Newbie Chronicles (Episode 3)

[10thMTNDAVE]

Finally got a pair of wire dipsy rods (Nice set of Eagle Claw Starfire and Daiwa SG47LCA...Thank you A-TOM-MIK!!! ) to expand my program beyond flat lining. Downriggers from Big Jon are on the agenda for next month.

Launched the boat out of Stoney Creek at first light Sunday, 7 June...Did I say JUNE?? Loaded down in the boat with sweatshirts and jacket and still was cold...maybe I am still not over those 100+ days in the desert. Surface temps were 59 degrees outside the creek mouth and dropped steadily the farther South we went. Hit a low of 54 degrees around Lakeview pond. Sky was overcast to dark, and a few squall lines passing with a little wind and light showers kept the boat top up.

Spent the day frustrated and left to "pet the Skunk"

Must have been fishing too shallow based on other reports I read(Action in 100 - 150 fow off Sandy Pond). Tried the 15 foot line that had been working a few weeks ago, but was not finding any marks. Kept going deeper and found a scum line in about 60 FOW that showed a bunch of bait schools and had a flock of Loons that were diving all around us, going deep and coming up with a fish every time. Looked like a good place to drop the Walker deeper divers. Spent some time adjusting the action arms so that they would not trip, but not so tight that I could not purposely trip them to real them in. Loons stayed around to continue to mock me as I got one rod off each side on a 3 setting with 100ft of wire out I was guessing they were down around 40'. I was seeing the occasional mark in the water at around 40' and had some spin doctors and flies spinning away. GPS speed was varied from 1.8 up to 3.0 and did multiple passes with "z" patterns crossing over the scum lines. Even saw some silver sided beast rise to the surface to take a crippled minnow left behind by the Loons. Even the damn fish were rubbing it in. Even dropped some surface minnows and a pair of Shad-Raps off my other poles after seeing that surface attack. Tried adding some weight to the lines about 7 feet above the snap and trying to get some spoons down as deep as I could with Mono...No copper in the arsenal...might go there after the downriggers. Finished the day in about 80 fow between Stoney point lighthouse and Stoney Island with nothing but a cold wife and son to bring home.

The Skunk Bites...Somebody else can pick him up for next trip! (Hey...A Skunk smilie would be cool to have!)

Anybody got any ideas for locations for this coming weekend (Have Friday thru Monday to play with) with my limited arsenal of weapons (four mono, two wire rods//floating and diving minnows (surface to 7') Shad-Raps (7 - 12') Walker deeper divers, spoons, flies, spin dr's and flashers. I know its not a huge bag of tricks, but its what I have for now.

Might have to stoop for the Bass fishing until the riggers get on board

[Cheers]

Bass fishing? Get out there and get some more play with the wires.

[Gotta Bite]

Colonel,

What's your MOS in the Army? I am a prior USAF vet, myself. I will be rolling into town late Thursday afternoon to fish the weekend. I'll be fishing from the stack north to Sandy Pond and back for the most part. I hope to get on some fish myself. I was bitten by the same skunk also ,my only time out this year. Give me a shout on ch 68 or 69 and I'll let you know if we are successful or not. If you don't have a VHF I'll give you my cell# number via a PM. Let me know and good luck this weekend.

[10thMTNDAVE]

MOS is 37A (Psychological Operations) since 1997. Prior to that I was 11B (Infantry), Enlisted in 1984 as 11B and was commissioned in 1989 as a 2LT.

Monitor 68 myself on VHF, will be out this weekend to try the wire and divers a little deeper this time and hope the skunk rides with somebody else!

[bottom-feeder]

hi dave... i was out sunday morning between stony creek and the lighthouse also... some bait 60-90 fow....lots of fish in 90-110 fow anywhere from 40-100 down.... only hit i had came on a dreamweaver MIXED VEGGIE 100 back and 100 out to the inline board... was a steelhead about 8 lbs.... top bite is usually good first light til 11 or so.... good mixed bag of fish in that area....

good luck this wknd....i'll be up sunday morn give me a shout on 68

todd

[CBish]

Dave,

Once that inshore water reaches the mid 50's the fish move out and bass, bait and moss move in. Even though the temp should be right the fish just are not consistent. Moving out to the deeper water and watching for some temp breaks on the surface is the thing to do.

Run your divers out about 60' and 100' on setting # 3 to start and go deeper as you feel the need to. (marking fish below 40' or not catching any) One techinique that I use this time of year is to set my dipsy at 50' and loosen the drag so that every so often another foot of line comes off. When a fish hits it make a mental note of the number on the counter. Then set it at that depth on the reset and adjust the other side accordingly.

Don't be afraid to put a little weight on the flat lines an oz or 2 can get a spoon into strike territory.

Good Luck,

CC

[Reel Nauti]

Dave,

I think I ran into your skunk's brother Friday night...winds under 5 mph, water temp mid to upper 50's....I left the dock in HH around 7pm and headed to Black River Bay, tried the DR's in 25 to 45 FOW with spoons and a jointed rap. It appeared to be a ghost town on the Fish Finder.....wasn't real sure if the Eyes were in the shallows or in the deeper water. Friday was a very bright, calm day and thougt maybe the EYEs may have gone deep. So I went shallow. Went up to the channel markers heading in to Dexter, tried jigging in the weeds with worms in about 6 to 12 FOW......skunk'd. Had a feelig that deep water was the place to be........ran out of time and headed back towards the HH launch. Stopped for a few minutes, probably 9:15ish, at the west side of Bass Island and tried a few casts. Skunk'd. Had fish jumping right before dark, but no takers......

So yes, lets find these skunk's a new home..........

Scott

"Reel Nauti"