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Came back to camp for lunch one day and noticed the cabin door was slightly ad-jar. Not being afraid of any man nor beast I entered. Little did I know a rogue red squirrel was scavenging our camp. I cried like a little girl.

Guess we're very fortunate on my home water, the best of which is all on Seneca Nations land. While they have exempt status as it pertains to regs, non-indians must purchase a Nations License ($35) which goes towards enforcement of regs and improved habitat. Additionally the Nations have built a walleye hatchery and are partnering with other state agencies to improve the lake. In the interest of full disclosure I must say the hatchery was funded by a federal grant, however the result is they are partnering if not leading efforts to improve the fishery. I'm told there was no netting last year, I know I never saw any nets. Limits were reduced to 4 fish/day, only 1/day over 21" on nations waters. A good step. It just made me wonder if some similar arrangement might work on Nipissing wherein hatchery/habitat improvement jobs, including knocking down the Cormorant population, might replace commercial harvesting jobs. One thing is for sure, all parties have a stake in the future of Nipissing as surely commercial fishing on the lake is not going to be a viable occupation in the near future without some major changes.

I'm not sure you can draw many conclusions as to root cause from this one event, but looking at the collective history of these types of events over the last 20 years I think one can if not understand root cause certainly develop a list of likely root causes, the degree to which each one plays a role is probably incident specific. 1. Unsupervised access to handguns and rifles. I'm a gun owner, in fact I have a conceal carry permit. To me it's inconceivable that kids are allowed unsupervised access to guns, ammunition, explosives, and so on. 2. Unsupervised and continuous access to violent video games. No one can convince me that playing these games hour after hour after hour doesn't desensitize the most vulnerable and "most likely" youths of the world. 3. A cultural fascination with violence. American Tv is filled with some of the most heinous and realistic murder shows. Case in point, anyone ever watch Criminal Minds? It's ridiculously realistic and savage. I stopped watching it because it's just too realistic. Why do they make shows like this? Because people watch. The same reason this tragic event will get top billing for weeks on end. I'm not saying the media should ignore this tragedy, but, at what point does the coverage only serve to inflate ratings, satisfy our fascination. Then there will be books, and likely a movie. This whole "circus" must spawn ideas to cop or even out due. A viscous cycle. 4. Lack of sufficient mental health care. Many parents report their kids to authorities because they fear they may be capable of something like this. Most generally they can't get help until the kid does something serious. 5. Drugs and alcohol. Prescription drugs or street drugs must be a contributing factor. 6. Jealousy and a general lack of respect for your neighbor. In the US our most recent Presidential election was over the top. For months we were bombarded with the name calling. I believe there is a trickle down effect. There are surely many other contributing factors to these type of crimes, and maybe some of what I have on my list is off base. Food for thought; we have some 300 million in the US, maybe only 3 million of them have some sort of mental issue health issue that under the right circumstances make them susceptible to commit violent acts, maybe 10% of those play videos hours on end maybe only 1 in 1000 of those have access to weapons. That's 300 potential mass murderers at any given time, 300 time bombs. Obviously it's not this cut and dry in the real world, but it makes me wonder if there really ever can be a solution without a major change in our culture.

I must respectfully disagree with this post. I have caught numerous walleye on the Nip that fought as hard or harder than a sheepshead.

