Andy
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Posts posted by Andy
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Thx to all! That general info is perfect. The rest I will, or won't, figure out myself.
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I have never fished this area and was thinking about trying it this weekend for musky. Is the river deep at the mouth? Is trolling the preferred route? Or do fellows jig? Cast? Can it be a productive time of year in this area? Any general info would be appreciated. Andy
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Thanks to all for replies. It would appear that lake size and variety of habitat can come into play. Here is an interesting link from Minnesota.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/muskellunge/management.html
Andy
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Sure just a great way to waste fisheries money. So instead we'll have a musky tag for Lake Dalrymple and we'll charge anyone who wants to fish for musky there an extra 250 dollars that won't cover the cost but hey you want to catch musky right?
I have no idea how they do it in the States, but the impression I have is that they have no problem putting money into "put and take" lakes, even lakes where the musky have no chance of natural reproduction. I'm sure they have criteria that helps select certain lakes, but I haven't looked into it enough to know what the criteria would be. Maybe I'll ask on an American board some rainy day.
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I've heard the difference in musky strains determines spawning habitat...
So as long as the musky and pike aren't using the same areas... The musky fry aren't eaten...
From what I've seen musky on the st.lawrence spawn in bays... Mostly
And the pike go up creeks and rivers...
From what I've heard...
There are pike and musky in the st.lawrence... Different areas have more or less of each...
And in one area I know of... Pike are almost non existent... We used to catch a bunch every year... Now I can count on one hand how many I catch...
Now I'm bableing on...
No, not at all. Quite interesting actually. Maybe pike fall victim to cycles of one kind of another too.
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So I have read that musky fishing in Kawartha's will suffer as pike make their way into the system, and that it is because of a competition for food, pike spawning a couple weeks earlier and feeding off the musky fry, and the muskies in the Kawartha's being a strain that are not genetcally used to sharing water with pike. (as opposed to the musky in Lake Nipissing, for example) Will the pike population explode at first and then level off in the Kawartha's?
But how is it that a lake like Lake St. Clair isn't crawling with pike (or is it?), and the musky are thriving. To look at it, Lake St. clair should be perfect for pike, yet it is not a dominant species. Is it stocked with muskies on the American side? Is this what gives the muskies an edge? Or does it have more to do with lake depth and water temeratures? Lake Simcoe is another example of a lake where muskies were supposedly plentiful years ago, while co-existing with pike. Why were they able to flourish until overfishing and pollution decimated the population? Was this a different strain than what is in the Kawarha's now? It seems like there is a lot of musky stocking in many U.S states, and it seems to work down there. Or does it? Will the time come that this will be req'd to maintain a healthy musky population in the Kawartha's? I'm quite curious to see what happens to the stocking program in Simcoe.
Just wondering.
Andy
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It's definitly a green product
I always new you had to concentrate to catch musky.
I would buy it if they used Asian carp.
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Fraid your too late Bruce, I no longer uses Suicks.
I pretty well got away from them a couple years back in favour of the Sledge. A similar bait to a Suick but it puts alot more fish in the boat.
I've still got a box of them though for whenever I tire of Sledges
:lol:Interesting. I've had times when I get so frustrated with Suicks that I go out after a trip and look for somthing to replace them all, but then there are days (had one last weekend) when they are still the only thing that will catch fish. (and I was fishing pike at the time!), so I've ordered a few more of them. BTW, I was on Nipissing, and while travelling from spot to spot a firetiger Suick flew out of the boat and it is floating somewhere between the South River and North Bay. If anyone sees it, hang on to it, it was a good one.
Andy
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So I purchased 4 Storm soft plastics binders last year. Figured it would be nice to organize all my plastics.... however, when I brought them out this year, I noticed the plastic bags looked kinda funny. Like it thinned out and was almost binded with the plastics. On top of that now all my plastics that were in ther have a super strong plastic smell! That's 4 full binders worth of plactics!
Has anybody else encountered this or used these binders? Hopefully dousing the plastics with Gulp spray or something can help alleviate the smell? Other suggestions welcome. Looks like next time I hit BPS I'll be picking up some new plastic sleeves.
Yes, I had the same issue. Kinda disappointing. Certain plastics were worse than others for bleeding, thinning. I had to throw some plastic sleeves out. I kept the binders, but put my plastics in plastic ziplock bags and then placed them in the binder's plastic envelopes. Didn't really notice a change on odour, but didn't really check for that. Likely the reason the binders were on sale when I bought them.
