Decent Day For 38 Degree Water

[Smokinal]

We are still thawed up here so I'm still going out. Went out with my buddy today. Air was 25 when we launched at 6:15 this morning. Bluebird clear and flat calm day; just a beautiful winter morning on the water. Started out fishing the blade in 25-40 fow off a ridge. Huge schools of white perch and crappie on the sonar but no bass to be found with them. So we went to the banks and had a little better luck there. I ended up getting 7 and my buddy caught 4 bass and a nice brookie. The brookie came on a TRD on a dropshot.

 

Notice on the deck in front of my friend the eggs that came out of the trout. Is this normal for this time of year? They were spewing everywhere.

Not a blistering day by any means but for 38 degree water, I'll take it.

[flyfisher]

Nice day for sure.  Brookies spawn this time of year for sure down in VA but i would think they were done up there by now but like bass, they all spawn different times so that is probably the case with this guy.

[everythingthatswims]

Nice day for sure.  Brookies spawn this time of year for sure down in VA but i would think they were done up there by now but like bass, they all spawn different times so that is probably the case with this guy.

I saw stocked rainbows trying to spawn today so anything is possible I guess!

[flyfisher]

Stocked fish are weird...i know they can be bred to spawn multiple times in the case of rainbows because i am pretty sure they are normally spring spawners.

[Turtle135]

Nice job on the cold water largemouth!

 

p.s. - brook trout spawn in the fall (as do Lake and Brown trout), I would have thought they would have been done by now but apparently not

[Mainebass1984]

Glad to see you are still getting out on the water. Unfortunately I think I am done for the year. Too busy to get out there before ice up. Catching 7 bass from your boat on December 6th in Maine is pretty sweet.   I would assume that the brook trout that was caught had recently been stocked. It appears to me that it had been stocked. You can check the current MDIFW stocking schedule. Maine has a great fall trout stocking program with the intention of giving ice fisherman more opportunities to catch stocked trout. Hatchery reared fish generally do not spawn in rearing tanks or raceways. Most of the time fall stocked female brook trout are full of eggs. Typically they would spawn naturally in rivers and streams from mid October until early November in Maine. That is the biggest reason that rivers and streams close to fishing Oct 1st. Judging by the coloration of the eggs on the deck of the boat the eggs were no longer viable. She would naturally drop the eggs ( not spawn ) eventually if you hadn't caught her.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Very cool.  Congrats.

[DogBone_384]

THAT'S IT! Bewteen you and Mainebass1984 I'm getting the heck out of MASSACHUSETTS!  I've not caught a bass since 19 November but have done well with Rainbow and my 1st Brown trout, but nothing like your reports....

 

Of course I don't retire for 15 years, have a daughter to help with a good start in life, and parents/in-laws getting close to 80 YOA (they're all doing great, but need help around their houses, etc...)

 

For the near future I'll just have to get my non-resident licenses and get up there when I can ....

 

Oh yeah, CONGRATULATIONS on such late season success!