kemper

this here ain't 'bama dog! Kawarthas are in the great white north EH!

thanks guys, ive got some more pics comin when i have time

This past week we headed up to scotsman point resort on Upper Buckhorn Lake for the 13th consecutive year. It is a family vacation but for my dad and I it is a chance to spend as much time on the water as possible. The week started off with a BANG as we landed 20 + bass the first morning. Didn't take many pictures because they were all cookie cutter 1.5 to 2 lbers but it was a BLAST. We get into a couple pigs, my dad landed a nice one and I lost a 3 plus largie that threw my spinner bait. Also lost a spinnerbait to a musky that would have completed the Buckhorn Grand Slam on the first day for me, Largemouth, Smallmouth, Walleye, Musky. As we were drifting past a large weedbed with pencil weeds sticking out I was talking about how there HAS to be a musky in there, just waiting to ambush. Next cast, mid sentence talking about the shark that should be in there a 40" class fish explodes on my spinnerbait, and ends up biting right through my 40 lb PP. Here is a sample of that first morning. The fishing got tough that night as a thunderstorm rolled in, caught some fish but nothing to write home about. The weather was NOT co operative the past week, cold fronts and almost unfishable winds made us work hard for every fish, but we enjoyed the challenge. Never really found the pattern, and I dont think there was one. The weather had the fish scattered, we would find pockets of active fish but they were really random. The first night brought me a 15" eye, that met the hot butter bath without a picture, but while im on the subject here are some other eyes that were caught and released. The first one took at spook right at dark and actually JUMPED TWICE. spinnerbait eye this one took a frog at night off the dock Back to the bassin, and as you can see we were fighting the cold alot, look at how we are dressed in all these pictures... this fish was bleeding alot, but was hardly hooked in the top lip, we couldnt figure out how it was bleeding from the gills? Finally got a blue bird day, high winds and NO FISH though. Gave up on bassin and caught 30 or more of these guys... Also this fiesty guy...for reference that bait is 1.5" long... Minnows off the dock at nighttime brought me these within 3 minutes of each other... All things done, it was another amazing year. Fishing was tougher than usual, but it challenged me on a lake that I know well, and I branched out for some other species that I dont usually fish. This is only a small sample, we did catch lots more bass that just didnt warrant a picture, and this was the first year in the last 6 that we did not land at least one 4lber. Tight lines.

lookin good but....MORE SPINNERBAITS

Surprised you have never run into a rediculous number of largies? I find that lake to have the highest rate of catching of any that I have fished, I have been out 4 or 5 times the last three years and never caught less than 20 largies. Not a ton of size in general but a hell of a lot of fun! There is definatly a huge musky population though, this is the first year that we did not hook an incidental ski, probably because of the bluebird skies

Good luck camping, most islands have cottages on them as does most of the shoreline. The fishing is usually excellent though, focus on 12 ish FOW during the day with clumps of weeds and toss spinnerbaits and in the shallows in the morning and evening with topwaters.

definately crazy, but if I had the coin I would splurge. Some things are nice in amazing quality

I am HONOURED. I would like to thank my mom, dad, fishin buddies, OFNCommunity... Dang, I think the BBQ is calling me right now, Ill post a full report on the wings that I cook, and eat.

Seems to me that this pattern works ALL THE TIME. Ill be at buckhorn for a week in 4 days, and the white spinnerbait will never come off my rod, and I will outfish many who go low and slow because of the heat.

Do we want to know I guess as long as you didnt put them down there...

Speaking of trout, my buddy caught a REAL one out of a Lake O trib yesterday....strange.

