Weekend Report

[tbayboy]

What a beautiful weekend especially after last weekends miserable "holiday". No way there wasn't going to be some fishing for me. It started off with a casual trip out with PatrickG for some harbour pike. Started late (had to finally clean the gutters and get the racoon 'stuff' off my roof). As we headed out we saw lots of these guys flirting around:

 

<a href=" title="Goldfinch by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2519869938_b99fe1e628_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Goldfinch" /></a>

 

A nice way to break in my new camera (old one in for repairs and I just needed an excuse to upgrade). Eventually we got around to fishing. Action was pretty slow until Patrick figured out the winning lure of the day - long bladed mepps #5 (aglieara or whatever they're called) and landed this guy - we used the lip grips as she'd taken the trebles kinda wonky

 

<a href=" title="Spit Pike by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2519049683_a2fec70688_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Spit Pike" /></a>

 

A bit later his twin came to say hello

 

<a href=" title="Come here! by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2519051701_36d134c6a1_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Come here!" /></a>

 

<a href=" title="Spit Pike by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/2519052625_159a202d65_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Spit Pike" /></a>

 

We kept working at it but even the resident experts told us the day bite had been really tough lately so we listened to our stomachs and headed out - mmmm streat meat saugage!

 

Sunday started nice and early - Mike and I had setup a day of whitefishing and wanted to get on the water early. 7:30 had up pulling away from the dock at Sibbald and heading out to the secret white fish spot.

 

<a href=" title="Morning on the lake by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/2523149284_79f700d15e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Morning on the lake" /></a>

 

 

<a href=" title="White Fish Hunting ground by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2417/2522326017_3a41913963_b.jpg" width="1024" height="241" alt="White Fish Hunting ground" /></a>

 

Oh you mean its not a secret?

 

Unfortunately the fishfinder had some hiccups so we basically moved amongst the crowd looking for others catching but no one seemed to be really slaying them. I put on a gold and silver hammered williams and that seemed to be the magic bait for the day. The only problem is that it almost always snagged the buggers. I was just slowly lifting up and down (as opppose to many who were rip snapping them) but it didn't help. Not sure what the trick is with that lure to get them to suck the damn hook - I brought up a couple hooked on the bottom, a couple on the bottom fins and a couple on the front fins. Eventually one came in that had a hook in the right spot - not his lucky day but I'm going to get a dinner - notice the death grip - no way I'm dropping this after all the snags.

 

<a href=" title="Dinner! by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2523150178_f9df95a2ef_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Dinner!" /></a>

 

Notice those little black blotches in the picture. Yeah - guess what happens on simcoe when there's no wind

 

<a href=" title="I'm not sitting there by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2213/2522328763_e9694c4377_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="I'm not sitting there" /></a>

 

I'm still tasting bugs

 

Around noon we made a fateful decision to go on a run for Simcoes other famous fish:

 

<a href=" title="Simcoe Perch by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2522332213_7d85d0e7d4_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Simcoe Perch" /></a>

 

Unfortunately we couldn't even find many of these guys. We drove all over (gas is to expensive to run all over simcoe for perch - mental note) but then finally gave up and went back to the whitefish grounds where I quickly snagged 2 more (I was sure one was a regular catch but no - there's the hook in his poop shoot! stupid fish). And that was it for the day. If anyone has any tips for using a williams without snagging the fish I'd love to hear them.

 

Ahh well - Not the banner day we were hopping for but hey - the weather was nice right?

 

Have a great week every one,

Sean

[fishindevil]

Nice report and some nice catches as well,great pics too, and yes i was fishing with lots of bugs to keep me company as well !!!!cheers

[fatherof3]

great report Tbay,congrats on the fish

[glen]

That rebar looks deadly. As for the williams maybe take the hooks off.

 

Someone was saying to work the williams right on bottom without the hard jigging action. Like you do for a meegs.

 

Thanks for the report.

[Mike the Pike]

Ya Glen really looks like a dangerous place to fish with all that rebar.

 

Not a safe place to bring a kid.

 

Great report Man was that your winter secret spot for whities?

 

When is your spring fishin report.You know the one where you got the pickup stuck?????????

 

[ehg]

Nice job on the pictures!

Looks like even the Simcoe trip was an urban adventure.

 

One bad stumble where those pike were caught, could leave you impaled on rusty steel.

That rebar looks deadly.

 

Those Simcoe whiteys must be thick in there or they flock to the lure, resulting in the

unintentional/intentional snagging.

 

Looks like an interesting beauty weekend.

 

cheers,

ehg

[ccmtcanada]

As you said in one of my previous posts....

 

We have some lovely parting gifts for you.....LOL.

 

At least you guys got out and caught something....I got to drive 6 hours to Michigan...spend one night and then drive 6 hours back!

[tbayboy]

That pike spot definitely isn't for kids, you have to be careful but the spots we fish from are fairly rebar clear (more likely to fall in the water then into rebar).

 

Someone was saying to work the williams right on bottom without the hard jigging action. Like you do for a meegs.

Thanks Glenn, thats pretty much what I was doing - i'd drag it around the bottom a bit to stir things up then hang it an inch off the bottom with little shakes and the odd lift. When I felt a bump I'd lift and voila - snagged fish. My guess is that they were bumping the spoon with their bodies vs sucking it in so when I lifted I grabbed them by whatever part had bumped the lure. Too bad my fishtv doesn't go that deep or we could have just watched it happen.

 

When is your spring fishin report.You know the one where you got the pickup stuck?????????

Just to be clear its wasn't me driving when it got stuck - My buddies never gonna live that down but this year the trip isn't til August

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

That camera takes nice pics....good report too!

[jdmls]

awesome report....ahve to get down to the harbour one of these days....as always , excellent photos

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Excellant report, with high quality pictures. There must have been thousands of whitefish down there and when they were bumping your line you were setting the hook and snagging them. You'll enjoy the whitefish. Lots of meat.

[snag]

A great read with great pics Tbay.

 

The re-bar at T.T is really a classic urban spot.

 

Make sure your tetanus shots are up to date!

[BFSC Kevin]

beauty pics.

thanks for the report

[Greencoachdog]

Great report and really nice pics too!!!

 

I hate it when the fish start arsin' around with the lures or hooks!!!

 

[PatrickGG]

The Re-bar ain't that bad i actually walk through the water in the hotter months of the summer, I work around that re-bar and concrete all day and had alot of close calls.

Nice looking white fish Sean almost as big as the one that was caught through the ice.

Edited May 27, 2008 by PatrickG

[mikeh]

nice report Sean. I think I ate a few of those bugs myself.

[MJL]

Great report and pics. Thanks for sharing

 

What kind of bugs are they?