gordy28

If you mentioned earlier in the post that a lodge w American plan etc is a requirement - ignore this. Our group has done 4 trips - 3 lodges/american plan and 1 fly in private lake outpost (albeit a deluxe one w an indoor toilet, shower and generator power. For our group - I don't think we will go back to a lodge -the rent a lake was such an amazing experience - yes more work but also so very cool. Mike as many mentioned will have way more info than I but there are a few deluxe rent a lake options way north - Kasba lodge etc - edit Ganglers was the other outfitter I was thinking of. Cheers Gordy

Gets me anxious for Christmas morning, the one day of the year my family does a traditional Scottish fry up Blood pudding, Lorne's sausage, potato scones, Ayrshire bacon, a fried egg all wiped up with some fried bread... Only do it once a year now as its all my arteries can take But when I was a kid my pop (grandfather) used to do this every sunday at 11. After fly fishing practice at the rose dale bridge and before we hit the big lake for bass and walleye on Balsam Thanks for the post. Good memories stirred up Cheers Gordy

I never used to but 2things changed Got a mustang auto inflate and I barely notice its on Became a dad and don't want to be that tragic story

The roller coaster The rock Walleye wall The raft edge Flos cove Gordon's bay

Thanks Rick Great input and I hadn't thought about the weight and redundancy of the bigger spool w braid Do you have a preferred st croix model?

After a recent trip I have decided I need: A good gore tex based rain suit leaning towards the BPS pro qualifier based on reviews and threads on this site. Would go 1 size up to be able to layer. Any other thoughts. Budget would be around $400 for the set A jigging combo. Leaning towards the st croix eye con 6'3 medium light, extra fast Would pair with a shimano symetre 2500 series (although I have read that many prefer a 1000 size for jigging but I'm not sure why) or the same size in a pflueger supreme xt. Budget would be under $300 for the combo Feedback appreciated Gordy

PB walleye @ 27 inches and a PB northern @ 30 inches for me Both on our recent fly in trip

Thanks all Can't seem to quote on the iPad but will try to answer all questions This pickle lake isn't the town north of tbay it's a small lake about 40 miles north of white river ont Chris as one of the more active trip reporters you provided a wealth of insight Would love to do a trip annually but our deal at home is to alternate between bigger family trips and fishing trips while kids are young White river air doesn't sell bait but there is a bait shop in white river. To mikes point we didn't need them tipping w worms worked just as well I hear ya about the delays mike hopefully it was just a busy day In terms of the colours of the fish one cool thing was that we caught a bunch of "blue walleye". Very cool Thanks for all the comments and glad people enjoyed it Gordy

