DonC

I own many Shimano reels from $40-230. I recently purchased a Sedona. They are great reels for a while, but then will become rough in the retrieve. I have lubricated them which temporily fixes the problem, only to develop the grinding retrieve feeling again. I have better luck with Daiwa reels regarding durability. I will no longer continue to purchase Shimano reels. I have one or two which hold up, and the others do not. They have great features otherwise. Penn reels are good and durable also. Check out this website for tests of reels and other fishing equipment. http://www.tackletour.com/menureels.html Don

Four of us brothers are heading up to Casa Blanca Lodge on the Upper French. Will fish one day on the Lower French initially. We will be there this coming weekend. Will probably fish some at the mouth on Nippissing around Sandy Island also. Any fishing tips or reports? Thanks, Don

Addy, Here are some suggestions. I wrote this to my brothers for our upcoming trip to Casa Blanca, so some information is not obvious to others. DBN is Deep Baby Norman. "The Lure" is a Storm pre-rigged soft plastic shad. The Flats are between Hendrie and Perkins Islands. Walleye 1. Troll or cast around Ferguson Island at mouth of Sand Bay with jig spinners, "The Lure", or Long A Bombers in morning or evening after dinner. Also troll 1/16 ounce jigs with power grubs shallow. 2. Troll or cast the weed lines in Tom's hole or Flats, or shoreline (especially around Chaudiere Lodge) which has 1-3 foot size boulders with scrub brush with jig spinners, "The Lure", or Long A Bombers in morning or evening after dinner. Also troll 1/16 ounce jigs with power grubs shallow. 3. Fish entrance to the Chute after dinner. 4. Fish 25-30 foot deep hump on main river channel before Light House Island on right, 1 mile downstream of Partridge Island with 3-way rigs or sauger jigs. 5. Fish Keystone with bottom bouncers, 3-way rigs, or sauger jigs using power grubs or worms. 6. Troll weed edge with jig spinners in Sand, Hardy and Reynolds Bay. 7. Check out John's Hole on way to back channel. 8. Fish behind Partridge Island in 20-40 feet with 3 way rigs or bottom bouncers. 9. Troll Clearwater Bay or near back of 5 Mile Bay with jig spinners. (All jig spinners need to be trolled in 5-10 feet of water, with casting as shallow as the shoreline.) 10. If current in main channel, fish Sugar Loaf with 1/4 jigs with power grubs or sauger jigs. 11. Sachels Bay Island in back with 1/8 ounce jig heads with power grubs or jig spinners. Smallmouth Bass 1. Below Chaudiere Dam in rapids with anything including topwater. 2. Reynolds or Hardy Bay with "The Lure", tubes or jig spinners. 3. The Flats 4. Pineknot Island complex. 5. Troll DBN's in 12-15 feet of water if smallmouth deep. Also catches walleye. 6. Cast out from rocky points with tubes if smallmouth deeper than 8 feet. 7. Sunken rock on south shoreline 1/2 mile downstream of entrance to Sachel's Bay. 8. Docks on Sandy Island. 9. Musky flats across from Keystone Lodge. 10. Shoals and islands behind Sandy Island. 11. Entrance of Wigwam Bay. 12. whats his name Bay points and rock piles. 13. Explore Twilight and Hunter's Bays. 14. Sachels Bay back channel. 15. Lake Nippissing southeast shoreline and islands past Campbells Bay. 16. Rock piles near deep water. 17. Try Rattle Traps and War Eagles spinnerbaits. Also troll 1/16 ounce jigs with power grubs shallow. 18. Cast chunk rock shorelines or points with fast deep water tapers with DBNs, especially morning and evening. 19. Buoys with tubes, jig spinners or "The Lure". Don

Slimeball, Do you know the particulars of what the price is and where it is listed, etc. Thanks, DonC

