|
Date: February 16, 2020 Body of Water: Newfound Lake - Bristol, New Hampshire Moon Phase: 3rd Quarter - waning Boat: None, Ice fishing With: Alone, but A joined me as a spectator for the most active period Target: Lake Trout Time: 10 AM - 3 PM Conditions: Nearly perfect; calm, overcast and about 30 degrees F (+/- 2 degrees); ice had just an inch or so of snow cover and was 6 - 8 inches thick. With a long weekend scheduled, A and I planned a quick, overnight trip to the Lake Winnipesaukee region. While the main goal was to poke around, relax and plan for the future, ice fishing was definitely a possibility. On the morning of our departure, I was succumbing to a slow-developing cold, and I almost didn't bring my gear. I couldn't decide which was worse; the idea of ice fishing while not feeling my best; or not ice fishing, at all. I'm glad I chose to bring the gear, because despite the subdued pace of the trip and these fishing efforts, I ended up having one of my highest quality ice fishing experiences in a couple of decades. After visiting AJ's Bait and Tackle (ajsbaitandtackle.com ) in Meredith, New Hampshire and walking around Lake Winnipesaukee's Meredith Bay (a bit crowded and shallow for my taste), we continued to look for public access and safe ice. Squam Lake looked awesome, and I'll definitely return, but the ice at the access point was not safe; and so we wandered over to and around Newfound Lake. This lake seemed solid, with snow machines and permanent shanties in place; the public access at Wellington State Park was in full use, and trails on the ice ventured off in all directions. When I fired up my GPS with lake mapping, I knew that some prime structure waited within hiking distance. But it was now late in the day, I still needed bait, and so the actual fishing would wait until Sunday morning. The remainder of Saturday was spent relaxing, dining, scouting bait (there were smelt available at newfoundcountrystore.net ! Newfound Trading Post in Bristol to the south is a possibility, too) and admiring the astonishing silence of the Hebron, New Hampshire night. I hit the ice at the crack of 10 AM under seemingly perfect conditions. I'd secured the last dozen available smelt, the cold had relented, and temperatures would moderate at or above the freezing mark. It was virtually calm, and so chill was not a factor. The ice was safe, and there was a little bit of snow for traction. A dropped me off at the ramp and I began my march to the chosen structural element. About halfway, I stopped to chat with a couple of locals. They were set up in about 60 feet of water, but had no morning action to report. From this vantage, I could see that another small group was about where I intended to be, and so I continued my walk but stopped short at a quick drop where the bottom fell from about 40 feet into more than 60 feet of water. I jigged here with a perch-colored jig adorned with a small shiner; but in 15 minutes or so, saw just one fish on the screen. That fish vanished when I presented the jig directly to it. Given the known lack of success in this depth range, the fish's apparent negative reaction to my bait, and the observation that my competition was moving off my spot, I continued the walk to my selected area. Using the GPS and Lakemaster mapping as a guide, I "trolled" a path among the structure's interesting elements and laid down a series waypoints. At each waypoint, I drilled and cleared a hole. I soon had a trap set with a smelt pinned near bottom in 75 feet of water. Meanwhile, I bounced around other holes (generally between 40 and 70 feet of water) with my jig and shiner. My range of holes expanded from 15 feet to 96 feet of water as I sought some active fish. My sonar in the first couple of hours had revealed only a momentary glimpse of a single, disinterested fish. The fish were clearly neither shallow nor active. I moved the baited tip-up off the structure's edge and into the adjoining lake basin, using my deepest hole. That move paid off pretty quickly, with the first flag of the day at about 12:20 PM. As I approached the tip-up, I noticed the spool was not spinning, and the line seemed to go straight down. It looked like a false alarm or missed strike, but when I picked up the line, I could sense some weight; and soon I had a 20-inch laker to the hole. This was my first fish since October! And so, you can imagine my disappointment when the small circle hook came loose and my prize splashed in the hole. I chased her down the hole past my elbow, but to no avail; while I did touch her flank, she slipped my grasp and swam away. I'd have let her go, anyway, but I was still a bit empty inside, having flubbed my first chance in months. As A approached the area to join me for some fresh air, this same flag announced another bite, and soon I redeemed myself with an 18.5-incher. Like the previous fish, it had eaten a smelt presented about 18 inches off the bottom in 96 feet of water. My day was complete! This trap went off again at about 1:30 PM, while I was moving another tip-up to the same depth, but further east, off the edge but along the same underwater point. This laker was about 20 inches and likely the heaviest of the day. At about 2 PM, my second deepwater trap (now sitting in 94 feet of water) signaled a bite; another 18-inch laker came to hand. This same trap caught the last fish of the day, a lean 20-incher, just before my time was up at 3 PM. I walked off the ice, satisfied with my 4.9-for-5 effort. All fish ate smelt very near the bottom, and all of the bites came from the lake basin, as opposed to atop the structural features. I'd caught some fish, learned a bit, and felt good! What do I have to say about this? While the lakers were not large, they were legal-sized and the targeted species. Given the fact that this was my first time fishing this lake, I can't rightfully expect to do much better, or to demand more from the lake. And, in fact, I knew before the first flag flew that it was among my best ice trips, ever. The lake was beautiful, the conditions were uncrowded, I was positioned in a spot of logical choice, I had prime bait, the conditions were comfortable, and it was simply soothing to be participating in this chase. The fish themselves simply provided a bit of much-appreciated positive feedback and served as a basis for improvement. Because, I shall return to this gem of a lake! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Steve LachanceRI --> NH --> MI-->MA-->ME Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
Proudly powered by Weebly