SheLovesToFish.Com

My first pike through the ice!

2012-01-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

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!

2012-01-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

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

Please check ice before heading out on any body of water!! As I stated above, the weather hasbeen changing so drastically and ice must be checked thoroughly. Please use cautionregardless of what you read in an ice report. Forums and social media are a great place to find outabout 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 checkice 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 theice. After I got my flasher, heater and rods set up, it was go time!

I started with a size 7 Perch JiggingRap tipped with a minnow. I dropped down and marked a fish on my flasher within minutes of jigging afew inches off bottom. This fish was tight to bottom and began to rise for my bait. I lightly twitched andraised the bait up and the fish followed. As the fish moved closer quite quickly, the image on my flashergrew 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 washowever, 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 fishwill be suspended. I reeled up past it and was now using a Macho Minnow (spoon) without tipping aminnow this time. The green flicker grew and changed into a red mark. I really had to work slowly forthis fish as it was not impressed by any aggressive movements. I lightly twitched the Macho Minnowto make sure I got some action from the tail, but not too much darting around. The fish came at thebait fast and I pulled away just a bit and got the fish to rise up. A second charge at thespoon 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

2011-12-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-12-19T20:36:00.002-05:00

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!!

2011-12-12T23:01:00.001-05:00

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...

2011-11-19T10:42:00.001-05:00

From Sunday, November 13, 2011
This fish was holding along a concrete wall and it was a trickysituation 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 thefish was, I had to be careful not to spook it. I was leaning back intothe back wall and casting downstream at the wall the fish was along so the fly woulddrop in front and drift by it in the small pool. It took awhile to get into the rightspot... but with Mikey's help and some practice I could land the flyright where I wanted it. At first the fish was just angry at the fly itseemed. 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 andmy heart was pounding like crazy! I didn't get excited right away untilI had it on for a minute or so... and then I thought to myself 'this ismy 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!

2011-11-07T20:25:00.001-05:00

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!

2011-11-02T21:20:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-17T17:45:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-10-11T11:51:00.002-04:00

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

First Salmon On A Fly & Help Ringwood Fish Hatchery!

2011-10-05T19:11:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-09-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

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!!

2011-09-12T17:23:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-30T19:09:00.004-04:00

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!

2011-08-24T15:56:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-08-07T00:42:00.005-04:00

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!

2011-07-26T22:15:00.003-04:00

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

A Thank You Letter

2011-07-24T22:18:00.002-04:00

My co-worker Christina was born in Scotland. When her family moved over here she was 2 years old, but many of her relatives remain in Scotland. She mentioned to me that her uncle Keith was coming to visit from Scotland for a few weeks, and that he is a very avid angler. She passed along my website to him and he was very thrilled to try some fishing here in Canada during his visit. I offered to take him out and show him the ropes for a Canadian fishing adventure!

Keith, (and Christina's father and brother) John and Graham along with myself set out on Friday for a day on Gold Lake near Catchacoma, Ontario. They had rented the cottage for a week, and Graham brought his boat. I was able to fish for the morning and early afternoon, but had to head home a bit early due to plans the following morning. It was my first time on the lake, and it was a gorgeous, low traffic spot! Here is a letter I just received from John after our fishing excursion:

Hi Ashley,

I must thank you sincerly, firstly for taking the time to visit us. Secondly for the great days fishing you enabled us to have. With your expertise and knowledge we were able to hook into larger fish more consistently than ever before. I must also say that we were all impressed by your enthusiasm for the sport and the selfless way you shared your knowledge.

The fishing spots you chose proved to be abundant with fish. I'm sorry you had to leave us when you did. We returned to the last site that you chose and were able to improve on the number of fish, and the days catch size, as you will see from the photos, and I'm sure the 'grandma' of the fish was there for your taking:-) (I think Keith caught the daddy).

Lastly, thank you for the lures and materials you shared with us that allowed to us to land bigger and better fish. We will be using them as major part of our fishing arsenal from now on.

We hope we can arrange get together before long and do this again.

Until then, Happy fishing and many thanks again.

John, Keith, & Graham.

Graham

Myself and John

My catch of the day - a nice smallmouth

A photo before I left the cottage

Keith, myself, John and Graham

Keith and his huge largemouth! Wow!!!!!

Another shot of the giant bucket

I have such a huge smile on my face after reading this e-mail, but probably not as big as the smile on Keith's face! What a great experience! I am so happy to see that he was able to catch that giant during his visit to Canada!

We were using drop shots with Shimano spinning rods/reels with Power Pro braided line, octopus hooks, Frostbite finesse drop shot weights and X Zone Slammers - and that is what we used all day. I usually switch up technique throughout the day, but in the time I was on the water we caught 50-60 bass (mostly all smallmouth), so why change the presentation if it's working that well? (Did I mention I LOVE smallies?)

A big thanks to Christina for setting up the trip, to John, Keith and Graham for a great day of fishing!! I look forward to our next outing!

Ashley

Bass Opener, Photo shoot and New Video!

2011-07-11T15:49:00.001-04:00

Wow, nearly a month since I've last made a post. There may be a shortage of updates, but not of fishing!

Bass fishing season opened up where I live on June 25th and I was in Orillia, ON for opener to help out with the Big Brothers & Sisters of York and my friend Dave Chong's annual: Catch A Dream Kids Fishing Derby. The rain poured down all morning, but the smiles and fun shone through a gloomy day and made for a wonderful day of fishing! I fished with my friend Mark Kulik and 3 youngsters that had never fished before. Lots of fish were caught including; bass, perch and rock bass. We had a great time, and I hope to get ahold of some photos from the event soon. It was worth driving several hours to help some kids have the opportunity to get out fishing for the first time. I will be there next year for sure!

Since then, I have been bass and pike fishing every weekend from my kayak and even some week nights when possible. Here are a few photos from my excursions:

I also did a photoshoot with Dan McCully of McCully Images, here are a few photos:

You can check out more in the Facebook album.

This past weekend I made my first kayak video. All footage is from yesterday, and I stayed up way too late editing to get it done because I was excited to share the whole kayaking experience! So please let me know what you think!

I am always staying up-to-date posting on Facebook and Twitter, so feel free to follow along there.

Happy fishing!

Day With My Dad

2011-06-20T16:44:00.002-04:00

My dad called me on Thursday night to see if I would like to take a trip with him to the Bass Pro Shop in Vaughan Mills (near Toronto, Ontario). He said was hoping to spend the day together and browse through the massive store (which we both love). I suggested to him that we could take the day and go fishing instead. He was very persistent with the trip, I told him that I would call him back and confirm. A few minutes later he called back and said "I'm going to pick up your fish, and I would like you to come with me".

If you've read my past blog posts, you may remember the walleye of my lifetime - the 15.2 pound walleye caught in 2009 with some friends in Picton, Ontario. Click the link if you would like to read the blog post:
http://www.shelovestofish.com/2009/11/big-one_12.html

This is her, an unbelievable fish and a great day on the water that I will never forget thanks to Mike, Warren and Colin. After catching the fish, my dad talked about getting it replicated, but I knew that it may be costly and I never expected such a gift from anyone.

When my dad called me back to tell me we were picking up "the fish", I immediately knew what he was talking about and I couldn't believe it!!!! We are both stubborn and I wanted him to go fishing with me, and he wanted me to go to Toronto with him and this was why. My parents are the type that always have a surprise up their sleeves, so I really should have known. I love the fact that it was a surprise though, because I just love the unexpected. It's much more special. So the Bass Pro Shop was a cover up, and we really went to Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design (and to Bass Pro afterwards of course).

So here I am, holding the replica of the 'eye of my life a few minutes after picking her up. I think I smiled the whole way home! I felt like I was bringing a baby home from the hospital for the first time, haha!

iPhone photo

I took more photos of the fish today, because the iPhone photos don't do it much justice. The detail on this fish in incredible, and I'd like to point out that it's a replica which is actually made of fiberglass - not the actual fish. The fibreglass will hold up much stronger, and last longer. I've received a few comments on Facebook as people think it's a real fish! It honestly looks as though it's going to start flaring it's gills, or start thrashing around trying to escape me.

From the tip to the tail, each detail is perfectly created to make such a real fish swimming around in my living room. It's above my TV right now, so thankfully I can get away with staring at it constantly without looking too odd!

So scary - I love it!!

Dorsal fin

The tail, even with the perfect white tip that trademarks a walleye.

My accent wall in the living room is now dedicated to walleye. I do need to add some ice fishing pictures as well!

Thank you to my mom and dad for such an amazing gift. Also thank you to Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design for creating such an incredible work of art.

Hope you all had a wonderful Fathers Day!

June Pike

2011-06-05T22:25:00.002-04:00

Another weekend in the kayak, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Lots of pike, and rock bass but not as many rock bass as last weekend. I tied on some heavy spinner baits and searched for pike, hoping that the larger baits would produce larger fish and not attract as many panfish. It seemed to work!

It's so much fun exploring all the places I was unable to reach in a boat. I also enjoy seeing the fish in their habitat, as they aren't really afraid of the kayak. It's so quiet. I found most pike in places close to shore or an island with a drop-off nearby.

