bass--man

The plan was to hit up Sheep Pond in Brewster this past Thursday for at least 6-8 hours. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the launch there was of course a posted sign stating that it would be a 30 dollar fine without a town sticker which I was fine paying but I couldn't handle all the looks I was getting from the beach goers, so I decided to change my plan. Plan B was to hit up Upper Mill Pond which was a quick hop, skip and a jump from Sheep's Pond. I must say it wasn't a bad Plan B, I'm a huge fan of Upper Mill. I was on the water around 1130 and caught my first Sally in the first half an hour on a 5" blue/black SENKO. Unfortunately, that was my only fish of the day. On a side note, it was an absolutely gorgeous day on the water - bright blue skies, temps in the 70's and with a slight breeze.

My original plan was to wake up at the crack of dawn to fish the morning hours but unfortunately a band of showers pushed back my launch time to 12:30. I was really flexible considering I was on vacation, so I decided to fish through dusk instead.

My day on the water started out really cloudy and quite comfortable temp wise. Like any angler I was hoping it was going to stay cloudy the whole day but the sun came out couple hours later and the temps got into the high 70's. My first cast with the Super Spook caught my smallest large mouth ever(pic is in My Photos). I couldn't believe it, the Spook was actually longer! There was definitely a school of them because my second cask I caught the same size lm and at this point I said to myself, "I'm movin'." I continued casting the Spook in 2-4 feet of water where I caught a smallie that weighed out at 2.62 pounds. At this point the cloud cover started to break apart so I decided to throw a 6" senko and a Rick Clunn sliver rattle crank bait. The crank bait lipped a perch but that was it for the whole day. I was kind of surprised because there was bait fish all over the place. So, I started throwing the blue/black senko off this drop off that went to 20 feet and I caught another smallie that I thought was a complete beast (see video). He weighed out at 3.17, just a beautiful fish!

So, at this point I'm loving this pond and I'm not even half way around it! Unfortunately the next couple of hours was slow but what a cape cod day. Blue skies, 70's and a slight breeze. I made the turn (sorry - golfing term, half way around the pond) and at this time I had to start thinking about making my way back. I was working that one big point on the east side of the pond pretty hard where I caught my third and last small mouth of the day. I was working the Spook Jr in 2-4 feet of water when this small mouth came up and missed it, couple little pops after and he came back again, strike 2, pop-pop-pop, nothing, pop-pop and at this point it was close to the boat and then he whacked it really hard. When I got him in the boat I noticed some extra string when I was taking the hook out and at closer look there was about 6 inches of string coming out of his mouth. At this point I was looking this smallie over when I notice string coming out of his ass as well. I couldn't believe it, the string was in the shape of a U. I pulled on the string coming out of his ass but it wasn't moving. I then went to pull on the string in his mouth thinking I'm going to see the string in his ass move but the string broke at his throat. So, I went back to try again to get this thing out of his ass but it was pretty stuck in there. I didn't weigh him out because I'm sure he's going through enough but he was definitely over 2 pounds. I felt bad, not even sure if I did the right thing or not? He looked healthy and he's obviously still feeding..

Overall just a great day, 3 big smallies, 2 over 2 pounds and 1 over 3lbs., 2 lm (very small!), and one perch.

I went to A1/Stump Pond this past Tuesday for the first time. With the yak tourney coming up I had to see for myself what all the talk was about. When I arrived at the launch I looked out at all the stumps and I said to myself this is going to be a good day! I remember on one of the posts someone saying you can see a lot of the stumps but you can't see all of them.... SO TRUE. Within 5 minutes of paddling my canoe I got caught on a stump, scared the sh*t out of me... thought I was going in for a swim. Safe to say this happened to me at least 10 times the next couple of hours. It made fishing very uneasy. It turned out that I got skunked but not really worried about it because I was working on a few things. I guess I'm writing this because if you do go out on this pond in a canoe or yak, BE CAREFUL! Unfortunately, I will probably never fish Stump Pond again unless I'm in a boat..

I made my way to South End Pond in hopes of having a really good day on the water. The forecast called for partly cloudy skies and temps in the high 70's to low 80's with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Didn't think about packing any rain gear because I thought I was going to be off the water way before noon, famous last words..

I was on the water at 6:08 and really looking forward to catching a full bag. In my first 3 or 4 hours I made it around the pond 1.5 times with a count of: 2 lm's under 12 inches, a pickerel and a rock bass. At this point I was really considering heading in and calling it a day but for some reason I had this urge to make my way out to the Charles River. For the next hour or so I drifted towards RT 27 working the shore line with senko's and a frog where I caught 3 lm's ranging from 1.25-2.11 pounds , all on senko's. I got to a point where I had to turn around and head back. I was 2 away from catching a full bag for the first time this season and I was determined! I wanted to work one specific area, a 90 yard grassy stretch. I worked this grass line/heavy veg. (you can see in the first pic) where I caught a 2.22 and a 2.62 (in that order). I got my full bag for the first time this season! I was pretty excited and wanted to stay out but I noticed this big black pillow of a cloud heading my way.

I was just about to enter South End Pond when I noticed a boat coming out. This was the same two guys I heard early in the day, safe to say they weren't quiet about their catches and double catches : ). So they stopped and introduced themselves. It turns out that it was Mike from morefish and his buddy John (Johnyak). Another first for me, meeting MAFF guys on the water! It was really nice to meet you guys! After our conversation I was in need of some serious paddling because that cloud was right over me. Unfortunately, I got soaked coming in but oh well, I had a really good day on the water!

