Fall 2018

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Fall 2018

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Contents Features 30 TWO GUIDES TRAVELING TWO ROADS A look at how two guides’ different approaches to fishing ultimately end up providing their guests with the same thing – a memorable experience.

By Mark Forabosco

38 HAPPY LANDINGS Improper landing techniques are one of the biggest causes of losing fish but it doesn’t have to be that way. These handy do’s and don’ts will help turn all of your hookups into happy landings.

By Real Fishing Staff

52 ONTARIO ICE FISHING ADVENTURES Northern Ontario offers some great ice fishing destinations that feature everything from trophy hunting to “numbers” fisheries. Here are couple that made it into the Real Fishing TV Show series.

56 STRETCHING THE SEASON

By Bob Izumi

A timely word to the wise about the pleasures, and potential pitfalls, of late-season boating.

By Ian Gilson and Sean Cronsberry

46 EARLY SEASON ICE FISHING Early season tips and tactics to give you the jump on walleyes and panfish this winter.

By Richard Morton

20

Fall 2018 Volume 24, Issue 4 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

By Jerry Hughes

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS Blue Shark

Contributors Sean Cronsberry, Patrick Daradick, Mark Forabosco, Ian Gilson, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Ryan Lamothe, Steve May, Richard Morton, Renee Schatzley, Dave Taylor Real Fishing is published by Izumi Outdoors Inc. 940 Sheldon Court Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833 Privacy Policy: Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, please write to us at the above address.

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials.

Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $12.95.

For USA add $10 all others add $30.

Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504 Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Contents copyrighted.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any material without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Printed in Canada

On the cover: FALL FISHING FUN! Photo by Izumi Outdoors

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

26 BEST FISHING TIMES Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

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

24

16 FISHING

By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING

By Steve May

20 THE WATER’S EDGE

By Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX

By Patrick Daradick

18

58 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler

By Bob Izumi

64 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING

opening lines

By Jerry Hughes

Timely And Timeless Well, here we are at the tail end of another open water fishing season. This is always an odd time of year for a lot of anglers. While there are still some open water fishing opportunities available, they get fewer and fewer as the fall progresses. You can certainly head out on certain lakes (whose seasons are still open) for some incredible late season smallmouth fishing; salmon and steelhead are available in a number of Great Lakes tributaries and the fall muskie bite offers one of the best shots at a trophy that

few seasons. While most of us head off on a fishing vacation at least once each year during the open water season, very few of us make the same type of trip in the winter.

And that’s a shame because the fishing can be outstanding, the resorts are less crowded (and often offer lower rates in the winter), and there aren’t as many people jockeying for space on the lakes as there are in the summer.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Real Fishing and that it helps you get through the fall-to-winter transition period.

Whatever you do during the next couple of months, have fun and, above all else, be safe out there! ?

you’ll have all year. But even those fisheries will come to a standstill once winter sets in.

The period between the open water fishing season ending and safe ice forming can be brutal for anglers. A lot of us will use the time to winterize our boats, perform some maintenance on our rods, reels and other gear, and maybe get the ice fishing equipment out of storage and make sure it’s ready to go as soon as the ice is solid. Others will use the time to knock a few items off of the “Honey-do” list, scoring a few points that can be banked for next season. This issue of Real Fishing acknowledges the transition period between the hard and soft-water fishing seasons by offering up a mixed bag of articles, some timely and some timeless.

We open this issue with Mark Forabosco’s timeless look at how two guides approach their craft from two distinctly different angles, one old-school and one more modern, and how each has its own merits. The article could be a metaphor for how anglers, in general, approach fishing and how there really is no right or wrong way to enjoy the sport. As long as you’re happy with how you fish, that’s all that’s really important.

6 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Then we take a look at some of the popular methods anglers use to land fish, and the pros and cons of each. If you’ve ever lost a big fish at boatside, or bankside, this article will give you some great tips to ensure it never happens again.

On the timely side of things, Richard Morton offers up some sage advice on early season ice fishing for panfish and walleyes.

By the time this issue goes to press, some parts of the country will already have safe ice and the rest won’t be too far behind, and Richard’s tips and tactics will help you start the season off successfully.

Also timely is a reminder from the Canadian Safe Boating Council and the Ontario Conservation Officer’s Association on the pleasures and perils of late season boating. Stretching the season is something a lot of hardcore anglers do and this article can help ensure that those late-season trips end well.

Finally, for those of you who are looking for a new ice fishing adventure, we’ve got Bob Izumi’s take on a couple of great ice fishing destinations he’s visited over the past

Digital subscriptions are available online at www.realfishing.com/ magazine To subscribe to the print version of Real Fishing, or for help with your subscription, please contact our customer service department

b rkklle be berkley-fishing.com l y-ffiish hiing.com Š 2017 Berkley is a registtered trademark of Pure Fishing, Inc.

2018 FISHING FOREVE Early this past summer Fishing Forever held its annual fundraising golf tournament at the Turtle Creek Golf Club to raise funds in support of the Kids and Cops fishing programme. Under beautiful, sunny skies over 100 golfers enjoyed a day of fun on the links while helping to promote fishing. We’d like to thank everyone who came out to this year’s tournament, especially all of the great sponsors, donors and helpers who made this year’s event a roaring success.

Bob and Mariko present the big fish prize to Ryan Jackson.

Dinner is served!

Lisa Suarez-Tadus and Yannick Wertsch of Betweeen the Lines made a generous donation to Fishing Forever.

Putting contest winner TJ Kim.

Closest to the Pin winner Mike Kehoe

tes after chipping into the Bruce Snowden celebra of goodies. full t and winning the boa

8 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

kayak

ER GOLF TOURNAMENT

The tournament winning team of Rob Stevens, Dave Shemmer, Paul Brown and Mike Kehoe.

Second place went to the team of Steve Bates, Tim Watts, Al Quinn and Andy Holder.

Putting practice

The team of Phillip Chae,

Wayne Izumi with Kevin Pretty, winner of an Abu Garcia prize package.

Jack Tadus, James Seo and

TJ Kim placed third.

The old fishing hole.

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 9

BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS

Photo by Seigo Saito, courtesy of B.A.S.S.

Photo by Gary Tramontina, courtesy of B.A.S.S.

Six individuals who have helped make the Gary Klein of Mingus, Texas black bass America’s most popular game fish were induced into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame on September 27. The Class of 2018 includes two stars of professional bass fishing – Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan and Gary Klein of Mingus, Texas – and four leaders from the sportfishing industry and its media Tommy Sanders of Little Rock, Arkansas, a veteran outdoor television host; Helen Sevier of Montgomery, Alabama, former CEO of B.A.S.S.; Berkley Bedell of Naples, Florida., founder of Berkley and Company.; and Dr. James Henshall, a 19th Century author who is considered the father of bass fishing. The 2018 inductees were nominated by members of the Hall of Fame and elected by a 30-member panel of sportfishing Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan industry leaders, members of the outdoor media, professional anglers and members of the Hall of Fame.

10 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

2 0 1 9 F LW C A N A D A C U P

Photo courtesy of FLW Canada

FLW Canada has announced that the FLW Canada Cup tournament will take place next August 15-17 on Ontario’s Bay of Quinte.

Cash awards will go to the top 15 to 25 teams (based on the total number of teams competing). In addition, the first and second place teams will each earn one pro and one co-angler entry into the prestigious FLW Costa Championship, to be held on Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, next October 31November 2. Registration is now open at www.flwcanada.com.

2018 FLW Canada Cup champions Erik Luzak and Ashley Rae.

Photo courtesy of Berkley B1.

BERKLEY B1 ANNOUNCES NEW TOURNAMENTS FOR 2019 The Berkley B1 series of tournaments has announced an expansion from three to six events for the 2019 season. In addition to their prestigious three, three-day events on the Championship Tour, 2019 will see the addition of three tournaments in the new, two-day Open Series. The Championship Tour events are scheduled for the Bay of Quinte on June 28-30; Lake St. Clair on August 9-11 and Lake St. Francis on September 20-22. The new Open Series events will be held on the St. Lawrence River on July 13-14; the Ottawa River on September 29-29 and the Saint John River in New Brunswick on October 5-6. Full details and registration information are available at www.berkleyb1.com.

EVENTS Calendar KIDS AND COPS FISHING DAYS

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

Youth oriented fishing events Various dates and locations www.kidsandcops.ca

January 18 - 27, 2019 Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place Toronto, ON www.torontoboatshow.com

GREATER NIAGARA FISHING & OUTDOOR EXPO

January 18 - 20, 2019 Niagara Falls Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls, NY www.niagarafishingexpo.com

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 11

READER’S PHOTOS Brian Foston Haliburton, ON Walleye

Owen Hamilton Fordwich, ON Smallmouth Bass

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 Laura Male Fergus, ON Muskellunge

Mike Parkinson Burlington, ON Chinook Salmon

Ryan Parkinson Burlington, ON Chinook Salmon Sam Whaley Huntsville, ON Brook Trout

12 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Catch BOB on the Tube!

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

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET

PROV./STATE

STATION

DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada

Global (CIHF)

Saturday 8:00 am

Calgary

AB

Global (CICT)

Saturday 10:30 am

Edmonton

AB

Global (CITV)

Saturday 10:30 pm

Ontario

ON

Global (CIII)

Saturday 8:30 am

Quebec

QC

Global (CKMI)

Saturday 8:30 am

Regina

SK

Global (CFRE)

Saturday 7:30 am

Saskatoon

SK

Global (CFSK)

Saturday 7:30 am

Vancouver

BC

Global (CHAN)

Saturday 10:30 am

Winnipeg

MB

Global (CKND)

Saturday 7:30 am

Canada/USA

Canada/USA

WFN

Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

* Station listings, airtimes and show descriptions are subject to change.

