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.

Redhorse sucker fish....yick and yuck..but COOL!

There are few fish I don't like catching and try to avoid ...afterall a fish is a fish in my universe! Yet, SUCKERS just creep me out generally. There is nothing worse then fishing for smallmouth and bringing in your line and there is a creepy white sucker on there! The worst part must be the sucking slurping noise they make after a few seconds out of the water.

Now I say all this...but a sucker or even catfish or carp of a GOOD size does entice my fishing instincts. Recently made an after dinner trip with my son to the Almonte Fish and Game Sanctuary on the Mississippi River to try and catch some smallmouth...but after wading into the river we both could see some sort of sizable suckers near where we were standing..so a change of plan took place to get one of these instead. Off went the bobber.....and down when the worm and hook to sit on the edge of low sitting rock in the water and the waiting began. The wait was SHORT as it was literally a minute or two before we could see the fish trying to suck up the worm and with one quick pull one was hooked and the fun began getting him back to shore. Once we finally got back to shore and pulled him out ...we could see he was RedHorse Sucker (holy geeze...was he a weird looking thing...but still awesome at the same time). Took a bit of effort to dehook him with his crazy lip..but got it done and he swam away back with his buddies. I'm not sure I'd purposely try to catch one again....but was totally an interesting experience!

Learning Patience is KEY to catching Big Fish!

The kids are out of school which means lots of flexibility and FISHING! We're always on the lookout while driving around for NEW fishing spots to try (living out in the country with lot of lakes around...we're always coming upon little spots we've never tried).

One of my FAVORITE spots in our town of Carleton Place (just outside of Ottawa) is under a major over pass on Hwy 7. It has easy access and it connects the Mississippi River with Mississippi Lake so there is lots of stuff coming in and out. One of the best parts is it has nice moving water, but also great weeds and sop bogs on either side of the bridge which I've learned usually seem to contain at least one or two decent size large mouth if you're patient and using the right tools :)

I'm the first to admit I'm not always the most patient person! I'm usually a GO GO always doing something, never sitting still kinda girl. It's one of the reasons I love FISHING because I have no choice to be patient...I can cast for an hour or two with nothing but small catches of pan fish and then all of a sudden BOOM...I have a BIG fish on the line and it makes it all worth while....in this sense fishing is a great learning experience for overall life!

A couple weeks ago I was at my favorite spot under the overpass with my youngest guy while my hubby was out in the banana boat with the older kid trolling and trying to catch BIG stuff. I stood there casting over and over again for 90 minutes in the evening with my worm and bobber (it was extremely weedy and I wasn't feeling too adventures ) and cast after cast I was reeling in silly panfish after silly panfish (don't get me wrong some are getting to huge crazy shocking sizes , but after almost 1000 panfish caught so far this season...I'm a bit bored:). Ill be honest I was getting bored and frustrated (especially since I knew hubby was probably catching BIG stuff out in the lake while I stood dinky fish on shore) when it was almost time to leave out of the blue I felt THAT TUG...that one that is so strong it starts to pull your line out and you hear that hmmm of your unravelling line. I didn't know what it was..and frankly I didn't care...I just knew it was BIG and I was ready! Of course after fighting with this guy for 5 minutes and asking my little guy to get the NET I realize I'd left it in the car...and when I ask for my gloves...I'm informed that I only have 1 as daddy took the other one on the boat...oh this will be FUN! When I get the catch in close enough..he's hiding under the sop weeds and still have no clue what he is or his size. After some more fight we get a head above water and see its a HUGE Largemouth...bigger then any I've caught before....in I go with my hand (just in time as the line snaps as I grab him) to bring him on shore and revel in my catch. This guy was gorgeous...super healthy, clean and 21". Absolutely made my day (OK probably week..lol..it's tough being home with 2 kids for summer break :) Besides having an awesome catch..I was again reminded patience is probably the most important of all my fishing tools.

Yes..i'm still fishing....

Thought I'd do a quick post since it's been almost a month and I've had a few people ask if I'm still fishing (since I haven't been posting). The answer is absolutely YES!! Actually I would have to say I'm fishing at least 5 days a week at least and had some AWESOME catches that I'll share when I update in the next day or two. We just returned from a week long trip to visit family and have some family fun (and it was 7 long days of now fishing...started twitching by the end and must have made a comment at every lake and river we passed).

Summer has just been so busy with outing with the kids (that I somehow always manage to make into semi fishing trips.....tricky mom) that by the end of the day I'm done and vegging (but I'm going to put an effort forward to bring the laptop on the couch with me and get this done everyday).

I received my 2 Newest Avid Angler Awards yesterday in the mail - one for my 21.5" bass (I'll post pictures and tell the story next post) and one for a Yellow perch. So....thus far I'm up to 5 awards this season...and and itching to get a Walleye and Small Mouth awards as well.

In prep of getting back out tonight for a couple casts (heck we haven't even been home 24 hours) I had to go out and get a new rod today. I was ready to go all expensive...and get a really good rod ...but honestly...after I tested and tried them all...I still wanted my simple orange EB Ellipse 19.99 rod....(I'm not good with change....lol). Ended up splurging on polarized fishing sunglasses instead :) I figure is something is working (like my pretty orange rod) don't change it...

