Fall 2010 by Real Fishing

EXCLUSIVE PRO PATTERNS FOR WINTER WALLEYES

Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 4 Just $3.95

DISPLAY UNTIL JANUARY 15, 2011

Fall 2010

UNLEASH YOUR

INNER PRO

Introducing the new 150hp OptiMax ProXS, the latest addition to the fastest, most proven family of bass outboards on the planet. Is top speed & fuel economy important? In head to head tests the 150hp OptiMax ProXS was 7.2 km/h faster and delivered 15% better fuel efficiency than the competition. And like all of our ProXS outboards, the 150hp ProXS produces incredible amounts of torque resulting in amazing hole shots that knock you back in your seat. For more information about how the 150hp OptiMax ProXS is a perfect match for your boat, visit your local dealer or visit us online at mercurymarine.com. Source: Mercury Marine Engineering Dept. – January, 2010. Test conducted on a 18’ fiberglass bass boat with a Mercury® OptiMax 150 hp Pro XS and an Evinrude® 150 hp E-TEC® HO. Visit mercurymarine.com for more test results. © 2010 MERCURY MARINE. All rights reserved. RReproduction eproduc tion in in whole whole oorr iinn part par t without without ppermission ermission isis pprohibited. rohibited. EE-TEC -TEC isis a registered registered trademark trademark of of BRP-Powertrain BRP-Power train GmbH GmbH & Co. Co. KKG. G. Evinrude Evinrude isis a registered registered trademark trademark of of Bombardier Bombardier Recreational Recreational Products Produc ts IInc. nc. All All other other ttrademarks rademark s belong belong ttoo the the BBrunswick runswick Corporation. Cor p or a t ion.

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Contents Features 34 FANTASTIC FALL FISHERIES Want to catch a trophy fish this fall? Here are some of southern Ontario’s best bets to make it happen. By Real Fishing Staff

40 SWIMBAITS Guides and professional anglers share their knowledge of using swimbaits to catch big fish. By Jonathan LePera

48 A TALE OF TWO LAKES Sure-fire systems for patterning winter walleyes. By Nic Norton

56 THE FUTURE OF OUTDOOR SPORTS Three approaches to making and keeping outdoor sports attractive to today’s youth.

FALL 2010 Volume 16, Issue 4 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679

Columns

President Wayne Izumi Contributors Patrick Daradick, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Jonathan LePera, Steve May, Jason Mohring, Nic Norton, Dave Taylor, Charles Weiss, Lawren Wetzel, Real Fishing is published by Izumi Outdoors Inc. 940 Sheldon Court Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833 Privacy Policy: Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, please write to us at the above address.

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504 Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Printed in Canada

On the cover: Lunker Largemmouth! Photo by Izumi Outdoors

6 OPENING LINES By Jerry Hughes

22 UNDERSTANDING ELECTRONICS By Lawren Wetzel

10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing

24 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

16 WHAT’S NEW The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories

18 FISHING Confessions of a Tackle Junky By Bob Izumi

26 26 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX

20 FLY FISHING

By Patrick Daradick

By Steve May

28 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS Chinook Salmon

30 THE HOT BITE 32 BEST FISHING TIMES Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

60 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler By Bob Izumi

65 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

New Age Angling Once upon a time there were no Xboxes or PlayStations; no iPods, no ThinkPads and no BlackBerrys. Television was in black and white and you only got two or three stations – provided the weather was clear. There were no malls, no video arcades and no fast food chains. By today’s standards it was a tough world for kids to grow up in but somehow we managed. We went outdoors and played Cowboys and Indians or war games in real-time, against real friends in real forests and fields. Only the arrows and bullets were fake. We got by listening to AM radio until we discovered the magical world of FM in our teens. Our PCs were a collection of pens, pencils, and paper; adding machines and typewriters. Blackberries were something we picked and ate when we were hungry. Telephones had rotary dials and several families had to use the same line – a “party” line. You had to wait for your neighbour to hang up before you could make a call! So we learned how to build campfires and select the best spots to pitch our tents. We fished and we hunted. We hiked and biked and we discovered the world by involving ourselves in it. We made our own entertainment because we really didn’t have much choice. The times certainly have changed. Sadly, the new world of instant gratification has rendered many of our old pleasures redundant and boring to today’s youth. Statistics bear out the fact that traditional outdoor pursuits like fishing and hunting are suffering from a lack of youth participation, despite massive efforts by their respective industries to turn the tide. The fact is, today’s youth are wired differently than we are and bringing them back to a traditional, outdoors-oriented way of thinking is a monumental task. But it’s not impossible. One of the keys to influencing today’s youth is to speak to them in ways they understand, through peer involvement in 6 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

social media, online gaming sites and the like. Reaching them through the virtual world is the first step in exposing them to traditional outdoors activities and ultimately getting them to experience the real thing. Another crucial factor is mentoring. It has been shown that kids who are exposed to fishing in positive ways at a young age are more likely to develop a lifelong affinity for it. Most of us had a father, uncle, grandfather or some other important person who taught us an appreciation of the outdoors while we were quite young, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case today. Finally, kids need to have some measure of success in anything they do if they are going to stay with it. They need to be educated on the basics and then given the opportunity to test and refine what they’ve learned. They can’t be pushed; they need to be encouraged and given the tools they need to become proficient. Here at Real Fishing we’re all too aware of the discouraging trend in youth participation in outdoor heritage activities. After all, our business, like many others that exist in the fishing and hunting categories, depend on new recruitment in order to maintain a viable, long-term existence. Beginning on page 56 of this issue, we take a look at three initiatives that are designed to build participation in fishing through social interaction, mentoring and education. One program in particular, Tecvana, has so much potential to get youth involved in outdoor sports that we are working with

them on a unique venture based on today’s most popular social media platforms. In a more traditional vein, the U.S. based School of Outdoor Sports is a mentoring program that introduces youngsters to fishing and hunting, while the Faculty of Fishing is an interactive teaching program where anglers can learn everything they need to know about fishing at any skill level. These programs, along with dozens of other similar ones, are the first steps in reacquainting today’s youth with the outdoor activities that we grew up with. The second step is making sure that the kids have the opportunity to experience, hands-on, the joys of the great outdoors. And that’s a job for every one of us to work on. ?

The first catch of the day.

ÂŠ Tim Hortons, 2009

WE’VE GOT WINNERS!

Colin Cogan and Josh McKenzie from Dartmouth, NS

SC Johnson contest winners John Qua and Robert Shanks from Winnipeg, MB with their pro, Rob Lee

Michael Medline, centre, and John Chimienti, from Toronto fished with Wayne Izumi

SC Johnson's Sarah Chadwick likes smallmouth bass!

SC Johnson contest winners Brad Hay and Serena Debolt from Sechelt, BC got to fish with Bob Izumi!

catching

Kimberly McLeod from SC Johnson with her afternoon guide, Wayne Izumi

8 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

On September 16, the winners in SC Johnson’s “Reel in the Big Ones with Bob Izumi” contest were treated to a day of fishing in Haliburton, Ontario. Three Canadian Tire dealers also won fishing trips in a separate contest for the best in-store display promoting OFF! products. To make things interesting, Bob and Wayne Izumi rounded up a few of their tournament friends to act as guides for the winners and their guests in a friendly little tournament. Despite the cool, damp conditions the fishing was great and everyone enjoyed catching good numbers of bass and walleye.

Pro angler Mike Jackson (left) put Paul Pollock (centre) and Dave Cornwall onto some decent walleyes.

Shimano’s Bob Mahoney (right) put SC Johnson contest winners Dale and Eric Schatz from Saskatoon, SK onto a mixed bag of walleyes and smallmouth bass.

Gary Samyn of SCJohnson (left) and his pro, Chris Giles, got into some good walleyes. gets ready to Pro angler Paul Shibata s. weigh a bunch of walleye

Jason (left) and Dennis Mccullough (right) from Belleville, ON with their pro angler, Darren Jacko

Bob Izumi acted as the official weighmaster for the day

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 9

Five Decades of Tournament Titles What a great day August 7th was for Bob and

nament record and secured the win for

Darren Izumi! Check out part of the 24.76 lbs,

team Izumi. With his latest first-place fin-

5-fish limit that they brought to the scales in

ish, Bob has now won a tournament in

the Renegade Bass series tournament held on

every decade since winning his first one

Lake St. Francis. The huge bag of smallmouth

back in 1977!

bass set a new Renegade Series one-day tour-

10 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2010

Sportfishing Industry Awards 2010 “Best of Show” Honors The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), the world's largest sportfishing tradeshow, has announced the winners of the tradeshow's flagship event, the prestigious New Product Showcase. 210 companies entered 750 tackle products and accessories into 17 categories in the New Product Showcase. This year the G.Loomis NRX was voted by buyers and media as the most innovative product in the Freshwater Rod category and as the overall “Best of Show.” Shimano American Corporation took home four best of show awards in the hard lure, freshwater reel, saltwater reel and saltwater rod categories. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.

Win a Personalized Outdoor Adventure

ELECTRONICS Lowrance-Navico Lowrance Elite-5 DSI

EYEWEAR Maui Jim Sunglasses Guy Harvey Collection

FISHING ACCESSORY OVERALL BEST OF SHOW G.LOOMIS – NRX ROD

Adventure Products, Inc. EGO S2 Slider Landing Net

GIFTWARE Boating Expressions, Inc. Fishfenders

SALTWATER REEL

KIDS TACKLE Pure Fishing Pflueger - Spinning Combo-Apprentice

Shimano American Corporation Trinidad A

FRESHWATER ROD

LINE Rapala - Sufix 832 Advanced Superline

G.Loomis - NRX

SALTWATER ROD

SOFT LURE Koppers Fishing & Tackle Corporation Live Target Hollow Body Frog

Shimano American Corporation Terez

TACKLE MANAGEMENT

HARD LURE Shimano American Corporation Waxwing Sub-Surface Swimming Jig

MARINE Minn Kota-Johnson Outdoors, Inc. Talon-Shallow Water Anchor

HYI, Inc. - Openwater Tackle Backpack

TERMINAL TACKLE Sebile Innovative Fishing Soft Weight System

APPAREL Frabill, Inc. - FXE Stormsuit

FRESHWATER REEL

COMBO

Shimano American Corporation Stella FE

Ardent/Lamiglas C400/XC704 Fishouflage Bass

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 11

ONTARIO NAMES CONSERVATION OFFICER OF THE YEAR The Ontario Conservation Officers Association (OCOA) is pleased to announce that officer Bill Clark of Sturgeon Falls has been selected as the 2010 Ontario Conservation Officer of the Year. The selection was made earlier this year by a committee comprised of representatives of both the OCOA and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Enforcement Branch. On Friday, August 13, Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, presented Officer Clark with the MNR Officer of the Year award. Lois Deacon, the Director of MNR’s Enforcement Branch presented him with a

Training Certificate and the Officer of the Year jacket. Bill was then presented with the OCOA Officer of the Year award at the OCOA annual banquet on the evening of August 14. “I have known Bill since we were both contract employees in the late 1970s. I am proud to announce that Bill has been recognized by his peers, his employer, and his Association as one of the finest officers in Ontario,” said Dan VanExan, President of the Ontario Conservation Officers Association. Officer Clark has been a field Conservation Officer for 30 years, the last 26 of those years

spent working in his hometown of Sturgeon Falls, where he has earned the respect of local citizens for both his dedication to enforcing natural resources legislation and his role as an active member of the community. Bill was nominated for the awards by his fellow officers in the North Bay District, and his nomination was supported by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. George Couchie, an NFN member and OPP Native Awareness Instructor; other members of the OPP, and Marianna Couchie, Chief of the Nipissing First Nation. The endorsement of these people is a testament to Bill’s professionalism and the respect that he has earned in his community.

Rules Infraction Costs Nearly $1 million

Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, presents Officer Bill Clark with the MNR Officer of the Year award.

E V E N T S Calendar BASS PRO SHOPS LAKE SIMCOE OPEN October 23 Lake Simcoe Couchiching Beach Park, Orillia ON www.simcoeopen.com

KIDS, COPS AND CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS Youth oriented fishing events Various dates and locations www.kidsandcops.ca

FROSTBITE LAKE ERIE OPENS Bass tournaments Saturdays and Sundays through November Lake Erie Sugarloaf Marina, Port Colborne, ON Tel: 289-407-6309 Email: tymike@sympatico.ca

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW January 8 - 16, 2011 Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place Toronto, ON www.torontoboatshow.com

12 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

Anglers aboard the fishing vessel, Citation, were participating in the 52nd annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament off North Carolina on June 11-19 when team member Andy Thomossan landed what was by far the biggest fish of the event. On June 14, Thomossan boated an 883-pound marlin that set a tournament record and assured the team of the first-place prize of nearly $1-million. However, during a postevent lie detector test it was determined that one of the hired crew did not possess a valid fishing license. That violation of the rules resulted in Thomossan’s catch being disqualified. Although tournament participants and crew members were reminded of the license requirement at the Captain’s meeting prior to the tournament, the mate aboard Citation engaged in fishing activities without a valid license. Thomossan boated his fish at 3:16 p.m. and the mate obtained a license at 5:51 p.m. while heading to the weigh station. Because of the disqualification of Citation, the Big Rock Board of Directors declared the team aboard the vessel Carnivore the 1st place winners with their 528.3 pound blue marlin. The catch netted them a cool $999,453 USD and left members of Citation with nothing but a story about the big one that got away.

