Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

    	The Salt water side of me talking here...  You should have no
    trouble finding a guide on the Conn. coast who could put you into
    schoolie Stripers.  Folks are already catching some good fish down
    there and it'll just keep getting better as the month goes on.  From
    what I hear there have already been some keepers caught.
    
    					B.C.

    I use to go to a place called Bosebuck mountain camps in the Rangley
    area of Maine. It was on a lake called Aziscohos. The camps are about
    15 miles up a logging road. They have a main lodge for eating and
    hanging out at, and about a dozen cabins on the shore, each with
    running water and a woodstove. You can rent aluminum boats with a
    six horse motor and they had 4 guides on staff. Meals were included
    in the price, and they would pack you a lunch to take with you during
    the day. If you want, they would cook your fish and serve it along with
    whatever else was on the dinner menu that night. The fishing was for
    salmon and brook trout. The trout run up to about 4lbs, but my biggest
    was 18 inches...I think my biggest salmon was around 4 lbs, but I know
    they run larger too. We would see lot's of wildlife up there. We would
    see moose on the shore every day. This is a very isolated area, and
    one year I spent 3 days there without seeing another boat besides our
    party...
    
    The price 7 years ago was around 50 dollars a day per person. If you
    had 10 or more people in your group the boats were free, if not it was
    20$ more a day for the boat. I'm sure it must have gone up a bunch
    since then.
    
    If interested the number was (207) 243-2945 in season and (207)
    486-3238 in the winter. I'll throw in the usual disclaimer here.
    I have no connection to the place, but had some great times there, 
    but lots can change in 8 years...
    
    Marty

    re: .2
    
    Minor detail: If .0 is going up on April 25th, he'd have a tough bit
    of fishing on Aziscohos Lake: the ice pack up at Richardson/Moosehead
    is still buried under 3 feet of snow (they just got another foot a week
    or so ago) and that's *south* of Aziscohos...
    
    In late May/early June, on the other hand, that'd be a fine trip to
    take. I've done Bosebuck in the past and enjoyed both Aziscohos and
    Parmachenee, and the Magalloway in between. But you gotta let 'em thaw
    out first ;^)
    
    Most of the camps up in that area open around mid-May (Grants,
    Bosebuck, Lakewood, etc)....

    	Psssst...  Stripers!!!!
    					B.C.

Let me be a little more specific as to what I would like. My favorite spot
locally, Winny, is still iced in and trolling for Salmon would bore my 11 yo
to death. I do NOT want salt water even striper action since we both get sea
sick. What I would like is a nice warm (compared to NH) resevoir or other large
body of water perhaps in Maryland, Pennsylvainia, or Virginia (would consider 
North Carolina but thats really traveling far) that was in a spawn or at least 
is active. Should have a decent guide service since I don't want to drag my own
boat and would like someone to attend to my son's snarls and broken lines while
I get some fising done. Isn't there some place in the upper Chesapeake or some
good lakes in Virginia that fit this bill? I'm running out of time to make some
reservations so ....

Thanks in advance    joel

I found  an article in BASS magazine that features Lake Anna in Virginia as a 
good fishery for Bass especially in the early season. Anyone have any comments
about the location for a 3 day father son fish? Suggestions as to where to stay
and good guides would be most welcome.

Joel

    Hi there Joel,
    
    A bunch of us just spent a week at Santee-Cooper South Carolina, that's 
    on the outside edge of a days drive from here (leave here 6am, get
    there 11pm).  I could set you up with a good guide for Santee.  Fishing 
    wasn't the same as the incredible action we have seen the last 3 years, 
    we went later this year and missed the hot prespawn action.  Fish were 
    moving onto the beds.  
    
    Buggs Island/Kerr Res. on the North Carolina / Virginia border is about
    6 hours closer, and you'd probably catch some great pre-spawn action.
    I could help find you a name for a guide.  Buggs Island should be good
    at that time.  I met a couple pros prefishing for the upcoming BASS 
    Invitational on santee, and asked about when buggs island was the best
    and they said early May, so it should be pretty good the last week of 
    April. 
    
    Potomic River in DC can offer some good fishing, but I have no idea 
    about which time of year is best.
    
    -donmac

Hey Don,
\
Thanks for the advice but I've already booked us in at Lake Anna (reference 
"BASSMASTER February 1993 pg.93") Seems Anna has a little ol nuclear power plant
on the place that warms up the water a few degrees in some areas. The spawn takes 
place here earlier than most in site of the PP and continues through normal spawn
in other areas. Ihave a small motel room with microwave and fridge for $40 a 
night and the Guide takes off from across the street. He guarantees lots of
fish (mostly 3-5 pounders he says with an occasional 8-10) on medium shiners
and will provide the bait if we want. He'll guide to places where we can flip
our spinner baits or what ever and he even makes us lunch and provides drinks.
His tackle is available but he does charge for loss.

Sorry you didn't do better on Santee Cooper but you know what they say about
a Bad Day of Fishing vs ..............

Joel

Just thought I would give a short report on Lake Anna, Va. 

Lake Anna, is located about 15 minutes south west of Fredricksburg (15 min 
off Interstare 95) about 1 hour from DC. The man made lake is about 15 miles
long wiht many coves and back areas, and is split lenghtwise by a series of 3
dykes. There is no way for a boat to cross from the east half to the west half
without relaunching. The western half serves as an effluent for the Nuclear
Power Plant on the lake. For this reason, the west half, or hot side, never
ices in and produces good acton year round, Pictures on the wall of the local
lodge showed catches of stocked stripers in the 20 pound range as well as 
Bass in the 3 to 5 pound range being caught as early as December and reaching
a peak in the February march time frame. We stayed at the Sportsmans Lodge right
at the midpoint of the lake for $40 per night. Room was comportable with 2 beds
Cable, Frdige, Microwave, and decent shower. The ajoining restarunt was clean
eatable, reasonable and catered to the unusual hours of the fisherman. Our guide,
Bob McGee, picked us up on day 1 with his 19' Procraft and a bucket of med shiners
and put us into the warm side of the lake (about 70 deg) just after 6:30 AM.
We rigged 10 pound test with hook and bobber set about 3 feet, hooked the 
bait throught he lips and fished the sharp drop off of rocks  down the first dyke.]
Although the fishing was dissapointly slow, (confirmed by others at the lodge
later on) we did manage to hook and land 6 in the 1 to 3 pound range. Fishing
the back coves and swithching to various plastic and crank baits also produced
slowly and  of no great size. The day was lovely however and the warm sun and
fresh air made everything all right. 

Day 2 was just a pleasant weather wise with temperatures rising to over 90 deg
under bright sun. The fishing was slightly better than day 1 in terms of numbers
but still no monster bass. We did hook into some Channel Cats int he 10 pound
range that sucked the blood right out of my 100 year old son's face as he spent
at least 10 minutes dnacing around the boat trying to land the beast. His satisfaction
was enhanced by eating the fillets of his triumph later that evening.

Day 3 was a half day fish and was basically a mirror image of day 2. Again not a
place that produced a hugh number or size of fish but we did get the old line
" Shoulda been here two weeks ago!!" Maybe next time (if we do decided to go
back) we will go in earlier April or even late February.

All in all, Lake Anna is is nice destination for the early fish. The people and
facilities are geared towards the serious fisherman but can treat families
just as well. Its location and warm side  make it an iteresting spot and hopefully
a more productive on than I was able to enjoy. Despite the action, the weather
 and the good quality time I got to spend with my boy made it a memorable trip.

    >out of my 100 year old son's face?!?!?!

My son is 10 going on 101.

oops.