Live From The Water 2021!!

[The_Real_TCIII]

Beautiful Trout ! 
So in other words , you looked like a typical city slicker tourist  gone fishin LOL

If a forum member saw me id have died of embarrassment . And they kept getting sucked off in the silt


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[crappyice]

I fished a new stream this morning and it was so tight I was crawling half the time. I managed one gorgeous wild brown but cant wait to get back there. Also I forgot my wading shoes so I had flip flops on my waders lol


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Pics or it didnt happen…


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[wolc123]

It took me about about an hour and a half to get a limit of 12.5 - 15 inch largemouths on Goose bay on the St Lawrence river this morning.  The 30 mph NE wind and cold front didnt make it too comfortable out there but at least they were hitting good.  

They were in less than 8 ft of water this morning.  Hopefully, the wind let's up or changes direction tomorrow, when I run over deep water to dump the guts, and maybe find some smallmouth.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by wolc123

[Robhuntandfish]

2 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Ill be there defending my title


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They dont stand a chance!  I bet those idiots arent even targeting rock bass - damn fools.  

[The_Real_TCIII]

They dont stand a chance!  I bet those idiots arent even targeting rock bass - damn fools.  

Shhhh


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[wolc123]

The weather was a lot more pleasant this morning, sunny with 5 mph west wind.  The largemouth action on the bay was slower, as is typical in post cold front conditions.  We only managed 3 keepers this morning, then tried out in the main river for smallies a little bit with no action there.

Using my secret weapon "invisible hat", we were able to sneak in on a couple largemouth , in the shallow water, that just broke the 16" mark. 

Unfortunately, I snapped my rod while hoisting one of those 3 pounders into the boat.  Now it is six inches shorter and held together with black electric tape.  I will see how it holds up when we go back out after dinner and try for 7 more.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by wolc123

[The_Real_TCIII]

How come I can see the hat?


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[wolc123]

5 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

How come I can see the hat?


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The switch was off in the lower photo.  

The wind picked up enough in the afternoon, so that the stealth of the invisible hat was not necessary.  The surface chop was about 2 ft on the bay with a 30 mph NW wind.  

The bite was still slow and there was not a lot of fish for us. Just 2 northerns (one about 24" and a shorter "hammer handle") on my spinnerbait , and an 11-7/8 " largemouth on my brother in laws senko, up until 7:45 pm.

At that time, the wind had died down a bit and I switched back to a 3/8 oz weedless jig and rubber craw on the rod that I had broken and repaired with electric tape in the morning. It felt good on quite a few casts earlier, but I really wanted to see how it did on a fish.

This stout, 19-1/2" 6 pounder nailed that jig right below the boat in 6 ft of water, really testing the backbone of the repaired rod.  My drag was tightened up pretty good, to help get the fish up out of the weeds.  From the way that Hawg tore it out, I though thought it must have been a big northern pike.  

I couldn't hardly believe that a largemouth could muster that much pull.  The rod repair held up very well.  Other than loosing about 6" of length, there was no loss on performance.

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by wolc123

[The_Real_TCIII]

The switch was off in the lower photo.  
The wind picked up enough in the afternoon, so that the stealth of the invisible hat was not necessary.  The surface chop was about 2 ft on the bay with a 30 mph NW wind.  
The bite was still slow and there was not a lot of fish for us. Just 2 northerns (one about 24" and a shorter "hammer handle") on my spinnerbait , and an 11-7/8 " largemouth on my brother in laws senko, up until 7:45 pm.
At that time, the wind had died down a bit and I switched back to a 3/8 oz weedless jig and rubber craw on the rod that I had broken and repaired with electric tape in the morning. It felt good on quite a few casts earlier, but I really wanted to see how it did on a fish.
This stout, 19-1/2" 6 pounder nailed that jig right below the boat in 6 ft of water, really testing the backbone of the repaired rod.  My drag was tightened up pretty good, to help get the fish up out of the weeds.  From the way that Hawg tore it out, I though thought it must have been a big northern pike.  
I couldn't hardly believe that a largemouth could muster that much pull.  The rod repair held up very well.  Other than loosing about 6" of length, there was no loss on performance.

 

What a fish!


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[wolc123]

1 hour ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

What a fish!


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I have been fishing up here for about 40 years and that was likely my heaviest bass. Two years ago, I got a thinner one of about the same length, on a grass frog in about a foot of water next to the neighbor's dock.  That one was maybe 1/4 as strong and didn't do much fight other than wallow around  a bit in a big ball of weeds.  

Several 20 inch smallies, the last few years up here, were not quite as thick.   They have been much thicker than they used to be since the arival of the round gobies and the incredible forage base that they provide (the same goes for lake Erie and the Upper Niagara).

I was lucky this one didnt break my line because my drag was set real tight and it has been a few years since I had replaced the 10 pound test mono on that reel.  Fortunately, I got a bad backlash on my first cast with it and had to strip off and discard the last 50 feet or so.  That worn section of line would have broken for sure on this bass.

It's raining this morning so I am taking some time off from fishing.  We will try and get out after lunch if it stops.  I would like to try some drop shotting for smallies out on some deep water.

