First fish of 2023

[dsaavedra]

My last fishing trip of 2022 was a bust... I attempted to go pickerel fishing but ice covered all of the tidal creeks and ponds on the river. I covered 4.5 miles looking for open water that I could fish and found none. I barely even wet a line. My second-to-last trip of 2022 was a little better... still a challenging bite but I at least caught a couple fish. This little pickerel was the last fish I caught in 2022:

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Today on January 1st I went on my first fishing trip of 2023, visiting a lake in hopes of pickerel, crappie, and maybe bass. The water temp was 41F when I launched and I started out targeting crappie. I was using a 1/16 oz jig on my ultralight rod and it did not take long before I got my first bite. But the fish did not feel like a crappie, it gave a sluggish but hard thumping fight. I pulled up this very nice largemouth, I estimate about 3 lbs. What a great fish to start off 2023:

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A little while later I caught a few small crappie and did manage this nice 12 incher:

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The bite slowed in the early afternoon and I was off the water by 1pm. I caught 5 crappie and 1 largemouth. I did not find any pickerel to complete the slam.

[Jigsup]

Nice going Dave. That’s a nice size bass and crappy is beautiful.

[J.A. Veil]

Good job Dave. You are off to a great start for 2023.

[Mark]

Good for you Dave.

Nice to see photos of water free of ice.

Better yet to paddle in it.

I ventured out today to one of my favorite Maryland Eastern Shore ponds, Unicorn, and also caught my first fish of 2023, this small pickerel:


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It hit a bendback minnow fly.

There is no point in keeping the location a secret since there were probably 10 other kayakers on the pond. Indeed the parking lot was full when I arrived. And there was a regular caravan of paddlers and pedalers cruising the shorelines when I got my kayak on the water.

It certainly did not seem like January. There was hardly any wind. The air temperature was 64 degrees and the water temperature was 39 degrees. The sun was spotty, occasionally shining brightly through breaks in the clouds. It was a very comfortable outing weather-wise.

But the great weather did not produce an exceptional bite. I got only six picks in the boat, and lost two on long distance releases. My largest were two 18 inchers, a 16 and 17 and another like the one above.

Here's one of the 18s:

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It hit a red articulated crystal bugger.

I caught only one fish near the shoreline. The rest that I boated and the two I missed were in open water. That's a tactic that pickerel anglers should remember at this time of year. In my experience they are less likely to be hugging shorelines now than in deeper water. Thirty-nine degrees is chilly water so I wouldn't have expected them to be in the shallows that were iced over just a few days prior. But perhaps the shoreline pounders had more success than me.

I like to fish Unicorn in winter because it has a healthy pickerel population. But I have never caught big ones there -- just few over 20 inches in the years I have fished the pond. Usually quantity and action make up for the lack of size when I fish for Unicorn picks. But today I had little action and none noteworthy in size.

Still the first fish of the year is worth a photo even if it has some growing to do. And it was good to get out.

[nhunter344]

I managed to get out the first two days of the year, but no real fish to show for it. I told my son Im counting the minnows caught in the minnow trap so I can avoid the skunk!

[dsaavedra]

I managed to get out the first two days of the year, but no real fish to show for it. I told my son Im counting the minnows caught in the minnow trap so I can avoid the skunk!

Lol! Hopefully you catch one soon.

Nice picks Mark, thanks for sharing!

[UnkleRob2020]

Dave, you are a soldier fishing on January 1st...I am glad it paid off...

You had a goal of a 3 species day in 41 degree water.and you accomplished it...Congratulations for the optimism and the execution of a well laid plan.

I have been skunked the last few trips of 2022...cannot wait until it gets warm enough for me to fish without being too uncomfortably cold

[J. Rentch]

Those are some healthy looking fish. Were you local?

[ski357]

I am only now emerging from my winter slumber. These reports are exceedingly optimistic and encouraging. I hope to report my own successes shortly.