My Ontario fish quest continues by catchin another species but still no carp!

[007]

Hi all.

 

Just a quick report. Went fishing with a friend yesterday afternoon. The plan was to hit one of his local lakes that has a large small-medium carp population so that I could catch my first carp of the year and knock it off the list of Ontario fish that I'm trying to catch this year. Well after a few hours without a bite we changed from corn to worm, and not long later we hooked into some pumpkinseedfish close to shore.

 

Not the biggest fish to catch but another species off the year's list and you can't beat these fish for colours and some good old fashioned fishing fun. That's when my friend decided to let his young boy have a go and sure enough it wasn't long before he had caught his first ever fish - the excitement on his face was priceless.

 

We then moved in search of some carp action. We found a shallow bay that clearly contained a number of fish feeding. So I cast to what I hoped to be a carp on the bottom stirring up the mud but hooked into one of these small bullhead catfish.

 

This was the first of many to come, and we both caught double figures of these small scrappy guys.

 

This is probably the smallest bullhead ever caught!

 

Though not as ugly as their bigger T.O cousins that I caught earlier in the week - they certainly need to be handled with care. As i was unhooking one of them the fish moved and I felt something slice my finger. One of the sharp bony spikes on its pectoral fins had left a bloody mess. Never had that problem before with the bigger ones I have caught but will use gloves in future on these slimey devils regardless of size.

 

With time runnng out before we were due to leave and at a time when we had pretty much given up hope of catching the intended target species, my friend calls to me to get the net as he has hooked a carp. So I gladly net his first carp of the year - only probably a 3-4 pounder, but a nice way to end the day.

 

So I'm still chasing that elusive first carp of the year but managed to catch my fourth species of the year (Perch, Sucker, Bullhead, pumpkinseedfish). Can't wait to catch some serious fish though down at the T.O Islands (pike and carp) soon or maybe some trout in Algonquin next weekend.

 

007

Edited May 13, 2007 by OO7

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Great Report! I look forward to seeing your first carp report!

[Billy Bob]

The first picture is really a Bluegill not a pumpkin-seed sunfish. So cross off Bluegill and your still on for the sunny.

[irishfield]

Hate to disagree with you billy bob...but that there is a Pumpkinseed. Bluegill has a totally black ear flap. Pumpkinseed has a read spot to go with it..just like his picture. Blue gill also has a black spot on its rear dorsal fin.

 

Looked like a very successful outing 007 !

Edited May 13, 2007 by irishfield

[Kerry]

Best way to hold those mudcats is to rest it on your palm belly down, mouth out past your finger tips.Then hold it with one fin between your thumb and forefinger and the other fin between your third and fourth fingers.You won't get spiked by any of them and it's an easy grip as well as the fish doesn't seem to squirm as much.

Kerry

[xrap]

Yep defitnatley is a pumpkinseed, wtg 007 nice report.

[ehg]

Nice bunch of fish! Good to see you brought a youngster out as well,

that's a great memory for the kid.

By using worms you will catch more species of fish to speed your endeavour.

Good luck filling out your list.

 

ehg

[007]

Thanks for the comments guys. Kerry - Thanks for the tip on holding those bullheads.

007

[Kerry]

You're welcome 007!It does save on the spike holes in the hand and much better control to get the hook out.

Don't discount those mudcats as a good alternative eating fish either.As the old saying goes ..."Tastes just like Chicken!".They are good eating fish.

Kerry