Regan Thompson

LOL, great having you up John!! Thanks and can't wait to see you next year...

Nice looking 44". I can't believe how different the fish out of there look compared to up here! Amazing how Muskies camouflage to their settings.

Agree with Mike on this one.. Especially if you are just starting out.. Trolling allows you to cover LOTS of water and locate spots for casting later on.. Another thing it accomplishes that few talk about is that it catches the aggressive fish (the ones you want)!.. When I lived on Chemong, in peak summer, we would troll 7 MPH! you heard correct, almost on plain! Think of all the water you cover then. We caught tonnes of fish doing this. As water temps cool however, you need to slow things down. In November (in contrast) you want to do about 2.5 MPH.. Barely crawling but you'd be amazed how it works.

Lord Tundra and Geezus! nice fish! Where was this?

Good ol'Pigeon lake!

Since before our season started, we have been in discussions with Canadian Sportfishing about shooting a show on the West Arm. We weren’t sure if it would come together this year, but the crew contacted us just a couple weeks ago, asking if they could stay with us while shooting. This is an area that Italo had not fished yet and he had heard good things. As a long time fan of the show we jumped at the opportunity to work with them. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, Italo asked if I would join him on camera for the filming as co-host Aaron Shirley couldn’t make the trip. I graciously accepted and the dates were set! The production would be broken into 4 days and the plan was to target Bass and Northern Pike. The first few days would be spent pre-fishing with Italo and the last two the film crew would arrive for filming. Day 1 - Butterflies I was was actually pretty nervous at the prospect of meeting Italo. This is the man who taught me how to tie my first palmer knaught! Around 12 PM he rolled into our parking lot with his Dodge Diesel truck pulling his Yamaha G3, dog Mulligan riding shotgun. He stepped from his truck (my palms were sweating!). I awkwardly reached to shake his hand while at the same time forgetting to remove my sunglasses (Doh)! Italo left my hand suspending and stared me down, almost melting my polarized lenses (Clint Eastwood in Dirty Hairy came to mind)! By this point I was trembling. He then calmly said, “let me remove those glasses to see who’s underneath”, reached out and slowly took of my shades for me. At this point I nearly lost control of bowel movements! He then smiled from ear to ear, chuckled and came in for the handshake. Phew, that was close!! After chatting it up for a bit I quickly felt more relaxed. Italo has a quality and presence about him that puts one at ease. We checked him and Mulligan into their cottage, launched his G3, and before long I was ripping down the west arm sitting next to a legend! By this time it was later in the afternoon, so we only had a few hours to spend fishing. I showed Italo some recently producing spots and we worked through them quickly. Watching him in action was truly awesome. He flipped his baits twice for each of my one with pinpoint precision, all the while telling me more about the biology of different fish and biodiversity of Nipissing that I was even aware of. That evening, we had Italo and his colleague Paul over for dinner. Goldie cooked Salmon and Rainbow Trout, I think the best she’s ever made! We enjoyed a fantastic meal and Italo entertained us with stories of his adventures over the years. Day 2 - Cold Front! The forecast didn’t lie. The temperature dropped from 25 C to 12 C overnight; the dreaded cold front! I met Italo in his cottage. He had a fresh pot of coffee brewed and we went over hydrographic charts for West Arm and West Bay. After coming up with a reasonable game plan we were back in the boat, off to a series of spots. We fished a couple of spots on the West Arm and then spent the rest of the day working areas in West Bay (east of hwy 64). By the end of the day we were unable to land anything of substance. The cold front must have really shut things down. Although, Italo did manage to land this nice smallie right by the bridge at 64. I had to be home early that day to coach Russell’s hockey team so we had Italo and Paul over for a quick, late afternoon bowl of Chili (felt good after a long, cold day on the lake!). Goldie, Russ and I were off to hockey and Italo was back on the water flying solo. After a long, cold day he still couldn’t wait to hit the water. I can honestly say that I’ve never met a more dedicated and passionate angler, and I’ve fished with all kinds! Day 3 - Lights, Camera, Action I met Italo in his cabin once again in the morning. He had more coffee on and was updating his blogs and returning emails to his fans and followers. Another thing that struck me about Italo was an overwhelming desire to help others, from fans to people he worked with. He showed me pictures of some of his recent trips as well as how they put their shows together online and managed their social media accounts (very cool). The camera crew wouldn’t be arriving until 12 PM for the shoot that day, so we had two or three hours more of prefish time. The weather was still cold and I wondered if the fish would snap out of their zombie like states and start hammering our baits. We ventured to a few more spots that morning, but again, we were unable able to connect with anything decent. 