tbayboy

After a disappointing T.O. Island trip for PatrickG and myself last week where the red ants got more bites than the fish Patrick tells me we should go to the Grand this weekend for some smallies. Seems he used to live there and is willing to divulge a little spot he knows. Hell yeah says me, as long as there's no bloody ants I'm in. So Saturday AM we headed to the KW area (I'd post the google map photo and directions but Patrick may kill me ). I know we're gonna be wadding but I don't have any waders, just some water socks but thats fine, the weather was beautiful and the river water doesn't smell so in we go. Sure enough 2 casts in Patrick lands his first 12 lb Grand river smallie: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1131/866265313_7aebca8b41_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1109" /></a> Meanwhile I'm tossing the tubes I'm sure will work, then the crayfish, then this then that while Patrick keeps offering me the magic brown flecked super tube but nooo I gotta be different. After a couple more small guys Patrick lands this - definitely a 12 and 1/2 pounder: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1265/866279277_e93b7483c3_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="IMG_1133" /></a> That's it I give up and borrow one of the 'magic' tubes and a few casts later I've got my first little one. Unfortunately I forget to tell Patrick how to use my camera so that pic got lost but thats fine, as soon enough I get this guy, a bit more pic worthy: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1063/867127400_1c1d4b7672_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="IMG_1128" /></a> Not to be beaten Patrick lands a couple more <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1258/866271185_fa603efa3a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1119" /></a> <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1266/867131036_44b1a1b8d6_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1132" /></a> And this one caught on video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> The bite slowed down then with just a couple more little ones so we grabbed some lunch then went to another spot but the bugs there were pretty bad and so was the bite so we called it a day with Patrick out fishing by one nice one and a couple small ones. That night I had a friends birthday bash but all the sun during the day had me beat so surprisingly I found myself back home at 2:30am and up at 9:00am with no hangover. What to do what to do. Oh I know, sneak back to Patricks spot and even the score Quick stop at tims and I'm up to my chest in water at 11am for a few hours with 2 goals: prove I can catch a river smallie with one of the zillion plastics I bought (ie without Patricks super tube) and of course even the count with Patrick (just because he wasn't there for the second day it counts right? ). It was another beautiful day but damned if I couldn't get anything to bite until I put on the magic tube and then I had one that spit it on a jump. Grrr. Quick trip back to the car for some more sunscreen and I'm back with a black and red specked tube when finally I catch something with my own bait Oh yeah, a monster <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1072/872425038_df65266c51_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1137" /></a> I got a few more of those sized guys when a hop over some weeds sent my line sideways and the drag spinning. Hooray, a decent fish! This guy was a lot of fun, damned if those river fish don't put up a hell of a fight. Couldn't get much of a pic standing in 3 feet of water balancing my rod on my head and trying not to get my camera soaked: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1005/872426402_b309f8ebc0_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="IMG_1138" /></a> I stayed a bit longer but the sun went behind the clouds and the water suddenly seemed a lot cooler so I called it a day (after catching up to Patricks numbers - booyah). This was my first time fishing the Grand (and I went to U Waterloo for 5 years - go figure) and I really enjoyed it. Its such a nice way to fish when everything you need has to fit in your vest and of course the scenery was beautiful as well: <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1221/866269931_e2c84c3d1d_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1116" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/866267485/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/866267485_2a1895a9e1_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1113" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/871572297/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/871572297_07689d646e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_1134" /></a> Thanks to Patrick for introducing me to this great little fishery, definetely gonna be back again (time to shop for a better vest and maybe some wader - when can I stop spending money on this damned hobby? )

Great stuff, that worm harness / bottom bouncer combo will catch just about anything won't it.

"TJ's Malllard Lodge" - got a nice ring to it .

Great pics Dan, Mount McKay reminds me of home too.

Nice fish and your dead on about the beats working bit, come on weekend!

I'll agree with tater - any of the shows that teach me stuff that I will make use of are good in my book. So that means shows like xtreme angler which yeah are a bit over the top in my books are still good because they do show you what they're doing and the gear their using to do it so I'll put up with some of the in your face style as long as the show ends and I find myself digging through my tackle box or my maps and figuring out when I get to try what I just learned.

Great report Doug. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to include so much detail - really great to read of a fun trip and learn from it at the same time.

Was great meeting you out there 007. I saw that same bowfin swarm (after we passed you - love the pic of the little one) and your egret being chased away by smaller birds, very good nature day (the alewife were nuts at the one spot - we'd have up to 8 or 9 follow our spinners in ever cast).. We managed a spinner bait catfish (go figure) to go with the largie Patrick got before but nothing great. Congrats on the good collection and hope to see you out there again.

What a great report, I always love the details and of course some nice fish pics are always welcome. Thanks

what a beauty. Congrats on a great day!

We saw them at the leslie spit a few weeks ago in spawn mode a couple groups of 3 or 4 chasing one other one right near the surface (in amongst the carp)

Nice rainsuit cliff Sounds like a fun weekend congrats on some nice fish.

Thanks guys, its Maki Bay Lodge Sirfish

wow, beauty fish, sounds like a great day on the water

What a pig, congrats on an awesome fish

Great stuff, I'd have stopped fishing to watch the mom and calves too, great pics.

7 foot wingspan, 3 foot length and 15 pounds - very impressive bird indeed and the article lists small deer as prey as well. Golden Eagle Info

Sounds like a great trip, thats pic of your son with the pike nearly as big as him is priceless

Thats great TJ, pretty soon no one will be happy with just pictures in a report

Great report DSN, I'm not sure a camera man would have done any better.

Haha Dan, you recognized it did ya? Well Mr. Clara is now retired (well as retired as he gets) and our reckless driver is his son Dave who now runs the joint so we figured we were ok but when Mr. Clara met us out on the water one of the days (didn't get this part of the story in the original post) Dave told him (guess he figured we had 20 feet of water between us so it was safe) and we got nothing bust a nasty glare but then his buddy broke out laughing and he loosened up a bit. Gotta agree with the 'good old lac' - she never lets you down, great fishery but one of these days we'll have to get your advice on some good trout spouts but I'm not sure you'd want us knuckleheads near anything you like

Beautiful photos and damn nice fish Aaron, sounds like a great time even with the weather.

Bcee - the jig setup was a tip from solopaddler (and others) on this thread: http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8694 . Just your basic jig with a curly tail grub and a small piece (1/2 inch or so) of worm on it. Here's a sampling of the lures/rigs that worked for me (missing the ones lost to the god of the lake): <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/772989242_ad75c530cf.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="What worked" /></a>

Thanks everyone, happy to share it and if you get a chance to head up that way I highly recommend it (and thats just the tip - keep going west and/or north and you've got the insanity of Lac Seul and Vermillion among about a million other lakes). PigeonFisher - every year we say we're gonna downsize to beans and kraft dinner and every year we stock up with nothing but the best. Costs more of course but hey, I ain't 15 any more TackleBuster - if you look at the video I think you can see the lip grips in my hand, we were hoping to get them both in but he spat it a bit too early (there was a net too, not sure why I hadn't thought of that).

Nice looking fish, thanks for sharing.