Finally Some Success Catching Bass

Last Sunday Night I snuck out for a couple of hours of fishing. It was a last minute decision to go so I made a quick trip to Little River to see if the bass were in the system yet. It was this time last year that I caught my first bass. The water was lower than the last time I was there and the water was not running as hard so my hopes were up that maybe I would have some success. I worked different parts of the river with no success. I tried some different baits. I tried some 4 inch tubes and tried some 6 inch worms. I figured since I was out and did not know when I would get out again that I would go try a couple of parts of the Petitcodiac River just past Salisbury.
There is this one corner that I had good luck at last year so I tried that spot first. I was using the 4 inch tube here. I did three or four casts with no luck and on my fifth cast I had that sensation I have been waiting all winter and spring for, the pull of a bass on the end of the line. It was nothing big but I was excited just to have a fish on. I played it for a minute and then released it. I did not have anymore luck there so I went up the road to try another spot I tried last year. It only took another couple of casts before I caught another bass. This is the one that is in the picture. Again, nothing big but fun just the same. I tired around this area for about another half an hour with no luck so I called it a night.
It was great to catch my first two bass of the season. I am taking a course for school and was there today and again tomorrow. If I am lucky I will sneak out when I get home from course for a couple of hours. If I make it out I will let you know how I make out. Tight lines.

Using a Canoe to Access More Water

Over my many years of fishing I was limited to brook fishing with chest waders as I never own a boat for fishing. A couple of years ago my brother-in-law and I went half on buying a canoe that we could use when he comes home from Calgary. It is a very simple 13 foot long canoe but it has opened many new places for us to fish. It is a small canoe but can handle two people with no problems. It also fits on top of my Saturn without any problems so it is easy to transport. I just use the white foam pads and ratchet tie downs. Both were bought at Canadian Tire for a reasonable price.

The first place my brother-in-law and I went to try out the canoe was the Shepody River in Riverside Albert, NB. It is a narrow piece of water but gets very deep in many spots which makes it impossible to wade. Also, the terrain along the river is very difficult to walk and some of the area is a marsh. We put the canoe in at a covered bridge about 7km past past Rivervside Albert and started fishing down the river. We used the paddles to help direct as as the current took us down river. We also used an anchor to stop us when we wanted to fish in a certain area.

The weather was great and we took our time going down the river. We mainly bait fished as there were many trees and bushes hanging over the water. We did not have a lot of action but did catch some trout along the way. The action picked up as we came to an area that we could tell people could not get to by foot. I casted my line under a tree quite a ways away. I had what I thought was a very good bite. I reeled in with no luck. Dave told me to cast back to the same area and leave the bait there. After a few more tricky casts I caught a very nice sea trout(the one in the pic). I could quickly tell why people fish this system when the sea run is on. We caught a few more fish on the way down the system and did not get out until it was almost dark. We had a great day on our first voyage in our new(used) 13 foot canoe!

I keep the canoe at my house when Dave is back in Calgary so I try to use it as much as possible. I was surprised when my wife mentioned that she would like to go for a canoe ride sometime. As mentioned in my last post, we live very close to the Petitcodiac River and therefore do not have to drive far to get to water. We decided to go to the bridge just past the Turtle Creek road. It is a popular spot for people to boat. We put in and canoed up towards Turtle Creek(Yes, I brought my fishing rod). We had a great time canoeing this stretch of water. We saw some ducks on the water and also a bald eagle flying over head. I would recommend this place to anyone who would like to go for a canoe trip. The water is usually very calm. Do be careful of boaters in bigger motor boats. They will usually slow down to keep the water calm until they pass.

I also have started using the canoe to go fishing with a new fishing buddy I met last summer. We have used the canoe to go chain pickerel fishing, which I am very excited to write about very soon.

To anyone that is thinking about getting a canoe to add to their fishing experiences, I would strongly recommend it. You can buy new at many stores for a reasonable price and also look to buy used as we did. We found ours on Kijiji. It has already taken me to places I have never fished before and has allowed me to catch new species of fish that I am truly enjoying fishing. Less than three months before I can strap it back on top of the car. :)