Officially done for 2017

[Pagregss]

After fishing both Sunday and Monday, I've declared my season done and it has been one of the best. As I like to do, I'll list out all of the places I got out on the water this year. In no particular order:

Waneta/Lamoka - Tyrone, NY
Cayuga - Romulus, NY
Honeoye - Naples, NY
Smith Mountain Lake - Penhook, VA
Tuscarora - Hometown, PA
Mauch Chunk - Tamaqua, PA
Lyman Run - Galeton, PA
Hamilton - Wellsboro, PA
Cowanesque - Lawrenceville, PA
Tioga - Mansfield, PA
Hammond - Tioga, PA
Mt Pisgah - Troy, PA
Harvey's Lake - Harveys Lake, PA
Brady's Lake - Blakeslee, PA
Lake Henry - Lake Ariel, PA
Walker Lake - Mifflinburg, PA
Susquehanna - Danville, PA
Raystown - Marklesburg, PA
Beltzville - Lehighton, PA
Cayuta - Odessa, NY

All in all, it added up to around 12K miles put on the truck and boat with only 4 weekends missed between April and December. Pretty good run with lots of great fishing. My wishlist for next year:

Conesus - Conesus, NY
Cayuga - Romulus, NY
Chautauqua - Jamestown, NY
Smith Mountain Lake - Penhook, VA
Oneida - Syracuse, NY
Presque Isle - Erie, PA
Sodus Bay - Sodus Point, NY

[jiggerjake]

Good job getting out to all those places.A change of scenery is always nice and you have that nailed down.

[Pokie Pa]

Very nice getting to those lakes. I fished some of them back in my bass boat days and loved it. I am sure next year you will
do some of the same ones....and of course, some new ones to add to the list.

[dartman]

[Pagregss]

Thanks, guys. The main reason I like to travel all over, especially to new lakes, is I love the challenge of figuring out a new situation. I realized I do this very often by myself. So, I decided to get involved as a boat captain for a local high school team. I figured I could take some kids along to all these places that they may never fish otherwise. For that reason, I'm even more excited for 2018 to see what I learn from the young folks I'll be sharing the boat with.

[wire101]

What was your favorite place ?

[Pagregss]

That would have to be Smith Mountain Lake. My best friend/fishing partner for 30+ years and I went down there for the first time in April for the Big Bass Tour. We caught many fish while sharing the lake with 400+ other tournament boats. We were pretty proud of being two country boys from northern pa on a huge lake for the first time and we figured out how to catch 'em better than most of the boats we talked to. That and seeing all of the fish over 5 lbs brought to weigh in over two days made it exciting. On many local lakes you're looking for that one or two fish that big.

Also, SML is just a pretty place and we only got to see a fraction of it.

[dlewis10]

SML is indeed a gorgeous lake. I planned a family vacation over Easter this past spring (I think a week or two after the big bass tourney). Needless to say, all you Big Bass Tour guys must have beat it up pretty good. Now, I wasn't fishing sun up to sun down due to it being a family vacation. But I just struggled to find fish. Also, I only ventured around the area where we were staying - near the West Lake Area. Only once did I venture down the lake somewhat, and that was only down to the State Park Area. Something tells me, better fishing was down near the dam area. But it was one of the most pretty lakes I have been on.

[Pagregss]

We launched both days out of the Penhook launch and caught most of our fish back the Blackwater in deeper water while most looked for spawning fish. Its definitely different fishing than around here with pretty much no grass.