Nearly four feet of fresh powder-like snow dropped as a
result of a strong New England storm last weekend. Snow plows kept to the
centerline, leaving one lane roads across the countryside. Vehicles were in the
ditches of nearly every road. Blowing snow and freezing temperatures left many
without power. In blizzard conditions, there is only action to take - go
fishing.
Loading my pack basket into my truck with 5 traps, manual
auger, ice shack, and a few cold drinks - I set it next to my bait bucket and
headed off into the whiteout. Visibility was near zero, but I wanted to test
the methodology that fish didn't feed during/after snowstorms and fed before
storms hit. I like to experiment and I believe that's how all fisherman learn.
Five solid hours into the afternoon - the fish made their
vote clear. Their choice was the opposite of mine. They stayed home. An early
bite caused a flag to rise, but the bait was still intact and kicking. Back
through the snow drifts I went to my ice shack. With the writing on the wall
and my book nearing completion, I made the command decision to go home and brew
a late afternoon coffee. After all, I deserved it.
With the shack torn down and two of five traps packed away, a
lonely orange flag rose. A decent sized White Perch laid waiting below 12"
of thick ice - lunch. We snagged a few photos with the camera, but kept it in hiding to avoid the moisture. A whiteout doesn't make for spectacular photos. On the other hand, black coffee never accompanied such a good fish fry.
Until next time...
[GEAR ON THIS TRIP]
4 comments:
Ha. You look like Han Solo on the ice planet Hoth.
Randall,
Haha, that's great. Uncanny resemblance for sure. Thanks for the laugh.
Rhon
I've seen/had a lot worse days on the water. Nice catch...
Carp are omnivorous and will eat plankton, insects, and larvae, as well as tender plant stems and river weeds, so baiting carp is relatively easy. Boilies are the go-to bait for most carp anglers. Parker Baits
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