Andy
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I wasn't going to say anything but what the hell
at our fly-in camp/lake we got caught in a MNR raid
well maybe not caught but caught-up in a raid
we got back in one night about 930 pm
I was just getting out of the boat and my buddy was just off the dock
2 guys came at us out of the bush dresses in normal street clothes , I could not hear what they were saying but the were come at us very aggressively
I didn't know what was going on but it seemed bad/dangerous .I had a machete on the dock and went or it.....I think I could hear dueling banjos...LOL
at that point I could hear them and realized that they were saying "MNR" and one of them was holding his badge out.
they were not in uniforms
they checked our licenses and fridge and checked all our cameras ..they were hoping to see pictures of stringers of fish over our limit.......
of course everything about us was 100% legal
they hid their boat and hid in the bush so we wouldn't throw all the illegal stuff out of the boat if we saw them waiting for us
we had not kept a single fish..they found it hard to believe.. we asked how they got into the lake but refused to talk about it
now the second part of what I didn't like.....they boated into our lake from a logging road.....
so much for a fly-in.........
seems they sat at the camp for hours waiting for us to turn
I am told that that the public does not have access to these old logging roads..but still I pay to fly and the boat in....doesn't make me happy
it was real dark when they left and raining pretty hard as the left the camp...they made us feel better that they would have a miserable trip back...LOL
"I wasn't going to say anything but what the hell."
Me too. I just don't get it. How can you be upset with these guys? They are not the public, they are law enforcement personnel trying to do their jobs. Had they found some one (other than you) who was breaking the law, and they had laid a bunch of charges, people would be making comments about how great it was to see the MNR trying to make a difference. Why should they tell you how they got in the lake? It's none of your business. Were they rude and abusive? It doesn't sound like it. Why would the fact that they left in the dark in a heavy rain make you feel better? That makes no sense at all. Would you feel even better if they got stuck and had to spend a night in the bush? And better yet if they got in an accident and one of then got hurt? I'm tired of some people slamming law enforcement personnel. They are damned if they do, and damned if they don't. Like i said, I just don't get it. Andy
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Plenty of big muskies in Nipissing Andy, they just don't come easy.
How were the water levels, still about normal ??
"Plenty of big muskies in Nipissing Andy, they just don't come easy." Amen to that! It'll make that first one all the sweeter.
"How were the water levels, still about normal ??"
Water levels were still very good. I thought they are as high as I have seen in many years for this time of year. And I found the weed growth quite good, weeds very green and healthy. Water temps (surface) in the South Bay area ranged for 80 F the first day to 75 F after the blow day.
Good luck at the other corner of the lake when you head up. I'm gonna tackle the South Bay area again next week. (once my wrists and hands have recovered from the last trip)
Andy
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Just came back from Nipissing Lodge on Nipissing. Awesome weather, one blow day that kept me in by the islands and away from the Gull rocks and the pickeral. Fished mainly pickeral and musky. Pickeral were fairly cooperative on minnows, quite a few boats by the shoals in the area of the Gull rocks the last night or two. A lot of fish in the slot, a couple over, couple under. Some nice bass there. Lots of small perch when using worms. Spent a lot of time casting and trolling for musky without seeing a single one. Started working the weeds from 5 to 12 feet in the flats in and around Hunters Bay and the South River with a few pike being caught, largest 29". Then worked the smaller islands and rock piles for musky, nothing. Trolled and casted around the islands and shoals like Beacon island, the red bouy, Musky Bay, negative results. Didn't see any other musky guys at all while I was there. Is there a reason for that? I'm sure they are there, maybe just not big numbers. I may just need more time to figure it out, I hope. Anyone else struggle for musky in that area? This is link for where I stayed.
http://www.nipissing-lodge.com/
Andy
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Anyone know if they come in multi colour packs?
I guess they make their money by selling 10 of the same colour in a pack which encourages you to buy several packs. But I'm not a hardcore angler and can't spend that kind of dough.
Only got introduced to senkos last year when someone gave me 8 separate colours and they've been the best lures for me but I'm down to 4 now and they're in rough shape.
Here ya go. Cabela's site.
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"Amen" to what Lew and the others have said. I was fishing the area last week. Last day out I landed a personal best, fat and between 43 and 44 inches. It inhaled the bait, and as I reached into the net to grab the fish, it thrashed and tore open my thumb with a tooth. I began bleeding profusely. It clamped down on the bait and I needed my jaw spreaders, bolt cutters and long nosed pliers to get the hooks and cut off barbs out. The stupid part is that I keep gloves for landing musky on the boat! I just got complacent, and I paid for it. The fish would have been dead if I didn't have the right tools. The fish swan away with a little help, but I'll be nursing the wound for a couple weeks. Do not assume anything, and that includes that you won't catch a big fish. You just never know, and you want to be ready. Andy
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Yes Roy, the DSC is included.
