guidoStow

I'm going to do the rigging on mine which could add a day or so, but if there is open water when it is ready, it is going in to catch some fish...

No worries I thought I'd keep them in the NuCanoe family if you needed them. I'm sure I'll find a home for them. And that is a very kind offer from you, but I'm a fly fisherman. I doubt even with my 12wt. I could cast those jigs! MA fish and game would frown on the lead too... Best of luck finding them a home! So when does your Unlimited go on it's maiden voyage?

I have 6 Sea Dog standard launcher style rod holders I'm not going to use that came with my yakgadget crate. If you have any use for them we can arrange a hand off...

I get 2-3 days fishing with my 10 ah Noqua driving a Garmin Striker 5CV

Awesome! My Unlimited is due by the end of the month. I can't wait!

Lincoln is a decent launch, you should be all set. Good luck!

What sort of boat are you bringing? Where are you planning to launch? The Elm street bridge was not passable when I went past it on Monday... The Lincoln Canoe landing has been fine if you are using a Canoe or Kayak...

Water has been quite high for weeks so the Concord River Pike bite is highly variable at best...

Nice report! Walden is rarely an easy place. Years ago I used to have pretty decent luck for trout on the midge hatch and this spring I watched a guy doing real well when the smallmouths were bedding. The bait guys do well but folks throwing artificials are signing up for a challenge...

For safety I have a carabiner clip and float on the top end of the anchor so I can free things if things get dicy and go back to the float later to recover the anchor.

I use a 3.5lb folding grapnel style anchor and a single trolley. I leave it closed when it is weedy. It is the swinging from side to side that is a pain for me. And casting big wind resistant flies it this stuff from a kayak...

I haven't seen/caught bass in the 6-10 foot deep weed beds I have been fishing at Chauncy. Wind sure has been challenging in the kayak with a fly rod...

Caught another nice Pickerel (22") this morning at Chauncy. Then the wind started cranking and the bite stopped. The weeds seem to be starting to die back but they are still quite in evidence.

It definitely is feeling more fall like. This next week the overnight temps are heading towards the low 40s. I was hoping we'd finally get a fall shallows feed as the waters cool and head towards turnover.

There are still a lot of weed beds around most of the lake. But certainly not a lot of downed trees or rocks. It's like fishing in a dish...

That still sounds like a two handed operation. In the kayak it needs to be one handed.

MA or VT?

I think I need a bigger boat...

Probably because I didn't bring up the kayak part earlier... 8-) Frabil has a one hand 14x18 that is the biggest they offer in that configuration. It might do the job but I wonder how it would handle a really big Pike if it didn't want to curl up nicely...

In a kayak a net big enough to deal with fish this size or bigger is a real challenge. But your point is taken. The fish is too important to waste...

I agree. But I simply use them to immobilize the fish at boat side, remove the hook and release without injury to fish or fisherman... Used properly, the fish never leaves the water.

I rather like Chain Pickerel. They are a lot of fun on a fly rod. I have never had one fight like a wet shoe. One of the lip grip type tools lets you safely control the pickerel without taking it out of the water, a hemostat or long nosed pliers let you remove the hook easily. 19 incher is a nice fish.

Went back to Chauncy Lake today. Light breezes and little boat traffic (till late in the afternoon). Caught 3 Chain Pickerel 15, 17 and 21 inches. Great enthusiastic fish each of them. Then I had a strike like throwing a dog into the water. Very solid contact but no hook up. Switched fly and got another long pass at it but no contact. Whole different size class from the pickerel. There are two possibilities stocked there, either would be a blast... Even with that little contact my hands were shaking... Oh my...

Fished the Concord this morning. The weeds are starting to die back leaving the beds coated in a black muck that covers any fly pitched in that direction. But just off the weed beds I caught two enthusiastic pickerel 16" and 18". Leaves are starting to change and it was rather chilly when I put in. But it was quite a nice day to be on the river...

I fished Chauncy Lake this morning. Got a nice 20" pickerel early on and then nothing. Met a nice guy in a Lund bassboat who got two but he agreed it was tough going. Perhaps it was the front that came through yesterday?