December-January.....Tough Sleddin'

[Jim C.]

Mother Nature dealt us a pretty rough hand over the past 2 months when it comes to soft and hard water fishing.  I feel blessed, however, when compared to others who lost their homes, livelihoods, or even lives because of flooding and other weather-related causes.

December started out much like it normally does with a decent open water pond bite as ice in approached.  The 1st was a good day for splake and brookies even though there was some skim ice to work around.  A great bonus was that I got to fish with Randall (aka "TightLinesMaine").









After that, the rugged weather set in.  I recorded a total of 13.5" of rain in my gauge for December, plus around a foot of snow.  All that water had to go somewhere!  Many waters ended up in the trees.







Tailwater fisheries can benefit from big pushes of water, but there are limits.  Even wading access and safety can become issues.  I did manage to get a decent brown on a small jig on the 8th in a "one hit wonder" outing. 



That single hit ended up feeling like a blitz as I followed it up with 5 skunkings in a row in open water.   Normally, I can tease up a brown, brookie, or salmon at the shore of bigger lakes if they remain open.  There were quite a few such spots in December where the only ice was from spray on the shoreline.
 




Surprisingly, my fishing log noted "no sign of life" on nearly all those outings.  Frustrating, and I wouldn't find at least a partial explanation until weeks later.

I got on the board for January right out of the gate on New Year's Day.  In one of those crazy rain and high wind events, a few ponds opened up enough to be fishable.  A freak ice out.  After a long fish drought, a single splake made my day.







After a decent start to January, I embarked on 4 skunkings in row, not for a lack of trying.  I tried spots closer to the coast, hoping for better conditions.  I ran into surprising ice problems.....river stretches that were locked up solid or unfishable due to substantial shelf ice that I couldn't navigate.







I even tried a tidal river hoping for a sea run brown. "No sign of life".  Substantial tidal ice skim. 







I also ran into a large air pocket in the tidal shoreline ice and dropped down suddenly.  I didn't get into that tell-tale sweat like when I've broken a bone.  I was able to walk it off, bruised but serviceable



I met with IF&W at Region B late in January and learned a couple of reasons for my "catching" woes.  First, a number of my "go to" waters had not received their usual fall stocking of browns due to a "problem" at the hatchery that left too few fish to go around.   Second, and more troubling, was the crash in IF&W's trapnetting results on one water.  In 2017-2018, numerous landlocks were in their trapnets.  In 2023, there were NONE and very few browns.  Bad news is rarely good, but in this case it partially explained  the poor results I've been having......aka I'm sure I've lost a few steps as 70 looms, but I'm not that awful

Somehow, that vindication put me back on the right path.  Accept what there is and grind it out.  I went on to finish out January with a 2 brookie day on bigger flowing water in pretty tough ice conditions.  No monsters, but better than a "no sign of life" logbook entry









And in more good news, I got on the board for February in the first 0:10 of fishing on the 1st.  And a decent holdover brown of all things.   Only one other chance on the day, but the streak is alive until at least March 31.  A catch in March would make 13 straight years with at least 1 trout or salmon every month in open water in Maine.  March can be a bear.

[Steve H.]

Impressive, as always Jim.  Great pics and I'm glad you didn't get hurt in your mishap.

[TightLinesMaine]

Hey Jim, great report.  Judging by how mild this winter has been I think you'll check off March too.  I'm 99% sure I'm going fly fishing tomorrow w/ spin rod as backup, my day off and too nice to sit indoors (my ice gear is gathering dust back at my parents house though I'd maybe like to go once in March after the clock change).  Fun fishing with you in December, I had an unlucky time with hookups that day but it was still a blast trying.  GREAT looking Splake you caught that day!

edit: Great ice formation pics too!

[Jim C.]

Thanks, Randall.  Good luck on your outing!

