Big Cliff

Thanks Tom all help is much appreciated! You have a PM. Big Cliff

Well, I have to admit, I'm impressed! We fished hard Saturday and Sunday morning, weed edges, in the weeds, transitions, shallows, deeper water and several points in between. We tried jigs of many colors and sizes as well as several other types of presentations and even live bait. We landed a total of 3 walleye and didn't see many others caught by any other boats that happened to be in the places we tried. Guess I am going to re think the way I fish walleye in the Kawarthas.

The rest of you might as well just hang up your fishing rods because Team 6 is going to win this thing.

Brandy actually belongs to our friends Dave and Teresa Moe, we were just taking care of her for the weekend because they were going to a wedding. Joey; I've told you before. Anytime!!!!!!!!

Jeff and Augusta were the winners of last years auction for the weekend at Sue and Big Cliff's and this was the weekend that was decided on. They arrived Friday afternoon, they didn’t have any trouble finding the place as they have fished up here in the Kawarthas before. Besides, Augusta was doing the driving and Jeff was navigating and we all know a man doesn’t have to stop and ask directions! LOL The wind had been blowing hard all day out of the NW and there were white caps on the lake, a cold front was coming in. The forecast didn’t look too promising either with showers and thunder showers in the forecast for Saturday evening and Sunday; not a good start to a walleye fishing weekend. Being the true fisher people they are, we just decided to make the best of it but to play it safe we’d just fish off the dock on Friday evening (usually good to produce a couple of walleye in the evening). Jeff and Augusta did give it a try but 25-30 k winds blasting you in the face make most fishing uncomfortable and the walleye didn’t cooperate so we settled in for the evening. The dogs adopted our new house guests within minutes. Saturday morning started off cold but Jeff and I headed out and I showed him a few places I thought we might be able to scare up a walleye or two, he got a bit of a tour of the lake but that was about all. About 9:00 am we decided to head back in, have breakfast, and warm up. It was a good choice. Our tummies full and some feeling back in our hands, Jeff, Augusta and I headed out to try our luck again. The day was starting to warm up a bit and the sun was peaking out here and there, the wind had died down to something much more comfortable. Unfortunately, the fish still weren’t cooperating, Jeff managed one small walleye and we got a nice feed of decent size perch but not much else so we headed back in for lunch. Jeff and Augusta decided to try a bit more fishing for a couple of hours in the afternoon. By now, things had warmed up to the very comfortable point. The fishing was still slow but at least you weren't freezing. Saturday's supper was a fish fry, good thing I had a few walleye fillets in the freezer. Now we had the taste we knew what we were looking for and we were pumped. Saturday evening we headed out to one of my favourite holes and finally managed to boat two decent walleye with a couple of hits and misses. Sunday morning, the rain had started but Jeff and I headed out and decided to try a bit of exploring. Wet and cold after a few hours with nothing but pan fish and we headed back for some hot coffee and dry cloths. With breakfast out of the way we decided we still had time to head back out and give it another try; Jeff lost a nice walleye near the boat then nailed this bass. A quick picture and back it went. Not long after the bass, Jeff hooked into this guy and with no leader, in an area full of stumps and weeds and on light tackle Jeff did an amazing job of landing it. This guy really knows how to handle a fish! Again, a very quick picture and away he went. A few more spots and a little more fishing, the winds were starting to pick up and you could feel the storm moving in. We decided to call it a day and head back to the house. Shortly after we got back the rain started so I guess we called it right. The catching might not have been the greatest but the company was fantastic! Jeff and Augusta are awesome house guests and we are looking forward to many more fishing trips in the future. Thanks guys for being so generous, so easy to please, and such good sports. You are welcome in our home anytime! Sue, Big Cliff, & the dogs!

They say that it is hard to find the right words to say at a time like this but I think you have found them in your tribute to him. You are a big man with a big heart Lew; good place to keep all those wonderful memories. Our condolances to the whole family. Cliff & Sue

Wed. evening Beans, MB, and CPH came over for supper and a bit of fishing. While the fishing wasn't too good, the company as usual was wonderful. The bonus was though that Beans had caught some nice crappies and because his hand was sore, Steve had cleaned them for him and they brought us a nice bag of fresh crappie fillets. Sue and I had them for dinner last night and I have to tell you, they were awesom! Thanks guys for the wonderful company and the fantastic fillets.

Stay with the Garmin units. I have friends that have "other brands" and they don't get nearly the service or support that Garmin gives. Go with the best unit you can afford and the most memory you can get.

Just like sppeding and then crying when you get a ticket. You made a mistake, pay up and chalk it up to a lesson learned. It wasn't their fault!

Nice post, the pictures bring back memories. Is the trail still in good enough shape to drive into and park? I'm really glad you found the spot and that the action was the way I remembered it. Next time you go, take a canoe or small car topper with you. Three friends and I were trolling in there one time and landed over 30 pike in an hour. You are welcome! Big Cliff

I'm telling you Steve, an egg hook, some corn niblets, and a barrel sinker with my old bait caster is all it takes!!!!!! LOL. Most of the ones I have seen crusing around have been early afternoon.

Well, I caught one last Saturday that had to easily top the 20 lb mark ( we didn't have a scale with us) using a 3" white grub and jig while fishing for walleye.

