kickingfrog

Same on Saturday night. With another good walleye chop.

And after a winter of basically spending most of my “mad money” exclusively on musky baits and building a new lure box to house them I catch a very solid musky on…

Like a weed. They were very clean if not monsters.

But we lost count of how many were whacking crank baits. Biggest was just under 20 inches. Most were 16-18.

Is it considered part of Lake Nipissing? Nipissing is in the exceptions. Bass opens third Saturday in June there.

That's someone who knows the best place to put a hole.

Very nice. They don't all come that big... at least mine don't, but they're all trophies.

The trip I had planed for early June is up in the air as well.

All is quite on the western front?

My buddy has a boat house not too far from Picton. He's not sure if he'll be putting his boat in this year as the water is down a least 3 feet. My boat would fit but I need a ladder to get up about 5 feet to the landing.

That thing retails for $1147.99.

...of $287 for a lure. Now I need a rod that can swing a 43oz bait.

Really hoping I can take my kids fishing. This will be the second walleye/pike opener that I haven’t been able to fish with my brother. And let’s face it. The kids like their uncle a lot more than their dad.

I did mine with cedar 2x4's (my boat is a 16 foot aluminum with a 50hp motor). Used what ever outdoor carpet they had at the home hardware in Bancroft, some adhesive and some staples. Not sure what cedar is going for these days but for only 2 for something you value as much as a boat and the years you're going to use it I think it's money well spent.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/recreational-activities-on-crown-land Hunting and fishing are allowed. Recreational camping prohibited on public land Recreational camping is prohibited on public land, including Crown land until further notice. This is to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect the health and well-being of Ontarians. Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, you cannot: camp for recreational purposes on public (Crown) land administered by Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry under the Public Lands Act occupy tents or other camping structures, such as trailers, recreational vehicles and watercraft equipped for overnight accommodation The prohibition will remain in place until further notice. We will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate if further actions are required. This prohibition of recreational camping does not affect: the exercising of Aboriginal or treaty rights temporary outdoor accommodations necessary for the operation of essential services and businesses such as forestry operations using public land for day use activities, like exercise, consistent with the stay-at-home order where written authorization (for example leases or land use permits) has been issued by the ministry to occupy public lands. Get the latest COVID-19 updates.

Lots of factors to consider. Maybe the pike year classes are not doing well either. Who knows? There isn't the same targeting of big pike like muskie in that area with big name guides and whatnot. Pike and muskie don't have the same spawning cycle/timing. Most large pike prefer a much colder water temp than big muskie so they are usually much deeper come summer.

Nest predation is one possibility the other could be the gobbies impacting another species in the muskies food chain or even older year classes of gobbies eating young of the year muskies. I believe one of the main reasons established muskie lakes don't do well with introduced pike is the pike hatching long enough before the muskie that the young of the year pike prey on the slightly younger/smaller muskie.

I want my prop back!

30 Years ago just about all bait casters had the handle on the right side and it's only been about 20 years that left handle (used mostly by right handers) have been readily available across multiple brands. I think this is from the time of the old level wind reels, the belief was that the dominate hand should be used turn the handle. For most of us using our dominate hand to power the cast (top hand on the rod) or to one hand cast makes sense. Then, for most, we prefer to use our dominate hand to control the rod and impart action and our offhand just collects the line. The long time bait cast guys that learned when there was only one choice switch so fast and smooth that it really doesn't matter to them but it does stick out if you look for it.

No ice to be seen in Kempenfelt Bay this morning. The heavy winds last night blew it out and/or broke it up.

I've never been hit with any other fees from Bass Pro. The price at the checkout in US dollars is it.

You can, but don't have to. I think braid has a lot of advantages especially if you are looking for versatility from an outfit.

Mono is more forgiving when you are learning and cheaper to replace if you end up with the mother of all birds nests (I heard from a friend). Pound test is a little more tricky and has a lot to do with rod/lure/conditions and preferences. The general rule of thumb is 10lb test mono is as thin as you should go, so 12-14 might be good for the fishing you described. If you do go with braid then 30lb test is about as thin as you should go (again, general rule of thumb) and does work for most of our inland fishing unless you are way back in the slop for bass or you are targeting big pike/muskie. When fishing bass I don't bother with a leader except if I have braid and I'm looking for a little more stealth and tie on some flouro. If you run into pike while bass fishing then a beefier floor leader can help. I don't use wire leaders often but they can be handy if they don't dampen the action of your lure.

I'd be interested to see the cranks If we ever get down to our friends in Tillsonburg.

2am until noon.