Up at 4 AM sunday, on the water with two of my best buddies for some bass slayin on stony lake. BEAUTIFUL morning, and as usual the fishing was excellent. We long distance released two monster bass today, one because of a bad hookset and the other because I slipped and fell off the boat seat that I was standing on (note to self, flip flops and wet boat seats are a no no). Nothing to write home about, but consistant fishing with almost all the bass around 1.5 pounds. Hit 4 or 5 double headers, and even one triple header which was kinda cool. Here is one of the doubles. We went in and tossed the ball around and killed time at the BBQ until about 5 before going out again, it was just TOO hot. This time their old man ( my buddies are brothers) came out and outfished us 'punk kids'. He probably landed 20 bass before dark, totally put the clinic on us. I made the mistake of asking him if a small bass that he caught 'came in mens', he proceeded to catch larger bass on the next three casts. Did not take many pics because they were all cookie cutter bass, but got some scenery in at the end of the night. Awesome day on the water with great friends! Now on a totally unrelated note, after hearing that rock bass was amazing eating I decided to give it a go. Caught 9 or 10 rockies on lake O the other day and brought them home for a swim in the hot butter spa. I can honestly say that they are the second best fish I have ever tasted, second only to the pickeral. Also, not as hard to clean as I may have thought.

I have the shore fishing system down. Backpack carrying all my tackle, camera and a rod broken down, I always bring the spinning and casting. Multitool on my belt. thats all she wrote.

I was on Stony yesterday, found the fish to be in late spring post spawn areas and mode... was strange because it is july but I guess the cold weather this spring delayed everything.

waking up at 4 am, on the road by 430 and leaving the dock in the fog at 530 AM in search of some largies or hittin the river at first light when its too cold to be outside in search of those steelies.

tiller? flossing? OOS? beer? wings? DANG!

I have been a member here since I was 13-14 (5 or 6 years) and have been through 2 (maybe 3?) complete overhauls of the system and I think it continues to get better. as for the lakair club statement, I have never been to lakair, but I find that when I need some help I get it pretty quick. Or when I post some reports, people offer up their congrats or suggestions. this place fuels my interest in fishing, and it is cool to see how 3 years ago I was a complete NOOB at steelheading, and this past winter and spring season I found myself going out with members and teaching them what was taught to me in the past by OFC members. without OFC, I am 100% confident that I would not catch the numbers or quality of fish that I do.

Sorry bud... all in good fun! haha we should get out sometime soon, kawarthas?

after two showers I feel as if the slime may be gone. but okay, in all honestly the fish did put up a great battle, albeit a somewhat lame one. I just dont get it, I find other fish...ANY other fish to be much more amusing to catch. This is the second one on a grub at that spot this year, the last one was pushing 30 pounds so this one was just a little guy. on the bright side, it kept the girl REALLY amused for about 20 minutes, so thats a plus...

20 lb carp on a Xrap 22" Walleye while floating roe for trout in late february watched three pike landed on roe in early march

Pins really only work one way. Stand upstream and float your presentation down to where the fish are, doesn't really matter what species. I can say that fishing smallies on the pin is a BLAST! Change your line up to 4 lb test to make it more fun.

I hate carp. Carp are the scum of the lake, dirty, smelly, slimy over grown goldfish. They waste my time and cost me lures when they get in the way of my bass/pike hooks. They get my hopes up when jigging and suddenly feeling that weight. Worst of all, when landed they slime up EVERYTHING. I had sworn I would never fish for carp. ever. Well today I lost a bet to myself, as the girlfriend and I were fishing at a local pike haunt and she spotted about 50 carp sunning themselves. "Baby catch one!" "No, I hate carp" "Just plllllllleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeee" OK fine, but they wont bite... Three minutes later this face only a mother could love poked out of the water at me. "OK smartarss, you wanted this big ugly thing you take the rod." So then I singlehandedly risked my life walking on a very sketchy log out into the water to grab the slimiest goldfish I have ever seen, just because she wanted a picture and that is the kind of guy I am. I feel like I have lost all self respect today, for I went carp fishing. Ill check in later, this slime is going to take a while to get off...

Saw 4-5 dead carp at a river mouth lake O today...

those are some big carp! Hey Cliff, I think I saw you catch that last one?

Thanks, and I wont have a vehicle so the whole walking/biking distance thing is key.