FINtastic Sportfishing

Advent Steelhead, December 1, 2011 Part 2

2011-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Wait, it’s only 12:00 pm! We still have all afternoon and when I have a full day to fish, I intend to use it. (see Advent Bass, December 1, 2011 Part 1) John Poirier agreed and we walked across the road from Nicholls ramp and into the local tackle shop, grabbed some #8 hooks, 20 roe bags and made our way back on the QEW.

Next stop… Queenston Boat Ramp in the Lower Niagara River. We tied up our bass rods with some three ways some 10 lbs fluorocarbon leader line and the #8 hooks. We launched, ran John’s kicker for 5 minutes to run the fuel stabilizer fuel into it’s carb and then pulled the fuel line off and let it run itself out of fuel. We propped up the kicker and ran down river to the Jackson Drift. We pulled up and started the drift. Our first drift was uneventful, but the second drift I hooked the first fish. A brown at the start of the drift just past the wall.

Two more drifts and I hook another at the start of the drift and right at the net the hook pulls out and fish swims away- another brown around 6 lbs.

We decided to run back up the river and John say’s lets go right up to Devils Hole and see how the water is for clarity. So far we only seen about 18” of visibility.

We made our way up to Devil’s Hole and noticed the current much faster then in past years. Yes the water was a little clearer at about 2 feet of visibility. At the top of the drift John drops his line to start the drift and I don’t think the weight hit the bottom and he lifted the rod sharply on the first Rainbow trout of the afternoon. A real beauty Steelie with pink cheeks and full of energy. It jumped 7 times, got around the trolling motor, ran 40 feet of line and then bull dogged through the rest of the drift. It took the entire drift to get the bow to the net. Didn’t put the fish on the scale but definitely a 9 lbs plus fish.

From Photo_Gallery6

We made two more drifts and I lost a fish and then we were losing time as the sun was going down and we needed to head back to the ramp.

Great way to start the month. A full day of fishing!

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Advent Bass, December 1, 2011 Part 1

2011-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

At 7:00 am John Poirier and I pulled into Nicholls boat ramp in Fort Erie. We waited for 20 minutes for Roy Young and his crewmember Kevin Hampson and had time to tie up our rods and bundle up in float suits, warm boots and gloves. We were looking at boating over in a pair of boats, a common safety practice when fishing Lake Erie this late in the season. We launched in the top of the Niagara River with frost on the boat windshield and fogged up gauges on the dash board. There were little winds at day break, but the remnants of yesterday’s west winds left 4 ft rolling waves.

From Photo_Gallery6

We passed the set of floats ready to put the iceboom in place. Here’s how they look;

From Photo_Gallery6

Then we were on our way motoring in the general direction of Myers Reef in New York waters. We passed Waverly Shoal, then the red can marker at Seneca Shoal. The tack on the waves was to run the troughs of the big rollers as much as possible. As we were travelling the winds started, first out of the south and created a foot chop on top of the 4 ft waves and it soon made our trip a slow and uneasy ride. Soon the waves were in the 5 and six foot waves when we reached our destination at Myers Reef.

December 1st marks a number of important date stamps, many kids are waking up to open the first day in there advent calendar for a treat to start the count down in days to Christmas day. For those die hard anglers that chase Lake Erie Bass beyond the warm summer conditions it marks the unwanted closing of the Ontario Bass season. Luckily in New York the season continues as a catch and release fishery. If equipped with a New York fishing license, a seaworthy boat with a good navigational GPS on board, and warm clothing, you are ready to open your own Advent calendar and be treated to a big Lake Erie bass.

Roy set up his first drift in shallower while we worked the tip of the reef. It was minutes into the first drift that started in 45 FOW when I set the hook on our first fish. It was a quick of two pound fish. Our drift was quick and with two drift socks we managed to slow enough to keep heavy tub jigs and drop shot rigs on the bottom. Next fish was John’s on a tub jig and it was a nice fish that was very long and skinny but still pulled the scale to 4.7 lbs on the digital scale. Our expectations for bigger fish kept us from snapping a picture before releasing and soon I was busy setting the hook on fish after fish on drop shot.

The next two drifts marked 14 bass on drop shot at the back of the boat and not any of them exceeded 4 lbs in estimation. We pulled up to Roy to see how his shallower drifts were working out. His response was enough to have us try the same drift and we followed him up wind and waves and kept a slight distance enough to see each other, but too far to talk in the wind. We instead turned on our VHF radios to communicate and it wasn’t long when Roy called over his 5.6 lbs bass he had landed. I was still hitting fish on the drop shot at the back of the boat, but the bites were less frequent as our drift continued to speed up. My technique required a cast down wind of the drift and keeping it there long enough to get a strike. Then when it passed the boat, it needed an open bail to allow it to stay in place for a second or two.

Now the waves were building and the winds only increased and started to turn from the south to the southwest and then to the west. The waves were growing and white caps were all over the place. The sound of breaking waves were everywhere and it was no longer tolerable to fish in. Tying knots when on your knees was all you can do to keep your balance. There was one wave that scared me from the back platform of the boat to plant myself in midship as I looked up at its crest starting to break and ready to curl into the back of the boat. That wave was without a doubt 10 feet high. It didn’t take long for Lake Erie to get angry.

We met up with Roy, only to find Kevin losing his breakfast over the side of the boat and a clear message shared by all, “lets call the trip short and begin heading back”. The ride was mostly going with the waves and it wasn’t easy to stay on a direct course. Run the trough and then crawl over the crest of the wave. Here’s a video.

Shane Thombs
http://www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

SLA Wind, Waves, Walleye from Bay of Quinte, November 11-12, 2011

2011-11-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Strait Line Anglers Club arrived in Picton Friday morning and was ready to do battle with some Bay of Quinte Walleye. But that wasn’t all we had to do battle against! The winds were less then favourable. The forecast was 30- 35 km hour winds. Yes Strong! But they were sustained at that with gusts over 50 km! Standing at the back of the boat on Saturday I had to lean into the wind to prevent from tipping over when it gusted. YIKES!

Not only did the winds blow, they blew in a direction that was no help to fish the Adolphus Reach from Keith’s shoal out to the Gap.

On Friday we started by the tower on the north shore and trolled with the North west blow across to Pryner’s Cove. The North Shore had bait and fish, then nothing in the middle and then some on the South shore just before the point (west of) Pryner’s Cove. Then a clear screen until we were closer to the North shore again in front of the Power Generating station in Bath. That was where my dad picked up our first walleye of the trip around 7 lbs. 240 ft lead with Rapala TD11 in Purpledecent on the board using mono. Now we have our fish fry.

With the winds we decided to look for lee side water and ran back to Picton Bay and fished in front of the Cement Plant and trolled south. The Bay was packed with bait inside 35 FOW. Few hooks, but didn’t move a rod.

On Saturday I woke up with a major Migraine. Nope- not hung over- didn’t drink but a few brown pops the night before. Had a late start setting lines at 10:00 am. This was our SLA tournament and it was to weigh 4 fish two over and two under the 25” mark per team/boat.

My dad and I fished the south shore and set up west of Pryner’s Cove and well east of the Bat Cave where Dave Viles managed two walleye on Friday and where we marked plenty of fish. Our first fish of the day came one hour into the first troll. 200 ft lead Rapala TD11 in Purpledecent on the board using mono. 7 lbs.

Then there was a two hour weight and a few trolling passes before we got in line from the Bat Cave to troll with the wind and waves down the south shore. We were being pushed in by the other boats and soon we seen our depths creep up on us from 130 to 100 to 80-70 – 60 then Oh NO the Full cores will soon be on bottom. I start watching the boards behave as they ran up and down four and five ft waves. The inside board’s tail starts to twitch. There’s bottom I said to dad as I picked up the rod and started bringing the board to the boat and watching the other board for something the same. It didn’t and the board I pulled in I took off and held the rod for a second only to feel a mushy Thump- Thump rather then tick tick. How do you explain how it feels- work with me J. I said Dad – your up. “What?” Yah it’s a fish!

Dad brought in the fish after cranking a way at 500 feet of line (Leadcore 10 colours) and brought the fish to the net. “NICE fish dad!” On the scale it went 10.1 lbs. Perfect that’s our two over 25”.

From Photo_Gallery6

The winds were strong, the rod holders made the whistling sound like over top of a beer bottle, and it was always a show watching the boats ride back up hill against them to make another pass. You would be entertained, but at the same time knowing you to will undergo the agonizing ride over 5 and 6 ft waves and whitecaps on every wave across the Reach. Luckily, dad and I didn’t get wet in the Key Largo, but Dave Mergerison “Fish Tales” speared more waves then he wished for and worked the bilge pump in his 18 ft Lund. NOT FUN but he was on fish. His three man crew pulled 9 walleyes on 13 hook-ups. Variety of sets worked for them, but 8 of the 9 fish were on Leadcores from 3 colour down to Fullcore and even Fullcores with Manns Stretch 20 Wonderbread. Firetiger Renosky, TD11 Purpledecent were some of their successful lures. The other fish was off the downrigger down 60 and out 150’.

Dad and I tried right to 4:15 pm and didn’t move another rod and ran back in, with the waves starting to subside. We followed up with our weigh-in and Dave Mergerison’s boat pulled away with two fish over and two fish under 25” with 21 lbs to win the tournament. Wet- but smiling!

Dad and I managed second with just over 17 lbs and Dave Viles took third with 16 lbs and change. Biggest fish of the group over the weekend was from Brian Ludwig with one at 11.1 lbs.

On Sunday we looked at the wind forecast and decided to pull the boat out and head home with our tails between our legs.

Wind, Waves and Walleye were a battle this weekend, but it was fun to get out with the group on the Bay again.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Thanksgiving Monday Erie Perch, October 10, 2011

2011-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

What a great Thanksgiving weekend of weather and fishing. Four full days of flat calm water and today the sun is shinning again and it’s warm enough to be out in a T-Shirt. Brian Blainey, that docks beside me at Lake Court marina in Grimsby, was on a job in the morning but wanted to try for a bucket full of Erie Perch in the afternoon. That provided Aidan and I enough time to scout out a spot to net some minnows in the morning. We caught a few but they were really small.

When Brian got back from his window repair job, we hooked up my boat and Brian was fast on the phone to call Erie Tracker for Minnows- they were closed. The word on the website messageboards were that minnows were hard to get. So Brian called Fishmaster Tackle shop in Dunnville and luckily he had minnows available. It was a little out of our way, but we pulled the boat to Dunnville, picked up minnows and then turned east to Port Colborne to launch at noon hour.

There had to be 100 boats anchored in two packs, one pack at Point Abino and the other directly in front of Port Colborne in 65 FOW. We cruised straight out and then slowed when we got to the pack. It was flat calm and the last thing you want to do is run the boat fast and create a wake that will upset a lot of guys.

We merely were at idle scanning the area for fish and any structure to anchor on. There wasn’t much to make us stop and finally we seen a few hooks on the bottom and then dropped the anchor. Drop the minnows down and bang Brian brings up a perch. Then Aidan pulls up his first Erie Perch. But then it was tough to hook another for a while. We pulled the anchor and drifted for a bit until we seen more fish on the graph and then drop it again. That worked to catch a few more, but still not enough to be content with the spot. We moved around a bit more and moved back to an area where we seen a few boats catch a bunch when we were watching them.

Aidan Perch

From Photo_Gallery5

We then seen schools of bait on the SONAR and we decided to try it. It was a good decision. For the next two hours of fishing until 4:00p when we pulled our lines and ran in, we caught perch one after another. There were no Jumbos in our catches, but we managed 50 perch to keep that were all over 9 inches.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Bill's Hunt for Silvers, October 7, 2011

2011-10-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

It was well over a year when my friend Bill and I were hoping to make a fishing trip happen. He had fished with me for walleye and bass on Lake Erie last year and both times we hit one fish the entire day- sometimes it is true when the say it is called “Fishing not Catching”. Although we try, the results were simply not good enough so I promised Bill a better Lake Ontario trip and explained that we will work around each others schedule and set off when convenient.

With Aidan bundled up with a coat, the chill in the morning air was a sure sign we were near the end of the Lake Ontario trolling Season. This far into the season very few fisherman have been out, so information sharing was non-existent. We knew that our trip would mean a “hunt for silvers”.

We motored our way out from Foran’s Marine in Grimsby and scanned the shallows first then ran for a short distance and scanned 60 FOW and then 80, then 120 and then 150. It wasn’t until we got to 200 FOW that there were some signs of life on the SONAR. But the bait and fish were marking on the graph were deep. 80 to 130 feet down. We still scanned for some time until there were enough marks to decide we would slow to a troll. We were in 250 FOW and the screen filled with bait and hooks.

I came ill prepared to fish effectively in those types of depths with all lines. So I made the best of it with two downriggers and long stretches from 107 divers. I also only had Leadcore on board and that meant the best I could do was put out a 10 colour Leadcore and add 4 oz of weight to get it down a little further.

Only a few times in the season are you forced to fish 100 feet down. But when I do, there are a few things that have proven to be successful techniques to catch fish from those depths. One is running downrigger lines with short leads. Flashers in glow colours are also good and running cutbait or cutbait imitations like MC Rockets are the go to sets.

Today I ran both riggers with one 10” Spindoctor with cutbait and the other with a number 1 MC Rocket. Consistent was glow colours in all parts of the baits.

Bill and Aidan

From Photo_Gallery5

It was a short trip fishing until 11 am and at the end I had a few waypoints ready for tomorrows charter. Bill had 4 salmon to bring home with the biggest at 11 lbs. Aidan was also smiling after having the opportunity to drive the boat with the water being flat calm.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Pete Maki and son have a Bear of a good time on Lake Ontario, August 27, 2011

2011-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Pete Maki of Sudbury is a Bear hunting guide. Also his son is with the Ontario Provincial Police working around the Owen Sound area but was previously an employee of a tackle shop in Sudbury and continues his passion for fishing. It was Pete that arranged this trip to get together with his son for a fishing trip in Lake Ontario. They were no stranger to trolling the Great Lakes with some salmon and trout fishing in Lake Huron/Georgian Bay and around Manitoulin Island.

The stories on the boat were entertaining with some incredible Bear hunting experiences shared, fish catches reminisced and a fond appreciation for guiding in the outdoors. A labour of love, not a labour as a means for wealth. Pete has been a guide for many years and it I had to ask how the Liberals cancelled the Spring Bear hunt affected his business. We were on the same page with our displeasure of how this came about. It decimated the tourism industry in the north during a time frame where there are no other tourism attractions to draw in dollars. Instead the wait to open lodges (those that stayed in operation) months later and now only rely on summer tourists to make ends meet. Prices of stay at lodges also had to go up to cover the spring loss of revenue. Guides for Bear hunting also fell off the map with the loss of this most important time. Now only a few stayed in business like Pete.

Also the Spring Bear hunt has changed the behaviour of the bears in the north. Bears are now encroaching on urban (town) areas looking for food. Bear attacks on people are talked about in the media, but the true cause to the increased Bear/people exposures are not described in the media as related to taking away the Spring Bear hunt. Media in the south is even more left wing on the topic and describes the hunting season cancelation as a good news story.

We left from the launch at port Dalhousie and set off to fish for staging fish in tight and out front for the first few hours. We didn’t even power up and the kicker motor was started and our troll began as we cleared 20 FOW. The King of the Lake Salmon Tournament was scheduled for the next weekend and a few boats were in the area to start a prefish practice. The bite was slow all around only seeing one other boat net a small salmon. We had two fish on, but they were off before the fight began. Two loops in the 30-60 FOW levels and we decided to go a little deeper. We broke 75 FOW and then 85 FOW and the screen lit up with hooks on the bottom. I figured Lake Trout, but wanted to be sure they weren’t salmon staging a little deeper. Bait was also prevalent in the area at both bottom and mid depths. I dropped the flasher/MC Rocket and Flasher Fly on two riggers down to the bottom and it was only moments later on a zig zag turn that had our first fish take. It was a Lake Trout and it came in with ease weighing around 5 lbs. Then after a picture the other rigger rod moved and the stark bend was released slightly and then doubled over. Pete was on it, this time a better fish. Drag came off the reel, not quickly, but made us think it might be a salmon. It was a heavy fish. Barely any line could be made and we needed to circle the fish to help the retrieve of line. The grey backed Lake Trout came up to the surface behind the boat with it’s big mouth wide open and the net slipped under it’s belly to bring it aboard.
Pete lifted the brute from the net and he was impressed by its size. We put it on the scale and it read 14.4 lbs! Nice.

From Photo_Gallery6

One more loop in the area and the Full core leadcore takes another strike. This time a small salmon comes on board.

I decided we should vacate the area and go to the Blue Zone for some silvers. We picked up and ran out 7 miles to around 290 FOW to the are of our waypoints from last week. It was only a short time and the program of spoons on short leads, wire diver/spoon and 10 colour Leadcore starts firing. Not fast and furious, but a steady pick and we managed a good number of rainbows/ one salmon and one pelagic Brown Trout to the boat. Here are a few to show.

From Photo_Gallery6

Great fishing with a few guys as passionate about the outdoors of fishing and hunting.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Jack and Isaac from Connecticut make the connection on Steelhead, Friday evening August 19, 2011.

2011-08-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Jack while he was in a Niagara Falls Hotel with his family on summer vacation from Connecticut. He would like to show his son Isaac what fishing in Canada can amount to. Fishing is fishing, but with a lake that was flat calm and sunny skies, there was more then biting fish to make a memorable outdoor connection for this Father and Son team.

We departed from Port Dalhousie and made our way to the waters where we had success the previous weekend in 290- 310 FOW straight out from Port. When we came off plane the SONAR screen revealed a picture that looked very promising.

From Photo_Gallery5

What to put out was clear before even getting the first line wet with three riggers two divers and two leadcores of 10 colour and 7 colour sets. The riggers were managed in an inverted V with middle rigger running higher then the port and starboard riggers. Spoons were on everything, but the middle rigger was the decoy. Off the downrigger weight was a 5 foot segment of line with a 8“ Spin Doctor in Green Dolphin and a stacker clip set above it 4 feet and with a 15 ft lead. Port and Starboard riggers were set 10 or 15 ft below it with leads stretched out 25-35 feet back. Then the divers on 3 setting out 130 and 150 feet.

Isaac was busy during the four hour trip with numerous fish coming to the boat. Mostly rainbows but the odd smaller Chinook came in as well. Where time between fish allowed, Jack, Isaac and I talked about his schooling and had some pep talks on things that were meaningful for his age. Keeping a positive attitude and taking every opportunity to learn from his teachers even if he doesn’t like them. We talked about how fishing is not about catching but valuable time with friends or family. This night was a true connection between father and son, available by a fishing trip.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

East Coaster enjoys an evening on our inland ocean, Lake Ontario. August 14, 2011

2011-08-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Weeks before, I had John, our newest head of the Ministry of Natural Resources Law enforcement, out with his step son Luke and they had a great day on the water with warm, calm season and plenty of fish. This time John was looking to entertain his son Jonah while he was in town.

Jonah had flown in from the east coast where he was in Law School. John and subsequently Jonah are originally from Prince Edward Island and were accustomed to rough ocean seas and nasty weather.

Today was not a day I would normally take clients out in, the wind was moderate out of the east and the rain and thick low level cloud filtered out much of the daylight. It was as dark as dusk in the middle of the afternoon. The wind from the east also made a four foot chop and it would prove to be a great opportunity to run the boat in some nasty chop to see how it handles. John and Jonah were adamant about going out and laughed at the conditions after many experiences in much more adverse conditions on the ocean. I was happy to oblige and look forward to see where and how the fish reacted to these type of conditions.

We motored out heading directly into the waves and with the 21 degree dead rise and Carolina style bow on the Key Largo, the vessel sliced through the waves like a hot knife through butter. Running into them at 23 MPH and not taking a single slap or jolt. The boat truly performed up to my expectations.

We stopped in 230 FOW east of Jordon Harbour which put us in front of Port Dalhousie. Instead of turing the boat and rolling with the waves, as we normally would, I decided we better keep the bow pointed into the waves so we can move deeper still. Ron was busy keeping a straight line while I deployed a 7 rod spread. I was looking for the fish to be high in the water column considering the low light and chop. Many of the sets concentrated on the top 50 feet with temperatures pointing out that at 50 feet was the thermocline. It wasn’t long before we started catching fish and while we went Ron marked the location on the GPS as a Waypoint.

When we reached 290 FOW there as a distinct change in the picture on the sonar graph. We were marking pods of bait and many fish. Almost instantly seeing this, we were into fish. Shots were regular. Jonah and John took turns and many times had to grab one rod after another as I was busy netting, removing hooks, and releasing fish after fish. It was fast a furious action and I was happy to have Ron on the wheel to keep us from spinning around in the waves and messing up the 7 lines.

The Downriggers were hot with the centre rigger set the highest in the water column at 28 feet and the Port and starboard riggers beneath it staggered at 35 and 45 feet. I was targeting Rainbows and keeping the riggers above the thermocline was the ticket for the fast catching.

In the middle of catching rainbows John also managed to catch this great looking Coho John (right) is holding up along side Jonah (left)and his biggest Steelhead of the day.

From Photo_Gallery5

7 and 10 colour leadcores were also towed by small inline boards and wire divers on either side of the boat were set with 107 divers with spoons and made to run out to the sides on 3 settings with 110- 140 feet of line to focus on the 30-40 foot level.

We were scheduled to fish until 8:00 pm and as that time approached the already dark skies reduced the amount of dusk low light almost dark. We pulled lines and motored back and this time running 28 -30 mph running with the waves. By the time we got to dock it was dark and it wasn’t long after the boat was on the trailer that I was in complete blackness. The rain was only spitting through the entire trip so rain gear was worn but managed to stay dry.

Jonah was impressed by the fishing in Lake Ontario and managed his biggest Steelhead at 10 lbs. We shared some stories and sent Jonah off with good luck with his schooling and a safe flight back. Clients with true sea legs are hard to find, but John and Jonah were not your average guest on board, they were steady and sure in the less steady Lake Ontario conditions.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Robert and grandson Daniel from West Virginia, go fishing on the Canadian Civic Holiday, Aug 1st, 2011

2011-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

The world wide web has extended my business once more. Robert found me through a website designed to provide a search for charter fishing businesses and I registered with the site in the late spring. Come late July I had a phone call from Robert looking to book two days on Lake Ontario while they are here to enjoy a vacation with family in Hamilton.

The Sunday charter had to be cancelled due to Thunderstorms that rolled through only 1 hour before departure. The weather had been rocky to say the least over the last few days and Tstorms seemed to blow through once a day.

Our Monday departure conditions were much more favourable. Light winds from the west and the threat of Tstorms in the afternoon.

We motored out to 100 FOW in front of the Microwave tower that stands at the top of the escarpment beside Woverton Road in Grimsby. It was merely minutes after the first rod was set and only having two others engaged in the troll that the first rod went off on the Port side downrigger. Daniel reeled in the first fish of the trip a small salmon; But as soon as the fish was in the net the middle rigger fired and this fish was a much bigger salmon. It started to pull line of the reel when the starboard downrigger popped up and followed suit. At that moment Daniel’s line broke. But with a fish on the other rod, it was a quick swap out and he was back into fighting another muscular fish.

The fight lasted for minutes and we managed to bring the fish into the net only to our amazement. Firstly, Daniel had just caught the biggest fish of his life, a fish that was big enough to eat his previous personal best. But I was amazed of this fish not for his size, but that we managed to get the fish in the boat. The rod that had hooked up moments before and broke the line was a Green Dolphin SpinDoctor and Atommik Tournament Hammer Fly. That fly was in his mouth, and the larger sized snap swivel a the front of the Spin doctor was caught on the hook of the spoon that was on the downrigger rod that fired a sort time after this fish hit and broke the line. A miracle we caught this fish and Daniel lifted his 22 lbs Salmon for this picture.