Please refer to your local television listings for the latest show schedules.

What’s

NEW

2018

POWERBAIT MAXSCENT FLAT WORM Berkley’s PowerBait MaxScent line of baits release a super-charged scent field attracting fish in a way never before seen. This all-new material is perfect for finesse presentations with ultra-realistic textures and natural matte colors to fool the hardest to catch fish. The soft yet durable material provides for life-like action and easier hook-ups producing multiple fish on each bait. The four-inch Flat Worm offers a slender baitfish profile that quivers and wiggles with the smallest movements, making it the ideal dropshot bait.

www.berkley-fishing.com

A.R.E DOUBLECOVER A.R.E. Accessories, LLC, has introduced the all-new DoubleCover™, the industry’s first truck bed cover that can lift for quick access to the truck bed or retract for full bed access. The DoubleCover features aluminum construction and a black textured powder coat finish, providing an extremely durable finish for the life of the cover. It also features stainless steel latches and no-drill clamp installation.

Durability-tested and backed by a five-year warranty, the DoubleCover is ideal for even the most punishing conditions.

www.4are.com

MEPPS COMET LONGTAIL New for the 2019 season comes the Mepps Comet Longtail™, featuring a longer and more ample dressing on the treble hook.

The blade colours match the tail dressings to complement each other but, because the Comet is the only spinner on the market offering a detachable hook incorporated into the body mechanics, you can change the tail for any other colour in the lineup. You can also replace the dressed treble with a trailing snelled hook & bait, small body bait or fly. The Comet Longtail is scheduled for release in early in 2019 and will come in 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2-ounce sizes and 6 colour combinations.

www.mepps.ca

14 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

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

RANGER ALUMINUM TOURNAMENT SERIES Ranger’s 2019 RT Aluminum Series line of boats feature an all-new, fully enclosed console that can house up to a 12-inch graph, along with redesigned hullside graphics, chrome badging, and chrome foil model designators. Along with the new look, Ranger also brings added comfort in the form of new premium color-matched, side-bolstering seating with enhanced knee room under the console. The wood-free, all-welded construction along with foam-filled hull provides upright, level floatation that exceeds standards set by the United States Coast Guard and reduces hull slap for a smoother, quieter ride. The complete 2019 RT Series lineup features a total of five models including the RT178, a 17-foot, 8-inch model available in a bass configuration, and the RT178C, a 17-foot, 8-inch model designed for crappie and multispecies angling. The larger RT188 features an 18-foot, 8-inch bass design rated for 115 horsepower and the RT188C comes in a crappie and multispecies configuration.

The flagship of the lineup is the 19-foot, 4-inch RT198P bass design rated for a 150 horsepower outboard that includes the option to mount twin Power Pole anchors.

www.rangerboats.com

YETI TUNDRA HAUL YETI’s new Tundra® Haul™ cooler on wheels is the answer to taking Tundra’s® legendary toughness and unmatched insulation power the extra mile. Featuring impact and puncture-resistant NeverFlat™ solid, tires and a T-Bar StrongArm™ handle with a welded aluminum arm, this cooler offers the most durable, reliable, and comfortable towing design made. The Tundra® Haul™ is built with Rotomolded construction and PermaFrost™ insulation so you can trust your contents will stay frosty, even in triple-digit temps.

www.yeti.com

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Going The Extra Mile How many times have you gone to a spot where you’ve previously caught fish and find that the fish are gone?

pounds on those spots and we ended up weighing in a good limit of bass. Once again, it was going that extra mile that saved the day.

Let’s face it, when fish are in specific areas they’re there for a reason.

It could be the weather brought them there, it could be the bait brought them there or it could be something else that made those fish move into the area. Whatever the reason is, the fish are there because it’s a comfort zone for them. So when the fish are gone, what do you do? You can panic and leave the area completely, or you can go the extra mile and try to figure out where those fish might have gone.

A number of years ago we were fishing in northwestern Ontario with tournament anglers and guides Dave Bennett and Jeff Gustafson. We were ice fishing for crappies on a small lake north of Kenora and these guys said that this lake had some pretty good slabs. We went out to a mid-section

16 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

area of the lake where they had previously caught them and we caught about 10 crappies that were only six or seven-inches long.

After a few hours of catching these small crappies we started moving around and I ended up about 400-yards further out, over deeper water. I punched some holes, lowered my transducer down and thought something was wrong with my unit - the whole middle band of water was completely solid colour. I tried adjusting it but nothing changed so I figured I’d drop a bait down just to see. Well, my small jig didn’t even get 20-feet down when it stopped. I lifted up, felt some weight and reeled in a slab crappie. Dave, Jeff and the rest of the crew joined me out there and we ended up catching caught literally dozens of big crappie as fast as we could drop out baits down. In that case we knew the fish were around, and by moving out into deeper water a rather slow day turned into a very exciting one.

Another time I was fishing the Canadian Open bass tournament on Lake Simcoe. I’d found some fish up on the sand, on isolated weed patches in about eight to 10-feet of water, so on day-three of the tournament I decided to fish this area. I caught a couple of fish, but nothing big so I decided to move further down and found a little dark spot on the sand. I cast to it and ended up catching a four-pounder in this area I’d never fished before, about 250-yards away from where I’d normally caught them. So I put the electric motor on high and started going further out. About 500-yards from where I had caught fish over the years I found three more dark patches and ended up catching a couple of more fours and one over six-

Most recently, we were fishing the FLW Canada Cup out of Trenton, Ontario, on the Bay of Quinte. In pre-fish Darren and I had found some largemouth in isolated weed clumps that had a bit of mat on top of them and decided to come back on day-two or day-three to catch those fish. On daytwo we went there but the weed mats were gone. The wind had blown them away. So I started frantically looking around the area and found a weedbed I hadn’t seen in prefish. Within an hour we flipped 15 fish out of there, including the biggest fish of the day. We went back the next day and caught another dozen or so fish and ended up in fourth place with 49.65-pounds over the three days.

The moral of this column is that you really never know. Yes, it’s fun to go out there and figure things out before a tournament, or before filming a show, or before a day of fun fishing, but things can change and those fish can move. What I’m driving at in this column is that if the fish have moved they’ve got to be somewhere in the vicinity, and with a little work sometimes you can put that piece of the puzzle together and catch them. ?

fly fishing

By Stephen May

Flying Boats The staple method of fly fishing is wading in rivers to approach fish but there are other ways to access excellent fishing opportunities with your fly rod in tow, including using a watercraft.

These craft range from simple to state of the art, and some are better for fly fishing than others.

Simple watercraft just seem to go along with fly fishing. Canoes, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, float tubes and pontoon boats can all be used to get to great fishing.

These all have their strengths and weaknesses but basically you simply paddle or fin your way into position to present a fly.

My favourites among these simple crafts are kayaks and pontoon boats. A pontoon boat is a small frame with two inflatable pontoons strapped to it. These can be very useful for fishing as they are ultra-stable and they put you up a bit off the water so it is easier to see, and cast to, cover in the water. They store easily and will get you down a river or out in a lake quite effectively. You can either row them or use swim fins to control the boat. These are very versatile boats that pack into a car and open up new fishing opportunities. But, some people struggle with controlling a pontoon 18 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

boat and fishing at the same time.

Kayaks have undergone an explosion in popularity recently, due to their versatility and innovative designs that have made these boats into amazing tools for anglers.

There are even kayak fishing tournaments that are growing in size each year. Kayaks glide effortlessly through the water and, if designed properly, can allow you to stand up and fish. This is the ultimate in low tech, light weight fishing accessibility. For gadget seekers, you can deck out your ride with sonar, anchor systems, rod holders, gear storage and pedal power propulsion. A kayak can glide along a saltwater beach, down a river or along a lakeshore with ease and speed. They can also be loaded on to most vehicles by a single person and put into the water anywhere there is shoreline access. Kayaks are opening up many new angling horizons.

There are also larger craft to get you on larger waters while providing safe and stable platforms to fly fish from. One of the most common is a Mackenzie style drift boat.

These are designed for floating down large rivers with big riffles, and rapids. The challenge is that you need a good oarsman to operate these boats and a shuttle to move your vehicle and trailer downstream.

Knowing how to row properly is a necessary skill, unless you can talk someone else into controlling the boat while you fish! These are the preferred craft of good river fly fishing guides. A good guide can position you in the ultimate spot for a perfect presentation to the fish from one of these boats.

Bass boats and other motorized boats also work well for fly fishing. One of the most important things to look for is a clean deck to keep line from getting tangled when casting. Fishing offshore islands, deepwater humps, and many saltwater spots are all brought within reach with a bigger boat.

Think about going beyond waders to explore some new fly fishing horizons.

There is a definitely a boat out there to get you to the ultimate fly fishing location. ?

THERE AR RE BETTER WA AYS TO KEEP YOUR O CHARTS FRESH! Even one small ch hange can make a big differ e ence.

We make more than 2,000 updates ever y day.

navionics.com

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

water’s edge

By Dave Taylor

American Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis)

Last summer I was out with my wife’s cousin, in his new fishing boat.

As we were enjoying the sunrise we started talking about eagles. He and his wife had seen bald eagles fly over the cottage in the Haliburton Highlands a number of times and he said that she thought that they’d seen a golden eagle as well. I said that was highly unlikely, and that the bird they saw was probably a juvenile bald eagle. Bald eagles take up to five-years to mature into their classic white head and tail plumage. Until then they are mostly brown and could easily be mistaken for the always brown golden eagle. Still, it is possible.

