Birthday Bash Bass

[tbayboy]

First off - Happy Birthday to our own PatrickG. We're going out drinking in a couple hours but first we had to spend the day at Patricks favourite fishing hole (and mine) - the Grand River.

 

I picked up Patrick and it was nice and sunny but when we hit the 401 it started coming down hard. We were getting really worried and talked about alternate plans but when we got to KW it cleared up and the river was glass with lots of mist on it - this Heron didn't like us ruining the calm though

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2233/1501240392_b600d5a860_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Heron Leaving" /></a>

 

Hoping we hadn't spooked the fish we waded out into this beautiful looking part of the river

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/254/1500387633_e5e733896f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Foggy Morning" /></a>

 

Of course looking at that glass I had to tie on a topwater and was quickly rewarded

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/1500376043/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/1500376043_3b7feb9efa_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Topwater fish" /></a>

 

Then I had a crazy idea - I turned on the video recorder and let it going for one cast - don't you love when a plan comes together:

 

<object width="425" height="353"><param name="movie" value="

name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="

type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="353"></embed></object>

 

Patrick stuck with tubes and they performed as well as ever

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/1500384945/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/1500384945_a4e0e287fd_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Nice grand smallie" /></a>

 

After a while I switched to a pink 4" wacky rigged worm on a 1/0 circle hook and after a couple little guys (they love this setup) a got a solid tug (no taps - they were all subtle hits today) and after a great little fight I was holding a new PB smallie

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/1500377465_3806672ade_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Seans Biggie" /></a>

 

The last time we were up here we guessed at weight so this time I brought a scale and this bruiser hit 4lb on the dot - not bad for wading in a river eh? Here she is again

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2151/1501235798_e7e0c22dcd_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="4 pounds" /></a>

 

Not to be outdone Patrick soon pulled in own 4 pounder on the tube. It looks smaller but I was a ways away, when weighed she came in bang on at 4

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2084/1500382255_332722dd61_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Patricks biggie" /></a>

 

Then the clouds rolled by for a little head cleaning but it didn't deter us

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/1500391501_3c3677f96f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Its raining!" /></a>

 

After that (and a bunch more little guys) we went for lunch then tried a new spot. Wow were the dinks stacked up in this spot. I lost 10 senkos in no time. At one point I watched one toss it off my hook right beside me and then another little one shot out from my feet and grabbed it then took off with it. Little thieving buggers cost me a load of cash in plastics today

 

We did get one surprise appearance at the new spot :

 

<a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/1500389021_8c074f1ea2_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Rockbass" /></a>

 

Another great day on the Grand with a couple pigs and lot of little guys to keep us entertained - this river continues to amaze me. Anyhow, off to go celebrate Patricks Birthday with a beer or two. Hope you enjoyed the report

 

Sean

[Greencoachdog]

Great report and pics!!! Very nice Tiny Mooth Bass!

[Mike Pike]

Wow, what a great start to a birthday party!!!

 

Some real beaty bass there fellas! Great pics and a darn good piece of video too. Thanks for sharing it all, Tbay. I really enjoyed it!

[Zib]

Nice pictures. Congrats on the new PB.

 

What kind of camera were you using? Is it a water proof one or did you use one of those water proof cases?

[fatherof3]

nice job guys,congrats on the pb

[ccmtcanada]

Happy Birthday Patrick G!

 

Looks like you guys had a blast out there today....lots of great lunker bass! Video was a cool touch to the report as well Sean. Great report, great outing....cant ask for much more than that! Congrats guys.

[tbayboy]

Thanks guys, just back from the bar now - Patrick is still going (though I think is wife is going to out drink him tonight hehe).

 

Zib - its a regular camera kept in an AquaPac bag - pretty handy little waterproof camera bag for the price: http://www.aquapac.net/. I got kinda screwed when I ordered it from a place I thought was in canada but was in the states (ended up being $70 all in) but I think with the dollor the way it is now if you google around you should be able to do it for more like $60 (its $45 for the large on that my camera needed - less for most point and shoot cameras).

 

T shoot that video I just had the camera bag hanging from the strap around my neck so it was bouncing right at water level on my chest. I hit record made one cast and that little guy grabbed it. I tried a bit to keep him in front of my chest hoping the bouncing camera would catch some of it and was really surprised at how well it turned out (the you tube version is actually kinda lousy as the full resolution one looked even better).

Edited October 7, 2007 by TbayBoy

[PatrickGG]

Just got home i think i drank 5 or 6 pints of guinness the wifey is past out i think she celebrated more than i did.

[motv8tr]

Sounds like a great way to spend a birthday...and gentlemen I'm impressed you're still able to use the computer after a night on the town

 

happy Bday Patrick, glad it was a good day

 

Maureen

[b2kptbo]

Looks like fun, good stuff...

[Shelley Cooper]

Happy Birthday Patrick...

 

and an awesome way to celebrate it.....

 

Thanks for sharing...

[Roy]

Happy birthday to you, Patrick. Looks like you both had a great adventure out there. Thanks for sharing your day!

[mattyk]

nice report guys, thanks for sharing.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Great report! Those are some really nice river smallies.

[mikeh]

nice report, nice size smallies, thanks for sharing.

[Bitsmith2k]

nicely done guys!..

[fishindevil]

Great fishing trip & report !!!!!!! right on guys,thats some real nice looking bass you guys caught,very nice pics too...that part of the river looks like a great spot for big bass,as you guys found out....cheers

[LeXXington]

Excellent going Guys, Was thinking about you guys while I was on Simcoe,, rain and rivers can be scary

and Happy birthday Patrick

[Dano]

Sweet stuff Sean, the Grand old lady is indeed a special river. I lived on her for nearly 20 years logging countless hours fishing for smallies in a myriad of ways and always having a good time. The water levels in these parts of the Grand have been going down steadily since I came here and I dont even bother anymore, the fish are so stressed out from the heat, its a dam shame. I wonder if the widely adopted practice of tile draining farm fields around here has something to do with it, hell theres still places here where farmers let their cattle wander around in the river!

[PatrickGG]

Hey Dano your are certainly bang on about the water levels being low i think it has to do with all the water pumps being put up for all the new housing developments going up around the river all the way up from Waterloo and down to Cambridge i think within the next 5 years the river will change dramatically and i hope the bass will adapt and thrive if not it will be pitiful.

[snag]

Great report!

 

Happy b-day Patrick!