Canada vacation pics Vol. 1

CANADA

We spent the entire month of October in North Bay, Ontario Canada. We were visiting our son and his family, who are stationed there in the Air Force. We fished almost daily, catching Northern Pike and Bass. The glacial lakes are everywhere and the scenery is absolutely awesome. Thanks B.J., Noel and Liam. I will post some pics from Canada and Niagra Falls after I make them an uploadable size.

Cold

Well the weather has been cold lately and will stay that way for a couple more months. I did get a deer though. Got it on the second day of the season. I am going to start fishing again in February. I'll keep you posted.

They're biting topwater on Big Sam.

Just after work today I decided to take a chance and go fishing. It wasn't so hot today and I got done early. I'm glad I went. Found these hiding under matted hydrilla points. They couldn't resist my Pop-R. Caught about 5 this size in 2 hours. Not bad.

Time off

Well, it's 100+ degrees every day now so I'm taking
a few weeks off from fishing. It's just too hot to spend time
looking for fish. Seriously, there are heat warnings every
day. Check back in mid September.
Thanks for keeping up with fishing on Big Sam.

Jeff

Morning fishing, lost fish.

I went out this morning in what I would consider perfect conditions. It was cloudy, kind of windy from the west and the southwest and a little rainy. I had a few bites and caught 2 fish, one about 3 lbs.  Twice I had an Alligator Gar take my Ribbit and break my braided line. Oh well, I had fun and that is what it's all about.
The lake is about 4 ft. low and falling. All my fish have moved out and now I'm left looking for a bite. Well that's a good excuse to go back out this evening.

Should of, Would of , Could of !!!

There is a local tournament every Thursday night. The entry is $40.00 per 2 person team. I entered it with a friend from Houston a few weeks ago and we took 4th place with 9.4 lbs. 1st place was 11.2 lbs. For our 4th place we each got $60.00. Now for the pictures I posted today. Top left is "should have joined the tournament" Top right is "would have placed in the tournament" and bottom center is "could of won this darn tournament". 1st fish was 3 lbs. 2nd was 4 lbs. and the 3rd was 5 lbs. for a total of 12 lbs. Can't believe we didn't enter the tournament.

We have been fishing late in the afternoons and catching fish like these
on Ribbits, Pop-r's, Spinner baits and Bass Assassins. Fish are hiding under Pepper Grass and Lilly Pads. Some fish have been larger but I forgot my camera on a few occasions.

Dog days of summer.

It has been 95 or above everyday for a couple of weeks now. Also 75% or more humidity. Until the water temp. comes down to under 90. we will have to fish early, late or deeper. Went Friday for about 2 hours before dark. We didn't do very well, but I did manage a 5 pounder on a small spinner. Nothing on top water or bass assassins.

Tournament fishing

There won't be any pics today but I can tell you that a friend from Houston and I entered the weekly Thursday night bass tournament at Monterrey Park launch. We placed in the money. The tournament starts at 5:00 PM and ends at dark. You can only weigh in 3 fish between the 2 of you and we caught 9.44 lbs. and placed 4th.
$60.00 each isn't bad for an afternoon of fishing. The winning stringer was 11.02 lbs.
I will be entering this tournament more often now.

Bad weather

Well just about the time I released this fish the bottom fell out of the clouds. I caught this 4 pounder on a frog over grass on my new 7' Falcon rod which I got for my birthday. I caught one other that was about 2 1/2 lbs. Had a good time and released all the fish unharmed.

Hot water, bad weather, top water.

When it rains it pours and the fish bite top water baits, as evidenced by these pics. The first fish was caught in an unusual manner. It rained for about a solid hour, and hard too. When it finally stopped the big ones came out to play.

Memorial Day weekend!

Well it is Memorial Sunday and the big ones are biting. We caught 8 good fish in about 4 hours. The wind picked up about 6:30 and so did the fishing. Wind out of the SE at about 15 mph. All our fish were caught within 200 yards of the boat launch, and were caught on small white or white and chartruese spinners. Well the cabin is open and you need to remember these pics for next years Memorial Day weekend.

The heat is on.

Temperature 89 degrees wind like 0 mph. and humidity off the chart. Not great conditions but I went fishing with a friend today and we caught several fish to 4 lbs. and lost many that seemed larger. We saw 2 large gators and both seemed to be stalking us. We had a good time.

Still there (Monday morning)

Well the weather has changed some but it is still windy. I didn't know if the fish would still be in by the boat ramp or not. The middle pic is a fish caught less than 50 feet from the launch while people were launching. All of these fish were caught on pop-r's and they came from ambush points. The wind was probably 15 to 20 mph. from the south, southwest, driving the plankton (which the bait fish feed on) directly into the cove that Monterrey park boat launch is in. The wind is gusting to30mph. according to the weatherman that I am watching. Well the wife is still in Houston so I am thinking of going fishing.Guess I will. See ya!

"Big" problems!