The Background About 18 months ago our group started discussing a trip for Aug 2014 Leveraged many of the expert opinions on this board and those who go out of their way to post reports - I used many in my research - special thanks to Mike Borger, Fishlogic, Moosebunk and Chris Brock We looked at many options and many locations - and after many chats decided that we really wanted to try a fly in outpost experience with a few qualifiers... We wanted to be able to drive there in under 11 hours, the camp had to have a generator, running water and indoor plumbing and we wanted a numbers lake w big fish potential After chatting with many great outfitters, soliciting feedback from others and balancing that against our criteria we decided we chose White River Air and specifically their deluxe camp on Pickle Lake Pickle is a smaller lake, about 2 miles (split by a very shallow narrows) and 3/4 of a mile wide located about 40 miles from White River Air's base on Tukanee Lake The Journey We met up early on the Friday to begin our trek up - our plan was to make enjoy the ride but get to White River as soon as we could. A not so quick stop in the Sault to pick up a flat of worms at the Trading Post (thanks Adam) and score a few secret lures (very helpful gentlemen in the shop knew Pickle specifically and gave us the great tip of stocking up on metallic jig heads and harnesses due to the dark stain in the lake) Once we got past the Sault it was an eye opener for 4 guys who had never been past Sudbury on 17 - the views along Superior were incredible and the ride flew - until we got stuck an hour outside of Wawa with a crash and sat on the highway for 2.5 hours... We checked into the White River Motel @ 9:00 PM - headed to our cottage for the night, a few pops, excited discussion and it was time for bed Up early - ready to be at the Air Base for 8 - get there, pay our bill and head down to the dock to talk to Dan - head honcho at White River Air and Chief Pilot - Dan said we wouldn't be going out until 10:30ish - so we headed back into town for breakfast and one more supply run at the local gas station (we also met a fellow OFNer LocoGringo coming out from his trip - nice to meet you!) We actually were finally on the plane at 11:45 The Flight I have to admit - I was nervous about the flight- so was my brother - our running joke was to hum or sing a few lines from 50 Mission Cap to each other Our gear was weighed along with our beer - Dan had been great with us - from the get go I was honest and said as newbies I couldn't see us coming in under the 125lb per man weight limit - we wanted to know how much the overage charge was - but Dan said not to worry, he'd get us in and we wouldn't be charged. Sure enough we were well over - but Dan didn't blink - our group of 4 plus another group of two were loaded up onto the Turbo Otter and we took off Other than being a bit claustrophobic in the beginning (I was up near the front of the plane, squished between two large back and front and wedged against a mountain of gear and the window side to side) I thought it was awesome 15 minutes later we touched down on Pickle lake - and unloaded ourselves and helped the departing group load up. Pickle Lake I could go on for hours about the nuances of our time on the lake - in a nutshell it was incredible We had a cabin that had hot and cold running water, 2 generators (1 for the pump, 1 for the cabin), 6 beds plus a futon (my home for the week) for 4 guys with a kick ass patio overlooking the lake w a front seat view of sunrise and sunset Our boats for the week were serviceable 14 foot lunds with 6 horsepower Yamaha two stokes - no issues at all with the engines but there was another boat and motor on site The Fishing The fishing was also spectacular - for us at least. There is a very healthy population of walleye (mainly 12 - 16 inches) in Pickle and an abundance of snot rocket to mid size pike. We had planned to eat a lot of fish in our meal plan - and within our first our on the lake we already had 6 14 - 17 inchers ready for the next day's fish fry We didn't keep track of our numbers but a fair estimate would be 60 fish per day between 2 boats - this number dropped once we realized we could catch dinner fish or small pike whenever we wanted and started focusing on bigger fish The lake has two bays to the southwest and northwest of the cabin where you could troll down the middle w a rapala or run into the reed and cabbage beds and catch pike all day long In the main lake the deepest part was 47 feet with an average basin of 30 feet - eventually we would figure out that focusing on the steepest breaks with the wind into them was our best tactic for walleye - either jigging, drifting with a bottom bouncer and harness or trolling bouncers and crank baits Our biggest 3 walleye for the week were 27 inches (caught by me - a new personal best) - 1/4 ounce jig tipped w a minnow 25 inches (caught by my bro - a new personal best) - drifting 2 ounce bottom bouncer with a harness 23 inches - 1/8 ounce jig tipped with a minnow We probably had another 3 or 4 walleye that were over 20 inches Our biggest pike was 33 inches caught trolling a minnow bait We had another 3 pike over 30 I think there are bigger pike in the lake - but we weren't able to find them - and considering we all caught more pike in the first 2 days of our trip versus the rest of our fishing lives - we aren't experts Top producing baits for us were Jigs with 4 inch grubs and paddle tail minnows tipped w a minnow or crawler (1/8, 1/4, 3/8) in chartreuse, pink, gold, yellow and orange Crawler harnesses on 2 ounce bottom bouncers - colour didn't matter as long is it had some metallic in it Crankbaits (Trolls to 20, J 11, Cordell Minnow Diver, Floating Rapalas) Spoons (Silver Minnows, Williams Wablers, Red Devils and 5 of Diamonds) There are two parts to the lake - and since we were so busy exploring the first part - I don't think we gave the other section (getting to it was a bit of a pain as the boats didn't have shallow drive) - it has a deep basin in one bay that is 60 feet deep We did catch respectable walleye and pike in that section - but we only fished it for 4 or 5 hours max The Wrap Up Our trip out was delayed by a day – the plane couldn’t pick us up due to fog and a very low ceiling – we unpacked a bit and headed back out to fish – for fun and for dinner. We actually got onto a good larger fish bite – and my bro picked up the second biggest walleye of the trip @ 25 inches (sadly - think this is when we finally put the last piece of the bigger fish puzzle in place) We were out the next day early but alas our delayed departure wasn’t done- car trouble outside of Thessalon and a 4 hour wait for a tow, then rental car pick up, gear switch meant an expected arrival of Saturday at 11 PM turned into a 6 AM arrival on Monday I will honestly say that it didn’t diminish the trip for any of us though – yes it was a pain, added some pressure on the home front – but we had enjoyed ourselves so much it was just a bump on the road – not a trip killer Things Learned: We loved the experience - I don't think we want to do anything else now besides an outpost Wear gloves/don't get cuts/keep your hands clean -and have a good first aid kit I got cut up on 2 fingers and both thumbs in the first few days on pike and one 23 inch walleye - nothing big - put bandaids on but wasn't diligent enough - by Thurs AM my thumb had enough of an infection that I needed to open up cuts to get some iodine in it - it worked but for about 4 hours I thought I was in bad shape. Once taped up - and effort was used to get a glove on the cuts - I was fine but in future I will wear a landing glove more and if any small cut arises be way more focused on keeping it clean It is more work than a lodge - getting firewood, cooking, cleaning, fileting fish, filtering water, dumping fish and garbage all take effort The fishing was much better/easier for us than what we experienced at larger drive to lodges (Brennan Harbour) and drive to lodges (Lady Evelyn) Being the only people on the lake is special - people told us so but until that first night I didn't get it - now I do – not sure if its serenity, the quiet, sense of ownership you develop about “your lake” but it was contagious and addictive Plan for the unexpected - everything we read said take an extra meal or two in case you get weathered in - sure enough the day we were supposed to fly out the plane couldn't get in and we were there for 1 more night (we had beer and food but cigars and smokes were in high demand) People leave stuff - the 4 gentlemen before us left us with a 3/4 full bottle of Baileys, a huge tin of Folgers coffee and about 20 dozen fresh minnows (there minnows weren't ready when they flew out and their check in flight was delayed by 2 days) - there was also extra spices, aluminum foil, toilet paper and zip loc bags (realize this may just have been luck on our part - I wouldn't count on it for future trips) Overall White River Air was a good company to deal with - for the life of me I cant remember the name of the woman who registered us and chatted with us on the phone primarily - but she was amazing - and Dan is brief but fair. As newbies I would say our only negative surprise or peeve was the waiting around – it felt like we were told to come at 8 when there wasn’t a hope in heck that we were flying out until 12 that day. I am assuming that’s par for the course – and no biggie just that we hadn’t expected it and would have planned our schedule differently if we knew that ahead of time We do these trips every two years - so 2016 will be another fly in - maybe further north -Nakina, Armstrong, Red Lake - but we have lots of time to plan – our challenge will be we are far from roughing it – when polled we all felt like a generator, running water and indoor plumbing are a must for our group - realizing we prob limit our options that way – but that’s cool – I have already begun my research J Again many thanks to all of the members of the forum who answered questions and provided advice – special thanks to Mike Borger who sent numerous emails, offered tips - it was extremely helpful. Also Fishlogic – the worm set up in the Frabill Habitat using the Fat and Sassy pre made bedding (and the reco to use the Trading Post) was awesome Cheers Gordy Here are a few pictures of the trip: The Cabin and the Group The Plane Ride Our view off the patio in the AM and Evening Fish Pics - first 2 walleyes are our largest And finally - a dusk fish shot- my favourite part of any trip

