 What's up guys? Joe Holland here. I am heading north and had east. I'm going down east to do some serious tog and salmon fishing with a great group of crazy ice fishermen. You may have seen them from a previous episode. This is Brandon right here catching a monster brook trout and throwing it back in the tally gas chain. I met these guys up north and we kind of just hit it off on the ice. Great group of guys that fish just as hard as I do if not even harder. We're gonna go up and fish West Grand again. West Grand Lake is fourteen thousand five hundred acres. It's a hundred and thirty foot deep. Super super clear water. If you have heard of the Grand Laker canoe this is where it was invented and made since 1800. It's a square stern big long canoe that can handle big hard water like Grand Lake. West Grand Lake dumps into Grand Lake Stream. It's known as one of the four heritage landlock salmon lakes that have always had landlock sand native landlock salmon. I think it's pretty heavily stocked with salmon now but we're gonna give it a shot for some salmon and I think the boys don't really go after the salmon as much. They go after the mega tog because there's some tog in here that can push double digits. I'm excited for this trip. I'm excited to fish with some other guys that are just as crazy as I am. They get fired up and excited when they catch big fish or any fish really and I'm excited to fish West Grand for the first time ever. I've heard about it forever from my good friend Donnie Johnston has fished here a lot and I'm excited to try it out myself. Down East Maine is really cool if you've never been up here or over here I should say. We had a really good snow storm last night to turn the rain so the road's been kind of crappy but this drive has been like turning the clock back every 10 miles I go is like turning the clock back 10 years. It's really neat up here. It's like going back into history. Everything's kind of set back maybe 20 30 years behind the times of where I live and even more from where a lot of other people Oh yeah good to see you. What's up man good to see you. Yeah this is crazy. Best day of the year. How is it out there? Beautiful. Nice. Slaying them. We had a lot of action. I caught one what 4.8. Cameron caught one toad and that's it so far. See some lake is on camera. I wrapped three good fish up on bottom. Going off in the hole. That probably why it doesn't play. Yeah. Don't even go there. That's it. Holy crap thank you. You never want to go off short so you hit Grand Lake Lodge right there. Okay. That's Grand Lake Lodge one of the most historic places up here. This one is? Yeah. I think he moved it. Nope. Oh absolutely Joe. Like a Frenchman right now. He's jumping over real backwards. Yeah he's Canadian. I don't want to lose this one. Nice lake man. Man he's fighting ain't he. Look how clear that water is. Water's very clear. Nice one. What'd you say? Nice one dude. First one on camera. Nice. Want them. Wow look how fat it is. The lake's full of them right there. Oh really? That's tiny. That's pretty much cookie cutter right here. Obviously there's you're gonna hopefully we see a five six pounder. Wow nice. Pretty fish. All right nice work. That was awesome. Well what was that? That was a smelt head. Can't say. Oh yeah yeah. Can't say. That's a secret. Oh I got another flag. Where? My first one I said. Too bad. Oh yeah. That's a lot. Yeah I tucked this one in the rubber band so the sucker couldn't get out. I think I ought to let him eat or hit him. Rocky. I ain't seen him taking huge runs. He acts like a bourbon. Oh man if I caught a bourbon that'd make my day. There's no way that's a sucker. I'd let him have it. I would if I was him. Nothing there. It was the friggin sucker. Oh wait. These fish will come back on it hard. I don't know. It didn't really feel and pull it out. Jesus. Yeah there's something there. Oh I just pulled out. He was small. Right on the bottom marker. Yeah he was small. A little laker? Yeah I think so. It might have been bourbon. It never shook its head or anything. Just got my bait though. Oh yeah I'm telling you these things are incredible. That flag wasn't up when we were coming over wasn't it? No. Just went out and I drove it for an hour. You got another chance coming right up by the bottom. We're giving that one a second to swallow it. That was my... I'm just having me line up. Go ahead do what you gotta do. I'll take care of that for you. It's funny how they hit him two at a time like that. They beat him. I told you that didn't I? Yeah. They beat and they into it. So I'm like certain that fish just had it by the head or the tail but not by the hook. You know what I mean? That's what they do. And he just kept coming with it. A lot of times they're going to take out 50 feet of line and come right back to the side of where they took it and you're not going to feel that fish till the bottom marker. When you almost see that you want to be ready to set the hook. Okay I see. That's exactly what happened too. You guarantee it. Jesus that's bright yellow. Oh it's hot that way. If we're in the greens then she's she's run too. You're definitely got a fish on his head that way. We're into the back end. I feel like Lodge either just popped off or he was out he had me on a rock. Yeah. Might have broke me off. He's out he broke you