McQ

I'm in - looking forward to another exciting season. Rule changes puts the drivers back in control.

I'm a walleye guy and don't really use any rods that are especially heavy. A die hard fan of Shimano gear a 6'6" med/heavy is generally in use and quite well suited to bigger pike fighting. Teamed up with a quality bait caster spooled with 20/8 fireline gets the job done. Set your drag to compensate and be prepared to chase a fish if necessary. Be sure to have a big net!!!!!! Best pike to date came in at 37#s. Had a monster on last summer that made a run sideways from the boat about 100', added a bit of thumb pressure to slow it down and the clip opened up - lure & fish bye-bye - that incident haunts me. It was a bigun.

Obedjiwan sits in a very key area of the reservoir. The locals do net in allocated areas and these nets are primarily to the southeast of the village around the many islands that dot that area. The nets are set off the shoreline and only extend about 25 - 30 feet in length. It is not an area overly popular with recreational fishermen because the outfitters are in bays 10 Kms or more to the south. Depending on the exact location of your camp ( send me a PM with Lat / Long ) I can narrow the better spots down for you but generally the good pike action will be directly relative to you making contact with larger pods of walleye. Pike will stay overtop these pods or off to the side depending upon depth. I've never found it necessary to use any specific lure - just generally keep my bait wet and the pike find it. My experience over the years has me using harnesses and crankbaits that pattern walleye, perch and fallfish so dark green, fire tiger and black/silver is my goto color basic. Early in the season pike are high in the water column and as the season progresses they move deeper and move back up again mid August. Depth will range from 5' down to 25' and back up again. The water levels have been abnormally high for the past couple of years and there has been much more area to cover - 40"+ catches were a daily occurance. I expect the level to be lower this year (not as much snow run off) and if that is so the fishing can be concentrated in tighter areas but you wll be into smaller fish. The bigger fish will gorge themselves on the easier prey and you really have to be lucky and be there when the feedbag is on. Bill

The Gouin has been my summer obsession for the past 29 years. It's a huge body of water and each area has its own character. First off; where are you planning to go?

I'll be heading up to the Gouin once again in mid-February for my annual two week caretaking time while Ron & Rosie do the shows in and around Pittsburg. Nemio is just so beautiful in the winter months - absolute solitude! I'll return again mid-May for 6 - 8 weeks and this year will be doing some guiding too and then my annual August session is in play, so if you're in the area look me up - the fishing is awaiting.

I made that choice 58 years ago when my uncle introduced me to St. Lawrence walleye at the age of 8. Been chasing them all over North America since. Earlier in this thread Craig Ritchie said it best - this is one fish where everything works. With the exception of brookies virtually every other specie caught was incidental to fishing for walleye.

While some folks frown upon marking spots with a GPS waypoint, my personal take when it comes to walleye fishing is that the fish are constantly on the move so today's hotspot could be as vacant as a shopping center parking lot after midnight. Sure there will be some fish but the percentages are against you. The same thing applies to community holes, "they're not biting today" says it all. I prefer to teach a bit of science so you are enabled to locate fish relative to what is happening in their environment regardless the time & place.

I fish and do a bit of guiding on the Gouin Reservoir and have been doing so for the last 29 years. When dealing with a customer of a lodge or my own guests I start things off with a bit of Q & A just to see where the experience level is and make suggestions based on what we share. Starting with a chart of the area we plan to fish and a weather pattern for the previous three days. I explain the affect weather can have on the fish and then relate appropriate areas to fish from the chart. The Gouin like most bodies of water has community holes and I really like to avoid them if possible. The ride out to a target site can take 15 - 30 minutes, I use this time to discuss baits, depths and surrounding structure including shorelines. Upon arrival I usually have a pretty good idea of what skills are in play and what teaching can be employed that will create an experience for the guest. We will fish for three hours or so, take a break for shore lunch (weather permitting) and continue to fish after eating until 4:30 or so. A typical day doesn't exist, everbody's skill level is different and my only goal is to be sure that what transpires in the boat will be of benefit to the guest vitually anywhere he or she may fish in the future. The entire day is non stop free exchange of information and is really appreciated by the guests. If dinner is early and its possible to get out in the evening for a bit of a fish - we go. In general chart reading, sonar interpretation, GPS trails, bait selection & why, equipment, boat control, trolling & jigging methods and many other topics will be covered. Its really amazing when you fish with folks over a period of time and here I mean years who are there because we have fun, fish are caught and most of all a bond has been formed. To me - that's what its all about.

Roy, the surgery took less time than the the drive to & from the lodge. The place is really well equipped and the male nurse who looked after me was so impressed with the hookset he examined the removed hook under a scope and declared it the sharpest point he ever came across. This from a guy who has worked in all the remote area CLSC's over the past years and has seen his share of stuck fingers etc.

Roy, I've found that the VMC quicksets featured on Rapala product to be the best treble on the market. The extended feature of the one tine is a fish getter. The hooks are ultra sharp (emergency removal at the CLSC in Parent this past season) plus a couple of other on the water removals from clients fingers attest to that fact. I did a lot of trolling this year with Shad Raps, never lost a fish and they all were stuck with the extended tine.

McQ's good to go - Thanks Dan

Timely article Explanation for ISP contact

Spent some time with "LARGE" today on the phone - to say he is overwhelmed is an understatement. He is so thankful for the open and sincere well wishes from everyone (I think Cloud 9 is the right expression). He was telling me that after the evening ended, he and Tammy went to the hotel climbed into bed and he managed all of an hours sleep - sat in the chair and stared out at the parking lot for over six hours trying to get a handle on what had taken place. As of today he still hasn't come down and is just as thrilled. In his ever jovial way he made the point that he hadn't received so many comments containing the word LOVE ever before in his life - is wondering if maybe the hormones are kicking in early LOL. Seriously though, Jimmy is fighting the good fight and Saturday night affirmed just how much he means to all of us, to the point where he is even more adamant to win this battle. He doesn't have the energy to visit the websites much of late, so why don't you all reach out - - - - - I know he would like to hear from everyone and you can reach him at "Big" JIm

Black Tuesday PWT To Cease Operations Monday, 04 August 2008 InterMedia Outdoors will announce later today that the PWT will cease operations following the conclusion of the 2008 season, WalleyeFan has learned. The position of executive director, held by Jim Kalkofen for the last 14 years, was eliminated on Aug. 1. Chip Leer, who's served as tournament director this year, will remain in that role for the remaining three events on the schedule. Julie Meister, tournament coordinator, will also stay on. The next scheduled event is the Wabigoon Lake PWT Can-Am Super Pro in Dryden, Ont. on Aug. 13-15. After a stop at the St. Marys River on Sept. 11-13, the final PWT tournament will be held Oct. 15-18 at the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers in Hudson, Wis. The PWT came into this season without heavy underwriting after Mercury and Lund opted to focus on contingency awards in lieu of blanket league sponsorship. After that news broke, speculation persisted throughout the spring and summer about the future viability of the circuit. The PWT held its first tournament in 1989 at Mille Lacs and stood near the center of the growth of tournament fishing and walleye fishing in general over the last 2 decades. Through their success on the PWT, tournament anglers like Gary Parsons, Gary Roach, Mike McClelland, Tommy Skarlis, Keith Kavajecz, Perry Good, Bruce Samson and Ron Seelhoff among others became household names in walleye country. The ramifications are immense. First, several top pros could conceivably not have a place to fish next year (or a profitable place to fish, depending on boat brand). Two, tour-level walleye fishing is now a one-league game, owned by Irwin Jacobs. Three, Brunswick's representation at the tour level will presumably disappear, given its reluctance to support FLW trails. Four, a very important foundation of walleye fishing, and a long, storied history, is now relegated to the attic. Five, this could bend energy toward the newly-formed Anglers Insight Marketing and its quest to develop a viable tour-level trail. In brief conversations with InterMedia Outdoors representatives, WalleyeFan was told that the company would sell the PWT if buyers come forth. Watch for further WalleyeFan reporting throughout the week on this breaking news story. Below is the official press release from InterMedia Outdoors about the shuttering of the PWT. In-Fisherman Discontinues Professional Walleye Trail in 2009 Company Plans Future Investments in Walleye-Focused Media Baxter, MN (August 5, 2008)-In-Fisherman, a division of InterMedia Outdoors, Inc., today announced that it will discontinue operation of the Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) after the 2008 season. The PWT started with a single event in 1989 and grew to become North America's most prestigious walleye tournament series. During the past 19 years the PWT served as a proving ground for new tackle and marine equipment and the birthplace for innovative tactics that have made anglers across the country more successful. Along the way the PWT has awarded millions of dollars in cash and prizes to thousands of professional and amateur participants. However, sponsorship support no longer covers event expenses, and angler participation has declined in recent years. Announcing the decision, In-Fisherman Publisher Steve Hoffman said, "This was a difficult decision for us, but in the end we felt that the PWT was no longer an effective way for us to serve the dedicated angler, which is our core mission at In-Fisherman." The PWT has three events remaining in its 2008 schedule culminating in the 2008 PWT Championship Shootout on October 16-18 in Hudson, Wisconsin, with a first-place purse of $50,000. Going forward, InterMedia Outdoors will continue to invest in walleye-focused media including additional editorial content in Walleye In-Sider magazine, content and functionality improvements in WalleyeFan.com, the launch of a new television series "Walleye In-Sider" which will begin shooting in October and will debut in the fourth quarter of next year, and the development and launch of a fully redesigned In-Fisherman website with content devoted to walleyes and virtually every other freshwater fish. Hoffman added, "We're very excited about our new print, online and television endeavors, and are confident that we will not only teach millions of anglers how to catch more and bigger walleyes, but will continue to help our advertisers sell more product."

