DanD Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 Well what can I say about Beteau Lake and Eddie’s camp that the others haven’t already said? Getting to Nakina was uneventful; our flight from TO to Thunder Bay, the rental car and our gear at fedex all fell into place with nothing missing. Get to the air base Thursday morning; met the other 4 guys that will be at camp with us and started loading the plain. My brother checking out the view; can’t believe how many small lakes, rivers and streams there are. First look at Eddie’s camp from about 2000 feet. Our home for the next 9 days; it didn’t matter to me which cabin we had as long as the screens were good. Man were the mosquitoes bad; you didn’t dare stand still or you’d need a blood transfusion by the time they were done with you. It didn’t take long for the camp mascots to come out of hiding and start begging for hand outs. Here’s my first pike of many, I didn’t get into anything real big they all averaged at about 24 -30 inch. He’s Moe’s biggest pike of the week at 37”; he was quite happy and it was the largest caught that week between all six of us there? The picture is a bit blurry; I just picked the camera out of 4 inches of water that was in the bottom of the boat. He’s me showing the proper horizontal hold. I still don’t understand what these little guys are thinking when they hammer a lure half their size? The walleye average size were around 16 -20 inches and there were no shortage of them But there are some monster walleye in there, I landed one at 25 inches and 8.6 lbs and another at 31 inches and 11lbs. Man these guys hit like fright trains and fought like they were pike. The 31 almost spooled me; I had to chase it down with the boat to make some head way. This is the pic of the 25 inch; my camera was still drying out from its bath and my brother hasn’t sent me the picture of the 31 yet. This is the Rapala that did all the walleye damage for me; after the lip broke off, we thought it deserved a place of honor in the lodge. Being that it brought in a walleye 1 inch short of tying the camp record that Rob (Walleye Wonderer) set last year. The weather the first few days was almost unbearable with the heat & humidity; but after a very large thunder storm rolled through the one night, things cooled off and the fishing picked up 100%. Yes even on Beteau you can find some slow fishing days; but when they turn on it’s unbelievable with numbers and size. Thanks for the read. Dan.
corvette1 Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 awesome trip giant walleye and pike great report
solopaddler Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 Great stuff! Did you and your bro wander very far upstream? With this years high water there's a lot of river to explore.
asdve23rveavwa Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 Great report. Can't wait to see the pic of the 31"er!!!
DanD Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Posted July 24, 2012 Great stuff! Did you and your bro wander very far upstream? With this years high water there's a lot of river to explore. We were able to go quite a ways up stream and we could have likely gone further but I just didn’t feel comfortable in the fast water. I marked the map with red lines as far as I dared go. One of the others tried going past the North West set but turned around after tagging a couple of rocks. Dan.
johnnyb Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 Fantastic report....love the retired lure and that 25"er looks like a brute...can't wait to see the 31. Congrats on a great trip, and thanks for the write-up
DanD Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Posted July 24, 2012 Great report. Can't wait to see the pic of the 31"er!!! This is the best shot I have of the 31” man what a rush getting it into the boat. Before anyone asks Yes it was kept; the fish had literally inhaled the lure and it was bleeding pretty badly there was no reviving it. I felt bad about taking it in but it did feed the six of us that night. Dan.
solopaddler Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 We were able to go quite a ways up stream and we could have likely gone further but I just didn’t feel comfortable in the fast water. I marked the map with red lines as far as I dared go. One of the others tried going past the North West set but turned around after tagging a couple of rocks. Dan. That's where things start to get dicey navigating upstream, definitely heavy water. It can be done though. That neckdown where you caught the large walleye is a natural spot, not surprised you hit paydirt there. Crazy bottom in that spot too, lots of ups and downs and big jagged rocks...
DanD Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Posted July 24, 2012 That's where things start to get dicey navigating upstream, definitely heavy water. It can be done though. That neckdown where you caught the large walleye is a natural spot, not surprised you hit paydirt there. Crazy bottom in that spot too, lots of ups and downs and big jagged rocks... Yea that was defiantly our honey hole. It is different fishing that body of water; I’m use to doing a troll at .5 to 1 mph but not there, anything below 3mph on the GPS and we were just washing lures. By the time you’d add the boat speed and the current speed the lure is seeing something like 4-6mph and that was the speed they’d hit at. And like I said when they hit it was like a fright train didn’t have time to set the hook because the drag on the reel would be just screaming and you’re turning the boat to go chase after before you’re spooled. My rye bottle took a beating those two nights celebrating my PB walleye two nights in a row. LOL Dan.
Roy Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 A super trip for you and your brother, Dan. Congrats to you! You should be ashamed of yourself posting specific spots like that on the board though. Before you know it there'll be 1,000 dudes shoulder to shoulder on shore flossing walleye and pike.
