Summer 2010 by Real Fishing

SLIP FLOAT TACTICS FOR FINICKY SUMMER WALLEYES!

Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 3 Just $3.95

DISPLAY UNTIL OCTOBER 15, 2010

Summer 2010

UNLEASH YOUR

INNER PRO

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

M aking the most of your time gets a little tougher everyday. It’s why Ranger developed a whole new level of leadership in the revolutionary Z-Comanche® Series. With muscle-car-inspired engineering and a long list of best-in-class features, these designs continue to take acceleration, handling, space, fishability and head-turning performance to new extremes. So take charge of your time and space. Surround yourself with the pace-setting freedom of the Ranger Z-Comanche® Series. It’s an all-out reminder of the power that comes from turning things loose!

For The Name Of Your Nearest Ranger Dealer, Call:

1-800-373-BOAT (2628)

©Copyright MMIX Ranger® Boats R-9011

Contents Features 34 BECOMING A BETTER ANGLER Bob Izumi knows a thing or two about catching fish. In this feature story, Bob shares his insights into what makes a great angler and how you can become one this year. By Bob Izumi

42 THE FLATS ARE ALIVE Stalking the elusive bonefish on the world famous flats of Andros Island. By Perry Miele

50 FISHY MONSTERS Make minnows look like monsters with these simple to master camera tricks. By Steve May

54 BOBBER DOWN! Slip float techniques for consistent walleye success. By Nic Norton

58 A WHITE OTTER FISHING ADVENTURE Jeff Holmlund and his father share a fishing adventure on White Otter Lake. By Jeff Holmlund

SUMMER 2010 Volume 16, Issue 3 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679

Columns

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

6 OPENING LINES By Jerry Hughes

By Lawren Wetzel

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

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: Nice Pair! Photo by Izumi Outdoors

24 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

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

18 FISHING

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6

22 UNDERSTANDING ELECTRONICS

Fishing in Weeds By Bob Izumi

20 26 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

20 FLY FISHING

White Sturgeon

By Steve May

28 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX

By Patrick Daradick

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

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

65 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Summertime Safety It’s that time of year again, summertime; when Canadians take to their power boats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats and personal watercraft and head out onto the lakes and rivers to enjoy a day of fishing, waterskiing, cruising or any number of other activities. In most cases the day turns out to be fun and uneventful but sadly, some of those trips will end in tragedy. According to the Canadian Red Cross’ 2005 report, The Facts about Drowning in Canada, recreational boating accounted for 29% of the 458 reported drownings in 2002 and 33% of those fatalities involved anglers. The Lifesaving Society reports 492 drowning deaths in 2005 - the most recent year in which national data is available - with power boating and fishing ranking second and third, just behind swimming, as the leading activity leading to drowning. The terrible truth to these statistics is that most of those deaths were preventable.

“Eighty seven per cent of Canada’s annual drownings result from people not wearing a PFD,” says Pat Gray, Director of Marketing at Stearns Canada. “So it’s easy to see why buckling up could save your life.” It may seem obvious, but a PFD is designed to be worn, not merely tossed into the boat to comply with the boating regulations. Sure, you’re legal as long as there is one approved floatation device on board for every person in the boat, but it’s not going to be of much help if you suddenly find yourself in the water while your PFD is stuffed in 6 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

an on-board storage compartment. A lot of people complain that a PFD is too uncomfortable to be worn in a boat all day but while that may have been true at one time, it simply isn’t the case today. The current line of PFDs from leading companies like Stearns (www.stearnsflotation.com) includes a wide range of styles that are designed to be worn while on the water. Whether you prefer a vest type, a jacket or an inflatable, a proper fitting PFD offers comfort as well as protection. The key is selecting the style and size that suits your body and the activity you will be engaged in. Adult PFDs fit according to chest size and should fit snugly when buckled but still allow room to breathe and move freely. For kids, look for features like a large collar for head support; a grab strap; waist ties or elastic gathers in the front and back and a safety strap that goes between the legs to prevent the PFD from slipping over the head. Anglers are more active in their boats than most other boaters making light, comfortable PFDs essential. With casting and retrieving, operating foot controlled trolling motors, and moving around the boat to access livewells and baitwells, anglers often complain about being too hot wearing a PFD and so many of them will only wear one while running the main engine. That can be a big mistake if an unexpected cruiser wake catches you or if you hit an underwater stump or rock. The sudden change in boat attitude or speed can easily toss you overboard. To stay safe, a lot of anglers are turning towards inflatable

PFDs that can be rigged to inflate automatically when they hit the water. They offer peace of mind while being light and comfortable to wear all day long. Fishing and boating are wonderful activities that millions of Canadians take part in each summer and there’s no reason why they should lead to injury or death. Take a little care on the water, wear an approved PFD and don’t become a statistic this summer. We’d like to see you out there next year too! ?

The first catch of the day.

ÂŠ Tim Hortons, 2009

Getting the Shot

8 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

Sometimes getting a great photo involves going the extra mile - or in this case a few extra feet from the deck of a bass boat to the depths of the lake! This amazing shot is the result of our intrepid photographer literally jumping into the water to capture a smallmouth bass being brought to the boat by Bob Izumi.

Summer 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 9

Catch Real Fishing on Facebook Can’t get enough Real Fishing? Now you can follow Bob Izumi and the Real Fishing team 24/7 on Facebook. Along with regular updates from Bob, you'll get previews of upcoming episodes of the Real Fishing TV Show and photos from some of Bob’s trips. We’ll introduce the latest and greatest fishing tackle,

point you to some fantastic fishing spots and let you in on exclusive contests and promotions. Come on over and tell us about your latest fishing trip, post photos of your big fish or share tips and information with other anglers on the official Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing page. You’ll be glad you did!

Muskies Canada Announces New Hall of Fame Members The Muskies Canada Hall of Fame honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to science, media, club development and promotion. Induction to the Hall of Fame is Muskies Canada’s most prestigious award and the organization is pleased to announce the induction of six new members. CHRISTINE FINTER, SCHOMBERG, ON Christine has provided the club with continuous financial watchdog and treasury services support over many years as both a national and chapter level director. She has performed exemplary work over the past 17years organizing and running youth and family fishing events, annual outings and the Muskies Canada booths at fishing shows. Christine is a dedicated muskie angler and member of the Toronto chapter. ANGELO DIDOMIZIO, PORT HOPE, ON Angelo has actively participated in club activities for over 30-years. He has held numerous executive positions with a variety of chapters. He was an early champion of Catch and Release, a strong proponent of family fishing events, and his overall dedication to the sport and organization has been exemplary. He is currently one of the leaders of the Kawartha Lakes Pike Invasion project and is a member of the Kawartha Lakes chapter.

10 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

MAURICE MARTIN, MONTREAL, QC Maurice was a co‐founder of the Montreal Chapter and has long been a well known Catch and Release voice to muskie fishermen in the Province of Quebec. For the past 17years he has helped build the profile of the chapter and has held a number of positions from chapter chairman to events coordinator. Maurice has organized and been master of ceremonies at innumerable events and outings and is a member of the Montreal chapter. DAVE ("MR. B") BOXALL, BRADFORD, ON Mr. B has been the longterm Muskies Canada lead on the Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project, serving as project coordinator and working with the MNR and Sir Sanford Fleming College to help establish this reintroduction program. Dave has proven to have exceptional fund raising skills for this and other Muskies Canada projects and is currently a director of the Toronto chapter. JIM HUTCHINGS, GANANOQUE, ON Jim is a committed muskie angler with live releases up to 60-inches and he has logged extensive hours dedicated to conserving these fisheries. He has held many national executive positions, from chapter chair to release journal editor. With an eye to science, he continues to be involved in netting programs, disease monitoring, and fisheries councils. Jim was the 2009 winner of the Paul Gasbarino Distinguished Service Award and is currently with the Gananoque chapter. STEVEN KERR, ENNISMORE, ON Steve is an avid muskie fisherman and long time fisheries biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. For over 25-years Steve has worked to integrate muskie science into management. Most notably, Steve championed the current development of the muskellunge management policy in Ontario. He formalized the Muskies Canada Angler Log Program, helped create

Reel In The Big Ones With Bob Izumi! Win 1 of 3 fishing getaways with Bob Izumi to Bark Lake or 1 of 20 autographed Bob Izumi cookbooks. Visit offcontest.ca for more details.

release brochures and organized conferences and meetings. Steve’s latest contribution includes his blog on the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ website listing all of the joint MNR/MC partnerships.

Congratulations to all of the new Muskies Canada Hall of Fame members. For more information on Muskies Canada, please visit their website at www.muskiescanada.ca.

National Fishing Week National Fishing Week is a coast-to-coast-to coast awareness program that has been declared Canada's week to explore the magic of fresh and saltwater sport fishing. From July 3rd to 11th this year, organizers are encouraging parents, youngsters and wannabe anglers everywhere to grab a rod and reel, head to a nearby stream, river, lake or ocean, and “catch a memory.” With over 1 million lakes, rivers and streams plus three oceans, Canada can justly boast the greatest array of fishing adventures anywhere on the planet. “Fishing opens the door to a lifetime of positive outdoor experiences,” says Tina Deutsch, Managing Director of the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association. “As a kid, I learned a lot about nature and a great outdoor heritage while fishing with my Dad.” Kids are the future stewards of our fishery in Canada, and National Fishing Week is a

great opportunity to help them learn how to appreciate and take care of our environment so Canadians can enjoy it together for generations to come. Outdoor organizations, government resource agencies, tackle retailers and volunteers are preparing to host events including seminars, tournaments and derbies in over 100 communities across the country during National Fishing Week. For more information on how you can get involved, visit the Catch Fishing website at www.catchfishing.com.

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 11

Faculty of Fishing

Apps for Anglers Just in time for summer fishing, DataSport, Inc. announces two new Smartphone apps to help anglers find the times of peak activity. The iPhone/iTouch and Android applications now let fishermen receive the DataSport forecast graphics as well as Doug Hannon’s Moon Times directly on their Android Smartphones, iPhones and iPod Touches. The FishCast app is a simple, to-the-point application that allows users to select a date and view the forecast graph for that date. The graphs predict "excellent, "good" and "fair" activity times for hunting, fishing, bird watching and wildlife photography. They also include the current moon phase. DataSport’s newest Smartphone app, FishTimes, is a text representation of the well known Moon Times and Moon Clock designed by Doug Hannon, also known as “The Bass Professor.” The new apps can be found by searching “datasport” in the iTunes App Store or the Android Market.

12 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

The Faculty of Fishing is a unique new online training program that educates anglers of all ages on all aspects of the sport of freshwater fishing. From line, knots, rods and reels to fish biology, weather and boat control, students will graduate with the knowledge required to catch more and bigger fish. Lessons are presented in four modules, each consisting of step by step instructions, demonstrations and lessons from professional anglers, fish biologists and meteorologists. The program is designed to help anglers improve and develop their knowledge at their own pace. The Fishing 1 module is designed to build fishing knowledge or provide a review of fundamental fishing topics and anglers tune-in to fish behaviour. You'll learn how fish biology and psychology affect their reactions, how fish use different types of water systems and how to fine-tune your rods, reels and line to maximize your catch., Fishing 2 guides you through key concepts in fish biology, including fish life cycles and the aquatic food chain. You'll explore a variety of knots and learn how to use them properly, to make sure you always have the best chance of landing big fish. Then it's time to focus in on how to get fish to bite, with a detailed look at presentations like jigs and blade baits. The third module builds on earlier lessons by taking anglers under the water for a close look at habitat and some effective presentation options. Fishing 3 starts with detailed courses in structure and cover; two important elements that can both hold fish and influence their movements and routes. Next, you'll learn how to take the guesswork out of finding and staying on fish by using maps and electronics. Finally, a look at both soft and hard baits will break down selecting the best choice for triggering a bite. Fishing 4 is the final step in the Faculty of

Fishing bachelor's program, adding more advanced knowledge to your fishing repertoire, and tying all the lessons together to help you find the most effective strategies for targeting fish. Fishing 4 starts with a comprehensive look at weather conditions and the ways in which they influence the underwater environment. Next, you'll fine-tune your knowledge of electronics and learn how to make use of the many options they offer. Then it's time to hone your skills in the three standard methods of fishing - trolling, casting, and vertical presentations. Finally, everything wraps up with a comprehensive look at patterns, and how you can use all of the knowledge from the previous lessons to predict fish behaviour in any situation. Once you complete Fishing 4, you will graduate from the Faculty of Fishing bachelor's program, and be eligible to continue with species specific and specialty courses. Upon successfully completing all four fishing modules, graduates will receive a one of a kind Graduation Certificate and gift package. Faculty of Fishing is an amazing online education tool that makes angler education easy, convenient and fun! For details or to enroll in the Faculty of Fishing, visit their website at facultyoffishing.com.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

E V E N T S Calendar NEW BRUNSWICK SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION Bass Tournaments May - September Various locations in New Brunswick Tel: 506-459-7125 www.nbsportfishing.ca

FORT FRANCES CANADIAN BASS CHAMPIONSHIP July 22, 23, 24 Rainy Lake Fort Frances, ON Tel: 807-274-0316 www.canadianbass.com

RENEGADE BASS TOUR June – September Various locations in eastern Ontario 613-913-4527 www.renegadebass.com

THE CANADIAN OPEN OF FISHING Bass Tournament July 22, 23, 24 Lake Ontario Kingston Ontario Tel: 905-640-2277 www.csfl.ca

CSFL BASS TOURNAMENTS July - September Various locations in Ontario Tel: 905-640-2277 www.csfl.ca KIDS, COPS & CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS July – September Various dates and locations Tel: 905-632-8679 www.kidsandcops.ca PRO BASS CANADA July - August Various locations in Quebec www.probasscanada.com

FRESHWATER FISHES OF ONTARIO By Erling Holm, Nick Mandrak and Mary Burridge

Freshwater Fishes of Ontario is a beautiful and authoritative, full-colour field guide to all species of freshwater fish found in Ontario. The book includes colour photographs, illustrations and descriptions of every freshwater fish species known in Ontario. Included are distribution maps, length and weight records, species descriptions, feeding habits and reproductive information on every type of fish in the province. With over 500 photographs and a water-repellent cover, Freshwater Fishes of Ontario is the ideal field guide for any fishing trip. Oil and Water Repellent, Soft Cover: $29.99 4.5" x 8.5", 464 pages Over 500 colour photographs ISBN 978-0-88854-459-9 Published by the Royal Ontario Musem, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, www.rom.on.ca

QUINTE FISHING SERIES Bass Tournaments July – August Bay of Quinte Belleville, ON www.quintefishing.com

CHANTRY CHINOOK CLASSIC July 24 - August 8 Lake Huron Kincardine, ON Tel: 519-832-6723 www.chantrychinook.com KENORA BASS INTERNATIONAL August 5, 6, 7 Lake of the Woods Kenora, ON www.kbifishing.com CBAF CORPORATE CHALLENGE Bass Tournament August 11 Bay of Quinte Belleville, ON www.cbaf.ca

TOP BASS FISHING SERIES July – August Various locations in Ontario 905-727-8496 www.top-bass.ca

3RD ANNUAL RICK AMSBURY MEMORIAL PRO/AM Bass Tournament August 19 Sturgeon Lake Lindsay, ON Tel: 905-640-2277 www.csfl.ca

NATIONAL FISHING WEEK July 3 – 11 Events scheduled across Canada Tel: 705-745-8433 www.catchfishing.com

OWEN SOUND SALMON SPECTACULAR August 27 – September 5 Georgian Bay Owen Sound, ON www.sydenhamsportsmen.com

GREAT ONTARIO SALMON DERBY July 10 - August 28 Lake Ontario Tel: 905-361-5248 www.greatontariosalmonderby.ca

BERKLEY B1 CANADIAN BASS OPEN October 2, 3 Lake St. Francis Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC 514-909-7185 www.berkleyb1.com

TEMISKAMING SHORES MEGA BUCKS Bass Tournament July 15, 16, 17 Lake Temiskaming New Liskeard Ontario Tel: 705-563-8307 www.temiskamingsmallmouthbass.com

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 13

READER’S PHOTOS

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

Alan Dean Belle River, ON Crappie

Mike, Tara, Kaitlyn and Josh Morrow Utterson, ON Walleye

Tony Scavo Niagara Falls, ON Steelhead Neil Hyde Ennismore, ON Muskellunge

Beth Stokes Burlington, ON Largemouth Bass

14 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

Barb Pallo London, ON Smallmouth Bass

BOB IZUMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULE Crappies Through the Ice St. Georges Caye Resort La Reserve Beauchene Long Beach Lodge Resort Fishing with Russell and Mike Peters Multi-species on Small Lakes Mattagami Walleye Derby Fly Fishing for Trout Lake Erie Smallmouth Diamond Key Lodge on Georgian Bay Trolling in British Columbia Beauchene Bass and Brook Trout Bob and Brent Go Fishing Queen Charlotte Islands

July 3 July 10 July 17 July 24 July 31 August 7 August 14 August 21 August 28 September 4 September 11 September 18 September 25 October 2

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

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

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

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

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

What’s

NEW

2010

RANGER Z518 COMANCHE The all-new Z518 Comanche features the look, feel and muscle associated with Ranger's flagship designs in a smaller, more maneuverable package. The Z518 measures 18-feet, 8-inches in length with a 92 ½ -inch beam and carries a 200-horsepower rating. Standard equipment includes a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics, LED compartment light package, on-board battery charger, remote oil fill, Ranger's exclusive SRS Soft Ride Seating system and much more. Like all Ranger boats, the Z518 comes paired with its own custom-built and serial-number-specific RangerTrail trailer equipped with Road Armor finish, L.E.D. lights and Ranger's exclusive COOL Hub® lubrication system.

www.rangerboats.com

NEW THILL SPLASH BRITE SLIP FLOAT The innovators at Thill have produced yet another float-fishing revolution, the new Splash Brite premium lighted slip float. Splash Brites automatically light up when they hit the water and shut down when removed from it. Built-in, internal batteries power the bright-red LED light system for a minimum of 30 hours. A true center-slider, each Splash Brite is perfectly balanced for long, accurate casts and features precise flotation along with a brass grommet at the top to avoid catching your line. Easy to use and offering flawless performance, Splash Brite floats make it simpler than ever for anglers to enjoy great night-fishing action.

www.lindyfishingtackle.com

OFF!® ENHANCES OUTDOOR LIVING Whether you’re looking for protection from mosquitoes, or just adding some ambiance to your outdoor space, the folks at SC Johnson have got you covered.

OFF!® MOSQUITO COILS Enjoy a shore lunch, talk fishing on the patio, or just relax in your backyard without having to deal with irritating mosquitoes. Each coil kills mosquitoes for up to 5-hours. Each 96g package contains 8 coils and 2 stands for up to 40-hours of mosquito protection.

NEW OFF!® TRIPLE WICK CITRONELLA CANDLE The new OFF!® Triple Wick Citronella Candle is just the thing to create a summery atmosphere on your patio or in your yard. Decorative and functional, this triple wick citronella candle will light up the night for up to 50-hours.

www.bugsmart.ca

16 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

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

ORIGO INTRODUCES FISHING-SPECIFIC WATCHES The new line of Fishing Pro watches from Origo has been meticulously designed to track moon phases in order to calculate the day's best fishing times. Each watch in the line-up features a one-touch smart key that displays the best time of day for fishing, the best fishing times in the upcoming days, tide data, barometric pressure data, sunrise and sunset times, moon phases and many other useful functions. As well as the standard features, each Fishing Pro watch offers its own unique set of features and benefits.

www.origowatch.com Origo Fishing Pro

Origo Fishing Guide

Origo Fishing Clip

In addition to telling time and predicting the optimal times of day for fishing, the Fishing Pro provides an altimeter, weather forecasting feature, digital compass, programmable tide data, and features a stainless steel body.

With all the same features as the Fishing Pro - minus the altimeter and weather forecasting features - the Fishing Guide is a lighter weight and more affordable fishing watch. It comes with an injection molded case and has all the features needed for a successful day on the water.

Take the Fishing Guide, remove the digital compass and add a convenient belt clip and you have the Fishing Clip watch. Attach it to anything - fishing vest, tackle box or belt loop – to have accurate time of day and best fishing time information at your fingertips.

BERKLEY POWERBAIT MINNOW The unique split-tail design of the new Berkley PowerBait Minnow, combined with PowerBait scent, make these the perfect baits for bass, walleye, trout and panfish. The proven and popular split-tail minnow design provides a subtle, finesse presentation that is ideal for jig trailers, spinner rigs, drop-shots and other bottom bouncing rigs while the PowerBait scent means fish will hold on to them for up to 18 times longer than a standard soft bait. Berkley PowerBait Minnows are available in two, three and four-inch sizes and come in six proven colors; black shad, chartreuse shad, emerald shiner, pearl white, rainbow and smelt.

www.berkley-fishing.com

NEW COLEMAN® ALL-IN-ONE COOKING SYSTEM Take the versatility of a home kitchen to the outdoors with the new Coleman® All-in-One cooking system. This portable, customized cooker can convert to a griddle, grill or stove and has 5,000 BTU of cooking power. The porcelain coated, stamped steel grill grate, nickel coated stove grate and aluminized steel drip pan are all dishwasher safe while the porcelain coated lid is ideal for covered cooking and heat efficiency. InstaStart™ Matchless Lighting and a convenient carry handle make the Coleman® All-in-One cooking system perfect for any outdoor destination.

www.colemancanada.ca

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 17

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Lovin’ The Weed It’s time to talk about weed. No, we’re not talking about wacky tobaccy here; we’re talking about the kind of weed that holds fish, lots of fish. I still hear people cursing the weeds but given my druthers, I’ll take weeds over no weeds any day of the week. That’s especially true when I’m fishing during the heat of the summer. Weeds provide shade and cover for predatory fish like bass, pike, muskies, and numerous types of panfish. For the most part, weed infested lakes and rivers are fertile and fertility grows fish. In the early bass tournaments, Wayne and I used to look around the lake for rolling pastures with cattle in them. We knew that from all those cattle grazing – and then expelling those grazings - the surrounding water would be extremely fertile. I’m not sure if you’d want to eat some of the fish but we sure caught some good ones from these types of areas. Growing up in south-western Ontario I learned how to fish on Rondeau Bay, a small bay off of Lake Erie. When I was a kid, the bay was weed infested to the point where you couldn’t run an outboard through it without

18 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

stopping and cleaning your prop every few minutes. They used to have a machine that would cut channels in the weeds so that boats could get in and out of the marinas to the main lake. These man made channels, the weed edges, used to hold incredible amounts of fish. You could go over the weed flats, you could go on the inside weedline, the outside weedline, or even these man made weed edges and catch fish. It was, per acre, one of the most incredible bodies of water that I have ever fished because of the massive amount of weeds that were there. You can approach weed fishing in many different ways. If the fish are active, I would

recommend using search baits like buzzbaits or spinnerbaits that can be run over the top of weeds. Another good choice would be shallow running crankbaits that run through or just tick the tops of the weeds. A common technique that we like to use with floating/diving plugs is to cast them out, crank them down until they hit the weeds and then stop them so that they float back up. Many of the fish we’ve caught over the years have been on this stop-and-go retrieve over weed flats. Search baits are probably one of the most effective ways of catching fish in weeds - if the fish are active. So what do you do when the weed fishing gets tough? Well, that’s when you slow down. I recommend using an electric motor or drifting with the wind to slowly work the bottom of the weeds. Whether you’re fishing for walleye or bass, if the bite is slow, sun is up and the fish aren’t really roaming or active, you want to work the base of the weeds. A soft plastic bait like a Crazy Legs Chigger Craw for largemouth or a jig with some Gulp on it for walleyes is ideal for this type of fishing. If I’ve established that the fish are not active, I’ll try to find the highest percentage area in a weedbed to concentrate on. That could be a weed point, it could be an inside turn on a weedline, it could be a rock pile in the middle of the weeds. Sometimes you’ll be going along a weed edge and find a patch of cabbage or other weed mixed in with the coontail or milfoil and that would be another good spot. Any changes in the weeds are good spots to fish. One thing to keep in mind is that a fish’s strike zone in the weeds can be anywhere from 20 or 30-feet - if the fish are super active - to as small as a foot or two if they aren’t. Understanding the strike zone will help you choose the right approach and will definitely lead you to catching more fish. The next time you’re out on the water and you encounter some weeds, rather than curse them, get in there and dig out some of the big fatties that live in them. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did. ?

