Family Cottage Trip (and another phenominal back lake fished)

[solopaddler]

It's been a hectic time for my little clan with our move to a new house a couple weeks back.

The new place is still a disaster, but we took off last Wed for the cabin for a few days of r & r and a bit of fishin'.

From North Bay onwards, my daughter Riley who's 4 asked me "daddy are we close to the big fish yet?" about 100 times.

There's a giant lake trout in Larder Lake 15 mins from my landing and she always has a coniption when we pass it.

This time we stopped and took a picture:

It's always a long day when we arrive with unpacking and such, so Wed was mostly just a time to relax on the deck once we were settled in.

Thursday Riley and I went out in the morning for a bit while Joanne stayed back at camp with our little one Brendan.

Here we are heading over to the pump dock to meet them. Riley was practically hopping up and down with excitement as she actually caught a small walleye all by herself:

I managed a bunch of decent fish on Thursday, with the best action occuring from 7-9pm.

All the fish were partial to a lindy rig, fluoro leader, single hook and an air injected nightcrawler.

Here's one of my Thursday fish:

Friday morning my wife says "go out and catch us some fish for lunch!"

The kids were watching spongebob on the tube, Jo was into her book, it was daddy time LOL!

Fortunately the fish were really on. I kept the first couple then proceeded to throw back a dozen more before I beelined it to my fish cleaning rock:

A quick trip back to camp and the fish were in the pan:

It was a fabulously sunny, warm afternoon, so after lunch we packed up the boat and headed to the beach in the N/E corner of the lake:

My son Brendan who's 21 months seems to have a phobia with sand. If we set him down on the ground you'd swear he was in mortal agony he screamed so loud.

Here he is in the safety of my chair screaming at all the hellish sand around him

It's really pretty funny 'cause if you put him on a nice flat sloping granite rock he'll run right into the water up to his chin.

Anyhow, we stuck it out for a couple of hours for Riley's benefit then hopped in the boat to catch some walleye. My mother in law had placed an order for some fillets so we headed straight for the shoal in front of the cabin to fill it.

I dropped a bottom bouncer and spinner rig tipped with a worm down, 6 passes across the shoal, 6 keeper walleye. Gotta love it! .

Once again we headed to a nearby island to slice and dice and take the obligatory stringer shot:

Back at the camp I lounged on the deck and bbq'd up our dinner:

While I watched Jo and the kids check out the minnows at the point:

Dinnertime the kids were in a good mood :

Brendan will usually throw rocks in the water for 1/2 an hour after dinner, he LOVES it.

I think he's going to be either a quarterback or a pitcher .

Here he his in his wind up:

He's trying to say "the buckets empty daddy!" I said "sorry buddy time for bed.."

A second later he started screeching .

The weather forecast sounded terrible for Saturday with rain, wind and possible thunderstorms, so Joanne suggested I call my buddy Perry at the marina and see if he maybe wanted to fish with me.

(yes, I married the right woman )

A quick call to Perry and plans were set to fish a nearby back lake on Saturday.

Here we are with my squareback and gear loaded in his truck ready to go:

So anyway, we reach the end of the portage trail and throw the boat in the water. I start organizing the gear and setting up the fishfinder while Perry waits in the bow with his line dangling over the side.

Suddenly he starts yelling in French (he does that when he gets excited).

You know it's a good lake when a walleye hammers a bare (no worm) spinner rig dangling in 3 feet of water!

We proceeded to lay a severe beating on the fish LOL! Jigs, cranks, spinner rigs whatever, they ate it!

Without getting into numbers I'll just say we caught a lot and let the pictures do the talking. Most pic's are of Perry as he hates taking pictures almost as much as my son hates sand .

 

Around 2pm it started to pour rain and we heard thunder grumbling off in the distance. We both decided that maybe we should start heading back....

I didn't want to quit yet and zipped over to a nearby point we hadn't fished, dropped down a spinner rig with my baitcaster and BAM fish on! It was MASSIVE, Biggest of the day by far and definitely not a walleye, it was a huge gator.