DanD Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Posted July 24, 2012 Yea but I inverted the map before I posted it; if anyone follows it they’ll find themselves in James Bay. Dan
adempsey Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 Nice little report. Never get tired of reading about the fishing up there. Thanks!
Pigeontroller Posted July 25, 2012 Report Posted July 25, 2012 That Plain didn't look that Plane? Nice report!
DanD Posted July 25, 2012 Author Report Posted July 25, 2012 That Plain didn't look that Plane? Nice report!
shoal brother Posted July 25, 2012 Report Posted July 25, 2012 awesome stuff .... thanks for the report I appreciate the report, Dan. We'll be up there on Saturday for first time. I'll post a report upon our return. I'll have to figure out how to post pics. Looks like it might be hot again this weekend. Congrats on that walleye! Shoal Brother
walleye wanderer Posted July 27, 2012 Report Posted July 27, 2012 Nice report Dan and congrat's on a couple of beauty Walleyes!
DanD Posted July 27, 2012 Author Report Posted July 27, 2012 Nice report Dan and congrat's on a couple of beauty Walleyes! Hey it was your help, map and log that you so graciously offered up that got us onto to fish as quickly as we did. I studied the map and log to point that when I got on the water it was like I’d already been there. I brought up a few smaller laminated maps that we could take out on the boat, along with an erasable marker. We would plan out our day the night before, mark it out on those maps and then there wasn’t any of “where do you want to go” thing happening. I left those laminated maps there at camp for others to use; but yours came back with me. Thanks again Rob and your 32" Walleye camp record is still safe; well that's until I get back up there that is. The place is addictive! Dan.
BucktownAngler Posted July 27, 2012 Report Posted July 27, 2012 Great report and awesome pics! so you shipped all your gear to thunder bay via fedex? groceries too? Id like to hear more about getting there, in case i need to plan a trip for myself
walleye wanderer Posted July 28, 2012 Report Posted July 28, 2012 Hey it was your help, map and log that you so graciously offered up that got us onto to fish as quickly as we did. I studied the map and log to point that when I got on the water it was like I'd already been there. I brought up a few smaller laminated maps that we could take out on the boat, along with an erasable marker. We would plan out our day the night before, mark it out on those maps and then there wasn't any of "where do you want to go" thing happening. I left those laminated maps there at camp for others to use; but yours came back with me. Thanks again Rob and your 32" Walleye camp record is still safe; well that's until I get back up there that is. The place is addictive! Dan. Hey Dan, glad the map helped. That map was started off by Mike (Solopaddler) and has been added to by my group with input from several other folks so it is a real collaborative effort. I fear someday it will be pointless to look at though because I think the lake is littered with fish and marking them will obliterate the map. What week did you snag for next year? And you are absolutely correct Dan….the place is addictive!
DanD Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Posted July 30, 2012 Great report and awesome pics! so you shipped all your gear to thunder bay via fedex? groceries too? Id like to hear more about getting there, in case i need to plan a trip for myself With my brother not being able to sit in a vehicle for the 17+ hours drive to Nakina, we opted to fly out of Toronto too Thunder Bay. Because the commercial flight only allows 50lbs of weight, we fedex our dry goods, tackle and poles to Thunder Bay. It was cheaper then paying the commercial airline’s extra weight and oversized baggage fees. Once in Thunder Bay we picked up our rental car at the airport; drove around the corner to the fedex terminal and collected our stuff. Unpacked our collapsible coolers; went to the grocery store to buy our perishables. With a couple bags of ice the food was ok during 3 ½ hour drive to Nakina and Lower Twin Lakes Lodge, where we spent the night and used their freezer too freeze all our meats. The next morning we packed up, drove to the Nakina air base and waited for our flight out too camp. Because it was just the two of us, the flight from Toronto was comparable cost wise then if we drove; only splitting the gas two ways. The rental car was about the only thing that wasn’t cost effective; having it sit for the week at the air base. But we did have the freedom of our own wheels and no real schedule to follow; other then being at the Thunder Bay airport for our 3:45 flight back to Toronto, Sunday afternoon. The people at the Best Western in Thunder Bay held out fedex boxes until Monday for pick up. I had preprinted the return labels before we left home. It was just a matter of calling fedex Saturday night; giving them the tracking number and the location of the parcels. The boxes were back here at my shop Tuesday morning; a bit beat up but everything inside survived. Dan.
DanD Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Posted July 30, 2012 What week did you snag for next year? And you are absolutely correct Dan….the place is addictive! We kind of have to wait before booking anything; don’t know what my brother’s health will dictate in a year’s time? Dan.
SlowPoke Posted July 30, 2012 Report Posted July 30, 2012 Great report Dan! I'm glad things unfolded smoothly and the fish were happy to see you.
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