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

fly fishing By Stephen May

Caddis Time The caddis may not be as glamorous as the delicate mayflies or giant stoneflies that can create legendary, but often fleeting fishing. Chasing the glamour bugs often results in disappointment while the caddis, despite having a lot less flash, is way more dependable. Understanding these small, meek bugs that look like dusty little moths can liven up many outings. Most rivers that hold trout are also home to good populations of caddis flies. They are available to the fish throughout the year in various forms and fish grow fat snacking on this dependable food supply.

The most obvious time to dig into a selection of caddis flies is during a hatch. Caddis hatches can happen anytime because these little bugs often produce multiple generations each season. Mayflies are usually an annual event and stoneflies can take three to four-years between hatches so there are simply more caddis hatches during a season. When fish are rising in front of you and little moth-like bugs are crawling on your waders, flying around in the bushes and dancing across the water’s surface, the conditions are screaming, “tie on a caddis!” Popular patterns like the Elk Hair Caddis, 20 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

CDC & Elk, Henryville Caddis and X Caddis are all good at these times. These dries are also good for searching for fish when you don’t see bugs. The fish will know what they are! Another nice thing is that many species of caddis look surprisingly similar from a fly selection perspective. A few sizes and a couple of colours of these bugs should make due in most situations. There are a few tricks to try if fish are rising and you are getting fewer hits than you would like. At certain times a traditional dead drift presentation can get lost during a caddis hatch. Watch the bugs and you will often see a lot of twitching, dancing and skittering going on. When this happens, don’t be shy - twitch your fly, skate it across the surface or even give it a good tug to get it to dive under the surface every once in a while. It can really help your success rate. Also, pay attention to how the fish are rising. Sometimes the fish are not eating bugs from the surface despite a lot of commotion on top. If you see aggressive “splashy” rises, try swinging a caddis pupae or wet fly. A technique called the “Leisering Lift” can be deadly at this time too. This technique imitates a caddis pupae swimming up from the bottom of the river and hungry fish will often be in hot pursuit. If the rises are soft and subtle, try a dry fly or an emerger that hangs below the sur-

Green or yellowish caddis larvae are available to the fish throughout the year.

face, like a Klinkhammer Special or Spotlight Emerger, to imitate a bug trapped in the surface film. I also use caddis imitations when there is no visible insect activity. I especially like to use caddis larvae. If you turn over any rock from fast moving water in a productive river, chances are you will find a bunch of green or yellowish larvae clinging to it. These little guys are available to the fish throughout the year. Nymphing with caddis larvae imitations has helped me hook a bunch of nice fish over the years.

Give caddis flies a try this year. They may not be the most glamorous bugs out there, but the pictures of the fish you catch using their imitations just might be worth bragging about! ?

understanding electronics

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

By Lawren Wetzel

Down Imaging Sonar - Part 3 Sonar operation for deep water fishing has been discussed extensively but seldom do we talk of sonar playing a role when fishing in shallower water. Some anglers even believe that the noise from the transducer will spook fish and they will turn their units off in the shallows. Do you really need a sonar unit on your boat when fishing in less than 10-feet of water? Let’s look at a couple of ways that shallow water anglers can benefit from using sonar and how to properly set it up for the best performance. Setting up your sonar for use in shallow water is a little different than when you are using it in deep water. If your unit has fishing modes, the first thing to do is to set your unit to the Shallow Water mode. In this mode, all of the changes you make will be retained in the unit’s memory. When you change modes for different conditions and then switch back to Shallow Water mode, all of your settings will be retained. Utilizing the fishing mode feature allows you to quickly change several settings by simply changing the mode. Before going into more detail on specific setting changes, we need to realize what the sonar will be used for in shallow water. Marking fish isn’t going to happen very often in less than 10-feet of water so we don’t need to set the unit up to find fish. Rather, we want to key in on changes in bottom depth and composition. To accomplish this, I like to start by setting the surface clarity to medium. This will clear up the picture nicely so you will have a good, clean view of the bottom. The sensitivity also needs to be dropped so the screen isn’t full of clutter. This is especially true when you are fishing shallow, weedy bays. Let’s now take a look at a couple of different shallow water fishing situations where sonar can play a role. Dedicated largemouth bass anglers who like to flip and pitch shallow cover generally 22 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

Slight changes in depth are often enough to hold fish.

don’t even look at their sonar units because what they are fishing is usually visible above the surface. Fallen trees, docks, or grass mats are what they are focusing on. That doesn’t mean sonar is useless for this type of fishing. You can still use it to find subtle depth changes that get easily overlooked. Have you ever gone along a bank and not caught anything, then caught 5 or 6 fish from a small stretch that looks exactly the same as the one you just fished? Well, chances are there was a slight change in the depth. I have seen as little as a six-inch difference in depth be enough to hold fish in a small area. I would recommend changing the size of the digital depth overlay to the largest your unit will let you. This makes keeping a close eye on the depth much easier. Finding bottom composition transitions are just as important as finding small depth changes. Fish will use these bottom changes on their daily migrations to move from area to area and when you find these spots you can usually intercept the fish. With your sonar set up correctly these spots will stick out like a sore thumb. To find bottom tran-

sitions, the colorline feature (or grayline on a monochrome unit) will come into play. This is where choosing the correct color palette on your sonar is very important. You want to choose one that will display multiple colors in the echoes. These colors distinguish strong and weak sonar returns. For instance, if the colorline goes from yellow (strongest) to orange to red to blue (weakest) then yellow would be rock; orange would be hard sand or clay; red would indicate soft sand, and blue would mean mud. Fine tuning your sonar to show these changes is as simple as adjusting the colorline and sensitivity. The easiest way to do this is get on a rock bottom and adjust the sensitivity until you are happy with the picture. A clear background with minor speckling is what you are aiming for. Then, adjust the colorline until you have a nice flow from the hardest color to the softest

Different colours help to distinguish hard bottom areas from softer ones.

color. If the screen is lacking the yellow then you’re set too low; if the whole screen is yellow then your setting is too high. When the unit is set correctly you will be able to see the transitions very easily. A setting of 64% has always been the magic number for me. While the full advantage of having a sonar unit on your boat really comes into play in deeper water, don’t count out how valuable a tool it can be in the shallows. Pay attention to what your sonar is telling you no matter what depth you are fishing - and it will definitely help you to put more fish in your boat! ?

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

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

Sandhill Crane Western anglers are more familiar with the Sandhill Crane than then their eastern cousins are. That is because these cranes are “typically” a western species. However, this crane is expanding its range and sightings in Ontario are now a regular occurrence as the bird has established nesting areas in the province. Sightings in the rest of the east remain rare. Cranes are often mistaken for Great Blue Herons. Both are about the same size and, at first glance, look similar. An easy way to tell a crane from any heron is to see it fly. Herons and egrets fly with their necks held in an “S” shape, tucked in against their body, while cranes fly with their necks stretched out. Great Blue Herons are frequently encountered by anglers along streams, marshes and rivers where they hunt for fish and amphibians. Cranes will forage in shallow water too, but their diets are more omnivorous in nature than a heron's. Cranes eat insects, aquatic plants and ani-

24 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

mals, rodents, seeds and berries. Unlike herons, cranes will form large flocks and they migrate south and north together. As many as 10,000 cranes will rest in farmers' fields during their spring and fall migrations and their arrival has become a tourist attraction in many places along their routes. Such large aggregations are not seen in the eastern portion of their range. You are much more likely to hear a Sandhill Crane than to see it. Mated pairs perform a “unison call” that carries for a long distance. Many times I've heard their “garoo-oo” calls and I have failed to spot the pair which may be well over a kilometer away.

An angler might encounter a Great Blue Heron rookery with several pairs of herons nesting in a loose colony in the tops of trees. Sandhill Cranes form breeding pairs and build their nests in shallow marshes using reeds, cattails and other plant material. Sandhill Cranes typically lay two eggs which both parents incubate - although the female tends to draw the night watch and overall spends more time on the nest. After about a month the eggs hatch. For the first few days the parents feed their “colts” but soon the young can feed for themselves and begin following their parents on their feeding forages. Many predators pose a threat to the eggs and colts. Coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mink, weasels and raccoons are all animals the adults will try and chase off. Often they are successful. The young birds migrate with their parents and will spend the first 9 or 10-months of their lives in close association with them. Migrating Sandhill Cranes fly in a “V” formation like geese do but they will also ride the thermals like hawks and whole flocks can be seen as they are lifted, soaring in a spiral high above the ground. There are several subspecies of Sandhill Crane, some of which rare. Of these, the non-migratory Florida Sandhill Crane is one of the rarest with fewer than 5,000 birds left. ?

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real fishing fish facts

Bowfin (Amia calva)

The bowfin has a moderately long, stout body that is oval shaped near the head and becoming laterally compressed along the fish’s length. The head is large, broad, rounded and full of teeth that range from sharp, pointed canines to shorter, blunter ones. The bowfin has a single, extremely long dorsal fin that stretches over 40% of the body length, extending from just behind the head to the tail. The tail is rounded and there is no discernable narrowing between it and the body of the fish. The bowfin is the only freshwater fish in Canada with a heavy, oval, bony gular plate, which is located in the centre of the underside of the lower jaw. The general coloration of the bowfin is a dark, lustrous olive on the back, becoming lighter and yellowish on the flanks. The blending of olive and yellow colors often gives the bowfin a mottled or marbled look along its sides. The belly can range from creamy yellow to white and the tail is covered with a series of irregular, dark and broken vertical bars. The scales of the bowfin are soft and fleshy. Males have a round black spot on the upper portion of the tail surrounded by a yellow to orange halo.