Golden eagles are our second largest eagle, with a wing span of up to 40-inches wide.

The bald eagle’s wing span can be almost double that. The two eagles are not closely related. Bald eagles belong to the “fish eagle” family which includes several large species around the world. All are associated with the seas, lakes and fish eating. Golden eagles seldom, if ever, eat fish that they catch.

Golden eagles have the largest range of any eagle and can be found in North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa.

There are six subspecies recognized but only one, the American golden eagle, is found in North America. Its breeding range includes the American west, Alaska and every

20 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Canadian province except Nova Scotia. It does not breed in the eastern USA. In Ontario there are believed to be 10 to 20 nesting pairs in the Hudson Bay Lowland.

However, as migratory birds, they range over the entire province. So it is possible that what they saw was a golden eagle.

The most distinguishing feature of the golden eagle is the golden hackles found on the back of its head. This is what gives the bird its name. The bill is grayish with a dark tip and the legs are fully feathered. Bald eagle bills are yellow as adults and the juveniles always show some yellow. Bald eagle leg feathers do not extend to their lower legs.

Golden eagles hunt a variety of prey.

Typically they hunt over open areas and are most closely associated with mountains, open deserts and grasslands. They prey on a variety of small mammals including rabbits, hares, ground squirrels and marmots. These make up 80 to 90% of their diet. Birds make up the remainder with reptiles and fish filling in the gaps during nesting season. They also kill young mountain goats and sheep sometimes, by knocking them off their mountain footholds. They seldom, if ever, prey on domestic sheep. They do, however, feed on carrion and I’ve seen them on wolf kills a number of times.

Most often they hunt from the air, swooping down on their prey which they spot while soaring high above, but they will also still-hunt from a perch or stalk their prey on the ground. In hilly, rolling country they contour hunt by cruising just above the ground. They are not adept at hunting in forested areas and do not swoop down to grab living fish in the water, although they will swoop in on flying birds such as migrating geese and sandhill cranes. Even solitary birds, such as great blue herons, have fallen victim to golden eagles.

Their nests consist of rings of branches and are often arranged on cliff ledges or in large trees. Typically two eggs are laid, about three to four-days apart. As a result, a month and half later the chicks hatch a few days apart and, unless food is abundant, the elder chick will kill and eat its sibling.

In North America in 1997 (the most recent estimate I can find) there were an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 nesting pairs and the entire population was between 50,000 and 70,000 birds, but that number may be slowly declining. In Ontario they are listed as an endangered species.

So what were my wife’s cousins seeing over that Haliburton lake? Given that it was late spring and summer when they saw the bird fly over, it was most likely an immature bald eagle. That species is making a comeback and one nest I’ve observed near Algonquin Park has produced at least eight young birds over the past three-years. The forested habitat in that area is not right for Golden Eagles either, nor are there many small mammals about to prey on. Fall and spring migrations are more likely to attract them. But, wandering immature golden eagles could be there at any time of the year.

Until a really good image emerges they are left with a mystery. Frankly, I hope it is a golden eagle - that would be so cool! ?

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

Better-Luck Baits When a fisherman opens up an old tackle box and observes the contents, they might notice a brilliantly coloured orange cardboard lure box.

The top side reads, “Better-Luck. For All Game Fish. Cast or Troll. For Pickerel Troll Slow and Deep.”

The boxes, besides having a bold border, can also be found with three distinct jumping fish logos - two styles of trout jumping to the left and one of a bass leaping to the right.

The box featuring the bass is harder to locate. What’s missing from the boxes is the actual manufacturer’s name and the location where these magnificent wooden fishing lures were made.

Frank Edgar, the founder of Lucky Strike Bait Works in Peterborough in the 1930s, devised a wonderful and successful marketing scheme. Not only was he selling his Lucky Strike Baits with the “Edgars Lucky Strike Baits” logo on the box (and later in the iconic red and white Lucky Strike boxes that included lure’s name on the front) Frank also marketed similarly styled, and sometimes nearly identical, lures in the bright orange Better-Luck boxes.

This gave his Lucky Strike Bait Works Company a decisive edge in the tackle industry amongst his competition. A fisherman

22 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

going to his local sporting goods or hardware store could observe both of the companies’ lures side by side on the shelf and wouldn’t have the slightest idea both were made by the same manufacturer. Frank Edgar could also sell one style at one hardware store and supply the other brand to another sporting goods or hardware store, thereby increasing his sales and production.

Frank Edgar was genius at innovations in marketing and designs!

To his advantage, the Better-Luck lures would support lower pricing compared to the Lucky Strike brand. When you compare the two lures you can actually see which lure was more refined with better quality hooks, hardware and paint.

A Lucky Strike brand Walleye Minnow would have glass eyes, heavy plated and polished metal lips secured to the nose of the lure, plated cups to support the hooks and usually a brilliant, heavily coated paint design. The Better-Luck model would have a different, larger wooden body style with a blunt nose, the lip would be a simple thin bent metal plate secured under the chin and

most of the eyes were designed with a brass tack that was used pretty much exclusively on Better-Luck brand lures. This gave each lure a different appeal to the buyer. The paint designs on the Better-Luck baits would differ, most of the time, from their sister Lucky Strike lures although some Better-Luck baits can also be found with glass eyes and same paint designs as on the Lucky Strike lures.

Today, Better-Luck lures and their distinctive orange boxes from the late 1930s are really sought after by Canadian tackle collectors. They were produced in lesser amounts and during a shorter time span than the Lucky Strike brands. One box in particular from my collection, what I would refer to as a transition box, which reads, “Lucky Strike Better-Luck Plug” is very rare.

The orange Better-Luck boxes, with the mint condition lures inside, would easily bring values of $125-$250 depending on the particular lures. Models with glass eyes would be valued at the higher end. The more common Better-Luck tack-eye baits in their original boxes usually fetch between $25 and $50.

The orange window style boxes, as shown on the left and right sides of the photo of the orange boxes surrounding the white and red one, were brought into production in the early 1950s. These boxes featured both the Lucky Strike and Better-Luck brand names together and were the last style of box used for the Better-Luck brand before it was phased out of production.

Frank Edgar couldn’t have named his “Better-Luck” lures any better. By marketing and selling two similarly style lures (these and his Lucky Strike models) during the same time he was able to increase his sales and become one of the largest lure producers in Canada. ?

real fishing fish facts

Blue Shark Prionace glauca

Blue Sharks, as their name implies, have a pronounced bluish hue to their bodies.

The dorsal section is dark and ranges from cobalt to almost indigo while the sides are a brighter iridescent blue that fades to white or grey-white on the belly. They have minute scales and their skin is not noticeably rough.

Blues have an extremely long and slender body shape with an extended, pointed snout. Their mouths hold up to three rows of teeth that are large, sharp and serrated.

The teeth in the upper jaw are larger than those in the lower and are “saber shaped” with one side having a convex shape and the other being concave.

These are highly pelagic sharks that can be found traveling singly, in pairs or in packs. Research on tagged blues in the Atlantic Ocean have shown that they roam clockwise from the northern U.S.A. and Canada across to Europe, south as far as Spain and back across the ocean to the Caribbean. Blue Sharks are known to cover great distances in short periods of time; as far as 30-miles per day.

Blue sharks are creatures of the open ocean and are not generally found near shore. They inhabit cool, temperate waters and are often found near the surface in

areas where suitable water temperatures in the range of 50°F to 68°F are available. In areas of warmer water they will submerge to depths of up to 600 to 1000-feet to find their preferred temperature range.

Female blues reach maturity at about 5 or 6-years of age, the males about a year earlier. Mating occurs between late spring and early winter. Females are not fertilized immediately upon mating; rather they store sperm in their shell glands, possibly for years. The sperm is used for fertilization in the spring following mating. The young are born alive after a 9 to 12-month gestation period and are usually between 17 and 21inches in length. Females bear large litters, commonly between 10 and 50, but as many as 135 young have been counted from a single parent.

Blue sharks eat a variety of other fishes including cod, haddock, herring, salmon and others, and are known to take seabirds as well. Blues will also scavenge. In some areas they are known as “blue whalers” for their habit of trailing commercial fishing and whaling boats and feeding on discarded carcasses and ship’s garbage.

Blue sharks are not considered to be

extremely dangerous but they have been implicated in unprovoked attacks on both humans and boats. These attacks are most likely to occur in cases of disasters at sea where injured people may be in the water.

Although not considered a food species, blue sharks are edible and can be prepared fresh, smoked or dried and salted. Their fins are used for shark fin soup and they are also used for fish meal and liver oil. Their skin can also be tanned and used as leather.

As a sport fish, blues are not in the same league as makos or threshers but their speed, size and tendency to jump make them worthy adversaries on appropriate gear. The most popular fishing method involves drifting live or dead baitfish, squid or eels in and around chum lines. ?

DID YOU KNOW? Blue sharks are one of the most migratory sharks in the world and regularly travel the North Atlantic on journeys of between 1,200 and 1,700 nautical miles. One recordbreaking blue that was tagged off of New York swam 3,740 nautical miles, all the way to Brazil.

FAST FACTS Colour: Dark cobalt or indigo blue on the back, bright blue along the flanks fading to white or grey-white on the belly.

Size: 6 to 8-feet on average but can grow to over 13-feet and can weigh over 500-pounds when fully mature.

