worm around finds you some fish but I was unable to find any of the milfoil and have a feeling that they may have treated this area.
Following the shoreline around fishing with the senko looking bait, picked up another couple here and there but just couldn't find any size. Worked a few more docks and boats but wasn't getting the results that I was looking for. Moved back out to the gravel hump and was working this area with a carolina rig and felt like the sinker had wedged itself in between a couple of rocks. Lifted it again and and the line was moving and set the hook, the line screamed to the surface as a nice 3-4 pound largemouth went airborne, so did my bait.
Very frustrating when you lose a large fish but that is why it is called fishing and not catching. Worked all around the area to see if I could find any other fish and wasn't able to get any bites. It was getting more boat traffic out there so decided to head out and get a few other things done. Fish right now seem to be scattered around with the smaller fish shallow and bigger fish deep.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Summer is Here, Fish Going Deep
Summer has come in fairly quickly lately and with that the fish have finished their spring ritual and getting setup for summer. Smaller fish can still be found swimming the shorelines but if you are looking for those bigger fish, head for deep water. Water temps are rising and the shallows are getting very warm, the fish head deep to get away from these warming waters and head for the cooler water in their deeper summer haunts. Weedlines, humps or anything that is different out in deep water will attract and hold these fish and using your electronics to find these areas is important at this time of year. Go explore the water away from the shore and you may be surprised at what you find.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Friday, June 25, 2010
Fishing report for June 19 2010
Generally we fish the same lakes throughout the year and you get to a point that you want to see and try something different for a change. So that was on the agenda and after scouring over New Hampshire lake maps, we ended up on a small lake in the Raymond, NH area.
Never been to this lake before comes with it the excitement of seeing and trying to figure out where and what the fish are looking for to bite. Conditions today were sunny skies, no wind, air temp was around 80 with the water temp in the 69-71 degree range. Water is a tanic color as many lakes in the region are but the weed growth does get out there into the 8-10 foot range.
Since there were no winds decided to start working the emergent weed growth along the shorelines and was working a BearPaw load toad over the top. This bait is a weightless frog imitation and as you bring it back towards you the legs act as if they were kicking in the water. Worked this along a good stretch and caught a couple of small pickerel with no bass showing themselves.
Switched between that bait, carolina rig and a crankbait and the shallow water just wasn't producing for what we were looking for. Did see numerous small perch that would follow the bait back to the boat so that shows that there is a good forage base for the predator fish in this lake.
Since the shallow longer shorelines weren't producing moved to a part of the lake near the dam area that there was a deep water near and along the shoreline. Typically this type of area I like casting deep diving crankbaits to the shore and bringing it back. Wasn't long and a good fish hit the crank and after battling this fish swung a nice chunky largemouth bass into the boat. This is what we were looking for as well as there are suppose to be smallmouth here as well.
Worked this deep water shoreline for quite a while and couldn't find another bite there. Moved to a shallower cove and worked a variety of baits with no results as well. Moved back to the deep shoreline and worked this in the opposite direction and nothing happening. Went back to the frog and had a few small blowups that looked like pickerel but no bass. As we were approaching the noon hour the water skiers were starting to come out and fishing, what there was, dropped way off and decided to pull the plug.
There wasn't many fish caught this day but still had fun learning and seeing a new body of water. This may be something that we try more numerously this summer and get away some from fishing the same old lakes and see some new water. Summer is definitely here now and fish are or have transitioned to their summer haunts so get out there and enjoy a summer day catching some fish.
Never been to this lake before comes with it the excitement of seeing and trying to figure out where and what the fish are looking for to bite. Conditions today were sunny skies, no wind, air temp was around 80 with the water temp in the 69-71 degree range. Water is a tanic color as many lakes in the region are but the weed growth does get out there into the 8-10 foot range.
Since there were no winds decided to start working the emergent weed growth along the shorelines and was working a BearPaw load toad over the top. This bait is a weightless frog imitation and as you bring it back towards you the legs act as if they were kicking in the water. Worked this along a good stretch and caught a couple of small pickerel with no bass showing themselves.
Switched between that bait, carolina rig and a crankbait and the shallow water just wasn't producing for what we were looking for. Did see numerous small perch that would follow the bait back to the boat so that shows that there is a good forage base for the predator fish in this lake.
Since the shallow longer shorelines weren't producing moved to a part of the lake near the dam area that there was a deep water near and along the shoreline. Typically this type of area I like casting deep diving crankbaits to the shore and bringing it back. Wasn't long and a good fish hit the crank and after battling this fish swung a nice chunky largemouth bass into the boat. This is what we were looking for as well as there are suppose to be smallmouth here as well.
Worked this deep water shoreline for quite a while and couldn't find another bite there. Moved to a shallower cove and worked a variety of baits with no results as well. Moved back to the deep shoreline and worked this in the opposite direction and nothing happening. Went back to the frog and had a few small blowups that looked like pickerel but no bass. As we were approaching the noon hour the water skiers were starting to come out and fishing, what there was, dropped way off and decided to pull the plug.
