2020 a year in review ...

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uljersey
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2020 a year in review ...

Post by uljersey » Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:37 pm

2020 was an epic turd of a year for obvious reasons, but did my fishing have to suffer too ?? :crying:

Overall a mediocre year on the fishing front. To top it off one of my favorite waters has been shut down for a long overdue dredging project projected to go on for at least two years. It needs it badly, it should be a much improved fishery once the project is complete and the fish adapt.

I did catch fish, but after having a pretty good run and somewhat spoiled over the last several seasons, I guess I was due for a downturn. I'm likely gonna emphasize ultralight pretty much the last couple of months, it's what I've done in the past when other methods/techniques have dried up on me.

What say you ? How was your fishing year overall ?

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by hoohoorjoo » Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:44 pm

Mine was slow. I didnt get a lmb over 5#. I usually get at least one over 8#, so its been a disappointment. Of course, I havent fished nearly as much as normal!
Try not to let your mind wander. It is much too small to be outside unsupervised.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Mon Oct 19, 2020 7:22 pm

I did very good with bluegill. I really took the time to figure them out. I ended up catching 6 Michigan Master Angler bluegill and 1 Master Angler Pumpkinseed. Countless others around 9.5in.

As far as bass...didnt really fish them. Got on a good buzzbait bite in the spring and that was the end for me.

I also got better at catching trout from lakes, usually coming as a by-catch from my bluegill fishing.

Overall...not too bad of a year for me.
IG @hobie_wan_kenobi_fishing

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by Dalleinf » Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:45 am

In many ways a strange year.

A whole lot of extra work since February with even more weight on work in my work-life (ie fishing) balance since August.

Thus, not enough time to fish in 2020.

Still, my fishing “lucky star” shone bright in spring when three short outings gave me 2 large sea run brown trout (one PB of 75 cm, 4-5 kg) and 1 atlantic salmon (91 cm, close to 8 kg).
This summer and early autumn, luck and experience has given me almost 100 sea run brown trout in the 40 to 60 cm size range. Some outings gave me more than 10 trout, which is a high number...

I also caught my first couple of seabass this year using BFS tackle from my Jackson Big Rig.

I have done very little pike and perch fishing, which I love to do.

Overall, I cannot complain.

I have little hope that my workload will lessen in 2021 - I hope my luck will not lessen either.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by toddmc » Fri Oct 23, 2020 9:34 pm

It was definitely a funky year for me too. They closed my home lake in the middle of the spring when I do the most damage. Everything seemed like it was on hold. So, I just hopped on my bikes early in the shutdown and put on the miles rather than fish. Eventually, I had to cross state lines to Lake Havasu when I wasn't supposed to just to get a line wet. I didn't even know if the Clear Lake motel that I frequent (or any lodging) was going to be open for my annual summer trip until the last moment. I drove the 11.5 hours expecting to find a closed motel and lake. I have to wear a mask at all times on Diamond Valley Lake. I have been wearing a sun mask since the early days, but it is strange to see it be mandatory at all times.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by toddmc » Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:26 am

It was only fitting to go fishing on a Friday the 13th night in a year like 2020! :D My day really did start like a horror movie because teaching during the distance learning age is unbelievably horrific. I was a little reluctant to risk death by leaving the house at night because I was fishing gin clear water with no wind, which made me think that it may not be worth the risk. Fortunately, last week's cold weather broke up plenty of the heavy summer grass and left the fish heavily feeding on the bait that no longer has a hideout. The golf course fishing gets stupid good after the first long cold spell in the fall. It was a massacre that Jason could appreciate! None were big enough for a picture, but lots of November butterballs pulling hard. I hope that your Friday the 13th ended well also!!!

