December Results and January in the Books

[Jim C.]

The open water pond action continued at a nice pace early in December.  A decent number of brookies came to net. 



Splake were real active.  I watched their spawning colors quickly fade to their "pale brookie" color,  before they got locked away under the ice around the 10th.







Bigger flowing water gave up a mix of browns and small salmon early in December.









With low flows and deep cold by mid-December, smaller water locked up to an extent that I usually don't see till February.



It became tough to get over ice shelves to find open bottom to stand and fish in.  Fish often hang around the ice shelves, and it's best to cast from the outside in toward the shelves if I can do so safely.



Other wildlife hangs out by the ice shelves, too.



Trout action is far from fast and furious in the 32* or colder water.  In fact, I am fishing for a few bites a trip.  But the rewards are there.











Here's the January brown I scraped up today to keep my open water trout/salmon streak in Maine alive at 5 years and 10 months.  I muffed 2 chances earlier in the day, so I was real happy to pull it out.





The lure today was an olive marabou jig.



Other days, it's been plastic or tungsten.



And my trusty box of crankbaits is never far away.  You never know when these crazy winter fish will go from light bumps on a small jig to slamming a big meal.

[TightLinesMaine]

awesome! congrats on extending your streak Jim.  Very nice results, like the variety.  Pretty salmon in there, some great browns as well. 

I haven't been out to any flowing open water since December 2nd, was an early winter this year opposed to last.  Had a few skunks on the ponds the week after, the early ice in caught me by surprise.  I'm already counting the days until the 1st of April 

[Jim C.]

Thanks, Randall.  Conditions sure did go from fall to freeze up in a hurry this year!  February and March could get REAL tough, but who knows. 

awesome! congrats on extending your streak Jim.  Very nice results, like the variety.  Pretty salmon in there, some great browns as well. 

I haven't been out to any flowing open water since December 2nd, was an early winter this year opposed to last.  Had a few skunks on the ponds the week after, the early ice in caught me by surprise.  I'm already counting the days until the 1st of April 

[fish wayniac]

Jim, You got a really nice mix of fish.The colors on the Browns are vibrant.You sure are keeping the open water streak alive.Awesome!

[franklin fisher]

  I'm glad I checked in.  Congrats on keeping the streak going and good luck over the next couple months continuing it.  Nice bunch of fish.

[caught_the_fever]

Jim - what a great post once again!  Looks like a lot of fun.   Hope you had yours had a great holiday season. 

[Jim C.]

Thanks, Mike.  Hope you guys had great Holidays also.  Winter sure is flying by!

Jim - what a great post once again!  Looks like a lot of fun.   Hope you had yours had a great holiday season. 

[caught_the_fever]

Thanks, Mike.  Hope you guys had great Holidays also.  Winter sure is flying by!

Jim - I hear you - hard to believe it's February 9th.  The forecast over the next week looks like a lot more snow flying than time!  Reminds me of a couple of years ago when we nearly didn't have a winter and then received three significant storms in the matter of a week. 

Safe travels if you're on the road.

[Jim C.]

It's been a strange winter, Mike.  We picked up almost 35" of snow in the last part of December in Kennebec County, then very little in January.  Now we're back into it.  It's not doing the lake ice any favors.  There's always the soft water option, but getting around on the banks and shelf ice is tricky.  Got pretty bruised and cut up last time out

Jim - I hear you - hard to believe it's February 9th.  The forecast over the next week looks like a lot more snow flying than time!  Reminds me of a couple of years ago when we nearly didn't have a winter and then received three significant storms in the matter of a week. 

Safe travels if you're on the road.