Over the month of April I took parts of my motor apart and put them back together. Wasn't sure if I did things right but yesterday I gave it a test and all systems were a go. The boat on the other hand had a leak, and so after flipping it over and putting it on the trailer, I had to take it back off the trailer and flip it over again. After sanding and putting the fiberglass to it, I flipped it back over and put it back on the trailer. I used a small snowbank in the yard as a wedge/ramp to help me put the 300+ wooden canoe on the bunks. By the end of the day the back was pretty stiff and I think I might have pulled my right ring finger.
Today at the launch the knot came through the pull start handle thingy. I fixed it. Then it happened again. I fixed it.
Away I went. The day was awesome. The odd late chunk of ice floating here and there down the river, the water levels have dropped probably 10-12 feet in a week or two. The day was sunny and calling for +20C. I had sweat on the brow already at 10:00am and knew it was going to be a warm one.
First stop was for trout. I was told not to bother by a friend because the buds on the alders and poplar trees had yet to split out of their little sticky brown encasings. I gave it a shot anyways but to no avail. No trout home yet.
From there I took off an hour upriver to a different trout spot. Nice to beable to go full out on the river and not have to worry about rocks and shallows for a change.
Along the way I took these pics of the remanants of some of the breakup. This years ice flow was the best I've seen since moving north. I believe the water rose 17-18 feet, the threat of floods and evacuation was a high alert, and the ice flows were beating islands and the banks to pieces. Imagine this coming at your house.
These chunks have spent a couple weeks in the sun and rain. Man, they're giants.
Got up to the trout hole and dropped a pink jig with a salty. Nice spot. Strong current and a really defined seam and eddy that's formed off the back of an island. Few casts and nothing but, then I get a hit. Feels good.... but it's an eater size eye. Back it goes. Few casts later and the same thing, so, I opted to move off the seam and into the formed back bay off the island. Changing rods I threw on a spoon and started peppering the bay when BOOOOYAH!!! (and I yelled that when I set the hook) the feeling of a good fish was felt. Didn't take long to see it was a pike, and when it saw me it didn't take long for it to hit the current. Ohhhhh yeah, this was a great first fish for my first day on the soft water this year, and man it ripped in that fast water.
Three tries with the net and I bent this guy in. The hook fell right out of it's lip just then. Lucky.
Got a quick pic then put it to the scale and tape. 11 1/4lbs + 38" Tad skinny but long. Then I got another two pics and back it went. Took a minute or two reviving then gave me a shower.
The spot turned out to be good for a few more. I released 2 more smaller pike around 24" and two more OOS walleye. It seemed like the eyes were already off the spawn because I'm sure I felt a few go "aggressively" after my spoons and, not a one was milting. They were in a bay too, and not in a prime spawning area. I think if I had of been able to target eyes today I could have been into some real numbers.
Little later, after trying again with no luck for trout somewhere else, I hooked this last small pike in a shallow eddy on the way home. That same sore ring finger managed to get a good slice through it because of this struggling snot rocket. Gotta say, it was a good first day on the soft water though. Next time I'll have some specks.
and you had replied 
