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It's been a cool spring in New England and, as every season for the past 25 years, I had been anxiously awaiting the opening of Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts. Quabbin is a highly regulated body of water because it's Boston's water supply, but it's also one of the best smallmouth fisheries in New England. Anyway, my first outing was April 23 and I can report that the weather was beautiful! Seasonally cool, sunshine and light breezes. If you want details on how the big smallies were caught there on this day, you'll have to ask someone else. I was humbled. Undeterred, I headed out a few days later with Bassmaster Brad, a very savvy fisherman. Yesterday's rain had stopped and it was supposed to become partly sunny. We were ready to get 'em. Smallies. Big ones. So what's this? It's a lake trout. These salmonids take up residence in the depths in the summertime but mix in with the smallmouth until the surface temp reaches the low 50ºs. (Today's temps ranged from 46º to 51º.) Another one? This laker sucked my blade bait offering off the bottom. My blade was nickel; Brad was fishing gold. Nothing wanted the variety of hair jigs or suspending jerkbaits that they were offered. Nor soft plastics for that matter. Hmmph. Mid afternoon the wind was up but we kept covering water hoping to bump into an active pod of smallmouth. Brad put out a drift sock and we made repeated passes over an area that's been productive in the past. Hey! Finally. If you've noticed that the blade bait hanging from the upper lip of this smallie is missing parts, you're right. Go to the Tackle Making Forum for information on how to make this simple, inexpensive bait. Catch you next week with another true tale from Quabbin. Will Wetline

Weather Underground predicted sun, 60ºs and 10 -20 mph NNW wind which I know meant 20 - 30 mph howling over the wide open spaces of Quabbin Reservoir. Did I want to subject my 63 year old self to the punishment these conditions would provide? Was set up on the Way Offshore Flats (WOF) at 7:00. First spot was too shallow at this time. Moved further out, anchored deep - 30'(?) - and settled at a depth between the dark and the visible bottom, the break where the flat drops into the deeps. Breeze was only about 10 mph at this time so I started with the 1/8 oz. hair jig, casting with the wind onto the flat. That's a blurry smallie of about 3 3/4 lbs. It could be a good day for fishing if not for photography. 8:00 now and I'm facing a wind that's whitecapping the waves. Control of the 1/8 oz. jig was impossible so I went to a 5/8 oz. vibrating blade bait. The tackle used was a 6 1/2' medium power, fast action St. Croix Avid with a Shimano Curado spooled with 10 lb. Silver Thread AN40. I'd cast at an angle to work 20' - 30' depths. When the blade hit bottom I'd pull - not rip/stroke - 18" - 24" to get good vibrations, a tune that sang, "Eat me!" to the smallmouth in the neighborhood. Five sucked it off the bottom between lifts. Here's another 3 3/4 lber. and a solid 5. A more filled out than most laker of about 4 lbs. liked the blade too. By mid morning the fish had either moved on or wised up and I explored other steep drops. They should be liking suspending jerks with the water at 48.7º. One small laker whacked a Duo Realis jerkbait 100SP after the first sweep of the rod. Among the several Lake trout I've landed this season, this one was the fins down winner of the twist-in-the-net competition. Aargh. Northern smallie anglers know exactly what I'm talking about. Noontime found me working my favorite early spring shoreline. The wind had backed off to 10 - 15 mph which is where I like it. Water temp here was 52.8º. I've got fantasies of ripping 'em up. Big ones. My rich mental life was grounded by three 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 lbers. and a number of follows. Also checked a sweet spot for largemouth. Here's a 2 lb. LM with the head of a 3. It continued its poor eating habits by snacking on my crawfish colored jig with a GYCB Double Tail Grub trailer. 3:30 now. Enough. I'm beat. Back home I left the gear in the car, ate, and washed down a couple ibuprofen with a Steel Rail Pale Ale. Was this level of exhaustion worth it? I'd bet I'm singing with the choir when I say: "Yes!" I'll close with a photo of this day's tools for fish trickery: