Got back late this past Sat eve after spending 2 weeks up on Moosehead. (No internet, cell phone or TV for two weeks too). On the way home I ran into truck problems on the last leg of the trip...I84 in Connecticut is the road from hell. It turned out I blew a piston rod in my '97 GMC Sierra and the engine is shot....luckily, I made it home with the boat, kids and gear. Bummer.
Fished 3 - 3.5 hours just about every day, from 8/13 - 8/25, mostly at first light. (I would have LIKED to fish longer and more, but it WAS a family vacation and so I was a team player). Hot spots were inside the "bowl" at Kineo (Lakers) and the gap between Sugar Is. - Lily Bay peninsula (Salmon, lakers). I did pretty well considering I fished alone (2 lines tops) most of the time. I have a lot to report but its been raining since I got back and so I've not been able to get under the boat cover and retrieve my notebook, but I will (hopefully) tonight. What I can say is the copper vertical flashers (from A.J.s) and the "cheater" technique described by several people on the board really seemed to help (particularly when you've only got a couple lines in). I only started toying with the cheaters when one of my riggers was knocked out of commission (got back the gear but had to snip and re-spool all the rigger cable). In hindsight I wished I had used the cheater technique on both riggers all along. After I dig out my notes I'll post a real report...shortly. Fishing is improving in Moosehead but it is still nothing like Winni. Dragging through my first day back at work...
Gotta hate it when a vacation ends on a bad note like that. Good to hear you had a good time fishing though.
You missed a discussion about the cheaters while you were gone. It actually started hours after you left. They are not legal in NH, whether you only run one rod or not. So leave that idea for Maine. Didn't want to see you get in trouble trying it here.
Take care.
Slip - thanks for the heads up. If they are not legal in NH, they are off limits... I wonder about the technical "legality" of cheaters elsewhere. I did not ask any fisheries people in Maine, just other fisherman who were doing it... Good news for Winni folks is you all don't seem to have any problems boating a lot of fish without them!
It is a real bummer to end a vacation like that like Slkipknpt said, but it could have been worse and happened on the way to Moosehead. Now that's a real bummer, been there, done that.
Not worth hauling my barge up there eh, whew that a relief.
Thanks the comments guys. My wife and I discussed just what John S. said -- what if it were on the way to Moosehead? That trip is 8.5 - 9 hrs at 75-80 mph ("highway trolling speed"). What a nightmare that would have been. Fortunately its a "work" truck and we'll get the motor replaced and relegate it to "local" work. Now I've got to find a new truck...
We're getting 2+ in of rain.
P.S. I've got to get up to Winni for a trip out with one of you guys this fall. I can't tow right now, but I'm seaworthy...
