Home Forums Fishing Freshwater First fish of 2023 thread

Did some pond fishing while there was direct sunlight on the water this weekend just messing around. Weird winter didn’t have good ice near me all winter.

Super cold water and REALLY light hitting fish I had a couple take hard bodied swim baits this weekend. Today sun was brilliant and I lost a couple more.

I was cold and hungry decided to head home got my stuff together and the line on my bait caster was loose so I decided to toss my black and blue spinner bait with big willows out one last time and he struck.

My first fish of 23 & my first ever on a bait caster:

Looking good.

Nice Ernie !

Looks like it was a nice day to get out.

Thanks guys; Anyone else got a pic to share?

Congrats, that's a good one to start the year with. Any idea what the water temp was?

This one is not a big fish but it was my first trout on a fly for 20 years at least. Maybe a bit more. I've been chasing other fish with different tackle. I couldn't have been more pleased if it was 100lbs. I caught two that day and two more last week so nice to know I can still cast a fly rod after two decades. I had literally forgotten how good it is with the long wand.

Haven’t got out yet. Will post a pic when I do.

Caught this one during a tournament on my local lake back in early January. I think it's the first largemouth I've ever pulled through the ice.

Saturday was trout opening.

Only fish I've gotten in 2023 so far is a northern pike on a spear. Still too much ice everywhere to think about open water fishing yet.

Anyone wanna buy a 19' walleye boat?

First “lunch smallie” on Thursday at a location near my office that has a ton of family memories.



Signs of good things to come keep ‘em comin fellas!

I'm going in about 10 days locally. All the lakes and ponds are under ice currently, but it is supposed to warm up next week.

Palomino trout? That’s a beauty. Where, Northern California?

Golden rainbow or palomino trout. PA

Nice efw!

I'll be out on Lake Michigan tomorrow afternoon (out of Sturgeon Bay, WI) for a Brown Trout Tournament and fishing as much as the weather allows. Will be out for smallies and walleye pretty soon too, all in the Door County area of WI. My friend's son has been catching some really nice northern in the shipping channel of Sturgeon Bay, might go for some of that as well. Best to all going out, enjoy!

This was last year in a salmon tourney, 24lb King. Put me on the board, but nowhere near big enough for any cash winnings. A 40+lb King was caught just south of me out of Algoma last fall. Some big fish out there...

Hi efw, is there a special way to see your pics on the link you posted will not show me your pictures?

KB

Dang Dean that’s awesome I love those big kings in the big lake! That’s a hawg.

I love smallies walleye & northern in the north country are the best of the best to me. Love it when you can fish all three at once.

Today on lunch I found a spot where I was pounding little guys with 3” swim baits. Water is still high and chocolaty but they’re coming out of the deep water to feed.

The most wonderful time of the year for sure!!

I’m envious.
Still ice here. Actually the streams are open and trout season opens Saturday but I do not chase them.
Waiting impatiently, my summer starts in Canada May 19.

Osky

Aint much, but first for 23 and first for the new boat.