And people question why fishing is a SPORT

It's days like TODAY that I live for, that make my heart race and face light up with utter joy and excitement and remind me why I LOVE fishing.  Woke up with the full intention of putting in a long full day of work with my ebay business, but it took only one question from my husband as he was heading out the door for work... "Are you fishing today" to realize I had the OK to play hooky and do what I love (on a gorgeous hot sunny day).  Kids still have a month left of school...and I need to take advantage of these ALONE days to charge up my fulfillment meter.

Decided to hit up a new Lock along the Rideau that I recently found that is secluded, beautiful and quiet (love people and chatter..but most of the time I want to just enjoy the sounds of nature and be by myself).   Things started out slow, but in the true fashion of growth,  as I'm always working on patience (perhaps my least strong suit) I kept at it.  After 2 hours (and 1 accidentally out of season large mouth)...I finally landed a nice 22" Pike (using a weedless red devil spoon)...and momma was happy:)   


Decided to move up to the next lock that I'd only been to once before and had not fully explored...boy was that a great idea:)  Got to the lock and walked to the front end which I was very happily surprised to see had falls & rapids that I didn't know about on top of the calm canal...there was a PLETHRA of great fishing to be had...but something caught my eye (it was impossible not too)...a pool of  well over 100 CARP.  I've never attempted to fish for carp (although I'd thought about it after seeing the size of them last year and did buy heavy test line and large hooks to put in my box)...every time I've seen them it's been in places i can't get to for easy fishing and I've just watched and admired:)  WELL today that changed!!!  I decided to do an experiment...put the last of my worms on my hook with some weights and just plop them down amongst the carp and see what happens...WELL...took only a minute before TUG and then WHAM something was off with my line and it was BIG and ready for a fight.   After 40 minutes of fighting something bigger then I'd ever dealt with on my 10lb line with small size 4 muster hook I was starting to have even more respect for Mr. Jeremy Wade and his RIVER MONSTERS!

 For anyone who wonders why they call FISHING a SPORT (and even as a HUGE lover of fishing I've had  moments I've wondered as well)....the 45 minute workout I received on this first carp showed me why they call it a sport...it was harder then some of the gym classes I've done:)  After 45 minutes...this big guy got off the line just as he got close (can you say swear fest..yep..all by myself as a family of deer passed by crossing the river in front of me...they even turned to look at the crazy lady).  Decided I had enough time for another try (and fight) before I had to leave to get the kids from school.  Worms were all gone..so I changed to a HUGE hook..and put on a pink rubber worm (figured my chances would be slim with this tactic, but I was proven wrong) took a few minutes longer this time, but BOOM one was on and it was off.  Just as with the first...the fight was long and hard (even dropped my phone in the water during the fight...it survived.) but I eventually tired him out enough to get him close enough to net...only problem..I'd stretched my 10lb line out so much with the first guy and then this encounter that it was very weak and ready to go....as I put my net in to scoop him out..he thrashed and BANG went my line ...and off went Mr. Carp ( I did manage a quick video moments before).  I wanted to be disappointed...(and was a bit of course), but was so delighted with the fight and the excitement of something new that I could happen but be exhilarated.

I certainly won't make CARP fishing my main goal, but I do guarantee that I'll eventually  land one and have some pictures in the near future and then I'll be back to my regular friends:)

That time of year again!!!

It's that time of year again...the time I'm the happiest...FISHING TIME!  It's been a LONG winter of dreaming about pulling out my rod and getting to the shore.  Was lax on the blogging due to time constraints at the end of the season and the lack of exciting things to share...but now I'm rejuvenated by the warm weather and early catches of the season, I'm ready to start back in.

As is my goal every year on the May 24 long week-end (mostly because it's my birthday on the 18th and I consider it a gift to myself) I headed out this past week-end in hopes of landing a Pike.  Large pike would have been nice..but hey...I'm a pretty reasonable girl and I'll take whatever decides to take my line and be happy with it.

Headed out to Burrits Rapids (lock 17) on the Rideau in the early evening to try and get my gift.  Didn't take long to get one hooked and have the first pike of the year on my line without much of a fight.  Moved on to some of the other locks along the river, but not much luck besides my first catch. 