There was a short "bite window" on our December outing.  I had landed most of my fish while you ground out that salmon

Hey Jim, great report.  Judging by how mild this winter has been I think you'll check off March too.  I'm 99% sure I'm going fly fishing tomorrow w/ spin rod as backup, my day off and too nice to sit indoors (my ice gear is gathering dust back at my parents house though I'd maybe like to go once in March after the clock change).  Fun fishing with you in December, I had an unlucky time with hookups that day but it was still a blast trying.  GREAT looking Splake you caught that day!

edit: Great ice formation pics too!

[TightLinesMaine]

Thanks, Randall.  Good luck on your outing!

There was a short "bite window" on our December outing.  I had landed most of my fish while you ground out that salmon

tried at least a good 45 to an hour, no luck/no sign of fish, but the spot I went was lower than anticipated (surprisingly), it's a spot I've caught both salmon and brook trout at in early January quite a few times years ago, but never in February.  I *may* try somewhere completely different tomorrow.  Felt like late March/early April out, I overdressed...

[Jim C.]

This winter open water fishing is no chip shot as you know.  "No sign of life" can be the summary.  But there are those magic times that keep you going8)

Yes, it does feel like spring. Good news....bad news  I rarely do well when the weather is unusually nice.  I have also noted low water in spots.  Quite the switch.  Went from ripping to low awful fast.

tried at least a good 45 to an hour, no luck/no sign of fish, but the spot I went was lower than anticipated (surprisingly), it's a spot I've caught both salmon and brook trout at in early January quite a few times years ago, but never in February.  I *may* try somewhere completely different tomorrow.  Felt like late March/early April out, I overdressed...

[NBourque]

Grinding it out like always! Nice pics Jim.

[Jim C.]

Thanks, Nick.  This winter has been a real challenge. Lately, since Feb. is already on the board for open water, I've spent time on the ice.  Will be back on the open water hunt soon.

Grinding it out like always! Nice pics Jim.

[NBourque]

Thanks, Nick.  This winter has been a real challenge. Lately, since Feb. is already on the board for open water, I've spent time on the ice.  Will be back on the open water hunt soon.

Worst ice year I can remember in recent memory. Makes it easy to decide what you wanna do lol.

[Jim C.]

And also the worst winter open water fishing in 15 plus years......by a wide margin.  Unless things turn around real soon, this will be a winter season for the Hall of Shame

Worst ice year I can remember in recent memory. Makes it easy to decide what you wanna do lol.

[NBourque]

And also the worst winter open water fishing in 15 plus years......by a wide margin.  Unless things turn around real soon, this will be a winter season for the Hall of Shame

Fewer browns being stocked and all this rain ain’t helping!

[Jim C.]

It's a"perfect storm" of a lot of factors working against us.  Yes, the browns are particularly concerning.  They went to that new strain not that long ago and there already signs of failure.  There is also talk of replacing browns and splake with rainbows in places. 

Fewer browns being stocked and all this rain ain’t helping!

[NBourque]

It's a"perfect storm" of a lot of factors working against us.  Yes, the browns are particularly concerning.  They went to that new strain not that long ago and there already signs of failure.  There is also talk of replacing browns and splake with rainbows in places.

I’ve been hearing the replacement of splake with bows as you know for a few years now. Not the route I’d go but the state does funny things sometimes.

[Jim C.]

Any change, whether it's good or bad, takes a lot of time.  And once the change takes place, it takes forever to reverse course if it doesn't go well.  You and I know a few examples   On the other hand, the state is probably short on cash.  That $155 from my ticket in 2018 has probably run out

I’ve been hearing the replacement of splake with bows as you know for a few years now. Not the route I’d go but the state does funny things sometimes.

[NBourque]

Any change, whether it's good or bad, takes a lot of time.  And once the change takes place, it takes forever to reverse course if it doesn't go well.  You and I know a few examples   On the other hand, the state is probably short on cash.  That $155 from my ticket in 2018 has probably run out

Lmao yeah the state needs to up their ticket quota.