Been mentally arguing with myself all day .. one lake open here that I won’t have to drive around and break ice up on .. it’s muddy it’s a silted bottom ….. but it’s going to be pretty warm and not suppose to get crazy windy until later in the afternoon and I didn’t tarp the boat yet
Guess it will be a morning coffee decision
Made it out again on Saturday to massabesic. Luckily some duck hunters were pulling out when I arrived and had broken up the ice good at the launch. Beautiful day, fishing was slow. Water was around 40. Tried blades, jigs, slow rolling swimbaits on bottom for bass all to no avail. Finally found a small school of crappie suspended 54 feet deep. Caught a few on an ice jig and that was it. Still better than a day on the couch. Hopefully going out this weekend again.
Good effort! I emptied the boat Monday - still holding out hope, but have to be prepared to get buried.Originally Posted by A Wood
20231210_122554.jpg
Saturday is looking good weather wise.
With that rain massabesic should be open for awhile. Ton of water flowing in. It is well past full pool at this point. Just wish the fishing was better there.
Great job getting out there guys.
Hopefully you can get in another trip or two and stick a couple before the ice gets to thick.
" Talking to you is like clapping with one hand "
Anthrax
If it makes anyone feel any better, I skunked this past weekend.Hit the same pond twice, had the last 2 hours of daylight on Saturday but no bites. Saw some good fish around boulders and a steep point on livescope, so figured the impending front on Sunday would help the bite. Could only fish until 12:30 though, so was on the water from 7am to 12:30. Not a single bite. Saw those bigger fish moving around in the same spots, but couldn't get anything to bite, and I threw the kitchen sink. Closest I got was on a blimp of a fish sitting 5' down in 15' of water. Threw a jerkbait right at it's face and got it to sniff-follow it for a good 40 feet, but it wouldn't bite. Even soaked a ned rig for awhile. Nada. Wasn't a lake I would want to fish this time of the year, but with the limited time and the limited options I can actually get my boat into right now, plus with it being a lake I already know, I felt it was my best bet. This is why I don't gamble.
Why would your skunking make anyone feel better? I hate hearing about my friends skunks.
Red Sox in 6!
Misery may love company?
Really hoping the weather holds out for Sunday, headed to Champlain or Candlewood looking for smallmouth again I think. Or may go swing for the fences on some largies in another spot in Vermont. Haven't had the best year for big bass, best 5 is at 27.75 lbs but I'd like to get that closer to 30 lbs and I'm running out of time. Set 4 goals for this year. 30+ lbs on my best 5 largies, 25+ lbs on my best 5 smallies, and a new PB largie and PB smallie. I'm 1/4, got my new PB smallie two weeks ago with a 5.46 lber. I think I can get to the 25+ lb mark on smallies, one more close to 5 lbs will put me there.
I enjoy it lol …If Forrest is getting skunked dragging his gill net around the lake I feel much better only getting 2 tiny perch lol
Once again had Kingston to myself for the day. Place was like glass for a few hours. Ended up with 4 largies all on a mb trick shad worked so slow you could nap in between twitches.��
Nice job still getting out there
" Talking to you is like clapping with one hand "
Anthrax
Went up to Winni today. Caught 3 small smallmouth, and Andrew caught 1 smallie. Bonus laker for me. Never been up there this late in the year, got a few spots from a friend to help out but nothing panned out. We ran around a lot from launching in Back Bay, tried 20 different spots in the greater Wolfeboro area, all around Rattlesnake Island and a few other spots close to there, even ran up to Long Island and fished all over that huge area on the east side of it. Marked a decent amount of fish and a lot of lakers, but getting anything to bite was a chore. Heard from a friend that was in an entirely different area and they did exceptionally well. So just don't go to the places I mentioned and you should be good.
Changed it up and went down to the Housatonic River in Connecticut to get on some stripers. Nothing massive but that is always a fun trip in the winter. Biggest one caught was 28.5" by Andrew, we had a few around 24" and a ton in the 18"-20" size range. Very few rats on the day, alabama rig caught all but one fish.
414723958_1096314084664531_9171824127921731787_n.jpg414723893_1096314004664539_405359924831274113_n.jpg
Fart proudly. Author, Benjamin Franklin.
1998 SKEETER ZX 202-C
150 V-Max TRP
MinnKota Ultrex-112. All paid with cash of course!
Sounds like a fun day
Nice job. I'm sure that was a fun day.
" Talking to you is like clapping with one hand "
Anthrax
Well the past 2 days have been some of the best bass fishing I've had since September. With warm water these fish are in almost an early spring state of mind. Finesse jerks have been doing it in. Fish are surprisingly shallow. Caught 19 yesterday at the little pond down the street in the yak. Today my buddy joined me at Kingston and we cracked 20+ including 1 over 4lbs. Water was 42 today.
Got to love new years eve largies. My buddy was blown away at catching fish in 6 fow today..
I made a couple visits to Massabesic on both sides of Christmas. Didn't get one certified bass bite in 10 hrs of time on the water (whilst I come home and read about the successes of other on here). Temps 35 one day and 38 the other. Hardly seeing anything that wasn't glued to the bottom and identifiable as a bass. Broke out of the rut Sunday at Clement and picked up 6 on a blade - water's 36. All bites between 16' and 22'. I've got to set up some winter reels, because braid and microguides are a no-go
. The Merrimack is ice-free too (but as high as can be!), Massasecum also open (launch too).
zzzzzzTIM1.jpeg
Reply With Quote
