Rich

I figured today that since trout is open I might as well take some time to go out and fish them. I headed up to my local trout haunt armed with waders and my trout vest and started walking. The first 2 holes I fished were dead so I hit the remnants of an old dam which is now buried way back in the bush. Found it by accident one day when I was a kid exploring. Anyway I started drifting a worm here and it wasn't long before a fish hit like a ton of bricks. He was fighting pretty good too, I thought I had a decent brown when up came old bugle lips, mr. sucker. A little further up and I found a narrows between two mini-ponds. There's a slight rapid here and a deep hole where I've caught browns in the past. First I tried casting a Panther Martin here and missed one hit. Decided to try a worm before I left and I was into a nice little speck. The first speck I've ever caught from this spot - and unfortunately I had to take home. He swallowed the hook and was bleeding pretty bad by the time I got the hook out (hard to tell from this pic). From there, I was getting hungry. I had a choice to push my way back further into the bush or head home. I opted to head home, but on the way hit one of those tiny ponds that the creek runs through just to give it a few casts with a Panther Martin. I must have hooked 6 specks in a row but lost them all. Something tells me this creek was recently stocked with specks because in the past I just caught browns there and the odd bow. Well good to see a nice speck stream near home, will definitely be doing more of that when I get an extra hour to myself.

A buddy and I have been planning a trip for cats for quite some time now and our schedules finally collaborated as we headed out to some local spots. Things were slow. To start, Markus grabbed a duck as it flew by for a quick snack. LOL, actually this duck just decided to attack his cut bait, crazy ducks! Funny how docile this duck was when he was removing the hook from it. It flew away just fine. Markus scored the first fish of the day while he was sending a text message. We were confused by the fight, couldn't tell whether it was a big bullhead or a small channel cat, then we realized that Mr. Sheephead had come to visit. This fish was added to my cutbait collection. Markus showed me how to scoop the lucky stones in their head too... which turned out to be more cursed than lucky, because things slowed right down after that. We moved to "Area 57" where I "guaranteed" we'd catch some cats, they'd just be small. Of course, the spot made a liar out of me. Markus nailed a bullhead though. As it got dark and we were right about to call it quits, FINALLY my rod bent over and I was into the one and only channel cat of the night. A scrappy fish, but not big. Markus damn near went up to his waist in quicksand to grab it for me too, LOL Well things were slow, but I guess when it's the cold front of the century that is to be expected. What happened to MAY?! Anyway, fish or no fish. Like all my trips with Mark I had a great time. Look forward to doing it again sometime. Perhaps next time we won't need the winter clothes though,

Nice!

Thank god the same rules do not apply to automobiles!

Funny you mention that Musky or Specks - we had never caught a brown there ever, then went ice fishing for perch and the ladies both caught browns. Beauty 18 inchers, both of them. As for the difference in taste, I find the longer you let them sit, the more the taste of their slime gets into the meat. The worse tasting one was probably the one caught earlier in the day. I always "scale" my trout. I don't actually remove the scales, just simply remove the slime with my knife - most important to get it off their backs. Makes the meat taste 100 times better, not sure why. A trick my father in law taught me.

Wow, awesome stuff! Has Wolfville extended my invite to you guys yet? You're all welcome to get the heck down here for some big carp and different scenery. 29lbs - at my spot you can beat that! Awesome stuff though. I often wondered about carp fishing at night. I've done it a few times with limited success. Guess I shouldn't pack the corn away after dark so soon anymore. Next time you round up the boys, head down this way though, seriously - before they're gone!

Nice!!! Gotta love the early season at that reservoir, water's still cold so no need to go deep for them. Great stuff man. If I ever get a weekend off in the next 2 years I'll be sure to let you know so we can have a mini tourney - Bass Hound vs Tooner Hound, LOL

Bunk, though I love everything about your reports, perhaps the thing I love most is the colours on those fish. They just look pristine, and untouched. The pike and 'eyes I get down here are always scraggly and beat up, at least marked up. Those look like a painting. Just perfect. AWESOME!

What an insane fishing trip. I don't even know how many of the World's Greatest Sportfish we landed yesterday, but it was just amazing. The rod pumping, the explosive strikes and the thrill of landing Ontario's most esteemed species just kept us on our toes. And the frying pan/our stomachs thanked us. What a day with Mr. Rock Bass. Okay, I promise, first and last rock bass report of the year from me.

Nice work! Good to see people getting out in all conditions. Too many of my buddies are "fairweather fishermen", lol, sucks to be them!

Go into Bill's Bait & Tackle on Upper James Street. Greg is a great guy, talk it over with him and simply ask for some advice on equipment and fishing spots. He'll send ya in the right direction and set you up with something better. The kind of help you can't get from a big box store like Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire. (No I'm not affiliated with Bill's Bait & Tackle but he has helped me out on many occasions)

Only time I ever raised a musky with a topwater bait (that wasn't under 30 inches" was on opening day 2 years ago. And man was it ever big. I'll be doing a lot more of that this opener! God I can't wait. Cats and carp are great, but musky are where it's at!

Nice 'eyes! Great to see Rice is still producing walleye. Slowed down there for a couple of years (for me anyway). Not that I've ever tried, I didn't really tangle with too many incidental muskies there. I always thought it was a poor musky numbers lake. Guess I'm wrong!

LOL!

lol, sad thing is they probably planned that for weeks in advance. If only they'd put that much effort into a fishing trip.

What were you using? I've never been skunked down there with a big hook, loaded with corn on bottom. Albeit, often times it's just bullheads, but they are fish! lol

There is a quarry pond I know of right off the side of the road that has a parking spot, no signs at all marking that it's private. So one day I venture in to give it a fish, since there's no sign that it's not a public fishing spot. Well soon enough the guy came out with a shotgun telling me to leave. I informed him that if it's private I apologize but he had no signs to mark that it was a private area in any way. In fact the parking spot at the side of the main road pretty much invites you to fish it. I hear others have had the same experiences from the guy. Jesus, instead of wasting your time running out with a shotgun why not put up a $2 sign that says NO TRESPASSING or something of that sort. I have a good mind to go back and just call the cops on the guy for threatening me with the gun. With a video camera for evidence of course.

No pike but lots of crappies and walleye, though fishing there without a boat may prove difficult. Try Bobcaygeon, Lindsay or Fenelon Falls for better shore fishing opportunities.

My boss and I hit the pier up today to give 'er a go for some perch. We tried the end first and saw a few caught but not many. Moved further down inside the channel and managed 10 keepers, a sheephead and a rock bass. Perch came in 5 minute feeding spurts then quit for hours at a time. Dennis also hooked a nice carp probably 15lbs but we had no way of getting it up at the spot we were. 7 of the perch were true jumbos, the other 3 real keepers. No dinks today. Anyway, just thought I'd give a heads up on the action for those planning to try this weekend.

Nice work buddy! I am itchin' to get out for pike again. Hope you two can make it our way sometime this season!

It's the same line just white Roy

By the looks of things, it's worth every penny!

Put it this way: Carp are the largest member of the minnow family. Do you use minnows during the spring when they are spawning? Sickening!

A HUGE pool!

I don't think carp numbers are in any jeopardy from fishing them during the spawn. Since they spawn multiple times throughout their lifetime and lay billions of eggs, and have no real natural predators. Trout and bass are more in danger from outside sources, like other species eating their eggs, being removed from beds too long or being stressed to the point of not having a successful spawn.