Walkingboss

Howdy all..... It's been forever since I've been on. Fishing's been killer this year as I've been focusing mainly on Merrymeeting Lake. Many smallies over 3 and one whopper at 6.4 lbs.! Must fish DEEEEEEEP. Also spent 8 days in Minnesota and averaged 75-100 smallies a day with the wife. Good Pike and Lake Trout too. Anyway, I'm off to Umbagog Aug.15th. Never fished it before. Known for many Smallies. Any advice??? Taking my 19' bass rig....Will I sink it? Lots of shallow water and rocks....Also rumor of Musky. I know there are Pike. Any verification on the Muskies would be nice. Will upload some smallie pics this weekend.

Well, it just goes to show you, I had my tourny on Winni a couple weeks ago, water temps low 50's, air low 40's, wind 20-25, with fair skies. Couldn't buy a smallmouth, but crushed the largemouth in 2-5' of water! They were all stuck tight to the shady side of medium sized boulders in the sun. Rocks HAD to be in the sun to hold em' and weed lines HAD to be within 10 feet or so. Not enough weight to win though. Oh well. The Silver Buddy bite is on now for sure. I'm off to jig up some pigs.

I love this site....Thanks guys. I'm off to Winni this weekend and next to develop patterns for the 28th. Just going to try and do the 'math'. Given our recent cooldown, I figure the spots where I find them this weekend will be fairly reliable for the month if the weather is somewhat stable. Breakin' out the heavy lead (3/4-1oz jigs) and maybe swimmin' some white jigs around dying lillies. Shad or not, I do know they'll hit big targets this time of year, no matter where you are. Been playing around w/shakey's on docks. Guess I could twitch a few in the deep grass (15-20'). Thanks again...

I'm originally from Indiana and have only been fishing out here for a few years. Fall has always been my favorite time to fish, but I haven't had the 'go-to' success in New England like I did in the midwest, where we have resevoirs and SHAD! I last fished the last week of Sept. and the fish hadn't yet committed to a fall pattern. The recent cool weather and rain (thank God) should ease them along toward a feeding binge. Long story shorter...If I was back home I'd hit the creek arms and points just off them looking for schools of shad getting forced to shore. No shad out here....Winni does have smelt, but should I be following them or sticking to a crawfish pattern (jigs, etc.)? Water temps should be in the mid 50's to 60. I plan on looking for milfoil and other still-green vegetation in 5+' of water, flats in 10-15' of water, mid-lake humps rising from 40+' of water, and anywhere I can find current, although it's illegal here to fish within 250 yards of any tributary this time of year because of the stupid landlocked salmon spawn. Any solid advice from kind New England folk would be appreciated.

Rainy has provided me with both my pike and smallmouth p.b.'s. 6-8 smallie and a 23+ pike. Both on the U.S. side years ago. Caught the smallie in rocks on a mister twister :-[ and the pike on a 10" suick (sp?). I think it was 1981 and I was just a pup. Big lake trout up there too. Good Luck!

Fished/partied all weekend in Maine. Caught mostly largemouth in 8-15' of water, with a few holding tight to shoreline cover and and some others shallow along reed/lilly beds in the late afternoon (windblown shore ONLY). Water was 66 degrees +/- and lightly stained (visibility @ 10-12'. Spinnerbaits along windblown shore, jigs on shoreline cover, and GYCB twintail hula grub in deeper water. Best fish were out from shore. Smallmouth, the few that I did get, were deep. 18-25' on minimal structure. Grubs again. I've got to say the smallies will be swarming like yellowjackets soon. Hope I'm there for it.

Last weekend I fished not summer, not fall, but winter patterns to barely squeak my limit at the tourny. I was vertical jigging and drop shotting in 45' of water for smallmouth. The largies were still shallow and could be seen in the weeds at Squam, but couldn't get them to bite. Tried everything with no success and then started cruising around looking at the graph and found the fish suspending just above mid-lake humps. Saturday's coldfront was a killer. The weather has stabilized this week and I suspect the fish will be starting their annual fall feeding frenzy shortly. Jerks, flukes, spinners, traps over the flats should be hot. Jigs on inside turns off point drops should get your lunkers. I'm off to Maine this weekend to fish a great lake near Sebago....Can't divulge it quite yet as bass fishermen seem to be clueless to its location and I'd like to keep it that way for now...I'll just say that it's very near to W. Poland. I hope you all haul more than water this weekend.

