bonessk01

Coming at this from a somewhat western point of view as we travelled from SK to get to this Mecca of trout and salmon. I got a late start on our first day so only made it as far as Winnipeg. The next day we woke to clouds and rain and it chased us all the way into Ontario ,so much for high fire ratings. We checked into the Northland motel a nice but little independent motel on the south side of the TransCanada as you come into town from the west. Due to a late arrival I had to wait for Canada's smallest Canadian Tire store to open in the morning to get my fishing license renewed. I made a new friend of the stores very affectionate black lab. license in pocket it was time to hit the road for the Alexander dam. I followed a local hauling his boat in the same direction which made it a lot easier to find the ramp down to the river, not that we could have missed it. I Off loaded the peddle drive kayak and made my way upstream against a moderate current, but was able to make decent headway without having to break out the kayak paddle. Low water conditions allowed me to park the boat on a rock bar and fish the channel formed between it and the western shore of the river. As I paddled upstream, I had seen salmon rolling on the surface so the adrenalin was already kicking in before I even had a line ready to cast. The morning was dark with low clouds threatening to rain with a stiff north wind coming right down the river. With limited tackle on hand, I went with the old adage dark day dark lure and put on a small Brass spoon. I started laying out quartering casts down and across the rapid that laid out into a fast slick with a short wing dam of rocks coming off the west bank, out towards the bar I was on. The East end of the bar was occupied by Kyle a local fellow I got some help with later on in the morning. As I was casting, I noticed him hook up to a fish and couldn't help being nosy so ran over to see if I could give a hand. He had it well under control as he already a the decent Pink salmon in the net and was releasing it as I arrived. He shared some suggestions on lures and techniques. After returning to my spot I made another cast across and down and was rewarded with a solid strike. With Chinooks, Coho, Pinks, Steel head and Brook trout all in the river, I had no Idea what to expect. The fish wasn't large but in the current he felt a lot bigger then he actually was, when I was able to beach a decent sized Pink Salmon in a shallow pool on the west end of the bar. I'd broke the skunk so the pressure was off. I started to switch up lures and fell back to an old standard but likely wouldn't have thought of it if it hadn't been one that Kyle had also suggested when I talked to him earlier, a blue back 4 inch Rapala. It made perfect sense in hind sight, with the number of smelt in the river and lake making up part of the natural forage base, it probably should have been my first choice. I moved upstream to the head of the rapid and cast across stream to the shore. I cranked it down to get the current to catch the lure and it just started to cut into the main current when it was stopped dead. The first solid thump left no doubt that this was no little pink salmon, and in a split second this fish had me back tracking down river on the rock bar. When I got to the bottom of it and had no further bar to run on all I could do was keep the pressure on, and hope to get the fish through the main current seam of the river and into the slack water on the downstream side of the bar. At one brief pass and I got a glimpse of white barred fins and I could have melted on the spot this was a fish I had dreamed just seeing once in my life time. But here I was No guide, on a DIY trip, with a truly world class Brook Trout on a lightweight spinning rod in full spawning colours. A quick call out to Kyle and he was good enough to come over and help get the fish as gently to shore as it would allow. After a few very quick photos it was released to make more memories for some other lucky fisher I hope. I was too pumped to get right back to the casting. Kyle was willing to share more of his expertise so I asked how his morning had been(since I hadn't got to the river before 10 am). He quickly pulled out a couple of Chinooks, and a Coho that he had caught as well as the Pinks I had seen him catch. I had to admit he had his technique down pat. Which was using a swim jig with a leach like rubber trailer. As the morning broke towards midday the pinks were still rolling but less inclined to strike. With hunger building, I headed back down stream to the boat launch. We loaded up and headed into Nipigon for Lunch at the Northern Grill Restaurant just west of the Petro-Pass card lock gas station. We had a great lunch and decided to take in some of the fall colours checking the streams and rivers out to the east. We stopped at the Granite and Little Granite Rivers along with a couple of others on our way to Schrieber, and ended up walking the board walks into rainbow falls. A small but highly scenic little waterfall inside Rainbow falls Provincial Park. We saw fish in a few of the smaller streams but not enough to make the trip back down again the next day. On arrival back at the motel I set about trying to arrange a very last minute charter out on The big Lake Gitchi-Gumee. I'm slowly checking all the great lakes off my bucket list, and a trip for lake trout and possibly a salmon would leave me with just lake Lake Erie to finish them all off. A call to Archie's Charters got me a quick return call, but he was sorry to say he was already booked. It didn't surprise me, I should have had this locked down before we left Saskatchewan. But with Covid playing havoc with everything I just didn't want to book something and have to cancel because of regulations changing every day it seems. Archie however had a fall back for me in Ian Parker, who fills in for Archie with his fully rigged Kingfisher. So a quick call to Ian and the charter was set for 9am the next day to meet at the Silver Islet harbour. We woke to dead still air and heavy fog. The drive out to the harbour is along your standard twisty, turny, hilly, blind curvy road in the dark and fog did I mention the fog! as we approached the hamlet of Silver Islet the fog had lifted and we were greeted with and absolutely remarkable sight the waters of Lake superior were glass calm with seagulls and eagles overhead you couldn't have painted it any prettier. A very short trip out of the harbour and Ian was setting lures and downriggers to depth and low and behold I'd like to say we had some great conversation as we waited for the fish to become co-operative but there was no time in the 4 hour charter we had one quad header , two double headers, and I think 4 singles forgive me on that one I lost count after the quad header. Talk about a fire drill! For value for money I don't think I'll be able to beat this charter. Ian was good enough to share his techniques and opinions on suspended fish that I can't wait to try if we ever get the chance to head back down to ND or Montana to fish their big lakes for Laker's and salmon. We consistently took Laker's in 20 -40 Feet of water over a 100 to 150 foot bottom I have to wonder now how many late season fish I have been fishing underneath of. The day ended with three nice 5lb Laker's and a small un-releasable chinook in the box. Ian had the fish cleaned on the trip back to the landing with the cleanings being quickly and skilfully picked off by Eagles and gulls. We finished our trip off with a stop overnight in Thunder Bay. Entertainment provided by a live performance of a play written by a local to the area woman about the stresses of the COVID situation on three women a comedic ,dramatic, musical with a bluegrass theme. Wow what a pack of talent that town has! I couldn't put the rods away just yet, so I did a walk along Mc Vicars creek and found some more pink salmon to play with. I landed 2 on a small beadhead fly I made up to look like a dragon fly nymph in chartreuse seemed to do the trick. I'm not sure why Pinks have such a poor reputation I had a blast catching them. With a quick stop at Kekabeca Falls and then a long stop on HWY 17 because of a fatal car accident that blocked the road for 12 hours we made it back to the flatlands of Sk Until next time enjoy your day and your waters Ontario Fishers.

