Good morning brotha
Thanks man, I’m very happy with the harvest. You have some fun ahead of you
If I remember right, you have like 3x the number of plants to trim than me.
It was my first time trimming more than one plant and I’m already considering getting a trim bowl for the next run. Only hand trimming the colas.
Haha I can tell. when you looked out in the different direction you could see the rip tide water change zig zagging out to sea. I get anxiety just thinking about getting sucked up in one.
I want to ask if you every thought of doing some fishing guides?
You probably could get some cool trips going but also run the risk of blowing up your special spots.
I actually was a guide for a few years with my good friend Paul about 10 years ago, just part time through the fall and spring but I enjoyed it very much, especially watching people freak out catching their first giant! Or sick kids getting out for a fish that may be their one and only, we did walking and boat tours throughout the lower Niagara and Lake Ontario as well. I love the ones that insist you fish with them, was always fun. And I’ve thought about doing it again, many times in fact, Paul now runs one of the biggest guide companies around, definitely the best. Cast Adventures, he’s a legend and will always be my brother and very good friend. Perhaps I should look into permits etc. again. Thanks for the incentive
Yep, 17 in total…. Almost done, just not snapping quite yet the way I like. I grabbed a Chem de La Chem nug and pinched it yesterday, my house stunk for hours! Got it sitting out to test today.
Thats awesome! The first giant is so memorable, I bet you guys made those trips really fun and took them to the right spots.
Very cool to hear about it. Hope the permits arent too steep to get back into it. Seems like a great part time gig that would kill two birds with one stone as you get to fish and get paid for it haha. Obviously not withstanding the responsibilities included as guide and safety of the people you are guiding.
Back then were you guys taking out more experienced fisherman/women or people going out for their first time and getting a great fish catch experience?
Dang man, I hope you make it out alive
Chem de la Chem name alone sounds really loud. fingers crossed its a keeper smoke.
It was a complete mix, I tended to stay away from the newbs often because most would be a boat load and we’d prefer 5 max on the alumacraft, shore was different as we’d split up, most wanted boats though tbch and I don’t blame them as that’s where we’d put them on giants, it’s funny though as there is 7-8 spots we never took a soul, I still haven’t. Like a few of my shore spots, just can’t. Too special, too productive and one of few true legendary holding spots for massive numbers and the old giants, I know of a spot where lakers lay, and never leave, absolute behemoths, you can see on the side scan the things are monsters down there. I’ve STILL never landed one! Longest fight was 54 minutes! Took me 1 km downstream then back up almost 2, then back to the 100’ depths , finally I could feel it giving in and I coaxed it up out of the depths, she was beside the boat and we figured she was 4.5-5ft long as wide as me and the reddest fins I’d seen, like an oxblood colour! My buddy Mike who was with us had to net as Paul was controlling the boat, he went to scoop , hit her in the upper head and spooked her, she rolled, snapped my line and proceeded back down. He still tells customers that one, swears it was the biggest laker he’d seen or heard of. My arms were so tired I couldn’t lift my coffee on the way home, straight gassed! I was so bummed I didn’t fish for like 10 days, just thought about her over and over.
I bet it was a great experience for them either on shore or in a boat. My friend has a record for largest striper caught from shore or something I can’t remember. He’s like you very dedicated to the craft and loves to go at all hours and catch some monsters and some nice brook trout or fat small mouth bass.
Yea once you find those spots, it’s not something you tell people about.
Incredible, I can only imagine man. I thought a 400-yard+ reel in with a 24+inch striper was a battle, but your battle sounds even more intense. I bet you had jelly arms for a couple days.
The fortunate part of that experience is that you know where they are at and can go back to give them another try. I bet its 3x times the size now lol.
I will say I’m not familiar with Lakers. Is that a nickname for the type of fish. Similar to how burbots are called Lawyers.
Ya lakers are just lake trout…. They are down there with the giant sturgeon (protected) it’s incredible to watch these lines moving around that are 8x the size of everything else, we’ve had them pull the boat hundreds of yards it’s nuts how powerful they are. Best part was that laker I fought was on mere 10lb test line, so you have to let it do its thing, get worn out and beasts like that have power and tenacity to spare ! Lol
Here’s a pic of my biggest from shore on the centrepin, and a few from the boat. Anything on a spinning Rod/reel or high pound test I don’t count, it’s fun but I won’t count them to my records or numbers (unless it’s a true record) these are lakers.
Thats no small feat, trying to tire them out/fight it/ coax them in without losing the monster and especially on 10lb test line. You must have a great feel to have been able to get it up from the depths n next to the boat. I hope you land this moby dick of a Laker next time at that spot.
I can only the massive filets those would make.
Curious what your cut off on lb rating for those to count the catch in your book?
On my centrepin it’s 10lb max, unless I go BC or Alaska then it’s 15 as truly genetically wild fish are a whole other ballgame! On a spinning Rod it’s usually 15 for monster species, and 6-8 for bass/walleye and the likes. Fly is a whole other ballgame and I just fish accordingly to what’s necessary with weighted lines etc. plus I use a 15-20 ft mono lead that’s usually 4-6lb so that’s my weak point, that’s my weight etc. I have dozens and dozens of centrepin setups/combos I’ve made over the years and the heaviest line on any is 15lb that’s on my BC pins, everything else is 8-10lb but I also use leader line on my pins and it has to be less than your main so technically if I’m running 8 my lead is 6’ test so normally I’m running 6-8lb even bringing in 16-17 pound steelhead on those, 25-30 pound Chinook/kings and those laker donkeys! It’s the challenge that makes it for me, I watch guys muscle shit in all the time, that’s no fun to me, 1:1 reel, no drag, my palm controls the rotation via friction and I’ve gotten spool burns many times from behemoths, I’ve also been doing this for 35 years or so and have come a looong looong way the last 15. I hope one day I can show you first hand brother, I truly do. As I’ve said, if you can…… come on down. Where else can u get a free guided tour with someone who knows this water by heart, depths/temps/pressures, snag points, honey holes and breeding/spawning grounds. Hell I even know where people sneak across the border from time to time
Nice! You are dialed in man. Makes sense after years of fishing the fun shifts to from how big, to how big on small lb lines.
I only used spinning rods and what they on charter boats for large stripers, good ol jiggin heavy lines. The first charter I was on I had a bluefish and it was giving me the juice. they are mean and give more fight than stripers. Anyways Im about 100 feet from the boat and my line snaps and the owner of the fisherman literally grabbed the line mid break and we were able to pull it in by hand. It blew my mind.
I haven’t tried fly fishing before. I know that has its own art to it. I’d love to give that try for sure.
Once I get some cash saved up. I will gladly take a trip up to visit yah and see what Canadas all about haha.
Me neither, been slacking. But I’m waiting until I’m right caught back up on projects and get things where I want them, then I’m going to start 2 new threads and go to town . I have been waiting on funds to pay off a debt and then get a carbon filter I need horribly atm! And a medium size wire shelf or two for my breeding chamber and clone seedling chambers I’m building atm . Then I’m going to start going back into full blown journaling/logging like I used to as everything from here on out is gonna get REEEAAALL EXCITING! Promise you that
Hell yea man. Looking forward to them brotha. Same here got some debt then will get the light for the 5x5. I will need a carbon filter too. This last run was very stinky without one.
I’d have to start with getting a passport Looks like a beautiful country… What part did you visit?
Time to make some bubble hash.
I have my trim soaking. I’m only running 190 160 90 73 and 25 micron bags.
I will probably only be able to do one wash but its better than no wash at all.
Only hand trimming the colas.
Those are massive brotha, Hell yea!
I’d like to go back one day.
