The one that got away

Road trip to CT river this afternoon. Launched out of Hatfield in the canoe with my partner in front. Wind out of the south was a major issue, especially in a canoe. Luckily there was a bend to the east just north of the launch point that we used for a windbreak. Otherwise, it probably would have been a very short trip. I got a smallie on my second cast using a Rapala and had hopes for a great day. Not for a while. I missed a spinnerbait hit about 20 mins later. My buddy got three near a laydown within a 5-10 minute period about a hour in. Then zero bites for about 3-4 hours. Zero. Like when you are just practicing casting because you're 100% confident you won't get bit. The only highlight during that period was seeing a bald eagle at fairly close range. Very cool. We found fish on the sonar but they just wouldn't bite, and we threw everything at them. Around 7pm, the smallies finally became active around a huge flat and we picked up some more fish. He got his on a wacky rig and I was using a 1/8 ounce jig head with a 4" Swing Impact in green pumpkin. A couple were pretty good fish with awesome aerial action. The fight from a river smallie is unreal. The last 45 minutes or so made the trip. We both ended up with 5-6 fish. It could have been much better if the wind wasn't such a major factor. Good trip overall and will definitely be back. I'll definitely make sure the wind won't be an issue next time. Only took a few photos but for some reason I can't post them. I think the file size is too large.

I have the week of from work, so I put the canoe in Webster Lake today. I normally avoid the place from Memorial Day to Labor Day due to too many boats. I guess a lot of people took today off, because there were a lot of powered boats out there. Sunny skies and a consistent light breeze, which makes things tough in a canoe on a big body of water. Threw a couple different mid-sized cranks and a couple of spinnerbaits (one white, one bluegill pattern) for the majority of the time, with a wacky rig here and there until the last hour or so when I switched to topwater. Couldn't find much today. Got a short fat LMB on the spinnerbait, lost another very small one at the boat, and missed on a couple good spinnerbait hits. Not sure what was up with that, because I was using a trailer hook. I'm embarrassed to say that I got a bluegill on a crankbait - not what I'm looking for. It was a tough four hours or so. Me and my usual fishing partner are taking a road trip to the CT river tomorrow. First time out there. I saw a recent post on another forum that someone had a good smallie day recently using the WP and 4" soft jerkbaits, so I guess I'll start with those and try to figure them out.

I should post here more often, but anyway... Got out to one of my local spots for almost four hours Sunday. Haven't been there in a while. WEEDY almost everywhere. The bite was brutal, which was surprising because the weather conditions seemed favorable. Only one decent pickerel made it to the canoe. Broke off on a couple of larger pickerel. Threw a chatterbait, buzzbait, wacky rig, jig, and Sluggo. Got out again Monday to my usual local spot, this time with my partner in front of the canoe. He lost a couple big ones on a frog and got a few on a popper late in the day. One of his swings and misses was directly in front of the boat - the frog went flying by him over his left shoulder and nailed me in the chest. He turned around and said I looked like the photo of Lee Harvey Oswald when he got shot by Jack Ruby. The water spot of the frog on my t-shirt looked like the chalk outline from a crime scene and we got a good laugh out it. Floating jointed Rapala and Sluggo got my fish. I got three or four bass and a couple of pickerel. Tried punching for the first time and quickly learned I will need a heavier weight, although I did get one of the pickerel on the punch rig in a less sparse area. Planning a first time trip to the CT river later this week for whatever bites, so we'll see how that goes. Hope everyone is getting out there and getting some fish. Can't catch 'em if you stay home. Also, friendly reminder that PFD's are required to be worn in canoes/kayaks after Sept 15

I have a buddy who regularly fishes the Charles at Rt. 27 at the Sherborn/Medfield line. He gets a lot of bass and pickerel. No pike to speak of. 99% of his fishing is with a wacky rig, frog, or a topwater popper. There's fish to be found north or south from the overpass. South End Pond in Millis is about a mile south of the bridge. You'll have to bear right at a fork to get there, but with the good weather tomorrow I'm sure there will be other people on the river to point you in the right direction. Good luck

It's halftime right now. Worst officiating I've seen in a long time. Refs are taking KC right out of it. Hopefully the refs cool it a bit in the second half so I can watch a football game.

I would recommend the VT side only because it's easier to get to from around here (I'm about 50mins outside of Boston). I'm sure the NY side is good too if you end up on that side somehow. I think there is a member here (webertime?) up in VT who knows the area well. I haven't been up there in many years, but me and some friends used to go up to the Carry Bay area in N. Hero VT. This was back in the 90s. I also made a few trips with my son when he was younger, back in the 2000s. This was past Burlington VT on Rt. 2. It's a pretty easy drive from the Boston area. Just take 93 into NH and then take 89 all the way to Burlington and then get off at Rt 2. There used to be a campground on the left side of the road (I think it was still Rt. 2), past N. Hero Marina. The guy at the campground used to rent boats with a real small motor, real cheap. The campground is gone now, but the marina rented boats with a better motor when I was last up there about 10 years ago. I just checked online and found a website for them. They only have one boat for rent on their website, but who knows, maybe you could call them and see what they will have available in the spring. If nothing else, they might be able to steer you to someone else in the area for a boat rental, or probably refer you to a guide who can get you on some fish. There is great fishing in the whole area of Carry Bay (at least there was back in the 1990s and 2000s). There are big and I mean real big pike up there too, so you might want to use a steel leader. We used to fish from the marina heading north all the way up to the Rt. 2 bridge in S. Alburg. If the bite got slow, we would throw on a Mepps #5 inline spinner and hold on tight. It's been a long time since I've been up there, so things may be a little different now. Hope this helps. Best of luck up if you get up there.