Divorces are rough no matter who wanted it but take heart, many of us on here are on our second marrage and the second time around IS better. Sue and I have been together 25 years now, married 23, and I wouldn't trade her for any woman in the world, fortunatly she seems to feel the same about me. Glad to see you back, posting, and getting on with your life!

That gives a whole new twist on the saying 'There's never a Cop aroind when you need one", they are out on the lake making sure someone isn't in serious trouble LOL. Glad to hear you got back safe and sound, hope the problem with the boat is an easy fix!

Nice Moe! Not sure if I will be able to watch it or not but I'll try to stay awake.

Heck, I'm on dialup and I'm not having any problems! When you talk to Rogers Joey, yell them you want to know why people on Bell Dialup can access the site faster.

Keep dreaming! LOL

It's good because there are weeds right there but there is also a transion point there. Just to the West of the bouy there is a deeper hole. So, you have shallow water and weeds then deeper water and no weeds. It's hard to find better conditions than that for walleye. The weeds you are seeing are last years weeds, you need to find some new growth, this years weeds, They aren't up very high yet, the water has been too cold.

Guess that's why they call it fishing instead of catching!

I have done well right out in front of the marina just past the marker bouy. Find the edge of the weeds and try working right along that weed line.

Tom, fishing has been a little slow, we have had several cold fronts in a row and not much rain until the last two days. Bright days, clear water, and cold fronts, and post spawn stress all combined to make the walleye shy. It is supposed to warm up in the next few days, we've just had two days of rain, I think you could be hitting it just about the right time, I expect the action to start to pick up over the weekend and it should be in really good shape about mid week. Drop by if you get a chance and if you run into any trouble out on the lake with boat problems or anything, give me a call. 705-328-0750 ( that goes for any OFNr, if you are fishing Sturgeon lake and run into any problems, I'll do my best to help out. Now back to the fishing line; I must say while I was not impressed with the product I sure am impressed with the support I have been getting from Berkley and their Canadian rep. Pure Fishing. I'll let you know more once all the facts are in but they are sure trying hard to help me sort things out and that means a lot to me!

GCD, you could be right about the "operator error", what strength do you use? A friend bought some vanish in the 6 lb and he is having the same problem as I am. From the information that Berkley sent me, they don't even specify the 6 lb test and start with 8 lb. I often use 4 lb and seldom anything heaver than 6 lb mono and do not have any problems with it. Sorry, I only bought a 250 yd spool to try but you can have what's left!!!!!! Come and get it!

Thanks Uncle Buck, that's an excellent link. Guess it kind of reinforces my findings. Misfish; since I usually only use 4-6 lb test mono I'm not sure a fluorocarbon leader would be much of an advantage for me, I'm thinking that my knots would become a weak link. Based on that report Uncle Buck sent, knot strengths are not that good. I guess I could go up to a higher strength mono but why bother. That P-Line sounds interesting though, I might look into that. Thanks for the replies! Every little bit of information helps.

Always looking for an extra edge and willing to experiment, this year I tried a new fluorocarbon, Berkley's Vanish Transition 6 lb test. I do not like it at all! First off, it tangles very, very easily and in about a week of fishing I have lost most of my spool. I sent an email both to the Canadian and the US reps for Berkley; haven't heard anything from the Canadian rep but the US rep did respond and asked me to send them the remaing line and spool and they would replace it. I thought that was very nice of them. I'm not sure I'll bother, the cost of getting it down to them would probably cost as much as the line and since I am not happy with the product, I probably wouldn't use the replacement anyway. They did however send me some information on fluorocarbon lines, wish I'd read this before I bought the line. I thought I'd pass this along for anyone that is thinking of trying it. What should anglers watch out for when using Vanish Transition? There are several “inherent properties” of fluorocarbon that require special attention for anglers to fish Vanish Transition successfully. • Knots – The Trilene Knot has been found to effectively tie the most consistent and strongest knot. Tie all 5 wraps when tying the knot, and excessively wet the line before clinching the knot. Due to the fact that fluorocarbon builds up friction heat faster than nylon, the wet line will help to prevent heat from building up and weakening the line. Always test the knot before fishing. • Stiffness and Coils – As manageable and castable as this best generation of Vanish line is for a fluorocarbon, all fluorocarbons are still stiffer than nylon due to the fact that they do not change in water – they do not get any more flexible when wet. This requires more attentiveness to the line when casting, and a finer “balance” of tackle. If heavier Vanish line is used on lighter rods, reels and lures, anglers will experience more difficulty. The following is recommended when selecting Vanish Transition for various reels: o Spinning Reels, sizes 1-4, up to 8 lb. Vanish Transition o Spinning Reels, sizes 5-9: 10 to 14 lb. Vanish Transition o Spincast Reels: up to 12 lb. Vanish Transition o Baitcast Reels: all sizes Vanish Transition • Casting with Baitcast Reels – baitcast reels may require additional adjustment for the extra momentum created by the heavier weight of Vanish Transition. Adjust the mechanical brake to the weight of the line and lure for maximum casting distance and minimal tendency to overrun. In fairness, I did land several nice walleye, a large musky, and a huge carp on it this past weekend but for now, I think I'll go back to my 6 lb mono, it's done well by me for many years.

Glad to hear you are finally on the road to recovery. Hope it's a speedy trip for you!