 |
| My primary rig: Revo Toro Winch, a Fenwick 7'H, Spiderwire and a 20# Berkley leader, the Hollow Belly Swimbait. |
The last day of fishing and we return to Colorado. It's been a great trip and the final day was the best for big pike. Each boat got the largest of the week on the last day and the largest overall was caught in the last hour!
Day 7, Fishing, July 14
 |
| Drifted right under this one and he remained, watchful but undisturbed. |
Last day of fishing and we went to Jackfish Bay this morning. Caught a lot of small pike on a variety of lures including: Red-Eye Wiggler, Swimbait, Mullet Spin, and a Popper. I saw several eagles and got some good pictures. Then we went around the corner and saw the rapids where the lake empties out before going up to Hook Bay for lunch on the point.
 |
| The last shore lunch. Since I had all the food with me I would get a radio call ahead of time to "water the potatoes." |
After lunch I had a lot of actively feeding pike near a big rock and weeds near the mouth of Hook Bay. Started trolling and got my largest of the week, a 32 inch pike, on the Hollow-Belly Swimbait. John and Jerry went way back into Hook and got John’s largest walleye, an 18 inch, and Jerry’s largest pike a 33 inch.
 |
| Vern's 42-inch Pike on the fly. Then it was time to fly. |
In the last hour Vern got hooked up with the largest of the week, a 42-inch pike. As I came around a point where I had caught my largest, Vern and Chuck were crossing between the point and an island, each trolling a chartreuse fly. Vern cuts the engine and stands up with the fly rod bent double. I watched for at least 5 minutes, taking a dozen pictures, as Vern worked the monster closer only to have it strip line out again. Finally it got close enough for Chuck to net and boat the big boy. We returned to the lodge less than an hour after to begin packing.
 |
| Lodge host Daryl cooks up the fish and frys while Jerry supervises. Our hosts were very hospitable. |
After fishing, we went back to the cabin and started packing up all the gear for travel. Then the camp hosts, Darrel and Faye, had a fish fry and everyone at the camp came. We returned to the cabin and did last minute packing for the morning.
All three boats got their largest fish today and all in the same large cove. We are already planning the same trip for next year, but a little earlier in the summer. This year the weather was warmer and the mosquitoes were more numerous in the evenings. The water being a little warmer and bigger pike may have moved out deeper, making trolling a predominant pattern instead of drifting along shallow shorelines and weed beds.
We had a mixed bag of weather, the first day was raining and cool, the second and third day sweltering and humid, and the fourth and fifth were cool early and humid late. The fishing was excellent for numbers, but we only had one really big pike this year while last year, which was earlier in the season, we had many pushing the 40-inch mark and some over that. I am looking forward to returning to Newmart next year.
Day 8, Travel, July 15
Newmart Resort, Lake Mirond, Saskatchewan – Miles City, Montana
 |
| Between Lake Mirond and Smeaton, Saskatchewan |
We stopped along the road between Lake Mirond and Smeaton for relief and the mosquitoes drove us back in the truck quickly. They attacked immediately and in force, where they might bite was a concern!
Stopping for gas, we found that the Co-op gas and convenience store in Choiceland has a good selection of lures, including Len Thompson and even Live Target rattle baits and frogs; they did not have Red-Eye Wigglers. We all stocked up on some new lures for next year, ones we haven’t found in the states.
 |
| Rapeseed, I am told, is what canola is made from. |
I am still amazed at the color of the rapeseed fields, a bright yellow/chartreuse sometimes for as far as the eye can see, broken by tall stands of green trees of birch and pine. Between Melfort and Regina the dragonflies are so big they resemble little remote-control helicopters playing dodge the Dodge in the middle of the road and they are in packs of 5 to 10 at a time. The fronts of the vehicles are so covered they look like a Jackson Pollock painting.
Crossed the border and ate at Cattle-ac in Sidney, MT. Drove to Miles City and stayed at the Guesthouse Inn where they have a nice hot tub to relax in after a long drive.
Almost home, only one more day of travel. All the rivers and streams between Melfort, Saskatchewan and Miles City, MT are flooded still, but not as high as last week when we travelled north. Between Melfort and Regina there were several ‘Road Closed’ signs and many places along the highway ditch where farmhouse driveways were washed out and under repair, the resident’s vehicles parking at the end of the drive near the highway where they must have caught a ride into town and work.
Day 9, Travel, July 16
Miles City, MT to Denver, CO
Made it home finally, the last part is always the most difficult. Anticipation of sleeping in my own bed and seeing my wife seemed to make this day go slower than all the others. Our group is spread out, from Ft. Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs and Buena Vista, but everyone has made it home safely. Now the unpacking begins and the anticipation of next year’s excursion begins.
 |
| They eat all of it, every time. |
This being the second year for me I have learned something each time. The first year I brought 8 rods and reels, this year only 4. The first year I brought a large tackle bag with too great a variety of lures and this year I brought about half of what I had before. The Hollow Belly swimbait got the most consistent hits, but not always hooked-up. I finally noticed that the head of the lure was being pounded. I took off the treble hook underneath and instead of texas-rigging the lure I nose hooked it with the hook exposed and got many more hook-ups. The other guys were surprised that I would use a soft plastic, but I only went through 3 of the Hollow Belly bodies all week, so they lasted longer than even I thought they would.
Most of all, I need to lather the bug spray on when the border is crossed and not the first morning of fishing. Almost all of the bothersome bites occurred at lunch stops in Canada or on the first evening of arrival. Still, bring plenty of ‘After-bite’ just in case.
Does anyone have suggestions for next year? I like to experiment even when the pike are consistently hitting a certain lure, on a long fishing trip it is interesting to see what else they will hit. What suggestions do you have to entice the really big pike?
 |
| Since they were hitting the head so much I started nose-hooking the lure and getting many more hook-ups. |
No comments:
Post a Comment