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WORK, FISH, TRAVEL... HUNT??!! There is that one constant which we all most likely share, and it is work. Nursing is my work. I am a Nurse. Snicker if you will, pass judgement, but know that this skin is purdy darned thickened to much after 20 years. Yet on Canada Day I quit my permanent job. Not wanting to fully settle into just ER medicine alone, nor accept and adapt to some current hospital scheduling practices and policies, after five years of trial it was apparent that walking away to roll the dice would be easier than continuing in a game I didn't really want to play anymore. The perfect reset was to take July and visit Great Slave with my wife and then afterwards pull a solo run to Nipigon. Once returning home in early August to my two employers as only a casual "free agent," the phone started ringing and just wouldn't stop. The month ended up one of the busiest in the past few years leaving but merely one day to fish. Yet thinking drought often follows flood, the days ahead I began to prepare for. Late August, my 2000 to 2010 James Bay employer under a new name and authority re-hired me on as a casual and I secured work for a 17-day contract (locum) come end of September into October. With jobs falling into place, it was decided last minute that time could be afforded for some fishing with my friend Len up on Lake Athabasca, before being shipped off to Northern Ontario for the locum. Everyday while north and taking just one full day off, I plugged away at the Nursing which has always been enjoyed most. By condensing all shifts too, and with a better rate on return, the 2.5 weeks figured the equivalent of about triple at home. This meant several things to me, I would be fine and my decision would work out, and this Autumn report would begin in Attawapiskat... It's like having a second home, or actually... even a third. Sometimes struggle with a few names but most know me and it's a rare thing I forget a face. Welcomed by many with open arms, even a number of new folks were quick to introduce themselves. It's a good place in this regard, and seeing many inlaws during my stay made Attawapiskat even better. Many times over I chuckled with old friends too, when they pointed out how fat I've become. (inside I was crying) First night there and the WIFI in the trailer crapped out, but I didn't care. Had a good book to read, "The Orenda," by Joseph Boyden and, also wanted to piece together the Athabasca report which could only at that time be hand written. CBC Radio and Wawatay are pretty well the only stations which can be tuned into Skat. Listening to either one takes my thoughts back to Moose Factory, and especially to driving on the ice road in the mornings and evenings to and from work in Moosonee. On local cable TV are the community channels as well, and it's watching those one can catch up on almost everything that is going on around the community. Many things about this kind of life around me cause changes. Instantly I begin to eat better, as it's all home-cooked meals and proper timed and balanced breakfasts. I sleep better, as it's quiet and closer to sea level, and with richer air. I move a little better, feeling less sluggish and stiff after sleep and manage to work through days with less tire. I think better, feeling more creative and motivated to especially read and write nearly every day. And I laugh more... probably because many people there seem to laugh more, or just want to laugh more in general. It's a close knit and quite social community, yet... while there I do miss my girls every single day, which makes staying any great length rather difficult. When time permitted during this past locum I'd go for a walk or drive in the hospital truck to explore and photograph the scenery around the outskirts of town. If only treated better, Attawapiskat would not be the third-world-like community which our National News often portrays it as. The land all around is pristine and incredible, and the town could be the crown jewel of it all, if only it adopted a higher respect and responsibility. A few short days available for those perfect autumn colors, the season was luckily captured in full glory. The old road to the Healing Lodge I once regularly walked in 2000 had been pretty well raped in recent years, excavated for dirt I am guessing to build the new school. The scenery has been destroyed, but beyond the Healing Lodge a new and long road out of town heading north is being built. Driving it in the future should take folks deep into the wilderness heading towards the Ekwan River. What was already established and new to me on this trip though, was a 12 kilometer road which stretched from town to the mouth of the Attawapiskat River, almost right to the James Bay shore. Along this route are many new sites to take in, and a couple of times I thoroughly enjoyed driving it's distance while stopping now and again to take photographs along the river. Coming off a Saturday night shift on-call, my brother-in-law Joe kindly offered to have me along with his boys for a Sunday afternoon goose hunt. I had only once been along with Joe in 2006 for some fall fishing and moose hunting, but I wasn't the hunter really, simply a passenger. Yet the chance opportunity to experience anything like this can still not be passed up, especially when it's with family I regretfully don't share enough time with. Excited I was to tag along on my first goose hunt. A strong north-wind on a grey day would be ideal to keep the birds moving through the area. From Attawapiskat we boated in Joe’s 24-foot freighter down river to the very tip of the river mouth where it meets the James Bay ocean. The tide low, the grasses along the bay were flat and moist, and with hip waders we could easily walk the mud and puddled fields. Small flocks were flying regularly while many were laid down on the land. Other hunters about, this actually helped lift some birds from their rest to often get them flying over our heads. Our being there did the same for others. Joe had been sicker than a dog all week and was hacking away to no end. His energy even sick and at 50 still astounds though, as to me he is like two men when hunting or traveling on the land and rivers. When I claimed that I may be a little useless to him out on a hunt because I don't hunt, he replied, "you fish don't you? So then you hunt!" I'll admit that made me smile. With Akimiski Island visible in the distance it was an absolute pleasure to spend the afternoon with Joe and my quiet nephews Nathan and Seth. Four snow geese and a Canada, plus two whitefish Seth found trapped in puddles after the last tide, the short hunt was a successful one and I learned much from Joe. On the way home with the tide coming in, we boated nearby back channels in search of signs for moose, but instead only saw a cruising beluga whale, maybe a dozen seals and numerous bald eagles soaring overhead. I'll let the pictures illustrate the afternoon. In about the time it takes me to drill two ice holes, set up the pop-up, get it cozy inside and start fishing, Joe found a split log which he laid on the grass parallel to a foot wide but hip deep irrigation channel running through the land. Gathering a number of twigs he shoved them into the ground then tied grass in bows onto those sticks. Sitting drier up on the log, feet dangling into the ditch, we were about the same height as the makeshift blind. The boys could easily shoot from sitting or by just stand up in the trench. I thought it was pretty cool. Niska. Tide coming in signals the end of the hunt. Can't sit in the water so off we went. The ride home was great too. Some of my hunting buddies tell me I'm pretty lucky to have experienced a goose hunt on James Bay. They're not kidding. Meegwetch Joe, Nathan & Seth, it was a very memorable day. I left Attawapiskat a happy man in more ways than one. To combine work with travel and have just enough time to squeeze in a few days out on the land to explore and live such moments is rather friggin' awesome. Continued...

Every year we go with Lloyd, U and Me Guide Service in late November to catch those big fall Quinte walleye. Then we help him pack up the boat for the winter. Lloyds website http://www.bayofquintewalleyefishing.com/ Well Lloyd calls and says what do you think about doing the first trip of the fall walleye instead of the last trip. Lets see, warm temperatures ,no snow and no floater suits. Might be nice to fish Quinte in nice weather. Wayne was up for it too, so away we go. They were calling for rain and 30km winds and the weather man was right for once. Lloyd said no problem we can always find fishable water. the first day we got 27 walleye with many double headers second day we got 19 walleye on Sunday the wind came up quickly and it was a bit of a roller coaster ride, so after 4 fish we decided to call it a day as always we laughed and joked and had a great time and fantastic fishing, a little early for the big girls to show up. but lots of fish to keep people happy.

