Spring 2018 by Real Fishing

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Spring 2018

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Contents Features 30 A GRAND GENTLEMAN Southwestern Ontario’s Grand River is home to a multitude of species and offers every type of fishing - from shore angling to canoe, kayak and drift boat fishing; power trolling to world-class fly fishing. Here’s a look at the river’s varied sections and how to succeed in any of them. By Mark Forabosco

40 COVER THE WATER COLUMN Professional bass angler Mike Iaconelli shares his time-tested tips and tricks for locating and catching bass from the surface to the bottom, in any lake you choose to fish. By David A. Brown

46 ALL IN THE FAMILY

54 TOPWATER MUSKIE ACTION

The Percidae family of fishes includes some 200 species, including perch and walleye, as well as dozens of smaller species known as darters. This article examines this unique, extended family and their relationship with their environments and with each other.

Few things in freshwater fishing can match the thrill of hooking up with a gigantic muskie, but enticing one of these beasts to break the surface and attack a topwater lure takes the excitement to a whole new level. These tips will help you get in on this heart-stopping style of muskie angling. By Charles Weiss

By Barry Corbett

Spring 2018 Volume 24, Issue 2 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey

Columns

National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi

6 OPENING LINES

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

By Jerry Hughes

Striped Bass

Contributors David A. Brown, Barry Corbett, Patrick Daradick, Mark Forabosco, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Ryan Lamothe, Steve May, Dave Taylor, Charles Weiss 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 $12.95. 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: SPRING FISHING WITH FRIENDS Photo by Izumi Outdoors

10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC

26 BEST FISHING TIMES

News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing

Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

28 THE HOT BITE 14 WHAT’S NEW The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories

16 FISHING By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING By Steve May

20 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX By Patrick Daradick

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

64 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Early Season Angling Now that Old Man Winter has drawn his last breath, it’s time to get down to some serious fishing. The spring is, arguably, one of the best times of the year to experience the kind of “dream” fishing every angler hopes for. Those magical days when the fish are stacked up and voraciously hungry are few and far between for most of the year, but they’re relatively common in the spring. Most sport fish species spawn in the early part of the open water season and that makes them fairly easy to find. They’re also hungry and that makes them more eager to bite. Around here, in southern Ontario, the first great opportunity comes when the creeks and rivers blow off their icy coats and steelhead start showing up in the waterways that feed the Great Lakes. Fresh from the lake pre-spawn steelhead are at their peak right now, sporting silver colours and possessing all the strength and stamina that make them famous. They are a completely different animal than the dark, flat-bellied creatures they become later on when the regular season opens. If you’re lucky enough to live near one of these tributaries, this is the time to get out there and enjoy some of the best fishing of the year for these incredible fish. Some steelhead waters have “all year” open seasons in their lower reaches while others restrict fishing to the rivermouth and harbour areas until the regular season opens later in April, so be sure to check the regulations before you head out. Following on the heels of the first steelhead runs comes the thawing of the lakes, and with that comes the panfish invasion into shallow water areas. Crappies and perch are the most targeted species as they congregate in large numbers in areas that warm first. Marinas, shallow dark-bottomed bays, creek mouths and similar sheltered areas can provide exceptional fishing and, with the warmer weather, they provide a great opportunity to get youngsters or 6 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

first-time anglers out on the water. These fish are eager biters, it doesn’t take a whole lot of high-tech gear to catch them and they are absolutely delicious. It’s no wonder so many anglers hurry to get their boats into the water to take advantage of this bountiful fishery. Pike are another fish that crowd into shallow areas in the early spring. At last ice they begin their spawning activities in shallow bays and marshes and they will stay there until the water warms up a little. When it does, these fish will start a slow migration to deeper water, so foregoing the back ends of bays in favour of the deeper mid sections and points leading to the lake basin will provide more consistent action, and generally larger fish. In a month or so, in early to mid-May depending on where you live, walleye season will open and provide another fantastic river or lake fishery. At this time of year walleyes are either congregated into their spawning areas or just starting to move out to their post-spawn locations, making them easy to locate and easy to catch. Everything from crankbaits to live bait rigs will get the job done and it’s not uncommon to catch dozens in a day if you hit the right spots. The fishing is generally faster now than it will be later in the season, when the fish have spread out to their summer habitats and become tougher to locate. Lake trout and whitefish will also be found in shallower areas now than they will be for the rest of the season as they move in to take advantage of the baitfish that stack up along shoals and rocky shorelines. Casting or trolling with minnowbaits, soft plastic swimbaits or flashy spoons will get their attention on most days. With all the great fishing opportunities that exist in the spring it’s easy to get caught

up in the action, regardless of what you fish for. But the spring can also be one of the most dangerous times of the year for anglers as warm weather and sunny days tend to make us focus on fishing more than on safety when we’re on the water. Those lakes and rivers that are teeming with fish are still cold; cold enough that a dunking could lead to serious problems, including hypothermia. It’s always smart to wear a PFD when you’re on the water, and it’s even more important when the water is cold enough to sap your strength in a matter of minutes. By all means, take advantage of the great fishing that’s available in the spring, but play it smart and ensure that you’ll be here to do it again next year. ?

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FISHED OUT?

8 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2018

We didn’t have the heart to wake this angler up and ask why he was taking a nap in his boat. We can only hope it’s because he was arm-weary and sun-baked from a great day on the water - and not because he had too much fun the night before...

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 9

LICENCE-FREE FISHING This year’s National Fishing Week runs from June 30 to July 8. Events such as festivals, clinics, derbies and workshops are being hosted across the country so anglers and non-anglers alike can get outside, spend some wholesome time with the family and develop a connection with conservation

10 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

through the enjoyment of fishing. In Ontario, Canadian residents can legally fish in Ontario waters without a licence during National Fishing Week, providing they abide by the Conservation Licence fishing limits that are set out in the current Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary.

With the exception of the licensing requirement, all regular Ontario fishing regulations, fees and limits continue to apply during license-free days. Whether you’re an experienced angler, or someone who wants to try fishing for the first time, there’s no better time to wet a line!

CANADIAN ANGLER MAKES HISTORY For the first time since FLW Tour tournament records have been kept, a Canadian angler has won one of these prestigious, top-tier events in the United States. During the Harris Chain of Lakes tournament, held in central Florida between February 22 and 25th, Peterborough’s Chris Johnston bested the 184 boat field with a total weight of 79-pounds, 6-ounces and took home the $100,000 first-place prize, along with an additional $25,000 in Ranger Cup winnings. Another Canadian, Jeff Gustafson, from Keewatin, Ontario, finished in second place with 77-pounds of bass. Anyone who fishes bass tournaments in southern Ontario is probably familiar with Chris and his brother Cory, who have dominated on just about any waterbody they have fished for the past several seasons. And anglers in the northern part of the province often find themselves “fishing for second place” when Jeff Gustafson is in the field. We’d like to congratulate Chris and Jeff on their outstanding showing and we wish them continued success both north and south of the border.

Photo by Andy Hagedorn, courtesy of FLW Outdoors.

EVENTS Calendar KIDS, COPS AND CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS

Year ‘round youth oriented fishing events. Various dates and locations. 877-822-8881 www.kidsandcops.ca

SASKATCHEWAN WALLEYE TRAIL

CSFL BASS TOURNAMENTS

May - September Various dates and locations in Saskatchewan www.saskwalleyetrail.ca

June - September Various locations in Ontario www.csfl.ca RENEGADE BASS TOUR

SOUTHERN ALBERTA WALLEYE TRAIL ORILLIA PERCH FESTIVAL

April 21 - May 12 Lakes Simcoe & Couchiching Orillia, ON www.orillia.com BLUEWATER ANGLERS SALMON DERBY

April 27 - May 6 Lake Huron Point Edward, ON www.bluewateranglers.com

May - June Various dates and locations in Alberta www.sawt.ca

NATIONAL FISHING WEEK ANGLER & YOUNG ANGLER TOURNAMENTS

June - August Various dates and locations in Canada and the United States www.lundboats.com/fishing-tournaments BERKLEY B1 TOURNAMENTS

KIWANIS WALLEYE WORLD

May 4 - 6 Bay of Quinte Trenton, ON www.kiwaniswalleyeworld.com

June - August Various locations in Ontario www.renegadebass.com

June - September Various locations in Ontario and Quebec www.berkleyb1.com

June 30 - July 8 License-free fishing days across Canada www.catchfishing.com ICAST

July 10 - 13 Orange County Convention Centre Orlando, FL www.icastfishing.org

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 11

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

Charles Caruana Burlington, ON Redfish

Mark Alford Griffith, ON Splake

Heinz Wohleser Guelph, ON Lake Trout

Mike Jenkins Burlington, ON Largemouth Bass

Sam Whaley Huntsville, ON Black Crappie

12 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

Catch BOB on the Tube! Tune in every Saturday morning on Global, and weekly on WFN, as Bob Izumi and his guests show you where, when and how to tackle the biggest fish from the hottest Canadian and international destinations.

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET

PROV./STATE

STATION

DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada

Global (CIHF)

Saturday 8:00 am

Calgary

Global (CICT)

Saturday 10:30 am

Edmonton

Global (CITV)

Saturday 10:30 pm

Ontario

Global (CIII)

Saturday 8:30 am

Quebec

Global (CKMI)

Saturday 8:30 am

Regina

Global (CFRE)

Saturday 7:30 am

Saskatoon

Global (CFSK)

Saturday 7:30 am

Vancouver

Global (CHAN)

Saturday 10:30 am

Winnipeg

Global (CKND)

Saturday 7:30 am

Canada/USA

WFN

Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

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

What’s

NEW

2018

MERCURY’S NEW V6 FOURSTROKES The new Mercury 175, 200 and 225-horsepower, V6 FourStroke outboards are precision engineered and packed with advanced technology to improve all aspects of performance and reliability. The 3.4-liter V-6 engines are the lightest in their category by more that 10-pounds and they deliver Mercury’s best four stroke hole shot, top speed and fuel efficiency. Idle Charge battery management prevents batteries from draining by sensing low voltage and automatically increasing the engine’s idle rpm to boost the alternator’s output and recharge the low batteries. The new-look cowl is offered in multiple color options and features a single-push, watertight top service door. The V-6 FourStroke outboards are available with mechanical or digital throttle and shift controls, and come with hydraulic (standard) or power (optional) steering.

