Heading to Canada in 6 Days

[firefighter ontheside]

Well, my boys and I will be heading to Eagle Lake in Ontario on Friday with Liam's buddy and his dad.  It's been about 5 years since I was there and I'm really looking forward to it.  From the pics I'm seeing from the lodge, fishing is very good.  I know the water is really high up in that area, but it doesn't seem to be messing up the fishing.  My mom and dad were up there a few weeks ago and had a pretty bad trip.  They had bad weather and the boat motor acted up again.  The boat is in the shop and if its not sorted out, I will not be taking it.  We will have to use one of the lodge boats, which won't be terrible.  Connor and his dad will already be using one of the lodge boats.  With the price of diesel, we will all be riding in my truck.  I can already imagine what the back seat is gonna be like with two boys 15 and one 11.  Bring on the smallmouth, walleye and northern pike!

[sawguy21]

You think your fuel prices are bad, wait until you cross the border! :'( Have a good trip and remember, it didn't happen without pictures.

[SwampDonkey]

Have a good time, catch lots of fish.

I'm a long way from that area, but there is lots of water here this year to. Water up into the weeds where it would be in April. Great for gardening.

[uplander]

About two weeks for us. Into Alberta and all the way to Alaska.
The first trip of both of us being retired.

[SawyerTed]

Good luck!  Tight lines!

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks guys.  I'm excited to take my boys to the lake I first went to in 1987.  I have so many good memories from being up there and hope they will have a few from our trip.  Lots of pictures and videos will be taken.  The last time I took a video up there it was on VHS camera.  Our friends who are going with us came over to my parent's house so they could get a look at all the gear my dad has.  We will go to Bass Pro this week and get some more tackle.  I need at least one new rod and lots of lures.  We need to by a bunch of steel leaders too.  I'm sure I have some, but not enough.

[firefighter ontheside]

Here's me in 1987.


 

[Old Greenhorn]

I am a sucker for the big pike, it's more hunting than fishing really. I hooked into a huge musky one time while pike fishing with big bait and I never saw him he stripped my entire reel and snapped the line off just before he ran the backing out. I never saw him, but it was unmistakable what it was, such power, all I could do was hold on and watch the line strip.

 You guys will have a great trip, I envy you a bit. (OK, A lot.)

[K-Guy]

Good Luck
Have a great time. I don't miss the socialism but I do miss fishing in the lakes in the mountains of BC.


Pike are what we called swamp sharks and we would kill all we caught and throw them back as they competed with the gamefish.

[firefighter ontheside]

I don't mind catching pike, especially if nothing else is biting.  I'm sure my boys won't care if its a pike or bass or walleye or perch.  

We got the call from the boat shop that the boat is ready for pick up.  They said that 2 injectors were fouled up and cleaned them and replace the spark plugs for those 2 cylinders.  I sure hope its fixed.  We have had lots of trouble with this motor since we got it.  It sat for too long not being used before we got it.  I will go pick it up in the morning.

[Old Greenhorn]

I LOVE catching Pike and I hunt for them specifically. ;D I put out some big honking creek chubs and some big floats, then run  a casting outfit for bass while I wait it we are in the shallower water. I run the bait deeper in the daytime on edges of deeper channels. Pike hunt "up", that is they sty low and look for food above them and come up from below. Getting them hooked is tricky. They hit the bait and then 'sit' for a few seconds. What they are doing is turning the baitfish in their mouth for swallowing and the angler has to wait just a bit before setting the hook. If you set it when the float goes down, you will yank the bait almost every time. They hunt in the shallows after sunset and I would fish them in 12' of water a lot of nights. Daytime they will be a lot deeper and if your bait is big and attractive enough, you might find a Musky, now there is a fight!
 You guys have a great trip! I hope the boat runs smooth as you want it.

[firefighter ontheside]

We went to Bass Pro this afternoon to buy some extra tackle, an additional fishing rod and a few other items.  It's amazing how easy it is to spend $448 at Bass Pro on lures.  I guess when the lures cost about $8 each its not too hard to do.  My son with the receipt that is half his height.

 

[SawyerTed]

Used to be that Bass Pro was good for $100 a trip.  Over the years it's gone from that to $200 to $300 to $500 a trip. 

On the other hand those dollars lead to invaluable memories.

[Nebraska]

Here's wishing you a great trip. 8)

[firefighter ontheside]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[firefighter ontheside]

Sorry bout tye sideways pics.  I'm doing this on trip home with phone.  These are a few highlights.  We had a very good week.
I caught a 38" muskie and a 25 1/2" walleye.  My oldest caught a 34 1/2" Northern and a 19 1/2" smallmouth.  My youngest caught a 24 1/2" walleye and an 18" bass.

[SwampDonkey]

Some substantial fishes.

[sawguy21]

I'm jealous! :D That was a trip they will remember for a long time.

[Old Greenhorn]

Just catching up here, looks like you and the boys had a great trip! Sure is some nice fish there! Did the boat hold up OK?

[KEC]

Great Sacandaga Lake/Reservoir in New York produces some big Northern Pike. Many years ago I read about some guys who targeted the big ones. Their rule of thumb was to use a sucker for bait that was 1/3 the length of the pike that they wanted to catch. They were using 12-14" long suckers ! They didn't get many bites, but when they did it there was a big fish on the line.