From Photo_Gallery5

For the rest of the trip we caught numerous other salmon, had great conversations over the differences in politics from Canada and the US and other matters of the economy and employment. We had the world’s problems solved between the gunnels of my boat in 6 hours.

The Sky was turning dark to the North and moving fast across the lake towards us. It was already the end of our trip and the rods were in with little time to spare. We got to the dock and the thunder was cracking. Daniel and Robert managed to get to there car before the rain came pouring down and I managed to take the boat back to the slip and get the gear off before the rain came down in buckets. Talk about timing.

Days after out trip Daniel, Robert, and his sister and grandmother stopped at the house to pick up there fish. During the rush I offered to clean them instead of pulling them out in the rain.

Daniel was excited to boat such a great fish and Robert was happy to treat his grandson to the experience and find quality time together.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Aidan takes his personal best Chinook Salmon, July 30, 2011

2011-07-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

A fun trip with Gord Viles and my 6 year old son Aidan.

We were in Gord's boat and had planned to take some footage for the Flea Stripper tool used to remove fish hook flea and spinny water flea. See www.fleastripper.com for more.

It was a much slower day for numbers of fish, but we did manage two roughly the same size. One of which happened to be Aidan's personal best Chinook Salmon. Check out this video clip. Congrats Aidan, and thanks to Gord for the morning fish.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Holland to Grimsby, Fishing makes it a Smaller World; Eve of July 27, 2011

2011-07-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

It’s a small world and in my profession of using computer software to view the world on my computer screen, it’s even a smaller world to consider running into someone that uses similar software but located somewhere else on the planet.

Ton and his son Bas had boarded for a evening trip and it wasn’t until a short time after leaving the dock where I asked what Ton was doing in Canada after noting his thick dutch accent. His home was in Holland and he was here on business but also brought the family to experience Ontario and parts of the United States while Ton was traveling to various cities but returning to a house they had rented in Vineland for a number of weeks.

The world became smaller when I asked “What type of business was he in?”, and he told me he was a sales rep for the Software called Bentley MicroStation. When I had told him about my work experience with GIS and MicroStation we started talking about all things Mapping and software related to the trade, people we knew and places that he has seen it used. Small world indeed.

The lake was absolutely beautiful for our trip, it was calm and the skies were clear. I was curious to try new water. I went through my notes from past years and found the same date from last year. After punching in the Latitude and Longitude in the GPS we were on our way. The waypoint put us in 140 FOW and straight out from Bartlett Road in Grimsby. We initial scanned with the Sonar for signs of bait and fish and it took about three minutes before seeing a respectable school of baitfish.

We set up in 160 FOW and angled outward. It was a short time of about 15 minutes before the downrigger with Flasher/fly went off. First up was Bas and he managed a small Chinook to the boat. Then a diver rod was shaking and Ton was there to bring in another small Chinook to the net. By then we were in 180 FOW and then things changed.

At 200 FOW all the way out to 250 FOW we discovered a great number of rainbows. For the next three hours Ton and Bas remained on the rods bringing in one after another. All rods were firing and we also had two triple headers and 1 double header.

From Photo_Gallery5

Some of the rainbows put on a great aerial display behind the boat.

Most of the rainbows were small. Mostly around 4 lbs, but there were the odd 6-8 lbers and two that read just over 10 lbs on the scale. The riggers were hot and full core leadcores on inline boards took more time to set out then it was to get another fish on them. It seemed 8:00 pm came quickly and the sun was going down. Rods were not pulled but rather taken out of the water because of catching a final fish.

From Photo_Gallery5

Bas and Ton were an enjoyable father and son team that joined us all the way from Holland. The world is a smaller place when you we talk to other fellow fisherpersons. No matter where on earth we come from- we all strive to catch our next fish on the other end
of our fishing line.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Salmon, put up your dukes with John and Luke, July 22, 2011

2011-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ron has been a long time friend and during the days of being deck hands on Reel Pleasure fishing Charters in the mid nineties, him and I cut our teeth on Salmon and Trout trolling on Lake Ontario. Ron has since made a career as a Conservation Officer. From time to time he comes out to see silver fish again.

My reports of quality fishing sparked an interest for Ron to entertain his boss John and his boy Luke for an evening of fishing. John had recently been promoted to be the head of Natural Resources Law enforcement in the Province moving out of the district and in transition to move to the MNR Peterborough head office. With the new promotion comes a Blackberry that rarely goes quiet. John originated from PEI and was accustom to big water and boats in the ocean. Luke at 9 years old was without the same experiences yet and a trip out fishing on a salmon boat was one that will truly set the tone for future fishing experiences.

From Photo_Gallery5

John, Ron and Luke met me at Lake Court Marina in Grimsby as we pushed off the dock and motored our way east for about 8 miles before setting down near the waters that were found productive two day prior to. Also the Salmon Dance Tournament scheduled for the next morning was to blast off from Jordon Harbour and it was an opportunity to see if the fish were still in the vicinity to angle for, in competition, the next morning.

Two riggers, three divers and two lead cores were set out. The baits and numbers were no different in choice from those that were productive a few days before. It didn’t take long and we were into fish. Salmon and Rainbows paraded to the net and we managed a doubleheader and triple header. John and Luke were on rods for the majority of the evening boating a good number of fish and a few decent fish came unhooked. John and Luke managed a 2 salmon over the 18 lbs mark and one around 15 lbs. 4 salmon intotal came in the boat and another 3 rainbow trout and a Lake Trout.

From Photo_Gallery5

When we came back to dock, nightfall was upon us and the temperatures dropped to a comfortable level as we took some pictures and then sat at the picnic table and had a few cold ones. Great fishing with John and Luke!

Reid's Christmas Gift, "He just thinks were fishin" Evening July 20, 2011

2011-07-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

The past five falls semesters I have been teaching part-time after work at a local private college in Stoney Creek. I taught Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to students in the program of Communication Dispatch. These students are working towards becoming the person on the other end of the phone when you call in an emergency for Fire, Ambulance or Police. GIS in a nutshell is a computer map with the added intelligence of data associated to the features you find in the map. In dispatching for 911, they need to know how to get from Point A and to the “ACCURATE” location of Point B.

In the fall of 2010 one of the students in the class got into a conversation of fishing and how GPS and mapping go hand-in-hand. This sparked the conversation about my charter business I run throughout the spring and summer and for Sheila it gave her an idea for a Christmas present for her son Reid. A fishing trip on Lake Ontario for 4 hours!

The evening of July 20rth was much anticipated by Reid and Sheila was ready to join him on board to take pictures and live in the moment with her son’s new experience fishing for Salmon and Trout on Lake Ontario.

We pushed off the dock at 4:00 and headed out in the lake with a stiff South wind. We headed East North East to set up in 120 FOW and drop lines. Mark Penner was ready on the wheel to manage a straight trolling line while 4 foot waves where trying otherwise. We caught one small Chinook salmon early on and then the rods went quiet for about 1 ½ hours. By then we had trolled with the waves for a number of miles to put us in front of Tufford Rd between Beamsville and Jordon. The rods started to fire and soon we were into our first double header. A Chinook in the 18 lbs mark coming off a wire diver on 3 setting and out 140 with a Green NBK and Mirage fly. The other fish was a rainbow trout that came to the net after being caught on a full core and Yeck 88 M&M gGlow.

Not long after setting the rods another rigger rod goes haywire with yet another powerful king salmon was hooked up. This fish fell for a Silver bullet Reg sized MC Rocket behind a Atom-mik custom Spin Doctor called White Killer. That fish spun out 500 feet of line in short order and we circled the fish to gain back some line. Meanwhile we hook up with two other fish to make a tripleheader and Sheila was on one of the rods and I tried to maintain pressure on yet another good line burning king on the third rod. Sheila’s fish comes to the net and it’s a smaller lake trout and we quickly pass the rod to her and get the Lake Trout out of the net for Reid’s fish that was finally making it a shorter distance to the net. We scoop the fish in the net and bring it on the deck, Reid was totally exhausted and at the same time exhilarated when he seen this fish in the net. We put the fish on the scales and it read 29 lbs! I measured it and it’s Total length was 40 inches.

From Photo_Gallery4

After a quick few photos the fish went back and Sheila passed the rod with the other fish on it for Reid to crank in. By this time Reid had broken a sweat and his arms were feeling the strain of yet another quality Chinook Salmon. He managed this fish on a Braid Diver set out 150 feet on 3 setting and using a NorthPort Nailer Blue Butterfly. We weighed it and it pulled the scaled down to 15 lbs.

Reid was perma-grin at this point and I said to him “Merry Christmas” from mom. The sun started to drop down and the evening was coming to a close, but there was still enough time for one more. And one more it was. The rigger rod springs from a fish and Reid gets set to do battle. This time it’s a heavy deadweight and he inches line back and forth as the fish had gave little ground. Dusk was approaching so Lines were being cleared at this time and Reid muscled the fish to the net. It was a massive Lake Trout. Put it on the scales and it was slightly over the 20 lbs mark.

From Photo_Gallery4

On the ride back Reid and Sheila shared conversation as the cool evening breeze blew by while on our run back to Grimsby. That conversation was between them, and as the Song “Just Fishin’ from Trace Adkins goes, “what I call liven and he just thinks were fishin.”.

Merry Christmas Reid!

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Mike's On-The-Water Clinic, Morning July 20th, 2011

2011-07-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

I find one of the most enjoyable but not commonly requested of me, is a service I provide called “On-the-water Clinic”. The concept is to allow a one on one information sharing to help someone who would like to fast track their learning curve in the facets of Great Lakes Trolling on their boat or my boat.

The morning of July 20th Mike was looking for advice to help turn his 16 ft aluminum fishing boat into a salmon catching machine. He has the rig to get it done, and he hired me to come on board and to show him a few things that I would recommend to help up his fishing expectations and catch rates. Mike works long hours at Chrysler and when he gets on the water, he would like to spend less time seeking fish and more time catching fish. Nothing is cut in dry in fishing, but to demonstrate new techniques, add a different perspective and show attention to details can carry with the client a number of fish catching intellectual assets.

After conversation with Mike on his equipment, and areas of salmon fishing as his interests in learning, I brought along some braid and wire diver rods, leadcore rods and a copper rod. Mike’s experience with anything more then downriggers was limited and it was my goal to help validate that having a variety of equipment will go a long way to catching more fish when the bite slows on the riggers.

I haven’t been fishing from Fisherman’s Pier, but during the week day it was easy to make out where a handful of boats were fishing and it provided a starting point.

Immediately I set up the graph and GPS to read on split screen, with the fish ID off and the sensitivity cranked up. I was familiar with his Lowrance unit and it made it easy to place the settings for our trolling needs.

One of the two downriggers failed to work and although that was concerning to Mike, with a four rod spread one rigger was plenty. So one rigger rod was set, one wire diver rod on the starboard side and braid on the port side and a Fullcore (10 colours) leadcore straight out the back. In the first two hours we boated four small shaker Chinooks on the flasher/fly on the braid diver set on 3 and out 140 feet. The other was the leadcore that took a few shots with a black/purple/silver NK mag from Mike’s box.

We trolled the 100 – 120 feet of water and I suggested we look shallower since we had yet to see bait. Getting close to the shell pier we reached 75 FOW and bingo the Fullcore rod starts clicking out line at an alarming rate. Mike was on it and it was clear that it was a decent fish. While he works the rod, I look on the graph and we are thick into bait in 65 FOW. Yes we found the bait. So we turn on the fish and show Mike how the driving the boat can help fight a fish just as much as the guy on the rod and reel. That fish comes in and it is a perfect 18 lbs king.

From Photo_Gallery5

We set up again and work east along the Shell pier in the 65 FOW just along the pods of bait. The diver takes another small king and while Mike fights it the Leadcore reel starts singing once more. We switch rods and he is on the bigger of the two. Another 18 lbs king and the shake manages the successful double header. We again set up and work the same water and find a scum line in front of Bronte.

The Wire diver rod takes a bite and Mike brings in this small Atlantic Salmon, but while we get it in the net the Full core rod goes off one more time. In this picture he is holding the Atlantic Salmon while the leadcore rod is bent over from another fish in his other hand.

From Photo_Gallery5

This time the Chinook was a little smaller at 15lbs but it was a frisky fish.

The trip was nearly over with the noon hour approaching by this time and I merely made the comment that sometimes there are particular rods that are hot and sometimes they are not. But there are also times when you know that running a particular bait will produce and you have to keep it in the water. That rod was the rigger rod. No sooner was that out of my mouth when sure enough the rigger rod jerks from it’s regular bend to a doubled over approach. The rigger rod was equipped with the MC Rocket behind a SpinDoctor gets a hook up and the drag starts to peel line. Mike wrestles with the fish and we manage that one after clearing the rods and circling the fish. It too was 18lbs and a great end to a fabulous day on the water.

Needless to say, Mike came back to the ramp with a new experience and a different insight on how to fish for salmon. Thanks Mike for inviting me on your boat and we will have to do it again sometime.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Visser’s didn’t miss-er, on Lake O; Eve of July 16, 2011

2011-07-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Chris Visser had booked a trip the previous Saturday, but due to on shore winds, we needed to reschedule, but this time Visser didn’t miss-er. Chris’s father Jon and uncle joined him as we departed at 3:00 pm.

We were charged up after a great morning charter and headed to our waypoints that were so productive only a few hours ago. We set lines and the first rod went off and Chris was first to boat a fish- A nice rainbow trout in the 9-10 lbs bracket. But for the next two hours we searched around our waypoints and the fish were not showing up on the SONAR like we had seen in the morning. We managed to hook up on a decent Chinook on a wire diver flasher/fly on 1 ½ setting out 100. It came to the boat and pulled the scales to 18 lbs!

The decision to troll to shallow water to see if the fish had moved in to feed as the evening continued. We angled back Southeast towards the weathermarkers and we started to take shots on the riggers and on the leadcores pulling in smaller kings and many rainbow trout. When we reached 110 FOW total mayhem started with rods starting to fire at a regular rate. First with smaller kings and rainbows that cleared the cores and we put them in the rack to get them out of the way of the big bites. Where leading up to the evening bite, spoons dominated throughout the day now was switching to a flasher/fly and flasher MC Rocket bite. 3 Diver rods were set with two on starboard side and one on the port side. On Starboard we used wire diver at 1 ½ setting and out 110 with flasher/fly and the other 3 setting out 120 ft with a Northport Nailer Butterfly. On the Port side was a braid diver on 3 setting and out 130 with flasher/fly. Also the riggers were set with Flasher/Fly on one side and Flasher/MCRocket on the other.

Seemed a rigger rod would go off and with a back up rigger rod already rigged with another flasher/fly was sent down while fighting the first. As soon as it was down it would go off before the first was in the boat. Divers were also taking shots at the same time and at one point we had a triple header with two mature kings dashing line from two reels and a high jumping rainbow on a diver rod. Jon was on a giant king for nearly 30 minutes from the rigger rod using the MCRocket Silver bullet behind a Whitekiller SpinDoctor. The line pulled from 50 feet behind the ball to nearly 550 feet on the reel’s counter. Both Jon and Chris manage there kings to the boat at nearly the same time. Jon took this 29 lbs king and Chris with one a little over half it’s size (still a decent sized king.)

From Photo_Gallery4

Evenings like these are the ones you don’t want to miss, and the Vissers didn’t. Great times and many great memories were made.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Building a Good Day on Lake Ontario, Sat. morning July 16th, 2011

2011-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Tom, whom I got to know through working at the City of Hamilton as he works in the Building Section in the Planning Department, was in conversations of fishing since we first met last fall. I like interruptions at work when it comes to fishing talk! :) Tom is an avid fisherman as well, but hadn’t been given the opportunity to try out open water trolling on the Great Lakes and asked if I can show him what it’s all about. Short answer is “Yes lets go when the fishing is good- July perhaps.”

On Saturday Morning of July 16th that day finally arrived along with Tom, Tom’s Uncle Peter (school teacher) and Peter’s son Nicklas joined us dockside in Grimsby at 6:00 am for a trip across a flat Lake Ontario and a golden Eastern horizon as the sun made it’s way up.

We motored out to 120 FOW and set up heading North towards deeper water. It wasn’t long when the first rigger rod started pumping and Nicklas was motivated to bring the first fish in the boat. A small Rainbow trout, but it broke the ice.

Then consistently throughout the day all the rods were producing fish and the fish count grew to over 25 fish by the end of the trip. We worked waters around 160- 220 FOW and concentrated baits in the top 35 feet where some schools of prey fish (bait) and plenty of fish were showing up on the SONAR. Notable fish for the day were Rainbows up to 11 lbs.

From Photo_Gallery4

All three experienced a decent sized king (Chinook ) salmon from between 15- 18 lbs.

From Photo_Gallery4

And a few small ones went home with them for the BBQ that evening.

Tom, Peter and Nicklas were good on the rods and ready to do battle with high jumping rainbows and drag burning kings. A great trip with the bunch and look forward to our August trip for Walleye on Lake Erie.

Shane Thombs
FINtastic Sportfishing
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Sudbury Sunday Morning, July 10, 2011

2011-07-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our friends Paul and Glen from Sudbury recommended us to a friend they work with (Keith) to make the drive down to Grimsby and come out for some Salmon and Trout.

At 6:00 am Keith and his two friends come on board. They said they were into it last night, hey it was Sudbury boys out of town on a Saturday night. So it was a Sudbury Sunday morning trip out of Grimsby.

A 5 mile boat ride to just inside the west weather marker we set up in 80 FOW. After talking to a friend the morning before, he had some success with Chinooks out from the rifle range. Knowing this, it was our game plan to seek for bigger kings in the water between the weather markers and Fifty Point.

The lake was flat and the skies were overcast with high level clouds. The temps for the day were supposed to climb very high, but the cloud cover seemed to help the temperatures throughout the duration of our trip.

When the first line was set on the rigger down 28 ft, the second rod was only pinned in the other rigger when the first one went off with a rainbow coming to the boat. Third rod to go out was a diver on 3 setting and out 90 feet and within minutes it goes off. This time an unsuspecting surprise, a Brown Trout about three lbs.

Then all of 7 rods were out and then a steady pick of rainbows came to the boat with the odd small salmon. In the meantime I ask my dad (who’s driving) Keeping driving out until you stop marking pods of bait then we will turn west. That turn didn’t happen until we reached 185 feet of water.

The Wire Diver set on 1 ½ and out 85 feet with a NBK SpinDoctor and Skienmachine Attomik fly takes a major hit and peels drag. That fish comes to the boat after a lengthy fight and a double header with a smaller king, and the fish weighs in at 18 lbs.

From Photo_Gallery4

Then there was a number of rainbows for a while when we decided to then turn back around and go over our waypoint where we hit the 18 lbs fish.

We get close to the waypoint when the full core on the planer board pulling a Hog wild Magnum Warrior Spoon goes wheeling with a screaming drag. But this time the drag didn’t stop and with concern, we started to turn on the fish. Now the fish had slowed it’s pace for pulling drag, but to me there was a little difference in the mode of fight that this fish was displaying. Staying down and using it’s brute strength and think and heavy body this king was applying pressure on the equipment that concerned me to watch. After all that line back on the reel and the fish in sight, the boat erupted with excitement as this fish was nothing to sneeze at.

I put the net around the beast and ask for help to manage the net over the motors and into the boat. Dad helped and the fish hit the floor with a thud. Keith was spent. His arms like rubber, but his adrenalin to pick up the monster wasn’t second guessed. He held it for a few photos and then on the scale to see what she turns out in numbers. 30.8 lbs reads the Digital scale! Impressive.

From Photo_Gallery4

A few other kings and a bunch more rainbows and two Lake Trout completed a Grand Slam of four species and 11 kept fish in the box. The count of fish that came on board was over 20 fish but we lost count. Even on the way in, a few other great Chinook hook-ups were on the line but managed to get off during the fight.

From Photo_Gallery4

The fish cleaning resulted in a decent amount of fish going back to Sudbury and a few more fishing story’s to be told.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Sean and Peter, Saturday Morning July 9th, 2011

2011-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sean and his father Peter jumped on board for a morning 6 hour trip begining the day at 6:00 am.

After a great evening of fishing the night before with Doug I had in mind where to start fishing. The lake was rough with 4 foot waves out of the Northeast all morning. This made a sloppy ride, but Chris and Peter were familiar with rough water after fishing excursions out of Costa Rica for sailfish.

It wasn't long after our 4 1/2 mile run straight out to the Grimsby weather markers where we hook our first fish; a rainbow trout on the downrigger set 30 feet and using a glow frog Northport Nailer K100. There were a number of fish that followed with a mix of rainbows, salmon and lake trout. But the highlight of the trip was a giant Lake trout that Sean managed to the boat. The fish pulled the scale down enough to read 21 lbs! Big Lake Trout. Good stuff Sean.

From Photo_Gallery4

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Doug the Fireman puts out the fire from hot fishing, Friday Eve July 8th, 2011

2011-07-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Doug was given a Father’s Day gift of a fishing charter on Friday night. To say the least he was ecstatic to come on board and depart from Grimsby in search of salmon and trout. John Poirier was also with us to steer us in the right direction and keep us on fish. It wasn’t long in the set up before the action started. Soon the back of the boat was busy with fish taking shallow set spoons on Riggers and shallow set divers (out 90 feet on 3 setting was hot). Spoon colours didn’t seem to matter and it wasn’t long before the longer 7 and full core leadcores were put away and replaces with 5 colour leadcores.

The warm water was thin across the surface and it appeared the optimal depth to catch fish was between 25 and 35 feet down. Below that it was ice cold. The Sonar only showed the odd hook , but bait was around so that was enough to know to stay in the area of the weather markers with the most concentration inside the weather markers into as shallow as 70 FOW.

We boated 9 for 11 with a grand slam of Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Chinook Salmon and an Atlantic Salmon! The largest Chinook was 12 lbs, but the highlight of the night was when the strike from an 11 lbs rainbow sends the fish out of the water 1 ½ times it’s length in the air.

From Photo_Gallery4

The fish was high flying and a true challenge to bring in. Biggest rainbow Doug has ever seen. He caught his biggest Chinook salmon and his first Atlantic salmon that night as well. Fishing was hot- but Doug the fireman could handle it.

Shane Thombs
FINtastic Sportfishing
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Canada Day Weekend 2011

2011-07-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

They say it’s better to be late then to never show! Finally it is time to ready the boat for it’s first trip of the season. Thursday before the long Canada Day weekend, friend Brian Blainey and I launched the boat at Lake Court Marina in Grimsby and while he parked the trailer I started up both the Main motor and kicker motor. Both started right up and purred like a kitten.

Barb, Brian and I took it for a spin out on the lake taking a nice long sweeping turn out in the lake while the sun was going down. Motor ran great. Back to dock and be ready for a fish come the morning.

Canada Day Friday Morning was a nice one. We set the boat up with the equipment and Aidan (my son), Brian and myself. We motored out to 70 FOW straight in front inside the weather marker. Setting rods was a slow process as /I was checking over everything as we go. Before we got to the third rod the first rod went off and Aidan was on the rod. Then it was a double header with the other rod in the other rigger. Brian was on it. Aidan’s Lake Trout came off, but Brian managed his Lake Trout to the back of the boat where we unhooked it at the transom. Then the other rigger rod set after Aidan’s lost fish was pumping and another Lake Trout was hooked and landed this time by Aidan.

