Moosebunk

Been drinking more McDonald's coffee lately. Rarely a line-up, same price, tastes every bit as good.

Done Craig. Agree with Kickingfrog's first post. Happen to "like" a number of shows... don't really have to watch any though. Would enjoy seeing Hooked With Mark Krupa air again, but the host be me or just someone from planet earth instead. He's a weird dude... but I guess he made it work though. Great watching fishing shows in HD from amazing places.

51/49 in favor of your decision. I guess. Can see in your future some trips west past Nakina.

Love my X67. If one thing could make it better, it'd be just a bit bigger of a screen. Eyes get pretty bugged out after 8 hours staring at it.

Whatta ya think Dave... you've been there. It looks like that fish pic was taken right in front of the camp... if not, maybe near the tailout below Third Falls??? Incredible. Not a week goes by I don't think of that place. Thanks for posting this Dave... each time I see Tree River pics I feel tortured nowadays. lol. Fish as far as I know was 13.5kg. 29.8 pounds. Only a few pounds shy of the record. The world record has been beaten at least 4 times by what I've been told. One guy fishing the mouth of the river in the gulf did it twice on a trip supposedly in 2008. Bob from Kug tells me he's personally weighed a 34 and 35 pounder out in the gulf as well. Because of the C&R policies and all the hassles of claiming records with IGFA, most record fish I doubt will ever be claimed. Dave you probably remember Larry and his buddy Andy I think it was? Well, I'd been told a story of 3 rich women coffee brokers who didn't even really fish, and one put her line in the water and caught a laker over 80lbs that was then weighed in the boat and released but, couldn't be claimed a live-release record with the IGFA because it hadn't been weighed on shore. 2014 !!!!?!!!!! lol.

Deepest condolences. Sorry for your loss.

Man... you're making this agonizing for me too. Difference in price plus tax will certainly cover that cover. You're not trailering much but instead mooring. Dood, I can't believe this is going to be your "at the camp" boat. 51/49 is now 50/50...

WICKED Mike!!! Either, or, man, tough call. Guys here are making some awesome points in favor of their choices too. I think you'd be hard pressed to go wrong either way, they both look awesome. I think if I had to give one boat my 51% as a the go ahead for a multi-use fishing boat first... Probably the Princecraft. Gas mileage... probably not much of an issue, but you do fish alot, and travel alot to fish... pulling or pushing more weight adds up. Give the edge to the lighter Princecraft... slightly. Warranty... edge to the Princecraft. Cover... edge to the Princecraft. Resale... edge slightly to the Princecraft. I can tell ya too bud. The 16' 3" Rebel XL I have, (although a tiller) is 775 dry and about the same weight as that Princecraft, has a Yammy 60HP to push it to a max 35mph, has the same 84" beam... and gets me in and out of all the same places that bigger Smokercraft would go. The motor sips fuel to push that boat. Did I say yet that the black is wicked... edge... Princecraft... looks and personal preference. Again though... only 51/49 in favor of the Princecraft... that Smoker is smoking too, and it looks like a bit more comfortable a family/fishing boat with that extra bit of power too. Agonize away... Gonna be a tough year for you with the boat, Eddies, Sutton... geez... lol.

Used to always prefer the fall pike bite over the spring one. They're just as aggressive, or more. They're not as beat up looking as they usually are post spawn. Water levels are usually lower and fish just as concentrated in certain areas. And, same could be said for summer conditions... more concentrated in key spots, healthy, but seemingly not as aggressive on the rivers during that time. When you swim in the Skat, Moose, French, etc. in the summer, the surface can be really warm but just a foot or two below you can find real cold water. Remembering in early August the Mississicabi was trickling low, and even at high tide where we were the levels only came up about a foot or two. Plucking aggressive walleyes by the dozens out of a little swift that was 2-4 feet deep you couldn't help but wonder why the fish were there in what felt like 80C water. When swimming in even just that 2 feet, and finding my feet over clay or rock, as opposed to sand, it became obvious the water there in those spots were what the fish could hold to. Also any springs. The tanin stained rivers help keep light penetration lower as well. Less light, less warming below. As far as the fishery is concerned... it's night and day when comparing the fishing between the town of Attawapiskat and travelling 2 hours up, to that of the further reaches like Eddies and Pym. BIG river there at the James Bay end, same fish, same chance, same environment... but not nearly as good a fishery because of simple time, pressure and harvest. Handle that resource with care when you're up there, because even though it is a river with questionably migrating fish, it's never an endless supply but there should be no reason why it can't be as good tomorrow as it was yesterday.

I've wanted to get in and use the inlaws camp on Nettogami but they only ever go there for moose in the fall. All pretty country up there, and the walleye in some of those lakes are as abundant as perch down here. I'd think Edgar would be the best, other than Kesagami. Not sure why you wouldn't consider Partridge/Kesagami through True North though? Best of both worlds... 4k long lake full of eyes but access to the big 30k long lake jammed with huge pike.

Looking good Roy. Tying is a great hobbie too... doing up 60 jigs takes the cap off the laquer bottle that many more times too. Wooooo hooey hoo fun!!!

