SheLovesToFish.Com

The mighty gar - a first for me!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

There's not many fish I'm afraid of aside from musky. That was up until today when I landed my first ever gar! Don't get me wrong - I am THRILLED! However, hooking and landing these toothy creatures is one heck of a challenge! But I knew what I was getting myself into...

My first ever gar!

I have spent many hours in the last few days on some flats in the Bay of Quinte trying to spot gar from a distance that I could cast to without spooking them. The spots I've seen them were in about 1-3 feet of water on beautiful beach-like shores that go on forever. Normally these are NOT the places I fish, as I rarely see any typical game fish on spots like that, so it's been overlooked so many times in the past. I barely knew anything at all about gar. I normally spend most of my time on the Bay searching for weed lines, and any sort of structure, and contour lines for other species and this outing went against all of that.

My friend Matt hooked and landed a gar on one of our last trips, and since then I have had a hard time giving up trying to get one myself. His advice was to spot them and cast behind them or around them, bringing the lure up beside them swimming the same direction they were or right in front of their face - and they would chase it down and strike. This was right on the money! The conditions this afternoon were perfect - sun high in a cloudless sky and a slight breeze which hid me from gar but calm enough for me to spot gar at a distance without too much chop on the water. Did I mention I was in my kayak? :)

My weapon: a 6'3" medium x-fast Concept rod, Shift reel, Suffix 832 30lb test, and an X Rap - oh, and a Hobie Outback ;)

I was fishing alone briefly until Matt arrived, and today was the first time I had any real action from the gar. In my first few casts I had some interest which was exciting enough for me. With the wind being down and the visibility being great, I could spot them before they saw me and get good casts in before I was noticed. I spotted one from quite far away, and followed Matt's advice. I reeled slowly, and twitched, paused and reeled and repeated. The gar took a couple of chomps at my X Rap when it paused and then really chased it as I pulled it away and then it closed in on it! My first gar!!! Matt was now on the water at this point, so we met up on shore to snap some photos.

A proud moment catching a new species!

It's such a rewarding feeling crossing another fish off the list, especially when you've spent hours on them and gone home wondering what you did wrong. Fish can really mess with your mind!

Matt caught a nice one and tied up the score!

My second gar was a lot lighter in colour.

A double header!

We ended up with 15 gar by the end of the day! We started off sight-fishing them, but then stumbled on a huge school that were surfacing and we didn't want to spook by getting too close. We were casting in and around it and getting them to strike either in the school, or along side the kayaks! These fish were the most aggressive, and jumped out of the water when hooked and really put on a show. At one point I screamed a few times when the gar I was battling got right up to the kayak and thrashed around, and suddenly the boats in the area all moved in!! Haha. Yeah, I felt pretty girly at that moment, but like I said - these fish are scary and I wasn't interested in getting stitches!

I can now say I am addicted to another species, is that really what I need? Heck yes :)

Thanks for reading!

Walleye and Pike, Pike, Pike!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:34:00 +0000

Normally I don't spend opening weekend focusing on pike, but the action in the last couple of days has been good and it's hard to resist a good pike battle!

My fish of the day yesterday, on the Bay of Quinte!

I got a message late Sunday night from my friend Ian "You up for fishing tomorrow?" - and we all know where this is going, I definitely said yes! About an hour and a half into our trip and I hooked my first walleye of the season, followed by 4 more! I tried to get out on Saturday for opener, but the wind prevented me from kayaking to my usual walleye opener spot, so I didn't get the chance to hook up with any walleye on the weekend. You may think I am disappointed, but the next few photos captured definitely made up for it!

This year Kiwanis invited me as a guest speaker at their annual Kiwanis Walleye World Derby held in Trenton, Ontario! It was my first time getting up on the 'Mega Tank' stage, so I was pretty nervous but I think I did OK! Thanks to all that watched my seminars and BIG thank you to Kiwanis :) It was an honor!

Showing some young anglers my favourite rig for spring walleye - a bottom bouncer and a worm harness.

Now back to yesterday - after 5 walleye (biggest at about 2 pounds), the wind picked up and it was hard to troll or stay on any spot that we wanted to fish. We decided to seek a bit of shelter, and try for pike instead. We found a big flat in about 11 feet of water and the pike were loving the spoons! I tried a few different colours and techniques, but Ian was having success on a gold/silver spoon so I decided to do the same. In total we got 5 walleye, and 13 pike!

Ian's 10 pounder - woo woo!

After figuring out a bit of a pattern yesterday, it was time to take the kayak out - and I've recently added a second one to my (hopefully) ever-growing fleet! For me this is a definite reason to smile! Now that I have 2 kayaks, I can take friends out and that is something I have been really looking forward to!

After yesterdays success, I didn't waste any time asking my friend Matt to join me in chasing Quinte pike! The water this afternoon was calm after a morning rain, and it was perfect kayak fishing weather! Not long after we reached our destination, we were reeling in pike!

Matt had no trouble landing pike in the Hobie while standing! He was a natural, has kayak fished for 10 years... and naturally now wants a Hobie :)

Reelin' a pike!

Showing the pike my new rig!

Matt's fish of the day!

Our pattern today was much like yesterday - 8-12 feet of water with heavy weed growth, casting spoons and swim baits. I had luck reeling quickly, close to the surface and Matt discovered that a slow falling presentation was his ticket! We landed 15 or so pike today, with many followers that didn't commit to a strike. Cannot wait to get out again for northern pike, and more walleye too!

As always, thank you for reading!

New Sponsor, Pike and Kiwanis!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:36:00 +0000

2012 is becoming the year of change for me. You will hear more as I update my blog in the near future, but for today I would just like to share with you that I have joined forces with Rapala! I am excited for what's in store with my new sponsorship and the opportunities that Rapala has to offer.

Another change is the look of my blog. I hope you like it!!

There is always something to catch in Ontario! A couple of friends and I found a lake that is open for pike year round, so we decided to get out and chase some pike recently! We found that the pike would follow whatever we threw, but only hit a very slow moving swimbait. It was nice to reel in something larger than a panfish! Trout season opens up soon, and walleye and pike in my home water - the Bay of Quinte. I cannot wait to participate again this year in the Kiwanis Walleye World Derby - this will be my 5th year! I will also be doing a seminar at this years event, hope to see you there!

For more frequent updates and catches, visit me on Facebook or Twitter. I will also be updating the Rapala Army Facebook Page - so join me there. (Psst... we are running a contest very soon!)

Thanks for your ongoing support!

Slab slammin' on the BOQ

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:53:00 +0000

Hit up the Bay of Quinte for a crappie trip on Thursday, and this time the weather was not as wonderful! It was more like March weather in fact, rightfully so. Single digit temperatures, and many layers of clothing later - some crappies and bluegills were caught!