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by njbasscat » Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:28 pm

Fall fishing in southern NJ has been terrible. My go to lake is drawn down for repairs to the spillway and I can't get the boat in. All the other lakes I've been fishing this fall never had a hot bite. The fish never schooled up and put on the feed bags. It was one here, one there, with no real pattern. I fished in Maine a few weeks this summer and had some great days on the water there which really made my year.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by uljersey » Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:41 pm

njbasscat wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:28 pm
Fall fishing in southern NJ has been terrible. My go to lake is drawn down for repairs to the spillway and I can't get the boat in. All the other lakes I've been fishing this fall never had a hot bite. The fish never schooled up and put on the feed bags. It was one here, one there, with no real pattern. I fished in Maine a few weeks this summer and had some great days on the water there which really made my year.
I'm South Jersey as well. What lake are you referring to ? Newton in Collingswood is one of my favorites and it'll be out of the rotation for about 2 years for a long overdue dredging project. The parking lot where the boat ramp is has been fenced off and is ground zero for the project. Hammonton Lake has been drawn down as well.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by slipperybob » Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:54 am

Fishing was terrible as in political terrible. There was covid and then riots/protesting. Then more covid and then election. So my fishing was miniscule.

On the other hand, I ended up spending mulah on gear. I got a great deal on close out on Curada 70's bought another Bantam MGL. Found some discount St. Croix Legend Elite rods.

Ice fishing is just around the corner and I don't expect to see riots/protesters to come out onto the ice. If you've got covid, then I'm staying inside my shelter. Wait that's normal. So I did also spend some mulah on gear too. Brand new Eskimo Outbreak 250XD with the "they finally got it right fabric" well it looks better. None of that thermal stitching/welding quilt that are nothing more than pinholes in the fabric. Then after a home set up of shelter in the backyard only to see that the pockets for the pole are sewn in probably half an inch short, so the shelter poles are bowing in deformity. They should be straight after full deployment but hoping that the fabric will stretch after use to accommodate it. If not, it's gonna be a pain to realign by stripping and stitching it back. All ready the zipper teeth are already misaligned every two inches and that's on the straight path. Meaning amateur sew job.
slip bobbing is the laziest way to fish

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by njbasscat » Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:48 am

uljersey wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:41 pm
njbasscat wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:28 pm
Fall fishing in southern NJ has been terrible. My go to lake is drawn down for repairs to the spillway and I can't get the boat in. All the other lakes I've been fishing this fall never had a hot bite. The fish never schooled up and put on the feed bags. It was one here, one there, with no real pattern. I fished in Maine a few weeks this summer and had some great days on the water there which really made my year.
I'm South Jersey as well. What lake are you referring to ? Newton in Collingswood is one of my favorites and it'll be out of the rotation for about 2 years for a long overdue dredging project. The parking lot where the boat ramp is has been fenced off and is ground zero for the project. Hammonton Lake has been drawn down as well.
Rising Sun and Stone Tavern are drawn down. I'm 20 minutes from Hammonton Lake and fish it often. I noticed a couple weeks ago that it was a foot lower than normal. Are they drawing it down for repair to the dam?

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by uljersey » Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:30 pm

njbasscat wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:48 am
uljersey wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:41 pm
njbasscat wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:28 pm
Fall fishing in southern NJ has been terrible. My go to lake is drawn down for repairs to the spillway and I can't get the boat in. All the other lakes I've been fishing this fall never had a hot bite. The fish never schooled up and put on the feed bags. It was one here, one there, with no real pattern. I fished in Maine a few weeks this summer and had some great days on the water there which really made my year.
I'm South Jersey as well. What lake are you referring to ? Newton in Collingswood is one of my favorites and it'll be out of the rotation for about 2 years for a long overdue dredging project. The parking lot where the boat ramp is has been fenced off and is ground zero for the project. Hammonton Lake has been drawn down as well.
Rising Sun and Stone Tavern are drawn down. I'm 20 minutes from Hammonton Lake and fish it often. I noticed a couple weeks ago that it was a foot lower than normal. Are they drawing it down for repair to the dam?
Hammonton gets drawn down nearly every winter as far back as I can remember, at least 10+ years. Last winter it didn't for some reason. I'm not sure of the reason for the annual drawdown though. Hammonton is my go to lake for variety, it really shines as a place to give your ultralight gear a workout. I looked forward to getting a few fall fishing trips in before the drawdown but got busy and the window shut on me. Won't open again until trout opener in April.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by njbasscat » Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:59 pm