Casting shot

Standing!! The kayak is stable, I am working on being stable! haha

Saturday evening, heading home. What a peaceful night on the water.

With low wind today, exploring new water was possible. I saw lots of spots I will be fishing later for bass. With crazy spring windstorms a lot of trees are uprooted and have fallen in the water. Only 20 days until bass opener - can't wait!!

Until next time,

Ashley

Perch Derby, Kayaking and Mustang Appearance

2011-05-30T20:45:00.001-04:00

This weekend was definitely an enjoyable one! What is better than helping kids fish, and then spending the rest of the weekend on the water fishing myself? I guess it was my kind of weekend.

Saturday I was at the Kids Perch Derby held in Kingston, Ontario at Portsmouth Olympic Harbor. I was there walking around, taking photos, and helping out. Here are a few of my favourite photos:

The forecast called for rain in the morning, but I didn't see a drop and the Harbor was packed with families! It started to rain just after 2, when the event ended. Such a great event put on by the community and volunteers to help kids get into fishing! No shortage of prizes either thanks to all the sponsors! I will definitely be there next year.

After the derby I headed out to my favourite spot for the weekend, Sydenham Lake - kayak style!

I caught more rock bass than I can count! They were hitting Xzone Swammers and some of the rockies were pretty decent in size. Fun to catch!

No shortage of pike either, although they were a bit harder to find.

As always, I released all fish.

Sunday - caught a mudcat on a spoon! That was a first.

Letting the cat out of the 'yak!

A headshot - thanks to Chris for taking great photos and also for being an excellent kayaking partner!

Another pike in the 'yak!

I really REALLY enjoy my kayak! Such great exercise while fishing, and seeing so much wildlife due to how quiet it is. I would peddle into a bay and see all kinds of fish swimming around me, curious about what I was. I also had many fish hit right beside me and it was really neat to see them inhale the bait. It was my first time really using a swim bait, but I forced myself to get comfortable with it. I will definitely be throwing it in the near future as it worked well.

Special thanks to Mustang Survival! I just received the 2012 Catalogue in the mail.. and my photo is included! Unreal :)

Have a great week!

Long weekend, lots of fishing!

2011-05-23T22:41:00.005-04:00

I was fortunate enough to get out each day of this long weekend; out in my kayak on Saturday and trolling for walleye yesterday:

A 19 incher - how do you like my flashy nail polish? Haha

Today was quite the day. It started off beautiful, hot and sunny and by the time I arrived at the Bay of Quinte for another kayak trip... a thunderstorm quickly crushed my plans. I waited it out but it was too rough to venture out. At this point I felt like just catching anything (even panfish) with the light rain coming down, so off to the boardwalk in my hometown - Napanee, Ontario. My brother joined and we caught a ton of fish!!

John with a pumpkinseed

I love the markings on these feisty little guys!

Lots of rock bass too!

It rained off and on, but not enough to stop us from fishing.

Found a four leaf clover!

Great spot, accessible to anyone. I plan on taking some kids fishing here soon!

On the menu was a 1/16 ounce jig head with a swirl tail grub, and we also used live worms as well. Both worked well and caught perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass, a pike, a mudcat and....

Some sheepshead too!! A great fight on light line and a tiny jig!

Hope you all had a great weekend, I will sign off with a video. Goodnight and have a great week!

I'm gonna fish like it's the end of the world

2011-05-21T18:29:00.002-04:00

Well it's 6:04 p.m., and I have yet to feel any earthquakes, or see any fireballs. I figured the best place to be during the rapture was in the water. If I'm going to die, may as well be fishing, right?

What did happen today was something great, fantastic, and wonderful! I took my new kayak out for a spin on the Bay of Quinte. Some may think that is crazy, but it was nice and calm:

iPhone photo

Did I mention I bought a kayak? Well here she is!!

Her name is Hobie Outback, and she rides like a dream! If you are not familiar with the Hobie kayaks, they have a propulsion system called the Mirage Drive (a peddle system), so you can be hands free for fishing. I trolled around all day with a bottom bouncer and worm harness and really enjoyed it! I went pretty far actually, and it was a good workout but I could definitely go out again, but maybe I am just a little excited :)

The first official kayak fish was a perch:

iPhone photo.

Followed by many more perch! I was searching for eyes, but I am always happy to catch anything.

It was so warm out today, that I really could have been wearing shorts. I rolled up my pant legs and even put my legs in the water to cool off. What a beautiful day!

iPhone photo
Never a shortage of perch on the Bay!

iPhone photo

I had a great day on the water, and look forward to the rest of the summer fishing out of my kayak! I just have a few finishing touches to add on her, and then I will be exploring new lakes and creeks in southeastern Ontario. Have a great long weekend everyone! Thanks to Chris for taking the photos.

I just realized, this is my 100th post - THANKS FOR READING :)

Kiwanis Weekend 2011

2011-05-09T20:56:00.002-04:00

DAY ONE: The 31st annual Kiwanis Walleye World Fishing Derby kicked off on Friday night at 12:01 a.m., the opener for walleye and pike on the Bay of Quinte (Lake Ontario). As long as I can remember, the walleye opener has been a big attraction on the Bay! It's something I always look forward to, and get excited for it to kick off the spring open water season.
I was up late on Friday night (until about 11:30 p.m.) getting gear as ready as possible so I could wake up at 4:15 a.m., hop in the shower, get dressed and hit the road to be on the water by 6. I fished with my friend Erik Luzak again this year. We met at the Deseronto boat launch and set out from there. Although lots of anglers were loading boats, the Kiwanis organizers did a great job of keeping things running smoothly.

It didn't take long for us to begin hooking into walleye! Nothing like hooking that first walleye of the season on open water, such a great feeling! Much like last year, we used bottom bouncers and worm harnesses and the 'eyes just slammed them! The schools of walleye we got into were bigger than last year. I always seem forget one thing when I go fishing, and this time it was my camera battery (left in the charger). On such a gorgeous day, it was a big disappointment, but to my surprise my new iPhone takes great photos! So all the photos in this blog post are from my iPhone. Some of the photos were a bit funny, hard to hold a fish and take a photo at the same time!

I love walleye!!!

Erik displaying his rig.

My walleye slinger!

Smile!!

My first white bass!

Day one of the derby produced around 30 walleye for us! At around 1 p.m., it was time to get back to shore as Erik put on a seminar in Trenton that afternoon. The Kiwanis Headquarters always has a lot going on besides just the weigh-in. Seminars, exhibits and of course the giant tank with some of the fish on display. I was so tired from a long day, that I was in bed at 6:30 p.m.

DAY TWO: Up at 2:15 a.m., it was officially the earliest I've ever gotten up for fishing. Dave MacDonald joined us, and we were on the water by around 4 a.m. We tried a new spot and although it did not produce a lot of fish - it was a fantastic location for a sunrise.

Dave was the first to land a fish!

It was much colder on Sunday, so we brought out the toques in May!

Raaaaaaaaa!!!!

Around 20 walleye were caught on day two! We set out and searched new spots hoping to hook into bigger fish, but did not find any monsters. Regardless, I had a blast fishing with Erik and Dave with lots of laughs! So with about 50 walleye caught in two days, I think we did OK! All fish were released. Can't wait to fish this event next year!

Ashley Rae

Brook Trout, Broken Hearts and Walleye Opener

2011-05-04T17:56:00.002-04:00

Hello readers and fellow bloggers,
Wow, I must say it has been awhile since I sat down and really wrote a blog. Thank you to everyone that checks back now and then! From here on out I will be sure to keep things updated frequently.

First off, I must say - spring is no walk in the park for me as far as fishing goes. The species that I normally target (bass, walleye, pike) are not in season yet, so I am trying new things and catching fish I haven't caught before. However, I do LOVE catching new species! My next 2 weekends are devoted to fishing - just how I like it! And to be honest I am sure the weekend after, and the weekend after, and the weekend after.... will also be! Spring has sprung!

This past weekend I set out with a couple friends in search of brook trout and steelhead. It was quite the adventure trekking around a kilometer down a creek that is rarely (if ever) fished. It was so thick that we were literally climbing through the trees at times, following the creek downstream in search of beautiful little brookies.

Here's a bit of a sample of what it looked like, although this was a clearing. Mikey is creeping up on some fish!

We crossed over a small creek running into the main creek (of our top secret location), and it was too deep to walk through in our waders. We propped some fallen logs from one side to the other and 'tight roped' it across. Quite funny actually!

Myself and Mikey

Nick

My first ever brook trout, and Mikey caught one at the same time! I also caught this fish on a fly rod! I am determined to get lots of fly fishing in this year, and from here on out actually. I really enjoy it!

I was one happy gal!

A close up, beautiful markings on these fish

So happy to have another fish crossed off the list! I almost caught my first real steelhead (besides the parr I caught last year). We stopped at another creek and I was drifting a roe-looking fly over a pool and got bit several times by crazy steelhead! They even jumped and thrashed, it was amazing but unfortunately I didn't land one. I was so ecstatic to have them taking my fly! I will not give up, as they are one of my most sought after freshwater fish. They broke my heart, but I will not stop chasing them!!