Made it out on the water this past weekend. With this amazing weather you would be stupid not too! Add in the fact that the fish were on a feeding frenzy, it makes for an amazing outing. Caught these fish on shallow rocks with tubes, senkos, jerkbaits, crankbaits, it all worked! Also tightened up on a couple eater sized walleye that made excellent table fare! Enjoy the pics, and get out there while their hot!

I had a chance to take out a couple of friends Tony and Glen to Lake Erie for walleye recently. We hadn’t fished Lake Erie for walleye in years, so some preparations were in order. Tony headed over to my place one evening for a beer and to help rig our gear. It helped a lot, thanks Tony! After tying up 14 worm harnesses, spooling 30lb Sufix braid on 4 walleye sized Hydros and RSCII reels, making leaders and getting the dusty walleye gear out, we were all set. I ended up making up some custom Colorado blades painted and taped up, and my son helped me tie up another 6 worm harnesses the following day. We enjoy our time together doing ‘arts and crafts’ LOL. We left early so that we could get out for first light and shake off the walleye rust with our set-up. We also had a major storm a couple days earlier and a cold front. We got set up with 4 small sized 000 Dipsy Divers on a 0 setting and worm harnesses, and ran them from 90- to 220 back and clipped on in-line planer boards. It’s a good thing the walleye line counter reels hold over 1000-feet of 30lb braid, as we had almost 500-feet out after the in-line boards were deployed. We rounded out our set-up with two large sized 001 Dipsy Divers right off the boat on a 2.5 to 3 setting with worm harnesses. We started in 65-feet of water with some tips from a couple friends I spoke with and headed deeper. We didn’t get into much and had to go into search mode. We started switching up colours and trying spoons and stick baits as well, even though the eastern basin of Lake Erie is predominantly a worm harness bite. After a while we got into a few walleye and marked some waypoints. We found a good group of walleye schooled up in one tight area, and ended up working the 4 waypoints hard by late morning. The weather was great, the waves were perfect and we were catching walleye and having a great time. We had to watch the rod tips carefully, as the white bass were hitting and tougher to tell a fish was on the line. The deeper Dipsys off the in-line boards did well 225- to 250-feet back, and the big size 001 Dipsys off the boat did well 140- to 170-feet back on a 2.5 and 3 setting. It was a good thing I spent more time tying up more custom harnesses with my son, as the white/yellow/green black dot harnesses were working well. We did get some on watermelon and blue and white as well as a few others. Stick baits took a couple bites, but harnesses were best. We tied up the worm harnesses with 30lb fluorocarbon approximately 24” in length. The reason I prefer 30lb fluorocarbon is that the clevises turn on the fluorocarbon causing a weak point over time, and 30lb Sufix is a perfect solution to help prevent break-offs over lighter line. We also ran a 7-foot fluorocarbon leader in 15lb test from the Dipsy Divers to the worm harness or stick bait and spoon on all Dipsys. We found the walleye suspended in the water column from 35- to 65-feet down over 65- to 75 feet of water. Our speed seemed best at roughly 2.6mph. We got into a bunch of walleye, white bass and even a steelhead. We all got to take home some fresh walleye and had a blast out fishing! Good fishing! Aaron

I've just returned from my first ever trip to a fly-in fishing lodge and I am left speechless as this had been the best fishing experience I have ever had! The destination was Brabant Lodge, on the great Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories. On my arrival in Yellowknife, I was greeted by a province that was lit up a the time by over 100 forest fires. Simply getting to my float base in Hay River proved difficult as the only highway out of town was closed. After several attempts, we finally made it trough, and as we drove through the charred remains of what use to be a forest, I had no clue what was waiting for me once we got there. The Lodge Brabant lodge was perfectly set on the waters edge of this enormous river system and I was very excited upon getting my first look. The main lodge was very roomy and comfortable, their boats were 18' Alaskan Lunds powered by 50 HP Hondas, and their cabins were handcrafted log cabins that were kept just as clean as your standard 5 start hotel room. The meals were amazing and their complimentary bar didn't go unused. The guide we were assigned had been working with the lodge for over 30 years, and had even more experience with the waters we were on. I couldn't wait to wet a line! The fishing The quality of fishing and the shear numbers of fish blew me out of the water the very first night out. Some places you could catch pike on one side of the boat and walleye on the other side. At some points it was literally a fish every cast. During our stay we continuously switched back and forth from walleye to pike and went out occasionally for arctic graying in the evenings. But by far, the most exciting was the pike fishing. The average fish we were catching was in the 36-39" range with several dozen fish over 40". This experience has probably ruined my pike fishing here in Ontario haha There are way to many pics to post so I will choose my favorite. Arctic Grayling We caught these drifting a #2 mepps spinner in fairly fast current, maybe 4-5 fow with a rock/cobble bottom. It wasn't difficult to catch 10-12 fish per pass. They have amazing colors, especially when they are still in the water, and put up a decent little fight. And of course, look at the dorsal fin!!! Walleye were abundant with the average size being 4-5 lbs and schooled up by the hundreds. I don't think we caught anything smaller then 3 lbs. The pike was the highlight of the trip. Never in my life have I been able to pull up to one small weed bed and continuously pull out giant pike after giant pike. I'll let the pics do the talking. As my week concluded, and as we attempted to get back to Yellowknife, fires again prevented us. After spending the night in a truck at a gas station, the rd opened and this is what it looked like for over 20 km. I'll never forget this trip. Thanks to Max from Maximum Limit Fishing for bringing me along! If you would like to see exactly how this trip went, tune in to Maximum Limit Fishing on WILD TV sometime in December or January or visit him at www.maximumlimitfishing.com or on Facebook!

Hey there OFC Community! I've booked a fly-in fishing trip out of Wawa, Ontario at Pine Portage Lodge for the end of May. I'd seen the place featured on several shows over the years; Fish'n Canada, Fish TV & most recently on Canada In The Rough. All shows gave it stellar reviews. I had to check it our for myself. The fishing looks amazing, accommodations awesome & the owners are very friendly (met them at the Toronto Sportsman Show). Now to the important part. THE FISHING !! I'm looking for any tips for that body of water you can offer please. The lodge is located on Kabinakagami Lake, commonly known as "Kaby Lake". I have a few GPS points the shows mentioned, but more info is always better than less. Thanks in advance and I'll be sure to post a full report once I'm back. Thanks! Bassive @PescaInCanada

Hi All, I'm planning on going to Cameron Lake this weekend and was wondering if anyone had some tips on where to start for walleye. Thanks in advance.

