green&orange

Thanks for the post. I always enjoy reading about your adventures. I appreciate that you often have a DIY type of trip because it is something that I can relate to. Some of your earlier trips down river systems you posted this winter were classic as well. What ended up being wrong with the Yamaha?

Steve Rinella is the guys name. He is also an author. I read a book of his about a buffalo hunt in Alaska called "American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon". Great read.

Don't get me wrong - there are some excellent opportunities in Michigan for fishing. Most (not all) involve the Great Lakes or its tributaries. Saginaw Bay, Detroit River (spring) for walleyes; Lake St. Clair for musky & smallmouths; Manistee River for steelhead; Grand Traverse Bay for smallmouths, etc. The NW part of the lower peninsula has some excellent smallmouth fishing in inland lakes as well. That muskie pictured above was caught out of Torch Lake - an even bigger one was caught a couple years later in Lake Bellaire (connected to Torch). Michigan also has some beautiful places - I'm fond of the Sleeping Bear dunes/Traverse City area because I live there. The lakes in this region are ultra clear and just beautiful. Trust me - I like living here and there are plenty of places to fish. The point I was trying to make is that the state parks in Michigan don't compare to the PP in Ontario. Overall, the angling experiences don't compare as well. There are some excellent fisheries for sure, but you also have a lot of people. I take two DIY fishing/camping trips to northern Ontario every year (typically camping on an island on a remote lake) and for ME Michigan can't offer that combination of great fishing, great scenery, and solitude that I crave. I'm always willing to help if anyone is interested in visiting Michigan.

I live in Michigan and our state parks don't compare to your provincial parks IMO. Crowded, small campsites, and most of the time - poor fishing. Let me put it this way - I don't even consider camping at a state park in Michigan. I'm not saying that you can't have a good time, but in general the PP's allow a much better experience than a Michigan state park. You guys are so lucky to have the camping & fishing opportunities (not just campgrounds) that you have in Ontario. Be very appreciative. Hope this helps.

Fish farmer summed it up pretty well. I would add automatic stop when the cannon ball hits the water line. You don't have to worry about stopping the cannon ball on the way up. Really nice feature when it is hectic. Also the length of the booms and if they are adjustable or not. If you have a small boat you don't need really long arms to get the ball away from the boat. Speed is a big one to me. I like being able to bring it up quick to reset. A lot of times if that rigger goes off, I leave the ball down in the water as we fight the fish - so I don't forget the depth it was set at. I tend to forget the depth in the heat of a battle with a nice king. A fast rigger will have the ball up in a few seconds ready to reset. Just my thoughts

That is what I used as a "backing plate" as well. I would guess that large washers would work too.

I have Traxstech tracks, rod holders, downrigger mounts, beverage holders, and an "accessory" piece that slides in the track to mount my grill on over the water. I have nothing but positive things to say about Traxstech. I have called with questions, spoke to a person on the phone from the get go (no answering machine) and had things delivered in two days (I have ordered most of my stuff directly from them via phone). The stuff has worked flawlessly for me. I love the flexibility the track system provides for fishing or even a day on the water with the wife and kids. They even custom made my brother-in-law a downrigger and rod storage system for his pontoon boat that he uses out in Lake Tahoe. I am not a handy person by any means, but I installed my tracks on my gunnels (aluminum boat - Crestliner) within a couple of hours. You just need to be careful when you drill that you don't hit the trottle cable or electric wires that run under the gunnels. I know that Traxstech sells backing plates and if you have a question on whether you would need them - just call and talk to them. My gunnels are aluminum and I don't have a backing plate and I have not had any issues. I am sure that Bert's/Cannon and others make good stuff as well, I just have no experience with them. Good luck

Nice work as always! Did you get a new boat?

Just got back from the Chapleau area. Water temps were in the mid 70's. We did well with pitching jigs in shallow weed edges. Best colors were chart/black/orange. You will have a great time. Good luck. I will second the Columbia as the place to eat in Wawa.

Appreciate the reply. Probably won't be getting to bed when I should be! Mornings get tougher and tougher as I age.

Tyler - thanks again! Hope you are slaying them in the SSM area.

Anyone have a Chapleau area fishing and bug report? Water temps? I am heading up on Wednesday into the backcountry and would appreciate any relevant info. Also, what online weather source is the most reliable for that area? The several that I have found have widely different weather forecasts for the week. Anyone have an idea about which one is best? Thanks in advance!

Wow, those Lake O salmon are nice. What I would do to catch a 29 pounder over here in Lake Michigan. Great fish.

Man Lake O gets some nice fish. A 20 pounder like that would make my season here in Lake Michigan. Good work.

Just paint them black or leave them natural and call it good. Just from my experiences, but I am no pro so take it for what it is worth. There are other things that are more important while downrigger fishing IMO like lead lenghts, release types, the weight of the ball, etc. Good luck.