MuskyGreenHorn

I have fished out of canoes my whole life. When i was just a guppie my dad had a 17' square stern springbock with a 50's 6hp johson on it. I crew up canoeing in algonquin. I always fish with my knees down on teh bottom where they should be, but with the right canoe (some are incredibly well balanced) I have been known to show off and fish standing up. I think the biggest advantage to a canoe is how steath they are. Staying low in the canoe adds even more to the stealth factor. I use an anchor as well to hold on a good spot when the fish are really biting. As for trolling. It works damn well out of a canoe. I just stick the rod in bewteen my legs or use a pack or something to wedge it in. Since you never track in a straight line and the canoe is also surging when you are paddling, it makes trolling much more affective than using the constant speed of a trolling motor. You can't duplicate the erratic action paddling imparts. Just make sure you eat your wheaties. I love portaging a conoe into back lakes. Nothing better. Gotta love when a big one starts pulling you around.

Well a 6 hour circle from peterborough gives you endless options. Where to start.... I have a few questions to help narrow this down. When exactly are you going? What is your experience level? How much are willing to spend?

Welcome!! This forum/board is great. You definitely learn tons. Don't be afraid to ask anything at all!

Well that is a worthy investment, its definitely quality and will last you for years to come. I think you made a good choice in terms of an all around set-up. You may find it a little heavy for some stuff and a little light for others, but like i mentioned it will be a good general purpose set-up, so you have to expect some compromise at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Enjoy!

Trevy is right, in that area your best bet is to fish the Ottawa or St. Lawrence. They have all of the fish are hoping to catch. Those are some mighty bigh waters to probe when you have limited time. If you really want to catch a muskie I woudl recommend hiring a guide, it will be worth every penny. If you do that, they will help you pick a time that is best. Musky doesn't open up until teh end of june as Trevy pointed out which coincides with the kids beuing out of school. Your best bet is probably to right at teh beginning of summer or toward steh end of august if you want to catch a muskie. Good luck and have fun.

If you want to tie your own leaders at 130ln go floro all the way.

11lbs, now that a hog, just what that area is known for, WOW!

Nice! Thanks for sharing, What town is that, it makes for a picturesque backdrop in the deer pic?

Sound sto me like you answered your own question. You metioned no/low light conditions, the firetiger probably is a lot more visable at those times.

I used to fish for them in the spped and grand rivers instead of going to class when i lived in Guelph. There sure were fun. So many ways to nail a carp. I used to watch caro'o'mania when i got WFN, i found it pretty entertaining.

I agree with weeds. Baist that you impart the action are magic. I use topwaters generally once the water gets near 70 degrees. Not to say I haven't heard fo fish being caught topwater in cooler waters, but generally warmer water means fish are more active and more likely to take a topwater. This usally coincides with the development of good weed cover, topwater is great over top of weeds. Like others mentioned though, you can use them anywhere included over super deep water. Which style to use, prop, WTD or creeper is a matter of prefence. i have a few guidlines that I follow though. Creepers and propbaits are better in low light conditions as they are louder. A creeper or a WTD is better when fish seem lathargic as the baits move slower. I don't really see an advantage to a super topraider over a regular one. The rule of thumb being save bigger baits till later in the summer, ie august/september. The reason to use propbaits is when you want to cover water. They are fast baits, so if you have 2 people in the boat, one guy can cast a double bladed spinner while the other tosses a propbait. Its the fastest way to cover water and gives fish 2 options. When the water is warm, this is what my fishing partner and I go to. When you have 2 people casting, they should match their retrieve speed. IF its a little cooler one guy may throw a suick/bobbie and the other guy a WTD. Also with WTD they work better in calmer conditions, since the aren't as noisy. Crop baits can be run in a pretty heavy chop and still get attention. Its all about expeimenting really to decide when to choose which type of bait. The water temp, the depth, the type of cover, time of day, seaon, water clarity, all factor in on lure choice. That reminds me, when water is really stained or muddy or there in a algea bloom i will reach for a topwater over a jerkbait. Easier for the fish to find. Now for the bad news... As exciting as topwaters are, they have the poorest hook-up ratio of any style of bait. They are heartbreakers. So many huge fish blow up on them and fish miss them or get poorly hooked and get off. Most people set the hooks as soon as the water explodes, I know I do, and then you miss the fish. Pay close attention, I have seen fish strike and miss and come back for another 2 or 3 attemps. Generally I wait 3 seconds and make sure the the fish has got it and reel down and then hammer on them. Its even more impotant than bass because bass inhale their lures and also turn much quicker than a muskie. Inline spinners on the other hand have by far the best hook up precentage. These baist work wonders for boatside hookups in a figure 8 or figure O. Remember to make big wide turns, and never let the blades stop spinning. This is the biggest mistake that I see poeple make. Big wide turns help faciliate this. You can troll these over weedbeads as well. They troll as well as they cast. If you have a nice big reel I would recommend you try doble 10's. Its definitely a work out, but the vibration they put out is second 2 none. We burn them pretty fast, often so they make the water surface bulge, so a quality, big reel with a power hangle is a must. Like I said, if you don't have the strength or stamina to cast these suckers, try trolling them over a big weed bed. There are smaller versions and they work as well and french or indian or fluted blade models also work nicely. Lastly I also recommend a failry long stiff rod for tossing big in-line spinners.