off. Yeah. I've seen more fish get fired off. Anywhere in my life this lake's bad. Even on that mud bottom you got occasional huge rocks you know. Yeah. I've had a couple of times. Yeah. Rockies. Round of log or something. I got one video we pulled up. Four of a piece of board went through the hole. I pulled up a piece of wood out of this lake last trip up yet. I'm telling you right now. You asked them guys in the shack how big this piece of wood was. Twenty pounds if it was a pound I thought I had state record on. And there was a lake up behind it. Oh no. Oh yeah I ended up landing the fish. Oh did you? Yeah. So you felt the head shake. Oh yeah I thought I had a 20 pounder on this. This log was four to five feet long and I bet you're five inches around. Stopped already huh. Yeah. I don't know where you got your log. He's up straight down. Should I let him either. Maybe I'll just there's no way. Oh he just got there. That was definitely a fish. So he wasn't on and I just felt chomping. Yeah. But he's not moving. Think it's a cask. No. Like he went that way when it had. Yeah he's moving now. Oh you see how long ago. Oh yeah. This might be decent. Might have to give him some line. Want to run a little bit. He's whacking it but I don't think he's he's he's shaking his head like the son of a gun. I think he oh he's there he's there. There he goes. Oh yeah. Yeah it doesn't feel big but man wasn't he playing with that thing. Oh yeah. Yeah. That was cool. Do you see that line. Oh yeah he peeled already. Yeah. He's getting a little bigger. We've got leader. Whoa. Now he's gonna fight. Gnarly huh. Oh there he goes. Good fish ain't it. I think so. I didn't get a look. He's past my leader now. He's the bottom. Oh I better get him off the bottom huh. He might have nodded me out. That fish was fighting isn't it. Yeah he was coming up. I didn't get a good look at him. I don't think he knew he was really hooked till he got near the hole. I didn't see him. I just see him. Oh there's that knot. Oh boy that's not gonna be good is it. No it is what it is. It is what it is. That's decent. He's burping. That's a nice leg yeah. Yeah cookie cutter huh. Yeah. Hey we're on the board bud. Yeah. He did not even know he was hooked till that first time. I think I gotta give him the hook I think unless you see it. No I don't see it. All right guys first Laker of the trip for me. Brandon's putting me on him out here. Kind of a unique fight on that one. He was he was chewing on the bait and then he didn't have it. Then he did have it and then took it right out of my hand. It was awesome. Send him back down. That was pretty cool. Broke the ice first thing. Yeah well better go find that chief. Yeah I'll go get another flag. You got another flag? Not yeah but usually I do too at a time. Almost spooled on a four inch reel. I can see this pool. Feeling? I don't even feel like oh I don't even feel like I got bait right now. He definitely come back. I'm telling you there's a hundred and fifty two hundred yards missing right now. But you were saying they circle back right? That's exactly what if unless he stripped my bait that's definitely what this fish done. I don't even feel like it. I don't feel like I got nothing. Not even bait. Oh like easy Kyle. I'm gaining on strain. He might still be there. He felt like he was going with it but I think he's so far away. He just won't give me enough strain for a good hook set. I just felt him go with it. Just felt him swim with it. There he goes. No? Yeah he's right there. I can feel it. Maybe he swallowed it. This was that head right? Yeah. There he goes. Yes? Any weight there? I don't know where I am on my line is the problem. Man he's got at least two hundred yards though. Oh yeah that pool is the pool is the pool. Oh there he goes. On the hook. On the guy you know. Ah yeah not bad not bad. Nice one bud. Nice. All right he's on the board. No skunk. That was the de-skunker. Not a bad day really. There's been a lot of action. Oh yeah. Oh boys. Not yours Joe? It might be. Must be. All right. Isn't it yours? Yeah. I can feel him. All right guys. Let's go catch one. Who wants this one? Kyle you want to rip this fish? Kyle take it. We gotta get you on camera catching one. You take it. Don't know. I'm here all week dude. Me too. I'm here all month. You take it. I'm eating my burger. And if you need it I'd rather just see you catch it. Now. It's going. This was a big skunker if I remember right. That's going right now. He just murdered you made for me. I'll watch you catch a giant. Peeling. Right then. Rocky. That pool was full. Yes? Yeah. Definitely some weed. That's bought them. Nothing crazy on the head. See you giant baby. Good water here ain't it? You might have to eat. Oh jeez there he goes. Anybody get a look at him? I ain't seen him yet. No. These cookie cutters up here fight like crazy don't they? Is this nice fish Kyle? That might be bigger than the cookie. It feels bigger than a cookie cutter. Especially them head shakes. Once they see that hole. They don't like it. Oh yeah. Oh look at that one. Nice one. Nice dude. Kyle on the board. Nice. Look at that beauty. Pretty fish. Thank you buddy. What's up guys? Half day eating burgers and catching tog here with my good friends Brandon, Kyle and Cameron's in the shack right now catching them on the electronics or