uljersey wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:30 pm
njbasscat wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:48 am
uljersey wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:41 pm
njbasscat wrote:
Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:28 pm
Fall fishing in southern NJ has been terrible. My go to lake is drawn down for repairs to the spillway and I can't get the boat in. All the other lakes I've been fishing this fall never had a hot bite. The fish never schooled up and put on the feed bags. It was one here, one there, with no real pattern. I fished in Maine a few weeks this summer and had some great days on the water there which really made my year.
I'm South Jersey as well. What lake are you referring to ? Newton in Collingswood is one of my favorites and it'll be out of the rotation for about 2 years for a long overdue dredging project. The parking lot where the boat ramp is has been fenced off and is ground zero for the project. Hammonton Lake has been drawn down as well.
Rising Sun and Stone Tavern are drawn down. I'm 20 minutes from Hammonton Lake and fish it often. I noticed a couple weeks ago that it was a foot lower than normal. Are they drawing it down for repair to the dam?
Hammonton gets drawn down nearly every winter as far back as I can remember, at least 10+ years. Last winter it didn't for some reason. I'm not sure of the reason for the annual drawdown though. Hammonton is my go to lake for variety, it really shines as a place to give your ultralight gear a workout. I looked forward to getting a few fall fishing trips in before the drawdown but got busy and the window shut on me. Won't open again until trout opener in April.
Ran by there yesterday. Yup, can't launch due to drawdown. Wound up fishing Parvin. Caught some decent pickeral and crappies. Could not find a bass. The park ranger yelled at me for smoking a cigar and reminded me why I don't fish there.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by jvelth74 » Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:29 pm

There was limitations of travelling in the Spring, but it wasn't that bad. People inside Uusimaa had to fish inside Uusimaa and people outside Uusimaa had to fish outside Uusimaa. Uusimaa lockdown worked well and also mirgation in some skiing centres wasn't that bad. Summer was fishing in the nearhood despite the Corona or not, but it was good. Me and my brother catched our record perches and also found that BFS fishing from boat is really enjoyable. Also seatrout fishing in the beginning of Autumn started nicely. Now it seems winter is coming. It's possibly that we are not going to boating in this year. But I'm trying to fish in open waters year a round. I don't appreciate ice fishing. But I try to go ice fishing once in a year. And then I'll remember that ice fishing was boring. I could understand ice fishing, but only if there would be ice fishing cottage (and opportunity to be overnight). Otherless I try to fish open waters during all the year, and now I wait the spring. Now restrictions, because of corona, has risen again. Our government tries to save family Christmas, or at least part of it.

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by Gone Phishin » Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:59 pm

jvelth74 wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:29 pm
There was limitations of travelling in the Spring, but it wasn't that bad. People inside Uusimaa had to fish inside Uusimaa and people outside Uusimaa had to fish outside Uusimaa. Uusimaa lockdown worked well and also mirgation in some skiing centres wasn't that bad. Summer was fishing in the nearhood despite the Corona or not, but it was good. Me and my brother catched our record perches and also found that BFS fishing from boat is really enjoyable. Also seatrout fishing in the beginning of Autumn started nicely. Now it seems winter is coming. It's possibly that we are not going to boating in this year. But I'm trying to fish in open waters year a round. I don't appreciate ice fishing. But I try to go ice fishing once in a year. And then I'll remember that ice fishing was boring. I could understand ice fishing, but only if there would be ice fishing cottage (and opportunity to be overnight). Otherless I try to fish open waters during all the year, and now I wait the spring. Now restrictions, because of corona, has risen again. Our government tries to save family Christmas, or at least part of it.
Congrats on your record perch! A few nips of cognac or brandy will help a little bit on the ice. :lol:

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Re: 2020 a year in review ...

Post by jvelth74 » Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:40 am

^ I agree :-) Burbot fishing:
https://www.google.com/search?q=burbot& ... 76&bih=859
in the dark, some fires on ice, good company, maybe some wind protection, and hot rum-cocoa, that's great.

But still it's needed fishing hut for overnight or expensive taxi..

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