2022 Wolc Journal

[wolc123]

I caught adult male coon number (5) in a box trap that was baited with stale bread wiped with peanut butter.  The bait was gone out of the other box trap and the door was down, but it was empty.  Nothing in the dog-proof either.  
 

Unfortunately, they wiped out about 1/3 of my 3rd planting of sweetcorn last night, and it was about a week away from being ripe enough to pick.  I put fresh bait in three traps back there, hoping to get a few more before they take out the remainder of my sweetcorn.  

It sure would be nice to get to eat a little of that sweetcorn this year.  My 4th and last planting (silver queen) looks like it is about 3 weeks away from being ripe enough to pick.  
 

My rain gauge is showing that we got more than an inch since Sunday, which should really help fill out that late corn.  It should also add some bushels to my RR fieldcorn out back.  Hopefully,  enough to make up for what the deer have been eating, starting about a week ago.   
 

If the ground dries out enough by this weekend, I think I am going to jump the gun a little bit and get in a couple of wheat/clover plots.  I usually wait until after September 1 for that. 
 

 

 

[wolc123]

This afternoon, I drove back and checked out the ground that I want to plant this weekend with wheat and clover.  Both spots look dry enough to work up and plant tomorrow.  I had hoped to get some soybeans to add to the mix.  I didn’t get any, so I’ll have to do without.  

The deer are hitting the corn back there pretty good.  They have eaten about 10% of the ears already.  The ears are not even fully developed yet, which is good, because the recent rains are adding to the yield faster than the deer are reducing it.  

That rain also bumped up the Imperial Whitetail “Tall Tine Tubers” quite a bit.  Those are some type of turnip/brassica mix.  

I brushed in my pop up blind back there a little bit, but I will only hunt that, if we get an east or north east wind, between September 10 and 18.  I will take it down on the evening of the 18th, so I can bring it up north for early ML in mid October.

 

 I will bring it home after that, and set it back up where it is now, for fall Turkey and crossbow deer season.   It will probably remain there until the January 1st end of Holiday ML season.

 I also have a natural blind on the other side, that I can use to hunt those plots in a west, south, or southwest wind.   Some of the “cover” on that natural blind is poison ivy.  
 

Jumping in the pool, right after triming that last week, stopped any infection. I will take that pool down Sunday.  The night time lows are going to be in the 50’s next week and the kids are off to college.  I used it more than they did this summer.  

Edited August 27, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

I finished up almost everything I need to do on the back 30, prior to the September 10 antlerless gun opener.  I want to let everything back there rest a couple of weeks, so that I can Pearl Harbor “back strap moma” on the 10th.
 

 I forgot to pick up a hammer and a water bottle that I set down next to my pop-up blind, as I was finishing up my last wheat/clover plot back there. I will have to swing by with the Durango tomorrow, when I fire it up to check the traps in the sweetcorn in the front field.  
 

Tasks completed were: Chairs placed in two stands, Trimming some brush for easier access to one stand.  New 1.5 acre wheat/clover/alphalfa plot planted out back and another acre up front.  

The soil moisture content was perfect for working up this morning, but this is the earliest that I have ever planted wheat.  I went over the plots twice with the drag, which worked the ground into a fine powder.  Then I broadcast the wheat, cultipacked, broadcast the clover/alphalfa mix, then cuktipacked again.

 All of the seed I planted today was free (thanks goosifer) or left over from last season, so it will be interesting to see how it does.  I am not used to planting the fancy “buck on the bag” stuff.  

 
I now have Whitetail Institute “tall tine tubers” growing in one side of my pop-up, corn off the corner (getting hit hard by bucks and does right now), and “imperial whitetail” clover now planted off the other side.  

It will be interesting to see what the deer like better: the “imperial whitetail” clover, or the “spot on” clover/alphalfa mix.  
 

It will also be interesting to see if the clover germinates better when broadcast after cultipacking, than it does when broadcast directly onto powdery  “fluffed up” soil.  I did it that way in just a 20 ft wide strip next to the oak tree in the above picture, to see what happens.  All the rest got cultipacked before and after broadcasting.  