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TACKLE WISE Cuda’s Tackle Center provides you with a convenient place to store your Cuda tools. It fits securely into most cup holders and the turning ring at the base locks it into place. The Tackle Centre fits multiple tools and knives of varying sizes and containment rods hug the tools to keep them from shifting around. The included netted cover connects in four spots to keep all your tools in place.

www.cudabrand.com

BUG BUSTERS Coleman’s new Icaridin-based aerosol and liquid insect repellents offer up to 12-hours of protection from mosquitos and ticks, and up to 10-hours of protection from blackflies. Both contain Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, and using them won’t leave you smelling like bug repellent. Icaridin is a topical insect repellent that entered the U.S. market in 2005 and was approved by Health Canada in 2012. It is considered to be as effective as Deet and the World Health Organization recommends it as a “safe and effective insect repellent for human use”. Icaridin does not harm fishing gear and is safe to use once a day on children between six-months and twoyears of age, and three times daily on those between two and 12years old.

www.colemanrepellents.ca

14 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distributors 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

RANGER’S ALUMINUM DEEP V BOATS Ranger Boats have introduced an all-new line of aluminum Deep V boats. The new boats are available in 16, 17 and 18-foot models with the choice of single or dual console, or walk-through windshield designs. Each model features 100percent welded, all-aluminum construction, an abundance of closed-cell foam flotation, Ranger’s custom fiberglass console and premium, marine-grade upholstery. Standard equipment includes a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics, an on-board battery charger, a factory-installed stereo, hydraulic steering, pull-up tie cleats, non-skid cockpit flooring and dual livewell/baitwells. Each model is available with a wide range of factory rigged outboards. The new Deep V models also come standard with a four-inch, channel steel frame Ranger Trail® trailer featuring a swingaway tongue, waterproof lights, swing jack and durable Road Armor finish to shield against rock chips, road debris and other hazards.

www.rangerboats.com

A NEW VISION Power-Pole’s new VISION onboard marine accessory management and multi-media touch-screen tablet allows multiple boat accessories to be connected and controlled by one smart device. Anything on the boat that has on/off capability can now be expanded and custom controlled with dimmers, presets and timers. VISION is the first marine tablet that runs on the Android platform and it is NMEA capable so you can see engine data like speed, rpm and fuel levels. When connected via Wi-Fi or personal hot spot, VISION can connect with thousands of Android apps allowing you to use your favorite fishing or navigation apps; use the built-in camera to take hands-free photos; post and share photos; check email or watch your favorite sports, movies or videos. Using the C-Monster App you can also customize any of your Power-Pole CM2 family of anchors and accessories.

www.power-pole.com/vision

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Spring Fling When it comes to spring fishing I always like to get in a good lake trout trip. On many lakes across the country the lake trout are up near the surface within two to

can’t get your float to sit properly with the little jig you’re using, add a small splitshot or two under your float. That way, when you swim the rig along and then stop it, your jig will “pendulum” down and quickly cock the float again.

three-weeks of ice-out. They’re very easy to pattern, they’re aggressive and hungry, and you can catch them either by casting or flatline trolling. You can get them on swim jigs, minnowbaits, spoons and a variety of other artificial lures. It’s one of those types of fishing that can get your open water season off to a great start. If there’s lake trout near you, early spring is definitely one of the best times of the year to get them. There are so many other opportunities when it comes to spring fishing and another one of my favourites is going after big northern pike. You can get a lot of big spring pike by going to the feeder bays and working around until you find the fish. We like to hit the backs of the bays, then move out towards the basin in the middle of the bay, then out to the points leading towards the main lake. Depending on what time of

16 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

the spring you’re fishing, those pike will usually be in one of those places close to their spawning areas. Look for newly emerging weed beds or dark bottom areas where the pike can rest and soak up the sun. Spring pike are pretty lackadaisical, at least until the water warms up so, if you aren’t getting fish, try changing to smaller baits and/or using a slower retrieve. If you’re going to use suspending jerkbaits, for example, make sure to add a long pause between jerks, up to 5 or 10-seconds, to give the pike lots of time to get to the bait and eat it. And go with the smaller versions of the big baits you’d use later in the season. In general, the baitfish are smaller in the spring and a pike’s metabolism is slowed down considerably after the spawn, so smaller baits seem to work better than really big ones. Crappies are reasonably predictable in the spring as well. You can go to a lot of the areas they spawn in and, depending on the type of lake that you’re fishing, catch them around wood, docks, lily pads, reeds and newly emerging weedbeds. It seems like they like to rub up against something when they’re spawning. We’ll go into a lot of the bays that warm up the quickest and try to fish as many targets as we can until we find a good school of fish. When we’re looking for spring crappies in shallow water we like to use a small, sensitive float and a 1/32 or 1/16-ounce jighead tipped with a small PowerBait creature, minnow or tube. There are a number of small GULP! baits that work well too. When it comes to the length of your lead under the float, I recommend anywhere from about one-foot to about 18-inches. A properly weighted float is important. If you

Spring perch fishing is about as easy as it gets. Just find the areas where they are spawning (that could be shallow or deep depending on the body of water you’re fishing) and you’re in business. Jig and float combinations tipped with small minnows or soft plastics are always effective in shallow water areas. In deeper spots, a simple perch rig tipped with live or artificial bait and fished on the bottom is all you need. This is super easy fishing and it can be a ton of fun since perch usually move around in big schools. It’s a great type of trip to take the kids along on and it usually ends up with some very tasty fish for the table. From where I live in southern Ontario, I can pretty well fish for every species of fish in the province within a two to three-hour drive of my home. I can easily get walleyes, crappies, steelhead, lake trout, perch and pike all in one week. In fact, my biggest decision in the spring is which species to target first! Depending on where you live, you may or may not have the same opportunities as I do but, wherever you fish, you can bet there will be some easy fishing waiting for you this spring. And there’s no better time to take advantage of it. ?

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fly fishing By Stephen May

Small Waters In today’s world of bigger and better; social media; instant gratification and the overall pace of life, I like to escape and try to turn back the clock whenever I can. One of my favourite ways to unplug is to seek out one of my most enjoyable fishing experiences from days gone by. These outings are not the things of Facebook posts that get hundreds of “likes”. They are personal and soul cleansing outings that do not need documenting with a GoPro. Small stream angling has an old school connection deep in my heart. It really is the core of what fly fishing is all about for me. Chasing small stream fish is not difficult. All you need is a light rod, a basic leader and a simple selection of flies. Waders are good to have along, but they’re not necessary. A pair of water shoes or even sandals and swim trunks will do in warmer seasons. Keeping it simple is a big part of the attraction of these outings. I often keep a small travel rod, a lanyard with a few fly tools and a simple selection of flies under the back seat of my truck. With this equipment available, spontaneous, quick little fishing expeditions are easy to take advantage of. There is nothing more refreshing for me than “taking a

18 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

lunch break” and catching a couple of fish when out touring. Even a half-hour outing can really improve a day. Once you start casting you will probably be surprised at the number of fish you catch. Small waters usually slip under the radar of the more popular spots that get the attention of the Instagram crowd. The fish in smaller waters are usually eager to see you if you slow down, wade carefully, and make reasonable presentations. To find these hidden gems, start by asking friends who have been fishing for a while, talking with staff at your local fly shop or listening carefully at your local fishing club. Take time to look at maps, looking for thin blue lines in headwater areas. Make sure the sites are not on private property. If they are, knock on the owner’s door and ask for permission to get access to the potential fishing wonderland. Many friendships and long term relationships have developed through these “Old School” methods that still work and are part of the attraction to this type of fishing.

Don’t get too caught up on the species of fish you are chasing with these tours. Take advantage of the local bounty. Although I love fishing for small stream brook trout, as the season warms smallmouth bass and panfish haunts are perfect. Most of the sites I fish close to home have numbers of smaller fish, but there can be surprises. Do not be shocked when you come across a monster that has been hiding under your nose. Big brown trout and bruiser bass make for memorable stories that I have heard and shared regularly with others who have discovered waters off the beaten path. Getting to know your local community, and the small aquatic wonders nearby, is a perfect way to get out and scratch your fishing itch in preparation for more “glamorous” waters. Who knows, you may develop a love for fishing these small waters and using them to relax, disconnect and lose yourself in some wonderful local fishing. ?

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

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

If you head to the southernmost portions of Florida for a fishing trip you might well expect to see a large aquatic reptile. In most cases that animal will turn out to be an American alligator, but another possibility is the American crocodile. Until just recently the breeding range of this reptile was confined to the southern tip of Florida’s Everglades and the Keys, however, climate change has brought gradually warmer conditions to the region and this species is slowly expanding its range. Individuals have been found as far north as Tampa on both sides of the coast. One even wandered as far north as Isle of Palms in South Carolina one summer. Although their range is expanding, no viable nests have yet been discovered outside of their traditional breeding range despite many documented attempts to nest. In addition to Florida, American crocodiles can be found in the Caribbean, Central America, the northernmost portion of South America and in Mexico. It would not be unheard of to encounter these animals well away from the shoreline out to sea as they tolerate, and even prefer, salt water much better than alligators do. They are not abundant in their North American range with a population of around 2,000 animals. In contrast, there are over a million alligators in Florida alone. Alligators are more tolerant of cold temper-

20 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

atures and can cope with the occasional below 0°C day. Should you meet a large crocodilian and you are unsure which species has crossed your path, there are several visual clues to look for. Alligators have broader, rounded snouts. A crocodile’s is narrower and pointed. Their colouration is generally lighter than an alligator’s, which can appear very dark as adults. In crocs there is typically at least one visible tooth protruding upwards while alligators lack this. I’ve been fortunate in my travels to encounter several species of crocodilians. The largest of these is the salt water crocodile found in the waters around Australia and New Guinea. I’ve seen them propel three quarters of their length out of the water using only their tails. They can be up to 23feet long and weigh up to 2,200-pounds. The American croc is a bit smaller with males averaging between 13 and 16-feet in length and weighing about 880-pounds. Females are about third smaller but they too are capable of leaping from the water. All crocodiles have powerful jaws that close with a vengeance, and once closed they are nearly impossible to pry apart. On the other hand, they do not have strong muscles to open their jaws and, should you need to,

you could easily hold them shut. I’ve seen Nile crocodiles, which are only slightly larger, grab hold of an adult wildebeest and not let go despite the fight the wildebeest put up. Crocodiles can swim at speeds up to about 20 mph, which is faster than you and I can swim. They can also run short distances at about 10 mph. They can stay submerged over 30-minutes when threatened, although 10 to 15-minutes is more normal. I once watched a croc in Africa feed on a dead hippo. Crocodiles cannot chew or bite off chunks of meat, instead, they grab hold of what they can get and spin. This soon tears off a chunk. American crocodiles feed on fish, other reptiles (including their own kind), alligators, birds and mammals up to the size of deer. Baby crocs feed on crabs, insects and other small prey. They are not a major threat to people but there have been attacks, and some fatalities, in Florida. In other parts of their range they are known predators on people, especially in Central America. If you see one, do not approach it! Crocodilians are the closest living relatives of birds; in fact, they are more closely related to birds than they are to other reptiles. It is not surprising that they make large nests which the females defend against predators. Although they make nests, crocodiles do not sit on them. The eggs are buried under vegetation which, as it ferments, provides heat to incubate the eggs. Upon hatching they will dig up their young and carry them in their mouths to safety at the water’s edge. After that they will protect them for a few months. The breeding season starts in February. Crocodiles are intelligent (for reptiles) and have been known to work together to corral fish in shallow water or against barriers. A few species have been documented using sticks balanced on their snouts to lure birds looking for nesting material into range. American crocodiles are at the top of their food chain and an important predator in their ecosystem. If you see one, enjoy this rare encounter – but keep your distance! ?

