The River That Pike Built. (pics)

This is where it's all going on. One can ask for advice or general information or simply chew the fat about fishing tackle, tips, and locations.
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fatluke
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Post by fatluke »

ratsotail wrote:Moosebunk,
Since he won't answer his email or phone maybe you can tell me if he caught any fish on the big tubes he brought along.

ratsotail
Jeff,

We're in the same boat buddy.

My guess would be after 7 days in the bush with a bunch of dudes, he's been spending all his time in Gatineau!!!!! haha
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ratsotail
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Post by ratsotail »

Good point NotSoFatLuke :lol: :lol: :lol:...pretty funny too! May be time to put out an APB for one lost friend!

Bunk,

I can't believe you didn't consider this trip in your top five of all time. It makes me wonder what trips are in your top five...maybe another story for another day :D 8) ! I can't wait to read about the Grayling trip...it's still a fish I haven't got off of my wish list yet.

Tight Lines,

ratsotail
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baz fish
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Post by baz fish »

Awsome report as usual Moosebunk :D . Some none stop action of trophy pike and walleyes :) . Thats is deffinetely 1 of my dream trip :) .
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Post by Moosebunk »

Ratso,

I've had two awesome trips to BC for sturgeon and salmon.

When I was younger I took multiple trips into Quebec to float tube brookies in isolated areas with friends.

I traveled to Ekwan River with my Bro-in-law crossing 25 km's of James Bay each way and in some hairy 70k gusty swells to boot.

Paddled Temagami for a week with friends.

Snare Lake with Scuro.

Twice traveled across the southern James Bay to Missisicabi for walleye in one of the most awesome little corners of Ontario.

Ice fished Kesagami 13 times with great results.

Took a soft water trip to Kesagami Lodge with Floatfishin.

I've been on a number of great trips just up my river, and the first time I reached some of those places is always memorable.

I went on this trip.

I've twice been to Costa Rica and had great fishing both times.

I took a 2 1/2 week road trip/camp/fishing trip with different friends from here down to Delhi and back and had great fun.


All of this but the Quebec trips have been in the last 5 years. All were great.

Attawapiskat fishing and the group we had was awesome. But to put that above Costa Rica's marlin and wahoo with my wife, Ekwan river and Bay struggles with my bro-in-law, both BC's gangs for sturgeon, a number of Kesagami weekends with friends and family seeing them get PB's... all of it. So far I don't have a standout better trip than another. I'm lucky to have them all. I'm hoping the next takes the cake though.
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ratsotail
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Post by ratsotail »

Bunk,

You forced me into a geography lesson on your top twelve trips :oops: ...but it was fun doing the research. I actually found a really cool website while trying to find where in the world Missisicabi is. I'm a bit of a weather buff...used to chase storms when I was younger in the mid-west States.

If memory serves me correct I think I remember the trip you wrote about with your brother-in-law. Was he the man that was checking lake depths with a stick as you were plying the waters in your canoe? That was a great read if I recall correctly.

I also remember the Fraser River trip...another over-the-top report for sure. When were you in Costa Rica and did you ever do a report on that trip? I'm a big fan of the saltwater. Have you ever fished Belize? I actually have some pretty good stories to share if you're interested...need to scan some pics though.

So lastly, how does one travel across James Bay...what kind of craft? 70K gusts sounds a bit hairy. Do tell!

Tight Lines,

ratsotail
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slop
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Post by slop »

You da schnizzle Bunkizzle.... fo sho dood!

T'was out of this universe, an experience that will last me the rest of my life....huge feesh....great company....awesome food...wicked adventure

Killer report man....looking forward to reading your up-coming arctic adventures.
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Post by Moosebunk »

Tubalization wrote:You da schnizzle Bunkizzle.... fo sho dood!

T'was out of this universe, an experience that will last me the rest of my life....huge feesh....great company....awesome food...wicked adventure

Killer report man....looking forward to reading your up-coming arctic adventures.
I take it you are Slop. :lol:

Ratso.. this is what most Bay goers use...

