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| Two dark spring lake trout and a pike |
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Apr. 3, 2012 6:10pm
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Usually when the pike start moving into the river mouth on my lake that means their spawn is over and we'll start catching less lake trout and more pike on the dropshot. It also usually means that summer is fast approaching with the pike off their beds and that the lake trout will yet again retreat to the depths and become illusive- but isn't it April. 3rd? this time last year we were still fishing for lakers through the ice but this year is so different that we are already heading to the small tribs looking for smelts......What a weak winter and early spring we've had this year eh? Mind blowing and I am certainly seeing some of the affects of climate change first hand as a guy who is outdoors in this area sampling fish and seeing their behaviour like ALL THE TIME.
I LOVE PIKE! Especially tournament fishing for them but they are supposed to be on their beds now, shallow in the weeds at the marsh on my lake, NOT in my Spring laker spot already!
Normally we'd be crushing lakers when the conditions are like this usually in mid-end of April. The lakers are there but they are pretty thin for numbers this year compared to other years. In the past, during pre-smelt run time the lakers would just sit in the current at the river mouth. I'm talking THICK. just holding, waiting for dead smelts to blow by to gorge on. We'd have 5-25 big fish days...fish all around the size of the two in the above pictures....and much bigger! Instead, with this wild weather and steeply fluctuating temps, we are getting a bit of everything including bass, pike, crappie, and perch, and with days of only 2-8 lake trout.
I think the fish are confused this year, and so am I! except when it comes to bait of course......The 3 and 4 inch Berkley Gulp minnow on the drop shot teamed up with Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon. I'm sure you've heard me raving about it already. Won't be the last time! But I know, no matter the weather or time of year; I sink one of those down if whatever is swimming is in the mood its going to get eaten.
Thats the thing I love most about confidence baits like the berkley gulp minnow and other tried tested and true gear......when your confused, it isn't!
looks right, smells right, see ya later!.............. says whatever is swimming down there.
Hopefully the lakers thickin up and the pike and bass get out of there when the smelts start running hard.
All the best my fellow NPS'ers I hope you'll give that combo a shot this year be it Lake trout, bass, Pike, or......whatevers swimmin!
Let me know how she runs, thanks for keeping in touch, viewing, and following.
Tom Waldock |
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