Moosebunk

I often set the hook on the tip-down by running over and giving the thing a good kick. Now I surely will never miss a hookset again, and, I'll be looking real fashionable at a good price while I ice fish. Thanks Dan. You truly bring great things here to OFC. lol

Thanks Marc, Pete & Sandy. Looking quite forward to this issue.

Not much fishing, I mean catching, done lately. Worked on some lures recently though. 20 Inline Spinners. Average about 8-10 inches long, and 2-3 ounces in weight. Beginning bucks were taking about 3 1/2 hours but the last 12 that were just finished up over the last week took about 30 hours only. Tying isn't that slow, but because I used thicker steel shafts that still wouldn't screw the action, (not the Real Pro Lure Making skinny crap) I had to drill out each bead. That, and the saddle feathers, the glue setting in stages, the flashabou, dressing each treble... pretty much everything other than just tying the marabou and bucktail took extra time. I used 750 to 800 meters of thread, 20 feet of wire, and 1 large bottle of laquer that quite frankly, I likely inhaled half of it. Some of these buggahs I gave names while going along. Orange and black one: Trick or Treat. Blue and pink one: Rainbow Treasure. Yellow and Red one: Mickey Finn. Blue, purple and black lure: Cold Steel Black, brown and gray: Rusty Rat. Black and red lure: Nightmare. Brown, orange, yellow lure: Charlie Brown Pumpkin Green and white: Kermit. Pink and white lure: Miss Piggy Red, white and Blue: Capitaino Americano Brown and yellow: Pike Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Next project, 50 inlines. Sizes 3 to 5. All single hooks dressed in popular fly and streamer patterns. Just like the Europeans do. lol.

Yeah, I'm trying to cut back on my portion sizes. But, it's also lead to more portions.

Obviously doooood, to a football "fan" it's more.

Sure was a crappie report Justin. Fish looks good, but no matter how hard mom tried I still could never finish the peas. Yuck.

Geeeez Andrea, shaky start hanging with that Uncle Buck fella. lol Stick with the good people here and you'll learn a trick or two for the water.

Pretty little area up through the "Red Squirrel." A fair bit of roadside camping and lakes to fish along the way. Can't help ya with Anima Nipissing itself, haven't fished it. Heard a little though and Dave's pretty much summed that up. Choose to fish that lake or some of the others you won't be disappointed in your surroundings. A-Nip river in places you can catch stocked bows too. Have a 4-wheeler and you can got lost south of Liberty and find a number of brookie ponds.

That is a fantastic shot and worthy to be in there for sure.

When a kid, never thought I'd say anything good about Neil. Times sure change. Thanks for the link dood.

Rock. Chili Peppers and Zeppelin. NOFX

Fantastic fellas. Marc and GH crew that truly was the best muskie show I have seen to date. C&R techs. moon phases, gear reviews and 2 huge toothy mammoths. Congrats.

Sorry to hear Lew

Well Solo, I took the journey in my head this morning. In your post when I saw Eskakwa Falls I knew I recognized that name and so in finding it on the map was reminded that it lies pretty close to Liddles Lodges along the Albany and it's at their website and fishing opportunities that I probably read about it. You covered an area nearly 5 times the size of Nipigon Lake. Through some of the most remote parts of the province. Forest fire nipping at your heels from the very onset then going 3 1/2 months and likely well over 1000km in a canoe and across unmarked land with likely no portages. On your own!!! Geeeeeeez man, so impressive and makes me so envious. Many places I'd love to have seen, especially this one spot on the map called "Speckled Trout Rapids" on the Ogoki. Ogoki reserve where you made the turn south would have been cool, I betcha you felt along the way that you had just hit a major route marker when getting to that spot on the Albany and making the swing to start your return. If you still have all the old rolls of film and there's anyway they're like Advantix and can get them all put onto disc do so. This past Xmas had 17 old rolls of film put onto 3 discs at Blacks. Now they can be touched up and reprinted perfectly anytime at home. 110km trip through Temagami was about the biggest trip I've done. Mighty proud with my very limited paddle skills to have made it, by day 5 when the drier food started to come out I was like, dang man, this is getting tough. Always wished for better paddle skills and trips, never had enought time. You sure showed me. Look forward to you posting some more of this type of stuff.

Intriguing to say the least. One day when old and grey and on your last breaths, unlike many you'll feely fully content. I'm stuck at work but looking forward to going home, throwing in my Fugawi Maps software and trying my darndest to follow your route. Anytime you want to post adventure like that, please do, but elaborate even more.

If you're living in the Moose, don't leave home with out the axe, knife, tarp, matches, tp, string, spare prop and tools, bug repellent, first aid kit, touque and mitts. It's always packed and goes with, just in case.

