The Kawartha Lakes are a major attraction to anglers in south-central Ontario. After all, they are located less than two hours away from the City of Toronto, there are lots of lakes to choose from, and they harbour a lot of fish.
For this Fish’n Canada episode, Pete took his oldest son Hunter on a long overdue father-son trip. Their target species was primarily Carp, with a backup of either species of Bass. Their destination was Lakeside Cottages in Lakefield, owned by former residents of England, Mike and Eileen Williams.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
As many of you know, the Brits are “Carp crazy” and very skilled at their fishing techniques for the species. Mike is no exception. He pre-baits his fishing areas, has fantastic access from shore for numerous anglers to set up, and has all the gear if you need it. Remember, Carp fishing is primarily a shore-access sport.
As for Pete and Hunter’s trip, they arrived during the Carp spawn. It’s a tough time to hook up, but it’s not impossible. With Hunter’s biggest fish to date being a small muskie around 10-12 pounds, he was anxious to beat that number and he knew that Carp was a prime species to do it.
Hunter’s first Carp of the trip was a decent 17+ pounder; one that totally caught him off guard with its sheer strength. Pete warned him how strong these beasts were, but as with most anglers, the fight always surpasses the hype.
MID-DAY BASS
During the mid-day periods, Pete and Hunter would take the Princecraft out for a little Bass fishing, since it was the first week of the season. They caught a few smallish Largemouth, and two very respectable Smallmouth—one pushing the four-pound plus range. The weird part was that the Smallmouth came from expected Largemouth areas and on Largemouth baits. The biggest one hit a Megastrike Mega Bug, a very odd looking creature that apparently Smallmouth eat as well.
Another side adventure took them to the locks in the nearby town of Lakefield, as well as Young’s Point, which is a very touristy area. Hunter brought his rod and reel, and no sooner than he arrived was the line wet and the current-dwelling Smallmouth Bass were being hauled up the concrete dams—reminds us of someone else in his youth!
This amazing side trip is a must when visiting the area.
A REAL RIPPER
During one evening, Hunter hooked up, but ended up with a lost fish—or, more specifically, a broken line. Then finally he landed a 25-pounder that was spewing milt, proving the fish were right in the middle of their spawn. Hunter didn’t care what was happening, though. That fish was, and is, his biggest to date.
On the final day, Hunter got a break from the 5:30 AM wake-up calls he’d been pounded with every morning. He looked exhausted and asked if he could sleep in. “Sure you can, bud,” Pete said. “But what if we hook into another fish?”
Wouldn’t you know it, the only fish of the morning was a behemoth 37.3-pound gorgeous Common Carp. A real ripper!
As of writing this, Hunter has yet to be told just how big this fish was. He’s going to cry when he sees the episode! If you are looking for a great fishing adventure to a rather unknown, yet fish-filled lake, then give Mike and Eileen a call at Lakeside Cottages.
Quoting Hunter Bowman: “Mike and Eileen are the nicest people I’ve ever met!” And Pete couldn’t agree more.