Adjustments were made to avoid the parade of Lake Trout by speeding up and keeping the baits higher in the water column. Even that couldn’t keep them off. Fullcore leadcore behind an inline board pulls back and Brian pulls in this brute 19.2 lbs Lake Trout.

From Photo_Gallery4

We moved out to deeper water out to 195 FOW and the braided line 107 Frog colour Deeper Diver out 90 feet on a 3 setting with a Michigan Stinger in Mongoose with black ladder takes a couple rainbows in at around three pounds each. The rigger down 40 ft was good for some shaker kings and lakers, and the sliders were productive with more rainbows.

From Drop Box

The biggest king at only about 9 lbs came in on a wire diver black Walker 107 Deeper Diver set on 1 ½ and out 110 with Mnt Dew NBK with a Mirage Howie Fly.

It was a great day on the water and the first trip on the boat was a success.

On Sunday my dad and Aidan were up early for a morning fish. We began our troll south east of the East weather marker and my game plan was to troll east to hunt for more kings.

Immediately we start hooking up with a 4 lbs Lake Trout and a smaller rainbow on a shallow diver set and riggers. As we troll east we discover the down water temps were getting colder so a loop inside lined up in front of Bartlett Rd in Grimsby we troll into 75 FOW and then turned and troll west again. When reaching the east weather marker We catch another Lake Trout and then another three rainbows as we troll west past the west weather marker and further to in front of the microwave tower located at the top of Woverton Rd that runs up the Escarpment.

From Drop Box

Nearing 10:30am we decide to troll our way back to the weather markers and turn in and pull lines. At 11:00 am we reach the middle of the two weather markers and turn in between them. The Wire diver using a black 107 deeper diver on a 3 setting out 90 and pulling a North Port Nailer Butterfly with Pearl ladder back tape starts head thrashing. I grab the rod and the drag lacks a smooth retreat of wire as the mid teens king starts swiftly pulling line from the reel. After a five minute fight the hooks pull free and the fish swims away. Great day again fishing with dad and Aidan.

Salmon at Grimsby Weather Marker, Saturday Eve June 11, 2011

2011-06-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

The last day of the St Catharines Game & Fish Spring derby, there was a nervous Brian Blaney as he waited to hear if his top spot 26 lbs 7 oz king we weighed in Thursday evening, would hold in there for the last few hours. Here's a picture of it.

From Brian shows his 26lbs 7 oz St Kitts Derby Entry

~~Bad news- it got beat out at 4:00 pm-we found out the next day.~~ I stand corrected - He won! Congrats bud! Note to self - hearing information through third person is never the best:)

The fishing in the evening started off with two quick kings, both on divers. Wire out 120 on 2 setting with Wonderbread Spin doctor and Mirage Howie fly. That king went 3 lbs 11 oz. The next one was a spunky 18 lbs king tagged with 1627 that took a Michigan Stinger Glow Alewife Stingray behind a Walker 107 wonderbread diver on braid back 200 ft.

From 18lbs takes the reel counter up to 550 ft before turning

There was a period where we couldn't get anything going despite marking fish continuously in the rigger lines but nothing willing to take a lure. With many changes with spoons and flasher fly combos we finally managed two more kings. One smaller shaker on a free slider using another Glow Alewife Michigan Stinger with the rigger down 50 ft and slider around 27 ft. The other king was a frisky 11 lbs 12 oz king that jumped twice. A Yeck 66 in Glow Frog 40 feet behind the ball and 33 feet down. It was tagged 1629.

From Brian with a frisky king

Down speeds throughout the night were 2.0 mph on Depth Raider.

End count was 4 for 5 all around the Weather marker in 95 fow to 125 fow.

Better luck next time on the derby standings Brian.

Shane Thombs

www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Grimsby skinny water, May 6, 2011

2011-05-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

John wasn’t available to get out early on the Friday Morning so we left Foran’s ramp in Grimsby at 9:00 am. Knowing our game plan was to roll out past the rocks and start fishing, we warmed up the kicker in the marina and followed out past the muddy water coming out of Forty Mile Creek. We started in 25 FOW and trolled out to about 45 FOW. Winds were Southwest on our stern and the heavy overcast let go some light showers periodically throughout the morning. We started with two spoons and two Fastrak body baits fishing from bottom to flatlines off the boards up top.

Once breaking past 25 feet of water we were in clearer water. It was evident that the southwesterly winds and calm seas for over the past week was started to work against us in keeping expansive coloured water out to any reasonable depth. The SONAR showed very little in the clearer water with the odd fish extremely high in the water column.

Surface temperatures were 44’F and in the muddy water close to shore it was 46’F. Very little bait on the SONAR as it was thought that is too high in the water column for us to see them.

With two hours gone by without a sniff we decided to turn in shallow and put the stick baits and shallow sets a real go. We trolled to inside 22 FOW in front of Grimsby Beach and just reaching the faint coloured water provided by the plume from Forty Mile Creek roughly 1 km west of our location when our first fish of the day started to move the rigger rod on the starboard side. The rigger set 11 ft down and a Michigan Stinger Stingray NBK set back 75 feet takes a coho. While reeling it in the Starboard inline planer board gets heavy in the water and then starts pulling back. John is on that rod to begin a double.

The coho comes to the boat easily and was recorded and released before bringing the fish on the board to the net. The fish come in to the net and the first king went 12 lbs at 10:40 am. Tag number 1626 and released.

From

Bomber Long A Red Back with Yellow Belly and black dots. 150 feet back flatlined on Mono.

We trolled west back to in front of Foran’s and then turned and went East again to stay in the 20 FOW and troll with the noted .7 mph currents that were moving east along the shoreline. Our down speed was 1.8-2.1 mph and GPS was 2.3 mph going east and nearly 3 mph trolling west.

Trolling just past the rocks at Forans in 20 FOW the port side in line board gets slammed. It is peeling backwards at an alarming rate and the board in like a highspeed water skier and the reel sounds like the whining of the ski boat’s motor! It was humming along and then off in the distance the king clears the water and instantly the line goes slack. Broke off the only Yellow top white belly Bomber Long A that was set on a flatline on Mono 130 feet behind the board.

On the same troll to in front of Grimsby Beach, we turn out and it slows the port side board to nearly a crawl, and then it jerks back and starts going in reverse. Fish on! The king was sluggish this time and throughout the fight Johns thinks it’s a lake Trout. Then at the back of the boat the fish wakes up and starts short runs and weaves back and forth. The fish comes to the boat and weighs 11 lbs. Given tag number 1628 and released.

This was a Bomber Long A 130 feet back and was another discontinued Bomber Colour. Silver with orange head, yellow top and belly.

Time ran out and we needed to head in at 1:00 pm. 3 for 4, but wish we clued in on the shallow fish earlier. That’s fishing.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Ken Fisher Memorial Derby, April 30, 2011

2011-04-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

13 boats and 30 people made for a great showing to the Strait Line Anglers Club www.straitlineanglers.com annual Fen Fisher Memorial derby and club day celebration. Ken Fisher was a good friend of mind. I fished with him every weekend for nearly three years on board the Grey Ghost. He was a joker, a story teller and an avid Salmon fisherman. He put a lot of energy in keeping the club on track. He was a treasurer for many consecutive terms and continued to press the guys to keep the club a unity of good friends and great pride of being a part of the club. Ken Fisher pasted away before his time with brain cancer and the club will not forget his passion for fishing and fishing friends through the club.

The day was picture perfect with sunshine and little wind. The spring, thus far, has been cold and rainy and even though we were at the end of April, the fish were still in a typical early April patterning of shallow and only feeding in short time windows and when the opportunity presents itself.

A 6:30 am blast-off had us guessing where to start. The King of the Lake (KOTL) tournament out of Port Dalhousie had their blast-off at 6:00 am and had already reached their fishing locations before we started. We noticed that a number of the KOTL tournament boats were fishing west of Jordon out to as far as Grimsby . Waters in front of Beamsville were the most plentiful with a cluster of boats, and we decided to run out in that direction and scan with the sonar for clues to tell us when to pull off the throttle and start our morning troll.

The SONAR didn’t reveal anything that would tell us to stop, so John said- lets set up on our old early April 2009 waypoint straight out from Vinland in 50 FOW. Our surface temperature was 42’F. We watched as the boats continued to troll west in front of us and moved shallower over the course of the next hour, but not nets were pulled. We followed suit and turned in around the location of the end of Tufford Rd between Vineland and Beamsville. On our turn in and deciding to turn back east along what we finally come across was some green water in 30 FOW, we hit a coho on a three colour and NK28 mirror spoon with Mnt Dew Tape on the face of the spoon.

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The decision was made to pull lines and run back to in front of Jordon. We set-up in 40 FOW and continued to troll in shallower and into coloured water from the plume coming out of Jordon Harbour . The water inside of 30FOW was chocolate brown. Many boats were fishing in the muddy water, but we decided to work the water outside of 30FOW

We marked some fish close to bottom in 40 FOW and worked one small area over and over.

A Bomber Long A with a yellow back and white belly was set 50 ft behind the ball and down 28 ft.

After a short time the rod takes a light strike and John takes the rod and pulls the line out of the release with a quick jerk of the rod and then quickly gathers the slack line only to set up on a heavier fish. It wasn’t long and the drag started to pull off the reel. Not a long run, but it was clear it was a king. A short fight and the king came to the net. Then the other rigger using a Black and Purple customized with metallic metal flake on the side also set 50 feet back and down 22 feet.

I grabbed the rod and quickly brought in another small coho.

We work the area, but nothing seems to move so we angle outward and a short time later hit one last fish. Another coho on the three colour leadcore pulling a Orange Crush NK 28.

Time was running out and weighin at 2:30, we decided to call it a day at 2:00 and go it to get prepared for the weighin and BBQ. Everyone managed to catch fish and it was easy to see that it was anyones game to catch the largest fish- salmon or otherwise.

We managed to weigh the largest with our king coming in at 15.96 lbs about 3 pounds over second place.Great day to be on the water, and a great event for the fellow Strait Line Anglers.

From

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

SLA Bay of Quinte Trip Saturday Trolling Tournament, November 13, 2010

2010-11-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

The trolling tournament was slated for the Saturday and a repeat weather forecast of our Friday sunny and calm conditions was to be expected. Saturday morning our boat was the last one on the water. Nearly 9:00 am we had finally set up just in front of the Bat Cave tight to the south shore of Adolphus Reach .

20 minutes into the troll our starboard inside board rod is pulled back. The flat calm waters made reading the board really easy and our steady 2.01 mph speed was easy to replicate. Ron was on it and slowly reels the board to the boat and then 250 ft of 15 lbs mono flatlining a Yo-zuri Blue and silver fish comes to the net and we measure it as it comes up 24 1/3 inches. Wow- that’s our under fish taken care of.

The sonar screen when blank after the fish was caught and we decided to run the middle and north shore of the Reach and it was evident the fish were instead in those areas. We started marking fish stacked up like firewood and we started marking big schools of bait.

Now a slight 6 inch chop coming down the reach from the east was making the scenario a little better as the waves were current to cut down the light penetration in the gin clear water. On our 1.7 mph troll Easterly into the chop we manage another fish, this time on the outside board Starboard side flatlining 30 lbs Powerprow with 20 feet of 100% Fluoro Trileene 12 lbs test 250ft behind the board at Reef Runner 800 Blue Prizm Blue (silver prizm inside a clear body) and pink belly. I was on the rod and got the fish in the boat with little fuse, but the fish was actually only slightly larger than our first fish making it our first fish over but it was definitely not enough to help with a competitive weight.

That made two fish on Blue and silver colours and after a few phone calls, the other boats were also doing them on Blue and Silver. That was enough to tell us to put 4 rods with that colour and look for active fish.

We trolled back down wind over the same area as the last fish and the same set as the last fish manages another walleye and John brings it to the boat. But it happened to be the smallest fish so far. Now we are looking for big fish and a phone call to Bruno fishing with Dave Viles revealed that the hot spot was still about 4 miles up the reach near the Gap. We pick up and ran to nearly the Gap and set up in 140 FOW. There wasn’t many boats in the area at all. Its no wonder Dave Viles was managing a good bite with lower fishing pressure. Dave’s boat had 7 for 10 walleye in the boat by 2:00pm and one was over 13 lbs!

After setting up again with some additional deeper sets for a bigger fish, the inside board rod on the starboard side with 75 feet out then 4 oz of weight and then 125 feet to the board pulling a Blue and Silver Manns Stretch 20, started pulling back. Before getting to the rod, the board then went light again and realigned and it was called a missed fish.

Ten minutes later the Outside board rod gets heavy on the flatlined 250 ft with the Blue Prizm Blue (silver prizm inside a clear body) and pink belly Reef Runner, but that fish comes unbuttoned. The same set on the outside board on the Port side then pulled back and Ron was on the rod. Taking our time we boat that fish and it’s the biggest of the day but still nothing to write home about. may be 8 ½ lbs for our second fish over 24.8”.

The sun was going down and time ran out. Lines were out of the water by 5:00 pm and an easy boat ride back to the Picton Ramp.

We had weighin at the cottage and Dave Viles with Gord Viles and Bruno manages a monster box of three walleye at over 27 lbs. The big fish was 13 lbs 8 oz and they reported they threw back one other big fish over the 24.8” mark so they could keep fishing, hoping for one more double digit fish. Best producer for them. 10 colour leadcore with a Fire tiger Renoski (shallow diver not deep diver).

Greg Ameil with friend Ed Barbosa on board took second place with 22 lbs and we managed third with a weight of 21 lbs.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Lake Erie Bass, October 17, 2010

2010-10-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lake Erie Bass are in fall feeding mode now. Toronto residents John and his son James were ready to do battle with some monster smallmouth bass. John and I were leery about the winds as they have been moderate since Saturday afternoon. Over night, the winds were coming out of the Southwest and it was difficult to suggest our morning trip on the big lake would be settled enough. So we had cancelled the trip and we were watching the wind forecast for the afternoon tip scheduled for John and James. A quick morning phone call at 9:00 am suggested that we had a window of opportunity to get out in the afternoon provided we start at around 11am and fish the early afternoon before the forecasted winds were to become moderate once more.

John and his son made the trip to Port Colborne and met us at the ramp at 12:30 pm. From 11:00 am to 12:30 the wind had increased from 10 km to about 20 km coming out of the Northwest. Northwest is an alright direction as it comes offshore, but the forecast for strong winds in the late afternoon told us we needed to get off the water before long.

When starting at Cassidy Reef on the east side of Port Colborne , the South west winds of last night was enough to lead a three ft roll waves on the lake.

The increasing Northwest winds were adding a different dynamic to the wave direction and how we can predict our drift direction. We initially set up on the windward side of the reef in 35 FOW and then drifted up on top and then off the east side of the reef the whole time we were inside the red can. We immediately connected with fish, but staying hooked up was the tough part. We offered a little bit of instruction on the technique of hook sets and how to fight a fish and soon after James started hooking up on the second drift. This time the drift was changing as it was more of a Northeasterly direction as the winds started to change and come out of the west. Now the wave were building and white caps were forming.

Drop Shot with Poor Boy Erie Darter Jr was the top producing set-up

James’ personal best was a 16 1/2 “ smallmouth that he caught on there cottage lake up in the Haliberton’s. It was our intention to bump that up a little.

His fourth fish was exactly at 16 ½” and him and his dad were impressed. Not minutes later we scoop up James’ next bass and it gets the wow’s and ah’s as it measures 17 ½ inches. His new personal best! But the story doesn’t end here. More fish come to the boat between John and James and they were having a blast.

Then on a Tube Jig, a solid bite sets up on a brute smallmouth. 22 FOW the fish comes out of the water almost instantly. Now the cheer’s start up as Jame’s is in the fight of his life. The dark coloured smallmouth bulldogs to the bottom taking drag and then comes up on the surface once more with heavy head shaking and white water. Again the yelling and excitement escalates. Then after clearing the driftsock and managing a netting space the fish comes to the surface and id scooped up in the net.

As the fish is revealed in the bottom of the net on the floor of the boat, John and James are ecstatic and are giving high-fives in celebration. John says “That fish is going to be mounted” So without hesitation we put a scale on it and the digital readout is bouncing between 5.1 – 5.4 lbs (we were in the waves and hard to steady the scale). Length was 19 ¾ inches and not only surpassed James’ personal best, but likely will stand as his best bass for years to come.

The wind and waves were building to 4 or 5 ft and it was time to call it a day. We turned to Port and motored in slowly. We sent John and James off on there trek back to Toronto with conversation with Advanced Taxidermy to have the fish prepared for the wall. Now the story of the trip on Lake Erie in the fall of 2010 will be remembered for years to come.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

SLA Lake Erie Walleye Tournament, August 29, 2010

2010-08-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

After a tough day of fishing on the Saturday, it was clear we were still in search of fish for today’s Strait Line Anglers Club Lake Erie Walleye Tournament. After 8 boats were registered and checked we made our way to the mouth of the Grand River at Port Maitland for a 6:30 am blast off. We were late for the blast off in registering the last boats and getting our own boat in the water. But with the nice conditions on the lake it was easy to see where the boats were running to. Some straight out of Port and other went East of Port, but no one went west.

We trolled starting in 90 FOW and worked our way North East to the Ship wreck. We were getting bites, but nothing that was of any value and we pulled in white Perch and Sheepshead a few times before deciding to pull lines and try different water. We ran to the south east side of Tecumseh Reef in 75 FOW and we trolled with the waves that were starting to turn coming out of the South west. They were gentle one foot waves and our presentation and boat control was assumed perfect. Everything ran smoothly and even the serge of a 1 ½ foot wave was minimal on the diver rods.We continued to troll East North East and started shallower when we reached in front of Port Maitland in 65 FOW at 13:00 hrs. It was then where all of a sudden things changed for the better. Without noticing it upon the initial strike, the starboard side Large 107 Walker Deeper Diver on a 8 ½ ft Ugly Stick Down Rigger rod appeared to be jerked slightly. Then noticing the line was at a much shallower angle running into the water then what was normally the case. I grabbed the rod and proceeded to give the diver a quick snap to tri the diver when all that occurred was a head shake and indeed direct pressure. A few cranks on the reel and I could feel the hooks pull out. Darn that was definitely our first walleye hook-up and I blew it by trying to trip the diver. The diver was already tripped and the weight I felt was all fish.

It wasn’t 5 minutes later when I went to set the full core 10 colour Leadcore out on an Inline Planer board that while I slowly allowed the board to engage and swing out to the side knowing the harness was sure to be close to bottom, then all of a sudden the rod loaded up and the board pulled down heavily. Fish on! I reel in the board and began fighting the fish.

Then moments later the Inside Starboard 107 Black diver set on 1 ½ and out 130 takes a shot, with one hand holding the leadcore rod bent up in the air I grab the diver rod and the weight of the rod was again loaded up where I quickly pass the rod to John. He cranks twice and a head shake pulls the hook out of that fish. Almost a double header!

I reel my fish in and it is a solid 6 lbs, but there was no time to waste weighing him. In the livewell it goes and back to work setting rods.

By now the depth has crept up to 62 FOW and our divers started touching down on bottom so it required shortening the leads. The inside starboard diver on 1 ½ setting was pulled in to a 100 ft lead and the outside starboard 107 diver was set on 3 ½ setting and out 130 ft instead. This adjustment immediately works as the outside starboard diver rod takes a strike and I am on it again. As soon as I begin fighting this fish the rigger rod pops on the other side of the boat and James takes that rod. We boat my fish around 5 lbs and then the fish on the rigger down 60 feet was in the net as well. NOW WE HAVE THREE!!!

With 20 minutes of trolling through that flurry of action we decided to make another pass through the area with hopes to connect with that pod of fish again. We do that and set back up in no time with fresh worms and eager anticipation.

We trolled through the same waters following our trail lines and nothing moved, we decided instead of running up again the time was ticking away and we were now closing into the last hour of the tournament. So we decide to keep trolling and as we did the water continued to go shallower. Now in 55 FOW and the clock is 14:10 and we had to pull lines at 14:40 at the latest.

The inside starboard diver rod with the black 107 Walker deeper diver set on 1 ½ was now only 90 feet out. It takes a strike and John is quick to his feet and fights the fish on a short line to the net- It happens to be our biggest of the day. WE CAUGHT OUR LIMIT!!!

Back at the marina, we discover other boats also go there full box and description of weights sounded like we may not have a chance. Turns out I underestimated our total weight as we landed first place with 23.67 lbs.

Here is the tournament webpage for more information, results and pictures http://www.straitlineanglers.com/SLA_LakeErie_Walleye/SLA_LakeErie_Walleye_Tournament.htm

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Port Maitland Walleye, August 28, 2010

2010-08-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Bill was our guest for a day of fishing for Lake Erie Walleye. Launching out of Port Maitland we were faced with three to four foot waves from the south southwest, but we took our time and made our way out to 92 FOW South of Port Maitland. We managed one long troll from there all the way into 50 FOW in front of Mohawk Point.

Bill landed a nice walleye in 82 FOW and we continued to bait hooks and release countless sheepshead, white Perch and boxed on Jumbo Perch. The walleye fell for a worm harness with a Purple metallic blade in front and a large Colorado Purple Demon blade in the rear. It was presented to depth by a 82 sized Metallic Purple Walker Deeper Diver on braid set to 1 ½ and with a 200 ft lead. This runs 60 feet down.

When in shallower water (60 FOW) we hooked up on a walleye on a 7 colour leadcore off the inline Planerboard and the hooks pulled out midway into the fight. Black/Purple with Green worm harness.

Shortly after we pulled lines and headed back to the ramp. Conversations with others at the ramp and with other boats on the radio- NO FISH- Slow.

Grimsby Salmon, August 10, 2010

2010-08-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

John, Brian Blainey and I made a 4 hour evening trip out of Foran’s Marine in Grimsby . The sporadic report of fish caught out front was enough for us to investigate. Our departure was a little later then our normal 4:00 pm departure, as we needed to transform the boat from what was a Bass fishing boat in last Saturday’s tournament back into a salmon fishing boat. Downriggers, rod holders, tackle, rods and take the pro-poles out.

We were greated by sunny skies and flat water at the mouth of Foran’s and we took off on plane to a straight out tack at 20 degrees on the compass to put us in 80 FOW just east of the weather marker. It was there that while scanning the water the SONAR screen showed slight blips going 35 mph. Backing off the throttle and we started to set lines and turn the boat east to stay in that depth . Sure enough marks were plentiful. 40 -60 feet down and the odd bait pod (few- but some).

15 minutes into our troll the Full core (last rod in the water of the six and only in the water 5 minutes tops) starts pealing line. Magnum sized Matrix spoon that thumps the core rod tip even 475 feet behind the boat. Brian was on the rod and wrestles with the fish for nearly 25 minutes before we bring it onboard. It was a dark and skinny fish but still managed to pull the scale hook down to have a reading of 25 lbs 2 oz. Tagged the fish # 1496 and off it went.

A short time later the port side rigger jerks from it’s downward bent position but fails to release. A quick check on the Magnum Hi Ho Silver with black dots MC Rocket (new colout to come out next year) to reveal that it was a bent from the fish turning but coming unhooked. The leader for the Rocket was set to about 66” and was put behind a Large Bechold Fish Catcher in Clear with Double Crushed Glow. The lead behind the downrigger weight was 15 feet and down 55’.

Marks on the SONAR of fish were numerous, but sinking deeper as we moved away from our starting point when down temps changed to warmer at the 50 foot level and as the total water depth increased. 47’F at our starting point and 50’F only about three miles away. We concentrated on fishing the cooler water and it pays off.

