xeon

Ive fished a few of those lakes, and I don't waste my time with the area anymore. Too much access, too many people, too many of them keep everything, which equals sub-par fishing. It doesn't matter if there are complaints or not, bottom line is the lakes cant take the pressure. Try going fishing with the mindset of catch and release for trophies (8lbs+) not food, it makes it more interesting and the 2 fish limit wont bother you. You can still bring home one for the pan and another for the oven even if you don't hook into something big. After all, the limits are for the better good, and they still allow you to keep your big lakers if you choose to eat them. If meat is still what you're after go for perch, you can keep 50 of them a day.

If anyone fishes in the Soo they've already fished these lakes multiple times. They rank pretty high on the "community" list. Koo-dos for posting a report wormdangler, but common, you have a sled, time for some better lakes The "crappy" limits are there because of the index netting and creel surveys done on the lakes in this FMZ within the past few years. The lower lake trout limits have nothing to do with poachers, more to do with over harvest. 5 fish from a small lake is not sustainable whatsoever. Give the OMNR link a thorough read. It will help answer your questions about lake trout and the new limits in this area. Its basically going to enhance the fishing (size and numbers) and I personally don't see those limit numbers going up for another 10 years. Which is a good thing, because the fishing in this area will be at its best from past decades. Quite frankly, lake trout fishing in this area really sucks compared to what I've seen out west, mainly due to the old 5 fish/day where they don't have a chance to get big. Funny how people will complain about their "snack sized" fish when they are ultimately the cause of that. www.mnr.gov.on.ca/267914.pdf

I thought it sucked.

Well, time to find another fish magnet. Rapala is bringing out new lures left and right, I'd expect to see some decent ones this summer to replace what they discontinued.

If someone takes the time to ship their fishing rods in a protective tube, you would think that they would have the sense not to leave them behind at a Ferry terminal. When I was traveling with a couple of my rods this summer, my first priority was about the half a thousand dollars sitting in a 7' plastic tube. That kind of stuff doesn't just slip your mind and isn't "just a case of bad memory", its called being a dumbass. Issuing a bomb threat was well justified. Security didn't expect someone to be that stupid.

5 SMB so far. Largest about 3.5lbs.

Fish cakes anyone?

One HELL of a goldfish.

If its a swimmer, its my dinner. If its a hopper, I pop er'. Brown its down. Black its whacked. Flies it dies. Am I missing anything? I will not keep a trophy or trophy potential fish. That means no muskie, no pike over 28'', no walleye over 20'', no St. Marys fish of any kind (gross). I will keep enough for dinner, or invite some friends over so they can experience a little "taste" of the outdoors if they are starting to act a bit too urban. I will keep all whitefish. They've made it personal. I would, and try to harvest trophy mammal species like black bear or deer. Next year may be moose. Do I care if you hunt of fish? Not at all, do what makes you happy. But, if you have a problem with hunting or fishing don't bother questioning my ethics on it or I'll tear yours apart.

Isn't that just great news.

Trust me, all the names are just decoys. Or are they?

Not without a spud bar to chip out the middle, because you'll only be able to drill 2 holes beside eachother. I bought a spud bar the day after it happened though. Unfortunately I'm worrying about this one being more of an open water roaming/deep water suspending kinda fish. The entire area is a huge beach, very little structure, very few cabbage beds let alone weeds, and she was caught in 20fow. Only good news is, I'm sure at that size shes probably not to big on exploring away from her home turf. I just hope she's become a bit senile in her old age. Maybe something flashy will trick er.

Nah, my pike would still eat one of those. BTW, what was that pike you caught eating bigugli?

Same here, but it mostly has to do with the fact that those salmon aren't feeding heavily at all so I don't bother fishing for them amongst poachers.

Ahhg NASTY! I've tried one once... one bite was all it took to completely regret keeping that thing. Roommates absolutely LOVED it though! Bon apatite guys. I just really cant believe there are people who line up every year with buzzbombs trying to snag 5 of them for dinner.

Out of the St. Marys though?

Haha if you only knew about how many jokes I made about gaffing it. I even was at the trading post in the morning and saw their only gaff, which was monstrous and for salmon or something, that would have worked wonders on this thing. But in reality, if I had a chance to gaff this fish I would never take it. I'd just man up and stick my arm down the hole and gill it. Not really interested in paying $500+ to have a scale mount on my wall and removing some of the best genetics in the area. All for a picture and name in a book. If you want to eat this thing though let me know. I'll give you $200 bucks to eat the entire thing while I film a documentary on the effects of heavy metals on the human body.