Life Span: Up to, and occasionally surpassing, 20-years.

Habitat: Cool, temperate oceans and seas worldwide, from the surface down to 600feet or more.

Spawning: Mating occurs from late spring to early winter. Sperm is stored in the female’s shell glands and is used for fertilization in the following spring.

RECORD The current IFGA All-Tackle World Record blue shark stands at 528-pounds even. The fish was caught off of Montauk Point on New York’s Atlantic Coast in August, 2001.

24 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

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26 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

OCTOBER

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14

DECEMBER

Best Fishing Times 2018

DOUG HANNON’S

To order your copy of Doug Hannon’s 2018 Moon Clock Calculator please visit www.moontimes.com or send $9.95 (USD) plus $3.75 (USD) for shipping & handling to: Moon Clock, Department RE, PO Box 28460, Atlanta, GA 30358

SUNDAY

28

LEGEND

Excellent times shown first in bold font.

Good times shown below in regular font.

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CRAPPIES ON ICE Ice fishing might still be a couple of months away here in southern Ontario, but the season could kick off at any time above lakes Huron and Superior. The great thing about the North Country is that the trophy fishing the region is known for extends through the winter as well, so hardwater anglers have just as good a shot at a big one as the summer fishing folks do. If these crappies Wayne Izumi caught on Lake of the Woods are any indication of the fishing that’s available up there, it just might be worth a trip north this winter.

28 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

ON NE IS GREA AT. TWO IS EVEN BETTER. Ever ybody knows having a Power-Pole anchor on your boat gives you the kind of boat control you need to catch more fish. But did you know that dual Power-Pole anchors lock your boat into position, allowing you and your fellow anglers to have the best angle to cast to the fish - regardless of wind and current? For complete details go to power-pole.com.

TWO GUIDES TRAVELING TWO ROADS

By Mark Forabosco

The generic definition that comes to mind when we think of a fishing guide is someone who helps us catch fish, period. But if we take the time to peel back the layers of this onion there is so much more to it. Guides bring people together - fathers and sons for example - creating traditions that are handed down for generations and that are looked forward to every year with the same anticipation as Christmas morning. They can teach and mold a new lineage of anglers and forge rich memories that will last a lifetime. This is not only an interview with two gifted fishing guides.

Although it highlights the techniques and specialized methods of two very distinct angling practices, most importantly it reminds us that at the end of the day there is far more to fishing than just catching fish.

30 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 31

The New Age Road Rob Cadeau smiled as his boat skimmed across the glassy water on that bluebird August morning. Even though we were going in excess of 45-miles-per-hour the 150 horsepower engine was barely above a whisper.

“The first spot that I plan to hit is one of my favourites,” commented Rob as he snapped on a large jerkbait, whose colour could only be classified as gaudy.

I, on the other hand, decided to go with a topwater lure. On the second cast my guide reared back hard.

“Fish on, and it’s a good one!”

Five minutes later, and after a couple of photos, the near 30-pound muskellunge was slipped back into the dark water.

Robert told me how his career as a guide started out quite by accident.

“I was always busy taking friends out and just by word of mouth people got my number from a tackle shop reference and asked me to guide them. It took off from there. It’s been a fun journey. I have done a number of television shows, met some great people and, most importantly, made some lifelong friends.”

As a guide, Rob is unique in the fact that he targets multiple species in numerous waters. He pursues muskellunge on Lake Superior river tributaries early in the season; later on in the year he’ll concentrate on Georgian Bay and Lake St. Clair. He also guides on Muskoka’s Lake Rousseau and Lake Joseph for lake trout, trophy pike and walleye. He also takes guests out on Lake Ontario for salmon and trout.

32 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

One of Rob Cadeau’s clients with a trophy Muskoka walleye.

Being that Rob is a sales representative for one of the largest hunting and fishing firms in the industry I wanted to hear his thoughts pertaining to the ever-evolving technology in the fishing industry and its effects on anglers in general. When I asked him about this, Rob handed me his musky rod with a large double bladed spinner tied on.

“Try casting this out,” he said.

I commented on how little strain there was for such a large lure.

“Exactly,” Rob replied. “At the end of the day you don’t suffer from a sore back and shoulders. Now we have rods eight and nine-feet long, reels with greater gear ratios and superior drag systems. Twenty-years ago you’d be popping a couple of extra strength aspirins if you were casting big lures like this all day with a little six-foot muskie rod! Today, because of more advanced equipment, it’s much less physically taxing, which enhances the fishing experience.”

Rob and a guest with a hefty Lake Ontario lake trout.

“I remember when we used flashers and early model digital graphs,” Rob continued.

“If you hooked a fish and wanted to go back and find that school, you would look for some kind of landmark or have to engage in a grid pattern and hope to get lucky. With today’s graphs I simply punch in the waypoint and I can troll back there within inches of where that first fish was caught.”

“This past summer a friend of mine was heading out to some back bay for muskellunge. On the way he marked a very large fish and saved the waypoint. After fishing the bay he decided to go back and trolled directly over that waypoint. He had just gone past the waypoint when his rod went off and he ended up with a 45-pound muskie. A graph will also show water temperature, as well as boat speed. This is extremely important stuff to know. The best part is that you don’t need two big ones like I have in my boat (the big screen versions), you can downsize and get a quality graph with everything you need for a very reasonable price. Heck, we even have underwater cameras now.”

“The same goes for electric motors - boat control is critical when it comes to catching fish. Now I can punch in the speed, the route I wish to follow or even the distance that I want to be from the shoreline. The motor does it all for me. This is a lot easier than constantly adjusting your speeds manually to compensate for the winds, with one foot working the electric motor pedal and the other one trying to maintain your balance.

Again, because of these advancements I can

concentrate more on catching fish and thereby enjoying angling on an even greater level.”

“Back when we were kids, if a guy had a14-foot aluminum with a 20-horsepower and a pair of manual downriggers it was a big deal. Just look at the boats we have at our disposal these days. There is far greater versatility. They are wider and deeper with bigger motors which can idle down to a snail’s pace, and some come with livewells up to 50-inches. I have storage for over 30 rods, my boat has a collapsible roof to protect you from the elements - the list is endless. We have nets wide enough that a trophy muskie can swim into them and the nets are now rubber coated in order to better protect the fish. We have fluorocarbon leaders which help catch more fish because they are harder to detect and they don’t hinder lure action like the old, heavy steel leaders did, and which visually stuck out like a sore thumb. We have braided lines which helps with a stronger hook set because, unlike monofilament, braid does not stretch. Over the long haul this results in a greater number of hooked and landed fish.”

“I can recall when I fished an unfamiliar body of water it was hit or miss,” said Rob. “Today you can purchase an SD card for your graph with maps of just about every lake in the province. Type in the lake and voila, the map will show breaks saddles, edges, rock humps and depth - all the areas that make for quality fish holding structure, saving you hours if not days of blind searching. You can also use your graph if you go to an uncharted lake, to download the structure and make your own map. I think to be a con-

sistently better angler it is paramount to have, and know how to use, your electronics.

The internet is also very important and there are thousands of fishing forums on the ‘net.

It is very easy to download information about a certain lake, the status of its fishery, and gather information that way. Years ago it was like, ‘I heard this lake has some good bass, let’s give it a try.’ Today, simply post a question on a fishing forum and a number of people will share their opinions of that lake and you can make your decision based on that. To be honest I never expected technology to reach the level that it has. From what I have seen with the continuing advancements with regards to future products I really believe that the sky is the limit.”

Rob later explained that what he liked best was seeing the excitement when a client landed a fish. He is also of the mindset that a guide should teach his clients tactics and techniques that will make them better anglers. One of Rob’s fondest memories was when he guided a six-year old boy, who was 43-inches tall, to a 49-inch muskie.

“There are days when the fish just aren’t hitting, even more so when you are on trophy water with lower densities,” said Rob. “You can’t beat yourself up over it. Just do your best to make sure that the client has an enjoyable experience. Last year we raffled off ten custom painted musky lures, and raised over $2,000 for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters foundation. It’s just a small way of giving back.”

After spending a day on the water with Rob I discovered that he is a man with a heartfelt passion for this sport. His views on just how much technology has changed fishing in the last 30-plus years, and just how many more fish we are landing because of it, was truly eye-opening. One can only imagine where we would be without it.

The Old Road My son Rowan let out a whoop as he set the hook, “Got one dad!”

Our guide for the day, Ron Belland, was quick to grab the net.

“I think this might be Walter!”

Suffice to say he was spot on and, moments later, unhooked an eating-size walleye.

I was fishing the middle French River for a week’s family vacation and, with no prior experience on the water, I thought it might be wise to hire a guide. Everyone’s first recommendation to me was Ron Belland. The morning he pulled up to my dock, instead of seeing the expected well equipped fishing machine I saw a pontoon boat. When I noticed that it was lacking a fish finder the old Latin term caveat emptor - translated in modern English as buyer beware - came to mind. It was only later on I came to realize that I could not have been more wrong.

After pulling a number of fish out of the first two spots I queried Ron on how he could find his way around so well without using a graph.

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 33

THE BEST GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK.

“I was born in Wolseley Bay”, Ron said.

“I’ve been fishing this system for over 40years. Some of these spots I found on my own, some were shown to me by my father and uncles. I adjust my boat by landmarks - that is how I was taught. I line myself up by certain points in front and to the side, it might be a particular tree or boulder. It becomes natural memory. I know that if my boat drifts so far past a certain landmark that I am too deep or too shallow.”