In future news, I am searching for a kayak. I have decided to get one this year and fish like crazy out of it because I am not able to get a boat yet. The kayak will be a great way to still get out fishing, be kind to the environment, get exercise and get into skinny water that boats can't always access!

This weekend is the Kiwanis Walleye World Derby in Trenton, Ontario on the Bay of Quinte. This derby has been around longer than I have, and I can still remember how exciting it was for me as a kid to go down and check out the leader board, see the fish in the tanks and just the buzz of fishing at the weigh in! This will be my 4th year participating. It is also the opening of walleye season.

Have a great week everyone!

Facebook Contest

2011-04-17T16:12:00.000-04:00

Hey all,
Just a quick note to point you towards a contest I am hosting on Facebook right now to win a Shimano VTC66M2 Voltaeus Freshwater Casting Rod!

Click the link:
http://www.facebook.com/ashleyraefishing

Lake Trout On Ice

2011-03-06T12:49:00.004-05:00

My alarm went off at 5 a.m. this morning and I laid there for a few moments wondering what the weather outside would be like. It was one of those nights where I had dreams of sleeping in and missing my fishing trip! I looked outside to a fresh blanket of snow and heard the wind howling. I awaited a text from a friend Lenny, who would make the call on whether or not we should head out for lake trout today. At 5:30 a.m. 'Should we try it?' My reply 'I'm game!' So I got ready and off I went outside with arms full of gear to load up the truck. I tried the passenger door which was frozen shut and the rest of the truck was covered in a sheet of ice and snow on top - great. I set everything down, pried the driver door open and cranked the heat in attempt to melt the windshield enough to scrape it off. I thought to myself 'the things we do for fishing', hopped in the truck and off I went to Loughborough Lake.

I arrived and met Lenny, unloaded my hut from the back of the truck, packed the gear into it and we set off on the ATV. We made it to the spot Lenny picked and set up. He fished outside and I set my hut up and began fishing in 55 feet of water. A few minutes later Lenny hooked one!

What a beautiful fish! My first time seeing a lake trout in person. This gave me hope that there would be more!

I used a white tube jig on my baitcaster to start and fished just off bottom, marked a few fish and even had some chasers, but no commitment. I switched over to my spinning set up with a Pearl Jigging Shad Rap. I've only ever fished for walleye and panfish while ice fishing, so I am confident with the Jigging Raps and how to work them. I began jigging for awhile and not long after I finally hooked into my first laker!! It hit like a train and thrashed around like mad! I had it right up to the hole and LOST IT! Nooooo! It was disappointing, but very exciting none the less. I knew I was doing something right, and just needed to work on landing these aggressive fish properly.

My next hit and I landed my first ever lake trout!!!

Then my second ever lake trout:

By now I was feeling great! Something about catching a fish through the ice really warms you up on the coldest of days. At this point I was satisfied with even catching my first laker, and couldn't believe the fight in these fish! They come up on the flasher so quickly that you must be on your game to set the hook. I fished at the bottom of the water column the whole time and marked fish sitting right on bottom. I would pull my bait up in a 'quiver' motion while reeling and then drop down and repeat. Every so often I would reel in a few inches of line and jig higher off bottom, then drop back down. When I marked a fish I would quickly work up and away from them. This is when I got a nice strike! I had the fish halfway to surface when it freed itself. I pulled up to check my lure for any twists, dropped back down and got SLAMMED on the way down at 20 feet. This was a good fish, could it have been the same one? I took my time and the fish was taking drag - love that sound! When I got it up to the surface I started yelling for Lenny and cheering 'GOOD FISH ON!' This is the point where it feels like a life and death situation - have to land this one! I worked the fish slowly to the hole and got a glimpse... wow! Pulled the fish up through the hole, flipped open my hut and was cheering 'Look at this beast!' I couldn't believe I landed it the way it was fighting! I suppose you would like to see it :)

All fish were released after photos and I am still smiling! What a great morning on the ice! Another fish off the list. Thanks Lenny!

My Weekend in Ottawa

2011-03-02T20:15:00.003-05:00

I had a great season on the ice this year, and it is not even over yet. From December 16th up until February 20th, I had been out on the ice every weekend for a least one day chasing Quinte walleye. With the amount of time spent out on the ice, I learned a lot about how to read the mood of the fish, and how to trigger them to bite. It wasn't easy all of the time, but it was needed. There were times when I would doubt my skill, but those were the days I learned something new or tried something new. We all need those days because when the fish are jumping out of the hole (or into the boat), we don't learn nearly as much!

I decided to spend one weekend off the ice, this past weekend in Ottawa. I spent Saturday & Sunday at the Ottawa Sportsmen Show working at the Minto Jackpot Casting Pond. I was at the younger end of the pond for kids (aged as young as their parents would let them hold a rod) up to 7 years old. This is what the pond looked like:

Assisting a young angler in casting into 3 different rings

Myself helping a little guy and Jamie Pistilli keeping score

All the kids were awarded prizes for participating. If they were successful in casting into the rings they were able to choose off the back wall of what looks like a toy store! It was hilarious watching them walk into the booth very cautiously as though it was a trick for them to be able to pick anything they wanted. It was a very successful event and I will definitely be there next year. A big thanks to all that helped, and especially Big Jim McLaughlin for inviting me to help out.

When I arrived to the show on Friday evening there was a very special surprise for me waiting at the Lures and Tours booth. If you look closely, you may see a familiar lady on a sign! What an honor!

As for this weekend coming up, I will be chasing lake trout for the very first time! I've never caught one and am really hoping I will get the chance this weekend. There is a local lake with an open season for lake trout. Oh, and I also heard of a lake that the walleye season is open for a little bit longer... so I am making time to go there too ;)

Thanks for reading!

Ashley

Tonight's Results

2011-02-16T23:08:00.000-05:00

I went out this evening for a couple hours after work to try and catch an 'eye or two. I have been trying to get a video all season, but it's difficult to film on your own in a (sometimes) dark hut. I set up a tripod and this is what happened:

I caught 2 in total tonight, this was the bigger walleye. I am thinking of getting a GoPro camera (that you wear right on your head). I think it would be handy to get the full 'anglers-eye-view' effect! It's also water proof and HD.

Anyway, not the best video, but I will try to get more this weekend :)

Thanks,
Ashley

Eye Catchin'

2011-02-14T15:41:00.002-05:00

This weekend marked 2 months of ice fishing every weekend, so I suppose I am officially a weekend warrior! It's hard to believe that there are only a couple weeks left of walleye fishing until it re-opens in spring, it went by unbelievably fast. This was my second year of ice fishing but I've gotten out a lot more this year and have enjoyed every moment of it. I am so grateful to have friends that took me under their wing and showed me the ways of ice angling! I can't thank them enough - the Quinte Ice Fishing Team. They have recently appeared on the Angler & Hunter TV show, and have filmed other TV shows as well. I am very proud, they deserve to be recognized!

Yesterday the morning bite was present, but not large numbers. I believe it was 9 fish caught in our group before lunch time, and then after lunch the wind picked up and the fish shut down. I caught these 2 in the morning:

The morning bite was my favourite, aggressive fish shooting up off bottom and whacking the bait! As the wind blew in the afternoon, I marked 3 fish but they would barely come up off bottom as if to be 'spooked'. At the end of the day, I was just happy to get out with a good group and come home with a nice photo!

Next weekend I will set out in search of walleye, and then it's time to try lake trout and whitefish for the first time very soon - can't wait!

Thank you for visiting!

Ashley

Bay of Quinte Cover Girl

2011-02-08T13:57:00.001-05:00

It is with great excitement I share with you the new Bay of Quinte & Prince Edward County 2011 Edition of Lures and Tours! These pocket-size booklets are a great resource for anglers and anyone traveling to the Bay year-round. When I was asked to contribute I was absolutely thrilled! Inside you will find accommodations, bait & tackle, restaurants, marinas, guide services and some great articles written by anglers! Please click the photo and head on over to view the online booklet. (Just click on the booklet itself to view once you follow the link). It features an article I wrote about the Bay on page 7.

I am so happy about this opportunity, and can't wait to see the booklet at the sportsmen shows and also local businesses around the area! If anyone would like a copy, let me know :)

Thanks for reading,
Ashley

Suspended walleye

2011-01-17T19:14:00.000-05:00

I fished for a few hours on Saturday afternoon with the Quinte Ice Fishing Team. I was jigging a few inches off bottom in 30 feet of water and saw a mark high up on my flasher (approximately 16 feet below the surface). I reeled the jig just above where I saw the green flash to check things out, when the green became orange.. and the orange became red, and I was officially marking a hungry eye! This fish was very aggressive - my favourite! I kept the jig above the fish and continued to raise it while shaking and FISH ON!

Catch Of The Day (from January 9th)

2011-01-13T18:45:00.003-05:00

This photo is from Sunday, January 9th on the Bay of Quinte. I went out for the afternoon/sunset bite and caught a couple walleye, with this guy being my biggest. Fishing in 15 feet of water and this time using my spinning set up (Shimano Sahara 500FD reel, medium-heavy action rod, 10lb PowerPro ice line) and perch colour jigging raps rigged with live minnows.