26 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

Bowfin are only found in North America, from Texas in the west to Florida in the east and as far north as the Great Lakes. In Canada, they are native to the upper St. Lawrence River, the Ottawa River and all of the Great Lakes except the western portion of Lake Superior. They are also residents of Lakes Nipissing and Simcoe as well as most of the waterways in south central Ontario and western Quebec. Their preferred habitat is swampy, vegetated bays in warm lakes and rivers. Bowfin have the ability to gulp air from the water’s surface as well as to withstand higher temperatures than many other fish. This allows the bowfin to survive and thrive in stagnant areas that are unsuitable for other large species. Spawning takes place in shallow, vegetated water anytime between late April and early June, when water temperatures reach 60 ºF to 66 ºF. Bowfin nests are generally circular and may be found in weedy areas or under logs, stumps or bushes. More than one female may spawn with the same male on a single nest and females may deposit eggs in more than one nest. The eggs are creamy yellow when laid but they darken quickly to blend in with the bottom. Hatching takes place within eight to ten-days and the young are guarded by the male for several weeks. A bowfin’s diet consists of other fishes, crayfish, frogs, insects, beetles and freshwa-

ter shrimp that they locate primarily by smell. They can live for 12 or 13-years in the wild or up to 30-years in captivity. The average size of a bowfin in Ontario is 18 to 24-inches and two to three-pounds in weight but they can grow much larger. In fact, the current world record, caught in South Carolina in 1980, stands at 21-pounds, 8-ounces. Although not regarded as a sportfish, bowfin will readily take both live and artificial baits presented on the bottom. When hooked, they are strong fighters and will seriously test on an angler’s tackle. Bowfin are commonly caught by anglers targeting other species and many largemouth bass fishermen have been surprised - and somewhat disappointed - when what felt like a record-sized bass turned out to be an average sized bowfin. ?

DID YOU KNOW? Newly hatched bowfin fry have an adhesive organ on the tip of the snout which keeps them attached to vegetation for the first 7 to 9-days of their lives.

FAST FACTS Colour: Olive to yellowish brown Size: Two to three-pounds on average, but can reach over twenty-pounds Life Span: Twelve-years in the wild, up to thirty -years in captivity Habitat: Swampy, warm water bays in lakes and rivers Spawning: Late April to early June in water temperatures of 60°F-66°

RECORD The current IFGA All-Tackle World Record bowfin stands at 21 lbs, 8 oz. The fish was caught in Forest Lake, South Carolina, on January 29, 1980.

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the vintage tackle box By Patrick Daradick

Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 23-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge of tackle collecting on his website at www.ontariolures.com

Colmer’s Magnetic Minnow The Kawartha Lakes region has forever been an attraction for cottagers, tourists and especially fisherman. Since the 1930s, anglers have flocked to the region to fish the area’s outstanding lakes in search of trophy bass, walleye and musky. With such a demand for fishing lures in the 1930s, several gentlemen seized the opportunity to provide tackle and garner an honest living from producing fish-catching lures. Two of the more notable were Rusty Edgar, from Lucky Strike Bait Works, and George Williams, maker of the high-gloss, wooden Williams Baits. Recently, another basement tackle maker has been discovered. His name was Cliff Colmer and in 1931he produced the Magnetic Minnow, the lure that “attracts all fish.” Clifford Colmer, better known to friends as “Kip,” was born in 1906 in Peterborough to father, Richard, and mother, Florence Everson. Kip had four brothers; Rolle, Herb, Percy, Gordon; as well as a sister, Ruby. The family resided at 497 Bolivar Street. After his schooling, Cliff found employment in the 1930s at the Albion Knitting Co. This company was well known for producing NHL hockey jerseys among other items. The factory was located at the corners of Park and Murray streets. Cliff's trade was maintenance and machinery. He also supervised operations at this facility. Clifford would remain at this company until the early 1960s. Clifford was a very accomplished woodworker. He had a workshop set up in the basement at 497 Bolivar and this is where he would invent his Magnetic Minnow. His lures were of the highest quality and workmanship. The wooden baits had glass eyes and a metal lip with the words, “Colmer RD 1931 Made in Canada,” stamped into them. I do not believe he ever applied for a patent on his lures or was ever granted one. Kip tested his Magnetic Minnow on local 28 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

waters to see if it really, as the box stated, “attracts all fish.” His catches proved the theory and local fisherman were soon asking for his lures but they were produced in low numbers and never went into largescale production. Kip made them for friends and some family members. A few were sold to local fisherman. Cliff decided to concentrate on making wooden lamps and his lure venture faded away into history. Cliff also constructed a wooden boat he would name the “Sunbeam” during this same period of time he was making baits. He was an avid fisherman and he would venture out to Buckhorn or Pigeon lakes with his new boat to test his tackle or to simply take his family for a ride. In the 1950s Cliff moved to 554 Bolivar Street, a house he and his brother, Rolle, purchased together. Cliff resided in the lower portion of this house with his wife Helen (nee Lillico) while his brother, Rolle, and family lived in the upper portion of this house. Rolle operated a small food store, rightly called, “Colmer’s,” that was located at the corner of Park & Hopkins streets. Cliff maintained a workshop in the basement and also had a smelter in an outside building for melting metal. He would construct a cabin cruiser in his spare time while continuing to make lamps for friends and to sell locally. The fishing lure making idea never revived itself as a business venture,

although Cliff continued making lures for his own use. Clifford “Kip” Colmer passed away in 1969. He was known by his family as a simple man; well liked, very caring and somewhat of a loner. He always worked very hard and was an honest person. His many skills and talents are evident in the classic fishing lures he left behind. A Colmer’s Bait is a unique addition to any collection. The Magnetic Minnow is one of the hardest items for collectors to find as it was made in such a low quantities. They are very elusive and highly valuable if you can locate one. Only 10 Colmer baits are known to exist in collections and only three body styles are known to have been produced - two of which are pictured in the photo. The box in the photo is super-rare and is the only one known to exist. The 1930s were a difficult era but fishing tackle makers in Peterborough found success by providing anglers with unique and effective baits and tackle. ?

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AND YOU THOUGHT MUSKIES HAD LOTS OF BIG TEETH! A few years back, Bob and the Real Fishing crew made a trip to Venezuela to fish for peacock bass. On the third day of the trip, the gang decided to make a 400-km trip across Lake Guri and up the La Paragua River to try and catch a payara, a sabre-toothed, prehistoric looking fish that lives in the Amazon River basin. After a four-hour boat ride, they arrived at Uraima Falls where Bob Izumi caught his firstever payara while casting from shore. Thankfully, Bob decided not to lip land it!

30 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

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32 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

MONDAY

Good Time

SEPTEMBER

Best Fishing Times 2010

DOUG HANNON’S

To order your copy of Doug Hannon’s 2010 Moon Clock Calculator please visit www.moontimes.com or send $9.95 (USD) plus $3.75 (USD) for shipping & handling to: Moon Clock, Department RE, PO Box 724255, Atlanta, GA 31139

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34 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

BECOMING A BETTER

ANGLER By Bob Izumi

It seems like the more I fish, the less I know. That’s kind of an odd statement from somebody who’s fished full-time since 1979 but it’s what makes this sport so interesting to me. The fact is, there is just so much to learn about fishing. Every day you’re on the water you have to consider all of the elements that nature throws at you – the conditions, the species of fish you’re targeting, the time of year and the equipment you have with you. Then you’ve got to figure out how all of those things affect each other and put all of the pieces of the puzzle together so that you can be proficient out there. After 37-years of tournament fishing, and almost 30-years of doing the Real Fishing Show, that sort of sums it up. Good anglers are always learning when they’re on the water.

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 35

Bob and Darrren used wake baits to catch some of their bass during the Renegade Classic.

Recently, a very prominent U.S. professional angler was asked, on a scale of 1 to 10, how good an angler he thought he was. This pro went on to say that he figured he was in the very low range of that scale. He said that there is so much to learn in the sport of angling he felt that he wasn’t even close to being a quarter of the way there. Now, this angler has won millions of dollars in fishing tournaments, and he obviously knows how to catch fish, so his answer was quite shocking to me. Even so, I have to say that I agree with him. There are so many variables to contend with in fishing that the more time you spend on the water the more you’re going to learn. Last summer I was out for an afternoon of fishing with Big Jim McLaughlin. We were drifting over a weed flat and I wasn’t having much luck using some techniques that I’m fairly confident in. Big Jim tied on a big wake bait and proceeded to get about five giant largemouth follow his wake bait over the 500-yard drift that we did. We both saw the fish and he hooked a couple decent ones up to three-pounds. What amazed me was this big, fat, minnow-looking bait that was only running about six-inches under the surface, was attracting these fish. The following weekend my son, Darren, and I were fishing the Renegade Classic tournament on the same water and part of our strategy was to fish the same flat. We both ended up using shallow wake baits – the Strike King Wake Shad and also the King Shad - to produce some of our fish on that weekend. Had it not been for seeing Big Jim attract some of these big fish the week before, I would have never used that technique. I would have thrown spinnerbaits, 36 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

buzzbaits and other lures on that flat. There’s something about changing it up and throwing something different that has always intrigued me about fishing. Growing up in Rondeau Bay we found that when all of the fish camps used to be full of American anglers, these guys all would become pretty tight with each other and every couple of years they would have a ”hot” bait. One year it was a lipless, vibrating crankbait called the Bayou Boogie. Then spinnerbaits became popular, then buzzbaits. Every two or three years these trends developed and the local tackle store could not keep enough of the hot bait in stock because everybody at the camps was using them. What does that tell you? It told me a couple of things. First, it told me that fishermen are pretty gullible. It also told me that if so many anglers were throwing a certain bait and there were that many fish being caught on them, you had to have some in your tackle box. I learned that fish get a little bit accustomed to seeing the same bait and they can become conditioned to the point where they won’t hit them as well as they used to. After a season or two or three of constantly seeing the same baits going over their heads, maybe they get a little gun shy about it. The

The Bayou Boogie was once a popular bass bait on Rondeau Bay.

funny thing is, these trends in lures still exist to this day. The fact is, you really have to have the open mind and be willing to change on the fly. If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it 10,000 times in my career. When things aren’t working and you change it up, a lot of the times you’ll start catching fish. There is no question that this helps to make you more proficient on the water. With all of us having limited amounts of time to enjoy this great sport, I think we all want to have the most success we can when we’re out there. Even though some of us fish for relaxation or to get away from it all, the fact is, we all like to catch fish. When success happens, it’s always a good idea to analyze why it happened. A couple of very close fishing acquaintances of mine keep extremely detailed logs on the conditions every time they go fishing. They’ll often go back into their notes 5, 8, 10-years ago to see what bait and technique worked under certain water temperatures, wind direction, wind speed, water depth, water colour and a number of other factors. It’s funny how that type of history can help when the conditions and the stars line up the same way. How long should you try something before it’s time to change up? That depends. I have fished with hundreds of guides, professional tournament anglers and keeners over the years and I have found that you can almost put all of these great anglers into three categories. One is the person who is so confident in what they are doing that they will not change it up much and they’ll stick with something from sun-up to sundown and eventually make it work. This stubborn approach, used day-in and day-out during a particular time of year, for a certain species, with a certain technique, works for them because their confidence level is so high. They are basically force-feeding the fish and waiting until they turn on. Whether it’s early, morning, mid-morning, mid-afternoon or late in the day, they’re just waiting for it to happen. That’s not a bad approach for those types of anglers. Personally it’s not my approach – I like to run and gun and move around - but I’ve seen it work for some very successful anglers. In most cases, those anglers are not traveling around fishing different bodies of water. They’re mostly local guys who know what’s going on in their favourite waterbody.

