johnnyb

LOL -- I was right about to post, cousin...you probably said it better than I was going to Nonetheless, Angrypigeon, whether it helps you to know this or not, I've been fishing that lake for 15 years, and have only watched the pike population improve in size and numbers. Flip through my posts, and you'll see that this doesn't reflect my "harvesting habits"...it's actually quite rare that I'll keep a large haul...but this time around, we planned a nice big fish fry, and even though we released many more than we kept, we ended up with a nice haul. You know what? You should come with us sometime...maybe that's your problem...nobody's nice to you... Thanks Dawg....the LLJ (lovely Laker Jessy) has been shorebound for a while, growing our lovechild...but don't you worry...she'll be back out soon And those chains are brand new!! I just picked 'em up at the Wal-Mart in Wetumpka, just off #231!! When the fish is destined for the pan, it gets the chain When I get a fancy boat like you, I'll hide the chain in my livewell

Sheesh...rough life! Good luck!

Great report...beautiful pics...as impressive as the pike and muskie are, I just can't take my eyes off those gorgeous brookies! Thanks for sharing

Can't view it from behind the firewall at work, but it sounds amazing!! I didn't realize "La Reserve" was so close to the border. Hmmmmm!!!!!

Yep..I've found the same thing with lakes that are loaded with fish...they all tend to be the same size. Every once in a long while you'll pull out something big, but it's rare. I fish one lake that is KIND of an exception...it's got a ton of smallies, and if you'll catch 10-12 inchers all day long. However, it has some really deep sections, so if you get away from the typical shoreline stuff and go deep, there are some trophy fish to be had. If there are any sections of the lake you haven't tried...whether they're 20 feet or 2 inches deep...check 'em out...maybe the lunker bass are in there...?

WOW!!!! That is super fantastic!!! Way to go, man! Will you fish the winner's derby?

So, this past weekend, my cousin Bert and I – Bicephalic, on the board – had the opportunity to do a bit of fishing. We only had Sunday free, so we left at 3:30 am, picked the boat up in Muskoka at 6:00, and trailered it down the road to one of my favourite pike lakes. Bicephalic had never fished this particular lake, so I explained that we’d hit the spots I’ve had success with in the past, and leave everything else alone. Time permitting, we’d fish my lake at the end of the day, where the boat is stored, in hopes of walleye. Got to the first spot, and after a few casts, me with the trusty Mepps #5 and Bert with his trendy swim bait , we noticed a good sized swirl in an area we had just covered. A few casts back over there…nothing. However a few minutes later, Bert gets a light hit, that seems to get heavier and heavier…and is in fact his new PB pike!!! 35 inches, and 8.5lbs…what a way to start the day!!! Things went quiet for a while after that…we caught a few small pike…none of them were hitting extremely hard either. Explored a back lake…but couldn’t cast from shore because of too much cover. By noon, I was running out of spots to work, and we were out in the open with a pretty stiff wind and lots of mist working us over pretty good. Mepps 5 was a dud, swim bait had been abandoned in favour of a Booyah boogie bait…but the fish were still just nipping at them. Since the boogie bait seemed to be getting the most attention, I switched to a large willow leaf spinner bait, which I figured would produce a nice thumping vibe similar to that of the boogie bait. It picked up another couple small ones, but nothing worth battling the wind for. We got into a channel that we would have skipped over, except that it was somewhat protected from the wind. Bert was rummaging through his tackle bag looking for something different to try, and thought he’d switch the white trailer he had on the boogie to a red and white…just for a splash of different colour. First cast…about a 27 inch pike! I had ripped the trailer off of my spinnerbait earlier, so I grabbed one of the red grubs, and within minutes had a pike matching Bert’s :D Over the next hour, we drifted over the same spot 5 times, and pulled out what must have been close to 20 lbs of aggressive, greedy pike…all with our red trailers on green baits...whether it was the colour combo, or feeding time, we didn’t care…the action was hot! By the end of the day, we had a few nice pike for the chain, but had run out of time to fish for ‘eyes when we came back. Minor detail though, as we were happy enough to end on a high note. I also recovered someone’s old tube jig in the belly of one pike…no hook in it though. Besides that, there was a largemouth bass about the size of the tube in his stomach. Match the hatch, people!

wowzers!!! That's a nice thick fish, too!