12 PM came quickly and we headed back to the lodge to meet the camera crew. At this point I was very nervous because I knew we had to produce good fish to film a show and up to this point, we didn’t have anything of much size! Italo on the other hand, was perfectly calm. During the ride back to the lodge I think he could sense my nervousness. At one point he looked over at me and said “Regan, it’s fishing, you just have to have faith that it will happen”. We met up with the crew back at the lodge consisting of camera and sound guys Doug and Joe. After getting Miced up, sound checks, etc., We were back on the water once again but this time for the real deal! The camera crew road in my Tracker Targa, which is where they would film us from. One of our guests and renowned photographer, Doug Ball, graciously volunteered to drive the camera boat and also snapped these pics in the process (thanks Doug!). Before leaving I gave our muskie guide Danny Colomby a call and asked him for some last minute advice on spots to hit. Danny used to fish the Pike circuit so was familiar with the area. He gave me a list of spots in the area that he believed could produce so I scratched them down on a map before heading out. We pulled up on the first spot near Oak Island on the West Arm. It was a shallow weed flat being fed by a creek next to a steep drop. Italo was throwing a shallow diving crankbait to target bass and I was throwing a Blue Fox Vibrax #6 targeting pike. After throwing a few casts Italo had a good hit (things felt different in this spot). I threw my Vibrax to the same area and WHAM, the reassuring sensation of a good fish on the line. Italo cued the camera guys and we were rolling. After a quick fight we pulled in a very decent sized pike and Italo scooped it up in the net. He spent a couple minutes discussing the area, strategy and gear on camera before releasing the pike, and before long we were back to work. Less than 5 minutes later Italo nailed a nice 4 lb largie close to the same spot! PHEW! we were on fish! We continued working the same area. Italo was pulling them in faster than I could grab the net. We would hit a couple more spots for a few more fish before heading back to the lodge at sunset. I was allot more relaxed at this point to say the least! We didn’t talk much on the ride home until Italo turned to me and said, “You see Regan, you just have to have faith and it will happen”. I can’t honestly say that I thought we’d have that good of a day but Italo somehow did, so that was good enough for me! We chatted a bit more about the pattern we picked up on and the next days strategie before getting back to the docks. After a nice Lasagna dinner the crew went back to their cabin and we were off to bed in order to wake up early for a 7 AM start the following day. Day 4 - More fish and wrap up Day two we miced up and headed out. Loyal guest and Musky comrade, Steen, volunteered to drive the camera boat for us. We slowly idled away from the lodge while discussing what spot to hit next, camera boat in our wake. During our conversation I could notice Italo was distracted. He kept glancing at his Humminbird sonar and commented on how in all his years of fishing he had never seen bait stacked so thick in one spot. Whatever this bait was, it was in deep water and filling the bottom third of the water column for miles, and thick! Italo thought it might be huge schools of hearing that were migrating from the main lake to the deep waters of the West Arm. Not knowing exactly what it was we tried trolling it for suspending Walleye. Italo said he had picked up on similar patterns in the past so we gave it a shot. We trolled it for a few minutes with nothing happening (possibly because there was just too much bait for our crankbaits to stand out). This was very interesting and will need further investigation, however we had to move on as time was short. The first spot we rolled up on was a classic largemouth bass bay. Italo wanted to do a segment on the new TriggerX frogs so this was the perfect habitat. We worked the first half of the bay and nothing seemed to be producing. I wondered if our luck was starting to wear out. Italo switched to a twitching crank bait. I threw my frog one last time and had an explosion but it missed! Italo reacted by throwing his bait to the same spot and nailed a 5 lb large mouth! We got several more within a small area after that. Italo commented on how largemouth will sit tight together in these bays, almost like flocking birds, so persistence and patience in finding where they are is important. We continued working the bay and pulled in several healthy sized fish! Next, we hit some smallmouth spots and Italo boated several more, doing a brief segment and explanation of what was happening with each fish he caught. At this point we had landed well over a dozen good fish, more than enough to film a show, so next we tried targeting some Muskie for bonus footage (we didn’t want to start with Muskie given our timeline)! We casted some of my Muskie spots, however it was clear that the fish either weren't there, or unwilling to cooperate. Later in the day now, it was time to head in so we cruised back to the lodge. The crew did some filming of the Lodge for Goldie and I and soon we found ourselves saying goodbye (with the exception of camera guy Doug, who decided to stay with us for a couple days of fishing, likely itching behind the lense for the previous 2 days). This was definitely an experience of a lifetime and one we won’t forget! After personally witnessing Italo’s calm demeanor, professionalism and passion for fishing, I can understand why he’s the success legend that he is. The crew was equally impressive in the way the pulled the whole thing together. A very cool experience! The episode will be airing in the 2015 season of Canadian Sportfishing on sportsnet, WFN and several other stations (exact dates to be determined).

