Balsam Saturday night

[Dutch01]

Hey guys, just a short report on my trip to Balsam on Saturday night. Fished from about 5:00pm to about 10:00pm. It was fairly slow, but caught some abnormally large rock bass and perch to keep us busy. I caught this little fellow after dark on a minnow under a lighted bobber:

 

 

 

Measured at 20" even so had to put her back. Will be back up there a few more times before I'm through for the year, that was fun!

 

Dutch

[Dutch01]

Not sure why my picture is showing twice?

 

Anyways as an add on:

 

As the evening wore on, the action slowed down, but I stayed for the scenery. The moon rose blood red, and twice I heard a pack of coyotes catch something in the forests nearby. I love the way they sound. My iPhone doesn't really take good night pictures, but the red moon with the mist rising off the water and the coyotes in the distance really made for a cool mood!

 

 

 

 

Unrelated: I asked for advice on a Nipissing trip thread awhile back. The trip was incredible, and I have been lax in not thanking those of you who provided advice with a post full of pictures. I will get on that ASAP!

 

Dutch

[Tim Mills]

Nice fish dutch.

[chris.brock]

There'll be no talk of Inco on a Coboconk Saturday night!

 

Sounds like a nice night, good for you for playing by the rules, most people around there don't

[Dutch01]

Thanks, Tim.

 

Chris, I try to teach my Son right from wrong. One of the things I like to remind him of is that Integrity is what we do when no one is watching!

 

I do keep the occasional (legal) fish for shore lunch, but I value conservation as this is my (our) Canada. This might be controversial to say here, but I often hear "locals" saying "it's all the foreigners ruining the lake!". Then I see the same guy return to shore 5 times, disappear inside for a minute and come right out again to "the spot". Wonder what he's taking to shore over and over again????

[fishermccann]

Locals blame "weekenders" for declining fish stocks. I am now up north 9 months of the year and I have found the opposite to be true.

[jimmer]

It's the locals fault - no it's the tourists- the locals- an ongoing debate. Too sad that the ones who abuse the lakes don't get it.

[Dutch01]

I realize that the fish I put back are likely being kept by someone else anyways. All I can really do is my part though, sadly. The rest is out of my hands.

 

Even sadder is that some experts are saying that over half of all the Earths animals (including fish!) have been killed in the last 40 years. I guess one day we'll be able to go to the "Anglers Museum" and show our kids what we used to do when there were fish in our lakes....