I marked a lot of walleye on my flasher, yet they were hard to please. The first one I caught was when my screen was full of perch, it showed up out of nowhere and hit hard. Love that feeling! This walleye stalked my jig for a long time before committing. It's fun to use different techniques and try and entice the fish to bite, although I feel that I should have slowed down my jigging early on. After realizing an aggressive retrieve was not working, I slowly rose the jig higher and higher with small twitches, and when this fish approached I retrieved very slowly, stopping every few inches. Finally, at about 7-8 feet he struck! YES!

I will be hitting the ice again this weekend, hope to have more pictures to share!

Some Local Support

2011-01-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

A couple local newspapers are very supportive in my mission for fishin'!

Click article to read full story

First Fishing Trip of 2011

2011-01-05T11:07:00.002-05:00

Caught my first fish of 2011! As my first time ice fishing with a baitcaster, I found it much quicker to drop the line down to work the fish and it felt great reeling 'em in too! I caught 3 walleye in total on Monday and some fat perch! I think I prefer the baitcaster over the spinning set-up. I went back and forth between the two for awhile, but then just put down the spinning rod for the rest of the day and focused on the baitcaster.

With the overwhelming support I have received on Facebook, I have decided to just focus on using my Facebook Page instead of my user account. It will be much easier to post updates there rather than to manage 2 profiles. Here is the link:
Ashley on Facebook

Looking forward to 2011 and what it has to offer!

Ashley

Happy Holidays - Ice, ice, ice!

2010-12-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

I am a little late on this, but just wanted to wish you a Happy Holidays / Merry Christmas - whichever you prefer!

I have been fortunate enough to get out ice fishing quite a bit in the past few days. Starting off, here is a photo from Christmas Day (eve) where I fished for about an hour on Sydenham Lake and caught lots of perch. They are fun to catch, but my heart has been set on walleye since I iced my first one last year. It was really cold, and I had no shelter, so I didn't stay out too long. It was a first for me fishing on Christmas Day! Next year, I hope to be some place tropical fishing - although I'd never want to miss out on ice season and all that it has to offer. But, a fishing vacation is never a bad thing!

Yesterday, I hit the Bay of Quinte chasing walleye all day with friends, what a great way to spend a Monday! I fished in 23 feet of water and decided to try my luck with a lipless clackin' rap. It was a first for me using one, but the fish I did catch, slammed it! The current was strong, so it made it difficult at times to mark the lure on the flasher. It was fun to try it out, and felt great catching fish on something new!

Today, we fished in the same area and it was interesting to see how the mood of the fish differed from the previous day. I caught 6 fish in total, but marked fish constantly on the flasher that would not commit. They preferred a slow presentation and would not respond to quick or 'aggressive' movements. What I love about ice fishing is the real time 'negotiating' with the fish. After fishing with a flasher, I would never be without one. (I use the Humminbird Ice 45 Flasher). Here is a photo from today:

Looking forward to another long weekend ahead, so I can hopefully hit the hard water again! Have a great week!

Ashley

Round I: Ashley vs. Walleye

2010-12-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

After much anticipation, I am happy to say that I had my first hardwater adventure of the season last night. The great thing about ice fishing is that it's affordable, easily accessible and a great way to enjoy the long winter months! After all, what better way to get over fish deprivation than to hook big walleye? I was quickly convinced.

Although ice fishing is accessible to nearly anyone, it can also be very dangerous. It can be tricky for some anglers to post reports and information regarding ice conditions at the risk of others venturing out unsafely based on information that can change within hours. Regardless of what anyone posts, you should always approach the ice with caution and use the proper equipment to ensure you make it back home. Now that I am done my public safety announcement, let's talk walleye!

I made my way to the Bay of Quinte after work last night to spend a few hours on the ice with some friends. I fished in 16 feet of water with 5 inches of black ice. As my flasher screen lit up, I thought to myself 'I'd be happy with a perch as my first ice fish'. Not long after, this guy slammed my jig without hesitation! I was a lot happier with a walleye!

My next fish escaped at the hole, and by now the sun was going down. Regardless of size, these fish are aggressive eaters! My next walleye:

My last fish of the night:

Saying bye to the 'eye:

FINAL SCORE: Ashley: 3 - Walleye: 1

I plan to spend a lot of time on the ice this year, and hope to catch pike and lake trout as well. I've never caught a pike through the ice, and have never caught a lake trout, period. I will try to take video next time. Looking forward to a great season!

Stay safe!

Ashley

A Frosty Day on the Bay

2010-12-04T21:13:00.005-05:00

Today could have possibly been my last day of trolling for walleye on open water. It was pretty chilly at -4, and on my way to Picton I saw a few ponds iced over, flurries were falling and I could see my breath. Although it was quite cold, many boats were still on the water, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day on the Bay of Quinte regardless.

Mike setting up for trolling

Planer boards, more fun to watch than television!

Ready to go!

FISH ON!

Casey at the net

Fish on board!

What a beautiful walleye!

As soon as a fish is on, I forget about everything else.

10 pound walleye caught on a Barbie colour Rapala Tail Dancer, 105 feet back

Although we only boated 2 fish today, I had a GREAT time! I feel as though the more time I spend on the water, the more time I want to spend on the water. It's addictive, and I am sure most of you reading this blog will agree, 'cause let's face it - we're all obsessed!

Although the rivers and lakes will soon be freezing up, it will not put a stop to my season! Ice fishing is (hopefully) just around the corner.

Thanks for reading!

My kind of weekend

2010-11-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

I had a great weekend checking out the Outdoor Canada Show (in Mississauga, Ontario) on Saturday, and then hitting the Bay of Quinte on Sunday. I love having a busy fish-related weekend!

When I arrived at the show, I found a display that really caught my eye:

Jack from Radioworld created a stunt double for me (ha, ha!!)

As for the fishing - Sunday was a beautiful day out on the water! I was out again with my friend Mike, and his friend Casey. We fished in Picton on the Bay of Quinte. If you love catching walleye, it's really the place to go! We trolled crank baits on planer boards.

Thanks Mike & Casey :)

At the Outdoor Show I picked up my very first ice flasher, the Humminbird Ice 45 - now I am REALLY looking forward to ice fishing season. Ice, ice, baby!

It's Walleye Time

2010-11-24T18:31:00.001-05:00

A photo from last weekend, which will hopefully be one of many more to come! I love catching walleye!

This fish was caught in Picton, Ontario weighing 13 pounds. Thanks to my friend Mike for taking me out, and Frank too! Can't wait to get out again.

Lucky Fishing Shirt

2010-11-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

Last month I ran a small contest and had people send me their favourite catch this year for a chance to win a G Loomis t-shirt. Photos came in from around the world and it was really neat to see the types of fish people have been catching. The winner of the contest, Christopher of California, sent me some photos in his new shirt after catching 25 stripers, and said it is now his lucky fishing shirt!

I just recently did some cruising in the caribbean - Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. No fishing on this trip, but I did take some videos of my adventure. http://www.youtube.com/ashleymrae
It was fantastic to get away, and I cannot wait to travel again - although, it WILL be a fishing trip! If you know of any places worth checking out, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T21:39:00.001-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL, AND TO ALL A SPOOKY NIGHT :)

My very first salmon experience

2010-09-08T22:28:00.001-04:00

Monday was the day of the Facebook gathering in Port Hope. For those of you that did not read my last post, click here. I met up with Nick, Luke, Mikey and Pat at Tim Hortons parking lot sometime after 12. Unfortunately a few others were unable to make it, or maybe were afraid of the rain? :) From there we introduced ourselves, gathered our belongings and set out on our mission for fishin'. I really did not know what I was in store for, but quickly felt very comfortable with the group of anglers I was about to spend the day with. They cracked jokes as we made our trek through the woods to the Ganaraska River, helping me along the way since I do not yet own hip waders! It was quite the journey!

As we arrived at the destination spot that Mikey picked out, Luke set up his spare rod for me to fish with. I used a 10'5" noodle rod, with a spinning reel rigged with 8 pound test fluorocarbon main line, 4 pound test fluorocarbon leader, split shots, slip float and finally, the roe! It was a different technique that I really enjoyed learning, and I saw more salmon than I had ever seen in my life in that river - it was incredible. The river was about 2 and a half feet deep with perfect visibility, and I could not take my eyes off those fish!!

A few hours into the day, and I successfully hooked up with my very first salmon ever - a chinook! Here is how it went down:

WHAT A FISH!! Definitely a highlight in my life reeling in that monster! Here are a couple of photos thanks to Nick and Mikey:

I would like to express a HUGE thank you to Nick, Mikey, Luke and Pat for helping me land my first salmon, and my personal best fish! It was great to meet new friends, try a new style of fishing out of my element and make a fantastic memory! Can't wait for my next Fishbook experience!

Here are the photos I took:

Mikey on the fly

Pat (Mikey's dad)

Nick and Luke rigging rods

Mikey again, what a great angler!

One of my favourite photos.

Until the next adventure...

Another quick fishing trip

2010-09-03T09:49:00.000-04:00

Last night after work I hit the water for an hour and a half and was really happy with the outcome! The fishing has been a little tough for me lately, and sometimes you need a big fish (or two) to brighten your day. Luckily, I caught a couple, and also a crappie! I haven't caught many of them so it was a nice surprise. I took some photos and videos, so here we go (in order of being caught):

First smallie of the night

Sydenham Lake is LOADED with panfish, and crazy rock bass!