Great news Chris. Heckuva time for you but it's good hearing you're on the mend and heading home. More full days and nights ahead with your daughter, and steelhead just around the corner.

Will have to buy more of those Salt Raps... the black/orange could be mint!

Not to fish with you, was it? Naah... you know I've had my things going on while you've had your things going on and so on, and so on. It'll happen. Ed selling out the place before the sports shows even start only means one thing... he's doing some right. Some other outfits are closing up shop these days, methinks.

Truthfully, I've been interested in Beteau since Mike started going, simply because it's the Attawapiskat River and one of the most special fisheries (as Mike would surely agree) that I have experienced in Ontario. The water there is the life blood which has created my family and our lives today. As far as fishing goes it is "The River That Pike Built," but of all places has an incredible big pike/big walleye combo that I just haven't matched anywhere else. We've also seen some big sturgeon too. Eddie's got a great piece of that flow for sure... I'd go, but only to share the boat with Mike for the week and take it in that way. I think it holds great meaning to him now too, and having fished with him before, I think being riverats the two of us would get pretty adventurous and find some good fish. Mike has to be up for it, for it to happen though. As long as you know how to throw a lure, the big fish there will find a way to take it. To add to the rest of the thread... I wouldn't have had all of those lures in my tacklebox but I do like the jig you posted there, and chucked something similar through the cabbage on the last trip to Pym... But, that's what makes the Skat so great, everyone can do it their way and find success. Some things are better than others though. Also, totally agree on the Mepps Cyclops. The orange one is a lure that unless it's for a jig/grub NEVER leaves the end of the line of my old friend (and Skat river trapper) Abel. 2001 The bigger jawspreaders I have and NEVER use them. They're better than nothing, but just the old style Red Wolf ones that come to a point are better IMO if needing them. They stay put and are stronger. Yes they puncture smaller fish at times, but getting a lure unstuck from a deep throater or fish that won't open up, isn't business that should take extra time. The long nose pliers I have too and are defintely a must, I use the old hookout though. Just used to it. On the rivers up there I have never netted a fish. Always handle them from the water. No gloves, just play the fish ti'll it's done, reach over into the water and grab it under the gill plate. A good squeeze and most times the fish is controlled and the gill rakers not in play. Nets make for a mess, and cradles are great if you're used to them... Pike don't seem to be overly anxious when handled most times. Bill's lure recommendation is dead on. Past few trips it seems at least one person is already using one, or about to. Eppinger Husky Jr's and Williams Whitefish are some other working spoons. Last years trip I played with the Rapala Salt Water X-Rap (biggest size) and had good pike slam the brakes on this lure. Li'l Hustlers have been deadly too. One afternoon it accounted for 3 40's... and the buddies were happy to see it die by day three of the trip. Fish were nuts on it. AND... lastly, and you may laugh.. but a 3/8oz strong hooked jighead with a 3-4 inch DOUBLE TAIL white twister. It's a favorite of northerners who spend a great deal more time on these rivers than we ever will. Pike love 'em. Walleye love 'em. And one morning I was put to shame by a girl using them. Anyways... enjoyed the scenery and fish pics. The walleye in this little gem of a report are AWESOME! Even more so than the pike probably. Enjoy your return trips...

Buzz kill report Limey! We have little without our health. Take good care.

CHA CHA CHA!!! Congrats. What a piggy.

The pic with (I believe that to be Craig Blackie, Phd in char guy) the laker you posted Dave... that fish I thought was a Deline netted fish. So, if they're one in the same fish (pic and article) that's cool to now be clarified. The "sagginess" of the fish... well, my guess is it was either frozen before and thawed, or it spent a little too long in the net or out to rot and soften. I remember getting some arctic char that had been in the net awhile and then frozen, when I thawed it out the skin of the fish looked kinda like that... and the soft flesh saggy and only good for chowder. GREAT fish. Agreed with Luke... I think they're something like 20 years to 20 inches in those northern climes, and then a 1/2 inch per year on average until reaching max.... not sure though. Some lakers up there do make the 100 year mark. It's absolutely great to see that fish came from Slave. One can only imagine how much of that waterbody never sees anglers.

Quote Matt, "I pulled a Brad Pitt River Runs Through It to net the fish." The PG version but still great nonetheless. Who wouldn't want a beauty brown like that take on a mayfly. Cool stuff!

Just disgusting Randy... DISGUSTING!!! Has that OD helped ya yet today?

Grabbed mine at CTC in Carleton Place Ontario-io-io!!! This was after 3 different attempts online with the MNR Store that doesn't sell licenses, just gives headaches for free! Hehe!

Great year Chris. You know dood, there's just too many fish that swim and so many ways to catch them, you'll find it impossible to not open new doors for yourself and look in to see what's next. Bass are great fish, carp and trout of all kinds too... next thing you know it'll be something else.

10" Wayne!!! Jeez bud, your white tube might just be an inch bigger than the white tube I use. That's some good jiggin' when you got a white tube like that to use. All the fish take notice. lol.

It's the first time I have ever seen such an alert posted on the Weather Network. Thought it an absolutely great idea. Didn't realize they did this.

Sounds like a perfect time out.