KESAGAMI RELOADED. Report.

[Moosebunk]

No no no, not at all happy with sundays performance on Kesagami catching two new personal bests figured we best head back there and give it another crack. Bren was eager enough that she got off a 12 hour busy nightshift, grabbed a 3 hour power nap in the morning and by noon we were heading to Moosonee to meet up with the Bushland Airways doods.

 

Aviation forecast was calling for sun until mid afternoon then high winds to switch from the southwest to west and bring along some snow. Afternoon temps were +1C... perrrrrfect. Dexter, our pilot showed up and was really phased much by this so we three climbed aboard and took off.

 

Front seat mine, Dexter and I shot the breeze while Bren got a little shut eye in the back. Nice fella he told me he got his aviation training down in Shanonville near the big BOQ. Then I asked some questions about the plane (this is your cue Wayne) and was told we were riding along in a Cessna 206 - V6 - 360hp - muscular (lol) - ski plane. Think he said it has a 62 or 68 gallon fuel tank and that the big bird burn about 1L of gas per minute. Maximum weight capacity, 3600lbs including the fuel. (How’d I do???)

 

Dexter had been in the day before and the group he was with fished out of my old holes from Sunday. In a half days fishing they mustered up a meager 7 walleye. OUCH! In fact, Dexter had only caught one walleye himself in a number of trips. I told him that would change today.

 

Last trip in after getting setup I realized we were too deep. My walleye holes were okay, but could have been better. I knew this when my pike setups were hitting too many walleye. Today the plan was to push everything shallower. I also wanted to try out a new spoon for the pikeys, and a couple different things for the eyes that have been in the tackle box for ages but I have never bothered to use.

 

On the ice I drilled a quick walleye hole so Bren could get started. Before I had a second hole done she had two on the ice. The walleye holes were in about 1 ½ feet of water and so I headed towards shore and ended up getting quite shallow for the pike, one hole maybe had 9 to 10 inches of water below the 40 inches of ice.

 

Dexter finally joined us after blanketing the plane, and trying out a piece of bacon on a Pixie spoon he was only a few minutes watching Bren and I catching fish that he decided he’d go with live minnows too. Didn’t take him long after that.

 

 

And it didn’t take long after this for me to see my pike rod had broken the ice and was pointing straight down the hole. Get thar, settith the hookith hardith.

 

A short tussel with a long slender piece of muscle and Esox-Aurora-Borealis-Rocketus is in grip and making it’s overdue appearance on the red carpet. Click click click went the paparottzi until I measured this celebrity and found that at 35 inches tall, shapely through the bust, and a fit 9 lbs, I was taking this pike to my place for dinner and dancing. First date with a pike this year, hope she likes BBQ and beans. (Turned out to be a man though... hard to tell with some of these “new age” pikes)

 

 

My date, wearing a fashionable Williams Wabler lip ring.

 

I just put this fish back when off in the distance the bell on “PikeSlayerintor 007" is a ding-a-linging like Santa Clause landing on a tin roof.

 

Minus many layers of clothes I floated quick like a gazelle over to my fish-i-mi-catchin-gadget. And smart like dolphin I had a glove for playing the braid and set the hook. KAAA-THWACK!! And so it is set.

 

A BO-HE-MOTH is ripping line from my hands. I’m calling out to my camera crew to come do their jobs and once at my side I’m directing like only Speilberg and Scorcesse can. Bren is snapping stills at many angles and Dex actually surprises me later with video footage.

 

Eventually overpowering this beautiful but yet demonic leviathan of the 9 maybe 10 inch shallows, a difficult turn of it’s head in to the hole is made. The fishes presents itself to the surface as all the angels begin to sing, the heavens open, and the lord says, “You Da’ Man Bunk!”

 

Here’s a weeee blow by blow of the miraculous event which occurred.

 

 

“Hello Bunk, my name is Big Momma. Mind getting this sharp object unstuck from my face.

 

 

I oblige, and ask. “Do you mind coming up into my world for some photos and the gift of allowing me to brag to many people for days, maybe even years to come?” “No problem, unless you have no plans to return me to the water,” Big Momma says. “Because, in that case, I’ll just have to bite your face off and regurgitate you later to my children.” “Oh, so you are a little demonic, as I had thought.”

 

Without permission Big Momma is hoisted to the heavens.

 

 

 

And much like the physical assessment of a newborn, weight and length were measured, adjusted for some margin of error, re-measured, concluded and evaluated. With a grin or two here and there for me and the team it was decided that I’ll come back and catch this new personal best when it’s an even bigger personal better. And, after about 5 attempts to help bend this fish back into it’s shallow lair at the bottom of the deep cavern, back down the hole she went, quite thankful.

 

 

Bren took a break at this point. Her 15 walleye and all the running around must have really exhausted my little Cree super-trooper

 

 

Well, how can ya top that big pike though.... I couldn’t. Even about two hours later nearing the end of the day I hooked into something that felt like another really big eye, but this time on the jiggin rod. It just wouldn’t come to the hole very easy and as you could see the heavens had long since closed and the sky was turning ominous....

