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December 30th 2018

After several cancellations last week for ice fishing, I was finally back out today. Between bruised ribs from a bad header on the ice and crappy conditions, we all decided to postpone the outings! Today however, I had Francisco and 3 of his friends from Rio, looking for a Canadian experience. What could be better than ice fishing?

Still hurting from the recent rib beating, I requested the help of my old buddy Keith, to aid with the drilling. In fact, he managed to drill about 99% of the holes, allowing me to focus more on the rigging and instructions with the others. The K Drill and Ion X both preformed perfectly!

Although it was a beautiful morning with only a slight north wind, the air temps were in the single digits and farenheight! It was downright cold, especially if you were from Brazil and use to the heat! I felt bad for them and decided to set up the shelter so they could at least fish in the comfort of a heated tent. In fact, two of them remained there for the first couple of hours while the others braved the outdoor cold! Orientation was done from inside and several panfish were taken in the process. They now had the info needed to catch fish on their own!

I decided to set up a bunch of deadlines for bigger fish and prepped 8 polars. This would at least give them a better chance at catching pike! In between any tripped flags, they would also enjoy action from bluegills and other panfish as well, while watching their fish on flashers. It definitely makes fishing much easier!

Sometime in the afternoon after they had all landed bunches of smaller fish, we finally had a bit of action on the deadlines. Francisco was fortunate enough to bring the first pike on the ice after quite a battle. This thing may have been skinny but it was definitely long and strong! Several pics later it was returned to the water to grow!

Not long after, another flag tripped and an even bigger pike was landed by one of the others. This one was about the same length but much heavier due to the thickness. More pics and another quick release and unfortunately that was the last bite for the polars. The ban of live minnows has caused fewer fish here in Quebec and practically eliminated the walleye bite! We only had 4 flags go off and the other two were stolen dead baits. At least we scored 50% with the hits!

By mid afternoon I could see these guys were getting colder and I knew it wouldn’t be long before they called the day. By 2:00 they had seen enough and I packed up everything and readied to leave. By 2:30 we were on the road and headed home!

The group today had experienced something they had only read about before and fended quit well. Everyone had caught a good number of panfish and a couple of quality pike were brought through the ice too. The best part about today was that nobody got hurt! I had instructed Francisco to make sure that they all had ice crampons and he had done just that. Speaking from experience, don’t cheap out on foot protection! I recently purchased a good pair and paid more than I normally would have. I won’t make that mistake again! You get what you pay for!

Overall today couldn’t have gone better than it had. A good number of fish were landed by everyone and they experienced one of Canada’s favorite winter pass times. We love anything that involves ice!!

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November 10th 2018

Well just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does! After yesterday’s weather I was actually looking forward to the giant winds today. Too bad they couldn’t get the direction right! I think they need a compass course or something because W/NW isn’t SW! What should have been fine to fish turned out to be living hell due to the inaccurate direction they reported. Gotta love those damn weathermen!

We knew we were in for a windy day, but I would still be able to fish many areas based on the direction it was suppose to blow from. When I got on the water and realized just how wrong they were, I tried to take advantage of the lighter morning winds before they increased. Both Craig & Herm were working a dropshot rig in deeper water and looking for their first bite. Although Craig did manage to hook into a really good bass, it never made it to the boat. The first time it went to the air, the hook was thrown and he was left with disappointment. Fishing was tough and every bite had to count! Especially because we didn’t know just how bad the winds would get. Gusts of over 40 knots from the wrong direction like we had would limit the number of places to fish today.

After trying to fish 3 or 4 places with only a few bites, I made a move to another area. They also changed baits and hooked a couple of fish, giving us all hope. Too bad it was short lived however as the winds were already starting to increase. They went from doable to not so much! In fact one of the places I was readying to fish in caused me to fire up the small engine and use both motors just to stay in place. The one foot chop had increased to three footers in less than a couple of minutes. I had no choice but to leave the area completely! I shifted gears and began a slow troll over great looking water despite the big waves. This only put a couple of fish in the boat before I realized it was practically hopeless. Everywhere I was looking at fishing was insane now with 3 & 4 foot rollers. I had to try alternate areas and places I hadn’t fished much in years. Somehow I managed to find one tiny spot that was almost sheltered from the main wind and it was here that we would remain for the rest of the day. They had picked up a few fish earlier and I was back to refine it even more. Thankfully we lucked out on the location as there were many fish here, as we soon found out.

I really paid attention to detail on this spot and had both of them casting a dropshot rig. The anchor feature on the electric held us securely in place, in the current & wind. I made slight adjustments giving them both different angles and the fish just kept coming. Plenty of really good smallies were landed along with several walleye. In fact after tossing the first eye back, Craig landed another causing me to begin live welling a few for them to bring home. I had found a really small area hidden from the worst of the wind and kept the boat right in the slack water.