Edited August 1, 2021 by wolc123

[The_Real_TCIII]

We got some stockers early and decided to explore a wild little stream and find some brookies. It was quite an adventure but we found some and a heck of a nice brown for a stream you can jump across


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[wolc123]

We took the morning off from fishing because it was supposed to rain and for my daughters birthday party. After that, we went out on the bay for a couple hours and got a few short largemouth, (2) 12-1/16" keepers, and a 14", and 16". 

 This 11 pound puppy also tried to break my rod again without success:

 

[wolc123]

We didnt catch much yesterday, up on the St Lawrence, just one 14-1/2" bass and four pike, all 20 - 24" long. I made the mistake of "hoisting" the bass onboard (which I later released because one fish ain't worth getting the knife dirty).  That further damaged by repaired rod.  I will try and epoxy it and wrap it with some strong thread this winter. Hopefully,  I can save it because that old Fenwick eagle graphite MH 8.5 footer (now 8 ft) was one of my favorites.

It was a rough day on equipment yesterday. Besides the busted rod, my wife fell down at the dock while getting out of the boat and busted the bracket on my front depth finder.  That is currently held together with black electric tape and will need a little job weld when I get home.

She complained a little about a sore thigh at the campfire last night, but I think she is will be ok.  The broken bracket absorbed the energy of her fall. 

I also lost a corner cover piece from the back of the boat when it popped off after striking a steel dock post.

For our last morning up here today, I am borrowing an ugly-stick rod that my nephew snagged on the bottom after it had been submerged on the bay a season or two.  The reel on it was seized up pretty good but the rod looks ok. Hopefully, I can test it our on a few more bass today.

[chrisw]

Good bite today on Oneida, gave the new planer boards a work out.

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[wolc123]

It was slow on the St Lawrence this morning, with just one "keeper" 12-1/4" largemouth, two 11" largemouth, and two pike.  They all got to go free today. 

Had I not destroyed my good graphite rod, I would have probably done better because I couldn't feel anything with the POS ugly stick.  I difmt feel the strikes the 4 fish I landed with it this morning so there is no telling how many I missed.  I still did better than my brother in law who only got one 11" bass on his wacky worm.

[rachunter]

On 8/1/2021 at 9:45 PM, wolc123 said:

We took the morning off from fishing because it was supposed to rain and for my daughters birthday party. After that, we went out on the bay for a couple hours and got a few short largemouth, (2) 12-1/16" keepers, and a 14", and 16". 

 This 11 pound puppy also tried to break my rod again without success:

 

Do you eat those bowfin? 

[wolc123]

1 hour ago, rachunter said:

Do you eat those bowfin? 

I never tried one.  I think they are too ugly for me to even think about that.  One of our neighbors at the campground up there said that he tried one once and it was horrible.  He said that it made him puke.

It does look like some folks eat them, especially over in England, based on some stuff I read online.  They are very hard fighters though.

[johnplav]

We used to catch bowfin all the time behind my house growing up (L. Champlain). Everyone called them “Ling”.  Tried to eat them once… very soft meat, nothing special but not horrible.  Fun as hell to catch though. 

[rachunter]

We used to catch bowfin all the time behind my house growing up (L. Champlain). Everyone called them “Ling”.  Tried to eat them once… very soft meat, nothing special but not horrible.  Fun as hell to catch though. 

That’s exactly what I was thing ling which are a good eating fish.
I bought one in a pet store when I was a kid I had until it smashed through the fish tank


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[Lomax]

One king in the box so far.  Hopefully it picks up just lost a nice one. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Do you eat those bowfin? 

I had a bass fishing game when i was a kid and every once in a while youd get a strike and it said "A BOWFIN! YOUR SPINNERBAIT IS DESTROYED!!" And i had no idea what a bowfin was lol


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[Robhuntandfish]

1 hour ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I had a bass fishing game when i was a kid and every once in a while youd get a strike and it said "A BOWFIN! YOUR SPINNERBAIT IS DESTROYED!!" And i had no idea what a bowfin was lol


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I had a bass fishing game too and it had Oneida lake on it.  It was awesome.  I caught a 7lb smallmouth in front of Oneida creek. Which would never happen in real life. 

[Robhuntandfish]

1 hour ago, Lomax said:

One king in the box so far.  Hopefully it picks up just lost a nice one. 

Awesome.  Picked a great day.  Bet they are pretty deep.

[stubborn1VT]

5 hours ago, johnplav said:

We used to catch bowfin all the time behind my house growing up (L. Champlain). Everyone called them “Ling”.  Tried to eat them once… very soft meat, nothing special but not horrible.  Fun as hell to catch though. 

There are both bowfin and ling (burbot) in Champlain.  Kinda similar looking, but bowfin live in the swampy shallows and ling live in the deep water.  Bowfin have nasty teeth and ling don't.  

Rumor had it that the Chinese restaurant would trade you free food for fresh bowfin.  I never tried it myself.  People I know who have tried them say they aren't great and the meat is kind of mushy.

[johnplav]

57 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

There are both bowfin and ling (burbot) in Champlain.  Kinda similar looking, but bowfin live in the swampy shallows and ling live in the deep water.  Bowfin have nasty teeth and ling don't.  

Rumor had it that the Chinese restaurant would trade you free food for fresh bowfin.  I never tried it myself.  People I know who have tried them say they aren't great and the meat is kind of mushy.

These were definitely the shallow water Bowfin variety... I'd love to catch a burbot tho... it's one of the few NY freshwater fish I haven't caught yet. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by johnplav