An hour later the same Magnum Hi Ho Silver with black dots MC Rocket down 59’ on a short lead, takes a shot. The drag creeps out and John is on it. The fish really doesn’t behave like the kings did only a week ago. The drag only slowly pulls off and the fight is long and deep with only the odd short burst of runs from the lazy big fish. We boat it after 30 minutes and it weighs 27 lbs 5 oz. It is released, but not tagged. It had the same Fork length of 36 inches as the first fish , but much wider girth.

About another hour goes by and the Easter Egg Glow 8” Spin Doctor with a #2 MC Rocket Regular size takes a small 5 lbs 2 oz king from the rigger down 50 feet over 75 FOW. Tag # 1499. All night we couldn’t manage any fish on any of the three divers we ran. After many line lengths and lure changes. Tried Whole Herring, Lymans plug, spoons and a few flasher/fly combos and nothing went on a diver. One of those days.

The evening was a slow bite, but we remained entertained with countless jokes as well as more serious conversation about the fate of the Hamilton Tiger Cats, the location of the Stadium Site and the Pan-Am games as was the debated at Hamilton City hall at the same time.

The sun dipped down and the red sky over the mirror like water made a nice close to the night and we were off the water by 9:00 pm. No camera on board tonight.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Vineland to Port Dalhousie, August 4, 2010

2010-08-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Friends Chris and Steve joined us for a evening fish for salmon on Lake Ontario . It was Chris's birthday. Busy schedules and Chris's bad back had made scheduling this trip a few times miss-fired.

The cloud cover was thick and the humidity was some left undesired. T storms were not forecasted, but a watchful eye was in order for this evening. A chop out of the Southwest alowed us to run from Foran's to Vineland where we set up in 70 FOW. After only getting the fourth rod in the water, the first rod that was set released from it's bent position in the downrigger. Steve was first to crank this one in and it was a smaller two year old king caught out of 60 'F water down 39 ft on the rigger and with a lead of 15 ft. M&M Glow Yeck 88. No adipose fin.

An hour went by when we turned back to fish the same area we started and hit our second fish on a Green Dolphin 107 Walker Deeper Diver set on 1 1/2 and out 110 ft. It had a Michigan Stinger reg 3.75" Green Clown. (small spoon was thought to turn strikes on fussy fish). The fish was a twin in size from the last one but it was a natural fish with it's adipose fin.

Then there was a long wait for 2 hours while we searched for more productive waters. At dusk we hook up with a fish on the port side rigger using a Warrior Dr Death Hot Glow using a short 10 ft lead and using a 8 " Mnt Dew/Crushed Ice Glow Spin Doctor on a 5 ft line clipped directly to the ball to add as an attractor and set down 75 ft over 80 feet of water. the fish came right to the surface and spit the hook.

There were more marks on the bottom at this point and the sun was fully down and darkness beginning to set in when the hooks on the bottom moved up to 60 feet in a 20 minute time frame.

Then we were startled by the instant and alarming sound from the drag of the 7 colour leadcore set down the chute brings Steve to his feet and he takes the rod while the fish strips the line from the reel. FINALLY a better fish.

While he fought the fish we worked hard to turn a double header, but the blackness of the night was on us and it was time to pull everything in before putting the net under Steve's fish. His personal best chinook salmon at 22 lbs 4 oz.

12 mile boat ride back to Forans in the dark while we watched the lights of the Lakehouse Restaurant and by the passing cars on the QEW, the bright glow from the greenhouses in Beamsville and finally the flashing green lighthouse light at the end of Foran's channel to mark our trip ending

Happy birthday Chris and congratulations to Steve on this still very chrome coloured king out there swimming with tag #1498.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Colby (9) catches 33 lbs 6 oz King, July 27, 2010

2010-07-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

We had a Father and Son guests on board last night that are familiar with the Kawartha Lakes fishing, but a recent move to Waterdown and an interest in fishing Lake Ontario but would like a starting point to a new learning curve.

Brett and son Colby (9) joined us at Foran's Marina at 4:00pm and we boated out to 110 FOW just east of the weather marker and began trolling east. 1 1/2 hours we watched a blank screen and had one release off the rigger down 26 ft but no one home.

Then the Wire Diver Walker Deeper Diver Black 107 on a 3 setting and out 140 ft on the Port side and towing a Mnt Dew NBK Spin Doctor and Mirage Howe fly takes a strike and it was Colby in the hot seat to wrestle the fish and it is a mature king with much vigor. After a 400 foot dash and bringing all that line back in to the 70 ft mark on the counter- the fish comes off on a headshake.

Then the rods started popping from that point. and action was steady with drag burning and some high flying rainbows. Noted sets that I can recall taking the majority of the shots include...

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Mnt Dew NBK and CrazyB!tch fly down 60 on the rigger and back 50 ft lead.

NBK SpinDoctor with Hammer Fly behind Walker 107 Blue Dolphin on 3 setting out 170ft on braid.

Green Dolphin Walker Deeper Diver 107 on 1 1/2 setting out 70 ft and a NK 28 Black/Silver half and half with Green and Glow Ladders. This resulted in some high flying rainbows on a short string- Lots of fun.

But the highlight of the night was when 9 year old Colby was on the Rigger rod equipped with a new Super UV Crushed Ice house ProTroll Flasher
and a MC Rocket # 3 with Magic Marker on it's back is stressed to the extreme with a quality fish. BTW this rig fired three times with all mature kings down 46 ft in 50'F water temp.

Colby repeatedly was asked by his dad if he needed a rest, but his quick shot back "NO! I can do it- It's my fish". So we cheered him on and helped him pump the rod when his little arms couldn't take it any longer. Even some rod time in the rod holder was necessary to help clear lines and get prepped for landing the tank. But he didn't want to give up the possession of the reel handle- it was all his and he was determined.

Bring the fish to the net and John gets the fish half in and the big body of this king gets out, but John turns the net under the fish again and makes one last effort to boat the fish. It's in.

Put it on the scale and it weighs 33 lbs 6 oz!!! Now that's setting the kids bar pretty high and he was jumping in excitement and proud dad was eager to take pictures and capture the moment.
The evening fish continued until sundown with a few more shots on divers and lots of laughs and talking about the excellent Chinook Salmon fishing Lake Ontario has to offer right now.

They are definitely hooked!

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Salmon Dance Tournament, July 24, 2010

2010-07-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

The tournament morning weather was much better then the forecast had been calling for. Light winds out of the Southwest (offshore) and the cloud cover, although think, was without the threatening Thunderstorm and Tornado warnings that were evident over night in Windsor through to Long Point on Lake Erie. The front must have slipped south!

25 boats and roughly 75 participants lined up for blast off start outside the breakwall of Jordon Harbour at 6:30am. Countdown on the VHF radio and the horn was sounded to send everyone on route to fishing spots. Primarily the boats headed straight out although some travelled east and only a handful travelled west. Visibility was only 5 miles or so, so it was difficult to make the boats out too far.

John Poirier, Stephanie and I were not going to run very far as it was difficult to suggest an alternative that was better than what we had discovered on Tuesday night. There might be a better location to go to, but we haven’t heard much from other anglers over the past week and the Northshore was definitely not happening with many poor reports.

Once the boats had left we started to set-up in 45 FOW and initially put the riggers down 35 and 45 with Flasher/MC Rockets and set out the Planer Boards for Leadcores out to the sides. 5 colour and 7 colour with Flasher/Fly. And then two divers were set out. Slide diver on starboard side and braid 107 diver on the Port side, both with Flasher/Fly sets.

The sonar screen had definitely changed since Tuesday night. Where bait was think inside 50 FOW it had dispersed substantially. Bait was sparse at mid depths in the water column but although difficult to read on a sonar, bait was shown very high riding the top 15-20 feet, and there were still some fish in the area.

The night before was a full moon shining bright and it was the thought that much of those fish were able to feed throughout the night and early morning, and were likely fed up for the most part, requiring us to wait it out for the next feeding time window.

The morning up to 10:00 am was very slow managing only two small Chinooks both tagged and released but we also lost 5 other small fish. We also lost all three fish during a triple header. Short strikes and missed opportunities- but the fish were small anyways. All of our morning bites thus far were in depths between 50 and 60 FOW and in front of Vineland (slightly west of Jordon Harbour ).

Water temps were cooler on the west side of Vineland and the Sea Fleas were minimal west, but warmer temps were East of Vineland and the Fleas infront of Jordon were bad enough to load up the lines after 30 minutes.

At 11:00 and after many, many changes in presentation and flasher/fly and spoon colours, John picks out a Atommik CrazyBitch Fly matched with a Mountain Dew NBK SpinDoctor and place it on the rigger wit a 65 ft lead and down 40 ft over 52 FOW. Minutes later it goes off and Shane was on the rod. The fish was big- strong and not happy. It made short, but fast runs and dove continuously. 35 minutes and with all rods now cleared and riggers brought up, the brute was at the back of the boat. Kicker motor on idle and we manage the fish inches from the net when suddenly the fly pulls out, and John takes a last effort sweep at the unhooked fish with the net and came up with nothing. John says it was a fish in the mid thirties. The boat was silent for a few minutes- but a joke or two brought back the mojo. Hahaha. Hey it’s fishing!

PJ Poirier was on them- taking shot after shot in slightly deeper water 70-90 FOW. They boat a fish just under 30lbs and lost two other decent fish at the back of the boat. So at 12:30 pm we started to work deeper water as well. At 1:00pm we discovered where the fish were- 60 to the bottom and in 80 FOW.

Shane sets the wire diver to 200 ft on 3 setting using Blue Dolphin with Mountain Dew Tape on the face of a Walker Deeper Diver 107 towing a Green NBK Spin Doctor and Hammer Fly. It takes a big strike and John is on it. We turn the boat to reduce the line peeling off and at the same time we let out the braid diver rod on the port side to the same 200 ft 3 setting black 107 Walker Deeper Diver towing a Mountain Dew NBK Spin Doctor and Mirage Howie Fly and moments later the drag starts to scream peeling line off the reel. Doubled up!

Shane fought the braid diver fish and then passed the rod to Stephanie and then grabbed the net and scoop John’s fish into the boat. Then John fought the braid diver fish the rest of the way and Shane netted that fish. They were almost twins in size. Both went into the cooler knowing that we might have a chance to make something of the day at the scales.

At the scales- PJ puts the biggest box of two fish weighing 51 lbs and winning big fish with the one fish just over 29 lbs! Way to go Perry Junior!

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We manage Second with our two fish totalling 49 lbs biggest was 25.26 lbs.

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And Third Place was Brian Blainey with his two fish at 41 lbs.

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Lots of boats got skunked and some got one fish only or two smaller fish. By the results the fish at Jordon Harbour were the better sized fish although 90-150 FOW at Port Weller had numbers.

Adrian Fleming at Grimsby Tackle put together a great Strait Line Anglers Club Event again this year- with some great prizes. The tournament was capped at 25 boats and with a great group of guys. No blown up heads with NASCAR like shirts. Low key events are the best!!!

John Poirier and I had an evening available and we took advantage of the calm seas and stable weather and tried our luck on Lake Ontario . At the ramp we talked to a fellow salmon angler returning from a day of tough fishing managing one rainbow and watching a blank sonar screen. We launched and set up in front of Beamsville in 50 FOW.

As we were told, the screen was blank but we managed only one release on a MC Rocket off a rigger down 52 feet over 60 FOW and about ½ hour later land a Rainbow caught on Mountain Dew NBK and Mirage behind a Black 107 Deeper Diver set on 3 and out 140 feet. It was released with pliers at the side of the boat.

A phone call to Perry Poirier that was fishing out of Jordon harbour revealed where we should be fishing as they report a good picture of bait and fish on the screen. John and I pulled in our four lines and motored over to in front of Vineland and set up in 50 FOW.

Moments later the screen lit up and it was evident that the past hour was wasted in comparison to our enthusiasm for the new potential. It was only 5 minutes later the 7 colour leadcore down the chute with a Nuclear Green SpinDoctor with Mnt Dew Tape and with a Crinkle Mirage Howe Fly. A powerful run spun 300 feet off the reel in a single dash and simply came loose. We later checked it one hour later to reveal the fly leader broke two inches from the knot!!! Yikes.

Next rod to fire was the braid diver again Mountain Dew NBK and Mirage behind a Black 107 Deeper Diver set on 3 and out 140 feet. King came to the boat at 7 lbs 8oz tagged with number 1494 and released back to the 60 foot waters.

Temps at 35 feet were 55’F and seemed to take the majority of the hits at depth, But as the night wore on the hooks on the screen continued to rise higher in the water column. We chased those fish up higher, by running the rigger at 35 feet instead of 50 feet down. This resulted with a soft strike on the rigger where it required manually releasing the line from the release before the fish pulled it out. It was thought to be a small shaker, but as I passed the rod to John, the head shakes were big and then the fish turned and took the line out to 400 ft. After a 15 minute fight the boat comes to the boat and weighs 25lbs 8 oz caught on the MC Rocket and Spin Doctor Mountain Dew tape and Crushed Glow tape on a White blade. The fish took the treble hook in the eye so we didn’t tag the fish.

Then the braid diver again Mountain Dew NBK and Mirage behind a Black 107 Deeper Diver set on 3 and out 140 feet. A small King came to the boat at 2 lbs tagged with number 1488 and released back to the 70 foot waters.

The sun was down and the Slide diver on 3 setting with the Mountain Dew NBK with Atommik Mirage fly out 100 ft then the diver clipped on the line and then set out another 90 ft took a shot. The drag sings and then the line binds up and we crank the boat about face and manage to avoid a break off. The fish was boated at just after 9:00 pm and weighed 23 lbs 10 oz and released again with tag number 1489.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Wire Walker Deeper Diver Day, July 4, 2010

2010-07-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

John, Aidan and I went out of Foran’s Marine in Grimsby to see if the fish continue to inhabit the waters directly in front of Grimsby. As we anticipated it was another fantastic 5 ½ hour morning trip starting at 6:00 am. Landing 16 for 19. 12 Rainbows and 4 kings. Shaker, 10 lbs, 23 lbs, and 26 lbs were the worth mentioning fish.

It was choppy during the ride out as a shore breeze made a 1 ½’ chop coming out of the Southwest so to maximize our troll with the wind and waves on the stern, we ran the shoreline west until we were in line with Casablanca Blvd. Then set up in 56 FOW and trolled outward and towards the weather buoy. The bait balls were numerous and balled up all the way out to 75 FOW and then like a wall there was no more bait. But as soon as broke out of the bait, the sonar screen showed a fish on the move through the riggers. A few quick zig zags on the wheel turned a strike on the wire diver rod on the port side.

The drag sang indicating a king and I held on for a short run before the hooks pulled free. Walker Deeper 107 size in Metallic Green set on 3 towing a Green Dolphin Spin Doctor and Green Hammer Glow Atommik Tournament Fly and out 140 ft using 30 lbs wire.

We continued on a troll Northeast with wind and chop on our stern. The next to fire was a Braid Diver rod on Starboard side using a Walker Deeper Diver 107 in Blue Dolphin on 3 setting and out 140ft, towing a Mountain Dew Natural Born Killer (NBK) SpinDoctor and No-See-um Strong Fly. John was up to the challenge when the drag revealed the same sound of a good king. Later John managed to get the fish to the net and I scooped him. Just over 23 lbs and tag # 148?.

From this point on there was Rainbow after Rainbow that came to the boat dropping only two off the hooks upon reeling them in. Here’s Aidan AKA “Leadcore Little Man” with his biggest bow of the day caught on 10 colour full core 7 lbs 6 oz.

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At 8:30 the winds shut off outside 100 ft of water. It was flat and hot with the sun and humid conditions. But to our surprise the kings were still willing to bite on the wire diver set. It shined as the stud rod for the next two hours pulling in three kings and two rainbows. But our location moved to the end of the reef fishing over 130- 170 FOW. We also discovered bait in the area and plenty of hooks in the top 50 feet.

John pulled a three year old king on the wire set that was spunky and full of energy.

At 9:10 the Wire took a power shot strike and then peeled line like hooking on to a freight train. I was on the rod and let the king make the run pulling 420 feet of wire off the reel with the line counter reading 560. I worked the fish to the boat while we circled the fish to keep him off our port quarter to manage to gain line. It came to the net after it’s last ditch effort to dive for the motor’s prop. But it on the scale and it weighed 26lbs 7oz.

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Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Grimsby Grand Slam Sudbury Style, July 2, 2010

2010-07-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Glen and Paul drove down from Sudbury after anxiously waiting this spring for good weather conditions, good fishing and open schedules. Finally the stars were aligned for there chance to do battle with some salmon and trout from Lake Ontario .

Our morning started bright and early, 5:30 am departure from Foran’s Marina in Grimsby . Blue skies and a rising son on the eastern horizon made a picture perfect start to our day. Winds were light at 10 – 15 km out of the West Southwest.

We motored out to 100 FOW just east of the weather marker and began setting lines. On the downriggers one rod had a Frog on Chrome Spin Doctor and Green Hammer Glow Atommik Tournament fly set with a 30 ft lead and sent down to 60 ft on the starboard side. The other rigger was sent down 50ft with a 50 ft lead using a Mountain Dew/crushed Glow on white Spin Doctor and MC Rocket that I had custom coloured with magic marker.

#2 Rocket with a black back and red gill accents put into a Big Eye Challenger clear head. Set the role to just turn on it’s own by putting a very slight bend on the Rocket.

Next rod to put out was wire diver Blue Dolphin Walker Deeper Diver 107 on 3 setting and out 140ft towing a Green Dolphin Spin Doctor with Green Hammer Fly (leader length 18 inches from nose to knot).

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I was letting it out when the Port side Rigger with the MC Rocket snaps out of position and shows signs of our first king to hook up.

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Paul was up first and he was stoked when he heard the drag sing. Moments later the Wire diver takes a crushing strike and the wire line is buzzing off the roller rod. Glen is handed that rod and both are at the back of he boat laughing away. Who needs a morning coffee when you have a double on kings first thing?

Meanwhile on the Port side of the boat we had time to put another diver rod down while the two fish were still pulling line. I grabbed the diver that was planned to have been set on the starboard side, but the back of the boat was a little crowded to do so. Change the diver’s keel weighted dial to a 3 and the braided Green Metallic 107 Walker Deeper Diver with a NBK Spin Doctor with a Hammer Fly (leader length of 22 inches from nose to knot).

Glen’s fish was coming in first and we boated it. 14lbs 10oz tagged it #1483 and it contained an adipose fin. Then Paul’s Fish comes to the boat and we put the net under that fish. 12lbs even and tagged with # 1485.

While photos were taken, I re-arrange and put the wire diver on the starboard side on a 3 setting and out 150 ft. I was interrupted with another rip on the port side braid diver that showed signs of another king. Glen's turn again and this was yet another drag peeling powerful fish.

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While Paul was fighting that fish I set a slide diver and added a spoon Glen picked out, a Chicken Wing Warrior Mag size spoon. It was set back 70 ft then the diver clicked in place and then out 140 on a 4 setting. Also set the rigger up again with the Rocket.

The wire diver goes again and this time it’s a Lake Trout. Then the slide diver that was just set, starts to shake. John grabbed that rod until we netted and tagged Paul’s fish that weighed 16 lbs 6 oz. Tag # 1481. Triple header!

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Paul quickly brings in the small fish on the slide diver , but when we get it in the net we were surprised to find an Atlantic Salmon. A rare catch indeed! 20 ½ inches long in total length.

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Time to set rods again, We haven’t had four rods in the water yet in the first hour and a half, but after a quick set-up we were up to six rods at 7:40 am.

The rigger set with Frog on Chrome Spin Doctor and glow green Hammer was silent all morning down 60 ft but finally takes a shot. Paul jumps to his feet and grabs the rod. The fish swam towards the boat and the surface and Paul quickly made up line. The was not 30 feet behind the boat with nothing but white water and a big Chinooks head thrashing back and forth. Everyone in the boat said ‘WOW that’s a big fish”. Then the fish dove at the back of the boat going straight down. The line was peeling off the reel and Paul yelled in surprise of the power in the fish. Then the main line broke. Ahhhh.

Full core was put out and it took no time to fire. Glen manages to bring in the Rainbow at 4 lbs. OK- time to make the Grand Slam. Rigger down 80 ft over 100 FOW and a fat Lake Trout takes a Fish-on Fly behind a Mountain dew NBK Spin Doctor. GRAND SLAM complete.

But that wasn't were it would end. Paul catch's his personal best King at 26 lbs.

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16 for 21 was the day's end count. It was great having Paul and Glen on board!!! Here's some more pictures...

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Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Far West-end Kings, June 25, 2010

2010-06-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

We departed from Fisherman's Peir at 6:00 am and ran out just short of our way points. 100 FOW and I started to let out the port side wire diver with a Walker 107 Blue Dolphin with Mountain Dew Diver Ladder back tape on top. It was rigged with the Protroll Hammer and an Atommik Hammer Fly. As soon as I engaged the reel and stood up and watched the rod take a serious jolt and I grabbed the rod, but as soon as I pulled it out of the holder it was gone.

We were all set up and it didn't take long before we manage to hook up again. This time on the braided diver Green Metallic Walker Deeper Diver 107 on 3 setting nd out 140 feet and a NKB SpinDoctor and Hammer fly. John was on it and the fish was buzzing the line off the reel. We boat the fish and it went 17 lbs on the scale.

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Next the rigger with a Frog Racer SpinDoctor and #2 MC Rocket takes a shot off the down rigger down 70 ft. It is a quality fish and John has the rod in hand as it is peeling the line off the reel. But that fish comes off after along run- Broke the snell hook.

We set that rod back up and it shows signs of a shaker this time. John pulled the line out of the release and it was gone.

We made a circle out past our waypoints and turned back towards them. noticing that the moderate SW winds were changing the water in tight and pushing the warm watr out of the corner of the lake. 43 'F was found only 40 ft down inside, but managed that same temp at 50 ft outside waters over 140 FOW. Surface temps had also dropped 5 degrees since Tuesday's evening fish and bait had dissapeared from the area.

We worked through the waypoints and it paid off with a flurry of action. The port side rigger fires down 40 ft with a Mountain Dew/ Crushed Glow on white Spin Doctor and #29 MC Rocket. Brian was on it and yet another quality fish makes a powerful run. During the fight John on the Starbourd side of the boat was distracted by the braided diver with the NBK SpinDoctor/Hammer Fly combo and it goes for a drag sing. But quickly the hooks pull out of that fish and John reveals the hook was straighten out. He fixes the hook with a pair of pliers and sets it out again and not five minutes later the same diver goes off again. And it peels line off again. The fish came off AGAIN!!! TWO DOUBLE HEADERS and the only one that came in was Brian's fish that finally was boated after a long fight and it was 21 lbs 1oz.

After that flurry of action things shut down and we called it a morning at 10:30 am. Brian had to trailer the Mako down to Whitby for the Scotty Tournament. He was on the road with hopes of no issues with the G8-G20 along route.

Rubber Hooks Day - 2 for 7

Good Luck to Brian and the rest of his team.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

2010-06-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Brain Blainey “Mako” in his 19 ft Mako took both my son Aidan (5) and myself out for an evening fish. Brain discovered good kings in front of Hamilton Beach and the Liftbridge. It was a rainy day up until 4:00 pm on my departure from the office. The skys slowly cleared, but replace of heavy clouds came high winds out of the WSW. Winds were 25- 30 km and whitecaps on the lake were everywhere.

