May 14-17, 2022

Once again a spring trip was planned to our favorite lake. A week prior I happened to check the DEC website and noticed that the planned maintenance for the Upper Locks was moved up and we would not be able to stay on Middle Saranac. So we quickly looked at the maps and decided on a few options on Lower. We've wondered about the camping and fishing there so now we had a chance to experience it firsthand.

DAY 1
Jacob and Wyatt would also be joining us but would be coming up in Jake's boat on the second day. It was up to the Captain and me to find a spot and get setup.




We did manage to find a nice out of the way campsite and except for being a little small, it was just about perfect. It was complete with a nice sunny spot above the water, great for drying clothes and shoes as we would find out later.

Tempting I know Isla, but that's a bit of a drop.

So I do recall we had some wet weather in the forecast for each of the days we were going to be there, what else is new? We did manage to get everything setup and settled in before the skies opened up though, and that is always a bonus.

View from our picnic table under a well designed shelter during the downpour.

Nothing to do but hang out in the wilderness and have a cold beverage and listen to the rain (and Johnny Cash) - quick video.

Eventually the rain let up a bit in the afternoon so we decided to grab our raingear and head out and do a little fishing.

  I guess our secret spot is no longer a secret.

I am sure this next view looks very familiar. Knowing that we could only visit Middle for the first two days, we took advantage while the rain held off.

Never gets old

Loos like the Captain managed to land a nice Smallmouth somewhere in Middle as the rain started again.

Heading back to Lower before dark and you can see just how much water we had up here this spring.



DAY 2

The boys arrived sometime in the late morning and after getting them settled in and having a quick lunch, we headed back to Middle while we still could. The Upper Locks were scheduled to close the next morning.

Looks like the Captain was still carrying the luck and it looks like the rain was also still hanging around.



First mate is on the board with a standard Middle Saranac Pike. Fish don't care if it rains, they're already wet. It looks like Wyatt is competing for Perch King.



Eventually we headed back to camp dodging rainstorms.

The last ones to go through the broken gates most likely. Hopefully they will still be fixed come fall.

Jon captured this nice shot when we returned to camp, it almost made the banner.

  Isla enjoying the evening view before bedtime with a full tummy no doubt.

Our well designed tarp roof and campsite as we prepare the evenings' meal.

We had some fairly steady rain overnight which makes for great sleeping in a tent. I wondered how Jake was fairing in his hammock, but he's got that down to a science so I wasn't really concerned.

DAY3

Morning broke with a nice sunrise and mist on the water. I always try to get up early enough to experience it.

No doubt you've seen this view a few times before, but usually at another camp.

The clouds and the reflections in this next shot were amazing, photos never do it justice. You can see why this picture won selection for the banner.

 

We hung around camp for a bit that morning. Jacob was doing his best to make sure he doesn't get skunked and keeping his Panfish crown intact. As I recall, he did quite well from the back of the docked boat catching Sunny's and Bass.

 

That's a wet puppy. She was pretty much wet the entire trip, she loves the water.

I remember when I was taller than him, I think he was 9. That shirt should bring some good luck though.

So the weather was looking up, even though there were showers in the forecast for later in the day. Time to see what Lower Saranac had in store for Pike fishing. The Captain and I had looked at the maps briefly and picked out a few spots that looked Pikey to us, so those would be our destinations today.

  What's a trolling motor and why do I have to get off of it?

First stop was a creek mouth way at the other end of the lake that looked promising. We were a little disappointed that the depths we saw didn't match what was on the chart but there were weeds so we gave it a try. I recall having what looked like a better than average pike come from the depths and flash at my lure just as we entered the creek mouth, so that was encouraging.

Lucky shirt 

Jake got in on the action as well. I think Wyatt's was the only Pike we pulled out of there however

We eventually decided to head toward the entrance of the river at the other end of the lake and see if we could get come action there. This would also put us a little closer to camp as the skies were starting to look a little threatening. 

 Ready to go

It definitely looked pikey in the river entrance, but we only yielded one as the rain started to fall and it was Wyatt and his lucky shirt again!

So we headed back, cooked some grub and relaxed for the evening.

DAY 4

The next morning we woke up to bright sunshine which is always nice for packing up and heading out.

Who knows what is in store for us before next spring, and the boys are becoming men so I am sure they will start to get busy with their own lives, but hopefully we will be able to keep this tradition alive for years to come.