Moosebunk

Who doesn't eat a giant pike the size of yourself every morning for breakfast???

Wouldn't go too light. Need a solid hookset and some backbone to keep those hooks in. Now that's kinda funny. It makes total sense to me now why an old buddy would tell me otherwise. You lads are too kind. Enjoy the new boat and the spring fishing ahead. Thanks.

Only ever chase after personal bests... Doesn't matter the species. Who doesn't love catching BIG fish? You certainly can... and I have. Unless fly fishing... use lures with strong trebles. Kinda bad Simon. Some are quite slimey, some not. Many do crap alot in the boat. Use a variety of gear Bill. Baitcasting, spinning and fly. Your pike gear would likely be perfect. Rods 7 - 7 1/2 ft. Med-Heavy. Spinning 12-17lb, Casting same or 15-25lb. Braided lines 30-50lb. Fly 9wt and floating line. Fishing in Eastern Ontario is incredible. Since moving home south again it's been amazing sampling anything and everything available. I'm looking for a mid September to mid October fish. Muskies could fit that bill around here. OFAH - 20.1 pounds. 54 inches... Surprisingly..? Some fish are quite silver throughout... some very spotted... and then from time to time you find one black backed and brown bellied. What would be the longest you've seen in G.Bay? Not sure if the OFAH still has that program in effect. I was told no... Would like one for the wall. In part, because you are right with everything you say, and as well, because the fish I'd keep would likely be significantly better than this PB 20+ pounder... or an exceptionally spotted gar of about the same size. Thanks all for your interest.

Bruce at Tamar had posted a couple photos a week back during the heatwave. Yeah... pretty icy out there. Probably unlocked now though.

The spring of 2012 was unusually hot and early. By mid May, the boat had been in the water for eight weeks, and some of the best spring trout and crappie bites had already come and gone... The gar began to stir. It was amidst a sunny, week-long, heat wave, that on the morning of May 14th a noisy blackbird outside an open window woke me earlier than expected. A sound and solid sleep through the night, fresh air energized, I felt eager to face the day. My good friend Mike was to be waiting at a nearby Timmies, and come time to depart I slipped from the house and into the truck. Before shifting gear, a sudden urge came over, and I rushed back inside and downstairs to grab my Backroads Mapbook. It was not the book I was after, but pressed neatly inside its pages was an OFAH Record Fish Registry Form, which a month earlier I had printed offline and filled out, "most" of. To confess, it was a rarer moment of optimism. Once picking up Mike on route, it was obvious he was excited to fish gar again as well. The previous week he tried it for the first time, and by the end of his day he had caught and released his personal best, a 16lb & 7oz, 52-incher. Quite an exceptional initiation... ... The spring of 2006 was when I was first introduced to fishing gar. A few online friends had been chasing them for a couple years, and viewing their fishing reports sparked interest in this relatively elusive and mysterious fish. Living up north at the time, the possibility to regularly pursue gar would really only happen once relocating back home here to the south in 2009. It was then, that a second chance with the gar did happen one day. I hooked my first four gar, and they in turn hooked me. Come spring of 2010 I was on my own and ready to fish, but some steady work up north called me away. Unfortunately, that meant only three gar outings would come to fruition. The bite then was just heating up too, and the experiences building together nicely when the season had to end. When 2011 arrived, days for fishing opened up big-time. A secure job with a great schedule allowed for about 100 hours for gar during the season, and with vast amounts of water to search them out, it was game on. That time on the water in 2011 was exceptional. My father came along one day and caught a 16lb & 6oz, 53-inch personal best, and during a day out with my good friend Pat, I released a personal best, fat 50-inch, 16lb & 7oz gar we aptly named "Crocsocks." Two fish within a couple weeks which if kept and registered would have broken the current Ontario gar record. Time and experience continued building better results and before long a days fishing meant passing up tonnes of 3 to 4-footers, in search of 4 1/2 to 5's. Many hours on the water became experimental as well, following through with different approaches and lures, and even dabbling with the fly rod a little. ... Back to 2012, the gar season was finally in full swing. The play schedule was pretty well wide open for two months, and with several friends and family along during different days, time on the water was simply a joy for us all. Again, Mike had released the big fish of the spring so far, before we ambitiously set out once more on the chase. About 11:30am we were cruising the shallows looking to sight fish. Traveling the shoreline I spot a good solid shadow and move cautiously to better position the boat for a cast. Mike's eyes are fixated on the big fish as well. A clear shot and free of debris, we are about to cast when the fish begins swimming towards the deep. We let a couple go and just miss the mark, the fish seemingly unaware of our first attempts. The boat now slides in behind and we creep after, keeping the fish at twelve o'clock and in good range for Mike and I to both make easy casts from the bow. Time is of the essence, for the fish continues to swim for deeper waters. We both let lures fly together, again and again, and on my third crack the gar's head snaps quick and directly to the right stopping my lure in it's path. Huge set to drive the hook, and the fish tears off on it's first reel peelin' rip. Mike unbeknownst to me is preparing to shoot a video. 　 　 Camera rolling we capture the fish steal a few good solid runs. Nervously laughing while playing the fish I'm calling it out as we go... "I've never had a gar do that!" "That's over twenty pounds." "Should be filling the livewell." "That's my biggest gar Mike, that's my biggest, I think?" Until the fishes snout was firmly in grasp, my knees were shaking. I held it there in the water while looking around to make sure all things were readied in the boat, while at the same time with my other hand driving the MinnKota pedal and bow towards the shore. On deck we first laid the fish into a dry net and hung it for a weight, settling the scale firmly at 22 pounds & 11 ounces. Fish laid flat we took a length measurement and noted the gar a hair over 54 inches to the tail tip. Mike was readying the camera for photos while I snuck a quick weight on the net, two pounds exact, making the fish 20lbs & 11ozs. But, I couldn't leave it at that and felt I had to know the fishes true weight. Suspended on the scale there was no bouncing around of any numbers, the gar held like a brick on 20 pounds & 4 ounces. So with that, I quickly came to realize quite a big and special personal best had just been caught. A few incredible photos taken, my best gar at 20.25 pounds was official. For an angler who lives to chase big fish, this one was a solid achievement. To have my good friend Mike alongside too; someone who understands and shares a same passion for fishing, made it all that much more perfect. Measurements and photos finished, the gar was back over the gunnel in short order. Gripped snout and supported belly, it seemed a long time I just held the fish there in the water. The livewell had not been turned on at all, and after a silent pause Mike was ready to ask the question. "You're releasing the fish?" "I have to," I replied after little thought, "I have seen bigger... and until I catch one of those fish I'm not killing one after another." There are truer giants swimming, have seen a few pushing sixty inches and guessed to be 25 or more pounds. In some years ahead, possibly this returned fish will be an equal to those. From the moment they're hooked they are all in for as quick and easy a release as possible. Even any other potential record breakers went back with little hesitation, and I have wondered a time since, if it's even in me to bother keeping one? What I do know though, is this one gar has a lot more personal meaning than most will ever know, and Mike, my father and a few close others were rather surprised that the OFAH Registration Form did not get completed on this day... And so that was it, and the winter flew by quick with the luring of spring gar now rearing its toothy-filled head once again. If another giant lifts over the gunnel sometime, I guess it'll be then with that fish when fate gets decided. Today though, I am happy that this best is still swimming, and looking onwards and upwards in the hunt. Afterall, that's truly the best fishing experience to keep. The end of it.