At 6:00 pm we departed from Fifty Point and ran the shoreline, but waves of four foot were close together and made a bumpy ride. I was shocked as to how well Brian’s Mako ran the waves and we were motoring a 22 mph on plane with no problem splitting waves. The odd five ft wave would cause him the throttle down, but the boat handled it very well.

When we arrived in the area we set up in 100 FOW and trolled with the wind and waves towards Brian’s waypoints. Not to long into the troll the Rigger down 60 ft and back 60 ft fired. 6 lbs Rainbow on NK Mag Purple Thunder. We went for about 45 minutes sorting out equipment when the Port side braid diver came to life and the reel screamed “mercy”. Wonderbread Walker 107 diver on 3 setting and out 140 ft. It was pulling a Frog Racer Spin Doctor with a #2 with a black magic Marker coloured back MC Rocket Reg. I finally have the fish turned and the dial says 530 ft. Brought the fish to the boat and 25 lbs 2 oz. 1476 Tag number was put in the fish for the Spoonpulllers Tagging Project and it had a fork length of 38 2/4”.

The fish was released and before having a chance to set up again, the wire diver rod on the starboard side wakes up. Brian is on it and brings in a 10 lbs 1 oz king without an adipose fin (3 year old stocked fish). Put Tag number 1478 in that fish and away she went to be next years 40 lber. Green Dolphin 107 Walker Deeper Diver on 3 setting and out 150 ft with a Atommik Hammer Fly.

The port side rigger fired again, and this time my son Aidan was on it. He cranked as hard as he could and managed to boat his 5 lbs Rainbow that was out of the water more then in the water throughout the fight. We kept that fish for the table.

Then the Wire Diver set out with the same numbers as the last king shows signs of another king, but shortly into the fight, the hooks pulled out without getting a glimpse of the fish.

It was dusk and the red sun was approaching the edge of Rattle Snake Point on the Escarpment. I had to re-rig a MC Rocket after a line tangle so I put out a Mountain Dew/Crushed Ice Glow on white Spin Doctor and a #29 MC Rocket rigged with my favorite 60” leader. Down 55 ft and using a 50 foot lead, the rod fires not five minutes of being down. At first it didn’t appear to be much of a fish as the rod sprung up and only started to bend over. I tightened it up and then the beast from the west woke up and said “See You Later”. The reel sang and finally slowed to a crawl with dial at 490 ft. Turn the boat to gain line and the fish makes another run. 560 ft on the dial. It was a game of inches as the fish pulled out and then I gained a little. We watched as the Big Red Sun dipped down and we finally cleared all the lines put everything away while I continued to struggle to keep the fish coming towards the boat. I didn’t want to add any more pressure and we had the kicker motor only at idle speed. The fish moved Port to Starboard and then back to port diving down and then finally turning back towards the transom. Brian slips the net under the fish and boats the slab.

On the Scale it weighs 31 lbs 5 oz. At first Brian was holding the scale and it was bouncing all over the place going from 30 to 33 lbs. So I said- I will hold it and you read it with as much concentration to stay steady. He calls out the weight. 31 lbs 5 oz. Tag number 1477 and took a fork length of 40 ¼”. Away she went to be caught in the Sun Derby as the winning fish- lets hope it’s on my line!!!

The lake was only a slight chop by the time we motored back to Fifty Point. And it was 10:00 pm when I was finally on my way home. Even as late as it was, my son Aidan remained awake the whole way home talking about the big fish and big waves and the sun going down. Summer Nights like this makes fishing Lake Ontario memorable.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Kings on Queen Victoria Day, May 24, 2010

2010-05-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

One week after John Poirier has his operation, he is hard to keep at home any longer then one week out of the Hospital. Monday May 24 th Victoria Day was a glorious day on Lake Ontario . Light winds but mostly no wind kept the lake as flat as a pancake and the heat wave of temperature on land was moderated to a comfortable temperature out on the water. We had guests Joe and Mike with us to try spring salmon fishing for the first time.

6:00 am we departed from Port Weller’s St Catharine’s Marina and headed out to the Niagara Bar’s ledge at Four Mile Point. We stayed close to shore to see if the alewife were still in shallow and to much of our surprise they were still think inside 40 FOW. Surface temperatures were consistent around 56’F. We angled out to the drop off on the Niagara bar but continued to scan for bait. Balls of bait were numerous all the way out and we decided to drop down off plan in 60 FOW just as the ledge showed on the screen. Right away the picture on the graph looked promising.

We set two rods stacked on one rigger 60 ft down we ran a reg. sized Dreamweaver’s Dave’s Salmon Slapper 60 ft back and the top rod running 40 feet down and 50 feet back with NK 28 Orange crush. I set the other rigger with a Spin Doctor Mountain Dew with a Atommik Tournament Big Fin (B-Fly) and had it back 10 feet and down 100. I went to set the first diver rod and was stopped when the rigger fired with the Dave’s Salmon Slapper taking a coho at 4 lbs.

Almost got all eight rods in when the slide diver set 60 feet back and 120 feet out on a 5 setting with a Glow Frog Yeck 88 finds a 9 lbs Rainbow all over the surface.

Wire diver using a Black 124 Walker Deeper Diver on 1 ½ setting and out 400 ft pulling a Black/double crushed glow green dot Spin Doctor and MC Rocket #69 with Green dots in a Clear Rhys Davis Cutbait Head, takes a head shaking thrashing that was evident even 400 feet behind the boat. Before the assumed big king had a chance to turn and make it’s run the hooks pulled out. Time to target deep kings as well.

The Orange crush on the stacker clip on the higher set rigger goes off and short into the fight the fish comes off.

On the other side of he boat we set on braid a Kelly Green Tiger 124 Walker Deeper Diver on 1 ½ setting and out 380 ft with a Spin Doctor in White with Crushed glow tape and Mountain Dew Tape on either side and pulling a MC Rocket plain #69. Sliding snell rig with a leader length of 60” of 30 lbs test Seagar and set with the bend in the rocket to roll at just a little faster then 1 revolution per second. The down speed was consistent at 2.0 mph and temp was around 40’F to 42’F. After about a half an hour after it was set, the diver rod gets hit. 12 lb Chinook comes to the boat. One hour later the same set takes a 13 lbs Chinook.

Slide Diver with the glow frog Yeck 88 set 60/120 went off a short time later and the fish comes un-pinned in the middle of it coming to the boat.

Full Core with four ounces of lead snap weight was used at the leader end to maximize depth and then clipped on an inline board and set 100 feet out to the side of the boat. The board gets heavy and very slowly pulls back. A small Chinook of about 3 lbs comes on a NK 28 Green/Black/silver.

Fish were taking minnows close to the surface and it was decided to try a Baby Red Spin Doctor with a small Howie Fly in white. Two ounces of lead snap weight set 50 feet from the flasher and then let out another 50 feet and clipped to the board. The board was set out about 50 feet out to the side of the boat inside the Fullcore board mentioned above. 10 minutes later the board is jerked back and a rainbow at four pounds is all over the surface behind the board. Boated and in the box it goes.

At the end of the trip at 12:30 pm We began pulling rods when the Slide diver takes another shot, but the hooks pulled out again and that fish was left to grow bigger.

Final count was 6 for 9 (one coho, one small shaker Chinook, 2 Rainbows, and 2 three year old low teen Chinooks) All three Chinooks had the adipose fin clipped.

Many of the boats struggled and the deep pattern was a slow bite for those that were looking for a derby winner.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Feed The Fry Salmon Tournament, May 14-16, 2010

2010-05-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

The second annual Feed the Fry Tournament was scheduled to run on May 15th, but with the chance of wind from the Northwest it was decided to go on Sunday May 16th. http://www.straitlineanglers.com/Feed_The_Fry/Feed_The_Fry_tournament.htm

On the Friday May 14th, Perry Poirier went out of Jordon in his boat. we started in 70 FOW in front of the harbour and worked our way out and to the East. For the majority of the morning the sonar showed no fish or baitfish until we reached 130 FOW. Then the odd mark of fish in thedeeper parts of teh water columnand small schools of bait. It wasn't until we reached 200-230 FOW that the picture appeared more promising.

With only a slight ripple on the water and the fog disipated we could see a slick that pointed out a surface temperature break. It was colder water inside (shoreline side)of the slick and warmer outside, as well the water was off coloured where it was a few degrees warmer. The bait was on the colder side and fish were now being marked in the top 50 feet as well as a deep of bait and marks in below 150 feet in 200 FOW. We set for the upper water column, but only managed a single strike on a wire diver flasher Fly on 3 setting out 110 ft.

In preparations for the tournament and the call to reschedule it for the Sunday, I was on the phone for three hours straight talking to the registered captains and notifying the tournament information. In conversation with some, I come to find out the bite had began at the Niagara Bar. No other information on depths or tactics, but it was a good starting point.

Our good friend Ed Barbosa was down from Meaford, Ontario for the weekend to fish with us int he tournament and also one day on the lake. I checked the marine forecast and sure enough the winds would be bad int eh afternoon, but tolerable in the morning. So we made plans to launch from Port Weller and head out to the drop on the outer Niagara Bar.

The moring was overcast and a three foot chop out of the Northwest. I took our time motoring out and set up in 100 feet of water. We set up for our typical above 100 ft sets and concentrated in the top 50 feet. We started trolling and every boat we passed was hooked up and we didn't move a stick with a "TYPICAL" up high rigger, Leadcore and diver sets. It was about 9:00 when we figured out that we needed to go deep- REALLY DEEP to catch those fish.

I put an MC Rocket Blueberry Muffinbehind a Black Double Crushed Glow Green Dot Spin Doctorputting it down 120 feet. It fires not five minutes later.

So I send the other rigger down even deeper at 142 ft using a Mountain Dew SpinDoctor and Hammer Fly and while we just net the first fish that newly set deep rod fires. Now we are saying "we figured this out", If that's not the most wrong thing to say, I don't know what is.

Next move was to set the big 107 and 124 Walker Deeper Divers down a little deeper as well. Sending them out on a 1 1/2 setting out 300 and 325 feet using Flasher/Fly and Flasher/MC Rocket. The MC Rocket # 69 was behing a ProTroll Green Dot behind a 124 black Walker Deeper diver and it took a crushing blow that snapped the rocket clean off. The other diver on braid managed a fish during a doubleheader at 12:00 pm where it was set on a 3 setting and out 200 ft.

We also managed a small rainbow on a Fullcore and a coho on five colour in the early part of the morning. Using spoons. 5 colour had a Northport Nailer Watermelon II but also with a glow Ladderback tape on the face.and the Fullcore had a Dreamweaver Reg. Dave's Salmon Slapper.

The core were set down the chute and had a number of short strikes.

Ended the morning at 12:30 after our last double header. Only managed 5 of 10 hook ups in the boat. The fish we lost were quality fish. This provided us a starting point for tournament morning.

Now, like I said, it was the kiss of death to say "we figured this out" and come tournament day our spot dried up and the three fish we had on, didn't come to the boat. We worked it hard but the picture on the graph didn't look anywhere close to it's picture onSaturday. The water also had gotten colder down in the depths where yesterday we had 42 degrees down 140 we had 40 down that same depth on Sunday.

At 11:00 am we made a last ditch effort andtried our spot we found on Friday but the water had changed and the blue clear water had moved in to that area and we couldn't find that green water patch.

After weighin we later found out the fish had moved down the ledge to the Canada/NY fence. Same patterns would have worked.

In the tournament a number of bigfishwere at the scales including a 27.44 lbs pig. Here are the details of the tournamentboth pictures and results.

http://www.straitlineanglers.com/Feed_The_Fry/2010_Feed_The_Fry_tournament_pictures.htm

results...

http://www.straitlineanglers.com/Feed_The_Fry/2010_Feed_The_Fry_Tournament_Results.htm

The tournament raised $1990 for the Port Dalhousie Pen Imprinting Project. 45 boats and 21 caught fish. The top 11teams caught three fish.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Bronte and Stoney Creek, May 7, 2010

2010-05-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

This spring has been a tough one. Winds are still an issue and the baitfish are thick as thieves in tight to shore and no where else - up until now.

John, Brian and I launched from Grimsby and boated over to Bronte. Water temps started at 49'f and at Bronte was 45'F. We started fishing in 150 FOW and started marking bait on the bottom in clumps and the odd fish ranging from less than 40 feet down to the bottom. The majority were on the bottom. But we harked great big bait fish schools directly in front of Bronte out over 160 FOW. Reports from other boats that the water temps dropped west of Shell Pier to 42'f, we stayed East of that and found the better picture in front of Bronte instead of East of Bronte.

Talked to a number of boats and they were all struggling with us. We finally hit a fish on wire diver Walker Deeper diver out 300 ft set on 1 1/2 Glow Frog with a green dotted Glow ProTroll with a Dalmation MC Rocket in a clear head. Down speed was 2.0 mph. Wire had a loop - broke off the works.

Just as we were pulling lines the wire diver went off again but the fish was off before getting to the rod. Black 107 diver on 1 1/2 setting and out 180 feet pulling a Sea Sick Waddler SpinDoctor with a No-See-Um fly.

We pulled lines and headed to Stoney Creek and set up infront of Chipmans in 150 FOW and trolled into about 100 FOW. 130 FOW had more fish on the gragh, but no bait to be found. Water temp was 46'F on surface. Again,most fish marked on the bottom but some in the top 40 feet and at mid depths (60-80 feet down).

We managed a short and fat Rainbow on braid diver Walker Deeper Diver 107 out 270 on 1 1/2 setting pulling a Blue Killer Protroll and a UV Blue Atommik Tournament Fly.

We fished Stoney Creek for about one hour and then had to get off the water for 1:00 pm.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

SLA Bay of Quinte Trip, November 13-15, 2009

2009-11-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Friday 13th

The weekend started with preparations Thursday Morning. John and I rigged up 9 trolling rods, two jigging rods and put together a reduced version of a complete tackle box that included all the tools needed for both trolling and jigging.

Friday morning was 4:00 am we departure and was on route to pick up our third guy in the boat, Bruno. Bruno lives in Toronto and required a short jog off the 401. Bruno just got home from a business trip from Vancouver , and was short on sleep and a little jet legged. We stopped for breakfast at 6:30 am at the Stop 50 in Bowmanville where we welcomed the group of 18 Strait Line Anglers, squared up with tournament details and moneys and then the convoy of trucks and boats were on their way to Picton.

Our destination, Merlin Park , where we put our stuff in our respective cottages and then pushed off for the start of our morning jigging tournament. 7 boats participated, $10 each, Return time 1:00 pm and it included a total weight per boat of four walleye needing to measure under 24.8”.

8:30 am we were traveling Picton Bay on the water and boated over to Thompson’s Point and parked our selves in the middle of roughly 20 other boats. Boats all around reported slow, and after nearly 2 hours we were without a fish. Jigging spoons working slowly wasn’t working, Gulp Minnow on Jigheads were getting taps but not managing walleye bites. The sonar graph was showing a ton of fish. Everywhere from 10 feet down to the bottom in 40 FOW.

Then I reached into my jigging spoon box and pulled out what I thought might be better for tight lipped walleye on a slow drift. I have seen it work at Quinte through the ice, why not try it while the drift is slow. A light spoon silver/gold half and half. A small (2”) Williams Ice Jig. Looks like a Williams Whitefish rigged backwards and with additional hooks on the side of the spoon.
.

I would pitch it out leaving slack line to drop straight down. Patience- it’s a light spoon. First cast the spoon didn’t get to the bottom. But it was a white Perch. Second pitch and three snap jigs and it loaded up with the first walleye. 2 lbs or so. After that the spoon started getting consistent fish and before you knew it a look at the GPS time and it was 12:45pm we had 7 fish in the box – all small. The other 6 boats in the jigging tournament were without four fish or too small to weigh, so it was between us and Jimmy Rodney and his crew to weighin. Jimmy weighed in at 6.55 lbs with his four. We weighed in and it was 6.45 lbs. It was that close!

We had lunch and then transferred all the trolling gear to the boat for an afternoon of trolling. Setting up 3 miles East of the Lighthouse on Adulphous Reach we set four inline boards and two Slide diver set-ups. Outside boards pulled 200 ft of line with Manns Stretch 20’s and Reef Runner 800’s (deep diver). Inside boards pulling 3 colours and 200 on the reel with Reef Runner and Dr Death Mann's Stretch 30. Port Slide Diver started with a Reef Runner 900 (shallow runner, but large saltwater size) in Eriedecent 100 ft back and 40 ft out on the 4 setting. And the other a shallow stick bait a Renowsky in Purple/silver.

10 minutes after set-up the slide Diver on with the Reef Runner 900 takes a crushing blow that bent the rod over yanked some drag and when the rod came out of the rod holder the fish and bait pulled out of the snap. I must of forgot to close the snap, ooppps.

30 minutes later the outside board pulls back with Black/silver Mann’s Stretch 20 and Bruno was on it. He slowly cranked in the board and as soon as the board was being pulled off the line, the fish thrashes and the line goes limp. MAN! Line broke. 0-2! Good thing I got another one.

It’s 4:00 pm and the sun is low in the sky, when the three colour with Dr Death Mann’s Stretch 20 on the inside board, pulls back. Bruno was on this one again and we managed to boat this one. 9.3 lbs

Not long after, the outside board rod goes heavy and John gets on the rod. Black/Silver Mann’s Stretch 20 200 feet back takes another. This one was the largest of the weekend at 9.5 lbs, which is a modest fish for Bay of Quinte standards.

After 4:30 pm the rods went quiet until we pulled lines at 5:30 pm in the dark. Nice weather all day with blue skies and no wind.

Saturday Trolling Tournament Day Nov 14

9 boats were registered in the tournament where the target was for each boat to manage 2 walleye over the 24.8” and one under. It’s a game of strategy, where trolling usually manages bigger fish and jigging produces much smaller fish. Fishing was between 7:00 am to 5:00 pm and most boats left well after 7:00 am simply because the sun was covered by cloud and it appeared later. Again the winds were light, but a chop out of the northeast.

With our results from Friday eve, we had a starting place for the morning and we set-up up wind and trolled with the chop on our stern. The results from yesterday helped determine a few baits to run and we concentrated on high percentage set-ups to begin. Three high lines with two running 200 ft behind boards, on running 180 ft behind the boat. 10 minutes after setting up Black and Silver Fingerling on the outside boat back 200 pulls back with a fish. Bruno manages to bring in the board and then the rod started to show the signs of a quality fish with headshakes that jolted the rod violently. Then the line caught the line on the inside board, after thinking the fish passed it. 0-1 already.

20 minutes later the same board with the Black/Silver Fingerling pulls back again. This time I get on the rod and manage to bring the first fish on board. It was just under the 24 ½ “, OK we said, we got the one under taken care of and now if we can keep the ball rolling we should manage two over. Well that feeling slowly withered when the hours went by and the constant changes didn’t turn a strike (other than a Sheephead) for over 8 hours.

Then at 3:30 pm we set our troll down wind over our trolling path from Friday eve at the same time. It worked, Black and silver Mann’s Stretch 20 back 180 ft behind the board manages our second fish. It weighs 9.1 lbs on the scale.

Instead of trolling up wind we pull everything and try one last troll through the area with a spread of Black/Silver on 4 of the 6 rods. Also all lines were set to run high and out on the boards hoping for one last big bite. But it wasn’t to be. 5:00pm and the lines had to come in.

The results of the Tournament would show Joe Williamson with two quality Quinte walleyes. One at 13 ½ lbs and another at 11 lbs! They also had a third fish that went 9.9 lbs but couldn’t weigh it in as the third fish since it was over 24.8”.

Our boat managed second place and Darryl Day/Sandman/Steve managed third, but boated seven walleye all of which were under the 24.8” mark!

Sunday Nov 15 Morning fish before going home.

After packing up the cottage we headed out and was faced with a thick fog. Using GPS we motored to Thompson’s Point and began fishing. It was hard to get oriented in the fog, but when we found the right depth when talking to other boats in the fog, we starting finding fish. But all too often the fish were coming up snagged on our jigging spoons and needed to be turned back to the lake. It was silly after fowl hooking 4 of the first 5 walleye and it was about 9:30 when Gary and Kevin Hampson’s boat appeared beside us in the fog. Gary was hitting fish steady and they were catching them all in the mouth. So it was time to change up.

Gary said Swedish Pimple, I went in my jigging spoon box and pulled out my one and only Swedish Pimple in Silver/Green.

It took three jigs off the bottom and it took a walleye to open up. After that the fish came in regularly, but mostly too small to keep. At 11:00 am we called it quits.

The ride back home was a smooth drive. Big thanks to John for bringing the boat and to Bruno for the funny digs all weekend.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Fort Erie Bass, August 30, 2009

2009-08-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

The wind blows! The weekend was all about wind. Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is out of the picture to fish Salmon or Walleye respectively. So “If you’re given lemons, Make Lemonade!” So John, Brad and I took the riggers off the boat and loaded up our bass rods and headed for Fort Erie . On the water by 7:00 and discover that yesterdays blow loaded up the Niagara river with water visibility of about 2 feet. We launched from Nickels ramp and made our way out towards Lake Erie and out along side of Rosey’s Reef. The water was dirty throughout the ride out. And the winds from yesterday put a roll on the big lake that made for a rock-n-roll ride.

Setting up in 17 ft and drifted from it to 30 ft and into the mouth of the river. It didn’t take long and we started to pick away at them. Mostly smaller Smallmouth Bass in the 1 to 3 lbs range all day. The rollers on the lake were coming in from the Southwest and the winds for the day were coming out of the Northwest. The drift was quick so we started with heavy weights. 5/8 oz, and ¾ oz tube jig heads and 1 oz drop shot weights to maintain contact and a steep angle presentation.

Baits for bites included a few on green tubes, and a few on Poor Boy Erie Darters in Green. John managed the biggest bas at 4 lbs even on the scale. But the majority of the bites came on dark colours (black). And get this- “twister tails!” On drop shot black Yum twister tails were getting bits. Also black tubes tipped with black Yum twister tails managed a good number of fish. A green twister tail jig also managed a few near the end of the trip.

Kim Poirier, Roy Young and Darrel Day were also out and managed three walleye fishing the same area while fishing for bass. Also the water did get clearer as the day went on and it was about three ft visibility by the end of our day at 1:00 pm.

The wind blew and we couldn’t get out for walleye on Erie like we had planned, but we did manage to get out on the water and make the best of it

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Grimsby and Blue Zone Salmon/Rainbow, August 23, 2009

2009-08-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

It has been almost two weeks since our last time out on Lake Ontario , and reports were dismal to say the least. None-the-less we needed to discover it for ourselves. We had a late start leaving the dock at 10:30 am and setting up in 80 FOW directly in front of Grimsby at 11:00 am . We would mark a good number of fish on bottom and we ran a number of baits near bottom to try to turn a strike with no avail. It was 39- 41’F water on the bottom and the thermolcline was between 50 and 60 ft. We trolled out to about 140 FOW and the sonar screen went blank for most of the way. At noon we decided to run out to the Blue Zone and not long after going under power we marked a school of bait in 240 FOW. So we set up again and marked the odd fish, but again- no takers. So we made one last ditch effort at around 1:30 to find fish out in the Blue Zone and salvage the day

Out to 305 and inline with Oakville , we set up and immediately marked good bait and some fish. Get four rods in the waterat 2:00 pm and the first rigger rod goes off. 40 feet down and 50 ft lead with Lemon Drop Warrior Mag. Rainbow. My 4 year old son reels the fish in. Set it up and minutes later I see it bump, but no release or shakes, then a minute later it gets a strike and releases and another rainbow shoots out of the water behind the boat on the slider. Aidan reels the fish in closer to the boat only to find that a tiny salmon took the spoon on the main line and pulled in this rainbow on the slider. Two fish on one rod!