Off for dinner so we can get out there after and catch SOMETHING!

Plastic lures....trying something new..

Earlier this week while I was helping hubby get his boat out of the water there was the cutest elderly man getting ready to fish. Now I was a bit surprised because this location has never given me "that feeling" of a good fishing spot for various reasons (mainly it's right beside a swimming area and it's quite shallow in spots). So I was flabbergasted when this adorable man pulled in a HUGE large mouth in on his first cast (he was so excited..said it was the biggest fish he'd ever caught). After he got the fish landed...(he seemed delighted that there were some other people there to see his BIG catch) he started showing us what he caught it with....a PINK plastic worm lure (appropriately called BUBBLEGUM). This older gentleman said he'd seen another younger gentleman using these lures a couple nights before and catching stuff (and this other fisherman apparently swore it's all he ever used to catch large mouth). Got me thinking!

I'm not a huge fan of plastics...maybe cause I'm old school...maybe cause they just seem SOOOO fake (let me say thou for quite awhile when I started fishing I was convinced that lures couldn't possibly work either....fish couldn't be that stupid....worm and bobber was the only way to go..until I tried my first jointed lure and caught some big stuff and I was converted). My tackle box has a few packets of various plastics...but they frankly never get used....but watching this man catch this fish with them renewed my interest...so out I went to Canadian Tire to purchase some BUBBLEGUM Pink Plastic Worm Lures (which by chance were on SALE this week..yippie). Took these new pink worms out for a test run the following night with no avail (but I think this had more to do with location....as the side of the river I was on is more known for small mouth then large mouth bass). I did however have quite a few people comment on the colour and that they'd never seen such PINK lures :) Then came today when I ventured out to the Mississippi River split off by my house for some late afternoon fishing. After trudging through the MUCK of mud and water to get to my spot..I open up my container of worms from the previous day to realize that there are only 2 worms in there (I think my youngest had a little too much fun on the dock the night before with his worm friends and may have let some go :)...so I used those 2 worms up quick and decide to cut one of my Pink Plastic Worm Lure in half and play worm make believe. Shockingly, it worked....the small mouth started biting at my bright pink "worm" and I had a quite a few landed Small Mouth bass. The only thing that I found frustrating was that there were a lot of fish that got on the line that I couldn't land....not sure why that was....but I'll have to do some more research on it...most likely they were bitting the lure and not getting the hook (I was using a wacky rig)! All in all....long story short...I'll be using plastics a bit more often...not 100% converted though...that may take some time!

Ontario Angler Awards - First 3 are in my hands :)

I've been waiting awhile for these awards to come in! The first 3 of my Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers - Angler Awards came in this week (postal strike delayed them a bit)
and they are awesome! So far I've received one for Bluegill, Black Crappie and Pumpkinseed. I'm still waiting on my large mouth bass certificate...should be here soon too! They come with a nice decal as well stating the year...think i'll put them on my tackle box.

Speaking of tackle boxes....I finally went out this week and upgraded to a LARGE one..as I just have to many lures and other things in my old one to keep it neat and tidy and find what I want when I need it. Loving the new one...it'll take some time to get use to...but far more organized (which with me and my OCD tendencies is so necessary).

Bass Party in the Mississippi....

This past Monday with beautiful sunshine and only 2 more ME days left till the kidlets were done school I really really wanted to FISH (the forecast for the next 2 days was....well it just plain sucked.... rain forecasted both days)! With the postal strike being over I really needed to get back into WORK MODE...but being the master planner and prioritizer I am....I figured I could do groceries in the morning (as the fridge was empty) fish the afternoon and work after the kiddies were in bed :) I of course didn't anticipate the stupid computer virus that was going to take over my laptop and take up 2 hours of my time. When the groceries were done and I had handled the computer issue I only had 2 hours before kid pick up to get some fishing in....which totally eliminated most of the ptions I had in mind so I had to think fast and figure something out.

I decided to to venture somewhere close to home...a nice little jetti out into the Mississippi River around the corner from my house. I hadn't used this location yet this year due to the fact it has rained so much it was nearly impossible to get there as it was a bit flooded...but most of the bog had cleared up by now so I had hope I could get to the spot I wanted. It was still mucky...I ended up with mud all down my back from it flinging off my flip flops..but I made it into the end of the point alive. I made my way into the river (up to my thighs) where one off shoot of the Mississippi meets up with the main river again...perfect resting place for some bass :) It only took the first cast for a nice little small mouth to jump on my line... just using worm and hook this day...actually I had a ziplock bag of worms in my pocket (odd..and a first I must say) so i didn't have to keep going back to shore every 2 minutes.. That's sort of how it went for the next 75 minutes.... 23 small mouth (and a few whitefish) made my day. A lot of the small mouth were smaller 10" or so..but there were a couple that were 13-15". Haven't caught my 18" small mouth for OFHA awards yet..but I still have a whole summer to work on that :) Fantastic day....can't wait to go back....so close to home makes a perfect spot for an hour here or there of fishing fun!