 

 

.... and just when trying to turn the suckah up my Cleo caught the bottom of the hole and it was all over. All out of miracles for the day I guess. It could have been a really sad moment for me but a small crack of a smile was managed. That’s fishing. Full of one’s that got away. lol.

 

 

We were to head home but Dexter had been on the satellite phone with home base and the weather had turned nasty. Winds were gusting to 30 knots and freezing drizzle had just passed through and was heading our way. We had already stayed put an extra 1 ½ hours so to give time for them back in Moosonee to actually make an alternate landing strip. This fact alone screamed emergency to me, maybe death. Big Momma was likely rolling over in her lair with laughter at this point. My guess was it was my turn to experience what she did, that being, a real rollercoaster. We had no options left, the daylight was fading and we needed an hour to get home. Dexter was cool as a cucumber about it all and we boarded the plane to make the return trip.

 

I took this pic, not for one second thinking it would be my last....

 

 

.... but we no sooner sat in the plane when the snow began to fall.

 

The ride home was most turbulent. Quite blinding as well. And, when we finally broke through the front about 10 minutes before reaching Moosonee the conditions lifted and we spotted our newly marked runway. The landing coming in was looking like it was going to be a drag the right wing, crash, slide, deathly sort of thing as gusty and nearly crosswinds to 24 knots pushed us sideways. But, Dexter used a high bank and the trees atop of them along the river to break the wind in our last 40 feet of descent. A gang of onlookers watched on as the craft safely touched down and the fecal matter nearing the point of no return was safely retracted back to a warm and cozy place.

 

The things some people do for fish eh..?

[mattyk]

great report. thanks for sharing.

[ccmtcanada]

Simply amazing report!! Another monster pike...I'm speechless!!!

[Smokey]

Yeah, Yeah just keep rubbing it in. You sure had some monsters this time around. Thanks again.

[PatrickGG]

Awesome report and nice healthy looking pike thanks for sharing your pics.

[solopaddler]

Amazing!

[Whopper]

Rock fricken on!

Another great report

 

Now excuse me while I go relieve myself.

 

Thanks!

 

Whopper

[Hooked]

Wow, another sweet report. I still can't believe you are catching fish that shallow. Good stuff and it was a good read too.

[tbayboy]

Great report Moose thanks.

[wuchikubo]

another great report MB!

[Tomcat]

Your reports just keep getting better and better. Thanks again for sharing.

[troutologist]

What everyone else said plus another amazing. youve got that lake dialed great job.

[dustink]

Writing a great story is a gift. I don't have it, but wish I did. You MB, have it. Another great read....and that last line (...and the fecal matter nearing the point of no return was safely retracted back to a warm and cozy place.) is classic.

 

Thanks for making my afternoon better!

 

dk

[jediangler]

Great story and pics MB. That is one fine pike there my friend.

[b2kptbo]

Man "O" Man!!! beauty report...

[Bly]

Speechless Please do let me know if you ever publish your memoirs......what a great read

 

 

bly

[irishfield]

LOL Drew

A gang of onlookers watched on as the craft safely touched down and the fecal matter nearing the point of no return was safely retracted back to a warm and cozy place.

They paint the thing Yeller so the MNR thinks they'z already there and don't land? LOL

 

You did pretty good Drew and it's wise to know as much as you can about what you are riding in...mind you some times it's better not to know..lol

 

3600lb gross is correct on a '70 C206E. Generally around 1750 empty..so leaves 1850lb for gear/people/fuel. IF Dexter would shed a few pounds you could take Summer along as well. lol Seeing the three blade prop he may have an engine upgrade in there but standard is a Continental IO-520-F 285 Hp Continuous and 300 for take off (just checked the TC register and this is the engine in there). That is a 6 cylinder yes..but opposed..air cooled...not a V block. SKis look like Kehlers...fixed penetration. Ride home sounded fun ! Been there...done that...and I don't care how calm Dexter looked....his fecal matter was poppin proud as well !

 

Absolutely great read Drew and what a way to go fishing. I've got to start getting out in the winters via air and dropping in on the back lakes myself around here.

 

Cheers,

Wayne

 

Here's one of my ?able trips North in 2005 ! Problem is you have to come down sooner or later...

[Moosebunk]

Think he mentioned the engine upgrade Wayne. After that he said something about why it then sounds louder on the ground or something.

 

4 of us fit in there last year. We didn't take the auger, just the essentials. Couple bigger dudes coming up later in the month so Bren may have difficulty coming along again. Not to worry. And, as soon as their is a real warm half day, if the timing is right, Summer will have a blast.

[Fishnfiend]

Entertaining to say the least. Thanks for a good read and a couple chuckles.

I can't believe the pike you get out of less than a foot of water. Didn't you mention a video...?

[irishfield]

Nah...that was just the blown exhaust that they can't afford to buy or have shipped to never never land ! LOL

[Dano]

Another Academy contender. Good stuff Bunk!

[Bernie]

Great read Moosebunk! Thank you!

[carll2]

another outstanding report moosebunk!! i nominate this for thread of the year lol..when does the season end up there?

[Rich Clemens]

Simply amazing moosebunk. No wonder we all enjoy your reports.

[Puckhead]

Great report as always Bunk! Thanks!