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Cermele: Do You Really Know Your Home Waters?
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The Honest Angler
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April 28, 2009
Cermele: Do You Really Know Your Home Waters?
By Joe Cermele
I've just returned from a trip that had me following the Delaware River from its branches in New York to the tide line at Trenton, NJ, in five straight days. The goal was to catch a different species at each location. I nailed it except for the muskie...which, for the record, are the toughest fish in the river to catch.
But what made the trip so great was that I got to fish what I consider home waters with pro guides, and man, I truly cannot begin to express how much I learned...or to put it another way, how little I knew to begin with. I fish this river a lot and do pretty well, but to fish it with those that make their living on the Big D changes your perspective.
For example, during my smallmouth outing, the blue-bird sky and clear water looked wonderful to me. But guide Blaine Mengel had been praying for high, dirty water to concentrate the fish on the banks. He positively hated the conditions, but he still found me some smallies.
In the tidal stretch, I thought surely no stripers would take considering the amount of outboards ripping over their heads. My good friend and guide Eric Kerber said it wouldn't matter, and it didn't. In the ocean, heavy boat traffic will shut the bite right down.
What I'm driving at is hiring a guide on water you think you already know may open your eyes. It's like great guitar players that still take lessons. Have you ever thought about hiring a guide on your home turf?
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Comments (8)
Not a bad week at the office! Hiring a guide on your "home" waters is not a bad thing. Us weekend warriors go out to have fun and catch fish, get caught up with localitis and think we have it dialed in, some do, some don't. These guides are going to have more knowledge than us, glad they are out there.
When I go to the local tackle shop and spend my money, in a way, I'm hiring a guide. Think about all the advice about where to go and what to use you get from your local yocal shops.
I have hired guides for waters that I have fished a number of times before and found that I didn't know squat about these waters.
Yes I would hire a guide for my local waters but he would have to be pretty well experienced.
no i think i know my waters well and it costs to much. but i think cause water is so close anbd i go so often i know the lakes and rivers well
The only times I have hired a guide on local waters is if all of my buddies go fishing and we need a bigger boat so we can all fish together, also so we can toss some back and not have to worry about johnny law. Other than that I have put a hell of a lot fish into a 14 jonboat on various river systems. In VA I have fished the entire length of the James River fishing everything from brook trout in its upper tributaries to striper and various saltwater species to the boat. Same goes for the Roanoke River from the Mountains to the Albemarle sound. The Pamlico/Tar and Neuse Rivers of NC are my haunts now.
I do have several friends that guide though and we share info. They tell me where they ran and I tell them about the fish I caught close to the dock that they burned a lot of gas passing over.
I always suggest to my friends who are avid anglers, that once they move to a new location (home wise) to hire a guide to take them fishing and pay attention. This allows the guide to show some of the hot spots. It is funny that, even if you have been living in a certain place for a while and hire a guide, you will learn so much stuff. Do not be afraid to ask questions. With a guide, you will be able to pick up all the quick tips and inside "know". If you are in Florida, just do not bring a GPS unit. About 80% of guides down here will take your GPS unit (which you will never see again) and never allow you on the boat again. This is very common with deep sea charters but can be seen other places, so be careful.
The only time I'd hired a guide was locally for stripers on the Delaware. I'd never pursued the fish before and was interested so learning the habitat and the methods seemed worth it even though I've lived withing 5 miles of the river most of my life. Some of my favorite small streams I think I know pretty well. For the last two years I've been trying to figure out Nockamixon... I think the solution to that puzzle is still a couple of years out.
what kind of fish are they
That was a great idea.
Kentucky has a lake (Cave Run) that an Ohio tributary, (Licking River) runs through it and their loaded with Muskie.
A young 14-year old girl, caught a new state record in November of last year,a 47-pounder, 53-inches in length,and the girth was 26 and a half inches.
I'm getting me a guide soon, thanks for the story Joe!
http://www.themoreheadnews.com/localsports/local_story_309142536.html
Post a Comment
Not a bad week at the office! Hiring a guide on your "home" waters is not a bad thing. Us weekend warriors go out to have fun and catch fish, get caught up with localitis and think we have it dialed in, some do, some don't. These guides are going to have more knowledge than us, glad they are out there.
When I go to the local tackle shop and spend my money, in a way, I'm hiring a guide. Think about all the advice about where to go and what to use you get from your local yocal shops.
I have hired guides for waters that I have fished a number of times before and found that I didn't know squat about these waters.
Yes I would hire a guide for my local waters but he would have to be pretty well experienced.
no i think i know my waters well and it costs to much. but i think cause water is so close anbd i go so often i know the lakes and rivers well
The only times I have hired a guide on local waters is if all of my buddies go fishing and we need a bigger boat so we can all fish together, also so we can toss some back and not have to worry about johnny law. Other than that I have put a hell of a lot fish into a 14 jonboat on various river systems. In VA I have fished the entire length of the James River fishing everything from brook trout in its upper tributaries to striper and various saltwater species to the boat. Same goes for the Roanoke River from the Mountains to the Albemarle sound. The Pamlico/Tar and Neuse Rivers of NC are my haunts now.
I do have several friends that guide though and we share info. They tell me where they ran and I tell them about the fish I caught close to the dock that they burned a lot of gas passing over.
I always suggest to my friends who are avid anglers, that once they move to a new location (home wise) to hire a guide to take them fishing and pay attention. This allows the guide to show some of the hot spots. It is funny that, even if you have been living in a certain place for a while and hire a guide, you will learn so much stuff. Do not be afraid to ask questions. With a guide, you will be able to pick up all the quick tips and inside "know". If you are in Florida, just do not bring a GPS unit. About 80% of guides down here will take your GPS unit (which you will never see again) and never allow you on the boat again. This is very common with deep sea charters but can be seen other places, so be careful.
The only time I'd hired a guide was locally for stripers on the Delaware. I'd never pursued the fish before and was interested so learning the habitat and the methods seemed worth it even though I've lived withing 5 miles of the river most of my life. Some of my favorite small streams I think I know pretty well. For the last two years I've been trying to figure out Nockamixon... I think the solution to that puzzle is still a couple of years out.
what kind of fish are they
That was a great idea.
Kentucky has a lake (Cave Run) that an Ohio tributary, (Licking River) runs through it and their loaded with Muskie.
A young 14-year old girl, caught a new state record in November of last year,a 47-pounder, 53-inches in length,and the girth was 26 and a half inches.
I'm getting me a guide soon, thanks for the story Joe!
http://www.themoreheadnews.com/localsports/local_story_309142536.html
Post a Comment