Fishing Rhino

yup During the spawn they do. Other than then, they may just peacefully co-exist.

Jumping ahead, crowding, all that stuff is minor. You need to try commercial lobstering, and have some klutz set their gear on top of yours. Contrary to the oft repeated tales, guys carrying guns and shooting at each other, as well as cutting off someone else's gear are greatly exaggerated. No one can win if something like that gets started. You either learn to live with the idiots or do something else. I lost over two hundred traps to a scalloper who towed through my gear which was well marked by large polyform buoys and high flyers with radar reflectors. At that time, the cost to put a trap in the water, with line and terminal gear was over 40 dollars. Any of the screaming that goes on is mostly bluster. If you want to get even with someone, you never, never threaten or warn them. If you do, you'll be blamed for everything that happens to them, whether or not you did it. Road rage, fishing rage, it's all the same. It's a dangerous world, and people get killed everyday by a nut with a gun, or even a crossbow here in Massachusetts. Confrontations provide a lot of business for funeral homes. It's one thing to defend your home, your rights, and your family. It's another to confront someone because they lack common decency and courtesy.

I feel better. Thought Sunday afternoon was bad. Two of us probably caught eight fish combined. All but two were dinky dinks. The smallest fish I've seen this year. We tried everything, and futility was the result for most things. Everything I caught was on a Space Monkey that became a double amputee from the little nibblers. The others were caught on a small creature bait. At least we did it in four hours. Misery loves company. Thanks Burley. The other fellow got a decent hit but it quickly got off.

The world is full of ignorami. But I find most to be respectful, and courteous. There are a couple of guys with bass boats who fish my favorite pond from time to time. Working the shoreline is the best and only way to fish it if you're after bass. The exception is a few brush piles someone dumped in the pond. They have trolling motors, and ease along casting toward shore and bring their lures from the shallows to deeper water. On windy days, I anchor at the depth I want, then work an area thoroughly. I've told both of them to leapfrog me, when we are working the same area. They cover a lot of ground, but not as thoroughly as I do. They both thanked me, but said they'd move to another area in that situation.

Admit it, you like crepes. Uh oh! Next comes the broken arm.

I always thought gill damage was the kiss of death, until yesterday. I caught a bass, and have a witness who also saw it if necessary, that had a gill raker that had been severed at one end. I thought some type of worm was hanging from behind the gill plate when I landed it, but it turned out to be the gill raker. It had completely healed at both ends where it had been severed. The fish was vigorous and healthy.

I got a new canoe yesterday from the local Dick's. Old Town 15 4 sportsman with a square stern. Marked down from 750 to 500. Canoe says Old Town. Owners materials say Rogue River by Johnson Canoes. May be a subsidiary. Used it yesterday with a trolling motor a friend brought. Worked well, but you have to be a contortionist. Literally painful to reach behind while looking ahead. I don't like side mounts (never used one), but for sure, it would be physically more comfortable. When I get my own trolling motor, it will definitely have a foot operated remote. Back to the canoe. If you're going to stand, this canoe will do the trick. My other Old Town canoe, same length, nine inches narrower, and more expensive would be very tricky to stand and fish from. The square stern has a keel, a somewhat semi-vee compared to the other's absolutely flat bottom. When I stepped into it, I was surprised at how stable it was compared to the other. Downside. I did paddle it in some places. It's like a barge compared to my old canoe. Some type of power other than paddle alone is strongly advised. It also draws 2 or 3 inches more water. Smoother ride. The keel keeps it on line better than the older canoe. It's all about trade offs and compromises. Fishing alone, without power, the older canoe is better. With another person, in bigger ponds, or for more "comfort", the new one is the winner, hands down. It all boils down to your personal preference. Some folks love their kayaks. I cannot get comfortable in one.

I've read articles about the best colors for clothing. Most suggest drab colors that blend into the surroundings. Bright colors seem to be a no no, particularly in stealth situations. That being said, most pros wear clothes that look like Walt Disney, or one of his imagineers threw up on them. They also fish out of boats that sparkle. flash and glitter. Then again, they are trying to attract attention to their sponsors as much as trying to catch fish. But for the top money winners, without sponsors, most could not even subsist on their earnings, let alone finance the operation. Looking good, and image are vital to them. Not important to the fish we're all trying to catch. Bait selection and presentation are what matters.

Generally, when fighting a fish, I keep the rod pointed toward the direction where the line enters the water. When I see a fish is rising toward the surface, I sweep the rod at a right angle to exert a sideways pull on the fish. While it isn't 100%, it does reduce the number who spit/throw the hook. Losing fish is part of the game. Minimizing it is part of the challenge.