The Lemon Drop Warrior Mag was getting regular shots of rainbows and then one nice Coho guessing around 15 lbs comes airborne behind the boat then charges the boat and goes under the rigger cable and then out of the water again. The speed!!! We run the rigger rod around the cable and thought we would have broken this guy off, but we wrestle with the line around the rigger and the other line meanwhile the coho is in the air over and over again. Finally get the line cleared from the other rigger and the fish finally came off. But we didn’t break off! So we strip the line off the reel that got chewed and retied on the Lemon Drop Warrior to get back to business.

We pull the other rigger rod that was running meat down out of temperature for a king and changed it up to a Yeck 88 King Thing and down 45 ft. It managed a fish not long after.

The wire diver had a good crack, but no one was home when I got the rod up and out of the rod holder. It did catch another rainbow near the end of the trip at 4:00 pm when we managed a triple header. The Wire had a 107 Walker Deeper Diver Green Dolphin on 3 setting and out 110 ft using a Glow/Mountain Dew SpinDoctor and an Adrenalin Atommik Tournament fly.

7 colour leadcore and slide diver didn’t get a single strike.

A slow start in tight and then Good action out in the Blue Zone turned things around for us.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

SLA Lake Erie Walleye Tournament August 16, 2009

2009-08-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

John and I ran the first ever SLA Lake Erie Walleye Tournament on Sunday August 16 th . The weather the previous Sunday was not in our favour but the 16 th was much improved with clear skies and light winds

John or I haven’t been fishing Erie Walleye since last summer, so we were fishing this tournament blind!

We registered 14 boats in total. Of the 14, 7 caught fish. http://www.straitlineanglers.com/SLA_LakeErie_Walleye/2009_SLA_LakeErie_Walleye_Tournament_Results.htm And only three boats came in with a full box of four fish for the tournament. Dave Viles, a fellow Strait Line Angler, won the tournament with 28.55 lbs. He managed 10 for 12 walleyes and was clued into the Full core and large Divers close to bottom in 72-80 FOW.

For us, I will call the day of fishing on our boat good in the middle with a set of ugly bookends on either side. The morning registration, boats were arriving at the last minute. So where we posted that registration was to end at 5:45am we got caught up finalizing at 5:55 am instead. We got in the boat and motored down the river and John says, “I forgot my Sun glasses”. So we call on the VHF for someone else to blast off the tournament, but there was no answer.

We turn back to the marina and I run out to the truck to get Johns glasses. Two other boats were looking to get in the tournament- but they were turned away.

We start on our way back down the river and the fog got so thick we couldn’t see 50 ft in front of us. John try’s to navigate by his GPS and ends up running up in the mud and we make our way slowly out to the lake. We get out to the lake and there was no more fog. There also wasn’t a tournament boat in sight and the wakes from the tournament boats had already dispersed. We are really behind the 8 ball here!

We decide to head to our old waypoints from last summer and we were pleasantly surprised to find the Sonar screen looked good. We set up and worked the rods up and down , tried different baits and we were without a fish for an hour ½. Then the Metallic Purple 107 Walker Deeper Diver on 3 setting and out 200 ft with a Blue Berry Muffin Yeck and metallic Purple blades on a warm harness happens to start pulling drag (drags set loose). Slow steady retrieve and the fish comes to the net. It’s a 7 ½ lbs walleye. Nice.

We take a few Yellow Perch, a few sheepshead and a white perch throughout the day as well. All of which were treated as if they could have been a walleye playing possum.

Another hour goes by and we hit a Walleye on a Monkey Puke and Purple Puke bladed harness on a Full core straight out the back of the boat. This one was less then 3 lbs.

The second pass through the same area of the first fish was caught we discovered that it was adjacent to a marker buoy set at a ship wreck. We mark that in the GPS for future reference.

Knowing our pattern was fishing bottom now, we figure the wreck must have a few walleye close by. So we make another pass and as I was letting out another 107 Metallic Purple Walker Deeper Diver with Gold and a Purple/White/Black worm harness. The dial read 215 where I engaged the reel and noticed the rod started jerking. I pick up the rod and immediately locked up on a heavy fish. Regular headshakes were enough to stop your heart with hopes that it wouldn’t rip out the hooks. The fish comes to the net and it’s another quality walleye. We put it on the scales and it comes up just shy of 8 lbs. Now we got three.

Another 15 minutes goes by and the other full core straight out the back of the boat gets bit. John brings it in and it was the smallest fish of the day, but at least it was four for the scales. Four bites and four fish to the boat.

Now here’s the other ugly bookend to the day. We bring in all the rods and go to tilt the kicker motor and discover that the pins that slide inside the trim and tilt track, have broken off. So John and I decided to pull the motor right inside the boat. The 9.9 hp Hondo long shaft is a heavy bugger and we lay it down on the floor of the boat. The Time is getting close and the chop on the lake has made sure we couldn’t go full throttle. We managed to get in with 6 minutes to spar.

We came in with 22.95 lbs with our biggest coming in at 7.90 lbs.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Grimsby Morning Salmon, August 9, 2009

2009-08-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Strait Line Anglers Club was hosting a Walleye Tournament out of Lake Erie for this morning, but due to the high wind forecast we decided to cancel it.

Lake Ontario however was calm and the chance of Thunderstorms was forecasted, but we were going to stay close to port. So with the morning still available and a window of fishable waters on Lake Ontario , John and I head out of Foran’s to try out front. We were also joined up by two other boats from the club to head out. We communicated on the VHF and spread out looking for the fish. One of the boats ran right out to 80 FOW around the west side of the weather marker, the other boat set up shallower in 50 FOW south of the weather marker and we set up on the east side of the marker in 40 FOW and trolled straight out.

A minute after setting up Dave hits fish right away. We continued to troll straight out all the way to 160 FOW with only one rainbow trout to show for. Dave on the other hand was hitting fish regularly from the weather marker to the riffle range in 90 FOW. Then Brad in the other boat hooks up on the west side of the weather marker and it’s 18lbs on the scale.

So pull up our four rods and pick up and run back in and set up again. It was clear why they were catching as the screen revealed many fish and bait up high. Water temps were also very cold. 40 feet down it was 47’F and 41’F down 50 ft.

Our first fish came on SpinDoctor Blue Dolphin with Fish On Atommik Tournament Fly back 20 feet and down 40 feet on the rigger. Coho leaps out of the water and roles in the line. Taking drag- running into nearly every line out and then comes to the net. “Wow- nice coho” I said to John. 10 lbs 4 oz on the scale.

Wire diver 107 Walker Deeper Diver in Purple out 75 ft on 3 setting and a ProTroll Blue killer with Yeck Fly “Day Break” takes a small king.

The other rigger down 60 ft with a slider running around 30 ft using Purple thunder with glow ladder takes two fish in a row. Rainbow and a small salmon.

Meanwhile the rigger down 40 ft on a 25 ft lead using Blue dolphin Spindoctor and Fish on fly takes off. John fights the fish and it acts like a giant laker with head shakes and staying down the entire fight. We were in 70 FOW and the line continue to sound deeper. We finally get it closer to the boat and the Wire Diver rod goes off. Double header. I put the rod in the holder and net John’s fish and its 19lbs on the scale.

John brings in the smaller fish on wire as I get the hooks out of the fish in the net. He has yet another nice coho at 7 lbs 4 oz that we finally net. It came on a Cherry Red 107 Walker Deeper Diver set on 3 and out 80 ft with Caramel Dolphin SpinDoctor and Caramel Dolphin Atommik Tournament Fly. This same set up takes a nice 9 lbs rainbow shortly after.

Producer spoon in Black with a white back caught a Lake trout down 70 ft on the rigger over 80 FOW. It was time to switch that spoon. Hahaha. So John changes it to a Yeck 88 Blue Dolphin on a 40 ft lead and down 50 ft.

Over 70 FOW the Blue Dolphin Yeck takes a crushing blow on the rigger and the line peels off the reel. The fish comes to the boat after a lengthy fight and we net it. It weighs 23 lbs 7 oz. It has a lamprey still on it and the head looks like it would be better to be on a 30 lbs salmon instead of the short dumpy looking fish this was.

Then this giant ominous black cloud approaches at an alarming rate. We quickly pull lines and get under power along with the other boats. The cloud had a front like a 52 chevy as you can see the cloud rolls in front of it. Then as we cleared the rocks at Foran’s the winds hit and the sky turned dark. We organized out quick ramp work between the boats and managed to get the boats out on the parking lot and ready for the road before the rain came down in buckets. We stayed dry! Look at my watch and it was 12:15 pm and the wife calls. “Yes honey, I’m off the water”. Then thinking to myself. "Good thing we weren't on Lake Erie 10 miles out with that cloud between us and shore!"

Our final count was 10 for 12, after a slow start for the first two hours. The other boats also did well. Dave got 8 fish and Brad got 6.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Jordon/Vineland Evening Salmon, August 5, 2009

2009-08-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

The lake was flat on the way home from work so I call John and say – hey I got Aidan and I ready to see what we can do on the big lake. Aidan says “I’m going the catch the biggest fish ever”. Wow- that’s the attitude we like to have on the boat! John didn’t need much persuasion, and by 4:30 we were out of Foran’s and motoring over to Jordon where we finished up the charter on Monday.

At first it was a slow go for two hours as we tried deeper in the 120-160 FOW range and marked very few fish. A few calls to local boats, we realized we motored over the fish and set up where they weren’t. So we adjusted and got into about 100 FOW to set-up and work our way in. Sure enough he screen on the graph proved what was to be plenty of fish and baitfish.

Minutes after setting up the first rod in the downrigger set at 50 ft and on a short lead of 8 ft with Miami Dolphin Warrior Spoon, the line takes a hit and I was on it like a fat kid on a smartie. The drag starts going good and a few head shakes and the hook pulls free. Set it back up again it goes off again and this time John brings in a rainbow. Then after that, the same rigger set had another release and no one was home, then it went quiet.

We worked the area and now the wind started to pick-up out of the south. Many lookers come into the spread, but they hesitate to bite. It was time to switch things up a bit. John puts his rigger down to 71 over 80 FOW and a coho at 6 ½ lbs takes the Miami Dolphin Warrior Mag. Aidan my four year old son reels in his first coho. This would make four species he has reeled in on Lake Ontario at four years old! How many kids can say that before they start school! He’s got the lucky hand!

We put Warrior Mag Yellow Tuna 3 hr glow on a full core and it started going off and Aidan reels in two rainbows on it.

We took another small Chinook around 8 lbs on Coyote on a slider on the rigger down 50. So it was around 25 feet.

We watched as about a 10 lbs king leaped out of the water four times with a very large lamprey on its belly. Aidan got a kick out of it. We initially thought we had a fish on one of our lines so a quick scan over the spread showed we didn’t.

At the end of the night John was pulling in the leadcore and he gets a hit. The line starts peeling off the reel but then the hooks pulled out.

We watched the sun go down and the Full moon come up. Aidan fell asleep on the ride back in and I’m sure he was dreaming of catching a big king. “Next time bud- next time”.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Beamsville to Jordon Salmon, August 3, 2009

2009-08-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

It was a blustery evening to be out on the lake, but with a couple of sea worthy clients that are used to the Pacific Ocean on the west side of Vancouver Island, the rocking ride was handled nicely. Winds were directly out of the south but somewhere around 30 gusting 40 km/h! Boats were coming in to the marina looking shocked, weather beaten, and generously giving descriptions of the poor conditions. That doesn’t provide the level of comfort that I prefer, but we made the decision and it was time to go. 4:00 pm departure.

Game plan to start was to run the shoreline down to Beamsville where the night before we finished up with a few shots including the 22 lbs king. With the wind on our stern, we worked or way out from 40 FOW. It was going to be a five rod spread rather then run all 8 rods (four of us on board). Keeping the spread light in the rough stuff is not a bad idea. Two Slide Divers, Two riggers and a leadcore down the chute.

We worked our way out and the conditions were getting rough, but still fishable. But for some reason it was a tough go for the first two hours. I worked vigorously changing things up. The picture on the Sonar was favourable with plenty of fish and good schools of bait to suggest our luck should be much better then it was.

The fish on the graph were very active coming into the cannonballs and at first I was running our standard 70 and 100 ft leads. I kept on decreasing the lead length over and over again. 50, 30, 20 then I said, OK now lets do it OLD SCHOOL-> 8 ft behind the ball. 50 feet down, Halo Miami Dolphin Warrior Mag and I got the rod in the holder, cranked down so the rod tip is almost in the water (I sometimes get frustrated with the fish and add a little more bend to the rod). I turn to adjust a diver rod and the rod tip jerks dramatically down into the water, what I thought was already a maxed out rigger stick had reached a new level of bending capability. The rigger rod only slightly relaxes it’s extreme bend and the drag starts singing before I even get the rod out of the holder. It reminds me of those crushing short lead blows on a rigger in the 90’s.

Todd from BC has had plenty of kings (they call them Springs) and was a pro at fighting this fish to the boat even if he didn’t have his single action mooching reel on the underside of the rod. I cleared the rest of the rods and we chased the fish on the big motor into the waves after about 20 minutes of the reel continuing to loose more and more line as the waves pushed us further and further from this muscular fish. When we caught up to the fish the counter read 100 ft and it was almost straight down off the back of the boat in 80 FOW. Neat stuff. We boated the fish and it weighed 23 lbs on the scale.

I took the picture and then got back to work setting the same rod in the rigger the same way. Turn to put the second rod in the other rigger and sure enough the same rigger stick fires. This time the drag is screaming and I asked Terry how much line on the counter? 250! Then seconds later 400, So with one rod in the water we turn on a dime and chase this one down into the waves again. We boat it and it goes 17lbs on the scale.

OK, time to get back to setting rods. And this time I was able to get all five in the water before the rod in the rigger down 40 feet, makes Todd come to his feet and it is yet another reel burner. Love it! We figured it out. Same spoon, Same short lead and this rigger was out of temp as it was riding at 60’F water temp down 40 ft (BTW it is 56’F down 50 ft). We manage to boat this one without clearing too many rods and it weighed 17 lbs as well.

By 8:00 pm the wind just about stopped all together and the lake went from three footers down to a 6 inch. Now we were free to troll any direction and we turned back to where we hooked up on those fish and managed a rainbow on a slider and dropped two others, one on fullcore (10 colours) using a Warrior Mag, Yellow Fin Tuna (3 hr glow as we set for a dusk bite), and the other miss was a short strike on the rigger down 40 ft.

We ran back in when it was dark and the wind started to pick up just as we got to dock. What started off an uneasy feeling, ended the trip with two BC coast salmon fisherman now hooked on the Great Lakes Salmon fishing. We may not have the brutes they see, but they fight vigorously none-the-less. Todd and Terry were a good bunch to have on board in less then favourable conditions to start and they handled the rods well when the bigger bites counted.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Fifty Point to Beamsville, August 2, 2009

2009-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

John and I had the pleasure of taking Paul that is on vacation in Grimsby from Ireland . Winds were moderate out of the West and the forecast said South winds. So we decided to run as far west and roll with them. So we set up in front of Fifty Point on the west side of the riffle range in 40 FOW and trolled around the rifle range markers and out to 80 FOW. In no time we managed three rainbows. One on fullcore using Yeck 88 PK Special. The other two came on Slide Diver with halo Miami Dolphin Warrior Mag. It was set 100 ft back from the diver and 80 feet out.

Then trolled to 120 FOW still witht he waves on our stern and they were growing to about four feet. The Rigger down 100 Feet and using SpinDoctor Blue Dolphin with Hammer fly and it takes a Lake Trout. We brought that up to 60 feet and it took a small chinook. The other rigger down 50 feet then took another 8 lbs salmon on a SpinDoctor Black/Glow/Green dots with a Green/Glow Horsefly. then we hit a nice rainbow around 8 lbs that went on a five colour using Yeck 88 Michael Jackson.

Paul now has seen a Rainbow, Lake Trout, and Lake Ontario Chinook Salmon. But it was time to look for bigger salmon. Once we got to the Grimsby weather marker the plan was to trough the waves in shallower water and look for the bait. When we broke 75 FOW we caught another lake trout on the Blue dolphin SpinDoctor and hammer fly down 70 ft. No more chasing lake trout, The five colour hit another salmon. Paul was handed the rod and then the hammer fly with Blue Dolphin SpinDoctor was put down 50 feet instead and it fired with a good drag burning salmon. Paul Had the rod swap to fight the better fish to the boat and it weighed 16 lbs. Short and fat fish.

Then we trolled towards Beamsville and manages a few more small salmon for the cooler on Fullcore and downriggers down 50 feet.

The sun was starting to go down and it was nearing the end of the evening when the Slide Diver out 40 feet to the Yeck 88 King Thing and the diver on 3 setting out 100 ft. We cleared all the rods and played the fish to the boat. The fish weighed 22 lbs and Paul landed a personal best.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Salmon Dance Tournament, July 25, 2009

2009-07-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

The weather man would suggest staying away from the lake, but with offshore winds and the heavy clouds holding off until the end of the day. The south east wind made for a 1 foot chop and comfortable enough to fish in close where we have found fish. John Poirier, his niece Stephanie and I were teamed up and were eager to make the best of a day on the water.

John was out on Friday night, the evening before the tournament, and found the fish to be in front of Beamsville/Vineland and that was where we started. We set up in 75 FOW and it was a slow start with about one hour of fishing gone by and trolling further west towards our marks from fishing on Wednesday the 21st.finally the five colour off the boards with Holo Miami Dolphin Warrior. This was a quality fish but the hooks pulled out at the end of a long run. The same rod went off again but with a small shaker.

Then the rigger down fifty feet with a green dolphin Spin-doctor and hammer fly takes a release. At first the fish just stayed there with a few small head shakes. I call out Lake Trou... Then before I got the word out the reel interrupts me with a drag burner. A few more runs and get gets into another line and the fish bam un-pinned. Two matures lost and it's now 8:30. Not good.

It was another hour before hitting a bunch of smaller salmon and a few rainbows, one of which went9 lbs and was a long clean looking steelhead.

At 11 am we finally started to move rods at a regular pace including one double. At this time we were in front of Beamsville found a pod of kings and steelhead. Rigger down 71 feet over 77FOW with Green Dolphin Spin-doctor and Fish-on Tournament Atommik Fly takes a hit and the drag sounds good. Moments later the wire diver rod with a Metallic Purple 107 Walker Deeper Diver set at 1 and out 105feet with a Black and Glow Spin-doctor and No-See-Um Strong Fly goes hay-wire. With John fighting his fish thought to be a bigger one, I proceeded to do the one-handed net job on what I suspected to be a 15 lbs king. The fish came free while the fish was half in and half out of the net. Still no fish in the livewell. Net Johns fish and it is smaller then it's attitude at 15lbs. But finally gota fish in the box.

Moments later the Slide diver set -up finally wakes up. The best set-up all week long and it takes 5 hours before it produces a king. But it was our best of the day at 20 and change. The slide diver had a 100 ft lead behind the diver and was out 60 feet on a 3 setting. It had a Warrior Miami Dolphin without the green glow tape. That rod started to catch a few more salmon but smaller then what we had in the box. Here's Stephanie's fish that fell to the same.

We managed another 15 lbs salmon that required the balance beam to measure it's size to the smallest in the box, but it was only slightly smaller and swam away to grow to be a 30 lber in the tournament next year.

Our weight was a dismal 35 lbs and we were disappointed thatwe dropped so many quality fish. But we caught alot of fish not sure how many).

The following are links to the tournament results and standings.
http://www.straitlineanglers.com/Salmon_Dance/2009salmon_dance_tournament_pictures.htm
http://www.straitlineanglers.com/Salmon_Dance/2009salmon_dance_tournament_results.htm

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Grimsby and East, July 22, 2009

2009-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

With the Salmon Dance Tournament on Saturday, it was search time for quality fish. The pattern of shallow water kings was the target and we needed to find bigger fish amoungst a countless number of smaller salmon and numerous Rainbows. At 4:30 pm I met up with Ron Arnold to fish in his boat while John Poirier and Jay Whitwell fished together in John’s boat. East winds for the afternoon put a 3 foot roll on the lake that made trolling and driving a little sloppy. When we got out to 70 FOW we set up and continued to troll east into the waves looking for pods of fish. It didn’t take long to find the fish and John calls on the radio and hooks up with his first. Slide Diver out 100 ft behind the diver and 60 feet out to the diver using the Halo Miami Dolphin Warrior spoon. Jay finally landed it after a long fight and it weighed a little over 25 lbs on a scale that didn’t stay steady in the waves.

Then shortly after John calls again and had hooked up with another good fish on the other slide diver set the same distances but using the Michigan Stinger Stingray Coyote. That one weighed 23 lbs! Not a bad start for John with 48 lbs in the first two fish. John also managed another mature salmon at 18 lbs coming on the rigger down 50 feet with a 60 ft lead using Blue Killer Protroll and Atommik Tournament Hammer Fly. Temps down 40 ft were 48’F and down speed was 2.1 mph on Johns Depth Raider.

Ron and I managed 6 fish for 8 with the biggest being around18 lbs taking a Green dot/glow Protroll behind a Walker 107 Green Dolphin diver on a 3 setting and back only 45 feet off the corner of the boat. Ron doesn’t have downriggers on the boat so all of our rodshad walker 107 diver, Slide Diver and two 45m size divers on walleye rods trailing behind the boat.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Grimsby Skinny Water, July 15, 2009

2009-07-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Four years in a row the skinny water pattern for mid July kings on the south shore prevails. The evening of July 15th, John, Aidan, Linda, and I went out of Foran's Marine. Action was a steady pick, with one double header. It wasn't long when we set our lines and hit our first fish.

Wire 107 Walker Deeper Diver in Wonderbread on 3 setting and only out 60 feet. It was rigged with a ProTroll glow Wonderbread and Strong Fly No-See-Um. This rod caught two and lost one early in the evening and then didn't do anything else. Both fish were small chinooks.

The fullcore Leadcore also caught two fish, one small Lake Trout and the other a small Salmon and lost one bigger lake trout.

The two downriggers were set in the 35 and 40 feet and 40 feet it was 41'F. The riggers managed three fish. One Rainbow at 6 lbs, one small salmon and one salmon at 20 lbs even on the scale. We had one good fish break the line as well.Spoons on the riggers were Yeck 88 in Green Hornet (black/green/glow) two on it, and the other was Yeck 88 in Blue Dolphin (broke off).

The best producing rod was the Slide Diver Lite bite set 60/60 (60 foot lead behind the diver and 60 feet out to the diver from the rod). It was set on 3. On the Slide Diver set, Michigan Stinger Stingray Coyote spoon caught the biggest of the night at 23 lbs as well as another small rainbow. One shaker chinook and another around 8 lbs. It also had a number of missed fish.

Also caught a 5 lbs chinook on 7 colour using Yeck 88 Micheal Jackson.

Good action for fishing between 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Lift Bridge-Shell Pier, May 24, 2009

2009-05-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

John and I knew fishing was tough, but the weather was perfect and it's about fishing and not catching- right? We ran down to in front of about Appleby Line and set up in 135 FOW. It wasn't long before the sonar was showing big marks on or near the bottom. We were worked marks and approached them at angles and turns and changing up colours and speeds. Use Flasher flies, spoons, whole bait anchovies, dodge fly with nothing. Then with the 107 Walker Deeper diver on a 1 setting and out 360 feet on braid it hits a fish. I drop the wire diver to 350 feet out and it goes off. Double header. Both Lake Trout. When the second fish hit the floor it was the fattest Lake Trout I had ever seen. It was a 12 lbs brute in a 8 lbers frame! Not only that it made a mess all over the floor of the boat and John's leg. Nasty!