READ ALL ABOUT IT FISHING ONTARIO’S GRAND RIVER COUNTRY, 2nd EDITION Edited by Stephen May

Running through southwestern Ontario, the Grand River is renowned for its brown trout, bass and pike fishing. Armed with the newly revised Fishing Ontario’s Grand River Country, anglers will discover the all the diversity the Grand River offers. This new edition contains everything a visiting angler needs for a successful day on the water including updated fishing information, new colour photographs, maps, species charts, public access points and more. “The Grand River offers fishing opportunities galore with over a dozen species of fish so if you’re planning to go fishing in southern Ontario, this book is the place to start,” says editor, Stephen May. “This book will help people interested in fishing the Grand River area discover more about the diverse fisheries and fishing opportunities that are available in this part of southern Ontario.” Soft Cover: $24.95 Colour photos, maps and charts 6" x 9", 160 pages ISBN 978-1-55277-468-7 James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Toronto, 1002 - 317 Adelaide Street W. Toronto, ON M5V 1P9 (416) 362-4762 www.lorimer.ca

ICE FISHING: The Ultimate Guide By Tim Allard

Whether you're a beginner or an expert, fishing on ice has a lot to offer. But ice fishing isn't without its challenges and that's where this book comes in. Ice Fishing: The Ultimate Guide covers everything you need to know to make your hard water adventures as comfortable, safe, enjoyable & productive as possible. The first part of the book looks at the equipment that's involved with ice fishing. The second part takes an in-depth look at winter's best sport fish, including walleye, perch, crappie, sunfish, pike, trout and more. For each species you'll find detailed information about them, where you can expect to find them and time tested tips and strategies for catching them. Soft Cover: $22.95 8” x 9”, 214 pages Author: Tim Allard ISBN: 978-1-896980-49-2 Heliconia Press, 1576 Beachburg Road, Beachburg, ON K0J 1C0, 1-888-582-2001 www.helipress.com

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 13

READER’S PHOTOS

Send us a photo of your best catch and you could see your picture in a future issue of Real Fishing Magazine! Send photos to: Real Fishing, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6

Bernie Scrivener Burlington, ON Brook Trout

Cora, Jason and Carlile Stubbert Georgetown, ON Largemouth Bass

Isaiah Collins Cambridge, ON Black Crappie

Jerry Collins Cambridge, ON Chinook Salmon

14 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

Tyler Cote Winnipeg, MB Pike

Alex Laslo London, ON Walleye

BOB IZUMI’S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULE Queen Charlotte Islands Pitching for Largemouth/Original Social Networking Sunset Country Whitefish Cranking for Largemouth/Early Season Crappies Port Colborne Smallmouth Backwoods Ice Fishing for Trout Langara Lodge with Tim Boyle Crappies on Ice St. George’s Caye Resort La Reserve Beauchene Long Beach Lodge Resort Fishing with Russell Peters and Mike Brown Multi-species on Small Lakes

October 2 October 9 October 16 October 23 October 30 November 6 November 13 November 20 November 27 December 4 December 11 December 18 December 25

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET Atlantic Canada Calgary Edmonton Manitoba Ontario Quebec Regina Saskatoon Vancouver Canada/USA

PROV./STATE Atlantic Canada AB AB MB ON QC SK SK BC Canada/USA

STATION Global (CIHF) Global (CICT) Global (CITV) Global (CKND) Global (CIII) Global (CKMI) Global (CFRE) Global (CFSK) Global (CHAN) WFN

*Station listings, airtimes and show descriptions are subject to change. Please refer to your local television listings for the latest show schedules.

DATE & AIR TIMES Saturday 10:00 am Saturday 12:00 pm Saturday 12:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am Saturday 9:00 am Saturday 9:00 am Saturday 9:00 am Saturday 9:00 am Saturday 10:30 am Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

What’s

NEW

2010

NEW GULP!® FLOATING MINNOW The new Berkley® Gulp®! Floating Minnow is a high-performance, biodegradable, natural minnow imitator that is ideal when rigged on a slip sinker or used on a drop shot rig. The key to the bait is its floating ability that keeps it above the bottom and in the strike zone longer. Fortified with Gulp®! attractant and featuring a split tail for added action, the new Floating Minnows are just the thing for finicky smallmouth, largemouth and walleye. They are available in 3- and 4-inch sizes and come in six lifelike colours.

www.berkley-fishing.com

ADVANCED OUTERWEAR Columbia’s Carabineer II men’s parka is the ultimate multipurpose jacket. It not only offers three coats in one through Columbia’s Interchange System, it provides superior protection from cold and wet weather thanks to three of Columbia’s newest performance technologies. Omni-Heat uses patent pending reflective material on a moisturewicking, air-permeable lining, to reflect and retain body warmth while dissipating moisture for lightweight, breathable warmth. Omni-Shield advanced repellency protects the Interchange liner from the elements and the Omni-Tech shell is waterproof and breathable to ensure comfort in any conditions.

www.columbia.com

PANFISH BEWARE The Lindy Slick Jig is now available in 1/16 and 1/8-ounce sizes – both perfect for stacking waxies and coaxing bluegills to the bucket. There’s also a new 3/8-ounce size for days when bigger is better. The unique design of the Slick Jig features a large hook that allows the use of soft plastics or virtually any size of live bait. When jigged, it will dart well to the side of the hole, take a tight U-turn and race back to center on the drop – an ideal presentation for tempting hungry panfish of any species. Slick Jigs are available in 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 3/16, 3/8 and 5/8-ounce sizes. There are ten great colors to choose from including four new ones for 2011: Purple Smelt, Tullibee, Green Glow and Red Glow.

www.lindyfishingtackle.com

16 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distibutors for our New Products section. Products that appear in this section have not necessarily been tested or endorsed by the staff at Real Fishing. Submissions can be sent to: Editor, Real Fishing Magazine, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6

SPIDERWIRE® ULTRACAST™ FLUOROBRAID SpiderWire® introduces Flourobraid, a totally new concept in line that combines high-density fluoropolymer strands with the highest grade of Dyneema®. The result is a braided style line that is similar in density to fluorocarbon, allowing Ultracast™ Fluorobraid to sink, unlike traditional floating braided lines. FluoroBraid handles heat well, is color-wear resistant, UV resistant, flex tolerant, has increased tensile strength and provides a quiet delivery through the guides. It is ideal for drop-shotting, Texas rigging, jigging or any other technique where enhanced strength, sensitivity and abrasion resistance are needed. Ultracast™ Fluorobraid comes in a moss green colour and is available in 125-yard filler spools, 300- yard filler spools or 1500-yard bulk spools in pound test/monofilament equivalent diameters of 10/2, 15/4, 20/6, 30/8, 40/10, 50/12, 65/14, 80/15 and 100/20.

www.berkley-fishing.com

LINDY DARTER New for 2011, the Lindy Darter is available in a larger 2¾-inch size and six new colors - Yellow Perch, Natural Perch, Chartreuse Perch, Alewife, Purple Smelt, and Dace - that give anglers the ability to finetune their hard-water presentations. The Darter has an erratic darting action and a realistic swimming motion that takes the lure out beyond the boundaries of the hole and then allows it to turn and return. Rattles call fish from long distances and premium holographic finishes precisely mimic natural baitfish to provoke hard strikes from walleyes, perch, pike and other gamefish. The Lindy Darter is available in four sizes and 17 fish-fooling colours.

www.lindyfishingtackle.com

SEBILE SOFTWEIGHT SYSTEM The Sebile Softweight system offers anglers a unique new way to weight soft plastic baits. At the heart of the system are Tungsten gum rubber style soft weights that are designed so they can be easily added to the hook shank, repositioned or removed, allowing for easy, on-the-water adjustments to match fishing conditions. The weights are reusable and made of environmentally friendly material. Custom-designed hooks are strong, ultra-sharp, and made to the highest precision Japanese hook standards. The Softweight System can be used with any kind of soft bait including worms, grubs, lizards, frogs, crawdads, swimbaits or soft jerkbaits, and is available in hook sizes from 1/0 to 6/0 and weight sizes from 1/64 to 1/32- ounce.

www.sebileusa.com Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 17

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Confessions of a Tackle Junky I believe that part of the fun in fishing is actually shopping for tackle. I will admit I am a tackle junky and I get enjoyment out of looking at and purchasing fishing lures. As you read this you’re either with me or you’re not with me. I know that some Canadians like to hold their wallet pretty tight – they need a little lubricant to loosen it up! I was just in a tackle store and the owner told me he noticed there was a huge difference between bass fishermen, especially tournament anglers, and recreational anglers like walleye guys. He told me that a friend of his came in to the store looking for a specific walleye lure. The guy had been hunting for this bait everywhere, and couldn’t find it. When he finally found the lure he’d been searching for in the store, he bought one. The owner said, “There’s the difference between keen bass anglers and walleye anglers. When the bass guy finds a lure he’s been looking for he’ll buy a dozen of them!” The fact is, you could be spending your money a lot more foolishly on other things that certainly wouldn’t give you as much enjoyment as some nice, shiny new lures. Why am I obsessed with fishing lures? Having fished all over the world, for just

18 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

about every species that swims, and also being an absolute, die-hard tournament angler, I feel that there are better mousetraps being built every year. Nowadays we have much better finishes on lures, the hooks are sharper and soft baits have scent or attractants cooked right in to them. Let’s talk about why I feel keeping an eye on what’s new in fishing lures is important. I picked up a couple of hollow-belly frogs the other day, you know, weedless frogs. When I got home I pulled a two-year old version of the same frog, made by the same reputable company, out of my tackle box. When I compared the two, the older one felt about three times firmer than the new one. So what does that tell me? A softer frog is going to catch more fish. When a big bass comes up and eats that frog, the softer one will collapse more easily, giving you a better chance to set those two big hooks into the fish’s mouth. I actually took the older frog out of my tackle box and I believe it will never see water again because I know that the newer, softer ones are going to catch more fish. You know what? Every year there are refinements made in fishing lures that will help you catch more fish. For you walleye anglers out there, I’m sure you’ve got a bunch of crawler harnesses in your tackle boxes. At ICAST, I was at the Lindy booth checking out their new harnesses and the finishes they have on the blades are absolutely incredible! The hooks are sharper

than they’ve ever been. As a walleye angler, why wouldn’t you go to these new harnesses instead of using the ones that you got 10 or 20-years ago? The odds of catching more fish with nicer finished blades, different coloured beads and sharper hooks are so much better. The folks from Berkley just came out with a new four-inch GULP! Crawler that comes in a variety of colours including my three favourites: green pumpkin, smelt and watermelon pearl. When I first saw this bait I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Since ICAST, I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot some video and also fish some tournaments using it and this bait has won a lot of money for me. It is great to dropshot with for smallmouth in deep water. It’s just a little longer than my previous favourite – the three-inch GULP! Fry – and it has just a little bit more action. Berkley also came out with a topwater bait called the Chigger Toad. This is a great lure for buzzing across heavy cover for largemouth. By rigging it on a #4 or #5 offset hook, you can throw this bait into the nastiest stuff. It’s one of those lures that will definitely catch some of the biggest largemouth in your lake. In my line of work I’m in a very awkward position. Being in media and promotions, the lure companies expect me to tell the public what’s new and what’s working well but the tournament competitor side of me wants to hide that and not say anything. Let’s face it, if something like a four-inch GULP! Crawler is working well and I’m the only guy using it, I’ve got a distinct advantage over my competitors. Truthfully though, I want to see people catch fish so I’m always happy to share information on what’s new and what’s working. As a tackle junky I find it extremely rewarding and enjoyable to try out new baits and catch fish with them. There may not be any magical baits out there, but the new lures and new versions of your old favourites will definitely help you to catch a few more fish. I’ll wager my old crankbaits on it! ?

OMNI-HEAT. THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH IN FABRIC

SINCE CAMOUFLAGE. Omni-Heat™ makes our Wader Widgeon™ 20% warmer than other jackets, even though it’s less bulky. A patent-pending silver dot pattern reflects heat back to you, but it’s breathable so you won’t overheat. To fi nd out more about Omni-Heat and the dozens of features on the outside of the Wader Widgeon, go to columbia.com/omni-heat.

fly fishing

Steve May is the Stewardship Coordinator for Waterloo Region with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. When not working to improve local fisheries Steve can be found guiding or fly casting on his local rivers.

