Ramble

Well I think it’s time for another report. Exams are over, 90% of my Christmas shopping is done and I finally uploaded the pictures. So here we go. Dad and I headed up to the Booth Lake area of Algonquin for our usual summer fishing trip. We were targeting smallmouth bass for the most part, but also spent time chasing the resident lake trout and northern pike. When chasing summer lake trout in a canoe I HIGHLY recommend a depth finder. It allows you to find good habitat and focus on it instead of just aimlessly dragging a spoon through the water. We only focused on trout for about 8 hours total the whole week. Targeting shoals that topped out around 35 feet of water. We also marked fish down 40 feet in 90 feet of water, several times, in different locations. We spent time working the schools with all kinds of different presentations without luck. Most days were clear and bright, and fairly calm except for Wednesday and the day we canoed out which had some nasty wind. There were also a few light showers mid week sometime, but not enough to slow us down much. I think we went up the river a bit that day. As far as the trout fining was concerned…We were happy with our lure presentations and the depth we were reaching. The canoe allows us to make a very slow troll to get the weight and hook down before beginning the actual run. Many times we “made contact” with bottom around 35 feet when trolling the shoals, and once we both got hung up in 57 feet of water. All of the trolling with proven lures of different types, colours and styles proved fruitless. We even tried casting out spoons with no weight and just letting them flutter down to the bottom accompanied by the odd twitch without any luck. All of the usual methods had failed. So I rummaged through the bowels of the tackle box and I came across a couple of “cicadas” that should have been in the ice fishing stuff. So I tied it on and began to jig around the 30 foot mark in 35 feet of water as we drifted across the shoal. On the 3rd pass I hooked up with a nice laker. She was barley coming into sight when she shook the hook. I was surprised to say the least. When I got the lure to the boat it was terribly fouled…(a problem I often have with those lures). I had one other hit on that lure during the drop which I missed and a few passes later I lost the lure to a northern. Oh well… Trolling We didn’t specifically target pike much but we did toss a few spoons, spinner baits and husky jerks to try and tantalize the pike as we cruised the various lakes over the week. Dad hooked with a very nice 34 incherin Booth that was less then cooperative. She was supper that night and breakfast the next day. Dad caught another northern on the way out that was 29 inches. She came home with us as well. Both fish wree taken from clumpy weed beds in about 6-8 feet of water with access to deep water no more then 40 yards away. 34” The bass fishing is why we go and it satisfied yet again. The worst part of the trip was the fact that my battery died for my camera 3 days into the trip I didn’t have my spare. On the last 2 days dad and I both boated a couple of monster smallies. One of which was my personal best. I caught her on Farm lake, and as far as I know she is still their. We use almost exclusively use top water lures smallmouth fishing. Having the fish jumping and splashing is part of the attraction…as any bass fisherman can attest too. Poppers, torpedoes and black jitter bugs are our go-to lures. Trolling a big black jitter bug can be deadly almost anytime of day we found. The average bass was around the 2 lb mark and scrappy as ever but we did encounter fish that were defiantly larger. Weed lines, points, and drop offs all held fish. The bigger fish defiantly prefer access to deepwater. Any little cubbies in a rock face or log also got attention and were found to hold fish from time to time. One of the rock faces we were fishing yielded a once in a life time moment. Dad and I were chatting and casting as we slowly cruised the shore line. At one particular spot a large fissure in the rock face ran down into the water. We both cast to the same exact spot and I don’t think our lures were more then 6 inches apart. We were having a laugh over the cast when a there was a commotion over by our lures. They had been sitting for about 5 seconds. At 1st I though one of us had a fish and it became tangled in each others line, when in fact, we both had a fish of almost the same size! (I‘m pretty sure mine was bigger ) Both were about a pound at hit at exactly the same time. The bass fishing was excellent all week. One of the mornings we went out for an early fish, and came back for breakfast. While I was sitting in a chair a moose came out of the bush and spent over an hour putting a serious hurt on the local water lily population. He was still their when we left again. A visitor. We also spent some time on the Opeongo river walking about the shallows and doing a few of the portages. I had a chance to get some excellent photo’s of a few aquatic insects. Caddis On the way we stopped at an inviting shoreline so I could get some pictures of a sundew (carnivorous plant) and in the mud I found some bear tracks that were fresh and clear. Sundew Bear Mud up to my knees. On a walk in the woods behind our site I found an old, shed moose antler, some old antler scrapes, as well a little stream that flowed down to a beaver pond. I was also stung in the neck by a yellow jacket wasp…that was less exciting. Luckily there was some jewelweed along the creek which I rubbed on the sting, and that took most the hurt out of it soon enough. Antler At the end of the week we had seen several loons, the resident eagle(s), ravens, partridge (ruffed and spruce) several moose (2 of which were swimming), healthy fish and gorgeous scenery. It’s a great trip for the mind, body and soul. Moose-(Right), Loon-(middle), Eagle (top left) I can’t wait for next year! -Ramble -Here are a few more shots from the week. Indian Pipe

