They're Back

[JohnF]

Mebbe we were just looking in all the wrong places but last night we finally found bass in numbers on our stretch of the Thames. We actually tried a new spot, one that required a fence climb and a bit of a walk thru pointy nettles.

 

This is a shallow spot, foot to eighteen inches, so we just stood at the shoreline and fanned the first pool. First cast Rob brought in a typical Thames bass (i.e. a dink) but it gave us some encouragement after so many skunkings. Couple of casts later he gets a better one, a two plus pounder, actually pretty good for this stretch of water. I immediately did some deductive reasoning leading to switching from the pink wacky worm to a Rapala floater, but then changing my mind to an inline spinner (actually a Dollarama minnow) and nailed a couple of one pounders right away. Rob, btw, was using a grey Rapala floater.

 

We figured we'd pretty well used that pool up so we started working our way downstream to a deeper one he remembered. We continued to pick up one pounders along the way but strangely, no rock bass.

 

After about 90 minutes we finally hit the deep pool (3') and got up on shore to avoid spooking the pool. Water conditions weren't great but there was some visibility. It apeared that all the silt we'd raised on the walk down was just now easing it's way thru our pool and was settling in the slower water. We split up and right away Rob has something splashing on his Rapala. A small pike 20", the first we've seen up there in three years, although I've been told there are lots of them around. He broke it's neck and left it in a cold stream for later pick up.

 

I switched up then to a wacky worm under a float just for fun but got nary a tap so I switched again to a Rapala floater, a yellow one, and immediately started having fun with a sequence of 1 - 2 pounders but then the action stopped. We figured we'd overstayed our welcome there and I started working my way back upstream to where we'd left the car while Rob lingered at a smaller pool. In one fairly straight 18" deep stretch I just let the rapala play out behind me as I plodded along in the water, kinda like trolling really slow. I didn't even watch to see what it was doing. I scored 3 nice smallmouths and our only rock bass in about 150' of that trolling. So much for presentation. And so with the sunset ended a great evening on the Thames.

 

I tried to take pictures but didn't notice till later that the little lens protector gizmo wasn't retracting properly. I thought the screen was just dark because the camera was cheap (actually free with an HP printer) and there was too much light from the lowering sun. I was wrong and again have no pics, just the memories.

 

It was a great 3 hours. I didn't even keep count but we estimated about a dozen fish each with a couple more that didn't wait around for us to remove the hooks, just spit them at our feet and departed. Lots of jumping and splashing, especially from the little pike. Oh, and Rob had another pike bite off a Rapala. We hoped we'd get him again to remove the lure but he must have been thoroughly spooked.

 

One other potentially nasty incident. Rob usually wet wades and was last night. He'd told me before that for some reason pike always try to run between his feet and this one was no exception. Just as he bent to grip the little guy, he took off, straight at Rob, jabbing a treble in Rob's bare ankle. So there was Rob, bent over holding the pike down at his ankle, admittedly squeezing him pretty hard so he wouldn't shake, waiting for me to come over to perform surgery. I hate blood, especially other folks', so I wasn't looking forward to this, and I realized I didn't have my side cutters with me. But it all worked out fine. As soon as I touched the hook it just fell out. Lucky Rob.

 

It was a good night. The Thames Skunk is definitely gone, both for size and for numbers. Sorry again about he lack of pics.

 

JF

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Sounds like a great day of fishing to me and close to home. Glad to hear that it was a close call. It really sucks when you have hooks stuck in you.

 

Doesn't sound like you caught any monsters so we forgive you. But don't make it a habit.lol

[Wild]

Great to see your having fun on the river John and you can always hunt down that rapalastealer next week.

[JohnF]

Great to see your having fun on the river John and you can always hunt down that rapalastealer next week.

 

Rob loses a lot of rapalas downriver (below the dam) to pike. That's his second rapala biteoff this year and we've only been out half a dozen times or so. He insists that he can only fish with 4# test and no leader. I've offered him some Seaguar but he isn't interested. I feel bad for those little pike running around with a faceful of hooks.

 

JF

[JohnF]

Sounds like a great day of fishing to me and close to home. Glad to hear that it was a close call. It really sucks when you have hooks stuck in you.

 

Doesn't sound like you caught any monsters so we forgive you. But don't make it a habit.lol

 

There aren't many monsters in these waters, except the carp. The smb I caught a few weeks ago was exceptional for us, but apparently fairly typical for the Kawarthas, Simcoe etc. Even Rob's 2 pounder last night was notable for us. But they're a lot of fun.

 

Speaking of fun, I've been using braid this year and I've gotta say the little fish aren't as exciting on it as they are on 4# and 6# mono, but they're still nice.

 

JF