Edited August 27, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

I caught coons in the sweetcorn, in box-traps baited with peanut butter coated marshmallows, two days in a row.  Yesterday’s was my first young one of the year.  I didn’t look to see if it was a male or female.  The coyotes must have moved off, because they had been keeping the young ones and the adult females under control, up to this point.  
 

I have a dog-proof trap, baited with cat food, right in between those two box traps.   Nothing had gone for that in a couple weeks now.  The peanut butter coated marshmallows were missing out of the other (unsprung) box trap, the last two days.  
 

Today’s was the 7th for the year, and the 6th adult male.  It was a box-filler, maybe the biggest one of the year, so far.  I still haven’t got an ear of sweetcorn for the table, but maybe I can take out enough coons with it, so that my 2 acres of RR field corn makes it until January 1.  So far, only the deer are eating that, and they are way more efficient consumers of corn than coons are.  


I am also hoping to get a little sweetcorn for eating fresh and for freezing from my last two batches.  I thought the coons got all of the second last batch.  It turned out that it was only a little bit of early corn, that must have been stuck in the planter, before the later stuff went down.  All is not yet lost to the coons.  
 

I am only trapping them in the sweetcorn in my front field now.  I finished all the required work out back.  I am going to stay out of there, until the September 10 early antlerless gun opener.  

[wolc123]

I got a late start fishing this  morning and I just landed my first bass (14” smallmouth).  One lame hit on a surface bait earlier and a couple light taps on jigs but this was the first hookup.   
 

The sky was clear and no wind early, so conditions were tough to sneak in on the smallmouth with bucktail jigs, in this little NW Adirondack lake. 
 

A light sw wind picked up, to chop up the surface a little, so I started trolling a silver hotntot . Very healthy looking fish and good fighter.  I am only keeping one over 22” on this trip.  I will keep a pack or two of “eaters” this size when I come back up in mid October.

[Lawdwaz]

Looks like fun.   Any Genny on board????

One of your corn eating ‘coons got hit by my shop Thursday on Transit.   It was probably suicide after he heard you were out for ‘em…..

[wolc123]

1 minute ago, Lawdwaz said:

Looks like fun.   Any Genny on board????

One of your corn eating ‘coons got hit by my shop Thursday on Transit.   It was probably suicide after he heard you were out for ‘em…..

No, I don’t touch the stuff till I’m done fishing because the first thing alcohol takes from me is my ability to detect a strike.  I suppose it would be fine for trolling though, so maybe I bring out a cooler this afternoon. 
 

It won’t be Genny though because my in-laws don’t stock that.  It looks like they are a little light on the usual Modelo Negras and Dos Equis Especials also.  It will probably have to be Yuengling, Fat Tire, or Tsing Tau.  

[wolc123]

I just had a prayer answered.  That bass must have twisted up my line and/or rubbed it on some rocks.  I drifted a bit, with a jig on my other rod, after releasing the bass.  Then, when I cast that lure back out, to start trolling again, it broke off and went flying.

I silently asked God if He would let me get it back.  About 10 minutes  later, after I had already tied on my last one, I caught a flash of light off of it, floating about 30 yards off my bow on the port side.  Now I have two of them again.

He answers all of me prayers in one of three ways: “Yes”, “No” (only if it’s for the best), or “wait a bit” (like just happened).  I am going to refrain from praying for that elusive 22 incher and just have fun with those that I catch while trying.  Someone’s got to educate these fish.

Edited September 3, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

Celebrating the return of the prodigal hotntot.  It’s 5 o’clock somewhere and it is important to stay hydrated.

[wolc123]

Maybe my first “open container” bass.  The home made rod holder didn’t have any trouble detecting the strike.  This one thought it was a steelhead, lots of air.

[Lawdwaz]

Pygmy always said alcohol enhances strike detection for the fishermen and I believe him.    

