Summer 2015 by Real Fishing

Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 3 Just $3.95

SUMMER 2015

DISPLAY UNTIL OCTOBER 15, 2015

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he all-new FS multi-species series from Ranger ®. Permeated by nearly four dozen pioneering features, this is a revolutionary leap forward in total performance and fishability. Inside and out, the designs are so advanced that, while we didn’t change everything – for the world of fishing – everything has changed. Highlights include a deeper wider interior, more fuel capacity, larger livewells, integrated tool holders, a skid-resistant floor that’s soft, cool and dries faster than carpet, a flush-mounted keel protector*, patent-pending Power Ventilation Rod Storage™, huge rod capacities, room for the largest back-mounted electronics, vertical rod holders, and much more! Experience the unparalleled ride and water-crushing strength of every exclusive FS hull. Touting 19, 20, and 21 foot models, these designs are performance engineered to do more than raise the bar – They’re Setting A Whole New Standard.

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Contents Features 30 SUMMER RUMBLE Largemouth bass aren’t just creatures of the shallows. When the mercury climbs they often school up on offshore structure, providing a bonanza for anglers who know where to find them and how to approach them. By David A. Brown

39 PIKE ARE FOR KIDS Aggressive, scrappy and a ton of fun to catch, shallow water pike could just be the ultimate fish to get kids started in fishing.

45 MARIKO’S TOP FIVE Mariko Izumi’s top fishing getaways - and what makes them special. By Mariko Izumi

By Wes David

51 FISHING TRIPS – FOR FREE? Volunteer work could be your ticket to a free dream fishing trip. By Nick Trehearne

56 HOT SUMMER SMALLMOUTH Tips and tactics for summertime smallmouth on the Great Lakes. By Johnathan LePera

Summer 2015 Volume 21, Issue 3 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey

Columns

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

6 OPENING LINES

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

By Jerry Hughes

Bowfin

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

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com

10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC

26 BEST FISHING TIMES

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

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

By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING By Steve May

20 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX By Patrick Daradick

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

64 WHAT’S COOKING

Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6

On the cover: SMOKIN’ STURGEON! Photo by Mariko Izumi

16 FISHING

Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504

Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

66 ART OF ANGLING

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Options For most Canadian anglers summer comes far too late and leaves far too early. We’ve only got a few short months of shorts-and-tee-shirt weather, where dealing with the elements is more or less a nonissue, before we’ve got to plan for rain, snow, wind and all the other wonderful challenges Mother Nature adds to our fishing adventures. We’ve got to “make hay while the sun shines” as they say, and try to jam as many fishing trips as we can into the time we have available. Thankfully, we are blessed with a wide range of fish species to pursue and a myriad of lakes, rivers, ponds and streams to pursue them in. In this issue of Real Fishing we explore a number of the summer fishing options that are available, starting with a look at offshore largemouth bass fishing. That’s right, offshore largemouth fishing. Sure, docks, lily pads, weed flats and shoreline cover all produce fish, but these areas tend to only give up one or two at a time. And, they tend to get fished – a lot! You’ve got to keep moving and hitting different spots to keep catching fish. In his Summer Rumble article, David A. Brown shows how to find schooling bass on offshore cover, where catching numbers of good quality fish from a single location is a distinct possibility. Speaking of offshore cover, the numerous rockpiles, drop-offs, humps etc. that dot the Great Lakes provide some of the best smallmouth bass fishing on the continent, and most of it occurs within a short drive of some of our largest urban areas. While that’s great news for a lot of us who live near these places, the Great Lakes are huge and fishing smallmouth on them is different than it is on most smaller lakes. To help get you off on the right foot, Johnathan LePera spoke to two of Ontario’s premiere smallmouth anglers for their insights into how to tap into this fish6 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

ing bonanza from the start of summer until the arrival of fall. Whether you like topwater fishing, jigging, dropshotting or some other smallmouth technique, Johnathan’s Hot Summer Smallmouth story is sure to give you a few new ideas on how to go about catching them. Summer holidays are something we all look forward to, and using them for a trip to a faraway fishing hotspot is high on any angler’s wish list. Whether it’s a full service family getaway or a rustic back country adventure with your fishing buddies, there’s nothing quite as memorable as a great fishing trip. In this issue we’ve got a couple of great articles that can help give you some ideas for a fantastic trip this summer, starting with Mariko’s Top Five. In it, Mariko Izumi gives a rundown on some of her favourite fishing and travel destinations that she has explored as the host of WFN’s, Hookin’ Up. From British Columbia’s Fraser River to Florida’s Boca Grande, Mariko’s picks define the term, dream fishing trip. On the more casual side of things, Nick Trehearne discovered that there is a way to experience the fishing trip of a lifetime on a shoestring budget – if you don’t mind doing a little work and living in somewhat rustic accommodations to do it. His article, Fishing Trips – For Free?, outlines how Nick managed to make his dream lake trout trip a reality without having to shell out any money to make it happen. Rounding out our feature stories is Wes David’s article, Pike are for Kids. A lot has been written about getting youngsters involved in fishing but almost all of them are geared around catching panfish. Yes, they are fun and easy to catch, but the thrill of catching them can fade quickly, especially for kids. Wes takes a different angle by introducing young anglers to fish-

ing by targeting shallow water pike in the summer. The small to medium-sized pike that inhabit these areas provide a ton of action and the kind of bragging rights that perch or rock bass just can’t command. Along with our feature stories, this issue is packed with a wide range of columns on a variety of topics that are sure to help give you some ideas for your next summer fishing adventure. We hope you enjoy the magazine and that you have a safe and successful summer on the water. ?

CATCH OF THE DAY.

T H E R O OT S O F F I S H I N G In today’s fast paced fishing world, it sometimes seems as if the high-tech equipment we rely on has overtaken the act of simply going fishing. At its roots, fishing is about having fun, sharing time with friends, exploring new areas and enjoying the time we spend outdoors. This photo shows what fishing is truly about and serves to remind us that the fun of fishing doesn’t always come with a price tag.

8 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

Summer 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 9

CALLING CANADIAN BASS ANGLERS! If you ever wanted to fish your way into a high profile tournament in the United States, here’s your chance. The U.S. based FLW has announced a sanctioning programme allowing international partners to run FLW tournaments abroad. Beginning in 2016, each partner country will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens of the host country, to a new International Division at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship. The highest finisher among countries represented in the International Division will then advance to the Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete for $500,000. Earlier this year, eastern Ontario’s Shootout Series bass tournament organiza-

10 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

tion signed an exclusive licensing agreement as FLW’s first partner under the new programme, and is set to host an FLW tournament in 2015, with at least three events slated in Canada for 2016. “This is a life changing opportunity for anglers fishing the Shootout Series in 2015,” said Cory Banford, co-owner of the Shootout Series. “We’ve been very successful with our tournaments over the years, but the opportunity to fish in our home country and qualify for the Rayovac FLW Series Championship, and ultimately the Forrest Wood Cup, is a life-changing opportunity for Canadian bass anglers.” Four anglers will advance from the 2015 Shootout Series Showdown to represent

Canada in the 2016 Rayovac FLW Series Championship. Two will compete as pros with FLW providing Ranger boats adorned with the Maple Leaf - and two will compete as co-anglers. The top pro award at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top coangler award is a Ranger Z117. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship will then advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage for $500,000 – the biggest payday in bass fishing, with the FLW again providing Ranger boat for the angler to use.

EVENTS Calendar KIDS, COPS AND CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS

TEMISKAMING SMALLMOUTH BASS SERIES

Year ‘round youth oriented fishing events Various dates and locations www.kidsandcops.ca

June - September Various locations in North-Central Ontario www.temiskamingsmallmouthbass.com

CHANTRY CHINOOK CLASSIC July 25 - August 9 Lake Huron Kincardine, ON http://64.177.125.54/Chantry/index.htm

TOP BASS FISHING SERIES June - August Various locations in Ontario www.top-bass.ca

NEW BRUNSWICK SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION Bass Tournaments May - September Various locations in New Brunswick www.nbsportfishing.net

RENEGADE BASS TOUR

KENORA BASS INTERNATIONAL

July - August Various locations in Eastern Ontario www.renegadebass.com

August 7 - 9 Lake of the Woods Kenora, ON www.kbifishing.com

CSFL BASS TOURNAMENTS

GREAT ONTARIO SALMON DERBY

June - October Various locations in Ontario www.csfl.ca

July 4 - August 22 Lake Ontario www.greatontariosalmonderby.ca

KINGSTON CANADIAN OPEN OF FISHING August 13 - 15 St. Lawrence River/Lake Ontario www.csfl.ca

PRO-BASS CANADA June - August Various locations in Quebec www.probasscanada.com

NATIONAL FISHING WEEK

OWEN SOUND SALMON SPECTACULAR

July 4 - 12 Events scheduled across Canada www.catchfishing.com

August 28 - September 6 Georgian Bay Owen Sound, ON www.sydenhamsportsmen.com

FORT FRANCES CANADIAN BASS CHAMPIONSHIP

BERKLEY B1 CANADIAN BASS OPEN

QUINTE FISHING SERIES Bass Tournaments June - September Bay of Quinte, ON www.quintefishing.com

SHOOTOUT SERIES Bass Tournaments June - August Various locations in Eastern Ontario www.shootoutseries.ca

July 23 - 25 Rainy Lake Fort Frances, ON www.canadianbass.com

September 26 - 27 Lake St. Francis Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC www.berkleyb1.com

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 11

READER’S PHOTOS

Send us a photo of your best catch and you could see your picture in a future issue of Real Fishing Magazine! Send photos to: Real Fishing, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Geoffrey (L) and Ryan Stephens Guelph, ON Lake Trout