I actually caught my personal best crappie - just under 12 inches in length! It was my last fish of the day and fought a nice battle on the ultralight set-up I was using!

The set-up: Shimano Compre 5'6" ultralight fast action rod, Shimano Sonora 1000FB reel with 10 pound test Power Pro and a 4 pound test monofilament leader

The sensitivity of the rod and reel matched with the braided line helped to detect those light bites as the fish were lethargic due to the colder temperatures. They weren't hitting the bait hard as they were the last outing when the water was warmer. The float would barely move at times! The fish became a little more aggressive as the day went on.

The bluegills were way more active than the crappies, and it took us a little while to locate where the crappies were holding. When we did find them, it was pretty consistent catching in one spot (an over hanging tree, and water depth about 2-5 feet). I used a larger presentation this trip - a 1 inch tube and a slip float. The fish weren't very active, so a slow/barely moving presentation peaked their interest. They didn't want to work for it!

A nice bluegill!

I have been out targeting crappies a few times this spring and it's been a great way to remedy the itch for fishin' at this time of year. Although small, the panfish can put up a great battle on light set-ups!

A few shore casts into the sunset - taken a week ago

The weather has been chilly, but I will keep you posted on my next outing! Have a great Monday :)

Yak-tastic & Slab-tastic!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:08:00 +0000

It's March 22nd and I have sun burnt face/hands, bug bites and I have been fishing by boat (in shorts!) and by kayak already! I have no complaints about it at all, and I hope this is an indication of an early summer! The ice season was shorter this year, but I am eager for the open water adventures that await! Can't wait to tell you more ;)

The past couple of days have been amazing weather-wise, +20 temperatures with a light breeze. Today was slab-tastic with over 120 crappies landed with a couple of friends on "Lake X" by boat!! The sizes ranged, but some good crappie were managed. I started off using a slip float, 1/16th ounce jig head, and 1 inch emerald shiners. As the day went on, we realized the crappie wanted a moving bait, and the float was unnecessary and so we were casting for them! That in itself was really fun as the fish were smashing the bait as soon as they saw it moving, and they got pretty competitive. Nothing like the *flash* - *bang* - fish on!

I said if I caught a big one I would kiss it... but it has to be a trophy. I've yet to kiss any fish (ever)... we will see what the year brings!

We got into blue gill and crappie at the beginning of our day, then it just cranked up to crappie after crappie! What a fantastic day on the water with friends - good laughs and plenty of fishes!

Some keepers for the boat owner!

As for yesterday, it was the first day of kayak fishing of the year - and for me it was like Christmas! After doing all the seminars on kayak fishing, I just couldn't wait to get out. The day after the final bits of ice melted, it was Hobie time. I was out exploring water and searching for new weed growth and pan fish. I originally went out searching for crappie, but the usual crappie spot was loaded with people and I didn't want to get right in there. Not far off the crappie hot spot, I successfully landed over 50 bluegills/pumpkinseeds and a couple of 'cats! I was completely alone fishing there, because no boats could get in with how shallow it was.

First kayak fish of the year!

A nice 'gill!

Meow!

This was the type of area that held fish: new underwater weed growth, lily pads sprouting up, and water depth ranging from 1.5 - 4.5 feet. Fish were holding right at the edge of the dead grass, or even out on the open. I could see them busting the surface and it was helpful in locating them. I used a float with the 1/16th ounce jig and 1 inch emerald shiners and also some white swirl tail grubs. They were really interested in anything moving, and even tried to hit the float several times!

Two days on the water, and I am spent! Looking forward to a good nights sleep, aloe lotion and of course my next fishing adventure! Thanks for reading, as always!

Seminars in Niagara & perch on the Bay!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:26:00 +0000

Another delayed post, but it's because I have been out doing a lot of perch fishing on the Bay of Quinte! The Bay is a world renowned fishery for walleye, but when the walleye season closes there are great opportunities for perch too! I hope to shed a bit of light on the perch ice fishing and focus on it more next year as well.

Likely my personal best perch through the ice this year!

I primarily used different types of jig heads (size 1/8 or 1/16 ounce) in calm water or jigging raps (size W3) in locations with current. Lures were tipped with artificial maggots or live minnow pieces. This was my first year really setting out to target perch, and it was a blast! It's awesome to get out and catch 40 perch in a few hours, and land several jumbos too! Once you get into a good spot, you can't keep them off the hook! I fished mostly in 15 feet of water just a short walk from shore.

I actually had the opportunity to participate in a commercial which highlighted the perch fishing on the Bay. I cannot say more, but I will share as soon as the video is released!

My friend Matt and I getting into a ton of perch!

I had another round of Hobie kayak fishing seminars at the Niagara Outdoor Sports and Boat Show March 2-4th. I did 6 seminars all together, and it was another fantastic opportunity! Unfortunately, I was really sick all weekend, but was still able to get through my seminars. Thanks to everyone that stopped by and watched! This was a brand new show, and I see great potential for next year! Great location, building and a good angling community!

Paddle Lake - where I did my seminars. It was lovely and even had a dock!

I had the biggest crowd yet on the last day of the show!

It was unreal to not be nervous in front of that many people, but I guess I am now doing what I love! I look forward to more seminars, and even have some currently in the works! I will keep you posted. The best place to stay up to date is on Facebook or Twitter.

To end off, I will share an ice fishing perch video that I was featured in by a photojournalism student from Loyalist College, Mark Tarnovetsky. Thanks Mark!

Ice fishing from QNet News on Vimeo.

New friends, walleye and Ottawa!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:45:00 +0000

After the fun weekend at the Spring Fishing and Boat Show, I made some new fishing friends! One of the great things about trade shows is that you finally get to meet anglers that you communicate with through Facebook and other social networking sites - and get to put a face to a name. One of the people I met at the show was Matt Heayn:

Myself, Matt and a Quinte walleye

Matt is also a kayak angler, and a pretty avid angler year round. We discovered that we are both in the Quinte area, and a few days after the show we hit the ice together to try for walleye. Matt told me that he hadn't yet caught a walleye this year, and I was really determined to try and help! My year had not been stellar with the warm temperatures and crazy weather, but it was worth a shot and always fun to get out fishing with someone new!

After our adventure, Matt wrote a about it in a National Pro Staff report:

"with Ashley by my side and coaching me through it, I finally convinced that red line on my flasher to take my Rapala Jigging Shad Rap. Within the blink of an eye, my first Walleye was in my hands (as I apparently fist pumped). Several pictures later, I thanked the fish and it returned to where it came from."