I'd opt for the 4" (6" is also available) PVC pipe with end caps. One end glued on, and on the other end the female adapter used for cleanouts on drains. Glue it on, and you've got a nearly indestructible rod carrier. Get some rod socks and you're good to go. You'll have to remove your reels, and carry them separately.

The Mepps Aglia was in my tackle box. It was our best bait for smallmouth in the pond we fished. I think it was a number 2, brass color, no skirt/bucktail. How could I have omited it? I have several Mepps, Black Fury model in chartreuse and orange. Sizes 3 - 5. Like any other lure, there are times they produce, and times they don't.

These were the staples of most tackleboxes when I was a kid, along with a Heddon Flatfish or two. Al's Goldfish, and Johnson's Silver Minnow spoon. Never caught a thing on the Flatfish, Goldfish, or the Silver Minnow. My inability to use them properly, no doubt. Those I did not purchase when I started again. When I started fishing again last year, I bought a couple of each, but have not tied a line to any of them, yet. I'm curious. Are they in regular use by anyone in today's fishing world?

Just bought another canoe at the local Dick's Sporting Goods Old Town Sportsman, square stern, 40 inch beam. Seats three. On sale. marked down from 750 to 500 dolllars. The canoe below is the same size and configuration. The seats in the Sportsman model at Dick's are plastic with cup holders and other little pockets. While that stuff is not my cup of tea, I can live with it. The weight capacity is less on the Sportsman model as well. But, for the money, it'll be tough to beat. http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/generalFamily/discovery_sport_15.html edit: Scroll down on this page to the Sportsman Square Stern. http://www.oakorchardcanoe.com/oldtowncanoes.php Keep in mind, a square stern canoe will not paddle quite as easily as a regular canoe. But, it will accomodate a trolling motor without a special mounting bracket.

I fished spinnerbaits quite a bit last year, and was satisfied with the results. I too, am anxious to see, and try, your new product.

If you want to get it on a post, try this. It worked for me with the Strike King finesse worms. Clamp a needle or light gauge finish nail in a pair of forceps, vice grips, vice or whatever you have that will hold it securely. Heat the needle. A match will do, but if you want to do several worms use a small torch or cigarette lighter. Center the worm head on the needle, then press it straight on, to a depth of 3/4". Before you "fix" all your worms, try the first to make sure it works properly. Twist the worm as you put it on the post. Use the smallest wire possible that allows you to install the worm without a struggle. The larger the hole you make, the less grip it will have on the post.

The red seems to come off as a "dust" and gather on the eyes and levelwind guide. Perhaps it's excess material since the line is still red. (edit) The red waxy dust gathered as I was initially filling the spool, not while fishing. I've read that they solved the problem with the red line. So far, the yellow does not do that. I'm curious about coloring the last six feet black. If it's to make it less noticable to the fish, why not just use black line? I saw it years (like 40 or more) ago, but haven't noticed it in my shopping. At least not the brands I've been interested in. Now I'll have to check it out.

I'm gradually replacing the line on my spools. Using Power Pro braid. Red = 10 lb test, yellow = 15, and green = 20. Yesterday I was fishing at the calm end of the pond in the shallows. Caught a few fish on a chatterfrog and a Mepps #3 Black Fury. I had the yellow line on the reel with the chatterfrog, and had three hits at the line right where it entered the water. Hmmmmm, maybe I need to devise some type of float for a hook. The line can pass through on a cast or retrieve. If something strikes at the line again, all I have to do is reel real fast. When the lure gets to the hook, I can set it. The fish that hit at the line were neither lunkers, nor little guys. I'd guess a pound or better, judging solely by the splash and swirl. Since the fish you don't get always seem larger, reduce my estimate by half. Just thought it was interesting.

Here's a map of the pond for anyone interested, and some long outdated info. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/maps/ponds/pdf/dfwnorto.pdf

Stump pond in Westboro? If so, how'd you do. I went once last year, sometime in September. Did ok, but nothing great. Fairly gusty westerly wind limited my fishing in the stumpy part of the pond. Caught a few in the clear water around the grass mats. Want to try it again this year. On a weekday. I hear it gets a lot of pressure on weekends.

If at all possible, stay out of hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices. They are full of sick people. I remember the first go round with the swine flu, back in the late 70s or early 80s. On the lighter side, there was a joke going around back then that the swine flu was treated with oinkment.

