27.12.10
20.12.10
19.12.10
THE FISHERMAN
It's great and well worth repeating.
It's why I fish.
I fish because I like it.
Listen closely...I did, and I can appreciate it's meaning.
Whether your a fly guy or drag steel like myself, it applies.
"Keeps me honest...
the pursuit of a beautiful quarry.
...he eats or not.
Simple
Trying to make him eat is the challenge, literally to fool him...
He is at advantage even with his pea brain--as he is in his world...
It's not always exciting, doesn't have to be.
But it's never boring.
I fish because I like it.
It pleases me.
I've learned that the best fisherman in the world can't catch 'em if they ain't biting."
Fish on, Fish H8 me.
Raz
THE FISHERMAN
SUNDAY FUNNIES
Fish on, Fish H8 Me
Raz
SUNDAY FUNNIES
16.12.10
12.12.10
THE ICE IS NEAR
It's time to check out the gear, clean it, refresh the line, fire the heaters. Open the portable shanties to air out and get inspected.
It won't be long now...
Here's a highlight from last year when My Grandson Justin and I tagged teamed a nice lake trout on four pound test Berkley Fireline while jigging for yellow perch on Lake Champlain!
Yup...
The ice is near!
Oh, and one of Lake Champlains favorite ice fishing lures...
The Swedish Pimple
click to watch video
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
THE ICE IS NEAR
4.12.10
2010 OPEN WATER FISHING GOES OUT WITH A BANG...
Yesterday, my open water season ended with a bang, it ended on a very positive note. I had arrived at work feeling poorly, so I excused myself mid-morning to get in some therapy and relaxation by fishing Lake Champlain.
The air temperature was a very tolerable 35° F and the water was flat when I launched the boat just before the noon hour on the "Inland Sea" portion of the lake. I motored out a few hundred yards and set up a line on a down-rigger for Landlocked Atlantic Salmon. I put the rod in the holder and it fired...fish on!
For he next 10 minutes or so, one rod was all I could handle. I had fish after fish on the first set up while trying to set up another down-rigger. I had four fish in the boat and released before I was able to get the other side of the boat set up.
I knew this was going to be a blast. Steering, fighting fish, solo in the boat, and busy as all heck!
Honeybee's by Tamiron Sporting Goods dressed in orange were the hot ticket for the day.
I concentrated on an area known as the "Cowbanks", where I couldn't keep the Honeybee's in the water. Amazing action, fish after fish after fish. Granted, these weren't the big fish that are returning to open water after spawning that I was hoping for, but legal sized and full of energy...what a blast.
I fished for a total of two hours and forty-five minutes and landed 16 of the 18 fish I had on. All but one were Landlocked Atlantic Salmon. The one that wasn't a salmon was a very pretty, deeply colored Brown Trout, that thought it was a salmon when it made a beautiful jump and waved good-bye at the same time. Easy come, easy go.
I ended up keeping two fish for the freezer that had gotten their mouths tore up pretty badly, fighting for their lives. Their fight wasn't in vain, they'll be delicious when served and provide nourishment at the top of the food chain.
2010 OPEN WATER FISHING GOES OUT WITH A BANG...
27.11.10
FROSTBITE FISHIN'
Sunday I was joined by my lovely wife Cathy. We waited until the air temperature rose to the freezing mark of 32° F before heading out.
Cathy's bundled up, doing all the driving while trolling Lake Champlain. |
We fished three and a half hours and hooked up over twenty times, all Landlocked Atlantic Salmon "clones" in the 15 to 17 inch range.
These fish were absolutly ravenous, it was nonstop action on all four trolling set ups.
We had two rods on down-riggers, one lead-core line out, and one line out set up with a Slide Diver Lite Bite. I started out the trip fishing with Honeybees, and never changed lures. Why change something that is so hot, you can't keep them in the water?
What a riot.
Soooo many fish, soooo little time!
Starboard side poised for action. |
Tuesday, Rob calls me and asks if I'm in for a trip on Thanksgiving Day, in the morning. "Early on, early off" he explains.
"Heck yeah, I'm in!"
We managed to get two other guys, Mark and Henry to join us.
We all met at Rob's house, piled our gear in his boat and headed out. We hit the water at about 6 a.m. just before sunrise at a balmy 20° F with a slight chop on the water.
