capt_hooked

We are making progress .. the Ontario government is willing to help us with our walleye stocking efforts...: http://baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=50099 Minster Gravelle does not have it all 100% correct, but he is close enough. I am sure he has many issues to take care of concerning our natural resources, Lake Nipissing's walleyes being just one. If you will excuse me... he probably has bigger fish to fry...! It is good to see him take time to come out and speak in support of his troops...! Bottom line... the Minster of Natural Resources has spoken publicly that the MNR will support local groups with restocking efforts on Lake Nipissing.. this is big..! And most welcome...

Seems silly to forcast the event... when no one is gonig to be around to say they got it right.....!? (Hey Joe... them Mayans... sure knew what they was talkin 'bout.. ... Joe? Joe?....) well as I was sayi...................

In the old days... (circa 1960) we would go sucker fishing the creeks in the spring.. There were always walleyes mixed in with those suckers... Few years later ... no more walleyes.. just the suckers... then nobody went sucker fishing much any more.... I started guiding full time around 1965... We'd go out in the spring... (4 to a boat).. start fishing around 10am and have our limit by 11:30am... 24 walleyes all around 20-inches.. Go to shore for a big fish fry.... fill our bellies... God.. we stuffed ourselves.. could never eat all the fillets.. the left over would be thrown onto the rocks for the sesgulls...! The only complaint from the guests was when they had to pay for a full day's guiding for less than two hours of fishing... Each year.. it took a bit longer to catch our limit.... after about 5 years.. we would maybe... still be working hard to catch 24 walleyes.. by 2pm... We started hearing rumors about nets being located out on the Big Lake.. Well, there you go, someone is grabing all out fish..! Soon got to the point where we would have to fish for 8 hours and maybe only have 10 fish (still all 20 inches in length for lunch)... Seagulls only got the guts.. Oh.. the days where you'd see maybe up to 30 boats, lying off just one reef... all with stringers drifting, full of 20-inch walleys... these days are gone... I wonder what happend...? One dayt.. got so bad.. we even tryed a pike for lunch...! once you got by the bones.. it tasted all right... One day... fish all morning.. not one fish.. of any type... the two guests in the boat with me were grinning from ear-to-ear. Best day of their lives.. they explained to me.. (I was feeling bad because I could not produce any fish).. so they explained about working hard in Cleveland. everyday.. in the big factory... making a livng for their families.. just taking care of business..living in a big town... cars.. smoke.. whatever.. now here they were.. drifting in a boat on a beautiful northern lake.. slight breeze.. sunshine.. and not a care in the world..! Why do you ask would anyone ever want to come and fish Lake Nipissing... ? Merry Christmas all....

It's ALL the MNR's fault...! Before the 1920s there were no yellow walleyes in Lake Nipissing.... Then the MNR had to go and release millions of walleye fry.. and there went the neighbourhood...! And now look at the mess we have to deal with...! sheesh...!!!

It's ALL the MNR's fault...! Before the 1920s there were no yellow walleyes in Lake Nipissing.... Then the MNR had to go and release millions of walleye fry.. and there went the neighbourhood...! And now look at the mess we have to deal with...! sheesh...!!!

Thanks for posting TJ. Good comments kickingfrog...! I think Mr. Fedelli is jumping in a bit late here. As far as I understand.. Mr. Fedell's idea of tourism is building a casino in North Bay... He is just shooing his mouth off here... Hope he does better at hedging his bets at the roulette table.

Anyone interested in finding out more about walleye stocking effects on Lake Nipisisng can email me and I will do my best to answer your questions.. and line you up with persons... and groups that require volunteers next spring.. Also any questions about walleye habits on Lake Nipising.. that I can answer I will try to do.. my best at... Feel free to email: [email protected] the cap't..

To answer your question Dan: My family has been involved with sports fishing on the West Arm of Lake Nipissing since 1919 (= 93 years). We have been blessed to be able to work and live in, on and around Nipissing for all those years.. this is a wonderful area to spend some time... Yes ... Mom & Pop places are dropping like flies around Nipissing (and probably other areas as well?) Unfortunately.. times change... Leslie and I have operated Lakair Lodge for 22 years (having purchased the lodge from my parents).. and have raised a familty, two great kids (Zachary and Merideth)...! For some time we have been thinking about a life style change... NOT because we do not like the business... (some of our customers .. my parents and grandparents guests.. have been coming to Lakair for over 50 years...!)... but because.. after 22 years it maybe time for a change... just maybe..? Anyway his vague idea (of selling the business) and retiring someday was acellerated to the forefront last July when I was dianosed with a terminal brain tumor.... But crap happens..!

The 1st Nations have been invovled in many conservations practices for the years... and have been working along side the MNR on many projects through the years gone by... I find that the young people growing up (from both sides of the gill net) are much more interested in proper stewardship practices... The old timers (I have really better be careful here... ) tend to be old school.. again... this applies equally to both (all) groups... It's the young people we need to get involved... and learn to work together... I am very encouraged...! Errrr... one more thing... if it weren't for the "white-man" buying the walleyes there would be no commrecial fishing.. Go figure that...!

Blue walleyes were navtive to Nipissing, before the 1920s.. but they were (are?) a very small size fish.. and it is the yellow walleyes (er pickeral) that everyone is interested in... the cap't..

We love to brag about the cold..... Like the time we had to build 5 foot fires under the 2000 pound propane tanks ... in order that the propane would still turn to gas from a liquid... (this at -60F). And most stove oil.. freezes after -40C...

