The fishing trip, Canada
May 1980 Opening week end of walleye season Ont. Canada found my brother and dad on a small remote lake. We were to be joined mid week by my hunting partner, his two sons, brother and a friend of the older son.
This lake is back down a trail several miles off highway 129 it has an unapproved boat launch site and a camping site scattered around one end of the lake. We had been there for a week the year before and found the trail in no problem for a truck camper and boat trailer. This year how ever found that beavers had used part of the trail as a part of the dam. We stopped and check to see in there would be any problem finishing the trip back to the lake and deemed it passable.
Once we got there we set about putting both boats we had brought in the lake and setting up our camp making sure we had room for the rest to join us.
We put the minnow trap in the small stream that emptied in the lake near by. The next morning found us up bright an early fixing a breakfast of eggs and bacon. Bacon sure smells good cooking over an open fire. Soon the coffee was ready along with the eggs and bacon After quickly washing the dishes we hit the lake. To start off we just trolled at slow speed watching the fish finder to get an idea of the bottoms layout and the type of bottom. We caught a few walleyes a couple of white fish and some pike, nothing really big. Soon it was lunch time so we headed back to camp cleaned a couple of the pike then cut them into steaks for the big cast iron fry pan I liked. After lunch we went to the minnow trap to collect the catch of the evening and thru the night. We had a good supply of 2 inch to 4 inch minnows for the afternoon.. We went out to where a small island made a shallower warmer water area. Hooking a minnow on a treble hook just be hind the dorsal fin was how we used them attached a bobber to fit the size of the minnow and cast out. We were after some bigger pike. 10 to 25 pounder?s.
We didn?t catch any that big mostly the 3 to 5 pound range but good eating fish.
The next day found us with some smaller minnows we had caught in the trap the night before off a stony point jigging for walleyes. Again noting huge but nice size eating fish many returned to fight another day.
During the night My partner was supposed to come in so my brother and I took turns sleeping and listening to the CB. About 2:30 AM we finally heard them when they were close to 40 miles away yet by the road. We made a big pot of coffee so when they got there we would have some to shoot the breeze with. When they finally got there it was fast approaching day lite.
We helped them get their camp set up and set some things out side the camper for the duration of the week.
Breakfast was cooked and ate. We were informed the beaver dam had changed and a tail lite was broken off the boat trailer on their way in. We decided we would walk back to the beaver dam and get the tail lite and see how much more damage the beaver could do to the trail and leave if need be rather than get stranded in there. A very short walk down the trail put us in all kinds of mushrooms. Morels and the ones we called beef steaks. The youngest son was sent back to camp to get a plastic bag for us. He came back with a 30 gallon trash bag . By the time he arrived we had nearly 10 pounds gathered. And a whole 30 gallon trash bag full by the time we got to the tail lite and returned to camp.
We decided to clean the shroons put them on ice first thing. Then it was time for a early lunch and then fishing. Dad and I took one boat with the sons friend, Norm, my brother Robb and the youngest son took the boat with out a motor while Rick and the oldest son took the third boat, towing Robb and Norm to where they wanted to fish. Every one had a great day of fishing and told the tales around the camp fire that evening. Norm reminded every one they should not stand up in the boats and said the lakes water was really cold. He said that you should go to the shore to relieve the bladder.
Next morning after a big breakfast found us split up much the same as the day before. Dad and I decided to set up in the narrow spot of a bay the stream emptied into for big pike. Dad chose a bait casting outfit with a boron rod I had built during the winter. He also chose a big stick type bobber I had built where you can either loop the line to make it a fixed bobber or just run the line thru so it can slip. Dad chose the fixed bobber set up hooked a 2/3 inch minnow on the treble hook and cast out to the closest bank which was a good 40 yards away.
Joel and I set up just about the same way only using spinning equipment. Wasn?t to long and dad had some thing come in a take the minnow and start running with it. Dad set the hook and off to the races it went that fish wanted nothing to do with us. That boron rod was impressive made a note to build a couple more like it. Finally the fish started coming to the boat then charged under the boat. I quickly lifted the motor so the fish couldn?t catch the line on it. We still hadn?t seen the fish when it went under the boat but it surfaced with a splash on the opposite side of the boat and headed out into the main lake. The rod bend a nice arch then straightened up. The line had snapped, but we could see it as the fish swam away trailing that bobber. We set about trying to get the fish to take another bait but failed so we went to the camp for lunch.
