Weekend Toronto Pike

tbayboy · June 3, 2007

Saturday I decided to head down to the islands to kill a couple hours (suppose to have thunrderstorms so I'm not expecting much - stupid weather guys). Anyhow, started at 10:45 with the goal of setting up camp around a spot I'd heard was good (though I'd never caught anything there before). My first spot was occupied:

They grow up so fast don't they? Luckily I managed to find a nice spot that even had shade (thank God, it was a roaster in the sun). I tried everything I had handy over the next hour :

But nothing, no follows, no bumps, nothing. Saw loads of carp pass buy and a bass but nothing resembling a pike.

I continued on down the rails (insert Johnny Cash song here) but had the same results everywhere including spots I'd caught fish before.

Feeling discouraged I decided to stop picking spots based on hearsay or where I'd caught stuff before and instead look around and try to see what the conditions were telling me. First my old 'good spots' were full of day trippers - paddle boats, zodiacs, kayaks and several larger boats going by making lots of noise and stirring things up. That can't help so it was time to move.

Given that it was hot, humid day with the sun high in the sky and the weeds really coming in I started looking for deep water weed lines. First up was a lagoonish area where there were lots of baitfish, some sunfish and a big set of weedbeds. Unfortunately the only thing I caught was an accidental large mouth (you could see them nesting around the area). He went right back and I moved on. I could also see bullhead moving along the shore as well as the zillion massive carp (many moving in pairs). They were also 'getting it on' or something where ever there were branches or other cover right near the shore - huge splashes /thrashing for minutes at a time. It was getting that I couldn't take a cast without thinking that I'd run over a carp on the retrieve.

Finally at 2pm I got a hit off a weed edge. I'd been using a just unpackaged weedless spoon for the past 45 minutes or so and that seemed to do the trick (I really didn't have much a choice, everything else brought in a forest after a couple cranks of the reel). This guy gave a nice fight and certainly felt bigger than he turned out to be (helped that I had my drag set too loose). These little guys sure are feisty:

And as is the norm he went nuts when out of the water (thus the glove). I managed to avoid getting myself hooked this time but he did get some slime and a bit of blood on my shirt. I thought about running around scaring the children but instead though I'd just wash it off with the bottle of water I had .

At least the skunk was over (the bass didn't count). And now all the people going by with the old 'catch anything yet' weren't quite as annoying as before.

I then stopped for a quick raping (by raping I mean $8 for a slice and a bottle of water) and for some reason decided to go back to the spot I started at, convinced that now that I'd broken the skunk the spot would start producing. 1/2 hour later and I'm giving up there - still nothing happening.

By now its getting a bit later so I decided to do one more walk down the channel I thought would hold something. Stopped at a few spots but nothing happening. Finally I found myself back where I'd impaled my finger on a treble a few weeks ago and started picking apart the weeds at mid channel (at least as much as I could from shore).

A canoe came buy with 2 kids and their mom and the boy asks me if I caught anything and luckily I can say yes (didn't tell him it was small) and his response was 'well catch one now'. As if, sheesh. And of course I hit some weeds and the rod bends 'He's got one' calls out the kid. I grin and I'm about to say its just some weeds when suddenly the 'weeds' start running away from me, fish on!

It was pretty clear right away that this wasn't a snot rocket as my drag started screaming out. This warm weather has really made them more active and a lot more fun to play. Finally I got a view of him and he got a view of me. Zoom! apparently he didn't like the looks of me and he went for a couple more runs but I liked what I saw. Finally on the third pull towards the shore he seemed to be willing to come in for a visit. By this time a guy biking by had stopped to watch the fight and was happy to take a couple pics after I landed this little beauty:

33" once measured:

A new personal best (I think - we didnt measure the one in my avatar but I'm pretty sure this one had it by a couple inches). A couple seconds reviving in the water and he gave me a good splashing for my trouble as he headed back out into the channel.

The first thing out of the little boys mouth in the canoe after all of that: "Catch a bigger one now". Well I tried for a bit but that was it for the day.

All in all only a couple real fish to show for nearly 6 hours but at least it ended with the good one. Of course then I got home and a quick glance in the mirror showed me that I'd forgotten to put sunscreen on my chest (was wearing a shirt open at the top) so now I've got a great big red V to remind me of the day. Given this boards sudden lust for nudity shots I figured I give you all a good chuckle:

Saturday night I was beat but PatrickG wanted to try a new spot and was only able to hit the water Sunday. I was praying for an excuse to get out of it - suppose to rain, thunderstorms coming, DVP is closed, sunburn. I had every excuse but Patrick's the reason I found out about the islands so if he says he has an idea I'd be an idiot to pass on it.

Slept in a bit and then had to deal with a 45 minute downtown commute since the DVP was closed but hey - no rain so no complaints. Patrick was already there by the time I got down and had one pike landed (He has the pic on his camera). I opened up my box and took out the new Super Lure (yep the same weedless for Saturday) and we went to work. The spot we were at didn't want to produce any more so we moved to a promising looking point and pretty soon after I had a snot rocket. Didn't bother with a pic as he was kinda ugly hooked and by the time I got him off I didn't want to waste time getting the camera. He swam away fine so hopefully no harm done.

Patrick then realized he'd left his pliers at the old spot and went back to get them. While he's off I had one hit right in front of me, came out of nowhere and tried to steal my lure. Was about the same size as the little guy pictured above. I would have another picture but I left this guy hooked in the water for 10 seconds while I unpacked the camera and sure enough .. shake shake .. no more fish on the end. Doh. Lesson learned - have the camera (and other gear) ready before you start casting.

Patrick made it back, pliers in hand and quickly pulled in this guy on 'the ghost' (a white x-rap):

He'd wrapped himself in the line pretty badly so the lip grippers were used so that we could safely get the trebles and line unhooked from the various places this guy managed to hang himself on . Once cleaned though he seemed fine, no blood just a bit of a scar and he took off without a second look at us.

