Johnny Bss's camping trip.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Went camping for a week. Got to Sibbald at about noon, Saturday. Set up camp, ate and decided to go hit Simcoe for some smallies. Got on the lake about 2:30. It was choppy and really overcast. I caught a 1 and a 1/2 lber and a 1lber. Then a Jumbo perch(11 Inches) on a tube. Then it started to pour and lighting. I went right to shore for cover but it only lasted for a short time. Decided to leave and look for bigger fish. Too windy so couldn't stay on my pattern. Casted abit and got nothing. Went back to the first place and caught another 1 lber. The waves were getting worse. So decided to leave arond 4:30. On the way back, I was getting pounded and was soaked to the bone!! It was only 1 footers but I took one over the bow! Never happened before. Simcoe is strange. I could only imagine when its really wavy....I remembered the weather forecast calling for strong winds all week, so I decided to scratch Simcoe off my fishing list.........

 

Sunday went to Head Lake with cpguy29. He posted the report. On the way back I was dead tired.....And what happened? I backed into a tree at the camp site and broke my dol-fin and one of the brackets on the engine. I was so tired but then couldn't fall asleep. I kept thinking of the damage. I eventually fell asleep and I woke up to hundreds of birds chirping in the morning. I felt really at peace....Somehow the burden I was feeling had been totally lifted.

 

Monday went to Canal lake.Woke up had bacon and eggs,got to the lake around 9 or 10. The engine started no problems. Worked a few areas suggested by an OFC'er. Since I got there late wanted to go straight to the Musky spot. After seeing it was a little too shallow, I turned around and looked for deeper water he pointed out. I also didn't want to fish too much slop and waste the trolling motor because I didn't have anywhere to charge it. And I was supposed to go to Couch with an OFC'er the next day.

 

The locals told me also I was in the right area. Tried the jig and pig for an hour and nothing. I think I made a mistake buying the 1/4 inch J&P. Tried a musky spinner bait and nothing.

 

Decided to go to the main lake. Fished a few spots and did ok. Hooked a pike every 1/2 hour. Biggest being about 28 Inches. All on a 1.5 ounce spinner bait. White and chartreuse.

 

 

Also put my wet thick fishing sweater with a hood to dry on the back of the boat. Forgot about it and was booting around. Next thing you know I notice it gone. Looked for it and no luck. Nothing $40 can't replace.

 

Tried to pick weed pockets with the jig and pig and only got one bite and raised one largie out of it. It was about 1lb or so and only had it on for a second. Continued the pattern with no luck. Was thinking of going to the south end but decided to fish around the launch a bit more. Tried the deeper holes with no luck.And left around 6pm.

 

The lake has alot of weeds to hold fish. After fishing a few other lakes later on in the day? I realized I fished the lake all wrong.Will definitely go back. Plus I think the jig and pig I am using is too light......I wasted alot of hours with the J&P.

 

Called the OFC'er but he had to cancel due to work.Headed out Tuesday morning again with a late start, was a KM away from the Lake St.John launch. Saw Couch was calm so decided to give it a try. Fished Couch once before but I wanted to try different water.Marked off a few spots on the map. Made around 15 casts to each spot and left. Then I decided to go back to my old spots. First spot, nothing(but I recall it was an evening spot) Second spot, I spot a big bass(4+easily) roaming around. Casted to the general area but no takers. Saw a dogfish(bowfin). Casted to it, and he either hit it ort bumped the line. Set the hook and nothing on. Worked it for a little while more and nothing.

 

Decided to drive around. Found a drop off and decided to drop shot. Caught a rockbass and a brown bullhead right off the bat! I was excited to see the drop shot working. Went to look for bigger fish.Went to the limestones and drove around, cast around for about 5 minutes and decided to head for deep water and drop shot. 15-20 feet was Perch city. 20-30 FOW was Baby smallies city and 15 and under was rockbass city.

 

I caught many, many, many panfish. Was having alot of fun. Dont know where all the big fish were though. I figured if I got threw enough small ones the big ones would hit but I kept catching pukes after pukes after pukes. Most the size of my palm!! Should I have switched to a bigger bait??? Tried 30+ and got nothing, I think a fish may have hit one on the way down but I'm not sure.

 

I had a little visitor too: Wanted permission to board but I declined.lol

 

 

Also saw a huge snapping turtle.Anyways, called it a day early again.

 

Although didn't catch anything big? Learned alot from the experience and confidence in a new technique. Couch fish, beware for the next time. lol It was nice and calm and it would have been perfect to fish Simcoe. Alex said the big girls were everywhere.

 

Wednesday I headed to Lake st.John. Got there and it was raining. Started casting a fluke from shore and got bite off by a pike with 17 lb test! About 10:30 the skies cleared up. Headed out to my pickerel spot. No luck. I hit one fish in an hour and it got off. More than likely a smallie.