There wasn't many fish caught this day but still had fun learning and seeing a new body of water. This may be something that we try more numerously this summer and get away some from fishing the same old lakes and see some new water. Summer is definitely here now and fish are or have transitioned to their summer haunts so get out there and enjoy a summer day catching some fish.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Fishing report for June 12 2010
Since the previous trip was a very wet one and my son wanted to try that body of water again, we went back to a small local pond and see if he could do a little better. Conditions were fairly close to the previous trip with little wind, air temps around 70 and a threat of rain.
We started where the previous trip, many fish were caught but they really didn't seem to be hanging around that location at all. Moved over to where he did well the week before and was getting a few bites but nothing to speak of in getting fish to the hook.
This is a town water reservoir and we fish mainly on the dam side of it and below where the water comes out of the reservoir, there is a creek with some backwaters. We went down there and started in a bigger pool and caught a few small sunfish. Of course by this time the rain was starting to lightly fall and was making it another cool and miserable trip.
We moved over to where there was more flowing water and there was definitely more fish in this location and you just had to deal with the trees that were around you. Just about anywhere that you would cast in this pool you would get bit and the fish were a little better sized.
We were fishing with a variety of different color patterns of T.H.E. Jig, (Totally Hot Everyday Jig), and seemed to come to the conclusion that anything with white in it was the best combination. We went back to the reservoir area and tried a few other locations in the rain but they weren't cooperating. Headed out and being this is only 5 minutes down the road makes it a great place to go for a short trip no matter what the weather is.
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We started where the previous trip, many fish were caught but they really didn't seem to be hanging around that location at all. Moved over to where he did well the week before and was getting a few bites but nothing to speak of in getting fish to the hook.
This is a town water reservoir and we fish mainly on the dam side of it and below where the water comes out of the reservoir, there is a creek with some backwaters. We went down there and started in a bigger pool and caught a few small sunfish. Of course by this time the rain was starting to lightly fall and was making it another cool and miserable trip.
We moved over to where there was more flowing water and there was definitely more fish in this location and you just had to deal with the trees that were around you. Just about anywhere that you would cast in this pool you would get bit and the fish were a little better sized.
We were fishing with a variety of different color patterns of T.H.E. Jig, (Totally Hot Everyday Jig), and seemed to come to the conclusion that anything with white in it was the best combination. We went back to the reservoir area and tried a few other locations in the rain but they weren't cooperating. Headed out and being this is only 5 minutes down the road makes it a great place to go for a short trip no matter what the weather is.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Fishing report for June 6 2010
Being my son is involved in Cub Scouts, they have their annual fishing derby at a local pond and the scouts look forward to this every year. Weather wasn't going to cooperate very well for the scouts but they were troopers none the less. It was to be held Saturday morning but with lightning in the air, it was rescheduled to Sunday morning.
Sunday morning came and there were overcast skies, with rain following suit not to much later. It rained most of the morning while the fishing went on but these guys were not going to let that get into their ways. Their minds were set to catch fish and every single one of them worked as hard as they could at doing that.
Everyone had to fish using the same basic equipment with no lures being allowed and livebait in the form of worms were the bait of the day. So everyone was targeting sunfish and hoping that a bass or trout would swim by to give them that edge for a bigger fish. Didn't take long and the first fish was caught and all of the boys were fired up and hard at work trying to catch their fish.
My son started fishing at a spot and within minutes already had a few sunfish registered and was on his way. There were 4 categories with a trophy for each that they all were fishing for with smallest fish, biggest fish, first fish and most fish. My son was holding his ground and was in the lead for most of the morning with most fish caught.
Unfortunately his spot starting drying up as well and kids were accumulating there and catching the fish as well. He decided to pickup and start moving around but wasn't able to find any more fish by doing that. I mentioned to him to go back to where he started and he caught a couple more but there was another boy that was slowly catching up to him and passed him in the final moments.
The rains were getting heavier and the fish were biting less and less so there was a mutual agreement to call it a day and award the trophies to the winning kids. All in all they all had a great time and will be looking forward to next year’s event. Only thing caught were numbers of sunfish and no one had caught that one big fish.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Sunday morning came and there were overcast skies, with rain following suit not to much later. It rained most of the morning while the fishing went on but these guys were not going to let that get into their ways. Their minds were set to catch fish and every single one of them worked as hard as they could at doing that.
Everyone had to fish using the same basic equipment with no lures being allowed and livebait in the form of worms were the bait of the day. So everyone was targeting sunfish and hoping that a bass or trout would swim by to give them that edge for a bigger fish. Didn't take long and the first fish was caught and all of the boys were fired up and hard at work trying to catch their fish.
My son started fishing at a spot and within minutes already had a few sunfish registered and was on his way. There were 4 categories with a trophy for each that they all were fishing for with smallest fish, biggest fish, first fish and most fish. My son was holding his ground and was in the lead for most of the morning with most fish caught.
Unfortunately his spot starting drying up as well and kids were accumulating there and catching the fish as well. He decided to pickup and start moving around but wasn't able to find any more fish by doing that. I mentioned to him to go back to where he started and he caught a couple more but there was another boy that was slowly catching up to him and passed him in the final moments.
