A much anticipated long weekend

[splashhopper]

Well, I was looking forward to weekend of solo fishing for a few weeks now. Got the van packed and canoe on the roof and hit the road by 1pm on Friday.

 

Stopped in at a small town on the way to grab enough food for my little cooler for the next 48 hours and then headed to one of my favorite little lakes to fish on.

 

On the road in, I came across these guys:

 

Man there are days when a return to that style of living would be a treat for me... and you shall soon see why.

 

Fishing was a little slow until I got to the south shore( should have guessed sooner as the wind was blowing from the north )

 

Then I got in to some of these ( 6 in total):

 

I stayed at the southeast end of the lake until it was almost dark. I had the place all to myself except for one other friendly couple that came in for a sunset paddle around the lake.

 

This was the view we enjoyed trolling back in:

 

Packed up the canoe and headed a little further north and east. I was using my Blackberry to follow the Weather Channel to get the best chance at staying away from the rains.

 

Ahhhh, the beauty of solo van camping/fishing... let the winds guide me.

 

I tend to sleep in grocery store parking lots near 24hr Timmies when van camping. That Friday night I didn't do my best at picking a level parking spot. It was quiet, but man, I was sliding to the front of the van all night in my sleeping bag!

Oh well, I would be up and at it early anyways and could have a nap later if I so chose.

 

Saturday morning came earlier than expected as a truck with his JAKE BRAKE woke me before my usual 5 am wake up. Oh well, Timmies was open and I needed a bathroom break..lol

 

Got some java and a bagel and headed 15 km north to a river loaded with Pike. The same spot on the river that I have been losing all the pike at my feet the last two weekends.

This morning was going to be a challenge. Within 5 minutes I was snagged up real good and lost one of my favorite spinners. ( #5 black mepps)

 

Fifteen minutes later and I am in to a decent pike. ( I think?) And damned if it doesn't wrap me around whatever it was that I just lost the Mepps on

All the rain from 10 days ago must have brought some new branches down to that hole.

 

I moved up river about 20 yards and started tossing another proven pike lure(for me)

and damned if it doesn't get snagged too!

 

That was enough, I packed up and got back in the van.

 

Headed north, along the same river, to a place that I could put the canoe in and head up river a mile and get a beautiful lazy drift down some nice dark pike and bass infested waters.

 

Hit a long slow bend and fished the outer shore line with my top water frogs. Was tossing them on to the shore and letting them creep in to the water.

And much to my surprise, there were other frogs there that didn't like competition in their hunting grounds!

 

Check out the belly on this brute !

I am not sure what kind of frog it was as it was a creamy golden yellow all over, unlike the other frogs there:

 

 

 

Here is the look of the usual suspects that periodically grab my lures when I am standing on the shore and don;t realize my lure is touching the water's edge:

 

 

Got that bugger unhooked and tossed My Frog back on to the shore next to some weeds and fallen rocks.

 

Just as it hit the water, KERSPLASH! Fish on !

 

A nice 2.5lb smallie !

 

And I was just telling someone on this board that i NEVER catch smallies on my TOP WATER FROGS! lol

 

Ended up catching two more of those babies on that frog before the thunder sounded the warning for me to get off the river.

 

Got the canoe packed on to the roof just in time before it rained for a whole five minutes. Dammm.

Oh well, I needed a nap.

 

Woke up and made a snack before heading to Owen Sound. I took some more back roads using my little Back roads map book. I love that book.

 

Met up with some "friends of Bill W" in a wind up joint there for some refreshing entertainment and a cup of gratitude.

 

Decided to call it an early night and wanted to scout out a FLAT SPOT in a friendly parking lot for a better night sleep.

 

Found one and slept from 10 pm right through till my Blackberry alarm went off at 5pm. That's a rarity for me when I am not up before the alarm when I am fishing. I guess I needed the sleep.

 

Grabbed a java at Timmies and headed out to a little river that I found last month in my travels looking for pike.