Derek Strub Elora, ON Smallmouth Bass

Jerry Collins Waterloo, ON Walleye

Dylan Rideout Freelton, ON Largemouth Bass

Kyle Wreford Kincardine, ON Steelhead

12 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

Catch BOB on the Tube! BOB IZUMI’S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULE Grand Bahamas Mahi-Mahi Ontario’s Sunset Country Ice Fishing Montauk Shark Tournament Kesagami Monster Pike Topwater Smallmouth on Lake Erie Prince Edward County World Class Walleye Video Game Lakers/Smallmouth on Lake Ontario Craganmor Resort on Georgian Bay Lights Out Salmon/Spooning Smallmouth Good Ole Days at Kesagami SnoBear Jamboree Lodge 88 – Planes, Trains and a Boat Late Season Bladebaits/Belleville Bassin’

July 4 July 11 July 18 July 25 August 1 August 8 August 15 August 22 August 29 September 5 September 12 September 19 September 26

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET

PROV./STATE

STATION

DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada

Global (CIHF)

Saturday 8:00 am

Calgary

Global (CICT)

Saturday 10:30 am

Edmonton

Global (CITV)

Saturday 10:30 pm

Ontario

Global (CIII)

Saturday 8:30 am

Quebec

Global (CKMI)

Saturday 8:30 am

Regina

Global (CFRE)

Saturday 7:30 am

Saskatoon

Global (CFSK)

Saturday 7:30 am

Vancouver

Global (CHAN)

Saturday 10:30 am

Winnipeg

Global (CKND)

Saturday 7:30 am

Canada/USA

WFN

Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

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

What’s

NEW

2015

LET THERE BE LIGHT Coleman’s innovative new Divide™ Battery Lock™ flashlights are designed to completely disconnect the batteries from their contact points when the bezel is twisted. It’s like putting the batteries on the shelf while they are not in use so they will last longer and won’t corrode over time. The flashlights feature LED bulbs with low and high-power settings, aluminum cases and convenient, one- button operation. They are available in a range of sizes, from the 75 lumen 75L model that runs on two AAA batteries, to the 700 lumen 700L model that runs on 6 AA batteries and has a range of up to 330-meters.

www.coleman.ca

HAPPY FEET Columbia’s new Conspiracy™ Razor OutDry multi-sport shoes feature welded construction, making them lightweight, waterproof and seriously comfortable while the flexible, low-profile design provides the perfect amount of support to keep you stable and nimble. Lugged for great traction, the outsole also features strategic grooves and smear zones to keep you locked to the terrain without weighing you down. The wrapped sidewalls and rubber overlays provide durability and protection while the super-soft footbed delivers lasting comfort.

www.columbiasportswear.ca

RUB IT IN Just in time for the summer barbeque season, Hi Mountain Seasoning introduces its new Rib Rub. This versatile dry spice rub is a harmonious blend of sweet, sour, strong and salty flavors that will enrich the natural flavors of the meat, as well as seal in the juices. With a unique combination of paprika, garlic, salt, onion, honey granules, peppers and mustard, Rib Rub compliments not only ribs and pork, but also beef and game meats.

www.himtnjerky.com

14 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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

ALL-IN-ONE OUTBOARD ENGINE OIL Mystik® Lubricants has just introduced a new two-stroke outboard engine oil, Mystik® JT-4®All-in-One, which is formulated to protect twocycle marine engines from the detrimental effects of ethanol while saving money over the life of the engine. JT-4 All-In-One is a TC-W3-licensed, synthetic blended two-stroke outboard direct fuel injection or direct injection oil that includes fuel stabilizer, ethanol treatment and engine cleaner. Not only does it cost approximately half as much as buying those additives separately, it’s also guaranteed to protect your marine OEM warranties while taking the guesswork out of mixing ratios.

www.mystiklubes.com

BE WATER WISE Stearns’ inflatable adult PFDs are made for angling, canoeing, sailing and paddle sports where comfort and safety are paramount. Available in manual or auto/manual configurations, these low-profile vests are lightweight, breathable and Transport Canada approved. Re-arming is easy with a Stearns re-arming kit. Featuring a two-inch adjustable belt and universal sizing, Stearns PFDs are flexible enough to go over a tee-shirt when the days are hot or for use over jackets and coats in cooler weather. All Stearns inflatable PFDs include a mesh storage bag for fast drying and carrying convenience.

www.colemancanada.ca/Stearns

LOCK IT UP STRATTEC introduces the new BOLT® (Breakthrough One-Key Lock) Series locks, which open with your vehicle’s ignition key, eliminating the need to carry extra keys or remember a combination. The patented one-key lock technology is designed to permanently program the BOLT lock to your specific vehicle’s ignition key. Simply insert your ignition key into the lock cylinder and spring-loaded plate tumblers move up and down until they are matched exactly to that key. The first time the key is rotated, the cylinder is uniquely coded to only that key. BOLT delivers convenient security with a variety of lock styles including padlocks, trailer coupler locks, cable locks and more.

www.boltlock.com

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Predictable Patterns There’s no question that the summer months are very predictable for fishing. Most species get into their summer haunts and they can be found fairly easily, if you know where to look. For largemouth bass, I would go to weedlines, weed flats, weed mats or any wood cover on breaks with a bit of depth. A lot of the big fish get into the gnarliest weeds on the lake and that’s where you want to use a oneounce tungsten weight and punch a soft plastic bait right into the thick stuff. Or, you could get right on the weed edge, where it breaks into deeper water, and pick apart the edge. During the early morning or evening hours, or on overcast days, you can cover the weed flats with a buzzbait or a spinnerbait. You can also get fish in places like lily pads, boat docks and fallen trees. Just work along the shoreline hitting these types of spots and you should be able to pluck fish out fairly regularly. You’ve got a lot of options for summer largemouth fishing but for the most part you’ve got to think about cover and concentrate on places where largemouth can sit in the shade, waiting to ambush their prey. For smallmouth bass, many lakes have two different populations - one that’s working shallow water and another that’s working deep. The shallow fish often hang around sand and rock areas, especially on those sand patches. The key to catching them is to make long casts with a wacky rig, a tube or a topwater lure to try and extract those fish without them seeing you. The other population will sit in deeper water, typically on rock shoals and humps. Some of these fish could be 20 to 40-feet down, depending on the lake and the type of forage the smallmouth are feeding on. I will often just run the lake, looking at my Navionics chart to find those isolated rock humps. Dropshot rigs, tube baits or jigging spoons are all good choices for catching these deep smallmouth. Start with an aggressive 16 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

approach for the active fish and, if that doesn’t work, move to one of the more subtle presentations. When it comes to walleye fishing, most of the time you’re going to find the fish either deep or suspended. For deep fish, humps and shoals are definitely bonus areas. Fish them by dragging live bait rigs or by vertically jigging during the daytime hours. The key here is to work slowly, right on the bottom. Another option, especially at night or under overcast conditions, is to troll or cast these areas with crankbaits. An electric motor is ideal for this as its quiet operation won’t spook the fish like an outboard could. On a lot of larger lakes with good populations of baitfish you’ll often find that the walleyes will be suspended. They tend to roam the open waters chasing bait, so trolling is definitely the ticket for them. Run your lines at various depths until you catch a few fish, and then set all of your lines in the productive depth zone. Depending on the mood of the fish, and the bait they are relating to, crawler harnesses or minnow style crankbaits are great choices for trolling.

Summertime lake trout can almost be too easy because they will concentrate in deep water, anywhere from 70 to 120-plus feet. Humps or shoals that top out at these depths can be real hotspots, so can drop-offs that plunge to these depths. The trick is to drive around these areas and watch your graph until you mark fish. Once you find them, simply hover over them and lower a 3/8-ounce jig tipped with a grub or tube. As you lower it down, keep your eyes on your graph and watch for the trout to come up off the bottom towards your bait. When see that, start retrieving at a medium speed. The fish will either charge up and commit, or it will follow for a bit before bailing and heading back down. Be warned though, this is such a deadly technique for summertime lakers that you could really hurt a population of fish. It’s okay to keep a few to eat, but I wouldn’t be taking limits of fish doing this. Those are just a few examples of how easy it can be to locate fish in the summer. The main point is that most fish get into fairly predictable patterns and you don’t need to worry about things like spawning movements or migrations to deep wintering areas that can have fish “here today, gone tomorrow”. The fish tend to stay put during the summer so there are really no excuses to come home empty handed. If you do, you might want to reserve a copy of my next book - 101 Real Fishing Excuses... ! ?

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fly fishing By Stephen May

Summer Fun Fly fishing publications commonly promote the latest exotic destinations for dream fish like roosterfish, golden dorado, peacock bass, taimen or giant browns, by using photos of huge fish and exotic countrysides to compliment them. These all sound great and I admit that a few of these fish and special places are high on my bucket list. But, realities such as budget, time and family mean that they must wait a while. Sound familiar? Fortunately, the joy of what attracts me to fly fishing can be realized in an outing closer to home. I learned to fly fish by targeting local sunfish. An hour of sunfish practice here and there really helped with my development as a fly angler. Bluegills, crappie and pumpkinseeds along the St. Lawrence were my proving grounds. Some of my best early “expeditions” involved a sunny day and a walk to a local park to catch bluegills and undersized bass – and it’s still fun to do this today. The reason now is time pressure. It is increasingly difficult to disappear on a fishing trip for a few days, but, a couple of hours after dinner can easily be turned into a brief, revitalizing escape. Sunfish are found in many local waters and are usually easy to access. Many times they are under-utilized by locals targeting larger quarry. On a couple of my favourite spots I rarely encounter other anglers. It is super to get out for some fresh air, enjoy nature and spend time with a kid or someone new to fly fishing. Sunfish are not usually that challenging to catch. They take a variety of flies and do not require specialized tackle. If you want to, you can make things more challenging, even with bluegills. Using topwater flies and bugs is exciting, but can result in fewer fish. Trying to hook up with 18 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

larger sunfish, or sight fishing for specific fish out in the open, can require quite a bit of stealth, and matching the hatch with specific flies requires a solid presentation that is enough to challenge a seasoned veteran. To get started, reach for your typical

stream trout gear and a handful of “buggy” looking flies. To catch numbers of fish you can use generic trout flies. An Adams or Elk Hair Caddis dry can be a ton of fun with all sizes of sunfish. If the fish are reluctant to come to the surface, or are holding in deeper water, a Bead Head Hare’s Ear nymph is tough to beat. Other buggy nymphs like the Red Fox, Prince or a small Woolly Worm can all be solid producers. Traditional sunfish flies include rubber-legged spiders and small popping bugs. These can work extremely well, especially on larger fish. Despite being “just sunfish”, good presentations can make a huge difference in your success rate. So, when pursuing these little guys, feel free to make delicate casts, use really light tackle, watch fish behaviour, wade carefully and steer hooked fish away from obstructions as if they were giant fish worthy of a magazine cover shot. Oh, and be ready, because where there are sunfish there are often larger surprises lurking that might provide a solid fish story or photo opportunity! ?

