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Forecast of three days was calling for warm, warmer, hot with a mix of sun, sun and sun. Timing for 31 was mint… and with my buddy Keith primed for the tour we set off stoked to Maniwaki.
Scoop for fishing the PQ up in the Gatineauz is whitefish. Lakers are closed but are always an incidental and quite often more than occasional catch. I go micro jigs and small spoons for whites, fishing the 15-45 fow ranges on a variety of structures, while enjoying the common release of many hard fighting greys found in the lake.
Simply put, this year the whiteys were jerks. Many places we punched holes there were fish on sonar, but they acted slow and cautious, and we often missed hook-sets or were sniffed out before fish would take. Lost a few too. Whites are tricky like that, not only can they be really tough to find most times, they can be really tough to coax. Most fight like panfish and rather wimpy, but then you have to fight them soft anyways. For me, it’s the whole process of seek, coax, finesse and catch, and there’s not many fish out there that can be as wily as whites to make this all happen regularly. Three years in I’m still kinda new to chasing them too, but so far they’re keeping me interested.
On the lake by noon our first day we found a few fish on usual spots. Lost a likely white early and moving around iced 10 or 11 lakers to make the day quite fun.
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Into Maniwaki later that evening, we filled our bellies to tilt and hit the hay fast.
5:30am wake-up we were on the lake with holes drilled by 8:00. A most productive whitey spot last year proved to be loaded with perch, and also one laker. With perfect skies, mint weather and easy riding, the rest of the day would be one big lake tour for hole hopping in search of fish. Many others were seen out fishing the lake too, including the QMNR. Keith and I would kick-in or punch new holes in more than a dozen different locations from the north end of the lake to the belly, and on the east and west sides. Not a single whitefish caught, but what an amazing day it all turned out to be. Exploring 31 was incredible and by sunset we were burnt right out.
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Next morning we were on the lake by 7:00am. Temps were hovering around zero already and there wasn’t even a whisp of wind. On the ice you could hear your echo when you spoke, and listen to all the birds waking up.
With nearly two dozen spots all having fresh holes to just boot open, we figured on plenty touring if unable to get on top of fish. Thing was, the morning bite early appeared promising and we actually iced some whites.
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And we also lost a few too.
Of course there were still some lakers hooked. In fact, many. All mine caught were cookie-cutters, while Keith popped some similar and also the best of the trip.
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Midday sun was incredible. The fishing turned slow so Keith and I opted to go for a good long ride to fish where other’s had been seen the previous day at the north end of the lake. Daytime high was to hit 6C and when blowing out of our fishing hole I mounted the Go-Pro on my helmet to catch some of the amazing riding we were able to enjoy on the lake.
This 5 minute video is probably the highlight of the trip. Lawr’s 660 Cat and my 250 Bravo rip up the trippy shorelines to the tune of Black Sunshine.
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BRAVO SUNSHINE!
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Minutes after losing the sled the Bravo was accelerating to speed and then just cut out. Bummer!!!
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First thought… overheating. Second thought… fuel blockage somewhere. Final thought… air. Primer had been acting up all trip and it was the likely culprit… but why just then after blazing trail no problemo?
Ran the machine OK back to the truck with the choke on full, loaded it up, then set back out onto the lake with Keith training up both sleighs. Unfortunately, we only lasted a couple more hours back on the spots we had fished, before deciding around 3:00pm we’d had a full 8-hour day already in.
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Everything in stride… it was wicked fun on 31. Having my old friend Keith along for his first tour on the lake his take on things was… “I’ll be coming back again…”
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… Me too.
Bunk
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