I had the same issues yesterday A little google search identified that photobucket and a few other sites had been hit with a malware attack and are in repair mode to fix the issue Gordy

Gringo it was our group you met. Very nice to meet yourself and Eric We had an awesome trip and I'll have a report up tomorrow night ideally Gordy

My last name is Gordon but most call me Gordy and I was born on the 28th

Count me in as one of those afflicted On our trips even when last to bed I always seem to be first up. So much so on our last trip I got banished from the cabin to wait up at the lodge until breakfast was ready I'd make myself useful and start coffeee, clean out the boats and re tie any lines etc For me it's both the excitement of the day and not wanting to waste a minute of the trip

Search through the board for my and others reports from Brennan Harbour lodge It's on the whales back channel just outside of the Spanish river on lake Huron When we were there we saw lots of boats from Vance's in the channel. We were told the river isn't where the fish are post opening weeks of the season We fished in Vance's bay, aird bay and off of paradise island and did well for walleye w harnesses trolled behind bottom bouncers For smallies we just fished any of the rock/visible boulder piles and did well on square bill cranks and wacky rigged stick baits One word of caution. If the wind blows the channel gets really rough best to fish the river those days Gordy

So far its been a really busy summer - and I have only made it out onto the lake once - for an hour when Grandma (bless her) said she would watch the kids - so bro and I headed out for a quick musky fish - and lucky jerk I am - caught this guy trolling a storm kicking minnow Also just finished up a planning session for our upcoming trip - our first remote fly in with White River Air the week of Aug 23 We are going into their deluxe camp on Pickle Lake (the deluxe being hot and cold running water, indoor toilet/shower and solar electric) - heres a link http://www.northtoadventure.com/lake_detail.php?lid=5 We are pumped to say the least - feel like we have a good meal plan, have tried to ensure we have enough gear to be comfortable but not over do it Right now our main game plan will be to spend our initial time on the lake trolling with a mixture of cranks and harnesses off bottom bouncers to get sense of the lake/walleye locations and focus on large weedbeds casting and trolling quickly to locate pike Once we get a feel for the lake - will look at soaking jigs tipped with crawlers for walleye and try probing deeper areas near weedbeds and shoals for larger pike Any tips, tricks, tackle suggestions (main bait list has been put together by scouring reports on this site , driving routes, must see stops on the way up ( we will be heading up from Newmarket - so right now our plan is to go up through the Soo)welcome Detailed report when back - and many thanks to Mike Borger and A Dempsey as both have been very helpful with the planning of this trip Cheers Gordy

3 out of the 4 guys from our fishing trip group love cigars (and scotch) Big hit on our last trip was having each guy bring his choice of a cigar paired with his choice of a single malt. Was great and will now be a tradition We smoked Bolivar royal Coronas, monte #2s and Vegas Robaina Famosas Also love my non cubans in no order: Oliva Series V Padron anniversaires Rocky Patel Romeo (black band) Most Fuentes Tatuaje To name a few. On Balsam lake love a good walleye drift or troll with a strong dark coffee and a stogie Cheers Gordy

At the CT at Meadowvale town centre rapalas werent on sale but they had a basket of assorted Storm baits for $3.5 They actually had a bunch of wiggle warts which has been an amazing smallie crank for me - typically hard to find in Canada (I had ordered mine from Cabelas in the past)

So we have booked our first ever fly in We are going with White River Air to their Pickle lake outpost It's a deluxe camp which means it has indoor plumbing and electricity Can't wait for the last week of August Many thanks to all the members here sent ideas and suggestions and a special thanks to Mike Borger who sent numerous pms w info and feedback but didn't get annoyed my numerous questions 252 days to go! Cheers Gordy

Well if you look USPS is currently losing 7 to 8 billion dollars per year, now being covered by the us tax payerCPC is doing what they need to do to not be the USPS I wish them luck

I am in the fishing less each year camp I grew up fishing every weekend in the summer with my dad brother and grandfather on Balsam lake Then in my late teens, early twenties my brother bought a cottage on a small hali lake that had an awesome bass and health muskie population and it continued But he sold the cottage. I got married and had kids and I don't get out nearly as much. Maybe 5 or 6 outings this summer I still love it andit will come back around I think but I'm also okay with it and think that when I do get out now I love it that much more PLUS and it's probably dangerous to mention it here but I'm a golf nut so my two favourite ways to be outside compete in the summer.

nice job

Great report,amazing fish. The Spey rod is awesome Cheers Gordy

I would recommend Lady Evelyn as well I have stayed at Island 10 (American Plan) and Ellen Island (Housekeeping) Island 10 is more expensive but we preferred its location, quality of boats (didnt bring our own) and found that Ken the owner was able to help us out more with fishing locations etc than Ellen Island - that being said though this was before I was familiar with this board any many others where you may not need as much help from the lodge I would also recommend Brennan Harbour lodge in Spanish Ontario You fish the Whalesback channel (an inlet of Lake Huron) - multi species - walleye, pike, smallmouth, musky and at certain times of year trout If you search on this site you can find my report as well as a few others for Brennan Harbour

Luremaking.com X2 I've used them twice for making harnesses and they've been great