“When I was a kid I used to follow the old guides around”, Ron continued. “At first they weren’t very happy about it but over time they came to accept me and even took the time to show me more places.”

Ron has been a guide on the system for over 15-years. His season begins in June and runs until the end of October.

“I did a lot of hard labour over the years and got tired of the grind. This is what I was meant to do.”

I noticed that his enthusiasm is contagious as his excitement level rises with every fish landed, regardless of the size.

Ron smiled and stated, “Here we fish like they did a hundred-years ago. A simple spinning rod with a jig tipped with a worm or a minnow. Why change something that works? There is no need to overcomplicate things.”

To be honest I was enjoying the simplicity of the trip. My overflowing tackle box remained unopened for the entire day and the only time I changed baits was when I went to grab a fresh worm. In Ron’s view the pontoon boat was perfect for this type of angling because there was ample space for numerous people and any extra gear.

36 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

He described how much better the walleye fishery has gotten over the years since the slot size was introduced, and the benefit of the river’s abundance of natural forage.

He also pointed out where many of his clients’ largest catches came from: pike that stretched the tape to over 40-inches and walleye up to 15-pounds. Ron shared a story of a walleye that he believes would have pushed the scales past the 20-pound mark and, to substantiate his claim, informed me about the MNR tagging walleye up to 38-inches.

“That’s the thing,” he said, “You never know when you’re going to catch one of those big girls. There are so many memories here. When I was a boy I had a special place near a narrows where I would ice fish.

There I could always catch good pike and walleye. When I had extra I shared them with extended family and other elders.

Being part Metis that is how we were raised, it was part of the family fabric. The interesting part of this story is that for fiveyears, almost every time I fished there, a pack of wolves would sit on the edge of a high rock formation above and watch me. I always made it a point to leave them some fish which they would eat after I left.”

Ron clarified that the same fish holding structure is fairly consistent from year to year unless there are serious water fluctuations or dramatic changes in the weather.

“When I take people out it is more than just reeling in a fish,” he started. “I recall guiding a particular father and son a few years back. The old man was worried because all his son did was play with his iPhone. For the first hour the kid did not want to be there, and then he landed a nice walleye. After that you couldn’t pry that fishing rod out of the boy’s hand! His father was over the moon because not only did the boy learn some basics, but he was developing a passion for the sport, like his dad.

Now there was something they could share and bring them closer together, there was a connection. Coming out here you leave your stress and problems behind, you’re surrounded by the best nature has to offer.

These kids are learning how to clean fish, how to catch their own food - an important set of life values.”

Our day together passed all too quickly with close to 30 walleye landed, some up to four-pounds. Ron pulled us into some secluded back bay and rubbed his hands together.

“Are you guys ready to eat yet?”

We immediately nodded our heads and Ron got down to business filleting the fish and starting a fire.

Raising his voice to be heard over the cracking of the frying walleye Ron commented, “This is the best part.”

The walleye, home fries and onion rings mixed with Ron’s homemade beer batter was the highlight of an already memorable adventure.

“The shore lunch is an important part of the tradition, not many guides do this anymore. I have the same fathers and sons that do this with me every year.”

After lunch Ron showed me where he fed his two eagles. They formed an unlikely bond with him over time, coming down to watch him clean his fish and happily devouring the entrails he would give them.

Later on he pointed out some ancient native artwork painted on the cliff walls.

“No one knows how old it is,” explained Ron. “Thousands of years for sure.”

As a parting gift he generously gave my son a handful of his custom made, glow in the dark jig heads called the SS Mermaid, which accounted for a number of the day’s fish. On the ride back to camp I took in the full view of the ancient beauty that the almighty had created when he made the

French River. As I revelled in the tranquility of the moment I couldn’t help but laugh thinking about all of the money that I had invested in boats and tackle - and one of my fondest days on the water in over 45-years was with the most basic set up imaginable: a spinning rod and reel and a bucket of worms.

Two Roads, One Destination Robert Cadeau has taken the new age road, where technology has paved the way for prosperity on the water. He is the epitome of what today’s modern angler encapsulates. He has seized the benefits provided

by advanced electronics and equipment to become the most efficient angler possible.

He is able to adapt to a multitude of scenarios and maintain a high level of success.

In turn, his clients experience an adventure where they will not only have an opportunity to enhance their fishing prowess, but also progress as anglers themselves. You can get in touch with Rob at 519-504-6723 or through his FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/rob.cadeau.

On the other hand, Ron Belland has chosen to travel the old road. He is a man whose spirit is intertwined with the river that he fishes. He has embraced and teaches the fundamental basics of traditional angling practices, without enlisting the service of modern day equipment, in a tribute to a simpler era. He does this while providing his clients an equally exciting adventure where they will learn old school tactics with a delectable shore lunch to boot (something every angler should experience at least once in their life!) Ron can be reached at 705-898-2606.

The end game is really this: a good fisherman should always keep one eye looking forward to what future creative products become available to increase productivity and enhance the experience, while keeping one eye looking back to the past, to a more modest time, where sometimes a more humble approach can often reap greater rewards. ?

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 37

HAPPY

By Real Fishing Staff

LANDINGS So you finally hooked the fish of your dreams. You made the perfect

presentation and felt the fish take. Your hook set was rock solid. Your knots held strong and you played the fish with just the right blend of power and finesse. The fish fought valiantly but in vain. All that’s left for you to do is close the deal by landing it. Now the real fun starts.

Everyone who fishes has a story or two about losing a fish just when it seemed to be in the bag.

“The hooks got caught on the net and pulled out.”

“My line broke as I was lifting the fish into the boat.”

You get the idea. Improper landing techniques are one of the biggest causes of premature fish releases, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little patience and a little know-how, landing fish doesn’t have to be a nail biting experience.

38 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 39

NETTING TIPS • Choose a net with soft cotton or rubber mesh • Don’t try to “scoop” fish into a net.

Place the net in the water and guide the fish into it • In still waters, net your fish head-first.

In rivers, hold the net behind the fish and slowly drop the fish back into it • Don’t rush. Wait until the fish has tired before trying to net it • If you plan to release your fish, keep it in the water. Use the net to hold the fish while you remove the hooks • Use a net that is large enough for the species you are fishing for • For long bodied fish like pike or muskie, be sure to use a net large enough for the biggest fish you expect to catch. Another option is to use a cradle style net.

NET TING PROS • Landing nets are extremely effective for trapping and holding fish • Nets extend your reach making them ideal for use from shorelines, piers or high-sided boats • Nets come in sizes and styles for any type of fish • Nets keep fingers away from teeth, hooks and spiny fins

CONS • Nylon mesh can remove a fish’s protective slime coating and can cause injury to fins and eyes • Nets can snag hooks when landing fish • Nets are bulky and can be difficult to transport and store • Mesh bags must be replaced periodically 40 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

B E AC H I N G PROS • Eliminates the need to physically touch the fish • If done correctly, the fish remains supported by water • No chance of snagging hooks on landing gear

CONS • Sand and gravel can scrape slime from fish if it is dragged onto shore. Particles can enter gills causing potentially fatal injury • Fish must be near exhaustion before landing

• Angler usually needs to enter the water to beach a fish • Line can become tangled around angler’s feet and legs if fish makes a final run • If a hook or lure pulls out it may whip around wildly, possibly striking an angler

BEACHING TIPS • Play a fish out before trying to beach it • If possible, grab the fish without entering the water • Don’t drag fish onto the shore. Guide it into water a few inches deep to allow for a cushion between the fish and the bottom • Straddle the fish with your feet to keep it under control • Use pliers or hemostats to quickly remove the hook or lure • Try to beach fish on firm bottom areas.

Angler or fish movements in shallow silt or mud bottomed areas will cause sediments to become suspended, allowing them to enter a fish’s gills

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Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 41

CONS • Hands are put in close proximity to hooks • Can cause injury if a fish is held horizontally by the lip • Fish must be tired out before being landed • Can only be used on smaller species like bass or some panfish

LIPPING TIPS • Insert thumb into fish’s mouth and squeeze lower jaw between thumb and fingers • Lippng is safest when using jigs or single hooked baits. Be extremely careful around treble hooks • Hold bigger fish in the water. If lifting them, use your free hand to support them by the belly • When releasing lipped fish, gently place them back into the water before letting go of them. Dropping or throwing them can cause injury • Minimize the time a fish is held out of the water

LIPPING PROS • Minimizes angler contact with a fish’s protective slime coating • Provides a secure method of controlling fish at boat or bank side • Hook removal is faster and easier when a fish’s head movements are restricted • Allows fish to remain almost entirely suspended in water when removing hooks • Gives angler a free hand for using release tools • Easily accomplished by a single angler

42 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

PA L M I N G PROS • A good alternative to lipping fish that are hooked on multi-hook baits • Offers good support to fish that are lifted from the water • Hooks can be removed while fish remains in the water

CONS • An angler has little control and may be prone to drop a palmed fish • Fish must be completely played out before being palmed • Not effective on long or extremely broad fish

GRASPING PROS • Effective for most freshwater species • Can be adapted to various fish shapes and sizes • Offers great control for hook removal and lifting fish from the water • Easy to execute

CONS • Sharp spines and gill covers can cause cuts to hands and fingers • Gripping too tightly or squeezing on gill plates can severely injure fish • Anglers with small hands may have difficulty grasping larger fish

PALMING TIPS • Cup your hand and gently place it under the fish’s belly. Grip lightly and lift the fish straight up • If removing the fish from the water, re-grip it to eliminate the chance of it falling from your grasp • Palming works best on fish like bass, walleye and panfish. Other landing methods are better for other types of fish • When releasing fish, place them back in the water and let them swim out of your hand

GRASPING TIPS • Grasp fish by the body, just behind the gill covers • Use the heel of your hand to “comb” down along the fish’s back to flatten dorsal fins • Hold the fish firmly, without using excessive pressure • If a fish begins struggling, hold it down over the water, release your grip and use your rod to guide it back for another try.