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FEEL THE MyRIDE DIFFERENCE. DEMO ONE TODAY! FIND YOUR LOCAL TORO DEALER AT TORO.CA/DEALER

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

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

Leopard Frog Finding a new species of wildlife is often a daunting task. Think the Amazon rainforest, Africa’s Mountains of the Moon, the depths of the ocean… but downtown New York City? Really? A new species of leopard frog was discovered there recently and was confirmed last year as Rana kauffeldi. To you and me it looks like the common, everyday leopard frog (Rana pipiens) that can be found from Mexico to Southern Canada but it differs in its call and in its colouration. Depending on who you believe, and when your source material was written, there are between 8 and 14 species of leopard frogs in North America. As frogs go, the leopard frog is a pretty impressive one. The female can lay up to 7,000 eggs (although about 3,500 is more typical) in a quiet wetland with submerged

20 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

vegetation. Having bred, leopard frogs leave the ponds and wetlands to hunt in damp forests and meadows. Like all amphibians they need to keep moist but a good dew or rainfall can provide sufficient moisture for them. The tadpoles hatch in one to three-weeks and they face a gauntlet of predators including snakes, turtles, herons, raccoons, mink, weasels, skunks and other frogs. It takes them two-years to mature, which is about half their life expectancy. Adults do not fare much better than tadpoles. Great blue herons, snakes, bull frogs, mink and racoons continue to find them

tasty. Life is hard if you are a leopard frog. Around cities, cars take their toll but so do chemicals released into the atmosphere. When they are carried into the ponds and marshes they alter the PH of the water and this can lead to bacterial infections. Despite all of this, the leopard frog is judged to being doing pretty well in most populations. However, declines in amphibian populations worldwide have been documented and no species is considered completely safe. The reasons for these declines are generally blamed on factors related to habitat loss and climate change. This frog is not the most northern species of amphibian. That honour goes to the America toad, whose range reaches almost up to the tundra. The leopard frog can survive very cold temperatures though, and that in itself is somewhat of an achievement. Leopard frogs enter hibernation in October and emerge in April, when the temperatures have warmed up. They must leave some skin exposed to open water as they need flowing water to extract oxygen from, even when hibernating. They exchange gases through their skin so, in order to survive winter, they must select a body of water that does not freeze to the bottom. The availability of suitable waterways does limit their locations, but it does not mean that you won’t find them in ponds that you know full well froze right to the bottom last winter. How did they get there if they could not have over-wintered? They walked (hopped) from their wintering spots. Leopard frogs can travel over a distance of two-kilometers, although most breeding ponds are closer than that from their winter homes. This is our current understanding of this species but I have no doubt that our understanding will change as biologists continue to dig deeper into the life of the leopard frog. ?

EXPERIENCE

MEN’S SOLAR CAST ZERO LONG SLEEVE SHIRT

the vintage tackle box

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

By Patrick Daradick

Creek Chub’s “Husky” and “Giant” Lures With summer finally here, fisherman begin to imagine those special days on the water. Yes, it is now muskie season and a chance for fisherman to bend their fishing rods, hoping to capture the massive 40-pound-plus beast they dream of. Creek Chub Bait Company from Garrett, Indiana, and their Canadian partner company, Allcock, Laight & Westwood from Toronto, were always the front-runners in designing tackle for muskie and pike fishermen. If the fish were huge, they designed a lure to cast or troll for it. If Creek Chub had a model of lure that worked on smaller fish, like largemouth or smallmouth bass, they would often redesign the bait into what they would name a Husky version. One example is the Dingbat, which was originally made in Baby, Surface and Regular models. It was then enlarged and manufactured with a reenforced metal lip and a “thru-wire” assembly for maximum strength. The new bait was called the Husky Dingbat. If you find certain Husky lures made by Creek Chub,

22 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

like a Husky Dingbat, Husky Dinger etc., their values will be increased substantially over the smaller versions. In 1957, Creek Chub introduced one of the monsters of fishing lures, designed specifically for muskie and pike fisherman, the Giant 800 series jointed Pikie. “Giant” is certainly the right name since this bait, at 14-inches long and weighing four-ounces, was the largest standard production lure ever made by Creek Chub. In fact, it was one of the largest lures made by any company at this time. It was first listed in a catalogue in 1957, but was only pictured in catalogues from 1960 until 1963. Giant jointed Pikies were always made of wood and were designed in every colour imaginable. Glass eyes were used for the first few years, replaced by metal tack eyes

about 1961. They were first sold in twopiece cardboard boxes and later in plastictopped boxes. The lures were sold by Creek Chub and AL&W right through to 1978. In 1960, Creek Chub introduced a series 6000 Giant Straight Pikie. Once again these large, wooden, heavy-duty baits were designed to entice the muskie, pike and even saltwater fishermen. Some of these large baits can be found with single tarpon hooks and they could be ordered in every colour Creek Chub ever made. Not only were the fans of these large baits devoted, they seemed to love the special order colours Creek Chub would issue from time to time. From the time the Husky and Giant lures were introduced, until the demise of the Creek Chub Bait Company in 1978, fishermen were attracted to them. They certainly found a spot in the muskie fishermen’s hearts and I’m sure many a monster was boated on them over the years. They truly were works of art and construction. As for the lures’ appeal to collectors, they are very sought after. Most have a modest value but, as with many lures, if you find that special colour or rare rigging on one of these giants, the value could be giant as well. ?

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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 becomes 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 one 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 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. 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 larger inland 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 them 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.

Bowfin photo by Larry Perez, courtesy of the National Park Service, Everglades National Park.

24 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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.

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 freshwater 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 in length and two to threepounds 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. ?

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AUGUST

WEDNESDAY

1 Excellent Time Good Time

SEPTEMBER

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SUNDAY

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One look at the chops on this Cubera snapper is all it takes to realize that this beast could easily put the “hot bite” on just about anything it wanted to!

28 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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SUMMER

RUMBLE Look Deeply, Search Diligently, Catch Frequently

By David A. Brown

With the dog days of summer comes the inevitable game of hide-and-seek with bass dispersed throughout their deep-water range. Gone are the relatively easy opportunities presented by the shallow spawning theaters. Those postspawn transitional weeks were fun as well, but this too has yielded the stage to the warm-season patterns. Now comes the cat-and-mouse hunt, in which anglers seeking summer bass bounties do their best to sniff out the likely haunts. On the upside, that bounty is definitely out there.

30 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2015

Summer 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 31

Experienced anglers, like Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Christie, know that summer months often find big numbers of big fish ganging up around some key offshore areas. “This is one of the most fun times of the year because you can find big schools of fish and they’ll all be good ones,” Christie said. “When you find an active school, you can sit there and catch 10 fish in 10 casts.” No doubt the quantity and the quality is there, but the deep water habitat is both a blessing and a curse; the boon and the bane of summer fishing. Simply put, the potential for a straight-up stickfest may be one sonar ping away – but you’ll have to put in your time. To cash in on this summer bonanza, savvy anglers have learned to follow a handful of key strategies.

LOOK TO THE LEDGE In natural, glacial-carved lakes like Champlain, Erie and Oneida, the seemingly endless ranges of humps and drops give bass a tremendous advantage in avoiding detection. New Hampshire pro Joe Lucarelli knows well this game of constant shuffling. “They use different areas from year to year,” Lucarelli said. “The bottoms may be the same, but for some reason, the fish move. Baitfish schools have a lot to do with it. I have never made a top-10 tournament finish in the same spot on Champlain. That’s why Northern Lakes will drive you crazy. You need to spend a ton of time on the water to find areas holding fish.” Now, consider for a moment a scenario in which your offshore searching was more targeted and direct. Nothing easy, of course, and no guarantees – it’s just a more rationally-

defined system of where fish will most likely position for most of the summer months. That’s the deal in river system lakes, like Tennessee River powerhouses Pickwick, Wheeler and Kentucky Lake, as well as northern rivers such as the Detroit, Niagara and St. Lawrence, where distinct contour breaks, generically termed “ledges”, provide natural travel lanes for summer bass. Usually flanked by feeding flats sporting various secondary structures, ledges offer fish the safety and comfort of quick access to adjacent deep water. The fish won’t sit on one area of the ledge all day long, so understanding what factors will make them move around, and knowing where they’ll move to, is essential to staying on the bite even when others are scratching their heads. For starters, Tennessee River guide Jimmy Mason notes that areas nearest to the most spawning pockets will see the biggest aggregations in the early part of the summer season. The ledges and humps that step into and out of these spawning bays catch all those fish funneling out of the shallows during the postspawn transition, so these spots tend to hold big numbers of new arrivals. From there, FLW Tour pro and ledge guru Randy Haynes suggests looking for ledge areas with small ditches and drains cutting into adjacent flats. These natural feeding routes, along with subtle turns or dips, always seem to consistently attract fish. As far as ledge structure goes, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Terry Scroggins offered his insight. “When I look for fish offshore, I like those sudden drops that may be 12-feet on the top and they fall quickly to 15. I like

these really drastic changes, the ends of the ledges, turns and corners in the ledges and anything that has hard structure on it. Rocks, shell, logs – any irregularities on the ledge will attract fish.” Among the fish-attracting features that ledge anglers seek, one of the most promising has to be a mussel bed. Typically growing on high, clean spots, these shell mounds are centers of life where baitfish often gather. Hard structure, current break, food congregation – it’s easy to see why bass gravitate to mussel beds. Photo courtesy of John Whyte, www.timeonthewater.ca

As filter feeders, mussels contribute to water quality by extracting organic matter and increasing clarity. On the other hand, mussels are the canary in the coal mine, as their numbers are directly linked to environmental health. Also, Dr. Jim Stoeckel, Associate Professor at the University of Auburn School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, said that biological evidence suggests a certain substrate stabilization thanks to mussel beds. It could be a simple as self-preservation, but this anchoring effect provides broad environmental advantages. “The mussels need a really stable substrate to do well and, as those mussel beds build up, they can have a positive impact by making the bottom more stable as their populations increase,” Stoeckel said. “Mussels provide a solid substrate for fish and they may promote the density of invertebrates that can serve as fish food.