Again, we managed about a three and a half hour trip, lead-core lines freezing up, and balls of ice on our rod tips, determined to catch fish and have fun doing it!
We found the Landlocks hovering around the baitfish just as I had found them on Sunday. Unfortunately the fish weren't near as active as they were on Sunday but we picked at them and enjoyed our Lake Champlain and the company of each other.
Mark at sun-rise, setting lines. |
We managed to boat 10 Landlocked Salmon and two or three small Brown Trout.
"A great way to spend a Holiday morning on the water with friends!"
As I write this and look out the window, it's snowing and 32°F. I wish I were on the water; there's something special about trolling through the snow flakes.
If your in the cold north country and venture out onto open water, be safe and be prepared.
Have fun and catch fish!
Frostbite season is here!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
FROSTBITE FISHIN'
20.11.10
Minnesota Muskie Jumps in Canoe...
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
Minnesota Muskie Jumps in Canoe...
16.11.10
ICE FISHING LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Many of you aren't familiar with my home waters of Lake Champlain.
Here's in interesting article I came across about ice fishing on my favorite lake.
Yes...it's still to early for ice and there's a few more weeks of open water fishing, but it's good to look forward to!
Fish here to read more!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
ICE FISHING LAKE CHAMPLAIN
14.11.10
BETTER THAN WATCHING SQUIRRELS
Since I gave up hunting several years ago, I decided to drag some steel on Lake Champlain in hopes of picking up some Landlocked Atlantic Salmon, Steel-head, and Brown Trout.
As I trolled by Jon, he shot this picture of me...Thanks Jon!
What a beautiful day on the lake. Virtually no winds, very slight chop, and temps that got up into the 40's! (It was 27° F when I left the house shortly after day-break.)
I didn't set the world on-fire but enjoyed fishing on the lake. I ended the day with a half dozen "clone" Landlocked Salmon and a few Lake Trout. I kept two of the clones to enjoy on the grill, and found plenty of help cleaning them from two of our Grand-daughters when I got home.
Haley is showing off two of the twenty small alewife's we found in the stomach contents of one of the fish! |
Makayla, proudly displaying one of G-Pa's catches! |
Thanks for the help girls!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
BETTER THAN WATCHING SQUIRRELS
BEAVER TRAIL ON BRISTOL POND
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
BEAVER TRAIL ON BRISTOL POND
13.11.10
PETA IS GOING TO FREAK OUT!
Need I say more?
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
PETA IS GOING TO FREAK OUT!
11.11.10
ADVENTURERS...OR SOMETHING ELSE?
Fish here to read the in-depth article at The Burlington Free Press.
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
ADVENTURERS...OR SOMETHING ELSE?
SLIDE DIVER LITE BITE CHART
It seems a large number of folks land on Fish H8 Me searching for a chart for the Slide Diver Lite Bite.
I suggest visiting the Slide Diver Web site located at http://www.slidediver.com/ where you can view the chart and also order a nice laminated waterproof copy to carry aboard your boat.
Fish here!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
SLIDE DIVER LITE BITE CHART
7.11.10
FROSTBITE FLEET SALMON SHOOTOUT 2010
Ron Winter of Essex Junction Vermont with a dandy 23 inch Landlocked weighing in at 5.11 pounds.
Congratulations Ron!
Ron caught the winning fish on one of Champlain's hottest lures, a Honeybee from Tamiron Sporting Goods.
The second annual Frostbite Fleet Salmon Shootout was an absolute riot. A fun FREE event with a Bar-B-Que at the end to wrap up the day.
It's tough to find the big fish in open water at this time of the year on Lake Champlain, but three dandy, leaping, bright silver, powerhouse, Lake Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon made it to the weigh station after the five and a half hour event.
Second place in the event went to a new comer, Bill Snell of New Haven Vermont with a 4.14 pound landlocked. Congratulations Bill!
Lucky for me, I was able to get a decent fish in the box and headed for the weigh-in scheduled for 1 PM.
A beautiful football shaped 4.12 pound salmon hit my line about 45 minutes before time to "quit". Ben of Dockside Outdoors was on-board with me and netted the beast. We whooped and hollered and headed in once the fish was safely boxed. Thanks Ben!