Don’t try to squeeze harder in an

attempt to regain control as this will only increase the risk of harming the fish. Besides, it rarely works and nine times out of ten the fish will end up being dropped Walleyes have razor sharp plates on their gill covers. Be careful to grasp walleyes by the body, behind the gill plates

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 43

SLINGING PROS • Very fast and efficient • Easy way to get fish into boats, up on to docks or piers, or over shoreline obstructions • Excellent way to land panfish or smaller gamefish

CONS • Hooks may pop free and strike an angler.

• Breaking your line is a distinct possibility • Fish that come unhooked in mid-air may be injured when they land • Slinging is ineffective with large fish

SLINGING TIPS • Always have the fish on the surface and moving towards you before you attempt to sling it in • Try to sling fish slightly to your side rather than directly at your body in case the hooks pull free

T H E G I L L P L AT E L I F T We kept this method separate because, although it looks pretty neat to hoist a fish up by the gill plate, it can cause severe injury to both angler and fish unless it is done correctly.

Extreme care must be taken to avoid touching the actual gills, as well as to keep the fish’s gill plate from slicing into your hand or fingers. Anglers who are proficient at handling fish will find that this particular landing method offers great control, especially with large fish, but it takes skill to execute it correctly.

The idea of the gill plate lift is to slide your fingers under the fish’s gill cover and up towards the mouth while keeping your thumb on the outside. When you reach the forward edge of the gill plate, grasp it firmly and lift the fish’s head. At this point, the fish’s body should still be in the water, with only its head out.

Remove the hooks, lower the fish back into the water and release it. If you must lift the fish out of the water, use your free hand to support its belly.

44 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

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EARLY SEASON ICE FISHING

By Richard Morton

There’s no question that one of the peak times of the year for ice fishing is as soon as the ice is safe enough to venture onto.

It’s during those first cold days that fishing for perch, crappies, bluegills and walleyes can really sizzle. That’s when it’s time to head to shallow, fertile lakes, preferably those with depths less than 20-feet or so. These types of lakes freeze first and typically offer the best early season fishing. If the lakes are stained, with water clarity of less than five or six-feet, so much the better. Fish can’t afford to be too particular in off-coloured water so they tend to be more aggressive.

Another advantage of darker water is that fish will bite all day rather than just in low-light times.

46 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 47

vegetation. The best weedbeds are large and situated on structure that reaches all the way out to deep water. It’s a bonus if rocks or wood are present. Expect to find panfish, walleyes and pike in these areas.

Once you’re on the hard water, a good sonar unit is a great tool to help you identify depth and the bottom makeup. It will also show weeds, fish and, if it’s set up correctly, your bait.

If it has GPS capabilities, it will allow you to pinpoint the areas you want to fish and will make it relatively simple to find them.

There are several species of fish that offer great early season action, depending on the particular lake you’re fishing.

CRAPPIE Always use extreme caution on early season ice and don’t try to get a jump on the season by heading out if the ice is at all questionable. While three to four-inches of clear, new ice will support a person, the ice thickness is rarely uniform across a lake or pond. The four-inches you find at the shore may thin out dangerously within a few yards. If you decide to head out on anything less than 6-inches of clear, hard ice, be sure to wear a personal flotation device (a good idea whenever you’re going onto frozen waterways) and don’t go out alone. Always carry a spud bar or other ice testing device and check the ice every several of feet as you walk out.

In general, 4-inches of new, clear, hard ice is considered safe for walking and ice fishing; 6 to 8-inches is safe for a single snowmobile or ATV; 10 to 12-inches will support a small car or SUV and 12 to 15-inches will support a full sized truck. Remember that these guidelines are for new, clear, hard ice.

Snow covered ice, slushy ice or ice in current areas will not be as strong therefore extra caution is required in these types of places.

As for where to fish at first ice, start by checking a good map of the lake you are planning to visit. Take some time to study it and mark off the promising looking areas.

What you’re looking for are major structure areas with weedbeds that still have green

Crappies, an early-winter favorite, will be where you left them in the late fall. In shallow lakes, they’ll cruise the weedlines and become active at various times throughout the day. In deeper lakes they haunt the deeper holes where baitfish roam. If a point juts out to the hole, it’s nearly a given that it will hold fish. Look for balls of bait on your sonar. When baitfish are huddled up

into tight balls it’s a good sign that crappies or other predatory fish are close by.

If the lake is shaped like a big bowl, as a lot of shallow, fertile lakes are, you may need to drill a lot of holes looking for schools of active fish along weedlines. A power auger makes drilling all those holes a snap but on early season ice a good, sharp hand auger will often do just fine.

48 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

congregate in and around transition areas that offer a variety of bottom types. The best spots will usually be along drops that feature both rocks and mud, although perch will also be found in and around weeds, especially weeds that are adjacent to harder bottomed areas like sand or rock.

The key is to stay mobile and keep moving around until you find fish. The best baits to use to locate aggressive fish in these dark or stained water lakes are small jigging spoons or body baits, preferably with glow finishes or built-in rattles. These lures are easy for fish to zero in on and will often call fish in from long distances. Once you’ve located a school with the aggressive baits, don’t be afraid to switch to a static presentation if the bite slows. Often times a tip-up or light ice fishing rod baited with small soft plastics or live minnows will entice a few extra bites.

Crappies like to feed up rather than down and on most days they will be suspended somewhere in the water column. Rarely will you find crappies “belly-to-the-bottom”. If you mark fish or balls of bait on your sonar, try to set your bait a couple of feet above them as this is where the fish will be looking.

PERCH Perch love to patrol shoreline areas with structure, such as points and bars that crisscross the area. They also like to stay close to easy food sources like minnows, crustaceans and invertebrates. These prey often

Later in the season perch will often move to detached rock piles or small soft-bottomed humps in the middle of nowhere.

They’re there to enjoy the mid-winter snacks of insect hatches that occur near the full-moon phases.

Early in the morning and later in the day active perch will often suspend two to three-feet off the bottom. During cold fronts and during the midday hours they will drop down and become more bottom oriented. Your sonar will reveal exactly where they are.

Small jigging spoons and ice jigs tipped with minnow pieces or small grubs are great for active fish while small minnows,

grubs and wax worms fished on a small hook can be the ticket when the perch are in a more neutral mood.

Like crappies, perch will often look at a bait for a while before they decide to bite.

It’s a good idea to vary your jigging action until you determine the mood of the fish. In general, start with an aggressive “snap, drop” motion with a pause of several seconds before repeating. Let the jig fall on a semi-slack line and watch for your line to jump to the side or twitch when a fish bites.

And if your jig stops falling before it should, set the hook immediately!

SUNFISH For pumpkinseeds, bluegills or other sunfish species, go with smaller jigs tipped with some type of meat. Pinhead minnows, maggots or small wax worms are hard for these fish to resist.

Sunfish feel safe in the vegetation so look for clumps of green weeds. Milfoil is a favorite. They like the deeper holes in the weeds so start there. It’s not uncommon to find crappies mixed in with the sunfish, making for exciting mixed bag fishing.

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 49

or jigging stick in a holder. If you’re using a rod and reel, loosen the drag so that a fish can take the bait without feeling resistance.

If you’re using a jigging stick, lay several feet of loose line on the ice to give the fish some slack when it first bites. Then just sit back and wait. This isn’t exciting fishing, but it can be one of the best ways to get walleyes to bite on those slow days.

When sunfish are in a feeding mood they will have no issue attacking a jigged bait. A slow, lift-drop action is all it usually takes to get their attention. After letting the jig drop,

hold it motionless for a few seconds before starting a slow upswing. It’s not uncommon for these fish to hit while the jig is stationary or as soon as you start to move it after having let it sit still for a few seconds. Always keep a sharp eye on your line and watch for any telltale “ticks” that could indicate a bite.

WALLEYE Early-ice walleyes love to cruise the breaklines along points on hard-bottom areas. In turbid, soft-bottomed lakes, areas like weed edges, holes in weedbeds and points and inside turns along weedlines can be real hotspots. The mouths of bays and points along old river channels are also worth a look. You may end up punching a lot of holes looking for them, but it will be worth the effort when you intercept a school of feeding fish. In the early winter walleyes will often cruise areas as shallow as four-feet, especially in dark water lakes or during lowlight periods on clear water lakes.

50 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

To locate aggressive walleyes, a rattling spoon or jig tipped with a minnow head is tough to beat. Snap the jig aggressively, using a motion like a hook-set, let it fall on a semi-slack line and repeat. Keep a close eye on your line while the jig is falling and set the hook immediately if you see your line twitch or jump.

If the fish are in a less aggressive mood, a “dead stick” approach can often get them to bite. Tip a small jighead with a one to two-inch soft plastic bait or a two to three inch live minnow and set your rod

Although mentioned earlier in this article it’s worth repeating that whenever you’re heading out on early season ice, or any ice for that matter, you should practice safety first. Thin ice is inconsistent. Underwater springs, narrows, rivermouth areas or areas with currents can add up to a dangerous situation. It’s wise to wear a full body flotation suit - or at the minimum an inflatable life vest or other approved PFD – any time you’re heading out on the ice. If you drag a sled or portable hut with you, tie the tow line around your waist and have a pair of ice spikes on hand in case the ice gives way.

