Fishing Secret Pond: A Photo Journey

Friend, fellow blogger, and Registered Maine Guide, Steve Vose, invited me up to visit his favorite fishing hole recently. Our goal was to stir up a little action among the bass during a storm that dumped 12 inches of fresh snow. Frigid winds blew across the ice as the snow flakes slapped your face. The cold had the type of fierceness that made you regret removing your gloves to bait the hooks. Within an hour we had our holes drilled, two beers in us and half our traps up. As we baited the seventh trap, an orange flag rose from across the lake. Quick success! And so it began. The flags and fish were so active at times we nearly forgot to snap photos. 

A mid-afternoon chill forced us to cave in and actually setup the ice shack. Before we could zip the door shut, two flags simultaneously rose in the window. With a yank on the door, we were out to haul in two of the largest fish of the day. A few pictures on the camera later, we released two of the largest bass Steve has ever pulled from this body of water. One bruiser weighed in near 7 lbs. I'd never held a large mouth Bass of that size before. The afternoon proved a great way to lock down the ice fishing season. Now, I look forward to bringing the tent out from my gear closet and tying on some hiking boots. The beauty of the woods will be explored with a little less white soon...