For me, it was such a fun day of fishing! Some of the best days of fishing are when someone else is catching. Really glad to have met Matt, and we will be doing lots of fishing from here on out!

A day of doing laundry and packing and I was on the road again, this time to Ottawa for the Ottawa Sportsmen Show! I was at the show last year and was very happy that Big Jim invited me back again this year to once again help kids cast at the Minto Jackpot Casting Pond.

The future of fishing

As always, it was a blast getting kids interested in fishing! I helped out at both ends of the casting pond - with kids 8 and under one end, and kids 8+ the other. There were actually some adults that tried casting for the first time too. There was literally a toy store of prizes behind the pond and everyone left with something, and best of all it was free! I will definitely be at the show again next year!

Yvonne, Big Jim and myself

Yvonne Brown was also invited to work at the pond this year. I met her briefly at the Spring Fishing Show, but was excited when I found out she would also be at the Ottawa Show. She is a great addition to the fishing industry, and I am so happy that I got the chance to spend time with her that weekend! She has recently joined the tournament scene in the past couple of years, and has a strong involvement with kids fishing events. It's great to see other ladies getting involved in the sport!!

Thanks Big Jim for the opportunity and I look forward to next years show!

My first seminar(s)! Spring Fishing and Boat Show 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:34:00 +0000

As a child, public speaking was my absolute worst fear. Each year in school, we'd have to do a 3-5 minute memorized speech on a topic of our choice, and there was nothing I dreaded more. I got sick over thinking about it, and even remember crying when I was really young as I was so nervous! I was actually a very shy girl in my early days. It wasn't until some point in high school where I broke out of my shell and became more outgoing and comfortable in my own skin. Most of you are probably reading this thinking 'impossible' because I am quite outgoing now.
When I received a phone call inquiring if I would like to do seminars at this years Spring Fishing and Boat Show, I felt a hint of shyness come back but didn't give myself time to think it over and instead said 'yes'. Moments later, I was signed up for 8 seminars when I had never before done one! The topic was kayak fishing and I even had a demonstration pool so I could get in the kayak during my seminar. Very cool! I got prepared and in less than a couple weeks I was on my way to the show in Mississauga, Ontario with a kayak strapped on the roof in February. I felt myself fall back into that nervousness from long ago, and got really stressed about the seminars. I kept telling myself 'I am just talking about what I love' and thought it should be so easy!

Yes, it's that stable! My kayak is the Hobie Mirage Outback.

In my seminar I talked about kayak safety/items needed, some extras I use to maximize my time on the water, the fishability, stability and the propulsion system (Mirage Drive) that allows me to be hands free while kayaking and fish at the same time! I talked about my personal experiences, the kayak features and the advantages to kayak fishing, etc.

After the first few seminars, it was better than I had imagined. I really enjoyed telling my story, the interaction with the crowd and most of all - passing on my love for kayak fishing! Once I overcame nervousness, I had fun up there! I did 8 seminars altogether, 2 on each day of the show. I met lots of people, and even had a surprise visit from my friend Hayley and her family who drove up to support me!

Thank you to everyone that stopped by my seminars! See you at the show next year!

Promo photo

SheLovesToFish.com is 1 away from 60,000 hits! Thank you for your support!!!!

My first pike through the ice!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:36:00 +0000

I spent the better part of today chasing walleye (naturally) with some friends on the Bay of Quinte. I marked lots, but didn't seem to impress them enough to entice a strike. In my blog yesterday, I wrote a list of things I would like to accomplish while ice fishing this year. (Here's the blog link: I'm back in the game... and with a challenge!)

One of my goals was to catch a pike through the ice, because I hadn't ever done it. Well, today I did it!

This fish was a mere flicker on my flasher, and seconds after seeing it below me it SLAMMED my spoon! It was pulling drag, and when I got it to the hole the first time it took one look at me and tried it's best to take off again. I got it up to the hole the second time, landed it, and got my friend to come over and snap this photo. This pike put up a good battle, and I would really like to target pike in the future and catch more! For me, regardless of the fact I didn't catch a walleye today - it was still a successful day crossing another fish off the ice list and spending time on the ice.

Another day on the ice tomorrow, hopefully I will have another photo to share :)

Have a great weekend!

Ashley

I’m back in the game... and with a challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:32:00 +0000

FINALLY, my first post of 2012 and it feels really good to be back at it. This year the ice fishing season is about 4 weeks behind what it was last year. With the drastic up and down temperatures, the ice formed late this year on the Bay of Quinte. With the steady cold temperatures in the past couple of weeks, I have now been out fishing! I am receiving lots of inquiries on Facebook, Twitter and NationalProStaff asking about how safe the ice on the Bay of Quinte is. I wanted to take the time to address this matter as ice safety is very important to me.

Please check ice before heading out on any body of water!! As I stated above, the weather has been changing so drastically and ice must be checked thoroughly. Please use caution regardless of what you read in an ice report. Forums and social media are a great place to find out about ice conditions, but never rely on them. Please be safe!!

This year I decided to come up with an ice fishing challenge for myself. Here it is:
1) Catch a walleye that takes 2 hands to hold (come on, double digit!)
2) Catch lots of lake trout!
3) Catch my first whitefish (haven’t caught one at all!)
4) Catch a pike through the ice (haven't done that yet)
5) Target perch and crappie (and catch ‘em!)

Now for my first report of 2012:
Location: Bay of Quinte, secret spot ;)
Ice conditions: 9 inches thick, no snow cover, slick
Wind: 57kms/hour
Target species: walleye
Water depth: 39 feet

I met my friend Jeff (Quinte Ice Fishing Team) prior to 7am so that we could be on the ice for first light. Jeff drilled holes to check ice thickness all the way out to our location. It was very windy, so using the slush (from drilling holes) on top of the skirt around the outside of the huts kept the huts locked down on the ice. After I got my flasher, heater and rods set up, it was go time!

I started with a size 7 Perch Jigging Rap tipped with a minnow. I dropped down and marked a fish on my flasher within minutes of jigging a few inches off bottom. This fish was tight to bottom and began to rise for my bait. I lightly twitched and raised the bait up and the fish followed. As the fish moved closer quite quickly, the image on my flasher grew and it was a big red mark! As I continued to pull the bait away, the fish pounced forward and struck! I set the hook and it felt a beast of a fish on the other end! As I started reeling, my drag was tinging! I KNEW it was a hawg, and seconds into the battle, it freed itself and took my minnow.... so the day started in heartbreak. I was however, optimistic that it would not be the last nice ‘red mark’ on my flasher.

