Tunk Lake

[EmeraldShiner]

I found this much older post (2006) about Tunk Lake that I only fished once way back in the spring of 1983 right after ice out.  I went up there with my friend Jeff from highschool and we brought our wives up on the trip.  We rented this old small run down camp that was right near the boat launch on Route 182 as I recall.  We left early morning from central Maine and by the time we got up there and settled into camp it was around noon time, sun was shining bright with beautiful blue skies and dead flat calm water with no wind.   Now here is the bad thing, between all of us we were very young and didn't have two quarters to rub together after paying rent, food and taking care of our young children who were left behind to be taken care of by other family members while we were away on this " young couples get away".  The bad thing was that the only floating vessel we had for this fishing trip was this home made canoe that Jeff built while in shop class during highschool, it was a fiberglass moulded affair that did float and had no leaks, however from a stability point it was a very tippy canoe, and I mean really unstable in tipping from side to side.  So any way Jeff and I decide it's calm and nice ("what can go wrong?"), load the canoe with all our fishing gear and wave goodbye to our wives who wisely decided to stay at camp.  Jeff and I shove off with the tippy canoe and start paddling up the lake.  Jeff puts out two lines, one is a bait casting rod with reel that holds lots of lead line, the other is a stiff heavy rod that has a mooching reel on it with lead line as well both have been rigged up with leader and sewn smelt.  I put out two lines as well, one is a fly rod with fly reel and lead line with leader and a sewn smelt, the other is a fly rod and reel with floating line and a tandem rigged up with mooseluek wobbler and a trailing gray ghost streamer fly.  We paddle out about a mile up the lake with darkening skies and a steady wind begins to blow off Tunk Mountain, about that time I get really concerned and tell Jeff it's not worth it let's turn back and then the heavens opened up with heavy rain.  He agreed and that trip back scared the life out of me, to stare down into the clear deep waters on the way out where as someone else put it "you could see a dime down at 100 feet", and then realize that's where you may end up trying to get off that lake in a wind/rain storm in a tippy canoe.  One of several very scary situations while fishing big Northern Maine Lakes that I put myself in during those younger years. Have always felt a mystique and majic about Tunk Lake and want to return there to fish for those large Togue and Salmon but with a healthy respect for the danger and better preparation.  Attached below is the original post that I was referring to: 

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=35940.0

[nbourque]

Did u see the 25# togue caught outta there recently?

[gamefisher]

That togue was 2-3 years ago.

[tilted]

Got real wet there one day and my buddy went in.. fishing near the pressure ridge by Gull Rock. Extremely young and foolish. Liquor was heavily involved in that decision.  Skunk Tunk...

[MG39]

Good to see you're still kicking Mark,

We'll have to make another Aziscohos trip this year. It's been too long!

Get in touch with me.

Retirement is great!

[gamefisher]

Retirement is great!

5 years nine months and three days for me unless you will loan me a few years Bob!😁

We used to fish Tunk alot from college in Machias.  One time in the mid 80's it was actually froze enough to fish on opening day!  For those of you familiar with Tunk you'll know there are many years it never freezes at all, let alone opening day.  We careful walked our way over towards Sand Cove from the landing, a good distance.  There may have been 6" but water is so clear felt much less, a very uneasy walk indeed.  All of a sudden we hear noise and look back towards Gull Rock where a pretty nasty ridge had started running towards the west shore.  Out from the outlet all of a sudden we see a datsun b210 coming out through with a bunch of kids in it!  Knowing how nasty that pond is we thought for sure they were headed to the depths of Tunk but somehow they made it.  I bet that is the first and only time a vehicle has been on that pond on Jan. 1!🙂 

[Tilt]

Come on GF - you know the crews that fish Tunk, I bet there have been trucks out there in November  .

I remember a couple years back I was headed out at first light and as I get to the Johnson ground a sled zips out from the beach on an intercept pattern.  A fine gentleman pulls up and says "thank God- we thought you were a warden!" (yellow sled, black coat).  After I established I was not the next thing is says is "Hey - I'll have a beer with you if you got one to spare".  Nice of him.

[MG39]

By the time you retire Eric, I'll probably be taking the long nap.  lol

My wife will disagree, says I'm too ornery! 

[gamefisher]

Come on GF - you know the crews that fish Tunk, I bet there have been trucks out there in November  .

I remember a couple years back I was headed out at first light and as I get to the Johnson ground a sled zips out from the beach on an intercept pattern.  A fine gentleman pulls up and says "thank God- we thought you were a warden!" (yellow sled, black coat).  After I established I was not the next thing is says is "Hey - I'll have a beer with you if you got one to spare".  Nice of him.

Ya, that sounds about right for down there Pete, good times!

[gamefisher]

By the time you retire Eric, I'll probably be taking the long nap.  lol

My wife will disagree, says I'm too ornery!

She is right, you will outlive us all you old salty dog!  

[woodchip]

Being Ornery  I hope will keep him around longer.

[MG39]

Being Ornery  I hope will keep him around longer.

Don't you croak! I think That would make me the oldest on here.

[saltyshores]

MG39 and Woodchip,
       Someday the TV stations will interview you, asking your secret for living to age 100, and you will tell them you fished every day summer and winter.
Here's hoping!
       

[woodchip]

Eat all the  fish you catch   Guarantee  you lots of extra years,  But not from Sabattus

[EmeraldShiner]

Did u see the 25# togue caught outta there recently?

Yes I did, very impressive fish but now the talk of New England has to be that new New Hampshire State record Togue.  Wow smashed the old record held since 1958 by over 9lbs, that's incredible.

[EmeraldShiner]

Good to see you're still kicking Mark,

We'll have to make another Aziscohos trip this year. It's been too long!

Get in touch with me.

Retirement is great!

Bob, definately been too long!

[nbourque]

Yes I did, very impressive fish but now the talk of New England has to be that new New Hampshire State record Togue.  Wow smashed the old record held since 1958 by over 9lbs, that's incredible.

I sent u a PM