Hugantic Kawartha 4 Day Report!

[Rich]

Sleded and I annually hit a kawartha lake (a different one every time usually) and as musky opener neared we knew it was time to pack up and go. Thursday night Sleded couldn't make it, so we headed out at 3:30 AM Friday morning with high hopes in mind. Of course before leaving, we had to stock the cooler with our weekend's groceries.

 

 

As we headed up we made a few pit stops for ice and drinks. But as we noticed the signs for the .... KAWARTHA DAIRY!! We knew we were getting close.

 

 

As we headed up we stopped at a few spots to give a try just bouncing grubs around. This one was the most interesting I found which I was sure would hold a few walleye. Guess I was wrong. Funny thing, when we came back, this pond had completely dried up. Weird.

 

 

Finally, we reached our destination. We decided to hold off on setting up the tent because we were itching to fish. So we just dropped the boat in and were on the water by about 10am, attempting to jig up some walleye. Wouldn't you know it, the first fish Sleded hooks (besides perch) was Mr. Musky. Just one day early.

 

 

Eventually the walleye did co-operate however, clones of this size were the norm. 2 - 3 inch grubs on emergent weedlines were the ticket, in about 8 feet of water. If the jig had some sort of orange on it, they'd eat it up. Otherwise, you were perch (or OOS bass) fishing.

 

 

We couldn't get into so many perch (some good ones actually) and walleye without taking a few home. Sleded was happy the fillet knife got some action.

 

 

We had to run back to town to get gas, so we hit up a local shop that served .... KAWARTHA DAIRY!!!! for ICE CREAM!!

 

 

We fished the local dam but caught nothing but OOS smallmouth bass and WGSF.

 

We set up the tent and realized that setting it up late was a bad idea, as our camp area was infested with so many mosquitoes you couldn't breathe without sucking a few in. And that's NOT an understatement!

 

After killing off the mosquitoes that entered the tent in the split second we opened the door, we hit the hay with high hopes of an early start for musky opener. Well turns out we enjoyed too much of our groceries and ended up sleeping in until 8am. We figured since we waited this long, we might as well pause and have some breakfast. Of course, we started the day off right with a carton of ... KAWARTHA DAIRY!!! Chocolate Milk

 

 

Saturday felt as if it were about 40 degrees out there, especially with our late start to musky fishing. We tossed the big baits for a few hours, but eventually we just had to take a break and pound some panfish.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, this wasn't all bad, as Sleded was rewarded with a shallow water walleye that sucked in a panfish grub.

 

 

Then it was lunch time. Half pound burgers and Ultimate chicken weiners!!!! Oh, and don't you dare forget the ONNNNIIIOOOOONNNNSSSS!!!

 

 

A quick run for some KAWARTHA DAIRY ice cream perhaps?

 

 

 

You're probably asking yourself right now, does this report contain any musky whatsoever? Did these guys even TRY?!

 

Well try we did. We put in quite a few hours. Finally Sleded followed my tip and switched up to a smaller bucktail (Mepps musky killer) and was rewarded with the first and only musky of musky opening day. A scrappy little guy perhaps, but at least it was a musky.

 

 

So Sunday rolls around. We slept in again. LOL This time it wasn't self-inflicted. A stinkin' mass of raccoons kept us up the night before by constantly getting into everything we couldn't fit into the truck. We eventually just gave up as there was no way to stop them. The truck cab's only got so much room! Luckily, they didn't get into anything too important. We just had a mess to clean up in the morning. After cleaning up the mess, we cooked up more chicken weiners and went for a swim. We were too lazy to actually swim of course, so we just used life jackets and cooled off. Did I mention we LITERALLY ate chicken weiners and went swimming? As in, both at once? Damn that's multi-tasking!

 

 

 

Some boats thought that Sleded's abnormally large size mixed with the bright colors of a life vest meant that he was a navigation buoy!

 

 

Eventually, we got on the water and began casting at those muskies. It was only when the rain came however that our confidence really picked up. I switched up to a 6 inch Awaker (topwater) in hopes of my first topwater musky. Well, soon after talking about it (and pleading with the musky gods for some help) came the greatest experience ever! A musky sure enough, 10 feet from the boat exploded from the depths and divebombed downward on top of my Awaker! FINALLY, I had caught a musky. Not only that, a TOPWATER musky. I thought musky fishing was exciting before.. holy cow, I don't know if I'll ever touch another spinnerbait or bucktail again! This fish looked like it had just been in a fight or just got done spawning. Maybe just a roughrider which would explain how active he was.

 

 

To add on to the excitement, minutes later on the same drift ANOTHER musky smashed the Awaker from the side, this one was BIG (for me) but had bad aim. He caught the back hook and shook it in about one second. Either way, it was nice to have some battle scars on the Awaker (which before this had only ever caught bass).

 

 

After a night like that we had to go back and feast (and allow the mosquitoes to feast on us). We had an excellent meal of 1lb pork chops and ONNNIOONNSS!

