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

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

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

13 boats and 30 people made for a great showing to the Strait Line Anglers Club www.straitlineanglers.com annual Ken Fisher Memorial derby and club day celebration. Ken Fisher was a good friend. 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 passed 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.

From

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

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

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

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

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.