It will work. I've used streamer flies on dropshots and killed smallies on the beds, but then again, you could drop just about anything on a smallmouth bed and get bit. But seriously, I've used flies on dropshots through the ice and have had good results. There is something to be said about the way a fly softly quivers in the water at the slightest twitch....something plastics just can't do.

I grew up in Indiana, which has mostly stained to muddy water, with the excepion of some pits. Now I live in New Hampshire, which has crystal clear water on most of its lager fisheries. So, clear or dark... Clear. Once you get over your fear of spooking fish, clear water can offer some great advantages. I've pulled bass out of 2-3' of water only 10-15' away. Watched them turn away, turn back, get curious and bite. Also when you do spook a fish you know where they'll be returning to and then after some time you can ease up on that spot again and feel pretty good about your chances. It's great to SEE the fish and develop patterns from there. Around here it's not unusual to see bottom in 25' of water and depending on conditions you might be fishing in 50-75' of water. At that point you're as muddy as the Mississippi as far as what might be eyeing your lure. Besides, I can go to Fl. or Tx. and hook up anytime...like to see those boys come fish Winnipesaukee in Aug.

You might be surprised by what constitutes a 'joke boat'...As far as I'm concerned, such a boat doesn't exist. There was one good ole' boy in Alabama that took a tourny fishing from a canoe! Anyway, there are many ways to get started. My boat pales in comparison to most of my competition, but it's the fish that count. Notice what I'm fishing out of in the picture to the left. On a different note....I have a tourny on Squam Lake this Sunday. I've never been on Squam before. I've heard great tales of smallmouth fishing there, but largemouth are going to win this tourny, I'm pretty sure. I've heard Squam holds some good largemouth, and have one tip from a friend, but would appreciate any input you all may have regarding this. I'm assuming Squam is a very clear lake with moderate to minimal vegetation, like Winni. Back bays and silty bottoms are where I'll look for the largemouth, but on these types of lakes, the largemouth are usually only found in certain lake areas. Any clues?

As far as I know there is no age limit. If you have a boat, for example, and are over 16 and have more than 25 horses, you'd need your 'captains' license and a valid fishing license. The 'draw' tourny's are where you stand a chance of getting on someone else's boat, but many boaters already have partners, so you have to cultivate relationships. Try logging on to Bubba Bassin to learn more. That's my club, but there are many, many more throughout the state. Google NH bass clubs, or something similar, and I'm sure you'll find a club in your area.

I'm going to double up on posts.... I am almost finished with my first full tournament season. It has been a lot of fun and I've learned a boatload from the guys I'm competing against. There have been 130 teams that have competed in the trail I'm in (not 130 boats every tourny, usually @40) and my partner and I are sitting 4th with two regular events and the Tournament of Champions in late October at Winni left. Our best 8 fish bag was just under 20lbs. and good for third place at Pawtuckaway, also our best event finish. We've been in the top half of every tourny we've entered (Massabesic in April the exception....big fat 0), and have been lucky enough to be in the top 15 more often than not. I guess I'm saying this to encourage all to join a local club and fish some of the tourny's going on around here. There are usually club events that allow non-boaters to be paired with boaters as well, so not owning your own boat doesn't have to mean your out of luck. I can't speak highly enough about it. So, as my club's motto goes....Quit wishin' Go fishin'.

I'm one of those arrogant shimano/g.loomis guys, but they've NEVER let me down. However, I do own a few All-Star rods and they are very nice as well....and easier on the pocketbook. As far as lures go....I will always recommend jigs first and foremost for all occasions. Spider jigs/tubes/skirted/deerhair you name it. I usually have an Uncle Josh pork trailer attaced in a color that matches the jig (tubes excluded). Clear water stay natural in color (browns/pumkins/greens). Stained go brighter. Dark sky? Dark color. Spring? White. Next I'd say soft jerks like Sluggos and flukes. Hard jerks like the X-rap and Stike King's new King Shad are going to be hot again soon. Blade baits like the Silver Buddy and Heddon's Sonic Blade will pull boatloads of bass out of deep water haunts all year long, with Spring and Fall being the best times. Shakey head worms have been working well around docks. Spinnerbaits of course and chatterbaits, which again can be a lifesaver in early Spring and late Fall. Now for pike...Trolling a good sized Johnson's silver minnow has never let me down, but it's kinda boring. Big bucktail spinners. Mepps makes some as do many others. Really big spinnerbaits (3/4-1 oz.) with willowleaf blades burned just below the surface get their attention. Big Huskey jerks. My favorite all time pike bait is a wooden jerkbait called a Suick (sp.?). I've never seen them in New England, but I own several and even have one that's 12 1/2" long! They destroy larger pike in late fall. My advice for pike fishing no matter what you throw is to make noise. Splash your lure hard into the water near the boat now and then like you were trying to get weeds off of it. Pike are at the top of the chain and are pretty territorial. They WILL come around to see what all the commotion is about. Then it's up to you.

