capt_hooked

one of my buddies caught two near 40-inchers while fishing for pike this pass weekend.. the capt..

Those are great clips.. I had some and ran out... and can not find them... where do you pick them up? thanks, the cap't.

It's all about timing...! There's good timing and bad timing... like fishing... sometimes the fish bite, sometimes they don't... So, Leslie and I will really miss not seeing many of you this year... But maybe a few of the old OFNers will drop by, out the the blue, just to surprise Richard and Patsy....? Perhaps a few board members will show up who have not been here before?.. now that we have some extra space to accommodate everyone.. Actually we have lots of space available it seems.... Ha! For those of you who never made it up before this will be something like the 10th year? (help me out here Roy?, TJ?..) where a few OFNers have gather togetter to practice the fine art of telling fish stories about fish-tailing and to meet other OFC board members. Usually it is someone on the board who organizes the whole thing and Leslie and I just run around making sure everyone is doing O.K. and fitting water leaks and counting worms. Anyway I do not like to self promote on this site.. so do your research... All this babbling is to say thanks to all for all the past times that various folk have made it up there for the annual G2G. We have always enjoyed the company of the OFNers. Many fond memories. Here's wishing all the OFC board members a great summer of fishing. the cap't.

C.O. stopped in this evening with more info on the fire ban and posters to set out. They are really showing a great deal of concern this time around. I have never seen this much attention from the MNR regarding fires. Evidently we now have help from as far away as Newfoundland supplementing our fire crews with water bombers. Also no fireworks are allowed while fire ban is in effect. Please respect and follow the rules as many folk in this part of the country base their livelihood on healthy green forests. A major fire would be devastating. the capt.

The MNR just called us via telephone. This is pretty unuaual for them to make a special call out to us on this. All fire permits are cancelled and no open burning is allowed whatsoever. Cooking on gas or propane is allowed only. It is promising to be a warm dry weekend, so I do not see the fireban being lifted. The Ministry's fire fighting resources are already stretched to the limit. the capt.

Still got that canoe?

and I love you Roy..!

Lake Nipissing's yellow walleye are the result of massive stocking efforts way back in the 1920-30s. Yellow walleye (which for years have been important to commercial and sports fishing alike on this lake) are not native to Lake Nipissing. Yet the Ministry of Natural Resources insists that stocking is not a viable option. If we take more fish out of the lake than can reproduce naturally then we need to re-stock these fish! There is plenty of natural food in Nipissiing to support all the walleye we can throw into the lake. The Ministry also warns that stocking fish may compete with the navtive walleye population. Let me repeat myself here: Yellow walleyes are NOT native to Lake Nipissing. sheesh...!

check out Lakair Lodge (www.lakair.com) I love that place..!

Good to see Don in the mix... Some pretty faces all..!!!

Just checking in to let you all know... I am still on this side of the grass. Not dead.. just smell like it... Ha..! And the lodge is doing fine... Water levels are great... even with the early spring and lack of and low amount of snow. The water is now about 15 inches below the top of our docks, which is normal summeer levels. Usually in spring the water countinues to rise and peaks about mid-May so it is still early yet and water is still coming up (although at a slow rate). Checked out one of my favorite creeks for suckers yesterday, but saw no fish. So even with this warm weather they don't seem to be spawning yet. Usually suckers spawn with the walleyes and this usually happens late April. But maybe they are finished already???? Waters temps in Warren Bay are 44F and in Deer Bay up to 50F. Went for my first boat ride on the West Arm this year on March 26 - that must be a record. Water temps that day were 34F and I had to break some ice in Warren Bay. Cheers... the cap't.

At Lakair our docks are now officially under water. But regarding the statement above per fish population (high water/low water)... the MNR fall index netting study in late October 2010 showed a very good year class for walleyes. In other words, despite the low water levels.. the walleyes enjoyed a very good spawn in the spring of 2010. Good news for the years ahead. cheers.. the capt.

We just finished watching a video on these fish.. jump right into your boat..! I hear they taste good too...!

great... thanks for posting this video..!

Enjoyed everyone's company.... (as always..!) Thanks for leaving the fish in the lake...!!! the cap't..