One lure...two fish

I've been pampered up to this point! I've lucked out and had at least a couple decent sized fish on almost every outing, so when I went fishing this week a couple times (only for an hour or two shore fishing at a few new locations) and didn't have a plethora of fish jumping on my line I was disappointed. Now I can't complain...on Sunday June 12th we travelled to the Merrickville locks and although I didn't catch a lot of fish I caught some smaller stuff and a pretty decent pike which made my day ....and I've been trying to focus more on QUALITY then QUANTITY (at least that what I've been telling myself and the kids :)

I haven't posted much this week mostly due to the fact it's almost time for school to be out and a lot of my time has been eaten up with School trips and other year end commitments (as well as our yearly street sale that happened this past week-end..which was awesome as my hubby purchased 2 fantastic books we'd been looking for from they guy down the street who always has a gazillion fishing lures for sale each year and is obviously a serious fisherman - The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing & The Complete Fisherman...amazing additions to any collection!). Funny how I've gone from reading Woman's World weekly magazine in the bath to distress ...too reading Ontario Out of Doors Magazine and Complete Fisherman Books....oh how times have change my friends :)

This past Saturday after an early morning and some serious work at the Street Sale....our AMAZING neighbours offered us a trip out on their boat to let the boys have some fun in the water and let me fish (at some of those spots I can't reach from the shore but can see out on the Mississippi River and Mississippi Lake when I'm puttering on the shore). What a FREAK'n Fabulous time...ALMOST convinced me to break and give into my husbands endless requests (like daily) for a BOAT! We headed out around 1:30pm from the Carleton Place boat launch and down the River into the Lake. We stopped at a nice little bay a couple km out and out came my rod! I've only ever had one other experience fishing on a boat (remember now..I only started fishing last year..and I have a SERIOUS fear of BOATS...particularly fast ones) so I was actually feeling excited to pull out some lures that I have in my box, but don't get much use from the shore. Started with my Weedless Spinner bait and pretty quickly caught a very decent size perch (bigger then any I'd caught before..and big enough to qualify for a OFHA certificate). It was a gorgeous sunny day....which just always makes the experience so much fun for me...I love NOTHING more then watching the fish in the clear water following my lure...even if they don't bite..I get excited knowing they're in there!

After fishing a while we toured the lake for a bit and then glided back into the river portion of the Mississippi and parked across from the boat launch in a spot I can see from various places when I'm shore fishing, but could never reach. It was almost 5pm (what I consider my lucky fishing hour) and so I pulled out my favorite crank bait lure (which to this point I've only caught pike with this year) and started casting and It didn't take long before i had a nice size smallmouth on the line. The small mouth and large mouth were abundant in the next 30 minutes and I pulled in a nice number of them (and learned A LOT about boat fishing....the fact the fish want to pull under the boat isn't my favorite part and wrapping themselves around the anchor rope isn't cool either..lol). The best part of the whole trip though was when I had something strong on the line and it took awhile to land....when we got it in the net...I had caught 2 fish on one lure...looked like a perch caught the middle body trihook first and a wonderful sized largemouth tried to get him and got the tailend trihook...to say dehooking this situation was a bitch is an understatement...but we got it done...and I got the largemouth off and measured and I was excited that he was big enough to qualify for one of my OFHA awards...so I was one very happy girl! One happy exhausted girl that is....loved the boat...not sure I want one for myself...but absolutely see the benefits! We're off in the banana boat tomorrow to hit some spots on the Mississippi hubby has scouted fingers crossed for nice weather and fun times!

Finally a video - and the Banana boat in use!

It's been a SLOW week in my fishing world. Hey, can't have every week like the past 2 where I'm out almost daily catching like crazy. I've reopened my ebay store Delicious Steals so I've had actual work to do and we have our annual street sale coming up next week-end and I've had a lot of organizing to do for that as well....so fishing this week was cut down.

On Wednesday (when It was a whooping 41 out with humidity) I decided to trip out to my favorite lock in Jasper (it's starting to get REALLY weedy in the inlet and think my days are limited at this spot so I was taking in one of my final days using it for awhile). The fish weren't really biting....all except what I suspect was a nice size pike that kept trying to get my bobber....I switched over to a weedless lure to try and entice him...but to no avail (I didn't like the weedless lure I was using.....my awesome weedless frog lure met with a tragic end in the weeds - even thought it was WEEDLESS - when my hubby was using it last week-end.....finally got out and replaced it yesterday). Decided to leave and go on a bit of an adventure checking out spots we'd passed in previous weeks and see if there were any that were viable (great thing about mid day - mid week fishing is that there is RARELY another soul out using these spots unlike on the week-ends).

After looking at about 5 spots...all beautiful..but some just not great for shore fishing....I finally stopped at Rosie's Bridge in Jasper (just a small little bridge on the Rideau Canal). Saw lots of panfish....it gets pretty deep on the one side so held out hope that there were some bigger fish in there. Cast and reeled for about 20 minutes (using my Rapala Shad Rap) with not so much as a bite...so I was shocked when on one of my last cast before I had to leave to pick up the kids from school to have a sharp tug. Whatever was on my line was putting up quite the fight..so I released the tension and let it wear itself out. After about 5 minutes I finally got it close and to the surface to see what I had and low and behold it was a nice size PIKE. Now being ME...I pulled out the camera and put it on VIDEO mode cause I knew once I got this sucker on shore and dehooked there was no way I was going to be able to hold him and take a picture...so I thought a video shot of him coming in would be better. Unfortunately....I started with the video and as I got him close...flip and off the line he went...(video is above....short and sweet).