I fish in New Hampshire and water temps have been generally in the mid-70's. I don't know much about turnover specifics, but I'd have to think that up here a lake wouldn't begin to turn-over until temps got solidly into the mid 60's. At any rate the smallmouth have already began bunching up under baitballs (especially smelt) and hanging 3-10' above the bottom in 35-45' of water. The largemouth are jammed tight to cover as shallow as can be. I pitched a jig-n-pig on a large stump in 2' of water yesterday and pulled three 3+ lb. bass off the shoreline side. They were literally laying on top of one another. I have 3 tourny's left this year and the pigs have got to be ripe for the pickin'. I'm pretty good getting at the smallmouth, but if ya'll have any advice on northern tier fall patterns for largemouth, I'm all ears.

I think I'd have been arrested that day after I chucked a 1/2 oz. jig at the idiot's head. > Or perhaps I would've found his dock and did a little snorkeling that night, if you know what I mean His waterline might be a little lower the next day. :

Good morning.... I fished Ossipee yesterday and failed miserably. I HATE that sandbox. Suppose it didn't help that it was super hot and hazy, with a boat-load of PWC's and skiers churning up the lake. I got out at 6am and fished until 11:30 with no luck. Did see some pig smallies, but they seemed content with the huge schools of perch swimming around. At any rate, does anybody fish this party lake? I've got a tourny there in a couple weeks and could use some help. I looked for structure for and hour or two, but all I found were some mid lake sand humps with little or no weeds around and only perch and kibbie hanging. The river (Pine) looks pretty good, but for the constant flow of pontoon boats. I'm interested in finding out where I might locate some gravel/rock structure. I did make it up to Danforth pond from Ossipee, and it looked pretty good, but I was running out of time and didn't fish it much. I've got a fancy new GPS sonar, so if anybody has some lat/long readings, I'd glady take them. I'm sure I'll have to be looking deep for bigger fish, as the water temps there are in the low 80's. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

Howdy gents, it's been a long time. Happy to hear everybody's still getting out. So the last time I was actively following this string, there was some talk of largemouth in Merrymeeting lake............. :-? I ran into Toyotaguy last evening and we were discussing this, so today I called my Father-in-law, who summers in New Durham, and he went down to the fishery located at the outflow of Merrymeeting. The fisheries director explained to him that the last 5 years' worth of kreel counts in the lake yielded no largemouth and in fact, you'd have a better chance of catching a Peacock bass there than a largemouth. Or perhaps a Coho or Dolly Varden. Combine this info. with my near 500+ hours fishing this lake and countless friends who've fished it more than me, (none of us EVER landing a largie) and I think you can put this one to bed. As I posted awhile back.....IF, on the miracle of God, there swims a largemouth bass in Merrymeeting, you'd most certainly find it at the very back reaches of the lake in the muck and stumps and not near the dam/launch, especially in the Spring. That potential largie water is quite a paddle from the launch in a blue canoe. ;D I love my largmouth. Have better luck with them and have landed some real pigs. That being said, I hope I never see one in Merrymeeting. There aren't enough pure smallie lakes left in the state and those few really produce some hawgs. There are plenty of largie only lakes. Save the bronzebacks!!!

I knew this would be an interesting topic, but I think I'll join RW on the don't do it bandwagon. I think what really sold me was when I lost my bearings and actually caught the same smallie I'd just released, thinking it was a new bed. Judging by the semen trail hanging from it I'm sure it was male, but still. The truth is it was too easy. Btw......I'm clueless on sexing fish. Any advice?