The rains were getting heavier and the fish were biting less and less so there was a mutual agreement to call it a day and award the trophies to the winning kids. All in all they all had a great time and will be looking forward to next year’s event. Only thing caught were numbers of sunfish and no one had caught that one big fish.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Fishing May 23 2010
Weather in New England is finally starting to come around to where it needs to be. The weather today was sunny skies, light breeze, air temps in the low 70’s and the water temps were in the range of 67-69 degrees.
We were fishing in New Hampshire and this lake the weed growth is underway very nicely. Since it is spring figured to look for warm water to see if we could find some active fish. Our search was going to be looking for bass.
Started fishing on a shallow flat shelf that had pockets of weeds around the sand and rock. Tried plastic baits, spinnerbaits and rattle trap style baits with plastic being the only one that the fish seemed to want. But, the fish were not inhaling the bait and would have the tail end of it and came to the surface of the water only to throw the bait back at me.
After working around this flat with little success moved down the lake to a deep cove that has a rock shelf. Fished around and over this shelf with plastics and crankbaits and had only a perch to show for this area. Kept following around a small island and had the same thing happen on plastic bait again with them holding onto the tail and throwing the bait as the came to the surface.
This was getting frustrating and moved further down the lake to the dam and usually there is always a fish ort two there. With the flowing water fish generally park themselves there waiting for food to float by. Fished around this area and couldn’t get a bite there. Only had a couple of hours today to figure out what the fish wanted and where they were.
Started getting somewhat of a pattern going as they wanted something that moved a little slower as opposed to chasing down a faster bait. With the water temps higher than I had expected, these fish should either be in spawn or possibly coming out of spawn already.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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We were fishing in New Hampshire and this lake the weed growth is underway very nicely. Since it is spring figured to look for warm water to see if we could find some active fish. Our search was going to be looking for bass.
Started fishing on a shallow flat shelf that had pockets of weeds around the sand and rock. Tried plastic baits, spinnerbaits and rattle trap style baits with plastic being the only one that the fish seemed to want. But, the fish were not inhaling the bait and would have the tail end of it and came to the surface of the water only to throw the bait back at me.
After working around this flat with little success moved down the lake to a deep cove that has a rock shelf. Fished around and over this shelf with plastics and crankbaits and had only a perch to show for this area. Kept following around a small island and had the same thing happen on plastic bait again with them holding onto the tail and throwing the bait as the came to the surface.
This was getting frustrating and moved further down the lake to the dam and usually there is always a fish ort two there. With the flowing water fish generally park themselves there waiting for food to float by. Fished around this area and couldn’t get a bite there. Only had a couple of hours today to figure out what the fish wanted and where they were.
Started getting somewhat of a pattern going as they wanted something that moved a little slower as opposed to chasing down a faster bait. With the water temps higher than I had expected, these fish should either be in spawn or possibly coming out of spawn already.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Thursday, May 20, 2010
Fishing May 16 2010
Fishing is a little slow at this time of year yet but as the days get warmer and the waters start to warm, it won’t be long and the action will take off. Arrived at the lake at 645 am and there were a few boats already out on the water.
Skies were sunny with a stiff northerly wind blowing down the length of the lake and the water temps are still a brisk 57-58 degrees. Weed growth looks to be coming in very nicely and hasn’t gotten to the surface yet but has the lush green colors that we anglers look for.
Since we are in the pre-spawn phase, I decided to start in the front face of a mouth creek that has depths of water from 3-6 feet deep. Working plastic bait around the clumps of weeds was searching to finding some of the bigger fish. Many anglers were running the shorelines searching for those fish to yank on their lines.
Had a few solid bites but these fish seemed to be nipping at the bait and not committing themselves to it. Moved around and left in search of other areas. Went to a productive deep shoreline and decided to go with the wind and work a crankbait covering lots of water here.
Was using a deeper diving crank and casting towards shore and bring it out into deeper water while dragging the bottom. Wasn’t long and had a solid hit and a fat little 1.5 pound largemouth came swimming to the surface. That felt good and wanted more but worked all the way to the other end of the lake and didn’t get another fish.
Moved back up the lake and started the same crank bait along this shoreline and then swung the boat out into deeper water between the two points. Right as I got to where the water drops off into the main lake another largemouth took my crankbait. Wasn’t much size to this one but a fish is a fish.
Went back to the creek mouth and worked this area over again with plastics and missed another couple of fish. Moved to a wind blown point shoreline with the crankbait and couldn’t find anything there either. All in all it was a fun day, windy, would have liked more fish but as the waters warm they will be coming.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Skies were sunny with a stiff northerly wind blowing down the length of the lake and the water temps are still a brisk 57-58 degrees. Weed growth looks to be coming in very nicely and hasn’t gotten to the surface yet but has the lush green colors that we anglers look for.
Since we are in the pre-spawn phase, I decided to start in the front face of a mouth creek that has depths of water from 3-6 feet deep. Working plastic bait around the clumps of weeds was searching to finding some of the bigger fish. Many anglers were running the shorelines searching for those fish to yank on their lines.