By Stephen May

Caddis Time Call them bobbers, floats, strike detection aids or fly suspending devices; these handy little pieces of floating stuff attached to your leader can really help you get into more fish. Whatever type of indicator you use, they all help you to suspend your fly above the bottom. This gets it in the strike zone where fish can see it and keeps it above fly-grabbing rocks, logs and other obstructions on the stream bed.

Strike indicators help you track your fly and presentation. When you are working a fly deep, at a similar speed to the current, you often need some slack line. Determining when a fish has eaten your fly with a subsurface presentation - when you can’t feel a tug on the end of the line - results in missed strikes, unless you have Zen-like abilities to determine when your fly has met a trout. 20 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

Strike indicators come in many shapes, sizes and forms and have some subtle differences from their spin-fishing equals. Make no bones about it though; their purpose is similar to the floats and bobbers used by the spinning crowd. But, with fly fishing, some things are done differently. Hard cork or foam strike indicators are the closest relatives to traditional floats. They can suspend heavy flies and a bit of split shot efficiently. These indicators are best used in fast water or deep spots. Steelhead and smallmouth bass are often the targets when I pull out indicators that balance weight and casting ease. I like to weigh them up heavy, to get my fly down quickly. Usually the distance between the float and the weight should be about one and a half times the water depth. In shallower water or when using lighter flies, I look to indicators made from yarn, foam, balloons, pieces of fly line, putty and other assorted fluffy bits. These are easier to cast than hard indicators and they work well if you don’t put too much weight under them. They excel in shallower water and with the smaller flies often associated with nymphing for trout. Keep the indicator as small as possible to help fool more fish. Watch for any subtle twitches in the drift and set the hook if any-

thing looks “fishy”. It is surprising how subtle some takes can be. For those who prefer to fish without attaching anything to their fly line, the oldest bite detector in the world is simply watching the end of a floating fly line where it meets the leader. While it is especially important to watch your line when fishing in still waters, this subtle type of indicator is also effective when fishing on popular rivers where the fish have seen a lot of bobbers. My favorite strike indicators, when the law allows, are dry flies. What could be better than having a float that fish eat and also has a hook in it? You might even hook up with two fish at once! I like to tie the weighted fly off of the bend of the hook of the dry fly with a foot or two of tippet material. Big bushy flies like hoppers or foam patterns make great, edible strike indicators. Next time you are looking to fool fish below the surface I say bring out the bobbers... or rather, “strike indicators.” ?

understanding electronics

Lawren Wetzel is the Repair Coordinator for Navico Canada and an avid fisherman.

By Lawren Wetzel

Patterning Fish with Sonar The short days and cool nights of fall trigger fish to get on the move from their main lake, deep summer holes into the shallows to feed up on baitfish for the winter. Once they have their fill they head out to deeper water to spend the next several months under the ice. During the fall, trolling is a great way to stay in contact with the fish on their seasonal migrations because you can cover a lot of water in a short period of time. By closely examining the fish arches on your sonar screen you will be able to better pick the right presentation, depth, and speed of retrieve to entice those fish into biting. Choosing the right presentation to catch the fish you are marking is crucial. When I see a lot of arches spread out over a large flat or breakline, that’s a signal to start trolling. The fish are scattered and you need to cover a lot of water to catch them. If you locate a school of fish holding tightly to a small hump, a method other than trolling would be the best way to catch them. If you

Picture-perfect arches indicate non-aggressive fish.

22 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

don’t mark any arches at all, you can use other clues to find productive water. In open water, schools of baitfish will roam without holding to anything specific. They will show up as a large cloud of clutter that won’t be attached to either the surface or the bottom. Where there is bait there are fish. This is especially true in the fall when baitfish group up into large schools. Once you have found the area you are going to be fishing, the next piece of the puzzle to look for is the depth of the fish. For instance, if you are marking the majority of the fish holding right on the bottom, presenting your bait tight to the bottom will put it in front of the most fish. If you notice a lot of suspended fish, a feature called Depth Cursor can help to determine their depth. This brings up a horizontal bar that can be scrolled up and down the water column on your sonar screen. If I am marking fish two thirds of the way down in 70-feet of water, I can move the cursor over top of the highest point of the arch and instantly see that the fish was holding at 47-feet. I can set my downriggers to fish in that depth range to target those suspended fish I was

missing while my bait was under them. The shape of an arch will tell you quite a bit about the activity of fish. When you are trolling and you notice those picture-perfect arches, it means your sonar cone has completely passed over that fish. That tells me that it was probably a stationary or slow moving fish and it wasn’t actively feeding. Arches that have a pointed peak to them indicate an active fish swimming in the opposite direction you are traveling. Elongated arches, or ones that seem to travel the entire length of the screen, are fish staying in the cone angle for an extended period of time. We can assume those fish are active and feeding, possibly even chasing down your bait. From what we have just learned about how arches can help determine the activity levels of fish, we can now apply that to the speed of our presentation. Active fish are going to be in a chasing mood, so trolling at a faster pace will trigger those fish to bite. Slowing down when you are marking inactive fish will keep your bait in their strike zone longer. Monitoring your speed can be done in two ways. First of all, GPS units will track your ground speed but they are more accurate when traveling over 5-mph. For trolling speeds I recommend using the optional paddle wheel accessory that is compatible with most units. Their accuracy is excellent below 5-mph and they are almost mandatory for serious trollers. A paddle wheel will give you accurate readings in increments down to one-tenth of a mile per hour. Fish arches can tell you much more than how many fish are below. Keeping a close eye and interpreting what you see can clue you in to the exact presentation, depth and speed to trigger the bite. ?

Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario

waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge By Dave Taylor

Red-Backed Salamander Nature holds many surprises. Take the red backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) for instance. In its chosen environment - damp, cool woods throughout Eastern North America - it is so abundant that if you were to weigh all of the deer and then weigh all of the salamanders in the same area the salamanders would outweigh the deer! Yet very few people ever see one of these amphibians. When you think of amphibians, frogs and toads come immediately to mind. These are the ones we typically encounter in ponds, along rivers and, in the case of toads, our gardens. Our North American frogs serve as the stereotypical image of what an amphibian is. They go through a life cycle that begins with eggs laid in water before hatching out as gill-breathing tadpoles then changing into air breathing adults who spend their lives living in or near water. This is not a completely accurate picture of course, because there are huge variations on this basic pattern among the world's frog species.

24 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2010

The other group of amphibians that come to mind is the salamander-newt family. Many assume, based on their knowledge of frogs, that this family lives a similar lifestyle. Some do, but the red-backed salamander certainly has some surprises for us. It is a hardy woodland salamander. So hardy in fact that it can be active on warm winter days when other amphibians are hibernating. This salamander, unlike most other amphibians, migrates to communal burrows several centimeters below the surface. When it emerges it returns to its home territory of about 0.2 to 0.3 meters squared.

That translates into up to four salamanders for every four square meters of forest floor! They live under rocks and fallen trees, preying on insects, worms and other invertebrates living in the leaf litter. They capture their quarry by using their sticky tongues. Red-backed salamanders do not mate in water; in fact they avoid the water when they can. They mate on land in the spring and in the fall. The male deposits a small packet of spermatophore near the female which she either rejects or chooses, based on the vigour of his mating dance. Fertilization may be delayed for several weeks or months before clusters of 3 to 13 eggs are laid. The female defends the eggs and turns them regularly while they incubate. There is no gill stage in this species of amphibian and a few weeks after hatching the young resemble small adults. Until they set off on their own their mother continues to guard them. She will mate every two years and it will be two years before the young become sexually mature. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the red-backed salamander is that there are any of them in Eastern Canada at all. During the last ice age their nearest suitable habitat was at least several hundred kilometers to the south. These small, 13-centimeter long amphibians have had to slowly migrate north to reclaim their habitats. No small feat considering the melting ice left the Great Lakes as a barrier! ?

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the vintage tackle box By Patrick Daradick

Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 23-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge and can be contacted through his website at www.ontariolures.com or by phone at 613-398-7245.

Vintage Glass Bait Tubes Most contemporary anglers today have never heard that there were fishing lures made of glass. Many anglers have never seen one and when one is discovered they are quite surprised with these unique, well designed lures, fabricated to hold bait and attract fish. The idea behind these baits was to insert a worm, minnow, frog or other live bait into the glass tube and seal it with a stopper. Fish would see the live bait through the glass and try to eat it, thereby getting hooked on the lures’ exposed hooks. One live bait could last an angler all day long! For the first invention for a glass bait tube, one would have to wade back to January 3, 1893. The inventor was Henry H. Welch. Mr. Welch was a very creative person. He developed numerous items and held 21 patents on such inventions as the “pneumatic horseshoe,” the “perforated bosom board,” and of course, the glass minnow tube and “changeable centre fish bait.” Mr. Welch died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1898 while on a fishing trip at Indian River Lake. The glass minnow tube was sold as the Welch & Graves improved “Live Fish Bait.” The ad depicts, “One minnow lasts a day. Above device with weed-proof hooks attached mailed to you for $1.00.” The glass tubes were shipped in a wooden slidetop box with a paper label depicting the image of the bait tube. Mr. Welch was the inventor of both the glass tube and the “American combination Spinner” although Galvin Graves is listed as the manufacturer of the lures in the firm’s small, four-page brochure as well as in the advertising flyer. Other companies followed in the early 1900’s. In 1911 C.E. Henning invented his Henning Minnow Tube. Around 1914 the Detroit Glass Minnow Co. manufactured a glass bait tube with a metal cap. The glass lure had four treble hooks, side mounted in opposite pairs. A 1913 ad advertises a glass min26 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

now tube called the “Nifty Minnie,” designed by Joseph M. Ness of Minneapolis, and very similar in appearance to the Detroit Tube. Pfieffer’s Glass bait tube was patented on March 3, 1914. It was sold in a cardboard box showing the glass tube with the caption, “Pfieffer’s Bait Gets the Big Ones.” In the 1930s, Lowell Calkin designed the Calkin Glass Minnow. Calkin was a custom glass maker from Millville, NJ. His baits have embossed glass with his name. Transparent Fishing Tackle Co. from Toronto, Canada also manufactured a line of Transparent Living Bait Lures. These glass bait tubes are highly collectible as they have a unique design unlike any other. They were produced in four sizes: #1 for brook

Photo by Shawn Lowe, The Catcher – Photography, www. catcherphotography.com

trout (designed to hold earth worms); #2 for smallmouth bass; #3 for bass, pike, pickerel (designed to hold frogs and crawfish) and the #4 (designed for minnows). As seen in the photo, these glass bait tubes had unique shapes. Instead of treble hooks, they were designed with three large single hooks attached to a metal plate. The metal plate was designed to be screwed in to secure the rubber plug. The lures were marketed as the Lurette (Living Bait Lure). The lures were sold in the 1920s and 1930s by the company as well as by the Canada Needle & Fishing Tackle Co., which was located at 76 Wellington St. West, Toronto.. The baits were packaged in green boxes and included instructions by the distributor. An angler can only imagine casting or trolling a glass lure. With the chance of using only one minnow a day it could be a nice investment with the price of bait today. Glass Bait Lures are prized finds for collectors and can be worth up to $600 or $800. The value increases if the original boxes and paperwork accompany the bait. ?

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real fishing fish facts

Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

The Chinook salmon is also known as the “King Salmon,” and with good reason. Chinooks are the largest of the salmon species and they are one of the most important sport and commercial fish in the world. Chinook salmon have streamlined, laterally compressed bodies that range in colour from iridescent green to blue-green, purple or grey on the back fading to silvery white or white along flanks and belly. There are noticeable black spots on the back, upper flank, top of the head as well as on the fins. The Chinook’s mouth and gums are black. As spawning approaches, these salmon darken to an overall olivebrown colour and continue to darken to a green-black or black shade as they progress through the spawning ritual. In males, the upper and lower jaws become

28 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

hooked, often so severely that the fish cannot close its mouth. Chinooks are anadromous and spend their adult lives in open water feeding on a variety of fish as well as on squid and crustaceans. In freshwater systems like the Great Lakes, they feed on pelagic baitfish, most prominently alewife and smelt. Chinook salmon grow quickly and can double their weight in a single season. Spawning takes place in freshwater rivers in the fall, generally between July and November. The female builds the nest - and often more than one - and may spawn with several males in different sites. Depending on her size, a female Chinook salmon will lay up to 10,000 eggs throughout the spawning season. After depositing her eggs the female Chinook will cover them with gravel and will guard the nest for as long as she is able to. This usually isn’t for very long, however, as both male and female Chinook salmon die within a few days to two weeks of spawning. The natural distribution of the Chinook includes the northern coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, primarily along the western coast of North America from California to northern Alaska, as well as along the Asian coast from Japan to Russia. They have also been known to occur in the Arctic Ocean, Bering and Okhotsk seas as well as the

Sea of Japan. Through stocking, they can now be found throughout the Great Lakes, where they are the backbone of the charter fishing industry. Chinook salmon are widely prized by both sport and commercial fishermen. Although not known for their aerial antics, hooked Chinooks are extremely strong fish that will often make runs of over 100-yards, putting anglers and their gear to the ultimate test. As a commercial species, they are prized for their table qualities and are marketed throughout the world fresh, frozen, canned and smoked. Chinook salmon they have historically, and continue to be, the mainstay of the Pacific Coastal salmon fishery, rightfully earning the nickname, “King Salmon.” ?

