apraskin

I joined a canoe trip that was running it's 35th consecutive annual Connecticut river tradition. My cousin Paul has been going for the last seven years and after the weekend I had, I am hooked. In between the million beers, good company and laughs, we did some pretty decent fishing.

This particular 20 mile stretch of river that we paddled down is known to be prime smallmouth bass spawning territory. I can now tell you first hand that this is a fact. Although a handful of mildly experienced fisherman spent two days anglin', only about 10 smallies were caught. Sometimes that is just how it goes. As Tal, the 83 year old canoe trip legend, put it: "the only hit I got all day was off my beer."

I caught two smallies. The first one I brought in hit when I was casting off the shore at our camp site around 11pm. I was using a gel worm as bait with a snap sinker about a foot up the line. Nothing worth bragging about....

However, the next day I caught a beauty. I mean a monster. I've never caught a smallie so big before... Unfortunately I did not have any juice left in my iPhone so the only pic I could snap was a mental one. Let me tell you, it was probably 3 lbs and mostly golden with some brown streaks near the dorsal fin. It gave me a worthwhile fight on 6 lb test with tight drag. Man I wish I had a picture to share with you. You'll just have to use your imagination. I landed a trophy smallmouth. I snapped the flick and released it so I can catch it again next year.

I named it "Derek Jebrewski" in honor of my cousin Paul.

-AP

Took a trip up to my favorite fishing spot in the world to kick off my 2015 spring/summer season. A private 100+ acre lake in Sullivan County, NY. A mecca for largemouth, perch, chain pickerel and other panfish. This is my zen spot for largemouth. There is also a bald eagle's nest at the far corner of the lake. I've seen eagles every time I've been up there, except this time.

This was one of the first really sunny and warm days of the spring, so the water was still a little cold for the bucketmouths. My boy Ned and I only caught some pickerel. We were fishing with everything from live worms to weedless spinners to crankbaits to top popper frogs. Nothing was hitting except for a couple of chain pickerel.

Normally I consider any day that I do not land a largemouth a bust, but given the beautiful chain pickerel I hit... I'd say it was a great day. I've never caught such a big pike like this one (see pic). It was a solid 12 inches. The chain pattern was flawless. It put up a fun little fight although he only hit my rapala crankbait no more than 15 feet from the boat as I casted close to shore underneath some overhanging shrubbery.

Time well spent with one of my best friends, some sunshine and being 2 hours away from the madness of New York City = a great day to start off my 2015 season.

Can't wait till the water heats up and the lilly pads start blooming because that's when the largemouths start hitting on this lake like you wouldn't believe.

-AP