Had a few solid bites but these fish seemed to be nipping at the bait and not committing themselves to it. Moved around and left in search of other areas. Went to a productive deep shoreline and decided to go with the wind and work a crankbait covering lots of water here.
Was using a deeper diving crank and casting towards shore and bring it out into deeper water while dragging the bottom. Wasn’t long and had a solid hit and a fat little 1.5 pound largemouth came swimming to the surface. That felt good and wanted more but worked all the way to the other end of the lake and didn’t get another fish.
Moved back up the lake and started the same crank bait along this shoreline and then swung the boat out into deeper water between the two points. Right as I got to where the water drops off into the main lake another largemouth took my crankbait. Wasn’t much size to this one but a fish is a fish.
Went back to the creek mouth and worked this area over again with plastics and missed another couple of fish. Moved to a wind blown point shoreline with the crankbait and couldn’t find anything there either. All in all it was a fun day, windy, would have liked more fish but as the waters warm they will be coming.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
Fish are Shallow
The ice season is gone in New England and in fact the open water has been here for quite sometime. With the nice sunny warming days as of late, the local ponds are warming quite nicely. With the warming waters about us, this will bring the fish into the shallows for their spring ritual. This time of year is a perfect time to get your kids out there fishing as the action could be non-stop. Panfish and bass are invading the shorelines and can be caught with and in a variety of ways. Enjoy a nice warm summery afternoon sitting along a pond shoreline and see for yourself. In most cases it shouldn't take to much work for getting kids into some action and watching them catch these fish is something that you will take with you for years to come.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Fishing April 11 2010
The ice is gone and has been for quite some time and lately the rains have left and the sun has found its way to New England. With the darker waters of our local ponds this is allowing the suns rays to warm these waters much earlier this spring compared to most.
In turn, this will bring this spring spawn season weeks in advance and now is the time to get out there and enjoy some good fishing. We headed to a local pond as we only had an hour or two and my young son wanted to get his open water season underway.
With excitement in the air, fishing rod in our hands, and rigged and ready to catch fish we went to a local pond for a little shore fishing. There is an area that I like to fish here from shore that is a corner of the pond that has access to deep water, has a weed flat near shore and usually a good area for early spring fishing.
Today’s bait choice was going to be fishing T.H.E. Jig, (Totally Hot Everyday Jig) underneath a float. Color choices that were productive were the purple/green and chartreuse/white combinations. No live bait is needed when fishing these baits as these are small hair jigs that dance in the water representing insects and emerging larva.
It didn’t take long and fish were being located and caught and our first crappie of the open water season was in hand. No real big ones were caught as the general size was around 8 inches long but they were very black and won’t be long and they will be spawning.
The trick to catching fish in this area was to cast out as far as you could and had the float set at 18-24 inches in depth. We worked this area as well as a little further down the shoreline and in the short time that we were there caught 10 fish for our efforts. 4 crappies, 3 sunfish, 2 bass and a 1 perch, quite a variety of fish species as they were caught only on these two jigs.
Wanted to stay longer and see if the bigger crappies came in as the sun got lower, but my young son had other plans on his mind. All in all was a very good day out for our first open water trip and now we are pumped and ready to bring on the open water season. Next trip hopefully will be in the boat in search of largemouth bass.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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In turn, this will bring this spring spawn season weeks in advance and now is the time to get out there and enjoy some good fishing. We headed to a local pond as we only had an hour or two and my young son wanted to get his open water season underway.
With excitement in the air, fishing rod in our hands, and rigged and ready to catch fish we went to a local pond for a little shore fishing. There is an area that I like to fish here from shore that is a corner of the pond that has access to deep water, has a weed flat near shore and usually a good area for early spring fishing.
Today’s bait choice was going to be fishing T.H.E. Jig, (Totally Hot Everyday Jig) underneath a float. Color choices that were productive were the purple/green and chartreuse/white combinations. No live bait is needed when fishing these baits as these are small hair jigs that dance in the water representing insects and emerging larva.
It didn’t take long and fish were being located and caught and our first crappie of the open water season was in hand. No real big ones were caught as the general size was around 8 inches long but they were very black and won’t be long and they will be spawning.
The trick to catching fish in this area was to cast out as far as you could and had the float set at 18-24 inches in depth. We worked this area as well as a little further down the shoreline and in the short time that we were there caught 10 fish for our efforts. 4 crappies, 3 sunfish, 2 bass and a 1 perch, quite a variety of fish species as they were caught only on these two jigs.
