July 30 @ Anima-Nipissing

[adolson]

So, here's another "report" if you can really call it that. Not a ton of fish, and nothing big, but a good and fun day on the beautiful Anima-Nip with the wife.

 

She passed the boat exam yesterday, and so this was her first time controlling the boat. It was really nice and freed me up to quickly change lures the couple times I did, and whatnot. She doesn't fish, but likes to be outdoors and on the lake, so I figured, why not give her a more active role, right?

 

I started off using a Wally Diver, got one on it:

 

 

That lure got snagged a couple times (no depth finder yet, and still learning the lake), so I changed to my trusty Original Floating Rapala with new hooks. We saw a fish surface, and trolled over it just like we did last time. When the lure hit about that spot, I hooked it (or something), but after a little fighting, I lost it. I got another something on the line, and it felt pretty big, but it too got off. I kept getting bites and had another fish or two on, but they got off. Lesson I learned here: hooks probably matter a lot. I think the ones I replaced the rusty ones with suck (from an old mix pack of treble hooks I bought probably 15 years ago, looked like new), so I'm gonna change those again..

 

Then I switched to a longer, new Original Floating Rapala and took off the middle treble hook (three is overkill). I stuck with this lure the rest of the trip and landed four more smallies.

 

 

While trolling along, the wife says, "oh, a herring!" and I was confused. A herring? I don't think there's herring in Anima-Nip, is there? And how would you see it on the top of the water? So I turned and looked - not a herring, a heron! LOL

 

 

After hitting the trolling motor on a rock (watch out for the buoys! you just did the course, you know this! lol), we decided it was time to eat. So we landed on a little island. It was very nice, but too rocky to put a tent in there. Wild blueberries all over the place, though:

 

 

I think this was the biggest one. Biggest one I got on camera anyhow:

 

 

There MUST be bigger bass in this lake! It's a big lake! Right? Right??? Next one is gonna be a monster, I just know it...

 

...Yep! I knew it!

 

 

Do the big ones taste as good as the little ones? I have tried both. The answer is no.

 

 

So, it was a good day. I caught I think five little guys in total (one I ... accidentally released early as it shook and jumped back into the lake, haha). Released them all, because they were all pretty small and I have four or five in my freezer already anyhow. It was fun just to catch them.

 

On the trip back to the launch, we rounded an island and saw and heard several fish surfacing, I guess eating bugs. I made a few casts there, had one strike right as the lure was getting outta the water. I was going to try using my Jitterbug or Hula Poppers but the mosquitos came out and were getting us real good, so we just headed for home. My buddy Maximus was happy to see us return safe:

 

 

Thanks for reading and checking out the pics, even though there's no big catch or anything.

 

Next trip: Monday, going after the Aurora Trout with my cousin. May cast off shore tomorrow a bit, I dunno, we'll see.

[spinnerbaitking]

I'd rather be out there doing that then be in here,lol, soon nice report outside catching something with the one you love, can't be any better than that, now just get her into some fish & she will be hooked

SBK

 

 

[adolson]

She hates fishing. lol, but she likes to pick the lures for me when I'm not having any luck, and she's usually right. Her dad took her when she was young, but I can't seem to get her to pick a rod back up. She thinks all the fish are cute. Well, the small ones. And pike. I don't get it! At least she wants to come with me.

 

Bonus Round

 

I haven't slept yet. I just went off a dock in Gillies Lake. Got a 16" guy, probably just over 1lb, at 6:20am on my new favorite bass lure, Cotton Cordell Rayburn Red Super Spot. It fought like a champ! It was quite a ways out there, too, and it jumped four times, pretty high too. It was almost a majestic sight in the early morning light. It went under the front of the dock I was standing on twice, one time was really tough - thought the line might cut. Easily my favorite bass catch so far, even though it wasn't my biggest.

 

 

Obviously, I kept it. I'm gonna have a fish fry later today when I wake up, since I am now at my limit (maybe one under, I know I have one pike's filets in the freezer too that I may have counted, but better safe than sorry). Hopefully we will get our Auroras early on Monday, time enough to go after some bass after. My cousin's never caught a bass, so I wanna hook him into his first. My own first was just a month and a day ago. I've been hooked ever since.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Dana

[mercman]

Thats a 2-2 1/2 lber ya got there Dana Nice fish I bet if you threw some plastics around in there, you would probably haul in some hogs.

 

Nice fishing with our wimins ain't it. Mine out fishes me, but won't touch em

[Joey]

Nice Dana, and maximus is pretty cool

[pikeguy]

Its great to have a driver when out fishing.

keep them cumming and have fun. stick to it you'l get the big one yet.

[Live2fish85]

Good Report Dana. The big ones will come soon enough. That last fish is over 2lbs I would say.

[adolson]

Thanks, all.

 

I guess I really need a scale. I was just going by the conversion approximation charts from RodRule.com. This guy fought harder than my 19.5" I got on Tuesday. It did feel to me that it weighed more than 1.2lb or whatever the chart said, but with no way to weigh it...

 

I was thinking about that $30 electronic scale that stores the weights and stuff so you can browse it later on, I think it's by Rapala. May have to just go get it soon.