Jar11591

Ice-out is still presumably over 30 days away for my part of upstate NY. But that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about what I’ll be rigging up when I can finally get the boat out on a thawed lake. I’ll be going out with 8 rods - 1 spinning and 7 casting. The baits ill have rigged up are: -Wacky senko 5” -3/4oz Rattlin’ Rap -MB Vision 110 JR -Alabama Rig -Catch Co. Bull Shad -Bladed jig -Siebert Outdoor 3/8 oz brush jig -Strike King 3/4oz double willow spinnerbait I’ll probably spend more time throwing the spinnerbait than anything else for the first trip post ice. But I spend more time huckin a spinnerbait than any other bait no matter the time of year. The last couple years I’ve gotten away from throwing a lipless early in the season but I wanna devote more time to it again. It was always a good producer in the spring for me. Also excited to spend more time throwing the A-rig and bladed jig. I told myself I was going to fish the bladed jig a lot more and try to make it a confidence presentation. So my fellow northerners who are still iced in, what do you plan on throwing that first trip out?

NYS. The record was broken last year but the state is exploding now with huge smallies and largemouth. I think the record will change hands again soon. NY is having its moment.

Couldn’t have written a more perfect script.

@thediscochef in my opinion it’s the most blantant example of gross incompetence in the history of American professional sports. The ultimate bag fumble. There were even “thank you Niko” chants at the game while he was sitting in the stands. I think he knows he messed up. He must. In other news, that’s terrible about Wemby. Blood clots can be career ending. Hopefully he can get healthy and back to playing.

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Me every winter:

BTL is my number 1. I also listen to Mercer - The Awkwardly Honest Fishing Podcast, Lure Lab, and The Serious Angler.

This is my response as well.

I disagree with this. Around here, you can find bass IN the brush pile. Bass aren’t always in feeding mode, and something else to remember is bass may be an apex predator as far as fish go, but bass are victims to predation as well. Otters, birds, turtles, esox….so when they aren’t in active feeding mode, bass will absolutely take refuge inside the brush pile. I always fish as deep in the brush as I can get my bait. I don’t think of bass as fearless kings of the lake. Bass are “baitfish” to an otter the same way a yellow perch is a baitfish to a bass.

@OkobojiEagle around 100 acres, which is the only reason I know it like the back of my hand, admittedly. You fish a 100 acre lake hundreds of times, it’s hard to not get the exact lay of the lake.

I know my home lake like the back of my hand. I spend zero time searching with my depth finder now. I know every bit of structure, every laydown, every boulder. New lakes are a different story. But my home lake I just get right to my spots and fish them

“Polygraph credibility test?” That must be a joke, unless we’re still in 1985

No mountain lions in New York State for over a century. The DEC gets lots of reports of sightings each year but they are always a case of mistaken identity of a bobcat or Canadian lynx. Mountain lions are the most fearsome predator in the US in my opinion. Silent, stealthy, and deadly. They could sink their fangs into your neck before you even knew it was there. I love the idea of them living in NYS, but I may feel differently during a camping trip or a hike. The only thing we have to worry about in NY is the many black bears. But they want nothing to do with humans and I can’t recall ever hearing about an incident involving humans and black bears.

Fool’s Spring has arrived and I’m putting on my jester hat! Yesterday was 50°, today mid 40s, and most of the 2 week forecast is mid to high 40s. At this rate, we should be under 2’ of snow again right when I pull the boat out of the garage to rig it up.

I just wanna know what a poop bait is. Actually on second thought, maybe I don’t.

1. Spinnerbait 2. Jig 3. Lipless 4. Jerkbait 5. Spinnerbait

Baccarac. Second would be northern Ontario.

Bobby Lane on BTL today talking about his win and how his family was watching him from the bank as time ran out. Good listen.

I use Rage Tail swimmers. On a weighted hook, and as a spinnerbait and swim jig trailer they work great.

There are several that are seared into my memory. But at the top of the list, is probably my 9lb 13oz PB. February 2017 on a hot, sunny afternoon.

@Crow Horse that response from the DEC is confounding to me. The DEC doesn’t own any lake but that doesn’t stop them from being the governmental regulatory body for such things. They have a facility on the shoreline so that tells me the shoreline isn’t 100% private. And even if it was, the DEC still has authority to regulate it. Unless I’m missing something, that response from the DEC seems like total pullchit. The lake I fish most is under 200 acres, and has a 5HP limit, but I rarely see any gas powered vessels out there. Another lake I fish is around 700 acres, and that lake has no restrictions and gets absolutely thrashed by power boaters, jet skiers, speeders, wake boarders, drunks, and morons. It gets downright dangerous during the day in peak season.

Didn’t look like it was gonna happen either. Just when he said he couldn’t feel the fish on anymore, up it comes.

He wrestled that thing out for a good few minutes.

Some relief on the horizon in upstate NY as well. Calling for 5 days in a row above 40° next week! One day is even getting up to 45°! That will go a long way for at least melting the snow cover that has been sitting atop the frozen lakes for 3 months. Which will in turn help the lakes thaw faster. But like every year, this is just fool’s spring and I’m always the fool. March always come in like a lion and somehow still goes out like a lion.

Old girl smiling big