 

[wolc123]

It looks like we will be having smoked ribs for dinner tonight:

[wolc123]

The bad thing about a warm lake on Labor-day weekend, is that the bass have not moved to shore yet, so the top-water action is not good yet.  A few years ago, when it was considerably colder, I had my 5 fish limit of bass in 7 casts with a Zara pooch, without even leaving the dock.  No such luck this year.

The good thing is, I can take a bath and wash up in the lake after jumping off the swimming/drinking barge, and not listen to my father in law complain of running the hot water too long in the shower in the house.  Good thing Ivory soap floats.

[wolc123]

The girls offered to fetch me a beer, if I took out the big spider under the table on the drinking barge.  Choosing a weapon was tricky.  I felt like Bruce Willis in Pulp fiction.  

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

We are having a campfire up at the in-laws now and I can see Jake up on the wall in the house.   That’s what I named my first Adirondack buck, after the young real estate agent who sold them the land up here, and who became a good friend.  He showed me the hot spots to hunt and fish.  Unfortunately, he passed away, shortly after I killed that buck, and never got to see the mount. 
 

[wolc123]

I got out before sunrise this morning but only the little ones are in shallow.  I landed 3 so far on the Zara  pooch, but only this one was over 12”, and by just 1/8”.

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

After they quit hitting on the Zara puppy surface bait this morning, I trolled along the shoreline and hooked one, that looked to be about 16”, on a small silver hotntot.  It dove deep and broke my line right next to the boat.  Now I am down to my last small silver hotntot again.  
 

The temperature was about 68 this morning, it was overcast, and the wind was from the north at about 5 mph.  I went back out after lunch and it was up to about 10 mph, still overcast, and the temp was down to 62, where it stayed the rest of the day.

The colder air temperature finally brought some bigger bass in to the shoreline. I landed (4) that were between 14 and 17” on a 1/8 oz jig, and lost another that looked to be about 16”, right next to the boat.  That one jumped 2 or 3 times.  The early morning surface action ought to be real good tomorrow. 

This 17 incher was the biggest of the trip so far, but a 16 incher that I landed, and the two that I lost next to the boat, fought harder.  You can always count on the best fight of the year from smallmouth bass around Labor Day weekend, and no freshwater fish fights harder, pound for pound. 

[wolc123]

As expected, the top water action is real good this morning.  The smallmouth bass are all over my frog/perch finish Heddon Zara puppy, my favorite top water bait.

There was not a bit of wind at sunrise, and the water was dead calm, with an air temp of 58 degrees.  There was a “brief passing shower” in the forecast  which is on now, giving me time to update the journal, here under my golf umbrella.  Just like Hank Jr, I am against fishing in the rain.

I have lost count, but landed maybe 7 or 8 over 12”, rowing and casting the shoreline, half way around the lake, and at least that many shorty’s.  The longest was this fiesty 16 incher.

I broke a much bigger one off up on the north end, near a man-made inlet where brook trout have been stocked.  That trout fattened bass looked like it might be the elusive 22 incher I am trying for.  
 

I got two good looks at it, the first time when it engulfed my bait, right after splashdown.  It then dove into the thick weeds and broke me off.  2 minutes later, it jumped over deeper water and spat up my Zara puppy.  Good thing it did because they don’t like this other one, with wore off paint.

It did that before I even had a chance to pray for that lure’s return, like I did for that Hotntot two days ago.  Starting the day with a little Bible reading is pretty effective, for getting what you want and need from God, without even asking for it.

The rain is letting up now, and I have half a shoreline yet to cover, so time to get back at it.

 

[wolc123]

Another rain break.  It stopped briefly and I covered about a hundred yards of shoreline, getting two “long distance releases” of bass that looked to be about 15” long.  That’s what you call it when they get away on their own before you get them to the boat without breaking the line.

That is a very common occurrence, with smallmouth bass on Labor Day weekend, when they are usually at their peak fighting ability.  