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They’re somewhat stuck in their ways but they still produce fish much better than the average angler does because they’re in tune with that specific way of fishing. The next category of angler would be the one who has a sort of one, two, three approach to fishing. They start off fishing one way and they progressively change things up over the course of the day. They’re kind of playing the odds. If something isn’t working, they try something different. They keep switching things up until they find something that works and this approach can work very well. The third group of successful anglers are those who fish more on intuition. They might have a few ideas in their head, but they go out there with a number of rods rigged with different baits for different techniques. This is what most tournament-style anglers do. These types of anglers fish a lot of different bodies of water. They don’t really have a home lake advantage so they try to be proficient during the time they have on a body of water. They’re out there with all of these rods and reels with different baits, line tests and actions because they’re not sure what they’re going to encounter so they need to be ready for almost anything they encounter. They’re prepared to fish shallow, mid-depth and deep water. They’re going to try clear water and murky water; they’re going to fish in the 38 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

the first day so we decided to run to some new water on day two that was in a completely different area, 40-miles away from that spot. This area was deeper, clearer and had colder water by about four or five degrees Fahrenheit. The fish were a couple of weeks behind and we found them on an edge near deeper water. These bass were just starting to move out of deep water and we caught the tar out of them! In this area of the lake the fish were doing something different. Instead of moving up on the rock flats and into the backs of the bays preparing to spawn, these fish were just starting to move towards those areas. Not all fish are doing the same thing at the same time and part of becoming a better angler is understanding and adapting to that. I believe that, on any given body of water, no matter what species of fish you’re fishing for, chances are there are probably three to five patterns that will catch fish for you. Those patterns could involve fishing completely different types of water with completely different types of lures. One pattern will probably be better than the others on any given day but they all could produce some fish. I guess that’s why I like to have multiple rods rigged and ready. While one of the keys to becoming a better angler is to keep an open mind, you should always try to take it the next step. Instead of being happy with what you’re doing, go outside of the box a little bit every day you’re on the water. If you’re on the water for fivehours, take an hour or two and do something different, something that you haven’t done before. Maybe it’s a contour line that runs parallel to the shore and then swings out a

Photo courtesy of FLW Outdoors

Tournament style anglers carry a number of rods and reels rigged with different baits, line tests and actions so they can be ready for any conditions.

weeds, they’re going to fish in the rocks. Basically they’re going to keep a completely open mind and let the fish do the talking. That’s more like the way I like to fish. Sometimes I think I might have ADD because I have a hard time sticking with any one thing unless it’s really working well. Even then I might start switching things around a bit to see if there might be a better way. I remember Gord Pyzer and I did a radio show on that topic years ago. When things are really working good, that’s when you change it up and try other baits. When fish are active and they’re biting on a certain technique and bait, that’s the time when you want to bring out all kinds of new stuff to see if it works the same, worse or better. Keeping an open mind, as I’ve said for three decades, is definitely a good option. Sure, you’ll still have your good days your medium days and your bad days, but for the most part you’ll have consistency throughout the season if you keep trying different things. So you’ve sort of got three basic approaches to fishing and they all work for anglers who have confidence in them. Let’s take it a step further. Many times the surroundings tell you what to do. Here’s an example. At the FLW tournament on Lake Okeechobee in January, I was flipping heavy weed mats on the first day of the tournament. By mid-morning I had an empty livewell. My partner had one nice bass in his well that he had caught out in open water, off the weed mats. I happened to see a bass out in the eel grass and all of a sudden it changed my whole outlook on what I was doing. Instead of continuing to fish the heavy cover, I started looking in the open water pockets around the heavy cover for some of the largemouth that were starting to come up to make beds. That change saved my behind. I caught a limit that included a bass well over eight-pounds, and ended up finishing in eighth place. Remember that not all of the fish are doing the same thing at the same time. For instance, at the Sturgeon Bay Open bass tournament in May, my partner, Derek Strub, and I were fishing a fairly major migration route. Fish were moving into a large bay that was a couple of miles long, and we hit a contact spot those fish were using to move up into the spawning areas. Last year we placed very well by doing this. This year we did not do well on that spot on

What bait to use depends on the mood of the fish and the conditions. It could be a fast, vertical presentation with a spoon; a slower technique with a soft plastic or maybe the fish are on a topwater bite. It’s up to you to adapt to what the fish want.

bit. Maybe your electronics show a little hump that you’ve never fished before. When you find these types of things go and graph them and look at them. You don’t have to fish them, but you should definitely take the time to look. If the area has potential, give it a try. If it doesn’t look promising, you’ve just eliminated some unproductive water. Every time I’m on the water I devote a percentage of my day to trying something beyond what I know. Whether you’re on the lake where you have your cottage, or a lake where you’re going to fish a tournament or if it’s just your annual fishing trip, try to expand on what you already know about the place. You may not catch fish in some of that new water but when you do catch them you’ll be adding to your fishing confidence and knowledge. In my opinion, the biggest roadblock to becoming a better angler is getting too set in your ways on spots and techniques. Expanding just a bit on what you already know, every time you go out, keeps you thinking about the “what ifs” and that’s what has kept me in love with this sport over the years. Every time I have success out there, whether taping a TV show or fishing a tournament, I’m always thinking of the “what ifs.” When I leave the water I’m always thinking, “What if I had tried different baits or different areas.” It’s like driving down a road and seeing a pond or lake or river or creek and thinking, “Gee, I wonder if there’s fish in there?” Even when I’m driving the boat down the lake I look at the water I’m passing and I think of the possibilities. That’s something you should do when you’re out on the water too. It’s nice to have memories and have success doing what’s comfortable, but you should always think about taking it the next step because the next step could be that much better. You’d be surprised at how much you can learn by talking to anglers who fish a lot. I just came back from a tournament and I probably talked to 10 really good anglers this past week. You wouldn’t believe how some of those little tidbits of information you

pick up can make you shake your head and go, “Yeah, that’s pretty cool, I’ll have to remember that for next time.” It happens so much in my life. People may not want to divulge everything, but some little bit of what they say may suddenly flip on the lights you think, “Maybe that was it!” That’s what keeps you growing your knowledge base. For instance, we saw a lot of fish this past tournament but they were hard to catch because the water was still cold and they weren’t that aggressive. Once you saw them it was hard to catch to them because they were a little spooky and didn’t seem to want to bite. If they saw the boat or saw you, it was almost impossible to catch them. In fact, we didn’t catch of the fish we saw which is unusual because I consider myself to be a pretty good sight fisherman. When we were driving home we talked to a couple of buddies who are friends with the guys who won the tournament. It seems that the guys who won happened to see one gigantic moose of a bass cruise by slowly. Once it just got out of sight one of them threw a long cast with a jig and “thump.” He set the hook and it was so big it wallowed – it couldn’t jump. His partner was so excited he threw his rod out of the boat without even knowing it; grabbed the net, proceeded to land the fish (which was over seven-pounds) and they won the tournament. So there’s a case of two guys paying attention to detail. They saw a big fish, made a When bass are aggressive, vibrating crankbaits can be a good alternative to spinnerbaits.

really long cast ahead of it, brought the jig back towards the fish and caught it. Most guys wouldn’t do that. Most guys would cast right to the fish or just slightly ahead – which in this case would probably have spooked it. Becoming a better angler is all about paying attention to things around you and adapting to what’s going on. Keep your eyes and ears open on the water as well as at the dock. If the birds are chirping and flying around, chances are the fish are active too. If you see no birds flying, hear no birds chirping and everything is sitting still, you know that you’d better slow down because the strike zone for the fish is probably very small too. Remember that weather, time of year, the species, the type of lake and a host of other factors all play a part in how you should approach your fishing. Be willing to To tempt inactive bass, slow moving baits like flipping jigs can put the odds in your favour.

change your location or technique if something isn’t working. Go deeper or shallower; fish faster or slower; try wood, weed and rocks. When things are going good, try to expand on what you’re doing. Maybe try different sized baits or different colours. Change the cadence of your retrieve. Keep refining things and you’ll eventually be able to really dial in on your pattern. After fishing competitively for 37-years and shooting the Real Fishing Show for nearly 30, I can honestly say that learning everything you can about fishing, and paying attention to the details and being adaptable when you’re on the water, is what separates the great anglers from the rest of the guys out there. I’ve seen it too many times for it to be pure luck. If it works for them, there’s no reason it won’t work for you too. ? Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 39

Family Fishing

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42 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

Flats are Alive By Perry Miele

He is standing directly behind me, whispering very distinct and clear

Micah Thompson guided us to success on the flats of Andros Island.

directions. “Strip. Strip long. Stop. Strip again. Strip slower. Keep stripping… stop. Strip faster, faster… set the hook!!” And that is when the excitement really begins. You have now hooked a bonefish on your fly rod and it is quickly stripping the line off your reel.

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 43

We are fishing in 20-inches of crystal clear water on the Mangrove Flats of Andros Island in the Bahamas. The directions on how much line to strip in were coming from my Bahamian guide, Micah, who was standing on an elevated four-foot platform on the back of the 17-foot flats skiff. Staying high up on this platform provides him with a better angle to try and see the shadows, 50 to 100-feet ahead, which could be our desired target - feeding bonefish. His position high above me allows him to see every movement the fish makes as it begins to investigate the fly I have presented. Micah will direct every step of how my line is stripped back to the boat. He will ensure I present the fly to properly imitate a small shrimp, and that I am ready to see the hook when the fish sucks the fly in off the bottom. Perry Miele is totally hooked on bonefishing.

The flats are alive and well. As you can tell, I am totally hooked on bonefishing! Yes, yes, I know that is a corny pun that is used much too often in the telling of fish stories, but there is no other way to describe my new passion for fishing on the Bahamian flats. I am sure that you have heard the stories or watched a fishing show that waxes on about how exciting it is to catch the elusive, translucent fish that has the explosive

Liz Bain runs the Mangrove Cay Club.

speed of a rocket ship once it is hooked. Well, get ready to hear one more story that re-affirms this theory. I will also tell you about one of the great lodges and locations to visit if you are ready to take on the flats and hunt for bonefish. It is a well known fact among bonefisherman that the Mecca of bonefishing is Andros Island in the Bahamas. It is the equivalent of Baha for marlin, Bocca Grande for tarpon, the Albany River for brookies orâ&#x20AC;Ś..I think you get my point. The waters around Andros Island are the best for bonefish! I selected Mangrove Cay Club, which I had visited the year before. The resort is run by Liz Bain, who has spent many years running other bonefish camps in the Bahamas and has created the total package with this one. Liz carefully selected a location that would give her access to both the south and the west sides of the island, as well as the entire middle bite. The accommodations are very comfortable. All of the newly-built cabins are located on the water and offer spectacular views. Liz also has on staff, one of the finest chefs in the Bahamas, Iyke Moore, who is an absolute genius at cooking fish. But in the end, what truly makes this a great fishing destination is the combination of fertile fishing grounds and experienced guides who

almost always put you on fish. Of course, hooking them is up to you. Our first day was picture perfect. The weather was cooperating and we were spotting bonefish around almost every mangrove island we visited. The fish were mostly travelling in pairs that day, with the odd larger school popping up as the day progressed. Along with the first bonefish I described at the beginning of this story, my friend, Alek Krstajic, and I hooked and landed six more before it was time to call it a day and meet up with the other guests for cocktails and lobster tempura out on the main lodge deck. As well as enjoying the great lodge and fabulous weather, we were fortunate enough to be joined by another dozen guests who had flown in from all over the United States and Canada. They were loving the Bahamas and the fishing as much as we were, and the storytelling around the bar after dinner was almost as much fun as the fishing itself. Bambi Wilson hooked more bonefish than most of the male guests at Mangrove Cay.