 

Sunday morning looked as promising as when I took that pic last month... but with a little surprise waiting for me

 

The farmer who owns the fields on both sides of the river had told me of another good run in that river way at the back of his property line and that this time I should take my canoe down to it. I guess he wondered why I didn't take the canoe off the roof last time. There was no need to, as I was catching them like this last month right below the bridge:

 

( notice the now missing lure in it's yap! )

 

I got the canoe in to the water, with my rods and a small cooler bag. I was gonna try to paddle to where this river disappears in to a large hill that he mentioned was sacred native burial grounds.

 

Got some great pics along this slow lazy, dark bottom, sunken tree, lily pad and reed shorn pike paradise.

 

When I got to the back of his property, I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED to find a deep and slow lonnnng run along a sweeping outside curve. The drop off from the field to waters edge was about 6 feet on one side straight down in to eight or ten feet of water. The opposite shore was full of lily pads and open pockets throughout with a gentle slope to the cow pasture there.

 

PIKE HEAVEN!

 

And it was.

First cast and SMASH!

 

My Top water frog was inhaled....one steam boat, tow steam boat, three steam boat ..SET THE HOOK !

 

Success .,,,I hook him good.

 

Last week I posted a topic here about my inability to land some pike recently. They suggested side sweep hooks sets and keeping the rod tip down.

 

GREAT ADVICE GUYS... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK to all who replied.

 

As I was bringing this brute to the canoe, while i dropped my anchor and wrapped the rope around my boots to hold it while fighting the fish, I remembered what Slowpoke suggested.(adhd does have it's upside you know...lol)

 

1) rod tip down when it rushes the boat

2) try to turn him if possible

3) when it tries to jump, put that rod tip in the water.

 

Amazingly, i remembered to do all that too!

 

LANDED IT!

 

Took a couple of pics..and was then trying to revive him when

 

 

 

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... KERSPLASH

 

 

 

 

I ROLLED THE DAM CANOE !

 

fUG ME!

 

Those Sportspals are NOT "tip proof" even though they look like it with the foam pads on the outer sides!

 

Down I went, rubber boots filled right up, but I had my life vest on so I was not too concerned about drowning.

 

I got REAL CONCERNED though when I looked in the half water filled canoe and my Blackberry was no where in sight. Neither were my rods !

 

 

Dragged the canoe across to the lily pads, after getting a rough idea where I went in. Forgot to pull up the anchor too! Like it added more weight to a half water filled canoe anyways

 

After I got the water out of the canoe I took a quick inventory to see what else was missing. Nothing that I can tell so far.

 

Got back in the canoe and paddled over to where I spilled. That damned pike was still nose down there, almost like a marker bouy for me.

( he eventually swam away)

 

About a foot away from him was my two rods, one with a FLOATING RAPALA holding the the tip up just below the surface for me to CAREFULLY reach over and grab. lol

 

I used that rod to snag my other rod too. I had already done some quick math on shore and between the Blackberry and the two rod and reels, I was gonna be out about a quick $500.00 before I new it.

 

I searched and searched and searched for what i KNEW was going to be a ruined phone. No site of it in the thick dark mud bottom.

 

After surveying my options and sitting quietly with my Creator in the anchored canoe for about five minutes, I came up with a new version of the Serenity Prayer in a situation like this:

 

God grant me the Serenity to accept flipping the canoe like the idiot I was, the Courage to warn others that a Sportspal canoe can be flipped, and the Wisdom to know that You brought me to this hole Today for a reason.

 

I paddled back to the Lily pads and made a sandwich and had a cold coke. A good stiff rye might have been fine too, except I gave that up a long time ago.

 

Finished my lunch and fished that hole for another 90 minutes or so.( no watch no phone to tell u exactly ! lol)

 

All those tips the OFC'ers gave me last week paid off. I hooked and LANDED 6 more dent pike. Smallest 24" and the largest 31" ! But no pics, so u are just gonna have to believe me ! lol

 

Now if anyone has a Blackberry bold for sale real cheap( on Telus) I am all ears! lol

 

Come to think of, I didn't see these guys "texting and driving" on Friday.

( poor image quality I know..lol)

 

Maybe I will try to go with out for a few days. NOT !