Don't buy it, it's a total waste of money!

Just hours after having my Motors lower end replaced and getting her back the water the Muskie gods have smiled upon us! On this abnormally hot day (28 degrees), a couple of friends and I got on the water as soon as we could and went to work. The day started slow but we kept working and landed this nice 53". She spit out the bait almost before we netted her so much thanks to Craig for an excellent netting job... After a few pics from the flashing black box and a quick measurement, she was back in the water and on her way like nothing happened. What a gorgeous fish!

I don't normally preach a product but in this case (it's so good!) I have no choice... Case study: We had 6 outboard, 9.9 engines out of service at our lodge (thought I was going to have to take them to my mechanic $$$$) A friend of mine recommended Seafoam hailing it as "a miracle for small engines". I laughed! I picked up a can for ~$8 at Canadian Tire We sprayed Seafoam in the air filter of each motor while running them at high RPM Each and every motor ran perfectly afterwards! Some that used to vibrate heavily stopped vibrating all together! We continued to winterize by removing spark plugs and spraying in each cylinder before putting them down. I gave it to another neighbor who was having problems with his Kawasaki Mule.. used it and now the Mule runs perfectly! My mechanic once told me that 90% of engine problems are bad gas related and I never totally believed him, this seems to work anyway!

Shrink Wrap... HUGE WASTE OF MONEY!!! All it is, is a speacial tarp that looks cool. Just get some 2X4's, build a frame and tarp it. make sure it's tight and no ropes are hanging down so rodents can't get in. Done and you've saved yourself at least $300.

We have some guests here all the way from Germany for three weeks, so I took them out for a complimentary day of Musky Fishing. The fishing sucked and on the way back from West Bay my GPS kept going crazy. It was showing my little chevron in different spots all the time, shifting side to side by 100 or more yards. By the time it corrected itself I could see that I was in the dark blue on the GPS (i.e. <3 ft of water)! All I could do is watch my depth go from 50 to 20 to 10 to (---) all within 2 seconds. I knew that if I slowed down it would be worse so I rode it out until the inevitable sound..... WAM! Several 4 letter words were screeched and the Germans were confused as hell. I tilted up the motor and it looked like only skeg damage (I could live with that!). Got her home for a closer look and apparently when the skeg came off it tore right into my exhaust port! OUCH! That means a new lower end. took it to my mechanic and $1,900 parts and labour for a refurb from merc on my 150 Opti. By far the most expensive complementary guide trip of the year! I have new respect for West Bay! Don't be the next victim!

Right you are sir! changes made!

LOL, I love it, have this problem all the time... I have a 6 year old son so my bait is taking him with me (gives her a break to read a book or watch TV). I bring lots of toys on the boat so when he get's board I have other ways of keeping him entertained. Then when I get a fish I let him real it in and he LOVES it.. Get's him more into fishing too! If you can't play the kid card, I would suggest finding out what she likes to do and sending her off on a weekend of her own to do this (maybe in the winter, out of fishing season LOL). I find the wife can be very understanding as long as you show that your thinking of her needs as well. Good Luck, you'll need it!!

When I lived on Chemong, my neighbor Doug (old guy (and they always know the best)), used to swear by those Rapala minnow countdown lures. The ones that don't float (i.e. the countdown) and ~3" in size. Reason being when you're trolling slow you need the bait to get down deep enough (8-12 feet in the Kawarthas) and they would just hit the sweet spot! Sure enough they worked! Good luck and have fun

