bapthorpe Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I have enjoyed over 12 years of fishing with Air Cochrane on Lakes Haultain, Mikwam, and Nettogami. This year we are heading to Edgar for the first time. I was hoping folks who have been to Edgar could share their experiences, strategies and pics. For those who are going to the lakes I have frequented and/or who like to know how we have consistently caught 40"-45" pike in all these lakes I would be happy to share. http://apthorpeoutdoors.blogspot.com/2009/07/lake-nettogami-2009.html Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danz Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 I cant help you, as I have never been up that way. But, i really want to plan a trip like that in the spring/summer of 2012. Any info would be much appreciated as regards to which lake is best,general tips etc. Thank you Dan [email protected] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bapthorpe Posted January 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 I cant help you, as I have never been up that way. But, i really want to plan a trip like that in the spring/summer of 2012. Any info would be much appreciated as regards to which lake is best,general tips etc. Thank you Dan [email protected] Hi Dan, Thanks for the note. There are lakes for scenery...lakes for plentiful walleye and 40" pike....and lakes for just trophy pike. I used to go for trophy pike and did very well. Now I bring my son and two godsons so we go lakes with lots of walleye so they can get into the numbers. Plus they taste good too :-) I have gone to two types of pole setups. One is an ultralight with 4lb test and a heavy flurocarbon leader for jigs and small spoons. With the drag set properly it makes it a ton of fun catching 18-24 inch walleyes. The heavy flurocarbon leader saves you from loosing jigs to pike. I actually caught a 36" blue pike three years ago on this set up. The seond setup is generally a small 6'6"-7" musky rod with 40 lb braided line with a heavy fluro carbon leader. The first time I went north I went with more tackle than you can imagine.....crankbaits, tube baits, spinners, spoons, jerk baits....I had it all....fast forward 12+ trips later, now I go with 1 flat of lures...mostly jigs and small spoons for walleyes and Fish-Tek spinner baits for the large pike. Being a musky fisherman I was always eager to catch lots of 40" pike and was frustrated in my initial attempts. I used every crank bait, tube bait, jerk bait, spoon, possible with marginal returns. Then I had a friend catch a 45" pike on a Fish-Tek lure...I did not llike the looks of them because they were different looking, but I tried them and had success...and if you look at my blog you will see we catch 40" pike every year on those things.....I think they work well because everyone else is using the popular baits when they go fishing in Canada and the fish do not like em. I travel alot and cannot believe a night fishing on an Air Cochrane trip is cheaper than a night in a good hotel....i would rather be in Canada :-) Bret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danz Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Bret, Thank you for the response. I am also a muskie guy, so I would be looking for trophy pike lakes. Which are the best bet? Where do you find those spinnerbaits? Have you tried ,many big jerkbaits or bucktails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerman Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I have fished with Cochrane Air for 15 years! Edgar, Sand, Yesterday, Unknown, French, Floodwood, Twopeak, etc.... We went to Edgar 3 years ago! Big lake.. Nice cabin.. LOTS OF WALLEYE! The weather was rough when we were there...... PM me, I can tell you all about the lake!! We are headed to Yesterday Lake June 15th this summer!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosebunk Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I've wanted to get in and use the inlaws camp on Nettogami but they only ever go there for moose in the fall. All pretty country up there, and the walleye in some of those lakes are as abundant as perch down here. I'd think Edgar would be the best, other than Kesagami. Not sure why you wouldn't consider Partridge/Kesagami through True North though? Best of both worlds... 4k long lake full of eyes but access to the big 30k long lake jammed with huge pike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bapthorpe Posted January 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Bret, Thank you for the response. I am also a muskie guy, so I would be looking for trophy pike lakes. Which are the best bet? Where do you find those spinnerbaits? Have you tried ,many big jerkbaits or bucktails? Haultain for us was where we got into 10 pike 42-45" and have seen bigger there. On Nettogami one year my 14 year old son caught two 42" pike and a 44" pike within 45 minutes...the pics are on my blog....but Haultain for consistent big fish. Jerkbaits did not work well....bucktails work good, but get hung up on the underwater timber. The FIsh Tek MSBs are nice because they have big sppons with the single hook that lets you throw them in the thick of it and you will not get snagged. Black and brown were the best colors. You can get them athttp://www.fishtek.com/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=25 It is fun in the waning hours of the night to bulge the bucktails through the calm waters for a topwater strike. Bret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bapthorpe Posted January 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I have fished with Cochrane Air for 15 years! Edgar, Sand, Yesterday, Unknown, French, Floodwood, Twopeak, etc.... We went to Edgar 3 years ago! Big lake.. Nice cabin.. LOTS OF WALLEYE! The weather was rough when we were there...... PM me, I can tell you all about the lake!! We are headed to Yesterday Lake June 15th this summer!! June 15 ought to be a blast.....what can you tell me about Edgar Lake? Many thanks in advance Bret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerman Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 Edgar Lake... Its a long, narrow lake. Not much structure, just deep drop offs. This was taking right off dock... The cabin is really nice. 2 Big bedrooms, lots of room!