A beautiful crappie!

A big fat smallie - YA!!!

Alrighty, so here is the video for the crappie:

And the big smallie, save the best for last! I was a little excited for this one:

Although the days are now getting shorter, the heat is still cranked here in Ontario. I am really looking forward to the long weekend! I will be fishing on Saturday, hitting up Canada's Wonderland on Sunday, and for the holiday Monday I will be participating in a really cool event I want to tell you about.

Facebook has been an amazing tool for me to meet so many anglers from all over the world. There is a very strong presence in the angling community, and the support there is awesome as well. It's great to see where people are fishing, what they are using, and what they are catching. I have been talking to some locals lately and one of the guys had an idea of a fishing get-together. I renamed Facebook, Fishbook, and we are doing our first gathering on Monday in Port Hope, Ontario! Here is a link for the event:

Fishbook - Fishing the Ganny

Everyone and anyone is invited! We are targeting salmon and trout, both of which I have never caught! So it'll be great to meet some new anglers and hopefully make some memories, and learn a thing or two about fly fishing!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Ashley

Take someone fishing

2010-08-30T23:06:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, I took my brother out on the lake for some bass fishing. It was fun to spend time with him, and I hope to get out again soon and catch more fish next time :) John doesn't have the sickness for fishing that I do... yet. Actually, I am the only one in my immediate family with this obsession...

A little Rae comedy.. haha

Regardless of how many fish were boated, I still had a good time and did what is important: took someone fishing! I have taken a few people out this year, and once I am finally able to get my own boat I will be able to take more people out. I am SO excited for that! It's a great feeling seeing how excited people get to catch their first fish, and get hooked for life!

Last nights variety

2010-08-25T10:34:00.000-04:00

I went out for about an hour on Sydenham Lake last night pretty close to dark. I went to the most popular shoal, and here is what I caught:

A wee smallie!

My first Slammer mudcat!

And my largie was caught on HD video:

My first fly fishing experience

2010-08-15T19:37:00.002-04:00

I have wanted for a long time to try fly fishing. I wanted the experience to be perfect, that way I could really get a feel for it and have a good shot at pursuing it. Well, yesterday was just that!

I went out with a good friend, he showed me the ropes and I had one of the most peaceful and tranquil days on the water I have ever had! I've always thought that fly fishing seemed so artistic and I was definitely right. Something about standing in a stream and hearing nothing but the sound of water rushing over rocks, birds chirping and a splash when a smallie grabs your fly is totally amazing! Can you tell I am in love?

Here are some photos:

Learning to cast

My first smallie on a fly!

He got some serious air!

Practice makes perfect.... eventually!

Another fish on!

Just a little guy, but what a fight!

Lastly, my favourite photo.

You will definitely hear more on this topic, reel soon :)

Fishing with the Extreme Angler

2010-08-15T19:22:00.001-04:00

A few weekends ago (the long weekend), I headed up to Lake Simcoe to fish with Mark Kulik. We ended up fishing Simcoe, Georgian Bay and Lake Couchiching. I wrote about him in my last post as we pre-fished for the Kingston Open together. He's a great guy and someone I am happy to call a friend! He taught me so much and I am very thankful to have that opportunity. Mark wrote about our adventure on his WFN blog ! The purpose was to have some fun and shoot video for our Youtube Channels, so here is some of what we came up with:

My First Pro-Am Tournament

2010-08-15T19:07:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Pre-fish: For most events, and especially big tournaments like the Kingston Canadian Open of Fishing - anyone who can get out beforehand and pre-fish will do so. Pre-fishing is pretty much creating a game plan, locating fish and eliminating spots where there are no fish. It is a real time saver and I really admire all the pros that were able to get out and do all the research for this event. It sounds much easier than it is! I was very fortune to get out with Mark Kulik for a day of pre-fishing and had a blast doing so! Mark is the creator of Strike Zone Tournament Baits and a pro drop-shotter! I began using drop shots last year and have learned so much about the technique, but going out and using them with Mark was a great experience! He made them, so he definitely knows how to use them! We caught a few smallies in the 2.5-3 pound range and saw some nice bigger ones as well! We did not want to hook the big ones because we needed to leave them unharmed for the tournament in hopes of catching them! Mark was a lot of fun to fish with. We had been talking about getting out fishing together for a long time and I am happy I finally had the chance! Thank you Mark!

Following the pre-fish, there was a meeting prior to the tournament. All the anglers met at Days Inn in Kingston, and we found out our partners for the 3 day event, went over tournament rules and how things would go down. Although I was only at the meeting for a short time, I really enjoyed it. With technology the way it is, and things like Facebook - I have so many anglers that I have communicated with, yet had not met in person. I was able to put a few names to faces and had a fun time!

Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 1: My partner drawn was Paul Shibata, lucky me! Paul is hands down one of the most intelligent people I've met. He is the National Spokesperson for G Loomis and is also a Biologist. A very technical angler and I felt very fortunate to have fished with him for a day! We caught smallies and largies. The bite was pretty tough but we managed fish. Paul did a great job and I learned a lot watching the techniques he used. You never stop learning when it comes to fishing. Thank you Paul!

Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 2: My partner for the day was Tom Tarasoff, a local angler who does a lot of tournament fishing in New York. We tried to head out to big water, but the weather was a little too extreme so we weren't able to make the long haul. We did however have a blast fishing for smallies in the morning, then moved on to largemouth in the afternoon. I had a lot of fun fishing with Tom, and although there was a lot on the line for this tournament, we did have a lot of fun and I felt relaxed yet focused! Our fishing style was similar too, so I felt right at home! Thank you Tom!

Saturday, July 24, 2010.
On Friday night I received the unfortunate news that my partner for the final day was unable to fish. He had a major motor issue on Day 2, and was lucky to get back in to shore, so I am thankful for that. Although I didn't fish, I showed up to the weigh-in to cheer on the rest of the anglers. It's no easy task spending 3 days on the water, especially getting beat down on by wind and rain and sun too! It's a lot of fun to watch the weigh-in and hear everyone's story about their day. I will absolutely be fishing another Pro-Am when I get the chance!

I just need to post a very special thank you to a few people, and tell you about why. At the end of Day 1, while in the park where the event was held, my tackle bag was stolen as it was accidentally left out of my sight for what was less than 5 minutes. As you can imagine it was pretty heartbreaking, and stressful especially with 2 more days left to fish. I called the tournament director to see if it had been turned in with no luck. This news spread quickly among anglers, and on Day 2 I was given a care package from Paul Shibata and some of the Shimano guys to help get me through the tournament. Although it may seem like a small thing to do, it meant the world to me! I have also received an unbelievable amount of support from the angling community and I am still in shock. Thank you all :)

I can't imagine what I would do or how I would feel if it wasn't for everyone that has helped me in this situation. So if you are reading this, thank you for turning my season around and making it fishable :) For that I couldn't be any happier!! I am proud to say I belong to this wonderful community of people that are more like family to each other, and will always remember what a lending hand can do, and will never hesitate to lend a hand when someone is in need.

Here are the clips from Day 1 & 2 if you have not viewed them yet:

Ashley talks about the Canadian Open on 98.9 FM - The Drive!

2010-07-27T18:42:00.000-04:00

My first Pro-Am - The Canadian Open VIDEO

2010-07-25T09:50:00.001-04:00

Here are some clips from the Canadian Open. Story coming soon!

BASS BASS BASS

2010-07-11T18:22:00.001-04:00

Since I have been lacking bass coverage, here goes.

Opening day: Our first tournament was held on opening day and it seemed like it took forever to arrive! For those of you that are unaware; I live in Ontario, Canada and bass season opened on June 26th this year. I fish in a local Bassmasters club in which we have tournaments throughout the season.

The first tournament was held out of Picton and the fishing was rather tough! It started off alright, but the fish seemed to shut down when it rained from 10:30am until around 3pm, it was a wet one! Here is a quick video one of the members took of me releasing our fish. We caught 13+ pounds of largemouth and finished 7th place.

Smallie fishin': I was out yesterday with a friend/club member on Sydenham Lake which has become my favourite. I love the size of the lake, that I am able to fish from a canoe since I do not own a boat yet, and the fact that it holds smallmouth, largemouth and pike too! I've actually caught a few crappie on there lately as well!

Here are some shots from yesterday:

Smallies are loving the slammers and so am I!

More to come, thanks for stopping by!

Ashley

Where the bass at?!

2010-07-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

I know you may be wondering 'where the bass at?!' but I assure you that I will upload some bass photos and videos soon. Bass opened here on June 26th and I have been out quite a bit thus far and mostly by canoe! My favourite time of the year is now so I spend as much of it on the water as possible. I actually ventured out on Friday and got stuck in the wind in a canoe by myself... I was safe but it took me FOREVER to get back to the dock!!

This morning I got up at 5:45am to go out fishing before work (which was 1pm). GREAT way to start the week :) I spent most of my morning using a drop-shot with a Slammer rigged with 20lb braid on a Cumulus & Sienna 2500. I was invited out by another member in our club to pre-fish Sydenham Lake (THANKS COLIN!) for our upcoming tournament this weekend. So the bass info is top secret.. but here is one thing I can show you:

The first pike I've ever caught drop-shotting!!