Every one does some thing at our camps. Some cleaned fish, some peeled taters others onions and some washed some shroons.
I stuffed the fish with taters shroons and big chunks of onion then fully closed them up in alum foil laying them on hot coals at the edge of the fire. My dad is not one who likes shroons so I did a separate fish just for him.
Once we were full of lunch we drank a last cup of coffee and retired to the boats for the afternoon fishing.
Once again we got Norm and their boat set up where they wanted to be then dad and I decided to fish on the back side of an island that set just inside the bay from the main lake.
Rick and his son decided they were going to set up there too only on the other side. Wasn?t long after we got set up and our lines out we heard a whoop from Rick. They had hooked a big one trailing a bobber, dads bobber. Rick yelled it was coming our way so I grabbed the oars since the motor was tilted up and started oaring like all get out to get out of their way. I look to the front of the boat to see dad doubles in laughter. In between tears he said if I pulled the anchors I would make better time getting out of the way. Rick?s son finally got the fish worked up beside their boat and realized that it would not fit in any net any one had. Rick tried to lift it in their boat by hand but for some reason he couldn?t, the fish took off on another run. Finally they had it coming straight into their boat but Rick said he did want any part of lifting the fish into the boat. I got beside them reached down and grabbed a hand full of gills with one hand then got a hand in the other set and lifted the fish into our boat. Only hook in the fish once in the boat was dads, Rick?s sons hooks were buried in the spring of dads bobber. We went back to the camp to get the big scales normally not used but carried since the 25 pound ones in the boat bottomed out. The big pike weighted 36.5 pounds. It was a monster. I?ll look for the pictures of dad and nick posing with it soon.
On the way home we had saved a day to fish Little Brevort lake off Worth road near Moran. There at that time was no limit on bull heads. We caught cleaned six 20 gallon Styrofoam coolers of them in one evening and a day. We fish fried them once we got home inviting a couple aunts and uncles. One of the best fishing trips I have ever been on.
Al
This lake is back down a trail several miles off highway 129 it has an unapproved boat launch site and a camping site scattered around one end of the lake. We had been there for a week the year before and found the trail in no problem for a truck camper and boat trailer. This year how ever found that beavers had used part of the trail as a part of the dam. We stopped and check to see in there would be any problem finishing the trip back to the lake and deemed it passable.
Once we got there we set about putting both boats we had brought in the lake and setting up our camp making sure we had room for the rest to join us.
We put the minnow trap in the small stream that emptied in the lake near by. The next morning found us up bright an early fixing a breakfast of eggs and bacon. Bacon sure smells good cooking over an open fire. Soon the coffee was ready along with the eggs and bacon After quickly washing the dishes we hit the lake. To start off we just trolled at slow speed watching the fish finder to get an idea of the bottoms layout and the type of bottom. We caught a few walleyes a couple of white fish and some pike, nothing really big. Soon it was lunch time so we headed back to camp cleaned a couple of the pike then cut them into steaks for the big cast iron fry pan I liked. After lunch we went to the minnow trap to collect the catch of the evening and thru the night. We had a good supply of 2 inch to 4 inch minnows for the afternoon.. We went out to where a small island made a shallower warmer water area. Hooking a minnow on a treble hook just be hind the dorsal fin was how we used them attached a bobber to fit the size of the minnow and cast out. We were after some bigger pike. 10 to 25 pounder?s.
We didn?t catch any that big mostly the 3 to 5 pound range but good eating fish.
The next day found us with some smaller minnows we had caught in the trap the night before off a stony point jigging for walleyes. Again noting huge but nice size eating fish many returned to fight another day.
During the night My partner was supposed to come in so my brother and I took turns sleeping and listening to the CB. About 2:30 AM we finally heard them when they were close to 40 miles away yet by the road. We made a big pot of coffee so when they got there we would have some to shoot the breeze with. When they finally got there it was fast approaching day lite.
We helped them get their camp set up and set some things out side the camper for the duration of the week.