On a side note....hubby finally managed to get out Banana Boat out! It wouldn't fit properly on the top of the new van..so we hadn't used it, but after measuring....it actually fit in the BACK of the van. Hubby and the kids took it out on the Mississippi River here in CP (and in Almonte) and hubby and the kids were able to scope out some AWESOME spots with tons of fish that I can't wait to try during the summer!

What is with MEN thinking Woman can't fish????

Ok...I have something to get off my chest! What is with men and their issues with women fishing?? I'm so SICK and TIRED of people (OK mostly OLDER MEN) making comments about me and fishing. It started with my daily purchase of worms at the local gas station last week.....2 of the older male clerks asked "where my husband was"...and "do you want us to cut up the worms for you...we know girls don't like to rip them apart" on multiple occasions....(to the point I was angered and finally snapped back...I'm the FISHER PERSON in my family..I don't need anyone's help). That isn't nearly as bad as the comments under the breath of men fishing near me on the banks about what I'm doing there...(but I generally get the last laugh as I catch more and bigger fish then they do...it kills me with laugher inside...ok not very buddha like..but hey...no ones perfect). That all being said...fishing can also make you strike up some great conversations with total strangers (who are willing to offer you their lunch .lol)

On Monday I was VERY EXCITED to FINALLY get out and take a trip to ALMONTE and fish the bottom of the hydro dam (which is labeled a fishing sanctuary till the first Monday in June...which was this Monday). The bay and rushing water makes an amazing spot for fishing...and not PANFISH..(love them...but I'm sick of them now...after 248 fish so far and 96% being panfish I'm ready for the BIG BOYS - see the "fish caught" count on the sidebar). From the second I got there I could see fish everywhere...(trout, bass, perch, crappie). Started out with worm and bobber (always like to test the waters to see where bites of any kind are coming from) ..caught some perch...but decided it was time for some lures (finally it was time). Took out my older jointed baby pike lure and caught some smaller rockbass and smaller smallmouth. Decide to switch up to a popper (something I've only started using this year as I wasn't comfortable with the reeling style before) and BOOM...the small and largemouth were on my line like crazy.

I was quite upset ....i finally caught a guy who could be a largemouth entry for my OAA and when I got him in the net and took a look...the poor bugger was missing his TAIL...(had obviously been ripped off by something bigger)...so this guy was 15" without his tail...but what can you do..figure he's worse off them I am being a fish with no tail (it trumps my entry by far) and will continue my search for those OAA entries :)

Must say that sitting there fishing in the bright sun around lunch time with tons of people visiting the park above was LOVELY! So many people came to sit by me just to watch me fish and chat (one guy offered me his fries)...all very pleasent and interested that I as a GIRL with a ROD by herself fishing. I'll be back again VERY SOON!

Everyone in the family wanted to go fishing after dinner the same day....(think the little man was so excited from all his catches the evening before that he wanted to do it again). Out we all went to the bridge on Hwy 7 in CP..and it was super fun! The kids were both catching up a storm (worming, catching and de-hooking themselves)...I sort of watched by the sidelines till they got tired of fishing and decided to play survivor man (trying to make a fire out of rubbing sticks together). Put on my new Rapal Crankin Rap lure...and it took about 5 minutes til I got a great largemouth on the line...only issue was (as I find it always is with 2 tri hook lures) is this poor guy was hooked good in everyplace, but I took my time and was patient and saved the dude (hubby was ready for me to cut the hooks and replace...but I said to just wait a minute or two and see what i could do :). Of course...as it usually is on family outings with 2 small boys....there were TONS of distractions...including "MOM" being said every couple seconds that I turned around and my worst fear happened....I miss cast and hooked my Crankin Rap into a high tree . I was surprisingly calm and hubby tied it off to a tree till I go next time with boots and hopefully can recover it (but being as awesome as it is..i may just by another one :) Monday was Fantastic! I'm working Tuesday this week...but hoping to take advantage of a VERY VERY hot Wednesday and those bass coming up to the warmer water!

Fishing with my little man and enjoying the fish filling in

We decided to go on an adventure on Sunday afternoon and find public access to one of the lakes nearby....after some research we decided JOES LAKE in Lanark Highlands would be a good choice. We drove for quite a bit and finally found the spot we'd stop at and decided to try it out! We spent about 2 hours there and the boys were very excited (FINALLY) to catch some fish. It was catch after catch of Panfish...but AWESOME size. It was nice to have the boys excited about fishing again. The older guy was enthralled reading my new Ontario Fresh Water Fishes ROM Guide and figure out what we were catching.



After dinner the younger lad wanted a break from his brother and asked if we could just go out fishing the 2 of us. I was DELIGHTED and said sure...as he's not usually so into fishing. We decided on a spot I've tried a couple times this year without much luck...(couple of panfish ...but even those were hard to catch) but it's one of my favorites from last year as it's a nice location and fun. We headed out to under the bridge on Hwy 7 in Carleton Place (the one side is still flooded and you can't move freely between the 2 sides...but the side closest to Mississippi Rd has a nice path underneath giving great clearance to both sides of the bridge). It was an AMAZING 90 minutes of seeing my little guy happy as can be cause he literally caught a fish every 2 minutes (and that was with some small talk, reworming and dehooking). He caught 17 fish while we were there...(all panfish and good size Rock bass..except for the very very small Largemouth)....I did 27 including some nice 15" smallmouth....44 fish in 90 minutes is nothing to frown about....but beyond all the catching the time with my littleman was FUN and refreshing! Was glad to see the fish had finally filled in the last 2 weeks...I'll be using this spot often as it's close for an hour or 2 here and there when i want a break! (calling all friends...anyone wants to catch something..let me know:)

Date day with Hubby Fishing ....