Mike, I also had to wait awhile for the course. There was one in July but I was up on Nippissing at the time. Even this one only had 8 guys taking it.
I took the course in Clinton this past summer. I went to Lake St. Clair for the first time this summer and thought it would be a good idea to have a radio of some kind. I didn't get a stationary radio yet, just a handheld for now. Quite frankly, I seldom have it on, I use it more for the weather than anything else. I did find the course interesting. The radio is a wonderful tool if used properly.
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Andy, I know you intentions are good here but most if not all is all hearsay. Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see and nobody will make a fool out of you.
With that said, you seem very concerned with the sportsman slot limit on the walleyes....now that is a joke.... think about it. You and me are out fishing on the Big Nip for walleyes and all we catch is slot fish so we continue to release said fish. Some are injured but still returned to the water. Some will die and be wasted unless you are cormorant or sea gull. The rest very well may be caught in the native's gill nets and be sold for profit. But you and I have nothing to show for a family dinner at the end of the weekend unless on the way home we purchase some from the natives which may be the very fish we let go. So instead of keeping say 4 fish each we may have killed many more than that and they were eaten by the birds while the natives pounced on every walleye they could gather for $$$$$ with NO CONCERN of the fishery.
It the train of thought by the powers to be (Ontario Fisheries) is that a lot limit is a MUST to maintain or improve fishing on the Big Nip by sportsmen who are very limited to fishing with one rod/reel, then how can the same powers to be allow every walleye to be netted for a profit.
BELIEVE ME, it's not the sportsman's fault that the walleye fishing on the Big Nip is at a all time low and may even be near collapsing. A lake of that size should NOT be gill netted for commercial use. The same thing happened to Lake Erie with the Blue Pike (now extinct) and almost with the walleye until all gill netters on the USA side were bought out and banned. Now Lake Erie is one of the best walleye fisheries in the world.
Bob
Bob
Wow. I don't know where to start, so I won't. I'm out. Peace everyone. Andy
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There are numerous problems mentioned in the previous posts, and they all have an impact of some kind. The nets are obviously a very significant part of the problem. But it's not the only issue. I've had friends tell me of fellows I know going up and completely ignoring the slot. Enforcement is minimal (not the COs fault) and they get away with it. I've heard of Americans going up to the French and returning home with coolers full of fish year after year. You can't tell me the lodge owner doesn't sometimes know this is happening.
I work with a guy whose has fished for years and considers himself a sportsman. He was talking about bringing home a cooler of fish when he was on a trip with only a few guys. I mentioned how this was posible with poss'n limits. He said that he and his buddies were each allowed to catch and keep 6 fish for every day they were on the lake and so that's what they did, thus the cooler full of fish. I couldn't believe it! I told him that's not how it worked and he claimed ignorance. Funny how we don't talk about fishing anymore.
The real issue to me is that no one wants to take responsibility being part of the solution. The guys ignoring the slot may say it's OK because the natives would net the fish anyway. The guys ignoring the limits would blame somebody/something else in an attempt to justify their own actions. I'm afraid it's human nature to justify your own actions because of someone elses behaviour. As far as solutions, I think it all starts with the individual fisherman deciding to do the right thing all the time. After that, I don't know. Just so many stakeholders with conflicting interests, and so political as well. Not encouraging. My 2 cents. Andy
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I will have an opportunity to fish Mississauga Lake NE of Bobcaygeon in the coming week. I have never been and have a few general questions.
Any idea what is available re; species? I assume both types of bass, and I've heard lake trout, but what about pike and/or musky?
Am I correct in assuming it has the potential for pickeral on shoals, similar to the north end of Pigeon, Lovesick and Stony?
My GPS doesn't have a map for it. Any idea of there if maps are available at nearby stores?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Andy
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Oh,I forgot to mention. I read Musky limitations by Marc Thorpe on the site and found it interesting. But I do believe there are muskies over 70 lbs somewhere in Ontario.....I'm guessing GB and lurking the depths. And if we continue to have these mild winters the possibility of one being caught will increase.
No, I haven't yet looked at the baits you mentioned. And I found a few of the articles on the site interesting as well.
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Anyone used this muskie lure? I try to order a couple.
Wonder if it's worth $30 each (much more expenisve than most bucktail spinners)?
They look mint though.
