Puslinch Pike #4

 I woke up yesterday to a knock at my door and a command to get my act together because we were going fishing. My best friend, Tackle Shop, (TS for short, so called because of the immense amount of equipment he brings) was anxious to redeem himself for the poor showing he put in a few days ago, so we loaded up the van and returned to our newest favorite place... Puslinch Lake. Now I know I said we were done with this lake for the season, (I like to leave a place on a high note), but Tackle Shop was adamant and, what the hell, those pike are tasty!

 Following our usual routine, we were out on the ice drilling our holes by 10am. Unlike the last trip, the ice now had a snow cover so the walk out was uneventful and the fish less likely to be spooked by our movements. It took an hour for the first bite to happen, and surprisingly it wasn't one of my rods. TS reeled in the first fish of the day, a typical Puslinch pike around 25" long, proving once again third time's a charm as he was totally shut out the previous two trips! So TS broke the ice for the day, and this time not with his rear end, but the wait for the second bite turned out to be a long one.

Too small to eat, too large for bait

 
 By noon the wind picked up and the snow started to fly, and TS having little resistance to winter, set up the portable hut while I started to jig for the pesky perch bothering my tip up shiner. Less than 30 minutes after retreating to the warmth of his on-ice man cave, TS has landed his second pike and feels justified in rubbing it in as all I've managed is a few tiny perch.

 Mid afternoon, I've had one good bite on my set line and missed it while TS, 100 feet away in his hut, is pulling them in one after another! I guess it was his turn for the "hot hole" (secretly I hope it burns and itches).

 An hour before dark I finally break down and move, drilling 2 holes right beside the hut and am immediately rewarded with my first and only pike of the day. Inside the dark warmth, TS has landed his 10th pike and wants to fish long into the night.

Tackle Shop with 1 of 10

 

   Now before you all get your conservationist's panties in a bunch about the "senseless slaughter", I've been fishing with Tackle Shop for more than 6 years and can only remember him bringing home fish on 3 or 4 occasions. So... on this trip TS claimed bragging rights, only after the fact mentioning that he caught more pike on this day than he's ever caught in his life! Good going buddy, but I'm not going to take it easy on you next time out.