The MNR is holding 3 information sessions on the current status of lake Ontario and to discuss NEW stocking plans for the lake in 2015 and beyond. I have posted a link with details below. Sessions are: April 22 - Belleville 7:00 – 9:30 pm Belleville Fish and Game Club 170 Elmwood Drive, Belleville May 6 - Port Credit : 6:30 – 9 pm Clarke Memorial Hall, 161 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga (Port Credit) May 8 – Oshawa 6:30 – 9 pm Quality Inn & Conference Centre, 1011 Bloor St. East. Oshawa, Agenda • Status of Lake Ontario fisheries including the Bay of Quinte: The results from Ontario and New York State 2013 monitoring programs for the recreational fisheries, the status of prey fish and the overall status of the Lake Ontario fish community. • Lake Ontario Fish Stocking Program Review: Learn about the Lake Ontario stocking program for Chinook and Coho Salmon, Rainbow and Brown Trout, Atlantic Salmon, Lake Trout, Walleye and more. For more information email [email protected] or call 1-613-476-3255 Presented by: Lake Ontario Management Unit Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Hi, First Post Ever - Just looking for some input. Hoping to get out to the eastern side of Scugog this weekend to do a little walleye fishing. Most of my time is spent up in Haliburton ice fishing for Lake Trout. Not looking for anyone's honey holes..I'll gladly put in the legwork myself as I've done before. Just looking for overall depths and structure as I have some pretty good maps of the lake. Steve

hey folks, just a quick video of a walleye trip from this fall, caught tons of fish, but always gotta let the big girls go! do you practice catch and release???

For the last few years’ in the fall, Lloyd from U & Me Guide Service would send a PM and see if I would like a spot on the last “Fun” Bay of Qunite Walleye charter prior to taking the boat out of the water. After twisting my arm and thinking long and hard. Ok it was about a small fraction of second I jumped at the chance. As I have posted before going out on the water with Lloyd on the U & ME charter is like going to walleye training school, the amount of stuff I learn on each outing would take me years to accumulate. One of the great things about fishing on a Bay of qunite walleye charter is it’s not really like your fishing on just “1” boat with a few fishing rods. They have a charter group that talks to each other all day getting the most up-to-date information on best colour, depth, location. I wonder if they offer a subscription service. Days before the magic weekend arrived the winter gods started putting the feelers out and posting super winds and snow. Perfect!! Last year at this time same thing happened and we had some of the hardest fishing I had ever seen. I was a little worried. Day#1. Thursday. It was just Lloyd and I but like always U & Me produced some amazing fishing. Total caught 7- Only -1 fish was eater size but the rest were some big girls. Day#2. Friday, Ralph and Terry arrived and joined in on the 3 hour tour. It was just one of those magical trips that was non-stop fish and laughter. Sometimes in the reverse order. Terry had an amazing talent for most of the day when his turn was up it would almost always end with a double header. Ended the day with 15 fish most released Day#3. Saturday. At 6:00am I checked the weather closer to Mississauga and I saw that they changed the weather forecast, the bad weather that was suppose to arrive on Sunday had sped up a little and was to hit “later” in the day. Lloyd knows the area like the back of his hand and gave us a choice as we left the dock. We could go to a protected area and try new ground or go to a proven producer but leave when the wind gets up. Friday was such a great day, we chose the protected area and it was one of those great days that just worked out. The place we went had no other boats around, consistent fish and little to no wind/waves. The storms that did eventually come were very scary, it was sunny and calm then you could see the black clouds and the wall of white. 20 min later 60K gusts of wind, whiteout conditions, then just like a dream it was over and back to calm and sunny. At the end of the day as Lloyd drove the boat home we came out of our protected cover and wow Lloyds boat was getting pushed sideways while under near full power as we headed back to the dock and this is no small tinny boat Once in we decided the weather forecast was only going to get worse – 8C over night so we decided to pack up early and pull the boat out. End result was we only got a few eaters with the rest being returned for next year, Sunday AM – Temperature -16C, winds gusting to 50… Best decision ever!

