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Conference wahoo::fishing

Title:Fishing Notes- Archived
Notice:See note 555.1 for a keyword directory of this conference
Moderator:DONMAC::MACINTYRE
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Sep 20 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1660
Total number of notes:20970

446.0. "Squam Lake Smallmouth" by AKOV02::SANSING () Wed Aug 12 1987 16:40

    !!!!!!!!   BASS HEAVEN   !!!!!!!
    
    I have found Small Mouth Bass heaven in New Hampshire.
    
    Last week I spent four days at SQUAM LAKE with two bassin buddies
    and we caught 298 BASS. The size ranged from 1/2 lb. to 3 1/2 lbs.
    of fighting fish. We released all but 20 which we filleted and cooked
    on the spot. 
    I know you guys are anti live bait, but HELGAMITES work wonders.
    I did manage to catch a few using a "mister twister" yellow jig but
    the big action was on helgies.
    Has anyone else fished this lake? what were the results?
    I have been reading this notes conference for a long time and have
    learned many good tips from several of you bass hounds. This is
    my first note on the subject, and with continued good luck, it won't
    be my last.
    
    Redsocks Bob
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
446.1Sounds interesting...KANE::MERCURIOThu Aug 13 1987 10:4510
    Tell us about these helgies, where did you get them, how big were
    they, do they bite, how did you get them on the hook, where and how 
    did you fish them????
    
    
    					Thanks for the info
    
    						Jim
    
    						
446.2AMAZIN !!!!!AKOV02::SANSINGThu Aug 13 1987 11:2623
    Jim,
    Helgamites are kind of like centapedes. They are black, about 3"
    long, 1/2" wide with about 10 legs on each side of the body. They
    have two pinchers, one on each side of the head. You grab the helgie
    by the back of the neck place hook through the neck area. There
    are two ways to fish them. Cast and slow retrieve or still fishing
    over the side of the boat. We were fishing in about twenty-five
    feet of water over a rocky bottom keeping the bait about one foot
    above the bottom. Local bait shops sell helgies at $6.00 per dozen
    but it is not unusual to catch several bass with one helgie because
    they have a very tough outer skin. We were told they can be found
    under rocks next to stream beds.
    You might find this interesting. My buddy had a nice bass on the
    line, about two lbs. as he was lifting it into the boat his four
    lb. test line broke at the hook. Three minutes later I got a hit
    on my line and landed this nice two lb. bass. As I held the fish
    in my hand it spit out this helgie with a hook in it. This turned
    out to be my buddies helgie with the hook he had just lost!!!!
    We laughed for several minutes about that one. Has this ever happened
    to any of you guys?
    
    Redsocks Bob
    
446.3GET YOUR OWN CHEAPGENRAL::HUNTERfrom SUNNY Colorado, WayneThu Aug 13 1987 11:4123
    	The best way to catch helgies is to go to a hardware store and
    purchase some window screen about 1 1/2 to 2 feet square.  Then
    take opposite sides of the screen and make loops that you can put
    sticks (or other stiff objects) through.  
    
    				oxxxxxxxo
    				oxxxxxxxo <---- like this
    				oxxxxxxxo
    				oxxxxxxxo             
       
    Find a stream or edge of a river with flowing water.  If there are
    two persons, have one hold the screen in the water across the current.
    Then the other person goes upstream boaut 2 to 3 feet and starts
    rolling over rocks and other things on the bottom.  (If you stir
    up the bottom of the stream bed a little bit, it seems to cause
    more of these little buggers to float out.)  Check and clean the
    Helgies off the screen about every minute or 2 minutes so they don't
    crawl off.  DON'T grab them from the bottom or at the front of the
    head.  They can give a NASTY BITE.  If fishing them in rivers, put
    them on about a #6 long shank hook with enough split shot about
    1 foot above them to just keep them bouncing on the bottom.  Throw
    them slightly upstream and let them trail down until they are just
    about on shore.  Works great for finicky trout.
446.4VENOM::WATERSThe Legend of the LakesThu Aug 13 1987 11:538
    I fished it with a friend in the spring.  We had good luck.
    where did you stay when you went up?  Did you camp?  I am
    planning another trip in Sept. and would like to find a place
    to camp on the lake!  Anyone no of anyone who owns some land up
    there around the lake?
    
    						John
    
446.5Launch Ramps at Squam?HPSTEK::BCRONINWed May 29 1991 16:549
    	This seemed the most reasonable place for this.
    Does anyone out there know of a public ramp on Squam?  Or a private one
    that you can launch at for a small fee?
    	I used to fish it years ago with some friends who stayed on Cotton
    Cove.  They had a boat with their cottage every year so launching was
    not an issue.  All I had to do is drive up and fish, tough huh?
    It truly is Smallmouth heaven!  If you don't want to post it here
    please send mail.  Thanks!
    					B.C.
446.6Don't count on itGEMVAX::HICKSCOURANTWed May 29 1991 17:126
    BC---
    Squam went private-access-only about four or five years ago. You have
    to have a friend willing to let you in. I have to go through a friend
    of a friend just to dive in it.
    
    John H-C
446.7WAHOO::LEVESQUENow THAT was a privilegeThu May 30 1991 09:447
 There's a private ramp on Big Squam that's extremely convenient. It's at the
southwest corner of the lake. I should say that it's semi-private, because
anyone is allowed to use it as long as people don't abuse the privilege. There's
a corner store that sells bait right on the main drag when you first reach the 
big lake- ask there.

 The Doctah
446.8Thankyou!HPSTEK::BCRONINThu May 30 1991 13:253
    	Thanks, I know the store.  Just before the bridge.
    
    				B.C.
446.9Squam Lake "Great"CSSE::JUDSONWhat do you mean it isn&#039;t supportedThu May 30 1991 13:479
Hey B.C.,

	I see you already have directions....I was up there last friday and
tore them UP....must have caught 100 smallies....Just a great time..Give
me a call at 276-9232 and I'll give you some of my secret places..I reason
I'm doing it this way, so the lEGEND won't know....

Bigbird