A few minutes later I hear 'holy crap' and look over to see Patricks lure out of the water but a HUGE swirl just in front of him. "That was a big fish, followed it in but wouldn't take it". I didn't see the fish but the swirl was all I needed to see to know he wasn't kidding. We kept working the spot for another 1/2 hour or so when boom, I've got something real on the line. As the spool starts spinning I realize he's trying to take me around the point I was on, for a bit there I thought I was going to have to get wet to keep the line from wrapping up on the rocks but he tired out and I was able to get him where I wanted him and when we saw him we knew we'd found 'the swirl fish':

32" by the tape, my second 30+ of the weekend, what a great couple of days. This one is Patricks as much as mine though - his ghost told us he was there and it was Patrick that brought me out (and to think I was trying to get out of fishing today - what an idiot).

We tried for a while longer but I think this guy told all the rest that it was a trap as we didn't even see another. Just a bunch of carp and one accidental largie landed by Patrick (quickly returned, no pic).

So we ended up with 6 between us for the day (5 pike, one bass) and 2 pike, one bass the day before. All of my pike came on my new favourite lure, think I'm gonna have to pick up a couple more though as its taking a beating - this was it after day 1, there's a few more scrapes on it today.

urbanangler1990 · June 3, 2007

nice pike, and report

mepps · June 3, 2007

Nice job!

I had a huge fish bend my hooks open on my last visit 2 weeks ago.

Silver is my colour of choice this year.

mason05 · June 3, 2007

Nice outing man! Love the pic of the war torn lure. Great report.

Corn Nug

PatrickGG · June 3, 2007

Yea it sure was a fun day, Here was the first pike i got

not as big as tbays but a fighter indeed he did some air assaults on the way in.

The overcast made it a awesome day for pike fishing as for the carp theres so many as i was walking back to the spot where i left my pliers i came across a couple fishing for carp in a spot that had produced no fish i gladly showed them where i seen a bunch in spawn mode and they thanked me for showing them a hot spot i just hoped they would take as much as they can home for dinner :lol: .

BFSC Kevin · June 4, 2007

Nice fish.

I gotta head down there myself.

Probably get to the second place you went with pat later on this week.

let me know if either of you two head down!

MJL · June 4, 2007

Amazing report. I love the pics.

BTW

What kind of glove is that? Is it the one by Lindy Little Joe? Is it cut and puncture-proof?

I'm looking for a glove to take with me for my own pike fishing excursions.

tbayboy · June 4, 2007

Yeah its the lindy glove, I picked it up at the spring fishing show but I wasn't thinking and got the wrong hand, the glove is on my right but I'm right handed so holding onto the fish with my right makes it hard to use the tools but still its good for the grip on the slimy little ones and its fairly puncture proof but I still wouldn't be sticking my hand in that pikes mouth and a hook straight on will go through it but it helps I suppose. Plus it means less slime

Kevin I'm sure you know the spot, leave me some for next weekend ok (damned job ruining good mid week fishing).

And Mepps I think you might be right about silver. The yellow five of diamonds and the gold cyclops didn't have much luck but that silver weedless worked well.

irishfield · June 4, 2007

Great stuff TBB ! Looked like a good day out.

Watch those gloves though. I asked for one for Christmas and after seeing it I refuse to use it. Finger area is hook proof...but the rest isn't..so if you get a hook thru it and into your hand...you'ze screwed!

June 4, 2007

Nice report. I tried for some pike last weekend at the islands and the weeds sure do make casting lures frustrating. Fished the same spot as you and got nothing but weeds. Just shows with persistence and tactic/lure changes it is possible to catch some beauties in amongst the weeds and the snot rockets. Congrats on a great pike.

Thanks for sharing.

007

mattyk · June 4, 2007

nice pike!

bassmaster4 · June 4, 2007

great report that lure sure took a beating wtg

tbayboy · June 4, 2007

Good point irishfield - I can picture myself with a glove stuck to my hand because of a hook that way. I bought them more for the grip then the protection (bought it before my little impaling incident) and I find I can hold onto the snot rockets much better with it and that means less flopping thus less trebles heading my way so in that way its hook proof

Mike the Pike · June 4, 2007

Great detailed report beauty Pike.You seem to burn faster than GCD.

:thumbsup_anim: MTP

ilario · June 4, 2007

Heya Sean,

That's a great spot for pike... I used to fish there in the 1990's and I would catch my biggest pike of the season...speciaslly in the spit lagoons...

have youy used the finder yet?

snag · June 4, 2007

Love your reports.

About your sunburn,

"V" is for Victory!

Bitsmith2k · June 4, 2007

nicely done sean.. although i'm dissapointed to see you retire perchie as the goto lure..

tbayboy · June 4, 2007

Oh I'm sure perchie will make a comeback, we'll have to hook up again and see if it hasn't got a few more fish left in her (you hit nippising yet?)

Haven't used the finder yet Poacher (well other than sim mode to play around with it). Was gonna rent a boat this weekend but the threat of thunderstorms turned me off that (of course there never was a storm - stupid weathermen). Maybe this weekend even if I have to clamp it to the side of a rental canoe in 3' of scugog muck

Bitsmith2k · June 4, 2007

ya.. we'll have to hook up again.. got back from Nipissing yesterday, trying to get some pictures together for a report..

ccmtcanada · June 11, 2007

HOw in the heck did I miss this one? I must have been out fishing?? :dunno:

Great report...awesome pics!! Glad to see you getting into some bigger pike now! You may want to get about a dozen of your fav lure...it seems to work for you!

Dont forget...you ever want to catch carp....let me know....LOL

Cliff

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