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the vintage tackle box

Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 25-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge and can be contacted online at www.ontariolures.com or by phone at 613-398-7245.

By Patrick Daradick

Dominion Fishing Tackle Company Owen A. Jones, a well-known Lake Simcoe and Toronto fisherman, started this business in a very small way when he opened up a storefront shop located at 2017 Danforth Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, in 1925. The lures produced from the beginning were all metal-type tackle. During the depression era, Dominion Tackle survived due to detailed production skills that were necessary to compete while manufacturing a product that was classified as a “nonessential item”. Good salesmanship, along with considerable mechanical aptitude to invent and produce innovative tackle, helped Dominion Tackle survive and compete against other well-known Toronto established tackle manufacturers during this era. In 1937, Dominion Fishing Tackle Company produced their first trade catalogue. Prior to this they had relied on flyer advertising. Their first trade catalogue consisted of a colourful front cover and 31-pages of hand drawn artwork and beautifully illustrated drawings describing each bait. The catalogue cover boasted of the company being known, “From Coast To Coast”. It also displayed their registered trademark, a

22 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

curved, leaping largemouth bass, and the tagline, Dominion Brand Metal Baits of Quality for Every Fishing Purpose. With the severe metal shortage during World War II, Dominion Tackle, along with many other tackle manufacturers, ceased or slowed production to support the war efforts. In 1955 Les Bedford purchased the Dominion Tackle Company and all its machinery, and moved the business to Oro Station, on the west side of Lake Simcoe, north of Barrie, Ontario. Les was a graduate mechanical engineer with much industrial experience. He made innovative machine changes to make the complex wire forming and stamping machinery produce better. This was the time that Dominion Tackle’s trade catalogue “B” was issued. The insert states: “Dominion Baits are so successful because they are all tested. Our founder, Mr. O. A. Jones, the well-known Lake Simcoe fisherman, designs our baits to meet actual

fishing conditions. Mr. Jones has fished our favourite lakes and streams and has travelled far, testing our baits under all conditions of water, wind and weather. The new designs have just that little extra that gets results.” Dominion Tackle employed 18 full-time and 6 part-time employees as well as some women who were doing lure assembly in their homes. During the company’s existence the name saw a change to Owen’s-Dominion Fishing Tackle. The only explanation would be the name of the original founder, Owen A. Jones, was incorporated into the name. It was later changed to strictly Owen’s. A lure card from the time states, “Dominion Fishing Tackle Mfrs., Division of Owen’s Enterprises”. Through the years the company manufactured some very well received metal lures for all types of gamefish, large or small. The lures were made with high quality materials and finishes, and they were always well displayed on colourful cards bearing the company name and location in Oro Station, Ontario. I think the most unique metal lure Dominion Tackle made was the Dominion Ice Fishing Decoy. It was something new on the market during these years and it was most likely tested on Lake Simcoe, a wellknown destination for winter ice fisherman in Ontario. Made in two sizes, 4 ½ and 6inches, the lure had been designed for balance, beauty and stability. It was a very popular seller in its day. The Dominion Tackle company has its place in Canadian fishing history, as its lures did once upon a time in many fisherman’s tackle boxes. ?

real fishing fish facts

Striped Bass Morone saxatilis

The striped bass is a coastal fish that, in Canada, can be found primarily in the Maritime Provinces, but is absent from the waters surrounding Newfoundland. It has been reported in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and into the St. Lawrence River, upstream to about Sorel, Quebec and there are local populations in areas of southern British Columbia. In the United States, striped bass can be found on both coasts from the Canadian border south to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico in the east, and to south to Mexico in the west. They have been transplanted from their native coastal habitat to several fresh water lakes and reservoirs where they have become a popular target species of sport fishermen. Striped bass have a long, narrow body, two separated dorsal fins and a distinctly forked tail. The lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper and the maxillary extends to the middle of the eye. They have numerous small, sharp teeth in the jaws and patches of teeth on each side of the tongue. Their color can range from olive green to steel blue or black on their upper flank and back, with silvery sides, occasionally with a brassy hue, and a white belly. The most noticeable markings are the seven or eight horizontal stripes than run along the fish’s sides. The stripes are broken rather than solid and they run from the front of the tail to the back of the head. Striped bass spawn in fresh water, generally running up large rivers to reach their spawning grounds. The runs occur in the spring, with the actual spawning activity taking place between May and July, in water temperatures between 14ºC and 24ºC. During the spawn, a single female can be joined by up to 50 males. The female moves to the surface where she rolls and quivers while the males bump her with their snouts, creating a large commotion on the water. It is during these periods of activity when the eggs and sperm are released. No nests are built and the eggs, which are semi-buoyant, are swept along in 24 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

the current until they hatch, usually within a few days of being released and fertilized. Striped bass are voracious feeders and the adults will eat a variety of fish, crustaceans, worms and insects. It’s not uncommon for adult striped bass to eat smaller members of their own species. Juveniles feed mostly on small shrimps, other small crustaceans and worms. While in their larval stage, zooplankton is the main food source. Growth rates are rapid during the first the first couple of years, in fact, a 2-year old striped bass can reach between 6” and 10” in length. Fully grown adults can reach well over 60-pounds. The current IGFA All-Tackle record for coastal striped bass sits at an amazing 81-pounds, 14-ounces for a fish that was caught in Long Island Sound, Connecticut in August, 2011. The record for a landlocked striped bass belongs to a monster weighing 69-pounds, 9-ounces which came from Alabama in 2013. Despite their appetite, striped bass don’t feed steadily. They tend to gorge themselves until they can’t eat any more, then they stop feeding altogether until they have completely digested their food. They also stop feeding for a short period just before spawning and during the actual spawn. In Canada, striped bass are not as commercially valuable a resource as they are in the United States, due to the fact that they are far more abundant in more southern regions. Where large populations are available, they are valuable as both a commercial and sport fishing resource. As a sport fish, striped bass are popular, especially in eastern Canadian rivers like the Shubenacadie in Nova Scotia and the St. John River in New Brunswick. There are also good sport fisheries in the estuaries of many Gulf of St. Lawrence feeder rivers in New Brunswick, like the Miramichi and Kouchibouguac. Striped bass fight hard and will often strike

topwater baits with reckless abandon, a trait that undoubtedly makes them popular with anglers. ?

DID YOU KNOW? The most noticeable markings on a striped bass are the seven or eight horizontal stripes than run along the fish’s sides. The stripes are broken rather than solid and they run from the front of the tail to the back of the head. Adult striped bass will often feed on small members of their own species.

FAST FACTS Colour: Olive green to steel blue or black on the upper flank and back with silvery sides and a white belly. Size: Five to 10-pounds on average but can grow to over 70-pounds. Life Span: Eight to 10-years on average. Habitat: Striped bass occur naturally along the Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters of North America. They have been successfully introduced into a number of freshwater lakes across the United States. Spawning: Late spring or early summer.

RECORD The current IFGA All-Tackle World Record coastal striped bass was caught in Long Island Sound, Connecticut, in August of 2011 and weighed 81-pounds, 14-ounces. The record for a landlocked striped bass is 69-pounds, 9-ounces. That fish was caught in Alabama in 2013.

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26 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

APRIL

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LEGEND

Excellent times shown first in bold font. Good times shown below in regular font.

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FRIDAY

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

25 8:06 8:30 2:03 2:27

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

THURSDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

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

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am NA pm 12:06 - 2:06 am 6:09 - 7:39 pm 6:33 - 8:03

JUNE

Best Fishing Times 2018

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SUNDAY

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30 3:18 3:42 9:15 9:39

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IS THAT A WALLEYE IN YOUR EYE... ? We’re not sure why this walleye is getting so up close and personal with Bob. Maybe it misunderstood when Bob asked the photographer to zoom in; or perhaps it’s a walleye’s version of a punch in the eye for catching it. Either way, it’s a great fish that definitely seems to have caught Bob off guard!

28 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

A GRAND G

30 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2018

ENTLEMAN By Mark Forabosco

It was a spot known by the locals as Schaeffer’s Gravel Pit. I had carefully hopscotched down the steep hill in my hip waders earlier that morning while my lone companion, an old Bluetick hound, was keeping busy scouring the river bank.