Breakfast was cooked and ate. We were informed the beaver dam had changed and a tail lite was broken off the boat trailer on their way in. We decided we would walk back to the beaver dam and get the tail lite and see how much more damage the beaver could do to the trail and leave if need be rather than get stranded in there. A very short walk down the trail put us in all kinds of mushrooms. Morels and the ones we called beef steaks. The youngest son was sent back to camp to get a plastic bag for us. He came back with a 30 gallon trash bag . By the time he arrived we had nearly 10 pounds gathered. And a whole 30 gallon trash bag full by the time we got to the tail lite and returned to camp.
We decided to clean the shroons put them on ice first thing. Then it was time for a early lunch and then fishing. Dad and I took one boat with the sons friend, Norm, my brother Robb and the youngest son took the boat with out a motor while Rick and the oldest son took the third boat, towing Robb and Norm to where they wanted to fish. Every one had a great day of fishing and told the tales around the camp fire that evening. Norm reminded every one they should not stand up in the boats and said the lakes water was really cold. He said that you should go to the shore to relieve the bladder.
Next morning after a big breakfast found us split up much the same as the day before. Dad and I decided to set up in the narrow spot of a bay the stream emptied into for big pike. Dad chose a bait casting outfit with a boron rod I had built during the winter. He also chose a big stick type bobber I had built where you can either loop the line to make it a fixed bobber or just run the line thru so it can slip. Dad chose the fixed bobber set up hooked a 2/3 inch minnow on the treble hook and cast out to the closest bank which was a good 40 yards away.
Joel and I set up just about the same way only using spinning equipment. Wasn?t to long and dad had some thing come in a take the minnow and start running with it. Dad set the hook and off to the races it went that fish wanted nothing to do with us. That boron rod was impressive made a note to build a couple more like it. Finally the fish started coming to the boat then charged under the boat. I quickly lifted the motor so the fish couldn?t catch the line on it. We still hadn?t seen the fish when it went under the boat but it surfaced with a splash on the opposite side of the boat and headed out into the main lake. The rod bend a nice arch then straightened up. The line had snapped, but we could see it as the fish swam away trailing that bobber. We set about trying to get the fish to take another bait but failed so we went to the camp for lunch.
Every one does some thing at our camps. Some cleaned fish, some peeled taters others onions and some washed some shroons.
I stuffed the fish with taters shroons and big chunks of onion then fully closed them up in alum foil laying them on hot coals at the edge of the fire. My dad is not one who likes shroons so I did a separate fish just for him.
Once we were full of lunch we drank a last cup of coffee and retired to the boats for the afternoon fishing.
Once again we got Norm and their boat set up where they wanted to be then dad and I decided to fish on the back side of an island that set just inside the bay from the main lake.
Rick and his son decided they were going to set up there too only on the other side. Wasn?t long after we got set up and our lines out we heard a whoop from Rick. They had hooked a big one trailing a bobber, dads bobber. Rick yelled it was coming our way so I grabbed the oars since the motor was tilted up and started oaring like all get out to get out of their way. I look to the front of the boat to see dad doubles in laughter. In between tears he said if I pulled the anchors I would make better time getting out of the way. Rick?s son finally got the fish worked up beside their boat and realized that it would not fit in any net any one had. Rick tried to lift it in their boat by hand but for some reason he couldn?t, the fish took off on another run. Finally they had it coming straight into their boat but Rick said he did want any part of lifting the fish into the boat. I got beside them reached down and grabbed a hand full of gills with one hand then got a hand in the other set and lifted the fish into our boat. Only hook in the fish once in the boat was dads, Rick?s sons hooks were buried in the spring of dads bobber. We went back to the camp to get the big scales normally not used but carried since the 25 pound ones in the boat bottomed out. The big pike weighted 36.5 pounds. It was a monster. I?ll look for the pictures of dad and nick posing with it soon.
On the way home we had saved a day to fish Little Brevort lake off Worth road near Moran. There at that time was no limit on bull heads. We caught cleaned six 20 gallon Styrofoam coolers of them in one evening and a day. We fish fried them once we got home inviting a couple aunts and uncles. One of the best fishing trips I have ever been on.
Al