First ice can offer up a real fishing bonanza but always play it safe. Monitor the ice conditions, stay away from questionable areas and never head out alone. Not only is it more fun fishing with friends, it’s comforting to know that help is just a shout away should the unthinkable happen. ?

By Bob Izumi

ONTARIO ICE FISHING ADVENTURES It’s no secret that Ontario is blessed with some of the best freshwater sportfishing in the world and thousands of anglers head off to every corner of the province for their fishing vacations each year.

However, once the snow flies most of those anglers either store their fishing gear until the spring or relegate their fishing to the occasional ice fishing trip to a local lake or river. And that’s too bad because the hardwater season in Ontario can provide just as many great opportunities for exciting fishing as the open water season can.

In many areas of the province, lodges and resorts are open year ’round and a lot of these cater to ice fishermen by offering accommodations, bait and tackle, and even ice hut rentals.

Along with the fishing, a number of resorts also offer access to things like snowmobile and ATV trails, skiing, hiking and other winter activities so there’s no shortage of other things do if your arms need a rest from catching fish.

Over the past several years the Real Fishing Show has visited a number of areas of Ontario to experience the winter fishing and we can honestly say that the fish are just as cooperative under the ice as they are in open water. The lakes are less crowded than they are in the summer and the chance of catching a trophy fish or experiencing consistent, day-long action are just as good as at any other time of year.

If you’ve ever thought about taking a winter fishing vacation but didn’t know where to go, the following pages highlight a couple of Bob Izumi’s most memorable winter fishing trips. We hope they give you an idea of what to expect, and maybe even whet your appetite to try a hardwater fishing holiday this winter.

52 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

KENORA AREA Ontario’s Sunset Country in northwestern Ontario offers one of the most diverse fisheries found on the planet. Over the last 30-years I’ve made many trips from my home base in southern Ontario up to this incredible area of the province. There are so many lakes and rivers to fish in that region that I’m not sure a person could fish them all in a lifetime.

Real Fishing Radio co-host Gord Pyzer, who resides in Kenora, has put me on to so many different species of fish in this region over the years that it’s been mind-blowing.

I had one of my most memorable ice fishing trips a few winters ago with Gord while we were taping an ice fishing episode for the Real Fishing television series.

On the first day my brother Wayne, friend Steve Chantler, Gord Pyzer and the crew all did a bit of ice fishing and we caught a pile of walleyes, whitefish and even a few smallmouth bass in an afternoon of fishing. Yes, smallmouth are open in this part of the province during the winter.

Because of Gord’s vast knowledge of the area and the fish holding spots it was easy to go out there during some pretty frigid conditions and catch fish almost at will.

It was a great afternoon but I really wanted to catch a big northern pike through the ice. It’s been a number of years since I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with Gord for trophy northerns so I said to him that the next day I wanted to try for pike, since we’d already caught so many other species of fish. Gord agreed and said we’d give it a try.

The next morning we picked up some fresh, store-bought chub mackerel and herring to use for bait and headed out on the water. Gord was very confident as we were setting up our spread of tip-ups, but he also said that it would be a waiting game - and it sure was.

We missed a few fish and finally got one small one, and then there was quite a long lull. Keep in mind it was windy and extremely cold. Then, as if we were getting rewarded for our patience, one of the tip-up flags went off and we had a heavy fish on.

After a long, hard battle we finally got the fish to the hole only to find that we couldn’t get it up through the four-foot thick ice. The pike was caught on a quick strike rig, with one hook in the corner of the mouth and the other around by its gill plate. When we’d pull the fish up it would come horizontally and then get wedged underneath the bottom

of the ice. After a lot of poking around with the telescopic pole that we had the GoPro camera on, we finally got the fish facing vertically, with its nose in the hole, and managed to pull it out of the water.

This was absolutely the biggest pike I personally had ever seen caught. I know there’s been bigger pike caught over the years but this one was my personal best ever – ice fishing or in open water. It was a giant. According to the length x girth x girth/800 formula it would have weighed 31.68-pounds! We wanted to take a few quick pictures and then get it back into the water as soon as we could, so we never did weigh the fish.

The cool thing about the Kenora area is that you can base yourself right in town and fish in virtually every direction. You can go to some of the smaller lakes, you can go to Lake of the Woods, you can go to the Winnipeg River system – there are so many options to fish for so many species like northern pike (as we were doing), lake trout, walleye, whitefish, smallmouth bass, crappies etc.

The town of Kenora has some great eateries and all of the amenities that you’ll need during the hard water season. Over the years we’ve made a number of trips up here and have stayed at several of the hotels and motels in the area. We’ve used the Best Western Lakeside Inn, the Super 8, the Days Inn and a number of other hotels right in town. They all gave us great service and comfortable accommodations, and they all worked out perfectly for a base during the winter season. There’s no question that Kenora is the perfect starting point for an ice fishing getaway to northwestern Ontario.

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 53

BIG LAKE ABITIBI Way back in the ‘80s my brother Wayne and I fished a walleye tournament on Little Abitibi Lake. I remember that we finished the event in second place and we had a lot of fun catching big walleyes up there. I’ve always enjoyed fishing in the Cochrane region of Ontario and I’ve always wanted to sample the fishing on the biggest lake in the area, Big Lake Abitibi. In fact, fishing the big lake has been on my bucket list for years now.

Fast forward to the present and I finally had the chance to get up to Big Lake Abitibi for some late season ice fishing. There was a group of 14 of us that made the trip to Cochrane to fish with the father and son team of Bill Froud and his son Mark, from Dunn Right Outfitters.

When we first got to Cochrane, Mayor Ivan Brooker met us at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat. This is the only human care facility in the world dedicated solely to caring for polar bears that can’t survive in the wild. It covers seven-hectares of natural subarctic habitat, including the world’s largest enclosed lake. When we were there they had three polar bears on site, the biggest one weighing around 1000-pounds. We were fortunate enough to get a tour of this incredible facility and it was a real treat to see the polar bears up close.

We also got to take a tour of the Cochrane Classic Vintage Riders Snowmobile Museum that is located next to the Polar Bear Habitat’s Welcome Centre. This place has close to 100 vintage snowmobiles on display and numerous historic photographs and memorabilia dating back to the ‘50s. It was pretty cool seeing all those old machines in one place. After our tour, it was time to get ready for the trip into Big Lake Abitibi.

For many years Bill Froud ran extreme snowmobile tours up to James Bay with adventurous snowmobilers. He and his father also spent a lot of time fishing and 54 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

hunting on Big Abitibi, but there were never many options on where to stay, so they invested a sizeable amount of blood, sweat and tears into building their latest project called Halfway Water Lodge. The lodge is located on the northwest corner of Big Lake Abitibi, near the village of Low Bush.

Now we’re talking adventure with this trip. Access is by an old railroad trail that you can drive in on during the spring summer or fall. In the winter you need to use a snow machine. We decided to take two SnoBears in and I believe there were seven or eight snowmobiles as well. The ride was about 20 to 30-miles from where we parked off of the main road outside of the city of Cochrane. It was quite the adventure going in there. Crossing a couple of old bridges and riding along the old railroad line (that they do not use now) really made it feel like we were going far, far off the beaten trail.

When we finally got to the lodge we were very pleasantly surprised to see that everything was brand new. The first thing I noticed was that the lodge was very clean.

The rooms were very soundproof and we couldn’t hear the guests next door on either side of us. Some of the units have two bedrooms, others have three and they all have a full kitchen, a barbecue, a bathroom, hot and cold running water and definitely all the comforts of home. Most of the power at the lodge comes from solar and they have some pretty extensive solar panels set up. They also have a large Kubota generator as a backup so there’s no worries about power failures. I have to say that the Frouds really did a great job building this place.

This is a housekeeping lodge where you bring and cook your own food so, because

there was a fairly large group of us, I decided that I would invite a friend of ours, Executive Chef Matt Maurice, up with us. Matt’s been a friend for many years and I’ll tell you, he can cook up a storm. We definitely made sure we weren’t going to go hungry on this trip! During our short stay at the new lodge, Matt prepared Udon noodles and shrimp, Panko/parmesan crusted walleye and beef tenderloin for us.

The Frouds also have something pretty unique – a cast iron wood burning cook stove that was on a sled. On one of the days we were out fishing, Chef Matt cooked us up some walleyes three different ways on that stove and we ate fresh walleye with some wonderful noodles and salad right out on the ice. Even though we were way back in the wilderness, this was definitely not roughing it!

One of the cool things to mention about this particular facility is that it offers ice fishing right into the middle of April. Where I live, in southern Ontario, most of the ice fishing ends around the end of March so you get a full extra month of ice fishing up on Abitibi.

There’s still plenty of good ice and there are many days you can be out there catching

walleye and pike in a tee shirt or sweatshirt because it’s so warm out on the ice.

On our first night there were three fellows of Polish descent from the Greater Toronto Area staying in the unit next to us. They were on the last day of their trip and they told us that they have been up there a number of times and they love fishing Lake Abitibi.

They came over and introduced themselves to us and ended up having a party over at our place. Between the homemade polish sausage, smoked bacon and vodka they had, they were definitely having a good time.

They also brought over some freshly cooked walleyes so it was nice to get a taste of the fish before we even got out ice fishing.

One thing that has always amazed me is the sheer size of Lake Abitibi. It has somewhere in the neighbourhood of 800 or 900miles of shoreline and the lake has an average depth of eight-feet. You will never run out of places to fish on a lake this size!