Imagine the bare patches on that guys lawn - but then again what a Muskie bait.

Good morning OFC - another great day coming up - getting packed for a week at Club Trout Lake in NW Quebec - a remote location with 5 other oldtimers that offers up a bit of walleye, northern and laker action - leave Friday, return the following Saturday - do the laundry and head out Monday the 18th for a week at Nemio on the Gouin. I am so thankful that health is not an issue and every day is still an exciting learning experience.

Harnesses have produced some major catches for me also from pike and smallmouth not to leave out crappie, perch, drum (sheepshead), the odd muskie too, catfish, sturgeon (must happen when you stall the bouncer on a turn). My oddest catch was an 8' american eel - now that was some fun (can't really describe the interior of the boat after that deal - "mess" just doesn't cover it.

Thanks lakeshore - your comment is exactly why I continue to be encouraged to write. After 50+ years of chasing walleye a few ideas, tricks & tips have crossed the gunnels of my boats and it will always be a pleasure to share them. It's also the main reason that I run my summer fishing schools as an informative and sharing way to accumulate knowledge. Looking forward to reading your report.

Here's a bit of info that should help you with harness selection Walleye Beads & Blades Improving The Percentages Much has been written about Walleye and the bait colors that attract them. Blend that information with all the other variables such as water clarity, current flow, light penetration (time of day), scent, vibration (noise) and everything else that comes into play. Is it any wonder that trying to decide what is the hot bait going to be for today an Einstein decision. To help narrow the search for the right combinations down to a manageable few and recognizing that spinners are the high percentage bait, the single most important choice is to determine the harness colors. In-Fisherman magazine produced a very well researched and tested article a number of years ago that pointed out just what the best bait colors should be under ideal conditions. The article explained the rod and cone make-up of the walleye eye and their ability to distinguish colors. Their eyes lack yellow and blue cells which creates a color blindness situation and limits their vision to a range of reds or greens. Now if we accept the theory that the spectrum of color vision is affected by depth and start at red, orange, yellow, green, blue, etc. The question becomes what will they see as you progressively fish deeper water. Red is visible to a depth of about 15 feet in clear water and blue is identifiable in very deep situations as long as there is light penetration. In my experience the most important element of good harness design is the color of the beads, how they are arranged and what blade color complements that basic choice. This single factor is the most important when you are trying to get a walleye to eat your bait. I make this argument for a special reason, the bead color remains constant while trolling but the blade becomes a blur of color. I call it the HALO effect. If our choice is to create high percentage opportunities for our baits to encourage walleye to bite then isn t it logical to use the colors that fit the middle of the visible spectrum -orange/yellow/green and isn t it amazing that these color choices represent perch colors in their natural element. Perch are the one constant as far as forage in a walleye fishery and their range of use of the water column also duplicates the highest percentage for walleye activity. I like to use the following perch patterns chartreuse beads/orange or green blades salmon red beads/chartreuse blades chartreuse beads/orange-chartreuse striped blades. This particular color choice is also best for stained waters. Now that we have an optimum pattern set lets take a look at variables. Walleye will range from just under the surface to 50 and 60 feet deep sometimes. Depending on the forage base, whether it s perch, shiners, smelt, whitefish (ciscos) or a number of other food fish for this all-seeing predator, colors play a roll. If you can accept the fact that the beads are the most important component of the harness you can now limit your basic bead color choices smelt = blue/green, common shiners = black/white, white fish (ciscos) = black/silver. Blades in green or blue to finish the smelt emulation and black, white or purple for shiners and whitefish (ciscos). These are the basics and certainly will cover most of your fishing challenges. Next up are the special options and these are my blade color choices shallow (less than 5 feet = red, 6 to 15 feet = orange, 16 to 25 feet = green, chartreuse or blue, 26 to 40 feet = white and 41 feet + = black or purple. When fishing deeper than 20 feet I like blades that are painted on top and nickel/chrome under, the odd flash seems to trigger bites when you pump your rod. For those rare occasions when brass, gold or copper is the undertone required, I ll have some pink blades handy. In fact there is one body of water I fish for deep walleye and pink over copper will out produce any other combo by a substantial margin. If you are in the habit of tying your harnesses with quick-change clevises it makes experimenting all that much easier when you encounter those finicky bite days. All of the above combinations are set for clear water conditions, as the water becomes more turbid just adjust the depth range upwards. Early in the season I like to start out with smaller blades, sizes 2 and 3 ½, as the water warms and the forage base matures I ll move up to sizes 4 and 5. In those really dirty water or mud-line situations sometimes your best choice will be a size 7 blade and I find hammered silver to be the best choice. Speed will also dictate my selection of blade, around 1 MPH, Colorado is my choice, 1 to 2 MPH = Indiana and over 2 MPH the selection then are Willows. There are quite a few varieties of blades available today other than those already mentioned and there are times when they can be deadly. Remember that this short story is based on high percentage baits, that doesn t mean you shouldn t experiment on your own.. These combinations are just what I have discovered work well for me and the waters I fish on. A few years back I discovered a very special spinner that is available in many colors. It is a spin & glow and when baited with a leech or worm can be deadly. They also work well for speckled trout. The one thing I would recommend any of you to try, is to snorkel behind a harness and look at what the fish sees. Just go to a beach and have a buddy cast and retrieve a spinner harness by you.. I know the observations will reveal some basic truths about spinners and the validity of the choices I have made to improve my catch ratio and hopefully do the same for you. McQ