I haven't made the jump to anything that big blade wise, although the St. Clair Hounds I talked about in an earlier post come close bladewise. Cowgirls create a lot of drag, and a lot of reels (and fisherman) can't handle cranking them for any length of time. Last time out I spoke to a couple good fellows from the States and they always troll with one. A very popular lure that some would put ahead of sliced bread, as far as being the greatest thing. I have a number of the smaller Double Showgirls and DC-8 Llungen Tale bucktails that look cool, but haven't caught me any fish yet. This is quite possibly due to me having more confidence in other lures and switching up pretty quick. I'd sell ya 3 of my double 8 baits for that money if you lived close to Stratford and wanted to try something similar but in a little smaller size. But I digress. A lot of people love 'em. Do a search on a couple U.S. musky forums for more opinions on these baits. Andy
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I just received a St. Clair Hound musky bucktail in the mail. It's a Canadian made product from the south shores of Lake St. Clair.
Now I might be a little premature in my praise of the product, but I must say I'm impressed without having even used it. The price was reasonable, and it was in my mailbox within days. It it a beautiful bucktail. I have had good success with Mepps bucktails in the past and they remain a favorite lure. I also have some double showgirls by Musky Mayhem. I have yet to get a fish on the Showgirls, and I must admit, part of the problem could be that I don't give them enough time in the water. But if the Hound works as good as it looks, I may sell the Showgirls to make room for more Hounds. I have a number of Double Showgirls, and I have yet to net a fish with any of them. So what I guess I'm saying is that if you believe buying Canadian helps us all, take a look at these lures. I am not affiliated with the company. I talked to the owner on the phone, and his service and attitude were great. I know Johnny Dadson makes a good lure as well, but I haven't purchased one of his lures, yet. Just something to think about if you're looking to add to your arsenal. (and who isn't) Andy
http://web.mac.com/dogriver1/Dog_River_Lodge_Lure_Company/Welcome.html
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Andy - lure size didn't seem to really matter - the second biggest one was caught on a 6" lure... and I have caught some baby muskies (20-25") this year on a 12" lure! They are not too smart... but aggressive. Put it near them, big or small, and they will often take a chomp at it. My not so secret strategy? Location, location, location... In mid-June, I fished a section of Sturgeon for a day, had never been there before... just looked at a map, guesstimated which locations would make sense to hold muskies and fished them hard... ended up with 8 that afternoon including a 44 within 5 minutes of getting there! It can be applied to any lake... and as you spend more time on the water, you will figure out those 'spots on a spot'.
Lunkerhunter - what is your actual name by the way LOL! - for sure we should get out soon. Are you a weekend warrior or can you get out on weekdays too? Send me a pm... Oh, and guess what I went out and bought again? Yup, that same Frabill 60" cradle that I sold you! I missed it for dealing with small to medium fish, and prefer it when fishing with a partner. It often seems to hasten the release process. My Stowmaster will still be good for solo trips and for monster fish though...
Dan - the season is just beginning...
Just wait...I appreciate your response. "just looked at a map, guesstimated which locations would make sense to hold muskies and fished them hard" That statement makes perfect sense, but it's one thing to say it, and another to take the time and make the effort to follow through with it. A lot of us are too busy or impatient to put in the effort you do, and spend our time looking for the "hot" lure or blaming the weather, etc. You were rewarded for your efforts, congratulations, and thanks again. By the way, I have yet to catch a fish of any kind on a Believer or Swimm Whizz, and I have given it a far share of time in the water. Andy
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Wow! Very impressive. Not looking for secrets, but I was wondering if you'd be willing to share any observations you have made about lures this past season. For example, did bigger lures take the bigger fish, or did you catch them on a variety of lure styles and sizes. I was on a Kawartha lake last weekend, and did well for me, but the biggest I caught was 38". My biggest lures are around 8". I have a bunch of 6" lures that I'm thinking about selling, I find myself wishing I had bigger lures. I guess what I'm asking is the age old question "Does size matter, or is it how you use it?"
Andy
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I'm just getting started, learning how to fish, after catching some great smallies in Lake Baptiste the last couple of summers. (I've spent the last few years focussing on learning to brew my own beer, but now I have a little guy underfoot, and figure that I had better learn something sensible we can share together someday)
I'm trying to learn all I can, surfing around randomly on the net, getting books out of the library. As you can imagine, it's *all * helpful at this point.
Just wondered if you guys had any suggestions, any "must-read" books that inspired you.
Also, how the heck do you learn to clean a fish properly? Is there a course, a dvd, a book? or just lots of practice?
Cheers
This is all you need to properly clean a fish. I'm pretty sure it's Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" pitching it, so it's gotta be a great product. You are welcome. Andy
Last Kawartha report (for me)
in General Discussion
Posted
That fish makes your Johnson look small. Nice catch!