RV Project Update

RV 

Worm Time

Back at the pond, despite a temperature reading of only 57, casting one of two large spinners (willow-leaf inline) I made recently, I noticed quite a few small fish busting surface, though nothing happened like dozens of them spooked by my approach last week. And I couldn't really tell if any were bass. They seemed to be sunfish, but for all I know, they could have been baby carp. There are some big ones in the pond. 

Intentionally, I cut a cast in very close to the bank to my left and got snagged on wood. So I put my rod down and walked around to see if I could free it. As I approached the edge--a big wake. Almost certainly from a bass, not a carp, the fish would have weighed at least two pounds and had been sitting among emerging vegetation in about 10 inches of water. The green leaves of that weed were surprisingly large, a good inch of them already. Surely, the water had warmed a little better under the sun there. 

That bass just sounded off the word "worm." Forget the spinners. It was time to dabble a weedless and unweighted worm right on edges of new weed growth like this one. I took my little tackle box from a pocket and...found that, in my infinite stupidity, I had put no worms in it. I did have an inset hook! I'm making sure worms come along next time.    

Further Thought on the Blog

If there's one thing this blog would compete against, it would be time. Perhaps your first thought would be of the Blogger platform. It's finite and probably more so than the web itself, but if it were to be taken down, the content could be transferred to a self-hosted site. 

For many years now, my intention has not only been to continue blogging to my death bed, but beyond the grave. Or let's put that in practical terms. My son will take control. I'm sure he won't post, but he could. The point is to keep the content available. 

Every year, the blog has hosted more than a hundred posts. Will I keep that pace going to the end? I won't promise that. I suppose I might, but if numbers dip under triple digits for the year, it doesn't mean I won't post at all. 

I've seen many blogs start up, flicker, and die. This one has been driven by no less than manic power, and manic power is a spiritual reality I believe we all ultimately reckon with when we trip over the final line and are declared dead. 

Who knows. Maybe the reality on the other side just leaves this world in shadow. 

First of Laurie's Lake Hopatcong Reports This Year

 Laurie Murphy:

Open Water season has begun … We are now open for boat rentals, along with bait & tackle. Trout season is closed now but will open early on April 1st for catch and release only until April 10th. Water temps range from 46 degrees n the main lake to 58 degrees in the shallows. Focus your efforts on sandy bottoms and structure in the backs of the coves where you will find the warmer waters. Aaron Graybill of Lake Hopatcong Guide Service reported great fishing all week for crappie and yellow perch. Fatheads, small shiners, mini mites, rufus junior hair jigs and small Rapala husky jerks will work well. Plenty of chain pickerel are being caught and some of the first largemouth bass were landed this week. Max Hughen of Hopatcong NJ is catching his fair share of nice yellow perch and pickerel. The Knee Deep Club will be stocking their trout in the next week or so and will be holding their Trout & Pickerel Contests on Sunday, April 18th 2021. Have a great week !