 

I wanted to target largies and pike this time. So went searching. It was REALLY windy and overcast! I finally found some cover. I was using the jig and pig all morning with no luck....Switched to an old favourite of mine and that was it for those fish. I was alternating between a small spinnerbait and a fluke.Was fishing a shoreline and this guy was reving up his boat right in front of me. I'm thinking he scared all the fish? Nope. Seconds later, I get a hit! Here's a decent Largie.

 

 

2nd cast? A nice pike!

 

 

And after that it was every 20 casts, fish on.

 

 

Caught about 15 fish mostly largies and some pike.Then it started to pour again and lighting so headed back in. Rained for another hour and then was back on the water. Tried to drop shot for pickerel and got nothing. Then it started to rain again. My rain coat button somehow ripped off. Need a new raincoat now! I said screw this. Left at around 6. On the way home it was the wierdest thing. HUGE THICK very defined clouds right over me and blue skies on both sides! It started to rain and HARD!I'm talking buckets! Next morning it took me 15 minutes of the pump constatnly going to remove most of it. I thought are camp site would be devistated by oddly enough? They didn't even get hit!

 

Thursday headed out with Patrick G from this board and hit a Muskoka lake. Started off the morning pretty good. Patrick with a dock fish.

 

 

Me with a jig and pig fish! Its small but its fun to catch them on the J&P.

 

 

Patrick Wacky rigging in thick cover pockets.

 

 

 

Got the worst backlash ever. I mean it took me an hour, and I had to cut all the line out with a knife. I finally got it out and respooled, and my baitcasting reel is fried. The eye does not move anymore......Broke the rod also.

 

We headed to another spot, where I hit about 12 fish in less than 1/2 hr. This being the biggest one. I'm not too happy in this pic because I tried to take the skirt out of the Pike's mouth and it took some chuncks out of my fingers! I wanted to eat him to teach it a lesson but let him go.

 

 

Also another first. Caught a pickerel on a fluke. We were talking about back trolling for pickerel and as I was using the trolling motor this little guy hit. One of 3 clones I caught.

 

 

Caught some good numbers but no size. Alot of one pound bass.For some reason it is August and the fish aren't in their regular summer pattern. Water temps are way down. Have some more pics of snot rockets and bass but decided not to post them.

 

Friday hit Gull lake with Jeff and he already posted a report.

 

Saturday was going to hit Simcoe for a few hours but the sprained ankle made me reconsider.

 

It was a great vacation. Water temps were way lower than last year. Didn't catch any monsters like last year, but I did concentrate on different water and different baits I am unfamiliar with like the jig and pig and drop shotting. I also did not fish the prime times like early morning or evening bite.

 

I think I learned alot this weekend. And it will only make me a better fisherman.

 

The gas was a killer this year, but I did notice I had way better gas mileage when my truck has a full load which is strange. I also noticed I get about 50K minimum more a tank when I am doing under a 100K.

 

I also noticed when I put gas in the boat gas tank. All the fumes that are rising. You can see the shadow on the floor.Some one should invent something that keeps all those fumes in the gas tank. Would more than likely give you better gas mileage.

 

Anyways.Hope you guys enjoyed the report.

[misfish]

Super report John.

TFS

 

Called the OFC'er but he had to cancel due to work

 

They do pay the bills.

[Leecher]

Great report and pics John

Weather wise was not the best but you made the best out of it and got results

 

WTG and thanks for sharing

Leechman

[Terry]

great report

[mattyk]

thanks for the great report JB!

[fishdawg]

Johhny, I admire the amount of water you cover - keep at 'er!

[Joey]

Great report JB. Some nice fish there. You did well considering the lousy weather we've been having.

 

Joey

[modny]

Patrick with a dock fish

 

 

uhhhhhh

[Kerry]

JB,

my wife and I visited Sibbald for a day trip not long ago.Beautiful park and quite the large launch area.Didn't realize how close to georgina island it was and have to try it for sure.How did you like the park for camping.My impression in going thru is it's full on weekends,what about during the week.

I'm no expert on cooch but there are pike and bass all thru the weedbeds and edges out from cooch park here in Orillia and also the weedbeds south of Chief's island.Drive out from the park till you get to 13-14 ft drop and work your way back in.After Sept it gets better as smallies start moving in from simcoe around the islands by the narrows.

St John pike gotta have the sharpest teeth or they're gluttons and take the whole thing in.Best defense is a short 6" wire leader they aren't line shy and neither are the largemouth or walleye if they're relating to weeds.

Reading your reports' sure helps when you can't get away,keep up the good work.

Kerry

[PatrickGG]

Was a good time fishing, the mosquitoes are brutal up there.

