In learning how to post pics to the board over the long weekend (thanks Slipknot), I got to digging through some "old" photos. It made me realize that as recently as July 2004 I was focused on BASS fishing in Winni. Go figure. At first, I caught nothing (prior to 2003). Then in the summer of '03 I went into AJs not only to buy tackle from Alan and Beth but to ask HOW to fish...for smallies at first (later for salmon). First thing Alan did was introduce me to helgrammites, and those wacky bugs unexpectedly introduced me to salmon and ruined me for bass fishing forever:



[21.5 in salmon and "standard" Winni smallie caught on helgrammites provided by Alan - July 2004. Daughter Stephanie, 6 at the time, like to pose with the fish but would not TOUCH it LOL]



And during that same fishing trip in July 2004, I caught my first and best LLS in Winni, a 24in+ (weight?) creature on -- you guessed it - a helgrammite fished on a float rig maybe 1-2 feet off the bottom in 30-ft of water. I did not even know what I caught at the time, but fortunately Stephanie got this picture before it was eaten to the bone that night! I was using 6-lb. test and it took me forever to coax this fish up... It got wrapped around the anchor line, then unwrapped itself and tailwalked to the boat (a dinky 14 rowboat at the time). This fish is still a personal best LLS.



Moral of the story -- I went bass fishing and became a salmonid hunter. Sort of hard to be satisfied with smallies when a beautiful salmon shows up like this to spoil bass fishing forever. My thanks to Alan Nute and my father in law, Jim McGroddy, who lives (seasonally) on Meredith Neck and allows me to fish out of there once in a while.

A thought after all of this -- has anyone (Alan?) thought of or tried a helgrammite type lure or a fly imitation of same? Sounds weird, but the salmon do like them...

Nice pictures.

I find your comments about bass interesting. My sons grew up on one of the premiere landlocked salmon and brook trout lakes in Maine. They had 5 pound + brookies and 8+ salmon under their belts by the time they were 5. Now they are 13 and 15 and HATE salmon and trout fishing. If I mention smallmouth bass fishing they won't sleep the night before we go. They love it.

Jay - not that I hate smallies by any means -- they can be a lot of fun. They fight like crazy. I just like to eat the salmon and smoke the togue. I like the bass too, just hard to beat salmon or brookies at the dinner table.

I've had some banner smallie days on Winni. Lots of aerobics.

Best (or worst) thing about Smallies is when you think yoiu have a HUGE Salmon or Laker on and it ends up a 3.5 to 4 pound Smallie from 40 feet. Put one of those guys on 6 or 7 colors of lead and it really feels like a HUGE fish. Happened to me Monday and maybe a month ago when I thought I lost the biggest Salmon of the year, never saw it before it got off, now, after Monday, I wonder ????????

John S.

I wasn't implying that you didn't like bass just a different prespective. Fresh brookies on the table are pretty hard to beat but then again so is white perch.

My sons grew up not having access to smallmouths and know salmon/trout pretty well. Now that they have bass fished more often they think trolling is for the birds. Can't get them out of bed for a morning of salmon fishing, can't keep them in bed if I mention smallmouths.

Jay - I guess its an age begets patience kind of thing. I know when I was a kid I would have thought slow trolling around and around and around again would be BORING. I think for kids and some adults too they just like to be active -- casting and retrieving etc. is what they consider fishing. When I first tried trolling on Winni years ago (before my more recent awakening) I got nothing, no hits, just frustration and a taste of many a cigarette boat's wake. I really did not have the boat for it and had these crummy cheapo manual riggers that were a real pain. Now that I've got a new boat, new riggers and all the gear and after getting a small taste of success, I love trolling and tinkering with all the gear and electronics. I'm sure I'll get back into bass fishing...someday!

Gentlemen,

Be happy they want to go fishing, hunting, shooting at all. My three boys still think it's "cool" to get up at 3:30am to go salmon or striper fishing. As a Hunter Ed Instructor I see way too many youth's being forced from peer pressure and too few that actually have the desire.

Dean

AMEN, brothers

Dean

You deer hunted with my boys this past November here in northern Maine and I have fished with your boys both on Square and Winni. We are truly blessed . Plus they catch big fish.

Wanna talk boring????? When i was a kid i used to go up the the 1st Conn Lake with my Grandfather at least 4 full weeks out of the summer and he used to fish strictly off of the bottom with shiner's and sucker's for Lake trout, Now that can be a very boring 8-9hours but i'll tell ya what I loved every minute of it and would give just about anything to be able to go fishing with my Grand Dad One more time!!!!!!!! Thank God I've got a Great Best Friend and all kinds of new best friends that i have met through this board that have taken me out fishing with them,, every time i go with one of you it always reminds me of my childhood and how much i may have just taken that Awesome Quality time for Granted. Enjoy it while you can cause you never know what lies around the next corner!!!!!!!! Take Care God Bless and Tight Lines LOL Dave From up North

Dave....You just described what it is all about!!!
It not the numbers or the biggest fish...but the experience! It was my grandparents that got me hooked on fishing and the outdoors! That is what is great about this site as you can see that same spirit in most posts!

Hey Still fishin I'll be around tomorrow evening if you still want to talk about the moose stuff???????? I seemed to have misplaced your number and the message you left on the answering machine my Significant other accidentally erased it UGHHHHHHHHH Can't say too much though as she's been real good at letting me go fishing quite often over the summer LOL Take Care God Bless and Tight Lines LOL DAve From up NOrth