If I'm with buddies or someone new and fishing somewhere out of the ordinary and we catch nothing, it doesn't really bother me. If I set out at certain poor times of year or in god aweful conditions, I usually expect little to nothing for reward, so, getting skunked doesn't bother me. If I'm paying an arm and a leg on a fishing trip and I get skunked, I get homicidal or suicidal ideations. If I'm fishing good conditions for species I know should be available, and I get skunked, I feel defeated in a sense and it makes me want to get back out there even sooner to try again. If I'm entertaining people in my boat and we catch nothing, I feel sorry at first, but then feel like it was probably them and they are cursed, so I don't invite them out again.

Rock on fella. Bar lakers bar none tonnes of fun. lol.

Thanks OFC'ers, always a pleasure posting reports here as the gang is always super supportive. It was one heckuva good year, just wish I could have gotten out more. The period in July and August with the motor down and out, the early flash freeze on the river in November causing the boat to go away, and a back injury set me back about 8-10 fishing outings. Shift work sure has it's perks as it gives me about 200 or more days off a year. Again, glad the reports from the north give pleasure to some. I sure enjoy making them happen. Next year should be alright too.

Other than 1 back injury in the summer, this has been the best year for staying healthy. Last fall got the flu shot and was down and out 3 or 4 times over the winter with one time a nasty cough lingering 2 1/2 weeks. This year no flu shot, go to work everyday and have everyone cough and puke around me, and I'm still going strong. Flu shot.... hmph..? BTW, thanks for the card, Happy New year to you too Pam.

WTG man. Fishing with Sheldon is a real treat as there aren't many if any that have a handle on walleye like that guy. Did you enjoy the ride in the Stealth Bomber???

Good looking clean gash. You probably deserved it... that'll teach ya to catch pike when walleye fishing. lol

The hungry household kept a few too. 10 pike, 82 walleye and 7 trout. Tonights dinner I called the "Lake Erie Feed." Cedar smoked rainbow trout with an onion, pepper, mango and curry salsa, and, walleye bacon tornadoes marinated in balsamic vinaigrette and strawberry juice. Never eat too much fish. It's the best meat for ya. How true.

Tonnes of pic's here as 2006 was another wonderful year on the waters all over Ontario. Winter was highlighted by 3 different trips and a dozen or so days around home on the Moose. In February a small group of us skidoo'd 80km up to Halfway Point for brookies, a trip that produced no fish but was an awesome ride north. Early March my oldest daughter and I joined friends on Temagami for a good bonding experience. Late March saw Floatfishin' and Fishforfun join Bren and I for Kesagami pike and eyes, and, we slayed 'em good. 1st fish of 2006. Spring came in early and because of it I was able to get my boat on the water earlier than normal. With pike open all year up here I ended up targetting them more often and it unfortunately meant giving up some time for searun specks. The budding season was highlighted by the walleye opener on the Cheepas and Moose rivers, but it also became a season where I hosted more folks than usual and we had some good successful outings. June 6th I pinned a personal best walleye on a pink grub. Summer and fall next post below. Summer never actually came. The months that were supposed to be warm and dry were wet and all over the place. I remember a little snow late one night in August as well when camping with the kids. The few things that saved the season were the trips to M-Cabi and the Ekwan River, a week off on Snare Lake, five days south with buddies, and the boat project. Ekwan with my brother in law ended up basically the highlight of the year, and on that trip a personal best pike for weight was landed. Autumn was tough. Fishing was tough. Winter was seemingly coming early and prematurely the boat was put away. I usually love the fall pike season but this year they were a month behind I'd bet on stacking at the backbays where whities go to spawn. A trip south at the end of September followed by a last kick at the can for lakers after Xmas made the long waits for frozen ice a little more bearable. Some different species were caught but my pride and joy was catching my first brown trout. Now, for the geeky stuff. Yeah, I keep good records. I imagine most would if they lived where I do and found they had the time I have. So here's some stuff I find interesting. Total fish recorded. 331 + 185+/- (M-cabi/Ekwan) Total fish 516. Pike 178, walleye 264, bass 38, trout 16. Best fishing weather at home, calm, sunny and hot. Total fishing days = 62. (67 in 2005) Total hours 276.5 making an average of 4.5 hours per outing. No catch days = 10. (17 in 2005) Days out with the family for fishing = 15. (8 in 2005) Average catch per outing = 5.34 fish (8.32 fish incl. M-Cabi and Ekwan trips). 2002 was 2.95, 2003 = 3.18, 2004 = 3.32, 2005 = 5.06 (6.80 incl M-Cabi trip) Average catch per hour = 1.2 / 1.87 (M&E) Goals met. Increase catch average, new PB walleye, family out 12 or more times, catch 1 new species. Goals not met, catching 1st lake sturgeon and new PB brookie. Next years goals, PB pike 20lb+, increase catch average, catch 1 new species, catch at least 10 brookies. Geeeeeeeeeek I told ya. Bring on 07.