Great photo's and report.

Excellent report! Im sitting around between Exams and trapped between fishing seasons for the moment with not much to do until i get home for the holidays. A good fishing report is always a welcome distraction. Thanks

Even if it was spam...he's right it's good spam lol

I took up fly fishing a few years back, and spend my free time in the winter tying flies if i need something to do at home.

The sea lice is just one more problem. The oceans also have to deal with problems like the Japanese having about 1700 drift-netting vessels that operate in the north pacific cathing everything from turtles to whales. The ships put out about 2 million miles of net a year in total and they lose somewhere around 10% of it which drift doing all sorts of damage. The method is actually banned officially, but there is no one willing to police the "high seas". Then you have the dredging in the Atlantic seriously damaging critters on the mid-ocean humps which will negativly impact the nutrient cycling in the food webs. The great lakes are suffering from about 140 exotic species doing all sorts of damage....with more or the way. The worlds fisheries are suffering far more then most people know just so a few people can line their pockets. There are ways to do all the activities we want and need to do sustainably but like usual no one in power is willing to listen to the science. Until your average person starts letting the policy makers know that these issues are important to us, the stats quo wont change.... Pardon my rant, but i have a real problem with most of today's policy makers and society in general... blah blah blah. Im sure im boring some of you lol -Ramble

When i was about six i caught about 6 square feet of indoor-outdoor carpeting on teh BOQ. It's currently being used on the rails on a home-made boat trailor for my uncles 'lumie.

Great read...and nice photo's. The picture of the muskie being relseased is excellent. i hope there is a copy haning on your wall at home.

Im with bunker on this one. usually they need a little more weight. The wire the nymph hooks are made out of is heavier. If you are gonna use a bead head or wrap a little wire on it there it wont matter.

Im glad everyone enjoyed the report. Hamilton i think the Park is ok to go to for the day if you dont live too far away, but you need to camp to really get the full experiance. If camping isnt possible for whatever reason there is hotels to stay at around the Highway 60 area of the park. The Blue Spruce Inn is one of my favourite places to to stay. It's right on Oxtongue Lake and is only a short drive into the park. There is lots of options available if you are interested. -Ramble

A few shots from winters that have passed. Sun Rise

Those are fantastic.

