St Mary’s Lake

[Big Mike]

Took advantage of today to hit SML. There were a couple other fisherman out but I didn’t see them for most of the day. The skies were turning blue when I launched at 10:30 and filled with ospreys, an eagle, a strike wing of vultures and even a Presidential Helo made a drive by. Headed up lake hoping the shallow end warmer. May have been but the fish weren’t there. Came back to a spot I know holds pickerel in about 4’ of water off a bank. Picked up 3 pickerel and one bass. Nothing big but fun none the less.


Wind really picked up making it difficult to fish my Senko so stuck with a jighead and Gulp. By end of the day I had 5 bass, 4 pickerel, and this nice crappie.


I began to see pleasure kayakers on the water with one distributing common denominator, not a one had a life preserver on, or even with them. Air temps were in the 70’s but the lake still felt upper 40’s, maybe low 50’s. Clearly lulled into a false sense of security. Can’t fix stupid


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[Mark]

Nice report Mike.

I hope to get down to SML this year. I last fished it a long time ago.

[Yak67]

Good Deal Mike. Going to pull the Yak out the basement and try to get out next week.

Yak67
2017 Hobie PA-12 Camo
2019 Hobie Outback

[Slobber Bob]

Nice to see you are starting to make it back out onto the kayak.

I began to see pleasure kayakers on the water with one distributing common denominator, not a one had a life preserver on, or even with them. Air temps were in the 70’s but the lake still felt upper 40’s, maybe low 50’s. Clearly lulled into a false sense of security. Can’t fix stupid

Not to jump on you, but you have to see the hypocrisy of your statement when you post a picture of yourself in shorts and what looks like a thin shirt, right?

[Big Mike]

My comment was in regards to life preservers, and I wear a CO2 type 100% of the time on the water (don’t know why the bottom of it didn’t show in the picture other than there’s a whole lot of big belly going on). As far as a dry suit or waders, no I don’t wear them and it’s why I’m off the water for a long stretch in the winter (and I personally think the wader /dry top combo is a false sense of security). Yes, I’m stupid in that regard when I venture out in the spring, but at least I’m wearing a preserver.

[J.A. Veil]

Good to see you back on the water.

[Slobber Bob]

I'm not calling you stupid. We all know there is a certain degree of risk when we go out on cold water and we each have to evaluate what we think is taking the appropriate precautions for our own safety if that unfortunate event does occur were we end up in the water - as unlikely as it may seem at times. And I actually did assume you had PFD on since you can be seen wearing one in most of the pictures I've seen posted of you in the past. I was just pointing out that if a cold water exposure were to have occurred, I don't know that your choice of clothing would have helped you out much. Even if the air temperatures were in the 70's. But if you felt good out there - well, than more power to you. At least you have flotation protection, unlike the pleasure kayakers as you pointed out.

No hard feelings man. Fish on!

[ronaultmtd]

Bill and I hit the lake yesterday, we tried to wait out rain showers but launched around 11:30 into breezy, light drizzle and low 40’s temperatures. Not exactly the ideal conditions. There was one other paddle kayaker on the lake and a boat or two...it was off and on light rain showers over the next hour. Bill forgot his Mirage Drive but was able to effectively paddle his Revo...didn’t take long for me to connect on my target species of crappie...I forgot my radio and the battery was low on my phone, so unless we were within shouting distance communications was difficult. It was a four species day for both Bill and I. Pickerel, bass, bluegill and crappie filled my dance card...after me catching seven keeper size crappie for supper, we decided to call it a day- A little over two hours on the water...the temperatures never got into the fifties on the lake and the N.E. breeze was plenty...I have to admit the heater felt good in my truck headed home. With the deadly virus closing down life as we know it, I wasn’t too sure how many more trips we would get for the next few weeks...