A Greasy, Crappie, "GAR"bage Report.

[Moosebunk]

Spring fishing has been in full flow for the last six weeks and I've been drowning myself in it.

 

 

Around home there was a bit of a wait between the last ice outings and finally swinging some long-rod casts from the big boat. To pass that time a little exploring through the local backyard was done. The kids were totally game and had a blast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That journey on land was complimented a week later when I soaked the WarCanoe on the nearby Mississippi, Clyde, Fall and Mud Rivers. A truly remarkable day cruising high on spring runoff and peering around many new corners of highland waterways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What would be spring without trout? Well... "without" was almost the key word for describing trout this spring. Despite a couple tough ATV trips into the Madawaska Hills in search of specks and bows, it was a day of lakers in The Bomber that saved face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RJ and Slop are two guys who know their crappies, and so thankfully spending some time on the water with them helped me put some of these slabs into the boat. A couple solo efforts and a couple more with family capped things off. Watching floats drop can be addictive. No 14 inchers this spring but a good number of 12 to 13.5's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After craps... and kinda during, the gar fishing warmed up in these parts. This is a really gnarly fishery one can't help but enjoy. RJ and I started things off and since then I've shared the boat with buddies Grant, Pat and Luke. Everyone has been having a blast and most have been nailing new personal bests.

 

 

Luke's PB below @ 14lb, 6oz.

 

 

 

Grant's PB below @ 51 inches.

 

 

Some gar aren't all that wicked looking at all... but rather kinda sweet and innocent...

 

 

 

... though some fish are meant to be punished then taken aboard to photograph.

 

 

 

 

Wished I had a tape at the time for this one below... long skinny fish @ 13lb, 6oz.

 

 

 

 

 

Below, this morning catch is a new PB for length at 50.5 inches. Weight was solid @ 14lb, 2oz.

 

 

 

Next three shots below are of my new PB caught while fishing with my buddy Pat. A little descriptive text helps highlight that moment.

 

 

A thorough Bomber struttin' had some gars look our way and some turn and run. Setting that hook is the goal but laying chase is a good bit of fun too. Patty and I were on the prowl when we both took notice of an absolute PIG of a gar... one of those rare FREAK gars that eat other gar. She was quick though, and had both of us in a tail-spin after her. A few ignored casts and she slipped away downtown into the deep brown.

 

Twenty minutes or so later we were trudging through some skinny muck when Patty put the cast to a quality fish in his sight. Other side of the boat I saw a black silhouette of a good fish pretty close to me too. I made my cast and not even really seeing the take, I just set quick on the hit. Fish was all up in my face and showing zero respect in no time, but some Mojo Bass moves patented by the Saints of Croix allowed Patty to slip the net under this one.

 

"THAT'S A FAT FISH!!!" announced Patty. Excited I answered, "Dood, I'm thinking this is my PB."

 

 

The fish was real relaxed in the boat... not all are. Although it had a little bowel release on deck. Patty held the tape at the fishes nose while I stretched it along to the tail... 50 inches. Maybe my longest, maybe not, but it was the girth of this girl that had us in wonder.

 

 

CROCSOCKS, be thy name.

 

Patty watching on, I slipped the digi-scale under the gill-plate and around to the leathery soft flesh midline with belly. Holding her snout, got her vertical, slowly and carefully released all tension until she hung calm, and watched the scale settle in at 16lbs, 7oz. YEAH!!! Just slammed my PB from the previous week by a hair more than 3 pounds. That is just GARgantuan cool.

 

 

"Awesome fish Bunk... but you know... that fish we saw earlier would have eaten this fish," expressed Patty. There wasn't doubt in my mind that she was going back to the swim anyways, and Patty was dead-on-target. Every now and again you see a real prehistoric mammoth gar swimming. Personally, I have seen three, maybe four fish that made all others look extinct. One fish for sure from last year still haunts me. This one went back to the river with whole-hearted happiness. She'll be even bigger next time too.

 

 

And so that's half of spring in a nutshell. It's been quality fishing and days out with friends so far, hopefully that remains the case. Enjoy the coming sun all.

[Guest LivingLegend]

Those are some crazy sweet pics!! Great job on the Gpikes:clapping:

[beginner]

cool pics...

[Freshtrax]

where are these gar pictures at ontairo??? I used to catch em all the time fishin for bass when i livesd in NC

[Terry]

Great report as always

[splashhopper]

awesome.... the pics of their mouths wide open with a row of of RAZORS makes any trout look like a bluegill

[fishindevil]

awesome report & pics !!! some real BIG,BIG GP...for sure !!!

[danbouck]

Awesome report Moose!

[aplumma]

Great pictures I read the header to fast and wanted to see what a greasy Crappie looked like.

 

 

 

Art

[mercman]

simply awesome pics and report.Love those prehistoric looking Gar.

[backbay]

Great pics and HUGE Gar, Thanks!

[corvette1]

nice spring drew awesome crap and gar

[Joey]

Excellent report and love the gar pics, especially the b & w one

[Homer Is King]

Great report! Some beauty fish! I love the gar. Most of use don't get to seen to many of them!

[I'mHooked]

Wow, those are some prehistoric looking monsters.

[johnnyb]

Awesome stuff, as usual! Too bad the fishcat trips came up empty.....some nice looking real estate back there. What were you guys using to catch the gars? I've seen people swap hooks out for rope, so as to entangle the rows of razors. Those gar are huge by the way....amazing!!!

[Live2fish85]

Hey great report, as well pics thoughs are some wicked gar pike and some nice slabs of crappie. Looks like some good fishing for you as well.

[Dave Bailey]

That report is a model of how it should be done - good photos and good writing. Sounds like a great day, thanks for letting us in on the fun!

[RickOnt]

Hey Bunk

 

Great Report and Pics!!!

 

Thanks for posting

 

Rick

 

PS Looking forward to your "Plummer's" Report and Pics!!!!!

[asdve23rveavwa]

Wicked report!! Always great to see some alternative fish, and, those crappies were "beauts" as well

[fishnsled]

Great report as always.

[The Urban Fisherman]

Awesome report Bunk - Love the gar - - kids are adorable, and hey my daughter has the same exact pink toque with the white snowflake on the front! Thanks for hte pix and keep up the good work!

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[coreyhkh]

Awesome Gar are these from Ontario? I have never seen them that big.

[irishfield]

Thanks for takin the 5 minutes to post that up Drew!!!

 

I'll give it a full read later today...

[bigbuck]

Nice Gar!!!! I see them in the shallows by the Tomb in the summer on GBay. Gotta bring a rod and tackle one day.