Here's a cut/paste of an article I wrote a few years ago - should help Walleye Tactics - Bottom Bouncing – Science and Application Before getting into the explanations and methods used for bottom bouncing I’d like to bring up a few points to drive home the value of using the technique and why you should include it in your arsenal of walleye tactics. My first exposure to the term “Bottom Bouncing” was in an article in the Infisherman magazine back in the late eighties. The writer was explaining this hot new innovation that tournament fishermen were using in the Dakotas and other states in the Western US. What an eye catcher, – pun intended – it was one of those “why didn’t I think of that” deals. Dan Gapen Sr. a few years earlier had developed a weight system called the Bait Walker, a wire form much similar to a big spinner bait wire with a chunk of lead on the bottom arm. These proved to be very effective for lake trout and walleye – they got your attached bait to the bottom in a controlled fashion and were much more versatile than a 3 way rig. I bet you’ve all seen them in a tackle shop somewhere. This new bottom bouncing variation though took the whole presentation method to a much higher level. By using a longer wire on the leg side of the wire form it was possible to mold the lead in the middle of the wire and the increased sensitivity to bottom structure the wire extension provided was phenomenal. This new innovative design was available in a variety of sizes that would suit a number of different fishing situations. Observation: I’m going to venture a personal observation before I move on to the technique side of bottom bouncing. It is my belief that Walleye target bait that is above them in the strike zone. I think the shape of their head especially the eye sockets prevents visible acuity of approx. 80 degrees below them. This argument probably is brought home by the number of Walleye that eat a jig on the fall. With this contention I place a lot of confidence in attracting a bite from bottom oriented fish when the presentation is with a bouncer and it also sets the stage for understanding the why about doing things right. How To: The first step in rigging for bottom bouncing is to select a 6 – 6 ½’ rod that has a fast tip and good backbone from the center to the handle. A palm sized baitcast reel with a flipping switch makes a comfortable winch for an all day session of trolling. My personal preference for line is 20/8 Fireline and I’ll point out why in a little bit. Putting It All Together: The simple procedure for determining what size bouncer to use is directly related to speed & depth. At regular trolling speeds the first 10’ can be fished with a 1 oz. bouncer and just adjust for more depth by increasing the weight by 1 oz./10 feet, you can cover the more productive zones with a selection of 1 – 3 oz. bouncers. Higher speeds can completely change the equation though, so apply a little guidance with this rule – keep your line angle from rod tip to water surface at 45 degrees. High speed (power) trolling is used out west quite often – sand and mud bottom reservoirs lend themselves very well to the high speed pursuit of walleye. It is not uncommon to watch these guys fish with 8 – 12 ozs. of weight and use speeds as high as 5 miles an hour. In this general area of Ontario and Quebec, slow speed presentations are much more in vogue. The geological makeup of the land mass with all its shield rock extending into the water systems makes for a great obstacle course when it comes to trolling a straight line at speed, in fact it usually dictates an as slow as you can go approach. Trolling speeds that work for me around here would vary from ¾ - 2 MPH. Now that we have the selection process settled, it’s time to rig up. If you are using Fireline, no let me rephrase this, regardless of the main line you choose use a Palomar knot to the bouncer. Of all the knots that are in use the Palomar provides the most security against knot breakage or slip. Getting Started: Now comes the fun part, actually getting on the water and putting this method through its paces. I’ll begin with this bit of advice – those that have the right rig and know how to back troll with it will have a huge advantage. Back trolling is an efficient and very controlled type of boat operation, it allows you to precisely work a contour line with all the ins and outs of the structure covered. You can vary speed and steering direction to suit exactly what is appearing on your sonar screen. I