NUMENON |
PONDERING CORE ESSENCE
NUMENON |
Most would admit; 2020 was quite the year! It was my first year "back" in New England, and things didn't go according to my plan, or anybody else's plan, either. However, I could socially distance from others while on the ice, in my waders, or on the deck of my skiff, the amybaby22. We'd all been given lemons. I tried to make as much lemonade as possible. My fishing year unfolded slowly, with iffy ice conditions (at best) and an uncertain and unproductive start to my pursuit of stocked trout. Having not fished at all in the last few months of 2019, I was getting truly antsy by the time I finally landed a few trout at late ice (February) and in local ponds in April. Striped bass occupied most of my thoughts and effort. From May through October I fished for little else. While "keepers" between 28 and 35 inches were pretty darn scarce for me, I caught a lot of really nice fish on light tackle. These included my biggest striper in seven years (37 inches), a surprising saltwater brown trout, and an array of other by-catch including bluefish, menhaden, hickory shad, scup, sea bass, sea robins, flounder and mackerel. With no real issues encountered for the season, the occasional company of a loved one, and a bunch of beautiful sunrises observed, I'd have to call it a successful season... despite the underlying circumstances. And, as of today, November 8, the amybaby22 still is available to serve; and an unseasonably nice stretch of weather lies ahead. I choose the right to amend and amend to this post should anything good happen in the remaining days of 2020. Enjoy! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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The boats are put away and it's almost the holidays; it's time to summarize my 2019 Fishing Season. As noted in a previous post, I didn't achieve any of my stated goals, and I didn't catch any outlandish fish. But, I'd maintain that I fished hard when I could get out there; and I generally fished well (in that I didn't lose fish to mechanical failures, bad knots, etc.). All along the way, I encountered a variety of very nice fish and shared some good times with good friends. My overall effort was perhaps slightly diminished; there was no Up North trip for smallmouths, many of my "Flex" days were lost to work, and crashing my truck into a deer in May and relocating my life to Massachusetts this fall (both) cut into my available fishing time. Oh well, the truck is replaced, and my move may better position me to chase stripers and albies more frequently in the future. Here are a few favorite photos from this season: Let's see what 2020 brings! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways So, this just happened... I am now a "Bay Stater", having relocated work and home to the Boston, Massachusetts area. New job, new home, new fishing opportunities, and an entirely new routine! A and I arrived in Michigan for my graduate schooling, over 34 years ago. Neither of us expected to stay for so long, but Michigan was generally kind to us as we found our careers and raised our family. However, with both kids going to school in New England, some remaining family scattered across the northeast, a property in Maine and the shared sense that we'd been away from "home" long enough, A took a job in Northeast Massachusetts in September. I followed her as quickly as I could manage. I've got a week of work under my belt, the house is taking shape, and we've started a new stage of our lives. The boats are put away for the season, and the holidays are nearly upon us. This was a big change to execute, but we appear to have done so; now, we can relax a bit and enjoy our collective company while we reshape our daily lives. So far, everything has been welcoming and comfortable. Arlington reminds me quite a bit of my childhood home in Rhode Island, we've conveniently seen family, and I'm within 0.6 miles of striped bass habitat. I've got lots of daydreaming and research to conduct; I am looking forward to this! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways In my first post here for 2019, I mused and shared five goals for my 2019 Fishing Season. With both boats now put away for the winter, I guess I am in a position to evaluate how I fared in 2019. How about 0 for 5? Ouch! But, the details really aren't so bad... Legal-sized Striper in the New Boat One might think that a single striper out of 180 swung over the side of amybaby22 in 2019 would have measured 28 inches, but that just didn't happen. A few were close, but any striper over 25 inches or so was "big" for me this year. Population dynamics, weather, timing, small boat in protected water, choice of light tackle and lures; these all contributed to the lack of big stripers. But, I enjoyed awesome, fun fishing along the way, and I can't say that I recall encountering and losing any big stripers, so I've nothing to feel bad about. And, in all honesty, bigger fish were generally scarce this year; a "keeper" wasn't a sure thing for anybody on a given trip this year. Share a Fresh Fish Dinner with Uncle M This didn't exactly happen, but it could have. Some sea bass and scup were kept and cleaned in May, but they were still in cold storage when I left for Michigan. And I could have kept some tailor blues on my last trip, but I was staying in a House Divided. Only Uncle M had a taste for these, so I chose not to harvest any blues. I could have even joined him for lunch on my last full day on the Cape, but I was busy winterizing the skiff, so I deferred. I did hear the "Stuffies" and "Chowdah" were pretty good, though! Land a False Albacore In my limited opportunity, this just didn't happen. I never got touched by a tuna in 2019. I was a bit late for the best part of the season in my chosen waters, and the general consensus was that 2019 was no 2018 for funny fish; and 2018 was certainly not as good as 2017. The limited number of tuna I did find within range this year were not interested in my lures, as they seemed to be regionally interested in only the tiniest live baits. But, I'm certainly looking forward to 2020! Largest-Ever Striper When you don't catch a keeper, it's tough to get a personal best. I did, however, catch my largest-ever scup! And, I had a lot of good fishing and fun along the way. 6-Pound Black Bass This is the least likely goal to achieve, in my opinion, but it kind of did happen! Still, I won't give myself full credit, because A caught her 6.1-pound smallmouth while I was busy with a measly four-pounder. What a catch! And I might never scoop, with a single swipe, over 10 pounds of smallmouth into the net again! What do I have to say about this? Well, I already have my first 5 goals for the 2020 fishing season! I'm sure I'll add a couple or few, too, but these will already provide the motivation for next year. And, I won't say I failed in any way; I enjoyed the process in pursuit of these. That process is, ultimately, much more important than any particular outcome. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways A trip to Texas, a promotion at work, a little bit of fishing and some other new developments all made August 2019 pretty interesting (to me!) I'd never had cause to visit Texas before, but a conference for work took me there for the first week of August. It was hot enough that for a couple of multi-day stretches, I didn't leave the hotel! I had everything I needed there (lodging, choice of food venues and plenty of opportunities to simply watch people; the Mary Kay convention was going on!) When I did venture out, I found pleasant enough conditions. I enjoyed a great Tex-Mex dinner in downtown Dallas, and attended a fun Texas Rangers ballgame. The best part of this trip, though, was that A joined me. We were able to share it all, together, and in a pretty relaxed manner, too. Just before the trip, I was offered a promotion at work. That hasn't happened a whole lot. It's a position that I ably filled last year, and so it is familiar and a natural progression. But most satisfactorily, I enjoyed leading this small group of coworkers on our admittedly esoteric journey. I look forward to continued successes with this team! I've gotten to fish, but just a bit; deep-cranking largemouths has become my go-to summer game here in Michigan. There are plenty of smallies available, too, but I just haven't pulled together the time or energy to make the necessary drive to where they live. But, I love having my Duckett Ghost in hand, searching bottom and structure for just the right amount of contact to tell me that I am in the proper zone and to excite the bass that reside there. So, more local access to green bass has been totally acceptable to me during the summer heat. Finally, A just announced her retirement from her employer of over 30 years. Why not? There's a potentially better opportunity waiting for her in Massachusetts. She's leaving Michigan on August 30, so that should be in this update, right? For the purposes of symmetry, I will add that we embarked on our Michigan journey together on September 1, 1985. I'll simply round it off and say that we enjoyed a full 34 years, together, in Michigan. I'll be working on developing the right opportunity for myself before I join her. I don't want her hogging all the stripers and surfcasting adventures! Plus, my kids are there! There's a lot of upside to moving back "home" to New England. I just need to figure out how to approximate my current life here. I find that a bit daunting, to be honest. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways What a month! Well, at least for my fishing. Each and every trip produced fine fishing for the targeted quarry, whether it was trophy smallmouth bass on Lake St. Clair or the early-season stripers of Cape Cod. I caught fish in new water and with new techniques. I netted a 6-pound smallie for my best friend and another day's Big Bass earned me a cold beverage from another. I wore my hands and thumbs out with dozens of stripers in a few days. I scored bonus fishing days on the water with loved ones. I planned, adjusted, persevered and executed. I launched a new boat! I enjoyed (pretty much) every minute on the water. I am at least willing to consider the nomination of May 2019 as my Best Fishing Month, ever. In terms of consistency, quality of experience, big fish, action and fulfillment, I cannot recall a better 30-day stretch. I'll do my best to develop future nominees, but I will also recall this past month's efforts with gratification and satisfaction. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways From the excitement of Costa Rica to the simple satisfaction of watching my slip float pulled down by yet another Maine striper; from having absolutely no idea what the depths might yield next to sight-casting for a 20-inch smallmouth and watching her eat my Ned Rig; from day-dreaming about the Striper Cup boat to shore fishing in the rain all day for albies; 2018 provided a nice mix of adrenaline and relaxation. And while I was mostly alone, I shared some of the best times with family, loved ones and friends. I really couldn't ask for more. Still, I bet I try to squeeze more out of 2019. Regarding 2019, Isla Mujeres sailfish are being researched and discussed. Michigan smallies and New England stripers are a given. I would like to try some ice fishing this year, gyotaku a few new species, and I'm certain that some other opportunities will present themselves. Here's to continued health and enthusiasm, as well as the stable foundation of happiness and security that makes this all possible! Not just for me; but, for all! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways It's only mid-November, but the holidays are here; there's snow on the ground; Numenon is winterized and tucked away; and my effort for the 2018 season might very well be complete. So, just for fun and any possible insight, here are a few pie charts breaking down my 2018 fishing experiences. ![]() My move to mid-Michigan has reduced my interest in, and opportunity for, chasing trout and salmon. But those resources have been applied to my bass fishing. Meanwhile, a single day of walleye fishing was enough, and I will simply admit my surprise that I didn't spend more time chasing pike and muskies. Many good fishing things happened for me in 2018! Let's see what I can do with whatever 2019 offers! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways (I hate to admit this, but I can't seem to manage the font appearance in this entry!) I can't claim to have captured any Giants or to have shattered any records, personal or otherwise. But this has still been a fine season, peppered with challenges, fine friends in the boat and a good number of beautiful and sizable bass! Couple that with no real problems, and it's easy to see why I am reluctant to see this season pass. But it's also easy to understand my excited anticipation for whatever lies ahead. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Regardless of weather, water body, water clarity or species, I've had a pretty solid season for nice fish! The fishing's not yet been easy or fast, and I have endured a couple of skunks; but, for the most part, I have found the fish I am looking for. Jerk-baits and cranks have dominated the catching, but I've had to be very flexible with location and presentation. Spring is transitioning into Summer; I suspect that my LSC smallmouth are spawning right now. The search for quality fish will resume; I'll likely be searching different waters for additional species. I can only hope for similar results. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceVia Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Michigan and now, back to New England! Archives
June 2024
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