The fire on, a warm scotch, and the kids playing upstairs, it's while alone in the basement on some snowy winter night when trips like this one begin... 　 Nipigon's rocky shorelines have been calling me back since first traveling there some short years ago. It has become an annual obsession to return, and a future goal to live out my summer days on it's waters; once eligible for any sort of semi-retired life that is. This spring the hope was to forge something new with the lake and my youngest love, Leah. At nearly ten years old now, my daughter and I have never had any sort of trip together just the two of us. This was to change, and with that I would introduce her to the experience of fishing travel and the passion her father has for just that. Onaman's River Resort on Lake Nipigon would be the destination. Very little information seemingly exists for this outfitter, and what bit that could be scrounged was found primarily through U.S. based websites. Humboldt Bay, Ombabika and even East Bay represent an inspiringly vast section of Lake Nipigon that accesses more remote east and northern compass settings. Some older reading material here at home notes, this end of Nipigon is richest for its walleye and pike fishing, but after further investigation it became apparent that Humboldt itself is also home to good populations of the lake's biggest laketrout. Any of those three species of fish regularly get my stomach growling, then add world class speckled trout into the recipe and what's left is the perfect feast. And truly Nipigon is just that to me, a favorite delectable four species, available in jumbo sizes, and ready to order from one of the classiest natural establishments. Preparing through the spring during spare time I would hit the vise to tie up jigs and spinners. Using mapping software, different hard map sources, Google Earth and any online information, the hand scribbled away drawing out possible fishing locations, marking shoals and pinpointing safe harbors and campsites. No hydrographic charts for the lake, no cell service in this area, no radio station weather forecasts, and limited human contact once out there fishing, it's your life and preparation is paramount, and especially important when your little one is along. My Lund would be doable but somewhat small for this kind of trip. Big runs into bigger water are required and comfort for Leah was a priority. When thinking about someone with a larger boat to invite I looked no further than my friend Len. An 18 foot Crestliner, 150 Merc, 9.9 kicker, Terrova, quality electronics, bimini top and plenty of room for the three of us, I was quite happy when he accepted to come. In fact, I knew he wouldn't say no. He's a man who loves his speckled trout and lakers above most else, so this was right up his alley. Len made it quite clear that specks were the big draw for him, and understanding that he is an organized and meticulous man, there was relief for me knowing that the boat would be in prime shape heading into the big chase. In the late winter my buddy Kevin suddenly lost his lifelong best friend Trevor to a heart attack at age 37. Trevor and Kevin visited Nipion a couple years back and for the two of them it was the greatest fishing trip of their lives. Talking with Kevin during his time of loss I realized he must come with us, so a plan was set in motion to ensure just this. Kevin (Floaty) was over-the-moon excited about returning to Nipigon. A hope to release some of Trevor's ashes to forever flow within the lake, there was certainly an importance and a finality to his personal journey as well. So... ... on the morning of June 28th the boys arrived in front of my place at 6:30am. 　 　 THE DROOL. Floaty was passed out in the back of the truck and drooling on my pillow before we even reached the end of my driveway. Len and I began chirping up front about all things fishy, while Leah quietly stared in awe at the many different ways Floaty could contort his body during sleep. In Arnprior for coffee we woke Float abruptly and glancing at the Wendy's he bellowed out, "that's a huge slushie" just before konkin' out again within mere seconds. Leah laughed about this for hours. She was in good spirits the entire haul. She's never really been a complainer, and lives a life in the happiest of childhood worlds. A saturday driving we were expecting some slow traffic north and we were stuck with just that. It amazes and always pizzes me off to the inth degree, the people who drive 80-90km/hr then reach the passing lane and floor it to 130 so no one can pass them, then they slow'er back down to 90 to hold everyone up again. It's much, much worse south of North Bay too, where more urban hippocrates populate. Dodge Caravans and any Subaru's seem to be the worst for it. Seriously. Six hours into the tour and above New Liskeard traffic fizzled out quite a bit, then later west of Cochrane the road was void of any life, as per usual. Mattice at twelve hours into the drive would provide an overnight rest stop at my good friends Steve and Amelie's. Getting in at dinnertime Amelie had homemade lasagna, caesar salad, desert and beer waiting. God I love them. Kev and Len couldn't help themselves and from infront of Steve and Amelie's home on the shoreline of the Missinaibe River, the boys wet a line for smallies and fallfish. It's a quiet life in little Mattice I suspect, yet there's always been something appealing about that. Sleep was a rather difficult arrangement for Leah and I. Sharing a bed I learned she's somewhat of Circus act all night long. She flips, cart-wheels, stands on her head, sings, dances, quotes Shakespeare and even cries. When I finally drifted off around 2:00am I was promptly flicked in the face by a tiny finger and told, "stop snoring, I can't sleep." Sunrise came too quick. 　 　 MOOSE ON THE LOOSE. On the road around 7:30am with about six hours to destination we hit the local Timmies in Hearst before starting off on that 200 kilometer straight shot through to Longlac. For anyone that has not driven the stretch of road understand this... you could chuck a tennis ball west from the townline at Hearst and as long your aim is true, that ball will roll those 200 klicks to Longlac. Poor Len was beginning to stress that the two hours might just kill him because there'd be absolutely no Timmies on route, he's is utterly addicted. Truth was, no Timmies coffee for a week. Somewhere nearing Geraldton our extra-large double-doubles bursted every seal and we pulled over for a break at some scenic little rest-stop. While waiting, that tennis ball rolled on by. The brilliance of the north route 11 rather than southerly 17 is that it's flat, straight and sees little traffic. To reach Onaman's you'd be silly to go any other way. The west side of Jellicoe there's a road to the right. There's no signage on the 11 for Pasha Lake Camp or Onaman's Resort, just a semi-rough dirt road that veers off into the middle of nowhere for 50 kilometers. We were wondering about it a minute, but Leah says to me, "sometimes dad you gotta get lost to find yourself." Some of the Lindner's TV crew was leaving as we were heading in, we arrived about 1:00pm and spent a couple hours settling into the cabin, having lunch, and preparing the boat. Boys on board, the idea was to take in some late afternoon pike and an evening of walleye. Looking down the Onaman River from the dock Len put the Cresty on plane for the ten klicks to the lake. An eagle followed us out for a ways. Here's a sped up video of the run... 　 　 