4 AM comes fast in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire when you haven’t adjusted yet from MST time. Therefore my fishing partner in crime today, Granny, was out for heading on a smallie feast with poppers early this morning. In fact, the 4 AM departure yesterday was too much for everyone except for Montana. So it was only the two of us and we paddled from camp to my favorite smallmouth bass haunt.
Last year at my fabled spot, a place I’ve now been chasing smallies with poppers for over 45 years, Montana took five beauts in one morning. Her first ever really big smallies on fly. But today, it would be my turn.
It was one of those morning where despite working hard to get Montana in prime position to catch them before I’d even make a cast, they simply wouldn’t cooperate. Then I’d launch a cast and bam! Nice smallie on.
While the smallies here on Lake Winnipesaukee are gorgeous, the average ones are about 3” smaller than the ones last week on Lake Mille Lacs. Nonetheless, these feisty bronze-backs crush hard body poppers like they are going out of style!
Montana and I fished from 4:15 AM until about 8:45 AM. We did all our fishing within one mile of camp. We rousted at least ten smallies but boated only four big ones. Unfortunately, young Montana didn’t land any.
Montana had a learning experience however about grabbing the leader. She did in fact get a big one to the side of the canoe but in her struggle to get a handle on lipping him, she decided to lift the smallie up by her tippet. One head shake and he broke her off. The good news however is the bass shook her barbless popper out and seconds later we retrieved it to fish another day.
Montana did land a heap of rock bass. And I’ve taught all my nieces and nephew to treat all fish equal. She was stoked with this morning. This nice rock bass got a kiss before his release.
The sun began to scorch the Lakes Region before 8 AM. Its been a hot couple of days here so far. But you won’t hear a complaint from me. That raw cold Rocky Mountain weather was getting old. Besides, this heat and humidity makes all my war wounds of life go away. Perhaps that’s just because here I’m in heaven back on my home waters!