Moosebunk

That's just an amazing tour. I had read somewhere a report about others camping out on Shakespeare for their trip too. I'd like to give that a shot one of these day. Congrats on all the beauty PB's. Awesome for ya. Thanks for reporting.

That was wicked Johnny. Took me back to a few places I once made the stop at too. My close buddy I refer to as Stevie Zebco fishes much the same set-ups your buddy does. They do hold up those Rhinos. Hope to see ya get more of these chances over the summer. Enjoyed the report, thanks.

Too many blue halos for this one kid to handle. Looking forward to a turn. Nice to see ya riding your Lund chariot along those shorelines again Dan. Stellar report, you really do need to do more of them.

You & Leah are always welcome here Wayne.

Ahhhh, they're all from photoshop land after much arm extension. Pretty slick how they look so big and real!

Naprosyn, Flexeril and T3's are the more commonly Rx'd meds for LBP and Sciatica. All drowsy drugs but often necessary in the first few days of rest. Most common long-term treatments are stretching followed by exercise. Your MS certainly complicates regular recovery. Wishing you well. I'm a back pain sufferer too, and when 1 in 4 men are said to have chronic back issues, it is something we see in the ER's very often. Something else we see in every patient, is aging. And yes, from the second you're conceived you are in a sense breaking down and falling apart. Good luck Erik.

Spring fishing has been in full flow for the last six weeks and I've been drowning myself in it. Around home there was a bit of a wait between the last ice outings and finally swinging some long-rod casts from the big boat. To pass that time a little exploring through the local backyard was done. The kids were totally game and had a blast. That journey on land was complimented a week later when I soaked the WarCanoe on the nearby Mississippi, Clyde, Fall and Mud Rivers. A truly remarkable day cruising high on spring runoff and peering around many new corners of highland waterways. What would be spring without trout? Well... "without" was almost the key word for describing trout this spring. Despite a couple tough ATV trips into the Madawaska Hills in search of specks and bows, it was a day of lakers in The Bomber that saved face. RJ and Slop are two guys who know their crappies, and so thankfully spending some time on the water with them helped me put some of these slabs into the boat. A couple solo efforts and a couple more with family capped things off. Watching floats drop can be addictive. No 14 inchers this spring but a good number of 12 to 13.5's. After craps... and kinda during, the gar fishing warmed up in these parts. This is a really gnarly fishery one can't help but enjoy. RJ and I started things off and since then I've shared the boat with buddies Grant, Pat and Luke. Everyone has been having a blast and most have been nailing new personal bests. Luke's PB below @ 14lb, 6oz. Grant's PB below @ 51 inches. Some gar aren't all that wicked looking at all... but rather kinda sweet and innocent... ... though some fish are meant to be punished then taken aboard to photograph. Wished I had a tape at the time for this one below... long skinny fish @ 13lb, 6oz. Below, this morning catch is a new PB for length at 50.5 inches. Weight was solid @ 14lb, 2oz. Next three shots below are of my new PB caught while fishing with my buddy Pat. A little descriptive text helps highlight that moment. A thorough Bomber struttin' had some gars look our way and some turn and run. Setting that hook is the goal but laying chase is a good bit of fun too. Patty and I were on the prowl when we both took notice of an absolute PIG of a gar... one of those rare FREAK gars that eat other gar. She was quick though, and had both of us in a tail-spin after her. A few ignored casts and she slipped away downtown into the deep brown. Twenty minutes or so later we were trudging through some skinny muck when Patty put the cast to a quality fish in his sight. Other side of the boat I saw a black silhouette of a good fish pretty close to me too. I made my cast and not even really seeing the take, I just set quick on the hit. Fish was all up in my face and showing zero respect in no time, but some Mojo Bass moves patented by the Saints of Croix allowed Patty to slip the net under this one. "THAT'S A FAT FISH!!!" announced Patty. Excited I answered, "Dood, I'm thinking this is my PB." The fish was real relaxed in the boat... not all are. Although it had a little bowel release on deck. Patty held the tape at the fishes nose while I stretched it along to the tail... 50 inches. Maybe my longest, maybe not, but it was the girth of this girl that had us in wonder. CROCSOCKS, be thy name. Patty watching on, I slipped the digi-scale under the gill-plate and around to the leathery soft flesh midline with belly. Holding her snout, got her vertical, slowly and carefully released all tension until she hung calm, and watched the scale settle in at 16lbs, 7oz. YEAH!!! Just slammed my PB from the previous week by a hair more than 3 pounds. That is just GARgantuan cool. "Awesome fish Bunk... but you know... that fish we saw earlier would have eaten this fish," expressed Patty. There wasn't doubt in my mind that she was going back to the swim anyways, and Patty was dead-on-target. Every now and again you see a real prehistoric mammoth gar swimming. Personally, I have seen three, maybe four fish that made all others look extinct. One fish for sure from last year still haunts me. This one went back to the river with whole-hearted happiness. She'll be even bigger next time too. And so that's half of spring in a nutshell. It's been quality fishing and days out with friends so far, hopefully that remains the case. Enjoy the coming sun all.