I'm looking for recommendations on what rod to go for on a budget (Under $180) but with quality in mind. I fish in the Kawartha's and will mostly be using the rod for large rapala lures, and some bucktails (double 10's being the biggest.) and some smaller rubbers. St Croix Musky Mojo 8 Ft Heavy Fast Action ($180) I have 65 pound test fireline on right now, I assume that will be sufficient for Kawartha musky action, correct? That will work, but you may find the fireline digs into the reel on the line to much, don't be to worried about line diameter with Musky (baits are large enough that it doesn't matter and Musky don't care anyway.) I prefer Tuffline 80 lb. My time is pretty much split 50/50 on casting and trolling. That's all personal preference but the Kawartha's (lived on chemong for 5 years) lacks in structure and you can catch more fish and cover more trolling. Also, don't be afraid to troll fast (VERY FAST). In peak summer, we used to troll up to 7 MPH, that's right, almost on plain! You'll cover more water and seek out the aggressive fish (the ones you want!) I see that bigger rods are the trend, so I was thinking a 7'6 MH power with a lure rating of 1-4 oz? What is the advantage of the longer rod compared to the 6'3 I have now? You can cast further and eats WAY easier to do figure 8"s at the boat When I am casting out with my bait caster, if I engage the reel while the cast is still in the air to slap a spoon or to just make sure it's swimming as soon as it hits the water, will that mess with my gears? It sounded unpleasant as if I was putting stress on it. If it sounds like it hurts... It probably does! When trolling, do you have the reel engaged, or do you have the bail open with your thumb on the line? Engaged... Also do yourself a favour and invest in Downeaster rod holders and Bert's tackle mounts for hands free trolling.. Trust me, you don'nt want to hold your rod all day! LOL Do you crimp your barbs when Musky fishing? Not sure what you mean, but I turn in the hook that is closest to the belly to prevent it from tearing the bait apart. Are there specific scenarios when you should try an occasional figure 8? I see some do it after every cast is retrieved. Try to get in the habit of doing it every cast... You will get fish that come from NOWHERE! seriously.. like under the boat and WAM.. I'm sure I'll have some more stupid questions later as I'm just getting used to this rod setup. Feel free to message me direct, could save you lots of time and pain.. Been through it all myself!

I used to back onto the Thames when I lived in Dorchester.. Wow, what a great and underrated river system! Right near the bridge in Dorchester we used to catch some monster bass! We used to use soft plastics (tube baits especially), let the current take them a bit while jigging them slight until WAM!!!! We would fish from Dorchester to Ingersoll and Thamesford.. In the spring we used to get some big Pike too. Best part is, hardly anyone fishes it.

My Muskie Buddies from the south sent me this. Great classification guide for different sized Muskies! I think this could definitely catch on, Let me know what you think... 35" = Under Scout 36"-40" = Corvette 41"-44" = Frigate 45"-47" = Destroyer 48"-49" = Cruiser 50"-51" = Heavy Cruiser 52" = Battlecruiser 53" = Battleship 54" = Supercarrier 55"+ = Dreadnaught

Nice job and a great year! Used to fish the Kawarthas... was out several times per week when I lived there... Got some monsters out of North Pigeon and off Big Island.

Nothing wrong with St. Clair that's for sure, but another thought, If you want to stay in the 3-4 hour drive Radius try Severn Sound Gbay (absolute killer Muskie fishery and great walleye and bass too!). The only decent place to stay is Musky's landing (although it's kind of close to the highway). The scenery is much better on Severn compared to anything in the Kawartha's or St. Clair too. I used to live on the Kawarthas, if you go there I'd recommend Pigeon, Sturgeon, Balsam or even Rice Lake for what your looking for.

Yeah good point.. I honestly would not even go into West Bay without my GPS! No worries I have maps here as well.

Great sunrise... The music makes it even better

I wish I had that in my college days! Nice ride, congrats.

63-65 on Nipissing.. The familiar green stuff floated to the surface the other day. Turned on the fish believe it or not, we had some good ones caught.

Very nice fish! I'll bet she was peeling some line off your bass rig.

This is something I've thought about allot myself... Our Musky guide on Nipissing has a 300 Verado which is the biggest outboard you can get and he trolls with it all the time. From what I understand he rarely uses his kicker at all but I'll ask him. Another long term guest that is currently staying here also has a kicker and never uses it. He has a Yamaha 150 fourstroke and it trolls great. Lew (OFC member) has the same motor so I'd ask him his thoughts on this too. I have a 150 Optimax and find that it trolls "OK", but is load and gums up after hours of trolling. the fuel consumption would be allot better with a kicker obviously too. Also I can only troll as slow as about 2.5-3.0 MPH, which is ok for Musky (accept in very late fall) but no good for walleye. I kicked around the idea of getting a kicker (and still may), but you're looking at about 5K installed so it comes at a cost. You also have less control with a kicker and it's harder to control the speed (although you can get an instrument to help with this). If I had a fourstroke, and not an Optimax, I probably would not even consider the kicker. If I could do it all over I'd just purchase a Verado and use the electric motor for walleye. Something I can't comment on is the fuel economy of a Verado or Fourstroke at low RPM while trolling. As long as you're not burning to much fuel I'd just use the big motor. If you do decide to get a kicker and it's a Merc, BassPro puts them on sale for almost half price every march. You can pick up the motor for around $1,600 and about another $900 for controls, plus installation.