The fish was good for a third place finish. The trophy won't set on my mantle this year, but the memories of a fun filled event with a great bunch of fisherman will last the rest of my lifetime!
364 days to go untill the next Frostbite Salmon Shootout and I can hardly wait.
Until then, I'll keep at it, often solo, enjoying the jewel we call Lake Champlain and it's wonderful fishery!
Tight lines to all!
Fish on, fish H8me.
Raz
FROSTBITE FLEET SALMON SHOOTOUT 2010
5.11.10
EPA Denies Petition To Ban Lead
I can keep my lead-core line and heavy down-rigger weights!
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/chemtest/pubs/petitions.html
EPA Denies Petition To Ban Lead
FAILED: SUBMERSIBLE CAPSULE
This is the second time in 7 years. Really not bad but I'm thinking on switching over to LED trailer lights!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
FAILED: SUBMERSIBLE CAPSULE
30.10.10
CRANBROOK DEER
A protective mother deer gets ugly.
"WARNING: this can be hard to watch—...a dangerous situation when mom gets protective. Starts cute, ends scary."
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
CRANBROOK DEER
26.10.10
ALBINO MOOSE KILLED IN VERMONT
"The moose weighed in at 744 pounds. The hunters reportedly did not want to be identified." |
Fish here to read and see more pictures.
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
ALBINO MOOSE KILLED IN VERMONT
24.10.10
LAKE CHAMPLAIN FISHING... DOG-GONE (ALMOST)
What a beautiful fall day to be out on the water. Lake Champlain was fore-casted to have up to three foot waves but I found a totally different scene when I arrived. Granted I didn't get on the water untill just after the noon hour, and the folks coming off the water said the fishing was hot...untill the wind died down and the lake flattened out.
Well, they were right. No problem with rough water and the fish were inactive. Landlocked Salmon, Brown Trout, and Steel-head are all present but laughing at my spoons as I washed them behind the boat. I tried every tactic I could think of and every color in the rainbow...including the rainbow!!!
I saved the day by managing to net two Lake Trout that were on the smaller side, but they brought a smile to my face just the same.
Released to be caught again another day, to bring a smile to another anglers face.
Then my phone rang...
My wife was at the Mall in South Burlington when she heard the description of her SUV with her license plate number come over the intercom.
It seems that some scumbag broke into her vehicle to steal our wonderful family pet. CoKo Pug.
Scared but uninjured, CoKo was still in the SUV. The rear hatch broken open, shards of glass everywhere...
Now...
I'm fishing for a different species. I'm fishing for the guilty party.
Guilty beware!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
LAKE CHAMPLAIN FISHING... DOG-GONE (ALMOST)
14.10.10
DOUBLE DIGITS, SMALLER FISH
We launched out of Converse Bay in search of salmon activity and found it right away.
When we launched, we immediately headed over to Whallons Bay to get out of the wind to set up. I hadn't even got all our lines in the water when the first fish hit...
A dandy leaping silver Landlocked Atlantic Salmon.
The bigger mature fish are difficult to find in the lake right now as most of them are spawning in the rivers.
But...that doesn't mean there aren't any Landlocks to have fun with. The fish that were stocked in the early spring, have been eating well and enjoying life in Lake Champlain. These fish are now of legal size for the most part, most of them being between 16 and 17 inches, fat like footballs, and full of energy!
Four of the 12 fish we netted came home for the table.
I'm thinking the nice thin fillets will be absolutly delicious lightly breaded and pan fried...
or poached, or grilled, or broiled...
(Any way but loose!)
The hot color was pink or orange. A gold MP-6 Honeybee from Tamiron Sporting Goods with orange, and a silver Speedy Shiner with pink took the most fish. I tried lots of stuff to see what would work. I couldn't seem to get any fish on green, purple, or blue.
The fish as of right now, are higher in the water column. All our fish came from 15 to 48 feet down over 200 plus feet of water.
We'll see if that changes when the big mature fish return to the lake!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
DOUBLE DIGITS, SMALLER FISH
9.10.10
1.10.10
WHAT FISH SEE
The scientific approach that Dr. Kageyama has displayed in his book reveals that when the physical composition of the (fish) eye itself is measured and subjected to very close scientific scrutiny, the chemicals contained within the eye are closely examined, and other tests are performed, the following facts (not theory) are revealed:
· With normal side to side motion that fish have, their vision is a 360° ball. That's right, they can see in front, back, and on both sides without any blind spots.