I went out at 5:30 PM this evening. The weather had been bad all day. I decided to check out some repair work I had done this afternoon. After fishing with a  pop- r for 2 1/2  hours I had caught 3 fish about this size and 2 a bit smaller. I never left the boat launch area while I fished. I took this fish back to the boat launch after I took this picture and released it. I was happy to see it swim away as if nothing had happened to it. Oh, the boat worked fine, the trouble was that only big fish were biting. I will be out in the morning.

All Topwater fish.

     These fish were all caught on Zara Pups. I went out

about 1:30 and came back in around 5:30. I caught  

probably 15 fish. These were the best. I missed several.

Fish have finally moved into Popher Creek. I have read

that all fish activity has been slowed by 45 days, because

of the long cold winter.                                                                                    

Honey do's

Haven't fished in a few days 'cause the wind has been out of the north or east. Also I've had things to do around the yard. I hope to go tomorrow if the wind cooperates. If I do go I'll let you know how I did.

Beautiful sunset.

Went to bridge about 4:30 for the evening bite. When I got there, there was only one other boat. There was absolutely no wind. I trolled around several pilings and caught a lot of small Crappie. Around 5:30 everyone showed up. I ended up catching 4 keepers and decided that if the big ones weren't going to bite, I would run to the Canyons and see if the Bass were biting. Luckily I got to see this beautiful; sunset and caught several nice ones on a Senko. You could see them coming from the side or behind to nail the bait. It was kind of like a topwater bite. Very fun.

Topwater is starting up.

Went out about 9:00 A.M. for the early bite. Had several fish on the same lure you can see in the pic. Had lots of fun and missed several strikes.

East North East wind

Went out yesterday afternoon in a bad e.n.e. wind and caught these 2 Crappie and 1 small Bass.The waves were bad and it was uncomfortable, so we didn't stay out long.

10.6 lbs. wins the McDonald's tournament?

Wow you can get money for a 5 lb. fish. I can't believe how small the fish were this year in the tournament. Maybe I'll join next year. I never fish on the weekend of the McDonald's tourn. because I'm always afraid I'll catch a big fish and not be entered. I see that the final hour is now over and it looks like 10.6 is going to win this year. Can't help but wish I had entered. Oh well, I can go fishing again as all the weekenders are gone.

Crappie Biting

Well, I'm trying to learn to Crappie fish and I think I'm getting the hang of it. Went out about 2 hours and caught these and more in the sink. Reeling my magic minnow through them seemed to do the trick. Other days I've had to jig the minnow to get a bite. Keep checking back I will get back to Largemouth's soon. Also, we have joined www.samrayburn.com  and  www.anglerweb.com. Check out these fine web-sites, there is much information on these sites.

If you can't beat them...

Well on Friday I couldn't find bass to save my life. This is the only bass I caught while fishing for bass. I caught it on a watermelon red Senko. It was getting on in the day so I went to the bridge to try for some Crappie. Didn't have any luck until I saw a friend by the bridge and he gave me some of his "magic minnow" baits.  I caught a few Crappie then until they stopped biting.
I went back the next afternoon and apparently the White Bass or, Sand Bass as some around here call them, had moved in. I caught several of them, 2 Largemouths anda couple Hybreds. It was a fun Saturday afternoon. If you want to know what the "magic minnow" is, come stay at the Hidden Cottage and we will talk.

Still Biting!

Well, I we went out this morning at 7:30 and returned home at 12:00 noon. We caught 21 fish in all and missed several. None were very big but it was still a fun morning. The bad news is that one that got away broke my now famous chartruese spinner bait. Oh well, now I'll have to find a new favorite. Fish also bit Senko's rigged wacky style, and some hits on Zara Pups and Zara Pooch's.

I Told You

I told you yesterday that the fish were biting. If you didn't go fishing today you missed out on fish like these two 4 & 5 pounders. Stayed out 2 hours and caught 10 fish. These were the biggest. They were all caught on chartruese spinners. I thought about naming todays post
"If it still works, why change it? I know you are tired of hearing about 1/8 oz. chartruese spinners, but the proof is in my hands, they work.

Saturday outing!

We caught 20 or so fish Saturday afternoon. We went out at about 2:00 and stayed until 7:30 and caught fish on Flukes, Bass Assassins, Spinners and top waters.
This was the biggest at about 4 pounds. The water is getting very clear, and the bass are biting. What are you doing just setting there? hit the lake. While your at it, stay at the Hidden Cottage.

Veach Basin produces.

Bass to 6 lbs. were biting pretty good on worms this morning.
A total of around 20 fish were caught in 4-1/2 hours in  flooded Buck brush.
Most on worms but some on Traps.
After my less than stellar fishing this morning, I went out by myself in the afternoon. I caught 8 fish
all about 2 to 3 lbs. on Zara Pups and spinners.

South of 147 bridge.

A friend and myself went fishing today at about 2:00 PM. We fished around  the 147 bridge and caught several nice bass.  We fished south of the bridge for several hours and caught fish everywhere we went. None of the fish were over 3-1/2 to 4 lbs. but we caught several and had a good time. We finished the day in  the Canyon's, but there were more boats than fish. But that was expected as the wind was at least 25 to 35 mph. all day long and everyone was looking to get in a protected area.