The lake Trout took the wind out of our sails so we decided to go for a search. We went out to 220 FOW and set up a shallow program and scanned the area. One rodwas bumped, but that was it. We pulled lines again and started towards Stoney Creek. We trolled from Chipmans west of Fruitland Road and trolled all the way to the Radar tower in Grimsby looking for salmon. There were plenty of Lake Trout to be had throughout the stretch- but we avoided them as best as possible, but still managed to hook two .

Off the water by 1:30 pm.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Feed The Fry Salmon Tournament, May 18, 2009

2009-05-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Congrads to Steve Fudge, Deryk Hastie, and Chris Vanrooy for a great win. Bronte was the spot to be early and fishing deep.

John Poirier, Brad May, and myself ran down to Grimsby where we slowed and scanned the water column for hope of a picture that would suggest us to slow the boat and start trolling. The picture was empty until finding marks closer to infront of ED Smiths Bubble roughly at McNielly Road Stoney Creek. We set up and it wasn't long before the Wire diver takes a strike, but after a short fight the fish is dropped. Then the rigger rod takes a strike and John cranks in a good sized Lake Trout. Not the species we were after. We took another Lake trout about and hour after on the other downrigger using Michigan Stinger Coyote Stingray 110 on the rigger over 130 FOW.

At 10:30 it was evident that the salmon were not hungry in front of Stoney Creek. We picked up and ran to infront of Bronte and set up in 180 FOW. Wetting up we worked a deep program again with hopes of coming in contact with some salmon. But 45 minutes and a sonar screen that would suggest fish were spread out. Talking to a boat he reassures us that fishing deep is working but bring up the speed to 2.5 mph instead of the slow 2.1- 2.3 mph we have been going at. Without down speed it was tough to make down speed consistent and we finally hooked up on our fist salmon on Walker 124 Deeper Diver Wonderbread on 2 setting out 190 on wire with Wonderbread ProTroll and No-see'um StrongFly. The fish was too small for the 25 inch minimum lenght that was the rule for the tournament.

We were trolling west at the time and noted that we were doing 2.5 mph on the GPS. Working East we tried changing the speed up and down from there to figure out which way the current was going, but the next one came when we turning back towards the west and the free floating slider with Stop'n Glow Michigan Stinger Stingray and the rigger ball down 100 over 145 FOW took the next fish. But it too was just under the 25 inch minimum at 23 1/2 inches! Time was ticking away and we still were without a fish in the box for weighin. Finally we hook up on a fish that was over 25 inches. It took a Dreamweaver Dave's Salmon Slapper down 124 on the rigger over 140 FOW. Not long after that the Magnum Walker Deeper Diver Rod starts ripping out 30 lbs braided line using the 107 black Walker Deeper Diver on 3 setting back 360 feet! White Protroll and Hoover Atommik. not long after John struggled to slide the diver rod out of the holder, the hook pulled free.

Time was spent and we needed 45 minutes to run back to Port Dalhousie. We pulled early and made it back in plenty of time with only one to wiegh in.

It was tough fishing in the tournament with only ten boats bringing in fish out of 35 boats in the field.

The tournament itself was a success as a fundraiser for the Port Dalhousie Pen Imprinting Project with $1,425 going towards the cause. John, Jay, and I plan to make the tournament a annual thing.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Port Weller to 4 Mile Point, May 15, 2009

2009-05-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

With the Friday off and the marine forecast in favour of a nice morning ahead, John, Aidan and I headed out from Port Dalhousie out to in front of Port Weller. We set up in 100 FOW after reading the reports of salmon caught in the King of The Lake Tournament the weekend before were coming from deeps sets. Found a nice temp change that went straight out of Port Weller and we stopped and set up on the warm side (east of the line). We marked fish on bottom so we started to set lines on riggers and run divers on 1 setting and out 220 first and then more as we went.

First rod to go was the wire and it pulled drag and thrashed like a laze king, John helped my four year old soon crank in the fish and he worked the rod and reel like a champ. When the fish hit the net it was clear it was a good size Lake Trout. 16.7 lbs.

Walker Deeper Diver 107 in Blue Dolphin with Blue Killer Protroll and Atommik Tournament Hammer Fly.

After much switching lures and trolling east towards the bar it was evident that the King bite was nearly non-existent. Boats were running the bar taking Lake trout very steadily. We ran up on the bar and it was clear that the Lake trout were hungery when two rods go off on a double and we chank in two more. Michigan Stinger Coyote Stingray, and Yeck 88 in PK Special on the riggers running close to bottom in 80 FOW.

We called it a day at 10:30 am as there were numourous things to take care of for running the Feed the Fry Tournament that was scheduled to run on Saturday may 16th.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Beamsville Spring Kings, May 3, 2009

2009-05-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Our friend Ed Barbosa was on a weekend trip to Niagara to do some fishing on Erie and then with us on Lake Ontario. Saturday he went out Perch fishing off of Abino and managed 30 good sized perch in 60 FOW just west of Abino. Minnows worked very slow were the ticket.

On Sunday he had a drive from Fort Erie to Grimsby where he joined up with John Poirier and I for a trip out on Lake Ontario. We managed to get on the water at day break as we watched the sun come up over the flat lake. Marine forecast would suggest moderate southwesterlies were to come.

We boated from Foran's Marina down to in front of Bartlett Rd. We set up in 25 FOW and not long after had a good tug on the board line that never released. 3 colour leadcore with a Bomber Long A Michael Jackson. Later we check the line and it was busted off on a clean break through the leader material. First miss.

Then a few minutes later the Spotted Frog Reef Runner on the board on the other side of the boat went off. 75 feet back and the fish was not happy. No big runs, just surface headshakes and rolling in the line, short runs and about a minute in the fight -pop- the line breaks again.

We replace both baits that broke off and went for about 20 minutes before we hit another fish. Blue Killer Protroll with Attomik Hammer Fly behind a 107 Walker Deeper Diver in Blue Dolphin on 3 1/2 setting out 55 feet (that was running at 30 feet as it touched a few times going 2.2 mph) on braid. This was the biggest king we boated for the day estimated at about 16 lbs.

About 30 minutes went by and we hit a double. One on the rigger, Michigan Stinger Coyote Stingray set 100 feet back and 25 ft down over 35 FOW. The other was on a Reef Runner off the boat set 100 feet back in Purple Tiger.

Then there was about two hours without a rod move. we trolled out to 90 FOW and found the screen blank after 50 FOW. There was a hook on bottom in 70 FOW on the way back to the shallows and I dropped the Coyote spoon down there and sure enough a 10 lbs Laker took it.

We got back in tight to see if the late morning bite would turn for the better and it did. We hit another on the Coyote down 20 ft on the rigger back 100 ft. And managed to have Ed hold on to a big screamer on the three colour that found the hook pull free after the reel read almost 500 ft. That was on a Michael Jackson Bomber Long A.

We boxed one more on the Frog Reef Runner and we were off the water at 1:00 pm. It was a nice morning with a little bit of action. Water temp was 48 'F in the Green inside waters and 42'F in the 90 FOW. Our troll seemed to be best around 2.3 mph in the morning and then 2 on the money in the afternoon.

Shane Thombs

Jordon Harbour Spring Salmon, April 26, 2009

2009-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Finally my first trip out on the lake for 2009. After a light show of lightening and cracks of thunder, I was concerned that the fish might not be on the bite. Reports were good out of Jordon Harbour, and the King of the Lake tournament was on this weekend and it is tough to say if the fish would cooperate with fishing preasure as well as the weather change.

At 7:30 am John Poirier, my son Aidan and I motored out a short way and then started setting up in 25 fow. It took about 45 minutes for the first rod to fire. Braid Walker Deeper Diver 107 set at three and a half in the new colour Green Dolphin

with ProTroll 8 Yellow Killer with an Atommik TG Hammered Tournament Fly http://www.atommiktrollingflies.com/T142%20Hammer%20TG.jpg . Ten minute fight on a good one and the braid gave up and the whole rig went with the fish.

20 minutes later we were in 35 FOW and managed a triple header. Aidan reeled in the biggest of the day at 16 lbs and the other two were also kings around 10-12 lbs. Reef Runner Deep diver in Spotted Frog on the boards back110 feet.

. That same set up took one more fish and lost the last one of the day when the back split ring retired.Habenaro Dreamweaver on Slide Diver took one set on three and a half with 100 feet back and 80 feet out to the diver.

Also one other fish on a Bomber Long A on a three colour off the boards.

All fish were chinooks from 10-16 lbs and were caught from 35 - 50 fow from in front of Jordon to in front of Vineland. Trolling speed was 2.3 mph. Off the water at 10:30 when the winds pîcked up out of the east.

Get out there and have some fun,

Shane Thombs

SLA Bay of Quinte Trip, November 14-16, 2008

2008-11-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Annual Strait Line Anglers Club fall Bay of Quinte Walleye trip brought five boats and 13 guys to Merland Park Cottages for a chance at a trophy walleye.

The weather on friday started the weekend with great conditions. Warm sunny and light winds made it pleasent during our jigging tournament. The objective of the tournament was to weighin four walleye's under the 24.8 inch mark or only one over the 24.8 inch mark.

Slowly jigging or dragging castmasters along the bottom in the deep hole at Thompson's Point. Also White perch on 3 inch Gulp Minnows on drop shot were in the same area. Yellow Perch were numerous in the shallow.

The white perch were an indication of the colour Grey Ghost in Mann's Stretch 20 might be a good one. None in the tacklebox to try trolling on Saturday.

The weather on Saturday turned wet. A fast approaching cold front was pushing a heavy low pressure in front of it that contained a great deal of rain. It remained warm throughout the entire day and the rain was steady throughout the day. Winds were light from the south and then from the east south east.

Walleye bite was on. Boats between the bait cave to Keith's shoal could be seen taking fish regularily.

Ron Arnold and I worked a trolling stretch just past the lighthouse on the north side, that was loaded with bait. Fish could be seen throughout the depths but the majority were around 50-60 feet down over 110 FOW.

Our pattern that got all four of our rods working went like this...

Three rods on inline planerboards with leads that were consistently set at 200 ft back using deep diving body baits that were making 35 ft depths. The fourth rod was a deeper set that used three colours of leadcore with a 35 tf mono leader and off the inline boards.

Baits that worked were...

Rapala Taildancer 11 30ft.PD-Purpledescent

Mann's Stretch 20, in Firetiger/Purple back (custom), Original Colour before Purple added to back

Mann's Stretch 20, Doctor Death

Yo-zuri in Crystal Minnow in Deep Diver Sardine Colour Chart

Other boats reported the best colours as

Silver and Black back

Blueberry Muffin

Yellow Perch Crystaglow

Grey Ghost Crystaglow

and Reef runner 900 Ripstick in Purple Barenaked.

1.6-1.8 mph was the best for us, but some teams found 1.8-2 mph good.

Our biggest was 10 lbs 1 oz.

I can't wait for our next trip.

Shane Thombs

Erie Smallmouths October 18 & 19, 2008

2008-10-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

The weather the past few weekends have been favourable. Saturday October 18th was a chilly one with a stiff East wind, but we managed to get out on the lake none-the-less. Our launch site with our charter guests Sal and Kevin was from the Crystal Beach Boat Ramp. After a slow start we searched Windmill Point reef and managed a few small fish in the morning in around 18 fow. We moved to a deep water spot that in the first drift produced a 5.7 lbs smallmouth and as soon as it was in the net Sal took this pig that weighed 6.2 lbs. Drop Shot on both fish using Poor Boy Erie Darter Jrs in smoke and green colours. The winds were getting bad at that point so we motored to set up on the west side of Windmill Pt reef and drifted the 27 ft contour. It produced a consistent bite of fish in the 2-4 lbs range and we packed it in at 3:30 pm.

Sunday I jumped on board Bruno's boat whom has a boat load of boys around 9 years old. His son's birthday party on the boat fishing for bass. Conditions were different with flat water and no drift. It was a tough go, only managing some bass and everything was under 3 lbs. It was great to see the kids get so excited when they caught a bass. 27 ft of water was the ticket, but we also managed a few fish in 11 feet of water at Windmill point.

The fish are starting to congregate and go deeper- even though plenty of fish are stil very shallow.

Also good reports of perch off of Point Abino in 60 fow. limits of big perch.

Shane Thombs

Labour Day Port Maitland Walleye, September 2, 2008

2008-09-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Lake Erie was flat- just a gentle wind from the south west of less than 5 km. The skies were blue and it was warm.

Went out with a family of three kids, Bruno and his wife Bow. We fished in his boat, a 19 ft Lund Pro V Gary Roach edition. He had it booking along at 50 mph with six of us! He had it equiped with the 997 Humingbird side finder and it was my first experience seeing how it works. It was truely interesting to see how it works and I can see it be a smallmouth bass drift fisherman's biggest asset.

The screan was full of fish, bait at all depths but primarily between 20-40 ft and 60-90. Fish were mostly between 60 to the bottom with only the odd fish up higher. We trolled between 1.5 mph to 1.8 mph and tried as much as 1.9-2.0 when we had the slow period. 1.7 was the most productive all around.

We started slightly west of Port Maitland (straight out from Grant Point) and set up in 90 FOW at about 8:00 am. Finally got 10 rods in the water when the first rod went off then the second went off with a double header. First fish was the biggest of the day at 8 lbs 12 oz. Watermelon 82 Walker Deeper Diver behind the inline Planerboard 220 ft using Blue Berry Muffin Yeck #6 Colorado and Pink Metalic #4 blade in the front. The other was around 5 bls on a Black 82 Walker Deeper Diver back 240 ft behind the diver pulling a #6 Colorado Yeck Puss'n Bouts blade on the back and a metalic Purple #5 Colorado on the front.

Then there was a slow period for about one hour as we trolled Northwest into about 77 FOW and the screan started to show alot less. So we changed our troll to go back towards where we started and that helped get things moving at a slow pick as they would come in pairs.

One other fish came on the Blck 82 diver behind the Planerboard out 240 ft, but the boat divers started to fit more fish with the 107 Purple Walker Deeper Diver on a three setting taking two fish and losing one. It was set out 130 ft towing a Purple Thunder Yeck #6 Colorado with a Metalic Purple #5 colorodo blade in the front on the worm harness. The other 107 Walker Deeper Diver was the Glow Frog on a 3 setting out 130 ft and using Monkey Puke #5 Colorado on the back and a black/green #4 Colorado on the front.

7 colour Leadcore hit two fish with Blue Berry Muffin Yeck #6 Colorado and Purple Thunder Yeck #5 Colorado on the front.

Fullcore never got bit, a flat lined 20 Tail Dancer never got bit, the riggers never got bit and I tried a Spoon behind a diver and it never seen a fish.

Ended the day at 1:30 pm and on the way back something went wrong with the big motor. A squeal sound came from the motor and it wouldn't start after we shut it off to check it out. Had to come in the last two miles on the kicker motor. Good thing it was calm. That was the only low part of the day.

Shane Thombs

Jordon Harbour to Beamsville, August 13, 2008

2008-08-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

John and I had guests Kelly and Colin on the boat for there first time salmon fishing. T-storms had already pushed by us earlier that afternoon and the skies began to break with hopes of a nice evening on the big pond. Light winds from the west south west kept the flies at bay and comfortable temperatures.

We ran down to in front of Vineland and began to set lines in 80 FOW and trolled East out to about 110 FOW. When we reached 100 FOW the Wire Walker Deeper Diver 107 Glow Frog set at 1 ½ and out 140 ft while towing a Green Dolphin SpinDoctor with a Hammered TG Atommik tournament fly took a good strike. This set also had three fish that all came unbuttoned throughout the course of the night.

We angled back in towards Jordon Harbour and worked the shallow trough looking for some staging fish and went in as shallow as 60 FOW and marked only a few all the way in. We turned back out and once we got out to 100 FOW the rigger down 66 ft with a 15 ft lead and a Hogwild SpinDoctor and Crazy Bitch Atommik Tournament Fly takes a 10 lbs rainbow. That was Kelly’s first fish ever!

Slide Diver with a lead of 100 ft behind the diver and out to the diver set at 4 out 150 ft and 160 ft hit a big rainbow at 13 lbs and took one small shaker Chinook and missed one other. Yeck 88 Glow Frog on one side of the boat and Rainbow Matrix regular size on the other. Also took one smaller rainbow on a Fullcore using silverstreak Blue tail.

The Rigger down 66 ft using the Hogwild SpinDoctor and Crazy Bitch Atommik Tournament Fly as it took two Chinooks (no matures).

We then trolled 100-130 FOW towards the west until we finished the night just east of Beamsville’s Ontario St. The lake went flat and the moon came out. We seen baitfish busting the surface and the fishing got better as the sun was setting.

Shane Thombs

Jordon Harbour to Beamsville, August 13, 2008

2008-08-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

We ran down to in front of Vineland and began to set lines in 80 FOW and trolled East out to about 110 FOW. When we reached 100 FOW the Wire Walker Deeper Diver 107 Glow Frog set at 1 ½ and out 140 ft while towing a Green Dolphin SpinDoctor with a Hammered TG Atommik tournament fly took a good strike. This set also had three fish that all came unbuttoned throughout the course of the night.

We angled back in towards Jordon Harbour and worked the shallow trough looking for some staging fish and went in as shallow as 60 FOW and marked only a few all the way in. We turned back out and once we got out to 100 FOW the rigger down 66 ft with a 15 ft lead and a Hogwild SpinDoctor and Crazy Bitch Atommik Tournament Fly takes a 10 lbs rainbow. That was Kelly’s first fish ever!

Slide Diver with a lead of 100 ft behind the diver and out to the diver set at 4 out 150 ft and 160 ft hit a big rainbow at 13 lbs and took one small shaker Chinook and missed one other. Yeck 88 Glow Frog on one side of the boat and Rainbow Matrix regular size on the other. Also took one smaller rainbow on a Fullcore using silverstreak Blue tail.

The Rigger down 66 ft using the Hogwild SpinDoctor and Crazy Bitch Atommik Tournament Fly as it took two Chinooks (no matures).

We then trolled 100-130 FOW towards the west until we finished the night just east of Beamsville’s Ontario St. The lake went flat and the moon came out. We seen baitfish busting the surface and the fishing got better as the sun was setting.

Shane Thombs

444 International Walleye Tournament August 9-10, 2008

2008-08-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend at the 444 International Walleye Tournament was one to remember. The weather trend this summer was without exception over the weekend. Rain, wind and cool temperatures. The tournament organizers did a good job in the absents of long time organizers Mike & Mike. There were a few hiccups that will need to be fixed next year, but because they put this tournament on using volunteer time- it is much appreciated, regardless.

Now for the fishing. At the captain’s meeting on Friday eve the winds were blowing out of the west, but reports from those that were out prefishing said the lake was good, and fishing was excellent. John and I paired up in the small boat division once again, and his 17 ft Mr Pike hasn’t been out over walleye waters of Lake Erie since last year’s 444. So we were going at this blind.

Saturday morning the skies were clear, the air was cool and the winds looked calm until we get out on the lake. 3 footers out of the west north west with a stiff north west breeze turned out to be a tough go for us at blast off. We managed to make out way over wakes and rough water to tuck in close to shore and 20 miles west before turning out to deeper water. We made good time doing this and got to our destination in 45 minutes.

We set up in 72 FOW south west of Port Maitland and only a few miles from the end of Tecumseh reef’s red marker. The sonar screen was only showing the odd fish and very little bait. We trolled with the waves on the stern as they continue to build to about 4 ft by 11:00 am. About an hour into the troll we finally hit our first fish. Size 82 Walker Deeper Diver on 0 setting and out 210 feet and on the planerboard. The worm harness trailing behind the Deeper Diver was with the large Yeck Colorado blade being “Blue Berry Muffin” and the smaller Colorado blade “Black Demon” beads were black and pink and green.

As we trolled due east we hit a double header in 80 FOW and managed to land one of the two. Same set up as the first fish, but this time the fish got off and we caught the other on a 7 colour off the planerboard using black and purple worm harness and it went in the livewell. Now we got two.

About another hour went by and we missed one more off the planer boards that pulled the tail off the worm and missed the hooks. Then the rigger went off and it felt heavy. John lightly retrieves the fish and some how the hooks pull free. Soft bite.

Managed to boat a smaller fish on the same diver harness combo off the planer board in 82FOW to put the third in the boat. Now all we need is one more to make our four fish box!

Another hour goes by and now were up on the other side of the Maitland trough in 67 FOW when the 107 Metalic Purple Walker Deeper diver on 3 setting and out 165 feet gets a hit. I grab the rod and slowly work a head shaking walleye to the back of the boat just out of range for a fully extended net, and it was the biggest fish of our day and at the surface the brute made a head shake that pulled the hooks free. Our hearts sank to bottom with the fish we called “The Tournament Fish”. The waves were near 4.5 feet and a slow wet ride on the way back.

We come into weigh the fish and there were lots of low weights, and not many full 4 fish boxes from the small boat category. We weighed in at 14.44 lbs with our three fish biggest 6.14 lbs. It was only good enough to manage 7 th place behind our buddies Jim Rodney and Kenny Napper with a box at 14.97 lbs. The biggest box in the small boat was around 27 lbs, almost double what we had!

Day two was calling for 7 mph winds out of the west. We line up to blast off and the whitecaps out beyond the wall were showing something much different. I set up for a spread that would work for calm water with a diver program off the boards in mind. But---- That was not going to happen!

At blast off we rounded the corner of the wall and we were faced with 6 footers out of the south west and a slow boat ride at 14 mph. The big boats even took there time and it appeared everyone was playing it smart and keeping their distance between each other. John tucked inside to work along the shoreline and it paid off using each point to take the edge off the big waves. At Gull island and Rock point the winds were near 40 mph in estimation and the waves were nearly 10 ft pushing between the point and the island. We managed to make progress at 7 mph going against them to Grant point and then out to our waypoint. It took us 2.5 hours to boat 24 miles and we finally set up at 9:30 am. The troll was running the trough of the waves and I switched everything to manage the constant serge from each wave. Divers on the board were not going to maintain a good presentation so a 7 colour leadcore, a rigger, a large diver off the corner and a full core off the back was the only thing I could think off to dampen the irregular speeds. Core has a good belly in the line that can soften some of the serge in the presentation when the boat gets pushed. That and a planer board will work together. It was 1.5 hours of working to find fish and finally we reached out to 80 FOW outside the tip of the end of the Maitland trough when the screen lit up with bait and fish. But the fish were tough to catch again and the weather brought thunderstorms and heavy rains that made conditions in 10 ft waves next to impossible. Water spouts were spotted and the winds only let off at Noon. We managed two quality fish, one on 7 colour off the boards and the other on the down rigger down 62 feet over 85 FOW at about 1:30 pm. It was a short window of time to fish after the long morning run.

Weigh in was quick with nearly 50 boats being off the water by 11:00 am. The Small boat division was won by the first day’s second place team, that had 18 plus pounds on day one. Larry Schoeder managed a good box to take the win. The first day leader with 27 lbs came up skunked on day two. Jim Rodney and Kenny Napper took second place with a 15 lbs box to get them 31 lbs. John and I landed a third place finish with a near duplication weight of day one at 14.37 lbs and 7.74 lbs was our biggest, but if we were to boat that big one at the end of day one, we would have had the tournament. "The Tournament Fish" That's why we do this crazy conpetition fishing - hoping to catch all of the fish needed to win the tournament. If you caught them every tournament, tournaments wouldn't been as fun.