I love fishing ALONE! There is something about the quiet (except for the busy chatter of nature around you), peace and ability to have complete focus (there is rarely a missed cast, caught lure or other unfortunate event when you don't have be mommy and fisher woman at the same time). Yet, sometimes the company of with someone who enjoys the activity as much as you do is a welcome change. Hubby decide to take Friday off to come venture with me to my Honey Hole...just the 2 of us (you could almost call it a DATE..as the time we get to spend together without children is RARE). I was excited to have someone to chat with and take decent pictures..lol!

It was far cooler then forcasted and the wind was way beyond the 9km/h they touted on the radio....but we were there to make the day of it :) We snuck down the path I use to my special place on the inlet and prayed for some bites! It was a slow start (the wind made casting harder and think it made my fishy friends move closer to the mouth of the inlet that we couldn't reach). Around lunch the sun made an appearance and the wind died down and things picked up...a steady bounty of Sunfish...and really nice Largemouth (for something considered hard to catch this time of year..I've been almost creepily been blessed...every outing lately it's been at least one if not a couple...far more then smallmouth). Felt kinda bad cause I was catching all the fish and hubby wasn't getting the same results (he started joking he was becoming my Fishing Bitch...honestly..he saves me in so many sticky spots....it's like a team sport...with me catching the fish and him doing EVERYTHING else sometimes.....I say this with him knowing full well he's the one who taught me to fish and feed this ADDICTION....and that he is selfless in that he knows the utter joy I get in fishing and will let me shine without question ...what more can you ask for?

Finished up and headed home to get the boys from school with time to spare. Decided to try out the boat launch here in town after supper (they finally put the docks on and makes it a bit more roomy). We were pleasantly surprised at the clarity of the water and the number of fish we could see (lots of panfish and perch easily visable). The boat launch in Carleton Place gets very weedy as the summer goes on...so we were taking full advantage of the lack of vegetation currently there. Caught some very decent ROCK BASS that were very close to qualifying for my Ontario Angler Awards...but just short.

Not a bad Friday in the least....cause a TON of fish and had an awesome date day with hubby!

First fishing Injury and my first SUCKER fish...

Yesterday I made the choice to go back yet once again to the Lock in Jasper (funny I'd hadn't fished the Rideau River once last year and it's become a favorite already this year...this is a great link to Fishing on the Rideau River). Spent the whole day catching panfish (23) and almost every time I'd reel one in I'd see this large bass fallow right behind them looking for an easy meal. After 3 hours of watching this large fish come into shore and then zip back out, before I could get the panfish off my line and tempt him with some yummy worm, I got a bit frustrated (yes..even talking to myself and mumbling under my breath at the thing..I must of looked like a nut). Yet at the end of the day I prevailed..and on my LAST cast this 15" largemouth bass could no longer resist the temptation (I had 2 worms on there..must of looked VERY tasty for him)...and he was MINE!

As I was leaving the lock (Crossing over the lock bridge with all the turn wheels)...a fish jumped and I was startled (along with the handle not being in the same location as the the rest) and WHAM went my thigh ...ok not a REAL fishing injury..but as close as I hope to come...ugh! Unsightly bruise and pain has ensued.

Today I was delighted to visit a friends property just outside of Perth (gorgeous 100 acre farm) that had an off shoot of the Tay Glen river running though it. Spent a bit of time fishing the flow that goes through their property and caught a few different kind of fresh water Ontario minnows (including a weedshiner & bluntnose)...but was happy to have finally have caught my first SUCKER FISH ...a lovely 6" White sucker (relative to the carp).

I'm so EXCITED for tomorrow! Hubby has taking the day off work (the kids are in school) and were taking our boat (the yellow banana boat). We're going to head out to Lock 24 in Jasper...but get to the mouth of my favorite inlet where I saw 4 foot fish jumping the other day! The weather looks perfect...should be amazing :)

Fantastic Book...The Rom Field Guide To Freshwater Fishes Of Ontario

Got a lovely gift in the mail today (thanks Dad). Opened up my Chapters package to find the The Rom Field Guide To Freshwater Fishes Of Ontario . This is by far one of the most comprehensive ontario fish guides i've come across...the whole family has been deep into checking out the details of all our regular catches tonight. This will be my GO TO guide now! FINALLY figured out after 3 years what the fish my son caught was by chance in the Mississippi River her in Ontario...we thought it was a Common Carp..but ends up it was a Big Mouth Buffalo.

It was a Tuesday Smallmouth Bass Adventure...

I'd had so much fun last Tuesday by myself at lock 24 in Kilmarnock that I decide to do go for a second round this week (postal strike looks like it's going forward so my store is closed and I've been TOTALLY taking advantage by fishing every free moment). This was suppose to be one of the hottest days thus far this year and it didn't disapoint...geeze...it was a down and dirty (and sweaty) kind of fishing day....with a high of 38 with humidity.