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerman Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 Another picture of the inside.... A look from the cabin deck!!! If you go left, off the dock, thats where alot of walleye were caught! Thats if you can get there with the winds..We did catch alot right out from the cabin... LOTS OF WATER!! Here is another.... Edgar is a long, narrow lake. If the winds kick up, its very hard to fish! When we were there 3 years ago, it rained, snowed, hailed, sun, you name it!! Like any fishing vacation, WEATHER IS IMPORTANT!! We still caught tons of walleye.. TAKE MINNOWS.. We take 260 dozen forthe week.. Ask Mark, no one belives me when I say that! We also take worms, and leeches!! USE IT ALL... We did not catch many pike, but we don,t really fish for them. And the weather was COLD!! Its a nice set up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bapthorpe Posted January 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 Wow, what great pics. I cannot thank you enough for sharing them. I really appreciate the first hand perspective of this lake. I love the pictures. I am curios to know what you did with the minnows. Were they live or salted? Were they with bobbers, on jig heads or ???? Did you see any whitefish? Many thanks in advance....Bret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerman Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 (edited) I have more picutres I can post later!! Fishes minnows with jigs! 1/8 and 1/4 ounce! Yellow, white, black and pink~!! We took a 5 gallon bucket and an air rater! Plus we had 3 floating minnow buckets!! Works out great!! We buy them from Mark!! You will have a blast at Edgar!! I really don,t think it matters what lake you go to, ITS AWESOME UP NORTH!!! Oh yea. minnows were live, bought from Mark! Edited January 19, 2012 by beerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 I have fished with Cochrane Air for 15 years! Edgar, Sand, Yesterday, Unknown, French, Floodwood, Twopeak, etc.... We went to Edgar 3 years ago! Big lake.. Nice cabin.. LOTS OF WALLEYE! The weather was rough when we were there...... PM me, I can tell you all about the lake!! We are headed to Yesterday Lake June 15th this summer!! Can you PLEASE supply a link.... I want to get both my sons together and do a fly in trip....but I have to somehow talk my oldest into in it....he doesn't want to fly in the small planes.....and he's in the Air Force....go figure...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Wow, what great pics. I cannot thank you enough for sharing them. I really appreciate the first hand perspective of this lake. I love the pictures. I am curios to know what you did with the minnows. Were they live or salted? Were they with bobbers, on jig heads or ???? Did you see any whitefish? Many thanks in advance....Bret From you blog I see you're from my neck of the woods.......where you from... Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerman Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Here is a link to their web site!! Cochrane Air Services Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bapthorpe Posted January 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 From you blog I see you're from my neck of the woods.......where you from... Bob Hi Bob, I live in Honeoye Falls NY. Bret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi Bob, I live in Honeoye Falls NY. Bret OH MY, that's a hike to Chautauqua Lake for you.....especially with all the Finger Lakes in your backyard and Oneida Lake must be closer then Chautauqua ? ? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bapthorpe Posted January 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 I was born and raised in Mayville NY so I know Chautauqua Lake like the back of my hand which is why I enjoy musky fishing there....Finger Lakes for lake trout and jack perch... In terms of Edgar, does anyone have any sort of map of the lake they can share, other than what you can get via Google Maps? Bret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakpiker Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 I was born and raised in Mayville NY so I know Chautauqua Lake like the back of my hand which is why I enjoy musky fishing there....Finger Lakes for lake trout and jack perch... In terms of Edgar, does anyone have any sort of map of the lake they can share, other than what you can get via Google Maps? Bret I have a couple of Edgar Lake pics taken from the plane that I can share with you. I'm also willing to chat with you about my trip there 3 years ago. Flip me a pm to connect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 I was born and raised in Mayville NY so I know Chautauqua Lake like the back of my hand which is why I enjoy musky fishing there....Finger Lakes for lake trout and jack perch... Bret Musky fishing is probably the only species that has gotten better in that lake for the last 10 years or so....problem is not many musky anglers compared to walleye and crappie angler....at one time I think Chautauqua Lake was one of the BEST crappie lakes in the country....now...it sucks... and walleye is not good either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 wow and I've heard so many people talk about Chautauqua musky fishing I deliberately don't go there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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