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 31

It was on the third cast that a big smallmouth hit my flatfish plug with all the subtlety of a rampaging tank and my rod bent like a bow from the pressure. The fish sounded and stayed deep; the battle progressed slowly at a deliberate pace until I finally had her within arm’s reach. She then cleared the surface and completely encircled me as I tried in vain to get a firm grip on her thrashing body. To add to the chaos, my hound had now taken notice of the ensuing struggle and decided to intervene on her master’s behalf by snapping at the bass like a wood chipper. In the end, with a prayer on my lips and good fortune, I was able to land my largest smallmouth bass up to that point in my angling career, a 21-inch, fivepound trophy. That moment was frozen in time and now, 35-years later, if I close my eyes I can still see the early morning mist hovering over the river like some solitary spectre and hear the calling of the church bell far off in the distance. The way my heart raced frantically upon the hook set, and the feeling of success once that fish was landed, I have forgotten none of it. In those days, to see two canoes drifting the river over an entire summer was noteworthy. To find another angler working the same stretch of water would be considered unimaginable. That river still runs, and though the human intrusion is far more prevalent, with numerous canoes seen drifting through every weekend, the creation of popular public walking trails along its banks and increased angling pressure, this water has still been able to retain its magic. Back then it was considered polluted and was rarely spoken of with praise. But, in 1994 it was designated as a heritage river and has since found new life due to strong conservation measures and it now supports a vibrant sport fishery.

The Upper Grand The main tailwater of the upper Grand River begins near Dundalk, Ontario, and flows steadily south until it reaches the first major impoundment, Shand Dam, which was built in 1942 and is also known as Belwood Lake. This lake, originally noted for its pike fishery, and later for its smallmouth bass, now also has a flourishing population of walleye. There has been some debate on who initially introduced walleye 32 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

into the system. Genetic testing and studies indicate that they are a Kawartha Lakes strain. The general consensus is that some creative/outlaw anglers (depending on one’s point of view) released a number of walleye into the lake and over time they gained a foothold and began to reproduce. The cold water below the dam has a healthy forage base made up of minnows and insect hatches, creating a thriving fishery for brown trout. Browns can be located all the way through Fergus, Elora, Inverhaugh, and into the hamlet of West Montrose, famous for its covered bridge.

The first stockings took place in 1989 and continue to this very day. Every year an average of over 25,000 fingerlings are released with the hopes of one day reaching significant proportions. Browns as large as 8-pounds have come from this area and it is not uncommon to see anglers from as far away as Michigan and New York fly fishing here, hoping to fool a wary trophy. If you are a fly fishing aficionado, stoneflies and streamers will put the lion’s share of trout in the bottom of the net. If you’re a traditional lure angler, and want to try something unique, get your hands on a bamboo spinning rod and throw classic spinners such as Mepps and Panther Martins with feathered hooks. Some sections of the river are designated as catch and release only with single barbless hooks, so make sure you read the latest version of the Ontario Fishing Regulations before fishing these waters. Ken Collins, of Grand River Troutfitters, has been pursuing browns on the Grand for over two decades and has many memorable fish to his credit, some stretching the measuring tape to 30-inches. Ken believes that the trout thrive here for a number of differ-

Ken Collins with an exquisite brown trout.

ent reasons. First, the river has significant dry fly activity and the hatches are large and spread over many areas of the river. Second, the trout are stocked far apart - they are released in over 30 separate sites along a 26-kilometer stretch of river. Ken also points to evidence that there is some, although minimal, natural reproduction occurring in the upper Grand.

The Middle Grand This part of the river is where I cut my teeth on smallmouth bass and pike, fishing from Kitchener through Cambridge and into the historic town of Paris. Deep pools and channels, fast water sections with large boulders providing ambush points, current breaks and protective cover create an

Barna Robinson with an average sized Grand River smallmouth.

exceptional habitat where forage abounds. The middle portion of the Grand contains the greatest density of smallmouth per kilometer. Most bass average a pound or two, but fish up to five-pounds are landed every year. Spinners and minnow baits will hook the majority of the bass, but if you’re looking for some real excitement and your goal is to land one of the larger smallmouths, I would suggest going with a topwater lure and fishing it in the slower, deeper pools. Properly fished surface baits can unhinge even the savviest of smallmouth, representing an easy meal with minimal effort.

If you’re searching for an experienced guide, Barna Robinson of Baer Fishing Adventures would get my tip of the hat. Barna guides from below Cambridge all the way into Brantford. It isn’t unusual for his clients to hook into as many as fifty bass in an outing, and sometimes more. What a perfect way for a father and son to spend a day together forging a memory! When I was a kid, pike up to 10-pounds were caught with some regularity. Today they are not as numerous as they once were between Kitchener and Cambridge, but can still be found lurking in the deeper sections of the river. Large brass or silver spinners, or a six to eight-inch minnow bait with a couple of split shot added to get it down between three and five-feet, will suffice should you wish to tangle with a northern. If it’s crappies that you are after, downsize to small jigs or minnows when fishing from Parkhill Dam in Cambridge through to Paris. If you take your time and fish the right locales there is a very good chance of connecting with an active school. This portion of the river is also home to a small, resident walleye population. Though not big in numbers, fish over seven-pounds have been landed, generally giving an unsuspecting angler a real surprise. Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 33

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If you have a desire to land rainbow trout while surrounded by a kaleidoscope of autumn colours, you share a similar mindset with Barna. One of his greatest passions is getting out below the Paris dam in his drift boat with an eager client and tossing spoons for some of those spirited fall-run ‘bows. These trout, some reaching double digit weights, are fresh from the lake and are guaranteed to give a thrilling account of themselves. Barna is a gifted angler and he is happy to share his piscatorial wisdom with his clients. As on the upper Grand River, there are special fishing regulations in effect in Paris, from Highway 2 down to the foot bridge. This is a no kill area and only artificial lures with barbless hooks are permitted. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the rules before heading out on your own.

The Lower Grand From below Wilkes Dam in Brantford through Caledonia to the final dam in Dunnville, this section has some of the most diverse fishing in the entire system. Aside from wetting a line from shore, one has the option to angle from a boat for resident walleye and bass, or migrating rainbow trout later in the season. This part of the river is wider and with a greater depth, averaging four to eight-feet with some holes bottoming out at 15-feet. Trolling with body baits is a time proven technique guaranteed to fool the cagey walleye and bass that call this area home. Here the river runs through Six Nations land, the countryside appearing much as it did a century ago. There are a number of launching sites between Branford and Caledonia that provide anglers with easy access to the river.

When fishing below the Caledonia dam you never know what you are going to catch. Walleye and channel catfish averaging in the two to four-pound range are generally on most anglers’ minds when they come here. Jigs tipped with a worm or minnow will catch both species on any given day. Concentrate on the tail end of the deeper, faster runs and channels or try bouncing a dew worm off bottom in the pools with slower drifts. Later in the autumn, if the conditions are right, you may be able to track down schools of crappie near the dam, some of which can reach very respectable sizes.

Near the end of October all it takes is a good rain or two to get the steelhead to make their way up river. There are a number of options at your disposal, such as float fishing with roe and flies or, my favourite

The author with a very respectable steelhead caught in the lower Grand River.

method, throwing spoons and wobbling plugs. Make sure you come prepared with the right equipment, as some of these trout can push the scale past the 15-pound mark. In a nutshell, if you want to do well you should be willing to cover some ground as there are multitudes of fish holding structures and islands in the area. If the fishing is tough, focus on secondary structure as it 36 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Grand River was once noted for its sturgeon and muskie populations but the building of dams throughout the system, along with pollution, is believed to be the main reason for their eventual disappearance. My personal wish would be to see the reintroduction of both species. Above the dam in Caledonia all the way to Brantford would make for an ideal stocking site. The river in this area is at its widest and deepest, with minimal angling pressure, abundant natural forage and a number of feeder streams and creeks for spawning opportunities and nurseries. Just imagine what it could do for an already fabulous fishery! A clipping from the November 1, 1928 issue of the Simcoe Reporter attests to the great muskie fishing that once existed in the Grand River.

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Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 37

Steve Hardcastle with a beautiful channel catfish.

receives less attention from anglers. Look for things such as large boulders or narrow troughs of deeper water. Though these secondary areas may hold fewer trout, they are less pressured and the fish are less skittish and more apt to strike, whether you’re using natural or artificial bait. The river below Dunnville Dam is the ideal place for the angler with a small aluminum boat, although larger watercrafts can also navigate this water. While there are verified reports of the odd sturgeon or muskellunge being landed, most serious fishermen know that this section of the Grand is one of the top spots in Ontario to tackle with giant

channel catfish. From the beginning of April until early June oversized channel catfish make their way up river to spawn. Heavy duty tackle is an absolute must for this business. Cut sucker meat or dead smelts are some of the more popular baits. Steve Hardcastle has been plying his trade on the Grand since he was a young boy and, because of that, he has been the premiere catfish guide in the area for 17-years. His largest channel catfish to date is a 34four pound goliath. He explained to me that, overall, the fishing is better now than at any other time. Steve attributes much of this to the fact that the commercial fishery in the area no longer exists, allowing fish to not only grow bigger but to increase in numbers. Steve also makes cat brine sucker, his own commercial catfish bait that he sells from his tackle shop.

Parting Thoughts The Grand is, arguably, the most captivating river in Ontario. Home to more than 80 species of fish, it is famous for its renowned brown trout fishery. Numerous small and large dams maintain water depth and volume along its expansive route, cre-

ating a thriving and diverse fishery. This old gentleman of a river has blessed fisherman from far and wide over many years, leaving them with everlasting angling memories. It is a sanctuary of sorts, where secret spots have been handed down from fathers to sons for generations. If you have yet to wet a line there, but have a desire to, I would strongly suggest you set aside a day, slip on a pair of waders and prepare to make a memory of your very own. ?

GRAND GUIDES If you’re thinking about making a trip to the Grand River, you might want to enlist the aid of a guide who knows the water and the special regulations that are in place on various sections of the river. These guys can definitely put you on fish and ensure you have a memorable outing no matter what species you’re after. Barna Robinson Baer Fishing Adventures 519-718-8113 www.baerfishingadventures.com Steve Hardcastle Fishmaster’s Ultimate Sport Fishing Charters 905-701-6874 www.fishmastersultimatecharters.com Ken Collins Grand River Troutfitters 519-787-4359 www.grandrivertroutfitters.com

38 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

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40 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2018

THE

WATER COLUMN Choose the Right Baits for Thorough Coverage By David A. Brown

After 20-years as a professional bass angler, Mike Iaconelli has a good idea of where to find bass in just about any scenario. Stop there. Experience aside, the New Jersey pro will quickly tell you that he makes no assumptions or promises; in fact, he’s all about keeping himself ready to play the game wherever the fish want it played. “You’ve heard it stated different ways: fishing the moment, fish the conditions, fish the fish; but it’s the premise that every time you go out those fish are constantly changing where they are in the water column,” Iaconelli said. “Some of that you can predict based on water temperature, water clarity and barometric pressure. To a certain extent you can predict it, or put yourself in the ballpark, but at the end of the day that fish is a living creature and he’s going to do what he wants to do.”

