Mike Pike

Hey, funny that you mentioned that Tennessee cuz I filter my oil after frying some fish too. Seems a shame to throw it all out when all ya have to do is put it through a strainer to get rid of the bigger pieces and then re-use it a few times. Honestly I don't think there is any difference in flavour.

Although I can't vote, if I could I would vote for 'B.' Your sign is the only one that made a connection to the Grand River by including the bridge. Very nice! One thing I'm not crazy about is the city logo that everyone had to use. The 'stylized' clock tower. Cuz unless you're told what it is, you don't really know what it is. Anyhoo, goodluck!!!

Fishing World in Hamilton is just a quick trek down the 403. Have you been there? Lotsa stock, I just dunno what their muskie stock is like cuz I don't fish for 'em.

Only way to truly find out if it has bass is to fish it. I was at a friend's farm and he has a real tiny pond with some huge largies in it. Not sure how they got there but they seem to be doing quite well. Now I think no pond can be to small.

I'll bet you'd enjoy reading a book by Nathaniel Philbrick; "In The Heart Of The Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex." It's the real life sinking of a whaling ship that actually inspired "Moby Dick." The Herman Melville connection really amazed me! A fantastic true story that's also quite tragic for the men who had to try to survive after their ship was sunk by the sperm whale. One of the best books I've ever read and I think you'd enjoy it as well.

No easy answers with what to do with so many carp, and I certainly didn't read any in that article. Good luck but carp, like zebra muscles and gobies, etc., are here to stay.

Very cool bird, eh Joey! I don't see 'em very often here around Hamilton but every now and then one flies through. I work in Waterloo and will see one every so often on my drive from Hamilton to Waterloo, particularly in the rural areas. Now, I thought they changed the common name of the Baltimore Oriole to Northern Oriole. Nice bird either way.

I have a Mustang that I bought last year and just love. Yup, it was more expensive than my old Bouy O Bouy but, man, you really get what you pay for. The Mustang has better features that you can notice right away like an insulated hood instead of just a nylon cap. The Mustang also is more supple and not as stiff, making if far more comfortable. And without a doubt I can endure colder temps with it than I could with my old suit. It was about $400 I believe when I bought it but I do a lot of fishing throughout the winter so for me it's well worth it. And yes, I opted for the better insulating values of a 1-piece. My advice would be that if you do plan on doing a lot of fishing in the winter months, buy the best suit you can afford. IMHO

Thanks for taking the time to post that( for a 2nd time even )for us, Sean. A beauty trip for sure, with lots of fish and good friends. The meals look like they would have been as spectacular as the scenery! Cheers!

All of 'em! And yes, I have a very heavy fishing vest!

I guess that's what happens when your two biggest sponsors pull the plug on their primary sponsorships. Wow. And it sounds like there wasn't any other company who wanted to( or had the bucks to )step up. Everyone gets to stay on for the final three events except their Excectutive Director so I wonder if that's saying that they're blaming him for the events leading to the trail's downfall? I enjoyed watching it.

What a great post and some great pics, Sean. Even the one with the phone camera. What a way to start you long weekend, eh? You got into quite few, so congratz. And ya, I do believe you about the one that got away! LOL You're really at their mercy when they start jumping and just gotta hope everything works out. When something like that happens to me, I just wanna stay on that spot and cast until that fish hits again if it takes the rest of my life! LOL But I know you'll have your chance at revenge soon enough. Just remember to bring the camera! Lots of luck and good fishin' up in the north country! Cheers

Go get 'em TBay. They do seem to have the feed bags on right now. You're pretty familiar with the system yourself so you know that's not a typical trip but even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then! lol Cheers!

Thanks for the replies, y'all. I'm always amazed at where a pair of chest waders can take you. I'm willing to bet that there isn't a member on this board who doesn't live more than a half hour away from great stream and river fishing. And the best part is, once you jump in the river and start wading, you could be miles away in the northern wilderness and you wouldn't know the difference. Always fun, and when the fish co-operate.. bonus!

With the river levels finally receding and the water clearing, I decided to hit the rivers this past week. On Friday afternoon, I took off to a Grand River trib in the KW area to track down some Smallies. When I arrived, I was glad to see the river had indeed finally settled down. Still at a higher than normal level for this time of year and the visibility was still barely more than a foot but that's better than the rushing chocolate milk of a week ago! The fish were not in their usual haunts with the higher water so I moved around 'til I saw some bait fish busting on the surface. I took that as a good sign and cast my Mepps #3 spinner into the middle of the excitement. It wasn't long before I connected with a beauty 14-incher that jumped and used the current to its advantage. Actually caught a few of these scrappy little fellows. The fish all seemed to be holding in current around rocks and in a chasing mood so I retrieved the spinner just barley under the surface occasionally creating a wake and even skipping it above the water like a fleeing bait fish. They seemed to like it and I was rewarded with this 15-incher. These guys were terrific sport. They were jumping and pulling drag and making for one of my best river trips ever. Unlike the boat guys who can keep their rod tips low to stop the Smallies from jumping, when you're waist deep in water you have to keep your rod tip up and you're at the mercy of the fish while it jumps and dances on the water. As usual, I ran into a Blue Heron who was also fishing on the river. You can never get to close to these guys before they fly away and this guy took to the trees for safety. My final tally was six Smallies all between 14 and 17-inches which is a pretty darn nice average for the system. Here is a picture of the 'big girl' being released. It was a fun afternoon of fishing and nice to get back onto the rivers.

I've camped at Killbear a few times and althought it's one of my favourite place to camp, there are limited fishing opportunities from shore( as others have stated ). Checking out other lakes in the area or rivers with some access may be a bit more productive. In town( Parry Sound ), I remember there's a lumber( or hardware )store and right behind it there's a river. We'd fish it for bass so maybe check it out too. Good luck and good hunting.

Well, if it was caught in the shallows it's probably the Bowfin. I remember that article about cooking 'em too from Ontario Out Of Doors but I don't know which issue. If it was the Burbot( or Ling ), I DO know they are veeeeeery tasty!

Welcome to the board, Chaos. That sure sounds like a fun little bit of boating you two have planned. I'm not familiar with the area so I can't help ya with shore lunch and fishing spots, etc., but I'll bet someone will on here before long. Goodluck and I hope you're able to have that shorelunch you're planning on.

Wow, nice one Bly! And a nice photo to forever remember it by!!!

If it's for the biggest fish, name it after the biggest guy in your group! Tell him it's like a tribute.

Sounds like another fun event. Some pretty decent prizes too! I entered that tourny years ago and back then one of the prizes was a bag of apples!

Well, the charter business is appropriately named. What a time that must have been! I remember when you asked if anyone could join you guys because you had a spot to fill and I'm glad an OFC'r was able to take you up on it. I'll bet he's not sorry. The deal with the restaraunt was a good one too. Nice touch to really complete the trip having your catch prepared and served to you over a few bevies and some good company. Cheers!

Enjoyed your report and pics Justin! One thing I realize is that your bad days aren't that bad! LOL The spawn, the weeds, everything is a bit behind this year, eh? Way to go adjusting though. Thanks for the post!

Cambridge to Paris has the greatest elevation change so the fastest stretches of water. Great if you like a little more excitement.

Mark Adams and BPSBasssman! Yup, Congeco customers in most regions get it, which is why I'm so disapointed that they decided that Hamilton customers weren't going to have it! I called to complain but just got the usual 'blah, blah, blah' from them. But you should see the crappy stuff that we DO get. Man, if you like dog shows and ghost stories,,,