I just waded thru 6 pages of posts on a subject near and dear to my heart, Lake Nipissing and walleyes fishing, yet I'm sitting here feeling quite stunned by Kevin's revelation regarding his health, and would just like to start by saying I'm very sorry to hear about this Kevin, keep the faith, and I'll be saying a prayer for you and Leslie. I started going to Lakair when both Kevin and I were kids, so it's been a few years, and it's been a million memories. Mom and Dad would take us every year, and once I got old enough that I wasn't a total pita I'd get to go with the "dads" on their trip too. (That's where you learned a lot, about a lot of stuff ) Back then it was fairly easy to catch a good stringer of walleyes, even though we didn't have all the gadgets nor a lot of knowledge for that matter. Frankly you could be successful and be a lazy fisherman; there was little need to hunt them down. After the early 70's there was a long period of time I didn't regularly fish the Nip, then in 1995 Dad and I made his last trip. It stirred so many memories I've been back every year for at least a week. I've said this a 100 times, but the typical Canadian fishing vacation, such as offered by Lakair, is the best family vacation bargain on the planet. Anyhow, I remember one day at the dock shortly after we arrived at Lakair and asking Kevin for the inside track. You know, "are they deep, in the weeds, yada yada yada." His response was probably not the recommended lodge-owner reply but it struck a nerve with me as I realized immediately he was right. He said, "the fun is in the hunt". I've been chasing walleyes seriously now for over 20 years. It consumes me. I've fished many tournaments, won a few, and qualified for the Cabelas Nation Team Championship multiple times. Bottom line is, I'm not saying I'm anywhere close to the best in the world, but I am an accomplished walleye fisherman, and here is my take on the Nip, as least as it pertains to the west arm. From 90's up to about 2010 the walleye fishing could be classified as very good. You had to hunt them, but there were plenty of fish to be hunted. I had many days of 10+ fish, and even a few of 30+. These fish were mostly 20" or better, in fact I had one day in 2007 where we landed 5 fish over 25". Point is I should have seen the crash coming as I wasn't catching many under the slot fish. For the last 3 years we haven't been able to do very well. One or two years you can chalk up to bad timing, but three years in a row? Last year in 2 weeks of fishing almost every day for walleye using almost every presentation known to man I managed only a handful of walleye. So, I would have to concur with all others that something had to be done, and done quickly. No serious walleye fisherman, including me, is going to continue to go to a lake where you can fish for days on end with minimal results. I surely hope things get turned around, and i am thankful to all of you that are trying so hard to make that happen. ps. Billy Bob, I don't think one can fairly compare Oneida lake with the Nip and assume a common outcome. The bodies of water are vastly different.

I have the bibs, they are great. I've had them for 4 years, no problems at all. Regarding the customer service, last year I bought a Browning hunting parka from them in 2X. Since then I lost 50 lbs, and since both my wife and I are committed to staying in shape I called Cabelas to see if they would accept a return. They gave me all but $20.00 back in the form of a gift coupon, which I thought was more than fair, as I had the parka for 11 months. Then I turned around and bought their Elite Fleece parka on sale at 1/3 price, and it is the best insulated hunting parka I've ever owned. I can't see how they could improve much on their customer service. If you buy their stuff at sale prices you can't go wrong.

Have to chime in here. I must admit I'm drawn to the unknown. Having watched a couple episodes of the Sasquatch show however, all i can say is it is just silly, good for a laugh but nothing else. I would love it, however, if someone scared the bejesus out of them by running thru the woods at them near nightfall in a Squatch suit.......... and watch them fill their pants. The UFO stuff though I must admit, I think there is something to that stuff. The episode where they talk about the UFO's at the base in the UK and the incidents in the skies over Arizona??? Makes me wonder, even the Governor of Arizona says he saw something.

Lew, very nice looking. That is my favorite color scheme, almost traded my Tundra in on a new one just to get it. Hope she brings years of good service.

I haven't shot a re-curve in years, but they are the ultimate challenge. My preference is a compound. I have zero interest in a crossbow because frankly they aren't much of a challenge to shoot, and as such, not that much fun. For whitetails any of the above would do, you just need to make sure your Ontario regulations relative to minimum lb requirements. The question is, how much are you willing to practice to become proficient. If you like to shoot I would urge you to consider either a re-curve or compound, and it just depends on your personal preference. A re-curve is going to take longer to gain proficiency than a compound. A crossbow essentially requires the same skills as shooting a gun, not much of a learning curve at all. I know very few people, in fact I don't know any, that enjoy regularly shooting their crossbow. Basically you take it out of the box, zero it in and go hunting. I know a number that enjoy the challenges associated with either a re-curve or compound. If you want to be a traditionalist by all means buy a re-curve, if you enjoy shooting and also want a hunting machine perhaps a compound is right for you. If you have very little time or interest to practice then you want a crossbow. If you consider a compound, you don't need to spend a huge amount of money to get an excellent shooting machine. I've been shooting Hoyt for years but, there are a number of $300 compounds on the market that compare very well with top of the line $1000 bows. Field and Stream just tested 4 $300 bows and one of the Bears got rave reviews. Perhaps you can find that review on their website. Also, here's a website that will provide you with a boatload of information relative to archery terminology and data. BTW, if you go with a re-curve or compound, know your dominate eye before you invest. If you are left eye dominate you may want to start shooting left handed. http://www.huntersfriend.com/bowselection.htm#Intro