Got to my spot and followed the newly discovered path from the week-end and set up my stuff (there is obviously someone who does night fishing at the same location - the glow stick lures are a pretty good indication - and has brought a great little homemade bench...so whoever you are THANK YOU). I'm still hooked on worms and bobbers at the moment...simple, easy and relaxing...so out I cast..and after 2 panfish on my first 2 casts....I was SHOCKED when on the 3rd cast I felt something with some WEIGHT on my line...as it got it in closer with a bit of fight...I could see it was a good size bass (the ones I'd caught so far this year have been smallies...9-10") considering it's not even JUNE yet...I was a bit shocked at the size of this catch. After I got this beauty in...it measured 16" in length (only 1" short of an Ontario Angler Award). Spent the rest of the afternoon watching these larger bass following my "on the line" panfish in (actually caught one 15" guy cause he stuck around after following in a pumpkinseed I had on my line...and once I got the pumpkinseed off the line and back in the water I baited and snagged the big guy ). Ended up catching 3 GREAT size smallmouth Bass (as well as 24 other great panfish..don't want to dis on the panfish) and having a BLAST....Tuesdays are now my OFFICIAL favorite day of the week!

The Northern Pike were calling...

After a dreary week of rain hubby the kids and I decided on a Saturday morning outing to Kilmarnock Lock AGAIN (OK...most of my fave spots are still not usable till next week - as they are sanctuaries till the week-end after June 1st..so this place is heaven on earth at the moment....and I'm not good with change...LOVE going somewhere knowing I'll at least get some action:). It was slightly overcast and calling for rain, so we were hoping to get some nice catches in before we needed to leave (rain fishing is awesome alone...but with kids..not so much).

The GOOD TIMES started out quickly with a nice 18" PIKE catch in the lower part of the lock within minutes of getting there...nice spinner lure in orange caught this guy. Moved over to the inlet on the other side of the lock (kids and hubby figured out there was a little path in the bushes to get further in which was AWESOME). Happily spent the rest of the mid day catching 17 pan fish in the inlet. As it was getting time to leave I switched over to my new weedless Frog Lure and it took only a few casts with this sucker and WHOA....a gorgeous 25" Pike (finally got one big enough to use my new mouth opener with). Now I've never had to actually place my hand in the mouth of a pike before...other occasions I've been lucky that the lures have come loose when they've been in the net and I've lucked out on having to do the dirty work...but this guy insisted on me getting that hand in there...all went well..not bites to him or I. This guy was a good size and he was still 5" short of a Ontario Angler Awards Entry...I know there are bigger ones at this location so I'll be back to try again in the near future :)

All in all a WONDERFUL Saturday with the family and the fish!!

34 fish in 2.5 hours...Honey Hole absolutely!!!

Every once and awhile (OK...once every couple of years when you're running your own business, looking after a home and raising 2 young boys) you have a day so fabulous, relaxing and just plain old magical that it renews you!

After a 3 day week-end, closing my business for a bit due a possible Postal Strike and a P.A day coming up on Friday.... I decide to throw everything to the wind and just drop everything (including my worry about not accomplishing stuff) and take my rod, some worms and head out for the day completely by myself to fish (something I've dreamed of doing since I started last year but could never find the time). Tuesday it would be...a ME DAY!

Started out as any normal Tuesday...got the kids packed up and ready for school...and dropped them off...and then OFF I drove! Decided I'd go back to Kilmarnock Lock...there was this awesome little inlet on the lower side of the lock that I spotted when we'd been there on Saturday that I had a feeling was AMAZING (frankly my husband says for someone who knows so little about fishing I have some SKILLS..but i think it's ALL intuition...i just get feelings about places, lures..ect) that I wanted to try.

When I got to the Lock..I thought I'd go back to the upper part that I'd had so much luck with on the week-end...but I was there for only a few minutes and wasn't feeling it..so i decide to venture down the to the lower part and try out the spot I'd eyed on the week-end and boy am I glad I did! I stood there...casting my line with worm and bobber and caught 34 fish in 2.5 hours (Literally every cast there was something on my line....it was the time taking them off that kept me at 34..cause it could have literally been a ton more..lol). That little inlet was full of Pan Fish..I managed to get both a Punpkinseed and Bluegill that will add to my OAA goal ..(yes..3 of 5 species down....the requirements for Bass and other fish are on the higher end of length for shore fishing...but I have 4 months left...I'm hopeful :). Heck...even the keepers of the Lock house who were working (and may I saw were AWESOME and brought down a picnic table in their truck for me) were amazed at how many fish I caught....they were up in their house apparently watching me...and finally came down to see what my total was!

Now I was more then happy to catch all those panfish...but boy was a delighted to catch my first Small Mouth Bass of the season..(he was just a baby at 10"..but I was just so happy to have something other then a panfish after 52 in total recently). Found it so amusing how the Bass put up way less fight then even the smallest pumpkinseed I caught :)

Now the fish and sun would have been enough to make it a fantastic day....but the Muskrat that showed up and wondered around right beside me, along with the 2 herons that parked themselves about 5 feet away and the turtles all around on every log basking in the sun...just made me smile up a storm...perhaps they were amused with all the talking to myself I was doing :) I did learn that taking photos of ones self is difficult with a fish in hand...leans to having not the most glamorous photos of ones self...but oh well...fishing is not about vanity...RIGHT??