A shallow area with the possibility of some hazards I urged Len to keep a heading into a specific back bay. Stopping short it didn't take my lack of patience long before I had a remote in hand for the Terrova. A small cut of pencils reaching out from a calm back corner I was certain there'd be a pike just in behind it. Cast... and SMACK... and as I began to play the fish I hear over my shoulder from Len and Floaty... "AHEM!" "AhhhHEM... Leah!?!?" "Ohhh yes, thanks boys," I answered before calling Leah to the bow and passing her the rod. A moment of forgetfulness, that would be the only reminder needed for the rest of the week. All my fish afterwards were hers to reel in if she wanted, and proudly she took pretty much every one of them. Water temps behind the point deeper into the bay increased about seven degrees to low 70's. Forage was abundant everywhere and the odd pike kept pulling us in deeper. Had a feeling about this spot on the map. Over the tall grasses and just around a bend we spotted the first of nine moose sighted during the week, and the only bull. It was awesome but it didn't stick around long, and I barely caught this pic. We turned the boat around to make our exit and it was like we hit a different fishery on the way out. Len first of all pops a surprise tank walleye from about two feet of water. It's a long fish we guess around 9-10 pounds and it sure as heck gave him the business. Lenny wasn't done with just some exceptional walleye though, on a following cast he smoked a best pike. Dood was on fire and it we'd only been sparking the fish for an hour. On a double header that had a couple pike running Floaty and I under the boat, Leah wanted a photograph of us. The pike were really cooking. Rubber hook for Kev he had a big fish blow up and be on and off in a sudden heartbreaker. My hook drove solid into something large too, and it held. When Leah grabbed the rod and the pike took a hard run, she slammed and bent two rod guides over the gunnel before finding her balance, leaning back and lifting the tip high. With some help at boatside my girl had reeled in her first trophy pike. Proud Papa to say the least. This will be one of my favorite pics for life. The bite faded out around 6:00pm and after a little more weedbed exploring we giver'd back up the river towards O.R.R. and played around an hour or two with the walleye. With these fish you can't go wrong, even if just casting from shore. If a boatload of guys were to spend a day fishing just walleye they would probably average about two to four dozen a piece. It was a little surprising that the presentations needed to be tweaked with a little more finesse than normal, but it could have been due to the fact that many boats fish near the camp daily. The walleye fishing quickly became Leah's favorite because she could cast her own lighter rod and even catch the odd fish for herself. Whenever my line got tapped she was right there to reel those in as well. By the end of the week she had me grinning a few times when I'd look over and see her mimicking everything I was doing with the rod when jigging. She sure pounded some gold bars all week and was a natural at posing with her catch. Again, when in her glory and so very happy fishing, I couldn't have been more pleased myself. End of day one at O.R.R. we all retired exhausted and happy. 　 　 SUN SPECK. Just a wee bit sluggish on the 6:00am rooster call. Floaty was always first up to greet me soon as he heard any sort of stirring. Usually I begin quiet with the kettle boiling, but it doesn't take long before pots and pans start clanking and the breakfast bell rings. This has somehow become the routine of every fishing trip. I'm camp beyotch, first up, last to bed and constantly pushing the others to hurry up... though it's probably because I eat more than anyone else, am most fish obsessed and unbelievably driven to be out exploring. Leah started off her days kinda wonky. First few mornings she'd complain her stomach was upset and not want to eat, yet I could tell it was only stress. She confessed teary eyed at times she missed her sister and mom, and the fact her meal times were off and she lost a good chunk of sleep on route, she was tired. At one point while crying she says to me, "sorry to ruin your vacation dad," and that kinda shot right through ya know? She was down in the dumps and had no need for that sort of wrongful and guilty thinking. It would be a little while yet, but once she caught up on her rest, we talked some things through and she began eating better, these occassional short sad spells ceased as I'll note later on, and it was all smiles for the remainder. There's a tonne of shoreline to cover and the speck fishing is rather far out there on the lake. Once bellies and boat were fully fueled we set out to begin eliminating as much of that speckled trout water as we could. Thing was, by the time we got moving and out there on the lake, I'd normally be finishing up my morning speck fishing and switching gears. We toured for about six hours total, following a few islands but otherwise sticking to a long expanse of shore and even trolling it opposite ways. Specks in this area we learned later on from Wilf (father of O.R.R. owner Rob) is that as the spring waters warm the pike migrate out from the shallows along the shore and actually push the bulk of the specks out of bays, and onto rocky offshore islands. As we trolled along for specks catching pike certainly wasn't a problem. Days out on the water are often long and tiring yet somehow on previous 7-day visits we'd manage to find the energy to put in 10-14 hours a day fishing. This trip things slowed down a little; more like eight hours, and I'll confess it took some getting used to at my end. Although, no matter what's going on in a day, it's always nice to step out and stretch the legs, especially in a place like Nipigon. It is afterall a vacation of sorts. Spinners, spoons, jigs and small cranks we ran it all. Along the way we saw some excellent looking speck water and spotted many roaming whitefish and even pike, but the trout remained elusive to the hook. Well... again, poor Floaty actually had a hit and loss we suspected was a good speck. I was running a spoon and a jig on an inside line when the spoon took a knock. Quick hookset and the rod was passed to Leah. This fish on lighter gear gave her every bit as much play as her big pike the previous day, but she managed to get it boatside after being taught a little about pumping the rod, slowly reeling down on the fish, and letting it run when need be. There was no measurement on her first speck, only this picture. After six hours on the trout the gang opted to head back for a time of walleye slaying, before I threw a big rosemary leg of lamb on the BBQ back at the cabin. 　 　 SPINNER There's no rhyme or reason to when and why specks bite and when they don't. Kind of the same as lakers, yet probably worse. On any day in any condition it is my belief though, that your best shots are of course sunrise and set, and the journal would actually record the same. That said, if I was to want an "all day long" speck weather condition I'd probably hope for overcast and a little choppy before choosing bluebird. Funny thing was, when speaking with the owner of O.R.R. Rob briefly about our first day fishing specks, he disagreed. Rob would rather glass calm and sunny as can be, and his favorite hours were in the afternoon. Boggled me a little this did, until he explained his tactics for catching specks. Want to know his secrets you'll have to ask Rob yourself one day. Understanding that when he guides it's more often than not during normal daylight hours on nicer days, it makes sense his style would adapt. There's always something to be learned from others. Quickly evident was that Floaty doesn't eat breakfast, Len doesn't eat breakfast and Leah doesn't eat much breakfast... so like six slices of French toast for me and a pound of bacon was good. We started late to fish but after a 30km. run out onto the lake, we were set-up and fishing specks on glass by 10:00am. First stop was paradise on earth. This area looked worthy of some casts. Basketball sized boulders slowly tapering offshore before hitting a sharper drop to 20-40 foot depths, it was awefully fishy. Working a few hundred yards of this shoreline thoroughly, we spotted whites, a couple specks, caught some pike and even had a cow moose coming crashing through the brush onto a small, cornered beach. Camping there someday crossed the mind. Sun getting high around noon we settled in to deploying Rob's idea on a troll. Floaty needing to work a little on tanning his other half, he was happily in need to kick back and soak up some necessary rays. We cruised for about two hours until 2:00pm, spotting more whitefish, catching more pike and seeing a school of speckles go by. Problem was, we couldn't get one trout to bite. So, because we were told 2:00pm and 6:00pm are the better times for lakers, we shot to the deep and dropped riggers and dipsies for a few hours to tempt them. Leah did some coloring and watched a Barbie movie to pass what she feels is "the boring fish" time. Six total hours of speck-laker shiznitting the bed this day was, we were still trout-less by dinnertime. What's never a waste of time is being out there, seeing what does and doesn't work, covering, discovering and eliminating water, and actually observing fish on spots. To salvage the afternoon we nailed some evening transition pike on route to camp; with Len pegging another tank, then retired to the river for sunset eyes. Rob invited us for a late walleye snack by the campfire to finish our day. Continued...