For the next three hours they managed many more fish and some really good ones too. Craig was doing most of the damage from the front of the boat but Herm also had a hand in catching a few big ones too! Each time I tried to move out of the area, I quickly realized that it wasn’t doable and had to tuck back into the calmer waters below. I really milked this spot by making slight adjustments allowing them to change their presentations and pick up more fish. They took advantage of the lack of waves but the winds were still howling where we were!

Time had passed by quickly with all the fish being landed and before we knew it, the end was near. I began packing things up for the rough ride back while they continued to fish and apparently it was the right decision. Herm had now stopped fishing but Craig was still making casts and nailed a big fish. With the water color mud, we never got to see what the fish was, until it was almost at the boat. To everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be a really nice walleye. Too bad it was way over and released after a few pics! Thinking he would end on a high, Craig was readying to leave when Herm told him to take a few more casts. Good thing too as he hooked something really big on the very next one. It never jumped so we were thinking another big eye but as it neared the boat, we realized that it was a monster smallie. In fact, it was the one we had been hoping for! Craig had ended this season with his largest bass for the fall. I definitely wasn’t letting him cast again!

Today was a tough one but by paying attention to detail and monopolizing on places we could fish, we made it work. I wasn’t happy with the limited areas we could get to though. I had focussed more attention on being able to feel the bites instead of fishing places that I knew held fish. As it turned out, I ended up with both! Not only were they able to detect subtle strikes but apparently it was loaded. They caught plenty of quality bass and managed to take several keeper walleye back with them too! All that was left now was the ride back and it wasn’t going to be pretty! As soon as we got to the open water we were into rolling three & four footers. Fortunately the boat took the waves without even a splash and we made it back without incident. Safe & sound at the take out and glad we had fished today! Thoughts of cancelling were on everyone’s mind this morning but everything worked out in the end. Plenty of great fish were landed on this not so easy day!!

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November 9th 2018

Craig was back today but this time he brought Herm. It had been a week since he was here last and left on a high. Both he and Steve had caught many huge bass and he was hoping to repeat it again. We would just have to wait & see?

We headed on the lake in 28 degree air temps, but the water was a balmy forty seven degrees. I decided to start them off drop shotting in hopes of continuing where they had left off. I was sure that the bass wouldn’t be all that active and figured a slow approach would work best. Unfortunately Herm was the only one to actually land a fish, but it was a good one! They both had other bites but weren’t able to lock up!

After spending the first part of the morning with little to show for our efforts, I Thought I would give the shallower water a try. Both were throwing jigs and Herm once again scored first. Another good smallie came aboard and it also gave us the confidence that there were others. Craig wasn’t too far behind, when he slammed the hooks to what we thought was a really good fish. Unfortunately, it was just a northern pike! He did rebound a little later however, with the right species, just a little on the average side. After a few more missed strikes, I decided to give something else a shot.

I figured that we’d do a little trolling to cover water and set them up with a couple of rods. Although I was marking fish, it was only Craig that managed to get hit. He boated a nice smallie, but it was the only one. After unsuccessfully covering much more water, I decided to relocate again. This time they were going to cast the same baits they had trolled and hopefully the new location would have better results.

Within a couple of casts, herm had a bunch of short strikes that had me believing the fish weren’t interested. They stuck with it a little longer and were eventually rewarded with several good fish. These fish were so lethargic though that you practically had to dead stick the baits in order to get bit. It’s times like these that I wish we were still allowed to use live minnows!

As I moved around and covered water, Craig hit into a small spot that seemed loaded. Although not easy to catch, he did manage to land several more quality fish. He literally had to just hold the rod in order to get bit. Herm was using the same bait but working it slightly and never even had a touch! These fish really didn’t want to chase anything down! I stayed as long as Craig was catching but eventually pulled the plug and relocated elsewhere.

I had made a move back to the general area we had started in and this time it was on fire. I think Craig had fish on his first six casts! Most of them were good ones too and it was finally nice to see some active bass for a change. Herm managed to pick up a few as well but Craig was just crushing them. Even with the winds blowing from the east, against the current, I was still able to hold with the electric. The boat was pointing downstream but it seemed to work! The anchor feature on the electric motor makes everything so much easier in situations like these. I don’t know how I ever managed without it!

The remainder of the day saw a good number of fish landed and even a couple of walleye came in the boat. We slowly moved over several similar areas and they pretty much all held fish. As time was running out, the weather also seemed to be getting worse. It began by rain and had a little mix of snow as well. It was definitely time to go!

Mother Nature really isn’t making my life easy this fall with conditions like this, almost every day. If it’s not pouring rain, it’s blowing so hard that you can’t feel the bites. We’ve had winds from pretty much every direction and they’re almost always giant! Despite everything she’s thrown at me, I’ve somehow managed to get the job done. High number days and big fish are the norm, but I never know what to expect. Lately it’s not where I want to fish but rather where I can! My game plan is all over the place and I feel like a juggler when I hit the water. All I know is that the season is coming to an end soon and I’d like to get on the water as many more times before the ice arrives. Hopefully there will be a few more trips and just maybe, some calm conditions for a change. Probably not but you can always wish!!