Addy, My oldest brother will be at Casa Blanca this Friday with 3 of his boyhood buddies and fish Saturday to Monday. They are in their eary 60's and doing the American Plan. If you want to catch walleye, try in Sand Bay around the island at the east entrance in the weed beds. I fish artificial and use jig spinners with #3 size blades in silver or brass, with a 1/8 ounce jighead attached, and have a 2 or 3 inch curly tail grub, preferably a Berkley Power Grub. I troll or cast them. Pike are everywhere in the weeds. Use a bass spinnerbait in bright colors on the skirt. Smallmouth in current and chunk rock shorelines, casting tubes, curly tail 3 inch grubs, and bass spinnerbaits. Ask Bryan for spots. Good luck and say hi to my brother John if you are there this coming weekend, Don

Addy79, I do not target musky much anymore, but there are many big ones on the Upper French and Lake Nippissing. There is plenty of places to troll, so much that you can not cover it all in 2 weeks. There is deep and shallow trolling. We have caught musky trolling the Flats, just upstream from Chaudiere Lodge. There is a topographic may of the French River 6036 I believe and more of Lake Nippissing. I recommend fishing the area of Sandy Island to the main shore. It looks like musky heaven there. I replied to you on the French River Map thread. Try this link and call them on the phone. http://public.geoportal-geoportail.gc.ca/c...2F44B669ABB4944 Good luck, Don

You can obtain from the Canadian Hydrographic Society or commercial outlets off the internet topographic maps of the Upper French River and Lake Nippissing. They are producing a water proof version now. Try these links. http://www.fishingmap.com/ontario/ This one may not have the French River, but you can call them. Below is the government site that I have ordered non-waterproof maps from, and then had them laminated. http://public.geoportal-geoportail.gc.ca/c...2F44B669ABB4944 Scroll down to French River. Good luck, Don

The delta and Bad French sound exciting and has an adventure type feeling whenever I hear them mentioned. My father started taking the family, 6 sons, to the Pickerel River in 1956, I was not on the first 5 or 6 trips. We stayed at Camp Wanikeiwin (sp?) the first years, and then camped out on Wanipeitai Bay from then on. We have never fishing the Bad French to the Delta. Furthest I have been is past Crombie Bay in the island complex for smallmouth. Smallmouth is my preferred fish. I enjoy shallow walleye also. How is the smallmouth fishing down the Bad French? Four of us brothers return to the family stomping grounds July 14th, and are talking about the Bad French, but are hesitant and cautious about venturing down there for safety and boat and motor considerations. My oldest brother has a one year old 18 foot Lund with 60 HP tiller E tec. Thanks for any recommendations on the fishing and other issues, Don PS: After fishing the Lower French, we will again fish the Upper French out of Casa Blanca Lodge.

Marty, Mattyk and Raf, Thanks for the responses. Will put them to good use. Don

Four of us brothers are going back to the Upper French mainly, with one day on the Lower French. Camped many years on Wanapetai Bay, and stayed those early years at Camp Wanikawin and on the Lower French at French River Lodge 2004 and 2005. Last year was at Casa Blanca Lodge. Any suggestions to walleye and smallmouth fishing patterns that time of year? We have some, but always are open to new patterns. Thanks, Don C

Bushy, If you are fishing for smallmouth I recommend tender tubes with 1/4 oz. tender tube jigheads from Bass Pro, or any other 3 1/2 to 4 inch tubes. Flat rapids is a blast to fish with tubes or fast cranking Bandit 200 series crankbaits in the current. You will lose some lures. For walleye you can troll up against the currents with crankbaits. The Bomber Long 15A or 16A in gold with orange belly work great. Make sure all lures are tuned. If you do not know how to tune a crankbait, the instructions are usually on the box. My 3 brothers and I are fishing the Lower French July 14th, and then will be fishing the Upper French from July 15-18 out of Casa Blanca Lodge. Bryan the owner is great. Have a good trip. Don PS: Fish the Wanapetei Bay islands once you come out past the French River Lodge in to the Main Channel of the French, about 1/2 mile after turning right. The islands and shoals just past Crombie Bay are good for smallmouth also. You can troll the back side of Crombie Bay in 8-10 feet of water with the Long A Bombers or with jig spinners #6 size with a 1/16 to 1/8 ounce jighead with a 3 inch white or pumpkin/chartreuse Berkley Power Grub for pike, walleye, or smallmouth. And occasional Musky.