I marked several fish, they were hesitant to bite but got this little ‘cigar’ sized walleye:

I caught 2 little eyes, and then saw a flicker in about 24-30 feet of water. As Jeff said, a lot of bigger fish will be suspended. I reeled up past it and was now using a Macho Minnow (spoon) without tipping a minnow this time. The green flicker grew and changed into a red mark. I really had to work slowly for this fish as it was not impressed by any aggressive movements. I lightly twitched the Macho Minnow to make sure I got some action from the tail, but not too much darting around. The fish came at the bait fast and I pulled away just a bit and got the fish to rise up. A second charge at the spoon and this time the fish took it:

Finally, I'm back in the game! This fish really restored my confidence. It was the last one I caught for the morning. We left the ice for lunch and came back out, and I kept the Macho Minnow on. Here's my set up:

The Shimano Caenan reel has been great for ice fishing! I have it spooled with 20 pound test Power Pro. With the click of a button you can drop your bait down as much or as little as you need to put it right in front of the nose of a hungry walleye.

The evening was really windy, and began to snow. It's amazing what you don't notice when you're so focused on those fish. I looked out and the ice had a blanket of snow, yet I was warm and cozy in my hut. This was the last fish of the day for me:

I worked this one up off bottom, and coaxed it into a bite. It took a little more convincing, but slow movements were key. The wind and snow would have made it difficult for a good photo outside, so here I am sitting in my hut.

More ice stories to come! Thank you for reading, sharing, and liking!

Ashley Rae

2011 - A Year In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:12:00 +0000

I went through all of my fishing photos from the year and created this video, although I know the year isn't over yet. I am sure posting this now will jinx me to go fishing again before 2012 and I will have to add to this, but I am willing to risk it!

Thanks to all in the video, and all behind the scenes that have helped make this past year amazing!!

Quinte Ice Fishing Team (Jeff Chisholm, Paul McTaggart and Joe Pickstock), Ian Ferguson, Bob MacMillan, Lures & Tours (Rosa Sharpe and Charlie Ross), Big Jim and Tammy McLaughlin, Jamie Pistilli, Lenny Devos, Gord Pyzer, Olivier Bibeau, Mark Hamelin, Mikey Fitzgerald, Erik Luzak, Dave Chong, X Zone Tournament Baits, (Mark Kulik), Hobie Kayaks, Jenda Paddlesports, Jeffrey Fortuna, Keeton Eoff, Hayley, Nancy and Jeff Kennedy, Mustang Survival (Krystal Yee), Colin Friel, Walker Downriggers, Mike Snow, Andy Hansen, Bob Spicer, Greg Amiel, Arnaldo De Sousa, PB&J Charters, Napanee Chamber of Commerce (Kathy Medd), the Napanee Guide, Justin Hoffman, Scott Walcott, Bay of Quinte Country, Crowe Video Productions, Victor Cooper, CBC Radio, Outdoor Journal Radio, FishBum Outfitters, Jack Summers, Radioworld, and more..

Special thanks to; Shimano, G Loomis, PowerPro, Bob Mahoney, my family, friends, Chris Harding, my Facebook friends and 'fans', my Twitter followers and National Pro Staff followers, YouTube subscribers and friends on Google+. Thanks to all that send e-mails, comments and messages with words of kindness and encouragement. Thank you to each and every one of you that visit my website (now almost 50,000 hits). And big thanks to those that share my website through social networking!

Cheers to another year of fishing adventures, new friends, new fish and experiences!

Sincerely,

Ashley Rae

Grandpa Rae goes fishing!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:36:00 +0000

Lately my grandpa's fishing stories have been about 'the one that got away' so I realized he was in need of a good day on the water. He'd never expect to go fishing this time of year because he's more of a summer time fisherman, so a surprise fishing trip was pretty easy to pull off. I got ahold of my friend Joe of PB & J Charters that I've fished with quite a few times on open water and on ice. He's kind of a big deal and knows how to get into some serious walleye (he will laugh when he reads that)! Joe has a really nice boat that's fully rigged, heated and really comfortable and fishable, which is perfect for my grandpa who is 78. Joe cleared his schedule for us to fish Sunday!

My dad and I formed a plan for the surprise. My dad asked my grandpa to join him on an early morning road trip for Sunday. My grandpa loves going on any sort of outing, so he didn't even ask questions, he just agreed to go. My dad planned to meet with me at Tim Hortons around 6:15am, and then we would carpool and meet Joe at his boat. I walked into Tim Hortons and my grandpa was surprised to see me. I asked 'are you ready to go fishing?' and he laughed. He thought I was kidding, so he said 'I forgot my fishing pole' and to that I said 'we have you covered'. He finally believed us when my dad explained where we were going. My grandpa was concerned at first because he didn't have any warm clothing, but my dad had it hidden in the truck the night before. After he realized what we had done, he was SO excited and surprised!! The look on his face was priceless.

We met up with Joe and broke our way out of the harbor, which was covered in ice! Extreme walleye hunters!

Not far into the morning the first walleye was on:

My grandpa was thrilled at the first fish and said his day was already made. The fish was guessed at around 7 pounds, which was his personal best! His eyes were glued to the rods after that, and he was in awe of the electronics, line counters, planer boards, etc. Things have definitely changed since he began fishing. My dad and I wanted him to land every fish, and I knew Joe would show him a good day on the water!

Just when he thought things couldn't get any better, he got fish #2:

9.1 pounds.. his new personal best!

Fish number 3 weighed in at 10.4 pounds erasing the previous personal bests, fish number 4 was around 5 pounds, and fish number 5 was 8.1 pounds!! My grandpa was having the best day!! He lost a couple fish, but was so happy at every fish caught! He beat his personal best 3 times.... until this hawg:

A nice chunk of 12.05 pounds of Quinte gold! The look on his face says it all!

Myself, my grandpa and his personal best walleye - 12.05 pounds! This photo is a framer :)

This last fish was the big one! Joe grabbed the scale and we guessed the weight without seeing the scale.. I snuck to take a look and said 'Grandpa, it's 12.05!' - I'll never forget that look on his face... his words were: 'I won the lottery!'

It's important to pass on the sport of fishing to others, no matter their age or experience. I am lucky enough to have friends like Joe that have the skills and experience that I can learn from. It was really great to give my grandpa the chance to experience Bay Of Quinte walleye fishing at it's prime! I know he will talk about this day for a long time, and he already has plans to go out again.

If I don't post again before Christmas.....

MERRY FISHMAS from SheLovesToFish.com!

Give the gift of fishing :)

Steelhead SUCCESS!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:01:00 +0000

If you've read any of my recent blogs, or follow along on Facebook or Twitter, then you may know just how badly I've wanted to catch a steelhead! In fact, there is no other fish that I've wanted to land as much. I've been learning how to fly fish over the past couple of years, and in the past 2 months I have been spending some of my weekends chasing after steelhead in several Lake Ontario tributaries. These fish are truly amazing and difficult to catch on the fly! It's a love/hate relationship.