 

 

 

Splashhopper

Edited August 2, 2010 by splashhopper

[danbouck]

I'm laughing WITH you, awesome report! My curve went into a river three times and somehow still worked.

[splashhopper]

I'm laughing WITH you, awesome report! My curve went into a river three times and somehow still worked.

 

If your phone was off, you might get lucky... but let them dry out a few days before turning them on.

 

Mine was on and it likely shorted out the mother board anyways.

 

thanks for the "support" lol

[danbouck]

If your phone was off, you might get lucky... but let them dry out a few days before turning them on.

 

Mine was on and it likely shorted out the mother board anyways.

 

thanks for the "support" lol

 

It was actually on and I quickly took out the battery, just lucky I guess

[splashhopper]

It was actually on and I quickly took out the battery, just lucky I guess

 

Darned lucky.... I couldn't even find mine in the mud ! lol

[Lunatic]

LOL

man that was fuuny,but at the same time i can feel the frustration id be going thru if that were me, actually id be super pissed!!

 

tell me where your secret spot is and i'll help you look for the phone!

[Bly]

Enjoyed the read, sorry to hear about the phone and congrats on getting the hang of catching Pike!

[alphaalpha]

sounds like you had some good fishing. too bad about your phone. anytime i am anywhere near water my iphone goes in a ziplock sandwich bag just incase with the hopes it will at least buy me a bit of time to get it out of the water. whether i am in my canoe, wading or in a real boat i take no chances. And in the bag you can still talk on it just fine and use all the features so you don't have to fumble around getting it out of the bag and risk dunking it then...

 

Maybe it's a false sense of security but i like to think it gives me more of a fighting chance of it staying dry. It hasn't been put to the test as of yet and i'm hoping to keep it that way but you never know

[spinnerbaitking]

Too bad about the phone but it's nice to see my lake is treating you well was there Saturday afternoon til dark, 3 Pike & 3 Smallies & lost 5 more, no net man after the 1st hour & I only had my Fish Cradle

Richard

[splashhopper]

Too bad about the phone but it's nice to see my lake is treating you well was there Saturday afternoon til dark, 3 Pike & 3 Smallies & lost 5 more, no net man after the 1st hour & I only had my Fish Cradle

Richard

Lost a pike there last weekend brother. It hit a 5" black and blue senko - wacky rigged, right under the white berch tree on the north shore.

 

I had a blast up closer your way though the past few outings...

[lew]

Thanks for that splashhopper, that was one of the best fishing tales I've read in a long time...really enjoyable

[splashhopper]

Thanks for that splashhopper, that was one of the best fishing tales I've read in a long time...really enjoyable

 

 

You shoulda been there

[lew]

 

You shoulda been there

 

 

I HAVE been there.........40 years ago

 

One upsidedown boat, 3 guys in the water, and ALL the tackle lost.

 

At least we didn't have to worry about losing an expensive Blackberry though

[Mike Pike]

Hah hah hah! What a great journal Splashhopper and thanks for sharing that.

 

Quite an adventure and I really enjoyed reading every detail! Still don't know how you rolled the Sportspal, cuz I just thought they didn't roll but, oh well...

 

I love the pic of the rat inside the largie's mouth, very cool!

 

You proved all you need is a van and canoe for adventure.

[splashhopper]

I HAVE been there.........40 years ago

 

One upsidedown boat, 3 guys in the water, and ALL the tackle lost.

 

At least we didn't have to worry about losing an expensive Blackberry though

 

I damned near lost the tackle too.. fortunately it was all in a back pack and that got caught on one of the rope ties in the side of the canoe...

 

It's amazing how much money gets tied up in fishing gear and tackle before I even know it ( or wife knows it )

 

lol

[torco]

Great report. Sorry to hear about the blackberry, a few years back my buddy flipped the canoe as I was taking a picture of his bass. We managed to salvage everything but the new digital camera. So I feel for you.

[splashhopper]

Great report. Sorry to hear about the blackberry, a few years back my buddy flipped the canoe as I was taking a picture of his bass. We managed to salvage everything but the new digital camera. So I feel for you.

You know, i got a water proof camera for Christmas and misplaced it. Hopefully find it before I head back up this weekend.