On the 23rd I headed out of Wisconsin for a lone road trip. I used to do these quite often, but its been years since I flew solo cross country. The plan was to deliver a few pieces on the way out and then end up at my brothers place in Albany.
The goal was to catch five lifers in one trip. Two should be the easiest (Redbreasted sunfish and Fallfish) the next two were going to be harder (Chain Pickerel and American Eel) The last was going to be the hardest (White catfish).
After arriving in New York I settled in for a day then picked up my license and decided to head out for the easiest two.
Luckily my dad did leg work for me earlier in the year.
My brother and I started at Normanskill creek just south of Albany.
As we approached the bank i noticed several larger fish lined up in the slack water near the faster water. I rigged a standard drifting rig (Slinkie weight, circle hook and a half of a crawler) It wasnt more then five casts into the pool that got me the first lifer of the trip. A beautiful Fallfish.
After a short while we realized they were almost exclusively in the faster water sitting near the bottom.
Nearly every cast produced a strike. The largest fish was 14" and the average 11"
I also picked up a white sucker from this pool.
The next spot we tried was upstream in a slower water stretch.
The target here was Redbreasted sunfish.
As we were standing at the bank formulating a game plan my brother pointed out a fish. There under the surface in a weedy pocket was a Redbreasted sunfish. He told me to go for it, and went for it I did.
I tossed the bait into the pool and the fish disappeared. I gave the worm a twitch and felt a twitch back, soon it was an epic 3 second battle as the sunfish came out of the pool and onto the bank. There is was in all its splendor, a fish i have dreamed about since I was a little boy playing with crayons. The first fishing book I ever owned was written with the New england states in mind. Redbrested sunnies Eel and Jack pike (Pickerel) were mentioned and shown often. The first fish I remember trying to draw was a redbreasted sunfish. And now I am holding one in my hand. So incredibly awesome!!!
The next day I decided it was time to try the Hudson river for Eel. The day before I lost a fish that I thought may have been an Eel based on the way it bit and fought. Spazzy vibrations and pulsing rock thumping tugs then poof gone. This fired me up for the real deal.
My first spot was the Hudson river by Green Island near troy.
I tried below the dam but only caught White Perch, fun but not what I wanted. The water was murky from the rains earlier in the week, and the water was high due to the tide. The Hudson river feels the effects of lunar tides up to the dam in troy, at times saltwater will come within thirty miles of the dam. I heard stories of Skates being caught below the dam.
The banks of the river are very steep and very slippery I was unsure how high the tide will get so it forced me to leave. As I got to the top of the hill I saw a large sturgeon jump below the dam. Knowing it had to be an Atlantic or Shortnose sturgeon made it hard to leave.
On a tip from a local baitshop owner I drove downstream to Schodack island state park south of Rensselaer. There was a nice railing and benches to fish from with fantastic access.
The baitshop owner was very helpful and didnt look down on my roughfish information requests. He suggested baits I for each species, including white catfish. Up until now only one other person I knew could offer any information on White catfish. The Hudson river is the extreme northern part of their range. Sadly Channel catfish were stocked in these waters and have taken hold pushing the white catfish further into the salty tidal zones.
White catfish were a real longshot here without heading south toward New York city to fish the brackish water.
I tossed out a worm and a cut piece of menhaden on a 2 oz weight with a circle hook. Nearly immediately my worm went off. I set the hook and brought in a small White perch. I reset and again instantly another white perch.......... this is going to be frustrating. Then my cutbait pole went off I set into a fish, it wasnt big, but it was like nothing I had ever fought before. Pulsing, vibrating, starting, stopping... When it came to the surface I saw the beautiful twisting shape of a small eel on my line.
BOOOYA! life 3 and WOW! what a strange fish. Nearly impossible to photograph solo.
And WOW! the slime! It coats what ever it touches and when it dries it peals from your skin like dried elmers glue. The smell was interesting, not bad, but not good either.
Several more were caught including one that was a hair over three feet but most were around two feet. I lost one brute that was close to four feet.
Soon after catching the Eel I hooked into a different fish, I could tell it was a catfish, but what kind?
I pulled it up and quickly realized it was a channel catfish.... I caught six more channel catfish and was convinced a white cat wouldn't come from here. A moment later the cutbait rod went off again, this time hard! I set the hook and the fish instantly turned and shot inshore. As soon as it came close it turned and was off like a bullet, he stripped nearly half of my line then POP!!! gone. I have no clue what it was, but I am guessing it was a larger striped bass.
As I am retying my rig my brother calls me, his wife said supper will be done soon so the time is up..... I look down and only had one small one inch chunk of Menhaden left, so the "Last cast" call was made.