There are many variations of snell knots. Some are easier than others when tying harnesses. Mike Gofron has a video (link below) on his website that is the easiest method I've ever seen. I started using that technique a couple years ago, it's a winner. The line you tie with is kind of dependent upon the areas you primarily fish. I use 14lb fc for Lake Erie, 10lb Trilene for all other waters. Everyone has their own preference. Hook size is also somewhat dependent of water to be fished. I downsize on my home waters where most fish are under 20", but use 2 size 4 elsewhere. Lately I like the VMC hooks, but over the years used mostly Gamakatsu. I quit using the smaller Gamakatsu hooks (#6) in big fish waters as I have broke them multiple times. Gap distance is important. Too big or too small is not good. Gofron talks about it. Alignment of hooks IMO not so important. Harness length again dependent on water clarity and structure. Fishing rocky ledges I like a short harness with some buoyancy to keep the harness out of the rocks, clear water fishing requires longer harnesses, mud flats I like to go with a 4-5 ' harness. For this reason I store the majority of my harnesses tied to a longer length but not beaded. Colorado blades of different sizes and colors will handle the majority of needs, I also use Willow leaf blades for late summer speed trolling and Mack blades whenever I want to run very slow. Color does matter, for this reason i started airbrushing my own last year and that's also the reason I use quick change clevices. Not sure how much bead color matters. (says the guy with every color and size under the son). Some guys use red exclusively. I use a lot of peg floats in my harnesses too, and when i do I just add a bead at each end. I rarely buy glass beads as I like too keep the weight to a minimum and they are more costly. http://www.walleyewo...op.com/node/154

I bought my 1st pair of Simms waders 3 years ago after 3 pair of Orvis and 2 pair of Cabelas, none of which lasted more than 2 years. The Simms are still going strong, but I also have heard they stand behind their products. I certainly wouldn't be afraid to buy their rainsuit especially if the price is right and the product is sewn in North America.

Thanks for the responses guys. One other question. Any special regs on the Bay? Is it 1 line/fisherman?

Always wanted to fish Quinte but never have. Thanks for the information. Quinte looks to be a rather large area. Coming from the US it appears my closest ramp might be Centennial park near Trenton. In your experience is there an area of the bay that is better than another? Early on, say late October, is there an area better than another? Thanks again.

Tracks do not look look bear to me nor does the scat, which this time of year is nearly always filled with berries. Could be bobcat, I can't tell the size.

Whether or not this is safe is dependent on your particular set-up. I'd say most bunk trailers you would have no problem. The only folks I have ever heard having problems with bunks are guys who have added to plastic strips to their bunks or sprayed them with lubricate. My suggestion would be take off the winch strap but leave the emergency chain attached, back down the ramp and tap the brakes until you can determine how much force is required to slide your boat off your trailer. Just remember, once the bunks are wet the boat will slide easier. I have a roller trailer under my current boat, so this isn't an option for me, but with past boats I always unhooked everything but the emergency strap, it really only takes a few seconds to unclip that once you're transom is in the water.

