[Daryl]

Well after a morning/afternoon of helping my friend Dan tear down some walls in his basement, it was time to break out the new boat again. It was a personal requirement of mine to finally put some decent fish into the net and enjoy some time with my father too.

So off we went, father, son and best friend Dan off to Winchester Lake. We hit the water at 2:30pm in the afternoon. The air temp was in the low 50's but the water was very cold. It stayed between 47-48 Degrees throughout the entire lake. After about an hour and a half of trying plastics, spoons and crankbaits with no success we decided to troll for pike or anything else that would bite.

So out the the center of the lake we began trolling with the little 30lbs Minnkota at speed 2 and sometimes speed 3. We made circular passes around the middle of the center, nearing the shore on each side of the lake during our turns. We stayed about 30-40 yards off shore in about 12-14 feet of water for most of the trolling action.

We used 3-6 shallow diving crankbaits about 2 inches in length. That seems to get chain pickerel on a non-stop basis for about an hour and a half until sunset. My father used a medium diving crankbait about 2.5 inches in length that dived to 10 feet. He picked up a 1lbs bass on the troll and then a few chain pickerel too.

All and all it was a great outing, even in the cold temperatures with the slight off and on rain.

No pike action seen, but there were a ton of unidentified fish rising and tipping the surface of the water the whole time we were out there.

A word of caution if you don't know much about Winchester, watch the stumps! I am very glad I have the kind of small boat that can navigate that place!

Hopefully I can do some kayaking tomorrow! Might risk the hooligans at Keeney Cove....

Here's a pickerel picture and a picture of my Dad, Rob with his bass!



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Daryl

"Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers." - Herbert Hoover

[DirtyDawg10]

Nice job! At least you guys were doing some catching in that cold.

[Fishface]

Nice Job. Good just to get out

[SkeeterRon]

Nice report,

Sounds like a fun day on the water.
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Sleep...Eat...Fish!!!!! Then do it all over again.

[PECo]

Trolling Batterson Park Pond got me only yellow perch today. Some chain pickerel would have been nice. But I had a GREAT day! Report to follow.
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!