Thought I would share some of the pictures from a recent trip to Eddie North - Beteau Lake (last week in fact). Had an excellent trip (but tiring). This is my 2nd time going - first time was in the Spring - when the water was high. This time the Fall - and what a difference. I had in my mind the spots from last time - 99% of which we could not access due to water levels. It also looked completely different than what I remembered. The first few days then were hard work - finding new spots/and trying the old ones that produced before (Hello Caribou Bay). There was also one frustrating day - Tuesday - lost 5 30+ plus that day - 2 of which I am pretty sure were 40+, judging by how they looked. Some were bad hook sets, some hit right at the boat - and one snapped my line at the leader (bye bye top producing spoon - I hardly used you). I brought a first time fly in person with me on this trip (have to get his pics later). He caught his first big Pike - 39" (and maybe more - forgot I had a tape measure). Here are a couple of pictures: First - my big walleye - 26"

KESAGAMI 2013. 　 　 Reflections... 　 A calm apprehension while sitting with a warm coffee at Maurice's kitchen table. Stealing the occasional glance from his window out over Lillabelle, and the fully loaded Cessna parked afloat at his dock, each passing cloud whispered of a lifting ceiling to come. Best laid plans to depart at sunrise for camp on Partridge Lake were put on hold a time but, Brenda and I were okay with that. Racing from our jobs back home after having quickly packed the girls away, the drive and sleepless nights preceding our arrival north were threatening exhaustion, so it was welcoming to simply stop, take a breath, relax a little, and enjoy Maurice's hospitality. The evening of January 27th, 2010 I opened an email from one Maurice Robin. Recently acquired from Gardiner Air Services, True North Air Service was Maurice's new business, which provided access to several fishing camps north of Cochrane Ontario. A friend of mine had given Maurice my name, possibly explaining to him that I write online fishing reports, and am rather partial to chasing trophy pike on one of his accessible lakes, Kesagami. Maurice had me hook, line and sinker first cast really, as my interest is always piqued when it comes to fishing my old northern home, but I needed to make it clear to him that I don't hold back with what is chosen to report. That fishing is not professional for me, it's honest, rewarding and instead quite personal, often to be shared in trust with friends. So, if his service could deliver or not, it would be written. To my surprise Maurice answered, "I'm new to this business Andrew, and the truth is exactly what I'm looking for." With Kesagami there was little doubt fish would be caught, although my best experience was through the ice. Part of me wondered if I would actually drown his hopes on the soft-water. Over a couple emails, a few phone calls and the recruitment of some buddies, a deal was struck for all to fish with True North in 2010. It turned out to be incredible and even better than expected. During the weeks short evenings between four of us we caught hundreds of walleye just on Partridge Lake alone, and through the long days we fished Kesagami we managed 17 pike over 40-inches, one near 48, and dozens of 35-40 inchers. The fishing delivered and then some, and so did Maurice. His camp was meticulously kept after being newly renovated, attention to every detail quite evident, and nothing was left wanting for any of us. Carl, Mike, Grant and I marveled over every minute of it. Because Maurice is a person one can respect, early on it became easy for me to admire him. An entrepreneur, a self-made man, and quite peculiarly a risk-taker given his rather careful and organized manner, it was an adventurous spirit and a will to be challenged which superceded his cautious other self, when ultimately taking on True North. At his table, sharing pike, walleye and brook trout fishing, work and life stories, and reliving his wild-rapids, Naden boat trip down the Kesagami River to supply lumber and materials for rebuilding Partridge Camp, his enthusiasm and spirit was palpable. Although our pre-flight morning skies were grey and cruddy for a time, listening to experiences such as Maurice's surely brightened the horizon. This past spring Maurice emailed to announce he was selling the business. Partridge and another brook trout camp on Echo Lake were doing well, but his costs and personal demands of outfitting many lakes were only breaking him even. Sad with the news it took awhile for me to properly respond. Brenda and I had been considering fishing Kesagami through the comforts of the lodge this summer, but unfortunately our vacation dates could not align with their open season. Kesagami Lodge is a beautiful spot with excellent food and service; something Brenda would probably appreciate most, yet truthfully my heart with that lake has always marched to a more solitary beat. Understanding that with Maurice you can step from the bush to the beach and gaze outward on the lake knowing you and your company are the only people there, the only one's fishing and exploring it that given day... well that is, and pretty well always has been the chosen Kesagami experience for me. Over the years Brenda and I have enjoyed our time on Kesagami immensely. Our first trip March 25th, 2005 was a cold, blustery, four hour icefishing fly-in which yielded 24 walleye and one big fish bite off. Two days later I returned with a friend and his father and caught my first trophy pike at forty inches. Return winter trips annually over the next six years would allow us some fishing days out there of multiple trophy pike, and upwards to a best day of ninety iced walleye. I would catch and release some kind of new personal best each season, and when others would join us they too would almost certainly catch trophies of their own. Experiences that have put countless smiles on friends and our faces. It was magical in all sense fishing those times, a wonderful place on ice where we were often dropped and left alone to laugh for hours while setting hook after hook. I would study Kesagami, dream about it, live for it each year, challenge it, and between that first day and today make 23 fly-in trips to the lake, fishing all months February thru August and hoist many, many big beautiful northerns and plump golden walleyes. Continued...　

hey there all, first time post here. i am looking for some help on walleye fishing on lake erie . i have got lots of lake ontario experince and new to erie trolling . i got a handle on the location offf the nanticoke schoal and mark a tonne of fish, im just having trouble dialing it in my first problem i belive is my boat speed which i can only get down to 2.4 mph. im going to try samoe shopping bags over the side until such time i can get the boat out of the water and put a kicker plate on. i have been trolling at various depths from top to bottom , using spoons , stick baits and worm harnesses. havent had much luck! sure its my speed and not my lure selection as i have ran the gammit of colors sizes and presentations from tight to the ball to 100 feet back. im presently away working in mexico and am looking for fall tactics as i wont be back until mid september. wopuld greatly apprciate anything you have to offer frustrated and demoralized. lol as i have lots of sucess on ontario and walleye is a whole new game now. thanks in advance cheers rocky

Never met my mother's father, the man who passed on his bum chin. In fact, other than a faded picture in memory and some sentimental genetics, sitting here today I can't even think what his name is. A soldier in WWII he left this earth 20 plus years before my time, and nothing has ever been said. However, until this past April my step-grandfather was there my entire life, and although it seems as if I only knew Norm just a little more, until his long struggles with lung disease took his last, hard breath, he was there. The spring came in angry. After our family laid Norm to rest on the 2nd, the first few weeks of April life kinda sang off like some lousy country song. The 3rd I picked up a bug which really zapped the energy for about 2 1/2 weeks. The truck engine done died, just after having a front-end diff installed, and the wife's car went in twice too leaving me without a vehicle for nearly two weeks. My buddy Kev lost his best friend, at far too young an age. Too much winter augering, I picked up a stubborn epicondylitis for the first time which still doesn't want to go away. While transferring a critically injured patient to Ottawa in the ambulance, a triple IV pump broke off it's pole landing on my knee, this leading to a week of no good. And come May things didn't improve either, for I was left no choice but to cancel out on a fly-in fishing trip to the Attawapiskat, and then later in the month I received word that friends and past co-workers lost Dustin and others when an ORNGE helicopter went down in Moosonee...... On the work front I had one of those remarkably trying days. Male in 20's, small car smoked from behind at high-speed, basically detached his head or rattled his brain to bleed. Impossible to describe all of what three of us needed to do to keep him alive long enough for me to transfer with him and the Medics to the city. The toll on this one was exhausting... How was the weather, did it suck? Hardly noticed. Been awhile it seems since writing anything, so maybe best to prepare for a long-winded one. Been stock-piling spring photos too and like always, rather than post weekly, when finding a long days downtime I'd rather just pick out some best pics and package it all up. This here be the spring recap. 　 Before all the woes, fishing was off to a great start. Spring steelheading was something new, and of all the fishing this past while, it's those days with friends Mike and Luke, and some great bows caught, that could very well be a highlight of the season. Walking the river, placing the cast, controlling the drift and seeing that float drop is definitely an all encompassing, different kind of cool fishing experience. Time this year was the most rewarding yet, and the hope is to build on that with trips ahead. Really quite appreciated these fish and days fishing, and considering the horror stories of "loogans" and lined banks of anglers, on our trips we found more than enough free space to ourselves. Some favorite fish... 　 During the down and out weeks after steelie fishing it got into my head that it was time to sell the WarCanoe. Pulling off the winter tarps there was some first wood rot in spots and work to be done. Summer sun is hard on a wooden boat, trailering not much easier, and the waters down here are full of strange fungi spores which get into the wood and expand. It came to mind that up in the northern cold, running rivers like it used to, is the best place for a longer life and it's end of days. So, up on Kijiji she went... and I waited... and waited. A few fellas showed interest but, not really, and some were just too far away to come and get it. Again the hope was it would go north, and one guy from Waskaganish seemed to really want it. No sale once May arrived, when it was almost time to start hitting the walleye I couldn't take it. Keel and splash guard rot got routed or cut out, repaired or replaced, a couple dry trouble spots on the gunnels took some touch-ups and a gouge in the canvas was filled with some fiberglass. Honda slapped on the back and the WarCanoe was ready to go another year, and in most respects now I'm quite happy with that. No pavement, no cell service, no guides, no luxuries along the way, we've got some amazing history exploring the WarCanoe and I, traveling and fishing the northern rivers of James Bay. 　 It was about a week before May when fishing resumed. Kicked off those days with lakers. When the weather forecast looked alright, my buddy Pat and I took off for Lady O to try our luck on some big pan greasers. The previous year with my father we came up empty during an insane midge hatch, well low and behold we timed it again perfectly to fish this years even more insane midge hatch. Wind saved us from digesting swarming bugs with our eyes, but the fishing was tough again. However, did manage to make it worth the trip with one tank. Won't be the last time fishing lakers on that stage. 　 Trollin' and riggin' is always great, but with some summer plans for that, it's nice to take advantage of ice-out casting opportunities when available. Sight fishing and chucking lures to shallow cruising laketrout, it's really quite a rush to have your offering creamed by a charging fish. Having some fun playing them out on light gear and seeing them swim away unscathed (except the odd BBQ'er) into their frigid waters is hard to beat. The numbers of fish can be awesome too. This window always closes fast, yet with a couple friends along it's definitely worth peering in for a look. This spring Huddy and Patty joined me in the Lund and the company was surely welcome. 　 What would be spring without a little crappie fishing. Table fare they're great. Sociability they're perfect. Fun factor is high. There has to be no easier fish to catch during the month after ice out than crappies so, why not hit 'em up? This spring took off on tour several times to have my father, my oldest friend Fraser, usual suspect Patty and new buddy Doug join along. A solo trip with perfect timing actually turned out to be the banner day of all though, for during four hours one afternoon, anchored, another boat circling, I had the chance to experience the best crappie numbers in my life. If it wasn't every cast, it was every second cast a fish came over the gunnel. When I called a buddy up on the way home to tell him about it, we just had to meet on the road so he could raid the well a little and steal enough of a meal for himself. Some new spots, some old, it'll be filling to revisit these spring grocery stores in the future. Strange story before crappie fishing with Doug is we both showed up at the launch with our boats. A gentleman, being closer to home he returned his while I took the hour and a half wait to come good on a promise with an old friend. At a nearby school Caroline teaches Kindergarten, and she asked me to stop in and speak with the kids about nursing, healthcare and the North. It was a remarkably feel-good morning. I had been reluctant to do this for some odd reason, but kids are little people that I often see at work by the 100's each year, so upon arriving at school I found my cool. This class though, thirty of them at once, all energetic, inquisitive, individual, wild and coming right at me with hands raised, questions to ask, stories to tell and things to show, it is exhausting stuff and my hat goes off to teachers who do this day in and day out for our children. During our visit the kids learned some Cree words, heard some northern and nursing stories, and were taught a little about CPR. Then it was off to meet Doug and that was equally great. An exceptionally nice dood. Two walleye openers this year, division 18 and 15 are a week apart. Plans to hang out for a day with friends up in 15, for the 18 opener I just slipped out a short while to get a fix. This spring the eye fishing is a little off-keel. Wonky weather and water temps could be to blame? Maybe it's water snakes eating up the supply? But seriously, of all the fishing in the past month, the eyes have needed the most work to get results. No skunks but an almost happened... and so even though the fishing has been tough, rather than quit and sell the gear it'll just require more time and fine tuning. Gotta respect the eyes around here, they're often a serious challenge. 　 In preparation for summer trips I usually hit the vice on a couple rainy days each spring. This year so far, about 30 smaller 1/4-ounce bucktail jigs have been tied, a couple big 5-inch & 1-ounce laker jigs have proved tasty, and more inline bucktails will need to be finished. Sniffing laquer to dizzy, sneezing from fur and feathers, and this season swatting skitters in the garage, it'd almost make more sense to maybe try and jump on some wagon to a couple ProStaff deals rather than suffer the work hazards of producing things for myself. That said, when I peg giant speckles, pike, or lakers on one of these hand-tied creations, it'll be worth it. Continued...

