This time, we brought backup. Laura's girl friend wanted to come along, so I mostly played "guide". Colleen is from Tunder Bay, eh, so she really wanted to catch one to brag to her dad. There was less of a crowd, so we headed over to the island this time. Laura caught a little one and released it on the flats in the middle. Then we headed to the deeper holes.
After a few drifts, we had little luck. We all caught a few perch and Colleen wanted to know if that is what it would feel like when a pickerel hit. We told her she'd know the difference when it happened
I accidentally overshot my next drift and started it in 8 ft with heavy weeds. Instead of raking the weeds with the bottom bouncer, I lifted it until it barely touched the tops of the weeds. It wasn't 5 feet from the boat and WHAM! Another eater in the cooler.
About 10 minutes later, near the end of the drift, Colleen started screaming and we talked her through the fight. Another eater landed in the net and Colleen posed with pride.
Then a swarm of boats appeared and the bite died. So it goes. We battled the waves and headed to Shermans, for a long troll back to the ramp with the wind. Laura caught another small one that got gut hooked and so we kept it. Also tested the sonar as I marked the nets along the S shore.
As I cleaned the fish at the ramp, a very kind gentleman who lived just up the road stopped to teach me how to take the fin and cheek meat off of the fish. It was much appreciated then, and especially tonight!
Next week we'll be off the Bay. Two day, one night canoe trip into Frontenac. Fishing for crappie and swatting at black flies!
White bass?
Keepers:
Fin bites