On The Water
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ON THE WATER

by Rick Lundstedt

The talk of the lake so far this spring is the incredibly high water level. The second highest level recorded in the past twenty years has rendered some cottages temporarily inaccessible and/or unusable. The good news is that the level is dropping quickly. To make sure nothing was impeding the outflow, Russell Moat and I kayaked out Winter Brook May 3rd all the way to the culvert at Herrick Valley Road. There were no beaver dams and the culvert was clear. So…..no blockage, just an abundance of water from rain and snowmelt.

For anyone interested in taking a similar trip, we’re talking about a repeat journey the day after the Annual Meeting. We’ll take a tally at the meeting and plan a point of departure. It would be great if there were someone in the cove that would join us and volunteer their place as a starting point. We’re looking for a fun outing…not a triathlon !!

The high water has slowed the annual boat and dock procession. As of May 10th, Bob Misenheimer was the only one with even part of his dock in. I temporarily had a section in so I could at least hop in and out of my boat, but that only lasted two days. Since there was no bracing, it was no match for the high winds of May 12th.  When the water goes down another eight to twelve inches, we’ll all be able to get the season started in earnest. In the meantime, I’ll have my boat on a “Bahama anchor” off the stern and bow rope to a tree off the bow. Hey...at least it gets me out there!

Anna Lyon & Rick Lundstedt with Anna's Chokoloskee Snook.

 

Early May fishing was pretty slow. There were only a few people even trying and they had spotty luck. Afternoon water temperature ranged from 54 in the South end to 60 in the North. Oddly, that should be high enough to prompt the fish into the shallows but there was no pre-spawn feeding and no signs of early bedding. The next three weeks should heat up big-time since the bass can’t wait much longer. One of the largemouths I caught (and released) was fat with eggs…just waiting.            

The IF & W continues to stock Brown Trout in Tripp and has established a management plan for the lake. We’re trying to get someone from IF & W to speak about that plan at our annual meeting this July since it’s a topic that interests many people. Water quality is undoubtedly a factor in their plan.

Anna and I extended the fall fishing season with a trip to Florida in November. We took a charter with Captain Charles Wright out of Chokoloskee Island. It was a great trip with Anna getting a real nice snook and several sea trout (and most of the other fish)! She had a blast and quite a battle as the snook jumped several times and made some nice runs. Altogether we caught fourteen different species in a very remote setting with winding channels cut through mangroves. It’s really cool to see her get such a kick out of the experience!  Charles was great and very mindful of Anna’s “new knee” as he expertly boated through the myriad 10,000 islands. 

 Anna just graduated from college May 7th, plugging away for seven long years to get her degree while working full-time. She made the Dean’s list to boot!  With time more her own and her knees in better shape, she is definitely looking forward to canoeing, kayaking, swimming, etc. this summer.  Connecting back with the “lake people” she treasures so much is very important so if you she her…please congratulate her !

 This winter had way above average snowfall and the cold was “impressive” also. We got up to ice fish a couple of times, avoiding the worst weather. Unfortunately,  we didn’t get any trout or salmon but a few good pickerel kept it mildly interesting. Ed Hughes got a salmon...but he got it out of Thompson!

 As much fun as shoveling snow and stoking the woodstove is, my buddy JV and I escaped New England and headed south last March for some Florida salt-water fishing. We waded Tigertail lagoon on Marco Island a couple of times and got some small snook, jacks and ladyfish. Then we teamed up with Captain Steve Westervelt, our favorite guide in the area, and got some good snook and a small tarpon.

 From there we headed to a new location for us…Everglades National Park in Flamingo. Flamingo is the only lodging in the park. The mosquitoes knew that also and were waiting for us! That afternoon we explored the area and made plans for the next three. Please note, this is not Yellowstone or Yosemite….if you don’t like fishing, alligators or birds this is not the place for you!

 Happily...we do...so day # 2 was a full day fishing trip with Captain Dean Steffen. Dean is a very knowledgeable, affable guide whom I highly recommend. We went into the backcountry to avoid the high winds in the bay and had a great trip. After netting bait, we headed to the Shark River where Dean had seen some Tarpon two days earlier. The tarpon were there but they were typically finicky and we failed to get a take. We went further down river and found some real nice redfish. They strike and fight similar to a very large bass!

 As we continued to the mouth where the river meets the Gulf, the current was setting up nicely, sweeping across a point with downed trees…real snooky looking!  We got several hits but not many hookups due to the trees and current. It was getting late and we only had time for a couple of more drifts. With only five minutes left before heading back, I tried to get the bait extra close to the tangle and got a strike!  Luckily the fish was swept from its sanctuary by the rod pressure and current. After several long runs, a close call with a nasty rock and three rod plunges under the boat to follow the fish, we boated a 34” snook!  Unlikely I’ll top that!

 

 

Rick Lundstedt with Salmon River Steelhead

We ended the trip with a full day canoe rental. Winds were light so we headed to the bay where we got a few small trout and some ladyfish. We cast to several tarpon but couldn’t elicit any strikes. Then we found some sharks working a shallow flat. We got a few hookups but they all broke off during long screaming runs...pretty exciting!!

 My most recent fishing trip was to the Salmon River in Pulaski, N.Y., with JV on April 15th for Steelhead (Rainbow trout on steroids)! The river was low, which made it very fishable. We got several strikes, five hookups and landed three. That was beyond my expectations, considering the size of the Steelheads. Let me know if you want any trip details. A 5 ½ hour drive and inexpensive lodging gets you to a world-class salmon fishery. Fish are tough and conditions and weather can change quickly but sometimes it pays off!

 Back on Tripp, the late, cool spring and high water will hopefully keep the water temperatures down this summer. The fish will appreciate it!  Looking forward to a good season, so let’s get out there.  See you on the water!