GET ON ‘EM, STAY ON ‘EM Ledge pros, like Tennessee’s Curt McGuire, know that mapping chips will get you in the ballpark with attractive areas like 32 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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major creek arms and channel swings; but finding those sneaky little nooks, notches and ledge “sweet spots” requires countless hours of idling and looking. Arm on the steering wheel, eyes glued to the sonar screen – that’s the usual posture of a ledge inspector watching both his down imaging and side scanning screens. “Anyone can come out (to a river channel) and find a good ledge area, but if you want to dial in the tournament-winning stuff, there’s just no substitute for putting in your time on the water,” McGuire said. Finding key spots is critical, but so is maximizing the potential. Here’s a few strategies for keeping the game close: Hit Quick: As soon as he spots an interesting point on the ledge he’s searching, FLW Tour pro Mark Rose makes a rapid cast with a football head jig, a swimbait or a crankbait. This enables him to check the spot for an active school before the current and/or wind pushes him off the area. “I can pinpoint that first cast because I know where I just saw them on my Lowrance StructureScan – the bubbles from

my prop are still over top of them,” Rose said. “I get something to them as quickly as I can and, if it’s a really aggressive school, you’ll get a fish right away.” Keep it Together: FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell said he has found instances where a smaller group of fish breaks out from a larger school and tarries some 75 to 100-yards away. These isolated fish are typically big ones, Hollowell said, so identifying such occurrences is critical to maximizing a school’s potential. “I’m looking for clues as to why those fish are there because in today’s era, when a lot of anglers have high-end electronics, you’re going to have to find more than one school of fish,” he said. “For instance, if I see that the fish are on a stump, this provides a clue that I need to look at other areas that have isolated stumps. So these clues will help me find other schools of fish just like the one I’m looking at.” Relocation Program: Because schoolmates often follow hooked fish up to the boat, catching several fish occasionally results in “moving” the school. Essentially, those followers settle back to the bottom, but instead of holding on whatever piece of cover they had been relating to, they actually hang out below your boat. Not only does that leave you unable to make anything but a vertical drop on the fish, it also means they’ll be less comfortable and likely to feed as they would on their original spot. “You have to reposition your boat and run up behind where you were just catching them and try to bring those fish back (by catching a couple and coaxing the others to return in the same direction),” said FLW Tour pro Mark Rose. “Sometimes, it just takes leaving to let them return to their spot.” Do Your Homework: By studying his electronic lake maps on his laptop, Jimmy Mason marks promising ledge spots at home and then uploads his new waypoints to his boat’s electronics. By reducing the amount of looking he does on the water, he increases his efficiency and maximizes his fishing time.

BAIT ROTATION For a thorough ledge effort, you’ll want to show the fish different looks, different sounds and different presentation speeds. 34 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

When you first locate a school, you’re best bet for efficiency and reaction-bite generation is a deep diving crankbait. “You’re going to catch your biggest ledge fish cranking with something that runs deep enough to stay in contact with the bottom pretty much the entire time”, Scroggins said. “You want to deflect that bait on the rock, the shell, the log – whatever the target is down there. When your bait deflects off the cover, that’s what generates the bite. That’s what makes them react to it.” No doubt, cranking is the way to go when the fish are in a feeding mood. But once that bite dwindles, you can keep the action rolling by varying what the fish see. Scroggins’ favorite follow-ups are a ½- to ¾-ounce football jig with a craw trailer and a Texas-rigged 10-inch ribbontail worm – two bona fide big-fish baits that’ll tempt any bass with remaining interest. Green pumpkin or brown are his top colors for clear water, with black/blue his choice in lower visibility. FLW Tour pro David Dudley agrees with these follow-up choices but he combines the best of both into an irresistible package of a 10-inch worm rigged on a football head. Alternating between a paddletail and curltail worm, Dudley tempts the fish with a rumbling presentation and a big profile. Now, if the bite gets tough, Scroggins might drop down to a lighter dropshot presentation with a finesse style worm. This, he said, will generate several bites, but don’t expect as many of the bigger fish that the crankbait, football head and big worm deliver. This is more of a numbers deal when he needs a couple more limit fish in a tournament. When his reaction bites dwindle, Jimmy Mason paints the area with a Carolinarigged lizard in green pumpkin, purple or watermelon red. Mason anchors his rig

GET IT BACK One of the harsh truths about setting your sites on the summer bounty of offshore ledge fishing is the potential for snagging baits on the very structure that’s holding the fish. Rocks, shell beds, stumps, even random debris like discarded trot lines can snare your bait and leave you counting the costs. Snags are nearly unavoidable, but savvy anglers know that simply breaking off and retying is a last resort. Lure retrievers (aka “lure knockers”) are the most common snag solution for crankbaits and heavy jigs. Homemade models run the gamut of creativity, but the common commercially built form comprises a heavy lead body with metal arms or pig tails that wrap over or around the fishing line with space to pass over terminal tackle and sinkers. Hang the arms or pigtails over your fishing line and then let the knocker slide down to the point of the snag where the impact usually jars the bait free. Most lure knockers feature dangling chains, which grab treble hooks and provide additional leverage, should a stubborn snag require a good tug.

with a 1-ounce bullet weight, but if he feels he needs a little more noise to attract the fish’s attention, he uses two ½-ounce tungsten weights (wide ends opposing). Spoons also have their place in the ledge game and FLW Tour pro Mark Rose says a flutter spoon can usually trigger bites as it resembles a dying baitfish and stimulates the fish’s natural feeding response. One of the newer baits to hit the offshore scene, the Magnum spoon, presents a near foot-long silver profile designed to resemble the giant gizzard shad common to many southern/central U.S. fisheries. Ledge bass seeking on big meal will pounce on this big bait imitator. On the other end of the spectrum, a dwindling bite – or a school of fish that has yet to fire off – may call for more subtle tactics. Shaky heads and dropshots are the first thought and rightfully so. However, a couple other ledge tricks – ripping a white hair jig or an underspin with a curly tail or swimbait – may also appeal to stubborn fish in deep natural lakes. Considering the amount of searching, strategizing and fish-mood analysis that summer bass fishing requires, this can definitely be a give-and-take proposition. But those willing to give the necessary effort, will take home the astounding memories of rod-bending revelry that make summer’s dog days a little more bearable. ?

36 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

About 30 feet of stout cord will handle most depths and angles where retrieval is realistic. For maximum pulling power, strap a stout baitcasting outfit or a heavy catfish reel to a cut-off broomstick rod and spool it with nylon cord. You may open a hook or split ring, but it beats the cost of a new plug. Keep in mind that even the best lure knocker offers no guarantee. That being said, dropping one untethered risks a double loss. Avoid such headaches by tying the tag end of a lure knocker’s cord to a capped plastic water bottle or a Styrofoam float. If the cord slips from your hands, the cord remains buoyed until you reach it. For lighter baits like Texas-rigged worms, shaky heads and finesse jigs, a free sliding knocker works the same as a full-sized retriever, only with a smaller profile. Attach a snap or heavy duty paperclip to the swivel eye on a bell sinker, clip to your line and send the micro knocker into duty. Use various weight sizes to match your depth and lure size/weight.

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PIKE ARE FOR KIDS By Wes David

I often get asked how old I think kids should be before they go on their first fishing trip. My son, Denver, was two-years old when I took him on his first outing and I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was a warm January day and we spent six-hours of it ice fishing for pike. It was his introduction to the sport of fishing and now, 14-years later, he’s still hooked on fishing. But how young is too young? I personally think the younger the better. I also think it’s never too late to introduce a youngster to fishing.

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 39

The younger the kids are, the more effort and patience you have to put into the outing. On the morning of my son’s first fishing trip I went out early and located where the pike were, then returned to the same spot later in the day with my son. After answering the numerous “why” questions we began catching pike very quickly. Keeping a youngster’s interest is the most important and challenging part of any outing. After an hour of catching pike, Denver started to get curious and wanted to try fishing on his own so I showed him how to hold the rod and work the reel. Then I showed him how and when to lift the rod to set the hook and what it felt like to have a fish on the end of his line. Once he had the hang of it, with minimal help and some coaching he was able to do most of it on his own. Several pike freed themselves from his hook but he eventually pulled his first pike through the hole and onto the ice. After catching several pike the novelty started to wear off so, to keep his interest, we took a break from fishing and spent an hour tobogganing. When that got old - or when I got tired - we turned our attention back to fishing. Before the end of the day we even practiced his ice-skating. I did whatever it took to keep his interest so he would want to return and fish another day.

Fair Weather Fishing Another question I often get asked when it comes to kids and fishing is, what is the best species to get kids hooked on fishing? That depends on where you live and what waterbodies have kid-friendly access, however, my first choice is always open-water northern pike. Pike are abundant in most Canadian lakes, and many Canadian river systems also

40 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

support abundant pike populations. Pike are one of the most aggressive predator fish and this instinct makes them eager to bite an angler’s hook - which plays perfectly into a youngster’s short attention span. When you take a youngster pike fishing, whenever possible try and go to a lake you are familiar with so you are catching fish in short order. Kids need to be catching fish to keep their interest. My son once told me his favourite part of fishing is when the rod bends over. Mine too! When I’m looking for pike for a day of fishing with the kids I focus my attention on shallow weedbeds, four to 10-feet beneath the surface. These shallow areas may not hold the largest pike but, for the most part, they hold large numbers of small pike ranging from two to 10-pounds and it’s not uncommon to set the hook into a much larger pike. Small pike or “hammer handles” are made for kids. Young kids or first time anglers don’t care about the size of the fish they’re catching until they get more experience. In the beginning all they want is action. That three-pound pike is a monster fish to a new angler and it will double its weight by the time you get home and the youngster tells the exciting story of the battle for the hundredth time. Make sure kids are involved in the entire experience. Let them do some of the netting and don’t worry if you lose a few pike when the kids are on the end of the net - as long as they see the fish, they’re happy. With your assistance, let them drive the boat or run the trolling motor. If I’m keeping a pike or two for supper I even make sure the kids are involved when I’m filleting the fish. Boys seem to enjoy this a little more than girls do, but the girls may surprise you. The most important part of fishing with kids is to keep them entertained and keep it fun. Make sure you have a cooler full of treats and snacks and let them eat as much as they want. This is no time to worry about them eating too much sugar or ruining their supper. This is your chance to be the hero and let them eat it all.

