First Striper of the year

Just like last year I caught my first striper of the year on April 16th in Pleasant Bay. Not a big fish, but it does have stripes. I actually caught 2 fish that day. I also went trout fishing in Bakers Pond in Orleans and caught a nice tiger trout and lost a large fish. Today 2 days later I got 5 small strpers like the first one I caught. I hope the large fish show up soon. I am planning a trip to go to PA to fish for shad in the Delaware River next week. Hopefully there will be some shad to be had. The weather finally warmed up into the 60's today. About time! It was nice to be able to work in the yard without freezing.

The Winter Doldrums

Since the holidays I have been occupying my time making darts and spoons for Woo's Lures. The shad season has started in Florida and orders have been coming in. I have been doing some salmon fishing with my friend, Harry, but have only caught a couple of trout so far. The conditions have been cold and windy most days, and I only last a couple of hours at a time. Harry on the other hand is obsessed about getting that big salmon, and he fishes long and hard when he is not working. It has paid off for him as you can see in the picture above. This nice salmon 12 lb 7 oz. was taken on 1/5/08. He got another large fish the next day. I have some problems with my truck which have slowed my fishing efforts the last few days. I hope to give it a try tomorrow if there is no ice on the ponds.

Above is a new addition to the family. My brother Les' first grandbrat Lily Anna O'Driscoll was born on 12/20/07. Mom and Dad, Carrie and Tim are still smiling as is Grandma, Laurie. I must admit she is a cute baby. I hope she likes to fish.

Fishing in the first snow of the year on the Cape

I fished last Thursday morning with some friends in the freshwater at Cape Cod. It was cold, and we quit about noon in a blinding snow storm.
We caught a few trout and some delicious yellow perch which I took home. They are definitely my favorite fish to eat. I practice catch and release on all other species. Harry is pictured above hooked up with a feisty rainbow trout. As usual he outfished old Woo. That may be my last trip until the ice fishing season arrives. Stay tuned for the 2008 season. Merry Christmas to all.