DID YOU KNOW? In the Yukon River, Chinook salmon travel upstream over 1,200 miles from the sea to their spawning grounds.

FAST FACTS Colour: Iridescent green to blue-green, purple or grey on the back, silvery to white along flanks and belly Size: 15 to 30-pounds on average but can grow much larger Life Span: 4 to 5-years in the Great Lakes; up to 9-years in the Pacific Ocean Habitat: Open water of the Pacific Ocean or Great Lakes Spawning: July to November in coastal waters, August to November in Great Lakes region

RECORD The IFGA lists the current All-Tackle World Record Chinook salmon at 97-pounds, 4-ounces. The fish was caught in the Kenai River, Alaska, on May 17, 1985.

CAN YOU SAY, “HORSE?” This 6.13-pound smallmouth anchored the winning 24.76-pound bag of fish that Bob and Darren Izumi brought to the scales in the Renegade Bass team tournament held on Lake St. Francis back on August 7, 2010. Not only did the guys win the tournament by almost three-pounds, their weight set a new record for the biggest five-fish limit ever recorded in a Renegade event. Do we need to say that this smallmouth also took the big fish of the day prize? Didn’t think so.

30 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

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am 3:30 - 5:30 am 4:18 - 6:18 pm 3:54 - 5:54 pm 4:42 - 6:42 am NA am 1:09 - 2:39 pm 12:45 - 2:15 pm 1:33 - 3:03

14 7:06 7:30 1:03 1:27

1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15

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2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

am pm am pm

8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

am pm am pm

4:30 - 6:30 am 4:54 - 6:54 pm 10:57 - 12:27 am 11:21 - 12:51 pm

am pm am pm

11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54 5:57 - 7:27 6:21 - 7:51

3:06 3:30 9:03 9:27

3:18 3:42 9:15 9:39

am 3:42 - 5:42 am pm 4:06 - 6:06 pm am 10:09 - 11:39 am pm 10:33 - 12:03 pm

am pm am pm

2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18 9:21 - 10:51 9:45 - 11:15

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am 10:06 - 12:06 am 10:54 - 12:54 am pm 10:30 - 12:30 pm 11:18 - 1:18 pm am 4:33 - 6:03 am 5:21 - 6:51 am pm 4:57 - 6:27 pm 5:45 - 7:15 pm

26 am pm am pm

1:18 1:42 7:45 8:09 -

am 10:06 - 12:06 am pm 10:30 - 12:30 pm am 4:33 - 6:03 am pm 4:57 - 6:27 pm

8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

3:18 3:42 9:15 9:39

am pm am pm

am 3:42 - 5:42 am 4:30 - 6:30 am 5:18 - 7:18 am 6:06 pm 4:06 - 6:06 pm 4:54 - 6:54 pm 5:42 - 7:42 pm 6:30 am 10:09 - 11:39 am 10:57 - 12:27 am NA am 12:33 pm 10:33 - 12:03 pm 11:21 - 12:51 pm 12:09 - 1:39 pm 12:57 -

12:30 - 2:30 12:54 - 2:54 6:57 - 8:27 7:21 - 8:51

9:18 - 11:18 9:42 - 11:42 3:45 - 5:15 4:09 - 5:39

2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18 9:21 - 10:51 9:45 - 11:15

7:42 - 9:42 8:06 - 10:06 2:09 - 3:39 2:33 - 4:03

6:06 6:30 12:33 12:57 -

am pm am pm

11 am pm am pm

8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

2 8:06 8:30 2:03 2:27

6:06 6:30 12:33 12:57 -

Good Time

2:06 - 4:06 2:30 - 4:30 8:33 - 10:03 8:57 - 10:27

NOVEMBER

TUESDAY

Excellent Time

32 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

MONDAY

DECEMBER

Best Fishing Times 2010

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Fantastic Fall Fisheries By Real Fishing Staff

It’s no secret that some of the best fishing of the year occurs in the fall, when gamefish go on a feeding binge to fatten up for the lean winter months ahead. This is the time to catch big numbers of fish and it’s one of the best times of the year to hook up with the fish of a lifetime. When I say, “fish of a lifetime,” I’m not talking about four or five-pound bass or 30-pound muskies. I’m talking about the true pigs that get your name and photo plastered all over the internet; the kind of fish that magazine writers call you for interviews about. Smallmouth in the six to seven-pound class; muskies over 50; walleyes in the ‘teens… Although fish everywhere become eating machines in the fall, that doesn’t mean that you can toss a line in any old place and catch a trophy. Obviously you’re not going to catch a huge musky or bass from a small pond in the fall – or at any other time of year for that matter. Although you 34 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

may catch one of the biggest fish that live in that pond, it’s probably not going to set any records. You aren’t likely to get a record class walleye or trout from a small back-lake either, but you sure could catch some good ones for the size of the lake. Sure, there are occasions when a gigantic fish gets pulled out of a small lake. The Canadian record smallmouth bass is a perfect example. The 9.84-pound behemoth came from Birch Bark Lake in the Haliburton region but it was caught over 50-years ago. Same thing goes for the Ontario record largemouth. The 10.43pound brute was caught in tiny Preston Lake near Stouffville in 1976. There’s no question these are huge fish, but they were either one-of-a-kind fish or freaks of nature. Have you heard of any big fish coming from either of these spots recently? The fact is, if you’re serious about catching one of the biggest fish of your life you should be looking at a lake that is capable of growing numbers of giant sized fish, and that generally means bigger waters. To narrow the search, think about the places you hear about every year; the spots that have a history of coughing up big fish on a fairly regular basis. Here in

southern Ontario there are a number of areas that fit the bill, depending on the species you’re targeting. With that said, we have compiled a list of what we feel are some of the best bets in southern Ontario for catching a legitimate trophy this fall. Of course there are many more lakes that have the potential to produce enormous fish, but the ones we’ve listed all have a long history of delivering giants on a fairly consistent basis. You could do a lot worse than choosing one of these lakes or rivers for your fall trophy hunt.

Smallmouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Lake Simcoe

Lake Simcoe is well known for its spectacular smallmouth fishery. Throughout the season anglers regularly catch fish in the three to four-pound range, and fives and sixes are not uncommon. A 20-pound, five fish limit that would win tournaments on most lakes just might get you a cheque on Simcoe - but only if the bite is slow. In the fall things really pick up and you’ll need a 25-pound bag or more if you want to have any chance of winning. In fact, most knowledgeable anglers are convinced that a 30-pound, 5 fish limit will come out of Simcoe in a late fall tournament. The annual Crackle Cup bass tournament is held on Lake Simcoe in late October or early November and in each of the past four years the winners have blown away the 25-pound mark. Just look at these weights: 29.59-pounds in 2003; 27.38-pounds in 2004; 28.38pounds in 2005 and 29.90-pounds last year. In the 2006 tournament it took over

24-pounds just to crack the top five places! There’s no question that Lake Simcoe is literally teeming with huge smallmouth bass that become aggressive eating machines in the late fall. If you want to catch a real trophy smallmouth, an honest six or seven-pounder, there’s no better place in Ontario than Lake Simcoe.

GETTING THERE Lake Simcoe is located about an hour and a half north of Toronto. It is easily accessible from Highways 11 and 400 on the west side and from Highways 48 and 12 on the east.

WHERE TO FISH Offshore humps, shoals and sunken islands in the main lake basin are where the majority of the big smallmouth will be found in the fall. Other options include fast breaking points and rocky shorelines with deep water access.

LAKE ACCESS Orillia, Beaverton, Sutton, Jackson’s Point, Keswick and Barrie all offer good launching facilities.

BAITS AND TACTICS Fast moving spinnerbaits and jerkbaits are great when the fish are up on top of the humps and actively feeding. When the bass are deeper and less aggressive, it’s hard to beat a dark brown or green tube jig dragged slowly along the bottom. Soft minnow imitating baits fished on dropshot rigs are another good bet.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 35

Walleye Walleye Just

about

every

top-rated

Canadian fishing show has done at least one episode on fall fishing for trophy walleyes on the Bay of Quinte and there’s a good reason for that. The place is, without a doubt, the top spot in southern Ontario for catching big numbers of huge walleyes. Heck, even Bob Izumi, who can fish anywhere he wants to, makes an annual fall trip or two to Quinte to get in on the action. Fish up to 10pounds are just average - it will take a 12pounder or better to get you noticed. Every year fish topping 15-pounds are caught on a fairly regular basis.

Bay of Quinte Most of Quinte’s giant walleye spend the summer months out in Lake Ontario, feeding on pelagic baitfish. In the fall, those baitfish leave the big lake and head into the Bay with the walleyes hot on their tails. The ‘eyes feed heavily on these baitfish throughout the fall and winter before spawning in the rivers of the upper bay in the spring. The best fall fishing starts in the southern reaches of the Bay of Quinte – in the area from Adolphous Reach to Picton - in early October and gets progressively better the deeper into fall it gets. By November fish can be found throughout the Bay and once it freezes, the ice fishing can be incredible anywhere there’s safe ice.

GETTING THERE The Bay of Quinte is about two hours east of Toronto along Highway 401. You can access the upper and middle sections of the Bay at Trenton, Belleville or Napanee. For the lower bay, exit at Belleville or Napanee and head south to Picton or Glenora.

WHERE TO FISH This is primarily an open water fishery that involves trolling to connect with schools of roaming walleyes. Under lowlight conditions, and especially at night, it’s always worth working weed flats out to the first main dropoff, in anywhere from five to 20-feet of water. In daylight, start along the deep weed edge in about 20-feet of water and then gradually move out to 50, 60 or 70-feet.

LAKE ACCESS Launching facilities are available in Trenton, Belleville, Napanee, Picton and Glenora.

BAITS AND TACTICS Crankbaits with long, slender profiles are the hands-down choice for a successful late season walleye outing on the Bay of Quinte. Hot colours are typically those that match the baitfish. White or silver sided baits with shades of blue, purple, black, gold or iridescent green on the back are good choices in the open water. For fishing the shallows, perch, firetiger and 36 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

clown patterns will do the trick but don’t be afraid to experiment if these aren’t working. For early morning or night fishing over weedbeds, or for working deeper weedlines, try casting deep diving baits and retrieving them slowly to give maximum action and vibration. During the day, trolling similar baits behind planer boards should get you hooked up. Most of the open water walleyes will be suspended between 15 and 30-feet over 40 to 70-feet of water.

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Musky Musky

Georgian Bay

We have to confess, picking the best trophy musky spot in southern Ontario was the subject of much heated discussion. Lake St. Clair, Lake Nipissing and the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers were all mentioned and all are fabulous fisheries with the potential to produce fish over 50pounds. Georgian Bay still holds the Ontario record though, a 65-pound beast that was caught in 1988, so it gets the nod…this time. Georgian Bay, specifically the south eastern section from Parry Sound south to Severn Sound, is a structure-filled body of water where thousands of shoals, humps and islands - both visible and submerged – provide ideal habitat to grow gigantic muskies. With a food base

consisting of whitefish, ciscoes, smelt and trout; loads of shallow weed cover near shore; deep, shoal infested water offshore and limited fishing pressure, this area has got everything a musky needs to grow big and heavy. This is big water and finding fish can be the biggest challenge. Choosing which piece of structure or what area of open water to fish is determined by a number of variables but baitfish concentrations are the most important. As water temperatures start dipping down into the 50s and 40s, and most of the lush, green vegetation has died off, muskies will relate to either rocky structure or open water. Interior harbours, sounds and river basins are the most productive areas. When the ciscoes come in from the open water and start staging for their fall spawn, muskies that have spent the summer in open water will follow. When you find large schools of ciscoes, muskies will not be far away.

GETTING THERE Highway 400 will take you past Severn Sound and the towns of Waubaushene, Port Severn, Honey Harbour and, further north, Parry Sound.

WHERE TO FISH Humps, shoals, sunken islands and fast dropping, rocky points that attract spawning ciscoes are the primary areas. Look for these types of places in harbours, sounds and river basins rather than out on the main waters of Georgian Bay.