Next morning went out in search of some walleye as the season just opened here in Ontario and was hoping to finally catch one of my own (hubby has caught a few with me around and I've pulled them in and dehooked, but can never seem to get them on my own line).  Hubby was the lucky one again..I had a few bites but couldn't land them this day...I was all good with it as we did find the Honey Hole for Walleye...and will be making a trip back in the very near future.

Can't believe it's just the end of May and still have so much fishing left.  Weather has been amazing..so I'm super excited.  VERY  much looking forward to a cottage rental / over night stay in Pickerel Bay with a boat for the day June 2nd /3rd...and then a week long stay on White Lake at the end of July to mix it up a bit...but of course nothing gives me as much anticipation as heading up to Crotch Lake with the boys for hours of gorgeous scenery and awesome fishing:)

finally caught the elusive 17" or larger Small Mouth Bass

I've had such luck catching good size Large Mouth this year that it was no problem to get my Ontario Angler Award for them...but I was starting to get worried that the 17" or larger Small Mouth Award would be my undoing. The largest Small mouth I'd managed to pull in up till this past week was 15"...(lots of them..but they weren't 17"..lol). After the fantastic time we had at crotch lake in North Frontenac on Wednesday the 12th....I decided to book one of the other sites for Friday the 17th and head up with the boys again and try to catch something to get me another award (walleye, pike, Muskie, Carp, whitefish...ect...caught some..but not big enough to qualify thus far).
We got to the site around 9am...and settled in and fishing we went. It was super quite and empty at the sites..we had free range of all 3 road access campsites...which was just fantastic. We fished and caught lots of large (creepy...I think everyone knows how I feel about this odd fish and their funny noises) whitefish and average small mouth most of the morning..and then decided to trek down the river away to campsite 3 for the afternoon (the boys wanted to use the smooth rapids as a waterside and anything that makes them happy make me happy:). As it sometimes goes...I stood in the middle of the river at the bottom of the rapids on a huge boulder fishing away with various lures for over 90 minutes catching some good size rock bass but nothing award worthy or BIG like I wanted. I Finally decided to try a worm and bobber on a side inlet and of course on the first cast..BOOM...a beautiful large sized Small Mouth grabbed on...after he put up a fight for 5 t0 10 minutes and I finally got him in ....he measured 17.9" and I was one very happy (ok ecstatic) gal...Finally...another fish off my list :) Next cast got something on the line even bigger..unfortunately the fight broke my line and he took my beautiful new bobber...you win some you lose some!!

As we packed up and left we decided to fish for 30 minutes at the first campsite (which was empty) at the top deeper part of the lake. Took only a few minutes to get a small pike on my line with my Black Furry Lure, which unfortunately got snagged and lost on my next cast. Managed to land another pike about 10 minutes later...as I pulled him in we saw what we can only assume was a Muskie jump out in the lake about 2 meters from my last cast (this thing was bigger then me..it was incredible). Made for another amazing day at Crotch lake! Decided that we'll go back this Wednesday for our last before school fishing and nature day! Yippie!

Sometimes the beauty of fishing is in the beauty around you!

I'd been waiting since last September for this day to come - our first trip of the year to Crotch Lake in Ompah. We like to rent one of the North Frontenac Parkland Campsites for the day (it's only 50 minutes to the bush road and then 20 minutes in from where we are located and absolutely one of the most stunning places in Ontario) and just enjoy the gorgeous and stunning beauty of the land and the fabulous fishing. We have sites booked for September for the whole family...but it struck me last week...why can't I just go with the boys for the day right now!!! So I quickly booked one of the 4 land accessible sites and was ready to go on Friday!

We got up at 6 and headed out the door at 7! After a gorgeous drive there (7 deer crossed our path...one was a family with a baby fawn) we arrived around 8:30am. The boys pulled out their Nerf guns and I pulled out my tackle box and rod...wanted to get as much in as early as I could. It was absolutely the day of the ROCK BASS...WOW...of the 72 fish I caught on Friday I'd have to say 40 were good size fighting Rock Bass...the rest were small mouth (with 3 HUGE white fish).

The fishing was great....got at least 8-10 BIG THINGS on the line...but it was just one of those days (even for the boys..who had some very sizable things on their lines at times as well..) were I just couldn't land them...or keep them to get a picture. Had a great sized Pike on the line last cast before we left...got him in right to the rock edge...and was calling for the boys to bring my net back (my youngest was teaching my oldest to catch frogs by hand..but they found a BIG ONE they wanted the net) and just as I pulled it in it jumped off..ugh! The boys felt bad and were upset that I didn't get the fish..but I reminded them..we saw it...and it wasn't about catching it...it was about the AMAZING day we had....it was so peaceful and relaxing...and having FUN fishing not being upset about it!