It was COLD!

I was happy to see ice!

This past Sunday all the elements were against me; the thermometer read -4°C, winds were strong, and the water was chocolatey. The usual pools were barely visible. I saw shadows but couldn't be sure that they were fish. All in all, it was pretty hard to even cast with my guides freezing up and wind messing with my roll casts, but I woke up at 4:15am, drove a fair distance and wasn't ready to call it a day. With a little exploration, my friend and I found a clear, shallow pool holding fish and thankfully the sun was shining enough to reveal that they were steelhead. I really felt that "today was the day". To be honest, it's my usual attitude but something was different about this day. I felt mentally prepared for battle this time. I've hooked several steelhead, but landing them hadn't been successful for me. They go ballistic as soon as I set the hook, and in my previous blog post, I had the longest battle yet but still ended up losing a monster. I've talked to a couple of friends about how to handle landing one and really considered everything going into this day.

Then it happened.

As soon as I set the hook and really had a fish ON... I was totally zoned in. Immediate jumping and thrashing... I was literally in the worst spot to try and land this guy. Trees over head.. and all around to get tangled in, an easy escape route downstream and a fairly wide creek which made it hard to stay behind the fish. My main focus was keeping my rod tip high to absorb head shakes and thrashing... and keeping tension on the fish, yet letting it peel as much line as it needed to on 4 pound test to tire itself out. When I could see the fish slowing down, I pulled it back, and side to side to tire it out even more.

I fought this fish like my life depended on it, until landing it... landing a steelhead!
"ASHLEY! You did it!"
Another line I will never forget, by my friend Mikey. I am so glad he was there. He's taught me so much about fly fishing and I wanted him to be there for my first steelhead. I have never felt such a mutual happiness over one fish.

My first steelhead

My hands were so cold that they turned nearly as red as my nail polish after releasing this fish, but I was so happy that I didn't care. I got my gloves back on and warmed them up, then took the gloves off to start fishing again. At this point we each had a steelhead landed. Could things get any better? I'm sure most people would be very satisfied... but I saw bigger fish in this pool and really didn't think it was over just yet. I am sure that sounds a little greedy... or maybe it's just what happens after you land a steelhead, but I wanted another one.

I began the day throwing egg patterns, but switched to a nymph after Mikey had landed his first on a nymph. I did have fish chasing the egg pattern, but wanted to try a nymph anyway. It worked for my first fish. The steelhead seemed pretty active, and it was really neat seeing them take our flies. I didn't see the second fish take, it was all while watching the line. Mikey went further up stream and I was alone when it happened. The sun was bright and in my eyes even with sunglasses on. I watched my drift as much as I could until it got past the glare on the water... it twitched so slightly and I set.....

I fought it for a few seconds to make sure it was on before I yelled:

"MIKEY, another one!!!"

I saw him look downstream towards me, but I knew something was up because he didn't come running like before. He had to be onto a fish. I saw my fish come up out of the water and I started shaking. This was a bigger one. After a little while Mikey yelled down to me again:

"Do you need help?"

Immediately I said "No."

I knew this fight could last awhile, so I took my time and I wanted to do it alone. The fish went for cover immediately, but I just kept pulling it away from the trees and got behind it. I did my best not to let it go too far up or down stream, pulling back and walking backwards at the same time to try and control it. I saw a flat shallow area to land it on. I pulled back towards that and jumped on the shore. The fish was giving up, and I got it right tight to the shoreline.. I reached to grab the tail to land it and..

"ASHLEY!"

A splash and bend in his rod and I knew what was up! Mikey had one too!!

My fish took off far when I stalled so I had to work to bring him back in again. Mikey had his landed and came rushing down the creek in time for me to land mine.

Mikey's fish with one of the fly patterns we used

My second steelhead

I can honestly, FINALLY say, "I did it". Many steelheaders say once you get one 'you're ruined'. I will admit that I have been sleeping better at night since, but the days are much longer and really just want to be back at that creek more than anywhere else. It's all I can think about now. I guess I am ruined, but I am OK with that. I just need to go steelheading again soon.... that's the cure.

Special thanks to Mikey, and Naoto, and G Loomis too :)

Ashley

The mission for steelhead continues...

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:42:00 +0000

From Sunday, November 13, 2011
This fish was holding along a concrete wall and it was a tricky situation to cast to. With the bridge overhead my rod had to stay low.. and with such little space between where I could stand, and where the fish was, I had to be careful not to spook it. I was leaning back into the back wall and casting downstream at the wall the fish was along so the fly would drop in front and drift by it in the small pool. It took awhile to get into the right spot... but with Mikey's help and some practice I could land the fly right where I wanted it. At first the fish was just angry at the fly it seemed. It would stir up mud and thrash around at the sight of it. Maybe it was actually excited? Haha.. After several drifts it finally took it and my heart was pounding like crazy! I didn't get excited right away until I had it on for a minute or so... and then I thought to myself 'this is my moment.... the one I've been waiting for'...

Another broken heart from a steelhead. Man, I ~~hate~~ love these fish...

Ashley

The one that got away.... was caught!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:25:00 +0000

There are moments where blogs seem to write themselves in my mind while an experience is taking place. The sun shines a little brighter, the cool water swirls around my wading boots.. ducks taking off just downstream and flying feet overhead. It sounds to be straight from a book, but no - it's fly fishing. This weekend was truly one of those times, and as I am writing this I am smiling while reliving it all over again.

Usually my blogs start off as a story and I save the best photo for last... but this time I am going to lay it on you right away.
CHECK OUT THIS FISH:

My first ever brown trout caught yesterday here in Ontario, Canada. (Yes, mud on my nose! haha)

Brown trout are officially the most beautiful fish I've seen here in Canada. This one was spotted during a steelhead mission on a Lake Ontario tributary with my usual fly fishing partner, Mikey Fitzgerald. We made quite a trek down stream towards the big lake and began fishing when we spotted a couple trout.

Mikey:
"The area we found the two brown trout holding is what I would classify as a classic holding location. It was a deeply cut pool with wood on the steepest bank very close to an undercut bank. Migratory brown trout are literally suckers for areas like these. Two or three fish will stack up under the wood, and spawn at night at the tailout. We struck out with finding a spot like that."

I stood on a high bank and casted down to the log that the trout were holding under. I was out of sight for the fish, and Mikey stood back enough to see what was going on. I could see my fly, but he had a better view of the fish. They were down low and tucked under a small log sticking out from the bank. The log was at the edge so the current swirled by the log, which was a perfect path for a "Pink Crystal Meth" fly. The fly caught the current and drifted right in their face. A few practice casts and tips from Mikey to get in the right spot and I was set. Now cast... cast... cast... and FLASH, SPLASH, FISH ON!