I had to go up to N. Haverhill, NH today for a graduation and the CT there was very stained and high from last night's rain. This week won't help, but who knows? By the 24th she might be clear and at pool...That's river fishin'....I wish I could give you some tips on deep water CT River bass, but I'm in the same boat as you. I'd have to say some deep running cranks and jigs around long blow downs (there are a lot of newbie trees in the water after this past storm)....work the shear bluff drops....and look for boils in mid-river. O.k., now for the braggin'......I suggested in my last post that the smallmouth on Merrymeeting Lake would be bedding this weekend and boy, did I call it. I only had 4 hours to fish on Sat. (my wife wears the pants :-[) but managed to yank an even 40 pigs out of the lake. Fish, no crap, averaged 3 - 3 1/2 pounds, my biggest 6-4. Wife left the memory chip for the camera in the computer, so no digital proof, but I wouldn't lie to y'all. She did get an earfull when I got home....ON TIME mind you. That being said, I feel really bad about the whole day. Honestly, you could have laid your dink on the beds and they'd have bit. I got turned around after landing one and caught it again thinking it was a different bed. I could tell because of the fresh hook mark and I was the only gut on the lake not salmon fishing. It was so easy it was stupid. I can't say that 40 jumping, pumping fat piggies weren't a blast to handle, but come on.....Anybody else feel what I'm sayin'? I'm worried about bad karma from the fish gods..... :-/

Had an opportunity to bedfish smallmouth the last two weekends. Once on the Connecticut River and the other on Merrymeeting Lake in New Durham, NH. Both days were phenominal, with big numbers and big fish. I caught an even 40 smallies this past Sat., averaging between 3 and 3 1/2 pounds, biggest being 6-4, which was my personal best (too bad my wife left the memory chip for the camera in our computer >). These were my first times fishing smallies on beds. It was great, but I can't help feeling guilty about it. I don't know if I'll do it again. I catch my fair share year-round.....why did I feel I had to take advantage? Anybody else suffer from this 'fisherman's remorse'?

Regarding BIP, it's not my favorite, but there are some good fish there. You'll find them deeper than you might think. Look for access to deeper water if you're fishing shallow. Jigs rule this pond. O.K., that being said, let me tell you that this weekend kicked major butt. Fished Winni on Sat., despite the wind, and cleaned up on smallies out in open water. Everybody else was banging the shoreline, but my wife and I fished a boulder flat which dropped into 50+ feet of water and killed them with X-raps. This jewel of a spot was at least a 1/2 mile from any shorline. If you want to know where, just remember the number 13. Any of you with a map of Winni might know what I'm talking about...... Sunday was the best day of fishing I've had in over 20 years. Went to fish Spofford Lake, but the ramp was full and we didn't feel like waiting for a boat to come in so we could launch. Went the the CT River instead and let me tell you, it was a great decision. I caught over 15 smallies and a walleye before 10 a.m., but my wife was skunked and p-o'd. She wanted to call it a day, much to my dismay, until I stumbled across some beds. We tied-on white jigs and stopped counting at 25 fat smallmouth in under an hour. Biggest was 5 lbs. 3 oz.!!!!!! Nearly every fish we yanked off the beds was 3 lbs. or better She'd never had this treat before and is now sold on bed fishing. It was a great day, but I did snap my $380 G. Loomis Glx setting the hook on my biggest fish. That sucked, but Cabella's is replacing it. Thank God....I'd become pretty close to that rod.....even named it. Go out and get them while the gettin's good. A lot of water here in SW NH is all done as far as spawning is concerned, but a lot of the lakes North and West have still yet to wrap-up. I'll be on a very clear lake located SE of Alton Bay next Sat. and I promise you the smallies will be on the beds. I feel there is a good chance of landing a 6 lb.+ fish. When I land this fish it will be a merry-meeting....get it? Good luck to all.....

Got up to Merrymeeting on Sunday. Rained all day and the water was only 52-54 degrees, but I did well on the smallmouth. Caught 17, biggest being 4lbs. 6oz. Even though the water was cool, most fish were caught in 10-15'. My best however, was caught in 45' on a silver buddy. Just goes to show you....... May not be around the board as much as I'm working the next few weeks in central Maine. I'll let you know how it is up there when I get a chance. My next tourny is on Shirley Res. in Leominster, MA. Anybody fished it?