Soooooo....after some thought and realizing how SHORT the summer is...and life is....we're heading back on Wednesday (Different campsite....) to have some more fun...and hopefully catch that BIG ONE!

Family Fun Fishing Derby - Mississippi Lake August 27th

Just wanted to let anyone in the Ottawa Valley area know that Saturday August 27th is the annual FAMILY FUN DERBY hosted by Bait Casters for kids Below is the info (or just click on Here).

FLYER:
BAIT CASTERS brings you our 10TH ANNUAL FAMILY FUN FISHING DERBY Saturday, August 27th, 2011 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Each child may weigh in 3 fish of any species. Prizes for total weight AND Prizes for big bass, big pike, big pickerel, big perch & mystery weights!
You may fish from a boat or from shore anywhere on Mississippi Lake.
All fish must be weighed in at Bait Casters Mississippi lake location by 2:00 p.m.
Entry fee: $10.00 per child 16 and under.
Only children 16 and under will be eligible for prizes.
Pre-registration at Carleton Place store location - 7811 Hwy 15Registration at lake location until noon on August 27th.
FREE HOT DOGS, DRINKS AND LOTS OF DRAW PRIZES!Check out our FlyerRules and Registration Form
Hope to see a ton of people out for this great event!

Jigging with Plastic Wave Worm for Large Mouth...

The one thing you learn as you get more knowledgeable about fishing is that there are SO MANY different techniques and lures and that fishing isn't as "simple" as it seems. OK, you can put a worm on a hook with a bober and get some great fish sometimes(hey...my own largest largemouth came from a simple worm, bober and hook...- with the help of another fish that jumped on the line first) but the reality is A LOT of the time you need to know about different water conditions, vegetation, currents, as well as what lure or technique to use to get those fish out and biting. I'll admit I'm like a sponge most of the time reading so much and trying new things (and using my intuition - which I must say with all honesty is one of the best tools you have as an angler).

The boys and I recently went fishing in the middle of the afternoon (2pm...not prime fishing time under normal sunny circumstances) under the bridge here in town. There is a nice current under the bridge and some great sop coverage on the one side mixed with tons of lily pads and other weeds. We always had luck catching a variety of pan fish and occasionally a small mouth or large mouth. 45 minutes in and we were catching a couple pan fish here and there with worm and bober, but I noticed that near the sop on the right side there was a lack of bites on my line which got me thinking there was something a bit bigger under there scaring the little fish away. I decided to switch to a a red and white Wave Worm with a WACKY RIG (just straight on the hook) and do some jigging. It only took about 3 minutes from the time I put the wave worm in for a BIG bite to come and the fight ensued (I had no clue what was on there..but it didn't want me to find out). After a couple minutes I pulled in a beautiful 17" largemouth.

If I'd ignored my knowledge and intuition that guy would have sat there all afternoon while I fished..but switching my bait, set up and taking note of the signs...allowed me to have the thrill of another great catch! We admired the guy for a bit and then let him go back on his way. Each catch is a lesson in trusting what you know and reading the conditions....can't wait to get out there again!

Finally a Walleye

I've heard a lot about Walleye for the past year....hubby talks about them frequently...and they are one of the fish I hadn't had the pleasure of catching, observing and learning more about.

We'd heard that there was good Walleye fishing in Almonte by the dam...so recently we decided to go and try to catch one so I could see them (and be prepared for our upcoming Ompah trips later in the summer).

The dam wasn't flowing heavy (only a trickle) the water was deep and dark...a perfect Walleye spot! It took about 30 minutes for one to get on the line after quite a few bites. Wow what an interesting fish....crazy eyes...sharp little teeth...was so glad to finally get a close up view:) This guy wasn't that big..but very feisty. Was a successful trip and hoping to catch some more this summer!

Now..I must say there was a moment where I almost caught and had a HUGE Snapping Turtle following in my lure that my heart almost sank...I don't want to catch a turtle...especially one the size of my 7 year old...i've never reeled in so fast...or seen a turtle swim and chase so quickly.