Quinte Fishing

I wish I had a great report for you guys with lots of fish pics and smiling faces.

But unfortunately things didn't pan out the way I had hoped. In fact, it was one of those trips where pretty much everything that could have gone wrong did, plus a few more things.

Started the trip off with a parking ticket because the GF forgot to put her car back in the driveway after we finished packing the truck the previous night.

Engine light came on during the drive down.

Hit the "Quinte Fishing Charters sign" on the 401, and basically from that point to Nappenee, it was a complete sheet of ice. Cars in the ditch everywhere. I got blown in the the fast lane, and almost wiped out a GMC truck. Worst driving I've had in years. I was actually scared at a few moment.

Arrive to the Huffs and am greeted with about a foot of snow on top of 7" of ice. But no wind, so that was nice. Got the hut set up, tarp down, foam floor in. Gear in, cot up, table up, etc... Punched a hole, and the water came pouring in like gizer and flooded the entire hut with 2" of water. FAK...

We marked a few Wed evening, but no takers. I was in 32 FOW, I think a little to deep.

One of my buddy heaters crapped out, and it was far to cold for just one. So I rip back in the Nappeneed Canadian tire 5 minutes before the close and get a new heater (while I should have been fishing!!). Turns our the new heater didn't work either!! The issue was the valve an line on my tank... So we where chilli during the night for sure. Only got about an hour of sleep all night.

Fished the next morning, marked a few, but again, no takers. Current was way stronger in the morning, blowing the lures sideways in the hole. And it seemed like we lost a bit of ice through the night.

So we decided to pack up and cut the trip short by a day. Thoughts where to hit up big bay on the way home, with the flip over for the evening bite.

Try to take the hut down, and the it completely frozen to the ice. So I need to use my spud to chip it out. Ended up tearing it in a few spots (my friends hut that I borrowed..).

Finally get the hut out after 30 minutes of chipping. 4 runs back and forth to the truck with gear. My GF refusing to wear her helmet.. She ends up with mild froze bite on her cheeks.

Lukely they let me return the buddy heater on our way out of town.

Crazy winds, and I just extremely tired at this point, so we pass on big bay, and head home.

Roll in to my driveway, and notice my chains dragging? What the F... Turns out my frame started to rot where my hitch is mounted, and the one side nearly completely fell off... Dam pot holes on the 401!!!!!!!!!!! Had I hit a dozen more, my hitch would have completely fell off. Now I need to rip the entire hitch of and reinforce my frame and re-install. Because of that I could not trailer my sled out for the free weekend on the snowmobile trails. Not that I would have been able to because when I got home, I found out 2 of my three kids had high fevers and horrible coughs,..

So I spent Saturday babysitting sick kids and sewing tears in my friends hut....

We learned lots of lessons here, and will have a more enjoyable time next time we try to do this!

I left with my tail between my legs. But I will be back again for sure!!!