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Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:20 pm
by Moosebunk
April 11th kicked off the start to this years softwater season with a trib trip for some spring run steel. Man alive there was some angler rust to clean, yet the float dropped for a couple fish. One bow had to be a near dead dropback while the other cleared three feet atop the water before spitting the hook. That was initially some exciting but sad shiznit to deal with, up until finally locking horns with this brute of a fresh locochromotive that ran line all over the map. Intense first fish and one serious fight of the season. Stoked!

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Thursday the 14th had a day to kill so I loaded up the float tube, couple pannie rods and a cooler. Some local locks and several other crappie shore spots, morning into afternoon there wasn't very much doing anywhere..? Gills, perch and local celebrities at the popular holes, handful of rando-loner craps elsewhere. Finally nearing dinner received the call I'd been waiting for, Summer's car was done. Having passed an E-Test and safety it was time to take my daughter's new Buick home to her. (old Buick - 2001 & 51000kms, but her first car anyway)

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Snuck away to seek out some big redhorse suckers. When initially finding them a couple years back I was totally unprepared and under-gunned. First thinking they were carp, after watching awhile it was determined the were in fact big redhorse... like six to eight pounders with the odd fishing looking like ten. Well, I didn't find them after bushwhacking awhile the other day but did find white suckers instead. Some of them kinda big in their own right too, like one that may have pushed the Ontario record. Took some home for bait at a later date and next morning Bren plucked a deer tick off my tit too. Bugger!

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Past Saturday an angler buddy I hadn't seen in ages took up my empty seat offer for anyone willing. Off to Lady O, Tony and I had plans to meet at 8:00am then be off the water by 3:00pm. Fish were a little slow at first and we both had some rigger rust to shed but, in relatively little time really the first rod fired about 9:30am and we were on the board. Four hours later, going seven for seven with several healthy fish hitting mid teens, Tony and I were both quite pleased enough to call it a day. Good company, solid team!

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Following day, on the Sunday, my mate Mikey and I toured back to the big lake to try for browns. Long haul once we got on the water there had to be 30 to 40 boats out that figured on trying the same. My first time targeting brown trout and Mike an avid trout nut, we were both on tilt to catch some of these fish. First hour passed and we watched many boats not move a rod except one. Making our way out a little deeper and still on the hunt the port-side board flew back and I was up. It was a "cracker" as any good Scot would say. By mid afternoon we were one of the last half dozen boats still trying and that's when Mike and I popped three more wee broonies in the 3:00 to 4:00pm hour. At 5:00pm we called it a day. Down with the browns!

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So... in the first week plus a day it's feeling like one helluva good start really. Not sure what's next or even how the spring and summer are going to unfold of yet but, if taking it each day at a time leads to more fishing like this, probably best to just stay that course for now.

Get Fishing!


Bunk.

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 10:39 pm
by Out4trout
Good fishing Bunk!! Multi species - cool stuff.
The Buick looks great, we seem to be at somewhat parallel times, difference being we bought ourselves an SUV and let the young lad drive the old Caravan.

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 6:47 am
by Moosebunk
Out4trout wrote:Good fishing Bunk!! Multi species - cool stuff.
The Buick looks great, we seem to be at somewhat parallel times, difference being we bought ourselves an SUV and let the young lad drive the old Caravan.
Parallel-ely :lol: you and I are growing old together Len. :lol:

The Buick is great. Not a Mercedes, BMW or even a Mazda like she'd have hoped :shock: but, it's got a tape deck so I'm looking forward to riding shotgun and getting control with some of my old tunes. 8) 8) 8)

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:18 am
by Supernova224
Moosebunk,

Others have said it countless times, but I'll say it again, always love reading your reports.

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:23 am
by Kerrazy
Great report... Again!

As for the Buick, big back seat, she could moonlight as an Uber driver! Great thinking Andrew! Lol.

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:47 am
by Moosebunk
Kerrazy wrote:As for the Buick, big back seat, she could moonlight as an Uber driver! Great thinking Andrew! Lol.
Big back seat, moonlight, picking up strangers... Hmmmm... three things in one sentence that are NOT going to work for my daughter. :x

:lol:
Supernova224 wrote:Moosebunk.. always love reading your reports.
That is super Nova. :lol: Thanks dood!

