2015 Canoe Trip (Connecticut River)
I joined a canoe trip that was running it's 35th consecutive annual Connecticut river tradition. My cousin Paul has been going for the last seven years and after the weekend I had, I am hooked. In between the million beers, good company and laughs, we did some pretty decent fishing.
This particular 20 mile stretch of river that we paddled down is known to be prime smallmouth bass spawning territory. I can now tell you first hand that this is a fact. Although a handful of mildly experienced fisherman spent two days anglin', only about 10 smallies were caught. Sometimes that is just how it goes. As Tal, the 83 year old canoe trip legend, put it: "the only hit I got all day was off my beer."
I caught two smallies. The first one I brought in hit when I was casting off the shore at our camp site around 11pm. I was using a gel worm as bait with a snap sinker about a foot up the line. Nothing worth bragging about....
However, the next day I caught a beauty. I mean a monster. I've never caught a smallie so big before... Unfortunately I did not have any juice left in my iPhone so the only pic I could snap was a mental one. Let me tell you, it was probably 3 lbs and mostly golden with some brown streaks near the dorsal fin. It gave me a worthwhile fight on 6 lb test with tight drag. Man I wish I had a picture to share with you. You'll just have to use your imagination. I landed a trophy smallmouth. I snapped the flick and released it so I can catch it again next year.
I named it "Derek Jebrewski" in honor of my cousin Paul.
-AP