Moosebunk

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.

OK, I'll give ya props fella. That's some pretty good fishing Tony.

Ya fish in my boat it likely means you're going to have to stay in my teepee a couple days, play with my kids, make nice with my woman, and smoke sweet grass ti'll yer left lung gives out. You better be what you are online cause there's alot of bugs outside the comfort of my door. I choose wisely and have done so so far.

Dover into Bed. You said you wanted it to be "homely" though.... so, Port Dover into Bed with my Sasquatch Auntie. OK, I got nuthin'.

It was like Mikey from Beverly Hills Cop reals in a fish.... on the video. Enjoyed it, it was funny. And congrats man on your big bleeping hog.

Hefty looking laker too Sheriff. Alot of kinda skinny now. Good stuff. See ya again one of these days.

You're in your element now TJSA. Enjoy the winter season.

Good lookin' pike Snag. Best of luck in 07

Good looking fish Pigeon.

PB pike. Keep on getting out.

Happy new year OFC'ers/

Nice meeting you too Sheriff. And Wayne we'll get out one of these days. Could have just been my lucky day, could have been the lure, something worked for me on the water that one day though. Won't be showing off my creation... be keeping it for next time.

Been awhile. In fact, haven't been out fishing since November 3rd. Could say I was a jonzing for a tightline and a tug tug. Before Xmas one wednesday morning me and the girls loaded ourselves into the skidoo taxi (covered box sled pulled by a Bravo) and made our way to the Moosonee airport..... ....From there we were in Toronto in about 4 hours and then in the Ottawa valley by supper. Next two days were nuts with shopping. We had many to buy for, family, kids, friends, ourselves... it was done quick but done nonetheless. Sparing you the details of what others were given I'll just show the few odds and ends I picked up for myself. Remember, I don't get out shopping too often. I arrived at an Ottawa store and there was a fella goes by Plowjock waiting behind the counter. In his hands he was polishing up a litte ultralight reel. "Gidday Plowjock" I says, "What's ya got there?" With a gracious hello and how-do-ya-do he says, "Well Bunk, I remember how you were saying last time down you were looking for an ultralight reel, this here one is on sale for $68 bucks off." Taking a look I'm instantly entranced by the spectacle of rainbow colors. The aura of this foreign Quantum reel pretty much possessed me and I found myself saying to Plowjock, "OK, box it, but don't tell Bren when she comes in. And now, let me take a look at this Abu reel here too (pointing at another prize) cause it's what I came for." Days went on, and even until after Xmas I continued to pick up odds and ends. Went over to Bowzog's in Stittsville and picked up a couple interesting things in his shop. Besides lures there I nabbed my first copy of Big Jim's ragazine, and after absorbing some of it's interesting content found the paper to be quite environmentally friendly and reusable. And here's those odds and ends I picked up for the pike and walleye fishing of 2007. Could say I spoiled myself a little. Weekend went on and by Xmas eve the Moosebunk's finally got down to the true meaning of it all. Next couple days were filled with an ear infection for one, Croup for the other, lethargy, gluttony and increased bowel stimulation for me, sleep deprivation for everyone, and a jolly fat uncle in a red suit. Holy God we loved pretty much every minute of it still. By Boxing Day I couldn't find any Boxing on TV so around 10pm I met up with Ransome and we headed out of town to meet up with MuskieMagnet, RJ and Birdee and we then got our butts on the road for an overnight drive to get to our fishing destination. Ransome and I had plans to fish with Salmon from his boat for the next 2 1/2 days. When we all met at the launch the morning of the 27th at 6:30am we were quick to find Salmon had a little boat trouble. Trying to get things resolved Salmon made the decision to go for help. Shorebound, Ransome and I sunk a little into the shoreline mud in despair. Seeing others all around fishing though, Ransome and I lifted ourselves up best we could a took a few casts. Not long after, Ransome gets himself a fish. A tough bow, a good looking bow, and a bow that's been going strong and will keep going strong despite the chunk out of his tail. Took Salmon but a couple hours and he returned to us at the launch with the "thumbs up" and the "all systems go." Boarding the Legend we put the hammer down to the lake, drive right out into 8 footers with the odd 10 foot rogue wave, I turn green in like 5 minutes despite the Gravol, we can't keep the lines where we want them and so we hightail it back to the river, fish an hour or so then call it a day. That night I keep everyone up with my roaring snoring. Early December 28th we're on Lake O by 6:30am. The waves are tolerable 4-5 footers and as the day progresses the conditions turn to a beautiful calm. Water clarity though..... a bust. Things turned dirty overnight and fishing for many became tough. For me, I had the right touch, the right Captain, and the right lure. And so in due time it began..... #1. #2. After 2 lakers I felt the tug of an unfamiliar fish. The fight was strange to me. Bulldoggish a wee bit like a laker, but wily like a brookie. I says to me Capn' Salmon and co-pilot rightwinger guy Ransome, "This ain't no laker." And, it wasn't. It was in fact a brown trout. The first brooooonie I's ever caught. Shheeeeesh, I was some plum happy with myself. Smiled so big you can see all the gaps in my teeth. After the photoshoot Ransome threatened mutiny. The rest of the boat was going fishless and they both wisely attributed that to my special homemade lure. I only had one spare in the tacklebox and unfortunately for both of them it wasn't for borrow. So with my lure I continued on.... After this fish I hooked into a monster near the end of a pass Capn Salmon and crew were finding decidedly productive. Three solid headshakes then a peel and snap, gone was the lure. No needing to fret I put the back up on, and just after, Salmon gets a fish. Happier than a pig in poop that made him. Some relief for me as well for I missed an earlier fish of his when making a poor attempt with the net. Nearing the end of the day with the sun beginning to settle I couldn't help but catch just one more for the road. A nice one too. Back at the hotel forecasted winds out of the east 20km pretty much decided our fate for the last day of the trip. No more fishing. As luck would have it for me though, after having a wicked awesome day on the water, I'd have a wicked awesome night at the Poker table. Surprised a few friends I think by doing some winning. All in all, fantastic holiday with friends, family and fishes all over the greater southern parts of Ontario. Can't way to trip down there again. Next report will be on ice.