After a sleepless night like that before a big hockey tournament, Bren and I met up with our friend Francis for 7:45 on Sunday morning. From Moose Factory we drove over to Moosonee and parked the truck on the river runway at the bottom of the hill in Tozerville. John was quick to come out and say good morning and begin brushing a little frost off the Cessna while we sipped our hot coffees and loaded our gear into the plane. By 8:20 we were off and soaring southbound about 1000 feet above the James Bay muskeg, excited like only a kid could be, or an adult heading to fish on Kesagami.
Mainly cloudy, -16C with a southwest wind gusting to about 40km/hr when we touched down on the lake it was a tad bit cool. We got our gear loaded onto our little sled and made a quick hike over to my preferred fishing area. Francis brought an 8 inch Jiffy auger and I had a 10", so the plan was he drill the holes for walleye and I drill outside those for pike. We were quick to find that the ice was quite thick in the 40-42 inch range. Francis using the auger extension first finished up the eye holes while I pre-drilled as deep as I could for the pike. Once I was able to finish mine I took some time to meticulously setup my two “Pikeslayerinators†(#1 and 007) and one other rod as well. The whole process from plane to all setup and me jiggin’ eyes took about 2 hours.
While I was working though, Francis and Bren were already fishing. They likely had about an hours head start on me but had not put a single fish on the ice in that time. From where I was off in the distance I yelled over a few times for a report but it was not at all seeming good. When I finally went over to them Francis said he had a large pike snap him off and they were still fishless. I asked Bren if I could see her rod and in about 10 seconds missed a fish, then in 20 seconds or so had one on the ice (not lying, you can ask her) Bren was over-jigging, the bite was a little lighter than usual, and the rod she had wasn’t quick enough for her I think. But after that, she still went a couple more hours without a fish while Francis and I started catching some good size eyes in about the 14-19" range. Bren finally asked for a different rod and it was game time for her too.
Then, a bell goes off in the distance.
All pike setups are about 60 yards away. One northeast, one way east, and the other southeast. It was PikeSlayerinator#1 off to the S.E. The tip was bouncing too much for what would be likely be a big pike, but, being the first alarm I still sprinted like a cheetah, with the grace of a maybe a drunken wildebeast.
Get there, grab the line, realize the wind in about half an hour has blown about a foot of thick slush into the hole, but yet I still feel the weight of a solid fish. Hand-lining the freak it takes only seconds to realize this isn’t the fight of a pike, and in no real time at all I am digging out the slush with my hand to get at the head of a big walleye. All the while yelling for Francis to get over here even though strangely he’s pretty much already standing beside me. When I finally get under the gill plate, stupid but safely I manage to remove the snowball from inside the fishes mouth, then hoist it up into atmosphere.
At about this time, I’m lost in another world.
And as you can see, I’m pretty stunned by the vessel which has taken me there.
This big fat girl ends up being my personal best walleye for weight at 8.5 lbs. One pound heavier than my PB for length, yet a half inch shorter at 28 ½ inches. On the lake I didn’t much care about that, what I was most happy with was, it was only still morning yet and this was the start.
Next 4 hours or so was business as usual. Many times the “Slayerinators†rang out for me to come unhook some hungry eyes and a few snot rockets, and, even on one bell that rang when I was already on my way over to clear the slush, I found myself into a fight with a big pike that got the better of me. Dumb I had been to leave my gloves behind I couldn’t put enough pressure on the braided line without it cutting into my hands when the fish ran, so it sadly escaped due to my handicapped effort.
Back at the eye holes Francis was taking care of his families meals while Bren was all about providing for ours. I joined them off and on to jig eyes too, but, the slush clearing and bells ringing were nearly a full time job in themselves.
Around 3:30 Bren and decided on lunch. Having her there, happy, really excited to fish and not letting anything at all like the cold wind, slow start, or little fish (lol) bring her down truly made my day even 100 times better. She broke out the Coleman stove and began heating up some pre-prepared homemade seafood chowder. I was trying to rig up a barrier to keep the wind from getting at the stove when Francis says, “Bunk! The rod out there is down.â€
I’m pretty whipped at this point. I turn and look to the east setup. The rod isn’t right down, it’s about half ways from what I can see of it in the distance, and it’s just kind of bobbing there. Figure it’s another walleye false alarm.
Walking over when I arrive I carefully pick the rod up off the stand and for the hey of it drive a hookset into the suspected walleye.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!
Just one big reel peel to a sudden stop. It’s go time I guess.
The fish below after the initial big run came back to the hole in about the time it took Francis to walk out to me with the video camera at his eye so to capture the moment. Below it didn’t want to turn too easy but on the third attempt it’s head peered out at me from through the slush. Francis says, “THAT’S HUGE!†And at first I didn’t really think so, but after bringing the head out a little more realized it was a big pike. A big pike that I just turned up a 40 inch hole from out of about one foot of water below. Quite a bend for a big fish.
Finally into my arms I figured I had my third biggest pike to date, and was right in a sense. The fish came in tying one other for personal best length at 40 1/4 inches but was third best weight at a light 15.5 lbs on my cold and snowy filled Rapala spring scale. (gonna check the calibration on that before next trip)
Third year in a row though with a 40+. That was a real pleasing feeling.
No worse for wear this fish kicked out of the hole as soon as it’s head was back in the water. And so finally, Bren and I sat to rest for lunch.
Day winding down a member of a group off in the distance; my fishing buddy Howie from last May’s opener, came by to say the fishing was a little slow at his end. He was wondering what all the commotion had been about over with us, and he was promptly informed by some red bearded angler with overly inflated pride. Just about then, off in the distance, ding a ling. Northeast better known as “PikeSlayerinator 007," which has been rather quiet through the day, is finally getting some play in the final hours. With a new found energy from the chowder and big pike, I’m back to sprinting like a cheetah with the grace of a drunken wildebeast.
When I get to the hole there has to be 18 inches of snow and thick slush, and so again, I find myself hand-lining what feels to be another good walleye while trying to dig out the hole but with a scoop this time. And the effort all pays off too. Bren comes over to say that’s a nice big one and assist with some pictures, and then this eye finds it’s way back to the water. Fish was likely about a 5lb’er.
5:30 we hear the plane off in the distance coming back for us. We could have stayed to about 6:45 to fish, but I was pretty much a right off by this point. Francis and Bren hadn’t wanted anything to do with their pike set-ups off in the distance, so I found myself spending much of the day running and working, all the while getting beat on by quite cold and gusty winds. Bren was tired too. She had caught 21 walleye. Total eyes for the day caught by all 3 was by my best guesstimate 55 and six pike. Before getting on the plane Francis with the video camera running asks “any final comments on the days fishing Bunk?†My response, “I’d say we kicked Kesagami’s butt again this year.â€
Flight home we all hit that brick wall, especially Bren.
In fact, I had a very hard time walking and getting up the stairs to bed that night.
.....outstanding fish and pics! 
What an awesome report! Those fish are truely amazing! Congrats guys on a successful outing! 
Thanks