Not sure where the OP is located, but the majority of the trout I catch here in MA are caught on Joe's Flies spinners and spoons. Kastmasters and small Rapalas also work well. I use a 6' St. Croix Triumph light action rod with a cheap Shimano Sienna 1000 size reel and 6lb mono. I don't use live worms or the trout nugget/dough stuff, but plenty of people around here do.

Thanks for the reply, Tom. It is tough with two guys in the canoe. It's a 14'7 Old Town. It's my canoe, so my choice on sitting front or back. I would rather be able to control the trolling motor, be able to see the fishfinder, and have a bit more legroom, so I take the back. Fishing from the back of the canoe poses a unique set of circumstances. I can't fish the same way someone does while standing on the deck of a boat. I can't cast directly in front because my partner in front. Assuming straight ahead is 12 o'clock, I usually fish from about 2-4 o'clock to my right and 8-10o'clock on my left. If I'm casting somewhat behind me on my right or left, I first have to make sure I'm not hooking him when I cast, and secondly not hit him if I do a sweep hook set. There can be some play with this; if he's casting repeatedly to a spot off to his left, I can kind of shoot a cast over his right shoulder towards the front, and that kind of thing. I have room to move around a 6'6" rod from one side to the other without interfering with him. All of my rods right now are 6'6" for this reason. I can still use a longer rod, but it can just be more of a hassle. Going solo is always much easier. I can cast anywhere I want and I can just lay the rods I'm not using in front of me. If he's with me, I have to slide the unused rods between my legs, push the butt end to the rear, and lay the tip over the side. He and I have been friends since '73, so it's not like I can tell him to stay home, and it's more fun when to fish with someone else. As far as what I'm going to get, I'm pretty sure it will be the Dobyns 705 or 735. Just waiting for the TW sale at this point. Thanks to everyone who replied. Happy Holidays

I haven't bought any new equipment in several years and want to add a rod. I fish from a canoe. I'm in the back seat and my fishing partner is riding in front 80% of the time, so I want to keep it to 7ft or shorter, if possible, because I don't want to be smacking him upside the head on hooksets. I prefer full cork handles, but they seem to be few and far between nowadays, so I might have to go with some type of split grip. I want a rod that is well balanced and I can fish for an extended time in comfort. I plan to use the rod for frogs and weighted plastics on 50lb braid in moderate to heavy vegetation. I want to have confidence with this rod horsing them out of the slop. Haven't decided on a reel yet, but will probably be a Lew's. I want to keep it $200 or less (less is preferable). I'm thinking of a Dobyns when they go on sale at TW. Maybe a 705? Anyone here use this rod? Any other suggestions? I'm pretty open to anything.

My name is for a monster pike that I lost at Lake Champlain sometime back in the 2000s, probably 2006 or so. I'm sure everyone on this site has a "one that got away" story.

I think everyone here should check out "The Nature of Fishing" channel on Youtube by BR member Paul Roberts. I haven't watched all of his videos yet, but his scientific approach to bass behavior is above and beyond anything I have seen before. I'm confident I will be a better angler next year after I get through his content. And no, I don't know Paul and I'm not a pro angler.

Keitech round jig head 1/8 ounce 2/0 hook

Thanks for the info Arthur, I'll have to try it out next year.

Anyone know of good spots near Mt. Monadnock? I planning to bring a canoe and trolling motor to that area soon for a half day of fishing, possibly Thurs. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks

Wow, that's awful news. Condolences to the family, and especially his children. RIP Eric

The only ET smallmouth I had was the 6'9" medium light spinning rod. I got it right after they came out and loved it. My fishing partner only has one rod of his own, so I let him borrow it while we were in the canoe earlier this year, and he uses it all the time now. I ended up selling it to him but regret it...should have had him find his own.

50 year New Englander here...but off the Pats bandwagon since midway through the 2007 season. The penalty is a bit harsh, but mostly justified and not completely unexpected in my opinion.

This fight should have happened five years ago when they were both in their prime. This should be their third fight by now. Like pretty much everyone else on the face of the earth, I hope Pacquaio knocks him out but I think it will be Mayweather by decision. Five years ago, I'd bet on Pacquaio but probably not now. I never buy PPVs and I won't buy this one either. I'd feel like a slimeball knowing that some of my hard earned money will end up in Floyd's pocket. It'll be midnight on the East Coast by the time the fight actually starts anyway.

Full handle cork for me

I have the 6'9" medium light spinning rod and love it. If you take the time to find them discounted online, you can't find a better rod for the money IMO

30+ inches at my house. I won't bore everyone with details. Let's just say it sucked. Can't wait for the leaky basement when it all melts.

I have that rod. I'd say it's accurately rated. Not as fast a St. Croix. Very sensitive but of course that's subjective. My other rods are more expensive but I can't find a reason to upgrade the Fenwick although I'm not a huge fan of split grips. I'd pull the trigger on one if you get the chance. Hope this helps.

Great fish! Always nice to find a new hot spot.

Congrats on your hard work! You're never too old to apply yourself and learn. You deserve a reward for your hard work. I only have one Dobyns so I don't have much input there. Good luck with the new stick