Just now, J Francho said:

By "dodging" it, that also means temps in the teens.  

 

It has been a very cold March.

Yes it has been. Over 10 degrees cooler than normal highs for this time of year.

It looks like we have another full week of cold weather before it stays above freezing day and night.  I have now spent every available penny on new rods, reels and tackle.  If I don't get the boat in and start fishing soon, my future fishing trips will be to the little pond at the poorhouse...

 

Think Spring,

Bob

As of 3:30 pm this afternoon, ice fisherman were still walking on my home lake. It's going to be a few weeks yet.

As of Thursday afternoon , 3/29/18.....there were still a few fools ice fishing my home lake. 

 

I stopped by my boat parking spot yesterday afternoon. The lake is still 80% or better ice covered, with only the very ends open. And the next week-10 days are not very warm, with a lot of overnight temps below freezing still. That, combined with the muddy mess where I park my boat, I'll be lucky to get out before the 15th of April this year. 

Man that is crazy! I am coming up in early May (6th - 13th), hopefully I hit it right. 

5 hours ago, nosdog2 said:

Man that is crazy! I am coming up in early May (6th - 13th), hopefully I hit it right. 

Typically, that's a good time. But the last two springs (2016+2017) have been cursed with extended cold snaps that made early May a wash. 

60+ mph winds coming.

I got out on L. Champlain's southern end yesterday.  The water was 39*-40* with the warmest shallow bay I could find being 48*.

 

There was a significant shad die-off; first one in several years.  Of course, the not-so-local TV news from Albany made it  out to be some kind of mysterious tragedy.

 

The weather forecast shows snow on Friday, then another week of highs around 40* and lows below freezing.  Ugh!

 

Tight lines,

Bob

8 minutes ago, desmobob said:

There was a significant shad die-off; first one in several years.

Because of the weird winds, the shad washed up on the "affluent" side of the bay this year, and it's like the sky is falling.  Typically, they end up in the south end shallows, where no one sees them, and the pike and catfish have a feeding fest.  Pike especially, since it's just spawn/post spawn for them.  The die off is totally normal - shad expire after spawning.

I took a hike along the upper Hudson River on Saturday. Air temps were in the mid-50's

 

Wet my line at a few spots along the way. No luck. Wind was 15mph+ and the water was between 35-40 degrees.

 

Sure was a pretty day though. It was nice to actually cast two of my new set-ups. I was able to practice my jerkbait technique.

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Because of the weird winds, the shad washed up on the "affluent" side of the bay this year, and it's like the sky is falling.  Typically, they end up in the south end shallows, where no one sees them, and the pike and catfish have a feeding fest.  Pike especially, since it's just spawn/post spawn for them.  The die off is totally normal - shad expire after spawning.

 

Yup.  Of course, the TV news made it out to be a big deal and a big mystery.  The coverage was on April 1st and a lot of the locals unaware that shad even exist in the lake thought it was an April Fools Day joke!  

 

The catfish, pike, seagulls and vultures are fat and happy.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

12 minutes ago, desmobob said:

The coverage was on April 1st and a lot of the locals unaware that shad even exist in the lake thought it was an April Fools Day joke!

Wow.  The fact is, if there's a really big die off, that means a good spawn, and fat bass in following years.

I hit sandy creek Saturday afternoon as well as the creek in Leroy.

 

Few small hits in Leroy on a 2.8 kietech and I missed them between lite hit and guides and line frozen I couldn’t reel. I was just letting the wind and currents take me and dragged the 2.8 Keitech. 

 

Sandy creek had something slash at a custom painted bull herring I had done up. I was mostly just testing the swims on a bunch of big swimbaits I bought in the off season. Something slashed at my neon pink herring I saw the mud swirl and felt it but no hook up. Could have been a trout or a smallie idk. The guy next to us was using a neon pink gulp worm floating it like a float and fly and got two smallies out of the same area I had the one swipe at my bull herring. 

 

Ive been out twice this year skunked both times though the first time out I had one throw my swimbait after a short fight never saw what it was but it was pulling hard trying to dig back into some cover. Then I had a pike bite the same swimbait off soon as it hit the water. That was on johnsons creek about a month ago when we actually had some spring like weather. 

Every time I think it's time to get the boat ready and get out there it snows again and the temps drop to the 20's overnight. I'm getting it ready Friday and going out Saturday no matter what. 

On 4/3/2018 at 5:32 AM, desmobob said:

I got out on L. Champlain's southern end yesterday.

Is there still ice on the northern end of Lake Champlain?

26 minutes ago, PECo said:

Is there still ice on the northern end of Lake Champlain?

 

I honestly don't know... that's in Canada, about 105 miles from where I live near the southern end!

 

Tight lines,

Bob

Swimbait eating brown today on sandy creek while the bass were all hitting trout beads and jigs. 

 

6 hours ago, clayton86 said:

Swimbait eating brown today on sandy creek while the bass were all hitting trout beads and jigs. 

 

Sweet!

 

I was out waving a fly rod around on the Batten Kill today near the NY/VT border and got a good skunking.  The water was surprisingly low and clear, but still C-O-L-D.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

Another trout today this one on a shakey head and worm. My buddies PB trout. 

 

41 minutes ago, clayton86 said:

Another trout today this one on a shakey head and worm. My buddies PB trout. 

 

Nice Yak! Those *** rods match it perfectly.

5 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

Nice Yak! Those *** rods match it perfectly.

His rods are TAAR a rod company based in buffalo I believe. 

This Spring is really starting to bug me...

 

There is a Winter Weather Advisory for us through the weekend: snow and ice storm.  Wonderful.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

The warm rain and sun yesterday kicked the creeks up a notch in productivity. Calling for frozen mix all weekend though. Bout sick of this weather though it’s good for work(tow truck driver) 

 

This never ending winter is really killing me this year. Tore up my shoulder last year and never got to fish at all. Never took the boat out and couldn't even fish from shore. Been waiting a looooong time for fishing season to get here! Last count was over 550 days since I went fishing! Come on Spring!!

My boat is not coming out of storage until the middle to end of this week...possibly next weekend/early next week depending on weather. But I am hitting the water for the first time in 2018 this afternoon with a buddy who's boat is out and ready to go. Last time out was mid Nov....seems like 10 years ago after this long winter.