One powerful run and the unthinkable happened:

 

(Actually Perry sat on my rod, but I like my version better )

 

We did beat it out of there though, and just in time as the heavy rains quickly turned monsoon like.

Made it back to camp a bit soggy but very happy, had a nice hot shower, poured a drink (thanks dOUG BTW ) and relaxed with the brood.

Later that evening after dinner the skies actually cleared a bit and we went out for one last troll before heading home on Sunday:

Didn't catch anything, but no one cared...

 

Another good one for the books!

 

Cheers, Mike

[Mike the Pike]

What an entertaining report Mike love the shot of your little guy wigging out over the sand.The rock throwing priceless .

 

Yes you did marry the right woman!

 

I have a Quebec fishing licence if you ever need a partner.Can I rent a cottage in your area.

 

Is this Near Northbay .My mom lives there and I go up that way a few times per year.

 

MTP

[JohnF]

Jeez, you and Drew. I don't need to bother going out fishing. Reading the reports the two of you put up is as close to really fishing as damn is to swearing, and you actually catch the durned things.

 

JF

[bpsbassman]

Great report Mike.

By the way, welcome to Grimsby. We'll have to get together for a coffee sometime.

[johnnyb]

nice report as always -- what an awesome little back lake!!!!

[modny]

gorgeous color on those walleyes.

 

 

did u have a kicker on that canoe?

[tbayboy]

Great read Mike. Sounds like a great trip - have sure have a knack for getting the sense of a fun you had into your reports.

[holdfast]

Excellent report, awesome report. I like a guy that is willing to try different lakes, especially off the beaten path

[solopaddler]

Thanks boys!

 

I have no idea how to include multiple quotes in a reply (if someone can explain it to me in childlike terms that'd be great )

 

So..

 

MTP, check your pm's

 

BPSBassman, thanks and coffee sounds great.

 

Micropterus, yes I'm getting old there's a 2hp Honda on the back of the boat .

[steve_paul]

Mike, use the "MultiQ+" button to quote multiple people then hit Add Reply.

 

Amazing report, great times with the family. You have a beautiful spot there.

 

Thanks for the report.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

what a nice report....looks like a great spot you've got there

[b2kptbo]

Must a been starting to get boring catch all them pickeral, bet ya couldn't wait to get back and start working on the house, great report, thanks...

[solopaddler]

Mike, use the "MultiQ+" button to quote multiple people then hit Add Reply.

 

Amazing report, great times with the family. You have a beautiful spot there.

 

Thanks for the report.

 

Strangely I never noticed that button before LOL! Thanks!

[Victor]

love the shots of the little ones!!! Excellent report as always solo!

[TennesseeGuy]

Life's great when you handle it right.

[solopaddler]

Must a been starting to get boring catch all them pickeral, bet ya couldn't wait to get back and start working on the house, great report, thanks...

 

Uh...yeah you're exactly right.....NOT!

[Basskicker]

Awesome report Mike...like always.

 

Jason

[ccmtcanada]

Another great report Mike! Your kids are the cutest too.

 

I kept looking at the canoe....and my soon-to-be seat up front....LOL.

 

Nice fish, and overall a GREAT family weekend!

[solopaddler]

I kept looking at the canoe....and my soon-to-be seat up front....LOL.

 

You know, it doesn't matter how old I get, how many times I've done it before, I still get stoked on the eve of a trip.

The anticipation is killing me!

It helps when you arrive home from work (6:30 this morning) and there's a package from Cabelas stuffed with cool looking new lures waiting for you .

Next week can't come fast enough bud!

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Double post

Edited July 15, 2008 by TroutnMuskieHunter

[RangerGuy]

Great Report man!..

[Lefty]

Great report! Thanks for taking the time to share it. Make the first coffee at work taste just a bit better.

 

L.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Great Report. Looks like the entire family had fun and the fishing was great to boot. Thanks for sharing.

[FinS]

congrats

[Moosebunk]

The beginning confused me Mike.

 

Just how many cottages do you have?

 

Anyway dood, another splendid time away for ya, and with the family too.

 

Great report.