"Ashley, that is a HUGE brown!"

His words made me panic.. in a good way. Never had I been hooked into a brown trout! The battle lasted a few minutes and then the fish freed itself. A good story always has some heartbreak. I was really let down... but somehow I felt it wasn't over yet. The fish moved into the stream and held beside another brown facing upstream. Mikey suggested letting the fish rest before trying for it again, and trying a different fly.

The next item on the menu - a "Fresh Fly".

This fly was larger and imitates rotting salmon skin... tasty eh? The smaller brown went at the fly first but missed and then after a few more casts...it happened. That big brown inhaled it... and the real battle began! I immediately backed off my drag and jumped in the stream and made my way across to a larger flatter area where it would be easier to land the fish if I had that opportunity.

"The fish generally tried to keep itself buried in the submerged logs, really bulldogging it and staying on bottom. It made a couple of really desperate runs to the back of the pool then back up to the head of the pool. What they love to do is try to wrap around anything they can find first thing and that's exactly what it was looking to do. If Ashley's flyrod had of been one weight lighter, she might have been in trouble, but she wrestled him really well."

(I use a 7 weight G Loomis Eastfork with a Venture reel, by the way). As you will notice in the pictures, there is a walking bridge in the background. As I was fighting the fish, a small group of people that were walking the trail stopped to watch. I noticed a couple at first but I became so focused on landing the fish that I couldn't hear anything except the fish splashing, the line peeling out and Mikey talking me through it. When the fish finally gave up the group of about 6-8 people were cheering and clapping. I asked if one of them could come down and take our picture. (Thanks hiker-man!) We didn't have a scale on us, or a tape measure, but I am all about catch-photo-release anyway. It was THIS big!

Mikey, myself and the most beautiful fish I've had the chance to meet.

After a few photos on my iPhone and Mikey's camera, the fish was back in the water to be released.

After this incredible moment, we climbed back up on the bank and just sat there to take the whole experience in. The trout layed low in the stream for awhile, and finally took off which felt really good to see. We stuck around for a bit and Mikey landed the other brown! After that we made our way upstream and searched for steelhead. I definitely smiled the rest of the day.. even after hooking steelhead and losing them!!!! The mission for my first steelhead continues... but the adventure has been worth it so far. Hopefully next time. Thanks Mikey!

Pike, bass, walleye and sheep!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:20:00 +0000

Normally at this time of year fishing slows down for me slightly due to the cold weather and high winds and I gear up for late fall walleye fishing with friends. However, this year is different for a few reasons - my kayak (I can go whenever I want), fly fishing... and my newly purchased waders! I've still had a few nights where it was too windy to get out, but for the most part the weather has been great!! A little photo update for you...

The larger fish have moved into shallow water. I've caught a lot less fish than usual, but the fish I have caught are quality! Here is a largemouth bass I caught on an XZone Swammer and a Fin-Tech Title Shot jig head. I took this photo myself using my iPhone.. a little tricky! I think I should get a GoPro.

I've been catching lots of pike in shallow water from my kayak (around 4 feet deep) and they are hitting the same swimbait as the bass right at my kayak. My success has been on a fairly quick retrieval and reeling until the last second because they are following for awhile before striking. Love the aggression of pike!

I am now the proud owner of a pair of Bare waders!! I can literally hit the rivers and creeks for weeks to come now that I've finally purchased a pair. The closer I get to being able to fish year round.... the happier I am :)

The Bay of Quinte walleye are in full swing! I had my first trip with Scott Walcott of http://www.bayofquintecharters.com/ last Friday and it was one of my favourite days on the water! Nothing better than great fish, great friends and good laughs :)

Scott's boat definitely had me spoiled! With a furnace.. washroom, and BBQ.. what more could a girl need (or anyone for that matter)? He even made us all lunch :) Thank you Scott!!

A great day on the water turned into a heck of a fishing trip when I reeled in this beast of a sheepshead! These fish are so strong, and top-heavy that it was tricky holding it... but we had some great laughs and got some good video footage that I will hopefully be able to share later!

Looking ahead to hopefully land my first steelhead or maybe even a brown trout. I've never loved fall this much... it looks so much better from the river.

More to come!

Ashley

Signs of Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:45:00 +0000

As the leaves are changing and as the mornings are darker and chillier, I am starting to feel the effects of fall setting in. I find that this time of year makes it a little more difficult to fish. The cold doesn't bother me too much (although it'll be my first autumn in my kayak), but the wind can be a problem for anyone in any type of vessel. Regardless, I will do what I do and fish as much as possible :) Afterall, I have the Bay of Quinte trophy walleye season to look forward to on open water, and ICE FISHING!!! I am crazy about ice fishing. I am in no hurry for it, but I also can't wait... it's bitter sweet.

Springside Park, Napanee
So far the highlight of my autumn has been October 7th - a big day in Napanee, Ontario. The Napanee Springide Park boardwalk has always been a place I visit for a nice walk along the Napanee River, or fishing off the docks. It's home to many kids fishing events and it's a place that is easily accessible for anyone to enjoy.

The Napanee and District Chamber of Commerce (NDCC) has been working on re-vamping Springside park now for 2 years and the face-lift is finally complete! Aside from the gorgeous new boardwalk, they unveiled 2 new kiosks that contain historical information and yes - information about the waterway and the fishing. I was first in contact with NDCC when they viewed my website last year and wanted to include me in their Tourism-Outdoors section http://www.napaneechamber.ca/outdoors. I am very thankful to have their support! A few months ago I was contacted again by Kathy Medd of NDCC and she asked if I would be willing to contribute a photograph for one of the new kiosks. I was really thrilled at this opportunity, and said yes! I am really happy to promote local tourism, especially for my hometown of Napanee. On Friday, October 7th they did the official ribbon cutting and unveiling! Here are some photos from the event:

The ribbon cutting

Kathy Medd and myself

Close-up on the Napanee River Watershed section - with myself and a Napanee River walleye!

The falls

The kiosk is featured at the base of the falls at Springside Park in Napanee, Ontario

I would just like to extend a thank you to the Napanee and District Chamber of Commerce for including me in this wonderful project. A lot of work was put into it and it is truly impressive. Special thanks to Kathy Medd for her support!

In other news

My website has now reached over 36,000 views - thanks to ALL that stop by and share with others! It's amazing to see the statistics of which search terms are used to find this website and also which websites are referring others here. Your support is amazing!