One of those guests was as woman by the name of Bambi Wilson, from Park City Utah. Bambi definitely proved that women can cast a fly as well or better than men and she hooked more bonefish that week than most of the male guests at Mangrove. I think I speak for the majority of all male fishermen when I say the only thing better than meeting Contact: Mangrove Cay Club Mail: Mangrove Cay Club Mangrove Cay, Andros Island The Bahamas Tel: 242-369-0731 or 242-379-0732 Fax: 242-369-0730 E-Mail: mcclub@batelnet.bs www.mangrovecayclub.com

44 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

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Alek Krstajic’s first bonefish was a 10-pound trophy.

a beautiful woman is meeting a beautiful woman who can fish! Bambi was part of a group that was put together by Russ Coburn, who every year gathers friends and acquaintances from all over the globe and invites them fishing to Mangrove Cay. In fact, meeting up with other well-travelled fishing folks and making new friends makes these types of trips even more enjoyable. On our second day we woke up to a low pressure system that undoubtedly meant some challenging bonefishing conditions for us. During breakfast, all of the guests were collaborating with the guides on the different strategies they could employ to offset the strong winds and potential thunder storms. Alek and I decided we would have a plan “B.” We had our guide rig up two spinning reels, one for barracuda and another larger rig for sharks. To us, the strategy was simple. If Mother Nature was going to make bonefishing difficult, then we would go hunting for trophy ‘cuda and sharks. With everything packed and ready, we decided to head south toward Libson Creek, in hopes of finding some protection from the strong westerly winds. As we motored over the long flats in front of Mangrove Cay Village our guide, Micah Thompson, came to a quick stop. He spotted some shadows moving near the shore and slowly poled us toward the beach. Visibility was almost non-existent. With clouds blocking the sunlight and the flat covered in turtle grass, you had to have x-ray vision to spot a translucent fish feeding along the flats. Somehow, Micah spotted a small school of

46 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

bonefish coming toward us. He quickly called for Alek to drop a fly 20-feet to our left and start stripping really slowly. Alek made his best cast of the trip and put his fly, a Red Gotcha, 5-feet in front of the school. By his third strip, the largest fish in the school darted out and inhaled his fly. In a split second all of the slack in Alek’s line was gone and all you could hear was the squeal of his drag as the bonefish headed for open water like he was a small torpedo. It quickly dawned on us that this fish was a little larger than average as it took all of Alek’s line, including most of the backing. Call it beginners luck if you want, but it seemed that Alek’s first bonefish could be a trophy. He carefully followed our constant advice to keep his rod tip up, get rid of all the slack line, don’t muscle it, etc., etc. In the end, he did a great job and landed his first bonefish, a 10-pound lunker that we photographed and then carefully released. It was the perfect start to what was originally looking like a bleak day for bonefish. We decided to stay on this flat and look for the school that this monster bone fish came from. After five or 10-minutes of poking through the flat, we spotted them again. This time the school had grown from six or eight fish to about 20 or 30. We made four or five casts to the edge of the school but there were no takers and they darted back into the darker water over the turtle grass, making it hard to get a good visual on them. We continued the chase, our guide poling with the wind and tide to our back, trying to keep the school within distance.

About 10-minutes later we found them again and to our surprise this school kept getting larger, growing in size every few minutes. It was as if the lead bonefish had a Napoleonic complex and was gathering an army as he crossed the flats to take on some enemy. The truth is that the weather had spooked them and they eventually headed to deeper water, forcing us to quickly go to our plan “B,” shark and ‘cuda fishing. One thing you will realize after a few hours of boating around Andros Island is the abundance of predators in the waters winding through the maze of channels and creeks. There are literally thousands of sharks and barracuda living in the mangrove flats surrounding the island. I was told by a biologist that the reason Andros has a higher than average shark population is because of the abundance of smaller fish like bonefish, snapper, needle fish, etc. In essence, what she was saying was that a big shark and barracuda population is the sign of a healthy eco system and Andros is that for sure. Unfortunately we did not have fly rods big enough for hooking sharks. A #8 weight Sage was not going to cut it if we hooked into a 100-pound black tip - which we did. Our guide, Micah, had our spinning rigs ready to go. All we needed to do was catch a few snapper so we had the live bait needed to attract something big. We settled into a small channel that had some fast running water and, using our fly rods with clouser flies, we quickly hooked about eight nice sized snappers. This is another example of how much diversity in fishing exists on Andros. Catching big snappers on a fly rod is similar to hooking two to three-pound smallmouth on a Woolly Bugger.

Bonefish like this are just enough inspiration to get Perry Miele planning his next fishing trip.

With our bait in the livewell, we proceeded to bait our hooks with live snappers (that were dripping a little blood to drive the sharks crazy) and cast to the marauding sharks we spotted in the channel. It took no longer than 10-minutes before Alek hooked a huge blacktip shark which he fought admirably for over 15-minutes until it somehow managed to bite through the steel leader and break off. This scenario was repeated with a few more sharks until we finally hooked and landed a smaller lemon shark. After carefully taking the hook out of its mouth we photographed it and released it back into the water. Our fishing day was now over and, after landing a trophy bonefish and successfully executing our plan “B,” we were ready to return to the comforts of the Mangrove Cay Club and enjoy the pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres and lobster dinner prepared by Iyke. The hors d'oeuvres and cocktail hour was abuzz with everyone sharing the day’s fish tales and everyone’s excitement about Alek, the rookie, catching the biggest fish of the trip. On our final day, the weather returned to a normal light breeze and clean water conditions so we returned to our favourite mangrove patches and islands. The fish were a

48 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

little spooked and nervous in the morning, but by the afternoon they were back on the bite. We hooked about seven fish and landed five of them. The Red Gotcha was the only fly that seemed to have worked. We tried some Crazy Charlies earlier in the day, but failed to attract a look-see from the tailing bones we spotted so we decided to just give them what they wanted and success followed immediately. At 4:00 p.m. we headed back to the lodge for a final dinner and exchange of fish tales with our new friends. This trip just seemed too short and, like all great fishing adventures, I wish I could have stayed just a little longer and hooked up with one more bonefish. As I said earlier, the flats are alive and well and a few days of hunting for bonefish always seems to be just enough inspiration to get me planning my next fishing trip. Getting to the Bahamas has become much

easier. Along with Air Canada, WestJet has a daily flight to Nassau and from there it is easy to catch one of the small, regional “island hoppers” to the destination you have selected. This allows you to plan for either a week or a four-day fishing trip, making busy schedules no longer a barrier to travelling to the Bahamas. While I recommend using a fly rod to catch bonefish, if you don’t fly fish you can still have fun using a small spinning reel with live shrimp. But take my advice and try with a fly rod. Once you have hooked a bonefish on #8 or #9 weight fly gear you will never want to use a spinning reel in the Bahamas again! Most of the guides provide excellent fly casting instructions, as they did with my friend Alek, and he caught the trophy that the rest of us dream about. Like a great golf shot, it is that big one that will keep bringing us back for one more cast! ?

Making Monsters of Minnows! By Steve May

50 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have been out with many people during significant events in their fishing careers. I have helped numerous people catch both their first fish and their first fish on a fly rod. Unfortunately, the significance of these events is not always easily conveyed to friends and family. A picture of a fish that is pretty much entirely covered by your hand is not too impressive. Despite the glowing smile of success, comments like, “you catch a nice minnow,” or “that’s good bait…where is the fish?” can be pretty deflating for a proud angler who has just caught a landmark fish. So, I have been working at mak-

If the photographer holds the catch and the angler poses properly, you can take the “hold the fish close to the camera” trick to a whole new level. The initial fun shots that got me started down this road involved taking a close-up of the fish with a fly in its mouth with the smiling angler standing behind it. Then I created the fish kisser image (suckers are perfect for this) and I hit pay dirt with the world record brown shots…

A world record brown trout?

Many people hold their catch away from their body to make the fish look bigger.

ing these catches more impressive and worthy of showing to friends, family and fellow anglers in ways that do not involve letting them go to grow for another ten years or resorting to computer trickery. Perspective is everything. Many people in the know use camera equipment with ultra wide angle lenses and have learned to hold their catch out away from their bodies to make fish look bigger. This is just the way a good “grip-andgrin” photographer does things. Another tip to help make that fish look larger is to take picture from a low angle. These are the standard tricks of the trade to taking good fish and angler pictures. A couple of years ago I started playing around with my digital camera and have created some great looking shots without resorting to using Photoshop or other editing software.

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 51

The photographer holds the fish while the angler holds their fist out.

Here is the way to go about making a minnow look like a monster. Holding a small fish dangling from the line at arm’s length, keep your hands out of the shot and have the angler stand about five or six-feet

52 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

The final shot looks like the angler has caught a monster.

away. Get them to hold out their hand with a clenched fist that looks like it is holding the end of the line. Take the shot when the fish is aligned properly. This may take a couple of tries, but the results of a good shot will do all of the talking! I have a bunch of examples of 6-inch long creek chub that appear to be over 20-pounds. Your first tiny trout can now look like it would set a world record, despite you and the cameraman knowing that you would have to pull on both ends of the fish to stretch it to a legitimate eight-inches! Have fun with it. Don’t take things too seriously and enjoy your time on the water even when the big ones aren’t biting. Sure, these shots usually are not in super-crisp focus, but they will turn heads. Who knows when you will get that fish that doesn’t need special tricks to make it look huge! ?

Ten-year old Blake Greenlees knows a thing or two about staging a photo to make a small fish appear huge. In the top photo, Blake placed a pike behind a toy semi-truck and took a photo from a low angle. The resulting shot is definitely more interesting and makes the fish appear much bigger than it does in the lower image.

BOBBER DOWN!

Slip bobber techniques to catch more walleyes all summer long. By Nic Norton

54 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

“Your bobber’s down,” says Jon Thelen for the third time in five minutes. Another short battle with a big walleye ends after a quick snapshot and a gentle release. Thousands of young anglers are introduced to fishing each year with a simple bobber set-up. However, it would be a huge mistake to limit bobber fishing to the younger generation. Thelen, an experienced guide and Lindy Pro Staff member, makes his living with slip bobbers. “When I pull up on a reef, my goal is to catch every fish there before moving to the next one,” he says. “Slip bobbers give me a much higher percentage of bites to catches than I get with other methods.” The bottom line: guides, professional anglers and weekend warriors alike can benefit from rigging a few rods with slip bobbers this summer. Presenting bait below a slip bobber offers several key advantages over other traditional methods when walleye fishing. First, and perhaps most importantly, slip bobbers allow anglers to precisely place their offering in the strike zone. Though many fish are caught with Lindy rigs dragged across likely holding points; a slip bobber allows you to drop right in front of an ambush point where hungry ‘eyes are lurking. Secondly, walleyes have very good eyesight. However, like many species that spend a majority of their time near the bottom of the water column, their eyes are positioned towards the top of the head. This makes slip bobber presentations especially effective, because the preferred bait is left dangling in easy view of surrounding fish. The third advantage is visibility for the angler. With a slip bobber, detecting bites relies on sight rather than feel, so there is very little question when a fish takes the hook. In windy conditions when feel is limited, or with less experienced anglers who aren’t as adept at distinguishing between light-biting fish and a bumpy bottom, this

translates to a much higher catch rate. Also, when a big walleye pulls a slip bobber under, the angler is in position to get a great vertical hook set to ensure it stays on the hook.

Sonar units are a given, but quality mapping software is also essential in perfecting the slip bobber game. Detailed depth contour maps allow you to approach fish-holding structure without driving the boat over it and sending wary walleyes scattering across the depths. Even in deeper water where fish may be holding on gravel beds or mud flats, being able to pinpoint them with a quality graph is extremely important. “When I see schools of resting fish on deep gravel bars with my graph, I can flip out a slip bobber rig and drop my jig right in front of those fish,” Thelen adds. “The entire time my bait is down there, I know it is in the strike zone because I saw the fish on my screen. If I were pulling rigs or trolling, I may only be in front of those fish for 3 seconds.”

