This week, fishing fanatic Mark Beauchesne recounts the highlights of his summer fishing.
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Summertime fishing splendor! By Mark Beauchesne, Fish and Game Advertising and Promotions Coordinator
Two months of fishing has passed by since my last report -- two dozen fantastic trips behind me, and a few more to go before the "change over" to hunting.
For me, highlights of the summer included fishing for smallmouth bass on New Hampshire's great lakes. I've spent more time on Winni this summer than in years past. From Wolfeboro to Moultonborough, the big lake was outstanding this year. Several mid-week trips reminded me that, without a doubt, this is the best time to be out. Light boat traffic and light fishing pressure made for very productive trips.
We are fully into summer bass patterns now. Be assured -- where you find weed growth in 12 to 16 feet of water, you will hook up with bass. I've found that when things heat up, spinner baits have been the most productive tool. Moving into deeper water adjacent to rock points or humps, the jig and grub combination always produces on the big lakes.
I took a trip to Squam Lake after one of the longer spells of hot weather. Locating fish of size was a problem. I set up on a small hump of rocks that came up from 24 feet of water, with a rocky spine extending from shore. Both the spine and hump were about ten feet deep. One cast to the marker I placed over the hump produced a satisfying 2-plus pound smallmouth. Great! I had found them.
Well, I had found one. After a half hour or so, I had to go "dirty." Out came the night crawlers. Soon after finding the bottom, my bait was quickly taken up by a fish -- a hard-pulling fish. Soon, a nice 14-inch white perch was in hand. I landed several more over the next two hours.
I celebrated July Fourth with a trip to the Connecticut River for pike and bass on the fly rod. I find warmwater fly fishing on the river is always productive. Fly anglers know that when the weather is calm in the morning, no doubt the wind will blow by 10 a.m. Well, the wind did come, but, it was blowing up river. Great for boat control! The river was lower than I have ever seen it. This was great for exposing weed beds I have never noticed before. I hooked up on several pike and smallmouth. A perfect day, until the sound of an approaching storm drove us back to the boat launch.
I was back on the river a week later, fishing the weed beds. The fish were still there and still biting. What a fun place to fish!
In mid-July, I landed my first fish from a kayak. Until this trip, the kayak was for touring. I was amazed with how easy fishing from a kayak is. The important part is to know the boat and know how to paddle. I kept my gear simple. I wanted to catch crappies with the fly rod, so I took a small box of flies, lanyard with clippers and hemostats. Fly casting, or even spin casting from a tipsy boat, can be unnerving. I learned to keep my upper body quiet. Using smooth casting strokes and letting the rod do the work was the key to effective casting.
In a kayak, you can get very close to structure, like downed trees and overhanging trees -- the places that just look "fishy." A few of my flies are still in those trees. My best success came from an odd fly, a bead chain fly called the "Crazy Charlie." This fly is noted for catching bonefish in the tropics. But I didn't tell the crappies.
The next day, I took along my little 5-foot ultra-light, loaded with four-pound test. Small jig heads with the smallest Slugo you've ever seen brought all kinds of fish to hand.
I had several nights on Turkey Pond in Concord casting for horned pout. There's nothing pretty about fishing for these whisker fish, including a glob of night crawlers on a hook. But catching fish after dark is just too cool, especially when it's too hot to sleep. Being prepared for anything that may come your way in the dark is the key to keeping night fishing enjoyable. My gear list is short but important:
Bug spray
Water
Bait
Basic tackle
Rod
Folding chair
Flashlight and head lamp
Pliers
Fish handling gloves (no matter how careful I am, I always get stuck)
Five gallon bucket to haul my gear and my catch.
Turkey Pond is still my favorite hornpout'n spot. I had a great time and kept enough for one feed of horned pout.
Observation and reports from fellow anglers revealed good trout fishing in the North Country, though summer can be tough for stream and trout fishing. Your best tactic is to head off the beaten path. Find those shaded holes that stay cool in the summer's heat. I still get a thrill out of taking my old sneakers for a walk up my favorite brook. Adventures like these could lead you to that "secret" beaver pond. I have stood on many of these dams catching brook trout after brook trout. This type of fishing adventure is deep with memories for me. I spent many sweaty days with my Grandfather fishing beaver dams. On the way, we always took note of any deer sign we encountered. The trip back was always tough -- we were hot, tired, muddy and hungry. Our fish fry was only part of the reward. Spending time in New Hampshire's Great North Woods together was the real prize.
SIGN UP NOW! Intermediate Fly-Fishing Workshop for Women
Spread the word -- Fish and Game is offering women a chance to build their fly-fishing skills while enjoying a beautiful New Hampshire weekend getaway. This intermediate fly-fishing workshop for women will be September 28 - 30 at Purity Spring Resort in Madison, N.H. Some fly-fishing experience is required. Click here for information and a print-and-mail application, or call (603) 271-3212.
The Dirt on "Rock Snot"
As you have been reading in this report, a aquatic nuisance algae known commonly as "didymo" or "rock snot" has recently invaded the northern reaches of the Connecticut River, marking the first official report of Didymosphenia geminata in the northeastern U.S.
Anglers and boaters need to be extra-aware that didymo is on the move and easily spread by even just one cell of the alga breaking off and drifting downstream in infested reaches. It is very easily spread by waders, fishing gear and other gear that touches the bottoms of streams in infested areas, so it is critical to check and clean your fishing gear to prevent the spread of didymo and protect New Hampshire's waters.
If you see didymo in New Hampshire, contact Amy Smagula at the N.H. Department of Environmental Services: 603-271-2248 or asmagula@des.state.nh.us.
REMINDER FOR LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE BASS ANGLERS:
N.H. Fish and Game continues to count on help from anglers for a study of the movement of largemouth and smallmouth bass after bass tournament release. Bass are being tagged upon release from tournament weigh-ins at Ames Farm Inn on Lake Winnipesaukee, identified with a numbered yellow tag at the base of the fish's dorsal fin.
Angler captures of tagged bass are the major source of information for this study, so tell your bass-fishing friends to look for tagged bass when they fish Lake Winnipesaukee. Download and print a reporting form here (PDF).
CONTACT: Gabe Gries, Fish and Game Warmwater Project Leader: Region 4, 15 Ash Brook Court, Keene, NH 03431; phone 603-352-9669; fax 603-352-8798; email ggries@nhfgd.org.
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