Thanks for taking the time to report, I miss the rocks and tree's being out here on the prairie we've got lots of walleye and water but the first 2 are in short supply

I love the look you get from wildlife when you close the distance and then they notice you. It's like wow where did you come from. I'm an avid hunter but getting the shot with a camera is a very special feeling all it's own.

your going to love that 100-400 best thing since they invented sex , it lasts longer!

my 1982 lund 5.3 tyee with a few updates

thanks cliff i spend a couple weeks every spring casting the surf from New Smyrna up to Marineland FL, quite familiar with the fishbites have been using it in SK for walleye works quite well enjoy catching sand fleas and using them off the beaches

BIg Cliff Whats your goto bait of choice off the pier Do you fish the beach at all Also wondering if the pompano make it up your way Bill

only thing i can add is if you get to the coast fish the troughs even the one right close to shore its amazing how many fish cruise past the people standing on the 1st sand bar! My go to bait now are fish bite strips have brought them back and have used the on walleye and salmon

heres a peacock and an oscar

this is one i caught first week of may, Coral Springs area in the C14 canal there were hundreds of them like bluegill along the shore just finished spawning

just got back from Fort Lauderdale area and they are all an absolute hoot on spinning and fly rod tackle caught cichlids, oscars, peacocks. all public all diy. I could get hooked on them pretty quick pun intended sorry!

Nice snapper there LA not sure one guy should say that to another! Any way where abouts are you and what resort are you staying at? Bill

this is what I found on Lure King of Mississauga its all very dated Maybe Blaney Mcmurtry coukld help Registrant LURE-KING INC. Box 894 Streetsville Postal Station Mississauga L5M 2G4 ONTARIO Current owner L.K. SPECIALTIES INC., UNIT 36, 1435 BONHILL ROAD, MISSISSAUGA, L5T 1V2 ONTARIO Representative for service BLANEY MCMURTRY LLP Suite 1500 2 Queen Street East Toronto ONTARIO M5C 3G5

Aldolfo, Alberto and Juan on the ensenachos beach were really helpful to me I left them each a bag of tackle , wish I had taken more but ran out of weight limit! start off by catching small bait fish with same tackle you would use to catch panfish up here keep increasing the size until your onto really big fish is the only other thing I can think of that I didn't do! Saw most of my fish at the north end of the Megano beach

Well heres my report I really would have liked to fish the #9 bridge but virtually everybody I talked to at the Ensenachos resort told me not to do it as the fines were 4800$ and loss of tackle. I even had a local taxi booked to take me out tues mar 3/15 in the evening but when he got to the resort he refused to take me when he heard I didn't have a permit to fish there!? Don't have a clue what permit to fish he was talking about. my english and his spanish didn't help comunications whish to heck I could pick up this language. Anyway I fished every morning from 4 am to 9am( This put me in the flooding high tide) off the point at the north end of ensenachos beach I saw shark, sting rays, cravalley, baracuda and bone fish but i could not get anything to bite what I had with me. the locals told me to goto live bait but all the live bait tackle I had taken with me I had given away on the first day never thought to keep any for myself. wind s were constant and high in the area I was fishing so I didn't even try my fly rods stuck with a 30lb rod rigged with 30lb power pro and used rapallas,3/4 oz jigs with grubs in white and red, and topwater plugs Thoruoghly enjoyed the area though can't wait to go back. Most of my problems were not being able to leave my wife alone for the time it would take to get to the best spots to fish. Heard from a couple of fellows at the Ensenachos that also went to the bridge that had caught 20-40lb Cubera snapper during the week and had 15-20lb baracuda on the charter boats so obviously I can't blame the fish. I'm already back at work! Enjoy your day! Bill

we'll be at iberostar on ensenachos so hopefully its with in walking distance

Located in Saskatchewan we are drilling through 30-40 inches on -20 days right now with 8 inch Ions Keep the batteries in a small cooler with a heat pack wouldn't go back to gas for anything the most holes Ive drilled has been 25 but there was still battery left I just got tired of drilling instead of fishing

Anyone going to be in Cuba cayo santa maria that would want to share the costs of a shallow water skiff? Feb 28-Mar5 Cost roughly 250 per person Personal message me if any interest Bones