I am excited to share that I will be working with Walker Downriggers on some videos (boat and kayak fishing). I will keep you posted on that and look forward to getting some more videos fishing for lakers, walleye and salmon in the future using downriggers.

Don't forget to enter my latest contest for some Hobie Fishing Team hats!

New Contest!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:51:00 +0000

You can also enter on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ashleyraefishing

First Salmon On A Fly & Help Ringwood Fish Hatchery!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:11:00 +0000

I don't know where you were this past weekend, but in Oshawa it was COLD! I was checking out Lake Ontario tributaries with my friend Mikey in search of salmon and trout. We stopped in several spots, but Oshawa looked promising so we layered up and began our adventure.

The tools:

Now I have been learning the ropes of fly fishing in the last couple of years and have landed bass and panfish - nothing too crazy. I have a lot to learn but as with any other type of fishing I've tried - I love it! We were using purple egg sucking leeches and drifting them with split shots. At this time of the year salmon are not eating the flies, but rather striking with aggression.

Mikey is the master of fly fishing the creeks and rivers of Ontario, even though he will not want me to say it (take the compliment)! Last year was when I hooked my first ever salmon which was a chinook in the Ganaraska River and Mikey helped make that possible. Well just over a year later.. and this time on a fly rod.. here is what happened:

We got a few video clips, hopefully next time I will get the start to finish hook-set and land if possible. I was absolutely loving this whole experience!! This river has a walking trail along the shore so with my screaming and landing this beast, we had somewhat of an audience and they even took some photos for us! I need to get a pair of waders because I got pretty soaked! Now for the photos, start to finish... catch to release:

Words cannot really describe just how happy I was. Something about it made me feel so accomplished - thank you to Mikey!!

Now I need your help, so do the salmon! Below you will see a banner for a contest that is going on held by Aviva Insurance. Ringwood Fish Hatchery Station has a vital part in keeping our Lake Ontario and surrounding streams stocked with salmon and trout. In the past 5 years they have raised over 6 million salmon and trout to be restocked back into our wonderful fishery. They are in the running for a contest to win part of a million dollars which will aid to push forward in their efforts and properly fund this restocking program.

As anglers, it is our responsibility to replenish and do anything possible to ensure the future of fishing. Please take the time to vote and help with the project! You can vote by following the link and you can vote EVERY DAY! Please join me in supporting Ringwood!!

To keep up to date with all my fishing adventures, join me on my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ashleyraefishing

I named a boat and experienced a triple header!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:06:00 +0000

Joe Pickstock is one of the guys I spend the winter on the ice with catching walleye. He has made an appearance a few times on my blog, with ice fishing and some open water walleye fishing as well. He recently started a charter business on the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario.

With all the posts I had seen in the past while on Facebook, a lot of personal bests (as referred to as PBs) have been caught on his boat right from the start. When it came time to name his boat, he asked if anyone had any ideas. I had the idea of... PB&J! Not peanut butter and jam... but personal best & Joe!! Joe liked the idea, so she's now named - PB&J Charters, and yesterday was my first official trip!

A great boat!

Around 15 minutes into our afternoon adventure came walleye #1:

7.24 pounds

There were 4 of us on board; myself, Capt'n Joe, Jeff Chisholm and Bob MacMillan. It was great to get out with some of the ice fishing crew on open water for a gorgeous afternoon! We trolled crank baits at a secret location in 38 feet of water, with fish marking at around 22 feet. We were using Rapalas and Reef Runners with purple as the hot colour for the day!

Grinnin' because all fish were 'catch, photo, release'

Jeff and Joe setting up the spread

Capt'n Joe with a nice 'eye

Our triple header!!

What a great day, and even a little chaotic with a TRIPLE header! We caught 9 walleye in total, and for Joe it was 15 for the day as he was out for a couple hours in the morning as well. Be sure to check out the video below:

Thanks Joe, Jeff and Bob for one heck of a walleye trip! Can't wait for our next adventure!

http://www.pbandjcharters.com

Caught my first musky!!..... Make that 2 muskies!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:23:00 +0000

I absolutely love targeting and catching a new type of fish. It's fun to learn about the species and learn new fishing techniques to broaden my fishing experiences. I had been out once in the past for a few hours in search of musky, had one follow and no hits. I've heard about how they are 'the fish of 10,000 casts' and just hoped that someday I would get the chance to land one.

My friend Greg Amiel invited me out to fish on Friday for salmon, so I took the day off. Thursday night the weather forecast on Lake Ontario was not looking promising (wind-wise), so he asked me if I would be OK with fishing for musky instead. Of course I said 'Yes!' and was really excited to try for musky! I had a positive attitude, but knew that they were no easy task to land. Something new is always fun!

I got up at 1am (yes, that early!) on Friday, got ready and left home at 2am to head to Greg's place near Toronto . Greg and his fishing buddy Arnaldo were ready to go when I got there at 5am, so off we went. I fell asleep for a little while on the way there, so I have no idea which lake we were on ;) Let's call it, 'Lake X' in the Kawarthas. We all have our own Lake X somewhere, right? Wink, wink :)

We fished hard, trolling and casting and covering a lot of water. I was casting when I had my first follow. I reacted fast doing the 'figure 8' as Greg showed me. The fish startled me, but I was excited to see my first musky! However, this fish was not interested. It gave me hope!

We were trolling when the first musky hit, and it sounded like a salmon peeling line! I could not have been any happier reeling in my first ever musky!

What gorgeous, yet terrifying fish! I will admit, as I was fishing I was nervous and excited at the same time. I knew I could potentially catch the biggest fish I've ever seen in person. It was a great feeling! No wonder there are so many musky lovers out there!

I was so happy at this point, and felt that my whole weekend had been made. We continued to fish hard, and spent the afternoon casting. I was throwing a double cowgirl and it felt like my arms were going to fall off, but I didn't want to stop. Sometimes I just don't know when to quit. As I was watching the blades spin about 20 feet from the boat, there was a flash and a BAM! Fish on! I may have shrieked and even jumped up and down a little, as I was so excited! I had a positive attitude about this fishing trip, yet I didn't expect to catch a musky - let alone 2 musky!

Greg is helping me unhook the beast! Musky get pretty frisky!

Musky #2 - we're both smiling!

And this is a photo of the same fish, however it is now my favourite fishing photo! We are both so happy to meet each other!

Musky treats

The release

Both fish were out of the water just long enough for photos, and released quickly back to their home. I tried to gently lower them into the water and let them gain strength to swim away, but as soon as they saw water they bolted and escaped! No way I could hold onto these strong fish for long!

Thank you so much Greg and Arnaldo for an amazing experience catching my first muskies! Can't wait to go again!

