Took my youngest son out of school today and headed up to Simcoe for a day on the water. Started on VB and was on the ice and fishing by 7:45. Lots of little guys at first hole and after about 30 minutes decided to move on. Meet up with a guy and drilled a few holes for him after shooting the breeze got back to fishing. Moved several times but just couldn't find any size fish. Decide to head for Keswick and Cooksbay. Well that was a good choice first two spots looked really nice with a good mix of weeds and mud. Lots of fish with a few keepers but nothing to brag about so moved yet again. Ended up in 15 feet with a total mud bottom. Drop down a RipnRap to see if anything was around and wow the fish came screaming in but wouldn't take that bait but my kid was nailing them with JignRap so monkey see monkey do. Well that little bugger kept hammering them but I could buy a bite. Switch to my standby Williams and dropper fly and I started hooking up. Switch back and for between numerous baits and always had fish under us, at times you couldn't see your bait! Then with about 20 minutes of good light left a Whitefish moved in but wouldn't play with us then five minutes after that a big Pike showed up but it flew away with one twitch of the bait. Not more than five later my sons yelling OMG huge perch, like provincial record OMG I've got it....oh spit the bait. Wait wait it's turning holy crap dad it's a laker, Dad Dad huge laker! I looked in his hole and saw the tail and its facing me, look down my hole and I see it's head. It was a big old girl and she was slowiy backing up them wham it grabs my tiny Williams which I was trying to pull away. Three pound test mono and ultra light is not handling this fish. It smashed it at full speed did a bunch of head shakes then off. Don't know how my line didn't snap. Was an amazing day on Simcoe, one neither of us will forget!!
Simcoe Virginia Beach and Cooksbay
