Spring fishing has been in full flow for the last six weeks and I’ve been drowning myself in it.
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Around home there was a bit of a wait between the last ice outings and finally swinging some long-rod casts from the big boat. To pass that time a little exploring through the local backyard was done. The kids were totally game and had a blast.
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That journey on land was complimented a week later when I soaked the WarCanoe on the nearby Mississippi, Clyde, Fall and Mud Rivers. A truly remarkable day cruising high on spring runoff and peering around many new corners of highland waterways.
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What would be spring without trout? Well… “without” was almost a reality this spring. Despite a couple tough ATV trips into the Madawaska Hills in search of specks and bows, it was a day of lakers in The Bomber that saved face.
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Some time out with buddies, a couple solo efforts and more with family capped off crappies this spring. Watching floats drop can be addictive. No 14 inchers this but a good number of 12 to 13.5’s.
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After craps… and kinda during, the gar fishing warmed up in these parts. This is a really gnarly fishery one can’t help but enjoy. I started the season alongside Capn’ RJ in his Lund, but since then switched over into my boat with buddies Pat, Grant and Luke. Having built an elevated casting deck to improving sight, fishing from it just works much better in everyone’s favor. All have been enjoying themselves and nailing new personal bests too.
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Luke’s PB below @ 14lb, 6oz.
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Grant’s PB below @ 51 inches.
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Some gar aren’t all that wicked looking at all… but rather kinda sweet and innocent…
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… though some fish are meant to be punished then taken aboard to photograph.
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Wished I had a tape at the time for this one below… long skinny fish @ 13lb, 6oz.
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Below, this morning catch is a new PB for length at 50.5 inches. Weight was solid @ 14lb, 2oz.
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The next three shots below are of my new best caught while fishing with my friend Pat. A little descriptive text helps highlight that moment.
“CrocSocks Origins.”
A thorough Bomber struttin’ had some gars look our way and some turn and run. Setting that hook is the goal but laying chase is a good bit of fun too. Patty and I were on the prowl when we both took notice of an absolute PIG of a gar… one of those rare FREAK gars that eat other gar. She was quick though, and had both of us in a tail-spin after her. A few ignored casts and she slipped away downtown into the deep brown.
Twenty minutes or so later we were trudging through some skinny muck when Patty put the cast to a quality fish in his sight. Other side of the boat I saw a black silhouette of a good fish pretty close to me too. I made my cast and not even really seeing the take, I just set quick on a hit. Fish was immediately in my face and showing zero respect, but some Mojo Bass moves patented by the Saints of Croix allowed Patty to slip the net under it.
“THAT’S A FAT FISH!!!” announced Patty. Excited I answered, “Dood, I’m thinking this is my biggest.”
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The fish was real relaxed in the boat… not all are. Although it had a little bowel release on deck. Patty held the tape at the fishes nose while I stretched it along to the tail… 50 inches. Maybe my longest, maybe not, but it was the girth of this girl that had us in wonder.
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CROCSOCKS, be thy name!
Patty watching on, I slipped the digi-scale under the gill-plate and around to the leathery soft flesh midline with the belly. Holding her snout, got her vertical, slowly and carefully released all tension until she hung calm, and watched the scale settle in at 16lbs, 7oz. YEAH!!! Just slammed my PB from the previous week by a hair more than 3 pounds. That is just GARgantuan cool… Actually weighs heavier than the Ontario Record by nearly a pound as well. BIG GAR!![/I]
“Awesome fish Bunk… but you know… that fish we saw earlier could have eaten this fish,” said Patty. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that she was going back to swim anyways, and Patty was dead-on too! Every now and again you see a real prehistoric mammoth gar swimming about. Personally, I may have seen three or four that made all others look small. One fish for sure from last year still haunts me. This one went back to the river with a certain happiness. She’ll be even bigger next time too. “You gonna tell RJ about it,” Patty asks? “Why wouldn’t I..? It’s my biggest gar ever,” I answer.
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And so that’s half of spring in a nutshell. It’s been quality fishing and days out with friends. Hopefully it keeps up and the gar fishing stays hot. Enjoy the coming sun all.
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Bunk
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