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Posted By: efw First fish of 2023 thread - 03/09/23
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:

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Posted By: Creeker Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 03/09/23
Looking good.
Nice Ernie !
Looks like it was a nice day to get out.
Posted By: efw Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 03/10/23
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?
Posted By: Elvis Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 03/10/23
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.

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Originally Posted by efw
Thanks guys; Anyone else got a pic to share?
Haven’t got out yet. Will post a pic when I do.
Originally Posted by efw
Thanks guys; Anyone else got a pic to share?
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.

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Saturday was trout opening.

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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?
Posted By: efw Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 04/05/23
First “lunch smallie” on Thursday at a location near my office that has a ton of family memories.

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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.
Posted By: SS336 Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 04/07/23
Originally Posted by Solitario_Lupo
Saturday was trout opening.

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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...

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Originally Posted by efw
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:

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

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

KB
Posted By: efw Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 04/13/23
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!!
Posted By: Osky Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 04/13/23
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.

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Posted By: MAC Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 04/18/23
First day out on the water in 2023 in my float tube in CO. Biggest fish is about 18 inches.
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Posted By: Cheesy Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 04/19/23
Monday my coworker and I decided we were going to do a team building exercise. (that means we went fishing and didn't take it as a vacation day...)

It was very slow fishing, 1 or 2 fish were the most we could coax out of a given spot. But beats working.

My first of the day-

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Had a double, one off each side of the boat

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Vertical dropping into the brush scored us a nice pair.

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Stop at the trout park on the way to use their cleaning station

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While I would love to be able to post some fish pictures, at least we had some incredible sunrises and sunsets! Slowest fishing I've ever experienced and first time I've ever been skunked! Lake Michigan was unagreeable most of the time, so we were out on Green Bay. The one morning we were able to get out on the lake, we went to our "favorite" spots. I was setting up the starboard spread and had a strike before I was finished. Felt like a good fish then confirmed when it started jumping. Got up to the planner board, removed it and continued the fight. Back and forth, back and forth, line in, line out... got it to about 50' from the boat and the 10lb line broke! Newer line, no nicks or abrasions, just a big fish pulling hard. So, obviously, lost the fish but also one of my favorite Rapala's! Oh well... at least they're still making the Rapala. Ran for 6 more miles after this without anything happening! Experienced, local, fisherman at the helm and me trying not to look like Gilligan! Lol!

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First carp of the year. 2 nice size and lost one.


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Rainbow I caught last month. About 10" for this first of the year; the later ones were bigger.

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Posted By: efw Re: First fish of 2023 thread - 05/21/23
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Finally caught a pike last night… a dink for sure, and on a tube.

That’s ironic given I’ve been tossing red & white daredevils, big spinner baits, and other pike lures.

Been finding spots where I can put my canoe in, paddle up or downstream, and paddle back so I don’t need a spotter.

I’ve been fishing every chance I get… had maybe 5 min before a client meeting so I pulled out my UL rig and on my second cast caught this little smallie which, on that little rod and 4 lb test was a great fight!

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Got a promotion at work so I have to say good bye to the beautiful little town I’m in now and head into the big city which is a genuine shame but I’m excited for the new position.

Hope everyone is having a great spring!!!
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