We've had a bit of a Mixed bag the last 3 trips out this week, my PB Walleye 29.5" 8.3lbs, no pictures but we also caught a couple of Whitebass & I caught a huge Sheephead Tight Lines SBK

Hard to believe that 2013 is almost half way through. This forum and its members have always been helpful to me when I've had questions and whatnot. It's always a pleasure to share photos we all love. I don't really post much anymore... so here's what I've been up to since the beginning of 2013 to make up for my absence. First ice. Always head out for panfish as we wait for safe ice on bigger water. This year, my buddies and myself decided to do some exploring with new water and it didn't disappoint. Lake trout. Once Simcoe freezes over, we usually stick with these aggressive fish until season closes. This year was special. Truly the year of the lakers. Got my PB, and the numbers of fish caught was amazing! Everything seemed to work. Definitely my best season on the ice for lakers hands down. Even managed a "rare" whitefish that have seemed to disappear! Last ice. More slab crappies. Spring steelhead. After winter laker season closes, I usually dedicate my time on the river chasing fresh chrome steelhead. Trout opener. I'm not a huge fan of fishing for spawned out dropback steelhead. With the late spring we had, I was hoping for more fresh fish, but all the fish caught were rather dark and on their way back down to the lake. Still got a good number of fish and had a good day on the water. Spring crappie. I've been going after crappie for about 25 years now. Seems like the fishing keeps getting better. Or maybe I'm getting better at it. Back when I was a little kid, my dad used to bring me out around Georgian Bay and Simcoe areas - they were the only areas where crappie were available. Now that they have spread throughout the Kawarthas, we have endless options. I managed my PB this spring. A feisty fish that measured 15.5". On this day, the fish were everywhere...but were very finicky. My buddy and myself carefully creeped up on these fish in a quiet electric powered sportspal canoe and we still had a hard time getting them to commit. Finally, we found out that the solution was to downsize.... significantly. I wish I had my 5wt fly rod...would've got a lot more fish with that for sure. Anyways...fishing over about 10fow and the fish hit at 6" beneath the surface. Thought it was a bass at first. We shouted and hollered as the fish came into the canoe. Good times. This year, a lot of 13"+ fish were boated. We've made it our mission to avoid dinks/crowds and specifically target larger sized slabs. I've also made a new goal recently - I want to get into white crappie. I know they are found in the Niagara area and more southwest. If anyone has got any tips or suggestions, let me know. Spring walleye. I was taught the technique of the bucktail last year. It looked so awkward at first and I had a hard time picturing it in my head how it would work. But the results proved it was the way for weedy walleye! This year was the same. Although I spent time with plastics and cranks as well. Lots of slot sized fish and a few bonus bigger sized ones. Spring pike. Always fun casting for pike with cranks and jerkbaits. Unfortunately, no monsters this spring. I'm not big into muskie fishing and have never went out specifically for them. Usually always get at least 1 or 2 accidentally while targetting other species. Perhaps I should give it a serious go one of these days. Spring carp. As spring comes to an end and summer begins, the crappie/walleye/pike fishing seems to go bland. Just doesn't excite as much as earlier in the season. Best solution is to turn things around and go for big carp! I've only been out once this year, but the excitement with the screaming runs and the tough fights these fish put out will draw me back in for sure. These fish don't get enough credit. I'm always a believer in changing things up and keeping it interesting....which is why being a multispecies angler is the way to go! You can see behind me in the following pics - 2 guys in a nice bass boat...drifting the same run over and over again trying to hook up with some walleye. Each pass they made, we were battling nice carp while they watched. Didn't look like they were having much success. Made me glad I was on the bank with a couple buddies, chatting, eating, sleeping, and most importantly... catching nice big carp! That's it for now. Bass is just around the corner. Topwater is one of my favourite ways to fish for them. I can't wait. I'll have to dust off and prep my frog setup. I didn't get a chance to head out for resident trout either. Hopefully I will get into some of that before the vegetation gets to be too much. More of this to come in the following weeks.