Stay tuned for bass!

Happy Canada Day!!

2010-07-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Sunday night pike

2010-06-20T21:50:00.001-04:00

I set out for about an hour in a canoe just before supper time tonight. On Sydenham Lake, Ontario, Canada, there are many rocks cliffs. I made my way over to one and tried for pike. Well second cast landed me a nice one!!! I usually catch them by accident, and they destroy my bass lures, but I bought a new Lucky Strike Red Flash (basically big red & white spoon with beads) and Mr. (or Mrs.) Pike SLAMMED IT!!

Here's another shot:

Basically I just threw the spoon out, let it sink and before it even hit bottom I was struck!!! It was awesome reeling this one in while in a canoe, and even towed me around a little bit.

Next weekend bass season opens, I have been waiting for what feels like forever.... but alas, time to hook some bass!!

Hope you all had a great weekend on the water!!

Ashley

Reality Fishing TV Show!

2010-06-14T23:10:00.000-04:00

As soon as I read the title of the post on Mike Iaconelli's page - my mind started racing with ideas! A friend sent me the link only a few days before entries were due which didn't give me a lot of time.
The focus of the audition is bass fishing, yet unfortunately bass aren't in season where I live, so I gave the phone number listed on the website a call. They said that I can still apply, and just talk about myself, how I got into fishing, do my best and be funny. That I could do!

It rained Saturday (my 25th birthday!!), so on Sunday I headed out in the boat for a few hours to shoot some clips of me talking on the water, and then showing off a few of my favourite techniques. Needless to say, I got what I needed and then came home to start editing. I have plenty of fishing videos and photos from the past couple years, so I included them in there as well. (Ice fishing, deep sea fishing and bass fishing of course!)

I am quite happy with the final product! I mailed it off tonight to New York, so who knows what will happen now. All I can say is, I think this will be a great show regardless of whether or not I qualify and I will surely be watching!

http://www.mikeiaconelli.com/news.php?id=106

Largemouth bass

2010-06-09T22:07:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post some photos I took from above water of a largemouth bass yesterday. They turned out quite well!!

Webisodes - coming SOON!

2010-06-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

Panfishing on Sydenham Lake off the dock.

For many years I have dreamed about one day having a part in a fishing show. Growing up watching all the guys out there fishing all over the world, looks like a dream come true. I realize it would be no walk in the park, and takes a ton of funding, time, and research - some of which I do not have available at this time. I've decided that there really should be nothing holding me back from doing what I can given my resources.

That being said, this summer I am going to film short 'webisodes' of my fishing adventures here in Ontario, or wherever I have the opportunity to travel and fish. I taught myself how to use a video editing program last year, and was able to buy a video camera as well. I have made lots of fishing acquaintances who I am sure would be happy to spend a day on the water and shoot some video at the same time. The best part about Youtube is that it's FREE, and easy to share all over the internet, so that will be where I post the shows. I will also embed them into my blog so you don't have to go far to find them.

Any suggestions you have would be great to hear! I won't be filming for a few weeks, so I would love to hear your ideas.

Can't wait to get started on this project!!!!!!!!

Ashley :)

Quinte Walleye Open

2010-05-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

I fished this event with a couple guys I met during the ice fishing season, Ian and Joe. We fished all day Saturday to get ready for the event on Sunday which was held in Deseronto, Ontario. On Saturday we caught a few walleye, none of any size - but it was great to get out on the water 2 days! I wish I could spend every weekend like that.
On our way back to the ramp on Saturday, the motor was acting up and wouldn't let us run at any higher speeds. Luckily we made it back as it was a pretty windy day! Joe made some calls to figure out what the issue was, and we decided we would just troll around even locally to the ramp if we had to the next day. Another angler lent us a smaller motor just in case we were stranded.

I arrived at the launch on Sunday morning around 6am. Our other teammate was not feeling very well Saturday, and it got the best of him Sunday, so it was just Joe and I for the day. The Quinte Bassmasters put on this event with 40 teams in total, and even with the high volume the blast off ran very smoothly! Each team could consist of 3 people, but like us there was a few with just 2 members.

I love that feeling first thing in the morning waiting to blast off.. all the boats and smiles ready for a day on the water! The weather was amazing too.. not much wind and I was even down to a t-shirt in the afternoon.

We began our day trolling with crank baits and running planer boards.

We missed a walleye first thing in the morning.. and not long after I hooked into something huge!! Our hearts were pounding and I slowly reeled in this beast:

A 12.6 pound sheepshead!! I thought it was going to be the walleye of my life!! It put up a great fight! After the pic we let her go:

Besides a couple perch, we did not boat any other fish. We saw some others catch some fish nearby, but we could not crank their code!

Back at the launch, I snapped shots of guys before they released their fish. It was a 3 fish limit - live release tournament. Some nice ones were caught!

1st place winners and big fish winners too!

Lots of prizes were donated, tackle, gift certificates, a guided trip and cash! This event was a fundraiser for the Frink Centre Outdoor Education Centre, and we were able to raise $1,000!!!!

Thanks to Joe for taking me out fishing all weekend, and everyone who attended! Hopefully we will do this again next year!!

Ashley

Bass-Man Magazine

2010-05-13T17:08:00.001-04:00

The winter season is officially over, and the Winter 2010 Edition of Bass-Man is now off the shelf making room for the new Spring 2010 issue.

This cover is most definitely one of the highlights of my life. When Wil Wegman contacted me for the interview, he mentioned that there 'could be a chance' of me being selected for the cover shot. I didn't hear back on that for a few months, until finally I was given a copy of the magazine and was totally shocked at what I saw!! I'm not going to lie... when I got home I jumped up and down clutching the magazine like I won the lottery! Ha, ha! I am SO thankful for that moment, and will remember it forever.

A few months after the interview was complete I was asked to write a piece for the Spring 2010 Edition, which I happily did and it has now been published! I interviewed Laurie Ferris-Charlebois: a very active member in the fishing community, a president of one of the original Basssmaster Clubs in Ontario, and another female in the industry!! The 2-page article is called PROfile, and can been seen on page 18 & 19. Laurie is the first female angler to be interviewed for this section.

Here is Laurie with a largie!!

I really feel that women are making their mark in the angling community. It's amazing to be part of such a group, and the support from fellow anglers (men and women) is unbelievable.

I am heading out Saturday and Sunday this weekend to search for some walleye in the Bay of Quinte with some new friends I made during the ice fishing season. Our club is hosting an Open Walleye Tournament on Sunday, and so far we have around 30 teams entered. Photos and story to come!

Have a great weekend,

Ashley

2nd Annual Blair Smith Memorial - Fishing With Kids

2010-05-09T13:30:00.003-04:00

Last year was the first of what will be many fun fishing days for kids in memory of a great man - Blair Smith. You may remember my post last year on the event, the first annual Blair Smith Memorial (click here to read the story). This years event was held yesterday in Trenton, Ontario at Centennial Park on Lake Ontario.

Even despite the cold weather and high winds, a turn out of around 50 children was present! Plenty of pan fish were caught, and some mud cat too! Tons of prizes including; rods, reels, tackle boxes with tackle, shirts, hats and free lunch were given out! I photographed the event, and I will post some of my favourite photos from the day:

Rob, a member of the Quinte Bassmasters showing this young angler some tips on casting.

A family patiently waiting a bite!

Fish on!

Blair's son, a pro with a baitcaster!

Blair's nephew, fishing is definitely present in this whole family :)

Some young anglers in their crisp new hats!

A huge thanks to everyone who came out to the event, and those who donated and helped make it possible again this year. It's so great to get out and help some kids enjoy fishing. I can't wait for next years event!!

Ashley Rae

If you would like to view all the photos, check them out on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=223376&id=338513905419&ref=mf

Kiwanis Walleye World 2010

2010-05-03T21:59:00.005-04:00

This past year has really been a blast for me. I've met so many exceptional anglers and have learned so much from them. I really feel that it's only the tip of the iceberg though, I have so much to learn and I can't wait to experience it!!

This weekend was the annual walleye opener out of Trenton, Ontario. I invited Erik Luzak (of http://www.thatsfishing.tv) to come out and fish the event with me. We headed out in the late morning on Saturday, and fished out near Belleville, Ontario. The water was loaded with anglers, and the weather was awesome for the most part.

Trolling at a slow speed, I was using a Matzuo worm harness with a keel weight. It was my first time using that technique and I loved it! In the past I had only trolled for walleye, with rod holders most of the time and I much prefer this technique as it's more 'hands on'. I like a sensitive rod so I can see and feel everything my bait touches. I was using the Tekota 300LC with the 8 foot Shimano TDR Trolling Rod. We caught a ton of perch, and by the end of Saturday - only 1 walleye.

We spoke with another angler, Grant McAllister (http://g2angling.com/) who was having lots of luck. Grant offered to show us where he was fishing the next day. On Sunday he met us at the launch and he lead us to the location, and even gave us some bottom bouncers so we could get down deep with our bait. We used the same technique (worm harnesses) but this time in deeper water and within minutes of getting to the spot, we were catching walleye after walleye! It was really awesome for Grant to do that for us!! Here's Erik with the average size of walleye we were catching. We counted them at first, but after around 30 we stopped counting. It was so much fun!!

