McClory: Gas prices could be bad news for boats

It was very evident that the price of gas put a crimp in many boaters’ plans for the holiday weekend on Sebago Lake. Boat traffic on the lake was almost nonexistent. Because gas was close to $5 a gallon at the marinas, a fill-up is a pretty pricey investment. It may be a quiet season on the lakes.Summer will be here next Wednesday (June 20), and again, I have to wonder what happened to spring.Oh, wait a minute, we did have spring this year for about a week, remember? And then we had the never-ending “Spring Showers” that still haven’t given up. We all know that here in New England we really do not have much of a season between winter and summer.If you enjoyed the couple of weeks of spring-like weather a month ago, you have to travel to Virginia or one of the Carolinas. Hopefully today the sun should be shining bright! I refuse to let the periodic falling water dampen my spirits, and I suggest you do the same.Summer will not be cancelled or washed out by spring, if you get out the rain gear and head down to Flax, Sluice, Brown’s, or Spring Pond, where the fish are waiting.Fish need to eat and the rain doesn’t bother them. Fishermen targeting largemouth bass in our local ponds have been doing well using medium size shiners. Surface lures like jitterbugs and buzz baits are really working well at the end of the day just before dusk when the wind calms down and the water flattens out. Spawning activity is waning in local ponds. Try to refrain from “picking beds”. The stress on these fish is enormous, as they constantly chase would-be predators away from the nest site. You can guess what will happen to the eggs or fry when dad leaves. It only takes a matter of seconds for a whole nest to be lost. Repeated removal of guardian males can lead to nest failure. Remember, the eggs or fry in those nests are the future of the lake or pond you are fishing in. And finally, don’t forget, it’s inevitable, the gray skies will brighten and the sun will shine, and the great outdoors is happening with or without you.Maine’s Sebago Lake’s reputation for lake trout fishing is still holding strong, and now with the adoption of a slot limit that allows unlimited possession of lake trout up to 23 inches, and the possession of one lake trout over 33 inches, lots of fish are making it to the freezer. Reports of catches of up to 20 lake trout per day are fairly common.Some anglers have been unhappy about having to release fish in the slot zone that could weigh over 10 pounds, not realizing that managing lake trout populations to this degree will certainly yield some real trophy fish in the future.Salmon are also hitting first thing in the morning, mostly close to the surface and are fat and healthy. Streamers flies and live bait are the method of choice. Thermoclines have yet to set up so vary your depths to find the fish as the morning progresses.On the salt water front, stripers up to 36 inches are hitting tube and worm rigs in honey mustard orange, black and red around Faun Bar and Spectacle Island. There are also reports of bluefish in the harbor. Flounders are also prevalent on the nicer days around Faun Bar, Deer Island Flats and Georges Island. There’s plenty of mackerel around also.June is also the month when most of our 10 native species of turtles are on the move following their ancient instincts to reproduce. Maybe you’ve seen one, ponderously moving across a road in search of disturbed soil for an attractive nest site.A turtle will look for a dry sunny spot to dig a hole and lay her eggs. While snappers are the most conspicuous turtles at this time of year, it’s a good time to see some of the rare species, particularly the eastern box turtle, wood turtle, spotted turtle, and Blanding’s turtle. Several of our turtle species are fully protected and should not be taken out of the wild, removed from their habitat, or taken home as pets.On June 30, MassWildlife invites early childhood educators to a fun, hands-on 6-hour workshop, “Growing up in the