My line sat out as I picked up my gear suddenly I see the rod tip bouncing, I rush over and feel for a fish. Tap TAP TAP! I set the hook and feel a chunky fish as it gets closer it starts flapping on the surface. A bullhead??? As it gets into view I see a beautiful perfect white catfish waiting to be netted. A quick scoop and lifer number four is in hand.
Beautiful fish with odd blue rings around its eyes and a subtle vermiculation on the side above the anal fin. WOW!! I actually let out a loud WOOT!!! that made peaople look over. You all know the look "Crazy freak fishing for minnows look" Screw em! they have no idea what they are missing.
The next day my brother and I plan to head north to Grafton Lakes to try for Pickerel. We picked up a dozen shiners (A pain to get in New York) and rigged the yaks for an adventure.
We get to the lake and find a beautiful little gem. Quiet peaceful and lines with bulrushes and lilies.
The lake however was remarkably sterile. very few fish were seen.
I caught a few nice rockbass and perch, but pickerel were a no show. Suddenly on a small point I see a flash by my shiner, then I feel a tug. I set the hook and see a Pickerel with my shiner, I fought him for a second and then poof gone. sigh..I try again... Strike tug poof gone!! thinking back about the pickerel I lost in Florida and the teasing Peacock bass I got I tried again. Twitch twitch BAM!!! I set and feel the fish. I SEE the fish, then Poof gone, this time for good. I wiffed it three times and it wasn't coming back. This was my only planned Pickerel outing and I was a little disappointed. I looked at my brother and he said "yea..but look where we are. It beautiful here." I agreed and we decided to just paddle a while and soak up the sights.
The next morning I decided to try again early. I loaded the yak and headed to a small series of ponds up in the mountains, after getting royaly lost on a logging road I discovered the road was not passable anymore, so again I soaked up the sights. On the drive back down I saw a Fisher run across the road and up a tree. I had never seen one before, and I felt very lucky. I considered it an omen and got my map out. I was ten miles from another lake, Ill give it a shot.
I got to the lake and found a beautiful weedy basin lake.
So I gear up and head out, the water was gin clear and the bottom covered with matted weeds, the shores lined with lilies.
So I started casting, five casts into the paddle I have a strike. And a minute after that strike I have in my net a beautiful Chain Pickerel. Number five and what an adventure. I continued to fish the lake catching two more pickerel and loosing many others. No monster fish, but thats not what this game is about.
The next day was my last full day, so I decided to play.
My goal was met and there was no pressure, so I headed back to Normanskill to try a few new spots.
As I approached the new spot I realized it was a steep bank, the soil in the area is naturally slippery and more so when wet.
I decide to take it slow, well that was the plan. Many things go through your mind when you are falling fast down a hillside heading toward the river at remarkable speed. The big one is I hope I am wearing clean underwear, followed by I really need to protect my most valuable possessions in life, my fishing pole and camera. So as the trees were whipping by I threw my rod to the side and my bag to the other side. Something changed in my weight distribution when I unloaded the ballast and my course changed, suddenly I was going ass over teakettle down the bank. And as quick as it all started it ended with a triumphant slop and splash into the water butt first. legs spread out floating and my arms on the bank. It must have all looked so intentional and amazing. So alive, unhurt minus the bruised pride I stand up shake off the water and feel a sharp pain in my right arm!! YEAOW!! I look to see a number ten gamakatsu circle hook jammed in my forearm, complete with line leading up into the woods. Hey I found my pole!! sigh...... I remove the hook with a pliers, swear a little and move on. I climb up and get my gear then look over and see it.......Stairs!! there were freaking stairs going down the hill.
Dignity gone.
I fish.
First cast gets me an unexpected gem. A sunfish, a hybrid sunfish. Pumpkinseed X Redbreast, I had seen pictures but wasn't expecting to see one in person. One of the most beautiful sunfish i have seen.
This pool gave me many fish, Hybrids, Pumpkinseed, Redbreast, largemouth, smallmouth, rock bass, white perch, yellow perch and fallfish. It was Quite the success, well minus the fall and hook in the arm.
Later that day we took my Nephew fishing for his second time ever.
The next morning it was time to head home.
Of course I stopped on the way.
I tried the dam and Shodack island again.
No fish at the dam, but another Eel at the island along with some nicer whiteperch.
And again I hooked into something huge, The cutbait rod started twitching then started to swim off. I set into a rock, thinking an Eel had dragged around a rock I started twitching the line hoping to get him to move. Move it did about 2 miles an hour upstream, it took me down to the backing on my reel and never slowed or budged. I'm sure it was a sturgeon, and I'm sure Ill be back to find out.
Favoured: 0