Erik showed me how to run the trolling motor, here I am fishing and trolling - it can get pretty tricky with wind - but I loved it!! Now I need my own boat... someday!!

Here are some more shots from Sunday:

Lots of walleye, but no biggies and we released all of the fish we caught, then headed to Trenton for the weigh-in ceremony. Erik did a seminar, as did Big Jim McLaughlin.

The stage was actually a giant fish tank. Here is a walleye that was caught during the weekend:

And the winner of the walleye derby with 11.77 pounds was Nick Monger!! He is a member of the Quinte Bassmasters! Nice to see someone you know win!! He won a 25 H.P Lund (4 Stroke) Outboard, 16′ Lund Boat and a Shorelander Trailer (from Bay Marine, Lund), congratulations Nick!!!

Nick and his family & friends that he fished with this weekend.

It felt so good to be on the water all weekend, chatting with other anglers on and off shore. It really is a great event and I hope to do it again next year! A huge thanks to Erik and Grant for helping me land tons of walleye and showing me some new tricks!! I feel very lucky to have guys like them support me!

Next stop - The 2nd Annual Blair Smith Memorial Fishing With Kids:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115139635172581&ref=ts

30th Annual Kiwanis Walleye World

2010-04-30T17:50:00.001-04:00

When I was a kid they held the walleye/pike opener annually in my hometown - Napanee, and it was all the hype of the town as Napanee was apparently the 'Walleye Capital of the World'! I remember seeing the huge fish tanks with walleye & pike, all the tents with vendors and the crowds watching the leader board. It was just so much fun, and I wasn't even fishing it back then. To be honest I still feel the same way about the event. I love the angler atmosphere and going to get last minute tackle while chatting with complete strangers at Canadian Tire about the upcoming weekend

Well, in 2008 I entered for the first time and caught this fish that was 8.5 pounds:

I am sure if you've read my blog you know, I did not win a prize or even make the board, but I walked away with a great memory and a new obsession - fishing tournaments. That was 3 years ago this weekend! It's so fun to spend the entire weekend on the water, especially after a long winter, and it means summer is on the way!

The tournament is now held in Trenton and opens at midnight tonight. I will be heading out tomorrow morning. If you get your ticket early enough, you get one of these fancy hats:

I never enter this tournament expecting anything except a fun weekend of fishing, but it's fun to dream of winning a boat or any of the awesome prizes up for grabs.

If you want to check out their online leader board, or what prizes are available:
http://kiwaniswalleyeworld.com/v2/

Good luck to anyone fishing this weekend, tournament or not!

Ashley

2nd Annual Kids Fishing Derby

2010-04-26T10:38:00.003-04:00

With great weather, a great turnout (50 kids), tons of prizes to give away, AND plenty of fish caught - it's no wonder it was a very fun day for all !!

We set up around noon at Conservation Park in Napanee, and then at 12:30 p.m. families started showing up. Parents registered their kids and were required to have kids wearing a life jacket, and bring their own fishing rod. Bait was supplied. We gave out books/magazines and some plastic bait that was donated and also tickets for draw prizes when they registered. We didn't want it to be too competitive, so any fish caught earned another ticket and another chance at winning. Club members walked around and helped out with catching fish and unhooking them, all fish were released.

I made my way along the shoreline and took photos of all the kids. Napanee really is a great spot for this event. There's lots of dock and space for the kids to safely fish. It's also my hometown!

What a cute bunch! Even some first-timers like this little guy, Dominic.

Thanks to everyone who came out this year!! A special thanks to everyone who donated prizes, and time to make this happen! Looking forward to next years event! I'll end this post with some more photos.

We gave out 7 rod and reel combos, tackle boxes, DVDs, etc - all were donated and all children that registered had a chance of winning. This lucky guy is drawing for another winner.

THANKS EVERYONE!

Excited for tomorrow!!

2010-04-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

This is what I am up to tomorrow:

I am really looking forward to it!! I feel it's really important now to give kids the chance to get out fishing, even if their parents don't fish. I was fortunate enough to have that opportunity growing up, and here I am, hooked on it!! Myself, with other club members and even some volunteers from a few hours away are going to be there to help out! The weather is looking good, so here is hoping for a good turnout again this year! Photos and report to follow.

Have a great weekend,

Ashley

Fish Art

2010-04-22T15:13:00.002-04:00

I posted a request for my Facebook friends yesterday to post some blog topics for me to write about, not necessarily fishing. I had some great responses quickly, and ironically enough I have some exciting news that is also related to Michelle's idea topic of art.

First of all I will talk a little bit about Michelle. She is a woman I went to high school with. We had an art class together in high school and I saw a few of her pieces, and she is extremely talented! I've looked through her art albums on Facebook many times. After high school she followed her dreams and talents and went to art school, and has a blog featuring her beautiful artwork:
http://www.michellemackinnon.blogspot.com
Be sure to check it out!!

Now for the fish part! A co-worker of mine, who also happens to be a friend of my fathers has some beautiful carvings in her home. My dad was over visiting her and her husband a few months back, and then later told me about the different art pieces, and how nice they were. My co-workers husband stopped by work one afternoon and we got talking about the carvings. He said he could get the gentleman who did that art to make me something. We talked about fish (no doubt) and he said he would see what he could do. I didn't expect anything to really surface from that as there is so much work involved with carving. I can't even imagine having that skill! This was probably a month ago. Well today, this is what I received at work:

My very first piece of fish art, created especially for me! It is SO beautiful and detailed, I absolutely LOVE it!

Here is a closer look that will hopefully give more detail:

The detail around the trees, the rod, the fish, everything is just amazing!! The rocks in the stream are knots in the wood :) Now I hope one day I can fly fish near the mountains and re-create this image. I'll try!!

Can you guess the type of fish?

Have a great day and thanks for looking!

Ashley

Paddletales Tackle Presents: Bass Talk 2010

2010-04-19T20:48:00.000-04:00

I heard about the Bass Talk Seminar Series last year from some local anglers who absolutely recommended it. I missed out last year, so I knew I had to attend this year.

I headed out at 5:40 a.m. on Saturday morning and made the drive up to Winchester, Ontario with a few local anglers. We arrived around 7:30 a.m. and it wasn't long before the place was full. Bass Talk is an information session put on by professional tournament anglers that give you more advice than you can handle. I started off by listening, but by the end I filled almost 2 pages front and back with point form tips and tricks that these guys live by. It's really amazing to have this knowledge available! I will list the topics:

Tournament lessons; the winning attitude, psychology aspect, fishing line, (sinker) weights, rules, ETC
Preparing for a new lake; map study, where to find useful maps, how to effectively use them, researching lakes, ETC
Frogging (top water frogs); rod set up, use in different types of structure, casting, retrieving, hook set, patterns, ETC
Current fishing; how current effects fish and all underwater life, how to read current and the advantages, finding fish, ETC
Fishing speed; adapting to the fish, shallow/deep/clear water techniques, lure selection and use, ETC
Rod selection/fish location lake-specific; rod length, rod action, smallmouth and largemouth activity, where/when to find fish, foliage, ETC

I would like to point out a HUGE emphasis on ETC, because I honestly learned so much! What a great way to prepare for the tournament season, or just the fishing season in general. Not everyone that attended is a tournament angler, but the advice was very useful and LOCAL. A question & answer session followed, and that was great too. The guys let me snap a photo at the end:

From left to right; Charles Sim, Mark Kulik, Dave Chong, Lenny Devos, Paul Shibata and in front Doug Brownridge.

I am sure you will recognize some of these names. Be sure to check out Bass Talk next year, you won't regret it!

http://www.basstalk.ca

They also had some discounts going on with Paddletales Tackle (the host of the event) and I picked up these 2 items:

Can't wait to have bass exploding over these!!! Top water fishing is so fun, I used to do a lot of it on the Napanee River when I lived there. Hopefully I will have the chance to do lots of it this year!

Thanks for reading!!

Ashley

Fishin' after work

2010-04-09T15:56:00.004-04:00

It was a pretty nice day out today, so after work yesterday I decided to hit the water again in search of perch. Arriving to the spot (the same one as last weekend), this is what presented:

The perfect perch rock fishing spot almost submerged!

Jamie and I fished at the bottom of a waterfall, and saw more perch than ever but couldn't get any decent-sized bites. At first I didn't recognize this fish due to the dark colour:

A rock bass. My first time seeing such a dark one. I read about rock bass afterwards and discovered they can rapidly change colour to match their surroundings.

We were the only humans there, but not the only ones fishing:

A blue heron waiting for his next victim.

I am not sure on the ID of this bird.. but there were many of them flying overhead.

A seagull devouring a perch.

A beaver that swam close by the entire time.

The most perch I've EVER seen!! I had to exaggerate the colour a bit so the fish could be visible. They were somehow holding in a corner below a mill through a really strong current. Can you see that monster-sized one? I wish I could catch her!! I think next time I may use worms.. these fish have seen it all! Real bait may be the only trick.