Also youngspointoutfitters.ca Came up when I googled peterborough canoe rentals. Good luck

If you look at an Ontario Road map (the paper kind), the road BillM is referring to is there...as a gray line marked "private", or something like that. Definitely worth taking!

Great post, Handyman...thanks for sharing

Definitely a tough summer, Wayne...we are all thinking of you and yours.

For the folks who like to troll deep for lakers in the summer, maybe you can weigh in on this: I've been fishing in the Haliburton area and doing okay for lakers early in the year in the 30-40 with medium sized spoons hanging over 60-90 FOW. Since August, I have been doing the same things...trying deeper for the most part (down to 50), but striking out. Any ideas? Should I try flashier, like a Christmas tree? Bigger spoons? Body baits? Just wondering what works for others...if you change your tactics as the summer wears on or not....

I dunno....if it's accessible... I'll bet a devoted group of poachers could do some serious damage...

Fantastic report, scuro! Thanks for sharing

My avatar is my current pb Pike...37 inches from a back lake in the Temagami region...came from the first day I ever sight fished for them...very cool. Favourite pike lure is still a #5 or 7 Mepps aglia, and occasionally I'll toss bigger stuff, like buchertails. Also have a nice big green inline spinner with willow leaf blades that I put a white grub on...seems to work quite well. The sight fishing was totally different though...tossing minnow baits and just twitching them on bottom until the fish came over and grabbed 'em. Oh, and my set-up is a 7 (maybe 7'6) MH Bass Pro shops rod, with a Shimano Corsair spooled with 65 lb. Power Pro.

Yeah, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion...I think I'll be ordering an x67c within the next couple weeks...my rationale is that I'll be able to use it for icefishing as well. Thanks for the feedback guys...not sure if it helped sway me one way or another...but it certainly helped bolster my predisposition do go get something new

Okay...that stuff's insane! I imagine it's pretty pricey...but yes, I do see the leaps and bounds technology has made....wow. THanks for making that your first post, DMASTER...welcome aboard! Do you run one of these systems?

I was gonna say Temagami...can't comment on Papa John's....though I AM partial to the name Couple really nice places on Lady Evelyn though....watch the banner ads here on OFC...Gowganda has a few nice places as well....

I voted no, back in the water it goes....the only way I'd keep it was if I really wanted a fish fry and simply could not catch a fish below the slot...even then....I don't know that I would keep it...just don't think it would be worth eating at that size

I was wondering if Gord Pyzer counted as a TV personality...but he's been on enough that I would select him as well. #1 pic all the way! 2nd and 3rd is probably a tie between Dave Mercer and....wow, I can't believe I'm ditching Bob for this one but...the CHRONZE-INATOR!!!! Just can't pass up the deliciousness of his shore lunches, brunches, dinners and snacks!

So, my dad gave me a Humminbird lcr 400 id way way back....and I've used it over the years mostly as a depthfinder when fishing unfamiliar water. Here's a pic...should give you an idea of what "vintage" I'm talking about. (Sorry for the website in the photo...not advertising for them...just a useful pic) Anyway...I've used it over the years as a simple depthfinder when fishing unfamiliar waters, and it does the trick. Only recently have I figured out that the sensitivity settings on this thing actually make a difference...and I can discern reasonable bottom structure and hardness. I'm not sure if I believe it yet when I see "fish" on the screen, but there have been a few times where I'll see something and get a hit...so maybe it can actually pick those out too. Just thinking out loud -- does anyone still use stuff this old? I'm tempted to start using it more, now that I realize the features on it actually do something...but I wonder how much I'm missing out on with the new equipment available?

It actually used to be posted in the regs not to drag them backwards through the water....I think....maybe... I do know that people "drown" sharks by tying them up by the tail and dragging them behind the boat....how they lasso the suckers in the first place is beyond me Anyway...good job on the 'Lunges....thanks for the report!

beauty!!!

I got my clas C Carlisle 12"ers on rims for $75 from CTC....just a couple weeks ago...