This is just insane. lol. Although, in Ontario I've seen snow in every month, but July. Could this be the year? Opted to sit out on the fishing today to do some WarCanoe wood repair. From the garage "almost" watched snow go by in a squall an hour ago. Brrrrr!

Owned and never had problems with two lower-end Lowrance units over the years, an X67... and an old portable FishEasy2 (Eagle) Now have a new HDS7 to be installed in the Lund and hoping that works out great because, I also have two Humminbirds currently that are great units as well. Sorry to hear their service blows... Will pray I don't need their help.

Was expecting to see a big ole carp, not a cow. Flip 'er in the river and let the muskies get at it. They'll be what they eat.

Great rig Rob. You're going to enjoy that. What are the boat specs? Motor HP and such?

There's nothing wrong with participating and contributing to more than one site. Have always enjoyed F-H and OFC... and a few others. Happy to see Rob find a pulse.

Edited ---- "DOH!!!" lol. I have fished this lake and do remember speaking lakeside with someone who has fished it for years as well.

Gave me a wicked skiboner Mike!

Wicked Mike! Problem solved for good now. And "maybe" you'll get up north to rip up some lake with it. Great new addition Dave. My bet is that old Merc owes you nothing at all, but the new one will give back plenty in the end.

Has Luxottica bought them out yet? VP for Luxottica answer the question... "Why are sunglasses so expensive?" "Because we own most brands we can charge what we want." lol. Sucks to be us paying $100's for products that often cost a couple dollars to make.

Considerably the Ottawa Valley if you ask me Mav. Maybe not technically, but Ottawa nonetheless.

Save up for a days charter for sturgeon. You'll catch a few. Find a few others planning to attend the wedding and make a day or two of it. Travelled there twice at that time of year. Chinooks will be running in the Fraser. Sturgeon catches are good. It's an odd year this year so there will be a pink salmon run too. Ohhh... and post a report when you get back.

Your boat has a Power Pole but you need Cialis.

Quite an incredible and sad set of circumstances really. Unbelievable to think all could be lost. Many people contributed and made the site a great site over the years... It fits best with any homegrown Eastern Ontario / Ottawa Valley online anglers especially, and does well to support local business in fishing. Like here, people check in every day or week just to see what's up with fishing and online friends, and Fish-Hawk certainly has it's fair share of regular members and personalities. Hoping Rob can resuscitate it's life and bring a heartbeat back to a long running community.

You'll enjoy your rig and certainly keep pimping it to your needs. Good luck with the fish.

Don't use my fly rods often... a few times a year. Have a 6wt TFO as well that was once used more for trout, walleye and whitefish. You wouldn't have to break the bank buying one. No expert, but I think it's a decent stick. With Lefty Kreh backing they're fly rods and Gary Loomis now working with them for cast/spinning rods, there's a solid bit of knowledge going into this company.

I'd love to see some area lakes on the Ontario side of the Ottawa closed to ice fishing. Just to get some better spring opps. Nice speckles doods. Familiar faces in this one. What's the verdict on things Craig?

What flavor ya smoke 'em Matt? Never had a Lake O greaser. Funny with lakers how one place they can be great eats, and another gawd aweful. Never tasted a brown though.... What are they like? Bow, speck, laker?

Good feeling fish on a fly Brian. WTG dood! And ummmm... mouth watering for some greens here man.

Cloudy... Bass opener one year I had the same thing happen. Two boats... I was in a floattube and it took a long while to get to that spot kicking my legs. They came in on me after hooking a big fish, and I ended up kicking right over to the otherside of the lake... where there, in a about 2-3 hours, caught 2-3 dozens largies on a buzzbait. Karma will pay ya back man. I like what Roy said too

Loved it dooood! Great report and pics. Great escape for you and your buddy. Thanks for posting that up!