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Date: May 5, 2024 Body of Water: Hancock Pond - Denmark, Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Brown Trout Time: 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM Moon Phase: New Moon minus two days Conditions: Cloudy with sprinkles; 10+ mph southerly wind; 50 degrees. Water temperatures 51 - 54 degrees F (+/-); clear but tannic. I had heard rumors of good fishing for brown trout at Hancock Pond in Denmark, Maine. Like every other pond of interest, it's an hour or so away from home, and the ramp is marginal. Off to a late start and with rain in the afternoon's forecast, I decided to give it a try. The ramp was clearly designed to minimize boat traffic, and the small lot barely accommodated my rig alongside four others. But it's a pretty pond, and just barely waking up from Winter; I was enthusiastic despite the "slow" report from a boater coming off the water as I left the ramp. With little else to go on, I focused first on water temperature and secondarily on structure. I selected a shallow, protected bay that I thought might have warmed up a bit. My initial spread included a J7 Rapala (orange), 150 feet back and running on the surface; and an orange DB Smelt off 1.5 - 2 colors of lead. Using the main motor based on the already-present wind, I circum-trolled the small bay and edged out towards the main lake, attempting to trace the 15-foot break. I was hedging my bets based on the biting depth from the day before, and also based on previous experience for Spring Browns; at least on Lake Michigan, they love the shallows at this time of year. I was only 30 minutes into the search when a fish grabbed the J7 Rapala off the surface. I noted that I was trolling slowly (for spoons, less than 2 mph), cross-wind, and the hit had taken place while I was temporarily over deeper (25 feet) water than I had been "targeting". I continued my troll along and around this major point, including a couple of strafes over extended shallows. Despite my bolstered confidence, nothing showed any interest. I changed spoons on the lead core and also switched from the J7 to an orange/white Thomas Eel for the top-line. I had moved over the deeper main lake basin to change lures, but was still adjacent to this prominent point. Trolling slowly into the wind (< 2 mph), the Eel got hammered over 25 feet or more of water! I could tell this was a nice, hefty fish, and was delighted when it jumped and showed itself near the boat. In typical brown trout fashion, it resisted coming to the net with several runs to the depths, but finally yielded. Easily over 20 inches and perhaps four pounds, it was the kind of trout I've been seeking since I left Michigan! It was a bright and beautiful specimen, too. With something of a pattern now established (orange top-lined lures 150 feet back, structure-adjacent but over 25 feet of water), I kept looking for more fish. The orange Eel remained in the spread while I varied my second presentation; usually presenting another top-line on a slightly shorter length or a bright spoon off a shallow core. With no further action, at about Noon (and for the second day in a row) I made a major switch to another part of the lake. After trying another shallow, protected bay, I worked my way out. I decided to try a gold Thomas Eel off two colors of lead. Sure enough, adjacent to a main-lake reef (future boaters, beware!), this rod went off and I collected another nice, although smaller brown. Now confident in both presentations and in my perceived "pattern" of 25 feet of water near major structural elements, I circled around, fished the reef again, and then expanded my radius in search of a final fish. Using the depth-based color-coding on my Garmin mapping, I was able to keep the boat near my targets. I continued on the troll towards the ramp, working my speed hard (staying below 2.3 but faster than 1.5 mph) in the increasing wind and deteriorating weather. Fortunately, another really nice, 20-inch brown came to play, eating the gold Eel off two full colors of lead. That seemed like a great way to end the day. I got off the water with no real problems. I'm glad I decided to try this new-to-me pond! What do I have to say about this? I don't know if the "patterns" I've noticed the last couple of days are real or not, but they do help me narrow down my presentations while promoting confidence and focus on the fishing. I do think that starting with a plan, but then reacting to conditions and making purposeful adjustments is the way to build on one's success. Not just for the day, but for the season and beyond! I noticed a few spots that I'd be glad to ice-fish, too. I'll be back, regardless. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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