New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff
Spring-like conditions and a couple of "bass hogs" attempt to ruin a nice morning of fishing.
Friday 01/13/2006
What a day, what a day weather wise today. It feels so much like spring outside. I'll be heading down to the Rockingham Fishing Show this afternoon to work the show for the department. But this morning my son-in-law Derek and I hit the Merrimack River for a couple of hours of fishing. A couple of trailers at the boat launch indicated there would be some company, but in nearly 25 years of fishing this "winter secret spot" I knew it would be not too crowded. It never has been even when 6 or even 10 boats have surrounded the honey hole where the bass congregate.
As Derek and I made our way almost to "the spot" we noticed a bass boat move into the cove as well. As we made the corner to the channel we called out to them " Mind if we slide into the corner over there." There is only one small area where most fish are typically caught and usually all the boats tie up or anchor around it to fish. Yes there's an occasional tangle, but everyone is welcome. Not today! "We are doing rotating fishing of this area today and we don't want anyone else in there." Came the reply. These bass snobs wanted it all to themselves.
But I figured, hey they said they would rotate. And that means you move in, drift out with the current and let the next one in. So Derek and I decided to wait "our turn" We waited two hours! They moved in and stayed put wanting all the best fishing for themselves and another fishing buddy in a boat next to them. We could hear them banter about fishing bass tournaments. What snobs!
I've never cared too much for tournament fishing and I have been a bass fishermen all my life. Way, way before it was a popular thing here in NH. The action of these bass hogs brought my feelings about these types of fishermen a few notches lower.They did not want to be bothered by a couple of anglers in a little 10-foot boat. They were practically pros!
So we left them to the fish until 15 minutes before we had to leave and waited for one of the boats to leave. He had "Bassn" on the number plate of his truck. Not the one we talked to but another Bass Snob as far as I'm concerned as he sat in the corner for the whole time during his rotation. I have fished this river all my life, over 40 years, and had as much right to these bass as they did. They obviously had no plans to rotate, just keep us out.
Well, Derek tossed out a bait on a far corner and within a minute landed a huge small mouth bass. Close to, if not over 4 pounds. I managed to land one small mouth just as we were picking up to leave.
It sure seems like these "pro bass fishermen" in their big 200 hp bass boats are taking over the river the last few years. It's bad enough with all the out-of-state lake shore owners keeping us regular fishermen off most of the "public" water bodies in this state. We don't need another group of elitists claiming all the best fishing spots for themselves on what waters we still have access to. Fishing snobs not welcomed in NH.
The Suncook River here in Epsom has opened right back up with hardly any ice even along the edges. Two weeks ago I was telling you that it was frozen for the winter. How wrong I was! Plus we have more rain coming tonight and Saturday. My thermometer reads 49 degrees this afternoon! Could this be the first winter that the river never freezes solid? Global warming?? I doubt that I have seen the river this open in mid January in the 26 years I have lived here. Sure makes me wonder.