Here's what I have observed the past two days. I'm not sure how to interpret it, since it's the first time I have actually observed this behavior. Since I hadn't fished in more than 30 years 'til last July, this is new to me. It is apparent they spawn where I launch my canoe. It is shallow with a rocky, sandy, gravel bottom. There are small tufts of grass and vegetation here and there. Yesterday, the low lying rocks were covered with sandy bottom material. I assume the bass are stirring up the bottom in the process of making a bed or beds. In one area, two bass, 1.5 to 2 pounds each are cruising the area. There is one spot to which they consistently return. They cruise four or five feet away, to slightly deeper water, then return to that spot, which is no more than a foot deep. Sometimes they cruise side by each, at other times one will leave, the other may follow, and then return. They obviously are paired up. In an area ten feet away, a group of four to eight dinks seem to be holding, but they just mill around a bit. They do not exhibit the "restless repeating behavior" of the larger pair. There is a convenient clump of trees. From behind this, I can lean against them to observe the behavior without disturbing them. When I first arrive, all the fish depart. After situating myself behind this clump, they all return within a minute or two, and the "ritual" begins. My guess is they are in the last stages of their pre spawning ritual. Maximum water temps in the pond 67 - 68 degrees. No doubt warmer in the shallows along the shore. On Tuesday, I caught a lot of bass along the shore. Yesterday, I tried different areas with different bottom structure and cover, that was not productive at all. These areas, while as rocky as the other areas, also have a mucky bottom. Mucky meaning that if the lure gets close to the bottom, it returns with dark gunk, which may be a good sized wad, to a bit hung up on the knot. The bass in my avatar was caught in one of these areas on a jig last Friday. Caught several others from this bottom as well. Very slow since then. Caught two on the Rage Tail Toad in 3 - 4 feet of water, but not even interest close to the vegetation around the edges. Will give the areas where they were hitting on Tuesday a shot today to see what happens.

Unless I'm mistaken, the entire shoreline of Whitehall is public property. Not mistaken. WHITEHALL RESERVOIR (Hopkinton) General Information: This enormous 575-acre natural great pond is located about a quarter mile south of Route 135 and a mile west of Route 495. Maximum depth is 32 feet, but overall this is a shallow pond and average depth is just six feet. Transparency is variable, depending upon suspended algae and boat traffic, and runs from six to ten feet. The bottom is equally variable, consisting of gravel, rubble or muck, and structure in the form of humps, islands and fallen trees is abundant. Aquatic vegetation is abundant to overly abundant, heaviest along the western shorelines. Shoreline access is excellent since the Department of Environmental Management owns a narrow band of land around the entire pond. There is a large, paved boat ramp and parking lot just off Route 135 on a northeastern cove of the pond. It is suitable for all trailer boats and there is parking space for at least 30 vehicles. There is also a small, unimproved access for car top boats and canoes off Pond Street (with parking for only two or three cars) on the extreme southern tip of the pond. There is a speed limit on this pond which prohibits water skiing.

You can get twist locks separate and put them on whatever hook you like. That should save you some dough and give you greater flexibility.

If you have watched the new episodes of Deadliest Catch, you've heard his name. He is the pilot of the rescue helicopter that performed a search and rescue for missing crew members of a crab boat that had sunk in the Bering Sea. When I heard his name, while watching the show, memories of Shawn came flooding back. We had often wondered if he was piloting any of the choppers in other episodes of Deadliest Catch. I know Shawn very well. His dad and I were high school classmates and friends. His dad, Spencer, also worked with me as a deckhand for 13 years. During summer vacation and other time off from high school, Shawn went lobstering with us. He didn't get paid. He just enjoyed doing it, and being with his dad. Shawn's ambition was to become a jet pilot in the military, but he was turned down for the Air Force Academy. He was accepted into the Coast Guard Academy at New London, CT. There were two things at which Shawn excelled, eating, and sleeping. Wiry and thin, but strong and powerful, Shawn had a bottomless pit of a stomach. He had, and probably still does have an incredible appetite. Shawn didn't just sleep. He'd hibernate. Trying to rouse him when it was getting near time to haul the gear was a chore in itself. Calling his name, hollering into the foc'sle got no response. You had to go down to him, and literally shake him from his stupor. Even then, his eyes remained stubbornly shut. His eyebrows would raise, but his lids remained closed. After a few minutes of struggle, he'd manage to get them open. I wondered if he'd make it in the Coast Guard, being that difficult to awaken. Apparently, they have their ways. I attended Shawn's graduation from the CGA. After graduation, he was stationed at Ketchikan, Alaska, and, then approved to attend flight training school. Shawn was on his way to realizing his dream. He made it through school and got his wings. For a few years, he was stationed in Florida, doing drug interdiction work. While there, he was offered the opportunity to learn to fly Coast Guard helicopters, and successfully completed that training, getting his certification to fly the choppers. He'd tell stories of how they tried to use the downdraft from the chopper to overturn the drug runner's boats, often taking gunfire in the process. But, Shawn's first love was Alaska, and when offered the opportunity to return there, he jumped at it. Shawn's favorite activities are hunting, salmon fishing, and halibut fishing. It was aboard my lobsterboat that Shawn got his first up close and personal experience with search and rescue. You can read about that here, reply number 5. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1240956780