I tried using the rod holder for the unbrella but it didn’t pan out because the stem on the ubbrella isn’t quite long enough.  There is a slight north wind now, but not quite enough surface chop for trolling to be effective.  I am almost to the south end now, so if it picks up a little more, I will troll back with my last small silver hotntot (the one I prayed for return on Saturday).

 

I can hold the unbrella while trolling, with the rod in the holder, but first I got to make it all the way to the south end trying to hold the unbrella with my knees while casting the Zara puppy. 

Edited September 5, 2022 by wolc123

[Robhuntandfish]

Sounds like you need new line. Unless your using 4lb test smallies shouldn't be breaking your line.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[wolc123]

5 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Sounds like you need new line. Unless your using 4lb test smallies shouldn't be breaking your line.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk
 

Probably so, I’ll bring up some fresh 8lb fluorocarbon on my next trip.  I ended up getting several more bass down on the south end, where they were really stacked up.  One, that looked about 15” broke off my Zara puppy again.  Once again it jumped to try and spit it but couldn’t, so I lost that one.  
 

I ended up taking the center hook off the “no paint” one, and used that to replace the missing center hook on another one that I had in my box.  I tied on a fresh 8 lb fluorocarbon leader.  A few casts later, I caught another 17 incher that was the “fight of the year” for me to this point, besting a couple of 20 inchers that I caught in cooler water this year. 

Had it not jumped soon after hookup, I would have sworn it was well over 20”.  I had backed off my drag pretty good, fearing another break off.  It made a few big runs, thinking it was a long salmon, then dove down a wrapped into the weeds like a toad bigmouth.  
 

That’s when it got tricky.  I grabbed the line in my hands and pulled as hard as I dared to break it free of the weeds.  Fortunately, the center hook, that I had just replaced, was firmly stuck in the edge of its eye socket and there was no throwing that.  My freshly tied knots were also still up to par.   
 

I ended up with a total of approximately 20 that were over 12” and about 15 that were under.  My wife wanted do head home at 11:00, so I made my last cast at 10:56.  Now we are at Target in Rochester, shopping with our youngest college girl.

Edited September 5, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

Too late to edit the typos above, but I meant to say “fresh king salmon”, not “long”salmon up above.  That last 17” smallmouth had the reel smoking on its first run. 
 

Also, as far the line goes, I think the main trouble was the abrasiveness of the weeds.  I put new line on both of those reels at the beginning of the season this year.   That was the issue on the first couple breaks anyhow.  
 

The last one, which cost me a properly-painted Zara puppy, was my own fault for not re-tying the fluorocarbon leader after close to 50 smallmouth  bass pulled on it with all they had.  That one broke right at the improved surgeons knot, which I used to attach the 24”, 8 lb test fluorocarbon leader to the 8 lb test mono backing.  
 

The water on this lake is gin-clear, so that leader adds a lot more strikes, than I would get if I run mono to the lure.  I run all 8 lb fluorocarbon on my jigging rod/reel, and only use the mono on my casting & trolling rod/reel. 

I had another LDR this morning on a 1/8 oz bucktail jig, on what might have been a 20 plus incher.  That one lightly ticked the Zara puppy.  I grabbed the jig rod and cast to that spot and it picked it up immediately.  As I tried to get it to the boat, it dove to the weeds and pulled free.  I used that jig trick on a 20 incher last year on Labor Day weekend.  This one felt very heavy, and there was no stopping it from diving to the weeds.  At least it didn’t take my 3 cent bucktail jig.  All I lost this weekend for tackle was a $9 hotntot and a $9 Zara puppy. I still have one of each of those left for my October trip.

I am thinking of setting up the in/laws to make some wooden Zara puppy copies  for me over the winter.  My father in law loves woodcarving and and my mother in law loves painting.  I will look for some hooks and hardware, and bring that, along with some seasoned poplar lumber (I have lots of that in barn) when we go up for Thanksgiving.  Maybe the wooden ones will work better than the hollow plastic ones.

Edited September 5, 2022 by wolc123

[wolc123]

I drove back to set coon box traps, and to check the plots in the front field behind creek this afternoon, after we got home from the Dacks.  I found two small ears of ripe early sweetcorn, from my last planting, that the coons missed.  There was a little of that stuck in one hopper of the planter (the coons got all the rest of it) when I did my last planting. 