I once took my son, niece, and two of their friends pike fishing for a day. All the kids were under the age of nine at the time. I had the cooler loaded with chocolate bars, pop, and chips. We were casting spoons into a shallow weedbed and the kids figured that each time one of them reached into the cooler for a treat one of the other kids would catch a fish. After two-hours of fishing they were on such a sugar high I could barely contain them in the boat! I aimed for the shore and as I set up for a shore lunch the kids spent an hour exploring the shoreline and wearing off the sugar. Kids love a shore lunch as much as you do, however, they’re not going to appreciate a freshly caught pike or walleye fillet cooked over an open fire as much as you do. Whenever I plan a shore lunch with the kids it’s simple and easy fare like hot dogs. Kids love hot dogs and I’ve never had a complaint.

Kids love a good shore lunch – especially when it includes hotdogs!

Keep It Simple When fishing with kids you have to keep things simple and fun for you and for them so trolling or finesse fishing is not the best way to go. They’re not going to concentrate on the bottom or on a slow, subtle walleye bite. Kids want action. Small pike are abundant in almost any lake and are easily caught with almost any lure, making them an ideal “starter” fish. My favorite lures for pike fishing with the kids are Len Thompson spoons or

early to teach a youngster how to safely hold a fish. Until they are strong enough and confident enough to handle a fish on their own, it’s best for an adult to hold, or help hold, the pike with the youngster. And it’s never too early to teach kids the importance of practicing catch and release.

painful enough, but a hook or a rod tip in the eye means a trip to the hospital and there’s a high possibility that the individual could lose their sight in the injured eye. Hooks can be very unforgiving but a simple pair of sunglasses can help protect the eyes and act as fashionable attire for the kids while you’re all enjoying a day of fishing.

Safety Concerns

weedless jigs tipped with plastic bait. The spoons are a little heavier and allow kids to cast further while weedless jigs are easier for younger kids to fish since they don’t get hung up on the weeds as much. Let the youngster’s age and ability dictate which bait choice is best for them. I like to rig these baits on a medium action spinning rod and a spinning reel spooled with 12 to 14-pound test monofilament line. To avoid bite-offs when you’re fishing for pike, a steel leader measuring at least eight-inches is a must. Also, unless you want to be untangling bird’s nests all day, keep the baitcasting reels out of the kids’ reach. An important but often overlooked note is that, when you’re taking kids fishing, it’s best to try and make it a mid-afternoon or evening trip. It helps avoid early morning confusion and arguments. If it has to be an early morning outing, have your lunches made and the gear you will need loaded in the truck or boat the night before. In the morning, get up a few minutes early, get a cup of coffee in you and gather your patience before you wake the kids. Preparing yourself before you get in the boat will make all the difference in the fishing trip. And remember, kids don’t know how to help, especially first time anglers, so you will be doing 99-percent of the work. Finally, don’t try to take more kids than you can handle. Pike are toothy critters so be cautious when the kids are handling pike or holding them for pictures. Kids soak up information better than most adults do so it’s never too 42 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

I get just as much of a thrill watching a youngster catching a pike as if I was landing it myself. However, in all the excitement of fishing with your kids, especially if it’s their first fishing trip, safety can often get overlooked. The most important thing you can teach kids is safety. They need to know the importance of wearing a lifejacket at all times whether they’re in the boat, around the boat launch or fishing along a shoreline or river’s edge. And remember, if you preach it, you better practice it. Kids are like sponges and they see and do everything adults do. Kids must have respect for the water and for the rules of being near it, whether from shore or in the boat. I highly recommend making kids wear sunglasses when fishing and I encourage you to wear a pair as well. Kids are not always aware of where the ends of their rods are, or where their hook is, and it’s not uncommon to be fighting a fish at the side of the boat and have the hook pop free and snap back at the angler fighting the fish or the person netting it. Removing a hook from flesh is Lifejackets and eye protection are essential pieces of gear for young anglers.

Teaching kids to be respectful, ethical and safe on the water is one of the most important things you can share with a youngster about fishing. By keeping them involved, and making their fishing experience fun, the lessons they learn and the memories they make last will them a lifetime. And it won’t be long before the youngster you’re fishing with today will grow into a responsible adult who will pass what he or she has learned to a new generation of anglers. ?

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MY TOP FISHING

DESTINATIONS By Mariko Izumi

“The past seven years of my life have consisted of traveling the world in search of adventures both on and off the water. Sometimes, these travels have been motivated by work on my TV show, Hookin' Up with Mariko Izumi, and other times they have been planned for pure pleasure (although it's often hard to distinguish my work from my play). The following is a list of some of the places that I've been to and would highly recommend checking out if you want interesting times and some of the best fishing in the world.” – Mariko Izumi

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 45

LOWER FR ASER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, C ANADA Prehistoric fish and natural hot springs - need I say more? The canyon section of the Lower Fraser River, home to the fascinating fish known as sturgeon, has a lot to offer an angler in search of a naturally beautiful setting and an epic and unique fishing experience. The valley where the Fraser lies is surrounded by lush mountainsides and roaming wildlife (deer, bears and bald eagles are common), but what keeps adventurers coming back year after year is what is considered to be some of the best sturgeon fishing in the world. The experience is somewhat similar to many other guided fishing trips until the moment you hook on to one of these “dinos”. After that, you ‘re in for a memorable time, and you better hope you have a knowledgeable guide who can land the fish while ensuring there ‘s no harm done to these fascinating creatures. The fight is generally big, they often jump and, in order to include them in the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society ‘s tagging program (and to get a picture worthy of Instagram), you have to hop into the water alongside the sturgeon. They are gentle giants who have so much history - it really is fun to hang with them in the river. There is no better way to connect with the outdoors and with wildlife than by immersing yourself in their habitat rather than the other way around.

The Spot at a Glance Destination Water body What to fish for Best time to visit Where to stay Other fun things to do

Canyon section of the Lower Fraser River Fraser River Sturgeon with Sturgeon Slayers guiding service Year ‘round. Tall Timber Bed and Breakfast Relax in the natural hot springs at Harrison Hot Springs Resort; tour the city in search of a Sasquatch.

The Spot at a Glance Destination Water body What to fish for Best time to visit Where to stay Other fun things to do

BOC A GR ANDE, FLORIDA, USA

Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island Boca Grande Pass off the Gulf Coast Tarpon May to June Gasparilla Inn & Club Redneck Riviera, where everyone and their mother anchor their boats close together for some drinking and overall debauchery. Try to plan your trip around one of the Sundays when these take place!

Boca Grande is known as tarpon country, partly because that part of the world has an abundance of them and partly because that’s where the Pro Tarpon Tournament Series is filmed out of. During my first ever tarpon experience a hammerhead shark attacked my tarpon and, needless to say, I didn’t get it even remotely close to the boat! This sort of chaotic experience isn’t really unusual in Boca, where every weekend in May and the beginning of June, tournament anglers gather in droves to compete for the PTTS title. During these months this part of Florida is lit up with avid tarpon anglers fishing by day and partying at night (or afternoon, depending on who you are). The sun is almost always shining, the people are fun and the fishing is electric. This is a great destination for anglers who want to see a lot of tarpon and who like the buzzing atmosphere on the water mixed with the low key vibe of any good Florida town.

L A K E B I W A , J A PA N Ever since I heard about the world record largemouth caught in Lake Biwa a few years ago I have been curious about this place and wanted to check it out for myself - not to mention that my ancestors are from Japan so I’ve always wanted to visit the country. A couple of years ago my family and I made a trip there and my dad and I managed to sneak in a half-day of fishing on the infamous Lake Biwa. We were treated to a full service guided trip with Naoya Hiramura, who took us out on a rather frigid but calm day. We had a ton of fun learning about his techniques and the lures he designs (my largemouth was caught on his “Multi Stick Slide” bait). The lake is quite large and it’s interesting to see the various suburbs from the water. Even though it was a cold March weekday, there were easily a few dozen bass boats out, which really speaks to the enthusiasm the locals have for freshwater fishing! This is a great destination if you’re already planning a trip to Japan and want to experience a day of bass fishing Japanese style.

The Spot at a Glance Destination Water body What to fish for Best time to visit

Shiba prefecture Lake Biwa Largemouth bass with Naoya Hiramura (Truth Fishing Guide Service) April to November

46 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

Where to stay

Tokyo. The bullet train leaves the city very frequently throughout the day and will take you straight to the Shiba prefecture where Naoya can pick you up. Off the water, you'll have a lot more fun in Tokyo than if you stay closer to the lake. Other fun things to do Spend a day exploring Japan's history in Kyoto, do some shopping and people watching in Harajuku and, if you want a night out, check out the hotspots in the Roppongi neighbourhood.

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H A I D A G WA I I , BRITISH COLUMBIA, C ANADA The remoteness and luxury are what guests at Langara Island Fishing Lodge rave about, however, it’s the hardcore salmon fishing that really defines the place. It’s one of those places where the early morning wake-up calls, dramatic high seas of the Pacific and fish slime are all things to look forward to because the fishing experience is that good and that much fun. Set in the northwest part of British Columbia, the landscape is similar to southern Alaska, with beautiful dark green forests, soaring bald eagles and oftentimes pods of killer whales seemingly unaware of us anglers (except when there’s a salmon on the line, in which case, watch out!). Chinook and coho salmon are the main draws but, if you want to mix it up a bit, there's always bottom fishing for halibut. Langara is truly a full service resort, from cleaning, filleting and vacuum packing any fish you decide to keep, to full-on gourmet breakfasts and dinners. You can even squeeze in a massage if those full days of bent rods leave you hurting! One of the coolest parts of the entire experience is that it’s flyin only, meaning the only way to get there is by helicopter. As you hover above the dock, looking down at the lodge, don't be surprised if you get a little nostalgic and vow to return again.