If you eat two fish (catch per angler) for a shore-lunch.. that is a lot of fish to eat...!!!! Walleyes were NEVER native to Lake Nipissing.. but are an introduced species... I have been fishing Nipissing for 55 years now.. and can still enjoy fishing these waters... any time... Besides walleyes we also have pike, bass, pan fish and musky... among many other species... p.s. I own a fishing lodge and support the MNR on their new measures... Anyone local, who is really worried about the number of walleyes in Lake Nipissing is more than welcome to help us this coming spring.. with one of our many re-stocking programs... But this would involve some effort over many weeks... Talk is cheap...!!! the cap't

You have to be there....!

At -40C = -40F.... folks generally switch to F. below -40...

Part .. is the current government.. I think we should catch and release Harper fish... they don't taste so good.. But years ago.. the City of North Bay and the North Bay Nugget.. ran a whole page article on tourism in North Bay... AND the word FISHING was never mentioned once...! Now they want to open a Casino...!!!! Idiots..!!! but this is NOT political...!!!

Thinking about getting myself scanned.... then Leslie can 3d print me and stand me in a corner..! Also.. remember.. back in day... the "master plasters"? A couple of girls used to go around and make molds of all the famous muscians' "instruments" at the time. The Beatles, the Stones... whoever... rumour has it most all got themself molded in plaster... it was trendy.. But NOW... new twist... any Tom DICK or Harry can gett it done..! Aw the possibliities are endless... O.K... IF I boat that 60-incher this summer..........?!

I Googled 3D Taxidermy... and stole the following link / discussion: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After watching this video of 3D printing in action, I can't help but wonder how this will change fish taxidermy. Scan a customer's fish and generate the perfect blank. Maybe a portable scan tool that anglers will carry with them to remote angling destinations enabling them to do a field scan of their trophy for later reproduction. Interesting technology is coming our way. Here is the video: I came across this article today. This will change how we shop and how we get our purchases. Interesting stuff. “What gets me most excited,” says Bass, “is the idea that every person will soon have access to one of these 3-D printers, just like we have inkjet printers today. And once that happens, it will change everything. See something on Amazon you like? Instead of placing an order and waiting 24 hours for your FedEx package, just hit print and get it in minutes.” Imagine how this is going to change the world. They are talking about ordering food/meals directly into you home (What the hell???)! Trucking. manufacturing, traditional brick and mortar stores will all be effected. The change is a coming. Imagine the possibilities. I'm so enthralled with this technology. Unreal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xibh87nxQMY Lavigne Tavern... Dec. 13th... Devon Cuddy and Whitney Rose

Walleyes were introduced into Lake Nipissing. The yellow walleyes are not natural to Nipissing.. and so, by some of the same logic quoted above... should be eliminated from the lake... either by open season and increase gill netting... Let's help to get Nipissing and all other lakes back to where they were before the white man interfered...

A small-mouth bass cooks up as good as any walleye and is a lot more fun to catch.... We have an quickly growing population of smallies in the West end of Nipissing... I think it's great... Too much emphasis by the MNR is maybe placed on studying walleyes.. while ignoring all other species... But other than the sports fishing tourist industry (and who cares about that? - the city of North Bay's idea of tourism is a new casino) .. there is little competitive economic or political benefits to having a lake full of smallies..

Forget the diamond.... they are NOT forever...! She'll only lose it in the ice-cream... that she sells to some snot nose kid .. who unknowingly swallows it.... And then the insurance will not pay up.. because it is considered a mysterious loss... Then you're going to feel guilty for the next 10 years, because you are too damn cheap to buy her another one... Better off to spend the money on a trip to Jamaica.. the memories will last forever..!

Female incubating her eggs Breeding Gray Jays build nests and lay eggs in March or even February, when snow is deep in the boreal forest, temperatures may plunge far below freezing, and there is no obvious food to support reproduction. In spite of such hostile conditions, Gray Jays have a high rate of nest success and the young typically leave the nest in late April, well before most boreal birds have even returned from the south, let alone begun nesting themselves. Just as strange, Gray Jays never bring off a second brood in the same season even though there would probably be time to do so and therefore to produce more young per year than they actually do. Stored food enables nesting jays to feed their young even during a blizzard but this only explains how Gray Jays can get away with nesting in late winter and contributes nothing to understanding why it is advantageous to do so. Among other possible benefits, early nesting Gray Jays have nesting over and done with at a correspondingly early date and can invest more food storage effort into their territories before the following winter. Assuming much of the stored food lasts until the onset of cold temperatures, storing more food on the territory should mean that early nesting jays have a better prospect of making it through the long, seemingly foodless boreal winter by staying at home and therefore avoiding the dangers of migration. This might mean that fewer young would be produced each breeding season (than if nesting occurred in June) but if it means that early nesting Gray Jays live longer and nest more often, they may still produce more surviving young in the long run than if they re-nested, or nested just once but later in the season).

Wesakechak (also spelled Wisakedjak, Whiskey-Jack, and several other ways.) Wesakechak is the benevolent culture hero of the Cree tribe (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.) His name is spelled so many different ways partially because Cree was originally an unwritten language (so English speakers just spelled it however it sounded to them at the time), and partially because the Cree language is spoken across a huge geographical range in both Canada and the US, and the name sounds different in different dialects. The correct pronounciation in Plains Cree is similar to wee-sah-keh-chahk.

Doctor Jazz....

Found a wihsky-jack's nest at -30C one April morning in northern Saskatchewan, with 4 feet of snow still on the ground and mommy was sitting on her eggs...! Amazing...! The Crees later told me, that same evening, that very few people have ever found a whisky-jack's nest... One of my favorite birds..