LAKE ACCESS The towns of Midland, Penetanguishene, Victoria Harbour, Waubaushene, Port Severn, Honey Harbour and Parry Sound all offer access to potential trophy musky waters.

BAITS AND TACTICS Due to the sheer size of Georgian Bay and its untold number of structure areas, trolling is the most productive method to contact fish. Most of the fish will be found relating to submerged rocky structures that are used as spawning sites by schools

38 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

of ciscoes. Keep an eye on your graph and if you aren’t making bait, move on. Oversized crankbaits between 8 and 14inches (or bigger), that contact the bottom in 20-feet of water or more are the preferred lures to pull. Look for strong baits with solid lips that will withstand being banged off rocks at trolling speeds.

Salmon & Trout Salmon & Trout Niagara River

We chose the Niagara River over dozens of other potential areas simply because, in our opinion, it offers the best chance for anglers to hook into the fish of a lifetime. This massive flow offers the longest season of any Great Lakes tributary, its fishable waters are accessible to both boat and shore anglers and it is a multi-species fishery with lake trout, steelhead, brown trout and both Coho and Chinook salmon ready to test a visiting angler’s tackle and skill. During a good bite it is not unusual to catch between 10 and 20 fish in a day with several of those weighing into the ‘teens. Fish over 20-pounds are caught from the Niagara on a regular basis. This river has an abundant forage base which means that fish will arrive earlier and stay longer here than they will in other tributaries. Pre- and post-spawn salmon and trout have the opportunity to continue feeding - and packing on pounds – both after they enter and before they leave the river. This is not the case in most other tributaries where fish will actually lose weight once they begin their upstream movements. The sheer number of fish available in the Niagara, along with its

forage base and the fact that fish spend more time here than in other rivers and streams make it our choice as the top trophy destination for salmon and trout.

GETTING THERE From the Queen Elizabeth Way, take the York Road exit towards Queenston. From Queenston you can follow the Niagara Parkway along the Canadian side of the Niagara River all the way to Lake Ontario at Niagara on the Lake.

WHERE TO FISH Popular shore fishing areas include Queenston, the Whirlpool and Pebbly Beach. Along with these, there are a number of other access points along the river. Boat anglers do well out from Queenston, off the area known as Artpark and a host of other spots downstream towards Lake Ontario.

RIVER ACCESS The Niagara Parkway runs the length of the river from Queenston to Niagara on the Lake and is the main access route for river fishing. Queenston has good launching facilities for boaters while shore anglers can access the Niagara River from a number of trails along the Parkway. The Whirlpool can be reached by way of a trail across from the Whirlpool Golf Course a few miles downstream of the Falls and the hydro access road below the Whirlpool offers access to Pebbly Beach. These are a couple of the more popular locations but good fishing can be had from a number of other areas that can be reached by hiking in from the Parkway.

BAITS AND TACTICS Shore anglers will be successful with standard trout and salmon baits and techniques including float fishing or bottombouncing with roe, roe imitations, soft artificial worms or flies. Casting with spoons or diving body baits is another good option. Boat anglers generally drift fish with 3-way rigs baited with roe sacks, chunks of salmon skein or imitations. Drop shot rigs carrying minnows or minnow imitations will also take fish.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 39

SWIMBAITS

Photo by Ben Beattie

By Jonathan LePera

The fishing industry is a magnificent machine. Trends and fads come and go from year to year while tried and true lures stand the test of time, yet every once in a while a new lure will come on the scene and turn the fishing world on its ear. While we cannot always put our finger on why such lures gain notoriety and fame, much of it can be credited on their ability to produce quality fish when nothing else can. Enter the soft-bodied swimbait. Fished as a finesse presentation, or as a power-fishing search tool, it could just be the missing link between you and better quality fish, no matter what species you pursue. This can be especially true on days when fish turn up their noses at standard presentations.

40 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2010

PIKE Garrett Green, a guide at Kesagami Lodge and an accomplished bass tournament angler, can give testament to such claims. With clients in the boat expecting quality fish, Green saw monster pike show themselves by swirling on topwater baits cast over weedbeds. Time and again big pike would come up to the bait only to turn and retreat to the deep water without committing. As a seasoned bass angler, Green knew that soft-plastic swimbaits would provide exactly what was required to get those pike to eat. Initially, his clients cast out weedless spoons and buzzbaits to hook the aggressive fish. For those fish that did not take, his clients followed up with soft-bodied swimbaits. They baits excelled as the slower mov-

Photo by Jeff Gustafson

ing presentation represented exactly what the pike were actively feeding on - walleye. “Swimbaits shine in situations where pike have become conditioned to the same lures over and over again,” Green hypothesized. He believes the bait represents something new that they haven’t seen before. They will grab swimbaits out of curiosity as well as out of hunger. A lot of times they are grabbing the bait just to stop it and see what it is. “The size I prefer is 5 to 6-inches and the colour is based mainly on the “match the hatch” theory,” notes Green. “The northern pike in Kesagami Lake feed heavily on walleye; therefore I want to use a colour that mimics a small walleye. Simply, a darkish back and a white belly.” Green believes the reason swimbaits are so successful is because they look so real. “Their action is similar to a real fish, and they even feel like a real fish. When a pike grabs a swimbait it is going to hold on that split second longer, giving anglers a little extra time to set the hook. Imagine how real the action must look to a fish if it looks and moves so real to us. Then consider how much more real it is if we add some scent. Swimbaits appeal to so many of the fish’s senses.” He recalls numerous instances when clients have had huge pike attack small walleye that they were fighting, so re-enact-

ing such a situation is a “no-brainer” in his book. Garret’s favorite baits include the Berkley Hollow Belly Swimbait in natural perch and rainbow trout colours. Water temperature bears little influence on when Garret rigs up swimbaits. The pike season at Kesagami is only nine weeks long and during that time the water temperature will range from the high 50°F to the low 70°F range. It’s been his experience that pike will crush soft-plastic swimbaits from the beginning of the season to the end, at all hours of the day. What is key is finding prime weedbeds in four to seven-feet of water as these areas seem to hold the highest numbers of pike. When deciding when to set the hook, Green identified two different kinds of strikes from pike when they attack a swimbait. The first is a real aggressive grab or grab and turn. For this type of strike, he recommends setting the hook immediately, as soon as the strike is identified. Often, the hook sets itself because everything happens so fast. The second type of strike occurs when the pike just mouths the bait. For this situation he recommends dropping the rod towards the fish for a split second, waiting until you feel tightness in the line, and then setting the hook. These bites are not really hard and you have to be paying attention to the slightest change in the action of the lure. Green notes that if there is one error that anglers fishing swimbaits consistently make, it is in not employing the proper tackle. That means starting out with fresh line, sharp hooks, and good quality rods and reels. He prefers a medium heavy rod, quality baitcasting reel, 20-pound test monofilament line and a 45-pound test black, stainless steel leader. He chooses monofilament as he believes the stretch in the line prevents the angler from pulling the bait out of the mouth of the pike like a nostretch line would.

BASS Swimbaits are by no means limited to pike fishing. Jeff Gustafson, a well-seasoned tournament angler and guide on Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake in Northern Ontario, says a mixed bag during a day of swimbait fishing is becoming all too common. He has come to count on them to produce big fish consistently. From pike to walleye to bass, fishing a swimbait can do you no wrong! “They may be the best big fish bait for all species right now!” Gussy enthused.

He believes that swimbaits are unique from all other lures as they are probably the most realistic lure style on the market. They swim naturally, without a lot of noise. Simply put, if a fish wants to eat a steak, swimbaits are it! Gussy is confident that he can fish a swimbait anytime, anywhere and catch fish.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 41

to the fish - it is much more difficult for the angler to see bites with. Setting the hook is probably one of the most difficult elements of learning to fish swimbaits. Gussy recommends that anglers employ a similar technique to fishing frogs in the slop. Once a fish commits to the bait, his drops the rod towards the fish for a second before setting the hook. “The time it takes to do this allows the fish to turn with the bait and get it in its mouth. Then you can let ‘em have it. You want to set the hook hard because you are using a heavy wire hook.”

WALLEYE

42 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

live baitfish, every little detail makes a world of difference. He isn’t shy about using them on jigs either, especially in open water situations like casting around offshore, windblown rockpiles while targeting pike or walleyes. Gussy’s favorite combination for throwing swimbaits is a medium heavy baitcasting rod, matched with a quality reel, 30pound test Power Pro braid and a 17-pound test fluorocarbon leader. Uniquely, Gussy prefers yellow Power Pro braided line for nearly all situations. He insists that switching to yellow line has resulted in him catching more fish as he is watching his line more closely for bites and catching fish he never would have felt. He cautions that while green line is lower in visibility - which should translate into a less visible presence

Photo by Ben Beattie

He primarily uses swimbaits as powerfishing tools to efficiently cover water and locate fish. While he understands that swimbaits are not a numbers bait, they shine when called upon to produce big fish, especially bass. Gussy believes that swimbaits excel in situations where bass are relatively shallow or anywhere else he would normally toss a spinnerbait. This is especially true when the wind blows. He has caught quality fish as deep as 15-feet on swimbaits but generally fishes them in four 10-feet of water. Gustafson finds swimbaits to be extremely useful tools during tournament pre-fishing. “We really like to use swimbaits in practice for tournaments because they are so good at getting fish to check them out. If we bury the hook and don’t actually set the hook, we can get bites and not burn the fish,” he said. Gustafson’s selection of baits is quite simple. He prefers 4 1/2 to 5-inch baits, the smaller ones being his preference for Rainy Lake where he spends most of his time fishing for smallmouth bass. While he knows the feeding habits of the smallmouth bass all too well, he is cognizant that a smaller profile will fit much easier in their mouths. As for colour choices, Gustafson prefers natural tones. He rigs his baits Texposed, on 3/0 to 6/0 weighted hooks. Most importantly, he emphasizes that anglers rig the bait straight on the hook to ensure that it runs ‘true’ and does not spin or roll over on its side during the retrieve. When simulating

Ben Beattie pounds on northwestern Ontario walleyes with a vengeance. As a guide for Moose Horn Lodge in Sioux Lookout, he spends 150 -200 days a year on the water. Well respected within his trade, he is always looking for innovative techniques that will guarantee his clients success and the fish of their dreams. Ben has found a strong relationship between walleye and swimbaits. Toss traditional logic out the window and open your mind, because Beattie is taking it to another level. While many associate walleye fishing with finesse tactics, Beattie will hear nothing of it! As his home waters are abundant with smelt and ciscoes, he logically opts for swimbaits in shades of white, pearl and silver, all of which represent natural baitfish colours. This astute guide keys in on swimbaits because he feels they effectively mimic baitfish. He fishes them on a medium heavy,

seven-foot baitcasting rod matched to a high-speed reel loaded with 12 to 14-pound monofilament line. Beattie prefers the stretch of the mono as he believes it acts as a shock absorber to keep fish hooked up. When asked when to set the hook, Beattie

answered without hesitation, “right away! When you’re fishing these baits the way I do, the hits are vicious!” In northwestern Ontario, June usually represents a time of transition as walleye vacate their spawning sites and move to the deeper areas where they will spend their summer. Beattie believes that walleye utilize structure between these zones and feed heavily at this time of year. He feels that swimbaits offer a great way to cover water and look for active fish. He likes areas where the surface temperature is a minimum of 60°F as he finds walleye become quite active at this temperature. “I like to cast swimbaits towards windblown, rock/rubble shorelines, especially if there are emergent weeds on the bottom. You can straight retrieve them or hop them off bottom back towards the boat,” says Beattie.

MUSKIE Frank DiMarcantonio is a seasoned veteran on the muskie fishing scene. A top trophy muskie guide working the Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbour, his reputation has been built by producing results with innovative techniques for over 20-years. When queried as to why the swimbait has become an important part of his arsenal, DiMarcantonio’s answer was quite matterof-fact.

44 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

“Nothing can simulate a live baitfish like a swimbait. Their action is incredible. Also, they are very weedless - you can swim them through almost anything,” he said. When swimbaits entered the scene, DiMarcantonio wasn’t shy about trying them out on largemouth bass and he was greeted by much success. Once he turned his attention and theories to muskies, he quickly realized the versatility of swimbaits. Pretty soon he was rigging 9-inch, internally weighted swimbaits on his muskie rods and now DiMarcantonio uses them from summer through fall. “In the fall I swim and jig them off bottom in 14 to 27-feet of water in current areas. I burn them through shallow weed beds in the summer months,” DiMarcantonio noted. His colour selection is quite simple in that he likes sucker, mullet, and baby bass in clear water. Perch and pearl get the nod in dirty water. He cautions that the productivity of swimbaits decreases in dirty/stained water as they are more of a sight-fishing bait. DiMarcontonio fishes swimbaits on a

7’5” G-Loomis BCFR 893 rod paired with a Shimano Curado E7 reel and 17-pound line. The baits are rigged on a 7/0 hook with 1/8 or 1/4-ounce weight molded onto the hook shank. When muskie fishing with swimbaits, the bite is often visible to the angler. DiMarcontonio waits until the bait disappears before setting the hook with a simple sweep-set. DiMarcantonio has come to realize that swimbaits definitely have a time and place. As a guide, he considers them to be another essential another tool in his arsenal. For his clients, they are another reason why their trip will be met with success.