Wanted to stay longer and see if the bigger crappies came in as the sun got lower, but my young son had other plans on his mind. All in all was a very good day out for our first open water trip and now we are pumped and ready to bring on the open water season. Next trip hopefully will be in the boat in search of largemouth bass.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Friday, March 12, 2010
Open Water is Near
Ice season in New England is a memory as of late and the open water season is coming onto the horizon. Many anglers are getting excited with the coming fishing season and for those that don't fish on the ice, it has been a long time coming. Boats are starting to appear more on the roads and bait shops are starting to hop once again. Spring is a wonderful time here in New England and I know that we can't wait to get onto the open water. Panfish are going to be hungry as well as the bass will be roaming and searching for an easy meal. Get your equipment ready and spool on some new line as a new fishing season is upon us.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Saturday, March 6, 2010
Ice is Fading
The ice season here in New England is coming to an abrupt end. Warming winds and rain have taken the ice to unsafe conditions and many shorelines are open water these days. This is a sure sign that spring is around the corner but also a time to make sure our young anglers are not putting themselves into danger. The ice is looking inviting to the unknown angler but what is forgotten is that the ice is very thin and will not support the weight of an angler. Keeping our young anglers away from the waters edge at this time is very important as we want them to enjoy the coming open water season. Take some precautions and keep a sharp eye out so that we all can enjoy another day on the lake.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Monday, February 22, 2010
Fishing February 20
Weekends sure seem to take a long time to get here and once they are here you blink your eyes and they are gone again. We should have two day work weeks and 5 day weekends and then I couldn't be more happier.
Plans were to head to New Hampshire and fish our favorite bass lake and unfortunately we haven't been able to get up there this season compared to weekly last year. Traveling on the ice is fairly easy at this point as the snow has melted again leaving bare ice. Winds were blowing as every day it seems this winter but the temps were near 50 and made for a decent day on the ice.
We were fishing an area that comes out of a channel between to lakes and as you enter this part of the lake, there is an underwater deep point. We had holes drilled in ranges from 10 feet out to 16 feet of water. Was marking fish in most holes but a lot of lookers versus being biters.
My son was going to be the one that tried to catch most fish today and it took him a number of failed hook sets before he finally started getting his groove together. These fish were not inhaling the baits as they were more or less nipping at the tails.
Over the course of the day I think he said that we had caught 12 in total with 1 perch, 1 smallmouth, 1 pickerel and 9 largemouth bass to show for our efforts. All in all it was a good day and we have seen better on this particular lake but as long as the two of us are enjoying our time on the ice, in my mind that is all that matters.
We are counting the days already for our next adventure and may have to switch gears and head to our favorite crappie hole. Seems that we haven't seen to much ice time this season but hopefully the next few weeks we can pick up the pace as late ice is coming and this is the prime time of our ice fishing season.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Free Ice Fishing Class Offered in Peterborough March 6, 2010
Are you looking for one final hurrah for winter? Join the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s “Let’s Go Fishing” Program and the Peterborough Recreation Department for a fun-filled day of ice fishing, a recreational activity that everyone in the family can enjoy.
This introductory ice fishing class will be held on Saturday, March 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Peterborough Recreation Department, 64 Union Street. The class is open to anyone; however, we recommend those 16 and under be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot by contacting the Recreation Department at 603-924-8080. The class is $5 for Peterborough residents and $8 for non-residents, the fee covers a BBQ on the ice! Registration is first-come, first-served and all equipment and materials will be provided. You do not need to have a fishing license to participate.
The morning will be spent inside, learning about equipment, safety, knot tying, fish identification and basic winter ecology. In the afternoon, participants will head out to a local pond and put their newly learned skills to the test.
New Hampshire Fish and Game’s “Let's Go Fishing” program has taught thousands of children and adults to be safe, ethical and successful anglers. Find out more at www.fishnh.com/Fishing/lets_go_fishing_class_schedule.htm. The program is federally funded through the Sport Fish Restoration Program.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works to conserve, manage and protect the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as providing the public with opportunities to use and appreciate these resources. Visit www.FishNH.com.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
This introductory ice fishing class will be held on Saturday, March 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Peterborough Recreation Department, 64 Union Street. The class is open to anyone; however, we recommend those 16 and under be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot by contacting the Recreation Department at 603-924-8080. The class is $5 for Peterborough residents and $8 for non-residents, the fee covers a BBQ on the ice! Registration is first-come, first-served and all equipment and materials will be provided. You do not need to have a fishing license to participate.
The morning will be spent inside, learning about equipment, safety, knot tying, fish identification and basic winter ecology. In the afternoon, participants will head out to a local pond and put their newly learned skills to the test.