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 41

“If I figure out that the bluff is a sheer 30foot drop, but the fish are suspended at 15feet down, you just count it down 15-seconds and you’re in the zone of the fish,” he said. “When you’re in search mode that is so important to do. If I’m looking for the fish, I’ll count it down 10-seconds, then I’ll try 12-seconds, then 15-seconds and so on, until I find the fish. Once you get that first bite, then it becomes predictable.”

PIT BOSS

Iaconelli said he fishes through the different water column zones to get his first bite and then adjusts his focus accordingly. Are the fish feeding near the top? Are they suspended in the middle? Or are they feeding along the bottom? Variables are many, but here’s a consistent truth: no bait will effectively work the entire water column. That’s why Iaconelli places his trust in a trio carefully selected for top-top-to-bottom coverage — a Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper, a Havoc Beat Shad and a Havoc Pit Boss. “My rule of thumb is to cover the water column top to bottom — top, middle and bottom,” Iaconelli said. “The other thing I try to do with a lure selection like that is have things that cover finesse and things that cover power fishing. Those baits will catch fish no matter where you are; I don’t care if you’re in Florida or Canada.” Following is a breakdown of Iaconelli’s game plan.

BEAT SHAD This ribbed swimbait is one of Iaconelli’s more versatile baits because it can cover water from the surface to as deep as he lets it fall. The top choice whenever the bass are chasing baitfish, he fishes the Beat Shad on a 1/16 to 1/4-ounce darter head jig with a 90-degree line tie, which is crucial for proper tracking. “The Beat Shad is a lure that hits all the zones; top, middle and bottom,” Iaconelli said. “You’re controlling where you hit based on the weight you rig and your retrieve/rod posture. One of my favorite ways to fish it is on a light dart head with a high rod posture. I can fish this bait just a 42 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

foot below the surface for fish feeding up, or let it run deeper.” “In northern fisheries, I’ve seen it thousands of times, the smallmouth get right below the smelt, alewives, or emerald shiners. You might idle over a flat and see bait holding at 12-feet over a 20-foot spot. It’s hard to hit them with crankbait, but I can run that beat shad right over the fish.”

Favoring bluff walls and spinning tackle for the Beat Shad, Iaconelli may go up to a 1/4-ounce head and count his bait down, about a foot per second for this size.

For the standard Texas-rigged pitching/punching deal, Iaconelli pairs this bait with a 3/8 to 1-ounce weight and generally throws it on heavier (15 to 20-pound) fluorocarbon line, but he’ll go with braid in heavier cover for more of a power fishing technique. Complementing the in-and-out stuff, Iaconelli touts the Pit Boss’ versatility.

“In northern waters, this is a search-anddestroy bait,” he said. “I can pitch it at several different cover pieces and it’s effective at each. I can pull into a pocket and pitch the Pit Boss to a laydown on a point, I can fish it around a dock, I can flip it into reeds and, on my way out of the pocket I fish grass on the drains. I’ll also swim it a lot on a Texas-rigged presentation. I like that the

BOTTOM HOPPER

Pit Boss has action on the swim. It has the classic beaver style shape, but it has legs with tremendous action.” A proven bait anywhere from Lake Champlain to the Great Lakes to the Canadian Shield lakes, the Pit Boss comes in 3, 4 and 5-inch sizes. Iaconelli keeps all three handy and matches the profile to the indigenous forage. Is the area littered with tiny, young-of-the-year baitfish, hefty rock bass, or something in between? Whatever the bass are eating is what he wants to mimic.

Iaconelli says he’ll occasionally Texas rig this one with a light weight, but he’s most commonly rigging the finesse worm on a 3/16-ounce VMC Rugby Head. Working specific targets, such as docks or riprap, Iaconelli believes the shaky head presentation gets more attention. “For me, it’s about how the bait stands up on the bottom,” he said. “When you Texasrig any straight tail worm, the bait lays on bottom and pulls across the bottom, but a shaky head, it puts the bait nose down and tail up. It’s a bottom presentation but that tail is constantly moving on the bottom. It’s like a hand signal saying, ‘Here I am!’” “A lot of places have silted bottom, wood, or grass, so I like to get the bait above that cover to relate to the fish. That tail lifting and falling is a more natural look — like a crawfish in the defensive position, a small eel nosing down to feed or a darter minnow feeding down.” Iaconelli offers two key rigging tips for the 6¼-inch Bottom Hopper: First, he bites off about 1/4 of the bait to shorten it; but

also to create a flat spot so when he threads it onto the jig the plastic seats perfectly to the head. Also, he rigs the Bottom Hopper with the flat side facing down because that makes it glide on the fall. Iaconelli Texas rigs the Bottom Hopper when heavy grass or pads render the shaky head presentation less effective. Here, a pegged bullet weight helps his bait slip in and out of cover.

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 43

wholesale color change to a large section of a bait - tails, pinchers, etc. - scented color dips offer a quick and simple option. However, when he wants a more fine-tuned accent like a shad dot or scale pattern, Iaconelli relies on a dye pen for the precision he needs. In either case, the ability to stand out in stained water or push a finicky fish over the edge is well worth the effort.

Because this is almost always a finesse application, Iaconelli fishes the Bottom Hopper/shaky head either on straight 6 or 8-pound fluorocarbon, or on 15-pound braided line with a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader.

Such limitations, Iaconelli said, can greatly limit his search mode. We all know that a lot of fishing success comes down to putting the right bait in front of a fish at the right moment. So, if three bait changes rob you of, say, 10 casts each, you’ve lost 30 chances of finding that right intersection. “When you’re searching, having baits that cover each of those zones in the water column, then you’re like a machine,” Iaconelli said. “You pull into a pocket, you fire around with a bait that covers the top and if you don’t get bit, you put it down. You grab one that covers the middle, you fire around and if you don’t get bit, you put it down. Before you leave that area you fire around with a bait that coves the bottom and then all of a sudden you get bit and it’s a 3-pounder. That’s why you want to have all those baits tied on - they’re different tools for different jobs.”

COLOUR CODE When it comes to color selection, Mike Iaconelli takes a straightforward and efficient approach. For him, the plan is based on a simple objective - impersonate the indigenous forage.

Iaconelli explains: “With the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss, I like the colors that mimic bluegill or crawfish; on the Havoc Beat Shad I definitely lean toward the baitfish colors and on the Havoc Bottom Hopper I stick with really basic colors. If you have something that’s green pumpkin, if you have something that’s Junebug and if you have something that’s a little more translucent, like a watermelon, you have everything you need.” Now, even these prudent bait color choices can benefit from a little enhancement. And while Iaconelli likes the artistic touch, he lets his objectives determine his technique. For a 44 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

DIAL IT IN “The fish are going to be in one of those zones in the water column, so you just have to fish for them to find them; and then it’s just a matter of using the right bait,” Iaconelli said. “For me, I like to be prepared; and I don’t just mean a guy who has 30 rods and a $60,000 bass boat. It’s also the guy in a kayak and the guy that’s fishing the bank.” “Having baits that cover each zone ready until you find the fish is so key. If I’m out there fishing and I only have a bait that covers the top zone tied on, if I have to stop and take the time to re-tie or rummage through a hatch, I’m less inclined to just follow my gut and fish instinctively.”

Truth: you can’t make the fish appear where you want them to appear. However, you can put yourself in position to mine the day’s opportunities with prudent bait selection! ?

ALL IN THE

46 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2018

By Barry Corbett

FAMILY

We’ve all attended them, the family reunion where the “self-appointed family genealogist” lines up reluctant kids and declares how much they look like Great Grandpa or Grandma. We all dutifully agree, although no one can imagine them as children! Or those awkward moments when long lost cousins appear and nobody recognizes them. We think they’re the caterers. So much for family resemblances! Well, fish also belong to families and, like any family, there are members who resemble each other and there are others where the family connection isn’t as obvious. In the freshwater world, I can’t think of a family more diverse in size, shape and lifestyles than the Percidae or perch family! The most well-known members of this family are the walleye, sometimes referred to as pickerel; the sauger and, of course, the yellow perch who bears the family name. But did you know there are a number of other family members collectively called the “darters” with exotic names like rainbow, Iowa or Johnny? Walleye, sauger and perch can be found throughout North America with equivalent versions (zander and European perch) in Europe, Scandinavia and Russia, while an amazing 107 species of darters are only found in North America. In Lake of the Woods, Ontario, where I live, there are five species of darters - Iowa, Johnny, log perch, river and blackside – along with walleye, sauger and yellow perch. Although there is tremendous diversity in size, shape and colours, all members of the Percidae family share some common traits. The family is distinguished by two well separated dorsal fins, the first possesses sharp spines while the second is soft rayed. These fins act like ballast, keeping the fish from rolling, and are used like a sail to execute sharp, quick turns. The pectoral and pelvic fins, positioned just behind the head, control direction, balance and braking. Percidae use them in unison, like a double set of oars, to hover and perform tight maneuvers. Another common feature amongst Percidae is that the pelvic fin is equipped with one spine while the anal fin has one or two spines. These sharp spines, as well as the first dorsal fin spine, act as a deterrent to predators - just ask any fisher unfortunate enough to be poked by one!

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 47

A typical walleye.

If anything exemplifies the diversity exhibited by this family, it is the wide range of sizes and ages that its members can achieve. Walleye, sauger and perch are literally the “big three” with walleye being the Fish technician, Sarah Huck, identifies the physical characteristics of a sauger.