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DROPPIN’ IN FOR BASS The trend has been finesse the last few years with zebra mussels making our lakes kess ke very clear. The hottest technique for catching clear water smallmouth is the drop shot technique. Light line, a sensitive rod and d a good, smooth drag will help get the job b done. Look for rocky shoals or breaks an and nd work the bait nice and slow. From 10 to o 40 feet you will feel even the lightest bites es with the Crucial rod. The Crucial dropshot rod paired with the e Stradic CI4 is without a doubt the ultimate atte combination for these monster brown fish! sh!

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AN ELITE PERSPECTIVE Fred Roumbanis is a Bassmaster Elite pro who calls his boat his office and the water his playground. A relative newcomer to the tournament scene, he has gained a reputation as a definite force to be reckoned with. He is meticulous in his maintenance of tackle, his pursuit of knowledge and his drive to win. Meet “Swimbait Fred” as the bass fishing world knows him. Roumbanis’ fascination with swimbaits started when he was 12-years old, growing up fishing reservoirs for trout with AC Plugs and Mister Twister Sassy Shads. Before long his fascination became an obsession for he and his clique of fishing buddies – especially once they started landing largemouth with eyes the size of golf-balls. Today, the swimbait is a valuable tool in his bag of tricks as he fishes for tournament purses that reach a quarter of a million dollars. What makes the swimbait special for Roumbanis is that while others are still learning the craft and going through the growing pains of a new technique, he has worked hard to make it his ace in the hole. For Roumbanis, the swimbait acts as a power-fishing bait because he can cover water quickly; a search bait because it pulls fish up off cover and structure so that he can see them; and as a finesse bait because he is always using lighter line than the boat next to him.

46 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

For those who have experimented with swimbaits, you must be befuddled with that last set of words. Swimbait…light line…say what? Roumbanis recalled winning a boat in a tournament by fishing a swimbait on 10-pound test line while his competitors were rigging their sticks with at least double the pound test. While the bulldog smallmouth of Lake Erie might lead him to step up to 12 to 17-pound test fluorocarbon, he emphatically stresses that he always uses the lightest line he can get away with. “Lighter line gives more action to the bait,” Roumbanis stated. “Sometimes the line will sink the bait down too far. Also, I think the fish will see it. Do not be afraid to go to really light line because when a fish hits a swimbait they kind of choke on it. They keep their mouths open and come to the surface while you are fighting them,” Roumbanis cautioned. “You don’t have to worry about breaking them off!!!”

Long casts are essential when pursuing finicky smallmouth so Roumbanis launches his baits on a 7 ½ foot medium heavy rod and fluorocarbon line. The rod must be somewhat soft and have a parabolic bend as swimbait fish usually bite twice. Roumbanis has felt it all too often. “The first bite is the grab and on the second bite they are choking on it. Just let the rod load up and explode on them.”

His reel has a slow, 5:1 gear ratio, which he employs, in part, to himself to train retrieve the bait at just the right speed. Retrieve too slowly and the bait will sink to the bottom but too much speed will have the bait spinning and rolling on its side, representing everything but a realistic bait. Just the right speed means that his bait is thumping along about three-feet under the surface. On Lake Erie, Roumbanis targets breaklines. Any place where lighter coloured water meets darker water meet can identify the structure and troughs where smallmouth live and feed. He casts into the troughs of the waves, ahead of the target area, and allows the bait to sink a bit before retrieving it within 2 to 3-feet of the surface. Swimbait Fred has a few words of wisdom to pass on based on his experiences with swimbaits.

“The biggest thing is staying focused, reeling slowly and being patient. The number one thing is, you don’t want to overwork a swimbait. Let it do what it is designed to do.” From the moment he picks up his swimbait rod each day, he already has the confidence of the past, the wisdom of the present, and the drive for greatness in the future. While swimbaits are not for every situation, they should be part of every angler’s arsenal. Keeping and open mind is paramount to learning all that you can while you are on the water, and gaining confidence with new baits and different techniques is one of the keys to successful fishing. Fishing in the same old way is safe, reliable….and sometimes tired. Stepping out of your comfort zone and into the new is sometimes where you need to be as it is often where you will find success. Tie on a swimbait for whatever species you pursue and hold on for the ride. I’m sure you will impress yourself with the results! ?

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Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 47

A TA L E

48 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

OF TWO LAKES

By Nic Norton

Learning the ar t of locating ice-bound walleyes

Everyone knows how tasty a fresh walleye fillet from under the ice can be. In fact, a surprising number of ice house conversations center around favorite ways of preparing these aquatic delicacies. Yet, getting them into the pan could never happen without knowing how to catch them in the first place.

One of the first things anglers face in the search for ice-bound walleyes and other gamefish is figuring out where to begin. Most experts agree the best way to start out the ice season is to find fish in the fall and concentrate on the same spots after the freeze. With persistence and a fair amount of luck, anglers can follow the fish all winter long to stay on good bites, though early and late-ice offer the best opportunities for success. However, if fall reconnoitering is not an option, there are a few strategies that are sure to increase the odds of success this winter.

Structure Lakes Most lakes have some sort of structure available that fish relate to throughout the year. This could be submerged timber, long main-lake points, creek channels, or even long-forgotten wrecks on the lake bottom. Ben Beattie, a guide on Lac Seul in Northwest Ontario, focuses his efforts on mid-lake rocks, humps, and saddles between islands and other natural land features. “In general, rocks are number one,” says Beattie, “but saddles are a close second. My favorite spot for years has been a saddle between an island and the bank

with current where big walleyes move up to feed before dropping back to the deep water on either side.” Ideally, according to Beattie, anglers will have the opportunity to scout several areas before the ice comes and mark them on a handheld GPS. This allows for a much tighter initial focus in locating fish along various points in the structure. If all the fish seem to be holding in specific types of structure, i.e. the down-current side of rock points on 12 to 18-foot depth breaks, this makes it even easier to find new spots that will hold fish.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 49

Ben Beattie often chooses a larger than normal lure to target big walleyes.

Quite often, however, anglers will not find the time to do much scouting in the fall or they may opt to explore unfamiliar bodies of water once the ice comes. There is still plenty these anglers can do in order to maximize time spent on the ice. The first item in a successful ice fisherman’s arsenal is a lake contour map. This is essential in breaking down large lakes into possible fishing areas and will save hours, if not days, of blindly searching. Even dauntingly huge lakes like the famed Lac Seuel, where Beattie concentrates his efforts, can be managed with the aid of a good contour map. The key is locating a target area within the lake and sticking to it. This may be a section of several hundred acres or just a few dozen, depending on available structure and how far you are willing to move throughout the day. A common method is to first determine your range for the day, and then visualize a circle that is roughly the size of that range. Next, look for various types of structure on the contour map – sharp ledges where lines are clustered

50 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

together tightly, circles denoting mid-lake humps or holes, points, saddles, bottlenecks, etc. Finally, move your imaginary circle around the map until you find the area with the highest concentration of likely structure. This will give you several different options in close proximity to each other. Now you know which area of the lake you will target; how do you find the fish? “Drill LOTS of holes,” says Beattie. “If I am out with a few other guys testing new water, we will each drill 15 to 20 holes along various points of the structure we are targeting. Each hole gets fished for five or ten minutes and if nothing has shown up on the flasher, we move on to the next one.” The bite is usually best early in the morning, so don’t be afraid to come back to spots that only produced a few fish in the middle of the day. Often, those areas that held fish when the bite was off can be excellent during peak feeding periods. Also, be sure to check different depths as fish will move shallow to feed during the morning and evening and often locate in deeper water nearby throughout the day.

Basin Lakes Basin lakes with little structure offer a new set of challenges for the hard-water angler. Contour maps help to narrow the search somewhat by showing the depth breaks, but a lack of rocks, points, and other distinguishing features can be intimidating to the uninitiated. These lakes are even tougher to fish without locating walleyes in the fall than those with structure, but anglers can still find great fishing through the ice. “I like to get out there at ‘scary first ice,’” says Brett King, veteran ice angler and professional fisherman. “As soon as the ice is safe to fish on, but long before ATVs or trucks can get out there, is when I find my best fishing - until the ice floats and water runs down the holes at late ice.” Getting on the ice as soon as it is safe to do so offers a couple of advantages. First, early ice is often clear enough to look through and locate shallow-water habitat, such as grass or weed beds, that will not show up on a contour map of the lake. Second, the fishing can be fast and furious in relatively shallow water at this time of year.

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Using a “flash and dash” lure with an aggressive jigging motion is the key to Brett King’s success in attracting hungry walleyes.

Just as in open water, fish will feed shallow in the mornings and evenings and move to deeper water in the middle of the day. Locating their feeding areas can be a huge factor in filling a bucket with fresh fish. Lacking any structure, anglers should look for weeds or grass beds as likely holding places for hungry fish. Bottom transitions from sand to mud are a common occurrence in basin lakes that should provide another good starting point. As in any situation, the more factors you can find in one spot, the higher your chance at success will be. “When I find a big stretch of cabbage in a lake,” says King, “I try to explore every area of it, looking for spots that have different characteristics. An open spot in the middle of the cabbage or a point or inside corner all provide good ambush locations for walleyes and pike. Another thing I always look for is a transition from sand to mud or rock just off the edge of a weed bed. These are some of the best spots throughout the day as fish relate to both types of habitat.” Here again, the prescription for finding these spots is drilling holes – lots of holes.

52 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

Brett will locate an area he wants to try, usually a 75 to 100-yard stretch, and drill a dozen holes. Each hole gets between five and 10-minutes and if no fish appear he’s off to the next one. Mobility plays a huge role in success on basin lakes.

The Right Stuff A fisherman could be situated atop some of the best areas on a lake and never know it without good electronics. A flasher to show the depth and reveal any fish in the area is a no-brainer when it comes to ice fishing. Brett also likes to add an underwater camera when he is searching for habitat in clear-water basin lakes. Both of these tools could be the topic of their own articles, but the important thing is to have one and be familiar with how it works before you get out on the ice. When hole-jumping around new areas searching for fish, anglers should give a lot of thought to what lure they are sending down to perform the search. Brett likes to drop down a “flash and dash” lure to attract fish. This should be something that combines lots of action with bright colors, rattles, or some other factor to really bring

fish in to investigate. He and Beattie both prefer a medium-size Lindy Darter or Slick Jig that matches the natural forage base of the lake, though when water is stained he will sometimes use bright or glow colors. “A lot of times walleyes will come in and hit the Darter,” says Beattie. “Other times, they will simply come in to investigate and it is helpful to try a different approach. The whole idea is to find out where the fish are located.” The “different approach” usually comes in the form of a dead-stick rod with a small jig and a minnow under a float. When the fish have been located, drill another hole in which to put a bobber rod and continue jigging aggressively with the “flash and dash” lure. The jigging action will attract fish and the ones in a less than aggressive mood will often eat the minnow.

Critical Adjustments If fish continue to come in and look at the Darter or Slick Jig without biting, it is time to adjust size and color to find the winning combination. Start with a medium size in a color in which you have confidence and change it every 10 to 15-minutes if you see fish that won’t bite. When you find a color that starts producing some bites, adjust your size to find the absolute best presentation for the conditions and mood of the fish on that day. While many anglers will downsize their presentation to tempt fish to take an easy meal, King often up-sizes his lure. His belief is that if fish are not feeding aggressively, they sometimes will eat a bigger bait because they can expend less energy in eating one large meal than several small ones. Whatever your preference, don’t be afraid to try different things. After all, a fish fry just isn’t the same without fish. ?

FISHING FOREVER UPDATE FISHERIES FUNDING

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latest round of 2010 fisheries funding

Days program is sponsored by Fishing

donations has surpassed the $50,000

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and Canadian Tire. The program was start-

marked for the Ontario Federation of

ed in 1983 as a joint effort between the

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three organizations as a way to give kids the

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opportunity to try the sport of fishing while

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interacting with police officers from their

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local communities.

taries in order to re-establish a natural, selfsustaining population.

Fishing Forever, a non profit conservation organization which promotes fishing, conservation and education programs, believes that fishing is great way for parents and children to “get outdoors” and develop healthy relationships. Police personnel believe in community involvement. They welcome the opportunity to meet children in a positive environment and interact with them one on one.