As Bill and Ted would say "All in all a MOST EXCELLENT DAY".

Worm and Bobber is still an AWESOME time!

I can't even put into words what an amazing 3 days of fishing I had this Victoria Day Long Week-End ...Totally made up for the fishing that never occurred on my Birthday. I spent most of last year using lures trying to catch BIG FISH and I totally forgot how fun and exciting it can be to use worms and a bobber and catch some feisty panfish. In my attempt to get my OFAH (Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters) Avid Angler Award this year from their Ontario Angler Awards Program (you need to land a minimum 5 different species of fish from their list that are a minimum length of their requirements - thus why you'll see a measuring tape above the fish in many of my photos) I decided to start SMALL and get the "easy ones" out of the way and help build my numbers....so out came the bobber and worms this week-end and the FUN! So PANFISH is what I wanted and panfish is what I received ....much to my delight !

On Saturday my husband suggested a location just outside of Smiths Falls in Jasper at the Kilmarnock Lock and after my line hit the water I realized this would absolutely start to be one of my new HONEY HOLES (OK...this term makes me giggle..but it is what it is...and this is a Honey Hole :). We ended up heading out later then anticipated due to getting some home stuff done...and I was a bit worried that we'd missed the prime of the day...1pm is a bit late....OR is it? We started on the upside of the lock and we could see panfish everywhere right at the doors to the lock so quickly the worms went on and in went the line...it took approximately 1 minute for the first fish to attach itself to my line and thus began an afternoon of excitement. That first fish was a fantastic Black Crappie that measured almost 11"and was absolutely big enough to become a notch for my avid angler awards, which set the day off to a wonderful start. I spent the next 3 hours of the afternoon LOVING the beautiful sun after so many days of rain and catching 18 additional panfish including Pumpkinseed and Bluegill.

On our way home we decided to check out another location that had been touted to my husband, by a connection, as a very sweet spot for fishing..so we stopped at Edmonds Lock. It was a beautiful spot and FULL of potential. After checking out the top of the Lock I went over to the drop looking down to the bottom and literally squealed out (hey..there are some girly traits I just can't help ) as I could see TONS of HUGE fish swimming at the bottom of the lock...(bigger then any fish I'd ever seen close up)....these guys were 30-50lbs EASY! After some speculation and research with my trusty Ontario fishing print out..it appeared we had come upon a large group of CARP. We left inspired to see such HUGE fish close up and determined to do some research on Carp fishing and return on Monday (as it was a long week-end :).

Monday came quickly (after a belated birthday get together on Sunday for myself) and we were ready to go back to Edmonds Lock (with Corn for the Carp in hand) and see what we could land. We started at the top of the Lock which looked perfect for some larger catches, so out came the lures....it took only a few minutes for my husband to start getting some Pike bites and one that was on the line and jumped off before he got it out of the water. I wasn't as lucky and there weren't many bites on my line...I did get a great size yellow perch on my line (I was using my newly purchased Rapala Clackin' Rap...which I aquired with some other new lures at the SAIL store in Ottawa the day before)...but it just didn't stick and got away ..It was a bit of a let down because it was big enough to absolutely be another OAA entry. We decided to finally go down and chum the water at the bottom of the lock with the corn we brought and see if we could get the massive Carp to take in a hook (as they're suckers...the don't really bite...it's a crap shoot trying to get them to inhale the bait and then get them on the line). Geeze it was PAINFUL to see these MASSIVE fish just swim by (close enough to touch) and not be able to get them on the line...we spent an hour or more...but alas gave up with the intention of doing more research and honing our skills on Carp Fishing for another day!

All in all it was a WONDERFUL long week-end! I was delighted to get out and get some fishing in and get some (OK A LOT ) of sun and fish! Was happy to have an entry for my OAA (which has now been accepted and my certificate and decal is in the mail). I'll post about my amazing Tuesday later....maybe one of the best days I've had in years :)

About time.....lets get this fishing started!!

I apologize for the lack of ACTION on this page for the past 2 and half weeks. It's been such a cold rainy spell. Mix that in with the fact that many spots for shore fishing are designated as fish sanctuaries till TODAY and that I was busy getting as much work in as I could (as a possible postal strike is looming for the 25th of May here in Canada which has required me to shut down my store till we know what's going on). I've been reading my Ontario Out of Doors Magazine Fishing Annual like crazy catching up on all the newest lures and techniques...so I'm READY! Between my Birthday and Mothers Day in the past couple weeks I've scored a ton of new lures...so I'm dying to get out and try them!

I have great hope for today! Woke up and it's gloriously beautiful...the first time in over a week for sure! Hoping to make up for the fishing trip on my birthday this past Wednesday that didn't come to fruition. Trying to decide if we head up to Murphy's Point and purchase our yearly Provincial Park pass today or make a trip somewhere else (since we can now go anywhere we want).....AHHH...such hard choices. Eager to see if the extra time at the gym lately will help with my cast :)

Anyway....I'll be back to posting regularly (with stories of catches or those that got away) now that it's FULL FORCE fishing time! Hope to have some great stories from this LONG WEEK-END! According to an old wives tale..."Pan Fishing is great once the leaves of the lilac bushes are bigger then a Squirrels ear"....my lilac bushes have way larger leaves then that so bring on the pan fish !