· Fish have additional cones in their eyes, which we do not have, which allow them to see into the ultraviolet wavelengths. If you have two colors of red and one of them florescent, humans may not be able to tell the difference. Fish can! The florescent red basically begins at the end of the visible (human) spectrum, beyond blue and ultraviolet. They also have a much more sensitive ability to pick up photoluminescence (glow-in-the-dark).
I'm not trying to steal Dr. Kageyama's information.
I would suggest that you read the book from cover to cover, over and over.
In the meantime, there's a way to allow you a better appreciation of what the fish see. A lot of displays, events, etc... feature black-light to create an eerie image of bright colors. The same can be achieved with an ultraviolet flashlight so that you can see what the fish see. It's a revolutionary concept that is already well ingrained into lures being designed for the Great Lakes. Those that have followed this path have created a dramatic impact on the market. For a very reasonable price, you can have this capability in your own hands. Take it with you before you purchase more fishing tackle. Wouldn't it be better to present to the fish what they can see, rather than what you can see?
WHAT FISH SEE
Electroshocking and Fish Survey on Utah's Green River
Man I like stuff like that!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
Electroshocking and Fish Survey on Utah's Green River
FLOATATION DEVICE
In all seriousness, we need to practice safety at all times while on the water.
Here on Lake Champlain, we recently experienced a horrible boating accident that resulted in a fatality, and sent one person to the hospital with horrendous wounds.
Could the fatality and the injuries have been prevented by using appropriate safety devices?
I think so.
Always think when on the water...
and always practice safety!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
FLOATATION DEVICE
22.9.10
Screen Capture Software
My security program didn't like it all and refused to keep it on my PC
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
Screen Capture Software
19.9.10
PROJECT: CUSTOM MOTOR COWLING
PROJECT: CUSTOM MOTOR COWLING
15.9.10
CRAB CAKE BENEDICT AND BLOODY MARY'S
Crab-cake Benedict with a side of Corned Beef Hash and a few "Spicy" Bloody Mary's.
Man...I got me some SATISFACTION!
This particular meal took place at Sharon's Sea Grill in Seabrook New Hampshire, an excellent place to get a meal on the beach.
The crabcakes were outrageous, the Hollandaise Sauce was superb, and the eggs were absolutly perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better breakfast...it just doesn't get any better!
I wish I'd have taken a picture of my plate as it was served, but I failed to do so...Sorry.
Oh yeah...the Bloody Mary's,
They offer two delicious versions; "spicy" and "not spicy".
I chose the spicy, and found it to be delicious and mild, not nearly so spicy as to give me heart-burn (which I live with most the time anyway!)
Unfortunately, the consumption of Bloody Mary's resulted in Cathy having to drive the three and a half hours home.
If you ever get a chance to visit the Atlantic Coastline of New England, be sure to visit Sharon's Sea Grill for a meal you'll want to rave about!
I'm going to try and duplicate it...but of course I'll be preparing it with Salmon Cakes...Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Cakes from Lake Champlain!
I'll be sure to post the results!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
CRAB CAKE BENEDICT AND BLOODY MARY'S
10.9.10
MONKEY BUSINESS
I found it interesting and thought I'd share it.
Start with a cage containing six monkeys.
Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.
Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all the other monkeys with ice cold water.
After a while another monkey makes the attempt with same result, all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon when a monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will prevent it.
Now, put the cold water away.
Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one.
The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs.
To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the snot out of him.
After another attempt and attack, he knows not to try again.
Next, remove another of the original six monkeys and replace it with a new one.
The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.
The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth, then the sixth.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked.
Most of the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs OR even why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
Why not?
Because as far as they know, that is the way it has always been done around here.
Think outside the box!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
MONKEY BUSINESS
9.9.10
BUSTED...
Fish on, fish H8 me.
BUSTED...
2.9.10
DON'T... take the lead out of fishing!
Submit your comments through Keep America Fishing.org by following this link: http://www.capwiz.com/keepamericafishing/issues/alert/?alertid=16355526
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
DON'T... take the lead out of fishing!