Hello all,
The best time of the year!
BASS OPENER!
I just can't get over the excitement the evening before. Setting up rods, sharpening overly sharp hooks, checking knots, then finally, settling down with my father and my closest friends for a pre opener camp fire. The first night is always the shortest. Alarms will be going off at 4:15am....we will be heading on the lake before first light. This is the way it has been, and the way it always will be.
Nothing beats it for the Schmelzle family.
I have memories going back to as early as I can remember, fishing with Dad on opener. It started on Northern Portage Lakes, where Pike were the main game. But we always reserved time opener morning for bass. Then we focused more on bass than pike, playing opener at many different venue's....quinte, dog lake, paudash, jacks, waterford, hamilton harbour....
Alarm's went off early, as planned, and 6 of us were up immediately. 2 boats, 6 anglers, all looking for the famed 7lbs bass. We surpassed 6lbs last year (well, George did), so that was the mark to beat.
Weather was bad ... it is always bad up there! We had 7 days of fishing. 2 days were downpour rain, and 2 days had 50+km winds ... but we did get 3 days of PERFECT bass fishing....and one of those was opener....
So we can't complain!
Senko's always do well... but I've moved away from them, primarily focusing on Paca Craws and Flippin Tubes. Both seem to take tons of fish, but the Paca's seem to love pike...the Flippin Tubes keep the pike away. Numbers weren't up as much as the past, with only 15 or so bass being caught by Dad, myself, and my bud Brian per day. However, the size was the best we have found yet.
Didn't take a ton of photo's this trip. I find myself paying more attention to the nature around me than my camera. However, I did find the time to snap some shots of Sunrises, Sunsets, and Structure....we all love this stuff - not to mention a few fish.
Bass Opener Sunrise. Anticipation THROUGH THE ROOF!
A few more rises, sets, and structure.
So much green growth...The cane beds will make a 2lbs bass destory your heaviest tackle...a couple wraps and 100lbs braid won't bring one in.... and of course, dad does it all with a spinning rod. He's the man!
[img]When the winds kept us off the water, dad took care of fire duty. He LOVES building fires. I think almost as much as the bass fishing!
Taken from just out from our dock - at night.
Of course some largies were caught. We didn't play with any smallies this trip. That can be done in Erie, Simcoe, or Ontario.
Here's a new hold I coined "The NRX Hold"
Back to the shop goes another NRX.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed.
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