Unexpected fun evening

I am fortunate to reside on the lake (Stoney). For the last 3 years as the ice melts and the water rises I go to the dock every evening with my rod setup for Crappie. A week ago there was almost no water in the bay but the level went up and warmed very quick. Usually it's a futile first weeks but last night was a pleasant surprise. First cast an OOS bass which was promptly released and that area avoided. Then approximately 4 giant sunfish. Another OOS Bass from a different area grabbed the lure and was followed to the dock by a 40 inch Muskie that was chunky to say the least. The muskie just sat at the dock for maybe 30 seconds and than swam away. The Bass was again promptly released and another area marked to avoid. Finally a nice 12 inch Crappie followed by more big Sunfish. As the sun disappeared two Beavers swam by and of course a few mosquitos showed up. This all happened in about 45 minutes and what's unusual is I have never seen it happen this early or this quickly. I have not seen the Bass or Muskie in the bay this quickly after ice out. The warm weather and water definitely triggered the fish to start their Spring activities.

MC

Nice report, thanks for posting. So did you eat the crappie? Spring and fall crappie are the best tasting fish anywhere. Crappie are my favourite anytime, but the cold water makes them even better. IMO.

I did keep the Crappie and am hoping to get a few more over the next few days to have a nice fry. My wife loves fresh fish and was pretty excited but we need a few more. I am not a big harvester of fish but like to have 2 or 3 frys a year.

MC

I did keep the Crappie and am hoping to get a few more over the next few days to have a nice fry. My wife loves fresh fish and was pretty excited but we need a few more. I am not a big harvester of fish but like to have 2 or 3 frys a year.

MC

Just got off the phone with my friend and he is fishing for crappie right now but is only catching bluegills. You should get some on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday even in the rain those three days will be perfect for catching a few more. I am done with crappie until walleye opens. We have enough for a few dinners. Good luck when you get out to try again.

Well done and thanks for sharing your observations!
You are very lucky to live on Stony.
Love that lake and have been coming every year to fish it for a few days in summer .
Best Kawartha lake in my opinion as the most beautiful.

How big do the Muskie get on Stoney?

I believe they are as big as in the other Kawartha lakes , like Buckhorn, Sturgeon or Pigeon.

I only caught a couple muskies there and they were under 40" but I do not fish there often

JB is right same as other Kawartha Lakes. I have fished the lake most of my life and do not fish Muskie often. However I have seen some big fish caught over the years. It's a big lake with a mix of very deep (the deepest I have marked is 107 ft) and shallow water combined with lots of rock and islands. The potential for some monsters is there. Also one of the last Kawartha lakes that has not seen Pike invade yet.

MC

How big do Muskies get on Stoney?
About 20 yrs ago, in the north end I caught a 54" female, all under the watchful eye of an OPP boat which had come over to check our licenses.
Once I told him I had a monster on the line, they backed off and enjoyed the show.
Unfortunately I was fishing for walleye in 50' of water with 8 lb test and a medium duty rod, so I couldn't get her in the boat and released quickly as I would have liked. Her tail was painfully red when I finally did get her in the boat.
She was immediately released in pretty good condition. For a while she swam along the surface, but when she felt the vibration of the motor when I started it to follow her, she angled down and was gone...thankfully.
The odd thing about Stoney for me is about 5 yrs later and 400 yds from that spot, I caught a 52" male. In comparison it was a slender fish weighing probably a little more than half the 54" big female.
Great memories of Muskie at Stoney Lake,

Cheers,

WOW that would be one of the biggest muskie ever caught in the Kawarthas. It must have weighed 30lbs. and been almost 20 years old. I hope you and the OPP took some pictures, you should have sent them to the paper. As for the male, he would be more like 25 years old, and at the end of his life. I wonder how many walleye those two fish ate in their lifetime.

Great story and great size fish for any waterbody not just Kawartha!

I didn't have time for pics, just a quick measure. The OPP boat got some pics though.
In hindsight, I should have asked them for copies, It's an experience I'll never forget, that's for sure.

Only caught one other in that 50" range which I posted a few years ago. Luckily my brother was with me so I have pics for that one. Another big female caught on the Upper French river. In all 3 cases, I was fishing deep water for walleye with small lures, light line and a med action rod.....go figure.

It is pretty common to catch muskies when fishing for walleyes especially in the late fall when all fish moves deeper .

Caught a few myself on a jig on Balsam and Sturgeon when fishing for eyes .