Sorry any Soo local pike hunters, I'm keeping my lips sealed on the spot till I catch her. Well, it all started Saturday afternoon. Me and my buddies all headed out to a fairly well known fishing spot to set up for a half day to do some perch fishing. We get to our spot and pull out the trusty ol' 6'' auger and pop a row of 4 holes in a line. Figuring since we had the underwater camera we'd keep fairly close to see what kind of action was happening on that river. Lets just say its a pretty slow day, but its been awhile since I can remember finding something better to do. The day went on, and not too much was happening, other than talk about future spots to try. We had heard the area did hold trophy sized pike, and were talking about how on the next trip we should take a long walk out to some far mid water structure that might have the potential to hold something. Well, here we sat on a huge sand beach in 20fow jigging away, when the closest jig had something come take a look at it. Something we later calculated to have a head of roughly 10-12''+. An absolute gator of a pike. The fish swam up close to the size 12 jig (smallest size available) tipped with a half inch of worm, and with the laziest of motions, opened its mouth about a half inch and inhaled the jig just enough so the hook stuck in the absolute tip of its mouth/snout. The hook was set and the fight was on. Well, sort of. Knowing the UL rod had 4lb test on, and was in the mouth of one of the toothiest freshwater critters alive, a different approach was taken for this gal. Tiring this fat girl out was not going to happen, and the only way we could even get this thing close to the hole was by letting it forget it was hooked. As we scrambled to rip in 20ft of cable for the underwater camera, and calm our nerves, I heard a "probably just a snot rocket" come from my friend. With my buddy at the rod ready to reel in slack and let the drag burn when necessary, and me at the hole hand-lining this thing in, I could feel it was no snot rocket. It felt as if I were pulling in a cinder block. We actually team-worked this brute to the bottom of the ice. The fish had no idea what was happening and actually seemed pretty cool with the whole ordeal. Only one small run. That was about all of the good news. If you were paying attention, I mentioned something about a 6'' hole. Well, we were all fortunate enough to get a very good look at the fish anyways before the knot broke on the eye of the hook. Probably the most exciting 6-8 minutes of my life, followed by the biggest fishing dream crusher of my life where I realized the hole was too small. But, making the mistakes is what I love about fishing. What kind of stories could you tell if you landed every fish you hooked into? I personally enjoy hearing about the ones that got away... they're learning lessons that give you something to improve on, or do differently for next time. And with everything you learn, you step higher up the ladder of fishing know-how till you're a genuine know-it-all. Something we'd all like to be, but don't have the time to be. I work as a fishing guide in the summer, and have done allot of muskie and pike fishing. I have never seen a muskie with girth like this, even over 50''. I estimate this fish easily over 45'' and easily in the mid-high 30lb range. And a shhitier way to say it, a potential name in the books for the 4lb test, Line. Class. Record. Without a doubt, this was a world class fish. Note to self: Bring a 12'' power auger, 100lb test, and mental preparedness for lightning to never strike twice. Hope you enjoyed reading about my most exciting fishing day ever. I haven't EVER had to sit down for 5 minutes because I was shaking so bad with adrenaline before. What a RUSH. I'm coming back for you baby, because you know what they say... If you love a fish, let it go, for if it returns, that fish was always yours. And if it doesn't, it was pure luck to begin with.

Very nice fish. Man are those sows ever fat.

I know its not happening in the Niagara area, but is any light going to be shed on the black bear issue?

Ya sure.

I'd burn my hut to the ground if it was ever violated like that. You don't know many stories of people doing that out on Haviland Bay do you?

x2 on the new xraps! I've had a few americans last year who broke out their new xcraps, and at the end of the day held them up to the light and saw a puddle of water in them. In the garbage they went. I'll stick with the tried and true husky jerk. Also agree with the paint, seems they only put one coat on. I'll take the wildeyes from ya! You have NO idea how many huge pike and muskies were caught on the 4'' green ones early season! But I must agree with you, two weeks after ice out, they couldn't catch squat.

I'm personally not big on side imaging. I spent 7 days straight fishing in a new $95,000usd Ranger with the top of the line humminbird side imaging unit, and another couple days with a midrange hbird side imaging unit. I think I caught more fish while using the depth/sonar features than running around a lake with a 300hp outboard burning gallons of gas looking for potential structure. Mind you I have no complaints with the side imaging, just think its something you don't really need.

Call the OMNR.