My camping trip/boyz weekend on Webb Lake started on Monday July 16 and ended Friday July 20. Like any other fishing trip I was really looking forward to pulling some serious hours on the water! And to add another twist to the plot, up until this point I never caught a smallie, so emotions were running a little high in more ways than one!

July 16 - Evening - So after unpacking all the stuff that goes along with camping and catching up with friends I was itchin' to get down to business. The shadows were getting longer and the water was calling my name. So, three of us jumped in My Boy Travis, a 10 foot Jon boat with a little 5hp motor. We worked the shore line for some time without any luck and before I knew it the sun was behind the mountains. At this point we didn't catch anything but a buzz. We were packing it in and about to call it a night before I had the famous, "One more cast." I was throwing a spinner bait when a pickerel inhaled my lure right as I was about to pull my line out of the water. Unfortunately, the trailer hook was so deep that the pickerel had to come home with us so I could get my lure back. I would say this guy was at least 23 inches. Later that night around the camp fire I got myself all fired up to wake up at the crack of dawn to go back out there.

July 17 - Early morning - Some how, some way I got myself up around 5 after sitting around a camp fire till 2:30. I was pretty tired but nothing beats being the first one on the lake when it's glass (see pic.) Like the night before I mainly worked the grass line and drop offs with senkos, rattlebaits, poppers and frogs and the only thing I caught was a baby pickerel. So I made the decision to paddle out to deeper water where I was throwing a drop shot rig and that resulted in nothing. Around mid morning I was in need of a nap and a new game plan..

July 17 - Late Afternoon - My friend Travis and I went out in my Old Town canoe to see if we could turn our luck around. We headed out towards this point that looked really good and was pretty close to the camp site. Travis was working a Super Spook Jr (topwater - walking the dog) and I was working a senko/popper. This is when I landed a white perch on a black popper. I later learned that white perch are bad for the trout population and I should have taken him home with us. Anyways, Travis was throwing at the shore and walking the dog like you read about when he hooked up to a 2.27 pound smallie. It gave him a pretty good fight all the way to the boat. I was so excited, probably even more excited than my buddy. Now I had to catch one! Minutes after I was still working the drop offs when I hooked up to my first smallie - all of 8 inches but was still pumped for my boy Travis. At this point we headed in for the night because Travis had more friends arriving that he want to greet(drink with).

July 18 - Morning - By this time my body is starting to feel the affects of staying up late and getting up early but it didn't stop me from getting on the water around 8:30. I said to myself, today was going to be different. I decided (probably with couple of beers in me the night before) that I was going to fish a different section of lake. Mind you I don't have a trolling motor so all my traveling is done by paddling. I paddled to this spot that looked really good on google maps, unfortunately it took me about an hour to get there. After I settled in on this money spot I decided that I was going to stay here most of the day. This spot was $$$ in so many ways. Tons of rocks and boulders, drop offs that went to 20 feet in a short amount of distance AND the biggest bonus of them all, no one was fishing it! Within 10 minutes I hooked up to this smallie that gave me a great fight. I finally got him in the boat and he weighed out to 2.35 pounds. I thought I was going to be off my rocker but I think I fell off that rocker when Travis caught his smallie the day before. I was still really excited and I got it on video! And I swear not a minute later after that huge catch the wind picked up, not a gentle breeze but 20mph gusts. I was so pissed. I finally got to a great spot and now I'm getting whipped around like the Sox in the Bronx. I kept fishing till I got snagged and without thinking I slammed my rod out of frustration but it was the second slam that broke my rod tip - Anger Management Class to come later. I was just so pissed that I had to go back to camp because at this point the wind was excessive and the white caps were banging my canoe around pretty good. I thought to myself after my blood pressure got back to a normal level, I'll be back..


July 19 - Morning - I didn't make it out on the water till about 9:30 or so. The temps the night before dropped into the high 40's and there was no way I was getting out of my tent! Safe to say I was freezing my ass off till the sun hit my tent. I was on the water for about couple of hours and again the only thing I caught was a white perch on the Super Spook. At this point I felt like I was just fishing the wrong areas and my motivation was fading fast. I headed into camp thinking that I just fished Webb Lake for the last time till next year..

July 20 - Morning - At this point I didn't have any time to do any fishing, I was headed to Stowe VT that afternoon (4 hour drive) for a wedding. I did however make in out on the water around 2:00am with a buddy but no luck. Wasn't expecting to catch anything but some solitude!

In total: 2 smallies (2.35 biggest) 2 pickerel (23 inches) 2 white perch

Next year will be different...

I got to dug pond around 3:30 and fished to about 7:30, I couldn't have asked for better weather. Bright blue skies and a slight wind out of the south. I caught one LM around 13 inches. It seems like it's always tough to catch anything big in this pond. Talking to some locals they all say that there are a couple of big ones ranging from 3-5 pounds, I know Oldfisher caught a 3lber couple years back. I have this feeling that people are just taking fish home with them..

My trip started around 12:15 with temps in the low 80's and mostly sunny skies. I mostly fished lilly pads/veg and along the edges where I caught my 2.73 LM with a 5" watermelon/cream white senko. I also caught a pickeral and a 7" LM (just a little guy). I wanted to stay out past dusk but unfortunately I had plans to see the movie Ted so my day ended around 5:45. Just a great day to be on the water!

The day started off with mostly sunny skies and temps in the low 70's. The wind was definitely blowing around 10-15mph. As the day got longer the wind died down and the clouds moved in. Caught two lm, first was just over a 1.5lbs and the second was a little lighter. Also caught a perch. In total I was out the water for about 7 hours. Fished mostly lilly pads once the clouds came out, no luck - a lot of hits on the frog but couldn't hook any. Another pleasant day on the water!