Mike Pike

Jig head colour is something I rarely pay attention too, since I normally fish unpainted heads. Now the grub colour, well that gets changed rather quickly. And after I changing grub colours once or twice with no success, generally I'll change my presentation entirely. Unfortulately, this means I have to pack my fishing vest with so much stuff I look like the Michelin Tire Man!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmm Muskoka Pike. I remember chasing 'em when the walleye weren't co-operative. We'd fillet out the y-bones and fry 'em up instead of the walleye. Never heard a complaint. Congratz!

If you had the lake all to yourself, then who are all those other people! lol Nice fishing there Steve. Just look at all them walleye and happy folks. Gotta love all the Monarchs starting to head south across the lake. No gps required for them. Cheers!

I'm with the rest of the guys who use a tube 'til it's pretty much unusable. That's the cheap side of me! lol I just throw 'em back it the bag with the others when done and they stay salty and moist for next time. I gob scent on 'em too if I think they need a bit of 'super charging.'

Wow, no danger of missing that first fish. That frong is almost swallowed! Good goin'!

Sounds like a nice day on the river! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Well Skinny, there are as many ways to use your 'plastics' as there are fisherman. Basically, your texas rigged worm is a nice weedless way to target bass. They work well pitched into weeds or just dragged along bottom. Jigs with a twistertail grub are great just hopped along the bottom as you retrieve it. Adding a minnow or bit of worm to this presentation is effective. Tubes are terrific just pitched into pockets in the weeds. Sometimes the hits come while the tube is sinking and other times when the tube hits the bottom. I'll pop it and drag it a bit along the bottom to cause some interest. Just the basics. Other will add more, I'm sure. Good luck!

I know what ya mean 'bout the bashing, Bushart, and I agree! And to Ultyman 316, I fish below Wilkes too and it's a nice stretch for Smallies. Funny how so many people go right up to the dam while miles of good water below the dam await, eh?

No one's 'dumping' on anyone, Bushart. A warm welcome aboard and a friendly suggestion, is all. And I hope that's how our new member took it. And now I will take your novel idea and indeed go fishing!

I'm a fan of the Conservation Areas. When my daughter was little, they were great places to go that were close to home. You could rent a canoe and PFDs and spend a few hours pretty cheaply. And actually have some fish to catch! Now, I take my nephew's and other family members' kids. Last week, my cousin's little son caught a 14-inch Smallie right off a dock at a Conservation Area near Hamilton! Good times. Ya, I wish there was no admission charge, but all things considered, it's not much. It brings accessable fishing close to the Urban areas and that's great. Generally speaking, although a lot of people fish our Conservation Areas, I think the more 'experienced' fishermen move on to other waters and that means the fish are not really pressured as much as many people think.

Welcome to the board Ultyma316. Well you sure get around to different locales, even though you don't get out much. Ya, as previously said, if you're gonna release fish, it's not a good idea to keep 'em on a stringer because of the damage that can be caused to the gills. Best to take a quick photo and release the fish right away. Fishing is learning, so keep at it!

No such thing as a supid question Richard! It's actually a Rainbow Trout( aka Steelhead )caught in the Niagara region in the winter time. Were ya able to make it out to Bronte last night?

Welcome aboard Richard and welcome to Canada! You should get yourself a bunch of spoons and hit Oakville and Bronte harbour. You'll stand a good chance of hooking into a Chinook very soon as they're starting close in on the river mouths. You're luck will increase if you're into fishing at night. Nice easy way to fish with minimal gear required. If nothing else, it's cool to hang out on the piers and watch those giants jumping right in front of you. Very cool.

I live just a few blocks from Ivor Wynne so I can walk to the games, which is a good thing due to our pre-game 'festivities.' LOL The atmoshpere in the hood on a game day is great. Everyone dressed in the black and gold, parking on lawns, tailgating at Scott Park, etc. Love it. Things will change( probably for the better )if we get a new stadium by the lake. I just hope it's as intimate as Ivor Wynne. I feel sorry for fans of the blue team who have that concrete cavern to watch games from or Edmonton who have a running track between them and the field. Owner Bob Young has given the old girl a make over and it's a terrific place to watch a game from.

Not a closet fan here, Solo, but a darn proud one! I wear my black and gold to work and everywhere. I've had seasons tickets for a few years now so I'm enjoy this year as much as you are! Did you go to the Edmonton game on the weekend Solo? That was awesome!!!!!!!! OSKEE WEE WEE!

Wow, that's some great local bassin' there JJ. Nice pics!

I had a similar post a while ago and one of our members informed me that with the Mepps Comet, you can easily remove the treble hook to change it to a single hook, if you like. I think the hook up percentage with a treble hook is better, though.

That's a terrific report Rich and some nice pics. Hey, you bested a few bass and made it safely to shore before you got into a dangerous situation with the storm. Amazing how quickly things can turn, eh? WTG

That was a terrific read, Lorne. That roasting method they do sounds like a great way to prepare any kind of fish.

Yes, your regular spinning set up should be fine. The only issue I've had is with my one GLomis rod. It has a really small eye at the tip and when I use a rubber bobber stop or even a knotted piece of thread, it catches on the cast sometime. I just use a St. Croix with bigger eyes and don't have any trouble.

As Pikehunter said, all of us in Hamilton know that 'drone' and as soon as we hear it, run to a clearing and look up. Lucky to have it based here! It's really neat to see. My Mom still talks about how incredible it was seeing( and hearing )hundreds in formation overhead when she was a little girl in Europe during the war.

I think a lot of us were using this technique before it actually had a name. I know that when I see fish busting bait on the surface, I like throwing a spinner and not only 'waking' it but speeding the retrieve so it hops out of the water every now and again. I really believe it increases my strikes.

Good shootin' there Guys! And props to Mrs. Evster! Wow!!!

I believe that refers to retrieving a a lure, like a spinner, up on or near the surface so that it actually creates a wake.

Nice to see you guys were able to work around the weather and still find a way to get your fishing in. Looks like you were well rewarded for your efforts! A real beauty! Gongratz.