what's he catching? Well the camera right? Yeah. Oh the camera with the jig rod and this was just supposed to be a setup day. You know get up here get set up and find the place and Brandon had it all set up and ready for me when I got here and man we're catching some fish. How many is that today bud? Nine. Nine already. So it's going to be a great day. It should be a great time. Not sure how long I could be up here for but we're going to do at least four days. Oh yeah. At least maybe maybe 40. Yeah as long as you want. As long as there's ice we'll be here. Ain't no better place in this right here. And the store being right there that game changer for supplies. And even if you needed something big Princeton I mean the 20 minutes away and they have a shop like a shopping sale. That Grand Lake Stream store the little mom and pop setup I like going there. That was the one at the corner? Yeah right here by the bridge. Yes. Snowmobile trail right before you turn but right before you go over the dam take that little trail right there and that'll pop right out to the where's where's your buddy's bait shop. Princeton what way did you come down route nine? Nine to one. Nine to one so you went by it right before you right before the shell station. There's some storage units and there's a road. I missed that one. There's a road. You know where you come into town? Yeah. There was a shell station and an Irvin. Yeah. Half a mile back towards route nine. Okay school there's a school there. I don't know if you noticed. Yeah there was a school with a weird name. Yeah Princeton. Is that what it said? Yeah. I guess it wasn't that weird. Someone's making that line move. Yeah. That ain't no bourbon. What do you guys think? Hopefully a ten pound toad. He's gonna catch it or not? No he'll get him. He's missing some lawn. That fish is on that way. Look at it. It's almost to the island ain't it? Yeah. Oh whoa. She making power now boys. That's the best I've seen at school right there but it's been going the whole time. A lot of line going. All right this has got to be fetched though. I bet you this is fetched though. Is it? No. I don't know the way that was just running. Yeah. Yeah that's true. It's not fetched up Cameron. She about turning the bottle on the second time. Yeah. There he goes. Do you know anything? I think you're out there 40 miles. Yeah. I know perfect. Oh he's gone there. I'm just gonna have to pull him back until bottom mark. So they do every time here don't they? What's that fellas? They'll run and then they just come back on the run they made. So half the time you don't feel them till you get close to bottom. How do you feel about it Cameron? Crosses arguments. Are you seeing the way I'm pulling? Not right now. That's wrapped up. Tell us. Got bottom mark right? Yeah. You're not wrapped up by the way that was rippin. There's no way that was wrapped on ball. You never know. I think he's out there a long ways. Major headdash. I want to see the bottom marker. Something popped free right there. I don't know. Bottom mark right there. He's still there. He's definitely still on. He's coming around. He don't feel as big now. He was wrapped up with something. Let's see if he'll fit up through this crust a little. Nice lake actually. Oh yeah. That's a nice fish canter. That a boy. Nice. Look how fat they are. Send that bait itself. Quick. Yeah. That's what I wanted. Yeah. I need he moves. That fish really is close to four pounds. Oh yeah. Oh he just. What is him? He's just gooky Joe. It ain't four pounds anymore. It's just under four. Yeah. Yeah. Nice one bud. All right. Camera's on the board. Yeah. Nice one. Got decent on this camera. Oh yeah. Kind of rippin fully. Yeah. That's a jig. Oh look. He come right over to it. Yeah. He's on it right there. Boom. Boy is Joe. What do you think? Whoa. Are you caught on the ice? No. He's just heavy. Maybe he's in the camera. No he can't be. No he's not in the camera. Looks like he's caught on the ice. I let him swim with it like a mile. Might be caught on the ice. I can go tell you where he is with the pan optics. Yeah. Whoa. That's a nice fish. No it was big. Pull the camera. Pull the camera. Tiles out there. Good fish to leave on bud. What do you think? What do you think? It's a good one? I'm not wrapped up in nothing. It's a real good one. You might be in the ice. He's in the ice. Can you push my line out of the ice? Hold your feet. How's that? How's he feel now? That looked like a donkey on camera. It was. He had a big old pork belly. The one I just lost probably. Still ain't even tweaking that rod. No but I'm telling you that you can tell there's something on it. That probably ain't helping you. Oh it's wrapped around the tip. You can't do anything now. No. He might not be as big as you think. I think he's pulling pretty hard. It's wrapped around the tip. Nice leaker. Oh yeah. Fish of the day right there bud. Nice one. Beauty. That's the way you pick up your jig huh? He ripped him right. I love him swimming with his ways. He bent that hurt. Nice one bud. What do you think? Beauty. Oh good. Oops. Yeah now you want to definitely or put another app in it that feel better. That's what you want to use Joe. Is that little thing right there I'll tell you. You guys are wailing on that little tiny thing. That was a friggin. So this is what it is. Oh a