New Hampshire Fish and Game’s “Let's Go Fishing” program has taught thousands of children and adults to be safe, ethical and successful anglers. Find out more at www.fishnh.com/Fishing/lets_go_fishing_class_schedule.htm. The program is federally funded through the Sport Fish Restoration Program.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works to conserve, manage and protect the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as providing the public with opportunities to use and appreciate these resources. Visit www.FishNH.com.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Fishing Feb 13 2010 Massachusetts
Weather has been getting better now that we are well into February and the nights are still cool but the days are warming nicely. Which makes getting on the ice nicer as well as the trips are getting to last longer. There is a lake that we fish that is fairly large in size for our location and plenty of structure as well. This body of water generally isn't a high producer for numbers of fish on a day but the ones that are caught are usually of a much nicer size. These waters contain perch, crappies large and smallmouth bass which each species grows to rather large size. The concentration was to be in search of large crappies and also find the elusive smallmouth that have eluded us in the ice season. Fished an area that is fairly deep and gets down to 35 feet as we wanted to locate suspending crappies. We had a few bites and missed most but caught the above nice perch. Worked all around this area drilling a large number of holes and just couldn't seem to find anything other than a few more of these perch. Picked up and moved over aways where there is an underwater humped and drilled holes up and down this contour line. Worked here for quite sometime and only produced a few more perch but one of them was a very fat 13 incher. Moved out into deeper water once again but we just couldn't seem to locate anything and watching the number of other anglers out there, they were on the move all the time as well. Ice conditions are excellent as we had a solid 14 inches and no snow on top is making travel very easy. Looking forward to our next trip which is going to be taking us to New Hampshire where we are going to be searching for sumo perch, fat smallmouth and aggressive largemouth bass. A possibility of a little snow this week and hopefully that misses again as traveling on the ice right now is optimal for us.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
Friday, February 12, 2010
Angler Catches New Record Walleye in Vermont
Vermont has the best walleye fishing in New England, and Richard Levesque’s latest entry in Vermont’s fish record program underscores that point. Levesque shattered the previous state record for walleye on February 10, when he caught a walleye weighing 14.55 lbs. through the ice on Lake Champlain.
Levesque, who lives nearby in West Swanton, caught the big fish at 9:00 p.m., using a tipup baited with a golden shiner. The walleye measured 32 ½ inches long and had a 20-inch girth.
The previous Vermont state record walleye weighed 13.44 lbs and was caught in the Clyde River in 1997 by Doug Niles of Newport Center, Vt. The fish was examined by State Fisheries Biologist Brian Chipman at Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s office in Essex.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Day 2 of Fishing weekend Feb 6
With high anticipation of making this trip to New Hampshire in search of large and smallmouth bass, the drive seemed to never end. We are primed from the previous day on the ice and with past trips to this particular lake, excitement is very evident.
Getting to the ice it was very evident that fishing was going to be tough to say the least. Sunny skies, high straight lined winds and cold temps to go along with this was going to be a factor especially with a 8 year fishing with me.
Wanting to find a place to get out of the wind so that we could enjoy the day on the ice was going to be another task. The prime areas there were anglers already fishing so we braved the cold and wind and setup and tried to hide behind the point we were fishing.
Typically this lake there is decent and consistent action but today was going to be a different story. We had a few bites that didn't connect and was also finding fish that would look at our baits, but they wouldn't commit and the weather eventually took over and pulled the plug after a few hours.
Not the type of day that we wanted to have but still was nice getting out there on the ice. Ice thickness was around 14 inches with no snow on top.
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Getting to the ice it was very evident that fishing was going to be tough to say the least. Sunny skies, high straight lined winds and cold temps to go along with this was going to be a factor especially with a 8 year fishing with me.
Wanting to find a place to get out of the wind so that we could enjoy the day on the ice was going to be another task. The prime areas there were anglers already fishing so we braved the cold and wind and setup and tried to hide behind the point we were fishing.
Typically this lake there is decent and consistent action but today was going to be a different story. We had a few bites that didn't connect and was also finding fish that would look at our baits, but they wouldn't commit and the weather eventually took over and pulled the plug after a few hours.
Not the type of day that we wanted to have but still was nice getting out there on the ice. Ice thickness was around 14 inches with no snow on top.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Day 1 of fishing weekend Feb 6
The weekends this year have been so busy with family things and kids activities that ice fishing has taken a back seat with only being able to get out a couple of times. So this weekend we have put everything aside and after swimming lessons today the fishing weekend starts.
Since it was early afternoon already, figured that we would stay close to home and hit a local pond and try for some crappies and sunfish. Ice conditions are shaping up very nicely as there is no snow on top and this pond we are looking at 13 inches. Today's weather was cool and breezy and definitely still feel the chill of winter out there.
This particular pond is a water reservoir and we stayed near the dam end in deeper water. The area that we were working is the transition area from the shallower backside to where the water drops off into deeper water that is on the face of the dam.
Once dropping our jigs down there the Vexilar screen lit up with fish and they were there the whole time we fished. There were many lookers but with the cold front that had come through many of these wouldn't commit to the bait.
As I was working my bait my son says "dad, I have a fish on" and I look over and his rod was doubled over. I told him that was not a crappie that we were looking for and was something much bigger. He was struggling to get this fish in and after coaching him to try and tire the fish out, a nice 3 pound bass came up through the hole.
He was very excited and wanted his picture taken and was ready to catch whatever was willing to bite. We fished these fish for a while and caught some crappies and sunfish and was nice getting on the ice again. This is our fishing weekend and tomorrow we are leaving first thing in the morning for a trip to New Hampshire and in search of large and smallmouth bass.
Stay tune and check back tomorrow and see if we are able to pull this off.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Fishing January 16 2010
Since our last trip was cut short in search of a few pickerel the last time out we had decided to head back to our favorite pickerel lake. This particular lake is shallow and the weeds are generally 5-6 feet under the ice. Making sure that the lines are set shallow enough so that the minnows don't get tangled into the weeds.