don’t mean to say that the folks with a windshield or console boat can’t get results I’m just saying tiller control has many advantages. A small kicker motor or electric will allow you to fish in the same way a tiller rig can, although some hull designs may be a little more difficult to finesse. The ideal hull design is a deep V that tracks the water effectively. Enough of the dry stuff, let’s get this show on the road. Step one – discovering the feel of a bouncer. Get out on the river or lake and find an edge that follows a 20’ or so contour line. Tie on a 2 oz bouncer, remember to use a Palomar knot. Don’t be concerned about using with a spinner rig or some other type of bait for the moment, this exercise is just designed to let you know what a bouncer does when it is properly contacting the bottom. Hit the flipping switch on your reel and with your thumb on the spool, slowly release line until the bouncer touches bottom. You’ll know by the thump you will feel in the rod. Now put your boat in gear, preferably in reverse (hope you have the right rig or setup). You’ll notice the line to the bouncer will take on an immediate angle. Let a bit more line out until you feel bottom again. Troll for a few hundred feet or so and occasionally raise and lower your rod tip. Do you feel the bouncer make contact with the bottom? No; then let out a bit more line until you do. When you’re sure you have contact just continue to work around the area a bit and get used to the signals that the bouncer is transmitting to the rod.. A good solid return thump indicates rock, brushed by the wire, a lesser thump is suggesting sand or gravel and a mushy feeling indicates mud. The area you are experimenting in may not hold all these bottom types so just concentrate on the current situation. This is the single best piece of advice I can relate to this subject, you’re “bouncing” bottom not dragging it. The whole purpose of this exercise is to get a feel for the bouncer being in proximity of the bottom, not directly in contact with it. The ideal distance is about 6- 9 inches off bottom. Pull your line back and let it fall forward again until you get comfortable that you’re doing it right. Did you hang the bouncer on bottom a few times, get stuck and have to yank it out of a crevice in the rocks, frustrating, EH ! The easiest way to get out of a snag is to reverse direction completely, take a reverse angle on the line and most often the bouncer will slip right out of the hang-up. Step 2 – Let’s go fishing. Are you in an area that is likely to hold fish? If so just tie on one of those store bought rigs (worm harness) you picked up just for this occasion. Actually if you have the right type of bouncer there will be a snap swivel on the business end and all you have to do is open the snap and slip the looped end of the harness on. Bait up with a crawler (on a two hook harness just pinch the nose of the crawler on the hook closest to the spinner, let the worm stretch out and put the second hook through the worms body in the area of its collar) make sure the worm is lying straight. Or nose hook a minnow under the jaw and up through the head, let the second hook trail. Let out line until the bouncer makes contact with the bottom and follow the steps as previously explained. Hey, isn’t it great to be finally fishing. There are a few elements that will tie this whole exercise into a successful method of fishing a bouncer right. Be precise in your efforts to stay in contact with the bottom, watch your boat speed and keep an eye on your sonar unit. It won’t take very long and it will all come together. Remember keep your line at a 45 degree angle MAX, any more than that and I’ll bet you’re dragging the bouncer. There are many variables that will come into play here - precision bouncing, using bouncers in conjunction with boards, styles of bouncers (yes there are a few different types that fit specialized presentations), harnesses and all the options, blade styles, bouncing cranks and a couple of others that will be of interest to you. McQ

We leave on the 18th of August, still room for a couple of adventurers. The fishing is reported "GREAT" - a ton of bigger fish are being caught this year and because of the higher water in areas where they have never been before so there is even more water to explore. I'll be in a different area the week before and it looks promising too.

The countdown begins -

From one old coot to another. HBD Bill

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