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Date: April 14, 2024 Body of Water: Upper and Middle Range Ponds - Poland, Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: AD Target: Trout Time: 8:30 AM - 3:15 PM Moon Phase: Waxing quarter moon Conditions: Clear and bright for the most part, but with some clouds and squirrelly wind, backing from NW to SW; about 50 - 60 degrees. Water temperatures 41 - 44 degrees F (+/-) and generally a couple of degrees cooler in Middle Range as opposed to Upper. The previous day's quiet launch was just a distant memory as I arrived to a crowded and chaotic ramp. Still, I was in place and with enough time to re-rig a pair of rods with two or three colors of lead core before my new acquaintance, DA, arrived for a morning of trout trolling. Between the crowds and the weather, conditions had obviously changed a lot from the previous day. We couldn't rely on yesterday's tactics for any success, and I gave DA the option of Middle vs. Upper Range. While Upper offered more familiarity, the allure of quieter conditions for different fish on Middle proved to be the allure. Our initial four-rod spread included the following:
We set lines and trolled Middle's eastern shoreline, moving north, and bouncing between about 8 and 30 feet of water. I noted the cooler water temperatures, but the additional prospect of togue from this lake offset my opinion of this development. We blanked in the first hour as I rotated through some baits while preserving the approach. We were coming off a 12-foot flat when DA reported that the one-color rod had been hammered. It looked quiet to me, but I checked the line for weed or debris. I then felt some weight and caught a flash; and realized we'd broken our skunk. I handed the rod over, and soon enough DA was gazing upon his first Maine rainbow trout, and his first-ever trolling fish. It wasn't too exciting, but it was something! After another half-hour of searching, we decided to try something a little different. We moved over the lake's basin and exchanged the Jay Fair system for a spoon off the downrigger. We moved nothing while scratching bottom from about 50 - 70 feet of water, but definitely pulled a few fish off bottom when I pulled the ball up 20 or 25 feet. All rejected the spoon, however, even while I changed this presentation out several times. They were just too cold or too lethargic to pull the trigger and eat! By 11 AM, we were headed into Upper Range Pond, where DA wanted to try throwing a large swim-bait over rocky structures for bass. We tried several spots (and I enjoyed a half-dozen casts with his beautiful equipment), but raised no interest. Returning to the ramp to drop DA off, we noticed that just about all the trollers and many of the bassers had already left for the day. It was proving to be a tough one for many! I intended to save the day with some trout from Upper. I began my search with a top-lined spoon and a DB Smelt behind two colors of lead core. As I traced my productive path from the day before, the lead core rod got buried, and I happily landed a mature, egg-spewing rainbow trout of 16 or 17 inches. I continued looking for more with some optimism, but I'd almost run out of time before I got my next hit. Despite changes in lures and locations, I was almost immediately over the waypoints of the previous day's double when the two-color rod jumped again; and I was pleased to finish with another bright, 15-inch brown trout. What do I have to say about this? It took a bit more perseverance than expected, but it turned into a great day on multiple accounts. Sharing a buddy's "First", even under modest circumstances, is always worthwhile, as is having three nice trout swung over the gunwales. A tough bite makes one appreciate easier times, and it was satisfying to have the "extra" time to explore some new water and presentations. It just wasn't quite as "fishy" a day as the previous, but I was already looking forward to the next, Patriots' Day! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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