Arctic 24'
Length: 24 feet
Beam: 68 inches
Depth: 26 inches
Weight: 600 pounds
Capacity: 5000 pounds
Model: Flat wide
Recommended motor: 40 to 60HP

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Crossing the Bay where we were luckily had us protected behind an offshore tidal sandbar. We were out of the big stuff but still had 5 to 7 foot waves coming across our boat from about 7 - 10 o'clock. Joe had to bail most of the 25km's while checking water depths with a stick as, the flats we were running across were likely about 3-6 feet deep with the tide in, yet you have to constantly be checking to make sure you're not going to run a sandbar or too close to shore. When the tide is out, the mud/sand flats can stretch for several kilometers off shore, you want to travel as inshore as you can to avoid the big sea, but as offshore as you can to not suddenly run shallow ashore. It's tough to judge in big waves how deep you're running, and you could drop into a valley between waves and just hit bottom. Just for us to get the boat out from the mouth of the Ekwan to where it was deep enough to start the motor, we had to haul that canoe over 1 km across and around skinny bars in skinny channels of water. It was hell as a 24 foot canoe is a windsock when major northeast gusts are pounding you from 9-12 o'clock, and the boat wants to go in directions you don't want to go. The further out we got the bigger the waves that began to pound and blow up on us, and, the more the wind tried to push us back ashore as, the outgoing current of the river grew weaker and weaker against the incoming tide and windblown waves.

That was Ekwan and the bay on a cold september morning. Joe was soaked to the bone with cold waters by the time we got back to Attawapiskat. I was wet but not too bad. Had we not braved that weather we would have been on Ekwan an extra 3-4 days. Fishing was great enough and we had enough lard and evergreen tea leaves growing in the bush we would have been just fine for food and drink.

Beating that Bay and all that went on to just get up that river through all it's shallows, swifts and small rapids made for 3 days of the most labor intensive but satisfying bush work I have ever done. It was totally harsh and out of my element that I felt such accomplishment to have done it. You can't imagine the work from sun-up to sun-down that Joe and I did so we could spend just 13 hours fishing to catch around 160 pike.
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S.M.05
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Post by S.M.05 »

Have not checked out the site for a while so it awsome to come back to it and read another great post like this again.
Looking forward to your char trip post as they look like brookies on steroids :twisted:
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slop
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Post by slop »

Mike and family, who flew us from Hearst into the far north were nothing short of absolutely fabulous....lotsa talk in the cockpit 'bout the draft and whether or not the Leafs would make the playoffs.

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Approach to our home for seven outstanding days of fishin'....boooya




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On my way on a two hour run up river.....very cold for a July mornin' lemme tell ya

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Was nice to set my feet on a piece of stone after navigating some ugly rapids with Norm and Christine......Bunk will dismiss this as kids-play though as he makes long runs on the river.
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I caught many Walleye from this spot as well as an encounter with an extremely large Pike....this monster ruled the 'hood' for sure. She snarfed down my bait right at my feet, turned....broke me off and was gone...till next time gurl!

A parting shot of the 'cut' and river where....if we had any spare time near camp to harass the Pike, this is where we would giver a go! with some good results to boot.




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The Ogoki, on the Albany River at approximately 9,500 feet.....
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Grant.
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Post by ratsotail »

More great pics and insight to an outstanding adventure, Grant! Does this mean that because of the encounter with only "big" fish and the desire to seek more that you won't Crappie fish any longer :( :shock: ?

Tight Lines buddy...wishin' I was fishin' with ya'!

Jeff
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slop
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Post by slop »

Jeff, I'm still awe dood. I love my Crappie fishin'....just finding it a little hard to get back to the oppertunities on my doorstep is all. Collectively, the group slayed so many mid to high thirty inchers...and quality eyes over the seven days.....but thats what make this trip stand above the week in....week out type of fishing we're used to.

Looking back, this river is soooo huge and has great potential to nab a trophy for the most serious Pike hunter. Seven days was just enough of a taste to have me saving my pennies for the next round....I'll be back man!

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My best topwater fish that was landed.......countless missed oppertunites :roll:

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So.....do ya wanna go? :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Mr.J.
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Post by Mr.J. »

I am so jealous

WOW

trip of a life time
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Chevy Champagne
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Post by Chevy Champagne »

:shock: :shock: :shock:
GREAT REPORT READ EVERY LITTLE DOT OF IT 8) :D
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wolfe
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Post by wolfe »

Thanks to Tubalization :P for PMg me this post, which I missed while away at the cottage.

Moosebunk....squeezing every drop of bloody goodness out of life....!

Really, how to reply to such a report? (Have I ever suggested to you that you need to get published? Huh? Have I?) 8)

To haul in 40+ inch "snarlin' darlin's" again and again -- c'mon, you're killin' me!

Thanks for the vibrant photography, the exciting fish "portraits" and pic's like this one, certainly fit for a glossy magazine in some city folk's luxury apartment, people that like to pretend they could penetrate the places you've been in their fashionable Land's End hiking boots and expensive oil skin jackets.

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You've got it, Bunk. The real thing!

THANKS for sharing your incredible adventure! It was a pleasure to digest.

W.

PS: kudos to the good releases on those big fish. Love it. Hope the family is doing well. :D
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mad_on_fishing
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beautiful

Post by mad_on_fishing »

beautiful walleye!!!
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