So I guess this puts a solid bookend on the season

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

Yesterday I broke down all my spinning and casting rods and reels (save my Light setup, I keep that at the ready with my fly rods for chasing the open water trout). Rods are all put away, reels all gathered up ready to be cleaned. So with that in mind, here's my summary of the year for open water. Feel free to post yours too!

First fish: Jan - Brown Trout - Fly
Last fish (to date): 12/13 - Brook Trout - Blade Bait
Species caught this year: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth, Largemouth, Striped Bass, Pike, Pickerel, Landlocked Salmon, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Redbreast Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Fallfish, Rock Bass, Atlantic Mackerel.  (Lost a couple of rainbows back in Jan on the fly)
Most targeted (no exact numbers): Approx. 80% of all trips were primarily for Smallmouth and/or Largemouth (even if other species were caught on the trip).
Confidence Bait(s): Lipless Crank (specifically Damiki Tremor), IMA Big Stick 175 (stripers), Super Spook Jr.
Strangest catch: (tie) 6" Brook Trout on a Spybait 80mm, Rock bass on a 110 size Whopper Plopper.

[NBourque]

No pics? Haha

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

No pics? Haha

Dude I still use a burner phone!

Edit: I'm not a luddite but I am A) cheap (except when it comes to fishing gear) and B) set in my ways.

[NBourque]

Dude I still use a burner phone!

Edit: I'm not a luddite but I am A) cheap (except when it comes to fishing gear) and B) set in my ways.

I’m just giving u a hard time haha

[Jim C.]

SM SP,  great post!  Good year and nice summary! 

I fish open water all year, so there is no beginning or ending.  With my orthopedic adventures, I'd rather freeze my arse off wading than cut holes in ice.  It's like free cold water therapy.

I focused on cold water species, fishing for trout salmon about 70% of the time (72 out of 107 trips so far this year).  2020 wasn't my best year.  I brought 571 trout/salmon to net in those trips, or about 8 per trip.....below my target of 10. 

I managed to keep my crazy streak of at least 1 trout/salmon per month in open water in Maine alive.  I thought it was over when I shattered my right leg in Dec. 2019, but I managed to trade my walker for a wading staff to keeps things going.  The streak stands at 9 years, 9 months.  It will end at some point.  The next tumble may snap my neck, not my leg.

Confidence baits.....I catch a pile of fish on top with flyrod on EHC or Para Adams from May till October.  During the cold months, it's hard to beat small jigs....often under a bobber.

Species caught....will end up somewhere in the low 20's.  I won't count till the dealing's done on 12/31.

Don't worry about not having a lot of gadgets.  Most of the stuff I have would qualify as antiques.  Keep your gear going...you can quit that nasty thing called "working" earlier.

Thanks for the thought-provoking post.  It's gone well with a few cold ones.

[joefishmore]

Good posts. Merry Christmas to all.

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

Thanks Jim!

I really do fish open water all year as well, I just keep only one spinning rod set up for it along with my fly rods. I will occasionally pull out one of my swimbait rods for Pike but there is no need for 10 bass setups to gather dust instead of being cleaned!

Glad to know the streak is still going strong, here's to it going for at least another 9/9!

[Jim C.]

Thanks. Good luck with your hard and soft water adventures.  Keep posting!

Glad to know the streak is still going strong, here's to it going for at least another 9/9!