The Spot at a Glance Destination Water body What to fish for Best time to visit Where to stay Other fun things to do

Northern British Columbia Pacific Ocean Salmon and halibut May to first weekend of September Langara Island Lodge or Langara Fishing Lodge In addition to the epic fishing at the lodge, you'll be eating and drinking to your little heart's desire. And, since you have to fly into Vancouver to start your adventure, it's always a good idea to plan an extra night or two in the city before or after your Langara fishing adventure.

S AV A N N A H , G E O R G I A , U S A One of my favourite days of fishing of all time was while filming Hookin’ Up last season with an all-female boat crew, in Savannah, Georgia. The charter is called Miss Judy Charters and she operates out of the street that she grew up in, right on the water. Her mate most of the time is her best friend Kathy, and they make one of the most impressive teams I have ever fished with. They’re salt of the earth people, have an abundance of entertaining stories to tell, and can home-in on fish like any other solid professional charter operator can - if anything, better than a lot of them! They will likely get you some action whether it's in the form of barracuda, amberjack or even shark. Just don’t ask them to lay out the day’s plan for you because Miss Judy simply needs to “feel what the ocean is giving out that day and react”. Highly recommended for hardcore or novice anglers alike!

The Spot at a Glance Destination Water body What to fish for

Savannah, Georgia Atlantic Ocean Anything that lives in the Atlantic. Some favourites include barracuda, tuna and amberjack. Best time to visit Miss Judy Fishing Charters offers fishing year ‘round, it just depends what you want to go for and what kind of weather you want. Where to stay The Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront Other fun things to do Call in advance and get a tour of the bee garden at the Wilmington Island Showroom, then head on over to the Savannah Bee Company retail location in downtown Savannah for honey and mead tasting.

48 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

Want More Mariko? For an up close and personal look into Mariko’s world of travel and adventure, check out her website at www.marikoizumi.com. You can also follow Mariko’s exploits on her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

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FISHING TRIPS – FOR FREE?

By Nick Trehearne

I love surfing the internet and reading magazine articles about exotic adventure destinations for fishing trips. The only problem is that it’s simply too much money at this point in my life to spend in order to fly across the country and experience these remote, unfished waters. Never willing to give up on my idea and dreams though, I discovered a way to take part in an Arctic fishing trip - for free.

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 51

The author’s first Northwest Territories lake trout.

It was not until my girlfriend started her masters as a biologist that this idea had even dawned on me. There are lots of scientific fish studies that go on year ‘round throughout the country, and they are always looking for people to volunteer since they are typically on tight budgets. Once I had the idea in my head I began to dig deeper and quickly discovered that there were enough studies that I could fish in amazing locations all summer long if I wanted. Although fishing all summer would have been a dream come true, I was unfortunately unable to take that much time off. However, I was able to secure a spot to take part in a study that required lake trout and grayling fishing in the Northwest Territories. The best part was, it was completely free. The flights up there, accommodation, food, transportation – everything! The trip was not what most people would think of when they think of going fishing in the Territories. There was no lodge, just an industrial camp. The gear was cheap and outdated. But at the end of the day, it did not matter. I was getting to fish on an unfished lake, hundreds of miles from the nearest person. These fish had likely never seen a hook.

Accommodations

Work

When I first boarded the plane up there, I had no idea what to expect. I was told that I would be staying in a mining camp with a bunch of workers. Having worked in the oilfield myself, I was not overly excited for this. After all, I had stayed in some pretty dirty, disgusting camps that felt more like prisons than holiday accommodations. Upon arrival, I was blown away! This was way better than a lot of fishing lodges I’ve seen. There were full time red-seal chefs, a gym, games rooms, and a small movie theater area. Not to mention the rooms were very modern and comfortable.

As with everything that seems too good to be true, there is always a catch. I did have to go out on the tundra and assist with some fish biology work on a few streams that connected the various lakes. This was not as bad as it sounds though – I got to hike around, see the fish swimming up and down in the channels, and spend some quality time laying in the sun waiting for certain weather conditions. The work (non-fishing) side of things took up about 50% of the time I was there. As an angler, I found the work to be very interesting however, and the time seemed to fly by. I learned a lot about the system as a whole, right from how a stick floating down the stream played a role with the lake trout out in the big lake. I had always known roughly how it worked, but was very happy to get a more in-depth education on the matter.

The author, geared up and ready for work.

The Fishing! Finally, a fishing day! We loaded up all of the gear, which consisted of a couple rods and a small tackle box with 15 to 20 various spoons and spinners. That’s it? I couldn’t fathom that this is all we were taking out when the scientific study depended on us catching these fish. What were we supposed to do if they did not like the color or size of our lures? My doubts were quickly brushed off and I was re-assured by the others, who had been up here for a while, that we would have no problems catching all the fish we could want. I think the words were, “You could throw the line down without a hook and still manage to hook a fish!” Getting out to the test area, I tied on a large Dardevle spoon and within the first 52 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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10-seconds a lake trout hammered it and the fight was on. It fought like it was a 40pounder, but in fact was about 10. I didn’t care – it was the first lake trout I ever caught in the Northwest Territories. In our boat there were two of us fishing and it got to the point where when one person cast, the other would just wait to help land the fish. If we did happen to have both lines in the water at the same time, it was almost always a double header. I’ve never experienced any lake trout fishing quite like it. We fished long and hard and, oddly enough, were never able to hook a large trout. We did have non-stop action with eight to 12-pound lakers though, so I was not complaining. Since the reason we were up there was for scientific purposes, we were unable to travel throughout all the lakes in search of larger fish, even though we knew they had to be in there. The permits were only for designated areas. Once we had our fill of lake trout, it was time to try hooking into some of the grayling, so we proceeded to head towards the mouth of a creek that was flowing into the main lake. These fish were nothing like the lake trout. They were there and they were surfacing, but, for all our efforts we could not get one to go for one of our hooks.

This is when I was really wishing I was allowed to bring my own gear. I would have loved for a chance to go after these grayling with my fly rod. After several hours and days of trying, we unfortunately struck out on landing any grayling – I guess my initial concerns about not enough variety in the lures might not have been that far off.

Not All Smooth Sailing On the second last day of my free trip to the Arctic, I encountered the most adventure I’d seen the whole week. While out doing work on the boats we had a huge, unforecasted storm blow in, which had us pinned in the middle of the large lake. The waves were constantly gaining size as they crashed over top of the boat. Thankfully, we had the large jet boat with an enclosed cab on this particular day. I’m fairly certain we would have been washed out of the boat otherwise. The waves were large enough that they were crashing down right over the roof, and every time they did, it seemed like the boat was going over! After a nerve wrecking hour trying to make it back to shore, we finally arrived in a small bay that was protected from the wind. We were constantly radioing back and forth to the industrial site - it looked as Releasing a lake trout after data was collected.

54 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

if this storm was here to stay. For safety reasons, we were not allowed to stay out on the tundra for the night, so a helicopter was sent to come and get us. After an hour long wait we could hear the helicopter but when it tried to land the winds were too high and the pilot was unable to set down. Instead, he hovered as each one of us would run up and jump in – it was just like something out of a military movie! We made it back to camp safely that night with a great story and an adventure for what would be my last day on this trip. The memories and stories were second to none.

How You Can Do It If this seems like an adventure that might be up your alley, there is lots of opportunity to get a great fishing adventure for free. Contacting biology departments of universities can be a great first step. There are many graduate projects going on in universities around the country that would love to have the chance to take advantage of some free labour in exchange for your expenses. When you contact them, you might not get an immediate invite to come along. Be sure to leave your name and contact information – typically with the professor in charge of overseeing the fish studies. It can take time to figure out even where to get the budget for a volunteer, but if you are patient it’s often worth the wait. Environmental job boards can also be a great asset. These can be found using a quick google search looking for keywords like “fish study volunteers”. Since I returned from my Northwest Territories adventure, I’ve been constantly on the lookout for more opportunities, and have discovered several projects throughout the country in search of volunteers. Everything from golden trout studies in the Rocky Mountains to sturgeon and salmon work up in northern British Columbia. So if you have always dreamed of going fishing in remote locations, or areas that are normally unattainable to the average person, be sure to take into consideration the various opportunities that volunteering can get you. Not only can you land yourself with an amazing trip like the one I was fortunate enough to go on, you might just learn something along the way. I know I sure did! ?

56 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2015

By Johnathan LePera

HOT SUMMER SMALLMOUTH Long known as one of the gamest fish that swims, smallmouth bass are famous for their unpredictable behavior, voracious appetite, explosive strikes and acrobatics once the battle begins. In preparing this article I spoke with John Whyte, a seasoned tournament veteran, and Frank DiMarcantonio, a guide and an authority on Lake Erie bass fishing, about smallmouth fishing and both of them agreed to share their words of wisdom to help you catch more smallmouth bass more often. Through the many conversations I’ve had, and articles I’ve worked on with various bass anglers over the years, I’ve come to the understanding that the Great Lakes fisheries have two resident populations of smallmouth bass. One group that seems to reside shallow for the better part of the year while the other population lives deep, relating to bottom transitions, structure and baitfish.

