Ouch!

NumenOn the Water

Date:  March 29, 2015

Body of Water:  Flat River, Lowell

Boat:  None

With:  Alone

Target:  Spring suckers

Time:  1:30 to 2:30 PM

Conditions:  Very windy from the south; temps 42 and dropping; overcast with snow developing; water low and clear

Really nothing but cold weather since the last trip.  I went with low expectations, but was still a bit surprised to get skunked.  This was my first Zero here ever.

But I had the bait and some time, so it was probably a decent use of my time.

What do I have to say about this?
I don't mind the simplicity and purity of sucker fishIng, but I don't like working at it or getting skunked.  Oh well, the ice is trying to leave and there are some 50s predicted in the current forecast.  Maybe the boat will get out next weekend.

2015 Open Water Season Begins!

NumenOn the Water

Date:  March 25, 2015

Body of Water:  Flat River, Lowell

Boat:  None, shore fishing

With:  Alone

Target:  Spring Suckers

Time:  3:30 - 5 PM

Conditions:  Water was low, cold and clear; weather was gray, about 40 F and very windy (>>20 mph)

First line of 2015 is in!

Water temps were likely below 40 F; air temps never exceeded 40 F; and I was most likely too early for these fish.  But I was available, and the prospect of this trip excited me; and so I went to a favored early spring spot to start the Open Water fishing season.

I was pleased to arrive to a river in good, fishable condition and unoccupied.  It didn't take long to get an earthworm anchored lightly to the pool's bottom with a couple of split shot.  There seems to be a shifting "Sweet Spot" in this hole, and I thought I found it on my second cast; the rod tip twitched lightly and there was a residual, very slight pressure after the twitch.  I wound down on the day's first fish, and soon a nice golden red horse sucker was at my feet.  Success!

The first one came quickly, on just the second cast.  It was looking like a great outing!

He was looking like a loner scout, though, because nothing happened for the next hour or so.  I probably was too early for the run.  A second, bigger fish came along just as I started to accept this reality, and of course this kept me at it for a bit longer.  I missed a third strike, but I do believe I didn't leave too many fish in the hole.  The first one had accepted my worm too eagerly for me to think they were there, but fussy.

StormR SuckR

What do I have to say about this?

I've promised an "Open Diary" of my modest fishing exploits; and I'm not sure that either aspect will get more purely distilled than this.  I chose to open my open water season with a sucker chase.  It involved mud, ice fishing clothing and I caught two non-glorious fish***, and I seem to have come home ill.  And yet the idea of this trip motivated me, and I don't need to have caught any more fish.  Two were enough; they confirmed what I'd suspected.  Perhaps I'll take advantage of the height of the run (still to come) and pile on some numbers in a future trip.  Perhaps I'll just reflect on these two, as well as the muskrat and stoneflies I encountered today.

I've spent a good chunk of time in the last month organizing my tackle.  I think it says something that my sucker selection was already pretty much ready to go; and that it was the  first tackle set to be fully prepared for this year.

***To most.  I think they're beautiful.  These pulled drag, and they get big enough to test your tackle.  What else could one ask for?