Winni Derby Posts??

[dickbaker]

   Winni Derby posts??    OK?  I don't understand super I Phone technology but I expect regular updates from NHMFF members on the water at the Winni Derby.      Service should be good on the lake or at least at the end of the day before the first cocktail?   Perfect salmon weather so far?
I'm doing windows and screens hoping to head for Lake Champlain?

Dick

[zwiggles]

I doubt many people are going to post reports as it is going on. 4.56 lbs is leading the board right now. Should be some nice fish on the board by Sunday.

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Reports on Facebook are saying it has been really windy/rough out there so far today

[dickbaker]

  Windy and rough should produce some of the biggest salmon?
Dick

[zwiggles]

some wind is great, but too much and you can't make it to the board, or back home safely.

[dickbaker]

Windy reports are Ok!   Any report is exiting.   Some of my biggest salmon have been taken off Rattlesnake with 4 foot waves and I was sea sick??
The trip to register might be another story?   Hope the mild winds forecast for Sat and Sun. will make it more fun?
Dick

[baitnh]

its pretty sad  our fisheries managers   cant get that lake  to produce some bigger fish    The  NH way  garbage   in garbage out .

[dickbaker]

its pretty sad  our fisheries managers   cant get that lake  to produce some bigger fish    The  NH way  garbage   in garbage out .

I don't understand what you are talking about.  Wiinni  fisheries has produced amazing amount of salmon.   Maybe moderate size but tremendous  numbers.   
Dick

[JoeGG]

We had a great time. Fishing was real good on Thursday. I boated 5 salmon, 2 lakers, and a bow from 1130 on. I had a bomb bow jump and spit my offering as well right next to the boat. Friday I landed 4 small salmon and 2 small lakers. Highlight was a monster salmon I had on for a few minutes. Jumped close to the boat and estimated it at 4 to 5 lbs. True bomb. Got a 22 incher as well that was 3.24lbs and this thing was much bigger. We picked away slowly at small salmon and lakers. I did get a real nice bow just over 3 lbs today. Fishing was slow on Saturday and slower today.

Crazy highlight story: My Buddy and I (NH RED)were on our way in from fishing and he noticed what he thought was a dead loon on top of the water in 80 FOW. When we got closer I thought it was a huge cusk. It turned out to be a big laker that was barely alive. i grabbed it under its gill cover and brought it aboard. It was 29 inches and just over 8 lbs. it was in perfect condition and nicely colored. It had a rusted Eagle Claw snelled hook in its gills with a snap swivel attached to the loop at the end. We had some fun with it back at camp, taking pictures, and sending them to friends telling them I caught the winning laker, which it would have been if I entered it. I would like to send this beast to someone to post it for me.

We ended up turning it into the Weirs weigh station.  NHFG Fisheries Biologist John Viar had a few nice words for our honesty and we left thinking the karma train would pull in when we hit the lake for the rest of the derby. It didn't happen. Maybe next year. John figured it was hooked in the winter and snapped the line given the age of the rusted hook and the scarring on the gill plate and it just finally couldn't take that hook being in its gills any longer.

Best part of the weekend was when my brothers 19 yr old showed up from upstate NY where he goes to college, and ended up getting 3rd place for a 3.75 lb laker he caught. It was his dad's birthday so that was pretty cool.

[dickbaker]

Joe,  Great story.   Great that you could be so honest about your potential big laker.   Technically you did catch it??
Dick

[NH_RED]

We caught it, just not by methods consistent with fish and game rules. Great summary of the weekend Joe! That front that rolled thru changed things drastically. Windy Friday decent fishing, calm and sunny weekend slow fishing.

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Great Report Joe. If You text/email Me the pic I'll post it for You.

After reading through a few Facebook reports... It looks like the winning Salmon was caught aboard a friends boat. He's a member here and on the Ice Shanty (Deer Me) but doesn't post very often any more. A buddy of his caught it.

Maybe he'll post the details?

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Here Ya Go Honest Joe. Lol  Nice Laker!

[Smells Like Fish NH]

My SMALL report......

I didn't have any plans to fish the derby this year. Just too much going on with work and the kids and just returned last Saturday from a week at Lake Ontario, so really I wasn't excited at the thought of going from 10lb fish to 1lb fish and spending all the time and money that the derby takes.

Last summer I donated a trip on my boat to a silent auction for a young boy in Merrimack that had a cancer fight. Those folks that won the auction and I have been in contact since they won it and we decided we would go on Friday of the derby.

Paul and his buddy Dave showed up at Sheps and we launched right at 5am. Fishing started off quickly with a small salmon and laker near Bear Island. After a few trolls there we headed out towards Timber and Governors and then the breeze kicked up. We stayed out there as long as we really could, the wind was absolutely brutal at points during the morning. The lake went from glass to a mess within an hour. We ended our day at 1:00. Boated 7 total fish, 3 lakers and 4 salmon, nothing of any size.

Was very surprised to see how few boats were there. We have been there when people were screaming at each other due to planer boards running too close and lines being tangled....we had about 4 boats total around Bear while I was there and even in Saunders Bay there was really just a handful of boats.

Was good to see Rick form the IceHole out there on Tessie, but that was about the only familiar face I saw and talked to.

I saw some of the guys from the FB page and FLW site such as Mark H. and the KJ Louise boarded some fish. Congrats to those guys!!

[zwiggles]

That's a nice laker joe. Good on you for being honest. I would like to think I would do the same thing.