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Best option for uncharted waters is to talk to the locals and resort owners. The french has some crazy water level fluctuations and is one of the reasons why it will not be charted. Last year the water was down almost 9 feet in some areas over the normal... this year I am hearing it is up almost 5ft above. Dont quote me on "current" water levels, but that is a huge variance. If you stay at a place like the Wolseley Lodge, Harold has a basic shorline map that me marks the danger zones on. This has been quite helpfull as like other have mentioned, dangerous rock can be found in the most unlikely places.

WOW, what a healthy looking fish.

What is the word on water depth? Is it up this year? Last year was especially tough with water down close to 7ft by October.

...also, where you are holding that pike is a good spot. We pulled a 50"er out of that little cove last year about this time of year.

I was at Wolsely Lodge I guess the same time as you Rich. Pretty sure I saw you... or at least what I thought it was you as the boat had an Airedale on it. It was a tough week for sure. By the time I left, there was not one other boat on the dock. The muskie seemed to be on until all that rain. We managed to see quite a few muskie and some that seemed very active, but the short bite was brutal. Fish would either fly in and thrash at a lure totally missing is and spook off once it got withing 8ft if the boat, or would be so inactive that after my figure 8s a muskie would show up after I would pull the bait from the water. Largest fish we say was close to 45". Only fish we seemed to have totally ready to eat was a low 40" muskie that must have chased a figure 8 around 5 or 6 times before disappearing. Frustrating, but all part of the sport. I was there from Sept. 23rd to the 28th.

Any more word on the French? Water level and prop busters? Heading there to Wolseley tomorrow for the week. Here is the best map I have been able to come up with for the area. I used the ontario maps site to piece this together from screen shots. Hope it helps you guys. Anyone want to mark on up with areas to watch out for... be my quest.

The only time a person can ever contest a fisherman is if the actual home owner owns the Water right of way, and if you take to any realestate agent, you find that less than 1% of owners do... not saying anything about snagging docks and boats on this one though. I would have an issue if fisherman left hooks and lures scattered all over my property, but that is never the case. I have a little daughter, a very active swimming Yellow Lab and friends at our cottage all the time. I have never once had an issue with someone snagging bottom or our dock and leaving a lure. One thing about cottagers creating a "No fishing docks" law. I beleive this would open an enormous can of worms. No pun intended. What about cottagers than enjoy fishing from their dock? You cant have a law that states because you own property near a public place, you have the right and someone else does not. I personally thing more cottagers enjoy the ability to fish from than not. This would be a real heart breaker for the kids, that's for sure.

Enormous money grab. I fully understand and support the conservation laws, but is this not taking it too far? I mean, who really in their right mind comes up with this stuff? Yes, conservation is developed to protect species and fisheries, but if a simple error is made, such as 2 guys sharing a stringer for instance, why the money grab? Why not instead of "enforcing" the LAW, promote personal choice conservation though education. To be honest, I think there are too many people that take fishing and keeping for granted and do no understand the impact. However, when it comes to the law, it too is written in a way that it is subject to the readers interpretation. Not so cut and dry. I know its changing the subject a little, but who else here knows the daily catch vs. possession rules? It is vaguely written, but if a person catches their possession limit, any fish that you have at home, in the freezer must also be accounted for in that possession and your daily catch allowance. You cant catch an entire limit out fishing one day and have the same fish on ice at home. Possession means, in the boat, at home or in storage. Example. If a limit is 10, you can have 8 in the boat and 2 at home to make 10. I didn't hear about this until last year. Now I don't often keep fish, but its something good to know if you plan too.

Hey guys, wondering if anyone who has visited the French this year can comment on the water levels compared to the last several years. I have heard its down close to 7ft, but looking for some verification. If it really is down 7ft, it must look like a whole new area.

I have a serious dislike for PowerPro. I find holds a ton of water, the die runs all over you hands and reel when new, it frey very quickly and is does not tie well. I have used Suffix on and off, but find its diameter quiet large in comparison to the other braids and screams on the rod guids. The only Braid have I have been totally stisfied with (other than the old Spider wire they discontinued) is P-Line Spectrex. Very thin diameter, virtually zero frey, holds its colour and super tough. I run 40-50# on my bass gear (flippen sticks and frog rods) and 65-80# on my Musky stuff. Not so much as one break, even reefing on this lures wraped around steel dock legs, trees and 40lbs muskies.

Hey fang, can you take a pic of the detail on the Hotmaps? I am looking for a card and not sure I want to spend the $250 on Navionics Gold or go with the Hotmaps. I cant seem to find too many images or comparison. I have a buddy with both, but he cant ever remeber to show me.

Definetly the biggest tiger I have seen Balsam produce. And the pike are getting crazy too. Something I really dont like to see. Hopefully Balsams muskie population can survive the infestation of pike like the Northern Muskies can.

Rich, I have not found anything down the North Channel other than rock. Some patchy structure here and there and some nice looking reefs, but nothing that make them a magnet location to want to keep coming back too. We did well in the french last year too. 6 muskie, about 10 nice pike, a beaty 6lbs smalley and **Cough,Cough**100lbs sturgeon.

Was this in there possession, as in fish in the live well or in their possession as in, in the freezer at home? The possession or catch laws aply to both. Most don't even realize they your bag limits apply to total you can have anywhere.

Holy crap Gman... talk about going all out. That is a slick rig for sure. I saw you pulling it through Uxbridge last week... or the week before??? I really like the layout of the dual monitors. Ram mount (detachable) and the gimbal mount. If I had the cash (and dash space) I would do something similar. I am interested to know how is the HDS systems linked like that are able to keep up. I have been hearing some of the HDS-5's are little sluggish at times. Think running more than one might slow them down? Keep us posted.

I didn't mean to make it sound so "jerkish"... sorry. But i do mean it. I love that programes like this are held. There is nothing like introducing children to fishing. Love it when their eyes light up when their rod starts pulling back!!!

I know they are just kids, but maybe that fish should not have counted since it was an OOS fish. Bass arent open until this week. Glad to see the involvement, but maybe a little edjucation too?

i saw you pulling that think through uxbridge the other day. if it wasn't for seeing your big blue truck I would not have know. Pretty sure I saw you on Tuedays this week though??? Nice rig

thats why I like October... but BRRRRR is usually cold.

Great area, I spent a few weeks at Wolsely lodge last year. Harold is an awesome guy and very accommodating. There is good fishing for pike and muskie very close, a ton of different kinds of structure and this area is very easy to navigate. Harold does a good job of pointing out all the spots producing fish too. Most productive colours I have used up there are Perch and Walleye colours. But bright greens seem to work quite well from what I have seen in the pics on his wall.

yep, tried that. When I hit save settings it reverts right back to outline. I cant seem to get it to change. Maybe I should try id in IE and see if the changes stay???

I cant seem to view the forum properly with firefox. I always open IE. The tread text in Firefox is compressed into tabs and i have to open each thread spring individually to read... anyone know how to fix this? This is what I mean in Firefox

Horses are hung like Chuck Norris... Check this out, Chuck Norris's nemesis

I hear you... #1 spring time... summer time... Any time lure is a 10" weighted suick. Either Perch or Walleye. #1 - 10" weighted Suick #2 - 9" weighted Suick #3 - Mepps Marrabo or Muskie Killer (Yellow with gold blade or Black with nickle blade) #4 - Black double willow bladed spinner #5 - Jake's ...#6 - 9" Salmo skinner

I have not found a better hook for muskie that the Gamakatsu's. There aren;t too many other hooks out there anywhere near the strength with the smaller diameter wire as the Gams with the sharpness and longevety that point will stay good. Best in my books. Usually only buy 3/0 and 4/0s sizes. But i mostly run inlines and weighted Suick glid baits