Swamp Girl

Is anyone else reading these accounts and wanting to move to ten other states at once? If I had to pick one, it would be Missouri. No, Michigan. No, New York. No, California. No,....

It's gin clear, so clear that I look over the side of my canoe and it looks a foot deep. I'm always testing depth with my paddle.* I was fishing close to Camden yesterday, which is called mid-coast. Camden is where Peyton Place was filmed because it's considered the quintessential New England town. Google Camden. It's ridiculously pretty. Its harbor is filled with 1800s sailing ships and it has twin waterfalls tumbling into that harbor, with a mountain as a backdrop. *Testing depth with a paddle is high tech in Maine. We're behind the times and we like it that way!

Norcal, the thing I loved about yesterday's pond was the vast flats of lily pads. It's too late for froggin', but the thoughts of fishing those pads next year already has me whining like a puppy for her favorite toy. I didn't catch any big fish yesterday, but that's been my story all fall, so I'm thinking there might be bigger fish there. We'll see!

Yep, a lot of walleye anglers sneer at bass.

Here's what I love I about Maine: 1.3 and #1 in trees Yeah, 1.3 million people with the largest percentage of old people of the 50 states and the most trees of all the states. Plus, we have a lot of ponds, bogs, lakes, and rivers. So, with fewer people and a lot of old folks and freshwater, you're less likely to have to share your fishing with other fishers. Much of the water has undeveloped shorelines and I'd much rather have trees as my backdrop than lake homes, which Mainers call camps. Additionally, unlike Wisconsin, where lake homes are often McMansions, Maine camps tend to be small, unheated, and without lawns dumping herbicides into the water. Up north and inland, they haven't even bothered to name all the lakes, just like you find in Ontario. All this adds up to quiet water with uneducated fish. Ahhhh!

Beautiful bass and tree. Alex, I'm surprised at how red that tree is. I would have guessed that your fall would come weeks or even a couple months after ours.

You're welcome! I try to live a grateful life and it's clear that you do too. Agreed. Ontario is Heaven on Earth.

Whoa! That's a stat. It makes DiMaggio's streak look as long as an inchworm.

Ahhh, thanks, Eric!

What do you love about your state's bass fishing? You may do more than one state if you've lived hither and yon. For example, I lived in Wisconsin on the Wisconsin River. So, there were smallmouth in my backyard. Then there was Chequamegon Bay, chock full of big smallmouth, and Lake Michigan too. On the western border, there was the magnificent Mississippi, which grows big bass and everything else.

Alex, the photos I took have Maine looking a lot like Vermont, but Maine is mostly trees. We have more trees than any other state. We also have more coastline than California with all our indentations. So, we're trees and waves crashing into cliffs. AND BASS! Thanks, Mr. Bass and Mr. 5/0.

Okay, so I loaded the canoe one more time because I couldn't stand wasting a warm day. Driving to the pond is one of the best parts of the day, for there's so much SUGAH!* I passed three general stores that look and operate as if it were 1922 instead of 2022. Then I saw the cows** used to make Maine's Whoopie Pies***, as well as Oreo cookies. Finally, the pond. It is right off the highway. You launch from a cobbled dam and worm your way through weeds to the pond. I paddled up one side of the pond and caught 33 fish. "This is going to be a great day!" I thought. Then I paddled down the other side of the pond and caught three fish. "This is a great day!" I thought. I caught one smallmouth, two pickerels, and 32 largemouth. None were big, but I will fish this pond again. It only has two homes on it, which is how I like 'em. The last fish is crazy skinny, huh? I caught most of the fish on a chrome Whopper Plopper. I caught one on a Mepps size 4, two on a Wake Bait, one of a bluegill-colored crankbait, two on a shad-colored crankbait, and the rest on the Whopper Plopper. That's what they wanted, even though I kept trying other lures. *sugar maples **They're actually Scottish Belted Galloways, which are pretty common in Maine. ***Whoopie Pies look like giant Oreo cookies.

I love fishing Ontario for smallies. You caught some fine, FINE fish!

Jack, that fish is a looker: nice belly, wide tail, and as healthy as can be.

I think I have bear blood in me because I enjoy my winter den-ning. Human hibernation lets me recover from the warm weather gardening, fishing, biking, and hiking. Over the last few days, I have shoveled literal tons of dirt, built two raised beds from heavy hemlock, planted various trees and bushes, etc. Soon the ground will be frozen and I won't be able to work and thank goodness for that! However, I am going fishing tomorrow, even though I said I was done for the year, simply because it'll be warm (64 degrees!) and every bear loves to fish.

What Alex said, Eric. Your brother sounds like he was a hoot and a half. Thanks for the Sarah tip. I'm going to Google her right now.

I would love to see some bluegill pics. I sure miss catching those guys. I did catch one big pumpkinseed while bass fishing this summer and quite a few surprisingly big yellow perch, also while bass fishing. Next summer, I'm going to return to the pond where I caught those yellow perch, keep some, and have myself a fish fry.

^I feel like this is a Stanford-grade spinnerbait education.^

^I like this one.^ I also like the act of casting. Twice this summer, I could only catch three fish and when I told someone this, they said, "Oh, that's too bad." "No, it wasn't bad at all. It was wonderful." And it was. I can remember where I fished and what I saw and how I felt. I remember the loon song and light shifting and the islands and reeds. And I'm still grateful for all of that.

Thanks, Dwight. Then I'll go with 10 lb. test. I've been using 17 lb. mono on my main spinning reel and I had never had a bass break it this fishing season.

Thanks, Tim. I'm going to buy some Suffix 832 in low-vis green and spool a spinning reel or two.

I can't stop looking at the Bartram bass. It's stunning, like a Splake or a Tiger Musky are stunning!

I like this story, Tim. Dave reminds me of the quote: "The opposite of courage isn't cowardice. It's conformity." Dave excels because he doesn't conform.

Coincidentally, Tim, I was thinking about braid again when I awoke this morning. You don't use leaders, do you? Is there a color you prefer? Lastly, can I spool my spinning reels with braid?

Well fished, Alex, well fished!