Tin

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats? I initially thought muskrats, until I saw a couple of otter eating them while floating on the surface. If it's muskrats, they are the worlds largest. Could be a combination of the two, but I haven't seen a muskrat since March. That doesn't mean they aren't around. But I've seen plenty of otters. Is that forge pond? I know sawdy on 177 too hasn't looked like it has in the past years It's still an amazing fishery. Have you contacted DEM/DEP/ Fish and Game about this situation?

15-17 pound Seagar Abraisx or Trilene 100%

This site and Google Earth are big helps.

Burlied them

If you have to talk it out about who gets the front then you're not working well together. Team work is the way to do things, whether you are a boater and co-angler or a team. It is much more efficient and productive.

It is going to be awesome to see Manny come back to Boston in the World Series.

x2

All the tourney's I have ever fished in VT go by the 12" rule though.

I have an urge to vomit.

You're over thinking dude, lol. Unless it's early spring or spawn time I don't pay much attention to fronts. The fish up here go through tons of them and are much more conditioned to them than fish down south from what I have experienced. Saturday and Sunday sound like great days to go shallow with a jig to everything that casts a little bit of shade.

Just did a little research and saw that in the 5 tourney results found it only takes about a 1.6-1.7 average to win. It appears as though there are a lot of 1-2 fish bags, and in all 5 the big fish was under 3.5 pounds. Sounds like a tough fishery. I would go on the hunt for clearer water as Fishfordollars said and try rockpiles just under the surface that create eddies and fish them with a shallow diving crank or white/silver tube on a 1/4 oz head. I would also focus on any form of cover/structure that allows the fish to be stationary just out of the current and the current right in front of its' nose that would send food past it. Such as a group of pillings, jetties, ect. Also, don't over look the power of bridge pillings and the drop-shot rig. If there is too much current for it try a dropping and ripping Silver Buddy. 8-) I would bring a shallow diving crank, a deeper diver (preferably a Wiggle Wart). A 1/2 to 3/4 oz spinnerbait with a big colorado blade, 3.5-4" white/silver tube, drop-shot stuff, and a black blue spider jig. Create a milk run containing a dozen or so spots and fish them fast. If they are there, they will eat it, if not, move to another. Atleast, thats what the Connecticut River has taught me... :-/

Just because you finesse fish doesn't mean you have to fish it slow.

Sounds like some fun. The big thing is our lakes cannot support much more than they already do. Fishing is steadily declining in a lot of lakes because of too many tournaments. The tournament I won last weekend had 36 boats on just 87 acres. Everyone wants to just fish local. No one wants to travel, even Lake Champlain only draws 80 boats at most on the Weekend Series and that is a nice one day $300 entry tournament.

In tourney's. It's not pleasant. Nothing like spearing a few and having 200 gallons of water come over the bow. ;D Learn to drop-shot a 3" senko, you will never want to catch smallies any other way.

Those are great fish, bigger than average for you. But you look like a gayer red-headed versoin of Paul Teutul from American Chopper.

I don't think only one is possible. Some days you will be able to catch fish off the edges, thats when I would go with 15 pound Trilene 100%. Some days they will be in the thick nasty stuff and you will need 50 pound Power Pro.

I watched Hoist-n-Hawgs snap 2 of those in a tourney with me last year. One on a cast (1/4 oz flipping tube) the other on a hookset. And for the over-the-counter warranty. It's BS, the Bass Pro in Foxboro won't honor it and tell you to send it to Shimano because it will take less time. > That said...I love both of my 7'2" medium extra fast spinning Cumara's. ;D

$1400 in a Weekend Series win and $1300 last weekend. Wish we had more boats in our tourney's. Most tourneys around here are 15-20 boat get togethers where everyone just throws in $20 or $30 so first will only take $300-$400. But I usually win a bunch of those a year.

What the.... :-?

Congrats, but you really won't miss much. College is a blast. Surprised your graduation is so early. My sisters is not until June 19th.

x2 I wouldn't go bragging about mastering a bait that is known as "idiot-proof". When you can fish it weight-less in 80' of water on Erie with 6 footers and catch 5 pound smallies, I would call you the Senko-Master. You also have to remember that smallies are extremely aggressive and curious by nature and generally if you put a bait within 5' of them they will eat it.

Very nice fish. Is that boat an X2? I lived out of one my buddy won last year and it was the same exact colors as yours. He actually sold it a guy in Bama over this past winter.

Flouro on spinning gear is generally not too pleasant, and Vicious doesn't make the situation much better.

One of my 7'3" MH casting and one of my 6'7" M spinning each have braid. The casting has 50 pound Power Pro, the spinning has 20 pound. Both have been used with braid since I got them in March of last year and I have had zero issues. I use both for heavy cover and winch fish out with it. Most of my friends who own Carrots use braid and have not had any troubles. This is the first I have heard of this recommendation. :-?

I havent had scrambled eggs in a while. I tried putting soy milk in them so I could eat them and they were about 3" thick. The same happens with pancakes. >