 

 

 

 

And of course, once in the tent, the mosquito capades began once again.

 

 

We made it through the night raccoon free and wouldn't ya know it? On our very last day we managed to get up early - to find an east wind, a strong one at that. First things looked great as we woke up to this sunrise shot:

 

 

But things didn't last. We found shelter but the only thing to speak of was a little walleye who thought he was a musky.

 

 

After a few hours on the main lake we headed back for breakfast. I found the last pop we had and enjoyed it with breakfast sausages and eggs on the Filth-BQ.

 

 

We headed up a river for the remaining couple of hours. Sleded tossed the Ottonabee Wannabe spinnerbait that caught us so many muskies in the past and I cycled through baits trying to find something that would work. First thing I tried was my 10" Suick Thriller and after I got the hang of it and thought it looked awesome, I began to lose hope. I was just quoting Crazyhook's "Suick = Firewood IMO" when I had a little ski smash it at boatside. I had him hooked for a few seconds but he managed to shake all three hooks. Oh well, a learning experience and a confidence builder in a bait I would normally not use very much.

 

Soon after, Sleded raised a BIG girl - high 40" range at least - at boatside. She came up from the depths and turned at the last minute. We both had our hearts jump and pounded the spot for nearly an hour before deciding that she wasn't coming back.

 

In a last vain attempt before taking off back south, I tossed a bass sized spinnerbait just to see if they wanted smaller baits. Well - what report is complete without the World's Greatest Sportfish? It was the first thing to hit.

 

 

That was it. 2 muskies in season, a heck of a lot of OOS bass while jigging and a few pickerel/panfish. But ya know what? It was a great experience. #1 - because of the KAWARTHA DAIRY. #2 - because of the food and #3 because I caught my first topwater musky and actually built some confidence in musky baits I wouldn't normally throw. All good stuff.

 

On the way home, we hit up a little joint called Texas Burger. Another annual thing. Dang they make a great burger!

 

 

Some areas must have got pounded with rain today. One town we hit was pretty flooded.

 

 

We hit a bit of rain on the way home, at times heavy, but nothing that bad.

 

Thanks Sleded for the great trip that lived beyond expectations, can't wait to get back up there for more muskies this season!

[bucktail]

As Chuck Swirsky says............................. ONIONS BABY ONIONS!!!!!!!!!

Looks like a great time.....wish I was there!

[Clampet]

Good report.

Some funny poses too!

[huntervasili]

Nice report and fish Rich and Sleded! Glad to see you got some of everything you were targeting

[Smokey]

Great report Rich. A few fish and good times as always.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[mattyk]

great report rich!

[mikeh]

congrats on all those fish. you guys sure did eat well.

[tbayboy]

I have this nagging urge to find me some KAWARTHA DAIRY!!! Great stuff guys

[douG]

Yup, Rich has it right. The food is the only reliable part of the trip, you might as well get that part just right.

 

Great photos and dialogue as always.

[SlowPoke]

Great report Rich. I felt like I was right there with you, Sleded and the raccoons!

-Brian

[The Urban Fisherman]

memories that'll last a lifetime dude....great report!

[muskymike]

Looks like a blast Rich. Well done.

[Burtess]

LOL..... you guys are mad

 

Burt

[Crazyhook]

dude great report! got to love the KD!

[Joey]

You two sure are quite the characters. As always, a colourful report, complete with pics.

 

Way to go

 

Joey

[Hooked]

Ahhh, that was a splendid report! Were you guys fishing Rice Lake, cuz that looks like you were fishing by Grape Island at one point? And I must say, that pic of you Rich with the Onions is classic! You guys are the ONION KINGS! That has a nice ring if I do say so myself. Nice job boys!

[jwl]

sounds like you guys sure know how to make the best of the mission for sure....now it's hot I want some ice cream , they sell the K Dairy icecream at the avondale just down the road from me..but it's too late it's closed now...thanks guys .

 

 

all you guys gettin all the skis are kinda giving me the big bug bad...haven't been able to go since they opened..dam work,closest I got was sorting out some of my musky lures.

 

Pretty amusing read and pics to go with them too.....oh I get it...if ya live off chicken weiners...more money for beer right

Edited June 10, 2008 by jwl

[wolfville]

Wow, sounds like a great trip... not sure what else to say... you guys ROCK!

[Big Cliff]

Wonderful report and pics, it's really nice to see a couple of young fellows getting out and having a weekend fishing trip like that.

[Victor]

Amazing report! A couple days of hardcore fishing and camping is the best! Congrats on a successful multi-specie trip.

 

Next time i get up there I'm gonna get myself some of that KD so i won't get skunked

[b2kptbo]

Another great report boys, glad it's was all good..

[jediangler]

Excellent report and pics guys. Looks like a great time.

[corvette1]

great report rich looks like a great time

[Reef Runner]

Looks like those hours paid off in musky. Congrats, I've yet to get one on topwater, that must've been quite the experience. Onions

[snag]

I think I'm gonna have a vicarious heart attack!

 

Great report Musky Rich!