Photo by Tim Edison, INHS

48 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

largest - achieving lengths of over 30-inches and weights of over 20-pounds. The maximum recorded length for a walleye is 42inches and that fish weighed a hefty 29pounds! Walleyes also live longer than any other Percidae with populations in the southern part of their North American range reaching ages of 10 to 12-years. Those in the north can live for over 20years. The oldest recorded walleye reached the ripe old age of 29-years. Although saugers are almost identical to walleyes in appearance, they tend to be smaller and shorter lived. Sauger typically range in size from 10 to 16-inches and weigh between ½ and 2-pounds, but they can grow larger on occasion. The current record sauger tipped the scales at 8-pounds, 12-ounces and was caught in North Dakota back in 1971. Southern saugers normally live between 5 and 6-years while their northern counterparts can reach 12 to 13years of age. Next in size are the perch, with adults typically ranging from 6 to 12-inches in

length and reaching weights of ¾-pound, although fish over 12-inches and weighing over a pound are relatively common. In 1865 a whopping 4-pound, 3-ounce perch was angled and it still stands as the world record today. Perch live to between 9 and 12-years of age and, like their cousins, northern populations tend to grow slower and live longer than southern populations. Although perch are the runts of the big three, they are gigantic in comparison to darters! To the untrained eye you might

Yellow Perch are one of Canada’s most recognizable gamefish

mistake a darter for a baby walleye or perch but these little miniature versions of their bigger cousins are fully grown adults. Most darters are no bigger than 2 to 3-inches long, and 3 to 4-years is considered a long life for these pint-sized Percidae. Of the darter species we have in Lake of the Woods, the log perch is the “goliath”, sometimes reaching the staggering length of 7-inches, but it most often measures in the 4-inch range. Colours vary between species, and even within a specie, and can be influenced by the colour of the water they live in. But it is their differing markings that truly distinguish Percidae from each other. Walleye are usually olive-brown to golden brown while their twin, the sauger, is often sandy or dull brown in colour. However, in

some waters it is almost impossible to distinguish these two species by colour and only their unique markings will give their identity away. Walleyes have a distinctive white spot on their tail while the sauger lacks this. Sometimes this white spot can be very small or faded and an inexperienced angler may confuse these two species. The best way to tell them apart is to look for a single black spot on the base of the first dorsal fin, indicating a walleye. The sauger displays a series of black dots on this fin. There’s no mistaking the yellow perch. The back and head are usually bright green to olive with yellow along its flanks and several distinctive “tiger bars” extending from its back down the sides. On larger individuals their pectoral and pelvic fins can be brilliant orange. There’s no question - a

yellow perch in full colours outshines its bigger cousins! The diminutive darters spend a great deal of time avoiding a host of predators. As a result they tend to be drab in colour and often mimic their surroundings. Iowa darters, for example, often live near aquatic vegetation or organic debris and are dark or olive brown in colour. Johnny darters, on the other hand, favour sandy or silty bottoms and are pale brown or straw coloured. The males of some darter species, however, throw caution to the wind and display vibrant colours when mating. Without a doubt, the appropriately named rainbow darter is the peacock of this group. Some consider this male darter in breeding dress to be the most beautiful of all our native fishes! Regardless of their colour, each of the 107

Walleye (top) and Sauger (bottom) are similar in appearance, but there are subtle differences between them.

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 49

A male rainbow darter in spawning colours.

species of darters can usually be identified by the shape, size or number of distinctive markings found along their sides. So how does this family make its living? Undeniably walleye are at the top of the food chain – a voracious apex predator. Like the Tasmanian devil in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons, walleyes eat virtually anything that moves, including mayflies, leeches, crayfish, frogs, numerous species of fish, and small mammals that make the fatal

Photo courtesy of Hamilton Conservation.

mistake of venturing into the water. Opportunistic feeders, they prey upon whatever is abundant, with a particular preference for yellow perch and ciscoes. While smaller in size, saugers share the same predatory ferocity and feed upon many of the same organisms as walleyes. Lower on the pecking order are the yellow perch. While perch may strike fear into the hearts of many a small fish, much of their diet consists of immature insects, midges,

mosquitoes and larger invertebrates such as crayfish, dragonfly and mayfly nymphs. Little fish are usually relegated to eating small food items and darters know their place, feeding primarily on zooplankton like water fleas, copepods and a variety of benthic organisms such as midge larvae, mayfly nymphs and amphipods. In reference books darters are described as, “converters of small benthic materials to larger forms within the aquatic community”,

Darters, like this logperch, are often on the menu for walleyes, sauger and perch.

Photo courtesy of Gallery.Nanfa.org.

50 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

which is a polite way to say they are “a la carte” for larger fish. There is absolutely no loyalty in this family of fishes. Darters are fair game for the big three and walleyes, saugers and yellow perch will in turn eat each other, as well as their own offspring. Let’s put it this way, there are no millennials living in the basement of this family! The most fascinating aspect of this family is their diversity of reproductive strategies, running the evolutionary gambit from broadcast spawners to parental care. At one end of the spectrum are the walleye and sauger, who congregate in the spring and migrate to rapids or riffles in rivers, or along wind-swept lake shores or shoals, to spawn. These areas have a layer of rocks, cobble or gravel to protect the eggs from predation and are subject to current or wave action, keeping the rocks free of debris and silt and preventing egg suffocation. Broadcast spawning behaviour is quite simple with two or more males following a female and simultaneously releasing sperm

and eggs over a suitable habitat. Thousands of eggs are abandoned with the hope nature will ensure sufficient numbers survive to continue the population. Perch, on the other hand, utilize a totally different strategy thus eliminating the need for specialized habitat conditions. The female produces a unique gelatinous egg strand with accordion-like folds that are covered with pores. Most strands are small and contain approximately 28,000 eggs, but egg strands can reach 7-feet in length and may hold over 210,000 eggs. Similar to walleye and sauger, the female perch is followed by several males but, instead of broadcasting thousands of individual eggs over a rocky bottom, she will shed the egg strand over rooted vegetation, submerged brush, fallen trees or over a simple bottom of sand or gravel while the males release sperm. The egg mass is semi- buoyant, preventing it from sinking into silt or mud and suffocating. The pores on the folds act as bellows, allowing fresh water to be pumped in and wastes expelled by wave action or

water movement. This ability to spawn virtually anywhere results in high reproductive success and abundant populations - which is handy when your larger cousins are looking to make a meal out of you! It’s the darters’ spawning behaviours that are truly fascinating. This is the one time they outdo their big cousins and, like everything else in this family, their spawning habitats and behaviours are varied. Some like to bury their eggs in stream riffles (rainbow darter) or along beaches (log perch). The least darter prefers to stick their adhesive eggs onto plant stems and the Iowa darter chooses fibrous roots. Greenside darters favour individual rocks covered with algae while fantail darters utilize the underside of a rock. Regardless of their habitat preference, the male of most species of darters will establish a small territory they defend from other males while enticing a female to enter. In most species the male initiates courtship. One exception is the male greenside darter who can be a reluctant

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Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 51

suitor, letting the female take the “bull by the horns”! Some darter species are monogamous, remaining with each other for a few days or weeks until all the eggs have been laid. Others are promiscuous - the female shares a small number of eggs with one male and moves on to find a new partner. Typically most species will lay only a few hundred eggs. In many species the eggs are not cared for, although the presence of the courting male, as he waits for other females, provides indirect protection. The Johnny darter, however, takes an active role in the protection and care of the eggs. He may not be as flamboyant as his rainbow cousin, but he takes parenting seriously. The male Johnny darter selects a rock, log, mussel shell or even an old tin can, clearing a space underneath it and meticulously cleaning its underside. Males will chase both females and other males from his little castle but, if a female approaches upside down, this signals “she’s the one”. Like underwater acrobats the nuptial couple enters the spawning chamber upside down, grasps the underside of the rock/log/shell/ with their pectorals and proceed to mate - quite a feat for a little fish! As the pair move under the cover they maintain contact with each other using their pectorals. As she lays an egg, the male will immediately fertilize it. After laying 30 to 200 eggs the honeymoon is over and the female will abandon the nest, seeking a new suitor. Meanwhile, the male will patiently wait for another upside down passerby and settle into his new role as dad. If he’s lucky to attract additional partners his nest may contain up to 1,000 eggs. For the next 6 to 10-days,

until the eggs hatch, he aggressively protects the brood from predators. Between bouts of heroism, this peewee gymnast will clean the eggs upside down with his fins. Flipping upright he will fan the eggs with his pectorals, ensuring they are well oxygenated. If he detects fungus on an egg (a sure sign it is dead) he will eat it, thereby keeping the others safe from infection. This gives a whole new meaning to the term, “Father knows best”! As diverse as their reproductive behaviours are, Percidae have one thing in common - they all spawn in spring and early summer, and spawning is triggered by warming water temperatures. Diversity is not limited to just their physical and behavioural characteristics, but also how we view this family. Walleyes are the most sought after freshwater specie by both sport and commercial fishers and yet their identical cousin, the sauger, is often over looked or undervalued. Come opening season, everyone will head out looking for walleye, but when’s the last time you heard an angler say, “I’m going sauger fishing”? Even though their flesh and taste is identical to walleye, the sauger often fetches a lower price in commercial fisheries and are sometimes marketed as sand pickerel or baby pickerel to encourage consumers to buy them. I have to admit, these two species

A male Johnny darter.

Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

52 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

remind me of Mark Twain’s, The Prince and the Pauper - two young boys identical in appearance with one held in high esteem because of his royal birth while the other leads a much less glamorous life. How we view perch depends on where you live in Ontario. Those in Southern Ontario and around the Great Lakes highly value this specie for sport as well as for table fare whereas in Northern Ontario they are often thrown away by anglers and seldom appear on a menu. When I first came to Lake of the Woods in the early ‘90s I often found yellow perch discarded on the ice. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and I would quickly scoop them up and prepare a perch feast. Times are changing though, and today more and more people in the north are realising and appreciating the qualities of this delicious member of the perch family. What can I say about darters? Most likely if you have spotted one you probably mistook it for a minnow. Too small to be angled or eaten, the only humans who are obsessed by them are fisheries biologists and underwater photographers. The next time you go fishing for walleye, sauger or perch, check out what they were eating. You might be surprised to find one of the family in its stomach. And next time you’re strolling along the beach, take a peek in the water. If something small darts by guess who? ?

TOPWATER

54 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2018

MUSKIE ACTION By Charles Weiss

Spring 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 55

A metallic “thump” could be heard in the distance, echoing across the water through the morning mist on the lake. Two brothers, who were fishing in the boat up ahead, could be heard commenting in a joking manner. “I woke ‘em up - you feed ‘em breakfast.” They were fishing boathouses along the lakeshore when one cast went off target and hit the boathouse door. The other brother’s cast, with a surface bait, splashed down and was attacked with a sudden swirl by a hungry muskie. From a distance I could see them quickly measure and release the fish back into the water. It was a little over 40inches in length. There are many reasons why I muskie fish early on summer mornings. It seems the lakes in this part of Northeastern Ontario can bring a refreshing vigor. During a hot spell, cooler mornings are good for both anglers and muskies. The anticipation of a super-hot sunny afternoon makes the need to be out on the water early even more urgent. Besides, the early morning fresh air can fill you up with a hidden energy, and the sounds of the water lapping against the surrounding shore harmonize like at no other time. Add to this the excitement of seeing the water boil up around your lure as a muskie strikes, and the day becomes infinitely more exhilarating. Local muskie fisherman Ron Phillips told me, “I find the “muskiest” bite to be between 8 and 10 in the morning.”