Still drooling ya big frig! I'll git ya back...

It's an admirable thing you're doing Ron.

Appreciate the morning read. Thanks for posting that up. Looked like a tonne of fun with new and old friends.

Lloyd doesn't disappoint yas! Perfect getaway for some much needed time with the buds, Wayne. Hope time brings ya more of that. Wishing Jen well.

Solid eye lake I'm told. A cousin shares a camp on the lake and hunts moose in the fall there. Time of year you're going expect ANY kind of weather. Favorite jig colors of mine in order were, pink, pink/white, orange (for pike), white (pike & eyes) then chartreuse. Trolling with jigs is effective for find the spots on spots, then casting will get the dozens more once you're on 'em. For a first fly-in, I think you picked a good choice. Seen reports from there and the lake has some good sized pike too.

Defining life experience for ya BIG FISH! A pleasure to see just a glimpse of it in your report. Hope time brings you more chances like that one. Second pic was my favorite.

Solid fun in pike ville Mike-to-the-B-Fish.

You've never disappointed ANY year at ANY time you've gone into the Gonk! Another enjoyable read, great pics and especially liked the fact that you were out there in that wind living it in a camp of tents and tarps. Pretty cool campfire story for years to come.

Seriously great spring day of walleye action Dan and gang. Nice!

My wife gave me 8 years north... now she's enjoying 15 south. If after she wants to join me north again she's welcome too... if not... I'll see her November through April. One life dood!

I hear ya Mike. Totally! You and I should team up sometime, take on a place and see if we can get a dozen. Imagine the stress. lol. Will hopefully join ya one of these days, you know where I'd be happiest to do that. Rick... looking like August. Main Lodge and Tree again. Boss' orders.

Never knowing that people would fall out of a trip, it actually pays if you can wait sometimes Mike, as things do happen. Examples being, I remember when you asked me if I wanted to go and the price was $1500... now there's a deal at $1200. Had I known then... or last year, Eddie offered up some last minute specials for OFC'ers at a great rate too... It's the Skat people... good price offered and so loaded a pike fishery that even if they're on the spawn they'll be scarfing down your bucktail cheeseburgers while giving birth to millions of future trophy toothies. And, if you've never had a quality Solo meal, I'm sure you'll be treated to awesome all week. Sign on up!

The ice is flowing by Attawapiskat today. Spring break-up isn't officially over I'm told, but close. Cold water pike bite it will be. Good luck gang.

My summer vacations don't get granted and I'll leave my job. Easy-peezey... later dudes!

Sad, sad, sad indeed. Unbelievable really. RIP John.

It's weird you post this now. Earlier in the week I was given the DVD's, Alone in the Wilderness, Alaska: Silence and Solitude & The Frozen North. Plenty of footage with Dick. Loved his film, and only have The Frozen North left to watch tonight. Amazing his skills and final choice in his life.

That was an awesome find TJ. Thanks for popping that up.

Try not Dave. I hope to have some extra time in Yellowknife to get that chance, but to also hang out with a bud from the highschool days.