BurrStone

Agree on getting out of any wet clothes asap. I work ems and we're trained to remove all wet clothing from patients who've been dunked in cold water, then wrap them in dry sheets, wool blankets.

Well, I asked the question (thanks MN Fisher), then found a great deal at academy for the 9sv and went that route. My daughter saw the "check out" screen on my computer and ratted me out to my wife. So now my wife is annoyed but we'll have 9" screens at both ends. ?

Anyone know if the new Striker Vivid 7sv is just about additional color options or is there more to this unit? Already have an echomap 93sv for the console but need sonar/side view for up front at the TM. If it's just colors, I might save the hundred bucks and go for the older model. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Lillinonah has a lot of accessible shore spots in the park areas. Old Bridge Park, George Waldo state park ... check google maps. Water levels are way down right now but during spring, summer & fall I see plenty of folks shore fishing.

Signed it. Lillinonah angler.

Rainy days never disappoint. You get the water to yourself and the fish are already wet. 4.96# on weightless senko.

3.94 lb w/nice color. Roboworm drop shot in 20 f.o.w.

Had to augment my morning at the DMV with an afternoon on Lake Lillinonah. Caught a bunch of small smallies and one 4# LMB. It was an all drop shot endeavor w/4" Roboworms. Love the drop shot but catch a bunch of rock bass & sunnies, too. Gotta work on that ...

Ditto

5.8 lbs. New PB. Worth getting rained on.

What I've found is most of the smaller lakes in VT that hold SMB also hold LMB. Get yourself a DeLorme Vermont/New Hampshire Gazeteer and you'll see every lake & pond, plus an index that lists the species. I just picked out 1 page east of St Johnsbury and see Neal Pond-185 acres, Miles Pond-215 acres, Shadow Lake-128 acres. Neal and Miles have both species, Shadow Lake is listed as only having SMBs, pickerel, bullhead and yellow perch. All 3 have a launch. I catch a lot of smallies in VT, but mostly on the CT River, further south.

I needed a partner with a net for the smallie. They never quit.

Caught my current PB LMB this AM. 5.25 lbs. The SMB was 3 lbs. Guess which was the better fight?

Had this Loon hit me up. He made off with a dink LMB.

And you might get to 10-15' depth and try a drop shot. That's all that worked for me today in CT.

Never dropped it. But it might just be a bit worn out but everything about it still works. Love the drag. Might be time for a service.

3 years on the reel. Washers look fine. Seems to have developed over time. I lube & clean it but haven't totally disassembled the body, either.

Okay so I have about 1/4" of play at the spool shaft. When I fish the spool is wobbly and feels like something isn't right inside the reel. Tried calling Abu Garia and was on hold forever ... decided to try here. Anyone know if this is normal? I have 2 Revo spinning reels, SX40 and SX30. the SX30 has less play (but some) - its the SX40 I'm more concerned with.

I'll second Tackle Supply Depot. Check out their "blowout deals".

This sounds like me in Connecticut 2 weeks ago. Then boom, temps held an uptrend and the bite is on. I'm guessing with another week of these warmer days your conditions will improve.

Okay so I've been going back & forth with the guy who owns the camp. He echoed everything je1946 just said. Essentially we arrive and are automatically in quarantine by limiting our movements to/from the cabin & dock, and are otherwise on the water. Whatever groceries/beer we need he'll fetch for us. Fact is, previous trips were nearly just like that. We bring in most of our food, anyway, and keep to ourselves. When you're on the water 10+ hours that's just how it works. One of us is an EMT who already got sick w/COVID and recovered, the others are an ER doc (who really needs this break!) and his brother-in-law, both of whom have so far tested negative. The spirit of the quarantine rules aren't violated by this, and by the time we get there the rural counties will already be seeing relaxed restrictions. Subsequent to my initial post Governor Mills responded to some overwhelming pressure. There's a funny dichotomy among Mainers. Many hate the tourists. But just as many rely on them. You park the car for a dinner stop behind a local who's got the "I'm not on your vacation" bumper sticker. Same with Cape Cod. Understandable, I suppose, but worth noting and respecting. Not an easy life up there. But, yeah ... we're going.

I second the sardines!

It sounds like you've described the weather where I live. I fished 2x this past week and while I only caught 5 bass, all were at or over 3 lbs, in shallow water, morning and afternoon. Surface water temp was between 50 and 52 degrees as the day progressed. I agree w/Kicker and others who say just get out there - pre-spawn is great for catching the big ones.

I wrap the line around the handle of a boga grip when things get desperate. Its grippy rubber sponge and the line won't slip. Only downside is someday I'm going to end up with a hook in my forehead.

Had a tough day on a big lake in western Connecticut on Sunday- water was between 49 and 51 degrees - and the only thing that caught a fish was a curly tail grub. Fortunately this was the fish.