Post by walleyed on Apr 11, 2012 10:08:51 GMT -5
I awoke Monday before dawn to the Roar of the surf pounding the Lake Ontario Shoreline.
I'm a Mile Inland from the Lake and I could still hear the sounds of the waves hitting the beach from inside the house.
It must have been blowing for awhile during the night for it to be that bad this early.
Of course, Monday was my chosen day to pull my Rat traps out of Lakeview Marsh, and Like an Idiot.......I proceeded with that plan in spite of that wind which was now blowing a Gale of 30 to 40 MPH straight out of the West.
An hour into my paddle DOWN the North Branch against the tide-like Lake Seiche flowing upstream plus the wind and I still had not reached my first traps.
The water in the Marsh had risen at least 24 to 36 inches and my Rat line was now a disaster.
Most of my location flagging on the cattail stalks was torn free and missing or under water.
Traps previously set in inches of water on rat toilets or feed beds were now under feet of water.
Many of my floating logs toilet sets, well anchored by the cattails mats had risen with the tide-like Lake Seiche and sailed off to parts unknown, pulling my traps off their nails and down into the water, or worse yet, uprooting my stakes and carrying away my traps.
Four hours later, I had managed to find and pull about 60% of the line and was riding the wind and 'tide" in the fully loaded canoe back up the North Branch. The wind caught my stern, and put me into a willow tree logjam and almost capsized me while I struggled to get that pig of a loaded canoe back out of the brush, logs, and weeds, without an ICY swim.
I was tired when I got home, and awoke to more of the same Tuesday morning with wind almost as strong so I decided to let the remaining traps soak until this morning.
It was calm at dawn, and after a couple of hours of paddling about searching the cattailed shoreline of "Floodwood Pond", managed to find and retrieve all but two of my "LOST" or submerged and unreachable #1 1/2 Oneida/Victor Long Springs.
I also managed to garner what will no doubt be the last catches of the 2011-2012 Trapping Season.
Two Rats and a Mink to wrap up the Spring Trapping Season.
Thanks to All who rode along with me aboard the canoe, or in the Truck this season and shared my Trapping Adventures in the Fields, Woods, Creeks, Rivers, and Marshes of Jefferson County in Northern New York State.
Thanks for Looking.
walleyed
I'm a Mile Inland from the Lake and I could still hear the sounds of the waves hitting the beach from inside the house.
It must have been blowing for awhile during the night for it to be that bad this early.
Of course, Monday was my chosen day to pull my Rat traps out of Lakeview Marsh, and Like an Idiot.......I proceeded with that plan in spite of that wind which was now blowing a Gale of 30 to 40 MPH straight out of the West.
An hour into my paddle DOWN the North Branch against the tide-like Lake Seiche flowing upstream plus the wind and I still had not reached my first traps.
The water in the Marsh had risen at least 24 to 36 inches and my Rat line was now a disaster.
Most of my location flagging on the cattail stalks was torn free and missing or under water.
Traps previously set in inches of water on rat toilets or feed beds were now under feet of water.
Many of my floating logs toilet sets, well anchored by the cattails mats had risen with the tide-like Lake Seiche and sailed off to parts unknown, pulling my traps off their nails and down into the water, or worse yet, uprooting my stakes and carrying away my traps.
Four hours later, I had managed to find and pull about 60% of the line and was riding the wind and 'tide" in the fully loaded canoe back up the North Branch. The wind caught my stern, and put me into a willow tree logjam and almost capsized me while I struggled to get that pig of a loaded canoe back out of the brush, logs, and weeds, without an ICY swim.
I was tired when I got home, and awoke to more of the same Tuesday morning with wind almost as strong so I decided to let the remaining traps soak until this morning.
It was calm at dawn, and after a couple of hours of paddling about searching the cattailed shoreline of "Floodwood Pond", managed to find and retrieve all but two of my "LOST" or submerged and unreachable #1 1/2 Oneida/Victor Long Springs.
I also managed to garner what will no doubt be the last catches of the 2011-2012 Trapping Season.
Two Rats and a Mink to wrap up the Spring Trapping Season.
Thanks to All who rode along with me aboard the canoe, or in the Truck this season and shared my Trapping Adventures in the Fields, Woods, Creeks, Rivers, and Marshes of Jefferson County in Northern New York State.
Thanks for Looking.
walleyed