2023 dock fishing report

 I do 99 per cent of my fishing from our dock -- a few casts after breakfast, a few after lunch and finally, after supper. Here's what I caught last summer.

The big news is I caught seven smallmouth bass. In the past I have never caught any. On one occasion I was just pulling my Beetle Spin out of the water when the whole side of the dock erupted with a school of bass. There might have been 10 of them. I dropped my lure back in and instantly caught one which put up a whale of a fight. While it was pulling out drag, the entire school followed it around. All these fish seemed to be about three pounds.

I got nine walleye including one on a rubber mouse. This fish had previously followed in as I cast the mouse near the bank, looking for pike. I eventually pitched out to a spot I know is about 20 feet deep and the walleye, obviously just below the surface, grabbed it immediately. This fish was about 25 inches.

I got 12 northern pike but only a few of them eating size. The others were too small or too big. The largest fish was about 38 inches and was enormously muscular. My two large hands could not encircle its head when I went to release it. 

Low water at the start of the year resulted in excellent weed growth, something that benefits fish populations as it provides cover for minnows and other forage species. By fall the water level was back to normal. 

Solar system handled needs until October

 Our new solar system handled all of our electrical uses right until the beginning of October when we were hit with a string of dark, cloudy days as well as declining daylight hours.

We operated all of our electrical tools, including air compressor, radial saw, large electric drill, etc. just by plugging them into the wall. If the sun was shining while we were working a check on the solar system battery status showed we still had 100 per cent reserve. In other words, we were running everything on the current production from the two large panels.

In total, we used less than five gallons of gas in our generator since the system was installed July 1. By comparison, before the solar system we used about that much weekly. This year we saved $450 by not buying gasoline.

I was impressed that the solar panels still generated plenty of electricity on smoky days when we could look directly at the sun. There were plenty of those last summer.

There's a new house near our cabin

 

The beavers have made a large feedbed in front of their lodge

Actually, the house was there before, the new tenants just renovated it. 

All the winter feed seen in front of the beaver house against the bank came from the shoreline in front of our place. We don't begrudge sharing saplings and shrubs and even small hardwood trees like birch with the beavers as long as they leave the larger birches alone beside the buildings. What do you think are the chances that will happen?