smelt tail. That's what you guys are catching them on huh? Yeah they love it. Yeah. Smaller the better. Wicked. Yeah. This will be the earliest you'll see us off the way. I could tell you guys aren't really loving leaving. No we know what we gotta do. You know what you gotta do and then we're gonna have a lot better. A lot longer days after the day. All right late in the afternoon guys bummer for these guys they gotta get going. Got responsibilities right? That's right. Yeah but they're taking care of it now. We're gonna see them tomorrow. These guys tomorrow Kyle's coming in a day after that. Awesome day of fishing guys. Thank you so much for putting me on them that quick. That was amazing. Oh yeah hopefully we'll see some more. Yeah and what's the plan for the rest of the week? We're gonna smash them. Big ones. Double digits. Yeah double digits. So that's what we're after this trip is a double digit salmon. No double digit togue. We're going after a 10 plus pound togue and they're in here. Oh my god there's 20s in here. There's 20s in here they say. 18 caught three days ago so what's that tell you? 18 pounder was caught three days ago out here so and the guy let him go. So that fish eats one salmon and he's over 20 pounds. Oh yeah that's right. Crazy. What are we running for sleds? Is this a sled I want to buy? Yeah it is. This is the one I had up there the expedition for. Colin's got a twin to it. This is the one I want? Yeah. Or that one? Either one. They're both animals. Yeah. All righty Joe. Hey guys. All right see you. This is the one the forest ranger said he'd want to have. Okay so the 900 just just ace. Expedition no letters after it. Expedition four. Sport. Okay. Camera I'll see you tomorrow. Brandon see you tomorrow. Guys it does not get any better than that. Like I said I met these guys they were fishing the same trip I was fishing oh two or three weeks ago and we just kind of stayed in touch and the cool thing about sportsmen I don't care what state you're in but especially in Maine are they're all just great people man we're all after the same thing we want to have a good time on the ice we want to do well we want to catch some fish and we just want to have fun you know and get through the winter and and I'm sure that is the same in Canada I'm sure that's the same in any other states you're in but but I feel incredibly fortunate to live in Maine and meet great people like these guys that can share the outdoors and share it and have a lot of fun doing it got them got them off the bottom oh my god look at that white fish what oh my god that's the biggest white fish I've ever caught that thing is huge for Maine wow that was a surprise holy cow that is awesome I know in Canada my Canadian brothers catch gigantic white fish like up on Simcoe and some of the other provinces but for Maine that's a big white fish man or at least for me it is that's the biggest one I've ever caught he is big and thick wow what an awesome white fish killer that's a beautiful fish man that is just a big thick white fish I'm excited but I'm going to throw him back because we got enough food already that was awesome whole made possible by the pan optics I'll tell you that for sure I came over here and found a school of smelt so I drilled over it and there was a bunch of fish underneath the smelt so I dropped down and popped it a couple times and I saw a fish come charging in so I hit the bottom lifted it up that's when he bit and I thumped him awesome all right let's check out accommodations for tonight I got this whole shack to myself pretty darn amazing let's check it out I am not sleeping in the pop-up tent this trip because Brandon said he's got a couple shacks up here and he's willing to let me use one of them so let's check it out he and his dad built these things out of aluminum and they are all foamed in insulation they're actually wired too and they have wood stoves and propane stoves pretty darn amazing if you ask me got a bunk up top bunk down below plenty of room for benches jig hole super roomy this thing this thing's awesome man I am living like a king in here it is dark now or just about dark and I was just about to go in start a fire in the shack and look at this I got a flag up I'm thinking it might be a cusk not moving so that's a pretty good sign for cusk big head shakes feels cusky feels super cusky pretty decent fish oh not a cusk last second lake trout I'll take it man that was awesome oh you didn't even fight you were fighting like a cusk pretty dark pretty dark but that's a pretty decent lake trout right there that's it yes I love a day all right that is going to do it for day one what a great day caught my PB whitefish or lake whitefish caught a lot of toge got to meet Cameron today that was a lot of fun and then got to see Kyle and Brandon again which is always a good time too and watch those guys catch some fish on the jig rod and on the traps so really excited for tomorrow I think three three guys are coming in tomorrow and we're going to fish together we're we got a little bit of a vibe going right now thinking we might be able to catch something over 10 pounds which would be just awesome so I'm going to keep the cameras rolling thanks for tuning in guys check back in for day two tomorrow look at that one ah that's got some light too what you're doing on this