Wawa derby, trophy specs and monster pike.

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S.M.05
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Wawa derby, trophy specs and monster pike.

Post by S.M.05 »

It was a long wait but I finally headed out on my Wawa derby trip last week that included fishing for trophy specs, monster pike, and the derby of course.
After a week of problems with just about everything related to the trip on I finally started the 1200km trek to Wawa including stops in Chapleau and Hawk Junction.
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On Tuesday the plan was to take the snowmobile into a nice little lake buried in the logging trails of Chapleau that had only two types of fish in it, white fish and big pike. Let’s just say I wasn’t prepared for the amount of snow down there. Three feet of powder was way too much for my short track machine, I couldn’t even walk through it was so deep. That outing was scraped so I headed into Wawa and had a hot coffee and some breakfast and drove down to Superior to see the sights and then out to my fishing guide Bobs house where I would be spending the next couple of days.
Seems that my short track machine would not make it into the trophy lake Bob had wanted to take me to so he brought me into another of his promising spec lakes with a max depth of over 100’ it was much deeper than the 30’ lakes I fished in back home.
About an hour after setting up I hook into 4 pounder but lost it at the hole :evil: and then after moving lost another on the set line :x and then ended the day with this guy.
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Thursday Bob and I headed about an hour into the bush for pike. Although Bob fishes for specs mainly he agreed to try and help me land the big pike I was after. Last summer Bob said he had caught over 17 pike in one afternoon on this lake. We set up in 20 fow and within a half hour I had a fish on the set line but lost the pike at the hole. About an hour later the flag goes off again, but it’s not a pike it’s a laker. Since I’m fishing the derby on sat. I quickly release it. When I tell Bob he’s surprised since he has never caught a laker here, he also tells me I should have kept it as he knows a lady whose husband passed away recently and she would have taken it. We move over to a large weed bay and set up. Right away I lose one at the hole jigging. Then 20 min. later I hook into a nice one jigging, and it’s another laker.
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Sorry about the blood but he did have a hook in his mouth :shock:


I keep this one for the lady after feeling guilty about letting the other go and clean it first before dropping my lure down the hole again. About 15 min. later I see a red line under my spoon on the flasher so I move the spoon up and he follows it but no bite so I drop it back down and make him chase it and wham, fish on! The drag starts screaming and I can tell this one is big. Its gotta be a big pike, but no it’s a big laker. I finally get its head pointed up the 2 feet of ice and he practically swims out of the hole but sinks back in. I can see the lure just in the corner of his mouth so I quickly reach in and toss him on the ice.
New P.B. Laker
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When we got back to the house I said to his wife
“What do you get when two trout fisherman go for pike?……………TROUT!”


Well Sat. Is the first day of the derby and I figure Ill use the heavier pike gear on the trout since it worked so good the other day. Well not a bite couple lookers on the sonar and that’s it. I tried downsizing the lure but no takers I guess the 20lb fire line was spooking them.
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On Sunday the last day of the derby I decide to down size to my lighter rod since the fish are being finicky. I arrive at the lake and every thing is going wrong from the auger freezing up to the replacement P.O.S. Ice45 failing again. I figure I should just go home. Well I stick it out and as lower my jig down the hole and then with a half hour to go before the end of the derby a laker nails it. The drag is going off just trying to reel it in and the fish is just sitting there, this laker is bigger then the one I caught the other day. I tighten the drag and start to gain some ground on it. Then it starts bull dogging and does a short run, stops and then takes off again like a freight train. I can see my line sideways in the hole and I jam my rod tip down the hole so it doesn’t cut the line, all the while the fish is stripping of line with the drag screaming. I can now see the end off my line on the reel and have no choice but tighten the drag more but it doesn’t even slow the fish so I tighten it more as there is maybe 10’ left on the reel and snap! :shock: :cry: :cry: :cry:
First prize was new snowmobile the fish I caught Thursday would have one it and this was bigger :? .

Looks like I’m going back next year. :wink:
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Almost forgot this pic is for Luke. What it was only -30c that night!
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fatluke
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Post by fatluke »

DUDE......Sweet...........Dude...........Sweet........

Those are some dandy lakers Mike. The heads on them are facking HUGE...

It's too bad about the "the on that got away".... As the story goes......

You are certainly a treker.. sleeping in -30........LOL....... nuts.........

I just hope you weren't cuddling with my jiffy..

Great trip......I am totally looking forward to my laker trip in the spring.....
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Post by GR8-Scott »

Great report....Too bad the BIG one got away....would have loved to see of pic of that monster.

Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
************************
Scott
- A bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office.....
- Every day can be a fishing day, but not every day will be a catching day.......
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Mike P
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Post by Mike P »

Excellent looking fish...Congrat's on PB.
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Post by Bass Addict »

Congrats on the Hardcore legwork and Determination......... 8) .
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Post by DropShotr »

Congrats on that georgous laker.....WOW!!

Sleeping in the back of the truck reminds me of a few trips to Sinnamahoning, Pennsylvania for buck season many years ago............brrrrrrrrr

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Post by Wallyboss »

The Mr. Heater must've come in handy in the back of the truck. Congrats on the nice fish. I think it's okay when a big size laker like that breaks your Big pike hunt!!!
When hell freezes over, I'll be there icefishing!!!

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Please feel free to stand in front of them!!!

Experience is that marvellous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again
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joco
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Post by joco »

I just hope you weren't cuddling with my jiffy..


sher hope not......some cuting hedge on those. :lol: :lol: ..could wake up in the morning with something missing. :shock: :lol: cut off.



those are nice lakers bud....... :shock: :wink:

cong.

this is what eal ice fishing is about.

joco
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Post by Fishing 24/7 »

too bad for all those miss's.

you were using joco's auger.... that thing is CURSED man !

it didnt attack you?

:lol:


great report as usual you are a true sincere ice fisherman.

those trips up north must be lots of fun!

its ashame you didnt get that pike you wanted....

i find pike is the hardest type of fish to get while jigging......just cant figure them out. :?

nice report

cong on those nice lakers
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Post by Tip-up »

:shock:

Huge lakers Mike! WTG!
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wolf5
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Try again!!!!!

Post by wolf5 »

Which lake did you fish for the derby? I do recall there is 3 lake are allow for derby? I was there about 8yrs ago nice tourament host!! Too bad you should have won the sled!!
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Post by Moosebunk »

You always impress me.

Great fish! The one's lost.... crap, it happens. You got some quality to hand and those count.
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slop
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Post by slop »

Quite the tour there '05 Luke was telling me how you were constructing a bed in the back of the truck before you left :shock: .....I thought you were crazy :lol: :lol:

Congratulations on your personal best laker.....it's a tank man!!!!
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troutnmuskiehunter
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Post by troutnmuskiehunter »

Atta boy SM05!!....congrats on your PB LAker....Great lookin fish and report lad!!
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fatluke
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Post by fatluke »

Moosebunk wrote:You always impress me.

Great fish! The one's lost.... crap, it happens. You got some quality to hand and those count.
Gotta be quality fish when moosebunk comes out of hibernation for comment.... Bunk...... now don't go posting a crazy northern adventure and taking the spotlight away from S.M.05.... give him a couple days of glory........... then GIT-R-DONE cause I've been waiting all winter for one of your stories..

You guys would be killing yourselves laughing if you knew half the gong-show stories from his trip....... This dude is cursed worse than me... from the frozen gas cap on the truck......loosing the skidoo in the poweder..... to the frozen jiffy.......it goes on and on..
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