 I added those to the traps, in addition to a peanut butter coated marshmallow.  Those have been getting swiped from the traps on most of the nights that I didn’t catch coons. My last two varieties of sweetcorn (kandy corn and silver queen), from the last planting, still look to be at least a week from ripe. 

It looks like the old wheat and clover/alfalfa seed mix, that I planted 9 days ago, has germinated very well.  I don’t think that will have much draw for the early antlerless season opener in (5) days, but it cant hurt.  We got a good rain today, so that should add a little more height to it by the weekend.

 

[wolc123]

I didn’t get to hunt as much as I had planned on the early antlerless gun-season home opener this year.  We drove East to Rochester, for our daughter’s, in college field hockey.   I hunted just the first two hours before we left, from a truck cap blind in our back yard, and didn’t see a deer.  

While we were in Rochester, I learned that a good friend was having a birthday bash, which started at 4:00 pm.  We drove home, after a post game lunch with the team.  I walked out back and I brought along my ML to check my coon traps in the sweetcorn.  
 

I walked back to my natural blind, on the downwind side of my back foodplots, and spent about 1/2 hour of mid afternoon there, seeing nothing but a few skeeters.  They were not too bad.

At the birthday party, I was informed of some every day early morning deer presence, in the field next to my house.  This morning before church, I hunted my closest stand to that field, for the first two “legal” hours.  I may have heard a deer, but did not see any.  A fat grey squirrel climed up to my poplar tree blind, but I didn’t have my pellet gun.  
 

After church, my wife made us a real good lunch of eggplant Parmesan, then I loaded the truck with gear and drove over to my parents. Over here, I cut a half truckload of downed ash to clear a trail in the woods for dad, helped ma move some boxes in the basement, took a short nap (late night at party/early rises caught up with me), and ate dinner with them.

I got set up in my cherry tree blind, in the woods on the edge of a clover plot, for the last (2) hours of legal.  I am well armed with my ML and pellet gun, waiting on a big doe  or a grey squirrel.

 Nothing seen yet, but I just heard a branch snap behind me.  My parents saw a big doe, with a decent sized fawn, on this plot two evenings ago.  I was hoping that my earlier chainsaw work might stir up some deer curiosity.  One hour of legal deer hunting left this weekend and all is well.
 

 

 

[wolc123]

I finally saw a few deer on my 6th early antlerless hunt, on The afternoon of Tuesday September 13.  It was about 60 degrees, when I walked out back at 6:00 and there was a steady 10 mph west wind blowing.  
 

I have been wanting to hunt my deer foodplot court, on the west edge, but the wind hasn’t been right (east would have been best).  I couldn’t wait any longer, so I headed to my “natural blind” located about 75 yards to the east of those plots.  
 

On my walk back, there was a unicorn fork horn buck standing in the clover plot along the east side,  that I had hunted the evening prior.  He moved into cover as I passed, then came back out to feed, 10 minutes after I settled into my blind, 175 yards directly upwind of him.  Evercalm works well for 1.4 year old bucks apparently, because he fed there for at least 15 minutes. 
 

At 7:00, I caught movement in close,upwind to my west.  A young doe passed 5 yards away.  I slowly moved my gun towards her and she bolted off after catching that motion.  I nearly fired, but caught more movement behind her.  
 

That was a much larger doe and she stopped, slightly quartering away, at 15 yards, allowing for a quick heart-shot, with my 50 cal T/C Omega ML, with 24O gr black sleeved bullet and 100 gr of T7 powder.  
She bolted off, swinging thru a little patch of cover, and emerging in a shooting lane 50 yards to my NW.  I saw her flop down dead there.  

She is the same “back strap momma” that I have seen and photographed several times.  The smaller doe with her must have been her last year’s fawn.  The coyotes probably got this year’s.  She didn’t have any milk in her, and she was very fat.