Hey there. First of all. What are rods/reels are you using. That makes a big difference on what you can throw for blade baits. Big blades and double are definatrely not a fad and if you have the gear to throw em' get some, or tie your own. The DCG are the ones who made it popular, not the first and not the best. They are very good baits though, i recommend them. The market is flooded and its hard to make choices here. I think its wise to vary your choices here. Get some with tinsel, some with bucktail, some with feathers. Different sized and style of blaes as well. Single blades also work well. I am not a fan of silcone, it doesn't seem to breathe the way the other three materials do, not as lively. So yeah get some DCG's. I also like spanky baits, they have heavier wire and blades, so they put out a different viabration. Shumway makes some nice baits. Buchers as well. A new up and comer who i think is makes quality originial style boats is johnny dadson from Georgian Bay, check his stuff out. A thing to watch for on spinners is if the bucktail, feathers what have you is tied to the bait or the hook. I don't buy ones that have stuff tied to the hook for two reasons. 1, if you have to cut the hooks because a fish is badley hooked your bait is ruined. 2, the added bulk around the hook decreases your chance of a good hookset. Topwater. A weagle is a walk the dog, side to side, and the top raider is a prop bait. Very different styles of topwaters. I recommend both. The weagle is a good bait, I would also reccommend the jackpot. Both of these baits are wooden. I prefer wood for walk the dog baits as the density cannot be matched by the plastic and composite type baits. That being said, Doc's, Salmo Mass Marauders, and Super Spooks are all pretty popular baits. As for prop baits, the top raider is easiely the most regonizable/known one out there. It is a solid bait. Get one, you can use it from super shallow weeds to super deep. when you see a musky wake up behind one of these you will have a hard time fishing with anything else. By "Wake" up i i mean they litterally throw up a wake as teh chase the bait down. its intense. There are a ton of others, but I recommend the hog head, made my "get your hog on" baits. I am biased here as i know the maker, but he makes guality baits, check out his site. He makes a really nice ecreeper as well. Tell him I sent you. For a net. get a frabil power catch, second biggest size, they run about $120 but you should be able to pick one up for 100 or just under if you shop around and haggle a little. The biggest size, teh big kahuna, is just way too big. I was at the show today. Only one place had a big selection of muskie baits. JB's i think they are called. buy 4 muskie baits get the 5 one free. Some prices were on par and soem were nuts, the bull dawgs for example. Also checkout pro tackle musky shop. I found tha a while ago. They have a big amount of stuff online and they are here in ontario. Also check out rollie and helens from teh states, huge selection, helps you see what all is available. PM anytime you wanna talk muskies!!!

I agree with you guys whole heartedly, a teacher should not be throwing their "opinion" around. But bashing won't solve anything. One of the best lines i ever heard from a Prof that I respect very much. "Science takes part, its doesn't take sides." Interesting enough that study that P3TA and other animal rights groups are clinging to, does just that, it takes a side in argement. I see it all the time. I think the kid was looking for ammo to take back, not our "opinion" of the teacher.

Poor guy, all he was trying to do was show a pic of a fish. Dude protect your spots. I give away spots when I know many other people already know about them. If others already know then who cares. Sometimes I Give away spots so steer people away from where I actually fish. I guide on Lake of the Woods and let me tell you, the competetion for good spots between guides at the lodge is nuts... and then you have to deal with guides from competing lodges. And then there are the real sly buggers who hire you to guide for a day and then you find them on your spot next week or next month. We call those pork and beaners. People up there learn to follow guide boats. Some will even push up on a tiny hump you are trying to fish. By tiny, I mean its smaller than the boat. I learned to take photos facing the wrong direction or down on an angle like other guys suggested. Just be creative. Truck or portable ice hut make a good backdrop. There's nothing worse than someone you know camping out on a spot only because they know they have seen you there. My fishing partner and I lost a couple of spots that held 50"+ muskie that way lasy year. I learned a harsh lesson there. Those spots took me weeks and months of research and time on the water to pinpoint. Losing a good spot for me means losing out on a big tip from a wealthy client... The water is everyones to fish. Your knowledge of where exactly to fish is exactly that.. YOURS. besides just giving away spots doesn't teach people how to fish or why the fish are there anyway.

Well I have studied fish in college and University for 6 years... I hold a diploma as an Aquaculture technician and a BSc with honours in Marine and Freshwater Biology (most of classes were fish related). Lastly I love to fish. There is no doubt that the fish feel some level of stress when being caught. But as far as feeling pain the way you and I or your family pet does, forget about it. I found a really good link on Gord Ellis Website that is really up to date and explains everything for everyone to understand. http://www.gordellis.com/articles/other_03.htm As far as bashing the teach. She is entitled to her opinion and I don't think we should bash her so badly. How is this Kid going to believe a word she says now? Its good to ask questions and its good to debate, but if we are going to win over the hearts and minds of non-fishers we better be a little more tactful.

Poor leaf fans. It must be so discouraging that the habs at their worst are still better than the leafs. Tis true the leafs have also beat the caps as well more than once this year, but the difference is the habs will make the playoffs...

Raf is the man, he knows his stuff. I second his opinion. I have 4 okuma rods and they are great. I have been a shimano guy my whole life, but recently started buying St. Croix, Fenwick, Berkley, All Star and a few others. St. Croix and Shimano are sweet rods, but over priced. Its seems to me that shimano seems to underrate teh line and lure weight rating on the Compre rods. The Okuma Musky series will run you up to 150, but lifetime warrenty for way less than St. Croix. IM9 graphite and the same fuji guides and reel seats as everyone else. I see you want to throw lighter baits, but if you get into muskie fishing seriously that will quickly change. Big baits are the way to go. Sure small baits catch big fish, but you will be busy hooking snot rockets and smaller muskie. Big baits = big fish. Of course you will still hook the odd smaller fish, but i recommend going a bit heavier. I mean if you want to throw smaller baits, a heavy flipping stick will get you by or an inshore saltwater rod, there are tons of ways you can save money by buying something that isn't muskie specific. Once you get into species specific rods, companies tend to up the prices. Also you have to factor in the fish you are targeting, even if you are throwing lighter baits, you want a heavy enough rod to run heavy line so you can get the fish in quick. Taking forever to land a muskie on lighter tackle is a big no no with muskie. The longer you fight them the more harm you do to them. With stout line and tackle you can put the pressure on and land them in good time. Anyway if you do decide to go heavier I have an Okuma EVx Musky Rod forsale in the classified section.

A buddy of mine told me a good way to have a few drinks for next to nothng is to go bet a couple of bucks in a sports longe area of a casino. He said you get a print out and the servers don't look at it, they just see that you bet and serve you drinks. I am not sure which casino he pulled it off in but he said it had great comfy furiture and was full of TV's. He bet a couple of bucks and just sat there with some buds and watched a game and acted like he had huge money on it and got good and sauced for free. Anyone know about this or is it a crock?

Good advice guys. It is so true, some areas are worse than others. There are are some serious rapids in sections as well that you must watch out for. The shoals, bars, boulders and deadheads seem to be everywhere in certain areas. I actually like that there aren't any seriously detailed charts in hard copy or in electronic form like on navionics. I do love charts and navionics, but its nice that there are still some places that aren't mapped in detail and the French is a prime example. It really adds to the sense of adventure and also means that are sleeper spots that maybe no one has discovered yet. It's also a throw back to yester year when only the truely expeienced guys knew how to get to certain places. Man I love the french and its its history.

My mouth is watering. How about doing a foil bake on the rocks beside a camofire. I just toss in some sliced onion, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper and of course avbit of butter. Works with any fish. I've done up channel cats cajun style on the BBQ before. I did some cod up in the pan recently, but you could do this with northern quite nicly/. Rub it with lemon zest, tehn role it in in chopped italian parsley. Off course ass some salt and pepper and cook it in the pan with some olive oil. I like my stuff with some zing so i also added some paprika and cayenne pepper. Still nothing beats walleye pan-fried over an open fire lakeside. mmmmmmm shorelunch. Gives me enough energy to stalk lunge till midnight

Wow, looks better than new. Those things look so sweet. Throw back to yester year. Very inspiring.

You will have to boat to French River Lodge, which is knida cool, but also has extra the expense of having to park and pay elsewhere. Atwood Island Lodge is a short boat ride away from there, I have never been but it looks nice and is also in a prime location. Bear sDen lodge is also in that area. You can launch from Hartley Bay to get to all of these spots. They would all meet you at the launch so you can follow. There are so many places it would take forever to list them.. I would decide which section of the frnech (upper, middle, lower) and then decide on a place to stay. There is a guy who posts on here who I think spends more time on the french, well at least he cares to share the most. hopefully he responds. The pickeral River is also great, they run through the same area, draing from nippissing to georgian bay. The scenery alone will keep you coming back year after year.

Bummer, good luck. Did you call the timmies you were at to see if anyone turned it in there?

x4. Perferms just as good as stuff that costs twice as much.

Thats pretty cool, i din't know about blue perch. their used to be blue walleye in Lake Erie. They were tragetted specifically by commercial fisherman and wiped out long ago there. They still exist some places though, mayeb tahts what you saw Bill?