[PECo]

I headed out to West Hill Pond this afternoon to try my hand at drop-shotting from my Hobie. I got a late start because I had to tie flourocarbon leaders onto my 50 pound braid before I left the house. I think I got on the water around 2:45 PM. I stopped fishing around 5:45 PM. It was hot and sunny, but with a slight NNW breeze when I launched at the ramp on the N end of the lake. I headed straight for the submerged island in the bottom third of the lake. Here's a map that shows where I went:



Surprisingly, I didn't have any discomfort in my left leg, which had cramped up when I was pedaling my Hobie up the Connecticut River yesterday. I must have been saved by the banana that I ate before I left the house today. Or the 400 mg of Advil that I took. In any case, I had no trouble finding a nice steady pedaling pace and soon arrived at the buoy that marks the north end of the submerged island. While I dug through my tackle bag for a worm to put on my drop shot rig, I noticed a boat motoring in my direction. It was SeaDog1 in his wooden guideboat. While I was talking with SeaDog1, we drifted with the wind almost to the beach at Brodie Park on the E shore. When we parted and he headed back to the ramp, I pedaled back to the submerged island and began throwing a drop shot with a 3/8 ounce weight and a Zoom finesse watermelon/red worm. It took me a while to get the hang of dragging the weight along the bottom. But shortly after I started, I caught my first ever dropshot largemouth bass:



It was only an 11 inch fish, but I was thrilled that the drop shot worked. I ended up catching 7 undersized largemouth bass off the submerged island and the island with the stone fireplace and chimey on it:

Submerged Island
11 inches - watermelon/red DS
10 inches - watermelon/red DS
9 inches - watermelon/red DS

Fireplace Island
10 inches - white lipless crankbait (snag hooked)
11 inches - watermelon/red DS
10 inches - watermelon/red DS
11 inches - black DS

I'm thinking of trying to drop shot with bigger hook and a 10-1/2 inch worm the next time. Do you think that would yield bigger fish?

Hey, SeaDog1! It was a pleasure to finally meet you out on the water, Oh, and it was nice to meet your buddy McDonough, too.
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[DirtyDawg10]

Nice work with the dropshot Phil.

[SkeeterRon]

Peco,

I was there on Sunday with the wife, I had the safe luck fishing.

Great report was always...
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Sleep...Eat...Fish!!!!! Then do it all over again.

[basswacka19]

nice job with the drop shot PECO. I bet you will find yourself using that rig a lot more. It is killer with a 3-4in gulp minnow for smallies,it's been working wonders for me this summer and last.
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this fish here is a real donkey!!!

[SeaDog1]

Hi Phil!

Yes! When I saw your post about going to WH, I decided, since I'm so close, to go for a ride and see if I could hunt you down!

WH is so small so it wasn't hard to do -> knowing where you'd be fishing!

Glad I did, and it was a real pleasure to finally meet you and talk!

Yeah! MacDonough is a great dog, companion, and total Goofball!
Also a good 1st Mate -> And Ballast! to level the boat out with my big butt!

Yes! We'll see about getting you into ice fishing so you don't have any fishing withdrawal pains over the winter!!!! LOL

Best regards,
SeaDog1

[SkeeterJim]

Nice job with the new technique Phil.

Jim
_________________
Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

[PECo]

Ron

I saw your reply to Bass Addict's Mashapaug post about fishing while your wife went swimming off the back of the boat. That's what made me think of heading out there. I wish I had gone back this morning. I got skunked at Spring Pond.

Phil
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[Fishface]

Nice reoport Phil

[SkeeterRon]

Peco,

My wife loves that lake so much she's looking for a house to buy on the lake. Ugh...

The only problem I have with WH is the ramp traffic and the idiots trying to load and unload.

OMG, watching people take 15-20 minutes unload/load a 12' boat is unreal.

Other than that, is ok to fish. I've found it's best in the spring. All other times of the year I've caught bass on the eastern shore.

Ron
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Sleep...Eat...Fish!!!!! Then do it all over again.

[PECo]

Ron

I had the same experience when I was fishing for bass there in the Spring; I caught a bunch on the E shore and only two on the W shore.

Phil
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[SeaDog1]

Hi!

WH is a beautiful pond, BUT you had better have "Deep Pockets and be willing to shell-out BIG $$$$$$$" to buy a cottage there! TAXES too!!!

Plus you have summer camps on the west side that produce all kinds of noise/loud music in the evening till 9:30 PM when they finally blow Taps and put the kids to bed for the night.

SeaDog1

[PECo]

Well, I'd prefer a house on Winchester Lake. It's a lot quieter.
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[SkeeterRon]

SeaDog,

The wife found three house ranging from $280 to $350. That's not bad for water front.

She called a realtor and they said the prices won't be as high because bigger boats / water skiers are not allowed. So they find it to cost less.

I'm ok with that.

PS. the kids don't want to move. 3 more years once they are done with High School..
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Sleep...Eat...Fish!!!!! Then do it all over again.

[SeaDog1]

Hi SJ!

Yeah! I know of those -> Very old and very small cottages -> One just big enough to fit your boat in!!!!

I can sell you a stone Bridge in Brooklyn for that kind of money!!

SeaDog1

[SkeeterJim]

A lakefront on Bantam and I'd be very happy camper!!

Jim
_________________
Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!