...Fresh Water Fishing, My fresh-water fishing began with my father when I was young and although I do not remember the first place we went fishing I can recall the many places we went. A pond in the woods at our first home in Mystic, CT, my grandmother's pond full of lily pads in Winsted, CT, the salmon river for trout in Marlborough and Colchester, CT, Lake Terramuggus in Marlborough, CT and my favorite lake to fish Lake Champlain in Vermont. My dad was always there to teach my brother Josh and I how to fish, and he created a lifelong hobby and interest in us to learn about aquatic life and more importantly about ourselves. He also taught us how to transition from the simple bobber and worms to more complex fishing with lures, presentations, and allowed us to one day step up to the water's edge or venture out into the blue in a boat on our own. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have spent every summer until 16 when I got my first job in Vermont fishing Lake Champlain, which I consider my home lake.
...Fly Fishing, My friend Evan who I intruduced to fishing in high school had bought himself a fly rod and suggested I get one of my own. At first I was reluctant to even consider fly fishing because my skill with spinning gear was so honed I had made myself believe that if I switched it would detract from fishing lakes and ponds. After that summer had passed, my mom asked what I wanted for my birthday, and since I had already been researching a fly-rod outfit, I had an answer for her. The next spring I practiced casting with Evan in a parking lot until I could send the line out, where is would lay out flat on the pavement. Now I consider it another tool in my arsenal of fishing, and a means to extend my fishing during times of the year when other means of fishing is not as productive. Now I have fished everything from streams for trout in CT and NY, to rivers for salmon, ponds for panfish and bass, to the ocean for striped bass and blues and with great success.
...Surf Casting, is probably one of the most difficult types of fishing if you do not have a mentor. It requires a high level of understanding fish migrations, tides, wind direction, and the ability to "read" the water to determine structure (places where fish feed from) without being able to see into the water. I have not had a mentor and have relied heavily on books, online forums, and fishing reports in an attempt to develop my surf-casting skills. It took me three years to catch my first striped-bass, but I can remember that exciting moment because the feeling of the take has been permanently etched in my mind. In the spring of 2012, I joined the Connecticut Surfcasters Association and I have to say this club is top-notch, as this has been a banner year for myself fishing the salty shorelines of Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard, Rhode Island, and Connecticut....Ice Fishing, I know what you might be thinking, who wants to stand out on a frozen lake in the middle of winter? Well, I do, and the variety of fish that can be caught is incredible. Most of my early ice fishing was done on Lake Champlain with my family, and most of my early big fish were caught through the ice. It is a completely different experience to fish on hard water, because you essentially set up as if you are camping by building a fire, setting up chairs, grilling materials, and a shelter while your equipment does most of the work for you. One of my best days was when my brother Josh and I were jigging for perch through two holes about 4 feet apart and we caught 285 perch total in about six hours of fishing. It was incredible!
...Salt Water, fishing in the ocean or in rivers for fishing that come from the ocean is the newest type of fishing in my repertoire. It started on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 2005 with a guide we hired for a striped bass fishing trip. That morning as we were approaching the time when the boat should be leaving, a car sped towards us, and our guide got out and grabbed a net with the tag still on it and said, "Sorry I'm late, we're not going fishing for stripers today!" I was mad, this is what we hired you for. After a brief pause he said, "There are Tuna 3 miles off the vineyard, that's what this net is for." So, I said, "Ok, let's go." On the trip out, I stood next to the captain and we talked about fishing for Tuna, and he admitted he had not fished for them much, as he had purchased the net and lures for tuna that morning. I asked him how we would know where the fish are, and all he said was look for fish breaking the water. After about 20 minutes of motoring, the captain powered down to a fast troll, and said ok start looking. Within a minute, a football field sized group of tuna erupted in front of us and I couldn't believe my eyes. My knees were already shaking, he handed me a rod and said, "I'll get you close, you make the cast." As we got within 30 yards, the captain broad-sided the boat and I launched a 3.5" tin lure called the "deadly dick" into the thick of the fish, and as soon as it hit the water I was in for the ride of a lifetime. I had never heard a drag scream out loud like it was being hooked up with the tuna. The excitement of fighting a fish that can swim over 20mph is an incredible feeling, and it took about 20 minutes for the fish to tire and come into the boat.
The captain netted the fish, swing it into the boat and the fish broke his net and lucky landed in the boat and not into the blue. To say the least, I was hooked.