It was a nice weekend and this day we had mid 40's for temps and little wind as well so that made for a very enjoyable day to spend on the water. Snow is melting on the lakes very quickly but staying firm enough so it isn't sloppy out there.
We set our traps out around the area we were in and it took a while before any action was to come along. Once the first bite came the others came fairly regularly the rest of the afternoon. There was even a time when we had 3 traps going at once.
We would set the traps shallow with the minnows only a couple of feet under the ice and the fish were still coming in to take a look. For the afternoon out there we caught 11 pickerel that went from 12 inches up to 3 pounds. Also, caught a fat and very nice perch as well.
The way the day started wasn't sure if we were going to be catching anything and already planning on other options. But moving around some and searching the fish out made for a productive day.
It was a nice weekend and this day we had mid 40's for temps and little wind as well so that made for a very enjoyable day to spend on the water. Snow is melting on the lakes very quickly but staying firm enough so it isn't sloppy out there.
We set our traps out around the area we were in and it took a while before any action was to come along. Once the first bite came the others came fairly regularly the rest of the afternoon. There was even a time when we had 3 traps going at once.
We would set the traps shallow with the minnows only a couple of feet under the ice and the fish were still coming in to take a look. For the afternoon out there we caught 11 pickerel that went from 12 inches up to 3 pounds. Also, caught a fat and very nice perch as well.
The way the day started wasn't sure if we were going to be catching anything and already planning on other options. But moving around some and searching the fish out made for a productive day.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Watch for Holes
The ice season is in full swing and many fishers bring children with them out on the ice for a day of fishing. There is something that we may not realize with the holes that we drill into the ice for our fishing lines. Many fishers are drilling 8 to 10 inch holes and these can become traps for the children that we bring along. If the holes are not mark, covered by slush or just not visible, children and as well as adults can step into these holes and many things can happen at that point. The boot fills with icy cold water ending a day of fishing, loss of the boot under the ice, broken bones with forward body movement as well and pulled muscles from an abrupt altering body action. Nobody wants to have an accident on the ice and ruin the day, but watching and remembering where these holes are is fairly important in keeping everyone safe to enjoy a great day on the ice.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
Fishing January 2 2010
Finally the ice season has come to New England and not to soon. Was wondering if we were going to ever get on the ice but most places are locking up well now and not a lot of snow on top to insulate so the cool nights are producing ice all the time.
With so much time to prepare for this season and trying to decide where that first trip will be, the hour and a half that I had to get out dictated a quick run to a local pond in search of crappies and sunfish. The day was cloudy and fairly breezy with snow showers happening the whole time.
A few new pieces of equipment for this ice season to try out and they proved their value in quality, craftsman and functionality. One was a new 24 inch Austin fishing rod which proved itself fish after fish and the other was a StrikeMaster ElectraLazer auger that is battery powered and made swiss cheese of the ice very quickly.
For this pond there was 5 inches of clear black ice with a coating of 5 inches of snow on top. The snow is still light so there is no water seepage after drilling the holes allowing to keep us dry. Punched a number of holes and put the Vexilar to use in search of fish and there were a few holes that were very active.
This particular pond has an abundance of panfish but have noticed that size has come down some but quantities are still there. Was working water depths of 13 feet of water and using a black/white T.H.E. Jig on 2 pound Gamma Ice line and this combination proved well for the 10 sunfish that were caught.
There were a number of lookers taking a gander at the bait and lightly working T.H.E. Jig to entice the feeders proved to be the combination to get that tug on the fishing line. All in all it was a good day to finally be able to get on the ice once again and this weekend a trip of pickerel fishing is planned.
With so much time to prepare for this season and trying to decide where that first trip will be, the hour and a half that I had to get out dictated a quick run to a local pond in search of crappies and sunfish. The day was cloudy and fairly breezy with snow showers happening the whole time.
A few new pieces of equipment for this ice season to try out and they proved their value in quality, craftsman and functionality. One was a new 24 inch Austin fishing rod which proved itself fish after fish and the other was a StrikeMaster ElectraLazer auger that is battery powered and made swiss cheese of the ice very quickly.
For this pond there was 5 inches of clear black ice with a coating of 5 inches of snow on top. The snow is still light so there is no water seepage after drilling the holes allowing to keep us dry. Punched a number of holes and put the Vexilar to use in search of fish and there were a few holes that were very active.
This particular pond has an abundance of panfish but have noticed that size has come down some but quantities are still there. Was working water depths of 13 feet of water and using a black/white T.H.E. Jig on 2 pound Gamma Ice line and this combination proved well for the 10 sunfish that were caught.