The Georgian Bay Anglers and Hunters have received $15,000 towards their efforts towards rehabilitating walleye stocks in eastern Georgian Bay, from Port Severn to the Moon River. The club is involved in There are many ways to get involved with

enhancing rehabilitating traditional walleye spawning sites as well as stocking these

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visit www.kidsandcops.ca or call the Kids

The program has grown from just a couple

and Cops coordinator, Joanne Pellegrino,

of events in 2003 to over 60 events in 2010. Last year over ten thousand kids participated in a Kids and Cops sponsored event. 54 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

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56 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2010

The Future of Outdoor Sports

Anyone closely attached to fishing, hunting, trapping, outdoor tourism and other “traditional” outdoor sports markets will tell you that things aren’t what they used to be these days. Participation is slipping, especially when it comes to recruiting youngsters; product sales are not what they once were and the average age of regular participants is creeping upwards. As populations become increasingly urbanized, activities like electronic gaming, social networking and virtual living are slowly taking the place of the real world interactions that a lot of us grew up with. It’s a pretty gloomy picture, especially if you are one of the tens of thousands of people who rely on things like fishing and hunting for your livelihood. Fishing tackle and arms manufacturers; distributors and retailers; boat and motor suppliers; fishing and hunting lodges; bait shops and hundreds of towns that rely on anglers and hunters, are all feeling the pinch. But it’s not all bad news. Like an angler experiencing a bad day, the outdoors industries are refusing to give up. They are refining their approaches to promoting their businesses and developing new and innovative ways to reach and attract today’s youth to traditional outdoors activities like fishing and hunting. The good news is that it seems to be working. More and more non-outdoors businesses are using outdoors themes, especially fishing, in their mainstream advertising campaigns. License sales are improving in some areas and attendance at youth-oriented fishing events across North America is showing steady growth. What’s needed now are programs that continue to keep the outdoors relevant to today’s youth, to engage them on their terms and to provide them the tools they need to be successful and embrace the outdoor sports as lifelong passions.

TECVANA One of the most promising ventures to come onto the fishing scene is TecVana, a social media marketing program uniquely designed to reach, engage and empower the emerging youth market - and the struggling rural communities who rely on outdoor adventures for their survival - to co-create and promote the next generation of lifestyle outdoor adventures. This program has so much potential that we at Real Fishing have entered into a partnership with TecVana. The alliance will begin with a focus on driving resurgence in the recreational fishing industry before broadening its focus to include all traditional outdoor activities and the businesses that rely on them.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 57

The plan is to open an interactive dialogue between youth and rural communities in order to collaboratively develop “new age” adventures that will appeal to youth while meeting the business goals of existing businesses like resorts and lodges. This will be accomplished through the use of today’s social media tools as a means to talk to, listen to, and provide an exciting range of products and activities to the “Net Generation” of 18 to 40-year olds. This demographic has a strong interest in driving social change and want to make a difference but they want to do it their way. Bringing youth together, expanding their minds, learning, building relationships, sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, building consortiums and being empowered to make change is the path to a unified economy and a vibrant future. Tecvana will provide the motivation to make it happen by offering an opportunity to be part of a new reality TV program; to win major prizes, play on-line real-life games, have access to one-stop service and, most importantly, to participate in an adventure that has been designed by and appeals to the youth market. Advanced digital interactive social games, gamebased learning and game-driven marketing will encourage the Net Geners to transform their lives from a virtual outdoor adventure into a real life experience. Social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, My Space and others will be the platforms where youth can get together and discuss the things that interest them… and the things that don’t. Through these interactions, programs, incentives and enticements will be developed to meet the desires of the youth market and become the catalyst to get them into the real outdoors. For the distributors, retailers, manufactures, lodges, suppliers and other businesses it provides a great opportunity to discover new avenues for customer engagement, brand exposure, loyalty and of course, increased sales. 58 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

Along with promoting fishing, the TecVana program is designed to boost tourism to rural communities that traditionally relied exclusively on fishing and hunting. To attract the talent and skills necessary to sustain vibrant local economies, rural communities must become attractive to young people, immigrants and Aboriginal people. The long accepted tourism business approach has been based on, “This is what we have to offer.” TecVana will revise that with a new approach that asks, “What do you want us to offer?” Ultimately this approach will see the “new age consumer” encouraged to connect, socialize, engage and collaborate directly with participating rural and northern communities to develop a solution. Once businesses learn exactly what the consumers of today are interested in, it’s a small step to offer it to them and start reaping the rewards. Yes we are really excited about TecVana. It is so unique and innovative. It is about connecting people, building communities and stimulating economic growth where it is needed the most. It is about connecting our urban high-tech society with the great outdoors, with nature, the environment, with our struggling rural and Aboriginal communities and to the overall benefits of just being outdoors fishing!

TEAM GREAT OUTDOORS The TecVana program is aimed at exposing youth to the outdoors and developing programs that will entice them to try fishing or other traditional outdoor activities. This is the first step in turning them into lifelong participants. The next step is to provide them with the hands-on tools they need to become successful in whichever outdoor pursuit most interests them. Enter Team Great Outdoors. One of the key factors in getting youth involved in traditional outdoors activities is to provide them with the knowledge they need to succeed and to offer strong mentoring support. Most of us can look back to a parent, uncle, grandparent or

some other adult figure that introduced us to fishing and helped us to learn and become successful anglers. Unfortunately there are fewer available outdoor mentors who are related by blood to young beginners. In our modern society, there is a shortage of trained adult mentors. Many parents feel unqualified to teach their own kids the basics of fishing, hunting, or shooting. Our lives are busier than ever, with more competing interests and organized activities filling up the schedules of youngsters. Finally, access to “a good place to go” can be a huge hurdle to overcome as we become more urbanized. As a result, many potential beginners slip through the cracks. They struggle with the learning curve and “getting out” on an ongoing basis. Too many beginners are taken out once or twice before being released back into their non-fishing, nonhunting, non-shooting lives. Their interest in the outdoors lies dormant. We have to break this cycle. We have to do more. We need a new system because the old one where dad, grandpa, or a family friend took young beginners under wing and taught them the basics - is broken.

This is a complex situation that needs a cohesive solution, featuring innovative plans and plain old hard work, to produce a steady stream of active participants. This is the spirit that brought the School of Outdoor Sports; the Tips Outdoors Foundation and Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, together to form Team Great Outdoors, the blueprint for the future of outdoor mentoring.

How the New System Works These three nonprofit organizations are working together to turn beginners into actual, active participants in outdoor sports. The School of Outdoor Sports provides free basic, on-line video lessons to

and a brighter future for fishing, hunting and indeed, all traditional outdoor sports.

FACULTY OF FISHING

both beginners and mentors. This breaks down the steep learning curve so newcomers will have the knowledge that will lead them to early success. The Tips Outdoors Foundation runs fun, hands-on instructional events for kids and families. This helps beginners develop their skills and build experience. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors also runs hands-on events, and provides ongoing mentoring for those who need it. Team Great Outdoors believes in an emphasis on early success for beginners. If they catch fish, have close encounters with game, and learn to hit what they’re aiming at, there’s a good chance beginners will “discover the fun.” Beginners should quickly learn most of what they’ll ever need to know about any given activity, using high quality lessons taught by expert instructors. That removes potential intimidation from the steep learning curves associated with fishing, hunting, and shooting. Newcomers to traditional outdoor activities need handson instruction in order to develop their skills and build experience. They have to go outdoors often in order to develop a full connection to their chosen sport and become fully engaged, active participants. This is the formula that seals the cracks newcomers have been slipping through. This is what it will take to stem the tide of declining participation before it’s too late. Within this new system, beginners who become lifelong anglers, hunters, and shooters will become the next generation of mentors, building on a cycle of success

Once youngsters are introduced to fishing and are mentored in the basics, the next step is to allow them to develop their skills at their own speed. We all know that at some point kids “know it all” and don’t want to be taught anymore. Of course we will always be there to help out, but we can’t seem to be forcing the issue or kids will quickly feel smothered. They need to be left to discover and learn on their own. The Faculty of Fishing is a unique new on-line training program that is specifically designed to educate new anglers on all aspects of the sport of freshwater fishing at their own pace. From line, knots, rods and reels to fish biology, weather and boat control, students who follow the courses will graduate with the knowledge required to catch more and bigger fish. The lessons are presented in four modules, each consisting of step by step instructions, demonstrations and lessons from professional anglers, fish biologists and meteorologists. The Fishing 1 module is designed to build fishing knowledge and to provide a review of fundamental fishing topics. Anglers will learn how fish biology and psychology affect their reactions, how fish use different types of water systems and how to fine-tune rods, reels and line to maximize your catch., Fishing 2 guides anglers through the key concepts in fish biology, including fish life cycles and the aquatic food chain. There is a section on various knots and how to use them properly and a section on getting fish to bite through a detailed look at presentations like jigs and blade baits. The third course module builds on the earlier lessons by taking anglers under the water for a close look at habitat and some effective presentation options. It starts with detailed courses in structure and cover; two important elements that can both hold fish and influence their movements and routes. A section on using maps and electronics will help take the guesswork out of finding and staying on fish. Finally, a look at both soft and hard baits will break down how to select the best baits for triggering bites under various conditions.

Fishing 4 is the final step in the Faculty of Fishing program. This course module adds more advanced knowledge to your fishing repertoire and ties all the lessons together. Fishing 4 starts with a comprehensive look at weather conditions and the ways in which they influence the underwater environment. Next, an advanced section on electronics teaches the angler how to make use of the many options they offer. Then, indepth lessons in the three standard methods of fishing - trolling, casting, and vertical presentations – provide the skills anglers need to be proficient in using any of them as conditions dictate. Finally, everything wraps up with a comprehensive look at patterns, and how to use all of the knowledge from the previous lessons to predict fish behaviour in any situation. Once anglers complete Fishing 4, they will “graduate” from the Faculty of Fishing bachelor's program and receive a one-of-a-kind Graduation Certificate and gift package. These three initiatives are just a sample of how the fishing and outdoor industries are working to attract and engage the next generation of anglers and hunters. There are literally hundreds of others across North America, all working to preserve our outdoor heritage. It’s a great start, but we all need to get involved by taking a youngster outdoors and letting them experience the thrill of fishing and hunting that we take for granted. Once they get bitten by the bug, they’ll be hooked for life. ?

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Check out these websites for more details on the programs mentioned in this article. TecVana: www.tecvana.com School of Outdoor Sports: www.learnoutdoorsports.org Pass It On: www.outdoormentors.org Tips Outdoors Foundation: www.tipsoutdoors.org Faculty of Fishing: www.facultyoffishing.com

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 59

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

This is the year that you need a pleasure craft operator card if you operate any boat with power on it in Canada. To get the word out, I did a lot of radio and television interviews across the country on behalf of BoaterExam.com. The message was simple – you may be fined if you get pulled over by the police on the water without your card. After the media tour I made a quick trip to Langley, British Columbia, for the grand opening of a Wholesale Sports store and what a store! This is the biggest hunting, fishing and camping store on mainland British Columbia. While I was at the store, a Japanese fellow with his wife and family came in to meet me. He told me that he was a full time lure designer and he gave me some of the hand-made hard plastic crankbaits that he pours in his basement. I’ve got to admit I was impressed with them. You can check out Hiroshi Nishine’s baits on his website at www.nishinelureworks.com.

