Friday, August 4, 2017

Kayak Fishing in Eastern Newfoundland


My family and I are on vacation before we move to Ontario back home where I grew up in Newfoundland.   For a week we are up on the Bonavista Peninsula staying in Newman's Cove, the town where my Dad grew up and I spent many summers as a boy with my Pop.   We are actually renting Pop's old house, so this trip has a very special significance for me remembering all those days when Pop would send me to Woody's store as a 5 year old to get him a pack of smokes.... but I digress!


Yesterday and today I was able to get out in the harbor on my Old Town Predator PDL and chase some fish.   I had all the old fishermen scratching their heads as they have never seen anything like this before in their waters!   I started off using some Berkeley PowerBait to see what ground fish I could find all caught lots of sculpin (scorpion fish).   These are really cool looking fish who are the garbage collectors of our local sea floor.  They come in several colors and once in a while you can find one with really freaky eyes like this!



Moving on from ground fishing I started tossing out the traditional cod jig in hopes of catching some Atlantic Cod.    The recreational food fishery is active now meaning people are allowed to catch and keep up to 5 cod per day.    It didn't take long before I got a hit and when I brought it in I was surprised to find it was a conner.  My first ever conner!   These fish resemble a sea bass in shape and have some very sharp teeth.


After that my fish finder went a little crazy.  In 40 feet of water the bottom 20 feet were suddenly full of fish.   I knew what this meant....  caplin!   The caplin are out in the bay now and there are a ton of whales swimming by all the time feeding on them.   The caplin are the primary fish of cod, so I knew I may be getting close to my target fish.   Sure enough, it didn't take long and I hit the school of cod, just off the banks behind my Dad's trailer!    I sat out there for 20 min, catching cod while my parents and kids sat up over the hill watching.   What a great morning!   I even spotted a humpback not too far away, though the GoPro makes it look a lot further off than it was.




This morning I got out again despite the wind being a little stronger and blowing directly across the bay.    While my launch site was quite calm, once I got half way to my destination, the water became quite choppy and rough.    Since I was half way there, I might as well keep going, whats the worst that could happen!  :-)   Anyway, this morning I kept to the cod jig only hoping to catch my 5 cod quickly and return safely to shore.   I ended up catching several more conners before I finally found the cod in 60 feet of water.    I got my 5 quickly at that point including some big ones!   Today's haul will likely be donated to a few relatives who do not get a chance to get out themselves.

Dad working to clean my catch and make steaks


Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Our home is on the market!



Well with the recent news that I have accepted a new position with Amazon, I'll sadly be moving my family off to Windsor, Ontario.   So the For Sale sign goes up on the front lawn today and my home of 11 years is officially on the market.

We purchased this home back in 2006 and had envisioned it being our one and only home.   We absolutely love it here and couldn't have asked for a better place to raise our kids and I certianly made use of the abundant space to store my kayaks and fishing gear!   That being said, another family is going to have the opportunity to capitalize on our move and make this their new home.

Here is a link fully describing our home in Quispamsis, complete with a drone video showcasing the amazing 2.23 acre wooded yard!

Please see my site discussing this home in much more detail here!
8 Collingwood Drive, Quispamsis


Among the key points to note:
  • 4 large upstairs bedrooms
  • 2.5 bathrooms
  • Upstairs laundry
  • Large newly renovated kitchen
  • Fully finished basement with rec room, pantry and large office
  • Additional room off front door suited for an office or studio
  • Large 2.5 car garage
  • Large 16 x 20 shed
  • Large flagstone deck as well as 2 rear and 1 front deck.  Lots of room for bbq and entertaining
  • Parking for anything and everything (trailers, boats...etc.)
  • 4 person outdoor Finnish Sauna
  • Treehouse for the kids
  • Playset for the kids
  • Amazing woods for the kids to play, currently has a zip line and double hammock set up.
  • Neighborhood is full of kids, very quiet and safe.
  • ... and the list goes on!

Our home is up for grabs at a bargain price at just $375,000.   Well below what is being asked for two other homes on our street which pale in comparison.   For a viewing please contact our realtor Jeff Sherwood at 506-647-7653.

Please share and get the word out of this great opportunity!   We home another wonderful family will enjoy this house for years just as my family has these past 11 years!