Update on the incident. Two newpaper accounts. The first really ticked me off, since it seemed the Captain was attributing the entire rescue to his men. Or so it seemed. And I'd been down that road before. From the Fall River Herald News. By Grant Welker Herald News Staff Reporter Posted Apr 28, 2009 @ 10:31 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Westport Firefighters rescued two people whose boat capsized and a man who rowed to save them Tuesday afternoon on Davol Pond. The three people, who were not identified, were brought to shore around 4 p.m., examined by paramedics and released, according to the Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, a man had pulled the two people out of the water and was drifting away from shore, said Fire Captain Michael Silvia in a news release. Firefighters launched their boat and made three trips to bring the people to shore, Silvia said. The overturned boat was retrieved, and the firefighters left the pond after about 45 minutes, he said. Davol Pond is between Sawdy Pond and Sodom Road near the Tiverton border. More information was not available late Tuesday night. I don't need or want any recognition. The deed was the reward in itself. But I sure as heck resent someone trying to take credit for what another has done. I sent an email to the selectmen's office with a copy of the story. They forwarded it to the fire chief who sent me a very nice email, which I greatly appreciated. In addition, he expressed his appreciation for my part, and commented that I probably saved the fellow's life. He acknowleged the Herald News story was totally wrong, and sent me the url of the following story from the New Bedford Standard Times. Westport Fire, civilian rescue two after boat capsizes April 29, 2009 9:43 AM Westport firefighters and a Good Samaritan rescued two people from Devol Pond Tuesday afternoon after their boat capsized. Residents of Devol Pond Road called shortly before 4 p.m. to alert the fire department of the capsizing. When firefighters arrived they found that an unidentified man had rowed out and pulled the two people out of the water. The three were drifting toward the far end of the pond. Firefighters launched their boat and, making three trips, were able to bring all the people back to shore and retrieved their overturned boat. Both parties that were in the water were examined by paramedics at the scene and released. I have been fortunate and privileged to have been in the position on three occasions to pluck five people from the water. The first as a teenager, cruising a local pond in a runabout. A couple was trying to swim across the lake, and got exhausted. We came along, just as they were getting into dire straits and pulled them aboard. The second was during my lobstering career. We were 30 miles south of Westport, when I saw what looked like the sun rising on the horizon, but it was due south of us. Only one thing it could be. A burning vessel. Got to the scene and the boat was ablaze from stem to stern. Called the Block Island Coast Guard, notified them of the boat and the Loran bearings. The only chance for a survivor(s) would have been to abandon ship. Weather conditions were perfect. Maybe a five knot breeze, rippled glassy surface, and a gentle swell. Reasoning that the breeze would blow the vessel away from a body in the water, I headed the lobsterboat directly into the wind. 45 minutes and 5 or 6 miles later we found a man in a cork life raft with a mesh bottom. Notified the Coast Guard that he had been alone on the boat when the fire broke out, and other than a few superficial burns he was fine. Returned to the boat, put the survivor aboard the Coast Guard boat. For some reason that made no sense to me, the crew on the small CG boat tried to put out the fire. The wheelhouse on the dragger had fallen into the hull, and you could see the fire blazing between the planks above the waterline. They rigged a water cannon on the bow of the Coast Guard boat, and proceeded to attack the fire. They actually were beating it back, and had about a third of the fire out. Then, literally, all hell broke loose. The fuel lines, no doubt, had burned away, and diesel fuel had been pouring into the bilge for some time causing a roaring inferno. Whatever fuel that was left in the tanks had to be boiling vapors. When the cold water hit a tank, it ruptured, creating the most violent explosion I have ever witnessed. It looked like an atom bomb had gone off. A column of fire a good thirty feet in diameter, and over a hundred feet tall shot into the air. At the top was a mushroom cloud, black with fire blazing inside, and from the mushroom cloud spewed little chunks of wood trailing tendrils of smoke as they fell into the sea. The Coast Guard boat was literally lifted out of the water at the bow, and has some of its antennas blown off. The explosion sucked all the air out of their wheelhouse and the crew, as well as the survivor ended up with flash burns. But they and their boat survived. I put all the ice we had in the coolers into a large plastic bag, and passed it to them to use on their burns. They headed back to their station and we set about hauling the lobster gear. A year later, I happened to run across a fellow who had been stationed at Block Island at the time of the incident. Amazing how these things work out. He asked me to relate the accounts of the incident, then told me that wasn't the way the crew reported it. They all got commendations for life saving. By the way, he believed my version, because it made more sense than the story they told. I shrugged it off. It had happened more than a year prior, and the fellow we plucked from the sea, Larry Spaldt from Hyannis, Mass was still alive. Reward enough.