56 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

Ron, who calls himself “The Tackle Junkie”, has enjoyed chasing after muskie on this Northeastern Ontario Lake for over 30-years and he suggests casting large surface baits.

No matter how much you expect a muskie to strike, its appearance on the surface is still a surprise. Like the villain in a scary slasher movie, it’s hard to remain relaxed when you’re anticipating what’s going to happen next. I hope I never see the day when I don’t startle and jump a little bit when a muskie crashes my lure. Until then I will probably miss a few muskies because I strike too quickly. In my head I try and remember to only strike when I see the lure disappear and I feel the weight of the fish but, like most fishing tricks, it is easier said than done. I’m guessing that muskies share a problem with other long jawed animals like alligators and sharks. If they attack straight on they will hit the prey with their nose, so they have to roll or turn slightly to aim at what they’re about to bite. Consider casting a surface bait shaped like a cigar cylinder. Tapping the rod tip down quickly and repeatedly gets the lure swishing around in that familiar side to side, “walk- the- dog” pattern. The waterchurning excitement at the strike is sure to get your pulse racing.

The most consistent times for topside fishing are in the low light of dawn or dusk, and both of these times are part of my muskie fishing routine. An approaching weather front is another such occasion, as are times when waves are pushing emergent lily pads and sub-surface vegetation around. Hot weather and muskies are also conducive to surface bites. With an array or surface lures on hand, working tough cover can be productive. At least think outside the box; keep an eye on the conditions and work effective surface lures to lengthen the low light bite. When conditions get choppy, choose a larger surface lure that offers increased sound and surface commotion. Nothing beats a large propeller-style or popper bait for wavy conditions. A muskie guide/fishing friend of mine routinely tosses topwater baits at the edges of docks and over exposed rocky shoal tops, and gets explosive bites from muskies. 58 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

The way he looks at it, most muskie fishers don’t surface fish even though muskies will hit topwater baits if you work them long enough through productive areas. Can’t argue with that logic!

We all have our favorite topwater lures and we are all guilty of using them too much. If you consistently toss the same lure day after day, regardless of conditions, the fish will soon become conditioned to them. It’s best to reconsider this habit. Early in my muskie fishing days one of my regular top water lures was the “Jackpot”. I had half a dozen in the same colour. It caught muskies, but I was repeatedly casting this lure in any kind of a situation. It became my confidence bait - even on days when the muskies refused to bite. Having faith in one lure can be good, but my unwillingness to change had put me at a disadvantage for a few seasons. Make sure you’ve got a good selection of different topwater lures and switch them up regularly. Variety is the key to getting more bites on the surface and to finally getting over the “same lure” curse. Many times anglers routinely retrieve a surface lure with the same speed and pattern of stopping and starting. Does this sound familiar - cast a popper out, let the surface rings fade then retrieve with a poppop pause, pop-pop pause cadence? This will work most of the time but to really get fish focusing on striking you need to change it up every once in a while. If you’re frustrated with a lack of follows or strikes, try speeding up your lure during mid-retrieve or rip it across the water at splashdown. Erratic sudden stops will also get the fish to focus on the lure. After casting, wait for up to half a minute, then start your retrieve with a hard rip or two before beginning a stop and start pattern. Change can often turn a following fish into a biting one.

When it comes to topwaters, the faster the presentation the less important the lure colour becomes. Stick with a few proven shades, such as black or “loon pattern”, frog, and bright white, yellow or orange. Under most situations and conditions these will work and they are easily seen in low light conditions. First and foremost a muskie is attracted to the sound of the surface lure. Consider buying the same style of topwater lure in a variety of colors and different sizes. This will help in triggering bites. Most of your topwater fishing will be in shallow water, but muskies can be caught on surface baits fished over deeper water too. Mid-lake areas with suspending muskies that are eating suspended baitfish can be a good place to offer a topwater lure. A calm surface and stable weather help to make this pattern happen. There’s nothing else in fishing that matches the thrill of a big muskie racing to the surface and torpedoing your bait with a gigantic splash! Missed strikes are the hardest things to deal with when surface fishing. The topwater technique is mostly visual and the first splash from a fish always used to get me setting the hook instantly, often resulting in me pulling the lure away from the fish. I can honestly say that the most exciting part is seeing the strike, and it still gets the better of me sometimes. The key to setting the hook

is to wait for a second or two, until the fish turns away, before driving the hooks home. Targeting muskies on top can reward you with some dramatic action but, as with most other fishing methods, there are

improvements that can help you get more bites. Try these tips the next time you’re out for some topside muskie fishing and chances are your success rate will climb – along with your heart rate! ?

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 59

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

This Tales from the Road starts off with a visit to the Big Rock distributor show in Toronto. Just over a year ago Big Rock bought KTL, which is a fishing tackle distributor here in Ontario. Big Rock is a North American-wide company that handles a lot of different retail stores across both Canada and the United States. I love going to these shows for a couple of reasons. It’s always nice to see a lot of the retailers there and to see what’s trending – what they’re buying for their stores - and also to see a lot of the manufacturers and sales reps that are present there with displays of their new products. For a guy like me it’s like being a kid in a candy store. It’s pretty cool to be able to see and touch the latest and greatest fishing equipment before it gets into the stores. After the show it was back out on the water to get one more kick at the Lake Erie smallmouth in early December. The Ontario side of Lake Erie was off-limits for smallmouth, but on the New York side of the lake the bass season is extended for catch and release fishing only. Lake Erie ace, Mike Watson, shot me a call and asked if I wanted to get out with him so we met up for twohours of fishing on Lake Erie that afternoon. We both knew it was a gamble because there had been high winds prior to that and the water was quite turbid on shore. We weren’t sure how it would be on the New York side, but we decided to give it a try.

60 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

I would bet any amount of money that we were the only boat fishing bass on the U.S. side of Lake Erie that day. It was a little choppy, snowing, quite overcast and, when we got to the area that we wanted to fish, the visibility in the water was about twoinches at best. Usually the visibility on Lake Erie is 5, 10, 20-feet, so we knew it was going to be a challenge. We had high expectations when we first set out but, because the water was so dirty, things didn’t work out quite as well as we hoped and Mike caught the only fish of the day – a four-pound smallmouth. As we got back to the boat ramp in the dark we both had a good chuckle about nothing ventured, nothing gained, but that’s fishing for you. After the Lake Erie outing we did a fish fry for the folks from Berkley, Abu Garcia and some of the other Pure Fishing brands at their sales meeting in Brantford. My son Darren and I went over and cooked up some fresh perch and walleye that I had ordered from Wheatley and had overnighted to the office. At the end of the event all of the fish that I brought had been consumed and the day was big hit. Then it was time to get some production work done and get some of the shows edited before I headed up to Barrie for the Ice Fishing Expo that was being held in the arena where the Barrie Colts play. This was the first ever ice fishing show of its type in Canada and it went over very well. I was there on behalf of SnoBear, who had one of their units on display, and I did a seminar with friends Wil Wegman and John Whyte. Both of those guys are fanatical ice anglers and I thought it would be fun to chat with both of them, and the audience, about ice fishing techniques. I really like it when I can actually attend and participate in a fishing seminar while learning a few things at the same time.

As it approached Christmas there were lots of get-togethers with family and friends and, the next thing you know, we were into 2018 and heading to Florida with my truck and boat in tow to do a little bit of taping. We hit some really nasty weather when we got onto Highway 401 and I probably saw over 25 accidents in the westbound lanes alone in about a 50-mile stretch. There was black ice on the road, very high winds and people were going way too fast. In those conditions you should keep both hands on the wheel and drive as sensibly as you can. When you’re towing it makes it that much more challenging but, knock on wood, we got through the mess and got down to Florida in a day and a half. I was really looking forward to meeting up with my old friend Ron Lappin. Ron is the Tournament Director for the FLW/Costa series of tournaments. He and I met each other back in the ‘80s, when he was a Ranger boat rep and fishing guide, and this was my first time to ever spend time in a boat with him. We met up at the Streamsong Resort near Fort Meade, Florida, to go fish for crappies. I had asked Ron what kind of fish he wanted to fish for because - and this is only a possibility - he may be retiring at the end of this year and I thought taking him fishing would be a nice retirement gift. When I asked him what species he wanted to fish for he told me that when he relaxes he likes to fish for panfish, so we ended up going to Streamsong to catch panfish. I got my hands on two Berkley C-Series Crappie Pro spinning rods, a 12 and 14-footer. I’d never fished with a long rod before, doing the “dabbling” technique for crappies, but I must say that these rods were incredible. I was using a small Berkley Power Tube and we were “dabbling” in any little pockets we could find in the hyacinths, around any sticks

or wood in the water and around lily pads and ended up catching a number of good sized crappies. We went back out the next day to do some filming and caught another load of good fish. After I spent a couple of days with Ron, I met up with Tyler Ramsdell, who is the Recreational Director at Streamsong, for a few days of fishing. Tyler’s a great guy who’s from up in the Northeastern part of the United States. What can I say; we hit it absolutely bang-on and the fishing was on fire. In a few hours the first morning we caught an 8 ½-pound bass, four more over 7pounds and numerous 5 and 6-pound fish. We probably caught 50 to 60 fish in about three-hours. We got enough footage shot for maybe three shows, but we’ll just use the best of it and make one great episode out of it. We filmed the show using a new lure called the Berkley PowerBait Bearded Grass Pig. It’s a traditional Grass Pig made out of PowerBait, but with a skirt made out of the same material built right onto it. We rigged this bait on a Berkley Fusion 19, size 4/0, weighted hook. It’s the perfect size hook for this particular bait and the weight on the bend of the hook adds a rolling, wobbling swimming action to it. That little bit of extra weight also allows the bait sink and stay down when you’re using a slow retrieve with it. Another bait that was catching a lot of fish for us was the 5” Berkley Max Scent General, rigged Texas style with no weight. We ended up fun fishing the next day and put on another clinic, catching bass up

Berkley’s new The General stickbait and Bearded Grass Pig swimbait are both top-notch bass catchers.

to 8-pounds again. What can I say, it was amazing. I believe that the bass fishing at Streamsong Resort is some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the world. I ended up staying around Florida to do some more fun fishing and had a blast down there. My friend, Mike Jenkins, caught his personal best on his first cast fishing with me; an 8-pound bass that beat his previous personal best by about two-pounds. I was even lucky enough to get a round of golf in with Mike and his wife Beryl while I was there. Then Sandy and I decided to leave the boat down in Florida and drive back home so I could get to the Toronto Boat Show. It was fun to see all the new boats, motors and friends of mine who were there. Then it was time to get some more work done before making a quick drive back to Florida. Its funny how, for me, a 20-plus hour drive is like going to the corner store to get milk. I have some friends who look at me like I’m crazy, but I guess that being a road warrior is in my blood. I had a very interesting first stop in Orlando to visit with the folks from Mercury.

