Hi all,

I have been reading your posts on here more than usual, envying all the 'soft' water you have, i know the fishing is tough there , believe me...just like the Doc the other day i have hesitated at the top of the hill at Hope's Nose weighing up the cost/benefit ratio of a long trek up and down given the hit and miss nature of actually catching anything...lol...never stopped me though.

I have fond memories of walking down the hill wondering if any fish are around having made the trip all the way from Plymouth, and then meeting people coming back up as i was coming down holding bags of mackerel.....YES!!!, plenty of times you would meet very sad looking , and very sweaty people coming back up who would hardly say a word to ya...lol...guess the fish aint biting then....lol.

April is similar to over there for different reasons....the fishing is difficult....only cuz theres still a full covering of ice....but it aint really safe to get out.....plus the fact that Walleye season is closed until 3rd weekend in May, cutting your options even further. I hate this time of year.....WAITING FOR THE ICE TO MELT!!!!

My wife calls it my "talk to the lake season"....lol......its true....i talk to the lake willing it to melt.........is that wrong?, dont answer that...lol.


Anyhoo, there is still probably good ice out there......in some spots, but i aint as brave/stupid at the end of the year as i am at the beginning, i just dont trust melting ice as much as newly formed ice..


I was gonna go for some lake trout this afternoon, but after a quick trip to the bottom of the yard and a look at the ice, i was surprised to find it so far gone. Still obviously thick ice there, but a good 20 yards of really crappy ice around the margin changed my mind about heading onto a deep trout lake by myself......overcautious?...dont think you can be personally.


I was further convinced when speaking to the petrol pump attendant in town, he said his buddy went to Gullwing lake for lakers 3 days ago....fine going out on the 4x4 quad bike, but coming back 10' of open water where it had been solid(ish) that morning, had to just pin it down and scoot across apparently.


Soooo......the watch and wait game begins..........


Was a beautiful morning here this morning though, not long till i can wet a line for those big, fat , post spawn pike that spawn earlier than the walleye on the dead weeds in our little bay, then lie in wait as the walleye come in to spawn.



THE WAIT BEGINS








DEFINTELY NOT LONG NOW


















SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Nice pictures, you definately have big country out there.

April, globally the crap month of fishing then? It dies look good there Simon! Now when is your boat coming out? I love that more than the views!

A report from across the pond NOT involving fish being caught April really is a bad month all round. At least I can still make the walk and get a line in the water down at Hope's Nose with out having to wait for the ice to melt. Bet you're chomping at the bit for the start of a new season of fishing out in the boat.

Yes Tom, chomping at the bit would be right, withdrawals are terrible, my hands are shaking so bad i've stuck a chopstick to my forehead with blue tack so i can type that way....lol.


Mart, the boat will be out in about 3 weeks for sure, gotta sand down the seats, polish up the hull and do a bit of wiring work as i'm about to buy a new trolling motor (a friend broke my other one last year)...its a wicked piece of gear.......55lbs thrust, wireless remote control with autopilot!....just punch in a heading and it will steer that course at a set speed whatever wind/current conditions your in. It also has a sonar transducer in the propeller end....so i can hook up my sonar to the front and when i get more money i can have a better one with GPS at the back too


Depending on the weather i might get out earlier than that....just depends how quick the ice melts...i have an invite for a go for brook trout...a species that has eluded me so far in 2 attempts....hopefully that will be the weekend of 2nd May...fingers crossed.


might even get some shore fishing in within 2 weeks in front of the house.........jeeeeeze...this is SH!@#E.....its killing me....i have no respite from nappies and work at the moment.....lol.

hang in there simon u can do it .....dont u have a sponser u can phone to calme u down.....lol
just keep saying to your self one more day.....one more day,cant wait to see the boat out.
nice report mate keep'em coming.