Back to defend Bow and give some help on what/where has been working for me.... First, Bow lake can be brutal, but once you've figured it out, the fishing can be outstanding. This time of year the smallies are in two spots. The far side of the islands (from the ramp) drop quickly into 35-60+ feet of water and the smallies stack up there in cooler weather/water. Silver buddies are the ticket there still. Don't pay attention to the water temp. Your brain tells you to fish the flats, but this spot holds pigs year-round. The other spot, ironically, is a huge flat that begins as a sand bar and continues for several hundred yards, ending at a shoal conecting the shoreline with an island. This spot is as far opposite from the ramp as can be. There is a large island in the NW part of the lake. Go east from there and you'll find the sand bar. The flat continues eastward. Don't overlook the 3 main inlet coves either. Larries like it there. As far as this Spring, it's not been my best either, but I have had some great days and a few great fish. Jigs (w/spider grub trailers) have produced my best fish in general. Black/blue has worked so far. Chatterbaits have been a consistant choice. Black/blue or white, depending on the sky. Jerkbaits for sure. Gold has outperformed silver. Silver buddies rule the Spring. If you aren't comfy w/bottom bumping them, simply jig them off the bottom right under the boat. Don't be afraid to us them in DEEP water, even now. I jigged up a 4 1/2 lb. smally just last week in 40 feet of water at the foot of a steep break. And finally, scum frogs, particularly the Spro Bronzeye frog. I've only had 2 good frog days this Spring, but how good they were! Nothing beats topwater fishing when it's on. Look for a warm spell before you pull them out. Since it's cooled a bit, they've not worked nearly as well. Good fishin' to y'all.

Howdy all, just checking in.... Fishin's killer for the most part. I've been all over the place lately, but small ponds are HOT. My local hole was out of control Friday morning. Caught 7 over 4 lbs., one over 6, and dozens, and I mean dozens of 1 1/2-2 pounders. Nearly all on Spro Bronze Eye frogs. No pads out yet, but the frogs are there and the bass are feasting. Cloud cover and rain let me chuck the frog all morning. Both blue/black and white chatterbaits did well too, but the frog caught all the pigs. I was certain that the spawn was going to start this weekend, but this little cool spell may push it back a bit. I'd say by next weekend you'll see some eggs dropping, but I'm pretty sure the lot will wait for the full moon at the end of the month. Water temps are in the mid to upper 60's most everywhere and I've even seen water as warm as 73. Won't be long. Here's my unofficial local report.....Phillips pond was very good to me this week, as was my 'secret' pond and Kingston Lake. Massy was tough last Sunday, but still produced and should only be getting better. Big Island was so-so this afternoon. Not a lot of fish, but I caught 3 in 2 1/2 hours, all over 2lbs., the biggest 3-9. Tight to cover, shallow, but best fish had 8-10 feet of water within reach. They're not committed to the shallows yet. The middle of this week on looks great with some showers and warm temps. Let's go get 'em. 8-)

Get this one. It's a great story and no word a lie. It's even funnier following Ben's post. Here goes: Tourny on Massy today. Windy, cool water, crappy day for me and my partner. We really got our butts handed to use today, but the strangest thing happened. First let me say that my partner dredged up a rod and reel a few days ago at our local lunker pond. It was near new....even had the stickers still on it. He cleaned it and and actually used it today. That being said he and I were fishing some questionable water (usually marked out of bounds, but the buoys were in a different spot than usual) and another boat came near and began to fish. We could overhear them saying that we were out of bounds, but never directly approached us about it. My partner set the hook hard and I grabbed the net, but alas, it was a rod and reel..........here's where it gets really strange.....The other boat asks if we just caught a fish and we say "no, just a rod and reel!" They laugh and ask if it happens to be a Daiwa baitcaster on a blue Quantum 6'6" rod w/ a gold "silver" buddy on it........the answer was YES! :-? My partner caught a rod and reel that belonged to the owner of the only boat in site. ;D He'd lost it in early November last year!!! This on a lake that gets 1000's of boats a year and must have had nearly 100 boats on it today (46 from our tourny alone). I'd say the odds on that are fairly high. Guy gave my buddy $10 for coffe and thanked him deeply. At least we caught something today.....