Me and a number of other media and tournament pros from Canada and the USA were invited to attend a gathering at the legendary Lake X (that Mercury used for years to test their motors) to try out some of the new Mercury engines before they were released. We weren’t allowed to post anything about what we saw or tried until Mercury introduced these new engines the Miami Boat Show. Now that the Show has come and gone, we’re free to talk about them, so here we go. They introduced a 175, a 200 and a 225 in a completely redesigned line of their fourstroke, V6 engines. The new motors are lighter, faster and more fuel efficient than any of the current competitor’s models. They are incredibly quiet, they have large displacements and the acceleration is incredible. They will also charge a battery at a much faster rate than any other motor out there. If they sense that your cranking battery is getting low these new motors will actually idle up a little bit to put a faster charge into it. These are definitely the future of outboard motors.

We were also introduced to Mercury’s new 150 Pro XS and the new Mercury SeaPro line. All I can say is, wow, these motors are incredible too. If you’re looking to re-power your boat or you’re looking for a new boat/motor package, you really should consider one of these new engines. It was an honour and a privilege to be invited to Mercury’s facility and function, and to get to test these new motors out on the waters of Lake X. The next morning my wife Sandy, my son Darren and I hit the road to get the boat out of storage and participate in the 2018 Pan Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 61

American Black Bass Championship on Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida, out of Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina. This was a pretty cool event. There are a number of organizations involved in this, and they are working on making fishing an Olympic sport. Apparently they’ve already approached the IOC and have talked to them about the possibility. This event was a kind of showcase or trial-run so I was extremely proud to be included in it.

Charley Evans, who is part of USA Bass, deemed me Team Canada Captain and I had a very short window to put together up to eight, two-man teams to participate in this initial Pan Am tournament. I only needed to make five phone calls to get seven additional teams to join me and my son Darren! The tournament was structured with two official practice days and then two tournament days. There were just medals and bragging rights at stake - no cash or prize awards were involved. Besides Canada; the USA, Costa Rica and Mexico also participated. In total, there were 22 teams entered into this event. We all stayed at Roland and Mary Ann’s Marina. I’d been running pretty hard on a hectic schedule for the last little while and, just before the tournament, I started coming down with the flu bug that was going around. It completely knocked me out during the event but that couldn’t keep me down and

I ended up fishing anyway, despite feeling a little bit under the weather. What was really cool is that Team Canada all worked together on this. Our team consisted of Darren and myself; Phil and Stephen Hegerty; Dave Bairstow and Matt Hubble; Joey Ford and Shawn McCaul; Brian Hughes and Anais Chaves; Cole Bailey and Bruce Leeson; Spiro Agouros and Fern Campeau and Rob Lee and Dave Chong. We all worked together and discussed what lures and patterns were working, and what areas of the lake we were fishing. . It was the first time in the history of my tournament fishing that I had ever worked with such a large team where we actually compared notes on our fishing. A lot of Lake Okeechobee was actually quite muddy, so it was fishing pretty small. Most of the competitors were pretty much congested in either the south or north ends of the lake. We came out of the gate pretty strong on day-one and Team Canada ended up sitting in second and third place, behind David Dudley and Mark Schlarb from Team USA. Darren and I finished the day in seventh place. We caught about 35 bass on the first day, including one 4-pound fish, but we couldn’t get any real kickers. Most of our fish came by fishing Berkley Max Scent General stickbaits around holes in the lily pads and reeds. On day-two we couldn’t get any big bites either and we ended up with dropping down to 15th place overall. When it was all said and done, The Canadian team of Cole Bailey and Bruce Leeson got a bronze medal while John Cox and Keith Carson of Team USA Cole Bailey (left) and Bruce Leeson captured the bronze medal for Team Canada.

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62 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

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took silver. Roland and Scott Martin of Team USA made an incredible comeback on daytwo and took the gold medal. After competing in this tournament I must say that it was an absolute blast. It was so much fun to represent Canada in this event. At this point we’re just trying to show the world and the IOC that tournament fishing is a viable Olympic sport and this event was a great start. There are a few naysayers out there but from time to time new sports are added to the Olympics, so you never know. I fully support the idea and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that someday people will be fishing in the Olympics. After the tournament Darren had to fly back to Ontario get some work done so Sandy and I decided to stay in Florida. When it was all said and done I got eight or ninedays of fun fishing in before we hopped on a flight back to Toronto so that I could attend the Spring Fishing Show. I ended up going to the industry breakfast on the Friday and then did a seminar and

some work at the Ranger and Berkley booths on Saturday. I was back at the show on Sunday for my niece Mariko’s Fly Fishing Tour night. The independent films they were running were incredible. I got to see some pretty spectacular footage from around the world of folks catching tigerfish, tarpon, bonefish and other species.

Then I had meetings to attend with Mercury Marine and Columbia Sportswear before doing some production work and getting the last couple of shows together with our editor. Now that those things are finished, here I am, ready to go fishing again. As we close this off, it’s going to be a whirlwind for me over the next three to fourweeks. I’m flying to Florida tonight to fish my brains out again, and then I’m going to bring the truck and boat back from Florida. I’ll work for a couple of days and then drive to Manitoba with the SnoBear in tow and do the annual SnoBear Migration on big Lake Winnipeg, in Gimli, Manitoba. This year they’ve added a tournament to the get-together so it should be fun. It’s going to be a short two days of fishing though, as I’ve got an early morning flight from Winnipeg to get back to Toronto to work in the Columbia Sportswear booth at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show. As soon as that’s done we’re going to try to get out ice fishing until the ice breaks up. I can’t wait! ?

Spring 2018 – Real Fishing 63

What’s COOKING

Wild Turkey Jamaican Patties With Citrus Crème Fresh JERK SPICE TURKEY FILLING 2 tbsp butter 1lb wild ground turkey meat 1 small onion finely diced ½ tsp fresh thyme ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper ½ tsp allspice ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp cumin 1 tsp chilli flakes ½ tsp cajun powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ cup chicken both 2 large scallions, cut fine on a biased angle

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and add diced onion. Stir in ground turkey and add all the spices. Cook until turkey is browned, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, add scallions and mix together. Set aside to cool.

64 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

PATTY DOUGH (MAKES 4 PATTIES)

CITRUS CRÈME FRESH

2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp curry powder 1 pinch of salt ¼ cup margarine ¼ cup shorting 1/3 cupwater

2 cups 35% cream 3 limes juiced and zested 1 lemon juiced and zested 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely diced ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper

Combine flour, curry powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Do not over-stir! Shape dough into a large ball, wrap in plastic wrap for

30-minutes then cut into 4 equal sections. Roll each section into a six-inch circle approximately 1/8-inch thick. (A six-inch cookie cutter works great.) Spoon some filling into each pastry circle. Fold over and press edges together, making a half circle. Use a fork to press the edges then brush the top of each patty with beaten egg. Preheat oven to 375°F and bake for 30-minutes or until golden brown.

Combine all ingredients and set on kitchen counter at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours or until cream becomes thick, then set in the fridge for 4-hours. Serve alongside freshly baked patties and enjoy!

Dinn ner’s going to take awh h hile . Good d thing you brought the IIzumi. Izumi

COME ANND GET IT. Our wines are only available direct — either in person or by delivery from our vine eyard d in Niagara-on-th he-Lake, Ontario. It’s taken 14 years to get it right, to perfect the craft ft of making wine that is drinkable, accessible, and affordable. It all happenss here in our Big Red Barn. Our modern-rustic space houses our cellarr and is part tasting ro oom,, part clubhouse. There e’s no pre etension or mystery here e. All that we kknow, we e’re ready to share with you, to delight the novice wine lover and the veteran oenophile alike. Visit us or order d ahead for your nex xt big trip and for each purchase of an Izumi wine ne, Betwe een the Lines will donate $1 to the Fishing Forever Foundation, a non-pro ofit organization commit c ted to the pre eservation of Canada’s fishing resources.

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KIDS’ FISH ART CONTEST WINNERS Each fall, Ontario students are invited to enter the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s annual Kids’ Fish Art Contest as a way to show off their artistic talents while learning about Ontario’s native fish and their habitats. Students compete in one of three categories: grades 4-6; grades 7-9 and grades 10-12. Along with their artwork, they must include a one-page essay on the fish, its habitat and how to protect it for future generations. 2017 marked the 15th year of the contest and the official fish species were bluegill and muskellunge. Along with some great prizes, each of the winners will have their designs featured on the 2018 young angler’s licence. GRADES 10-12 & GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Jory Seath, Toronto, ON Jory wins a 3-day fishing excursion from Chaudière Lodge, a day of fishing with Canadian Sportfishing Television Show host Italo Labignan, classroom art supplies from STAEDTLER Mars and fishing gear from Lucky Strike Bait Works.

GRADES 4-6 WINNER

Jennifer Yang, GRADES 7-9 WINNER

Natalie Pak, Toronto, ON Natalie wins fishing gear from Lucky Strike Bait Works and classroom art supplies from STAEDTLER Mars.

66 Real Fishing – Spring 2018

Toronto, ON Jennifer wins fishing gear from Lucky Strike Bait Works and classroom art supplies from STAEDTLER Mars.

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