Had a good day today albeit a little slow. After not fishing for almost three weeks I decided to get out to try my luck on a familiar lake near Haliburton. Walked out in slushy conditions with my friend Paul. We followed some sled tracks which made life a lot easier. Almost took us right to our spot had to go “off trail” to dial in the locale. About 12-18” snow out there depending on which drift you’re standing in. Drilled a line of holes, 45-60 fow on a gradual drop from a sand shelf to deep basin. 12-14” solid black ice. Marked some suspended fish n every hole, likely herring. They were moving through 15-35ft down over any depth consistently. Barely a minute without them on the graph. Groups of 3-6, if I would guess they would be 5-6” herring based on the stomach contents of the lakers I usually get there. There herring were not biting. Good. Set up a hut today and settled in 57fow. Fished below the herring. Didn’t really mark anything suspended all day. Only variation in activity was the odd big mark on bottom. So we fished bottom. Set lines using small minnows and jigging the usual vibrato and meegz and Simcoe bug switching between them.
I managed two fish in the morning and Paul one, then dead quiet for a couple hours, except the herring constantly. CO stopped and checked us which of course all was well, I asked if he saw any other fish and he said it was dead today. After he left we decided to start packing up … But I keep my graph down and on. I happen to look over at the graph and notice bubbles coming up from bottom, I had my zoom screen set mid column as I was trying to naba herring before packing up, and then look at my full column side of graph, and notice a big arch on the bottom…. In a panic I grab my 42” medium rod equipped with meegz and fire the thing down there as fast as I could…. Two taps on bottom and the line goes slack….. SLAM!!! I hooked bottom, no wait that’s a fish! Incredible fight ensued I had a great deal of difficulty lifting the fish for a while, then when it got tired it started shaking its head violently, got it up to hole and wow, touch and go in the hole maybe 6-7 attempts and another run, and finally get it through, Paul half pins it to the side of hole, hook pops out, tossed my rod, stuck my arm in the hole and fished it up by the tail….. pushing 30” I won’t say it’s over that. What a beautiful fish. Muscle chunk with a HUGe tail! What a great way to end the day, quick photo and release and packed it in.
I managed 17”, 22”, and 30”
Paul managed one 15”
=Winds from the East Brings out the Beast
Laker Day, Back out there…