COVERING WATER Early in the season, smallmouth will hit surface baits all day long. Frank DiMarcantonio’s guiding clients expect him to put them on fish consistently, and few deals are as reliable as early season topwater fishing. “As the season progresses from opening day through to midsummer, topwater lures are key in the morning and late evening whenever you have stable weather. Under pre-frontal conditions they will yield results all day,” says DiMarcantonio. On Lake Erie, or other big, clear bodies of water, Frank will throw large, pencil shaped walking style lures in natural tones. He always upsizes the hooks on his baits and he makes sure that they are razor sharp. Under gin-clear conditions he will opt for prop baits sporting white bellies. He’ll throw firetiger patterns

Guide and Lake Erie bass fishing authority, Frank DiMarcantonio.

when it’s overcast, but he believes that the colour is not nearly as significant as creating a commotion on the surface. Equally important when seining the shallows is the ability to launch baits huge distances as super-clear water means that fish can see you from further away. “On the Great Lakes, I‘ll have my clients use longer, 7’ 6” rods to achieve those longer casts. When throwing prop baits, I’ll use 15-pound test Nanofil line with a 10-pound test monofilament leader to cast the baits super far so as not to spook the fish. And, normally you are working the bait with the rod high because you do not want the line bowed and sitting on the water. If you have that bow on the water, when a fish hits you’ll end up losing them.” While some anglers shy away from a chop on the water, it rings the dinner bell for smallmouth, especially when a properly presented spinnerbait goes zipping by. “I lean towards spinnerbaits and throwing them up shallow with the wind, looking for targets like isolated rocks and boulders,” DiMarcantonio said.

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 57

Topwater baits, like the Sebile Ghost Walker, are great choices for early season smallmouth.

He’ll cast ahead of the boat and make as many casts as possible. He prefers heavier, double willow spinnerbaits sporting blades plated in either silver or gold, or painted blades in white or chartreuse. Skirt colours are usually white or chartreuse patterns as well. John Whyte approaches similar waters with a jerkbait. “I like to throw jerkbaits out, get them going in a hurry and then deadstick them. For the amount of time that I let baits sit without moving them, I could have lunch! You move baits for attention, you are calling in fish.” For lighter jerkbaits Whyte will employ a spinning rod but he opts for a baitcasting setup when casting larger profiled baits. Frank DiMarcantonio has also found success working jerkbaits aggressively in the early season if the topwater bite is off yet the fish are still active. Smallmouth have a propensity to follow baits long distances without striking and that’s especially true with reaction-type baits thrown in the shallows. “For me its experience about what most likely will happen,” Whyte shared. “After the bait has sat there long enough, I’ll give it the tiniest twitch to let the fish know that it is alive and edible. When you get a jerkbait going and a fish comes up behind it, and you stop that bait and the fish comes right up and noses the lure, the next move I want to make is a tiny twitch to make them react.” Tournament veteran and smallmouth fishing expert, John Whyte.

While Whyte has an affinity for working jerkbaits, he will employ wacky-rigged plastics as well to entice fish to bite should they not commit to a reaction-based presentation. The benefit of a wacky rig is that once the action of the bait is killed, it will sink to the bottom and appear motionless. Often, he’ll throw used baits on the floor, knowing that he might use them later to present a smaller size to the fish. Whyte challenges many of our preconceived notions about what baits should look like or how they should appear, but for him, it’s all about triggering the bite. If that means using half of a used soft plastic stickbait to get a key bite, then so be it.

It’s important to have a tube jig, dropshot rig, or a soft-plastic stickbait at the ready to try and coerce fish that refuse to commit to a reaction bait. If John Whyte can see his targets cruising around up shallow, he prefers to sight fish for them with soft-plastics. “If I see a fish cruising in shallow, skinny water, I’m going to try to pick it off. I’ll plop something down in front of them because it will be a finesse bite.” When it comes to presentation, John is a big proponent of pausing his bait to get smallmouth bass to bite. If he’s dropshotting he’ll shake his bait gently then let it sit still to trigger a bite. His time on the water has shown that his offerings are almost always attacked when his retrieve is paused. Never cast directly on top of a cruising fish. Instead, cast far enough ahead of it so that the smallmouth is not spooked. Natural coloured baits and a slow presentation are key when fishing up shallow.

WHERE THEY HIDE Frank DiMarcantonio targets areas mixed with sand, rock, and bigger boulders which provide the necessary elements for smallmouth to ambush prey. He rarely finds success on flats unless it’s really windy. A Navionics lake map or a paper hydrographic chart can help you locate these potential 58 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

bass spots and put the odds in your favour. Look for areas where the contour lines bunch up, indicating a significant depth change, as these types of areas are known to attract smallmouth. Frank has found that smallmouth return to the same haunts year after year and once you find a good area you can go back to it over and over again. Frank DiMarcantonio fishes Lake Erie the majority of the time, so he’s fortunate to have the Upper Niagara River as a nearby fish factory when the main lake turns off. While some anglers will “hole sit” and park on key structures, DiMarcantonio has found that drifting through areas provides the best means of producing results. “You can drift the mouth of the Niagara River and catch fish every inch along the way; drifting is a great way to cover water,” he reasoned. Out on the lake, if the bass leave the shallows due to water temperatures, DiMarcantonio will take his clients “video game fishing” in deeper water. “We’ll use my Lowrance and look for hooks that appear to be smallmouth and we’ll drop a bait down on them. By the end of the day, we’ll often have caught 20 to 30 fish each. A lot of the spots are rockpiles but the fish will also suspend off of rocky knobs.”

Here, DiMarcantonio will employ a tube jig, dropshot rig and sometimes a jigging spoon to probe the deeper waters. Presented with the same situation, John Whyte has rekindled his confidence in an old reliable bait that he’s used for 20 years, the Berkley Power Grub. “Several years ago when I fished smallmouth in Georgian Bay, I used spoons and a mustard grub, in 40-feet of water. There must be something about that colour in that depth of water that appealed to the bass because we had 40-fish days. You can use that bait as a swimbait or like a tube bouncing off bottom; you can spike them or you can fish them as high in the water column as

Obviously “matching the hatch” is a good starting point but don’t be afraid to go outside of the box and try some odd or unusual colour if the bass aren’t swayed by the natural look. The best element of bass fishing is that there is no wrong way to fish for them! Whether you enjoy plying the shallows or probing the depths of your favorite body of water, the good thing is that smallmouth live in both places. By putting the advice of

John Whyte and Frank DiMarcantonio to good use, you are sure to put the odds of success in your favour. Bass fishing isn’t always easy, and sometimes not even successful, but each day on the water is a lesson learned, hopefully with a fish or two to show for it at the end. As time progresses, so shall your successes because hard work and attention to detail will always pay off! ?

your jighead allows. It's a very versatile and useful bait. We’ve had so many new introductions of baits in the last few years that it has been put on the backburner, but I think you’ll see a lot of anglers going back to it.”

TRIGGERING THE BITE “The difference between a good fisherman and a person who just goes out fishing is that the fisherman pays very close attention to the details,” DiMarcantonio pointed out. Bold words indeed, but very true. So many anglers get caught in the rut of using what worked yesterday, or of using lures that they enjoy fishing with but that the fish have no interest in pursuing. When it comes to lure colours, Frank is very simple in his approach. While baits have to be visible, he’s adamant that unless they have natural colour hues, his clients will never get bit. On the other hand, John Whyte believes that one detail anglers needlessly obsess over is the colour of their baits. “I fish pro-am tournaments all the time and most of my co-anglers have several tubes in various shades of flake with the same base colour. When they get bit they say, “I found the right tube!” but I say, “No you didn’t, you came across an aggressive fish!” Experience has told John Whyte that standing out from the crowd can sometimes be a good thing when pursuing smallmouth bass. “If you’re trying to present a bait that looks like their food, there is a chance you will get bit - depending on where the fish is and whether it thinks that particular food is in trouble. More often than not though, you are apt to get bit on something that doesn’t look like the existing food.” Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 59

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

This Tales from the Road column starts with me making a second trip to Lake Okeechobee to take Mark Bruno and his brother John out for a day of fishing. Mark won a day of fishing with me through a contest run by the folks at Navionics and he’s a pretty fanatical fisherman. John likes to fish too, but he’s definitely not as hard-core as his brother. We went into this area way back through some reeds, into a shallow water bay that was probably 20-acres in size. It was pretty windy so we drifted through the bay then fished our way back up, then drifted through again, kind of doing a grid pattern. We used Berkley Havoc Grass Pigs and Berkley Powerbait Rib Shads for the whole day and the bass were on! The fishing was so good, we lost count after 50 fish. The biggest was caught by the least hard-core of the three of us in the boat, John Bruno. He had one that was over 6-pounds that hit a Grass Pig right at the boat. It was pretty exciting to see this fish clobber his swimbait right beside the boat! John and Mark were going to go golfing the next day but I said I was going back out fishing and asked them if they wanted to join me and my wife Sandy for another half day fishing. They agreed, so we went to another area of the lake and caught another bunch of fish on swimbaits. Mission accomplished! After spending a few extra days in Florida, it was time to make the long drive back home. About 10 in the evening we were driving through Kentucky, with the Ranger in Berkley Havoc Grass Pigs and Berkley Powerbait Rib Shads were the hot baits on Lake Okeechobee.

60 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

tow, when the transmission on my truck gave out. We limped to the next exit, got a room and headed to the dealership the next morning. It turned out that they needed to order the parts and, because it was a Friday, nothing would happen until the next week. I had some commitments on the following Monday and Tuesday nights so, at around noon, we called my son, Darren, to see if he could make the 10-hour drive down to Kentucky with my wife’s Suburban to pick us up. He said he could and he was down there by 11 o’clock. The next morning we hooked up the Ranger, left the truck down there to get fixed, and headed home. On Monday and Tuesday evenings I did some product knowledge and sales seminars for the fishing staff at the Sail stores in the Greater Toronto Area. Most of the Sail fishing staff are very knowledgeable anglers and it was a real pleasure talking to them about products, techniques and how to treat customers. One thing that impresses me is that Sail is very aware of customer service and want to provide the best customer service they can. Then it was back in the vehicle for a trip to Gimli, Manitoba. We decided to drive as far as Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the first day while my brother Wayne and his friend, Jerry Collins, headed to Manitoba to pick up a new SnoBear and trailer in Winkler, Manitoba from Agassiz trailers. Ed Martens of Agassiz cargo trailers and I had a chance to fish together more than two-decades ago in the Duck Mountains, Manitoba, for trout. He got involved in the trailer business and now he makes incredible trailers. He made an enclosed trailer for our SnoBear that is absolutely wonderful for keeping the machine clean and safe while trailering. We ended up meeting Wayne and Jerry in Winnipeg. They were getting something to eat and we needed to get our Manitoba fishing licences, and somehow we converged at

the same time in the same plaza. It’s funny how, after over 1000 miles of driving we met up by chance before we headed to the hotel in Gimli. After a quick stop to see our friend Jason Gauthier who is the co-owner of the Howard Johnsons and Hat Tricks Sports Bar & Grill in Winnipeg, it was time to head up to the annual SnoBear Jamboree in Gimli, on Lake Winnipeg.

