tbayboy

Great stuff Kevin, nice to see the new GPS/Finder working well and good luck on the rushed assignment (done that many a times myself).

Beautiful pictures again and the report just exudes the excitement you felt. Please don't let some paranoid fools ruin it for the rest of us that love reading reports like this. Oh and PM me the GPS co-ords when you get a sec ok

Hooray a report with walley pics (no offense cliff hehe). Great stuff Joey.

Been waiting all weekend for the reports to start trickling in and had a feeling Cliff might be first. Why was not suprised to hear that it was bly that had one on from shore - I'm gonna guess the red devil (or blue and white crank), do I win Sounds like it was a great time even if the fishing wasn't the greatest. Love hearing about the good Karma - Sam and Mr. Mercer coming through big time.

Great report - some really nice duck shots there but now I'm hungry again

This is the first year I've even been to any of the Kawarthas let alone fished them so I followed Cliffs lead and chose average. I did wait a bit for the carp stuff to calm down before hooking up to check it out (and started up at Stoney to avoid any). That said it was a great year and I was really surprised at the fishing to be had. Started with my first day on the Kawarthas targetting walleye in Stoney. No eyes but... <a href=" title="My first muskie by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1422/558571838_f772c8e245.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="My first muskie" /></a> My first ever Muskie. Best thing about the Kawarthas for me was that I don't own a boat so all my Kawartha fishing was via OFC hookups - got to meet Manitoba Rob, Bitsmith, Mikeh and PatrickG for trips to these lakes and they're all good guys (even if they learend that I have no idea what I'm doing in a boat hehe). Thanks to Mikeh in particular I got to spend several days on Scugog and though I'm still not sure if I hate that lake or not it did cough up this 43"er <a href=" title="43" Muskie by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1154/1430951592_26f152de8d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="43" Muskie" /></a> Along with several smallies and my only kawartha walleye of the year: <a href=" title="Scugog walleye by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1243/1108560739_c8d4ffda55.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Scugog walleye" /></a> I really liked Pigeon as well, nice mix of open water and protected spots. Didn't get a lot of fish there but I really liked it. Didn't have much look on Lovesick though I liked the looks of it and finally I hit Balsam twice without any luck at all but then went out on a Muskie charter with Mikeh and what do you know, that lake has some decent fish: (so yeah, I just reeled him but still counts right?): <a href=" title="A new personal best by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/1781194265_ee2811bce9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="A new personal best" /></a> Ended up with 5 or 6 30+ muskie and a few snot rockets, a few 3lb+ smallies and largies and one walleye (plus a zillion panfish). Sure seemed like a great year to me but there's always next year - I'm sure I can top it (or get skunked all year - never know right?)

Hadn't even heard of it but I'll definitely set it up on the PVR (got the musky bug this year so need to bone up on them before next year). Here's their website: Musky Hunter TV

Sorry to hear that Mike. Think the love-hate scugog relationship has swung to the right side the last couple trips Ahh well, always next year.

2 feet - why didn't you reach over and grab the fish . Mikeh and I were there Saturday with the same results if that makes you feel any better.

great stuff, good to see simcoe pics without the snow again

Some real beauties there, triplets are a great way to start a weekend

Great report Cliff. I have my doubts anyone could outfish Snag when it comes to shoreline pike hunting so don't feel too bad

I guess I'd go with these for now Favourite river fish pic: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2089/1524175681_0384b8e0f3_o.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="70044f2d" /></a> Favourite release pic: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/1430074291/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1035/1430074291_47d67468b2_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="The release" /></a> Favourite "teeth" pic: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1030/764471701_7a90d4b00c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="teeth" /></a> And just because it's almost supper time now - the best tasting fish dish of the year: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1162/765295280_83d34d5969_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="fish poached with olives and oil" /></a>

I was about to kick myself for being an idiot after seeing that Wayne but: Looks fine to me except for the time being off by an hour. I turned off the auto set DST and told it daylight savings is not currently in effect and now its right. Guess the auto DST didn't get the change in the rules.

Today, 12:05 AM Last post by: redx - err its 1:07 pm by my clock Everyone sing along: "Lets do the timewarp again!" think someones server needs an update

Very cool pic. It also was the topic of the Astronomy Picture of the Day today. Click the link for details and a higher res version Picture Credit: Vicent Peris and José Luis Lamadrid

Mid December - that what, 40 days from now? So then I only think its fair to expect 40 more reports before you head back. Then we'll have to wait for for the UK carp action updates I guess

Haven't fished it but its VERY rocky - drive with caution if you're not with someone who knows the lake. Friend has a cottage up there and I've been in their boat twice when its run over a rock (ignoring university student foolishness as only being part of the reason)

Damnit Dan. Now you've got me checking the thunder by job ads again . I've lived in a few spots in southern ontario over the last decade and this year I've learned just how great the fishing down here can be but it just takes one summer day back in NW ontario to have me ready to pack it all up and move (I'll pretend to ignore the winters for now - you can pay guys to shovel snow I hear). Sure I'll miss going to Jays and Raptors games but that's why god invented HDTV. If I had a family and was looking for retirement then I'd be looking a bit further out of T Bay - Kenora would probably be high on the list for that point in my life but not quite ready for that level of isolation just yet.

Damn thats a nice looking eye. Sounds like it was tough fishing out there, at least if you're only going to get one fish you made it count.

Congrats Don, great looking fish there.

Wow your really getting handy with the HDR and with your choice of angles. Those are some great pics.

Ive been using it for "light" applications all year and have been very happy with it. By light I mean tossing tubes for smallies, jigging for eyes and other finesse type presentations. I've been using the 6 and 8lb versions and haven't had a break off or a knot slip that wasn't my own fault. I tried regular fireline and absolutely hated it so I'm no fanboy of theirs but the crystal hasn't let me down. I outfished my buddies who stuck to their mono pickeral setups to the point where I sold them my spare spool on the trip this year but I do have to point out that you plan to use it for trolling and for big fish which are two things I haven't used this for so I can't speak to that (though I did bring in a 42" muskie in may on it when the obviously hungry girl decided my worm harness would make a meal).

Can't wait. Was my first OFC event and was a great time.

Good article Cliff thanks for putting it up. I grew up fishing for nothing but eyes with the odd pike tossed in but the last year I've caught pike, muskies, small and largemouth bass, salmon (trolling) and a zillion panfish of all varieties and I think this guys right - they're subtle tricky pain in the butt fish at times. Walleye are the one fish where I see some guy with a limit of big guys where everyone else gets skunked and boy would we drill that guy to find the trick. Certainly there's times when they're easy to pick up but those tough bite days really stand out to me as fun fishing though I'm hard pressed to explain why - its definitely a 'you vs the fish' kinda thing on those days and I guess thats what I like. Tweaking over a zillion colours and presentations (how many blades and swivels and colours do you bring pike fishing?). My brother for example won't jig for eyes with the bail closed (gotta let the fish feel comfortable on those taps), most guys I know refuse to put any terminal tackle on even if pike are all over the place. Yeah the fight sucks (relatively) and they aren't giant fish or anything like that but compared to say smallmouth which generally any idiot can catch (last trip to stony does not count - grrr) walleye can be finicky and you tend to get proud of the catch. Its a weird thing for sure but even after all the fun fishing I've done this year it was still the walleye trip that I'm proudest of simply because I out fished my buddies and was able to use stuff I'd learned (much from this board) to pull out fish when my friends couldn't. That said - top water fishing (pike, bass, muskie) is still my favourite and I was one of the few guys on the walleye trip this year that wasn't upset to see the smallies making headway in our walleye lake.