Long weekend wrap up

[tbayboy]

Evening everyone. Next week is the annual boys trip to the boonies of Thunder Bay (otherwise known as Lac des Milles Lac) so I didn't have too much time this weekend for fishing as I had to buy a whole wack of unneeded lures and baits and then find a way to pack it all in one suit case (clothes? feh, same shirt for 5 days will be fine if it means one more bag of plastics can fit).

 

<h2>Saturday</h2>

So anyhoo, Saturday i found myself done shopping at 1pm and conveniently had a rod and my waders in the car so off to the KW area I went to see if the Grand river still hated me. I didn't bother with the camera as the couple times I've tried the Grand this year have been pretty disappointing. My first stop was a fairly popular hole and another guy was already there but was very friendly and told me he didn't mind sharing the spot. He was tossing a tube jig with a little success so I tied one of the fancy new Coffee tubes I'd been hearing so much about and flipped it up against the structure and it didn't sink 2 inches before it went nuts. This was obviously better than my average from the Grand. She went on several runs while I just held the tip up and prayed she didn't jump too high and spit it. Luckily she didn't and I landed a nice 16 incher. Since I didn't bring the camera you'll just have to take my word for it when I say I looked just like this

 

<image src="http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/65/35/50/18855719.jpg">

 

But with a bass . Let that be a lesson - leave the camera at home and the fish will bite since they know you can't prove it. Actually just as I was about to let her go I remembered my phone, behold the best of 2005 camera phone technology!

 

<a href=" title="Grand River smallie by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/2726781040_f511c7dc6c.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="Grand River smallie" /></a>

 

I wasn't even sure it had caught the fish in its little camera so I put the phone away and spent another couple hours catching a few more smallies at this spot and another. Was a really fun couple of hours and when I got back into town there was a message from Mike saying we were on for Sunday. He suggested another day of wacky rigged bass hunting and I was happy to agree.

 

<h2>Sunday</h2>

<a href=" title="Scenery by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/2730549298_3d0eaa863d_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="Scenery" /></a>

 

8:30am and we were on the water in what was suppose to be a windy and very sunny day. We fired up the new spark plugs in Mikes skeeter and flew up to our first spot clocking 54.5MPH (couldn't quite get that last 1/2 MPH). While Mike was busy stowing gear I took the opportunity to land our first of the day:

 

<a href=" title="Bucket moth by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2729731129_9c37c5ef71_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Bucket moth" /></a>

 

He wasn't that big so I employed the classic pose trick

 

<a href=" title="Making it look big by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2729738899_620a01767e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Making it look big" /></a>

 

Oh yeah, much better . Soon a smallie joined the fun, you can see the winning colour of the day here - brown heavy sinking power bait worm:

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/2730582530/" title="The brown worm by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/2730582530_2bb6029416_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="The brown worm" /></a>

 

Mike still wasn't convinced that I had the magic colour and tried to prove it with his chartruese tipped number:

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/2730590598/" title="Chartruese tipped worm by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/2730590598_df0b311036_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Chartruese tipped worm" /></a>

 

You can really see how dead on the weather guys were with their clear sunny day forecast We moved on to the second spot we'd found last week and it produced again

 

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emosworld/2729766481/" title="Typical largie by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/2729766481_cf4bfecd9c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Typical largie" /></a>

 

Here's Mike with what I think was the best of the day (note how he had to borrow one of my worms )

 

<a href=" title="Little salad with the bass by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2729774113_bef7934a30_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Little salad with the bass" /></a>

 

Then IT happened. We decided to move on and explore some new water. When we got to our first stop Mike realized his lucky hat must have blown away. Then I pulled out a banana for a snack but I'm still saying it was the loss of the hat. I say that because from then on we didn't get anything over 12 inches and very few under. Here's hatless Mike with one of the last

 

<a href=" title="Last picture fish of the day by Sean Maurik, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2729782363_6dd6be7f8a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Last picture fish of the day" /></a>

 

Very slow end to what started as a great day but what can you do - we tried to find new water and didn't find any, it happens.

