I was fortunate enough to get out over the weekend and wet a line (and the kayak) for the first time this year.

I wanted to do a low pressure shake down cruise with all the new rigging on the kayak, and if I could catch a few fish all the better.

Saturday afternoon I met up with JoeF to fish the upper part of the lower Housatonic. We launched around 1:00 PM and right away I found a small school of fish. Hey, the new FF works like a charm (after stripping off all my crappy electrical soldering).
See?


Anyway, the 12 mph wind against current conditions kept us from covering a whole lot of water, but I covered the entire hole at Sunnyside (approaching 50 ft deep) with very few fish marked. I threw everything I could think of them when I did find them (pink Fin-S, gray Fin-S, pink sluggos, white salt-water twitch, silver minnow plastics, etc.), but they were tight lipped.

I didn't see a single hook up, but spoke with another kayaker who traveled further upstream and said he got into some schoolies.

But, it was a great time just to be out on the water and the gear all worked great.

Sunday I had the pleasure of meeting up with Riddler for a longer trip on the Thames. We launched around 9:30 and immediately found a big school of small stripers huddled together in the bottom 20 feet of a 40+ ft deep hole. They were in thick, but once again tight lipped. As it was the day before, the wind was whipping around 12 with the current. Riddler headed further up the west branch to check the skinny water and the motorized kayak crowd hung in tight on the docks (out of the wind), but I kept working the main school with my new tiny little umbrella rig (the one I bought half as a joke at MSBA).

Finally at ~10:15 the bite turned on like someone hit a switch. This was the first fish of the year:



Isn't it cute?

Here's a better example:



Amazingly enough, before I had even unhooked the fish I was joined on the main school by the motoyakers. But, there was plenty of action to go around. Anyway, I probably boated 3 dozen fish over the next couple hours. Just about every pass with the umbrella rig produced a fish, but only singles. All fish were between 18" and 26" and appeared very healthy.

Overall, I'd say the weekend was great and I'm well on my way to meeting at least one of my goals for 2008 (to meet and fish with new anglers).

Thanks JoeF and Riddler.

Great job Dude.

Nice!

Doug,

Nice...small, but they are striper's. Watch the water temps...once they hit about 47 degrees, river herring will come flooding in and the bass will light up....3-4 week brother, just 3-4 weeks :

Good going! I rock hopped a couple of bows. Scotty.

We met a fisheries biologist at the launch on Sunday doing an angler survey. He shared some great intel on all sorts of species in the rivers.

According to the man, alewives are already in the Housy and small numbers of herring are already in the Thames. He also said that the herring spawn was triggered by the longer days, not the water temp.

I don't claim to know either way.

Yes, there are some in the river here, but they haven't really started their dance. He is correct about day light hours...this is what trigger most animals to spawn...i.e. deer etc, but it also coincides with temps. My best advice, watch what is in bloom when they show up, here it is the Forthisia (a tip from your uncle larry). The same goes for about everything else, watch what is going on around you when different things occure...it repeats itself each year.

Doug,

Congrats. I have an umbrella rig too that I got at the show. I haven't used it yet. I bet blue fish will like it.

Did you put a sandworm on it or just "as is"?

John

just by itself

Nice to get the skunk off the boat. It has to be nice keeping the rod in front of you and not worry about hitting it with the paddle.

looking at the rig it didn't go for the trailer, that's strange...

congrats on a great outing

I'd say that only about a third of them went for the trailing lure.

I really wanted a multiple hookup. I'd keep trolling for several seconds after they were on, but it just didn't happen. I'm going to pick up a couple more tiny rigs at the RISAA show and maybe one of the small "real" ones (9'ers).

it was great to wet a line with you Dude! .. I talked to a friend later and he said they were hooking up down river! .. always somewhere else

my wife ended up helping me get out of the dry suit ... whats the trick with these! ... feels like I'm in a straight jacket !! I've only worn it a few times now, and each time its like a funniest home video getting out of it !

This post has been edited by JoeF: Mar 25 2008, 03:17 PM

Film it, please.

Nice way to start the season. Dave

Nice report Dude. I can't wait to hit the salt.

wtg!

Great job must of been awesome to get some fish.
which hobie do you have dude?

nice trip, guys it's still a tad early up here. that tip about the forsithia is a good one , i've relied on that for years, the big fish seem to show up around thetime when oak tree leaves are about the size of a mouse's ear.............................................................................
............the hard part is to get the mouse to climb the oak tree

Way to go Doug! That 9'er rig is a good fit for the Hobie!Wouldnt want to paddle that for long!!

Dude's got March striper thumb. Nice. Thanks for the pics.

Somebody's got to make a striper thumb emoticon.