Big controversy over whether the tournament should have been cancelled or let out in the conditions we were in. My gut feeling was that it should have been cancelled, and I was surprised it wasn’t. The new tournament organizer has a few things to fix for next year and the one is checking the conditions of the lake to make the call to cancel. The other was the Calcutta side bet that included the big boat and small boat in one pool, a change from last year.

Shane Thombs

Fifty Point/Grimsby July 26, 2008

2008-07-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Mike Dumesnil “Catch-One” and I were off to do a charter in the morning. Weatherman said we should stay home, but we managed to get out on the big lake at 7:00 am and fish until 1:00 pm without a rain drop. We watched as lightening was on shore over the escarpment in Grimsby in Beamsville, but the three cells seemed to follow along without visiting us out in the lake. The wind however wasn’t light. Moderate to strong south-westerly made for a tricky two – three foot chop out four miles.

As for fishing, we started in shallow working as little as 40 FOW inside and east of the riffle range at Fifty Point. Then slowly edged our way out to 50 then 60 FOW east of the gun range. The first hour was slow with one shaker and one missed fish and then we turned outward (north direction) we started hitting fish. Turn back against the waves going south-southwest and the bite stopped. Turn back out to the Northeast and the rods started firing once more. This happened over and over and we varied speeds to try top get something to go trolling south- but nothing. Paddle wheel speed was 2.5 mph trolling north. That was fine, it gave me a chance to set up on the troll south only to catch up on setting rods from trolling north. Most productive depths were 60- 75 FOW.

End count is still ??, but the four clients all said they brought in three each not including two or three shakers. Notable fish were Chinooks at 23 lbs, 18 lbs, four between 12-16 lbs, two rainbows at 6 and 8 lbs and one chunky coho at 11 lbs. Here’s the tackle and sets they seem to produce results starting with the best…

Wire line 107 Glow Frog Deeper Diver 1 ½ setting and out 120ft with Black/Crush Glow SpinDoctor and a Green Mirage Strong Fly.

Full Core with Yeck 88 M&M Glow

Rigger down 55 with Yeck 88 Glow Frog

Rigger down 51 with NBK/Mountain Dew Chrome SpinDoctor with a Hammered TG Atommik fly.

Rigger down 45 with Glow Gin & Tonic Michigan Stinger Stingray

Bait was no further out then 65 FOW and there was two depth ranges they were found. 20-40 feet and smaller schools right on bottom.

Surface temp was 68’F and the down temps dropped at we trolled outward 45 feet on the ball had 56’F in 55 FOW and dropped to 54’F in 60 FOW and then to 53’F over 70 FOW at the same time with a temp rigger down 58 feet it was 54’F in 55 FOW and dropped to 51’F over 60 FOW and then to 49’F over 70 FOW. It would appear that the window of temperature got narrower as we went deeper and only slightly came closer to the surface.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Grimsby humps and bumps to 28 lbs, July 21, 2008

2008-07-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

John Poirier "JubeJube", my son Aidan and I went out on the lake after dinner to fish the evening. north east breeze made a 1 1/2 chop on the lake and it was our decision to ply the waters in tight in search of bigger fish after good reports from the Salmon Dance Tournament in shallower waters then where we fished during the tournament.

Set up in 40 FOW and worked our way in and out on 40-70 FOW and first went west of 40 mile Creek and then east. Had a fish hit a Blue Silver Blue Fox matrix spoon Mega large size on the rigger with a 40 foot lead and down 52 Ft in 60 feet of water. But the hooks pulled free before too long.

Started heading east but made efforts to troll in and out instead of along the shore as we relize the currents are taking away from consitent and known down speeds. We took a small shaker, and then moments later the full core bends over and starts peeling line. My turn on the rod and it was fun to say the least. Finally get the fish to the mono leader when John says " We don't have the net in the boat" WHAT?". It was left inthe truck after the tournament and we forgot to put it back in the boat.

So John pulls everything in as it was getting to about 8:15 and the sun was hinding behind dark cloads. John made three attempts to run his fingers under a gill plat over the transome before lifting the fish to the deck of the boat.

28.20 lbs it weighed. Biggest in the boat this year.

It was caught on a Yeck 88 M&M glow spoon in 55 feet of water. 2.5mph trolling in and out.

Shane Thombs

Salmon Dance Tournament, July 19, 2008

2008-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Tournament day is here and it was a weird morning wake up. On the way to John Poirier’s the lights were out everywhere from Beamsville to Grimsby. The darkness and the muggy and hazy look was an ominous setting. While on the way down the QEW the LED blue and red flickering lights from the police reflecting off of two small import looking cars the had rolled over the South Service Rd ditch and took out a hydro pole. Racing??

Time throughout the day seemed to go soooo fast. We called the blast off over the radio and horn and 25 boats were off in all directions. Some toward Toronto, others toward Bronte and Port Credit, and some toward Port Weller. This should be a very interesting result to see where the biggest boxes come from. For john, Stephanie (John’s neice) and myself, decided to start in front of Beamsville where we had been hitting them consistently over the last few weeks. The Grimsby spot was where I took good fish on Thursday night with Ron and that was our second spot to go to. At the morning launch, John told Joe Williamson “Trophy Taker” and Bill Ransky/Randy Scott “Reddog” that they should start there. 20/20 hind sight says we should have went to Grimsby in the morning instead, because nothing over 16 lbs could be taken from our first spot. The mature fish had moved.

On set-up at Beamsville we had a triple header right off the start and lost all three and then another rod went off and lost it too. Man- not a good start. We caught lots of fish but nothing of size. Joe radio’s to us and says he boxed a 19 lb king on the spot in front of Grimsby. Then an hour and half later he boxed one over 26 lbs in front of Bartlett St in Grimsby in about 55 FOW.

We headed that way and hooked up on a biggie on the same spoon I took my 27 lbs fish on Thursday night. Then the line snapped. Pulled it in that the line looked like it went through the meat grinder. Must have been on bottom when the board slowed and the fish took the bait.

Time ran out and the hits were fewer and fewer. The dark skies turned to rain and we started to pull lines at 1:40 when the Thunder rumbled across the lake. We managed to get to Jordon and see everyone under the gazebo before the lightening and ran was on us. It was a great tournament, and some incredible weights of two fish in the 55 lbs range. You needed over 45 lbs to get in the top ten! I not even sure where we ended up, or how much we weighed, because it was far less then we had anticipated our result to be. But that’s fishing!

You can see the results of the Salmon Dance tournament at

No Riggers, but still manage quality Kings, July 17, 2008

2008-07-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ron Arnold, his son Cole, my son Aidan and myself set out for waters west of where we have been getting fish, again to search out waters for the Salmon Dance Tournament on Saturday. We had a late evening start with lines in the water by 6:00 pm and out by 8:30 with dark thunderstorm clouds approaching before dusk.

We motored slowly out of Foran’s on a North East angle scanning for baitfish and without surprise the bait was from 35 FOW out to 50 FOW. We set up in 45 FOW roughly in front of Nelles Beach Park and trolled straight out. I set out the 7 colour first with Ron’s NK Mag Blue Dolphin that has been sitting on a lure hanger in his boat for I think years now. I get it in the rod holder and start to let out a second line when I seen in the corner of my eye the rod start to bend over a buck like mad. Fish On. Ron says “What, you got to be kidding me” and the rod was handed to him when the drag starting peeling out. Three good runs then we boated it, 24.1 lbs. We snapped a few shots, and then in the drink it goes. Get the rods in the water and missed a fish in the process on fullcore. Turned a 360 to come back through the area we just got the 24 and I set the fullcore out with an old discontinued bait that was good in it’s time for big fish. Super King sized Northern Dancer in blue/silver with a little bit of tap added to the cup side of the spoon that was purple and pink. Because we were in 50 FOW at the time I slowly let the full core ten colours Leadcore out by thumbing the spool for the last two colours so the big spoon would pick it up off the bottom. Sure enough the rod takes a violent slam in my hands and my thumb starts to warm quickly as it is still in free spool and it’s the only drag at the moment. Engage the reel and the clicker finally tells the tail of a drag scream. I fought the fish for nearly 20 minutes as it seemed to just keep dogging it down behind the boat. Boat the fish and it was my best in a few years. 27.4 lbs on the scale. Here’s the picture.

We took a bunch of other salmon below 12 lbs on 7 colour with Ron’s NK Mag Blue Dolphin, before pulling lines and coming in with ominous clouds approaching from the west.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Tip: Consistent Slide Diver Lead Lengths

2008-07-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here’s a tip to keep slide diver lead lengths simple and consistently set every time. Zero the counter and pull out the lead length behind the diver. Clip in the diver so it holds on the line and then zero the counter again and let it out the desired length out to the diver. The counter will only show the distance out to the diver for easy adjustments without having to remember to subtract the lead length in your head. Then when you set the line out again the counter will read something like 935 ft (65 ft lead was the last set). Pull out the lead until it gets to zero and then clip in the diver and all you have to remember is the distance out to the diver.

Beamsville Salmon, July 14, 2008

2008-07-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

John, Aidan (my son) and I had the evening free to continue the search for fish to target for the next weeks Salmon Dance Tournament. We worked water closer to Jordon Harbour that we hadn’t seen in weeks and then went back to in front of Beamsville where we have been getting them in recent outings only to find they haven’t left. GOOD!

We managed to hit as deep as 130 FOW and seen a number of fish on the bottom. Drop down to 102 with the Hot Spot Glow Green Flasher with a Sure-strike Rig and a Banjo Minnow as imitation whole bait. 19 lbs 1 oz Lake Trout. My biggest taken in a few years.

4 Chinooks ranged from 8 – 18 lbs and we lost another good one. Also took one brown and one Rainbow. 6 for 8 I think. All the same depth zone with the same baits producing. Bluetail Silver Streak seemed to do the trick.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Lake Trout, Brown, Rainbow, and Chinooks, July 14, 2008

2008-07-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

4 Chinooks ranged from 8 – 18 lbs and we lost another good one. Also took one brown and one Rainbow to complete a Grand Slam (four species in same day). 6 for 8 I was our total. All the same depth zone with the same baits producing. Bluetail Silver Streak seemed to do the trick.

Skinny Water Beamsville Kings, July 12, 2008

2008-07-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

John and I had the Saturday to search for fish to target for the next weeks Salmon Dance Tournament; it was a day to narrow down location and to test a number of things.

Firstly the flasher/fly has been a dud for us for sooooo long. Our program has been spoons since the early spring and it is a shock that we have had only the odd day (count on one hand) where flasher fly had a few fish. This season it is never out producing spoons in our boat. But everyone else is hitting fish on flasher/fly and every trip we try to make it go. Today was without exception. We dedicating time to experiment and make it work. All the hot colours in flasher and flies reported by others were put on riggers, core, wire deeper diver, and no stretch braid deeper diver. We varied fly leader lengths from 19 ¾” to 25” and most in the typically productive leader lengths of 23-24”. Not a single fish on it. Speed Over Ground (SOG) 2.3-2.4 mph. Four rod spread and two of the four we ran flasher/artificial bait on one and flasher/fly on the other. The other two were spoons.

Spoons on the other hand are doing it. We went 10 for 12 today and all but one rainbow came on spoons. Total breakdown two rainbows at 5 lbs each, two shakers, and the balance of our fish were mature Chinooks 18, 20, 21, 22, and the biggest was 23 lbs 11 oz. Nothing like the reports from TO and east, but our best for size this year on our shore. 50-80 FOW with all of the bait inside of 55 FOW and directly in front of the microwave tower just east of Beamsville’s, Ontario St. 7 of the 10 fish came on slide divers set on 3 with 65- 100 ft leads (behind the diver) and 85 and 90 feet from the rod to the diver. 6 out of 7 fish on the slide divers were caught on one lure, Silver Streak Blue tail. The other was caught on a Blue Veggie Michigan Stinger Stingray.

The 23 lbs 11 oz fish came on 7 colour leadcore down the shoot using Silver Streak Blue Tail, but I doctored it with a little bit of purple along the blue edge of the blade and glow eyes were added to the hook end of the spoon but avoiding to cover up the pink painted dot. Also one was taken on a five colour using the rigger at 20 feet. Estimated to be at the 45 foot level with that set while going a speed of 2.4 mph, and was likely the deepest fish we took all day.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Water temps stir things up in West end of Lake O, July 5, 2008

2008-07-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

John Poirier "JubeJube", my son Aidan and myself headed out for a morning fish infront of Grimsby. Calm water made an easy boat ride and we set down in 60 FOW after watching the surface temps as we ran. On my way to work on Friday the breeze over the lake showed a clue... Flat water inside from shore out about a mile, and then choppy after it. All I could guess was the moderate to strong Southerlies had pushed out the warm water and drawn in the cold stuff along the shoreline. The prediction was right... It was 58'F infront of the Greenhouses at Bartlet in 60 FOW and we it was colder in shallower, out to 90 Feet we were in 64'F and it was warmer East and out then West and in- if that makes sence?? Called Peter Hansen on the radio and he was almost at Jordon in the same depth of water and he read 68'F!!! They had 8 fish in the boat by 11am. Far west towards Hamilton and Bronte Reports were surface temps of 44'F!!!!! Burrrr.

Set up and discovered a great picture on the graph. bait fish schools and hooks all over them. Best marks in the 45 ft depth

Slow start and flustrating to get bit. Cores were quiet for a change. But we worked at changing colours and spread dynamics and managed to pattern something with some level of catch rate. 7 for 9 was the count by the end of the day. Aidan reeled in two shakers, one about 6 lbs and three were about 12 lbs kings, and the largest was this 22.30 lbs chinny.

Best set up was Slide diver on 3 setting 65 feet back and 90 or 100 feet out to the diver. Silver Streak, Blue tail

was good and the bigger fish came on NK 28 Glow Frog (white back). Couldn't buy a fish on the riggers and managed only one on 7 colour. Flasher/Fly, Wholebait and Wire were not doing it. Curious Fish coming into the spread, but wouldn't bite in close or way out in the outer spread. had to be that middle spread that would get the bites. More on this in Powerpoint for your download... PowerPoint Slide Show on "Putting out a Salmon Spread"

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Fifty Point, August 3, 2008

2008-07-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Boated from Foran’s (Grimsby) and set up one mile west of Fifty Point (hydro cut in the escarpment) at 6:30 am. Before getting the last rod of six in the water the Slide Diver rod takes a shot. around 18lbs. 80 feet behind the diver, 3 setting and out to the diver from the rod at 150 ft. Blue Dolphin NK Mag.

Not long after, the same set-up takes another around 21 lbs and then after adjustments the other slide diver set 100 ft back and out 160 to the diver using Yeck 88 Glow Frog starts going. It took three – one rainbow, two Chinooks (no matures). Wire Divers were quiet with only one Lake Trout. Fullcore took one small king on Matrix Blue Silver. One rainbow on the rigger down 60 ft using Silver Streak, Blue Tail.

After 10:00 am the wind had stopped and we couldn’t figure out how to keep the rods moving. We mixed up the spread throughout the day to see what was what. It was about an hour before we found more fish and starting getting hits. But short hits at that., some were big heart stopping rips. Managed another small king in front of the Riffle Range on the Yeck Glow Frog, Slide Diver set at noon, and then we pulled the plug at 1:30pm. Temps on the surface was 71’F but down 45 ft you were into 45’F, at 35ft the temp was 50’F. Now that’s a small window of temp, hence the reason we figure we managed all our fish out of temperature and weren’t able to move a fish above 40 ft in the water column. Bait was in 65 FOW and less, and all our fish came outside that to as far as 75 FOW. At 80 FOW the screen was blank and reports from others in that water, the odd rainbow was going.

Haven't got the one picture I took off the camera yet, sorry.

Shane Thombs

Canada Day Eve with Irish luck onboard, July 1, 2008

2008-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Nice to have some Irish luck in the boat for once. hahaha.

Colm and Ethia from Dublin, Irland were visiting family in the states and came to Ontario to see some of the tourist sites. John and I had anticipations of providing a trip on Lake Ontario for Salmon to be added as a highlight to their vacation.

The Canada Day evening trip of four hours was with moderate south winds that made 2 ft chop in the water we fished, which started in 60 FOW in front of Beamsville and angled toward the East. We took the first hit on a full core off the boards using Michigan Stinger Mixed Veggie on a copper blade. It took line and had weight. We coached Ethia through the fight and she was a champ with the arms and hands feeling sore, but the fish pulled the hooks free with only one more colour to reel in.

We missed one other fish on the same set up that took it out of the release, but nothing was there when we got to the rod. The second fish was where the Irish luck kicked in. Ethia took our coaching into full implementation and managed to boat the first and biggest fish she had ever caught. 21 lbs Chinook Salmon. It took a screaming run that made us sweat it out turning the boat on a dime to chase it and recover line before the final roles of wraps on the reel were stripped off. She smiled for the entire night after she seen the fish come aboard. 7 colour with Michigan Stinger Magnum, Chicken Wing.

From Photos

Some pods of bait throughout the 60-100 FOW with a few hooks on the screen. Never ventured further out for the building off shore waves. The inside waters did display the greatest picture on the screen and likely the reason for only a few releases.

Hope the Irish luck stays in the boat for the season thanks to Ethia and her dad Colm.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Holo Hog Wild at Bronte, June 20, 2008

2008-06-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

The morning of Friday June 20th was picture perfect. Lake was calm and the sun rise was something. Boated over to in front of Bronte with John Poirier and Peter Hansen. We had all the lines in by 7:00 am.

By 7:20 we were in 130 FOW and hit a double header both of the full core off each board on either side of the boat start singing. John's fish was about 19 lbs and when the fish was in the net coming on board the wire diver takes a violent strike. I grab it and work my way around Peter as he lands his at about 17 lbs. The wire rod is peeling and the head shakes are unreal. Then the leader on Peters fly snaps. Sorry no pictures of those fish- not enough hands free. Had the video running through part of it though.

Yeck 88 in my custom Hologram Hog Wild ---Holi Hog Wild?? see the picture for a look see.

The spoon took the 19 lbs king, as well as another about 8 lbs on full core. The other full core was the Warrior Chicken Wing. then the rods stayed still for about 1 1/2 hrs. The bait was incredible. The most I've seen all year. At times running from the top down to 80 ft.

The riggers take a 5 lbs king down 100 feet on a Warrior Wild Hog and a shaker on the slider with Michigan Stinger Seduction. Also missed a fish that destroyed my blue dyed coloured whole bait in a three fly rig behind a 11' Hotspot Green Glow flasher down 60 ft over 150 FOW. Peter's wire went off again with Black Crushed glow with Green Crinkle on 2 setting and out 170 ft with the ring.

Also managed a 10 lbs rainbow on a Grimsby Tackle special Michigan Stinger Stingray colour that is green dolphin on a copper blade. That was on wire with the Walker Deeper Diver 107 in Froggy Glow set at 3 and out 180 feet.

We ended the morning going 8 for 10 and pulled lines by 11:00 am.

Grimsby Salmon on Freaky Friday 13th and June 14, 2008

2008-06-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday 13th - oh no... John and I had a quick trip out of Grimsby. Caught two nice rainbows out over 200 FOW straight out of Forans. One came on Michigan Stinger Stop & Glow Magnum 60 feet down on the rigger and 140 ft lead. The other rainbow came on Warrior Chicken Wing

on Full Core . The day before resulted in 8 fish in this area with a mix of kings and rainbows.

On Saturday 14th we had Ed Barbosa on board and we started in the same area straight out, but the picture changed. The Thunderstorms on Freaky Friday 13th must of chased them off. So we trolled East south east towards Beamsville and finally started to intercept the odd fish in 140 - 100 FOW. Slow Slow pick but managed 4 for 5.

Yeck 88 in a custom Hog Wild colour on 5 colour leadcore managed two rainbows. 12 lbs king on a Warrior Wild Hog on the Rigger down 70 feet and 60 ft back and lastly the 19 lbs king shown here was on Full Core using Michigan Stinger Seduction.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com

Grimsby fishing with Norseman and JubeJube, June 6, 2008

2008-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Managed to get out for short trip with John Poirier and Peter Hansen out of Foran's. The winds were moderate out of the south west, but being off shore, we decided to run the shoreline east before angling out. While running we marked bait regularly in shallow < 30 FOW. We started to set-up outside the bait in 50 FOW and angled out. We marked plenty in shallow and usually in the top 25 feet in the water column. When we reached 70 FOW we had our first hit. Slide Diver on 4 setting with Warrior Dragon Slayer

back 70 feet and the diver out 70 feet. Rainbow was about 6 bls and went in the box. We opened the belly up and it was FULL. Flys, one large alewife and one emerald shiner. Fresh kills.

When we reached 80 FOW we started to mark more around the bottom and we lowed the riggers and one wire diver to deeper depths. Wire diver set at 3 and out 220 feet with ProChip 8 Michigan Stinger colour DieHard with ATOMMIK Hoover fly takes a rip, but was gone when the rod was touched. Riggers didn't go at all at 80 to 120 feet down.

Full Core off the boards with Warrior Chicken Wing

takes the next fish and it takes a run like a freight train. Got it to the boat and it weighed 20.7 lbs on the scale. Back int he drink it goes.

Time to move things up. Rigger comes up to 45 feet and shortly there after it hits a small chinook at 5 lbs. Warrior Green Monkey Puke with Glow back. Modified slightly with Mountain dew ladder and Silver ladder on the face of the spoon and the cup of the spoon was spray painted red on the hook end. In the box the fish went and checked its stomach and found it stuffed with three large adult alewife, fresh eats once more. No wonder the magnum sized spoons are working.

The winds at Grimsby were not where we were. We had flat water and the flies were unreal! John's boat was covered.

Adrian also was out and managed a big Rainbow.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com

Salmon Slammin May 3, 2008

2008-05-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 3rd was the second annual Salmon Slammin Invitational Tournament out of Port Weller.

Congratulations to IM64ME, Starcraft Jimmy, Pressman for putting together the biggest four fish box of 67.02 lbs!

FINtastic Sportfishing Team of John Poirier, Brad May and myself (Shane Thombs) stumbled onto our fish late in the day.

First thing we boated to around Four Mile Point (Canadian side) in about 30-40 FOW. We managed two in two hours, one 18 lbs on the scale. Both coming on Slide Diver back 35ft and out 70 feet on 4 setting. Warrior spoon, Broken Hammer.

We pulled lines and headed to the ledge off the bar. We trolled along the “highway” of boats from the Canadian side to the American side and back. Managed a few rainbows and a nice coho, but we gave that up at noon.

We pulled lines again and headed to in front of Port Weller in 57 FOW. Rain starts the wind comes up and we were thinking the fish should be moving up in the water column. Within a minute of having the 5 colour out on the board it fires. 12 lbs Chinook. 15 minutes later the other 5 colour fires. 17 lbs Chinook. Slide Diver back 200ft and out 40 feet on 4 setting. Warrior spoon, Sister Sledge

. Other Slide diver goes off back 150ft and out 70 feet on 4 setting. Warrior spoon, Broken Hammer. Net that fish and start pulling lines to head in when the other slide diver takes another. While making our way through the marina we were busy using the balance beam for the best four in the box. Pleasantly surprised the weight turned out the way it did. 65.42 lbs good enough to hold in at second place.

Also hats off to Team Atommik (Jay Cuipak) for third place with 64.14 lbs with Big fish at 20.08 lbs

Good day on the water.

Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com