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That was an epic weekend, I've looked for that post but can't find it. 4 lakers over 19# and biggest was 28# if I remember correctly.
I know these guys fairly well. They released all but those 4 fish responsibly. They are very respected outdoorsmen.I can't see how Taking 4 big lakers off a body of water could be ruining the fishery. Are we no longer condoning keeping our catch? I know what I would have done if I had hauled out any of those fish..... During a derby.
Either way, no big lakers caught out of there recently? Needs walleye.
I would stay away from areas where brooks run in with the warm weather and snow melt. The ice is melting from the bottom from the current.
... might not be hearing about any..... just sayin. lol. That was a total anomaly, and they will all tell you that, as CUB told me. It will likely never happen again... to them.... at lake X.... in one weekend.Coming back around to the subject of Maidstone... There are some beauties in there, but like any other lake in New England, fish that big don't come easy.... for me at least. cant speak for all, but I haven't yet caught a laker over 12lbs. been trying like hell. And I grew up ice fishing on places like Willoughby.
If we catch anything over 20" I'll be more than happy haha I'd consider myself a pike fisherman when it comes to ice fishing and I've never caught a laker. I'll take some pictures (hopefully).
I was under the impression that there was a derby held ON that lake, and that the kill rates of big fish were pretty high. I seem to remember a much longer controversial thread? Or am I thinking of something else? Either way, no big lakers caught out of there recently? Needs walleye.
I'm not quite following this line of thinking of adding walleye to the fishery @ Maidstone. Maybe I'm missing a joke. This state has stopped stocking lakers in Maidstone (since 2006) as they are reproducing themselves in good numbers and there are some remnants left of the original so called "longe" trout left in this lake. I have been trying for a while and caught a couple this Summer... so please don't advocate for a bucket biologist to add walleye to this amazing fishery. Here is a conversation on IFF earlier this year... http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=338124.0
Pretty Sure Matt is not (in ANY way) advocating bucket biology.... I think he is referring to state stocking programs.
hopefully soon he'll chime in.. but I'm completely opposed to either idea. This lake is a gem and walleye should not be stocked here. http://www.vpt.org/clip?736
Are we no longer condoning keeping our catch? I know what I would have done if I had hauled out any of those fish..... During a derby.
He did mention those 4 trophy catches, and said "that has never happened before, and may never happen again." I didn't take that to mean because it is getting fished out. Sure there probably aren't a ton of huge ones in there, but they seem pretty good at being elusive, or you'd hear more about this place.
I would have kept them (or at least my legal limit)... and not felt compelled to apologize.I have only bought into a derby once though, and that was quite a few years ago. I usually pick the LCI weekend to do some quiet trout fishing. This isn't to be taken as a criticism of electronics, but the way a lot of people use them could actually keep them from the larger fish. In my experience at least, larger predators tend to be territorial and therefore more solitary. The bulk of fishermen using electronics tend to seek out concentrations of fish, which can mean that they catch more, but not larger fish.The sudden presence of a real monster will often shut off the bite, as the smaller ones are dispersed by the brute. I've seen this in both pike and lake trout fishing. I have learned not to immediately move when things go suddenly quiet down there. Give it a few minutes, or a half hour when it happens and a lot of the time that monster ends up on your line.
these were caught in Maidstone
I tend to think that lakers of all sizes hang out in certain areas at various times, usually for feeding or spawning reasons.