New fishing vessel

[Guest]

Hello Everyone,

I thought I would introduce myself here since I am more of a fisherman than a paddler. I have grown very fond of canoes the past few years though. I've had several sit on top kayaks and though they have their place, I prefer a canoe.

After spending most of the winter reading and reading everything I could find about a new solo canoe I finally decided to take a drive to NY and have a look at a few. I came home with a Wenonah Wilderness in Tuf-Weave.

I've had it out 3 times now (twice fishing) and I'm very pleased with my choice. So far I've landed some nice pickerel in it.

 

[Robin]

Welcome. Nice looking canoe, I had a Wenonah Argosy and I enjoyed fishing out of it.

What's the lure? I use Rapala floaters when on the move, mostly trolling, but I like Rapala Countdowns in the evenings with an empty canoe, no worry if you snag when empty and just casting towards shore.

 

[Guest]

Welcome Dark Waters, I love your boat. I also love your catch. I skipped my high school grad to go north with my high school sweetheart. There we had our first, and only, freshly caught pickerel shoreside dinner. She's now my wife, and my paddling partner, but we have never fished for another pickerel! Fishers like you could give us pointers how we can close this circle, and get back to the future. I long for that feeling of a shoreside fry up with my sweetheart. Any advice, anytime, would be greatly respected and appreciated. Brad

 

[Guest]

Thanks!

I've really been enjoying the canoe. Had it out on Saturday for a bit and got a few more pickerel and a couple bass. I usually fly fish but for some reason it's rekindled my old passion of lure fishing lately.

The lure is a No. 7 original rapala floater. I don't recall the name of the color. I've had that one for a few years and that was the first time I've ever caught fish on it. I had not used it much either. I usually prefer the regular silver/black or yellow perch.

I've tried pickerel once, and except for the bones it actually wasn't bad. (this coming from someone that doesn't even like to eat fish?!) Living near the Pine Barrens in NJ it's hard not to catch them. They are generally easier to catch in the spring and fall when the water is cooler. Just fish the edges of weeds, etc. as they like to hide out and ambush their prey. They will hit a variety of lures. When it really gets hot I catch far fewer of them and find the larger ones in deeper (cooler) water.

In the early summer I will texas rig a plastic worm and work it through the lillly pads and slop. They go crazy for them, as well as the bass. The only other thing I do different for them is to tie in about an 18" piece of strong 20lb mono which i will tie in with a double surgeons knot to my main running line. In this case the running line is 6lb mono. It doesn't need to be that long but the extra allows for lure changes and reties without having to do the double surgeon every time.

When all else fails they will fall for a minnow under a bobber every time.

I always wanted to catch a northern pike, which we don't have down here but there are some bodies of water that hold them that are not that far away. I might try for some of them soon.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Dark Waters, it's been really helpful. My eldest son must have (finally!) heard me daydreaming out loud this year, cause he gave me a spinning rod & reel & lures for Christmas. I've been reading blogs and watching videos for fishing lessons. I'll check if I have a No 7 Rapala, no sense taking any chances. I read somewhere that a steel leader isn't recommended for trout or pickerel. I was laying awake in bed last night wondering "how do I easily change lures without one?" Your 20lb mono leader solves that for me, thanks.
BTW, saying"...tried pickerel once...wasn't bad" is sacrilege north of the 49th. (just kidding)
I've taken all the advice on board D Waters and Robin, thanks. Just waiting for ice out.
BTW your W Wilderness looks like a sportscar convertible. A beauty.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I am not a fisherperson, but chain pickerel is not what you find in cold waters of Canada; I think they don't go north of 46. So you guys are probably discussing two different fish.

I know a pickerel called walleye. I have caught that and find it delicious. You won't find it in NJ, I think.

 

[Guest]

Yes indeed, I'm referring to the Pickerel/Walleye. Just so I can keep way ahead of myself (no pressure), I'm now looking at recipes. Butter in a hot pan does it for me. Never eaten Bass, and Northerns I find a little boney. I'd be happy just to catch something first. Until then, the butter stays in the food barrel.

 

[Guest]

Ah, The fish in the picture is a chain pickerel, (just a small cousin of the northern pike) not a walleye. It's not a good angle of the fish. We do have some walleye down here but they are not native to the area. I've caught a few as by catch while fishing for bass.

Little better angle:

I've gotten walleye on the same type of rapala in a feeder creek in the Susquehanna River in PA. You can pretty much throw out the rest of what I said when fishing for walleye.

 

[Guest]

It's still a nice boat, still a nice fish; and seeing as I'm the one who has to catch it - clean it - and cook it - my wife might have to take what she can get.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Brad. I would love to fish Canada some day. I grew up reading "In-Fisherman" magazine as a young angler and always wanted to chase those North Woods fish they would write about. One of these days..

 

[Guest]

I'm trying fishing a little late in life, but I never heard any starter's pistol, soooo...As a kid, all my uncles fished. My parents were city folks, and moved to the country to start a family. We'd go north to a place called Temagami every summer for a week, where my 3 brothers and I (no sisters) ambled around the small northern town and lake. Once, my uncle Archie took me out fishing. We motored out predawn, and sat for years in a quiet bay. Gosh, was I bored. I also tried to sit on a dock with my uncle Joe. He didn't talk much, and I didn't listen much, so we got swell. But gosh, was I really bored. It's only lately that I've connected a calm and introspective attitude with fishing. It looks like something I'd like to "tune out, and tune into". The lakeside meal would be a nice final quiet touch to a relaxing escape. That's my plan anyway. I no longer get bored sitting by a northern lake, so we'll see how it goes. Maybe it just took me 45 years to find what my uncles were looking for.

 

[yellowcanoe]

O gosh I love Temagami. But for different reasons. It means I can fall on sharp rocks and wreck my canoe. There were descriptions written of paddling through the cut between Diamond and Lady Evelyn. Nothing amiss was mentioned. It seems there is a little waterfall. Merlin II after. Duct tape got me back.

Like you I grew up in a city environment. Westchester suburbs of NYC. When my dad died and I inherited the house, I could NOT wait to sell it and get outta there. Now that I am retired and get to live where I want (its not fancy); the location better fits my psyche. We sold our house in Connecticut in 2001 and retired lakeside in Maine for half the price.( we have daughters and grandkids in CT and while we love em, our britches are knotted on I-95 every time) We were supposed to downsize..funny with the boat barn and workshop.. the living space might be the same . The hobby space(boats, workshop) is almost as big as the house!

I think sometimes it takes an opportunity of introspection and the offering of quiet to find out what we really need for ourselves. In the workaday world I think we are often operating for other's needs.

 

[Guest]

I've been living dangerously, cause I always forget the duct tape. Sorry about your sweet Merlin. Looks like it had Goldweave or some other skin? I've avoided routes with waterfalls and rapids, cause I imagine tragic Niagara Falls barrel type rides.
We're a few years from retirement, but we started slowing down as a means of smelling more roses long ago. I'm not sure about working to live, or living to work; we just try to squeeze an appreciation for life all day, every day. Dark Water's pics appealed to me, cause they epitomize what I imagine fishing might be for me. No testosterone, no competition, just a calm silly daydreamy smile on my face; unless I return to the campsite empty handed. Oh oh, beans again. Serenity now.