Edited August 10, 2008 by PatrickG

[tbayboy]

Wow, any fishing spots in southern Ontario you didn't hit? Looks like a great vacation to me.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

JB,

my wife and I visited Sibbald for a day trip not long ago.Beautiful park and quite the large launch area.Didn't realize how close to georgina island it was and have to try it for sure.How did you like the park for camping.My impression in going thru is it's full on weekends,what about during the week.

I'm no expert on cooch but there are pike and bass all thru the weedbeds and edges out from cooch park here in Orillia and also the weedbeds south of Chief's island.Drive out from the park till you get to 13-14 ft drop and work your way back in.After Sept it gets better as smallies start moving in from simcoe around the islands by the narrows.

St John pike gotta have the sharpest teeth or they're gluttons and take the whole thing in.Best defense is a short 6" wire leader they aren't line shy and neither are the largemouth or walleye if they're relating to weeds.

Reading your reports' sure helps when you can't get away,keep up the good work.

Kerry

 

 

Thanks guys.

 

Kerry, I think Sibbald is a great park. You can say the same for most provincial parks in Ontario. Over priced but great.The best thing about Sibbald is that it is really close.

 

I wanted to try Balsam or Six mile, but my family likes Sibbald because it is close and they know their way around and we always get the same site. Lots of activities too. The lake is a little too rough for my liking but the small mouth fishing can be phenomenal.

 

Its not that packed during the week. People were coming and going and there were many open sites.

 

I tried the weed bed and couldn't keep the rock bass off.lol Probably because I was drop shoting the whole time.

 

I don't like to use leaders for finesse fishing. Ruins the action of the bait.

 

But thanks for the tips.

[Greencoachdog]

Real nice report and pics!!!

 

Some nice fat Largies!!!

[TJQ]

Great report!! I think Ill go camping!!

[corvette1]

jb looks like you had a great time

[Reef Runner]

Awsome report JohnnyB! You certainly covered alot during your week, wow.

 

I second in giving Canal another try

[ccmtcanada]

Got the worst backlash ever. I mean it took me an hour, and I had to cut all the line out with a knife. I finally got it out and respooled, and my baitcasting reel is fried. The eye does not move anymore......Broke the rod also.

 

.....it took some chuncks out of my fingers! I wanted to eat him to teach it a lesson but let him go.

 

Wow...those two things right there would have sent many anglers home!!!

 

Sounded like you had a great vacation there. Lots of fishing, hook ups, and some real nice looking fish too.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post all that......I know how time consuming it is to write a detailed report like you just did!

[fishindevil]

So hey johnny what did you do with all your spare time ???..LOL..LOL.. great report bud,man despite all the problems you guys did well,and caught some real decent fish !!! thanks for sharing your holidays with us....cheers

[Kerry]

Thanks guys.

 

Kerry, I think Sibbald is a great park. You can say the same for most provincial parks in Ontario. Over priced but great.The best thing about Sibbald is that it is really close.

 

I wanted to try Balsam or Six mile, but my family likes Sibbald because it is close and they know their way around and we always get the same site. Lots of activities too. The lake is a little too rough for my liking but the small mouth fishing can be phenomenal.

 

Its not that packed during the week. People were coming and going and there were many open sites.

 

I tried the weed bed and couldn't keep the rock bass off.lol Probably because I was drop shoting the whole time.

 

I don't like to use leaders for finesse fishing. Ruins the action of the bait.

 

But thanks for the tips.

 

Right on.BTW you can pick up a 4 pack of stainless steel dental picks at Princess Auto for about 4 bucks.Comes in reel handy on those windy days with a baitcaster.

[limeyangler]

Hey JB...great report...thanks for sharing. you got some decent fish there despite some bad luck and weather. Once again....thanks for sharing, the report was a great read with my morning coffee, i winced at the part about hitting the tree....OUCH! i hate damaging my stuff too, had many sleepless nights myself thinking about the dents and bumps i have caused...lol.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Great report JB....looks like you guys had a lot of fun....It's amazing what hundreds of birds chirping in the morning can do to a guy

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Right on.BTW you can pick up a 4 pack of stainless steel dental picks at Princess Auto for about 4 bucks.Comes in reel handy on those windy days with a baitcaster.

 

 

Thanks guys. Kerry. I have the steel pic, but when I tell you this was the mother of all birds nest, it was. The eye malfunctioned and all the line reeled on one side. Then it got all tangled. I cut like 20 loops and had line out everywhere, but none of them would budge.... I then had to get a knife and cut right across, even then, I had to search for one strand at a time....Took me a very, very long time.....

 

Anyways, glad you guys enjoyed the report.

Edited August 14, 2008 by Johnny Bass