Restricted fire zone remains in effect. Please remember that while this lasts we allow no fires in our camp grounds. Period! Be perpared to bring propane stoves to cook on. Hopefully we will get some rain before the OFC weekend and this will not be an issue, but its best to be perpared for the a continuation of the fire ban. Already today there are 3 new fires in the area and it's not even 11:am yet. the cap't

Re: conditions on the West Arm of Nipissing.. Things are indeed very dry up north.. However our docks and boat launching are still usable. We have done some renovations to accomodate the conditions, by lowering our ramps and also have a couple new floating docks on order. A few of our shore docks are not usable but most of the outer docks are in good shape. New rocks to watch out for on Nipissing.. pay close attention to the hydrographic maps (on sell at the lodge). Go slow. Expect lots of weed growth in the shallow bays. Don't be surprised to see jelly fish!~ Water temps are now over 73F. Fire condtions are serious... refer to: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/AFFM/2ColumnSubPage/268862.html The biggest concern for the OFC weekend may be that campers have to use propane for cooking. As one week ago we are under a "restricted fire zone" and no camp fires are allowed. But the OFC weekend is still almost 4 weeks away and weather can change. Fish are biting pretty good. Walleyes were hot opening weekend and slowed down some this past weekend. However we were catching both walleys and pike off the docks. Both pike and walleye turned on in Muskrat the last few days. the cap't

Oops......!!! TC1OZ... no slight intended ...! my apologies if I have offended you.. believe me that was NOT the intention!~ As someone here was suggeting the West Arm bridge on Hwy.64 is a great place to catch walleyes (and it is)... I just wanted to take this ... opportunity to remind "all people" ... not to leave garbage under the bridge... I am constanly picking up pop cans, beer bottles, plastic minnonw bags and other junk left by people fishing under this bridge... And in general more people will mean more mess...! It is fine to encourage people to fish from shore.. and the bridges of the West Arm ... or for that matter anywhere else... But the fact is a certain number of people leave a lot of garbage (from time to time) under our bridge... and it gives everyone fishing there a bad name...! So please do not be offended here... but embrace the message...! the cap't

We are always looking forward to seeing this crew...!!!!!!!!!!! the cap't and the much better 1st mate...

Good post here...! I agreed with Rick O. License fees should be the same for both resident and non-resident. We want to encourage Americans to come up here and spend their money in our Country. My experience is that most Americans appreciate our natural resources and are less likely to abuse these resources than some of our own residents. The monies raised by fishing license sells were intended to be used for management on the fisheries. The fact is that these monies are being used for MNR employee salaries and retirement funds. We need to insure that fishing license money is dedicated to fishery management. I would strongly encourage re-stocking programs. I hope that there are some MNR area managers reading this post! It would do them good. There are some great ideas here. As for the spring bear hunt: I take offence that we all agreed on this issue. I would question the validity of "baiting" bears as a true hunt! This is not hunting. This is shooting a bear that is coming for his nightly dinner that has been set out for him for the last 2 weeks. The whole thing is orchestrated. And I am suspicious that most people's view in this subject is tainted by a fear of bears. (I know I will be in trouble for this one!) Cormorants are ugly! the cap't

One of my peeves is the garbage "some" people leave behind when fishing from the shore near bridges in this area. Please do not leave any garbage AND maybe even pick up the garbage the guy before you left... (the excuse that I did not put it there.. so I am not going to pick it up... sucks!" I am always picking up garbage left under the bridge (and also on islands from campers) where I live. This is a beautiful and clean area. Let's work together to keep it that way! thanks for your help... and have fun fishing...! the cap't

Actually that is good news... That both the Nipissing First Nation and the Lake NIpissing Stewardship Council are on top of things.. (too bad the MNR is not) I think we should all be putting pressure on the MNR in North Bay to dedicate a full time biologist to Lake Nipissing... and not some part time newly graduated biologist, putting in time, waiting for anther post. Lake Nipissing has one of Ontario's greatest fisheries and I just do not understand our MNRs apparent lack of commitment to our lake. the cap't

Hey TJ... can I borrow that video? the cap't...

bump....!