Beautiful day's not necessarily good fishing.

 As you can see by the picture, it was a beautiful day. I could only manage about 5 fish like this in 4 or 5 hours.
It was tough fishing. I caught this one on a watermelon red Fluke. The rest on the old trusty spinner bait. Wind was strong from the southwest.

Catch of the day.

Northwest winds were whipping up the whitecaps at a constant 20 mph. We were out about 3 hours and only managed 2 fish about this size for our trouble. Casting was very difficult and the wind made staying out hard.
So far the southeast wind has been the most productive
for me. I'll keep you updated.

Windy but good!

The wind was blowing at about 15 mph. and gusting to 30, but if you could stand the wind the fish were biting.
Still biting chartruese spinners in 1/8 ounce. Took about 2 hours to catch 9 fish, including these 5 keepers.

Spring fishing!

Fishing has been good for the past 2 weeks for largemouth bass on a variety of artificial baits. Small spinner baits
in chartruese or white, with double willow leaf blades (gold or gold and silver) have been producing to 5 lbs. around flooded buck brush and against windblown shorelines. Other baits that have been producing are, green Senko's, Bass Assassins, Flukes and Wacky Worms. Some bites on Rogues. Southeast winds have been the best so far, today the wind is supposed to be out of the west. I will keep you posted on my success.

Jeff Ketchum, Innkeeper
Hidden Cotage
3-22-10

Wildlife around The Hidden Cottage

The Hidden Cottage backs up against the Angelina National forest. The Angelina National Forest is

153 thousand acres. Our area of the forest has a bustling wildlife population.  Yesterday we took these photos of some wild turkeys right behind The Hidden Cottage. If you like bird watching The Hidden Cottage is a fantastic location for bird watching.  We have a nest of Bald Eagles within view and often see them feeding on the lake.  Although wild turkeys are usually skittish, these stuck around for awhile allowing me to take several pictures.
For those of you interested in hunting, regulations and rules for hunting in Angelina County are posted here on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division webpage
Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Zavalla Ranger Station - 936-897-1068.




The ranger station address:
RANGER DISTRICT ADDRESSES
Angelina
Rt. 2, Box 242
Zavalla, Texas 75980
936-897-1068

Sam Rayburn Reservoir Information

Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the largest man-made lake located entirely within the boundaries of the State of Texas, and covers 114,500 acres at normal elevation in five counties, (Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, and San Augustine). The dam and reservoir were dedicated in 1965 and named by President Lyndon B. Johnson in honor of the long-time Speaker of the House from Texas. Lake Sam Rayburn has 560 miles of shoreline, including 100 miles of national forest shoreline.

History of the lake:

Sam Rayburn Reservoir, formerly known as McGee Bend Reservoir, is dammed eighty miles north of Beaumont (at 31°04' N, 94°06' W). It is fed by the Angelina River and lies in Jasper, Angelina, Sabine, Nacogdoches, and San Augustine counties. Construction at the McGee Bend site began on September 7, 1956, and deliberate impoundment of water began on March 29, 1965. Paul Hardeman, Incorporated, of Stanton, California, served as general contractor for the project, which cost $63,290,000. The project was renamed in honor of Samuel T. (Sam) Rayburn in 1963.

The reservoir is designed for flood control and power generation, owned by the United States government, and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth district. The earthfill dam has a spillway crest elevation of 176 feet and a top flood-control pool capacity of 3,997,600 acre-feet. Its two hydroelectric plants generate a total capacity of 52,000 kilowatt-hours marketed by the Southwestern Power Administration. With a drainage area of 3,449 square miles, Rayburn Reservoir conserves water for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and recreational purposes.

View Larger Map
Sam Rayburn has thirteen developed recreation areas that are operated and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including : nine campgrounds, (primitive to highly developed), with more than 500 total campsites, sixteen multi-lane launch ramps, five group shelters, four picnic areas, four designated swimming areas, playground, volleyball, horseshoe and basketball facilities, interpretive trail, and more. In addition there are four outgranted marinas operated by private concessionaires.

Welcome to the Hidden Cottage Bed and Breakfast

The Hidden Cottage BB is located in the heart of the Angelina National Forest near Zavalla, Texas on the beautiful Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Our cottage is located just 5 minutes from the Monterrey Park Boat Launch, which gives you prime access to all the Bass Fishing hot-spots! Many of our guest take part in some of the many fishing tournaments on Rayburn for a list of the 2010 season click here ----> SAM RAYBURN TOURNAMENTS

We are directly connected to the Angelina National Forrest which offers miles of trails for hiking, hunting or 4-wheeling - see the Texas Parks and Wildlife website for rules and regulations for hunting in Angelina County and more information on hunting in the National Forrest is located on the USDA Forrest Service website.

If bird watching is more your sport then the pines of East Texas will not fail to deliver. We have a nest of majestic American Bald Eagles with in view of the cottage.