4/6/2016

Rule #57:  Always unlace your shoes/boots when fishing from a boat. 
Rule #57A:  . . . and, no, being barefoot while fishing from a boat is never a good idea.


So, to remind you of what the wizards in charge of the Solunar Tables and our weather forecasting had to say about Wednesday:

WEDNESDAY PROJECTIONS--Either White River or Bird Pond.

Solunar  107P--307P, "Major," "Better" Period

Weather  During Major Period

Air Temperature:  55 -- 57 degrees
Wind:  27 MPH from S -- 30 MPH from SSW
Air Pressure:  29.68--29.62, falling
Cloud Cover:  88% -- 100%

Other Observations:  

• There's a row of large forsythia at the top of the hill before turning left off of 700 that were in FULL bloom.
• There were no clear signs of nesting, nor did I see any fish . . . at all!
• I fished from 1:30--3:15, basically covering the Solunar "best" period, and kept my a line in the whole time--but aside from one 'gill bite, nothing.   I wonder if this means that local weather trumps solar and lunar positioning?  Sure felt like it.

Admittedly, I checked the "projections" only 10 hours before going fishing, so things could have changed (!!!!)  I got out to Bird's Pond, and the wind was blowing so much harder than 30 MPH, that it almost--literally--knocked me from my feet twice.  Trying to cast into the wind was almost impossible; at best I could get 15-20 feet out.  Now, with the wind behind me, I could cast the lightest lure nearly across the pond.

I screwed up and didn't bring my water thermometer today.  I did walk into the water, wearing my rubber boots and waders (which fit better than I could have expected!), and my boots got immediately cold, through boot, wader, and insulated sock.  That and the absence of visible nesting activity leads me to think that the water temperature hasn't gone much above 60 degrees, if that high.  Certainly, the Fisher Ponds--which are much more sheltered--are warmer, and the fish are more active.  

The Bird Pond is just SO exposed.  There aren't any trees south, east, or west of the pond.  The only cover is 1/4 mile away in the form of a border of woods along the White River north of the site.  There are low hills on the NW and ESE sides of the pond, but walking around the pond several times today, I can't attest for their ability to break anything LIKE a wind or even a slight breeze!

Because the wind was so steadily from the south, I tried to focus on the northern banks against which, baitfish, etc. should have been driven.  And the only bite I got was on a Kelley's Pier Boy, Purple Fire-Tail.  The bite was about 10 feet from the bank, and felt like a blue-gill.

The pond is flooded, so there's about 1-2 feet of standing water BEHIND the cattails.  The muddy condition of the water kept me from wading out more that a couple of feet, I just couldn't see where the drop-offs were.  I'll try this again sometime when I'm not there alone. The bottom in the shallow ends, by the cattails, appears to be largely clay/mud, which makes me wonder where the fish will spawn.

Tomorrow, I'll try the Fisher Ponds.