60 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

Then I was off to Muskoka to visit a number of Tim Hortons locations for the ever-popular Camp Day. It is unbelievable how much money is raised through donations and the proceeds from the coffee sales from that one day. All of the money is used to send kids to the wonderful day camps that Tim Hortons run right across Canada and the United States. After Camp Day I was back in southern Ontario, right in the heart of downtown Toronto at Dundas Square, to do a Coleman/Canadian Tire promotion for the latest and greatest outdoor equipment from the folks at Coleman. I have to admit it was kind of unusual to be standing in downtown Toronto talking to folks about fishing and other outdoor activities. Then it was back home to pack for a trip to La Reserve Beauchene in Quebec for a couple of days of videotaping. As always, we had a great trip and we caught a number of species of fish. In fact, over the years I’ve never had a bad trip up there. After I got back I unpacked and re-packed for a trip to Regina, Saskatchewan for another Wholesale Sports store opening. I hadn’t been to Regina in a long, long time so it was fun to talk to a lot of folks out there. It seems like the biggest customer base out are people

in farm related lines of work and I have to say, they really love their hunting and fishing. Then it was back to Ontario for the Golf Fore Fish annual fundraising golf tournament that supports the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association. Our team of me, my brother, Wayne, his son Justin and Real Fishing General Manager Fred Delsey usually win this tournament so we thought we’d let someone else have the honour this year. We held back just enough to place second! My daughter was heading to British Columbia on August 1 for a year of university so she booked me for a couple of days of fishing before she left. On the first trip we hooked up Captain Vito Dattomo on his

boat, Lord of the Kings, for a Father’s Day trip out on Lake Ontario. We fished right in front of the City of Toronto and caught a couple of huge steelhead, some nice Chinook salmon and even a bonus Atlantic salmon during out four-hours of fishing. After fishing with my daughter I had some new Lund and Ranger boats to get rigged for the videotaping and tournament seasons. After all these years I still enjoy doing a lot of my own boat rigging. I find it to be somewhat relaxing and I like knowing that everything is rigged properly and the way I like it to be. Once the boats were ready my son, Darren, and I fished our first tournament of

the season together, the Casey Cup, on Lake Simcoe. We ended up getting eighth place with 22.55-pounds; not a bad way to kick off the season. Then it was off to Big Rideau Lake for the first Renegade Bass tournament of the season. In a day and a half of fishing, including practice and the tournament day, Darren and I could not get a kicker-sized fish. Big Rideau is a great lake to catch bass on, but for some reason we were snakebit. The best we could do was 13.04-pounds for 27th place. Although it kept us in the points, we were somewhat disappointed with our finish but that’s how it goes sometimes. I decided to stay for an extra day to fish Newboro Lake, which is located just south of Big Rideau, and was where the next Renegade tournament was being held in two-weeks. Newboro is a lake I’d never been on before so it was fun to go running around and checking out what the lake had to offer. I caught a ton of fish but nothing bigger than about 3 ½-pounds. I headed home to do some more radio interviews before going out for the second day of fishing my daughter, Kristin, had booked. This time we were out on Lake Erie for some smallmouth fishing. I set her up with a Shimano Volteus spinning rod and a 2500 Stradic spinning reel spooled up with

15-pound Spiderwire. The Volteus rod is a uni-fiber design and is the strongest rod Shimano has ever made. They are virtually indestructible. You can actually take them and bend the tip right around until it touches the handle! Kristin was casting a spinnerbait out on Lake Erie for some shallow smallmouth and got one just under fourpounds. She had such a hard time getting

that fish in! It was funny to watch her fighting this stubborn fish to the boat. That fish was one of the highlights of a great day of fishing with my daughter. The next day I was in an airplane and off to Las Vegas for the ICAST show. ICAST is the biggest fishing industry trade show and it’s always fun to see all of the new products being unveiled. I even had time to sneak in a game of golf on one of the desert courses while I was down there. When I got home it was time to hook up the boat, hop in the truck and head off to Newboro Lake for the second Renegade Bass tournament of the season. Things didn’t go quite as we planned and Darren and I wound up with 13.26pounds for a 24th place finish. Rather than heading home I decided to stay and practice for the Canadian Open of Fishing in Kingston. This tournament had an 80-boat limit and it was full within a day and a half of being announced the previous winter. Without a doubt Kingston has been my favourite place to fish tournaments and I’ve been fortunate enough to win four Ranger boats and a Chevy truck there over

A couple of largemouth from the Big Rideau tournament.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 61

Tales from the Road

the years. Unfortunately things didn’t go quite as planned this time. Darren and I had found a number of fish during practice on a rock/weed area. It was about 800-yards long and we caught fish up to six-pounds on it. We probably saw 30 or 40 fish in this area so I though it would be a great place to start the tournament on. On the first day my co-angler and I headed straight to this area and within minutes I hooked up with a good fish over 3-pounds on a spinnerbait. Then it jumped off. It was like somebody turned the light switch off. I decided I’d better run to some deeper spots but the first three places I had marked had boats on them. I ended up going to go to a spot that I wasn’t even planning on fishing and managed to get a small limit that weighed 12.1-pounds and put me in 69th place after day one. As a serious tournament competitor, I was feeling somewhat dejected after a disappointing day on one of my favourite bodies of water. Being the competitive guy that I am, I went back to the hotel and worked on my tackle diligently until 10 p.m. that night, as if I was leading the tournament. The next day I went weighed in a pretty good limit of 20.9-pounds and moved up to 62 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

12th place. On the third and final day I got another good limit that weighed 19.2pounds and moved me up to fifth place overall. My son, Darren, fished as a non-boater and finished in second place, winning a Lund boat, Mercury motor and trailer package. He was definitely 10-feet off the ground! I wanted to do a musky show using Berkley Hollow Belly Swimbaits so when I got home I checked the weather forecasts for Lake St. Clair. They were calling for thunder storms and high winds but I thought there might be a slight chance that the weather person could be wrong. Hoping for the best, we loaded up the Lund and headed down to Lake St. Clair. Sometimes you really should pay attention to what the weather man says. Guess what? The weather forecast was right. We got out to the area we wanted to try for muskies but couldn’t hold the boat in position with the electric motor. We decided to go to Plan B, smallmouth fishing, but we still couldn’t hold the boat in the wind. We caught a few smallmouth but nothing big so we went to Plan C, largemouth in shallow water. We caught a bunch of small ones but then the black clouds started to roll in. We got nervous and took off across Lake St. Clair, straight into one of the worst thunder

and lightning storms I’ve ever been in during my entire fishing career. We had to run clear across Lake St. Clair from Belle River to Mitchell’s Bay with lightning and thunder overhead, a good, solid, four-foot chop and incredibly high winds. Not a smart move. Thankfully we were in a very safe Lund 2075 Pro-V and we made it across the lake - soaked to the bone, but otherwise fine. After the Lake St. Clair ordeal, I headed back east for the CSFL’s two, one-day tournaments out of Trenton on the Bay of Quinte. My son, Darren, and I ended up getting a second and a third in those two tournaments and we were pretty happy with that. From there it was off to Cornwall for two one-day events in the Renegade Bass series. Since last year’s Renegade Bass tournament in Cornwall we were really excited. Last year we lost a couple of fish that would have won the tournament for us, hands down, so this year we went in with both guns loaded. Bob and Darren Izumi with the rewards from their Renegade Bass tournament win.

Darren Izumi with the 6.13-pound smallmouth that helped win the Renegade Bass tournament in Cornwall.

On day one things went perfectly and we weighed in 24.76-pounds, including the big fish of the tournament, a 6.13-pound smallmouth, and won the tournament by almost three-pounds. We won the Ranger Cup, big fish, and first place on the first of two oneday events. Things were looking pretty darned good but then the wheels started to slowly fall off. We only got 15.75-pounds on the second day and ended up in 23rd place. The good thing is, we were leading in the points race for the Team of the Year title. The next day we scooted up towards Ottawa to hook up with paramedic and tournament angler, Brian Pollack, to do a lake trout show. He’s got lake trout fishing down to a science and he actually sight-fishes for them by using his sonar. Brian goes to the deep water areas where the lake trout are and drives around until he marks fish on his graph. Then he stops and lowers down a four-inch, chartreuse Berkley Gulp grub on

a 3/8-ounce Lindy X-Change jig head. He watches the jig on the graph as it falls and as soon as the lakers start to streak up he starts reeling the jig up at a medium fast speed. The lake trout charge the jig and when they hit they almost jerk the rod out of your hand. We caught a number of lakers in fourhours of fishing with this technique and we got a great show out of it. Immediately after finishing the trout trip, Darren and I drove over to Lake Champlain to stay at my buddy Rick McCrory’s new cottage, shoot some tips and do a show segment with 13year old Cole Chantler. We had a great time catching smallmouth bass by dropshotting GULP! Alive four-inch crawler and three-inch fry baits. After that, I went home for a few days and had some friends over before heading back out east for the next Renegade tournament on the Ottawa River. We got on the water thinking that flipping would be the deal but we actually ended up catching more smallmouth than largemouth by using crankbaits in the main river. We ended up with a small, 13-pound limit and dropped back to fourth in the Team of the Year race. Charles Sim and his partner, Nigel Touhey, won the one-day tournament with a huge limit of largemouth weighing 20.93-pounds that also earned them the Team of the Year title. After the tournament, Darren headed home and I headed back down to Lake Champlain, to Rick McCrory’s place, for the official practice period for the FLW Eastern Series tournament. During the tournament I exclusively dropshotted GULP! Alive fourinch crawlers and three-inch frys for a total of 39.09-pounds over the three-day event. I was

about three-pounds short of getting a cheque. I’ve always enjoyed fishing with kids and my next trip was up to Haliburton to fish with 10-year old Carly Hughes. Carly is from the Barrie area and she’s a real keen angler. We caught a number of walleye and smallmouth and ended up making a pretty cool show. For the first time in 37-years of tournament fishing I went to a year-end classic, in this case the Bassmania classic in Haliburton, with zero practice. The tournament was being held on a series of five lakes: Head, Grass, Kashagawigamog, Canning and Soyers. I had been on these lakes in the early 1980s with Rocky Crawford, to do a musky show, but I have never fished them for bass. In fact, I didn’t even know where the boat launches were. I have to admit that going up to a lake with no practice, and fishing against some very good bass anglers was not the thing to do. There’s no chance you can win a tournament without knowing anything about a lake – and I didn’t even have maps of this chain. Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 63

Carly Hughes had a great day fishing with Bob.

you can almost take it to the bank that there will be sustained winds. On day two we got out to Lake Ontario and there were solid, eight to nine-foot waves that were breaking on the top. The trolling motor wouldn’t hold, waves were breaking over the front of the boat and we’re trying to fish. After a tough day we ended up with 15.75-pounds and dropped down to fourth place, 1.51-pounds out of first. As I wrap up this column it’s time to take a group of OFF! Deep Woods contest winners from across Canada up to Haliburton for a day of fishing with me, my brother Wayne and a bunch of my fellow tournament anglers. It should be a lot of fun and I look forward to winning the tournament. Although there are only 10 boats and the only thing on the line is bragging rights, it doesn’t matter. It’s still a tournament. ?

My goal on the first day was to run as far down the lake as I could (I found out that it took about eight or nine minutes) – and start fishing. I ended up losing two keepers on small poppers and an hour before weigh-in Darren and I got our only two keeper smallmouth of the day. That was our day one. Needless to say, it was a tough, tough bite. We decided to stay on Head Lake for the first three hours of fishing on day two and I ended up catching a 4.45-pound largemouth by flipping a Berkley Sinking Minnow into a fallen tree. That was our only keeper bite of the day. I thought that this one big bass would let us salvage something and win big fish of the day but doesn’t a 4.75-pounder come in to take the largemouth division. Hey, at least it was an opportunity to fish with my son! 64 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

The Renegade Classic was the following week and I was probably as excited as I’ve been in the last decade to fish this tournament. Our game plan was to run over 100miles one way, each day, to fish Lake Ontario. On day one the weather was perfect and we ran to a number of good areas. We put on well over 250-miles for the round-trip and were sitting in third place with 22.14-pounds, just over a pound out of first. Our confidence level was pretty high and we thought that we may have a shot at winning the fully rigged Ranger boat that would be awarded to the first place team. That evening I checked three different weather forecasts on the internet and I liked two of them. The one I didn’t like said south-west wind gusts to 57-kilometers. When they say “wind gusts” on big water,

What’s COOKING

Pan-Seared Pickerel & Sun-Dried Tomato Ragout Fried fish is great, but sometimes you need to kick things up a level. Whether you’re entertaining guests or just looking for a new way to enjoy your fresh catch, this delicious recipe is sure to impress. INGREDIENTS

METHOD

4 1 cup 1 cup pinch 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1/8 cup 1 cup 2 cups 6 cups 1 ½ tbs 1/2 cup 3 oz

Place water, rice, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper into a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to med-low.

pickerel fillets (6 oz. each) flour cornmeal salt and pepper sun-dried tomatoes sliced black olives capers 35% cream basmati rice water butter chopped green onion olive oil

Remove fish and place on plate with paper towel. Once rice is cooked add chopped green onion.

In a medium sauté pan, add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tomatoes are soft and the cream is reduced by 3/4.

Divide rice amongst 4 plates, top with pickerel, spoon ragout on top and enjoy!

Place pickerel fillets, flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large Ziplok bag. Toss until well coated. Heat a large non-stick pan on medium. When pan is hot, add olive oil. Place fish in pan and cook until golden brown, about three to four minutes. Flip fish and continue cooking for another two to three minutes.

Special thanks to Jason Mohring of Tecvana Corporation for providing this recipe.

Fall 2010 – Real Fishing 65

CANADIAN

RECORD

MUSKIE

This painting by Charles Weiss was inspired by an old photograph the late John Power had taken back on October 16, 1988, at the Moon River area connecting to Georgian Bay. Ken O'Brien caught this massive fish on a small, gold coloured, sinking crankbait while fishing for walleyes. This catch goes to show that anyone can catch a giant fish at any time. Subject: Canadian Record Muskie Dimensions (inches): 24” x 30” Medium: Acrylic on canvas Contact: Charles Weiss Art Studio 34 Hughey Cr. Toronto, ON M1K 2V4 416-752-4363 charlesweiss@mail2chuck.com Website: www.charlesweissart.com

66 Real Fishing – Fall 2010

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