April 11th kicked off the start to this years softwater season with a trib trip for some spring run steel. Man alive there was some angler rust to clean, yet the float dropped for a couple fish. One bow had to be a near dead dropback, while the other cleared three feet atop the water before spitting the hook. That was initially some exciting but sad shiznit to deal with, up until finally locking horns with this brute of a fresh locochromotive that ran line all over the map. Intense first fish and one serious fight. Stoked
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Thursday the 14th had a day to kill so I loaded up the float tube, couple pannie rods and a cooler in the Chev. Some local locks and several other crappie shore spots, morning into afternoon there wasn’t very much doing anywhere..? Gills, perch and local celebrities at the popular holes, and found a handful of rando-loner craps elsewhere. Finally nearing dinner received the call I’d been waiting for, Summer’s car was done. Having passed an E-Test and safety it was time to take my daughter’s new Buick home to her. (old Buick – 2001 & 51000kms, but her first car anyway)
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Snuck away to seek out some big redhorse suckers. When initially finding them a couple years back I was totally unprepared and under-gunned in the moment. First remember thinking they were carp, after watching awhile it was determined the were in fact big redhorse… like six to eight pounders with the odd fishing looking like ten. Well, I didn’t find them after bushwhacking awhile the other day but did find white suckers instead. Some of them kinda big in their own right too, like one that may have pushed the Ontario record. Took some home for bait at a later date and next morning Bren plucked a deer tick off my tit too. Bugger
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Past Saturday an angler buddy I hadn’t seen in ages took up my empty seat offer for anyone willing. Off to Lady O, Tony and I had plans to meet at 8:00am then be done by 3:00pm. Fish were a little slow at first and we both had some rigger rust to shed but, in relatively little time the first rod fired around 9:30am and we were on the board. Four hours later, going seven for seven with several healthy fish hitting mid teens, Tony and I were both quite pleased enough to call it a day. Good company, solid team
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Following day, on the Sunday, my mate Mikey and I toured back to the big lake to try for browns. Long haul, once we got on the water there had to be 30 to 40 boats out that figured on trying the same. My first time targeting brown trout and Mike an avid trout nut, we were both on tilt to catch some of these fish. First hour passed and we watched many boats not move a rod except one. Making our way out a little deeper and still on the hunt, the port-side board flew back and I was on it. It was a cracker as any good Scot would say. By mid afternoon we were one of the last half dozen boats still trying, and that’s when Mike and I popped three more wee broonies in the 3:00 to 4:00pm hour. At 5:00pm we called it a day. Down with the browns
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So… in the first week plus a day it’s feeling like one helluva good start really. Not sure what’s next or even how the spring and summer are going to unfold of yet but, if taking it each day at a time leads to more fishing like this, probably best to just stay that course for now.
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Get Fishing
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Bunk
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