If I'm out of line on this, please someone tell me but this really bugs me. My parents have owned a cottage in the Kwarthas before I was born and our lake is fortunate (after this weekend I'm thinking unfortunate) enough to have great bass, walleye and muskie fishing. With the long weekend and walleye being open there were a lot of people on the lake. As a rule, I have a couple of spots that I like to hit up for a walleye but if I catch a bass I won't go back to that spot until after bass opener (call me a little neurotic but I don't like bothering or hooking into spawning fish) There were a few spots I saw people fishing, rocky shoals and weed beds in <4 feet of water where I knew all they would catch are bass but I kept my mouth shut as, they are just trying to have fun and probably didn't know where to target walleye. What really really got me was, on sunday afternoon, a guy with a a bass boat worth more then my car, comes trolling by all of the docks on our side of the lake, tossing what looked like a spinner bait in and around all of the docks. Now, again, don't judge a book by its cover, but this guy looked like he knew all too well what he was doing and all he would have been doing is pulling spawning bass off of their nests. Has it got to the point where people just don't care anymore? The mentality of 'I'm going to catch the fish I want, when I want and unless I get a ticket I'm going to keep going?' Don't get me wrong, I like keeping fish for dinner as much as the next guy, but I would really like it if, when I have children or grandchildren, I can take them out to catch more then just White Sucker an Carp.

With my little one finally on the mend from having her tonsils out a few weeks ago, it was time that I got out fishing again! It had been so warm recently, images of summer weather fishing danced in my head as I looked forward to getting out there again. Will and I planned for Sunday to be the day. Figures that a cold front of epic proportions had to come through!!! From humidex values in the 30s mid week to morning lows of around 5C and highs of just 15C was just cruel!! As the date approached we also saw the winds were going to be horrible...so we had to pick the lake carefully. After seeing pretty much every forecast saying 25km/h winds out of the north to northwest we had it narrowed down to a few areas. I arrived at Will's place around 545 this morning, the wind already gusting. I asked him where we were fishing and he said "You tell me". So off we went...along the 401 and up the 115. I was looking at the winds and lake maps and decided that maybe we should target walleye on Rice Lake. There are lots of islands to hide behind...and as long as it isn't a west wind, then we should find some calmer waters to fish. We arrived around 715ish...and launched....lines in the water just before 8am. The fishfinder was making a TON of fish suspended all through the column...so when I saw Will put a jig and worm on, I decided to try throwing crankbaits for a bit. Neither of us had any action, so I put a jig on as well...pink plastic grub tipped with a worm. I did my best to keep the jig as close to bottom as possible...and because of the early weeds, it was easy to rip through them when caught up. One time, I felt tension...wasn't sure, so I set the hook anyways. The result was this guy! The first walleye of the day! We kept on hugging fairly close to shore and I picked up another one a little while later Will was getting a little anxious about maybe not getting one, so he switched up and decided to drop shot for them! He picked up a few sunfish, but then finally in the afternoon he got on them! The day ended up with Will with 3 walleye...and me with 2. A few panfish and one nice out of season smallie. The winds really began to howl around 3pm...so we decided to call it a day and we headed in. We were quite happy with our results considering the cold front and winds we had to battle to stay out of! Had another great day out there Will! Now...next month, lets go get some muskie or Lake O salmonids!!

Hi all, been a while since I've had a chance to post but think I still remember how . Had the lucky opportunity this year to do the Kawarthas walleye opener one week and then do the NW ontario opener the next week back home in Thunder Bay. Rice Lake The Kawartha opener meant getting the kayak wet for the first time this year and of course as many of you know the day ended up being cold and windy. 20k most of the day which for a guy in a 12' hunk of plastic and a paddle means a pretty limited selection of spots. I stayed in a back bay on Rice and stuck it out for 4 hours managing one smallish 'eye before getting bit off by a decent looking musky. Took that as a sign to fight the wind and waves and head back to shore. Oh well - I'll be back there next week to try again if the fishing gods shine on me. Lac des Milles Lac For the last several years the regular gang of buddies back home have been doing openers at Maki Bay on Lac des Milles Lac in the Thunder Bay region. I've always avoided making the trip up as I go up in August for our week long fishing trip and the weather is always so sketchy this time of year as to make the cost not really worth it for just a couple days fishing. But after years of ribbing by the guys and such a mild winter last year I decided to use some air miles and make it up there. Sure enough we spent all of last week watching the satellite photos and phoning the lodges to see if we'd even be able to launch a boat. The bay was full of ice on Monday, we were going up Thursday night. Luckily a warm spell and some rain broke up most of the ice and by the time we got there the bay was open though much of the main lake was still patched over with ice until Sunday. Friday we went out pike fishing and scouting (opener being Saturday morning). Turns out the pike were mostly on the spawn. This was confirmed by our boat being covered in pike eggs by the end of the day and being able to literally watch them doing the dance in the reeds at the side of the river banks. We didn't see any sign of walleye in the regular spawning areas (river entrances, rocky shores, etc) so we were kind of worried but that wouldn't stop us. What almost did stop us what the weather - it rained from early Saturday morning until well after we left on Sunday. Winds picked up just enough to make the wet rain that much colder - water temps ranged from 41 in the deeper areas to a high of 47 in the shallow river. Think my hands are still missing most of their feeling. That said, we did manage to find the walleye - right where they were last fall. Looks like they weren't even ready for the spawn yet, no eggs seen and only one mail found alone in the river dumped his load in the boat. The rest seemed to be coming in from the deep and getting their feed on before the spawn. Most were taken trolling cranks at a fairly good clip though classic spinner rigs on the bottom worked as well. Size was also interesting - we had a problem finding fish under the slot (Lac has a 13-18 slot with one over allowed). We had numerous fish ranging from 19-26" throughout the 2 days of walleye fishing. Most pike were decent as well, 30-36" and pretty beefy. Of course lots of snot rockets but those don't count . Also picked off a few nice smallies in the 3- 3 1/2 lb range for a bonus and a fat perch just for kicks. These pictures give you an idea of the wonderful fishing conditions - fun fun fun! Anyhow - good times had by all even if we were soaked and cold. Nothing a good bottle of cognac and serious steaks can't fix. Here's a quick video overview:

Good day everybody! Just signed up and wanted to introduce myself. You have a great site and a lot of solid threads! I Hope to be a useful contributer. Let me introduce myself with this short video we made...got some swears in it (in context of course, so if your at work maybe slip the volume to 3). Anyways, We love making video's. writing stories and we host a free place for asipiring writers and Youtube clip creaters to launch thier art or be e-published....By the anglers for the anglers kind of thing. Good to meet you all, hope to see ya around. The Clip...who we are...