Lake Winnipeg is an absolute walleye factory and as soon as we started to fish Wayne hooked up with what turned out to be the biggest walleye of our trip - an 11-plus pound greenback. It’s funny how sometimes the biggest fish gets caught first. We had some pretty good fishing over the next few days but Wayne’s was definitely the biggest of the trip. After breakfast on Sunday morning we packed up and headed to Kenora to hook up with Gord and Lynn Pyzer and Cameron Tait for dinner. Early the next morning we started filming for lakers on a very icy lake that had more than one of us slip sliding and landing on our rear ends. We only caught one laker but still had a great day. Cameron Tait is a culinary art instructor at Red River College in Winnipeg who has won two gold medals in cooking. This guy is amazing. We set up a couple of Coleman Gladiator Hyperflame stoves on the side of the lake and Cameron prepared an incredible shore lunch. We had walleyes from Lake Winnipeg and the fresh lake trout that Gord Pyzer had

caught. It was a truly memorable meal as only a chef like Cameron could make. That evening we headed through Minnesota and the next day we drove on to London, Kentucky to pick up my truck while Wayne and Jerry headed home. After getting my truck, we headed back home too. On Sunday we packed up again and Cameron Tait takes shore lunch to a whole new level.

headed for Griffith, Ontario, to fish with my former neighbour, Mark Alford. Now that he’s retired, all he does is hunts and fishes, and he’s put thousands of miles on his ATV exploring the different lakes in that region. We fished with him for a couple of days, catching whitefish and perch before heading home. On Easter Monday long-time Real Fishing Radio co-host Gord Pyzer arrived to do some taping for the Real Fishing Radio Show. Then I had a few meetings and a bit of office work to do before taking some of my daughter’s boyfriend’s family members fishing out of St. Catharines. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate and we got blown off the water by high winds. Then I boarded a flight to Ottawa for dinner with a number of people that are involved with the Outdoor Caucus. They asked if I would speak the next morning at their meeting at the House of Commons on Parliament Hill. I’m always amazed at how

Senators and MPs from all ridings support the Outdoor Caucus. I’m not a real political guy so it’s pretty cool to have an opportunity to talk about how important these outdoor activities are to Canadians and how we need to protect our right to enjoy these activities across the country. After getting home for a few more meetings, a family dinner and a dentist’s appointment, it was time to hit the road up to Huntsville, Ontario, to fish for ice-out lake trout with Dave Kennedy. I’ve known Dave for a long time through tournament fishing, but I’ve never had an opportunity to fish with him so this was a lot of fun. We had a tough day of fishing but we managed to put three in the boat and got our show segment shot. The in-laws arrived to the house for a few days and after they left I picked up a new Suburban at Bolton GM. It’s amazing how many miles I’ve already put on it. In the 20days since I picked it up I’ve already put on over 8,000 kilometers. If I keep going at this

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Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 61

rate I’ll have about 100 and some odd thousand kilometers on it by the end of the year. Then a group of us decided to take a bunch of boats down to the New York side of Lake Erie to fish for smallmouth and walleye. We ended up having a spectacular day with every boat catching numerous walleyes and smallmouth bass. The biggest smallmouth was just over six-pounds and the biggest walleye was in the eight-pound range. Close to 90% of the fish were caught on a gold Johnson ThinFisher blade bait worked slowly off the bottom. Then it was back home for a production meeting and an early birthday party for my son Darren. After that, Derek Strub and I

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62 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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started our drive to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for the Sturgeon Bay Open bass tournament. We had the worst practice we’ve ever had for his tournament and on day-one we weighed in just under 19-pounds for our six fish limit, which put us in 91st place. We were pretty bummed out so the next day we decided to fish a different area and ended up with six bass that weighed 26.99 pounds. We moved up to the last paying place – which was 32nd spot - in the large, talented field of smallmouth anglers.

After the tournament I got back home for one night before heading up to Reid’s Birch Island Resort in Ontario’s Sunset Country. I’ve known Phil Reid for close to threedecades and his family have been deeply entrenched in the fishing lodge business going back three generations. On this particular outing we had a number of friends join us, along with some prize winners from a Toro dealer’s contest we were involved with. We focused on walleye fishing in the morning, and then switched to pike fishing after the water heated up in the afternoon. It was pretty much jig and minnow fishing for the walleyes, and the fishing was quite good every day. The pike fishing was very easy too. At one point my cameraman and I hit three small bays in an hour and caught in the neighbourhood of 20 pike by covering water with lipless, rattling Sebile Flatt Shads and Berkley Powerbait Rib Shads. For the rest of the afternoon and the following afternoon I proceeded to run as many bays as I could, targeting these post-spawn pike. It was textbook pike fishing and you could literally catch as many as you wanted. For me, the absolute highlights of the trip were the meals we had at the lodge. Chef Dave Rosewarne is one of the best chefs I have ever met. On the first night we were there we had Beef Wellington and it was

cooked to perfection. The next day we had a quartet of four different meats on our plates – beef tenderloin with a Hollandaise sauce, chicken parmesan, a lamb chop and pork tenderloin, with side dishes that were absolutely delectable. I cannot tell you how incredible the meals were. Birch Island Resort has four rooms in the main lodge, four on the upper level of the boathouse and six more off the back of the main lodge, each with its own private bathroom. We stayed in one of the boathouse rooms and it was incredibly comfortable. Birch Island is an absolutely beautiful place to stay. This is an ideal resort for families, weddings, corporate getaways or just a fishing trip with your fishing buddies. After shooting video until around two in the afternoon on day three of our trip to Birch Island, it was time to get on the road to Laurentian Lodge, just north of Elliot Lake, to meet up with fishing guide and tournament angler, Frank Clark. Laurentian Lodge is located about 20minutes north of the city of Elliot Lake in the Algoma district of northern Ontario. It was originally built as a fly-in fishing and hunting lodge back in the 1930s and it’s been transformed into quite a resort. Located on Flack Lake, it’s great place for a family getaway or for an avid sportsperson to go fishing or hunting. You can even have your wedding up there.

Frank Clark with a beautiful Algoma Country smallmouth.

Flack Lake offers brook trout, lake trout and smallmouth bass, and there are several hundred other lakes in the area that you can go to for all kinds of species. What I’ve always liked about the Algoma region is the vast number of lakes that are available to fish. They are literally teeming with fish but receive very little pressure because of the low population base in the area. The mosquitos and blackflies showed up at Laurentian Lodge just about the same time that we got up there so I had the OFF! Clip-on on my waist the whole time I was there. The funny thing is, I didn’t get bit but the fish were biting. I’ve always said that when the bugs are biting the fish are too, and it seemed to be true on this trip. On this outing we started fishing right at the resort and caught 10 lake trout in about three-hours by slowly trolling Johnson Slama spoons tipped with a minnow, using the Motorguide Xi5 remote control electric motor. After getting our lake trout taping done, I

thought it would be fun to see about the smallmouth bass fishing. One of the cool aspects of this particular region is that the bass season is open year-’round north of Highway 17, in Ontario’s zone 10 in Algoma Region. Frank said that he had never fished for smallmouth on Flack Lake but he was willing to give it a try. Well, in a few short hours we caught more than 25 bass on Sebile Lipless Seeker and Sebile Flatt Shad crankbaits. It was incredibly easy fishing! The next day we decided to venture to another one of the lakes in the area to fish for smallmouth bass but when we got on the

water we were faced with 20-mile per hour winds, a cold front and some pretty tough fishing conditions, but the fish didn’t seem to mind. Frank and I ended up catching about 15 bass while my brother Wayne, and his buddy Jerry Collins, who were with us running the camera boat, caught a dozen. Did I mention that Wayne tends to fish way too much when he runs the camera boat? The biggest fish in each boat was 6.2pounds and we had several fives and numerous fours to go with them. Jerry’s five heaviest fish weighed 27.4-pounds and was the biggest five-fish bag he had ever caught. And he’s not even a hard-core bass fisherman! It was truly some incredible smallmouth bass fishing. This was one of those trips that had me wanting to stay longer but, because of my other commitments and tight schedule, I couldn’t. I can’t wait to go back and do some more fishing up there sometime. What can I say, it’s a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it - and I’m glad it’s me! ?

Summer 2015 – Real Fishing 63

What’s COOKING

Tuscan Olive & Goat’s Cheese Crusted Salmon Equally at home in a formal setting or as a casual dinner entrée, this quick and easy to prepare Mediterranean inspired dish is sure to impress your guests. INGREDIENTS

METHOD

200-gram portions of boneless skinless fresh Atlantic salmon filets

Pre-heat oven to 375°F

250 grams

firm goat’s cheese

125 grams

premium pitted Kalamata olives

Toss gently, assuring olive oil and salt are evenly spread over entire surface of fish.

1 clove

fresh garlic

Place fish on parchment paper on a sheet pan.

10 sprigs

Italian parsley

Sea salt 6 tbsp

olive oil

12”x12” piece of parchment paper

Place salmon filets in a mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

In a food processor, add olives, goat’s cheese, garlic, parsley and remaining olive oil. Pulse for oneminute. Spread mixture equally on top of each salmon filet and bake for 12-minutes. Serve with a grilled asparagus beet and mesclun green salad or your favourite side dish.

Special thanks to Chef Todd Timleck from Lifestyles catering for providing this recipe. 64 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

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66 Real Fishing – Summer 2015

of surprise in a world we rarely see from above” – Curtis Atwater