 

<h2>Monday</h2>

Today I had to pack all my gear but just in case I left one spinning reel out and a few tubes... just in case

 

Sure enough I was done by noon so I threw the waders back in the car and drove up the 401 back to the Grand. First stop was where I got the big guy on Saturday and sure enough a few casts in the same general area and it was game on. This one was bigger though and much as I hate to do it I'm gonna tell the story of the one that got away. Yep - just as I was realizing how big this fish must be he breached a full foot out of the water and while my heart lept as I saw the size of him the tube popped out and my heart fell to the bottom of my stocking footed waders. That was a nice fish and I apologize to the kids down the river who must have heard the liteny of curses that flew out of my mouth. Ahh well, didn't have my camera so you guys wouldn't have believed me anyhow . After venting for a bit I got back to business and soon had another nice fish on. I knew this one wasn't in the same league as the last but he gave a good account of himself anyhow. When I got him in I held up to my rod and he was exactly the lenght of my cork. I just measured that and its 13" so the big guy must have topped 18, if you believe anything I'm saying of course .

 

I headed off to the second spot but its really rocky and I kept snagging the tubes. I didn't have any snagproof hooks with me but I remembered Mike Pike's post and how spinners had worked for him so I put on a #2 long agilara (or however you spell it) and boy was that the ticket. No monsters but a couple hours of action kept me smiling.

 

So now I've got my bass fill and my jigs and worm harnesses are packed as I head up north for a much anticpated vacation. Have a good week everyone, I hope to have a good report when I get back (and I think I've convinved the guys to mix up the walleye's with ah hours or two a day of hunting the lakes smallies as well - hard to convince a NW ontario resident that there are other things worth fishing for sometimes hehe)

 

Sean

[lunkerbasshunter]

some great bass you got there! Thanks for posting!

 

Cheers!

[Leecher]

Great report and pics Good luck on your fishing trip up north!!

Thanks for sharing

Leechman

Edited August 5, 2008 by Leechman

[Victor]

Always love reading your reports TBayBoy. Thanks for sharing once again.

 

Good luck next week! I think the size of one boxer can most likely fit a bag of plastics, so... if you would like 5 more bags of plastics

[b2kptbo]

Good report and pic's, thanks...

Edited August 5, 2008 by b2kptbo

[mikeh]

great report Sean, Sunday was definately slower than the week before, this was my third time fishing Buckhorn so we spent half the day exploring new shorelines. We did find some areas with lily pads that did look good but since we we were using the worms we didn't stay in those areas. I think a whole day on the lily pads needs to be spent to see if there are any fish there.

Edited August 5, 2008 by mikeh

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Another great "wacky" report. Looks like brown was the ticket. Good luck on your fishing trip up north.

[Joey]

What a great report Sean, nice big pics too. I like the first pic the best

 

Joey

[ccmtcanada]

Awesome report Sean! Good luck back at home....I'm sure you'll have a great time. Report back up on your return!

[Mike Pike]

What a great post and some great pics, Sean. Even the one with the phone camera. What a way to start you long weekend, eh?

 

You got into quite few, so congratz. And ya, I do believe you about the one that got away! LOL You're really at their mercy when they start jumping and just gotta hope everything works out. When something like that happens to me, I just wanna stay on that spot and cast until that fish hits again if it takes the rest of my life! LOL But I know you'll have your chance at revenge soon enough. Just remember to bring the camera!

 

Lots of luck and good fishin' up in the north country!

 

Cheers

[solopaddler]

Great post Sean!

Have a great time up north next week!

[LeXXington]

Excellent report Sean. I almost believed you about the first fish picture, then I saw it was not a bass

 

Sounds like you have this Bass thing down pat

Edited August 6, 2008 by LeXXington

[Bitsmith2k]

nice job sean.. i'll be waiting for your guys weekend report..