It was a sunny ROCK BASS kind of Saturday....

I've been frustrated this week. I live in zone 18 of the Ontario Fishing areas and most of the places I love to fish nearby are "Fish Sanctuary's" until the Friday before the 2nd Saturday in May (so basically the 13th of May ....why they don't just put a DATE down instead of making people pulling out the calendars and calculating it all is beyond me). At least my faves will be open for my Birthday on the 18th...that will be a mid week fishing party let me tell ya :)

With 1 sick son and 1 sick husband at home (battling some kind of virus/flu for what seems like forever now) I packed up my youngest and headed out to the same location as last week-end (knew it wasn't a sanctuary...and heck a chance at another Pike is always welcome) in Smiths Falls at Slys Lock. It was GORGEOUS out..20 degrees, sunny and just a welcome change to all the rain we've had lately. I would have been happy to land anything...the beauty of the day made a small fishing outing a welcome change to being in my basement working away :)

I decided to start with the lure that landed my pike last week-end...what the heck...sometimes luck strikes twice! It soon was obvious the water was too murky for my green slide Shad Rap...and I moved onto some coloured and silver vintage spoons that I'd taken from Hubbies tackle box before I left (with permission of course :) The medium White and Red spoon I put on the end of my line brought something large to the surface and I yelped in letdown as I saw this fish turn at the last minute and go back down (it was least a 15" something..only caught a glimps of the whiten silver underbelly as it turned at the last moment).

About 40 minutes in...2 young boys (12 or so) showed up to fish as well. I started chatting with the more outgoing of the 2 (think he was shocked to see a lady out fishing while her child played in the park catching bugs) . He recounted his 2 big catches of 7lb pikes at this location in the fall and how it recharged him to start avidly fishing again! After watching the boys and their LARGE silver spoons..I decided to changed to a smaller vintage silver spoon and all of a sudden the bites started coming, but I wasn't landing anything.

Finally after 70 minutes of almost bites and tugs with no landings..I felt that harder tug of something that actually was attached to my line...I knew it was small..but I was happy to have SOMETHING. When I finally pulled this guy out of the water it was a good size ROCK BASS..I say good size..he (and I use the term HE liberally...I just refer to all my catches as he/him..hmm..what does that say...lol) he was 10.8 inches..good for a rock bass! Took him in..got my pictures and release the poor guy right away! Alright for a nice sunny Saturday...got some sun (someone asked me today if I was tanning on the week-end...gotta love that outdoor fishing GLOW), spent sometime with my awesome little man.. got a fish (that I can apply for the ontarioanglerawards.com with....see my next post about this awesome site)..all and all a FANTASTIC Saturday!

Fishing Girl starts off the season with a smile and PIKE!

It's been a LONG winter and as springs been approaching I've been itching to get my rod out and just cast it into some body of water and feel that calmness and joy I get from my lure hitting the lapping water and reeling it in.

I went out a couple weeks ago, when the snow started to melt, and renewed my fishing licence in anticipation of stuffing my gear in the back of the van and just finding a place and tossing my line in. The water levels have been high and the temperatures at the river banks still cool...so I waited until this past long week-end and hoped that Good Friday would be VERY GOOD to me..and it was!

My husband suggested a spot in SMITHS FALLS (about 25 minutes from where we're located) he'd eyed while out travelling for work. We set out to Slys Lock with gear in hand and ready to get even just a nibble, as I was prepared to have just that, for my first early outing this season.

I got my gear ready and cast my line and stood with my coffee in hand and waited. I started with my favorite vintage jointed lure (a classic from my husbands tackle box....which he so sweetly gave me last year as I had such luck with it on our adventures). Alas my favorite wasn't giving me much luck or action on this occasion..so I moved on to my Rapala jointed perch which like the last lure gave me not so much as a nibble (I must say I'm a HUGE fan of jointed lures..they've always severed me well). After about an hour..I was almost losing hope..and becoming a bit discouraged honestly! On this maiden excursion of the year I wanted something, heck..I'd take a small crappy! So on I put my Rapala Jointed Shad-Rap...a lure I didn't have much luck with last year.

Then it happend! I spent all last summer trying to land a PIKE. I caught some great sized Large Mouth Bass and even good sized Small Mouth Bass, Lake trout and even beautiful Sunfish, crappy and Rock Bass...but I wanted that PIKE. In our last outing of the year I got a Pike on my line, but it jumped off before I could get it out and take a picture...and this year I was determined I would finally land one. So when I felt a slight tug on my line I was overjoyed to feel SOMETHING. As I reeled this guy in I was shocked he wasn't putting up a bigger fight..espeicially when he got close enough I could see what he was. At last, at last....there it was the PIKE I'd wanted all last year, now on my line my first real trip out this year! He wasn't HUGE...a 2-3lb, but it made my day I'll tell ya.

So, 2011 has started off better then anticipated in the fishing department. Hoping to get some Walleye this year to fill out my portfolio :) Waiting for the water levels to go down so I can get out more often (espeically before the boys are done school). Yippie for fishing!!