Your Thoughts on Going out 2/2

[GenaVorn]

Gordon, Great trophy!Congratulation.This Brown has a great color.

[new2titicus]

Gordon that's a great looking Brown it looks like its Jaw is about to change into (kype) hook style

Yea, I was thinking that too.   Congratulations! Determination pays off! 

Erik, nice try, and good job at getting out there so early and in the cold... If theres a trophy trout in there to get caught , thats how you're going to get 'em.  And I like the fish finder.

[Gordon]

Fish was at 4 colors on crankbait, did have a hooked jaw which i dont remember seeing on smaller fish like this.

[KenH]

Congrats Gordon! That's a beautiful fish.

[KenH]

Erik, the waters are so cold that the warm spot for the smallies is that far down.
Last year I also caught a SMB on the bottom at 70ft jigging for Lakers.

[biggamee]

Erik, the waters are so cold that the warm spot for the smallies is that far down.
Last year I also caught a SMB on the bottom at 70ft jigging for Lakers.

Ken,
        After catching those smallies where I figured the Lakers would be, I went to my bass spots hoping that Lakers or Browns might be there...Weird sometimes it feels like you throw a empty soda can as bait and get results..the 2 other boats, I spoke to 2 guys on one boat..same results no trout.  Not for nothing but I give you guys that got LC trolling down packed..I tryed 2,4, 6,7 colors out in between spots..nothing..how do you determine how many colrs to troll at?  I didn't see 1 bait school..just fish on the bottom or close to the bottom..

Erik

[KenH]

"I didn't see 1 bait school..just fish on the bottom or close to the bottom.."

Erik, you just have to go with your instincts and experience. The game with LC and trout is
99% putting it at the level they are. This is much much easier to do in the hot months when
threre's a thermocline. At 39F water stratification based on temperature breaks down so you
can find Lakers on the surface and Browns on the bottom. Makes it all the harder to be selective.
There are times that I just can't mark suspended fish at all and all I can do is jusy keep trolling until
I start marking some. If everything is on the bottom sometimes I'll stop rowing and let my lines all
go to bottom then start rowing. Lakers will almost always hit anything that looks like a fish coming off the bottom very fast. But right now, with surface temps at 36-37 it's tough for sure.
Also, if I'm baitfishing for Lakers I always jig with one rod. Simply because I've seen too many days where they hit a moving jig but won't hit a live bait. Sounds strange but when waters temps are very low even Lakers are sluggish and with a lowered metabolism don't need to eat as much. But their aggressive instinct to hit something that moves is still there. There's no doubt in my mind that
a warm winter like this year and open water when normally it should be frozen opens up a whole new ballgame in terms of strataegy and tactics.

 

[Tom]

Ken,
With this mild winter do you have any Kensico spring fishing predictions?
Tom

[biggamee]

Ken,
             As you say stratification is a issue, this mild winter is making trends on Kensico really new ground..DEP didn't let us use boats till last year..so til about March we should be able to find a past pattern..we will keep chipping away!!!

Erik

[KenH]

Ken,
With this mild winter do you have any Kensico spring fishing predictions?
Tom

I can predict with certainty as anyobody else can that at some point the Brown bite will start. Last year it started in mid March right after ice out. But this year who knows? Open water winter fishing on the reservoirs is new to everyone I know so no one has any experience.
 

[Montrose]

I suspect it won't be too different.  Being able to access the water is the big plus this winter.  On lakes that permit ice fishing, guys catch browns all winter.  Ice out is traditionally good since the shallows warm drawing bait and new weed growth and exposure to the air creates more oxygen.

If the bite started in March last year, it should follow suit this year as the water warms, alewives move to spawn, days continue to lengthen, etc.