We left just in time avoiding a heavy downpour! We definitely need some rain though.

Have a great weekend!

Syndenham Lake Sunfish

2010-04-04T22:48:00.001-04:00

Another beautiful day brought me outdoors again, this time to try my luck on Sydenham Lake, Ontario. It was quite warm outside but in the wind I needed a hoodie. By canoe, the search was on for some fish. I thought I would go for perch again, or even try my luck at crappie. I've heard they have been active in Sydenham Lake.

It was pretty windy out in the open water, and no fish seemed to be found in any local shallow areas. No luck for me, so it was time to try another location. A culvert on the north end of Syndeham Lake usually has fishermen, so a short car ride and I was reeling in some pumpkinseed sunfish! They are a very beautiful fish and put up a decent fight. Here is the biggest one I caught today:

I am a live releaser, love to send the fish back home after a quick photo or video.

A close-up shot. Great colours on these little guys!

I caught about 8 in total today throughout 45 minutes. Sydenham Lake is such a gorgeous location! Lots of variety in different types of structures and even depth as the lake gets up to 120 feet. I will be fishing there a lot this summer when bass opens. The lake holds both smallies and largemouth and pike too. Can't wait!!

I hope this weather keeps up so I can get out again this week!

Goodnight,

Ashley

Perchin' - April 3rd

2010-04-03T22:01:00.001-04:00

When I was young the first fish I was introduced to were walleye, and then bass. While those fish were out of season, I would wait months on end to wet a line. I have been fortunate enough to catch many new species since then, but I am still on the hunt for more. With my new goal this year to experience the many kinds of fish available here in Ontario, I thought I would set out in the gorgeous weather and catch some perch. I have caught many before, but never really set out to do so.

I set up my Cumara rod with a Sahara 500FD reel, 10 pound moss green braid with a 4 pound monofilament leader and set out to Canadian Tire for some baits. I bought 2" pumpkin and white swirltail grubs, 1/16th ounce jig heads in black and white and also some waterbugs (pink/white and beetle juice coloured).

The location:

A beautiful spot in Kingston, Ontario. My friend Jamie and I set up on a rock point and both caught perch on our first cast! A very promising location!

It was great to get out, get some sun and fresh air and most of all: REEL IN SOME FISH!! Regardless of size, perch are pretty fun to catch. We both caught lots! Just off the point there were more perch schooled-up than I had ever seen in my life!! We fished there for awhile and were spoiled so we thought 'hey, let's try another spot'. None of the other locations produced any fish, so we headed back to the original spot.

Here is Jamie!

What a gorgeous day! A little overcast, and pretty warm! I wore pants, but should have worn shorts.

There were lots of people out and about; fishing, walking and even some rock climbers climbing up the cliffs. This black lab spent some time watching us fish. What a cute pup! I think I may head out tomorrow and try to make a video of perch fishing.

Hope you are enjoying this lovely weekend!

Ashley

More photos from today

2010-04-01T20:48:00.003-04:00

I went out to Napanee in search of wildlife, here is what I found:

A painted turtle hiding in the swamp.

A leopard frog.

The Easter bunny!

Some new blossoms.

A robin bathing in open water on the Bay of Quinte. Clearly a sign of Spring!!

Another robin.

Some horses wondering what I am up to. I love the reflection.

Canadian geese in flight.

More geese on the roadside. They were everywhere.

Photography is another hobby of mine, and you will see plenty of it. There is so much wildlife available to capture, so stay tuned!

Ashley

Spring has SPRUNG

2010-04-01T15:07:00.001-04:00

I feel I can officially say that yes, Spring has SPRUNG!! I got home from work, took my plants outside in the backyard for some sunshine and did a little clean up/prep for our chimenea. It will be nice to have the "campfire feel" even in the city!! It's a perfect day for photos, so I think I will head out and take more. Here is my newly bloomed hyacinth.

Hope the weather is warm where you are!!

Ashley

The Fish List

2010-03-29T00:22:00.001-04:00

I added a new page THE FISH LIST. I have been thinking a lot about the endless possibilities of fish available, and I wanted to make a list and work on hooking them up this year! I started off with local Ontario fish for now - but will later work on some world wide dreams.

I just created the page - so if you can think of any I am missing, please leave a comment!

Golden Gar Pike at the indoor tank - Canadian Tire, Kingston, Ontario

2nd Annual Kids Fishing Derby

2010-03-27T22:30:00.003-04:00

Last year the fishing club I belong to (The Quinte Bassmasters) held a free kids fishing derby in Napanee, Ontario. Despite the light rain during set-up, we had a great turnout!! Lots of fun, smiles and panfish too! Some of the families that showed up were not very familiar with fishing, but we had club members there to help out. I even hooked a few worms up! It's great to share the sport of fishing, which is why I try and get involved in any event like this. After all, it's the future of fishing!

Well, we are at it again and holding our 2nd Annual Kids Fishing Derby!
Here are the details for this years event:

THE QUINTE BASSMASTERS present the 2nd Annual Kids Fishing Derby!
This is a FREE event put on by the Quinte Bassmasters and sponsors.

Saturday, April 24th, 2010 from 1pm - 3pm at Conservation Park in Napanee (on the docks by the Pioneer Gas Bar located on Centre Street).
Prizes will be given out at 3pm sharp.

FOR CHILDREN AGED 3 to 12.
All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and all children MUST have a life jacket on and bring their own fishing rod. Bait will be supplied.

Hot dogs and burgers will be available and all children will receive a participation prize. A fun day for children to enjoy fishing from the dock in a friendly, non-competitive manner. A live release event.

Since this is a free event, we are looking for children's prizes, so if you are able to donate it would be GREATLY appreciated. Please e-mail me at: ashley@shelovestofish.com

Thanks in advance!

Ashley

Link to the Facebook Event
Quinte Bassmasters Website

The Toronto Sportsman Show 2010

2010-03-22T23:18:00.005-04:00

I had a fantastic weekend and experience in general at the Sportsman Show. It was my first time officially working at a show - and I LOVED it!!! There's so much to say, so I thought this post would be best in picture form with some captions to go along with each photo. Hope you enjoy!

I tried to get up there on Friday night so I could check out the show before 8pm. Traffic was bad on the way up, so I was unable to make it there in time before closing. Here is the view from my room, which was a great location only minutes away walking distance from the show.

Arrived Friday, checked in, had a great sleep, and then headed over to the show Saturday morning for my first day!! The show was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. I was at the Power Pro display booth. I am sure you fisher-folk are very familiar with the wonderful braided fishing line, fantastic stuff! Lots of great fishing stories and smiles Saturday morning.

This photo is very special to me. Meet Ty and Debbie (and daddy Ben took the photo). They approached me with their sweet little son holding the Bass-Man magazine asking for my autograph!!!! I could not believe it, I was unbelievably happy and will never forget that moment! I never expected this to happen to ME!

It was extremely busy on Saturday. Here is a view from the upper floor. My booth was located in the North Building.

Here is only some of the massive line up at the Shimano booth for Bob Izumi's autograph session.

Myself with Big Jim McLaughlin. He is truly an ambassador for fishing, I feel very fortunate to have met him.

After being around hundreds of people, it was so nice to see a familiar face! The president of the Quinte Bassmasters and a friend of mine - Kevin Dorey!

The map of the event!

Myself with another legend in fishing - Bob Izumi!

I have been at a few different local events, and shows and had the opportunity to meet Erik Luzak. He is a young guy with lots of enthusiasm and he seems to know what he is doing when it comes to fishing! He has his own DVD series titled 'That's Fishing with Eric Luzak' and I can't wait to watch it! Really nice guy and I am always happy to talk with him.

The G Loomis booth was located right behind me.

The Casting Pond! This place was constantly lined with kids.

The Curado display, and if you look closely you can see Dave Mercer peaking haha.

A GIANT pack of Power Pro!

A reel hot reel I can't wait to use - AKA the Stradic CI4.

Talking knotty! I met so many interesting people this weekend with great stories. Every time someone new stopped by, it was so cool to hear about what they fish for, where, and lots of fish stories! True or not I will never know, but it's nice to share a common passion with a complete stranger.

Part of the display.

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with some of Canada's top anglers. What a great bunch of people, I am so thankful! I learned so much and can't wait to do it again!!

I think I smiled more than ever this entire weekend!! What a great place to be with people from all walks of life enjoying the same sport - FISHING!

Thanks for reading,

Ashley

Underwater Wonderland

2010-03-13T16:12:00.015-05:00

I am fascinated with the underwater world. We have so many beautiful and weird creatures that roam the depths of lakes and oceans, and we still have so much to discover. Maybe I should take up scuba diving?

Last year I purchased the Sanyo Xacti Wh1 - a wonderful underwater camera that is submergible up to 10 feet. The reason I bought it was for my Tobago trip. I knew I wanted to get some snorkeling footage and also share my experiences with you since you helped me get there :) Well, the camera has captured some amazing footage even here in Ontario, so I got thinking today that I should edit some together to show you.

It is so gloomy and rainy outside today, a PERFECT day to watch summer videos and day dream. Watching those cute little fishies gave me a nice warm feeling and a hope for a FAST approaching Spring and fishing season, enjoy!

Some photos too: