bigcreekdad

Let me know how you do at Memquisit. Still trying to get a SEptember trip in with my son...Memquisit is definitely on my short list. Good luck Lew.

Getting old and cranky. My original post was out of line. My apology to Mike. And, it was a very nice fish.

Thanks Lew....where you staying? I heard Lakair was going to reopen.

Took three trips this season. Water levels lowest I've seen. On the first trip, I did not catch a single walleye (although we were casting for muskie quite a bit). I usually do quite well in that water using a basic deer hair jig tipped with a worm for walleye from early season til early July. Although water was low there were very few weeds. Ended up having my best success tossing the basic 2-3" Rebel PopR.... bass (obviously released), a few pike, and actually raised three muskie! Two were hooked and landed...small...34" and 22". Had one fish boil on the popper and then follow to the boat...good fish...maybe high 40's. Second trip over the 4th of July. Although I threw the buck tail jig, again I caught no walleye. The Rebel PopR continued to dredge up bass and pike, and even one more muskie which broke off...line must have been nicked as the fish looked to only be mid 30's. Saw two more muskie....one swiped at a bass I was bringing in, and one followed a muskie topwater to the boat but scooted as I started my figure 8. Weeds were still not up to prior year standards. Third trip was last week. Water lower still, and hot....6 days of mid to high 80's and way too much sun. finally caught some walleye with night crawlers in deep holes...nothing above the slot. Only fair bass fishing , and not nearly as big as I've had in prior years...only one fish hit 17". Pike were few and far between. I cast muskie plugs early and late with nary a sighting. THe bays that usually held fish were now only a few feet deep. and pretty much devoid of fish. The water levels (low) over the last few years in the lower French (below the Chaudiere dams) are really starting to concern me. Has anyone else been in that area this year, and, if so, what have you experienced?

Lew...I don't doubt it.

My post was genuine, as you thought yours was years ago. You obviously reacted to mine the same way I did yours. Now you've started to act a bit childish.

Just some payback for some unwanted words from a post of a muskie I caught from years ago. OK, I'm over it. Very nice fish.

Yeah...right!

Nice fish. Hope you didn't take too much slime off with the tail grab.

Where's my handgun with the one bullet?

Excellent report James! And it was great to hear how enthused you were given the first several days.

I had my first yamaha 4 stroke 50 hp for ten years. Traded it in on a 60hp, and it's in its 6th season. never a problem with either motor. I with the "why sell" crowd.

Thanks Brian

We are heading up to the French Sunday from Ohio. Does anyone recommend a bypass for this?

I spent a week at Memquisit last September. My first trip to the West Arm. I highly recommend the lodge.

Time for a new one. I've got a good jacket. Willing to spend up to $150. Hit me with your recommendations.

Crane's Lochaven Lodge on the French River. They love dogs.

Watching installment #2 of Uncut Angling now (after #1)...awesome!! Thanks for the tip folks. Any other gems out there?

Grimsby...must be the show Ron James is in....can't watch him.

I'm still hoping run into you someday at Memquisit. Good luck to you guys.

Where you moving to Cliff? Selling the boat??...yee gads!

I've had a pretty reliable Alumacraft 165 Magnum tiller for 16 years. It's been a damn good boat. I'm on my second Yamaha...60hp. I fish with it at least 4 weeks a year in Ontario, as well as outings to several lakes near our cabin in northern Michigan. I've been toying with a new boat. Still a tiller, but maybe moving up a foot in length...reason being, I'm fishing a bit more with my two sons and casting with 3 would be easier. And, newer boats seem to have way better rod storage. Finally, starting to have some rot in the floors. None of the above are big issues. That being said, I'm closer to 70 than 65, and likely may not outlive (at least as an independent boater) a new boat. However, a new boat would be "fun" and, as I wind down from semi retirement, I'll likely use it more in the short run (0-10 years). So...if you were in my shoes, would you make the leap, and, if so, what brand/model would you consider? I'm partial to Alumacraft, and, obviously, would include Lund in the search, but give me your thoughts. This is a great,diverse group...I'm hoping for lots of "chat".

Ray I fished out of Wanikewin a couple times a season about 20 years ago. We left there for the French River as we found a camp ( the now defunct Casa Blanca Lodge) that my boys loved, primarily because there were other kids around. Also, Wanikewin, at the time, had a shower house instead of showers in the cabin....not a big deal, but a bit of a turn off for us nonetheless. I believe Wanikewin now has showers in each cabin. That being said, I know it is still run by the Baker (Ken and Dee), and I have talked to them a few times over the last 20 years. The Bakers are great folks. Food was good, cabins were clean, and their fleet of boats and motors always looked well maintained ( we brought our own). We fished for muskie a lot!!, and had very good success. Perhaps the biggest muskie I've seen on a line we lost at boat side there. That was a trip where we caught 5-6 muskies in a week with the largest 49"...the one we lost at boat side was considerably bigger. We also caught the usual other suspects....pike, bass, and walleye. There is a fair amount of water to fish. From Ken's camp near Hiway 69 you can fish east about 5-6 miles, and going west you can fish all the way down to the way lower French River before it channels off into Georgian Bay. There are several nice bays going in either direction. One good thing about that area is that, like the French, you are not worried about the wind. You can always find calmer water. Wanikewin is on my bucket list. A friend of mine (we're still friends even though I was on the net on the huge lost muskie) hadn't taken a trip with just the two of us since our Wanikewin days (damn kids!) and this year we got the opportunity. We planned on going in late September. The first place we called was Ken's. Unfortunately, he closes mid September so we went elsewhere. However, we both would still like to go back. Probably more than you were looking for, but there it is.

As a card holder I got a $20 off coupon last week. I was looking to buy an Abu Garcia Revo Toro Winch reel, so I headed up yesterday. I saw none on the floor so I asked one of the outfitters I knew ( I worked there part time in fly fishing for a few years) to check it out. He looked at their inventory system, and it turns out they don't stock that reel, and they have them shipped to you from the factory. I passed on ordering as the $20 off did not cover shipping. I ended up buying one on line through Amazon later in the day (with free shipping it was near a wash vs ordering from Cabelas). That store has gone so far downhill in the last 7 years or so it is amazing. I think a lot of it has to do with trying to really limit stocking. The Revo reel is hardly a unique item (IMO), and I was very surprised to see it wasn't carried. Before I left, I stopped in the fly fishing department to chat with one of my old cohorts who was working. He was the only one in the department. Since I hadn't seen him in almost a year, I thought we'd catch up on both our fishing seasons. Having worked there before, I kept an eye out for customers so I could disengage from our chat so he could handle them. I was there for over an hour.....he had one customer....someone looking for an ice fishing doo dad...far from fly fishing. I remember working the fly fishing department on Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas....we'd have 3-4 fly fishing outfitters on the floor from 10am till 5pm...and we were busy as hell. Also, their fly rod inventory alone looked to be about one third of what I remembered. I read recently that Cabelas was looking for a possible buyer. There was mention that they were more interested in selling credit cards than product. I guess that is so.

Been there. Easily in the top three hardest things I've ever done. My condolences. Very tough. Hang in there.