johnnyb

What we call "mature" the musky call "dinner"...

That's a great fishing story

PB's are always nice.....walleye PB's are always just a little nicer Beauty fish!!!

Hahaaa I love it when that happens!

Nice timing on the fish....and nice to see the MNR doing the rounds. 22.5 is a great keeper...cut out the dark line and it's delicious! I was leary about keeping 26 and 27's, but not after grilling them up

As was mentioned, it really depends on what type of fishing. I have yet to own one, but I sure do like using them when I have the chance. In my tinners, if I'm in shallow I just stand up front and use one of the oars to pole my way around anyway....any other time I just idle along with the motor...shutting it off if wind allows...flipping in and out of gear if not. I don't think for this one trip you are going to be at too much of a loss.

Beautiful rig....very nice upgrade! Lookin' forward to seeing some pics with slime

I do confess to using the laker as a drift sock...that second pic is light on the EAP and heavy on the WLF (water logged fish) I'm glad he was over the slot though....pretty much bled to death in the boat just getting the hooks out....absolutely inhaled the spoon and had a case of treble-itis in the gill-ular region

Great opportunity....I've heard that there are some very solid Shimano connections over there at Gagnon's....nice that you were able to benefit. I got to fish out of a couple bass boats for the first time last season....blew me away. Great report...never mind the walleyes....when is it time for bowfin's and 5lb largies???

W O W Those are some impressive brookies....congrats on a fantastic trip

I like what Roy said about 4 posts into this thread. I stopped reading there and cast my vote

As many of you know, I'm lucky enough to have in-laws with a cottage on Gull Lake, near Minden. As many of you also know, I have been UNlucky enough not to land a laker over the slot limit. ... ... Until now!!! Started things out right this year, as I finally got a chance to get back to the in-law's cottage for the first time this year. (No...that's not true...trolled the lake in early spring...but it was a skunfest which I have repressed until now) Saturday morning I was up early, and had the rigger, rod-holder and sonar clamped to the boat by 6. Surface temps were already up in the mid 60's, and I had a nice section of 40' flat in mind that produced lakers in early summer for me last year. By 6:25 I had this guy in the boat -- a solid 24 inches of slot-busting laker!!! Trolled around until 9, but could only get one more hit, which shook itself off on the way up. Nice way to start the season though!

The younger of my two cousins but a brand new treble from a rattlin rap in his thumb getting out of the boat on our last trip....in past the barb and poking out again, luckily not too deep. Removed the loose treble, then cut the two prongs off the offender....snipped the pointy exposed end off, and backed the rest of it out. Surprisingly little blood, and luckily a brand new hook. Polysporin, bandaid, and all good. Couple years ago, we had 2 dogs rip-roaring around the cottage....chased eachother down to the dock, and one slides into the boat. Snaps a rod, snags a hook to the chest....thankfully just through the skin. Same deal...cut and back it out....but this time supply the patient with a continuous feed of cheese to keep her still. I think she was disappointed when it was over Lesson for us: DON'T TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU'LL PUT THE HOOKS AWAY LATER....TAKE THE 5 MINUTES TO DO IT NOW!!!

There is some great footage of this happening under a kayak on youtube......look up anglersthree I believe...they make some great vids. Great that you got the footage and posted though....goes down nicely with my coffee this morning

That is some pretty sweet redemption right there....way to go!! Looking forward to many more reports from you like this one This Fall, and next Spring, you're going to see guys posting on here about where to go in AP for brookies. Now YOU are one of those guys who can say "you want 'em? You gotta work for 'em". And you've got the proof to show that that's all it takes.

Thanks for the kind words folks....glad you enjoyed...I'm still wishing I was back up there....bugs or not! Paul you have to get into that spot....can basically go in circles from one shore to the other....always some springtime laker action in there We tried for just a short bit trolling for eyes...probably should have gone out again after dark...oh well. Next time I think it was just dishwashing....no wait...it WAS a release shot Oh yes...you know the lake Glad I could oblige....and appreciated the friendly encouragement to get it posted. But seriously. DOOOOD. This perogie pizza is insane! They even give you sour cream for dipping....and after 3 slices the heat really starts to kick in. It takes a backseat to no other pizza!

Couple real nice trout there.....good stuff guys!

That time of year, I'd expect the bass to be relatively easy pickins....but I don't know anything about the lake itself. Paddled through it once....as Rizzo says, it's part of a popular route.

Went plenty of times as a kid, doing the car-camping thing, but my top two memories of Algonquin came later. #1. Doing a trip in with my dad and my son, who was 6 at the time. Towed a canoe up Opeongo and portaged in a solid couple kms....spent 3 days teaching my son to paddle....checking out back lakes...frying up bass for dinner and pancakes for breakfast. #2. Did a trip with a summer camp I attended on the year of the park's 100th anniversary....spent one night floating around in a canoe with a cute girl visiting from Belgium, lying in the bottom of the boat watching an insane meteor shower. I was 15....not quite bold enough to do anything more than enjoy her company

So glad you are back, Dana! What an amazing report.....you have been practicing alright!! You are crushing the specks...and they aren't tiny either. Congrats on the impending fatherhood too Also --- the wolves...craziness...I would've been a bit freaked out. Way to "throw down"

Beautiful lakers....what was the hot bait?

I'm pretty sure I recognize that spot.....from past reports. One day I'll get up there and at least know my way around a bit! Great way to live up there....thanks for sharing it with us

Well this was supposed to be a well written, descriptive report that would make an attempt to capture the beauty and majesty of Temagami back country……but I've been busy all week and need to get this posted! So here are the numbers, followed by the pics. I like to yak, so there might be a little bit of commentary on the way Friday before the May long weekend we rolled out of Mississauga – myself along with my cousins Bert (bicephalic on the board) and Brian. Hit Muskoka by 11, had the tinner trailered up, received homemade sandwiches from my mom (bless her) and were rolling northward by noon. Couple of stops to make in North Bay….Rodcaster and I swapped gear – trout spinners for me, and a sail to fit his canoe, for him. Then Trouty, who was around the corner, insisted we take a bag of frozen smelt. Good eats – can turn down an offer like that from the big Tee Finally finally finally the cell phone signal started to fade and we hit the Temagami Access Road. Jeep unpacked, got a nice close parking spot, and boat loaded up. Well. Loaded DOWN. One of these years the waves crossing the hub are going to mess with us….but they stayed on the bottom side of the gunnels this year Hit the portage, dragged everything, including tinner and 8hp (thank goodness it's a 2-stroke!) over the 200m or so portage, and then found a campsite. At the portage, we bumped into a party that uh…how shall I say this….made us look real good. 2 little boats with a fair bit of water in them, 1 motor between the two, 2 adults a teenager and a young guy about 10. No map…they had been lost on the big lake and given a map….but they were happy to be at the right spot! We started moving their gear, not so much to be nice but more to get them out of the way as it's a tight squeeze on the trail. By the time we caught up to them on the next lake, they were camped out with a roaring fire, prevailing wind blowing it right into their campsite. Yes there was a fire ban. Yes, they lit fireworks off that night. Sigh. Ah well….the point it…we made it to the lake and could get camp and our rods set up. First camp. Then a DELICIOUS perogie pizza that we packed in all the way from LuLu's in Callander. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! Then we told the passing fishing boat that season wasn't open (different party than the maples firebugs) then we got ready for bed. OK. The rambling is out of control already. If you haven't scrolled down by now to look at the pics, I commend you. HERE ARE THE STATS: Trip in: 2hr 24mins moving time, 17.38kms travelled. Avg. speed 7.2km/h….top speed of 11.1km/h Trip out: 2hr 11mins moving time, 15.91kms travelled. Avg. speed 7.3km/h…top speed of 13.4kmh/h Notice it was shorter on the way out….I didn't have the GPS in my pocket at the portage. Which means I went back and forth carrying stuff on the way in for 1.47kms…on a 200m portage Also, we achieved a higher top speed….not as much due to wind directions as it was to having a lot less beer on board. Day 1 – AM Session: 2 hrs trolling, 3.0km/h avg. speed, 6.94kms travelled. Surface temp 54F 4/5 on lakers -- most falling to a silver dartee with blue/red stickers 20-30 feet down, over 60-70FOW We kept 2 for the pan, and of course as they were getting cleaned, Wayne showed up. Impeccable timing I gotta say We had a great visit with him….he even brought us some tail…which I don't have pictures of for some reason…..don't worry it was just a chocolate bunny J He took a few casts between chatting and eating, and popped his first fish of the season up there. Good ol' Temagami mountain trout…aka OOS Smallmouth Day 1 – PM session: 2hrs trolling/drift jigging. Covered 6.6kms Only went 1/2 on lakers, with the one we lost being the most painful. Bert had it to the boat, and it looked like it was pushing the 10lb mark if not more. The fish we did catch was Brian's first laker – saw it coming up on the screen as he reeled in from trolling….told him to drop the line back down and BOOM fish on! Actually birdsnested the heck out of the leadcore spool he had, so the fish got hand lined in….it hit before he closed the bail…fun times! It measured 22", so we had it for lunch then went in search of gators for Bert to redeem himself with. Day 1 – PM Session#2 – 3/3 on pike, with the biggest being a very thick 35"x15" that Bert picked up as soon as we got into the back bay. Spotted it, dropped a big jig to it, and it was ON!! The most scarred up female I've ever seen… big bite marks on the back…skin flapping….but she was released strong. Also looked like she may have eaten one of her suitors….serious bulge in the belly. The other 2 pike were super healthy and clean specimens…both taken by me on a silver/black husky jerk…not sight-fished. One low 30"s and another about 24"…perfect eating size. AND SO TASTY The last time we came to this bay, we caught almost everything by sight-fishing…seems that this year most of the spawners left the warm shallows already. Water temps on the surface were 68F Day 2 – AM session: 2 hrs, 6.2kms trolled, same areas as first day, water temps up to 56F 3/5 on lakers….2 small ones and a nice 23"er for Bert on a watermelon coloured spoon down at 40 feet, pretty much ticking bottom. Day 2 – PM – we spent most of the afternoon without getting a bite. ANYwhere…travelled 21kms in 7 hrs…trolling, jigging, casting to shore, and noticed that the surface temp was climbing into the mid 60's. Finally found a 30 foot flat that we couldn't find the deep side of, leading into a bay that registered a chilly 56F so I put the cannonball down at 20 with a watermelon spoon out the back and popped a nice 22"er….thing peeled drag and gave a heck of a fight….thought it was going to be much bigger. The next morning we packed up early in hopes that we would fish the big lake after unloading the boat, or possibly fish a bit further south, but it was not to be. Ultimately, a wise decision, as long weekend traffic chewed up any extra time we had on the drive home. Another May opener on the books in Temagami, and another fantastic trip leaving us wanting more. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed Bring on the pics!!!!

Slippery, sloppy, slabtastic! How am I supposed to get a report written when I keep having to read yours?!?!?

Craziness -- my son actually walks down that street to go to school