1st bowfin of the year april12

[tangledline]

went to the islands mon apr 12 hammered my first bowfin of the year!
27 inches length and thick...
my expectations are always a solid fight with a bowfin but she surpassed them.
had another suck in a lure and spit it out...and another bowfin take my lure and
thrash about like it was hooked (i tried to set the hook)but after a brief fight
he ripped the rubber worm from the hook and swam away with half the worm hanging out his mouth.
oh and i caught a bass out of season unintentionally....hit a #2 mepps..thought it was a cruising bowfin.
i will add pics later this week of the two fish i caught.
the bowfin are out two weeks early..
the bass i caught was not the only one i saw...saw five 2.5 lbs swimming in a school
weird that the bass are in so early...water temp is higher than it should be this time of year
partly from the weather and also from low water levels that warm quicker
also saw big schools of small perch....
saw about 8 pike
saw about 100 carp...
thats my report ...

 

[efka]

you're awesome
was it your target or were you after smth else?

 

[Mykester]

A buddy and I are hitting up the Islands on Sunday for carp, and possibly friday.

 

[tangledline]

efka ...bowfin are my favourite target...and yes i was hunting and stalking as i shorefished the islands.
i left the pike alone...did not even bring pike lures (out of season)
bass were a surprise
so too were the perch..i almost had one but it couldn't take enough of the lure...too small
i have been looking for an apt. and not fishing...but i signed a lease today...and i can walk to the ferry to the islands and to work...more time to fish...i will save 90 hours a month travelling...

 

[efka]

efka ...bowfin are my favourite target...and yes i was hunting and stalking as i shorefished the islands.
i left the pike alone...did not even bring pike lures (out of season)
bass were a surprise
so too were the perch..i almost had one but it couldn't take enough of the lure...too small
i have been looking for an apt. and not fishing...but i signed a lease today...and i can walk to the ferry to the islands and to work...more time to fish...i will save 90 hours a month travelling...

thats crazy, one day i'll join you.

 

[tangledline]

efka ...yes kearney and i would love to have you join us...
frozenfire and ec1 know the islands too.
mikey wants to come sometime too as well.
we must make it a point to get out a few times this summer.

 

[toronto_angler]

efka ...yes kearney and i would love to have you join us...
frozenfire and ec1 know the islands too.
mikey wants to come sometime too as well.
we must make it a point to get out a few times this summer.

Count me in guys would love to get out with all of you

 

[ec1]

Awesome job tangledline!
So how many times have you been to the Islands so far this year?

 

[diggyj]

Awesome report as always. I will have to get to the islands sometime. Hopefully sooner then later.

dirk

 

[Afraz]

You can't camp on the islands for the night, can you ?

 

[efka]

You can't camp on the islands for the night, can you ?

legally no, but you can try bribing some locals to put a tent on their property
and even if you decide to stay, i doubt anyone will notice you, unless you make noise or do any other stupid things to draw attention.

 

[Afraz]

locals with property ? oh yeah people do live on the islands, did you have anyone in mind ? Bribe them with what ? bottle caps ? Beer like we do with the natives or hard cash :evil:

 

[efka]

locals with property ? oh yeah people do live on the islands, did you have anyone in mind ? Bribe them with what ? bottle caps ? Beer like we do with the natives or hard cash

lol there are few people living on the islands year around. what i meant by bribing was, if you want them to do a favor for you, you make first move, feed their chickens or take their goat for a walk :evil:

 

[Afraz]

Feed their chickens and goats WHA !!!! on the island ? wow eh, hmm so i guess i need to first buy some feed. And then just go around randomly feeding w.e animals i see around me. From squirells to raccons to those donkeys they have for the kids in the summer.

On a serious note though, how does one target carp on the islands i know that you must fish by the swans and use corn blah blah blah, hasn't worked for me. Is there a specific time those things will bite ? or a special bait that may intrest them ?

Also are there channel cats on the islands, when i fished there as a kid all i ever caught were bullheads, panfish and bass.

I saw Carp, but they would never bite. Never saw Pike or trout or w.e ennh.. who cares.

 

[dvbis]

Awesome, you fish from the islands?! there 3 of them i never knew there were spots you could fish from and what type of bait does bowfin usually eat? i caught a Green Bowfin at holland river luckily looking for bass, exciting fight! love for you to share any place in the islands i could try out.