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November 4th 2018

Well, finally a break in the weather today and it really showed! I think everyone that owned a boat was out. Darren may have picked a nice day but the fishing was going to be tough with all this traffic. Sort of like a tournament, I guess!

We started early with the clock change last night and were on the water before 7:30. In the first half hour we remained shallow and picked several good fish before the boats started to arrive, After that, we moved out slightly to escape them and drop shotting came into play. Numbers of good fish were taken but we had to slow down considerably, in order to get bit. There were boats all around us and I didn’t even want to use the net, as it would have attracted attention.

As the morning started to warm, the wind also started to lay down, making it much more comfortable. Lately the weather had been so uncomfortable that I could see why there were so many people on the water today! Who could blame them, it was the weekend!

The whole day saw me fishing defensively and trying to slow down with everyone around. The other boats seemed like they were in tournament mode and fished through pretty quickly. By taking our time, we were able to monopolize on the big fish that were in the area. In fact, Darren managed to land a giant that made this all worthwhile! There were plenty of really good ones boated but this one was in a class all by itself!

With the afternoon upon us, I decided to try a different technique and a totally new area to fish. Well it didn’t take long to see that this also worked as plenty more huge bass came aboard! We may not have been catching tons but the quality was insane! Darren even managed to bring to net another giant that would have equalled or bettered the one he landed this morning. I was limited to the areas I wanted to fish due to all the boats and made the best of the situation by slowing down and trying new places. It was an absolute zoo out there! Fortunately we managed to stay away and fish our own water.

We were to be leaving earlier today due to the new time change and hit one more area before we were to head home. Back to drop shotting again and we managed to land another half dozen good smallies as well as a couple of walleye. In fact, we ended the day with a double!

I was pretty sure that the good weather would bring out more fishermen today but wasn’t expecting the numbers we saw. At one point I counted at least 15 other boats and I’m sure there were even more! Despite all the pressure Darren still managed to catch plenty of quality bass and a few real giants as well. We were only there for big fish and big fish we caught! This was definitely a great day, regardless that we weren’t able to fish more than one or two places that I wanted. Hopefully the weather won’t be as nice the next time out and there’ll be much less traffic on the water. Better days to come, I hope!!

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November 3rd 2018

Day 2 with Craig & Steve and the weather was somewhat better as we headed out. The winds had diminished considerably but the rain had not. In fact we were suppose to have heavier precipitation than yesterday and it was forecasted to last all day long. To make matters worse, the temps were also going to fall throughout the day and snow or freezing rain was a possibility. Just another day in paradise!

We arrived at the water just after 8:00, ready to do battle with some bigger bass today. With the rain falling, we raced to the first spot to fish. Both Craig & Steve were ready for anything and didn’t care about the weather, as long as the fish would bite. Well it didn’t take long for a confirmation as Steve slammed a real beauty in only a couple of minutes. First fish and it was bigger than anything he had caught yesterday! He also managed a couple more nice ones in the next 30 minutes and Craig did too. They were both into some real beauties and the day had just begun!

After fishing this section for a little while and landing several fish, I switched them both to drop shot rigs and relocated. The rain had started to fall a little heavier now and the winds were blowing worse as well, but they didn’t care. The fish were biting and nothing else mattered! Steve was into a fish almost right away and it was another giant. This looked like it was going to be his day! Each time we started in a new area he was into big fish. Can’t complain about that!

I was working deeper water now and it seemed like someone was always hooked up. Both Steve & Craig didn’t care about the wind and rain in their face as they were slamming big smallies. For about 3 or 4 hours they hammered fish and they were all quality. In fact at one point, it seemed like Craig was hooked up on every cast. He got into a groove and could do no wrong! Although Steve was catching, Craig was putting on a clinic!

The conditions had now taken a turn for the worse and the temperatures were falling. You could feel the air getting colder and despite the rain letting up, I was worried that the bite was over. Areas that were on fire had now gone dead and I wasn’t marking fish anymore. All of a sudden the winds grew and it was time to go! Huge waves were upon us in seconds and I knew they were only going to get worse. They were scheduled to blow at more than 35 knots from the NW and I didn’t want to find out if they were right! We packed up and headed back to take out!

We may have only gotten to fish for about 6 hours, but they landed loads of huge bass. We had beaten Mother Nature and endured more miserable conditions once again! This fall has to go down as the worst I’ve ever seen and it doesn’t seem to be letting up, anytime soon! Warmer air temps are forecasted for this coming week but hurricane winds will be tagging along as well. I will have to pick & chose where to fish once again due to her hateful attitude! I just hope that she lets up by the end of the week as Craig will be back with Herm and I know where they will want to go! Back to the land of big & plenty!!