We arrived at our desired launch location and thanks to the shovel I brought was able to dig a nice little launching / landing area in the snow. The water was quite high so digging into the snow gave some security that we weren't stepping into snow covered waters! Craig and I launched into a very clear area of the Kennebacasis River, and paddled up towards our usual fishing grounds, and a huge wall of ice that blocked the entire width of the river.
We anchored down, and fished in severeal spots, enjoying the very mild wind and sunshine. Only sporadically did any ice break free and slowly drift down past us. Eventually the currents changed direction, as is common here on tidal waters in New Brunswick and what had flowed past us previously, now passed us once again in the opposite direction!
Finally I got a hit, a small sturgeon around 28 inches in length... not big enough to actually measure. Then another and another. By the end of my mini hot streak, I landed three small sturgeon and lost another at the surface. Not bad for the first day of the year!
The ice wall, which I had anchored directly next to now has pushed well off into the distance and the current picked up considerably. Not even 2 ouces of weight was near enough for how we like to fish. Truth be told, I don't recally ever seeing the current this strong going up river! It is quite surprising given how high the river is. I suspect the dam being open on the Saint John river is having a direct influence here on the Kennebacasis! I fear we may need to watch for rapidly rising river levels over the next week!
Eventually Craig and I decided to call it quits and headed back. It's a good thing too as just after we brought the kayaks onto shore we noticed a sea of ice blocks floating past up to where we had been fishing. If we had stayed on the water 20 minutes longer, we may not have been able to get back to our launch site, but instead may have had to put ashore further up river!
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