Every year dad and I try and make it up to Algonquin Park and get at least 6 days of solid fishing in, usually in the summer. This year we decided to go up in May as well as in August. We went through the Shall Lake entrance and stayed on Booth Lake. It’s a beautiful lake, with smallmouth bass, pike and trout. We only went up for one night due to conflicting schedules. But we got their as early as possible and pushed straight in to Booth, trolling as we went. We fished fairly hard once we had set up camp, but didn’t have much action. We were targeting lake trout, and we knew roughly where we wanted to be, but failed to mark fish with any certainty. After a nice paddle around, we found a nice shoal that came up to 35 feet of water and worked that for a while with only one hook up. That didn’t last long before it escaped. A couple hours later we headed in. The next morning we were up early and at it again. This time we went to different a spot where we usually catch a few lakers in the summer. It’s a hole that goes down to about 75 feet with a point at either end. Each point has a shoal that is associated with it. One shoal comes up to 19 feet and the other comes up around 30 feet. There was a slight breeze on the big lake that wasn’t on the smaller lakes putting a slight chop on to the point. It looked like everything was just right. Just as we got to the point I made a long cast and let my jig hit bottom before retrieving it using a large smooth jigging action. I kept the line fairly taught incase a fish picked it up on the drop. On about the 5th jig the line stop sinking early and I set the hook. A few minutes later we had a nice laker in the net. It was a perfect morning and the color of the fish couldn’t have been better. The sun was out and the chill was quickly leaving the air. After dispatching the fish I made a few more casts before losing my jig to a good sized northern. Sadly it was my last lure of that style. So we started trolling some spoons. Snags occur a little too often going back and forth other the shoals but that’s part of the game. Dad actually made one of the most amazing catches I’ve seen. He hit the shoal, and became snagged. He gave it a quick tug and the lure came lose, but now it had weight too it. When the spoon got to the boat he discovered he had a double-header…2 clams! I had to take a picture…and of course make a few jokes. Seems it didn’t want to eat his own catch…he wanted to “share”. A little while later we went in and broke camp to head out. There is some great scenery between Booth and the access point that never fails to impress. We packed the van to lighten our load and then headed over to Crotch Lake to do some more fishing. Crotch is a pretty nice looking lake with some good sized bass in the summer and lots of islands to explore. We weren’t fishing very hard and ended up taking the scenic route to the north end of the lake where the portage heads up to Shirley Lake. Didn’t catch a thing…but that wasn’t really the goal I don’t think. When dad and I go fishing we put in lots of hours…but we defiantly don’t fish hard or seriously. Once up at the portage we found that some poor beaver in the area was working on the local aspen population, and having a rough go of it. He had actually managed to drop 2 separate trees and got them both stuck in the crotch of the same tree. Here are the photos. I’m not sure if beavers can suffer from depression but this one sure is a candidate if there ever was one…I almost felt sorry for him…but I was laughing too far for sympathy. All in all it was another great trip up to the park. -Ramble Here are some scenery shots from the trip.

Soudns like you had a blast. Excellent report and even better photo's. You guys caught some gorgeous fish.

Those are some good photo's for sure. I also like the 1st of the 3 flying photo's -Ramble

some nice photo's for sure. I like 1st and last the best.

This one didnt come out quite as i intended, but its not too bad. This one was taken near Stirling Ontario one evening. This is a field i walk in near Peterborough This is one of my favourite barn pictures i have taken. I love the colour of the grass.

Coyotes take down deer. Ive found cleaned carcasses more then once. healthy deer can escape and defend themselves...deer that are sick or wounded are fair game. Lowers legs missing is a classic dog manouver. they chew the bones for the marrow inside. If you did a search of the area im sure you'd find them. It's an excellent find by any means. i'd like to see pictures ig you have any. -Ramble

That's the worst news I have heard in a long time. Losing close family is the hardest thing to do deal with in life, but it can bring families closer together. My condolences go to you and your family, and i hope that the rest of your X-mas goes smoothly. -Ramble

2nd degree murder doesnt have a manditory sentence....so there will be a trial to figure that out. Sadly the Crown just want able to prove that the murders were premeditated...that is likley due to a lack of evidence. I have trouble understanding how you can kill 6 people on seperate ocassions with out planning them..... Anyway, Canada doesnt use consecutive sentances so he will serve ther same amount of time for 6 murders as he would if he had of commited one. The crown isnt done with him yet. They still have other cases open that he will probably have to answer for.

I feel the same way. I also get a similar feeling passing a certain store that I need to get some stuff in for my mom and sister on the way to and from the pub. Havn't made it yet lol.

Upper Moira River

The spider is quite possibly the biggest water spider I have ever seen...she was a monster.

Here is some pictures of inverts ive takin in the last 2 years. Im curioues as to which photo's everyone likes the most so please let me know what you think. Thanks -Ramble

The fishing is fine in the spring. Low light conditions as suggested above. Our biggest have come in the morning before 8am...Not that we havn't caught fish after 9am. We usually worm harnesses. Red in the low light and blue or green once the sun gets up a little. As far as boat launches...depends what endo of Quinte you are targeting. -Ramble