To use a phrase that's been popular here in the US recently, "I'm kind of an all of the above guy", meaning, everyone needs to give some if this is going to be a top tier fishery. IMHO, there is no need for fishermen to take more than they can reasonably consume. I never give fish away. Sorry, I'll take you with me if you'd like, but I won't give you fish. I never have more than 10 fillets in the freezer, I never take fish home from Nipissing, and whenever possible I release everything over the slot (although, if I ever get an >30" it's coming home). I dare say if others did the same the lake would be better for it. As for commercial fishing, there needs to be a common understanding, their livelihoods depend on having a healthy sustainable fishery, and if there is a better way, such as the traps Kevin mentioned, they should be investigated, piloted. Why not stocking walleye? I don't get why that's even debatable. Not stocking is like having a 500 acre field that's not being cultivated. Sure, I get that there is natural reproduction going on, but at least study the impact, determine the survival rate of stocked fish, and proceed accordingly. I mean if the mortality rate of stocked fish is acceptable, stock for goodness sake. Finally, as for outlaws, they should be dealt with firmly. Establish a Crimestoppers toll free hot line number to report them anonymously in return for reward. They are stealing from everyone. All this said, I often look at walleye fishing a little differently now than 20 years ago. For me, it's like playing a round of golf. The score doesn't tell you anything without knowing the course it was shot on and the conditions it was played under. I can fairly regularly catch more than 10 walleyes/outing, sometimes as many as 50, on my home water. I can fairly easily catch an over 30" walleye on Lake Erie, but I'd much rather fish the Nip, regardless of the numbers. Last year was our worst by far, and we tried everything. That's fishing, deal with it. Now if we started stringing years like this back to back I'd have another decision to make. Unfortunately others don't share my view, and that fine, except the livelihoods of so many people are jeopardized. The Nip is like a national treasure to Ontario. It needs to be treated with the respect it deserves.

This is one of the best thought out conversions I've ever seen. maybe it will give you some ideas. http://correllconcepts.com/boat_conversion.htm

Looks like a nice playmate for Marvin Lew.

I used to fish crayfish quite a bit. This time of year you should be able to find softshell crabs, a primo bait, and peelers (those just getting ready to shed), but you can break the shells on a hardshell crabs as well. We always removed the pinchers on the hardshell crabs too. We hooked them by going down thru the meat where the tail meats the mid section then back up into the tail end. Just about anything will hit these things. We'd leave our bail open and just watch the line.

Amen

If you have security concerns you'll want a hard cover of some sort. An outstanding value in a folding style vinyl cover is Advantage Torza Top which can be purchased in the US for about $350.00. The Torza Top is a lightweight tri-fold that can be installed or removed in minutes with no loose parts to store when removed.

Dish soap was the 1st thing we tried. It helped but did not clear them out.

My neighbors marigolds were polluted with them. Maybe you're supposed to plant them away from the garden, in which case i could see that they would steer them away from the veggies, but he has them planted right on the garden's edge. BTW Lew, we're down to what, 15 days. Hope to see you while we're up at Memquisit.

Given you have the infestation go to the lawn and garden dept of any retailer and get a spray. read the directions to make sure it's effective on the beetles, then, get a couple beetle bags and mount them nearby your vine. the beetles can't resist them, fly in, and croak. My neighbor and I have adjacent gardens. He planted marigolds around his garden which is like an open invitation for japanese beetles to attack. Fortunately we've been able to control it with the above actions.

I have to agree with these guys. It's obvious how bad you want to hit the water but you'd be much better off in the size boat you're looking for to chill out this year, put the $150/mo away each month, and buy a used boat early next year. There is no question if it were me in this size boat I'd buy used. Additionally I'd buy from an individual vs a dealer. I've been doing his boat thing for over 40 years and I'm telling you the key to buying a boat right is patience. Between now and next summer you'll find a boat that will make you very happy at 1/4 the cost, and you'll feel a heck of a lot better for making a good purchase. In the meantime do your research. For instance, if I were buying a used aluminum hull, I would prefer a riveted hull vs. welded. Just my opinion after having had both, but I can repair a few leaky rivets no problem. I's probably also prefer a double thick hull, Lund, Alumacraft, and I think Princecraft have this. Also, make sure you look over the transom, find out how it's been stored, inside or out, because if older and it's been stored outside the transom core is likely in need of replacement. Make sure you test drive anything before making offer and take along someone that knows outboard motors. if you get to the point of making an offer, make it contingent on an outboard motor mechanic's inspection. may cost you $100 bucks but it may save you a lot more. One last thought, what about a Geisler ceder strip boat?