Quick trip up the Moose and French.
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:01 pm
Pretty strange. When I got back north last monday water levels were pretty much the same as when I left... treacherously low. Three solid days of rain plus the opening of the Abitibi dam late last week raised levels 6-8 feet, plus add more frequent north wind tides and you've got levels about 14' higher. In other words, floating debris, chocolate milk and totally scattered fish.
Sunday I took Bren out for a fish and we caught nothing. Well, that's not true, I caught her with two hooks into her scalp with a floating rapala. Half hour careful surgery, followed by an "ahhhh feck it" quick yank to get the two hooks out, and my bleeding babe gave me a hug and let me fish some more.
Today levels were maybe down 12-18" from sunday. The water was clearer, it was 17C and sunny, and so I took off to find pike first, and walleye if that failed. On the way up river I pondered over two choices, pike on the French or on the Moose. The French pike are generally smaller, but, with the water the way it was I was more confident of a catch. The Moose pike in the fall are bigger, but, if they're not on a couple of spots you won't catch squat.
I picked the French.
First stop, the devle didn't work. Then the Smithwick failed. Then the gold Bluefox #5, but, that did get 2 follows, so I took it down one notch to a Black Fury #4. I was quick to pick up 3 of these guys.
Bite was shutting down anyways when I saw a boat coming at me from downriver. I figured they'd go park exactly where my next stop was going to be so I raced up ahead of them to get the eddy at the Beidermans Camp before they did. Was quick to pick up two more pike there, a snot rocket, and his bigger brother...
After an hour on the spot 2 pike were all that was going to take, and I lost one dink eye at boatside. It was 5pm. I figured it about 45 minutes over to the spot on the Moose where the big fish should be getting to soon for their annual feed fest. I opted not to stay and ripped off the French and headed up the Moose, 35 minutes later I was on my spot. Man, it's awesome having some water on the river and not having to worry about the motor crunching shallows.
Well, my spot was a bust. If the pike were there they'd hit pretty much any spoon, crank, jig or mepp. The sun was setting and the temp in an hour felt like it dropped 5 degrees, so I packed it in.
I look forward to fall pike fishing every year, it's a real fun change from the usual walleye. Hope they show up soon.
Sunday I took Bren out for a fish and we caught nothing. Well, that's not true, I caught her with two hooks into her scalp with a floating rapala. Half hour careful surgery, followed by an "ahhhh feck it" quick yank to get the two hooks out, and my bleeding babe gave me a hug and let me fish some more.
Today levels were maybe down 12-18" from sunday. The water was clearer, it was 17C and sunny, and so I took off to find pike first, and walleye if that failed. On the way up river I pondered over two choices, pike on the French or on the Moose. The French pike are generally smaller, but, with the water the way it was I was more confident of a catch. The Moose pike in the fall are bigger, but, if they're not on a couple of spots you won't catch squat.
I picked the French.
First stop, the devle didn't work. Then the Smithwick failed. Then the gold Bluefox #5, but, that did get 2 follows, so I took it down one notch to a Black Fury #4. I was quick to pick up 3 of these guys.
Bite was shutting down anyways when I saw a boat coming at me from downriver. I figured they'd go park exactly where my next stop was going to be so I raced up ahead of them to get the eddy at the Beidermans Camp before they did. Was quick to pick up two more pike there, a snot rocket, and his bigger brother...
After an hour on the spot 2 pike were all that was going to take, and I lost one dink eye at boatside. It was 5pm. I figured it about 45 minutes over to the spot on the Moose where the big fish should be getting to soon for their annual feed fest. I opted not to stay and ripped off the French and headed up the Moose, 35 minutes later I was on my spot. Man, it's awesome having some water on the river and not having to worry about the motor crunching shallows.
Well, my spot was a bust. If the pike were there they'd hit pretty much any spoon, crank, jig or mepp. The sun was setting and the temp in an hour felt like it dropped 5 degrees, so I packed it in.
I look forward to fall pike fishing every year, it's a real fun change from the usual walleye. Hope they show up soon.
