Anyone make it out over the weekend ?

[bassboat1]

Headed up to Highland around noon on Saturday (checked the state's tournament list and saw there were 15 boat derbies on Thursday and Friday, but none over the weekend). Got there, and found the water was close to 2' low - I hadn't realized that the dam did go out last week. Half of the pontoon boats on the lake are sitting on shore. The level drop was enough to impact the rim grass as cover, so I eliminated the launch basin and the next one up (probably good first thing in the morning - those fish couldn't have gone far?). Got on good fish by hitting steep drops with some overhead cover - a little bed of watershield was best, the rare dock that stuck out a ways might have one, boulders were poor. Tried cranking some rock areas that have paid off in the past - nada. Ended up getting 12-14, all on a watermelon/red flake baby brush hog. 5 fish limit probably went 14#, with the biggest under 4#. Only one li'l SM.

There wasn't much ski traffic, and lots of people were out enjoying their homes with friends and family, or rafted up doing the same. The wind was minimal, and sound was carrying real well - you could hear folks from 1/4 mile away. I was struck again how much I like being 'the guy that fishes' - moving down the shore, in range of their lives - maybe have a short conversation about a fish, the lake, what their kid was catching? Or just overhearing the drama in a cornhole game, or giving some plastic worms to a couple of teenagers that had run out. And then you slide on down the shore, still sharing in their lives for a little longer.

[Phrog Phil]

Nice post

[Phrog Phil]

Russ and I went to Crystal Lake in Enfield yesterday. Nothing even swirled in the pads or grass . I got a nice 3+ smallmouth on a spinnerbait casting away from shore in 5 or 6 ft . There was cabbage in all depths so think it was relating to that. Russ got a small keeper on jig and a 4lb Largemouth on drop shot. At the end of the day we got on a marker and did good with the drop shot on some rocks. Not particularly deep maybe 7-12 feet but solid fish. Did get a fair amount of rock bass.

[TMG]

Great post Eric. I always have a good time when the locals are friendly.

[TMG]

Sounds like a good day Phil.
I don't think I've ever been to that crystal lake.

[Phrog Phil]

Have you drop shot much this year Tim?

[TMG]

Unfortunately I have not.
I always have one tied on but haven't been able to get out much this year.....yet.

[A Wood]

Well what a difference a week makes up to camp. Water levels have finally come to normal and the water no longer looks like the Mississippi. Last weekend was horrible. 2 bass all weekend. This weekend the fishing finally returned to normal. Hit them pretty well before dark on a dropshot on deep rock then I pulled out the bullshad wake gill and put a hurting on them till the skeeters got so bad I thought I might need a transfusion if I fished much longer. Saturday I got out there early and finally saw bait working and fish were surfacing everywhere. Figured I would try out a new JDM crank my buddy told me about and for the next 2 hours I was cracking them. Bass, perch, crappie you name it I caught it. Then it just shut off. After the storm sat I caught a few on the bullshad and a bunch of crappie but then the wind really kicked up and was game over for the weekend. Biggest were a 5.3 on the wake and a 4.8 on a crank with a bunch of healthy 3's as well. Made for a happy weekend.

[bassboat1]

what a difference a week makes

Nice going, especially with the move to the bigger baits paying off

I fished in the rain Saturday (actually stood on deck, cowering near shore for over an hour). Blew a brake line on the way home, so got out late on the kayak Sunday in Bradford. Got a baker's dozen there in a few hours under the bluebird sky, with the largest over 3#.

[bassboat1]

Worked Saturday and Sunday to replace the porch roof, so I excused myself from work mid-Monday and headed to Webster. Got on a smallmouth crankbait bite in 12'-15' - got a couple 3#, and another 5 in the 2#s on a RkCrawler. Best fish for the day was a #3.3 LM on a 10' grass flat (Native Water Milfoil? - *pic), t-rigged. I had a locomotive take the crank into the rocks and bend out a hook - I did my best to high-stick him and haul, but it was too strong.

20230814_181543.jpg
20230814_181627.jpg
20230814_150910.jpg
20230814_163656.jpg



20230814_185323.jpg

[Phrog Phil]

Good report. We got out on Franklin Pierce and it was tough,all day.

[TMG]

Nice job glad you guys are getting out.
I still haven't been out much but got some time off in a couple weeks.
I'll make up for it then.

[TMG]

Phil, the last 3 or 4 trips there were tough.

[Phrog Phil]

We both figured we’d give that lake a break for awhile,there are too many better places to fish there.

[bassboat1]

Had a couple short afternoons over the weekend. Went to the Merrimack in Concord Saturday, knowing that the water was up close to a foot and ripping. Started in the usual 393 backwater alongside a couple in a Sea Nymph. We touched bases a couple of times - no bass in over an hour (not many crappie showing on LS either). When I came out, into the horseshoe (which is currented), you could see the water quality change - obvious plankton/algae bloom up in the back. Figured those fish would have pulled out, I started fishing up from there, targeting downed trees with a brush hog. Only one little skipper to show for it, so I changed out to an antique Zetabait Gillraker in smoke/silver w/ a dipped tail. Got one just under 3, then maybe my biggest out of the river - a 4.92 LM. Got a couple more keepers before the water ran out, so I putted back past the inlet and got 3 more off the first logjam. Picked up one more before I got to the bar and nailed two more on a chatterbait. A smarter feller would have spent 15 minutes top out back and done the math :/
20230819_163847.jpg

Finished up chores Sunday and hauled to Clement (I avoid going there when it's been too dry or rained b/c the roads either a dustbowl or a muddy mess). Got in just after 4 and got on them right away - my first spot yielded 8. All my offshore stuff was working. Deep grass with rocks, or 9'-14' before the second break. 'Most all T-rig brush hog - watermelon pepper w/ gold flake, couldn't buy one on a 6XD. Could only manage one dink off wood. Left a bit after 7:00 with 20-24 in the boat - pretty insane #s for there. Pondweed is deep, but the beds aren't thick - it wasn't a factor. Chara/sandgrass is clumping up bigtime - I got a couple floating a Fluke over it (it's heavy enough to foul a weighted rig). Probably got more use out of LS than ever - found groups easily and videogamed a good number of them. The grass is heavy enough that the fish were swimming off bottom and showing up well. It also was helpful to keep the boat in the fish's depth, as they disappear into the bottom when I'm out deeper. Sidenote: thee ramp road has been gutted this year - take your time (I back down from the top).

[Phrog Phil]

A 4.92 from the river is humongous!

[A Wood]

Hit Pawtuckaway today for a morning. Did pretty well, mostly 1-2 lb smallies and largies. 2 surprises were the 5.32 largie I caught hanging out with the Wolfpack of smallies suspended out in the middle 8ft down over 20fow. Second was how many baby alewives the fish were barfing up. That big fish I saw barf up at least 5 before I landed it.

[OldWes]

Hit Pawtuckaway today for a morning. Did pretty well, mostly 1-2 lb smallies and largies. 2 surprises were the 5.32 largie I caught hanging out with the Wolfpack of smallies suspended out in the middle 8ft down over 20fow. Second was how many baby alewives the fish were barfing up. That big fish I saw barf up at least 5 before I landed it.

Thankyou for the baby alewives information, good stuff.

[TMG]

A 4.92 from the river is humongous!

+1 that's a nice fish for sure

[TMG]

Nice job at Pawtuckaway that's a good fish.
How busy was it there. I like that place but the last few times I went ,there were just to many kayaks