Nimrod #1 and Brent (aka "li'l rod") returned to Belgrade, Maine for the weekend following the 4th of July, 2011. The hospitality of Brent's parents can not be appreciated enough.
Beautifully sunny skies and low wind conditions made for great angling. The lake seems less weedy than it used to be and it yielded numerous pike, small- and large-mouth bass, lunker perch, and a crappie or two.
Although we didn't weigh or measure anything officially, I'll do my best to tally (honestly) what was hauled aboard:
We each caught a large pike. These, the largest fish of the trip, reached near 36 inches each. Numerous (10?) smaller-sized pikes were landed. One beast broke the 20lb leader that was tied to my 30-test spiderwire and ran off with my biggest Lazy Ike. The leader broke; not the line or the knot. It was a monster. Could have been a muskie (I say).
Bronzebacks and bucketmouths averaged 2 pounds. Brent caught two. I got two good smallies.
We didn't count the perch or crappies.
Using mostly blaze-orange Flatfish and large, jointed Rapalas, the smaller fish (except gluttonous pike of course) couldn't swallow the lures. This pig of a perch gave a good effort.
Nature sightings included a loon family, a young otter, osprey, sun-burned kneecaps, and a few mosquitos.