There were a number of lookers taking a gander at the bait and lightly working T.H.E. Jig to entice the feeders proved to be the combination to get that tug on the fishing line. All in all it was a good day to finally be able to get on the ice once again and this weekend a trip of pickerel fishing is planned.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Spool those reels up
With ice season fast approaching here in New England, there is one item that often gets over looked. The ice fishing line that is on our fishing reels should be removed and replaced with fresh new line. Ice takes the toll on fishing line as the ice easily nicks and damages the line as we fight the fish to the hole. In reality, one should replace their ice fishing line a couple of time during the season and this will allow you to get a majority of your fish onto the ice instead of breaking them off. There are many lines out there to choose from, and try and get some of the line that is specifically made for fishing through the ice. By changing out your line now you will be set once we get into full gear out on the ice searching for our quarry.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Get the Ice Gear Ready
As fall fades away to winter, the open water season is coming towards an end but not quite yet. For those that are still venturing onto the open waters, there are still fish to be caught. Sure it is getting a little harder to get out there and the weather is getting cooler, but a little preparation will go a long ways in these cooler fall days. Panfish are a great choice of fish to chase as they can be found fairly easily and give a great fight. Many fishers target panfish in the winter months and why not enjoy today catching them as well. This time of year will also allow you to use your ice fishing gear and that is another point at getting ready for the ice season ahead. Take advantage of these fall days of fishing as many other fishers out there are missing out as they are waiting for the ice.
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
BackWoods Sportsman OutDoors
www.backwoodssportsman.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Fishing November 9 2009
When the heat comes to New England especially when we are into November, with the air temps at 70 degrees, how can you not want to hit the water and search for a few fish? Got the kayak ready and loaded a couple of things into the truck and headed for a close pond for a couple of hours of fishing.
This time of year it is time to start getting into the mode for ice fishing and breaking out the ice fishing rod/reel combo and the Vexilar flasher to do some vertical jigging. The air temps were around 70, with this comes a fairly stiff breeze to deal with and the waters vacated of any sign of human life and this gives me the solitude of having the lake to myself.
With a couple of hours, panfish were the targets for this outing and searching for sunfish and crappies is always exciting at this lake. These fish are not the biggest compared to other waters, but being close to home, the numbers are definitely there. There is one deep hole in this lake that I fish mainly when fishing here and usually never fails in catching some fish.
Luckily the area that I wanted to fish was protected to a point from the shoreline trees and the wind wasn’t too tough to fish today. Once getting to the area I turn on the flasher and start paddling around and looking for fish on the screen. Doesn’t take long before they are located and lowering the anchor so that I can work this area without getting blown away.
Today’s bait choice was to be a pink/purple colored T.H.E. Jig with a couple of small split shot above it to get down deeper a little more quickly. Water depths were in the 18 foot range and the most active fish were suspended at around 15 feet. The suspending fish were much more active then the lookers that would come off of the bottom.
Didn’t take long and the first crappie came to the surface and so did many more after that. A few sunfish were caught as well but they were on the small side. The last couple of seasons have noticed that the crappies on this lake have been a small side with average sizes of 9 inches are the most common.
By watching the flasher this allows me to see how the fish are relating to my bait presentation and also lets me know when the fish were ready to bite. By fishing vertically just like we do in the winter months, this practice gets us ready for the ice season ahead. This was the first trip in the kayak this fall with many more to come and today there was 17 crappies, 2 sunfish and a perch caught.
This abnormal warm weather makes it very hard not to take advantage of wetting a line and hopefully there will be many more days like this as well. I am very ready for the ice season ahead and can’t wait to walk and fish on hard water once again.
This time of year it is time to start getting into the mode for ice fishing and breaking out the ice fishing rod/reel combo and the Vexilar flasher to do some vertical jigging. The air temps were around 70, with this comes a fairly stiff breeze to deal with and the waters vacated of any sign of human life and this gives me the solitude of having the lake to myself.
With a couple of hours, panfish were the targets for this outing and searching for sunfish and crappies is always exciting at this lake. These fish are not the biggest compared to other waters, but being close to home, the numbers are definitely there. There is one deep hole in this lake that I fish mainly when fishing here and usually never fails in catching some fish.
Luckily the area that I wanted to fish was protected to a point from the shoreline trees and the wind wasn’t too tough to fish today. Once getting to the area I turn on the flasher and start paddling around and looking for fish on the screen. Doesn’t take long before they are located and lowering the anchor so that I can work this area without getting blown away.
Today’s bait choice was to be a pink/purple colored T.H.E. Jig with a couple of small split shot above it to get down deeper a little more quickly. Water depths were in the 18 foot range and the most active fish were suspended at around 15 feet. The suspending fish were much more active then the lookers that would come off of the bottom.
Didn’t take long and the first crappie came to the surface and so did many more after that. A few sunfish were caught as well but they were on the small side. The last couple of seasons have noticed that the crappies on this lake have been a small side with average sizes of 9 inches are the most common.
By watching the flasher this allows me to see how the fish are relating to my bait presentation and also lets me know when the fish were ready to bite. By fishing vertically just like we do in the winter months, this practice gets us ready for the ice season ahead. This was the first trip in the kayak this fall with many more to come and today there was 17 crappies, 2 sunfish and a perch caught.
This abnormal warm weather makes it very hard not to take advantage of wetting a line and hopefully there will be many more days like this as well. I am very ready for the ice season ahead and can’t wait to walk and fish on hard water once again.
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