EYES BY MOONLIGHT In late spring and early summer, walleyes aren’t feeding nearly as heavily as they will be in late summer and into the fall. The ice is off the water and they have a warm summer of easy living ahead of them. So, how do you maximize your time on the water in this light feeding period? Easy. Get out there

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Deep weed lines are a natural choice for slip bobbers. It is pretty tricky to troll a crank or drift a Lindy rig down a weedline without getting tangled or hung up somewhere along the way. A jig cast to the edge of the weeds under a slip bobber, however, will hang perfectly in the open where hungry fish can ambush it. Another opportunity is casting into small pockets within a weed bed where other deep presentations are impossible. There is no other method that matches the effectiveness of a slip bobber rig when it comes to staying in the strike zone in these situations. As far as Thelen is concerned, there are two words synonymous with slip bobber fishing: rock pile. In the early summer especially, shallow rock piles are magnets for feeding walleyes in the evening hours. “Walleye move up to those shallow rocks in the evenings to feed, but if you run your boat over them pulling rigs they will scatter,” Thelen says. “By using your electronics and casting slip bobbers from a distance, those fish will never know you are there and you’ll catch more of them every time.” Electronics play a huge role in successfully fishing from a boat with slip bobbers. Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 55

when the fish are most active. Light-sensitive walleyes are most comfortable after the sun sets, so it makes sense that this is when they are feeding the most actively in the summer. Night fishing is a mystery to those who have never ventured onto the pond in the dark, but the methods are not all that different from fishing in the daylight. The shallow reefs and rock piles fish started to move onto before dark are the same places they will remain well after nightfall. Night fishing for walleyes can really pay off big!

there is a much lower chance that my line will get wrapped around a sharp gill plate and break or get cut.” As always, the business end of the setup is vital to any presentation. For success in a variety of conditions, Thelen chooses a 1/16-ounce Lindy X-Change Jig with a leech. The small jig makes it easier for walleyes to inhale the bait and appears more natural to finicky fish in clear water situations than a 1/8 or 1/4-ounce jig. He places one #2 split shot roughly 12 to 18 inches above the jig and suspends the whole rig under a Thill Pro Series XXL float. Jon explained that using one large split shot, rather than two or more, is vital to this presentation. The tools of the trade for slip bobber fishing.

One thing that should be changed is the slip bobber used. At night, a slip bobber is worthless if you can’t see it. Luckily, Thill has come up with an ideal solution in the all new Splash Brite. This float lights up in blazing color the moment it touches the water so there is never a doubt when a fish takes the bait. When removed from the water, the light turns off automatically so battery life is conserved for a long period of time.

THE SETUP When it comes to equipment, anglers can get away with using whatever rods are available for slip bobber fishing. However, as with anything else, certain options definitely shine above the rest. Thelen chooses an 8’6” medium action stick paired with a high quality spinning reel and 8-pound test line. “I keep my drag set fairly tight when I’m fishing slip bobbers,” says Thelen. “With the soft tip on my rods, I can keep fish coming forward. If they can’t pull any drag and I can keep steady pressure on them, 56 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

“When you make a cast with split shot on the line, the whole rig will pivot around the weight while in the air. With one weight, this is no problem. If you have two weights on the line, though, you end up with line wrapped around the bobber a large percentage of the time and your bait hanging uselessly a few inches below the surface.”

The most overlooked aspect of the slip bobber game is one of the most essential in making it work correctly – the bobber stop. Thill’s Premium Bobber Stops are composed of a smaller, softer material than others on the market and will stay in place longer with less line wear than the bulkier alternatives. The last element in setting up properly with a slip bobber rig is setting the depth. When fishing structure in water less than 10-feet deep, a good rule of thumb is to start with your jig set six-inches from the bottom and experiment from there. When the wind is rocking, you should also take into account the size of the waves. With a one-foot chop, for example, adjust your jig to be 18-inches off the bottom. This will ensure it stays above the fish even in the bottom of the waves so your bait will remain in the strike zone more consistently. In deeper water, it is sometimes good to set the jig to suspend two or three-feet off the bottom. Especially on bright days with very good light penetration, walleyes can see a jig that is several feet above their heads and they are much more willing to move up in the water column in deep water than in the shallows. The best time to go fishing is measured by some with lunar calendars and almanacs, but the best time to be on the water is as soon as you can get there. Next time you make it out, be sure to rig up a rod or two with slip bobbers. Whether you are trying it for the first time or getting back to your fishing roots, you’ll be glad you did. ?

The fully automatic Thill® SPLASH BRITE™ activates upon hitting the water. Its bright red light is easy to see in all conditions. A true center slip float with a brass grommet that eliminates all hassles and tangles. With a minimum of 30 hours battery life, the SPLASH BRITE™ will change how you view fishing in the dark.

lindyfishingtackle.com

A White Fishing

58 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2010

“Hey dad, sure you don’t want to try a Gulp leech,” I called over to my dad, Bruce Holmlund, who was fishing in the other boat with my

Otter Adventure By Jeff Holmlund

nephew, Evan Woodland. “Naaaw, that’s ok, I am going with a live minnow,” he replied, tossing his freshly tipped, unpainted jig over the side of the boat and into the water below. My dad has been bringing me on fishing adventures since I was a young boy and one thing I know for sure, a jig tipped with a live minnow is his personal walleye comfort bait. “The walleye were biting here the other day, so I think we will let this chop drift the boats into that little cove,” said my boat partner, Barry Brown. Barry knows these waters better than anyone, having worked them for the last four decades, first as a Conservation Officer and now as owner of Browns Clearwater West Lodge. Peering down into the crystal clear oligotrophic water of White Otter Lake, 18-feet below I could see a giant school of marauding walleyes, feeding close to the sandy bottom. The intruding shadow of our drifting boat danced across the lake bottom, but seemed not to alarm the feeding school. This area of the world is legendary and a place I have wanted to bring my dad to for a long, long time. Seeing the multitude of fish on the bottom got my spider senses tingling and I knew it was the start of an incredible trip. Tossing a ¼-ounce jig tipped with a Gulp Alive leech towards the densest area of fish, I could see a virtual fish market beneath my feet. I watched my offering spiral slowly down towards the waiting school of walleyes. When the tiny jig found bottom, a slight hop of the bait was all it took to send the school of ravenous fish into a feeding frenzy. I could see close to a dozen fish rush my bait before I felt the tell-tale “tap, tap” of a walleye bite. Dropping my rod tip ever so slightly gave Mr. Walleye the slack he needed to inhale the Gulp leech. Then, with a side sweep of the rod, I set the hook and the fight was on.

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 59

“There’s one,” I said, grinning over at my dad as I leaned back into the hook-set. Out of the densely packed school of walleye came a darting, fighting, whirling dervish of a fish. Over the years my dad usually kicks my butt when it comes to first and biggest fish bets but today, hopefully, was going to be my day of redemption. Every walleye fisherman knows what it feels like to battle a chunky, scrappy, walleye but to be able to watch the whole show unfold before your eyes is incredible. Who needs plasma, when you have the nature channel right below your feet? Not only could I feel, but I could see every move the fish made and was able to counter with moves of my own. I have sight fished for bass and northern pike before, but never for walleyes. I didn’t want the battle to stop. Through the clear water I could see the fish was tiring. Too big for the shore lunch frying pan, Barry quickly netted and released a 22-inch silvery coloured walleye. Bruce Holmlund with a nice White Otter Lake smallmouth

60 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

“Nice fish, but usually they are bigger,” said Barry. Mouth open, jaw hanging, I quickly adjusted my Gulp Alive leech and tossed it over the side. Today, things were changing. The tide was turning. The bite was on, walleyes were feeding and leeches were their prey. It’s hard to change a dyed-in-the-wool jig and live minnow man when it’s produced for nearly 78-years but my dad was having a bit of a dry spell using his jig and minnow combo. The ‘eyes just didn’t seem to be interested. After reluctantly accepting a live leech from Barry things were about to change. “Yee-haw,” erupted from the bow of my dad’s boat. Not wanting to be outdone, my dad, (the old master) and my young-gun nephew had decided it was time to put on a clinic. After switching to jig and leech combos, (Dad with a live leech, Evan with an artificial) they began casting to a rock transition just off the shoreline. Hopping their jigs over this perfect smallmouth habitat brought on a wave of attacks from a half dozen aggressive bronzebacks. I could see Evan, rod fully bent, battling a jumping smallmouth, with Dad busy battling on a smallie of his own. Sneaking a quick look at Barry - who was also fighting a fish - all I could say was, “Wow,” before setting the hook into a nice walleye of my own. Contrary to one old-timer’s view, the Gulp baits were working as good, if not better than live bait. It didn’t seem to matter - if it resembled a leech, the fish were on. Catching one is nice, a double is a treat, a triple is spectacular, but a quadruple of two different species, well, you be the judge. After an hour and a half of non-stop action and with lunch time approaching, we decided it was a good time to take a break on a nearby rock point and enjoy a traditional shore lunch. As Evan and I cleaned some walleyes for the frying pan, I could sense my dad watching. After all of these years the old teacher still likes to watch his student, ensuring every bone is removed. I guess once a kid, always a kid. In no time Barry had the Coleman stove hissing and started cooking the shore lunch while talking about this beautiful area. Crystal-clear White Otter Lake is located some 265-km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and is accessible from Highway 11 or Highway 17 via 622. Access to the

Barry Brown gets in on the smallmouth action.

lake is by way of a mechanical portage operated by Browns Clearwater West Lodge, or by a narrow logging road at the south end of the lake. The lake is approximately 150-square kilometres in size and has everything from sandy beaches to marshy shorelines to majestic, towering cliffs. The area has some old-growth pine, a mix of tree species and shows evidence of the transition zone between the Boreal and the St. Lawrence Forests. White Otter lake is typical of Canadian Shield country waters and is reputed to be one of the clearest in Ontario with up to 25-feet of visibility. Its bays and coves harbour walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, whitefish and lake trout. I have guided fishermen throughout northwestern Ontario but I have never had such a unique experience as sight fishing for walleye in such a beautiful setting. According to Barry, White Otter’s walleye average 20 to 25-inches and five-pound smallmouth bass are common. As for the lake trout, this area’s genetics are legendary not only for the size, but for the Barry prepares a traditional shore lunch.

As we trolled in front of the castle my spider senses started tingling again. There are submarine-sized lake trout below and the glint in the old man’s eye told me he still had some old tricks up his sleeve. Anticipation hung heavy in the air and, even if we didn’t connect with a giant laker, this had already been one incredible trip. ?

Aside from the incredible fishing, the best-known feature on the lake is White Otter Castle. Built in the early part of the 1900’s by hermit Jimmy McQuat, this magnificent log castle stands three stories tall, with a turret extending up an additional floor for a total height of 41-feet. The main part of the building measures 24 by 28-feet, while an attached kitchen area adds a further 14 by 20-feet area to the floor plan. McOuat built his “castle” single-handedly, beginning in 1903 and completing it in 1914. He cross-cut sawed all of the red pine logs himself, and hoisted these unfinished timbers - some of them weighing as much as 1600-pounds - into place by means of a block and tackle and a unique ladder system. Jimmy drowned while netting fish in 1918. There is a grave site next to the Castle that some believe to be his but it actually holds the remains of a nuisance bear buried by a group of Boy Scouts. A major Conservation Project has recently been completed by the Friends of White Otter Castle, restoring the building to its original glory.

