Having spent about 30hrs trying unsuccessfully to land a Musky on the Ottawa my fishing partner Mike and I decided it was time to catch some fish. My buddy Jonas has a cottage on the QC side that I love fishing from cause the lake is full of LMB. I had brought Mike there once before but it was at the end of last years season and we got skunked. So when I told him that's where I wanted to go I could tell he was a little unsure. But I knew this time would be different.
Pick Mike up shortly after 4am. Drive the 2 hours to the lake set up the boat and we're off shortly after 6. It was a cool morning with clouds and a breeze that would pick up and die off seemingly at will. Perfect fishing weather we thought. Had decided not to bring my boat as Jonas had mentioned his was there for us to use....no trolling motor, no fish finder, no problem I knew a spot on the lake that was perfect for drifting.
So I ask Mike to drive so I can get some early morning fishing from the front of the boat. No problem he says. Ok pull us up near the front of that point and turn the boat sideways for a better drift. Umm he says I can't cast to shore from here. No worries man we're right on top a huge weedbed, behind the boat is just as good. Now he's looking at me like I'm playing some trick on him. But he fires out the first cast anyway.
Got one he says.....biggest sunfish I've seen in years. But Mike shakes it off before I can get to my camera. Another cast, got another one and it's a good one.
Third cast...yup you guessed it. Got another one is heard from the cheap seats. Mikes PB LMB. Not huge but we don't fish LMB much.
Now I'm kicking myself for trying to get the better of him (Karma or what) but I land one and a little bit of weight is lifted off.
Mike then proceeds to catch about 3 or 4 Rockbass and this little cutie.
So not only is he kicking my butt in fish in the first 30 mins he has 4 different species. By this time we've almost drifted across the lake all together. Mike asks if he should start the motor and restart the drift. I'm thinking two more seconds and I can get a cast to this windblown side of the lake and see what's up. So I tell him no not yet. Just as we get into range Mike yells I got a big one! I roll my eyes like I think anyone of you would be doing by this point but decide to cast towards that shore cause I can now reach it with a cast. I grab the net with my other hand and turn to help Mike out. His rod is bent in half and the fish at the other end is refusing to come off the bottom. Just as I offer an agreement, "that is a big one" the line breaks and he's gone. Might have started to cry had it been the 5lber we had been talking about the car ride up.
I start to reel in my line.....oh Mike you better get the net ready I got one here. 2.5 lbs and big fish bragging rights. (hey I'll take it!) But it didn't last long.
I get another net worthy fish on the windblown side so we decide that since they seem a bit bigger over here we should try to work the shoreline a little.
Then Mike takes the day with another PB and anothe species, this time a just over 3 lbs smallie and man what a fighter. If I had a video camera on Mike not the fish I could have won money from America's Funniest Home Videos for sure.
What a day. Well over 60 fish caught, multiple double headers.
All in a spot smaller than a football field that we never left until shortly before 3pm.
The point is right behind me and the weedbed is on fire!!
If your wondering about the third PB, it was the pumkinseed that started the day.
BigC
