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Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Afternoon on the Lake: Pickerel, Bass, Crappie, Panfish




A new guest went to the lake with Brian Cronk and I, Joe Santiago. The day began with Brian and I patching a hole in the squareback canoe, then loading my tippy Great Canadian onto my Honda Civic. Joe and Brian would go out in Brian's friend Sam's canoe. In the wind, I would have trouble pointing mine where to go, since the bow lifted and acted like a sail. Brian hollered out for me to relax, and while in the heat of my frustration it seemed futile advice, a better part of me was telling me he's probably right. Of course he was. I got back against the wind OK, but it took some strategy. 

Brian caught the nice pickerel in the photo. Joe caught a lot of crappie and panfish on a jig, a bass, and a nice pickerel. The 10-inch sunfish was an especially nice catch. Brian also caught a bass, a 13 1/2-inch crappie, and a yellow perch on a Chatterbait.

I used a Chatterbait until I was tired of it. It's a big, heavy lure that puts a demand on muscle from the moment you go into the swing of a cast. It caught me a 21-inch pickerel, 18-inch bass, 16-inch bass. But my favorite way to bass fish is wormin'. I switched to an eight-inch Chompers and caught a 19- or 19 1/2-inch bass from under the overhang of a tree. Also lost a crappie of 13 or 14 inches at the side of the canoe. That fish took the big (unweighted) worm a moment after I let it touch down softly next to one of the twigs of brush in maybe five feet of water. That's crappie style.

I had started out by casting the shoreline, and all of my fish came from within four or five yards of the bank. I did miss a terrific hit well out from shore but over a flat only a couple of feet deep. I also lost a very nice fish a few yards from shore while fishing the Chatterbait.

We were out there not four hours. Brian had said we'd fish only a couple. The tippy canoe has never capsized. Knock wood for me.















 







13 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful day. That Joe Santiagois a handsome man. Sounds like it was a perfect afternoon

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    1. It was a great day with terrific fishermen on all fronts. Fighting the wind and rowing has made my upper back sore in a good way! Always a pleasure to fish with you Bruce. Great to fish with you again Joe and I look forward to future excursions.

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  2. Got to fish with joe 1 time. Probably the best multi species angler i have seen in New Jersey

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    1. He's good! He was after trout the day before.

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    2. A truly skilled angler.

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    3. lol Now you're making me think of the Skillful Angler program. You know, I fished with my brother Rick when he was 7. He caught a 19-inch "four pound" largemouth from Stoney Brook. Well, the Deliar said....just a sliver under four. I said four. He was 7 and the Skillful Angler patch I guess was nice for him, but I never thought of doing the same for my son. He had so many cameos in the Fisherman and other publications, though, and was also getting paid for shots he took. Chris Lido told me I needed to make friends. He told me people were complaining about the appearance of my son. Can you imagine that? I felt for Lido and made friends pronto. Well, it just happened to be that I called on my son's persistent appearance right when I was meeting new friends. The first of whom was Fred--a Boy Scout leader. My son was in the troop, so the way I figure....no loss. I always thought conservatives were family people. I was writing mostly to conservatives. Got complaints about family.

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    4. When I got called on my son's appearances, that is.

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    5. But I really shouldn't make "an ass of u and me." Maybe the ones who complained were liberals? Do you see that having happened? Not cranky old, money grubbin', failed conservative dads?

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  3. And i dont have to be an anonymous coward like you. My name is jim pleva and u can come run your mouth to me anytime

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    1. I am pledged never to mention the lake's name on my blog, as could be guessed by the fact that I never have mentioned it.

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    2. Who is Jim Pleva, by the way....did I mention alias? lol

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