This winch was used roughly 100 years ago to haul logs past a set of rapids

White Otter Lake has seen two major logging eras and remnants of logging camps, dams, steam-driven logging equip- The remnants of a steam bath used by German war prisoners. ment and sluices can still be found along its shores. Just north of the Castle are the ruins of a prisoner of war camp from the Second World War. This area had seven such camps during the war years, guarding up to 800 prisoners. Native North Americans have hunted, fished and trapped the area for thousands of years and there are over 20 pictograph sites along with numerous native habitation sites in the area.

White Otter is a typical Canadian Shield lake and is reputed to be one of the clearest in Ontario.

quantity of fish. In 1980, one of Barry’s guests, Earl Palmquist, set the bar pretty high when he caught the hard-water world record lake trout, a 40-pound behemoth, out of White Otter’ sister lake, Clearwater West. Every year lake trout in the 30pound range are caught. Northern pike are also abundant with 20-pound plus fish caught regularly. With shore lunch finished and our belly’s full of one too many crisp, golden walleye fillets, we climbed back into the boats to try for some lake trout. It is these fishing

adventures with my dad I have looked forward to since I was a young boy. I believe it was our time together in the great outdoors that gave us our connection and now, as we live life in a busy world, it is these trips that make us take the time to reconnect. We have been on some fantastic trips over the years: fishing local walleye holes, West Coast salmon, giant Arctic lake trout, char or fishing together in bass tournaments. Now, as life moves on, it’s my time to repay him for the time he spent helping me develop my love of the outdoors.

Author, Jeff Holmlund, and his father, Bruce, enjoy a “fishing moment” together.

Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 61

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

When you travel as much as I do, every now and then you just want to do something for fun, that isn’t work-related. In my case that’s hard to do because I love my work and most of my work trips are a lot of fun. In this case however, it was a quick trip to Florida with my wife to visit some family. We went down for three-days, hit a few golf balls and had a nice visit before coming back to get ready for the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show. After 63-years at Exhibition Place, the Sportsmen’s Show has moved to a new venue at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It’s been a long time since I’ve done seminars at the show and I have to admit that I really enjoyed getting out there to talk to the public again. At first, I didn’t know what to expect from the new venue because, as a typical male, I’m not sure if I like change. After going to the show, however, I have to say that I like the new facility better than the old one. The Convention Center is close to hotels, which makes it convenient for folks who are staying downtown – especially the people who are working at the show; there are restaurants everywhere,

62 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

transit is easily accessible and, best of all, there’s a Tim Hortons right across the road! The natural light that comes into the venue through the glass ceiling and wall on the north side really made the show look bright and fresh. Leading up to the show, I was involved in a number of TV and radio interviews that included appearances on Canada AM and Breakfast Television. It’s amazing how many people mention seeing me on those types of shows. It was a great promotion for the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show and, of course, for the Real Fishing Show. As soon as the Sportsmen’s Show ended I was off on a quick flight to Montreal with my daughter and wife to check out Concordia University. My daughter, Kristin, has just finished her two-year course in public relations at Conestoga and now she’s going to university to further her education. My old buddy, Rick McCrory, who you hear a lot about in these columns, picked us up at the airport, chauffeured us around for two-days and took great care of us during our visit. Since that trip to Montreal, my daughter has decided to go west rather than east to further her schooling in Victoria, BC. As soon as I got back, I picked up Gord Pyzer at the airport. Gord had come down from Kenora to tape the Real Fishing Radio series with me. Gord is a wealth of knowledge and is without a doubt one of Canada’s most respected outdoor writers. It’s always a treat to get together with him for a few days and talk fishing – and boy do we talk fish-

ing! From the time we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night we’re constantly talking about techniques, tournaments, locations and everything else to do with fishing. I guess that’s what happens when you’re fanatical about something! As soon as Gord headed out, it was time to head to Woodbridge, Ontario, for Shawn Galea’s fundraising dinner in support of his son, Chase. I’ve known Shawn and his business partner in Advanced Taxidermy, James McGregor, for well over 20-years now. Shawn’s son has cerebral palsy and it’s been an incredible sacrifice of both time and money to support the treatments he needs.

In fact, it takes over $50,000 a year in out of pocket expenses, that are not covered by any government programs, to get Chase the help he needs. The fundraiser was developed to help offset some of the costs and it ended up being a huge success with over 450 people showing up to support the cause. Many TV fishing and hunting show hosts were there along with a number of NHL players, folks from the fishing industry as well as friends and family of the Galeas. After the fundraiser, I was off to Costa Rica for three-days of fishing and to film an episode of the Real Fishing Show. Costa Rica is a place that I’ve become very fond of. Not only does it seem to be a very safe country, you’ve got to love the weather down there. Brent McNamee, from BoaterExam.com, had arranged the trip to fish out of Puerto Quepos with Captain David Dobbins, guide Greg Ettles and mate, Christian Delgado, aboard the 38-foot boat, Barbarosa. I’ve had some absolutely incredible fishing trips to Costa Rica over the years but on this particular trip we had to work for our

fish. The warmer climate we are having seems to have affected the fishing a bit this season, making it a little slower than usual. The fishing is generally incredible; some of the best saltwater fishing in the world in fact, but the warmer water has started to change things. For example, a lot of billfish we saw came up and looked at the teasers then took off rather than striking. It seems as if they didn’t have a lot of energy in the warmer water. Despite that, we still managed to boat four sailfish and one blue marlin, lost another marlin and landed a tuna during our trip. Even though the conditions were tough, we got the show shot so, mission accomplished. There’s no question that Costa Rica is a world-class saltwater fishing destination and I can’t wait to go back and give it another shot. We got back from Costa Rica and a friend, Frank Guida, invited us to one of the last Toronto Maple Leafs home games of the season so the family and I headed down to Toronto to see it with him. We had a nice dinner in the lounge and a good time at the game which made for a wonderful bit of R&R. Then it was off to Fanshawe College in London for a series of presentations by a number of student groups for a project we are working on with a company called TecVana. With the number of youngsters that are not getting involved in fishing today, it’s important that all of us in the industry try to show the youth that fishing can be a cool sport. TecVana is going to be an interactive game, reality TV series, social networking and tourism project that is very exciting. The students in London came up with some incredibly creative, out-of-the-

box ideas that could really help this project. It was fun to see how some of our youth perceive the sport of fishing – even though many of them do not partake in this hobby. We had a number of tips to shoot and production type work to get finished during April and May in order to get the finishing touches put on this year’s Real Fishing TV series. It was great to get it all wrapped up so that we can start thinking towards next year’s series. We like to shoot our shows up to a year in advance so it’s already time to already start focusing on next year. At the time of doing this column I am

about and that’s the Sturgeon Bay Open bass tournament on big Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. In mid-May, Derek Strub and I made our annual pilgrimage into Wisconsin for this very large tournament. Every year it fills up with 200 teams, partly because the fishing is absolutely spectacular. It offers some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the world during the spring of the year when those big bass come out of their deep water haunts and into the shallows. It has a very good payback and it attracts teams from various areas of Canada and the United States. It’s somewhat of a local bass tournament but it is a great, well-run event for the community. The tournament runs out of Door County, Wisconsin, which is the beautiful peninsula that separates Green Bay from Lake Michigan. Door County is very much a tourist area and during the middle of May the tourism business is very slow. This tournament is a real benefit to the local businesses with so many people coming to the area to fish the event.

involved in doing a number of radio interviews concerning boating safety and the Pleasure Craft Operator Card. I’ve been letting folks know that if you log onto www.BoaterExam.com you can get your card, it’s good for life and, as I’ve said in many interviews, if it saves one life a year it’s worth it. For over 25-years I’ve been saying that we need more safety on the water. Every week that I’m out on the lakes, rivers and reservoirs I see too many unsafe boating practices so I do believe the card is much needed. I really only have one more thing to talk Summer 2010 – Real Fishing 63

Tales from the Road

Last year was our first time fishing this tournament and we did very well, placing third overall. This year was a different story. It’s funny because last year we ran into some very high winds in the practice period and didn’t have a good practice. This year we ran into high winds again, along with rainy weather and abnormally cold temperatures. One again, we had a dismal practice. We did catch some big fish here and there but we weren’t really feeling that good about things. I mean, I had one six-pounder and we had a few fives, but for the most part it was a pretty slow practice. Come tournament time the weather turned around and it was beautiful on day one. We decided to fish an area that we fished last year, hoping that the smallmouth would funnel along the breakline we were fishing. When they didn’t show, we ended up running and jumping around and ended up with only four fish for the day, putting us in 105th place. 64 Real Fishing – Summer 2008

On day two I said to Derek, “Let’s go fish some new water and have some fun.” He agreed. We ended up catching probably 35 to 40 bass on day two by fishing completely new water. We weighed in just under 26-pounds for the day and moved up 50 places to 55th. I believe it paid 40 places so we missed getting a cheque by a few ounces. One of the highlights of the Sturgeon Bay Open was getting to use the new Navionics Great Lakes Fish N’ Chip electronic mapping chart that shows bottom contours in one-foot increments. We saw ridges, points and humps that we have never seen before on Sturgeon Bay. These were not visible on some of the other electronic charts that we had. After seeing the great detail on the Fish N’ Chip, both of us are eager to try it in some of the other areas of the Great Lakes that we frequently fish. This tournament was a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly but we definitely ended

on a high note by catching so many fish and having so much fun on day two. We didn’t have any real big fish but they were all very nice, good, solid “blocks.” Along with the fish we weighed in, we easily culled another 22-pound limit. During the 13 ½-hour drive back home, all we did was talk about what we’re going to do next year. I guess that means yes, we are going back next year if everything goes right. It’s amazing that when you do well in a tournament you’re 10-feet off the ground and in the clouds. When you do poorly in a tournament your mind gets spinning. You’re down and out mentally but you have to rebound and think about what you would you do differently. All the way home we tried to figure out what we’d do differently next year. But here’s the problem: conditions change every year and sometimes the best laid plans don’t always work out. I guess that’s why they call it real fishing. ?

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s COOKING

YIN-YANG PICKEREL In Chinese philosophy the concepts of yin and yang represent balance in the universe. This dish balances the delicate flavour of walleye and the

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 3 tbsp

fresh, skinless, boneless walleye fillets white sesame seeds black sesame seeds canola oil

METHOD

Heat canola oil in frying pan.

sweet, nutty taste of sesame against the fiery heat of the chili based sauce creating a uniquely delicious taste sensation.

Arrange sesame seeds in the centre of a plate with white seeds on one side and black on the other. Place inside of fillet onto sesame seeds and press gently. Fillets should be coated on one side with half white and half black sesame seeds.

Pan sear the fillets, sesame seed side down. Cook until white seeds turn golden then turn and cook for an additional two minutes. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl, mix well and drizzle over cooked fish. Special thanks to Matt Maurice, Executive Chef of The Martini House in Burlington, Ontario, for providing this recipe.

Summer 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 65

INTO THE

YELLOW Into The Yellow captures a scene that many anglers know exists, but few have ever witnessed. In this, his latest work, renowned Canadian artist Curtis Atwater depicts a large walleye as it prepares to feast on one of its favourite meals - a tasty yellow perch. Subject: Walleye & Yellow Perch Dimensions (inches): 17” x 30” Medium: Acrylic on masonite Contact: Curtis Atwater Atwater Fine Arts 6 Cranston Dr. Caledon East, ON L7C 1P8 Tel: 905-584-0185 Email: atwaterfinearts@sympatico.ca Website: www.natureartists.com/curtis_atwater.asp

66 Real Fishing – Summer 2010

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