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:59 am
by Kerrazy
Moosebunk wrote:
Kerrazy wrote:As for the Buick, big back seat, she could moonlight as an Uber driver! Great thinking Andrew! Lol.
Big back seat, moonlight, picking up strangers... Hmmmm... three things in one sentence that are NOT going to work for my daughter. :x

:lol:

Hey, that's a lot of gas money, getting left in the table! It's not like there are drive-ins around anymore...

Now, I will be looking at a smart car for my girl, and welding the passenger door shut! Lol. And only allowed to drive after mosquitos have died off, and not in snow... And no major arteries.

Unless said passenger has a new bass boat, than we can negotiate...
Ah, dad's life.

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:43 am
by fatluke
Nice mixed bag of trouts bunk. Good to have a quick chat with ya Saturday morning.

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 9:51 am
by baz fish
Great report as usual Bunk. You sure have some nice trout and that Buick is a nice looking car :D

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 9:54 am
by riverdog
What a kick off to the soft water Moose!

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:10 pm
by ipjrobson
Talk about an amazing start. That's awesome

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:16 pm
by Walleye'm Fishing
Great springtime variety right there!

2 questions for ya:

1- was that springtime water making you freeze your nads off or are your waders made for that? I usually can't take it until May...

2- deer ticks: do you get them often? I'm kind of paranoid as I'm always literally trecking through the bush. I figure it's just a matter of time for me. Are they easy to spot on your body or does the wife always have to check you from head to toe? :lol:

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:24 pm
by Moosebunk
Walleye'm Fishing wrote:2 questions for ya:

1- was that springtime water making you freeze your nads off or are your waders made for that? I usually can't take it until May...

2- deer ticks: do you get them often? I'm kind of paranoid as I'm always literally trecking through the bush. I figure it's just a matter of time for me. Are they easy to spot on your body or does the wife always have to check you from head to toe? :lol:
1. Standard breathable waders. Longjohns and a pair of track or fleece pants underneath, with a pair of thick fleece socks. That's it bud. Usually good for a few hours in the float tube at ice out as long as I keep my legs kicking some. Standing in the river you're usually not in one spot too long.

2. First deer tick on me that I know of. Woke up with a sore left man boob and wondered why the penny sized welt with a bugs legs and butt sticking out.

Beginning May thru to mid September when I work a weekend day in the ER in Perth, can pretty much figure on 6-12 patients coming through to have them removed or ask questions about antibiotics and testing. In Carleton Place ER we hardly see anybody with them. It's worse and worse each year though, and sometimes we've had about 20 patients in a day. That's alot of people using ER services in a rural town for an iddy bug, think how many across eastern/southern Ontario on any given weekend day? And, how many go home not noticing? Way more common than ticks on the legs are ticks torso up. Some would say wear socks over pants (sure) but, ticks aren't often waiting on the ground to latch onto a deer hoof going by. They're on brush, in trees and atop long grass where they can get to the bigger target, the body, fast.

Worst areas around here by far are Murphy's Point / Portland, and Maberly. I'd guess 9 of 10 ticks presenting in the ER are from those general areas.

Incidents of Lyme are really quite low with ticks that have been feeding for less than 24 hours. Not all ticks test positive for Lyme either, and that includes deer ticks as there are different kinds. But still, getting Lyme disease can be life altering bad. An engorged tick probably means it's been feeding a good while so, consider seeking a single dose of antibiotic. If removing ticks you have to remove the head with body cleanly for two reasons. One, that head could stay in and cause a little local infection and two, you increase the chance for Lyme introduction. Tweezers are not a great tool for this job as they tend to sever parts. The absolute best tick removing tool is pictured below. Bren removed mine first time, with this, with ease. You can find them at pet stores. It's what we often use in the ER's too.

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Good bumping into you too Luke. Had been a long while for sure. Perfect day for a laker slay. 8)

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 3:41 pm
by joco
Wow great report and picts.
Like always. Its so great to read your story.

Its like a book all the time,,,you bring peoples into your trip the way you writh those. Thanks

And by yhe way that buick is a nice looking car,,,still few year for sure on this baby.

Joco

Re: Helluva Spring Start to Fishing... and a Buick.

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:38 am
by Lvace
Always blown away by your reports! Thanks for sharing!