Ashley

Big City Chinook

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:09:00 +0000

What a weekend! I'm back with loads of pictures and some video footage too! I spent the weekend at Port Credit Marina and fished near Toronto on Lake Ontario with my friend Mike of http://www.salmonfishingcharters.ca. Mike always promises me a big fish, and he always delivers!

As well as getting the chance to fish the big water, I helped him out with some clients and got some great shots. It was really nice meeting some new anglers and watching the excitement as they reeled in some gorgeous fish (chinook salmon, steelhead and coho salmon). I couldn't help but cheer and scream when a rod would fire off "FISH! FISH! FISH!" I felt like a fishing cheerleader haha.

You've got to love a double header!

At this point, most of the water I have fished has been in the country where the most I see on shore are cottages and homes. It was my first time seeing Toronto from the water, and it was pretty incredible! Somehow with the skyscrapers, sailboats and airplanes - it still seemed peaceful. I felt so small.

Through the fog

My friend Hayley came for a visit!

Mike asked me if I wanted to go for big fish, or numbers. I had barely slept all week thinking about reeling in a giant salmon! Naturally I chose 'big fish'. I had only ever caught one salmon before, which was nearly a year ago and it was in a creek. They are such a beautiful and strong fish, and I had heard so much about trolling for them and experiencing "the run" - screaming reels and tired arms!

Mike took us to the spot

Rods ready

My first Lake Ontario chinook! I could barely hold it after the battle!

One of my favourite parts of fishing - the release.

Love at first bite! My second beast of a salmon!

Mike helped me capture my 2 salmon on video, hope you enjoy!

HUGE thank you to Mike again! If you ever book a charter with Salmon Fishing Charters, let myself or Mike know and I will be happy to join if time allows! Lots of exciting stuff coming up, stay tuned and thanks for helping me reach 30,000 hits!

Ashley

Happy (early) Birthday SheLovesToFish.com!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Hard to believe that nearly 2 years ago I wrote my very first blog post! It was August 27, 2009 and I was meeting up with Dave Chong to for our first time fishing together. I had thought about documenting my adventures and a blog seemed like a good way to share words, photos and videos all together in one. Not long after that first post, I was off to Tobago for a dream fishing vacation that you helped me win through the World Fishing Network Adopt an Angler contest. Thank you again!

Here I am now, for my 99th post, 29,487 hits on my website later and many awesome fishing experiences - and it has been a blast! I never really thought of myself as much of a writer until I realized I have been writing this blog for so long and receiving all the positive feedback from you! The other day I actually read through all of my posts and re-lived all those fun adventures again and felt exactly as I did when I experienced those moments. I hope to deliver blogs that make you feel the same way!

To date, the most popular read has been The BIG ONE - when I caught the walleye of my life thanks to my friend Mike! It almost seems to be a coincidence that I will be out this weekend with Mike during my blogs official 'birthday' trying for my first Lake Ontario salmon! So far, the only salmon I've caught was a chinook and it is still one of my favourite fishing memories!

Please browse around my newly renovated website. I have changed a lot in the past couple of days and went for a more simple, clean look. I added some pages instead of featuring everything on the home page. Hope you like it!

I am going to eat some cupcakes and cookies now, and daydream of the weekend ahead that I have been losing sleep over. Hopefully I will have a great fishing story to post when I get back!

Thank you sincerely for ALL of your support in the past 2 years!

Ashley

Charleston Lake - Two Bass Thumbs Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 04:42:00 +0000

What angler doesn't dream of a fishing vacation? I mean, fishing every day... all day... several days in a row... well, for me it's ideal! Now that I have my kayak, I am able to get out on the water frequently which is exactly why I purchased it.

I spent the work week (Monday to Friday) on Charleston Lake. Staying at the Provincial Park, the water was literally minutes away from our campsite. My hope was to fish for bass all week and catch lots of smallmouth. Not to spoil the blog, but I was not disappointed ;). To add to this adventure, I recently purchased a GPS/Fish Finder/Sonar unit for my kayak and decided on the Humminbird 385ci Combo Kayak from Radioworld.

Smallmouth bass from Tuesday (iPhone photo)

Largemouth also from Tuesday (iPhone photo)

The GPS helped navigate a brand new lake safely, and also read the lake and decide where I wanted to fish based on depth and structure. The fish finder/sonar showed me how deep fish were holding, and what they were holding in (weeds, drop offs, shoals). Since I purchased the kayak I have learned a lot about reading water. I am using my own energy to get around the lake, so I often try to ask myself questions such as why I am choosing an area to fish before I set out there. Questioning what I do alone has helped, but with these new tools I am thrilled for a more efficient time on the water!!

I spent Monday getting to know the Humminbird, and catching some fish while I was at it. The lake is absolutely gorgeous and I will definitely be back! There was no shortage of bass, and there still isn't (catch and release for every single fish caught)!

A nice largie caught on Tuesday! Best fish of the day.

Wednesday brought a bit of rain (a break from the heat and sun) and fish that were finicky. Fishing rocky shoreline produced the most fish and primarily smallmouth.

Thursday was spent mostly fishing shoals in open water. The shoals were marked on the lake, so it was very handy. It was quite windy so I was drop shotting using heavier weights - casting at the edge of the shoal and then peddling towards my sinking line to keep tension on the line and avoid dragging out of the area. These smallies hit right away and rocketed out of the water for a nice battle! I love standing to reel these guys in!

Friday - what can I say! Packed up and hit the water at noon, and this beauty smoked it first cast!! Started off with the fish of the day, and enjoyed my last afternoon on the water before departure.

I am home now, tanned, tired, grinning from ear to ear with two roughed-up bass thumbs and some great memories! HUGE thanks to Chris for the great photos, great camping trip and a great week!

Enjoy your weekend!

The Future of Fishing - Introduce Kids to Fishing!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 02:15:00 +0000

If it wasn't for my dads friend Arnold, I would not be the person I am today. Annual fishing trips on Lake Kashwakamak shaped me into a passionate angler that enjoys passing the sport onto others. Tonight I took a few hours of my time to catch some fish with Kayla and Sophie and their mom - my friend Stacee.

Myself and Sophie (age 6) with her catch

My hometown Napanee, offers a great location to fish off the boardwalk with benches and pretty scenery to enjoy. I have caught bass, pike, walleye, sheepshead, pumpkinseeds, bluegills, perch and more off the docks. It's a great place for kids with washrooms nearby and the docks are safe and wide to fish from.

Kayla (age 8) concentrating on those perch

Way to go Kayla!

Sophie's bluegill

By the end of our fishing excursion, the girls were hooking worms, and catching fish without assistance. Way to go Kayla and Sophie! If you ever get the chance to take some kids fishing, please do. You never know what you will inspire!

Ashley