There’s a lot of colour to the water, which means fertility, and fertility means lots of fish. This lake is an absolute walleye factory

and there are numerous ling, sauger and pike to be caught as well.

The ice was about three-feet thick, and in some places we were catching walleyes where there was only two-feet of water under the ice. One of the keys was that we set our lines in a grid pattern by punching numerous holes spread out anywhere from 10 to 20-feet apart so we could cover a wide swath of an area.

On this trip I took a lot of jigging-type baits with me. I took some Sebile Flatt Shads, which is a lipless crankbait; I took a lot of different types of jigging spoons and Vibratos, as well as a bunch of regular jigs.

My intention was to jig up these walleyes, but most of the fish we caught through the ice were caught either on tip-ups or deadsticking with an ice fishing rod set in a holder. The colour of the water made live bait more effective so our lines were baited with either a half of a minnow or a whole minnow and we just sat and waited for those fish to come and bite. And bite they did. It wasn’t long before everybody had tip-ups or dead-

sticking rods set up and we ended up catching a lot of fish over the course of our 2 ½days of fishing. Although we didn’t get any of the really big walleyes or pike the lake is known for, we caught lots of decent ones and the action was pretty steady.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a trip like this and I have to say that it was a lot of fun going on this one. Halfway Water Lodge is the perfect place to go with a group of friends or family who are looking for clean, comfortable accommodations and great fishing in a true wilderness setting. ?

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 55

By Ian Gilson, Director – Canadian Safe Boating Council; and Sean Cronsberry, President – Ontario Conservation Officers Association.

FALL BOATING It Takes A Little Bit More Care

Boating in the fall offers colourful vistas, quiet anchorages and excellent fishing but it is not without its challenges that necessitate self-sufficiency and taking some additional precautions to keep from running into trouble.

The Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and the Ontario Conservation Officer Association (OCOA) want to remind all boaters enjoying the fall season on the water to follow these tips to ensure that their excursions are both safe and enjoyable.

Before heading out, be sure to check the weather forecast. The mixing of warm and 56 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

cold air can quickly spawn high winds and waves making it treacherous for small boats. Fog, too, is an issue at this time of year making visibility difficult. Should boaters find themselves in a fog bank, they should proceed slowly and sound their horn at regular intervals to alert other boaters of their presence.

Well into October, daytime temperatures can occasionally be balmy but dressing for the water temperature will help slow the onset of hypothermia should the unexpected happen and the boater find himself in the water. Accidental cold water immersion can be shocking, but people shouldn’t panic. It may take a minute or so to get their breathing under control after the initial shock but they will have at least 10-15 minutes, even in very cold water, to affect self-rescue before they start to lose muscle control in their arms and legs. This is where an approved lifejacket, either inflatable or

inherently buoyant, is an essential part of a boater’s wardrobe to keep them afloat after they can no longer swim.

In the fall, there are fewer other boats on the water to offer assistance, if needed.

Boaters should be sure to leave a float plan with a responsible person on shore who will know what to do if they’re overdue. A marine radio or cell phone will allow them to call for assistance should the need arise.

Having a few tools and spare parts aboard will also allow them to fix minor problems that might otherwise cause them to be stranded out on the water.

It’s important that boaters ensure that their boat and engine are in good shape and mechanically sound. Ethanol-based fuel can allow water contamination in the tank. The use of a fuel additive prevents water in the fuel line from freezing which could cause the engine to chug to a halt. If the boat has portable fuel tanks, it’s a good idea to have a spare on board as a reserve.

When boaters head out, they should be wary of reduced water levels that can result after a long, hot and dry summer season.

Some of a boater’s favourite shallow water fishing holes may be inaccessible at this time of year. Also, while underway, they should keep a sharp lookout for debris and chunks of ice that could penetrate the boat’s hull at speed.

“Spectacular colours, peaceful solitude and the crispness of the air make boating in

the fall a wondrous experience,” says John Gullick, Chair of the Canadian Safe Boating Council. “To make the most of this experience safely, however, boaters need to be extra diligent in their preparations before departing. Most important of these are checking the weather, dressing for the water temperature, wearing a lifejacket and leaving a float plan with a responsible person on shore who can call for help should the need arise.”

“Our members always wear their PFDs when on patrol,” says OCOA President Sean Cronsberry, “I strongly encourage everyone

to wear their PFD or lifejacket while on the water, whether they are hunting, fishing or trapping, especially this time of year with the dropping in water temperature.”

“To Ontario’s hunters using a vessel to access their blind or stand and to the angler trying to catch a big fish may be the goal, but making it home safely should be the top priority when on the water.”

Now that fall is here, boaters should make the most of what’s left of the boating season before the cold weather hits. By exercising a little caution and an ability to be self-sufficient when out on the water, they can more fully enjoy nature’s splendour and quiet waterways. Visit www.csbc.ca for more tips on boating safety. ?

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 57

Tales from the Road

By Bob Izumi

I’m pretty sure I’ve just come off of one of the busiest summers of my entire career. I’ve got no complaints and there was definitely never a dull moment.

June started off with taking some Canadian Tire dealers fishing on the Bay of Quinte. They had won a contest that the folks at Mystik Marine Lubricants did with the Canadian Tire dealers from across the country. We stayed at the Picton Harbour Inn and caught numerous walleye and pike on this trip. It was also the maiden voyage for the new Ranger VS1882WT aluminum mulit-species boat that we had rigged with the first Mercury V6 four-stroke in Canada.

Before I tell you about the fishing I have to say that this motor is absolutely the most incredible 175-horsepower outboard I’ve ever used. It’s quiet, it gets great gas mileage and it has awesome torque and high-end speed. It’s the most amazing outboard motor I’ve ever used.

We got out fishing and it was pretty good.

We were catching a lot of incidental bass (the bass season wasn’t open at the time) while fishing for pike and walleye. We ended up catching a number of pike, including some pretty good sized ones, by using the 58 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

Berkley ½-ounce lipless vibrating War Pig crankbait and fishing it around some of the newly emerging weeds that were coming up in the bay.

My friend, fishing guide and proprietor of the Picton Harbour Inn Scott Walcott, happened to be out doing a charter that day. He was catching a ton of walleyes and as he was wrapping up his charter at three in the afternoon he called me and asked how we were doing on the walleyes. I told him that we hadn’t caught any walleyes but we had been doing well on the pike. Scott told me where he was and said that if we needed some worms and crawler harnesses we were welcome to come and get some so I said we’d be right over. We idled over to Scott’s

boat, loaded up on worms and harnesses, and proceeded to catch a number of nice eating sized walleye. Overall it was a fun day. One thing about Prince Edward County is it’s a really beautiful part of Ontario that has become quite a tourism destination. We ended up doing some fine dining every night at various restaurants in the town of Picton during our day and a half trip down there.

Then it was back home for the annual Fishing Forever golf tournament. We hold this every year at Turtle Creek Golf Club, which is just northwest of Milton. It’s a fun event and attracts just over 100 golfers every year. The tournament raises money for Fishing Forever, our not-for-profit program that has supported the Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Days events over the years, as well as assisted in funding a number of conservation initiatives in Ontario.

After the golf tournament it was off to Lake Champlain for the FLW Costa tournament. This tournament was in mid-June and my expectations were very high. The bass were spawning throughout the lake so sightfishing was one of the main techniques used by the competitors. I spent a number of days at my buddy Rick McCrory’s place on the east side of Lake Champlain while I was pre-

fishing for this event. Rick fed us and housed myself and a couple of other competitors and we had a lot of fun telling stories every night after I got off the water. For the most part, every day I fished for about 12-hours getting ready for the tournament and I felt I had this one pegged and had a good shot to do very well.

Well, at the tournament meeting I got boat number 156. That’s a bad draw in a tournament where you’re going to specific fish that you’ve got marked on your GPS. My spots were in about a 70-mile stretch of lake, from the north to the south, so getting boat 156 made me ask myself whether I should go south or north after blasting off from Plattsburgh, New York.

Because it was blowing out of the north pretty good in the morning I decided to go north and pluck some of the fish I had found up there but by the time I got to the first few spots where I had four-pound plus fish marked, there was a boat on every one of them.

I’m not the type of guy who’s going to encroach on anybody’s fishing spot. Some of the tournament anglers these days are pretty aggressive but that’s not my style. I’d rather cut the other guys some space so I fished some other areas and managed to get 15pounds, 2-ounces for the first day, which put me quite a long way down in the standings.

So on day-two I headed south to an area where I had some big fish marked. I pulled in and started zig-zagging with my electric motor and got a couple of smaller fish, but not the ones I had marked. Then a competitor from Alabama pulls in and starts using his electric motor to look around.

When he got closer I asked him how he was doing and he said he wasn’t doing too well so far that morning. I asked how he did yesterday and he said he had caught over 18-pounds. He told me that the fish were in this area good yesterday. I asked if he had caught a fish near a dock in the corner of the area and he said yes, and it weighed over four-pounds. Needless to say, he had caught all of my better fish from that area the previous day.

So, I went to my next area and there were three boats there. My next area had four boats in it and the spot after that had a cou-

Darren Izumi with one of the big largemouth he and Bob caught pre-fishing for the Berkley B1 in Belleville.

ple of boats too. So I just “went fishing” and ended up catching 16-pounds, 13ounces, which put me one-pound, fourounces out of the money. Unfortunately, my high starting number forced me to decide which way to go on day one and tournament fishing is all about making decisions.

Whether they’re right or wrong you have to live with them at the end of the day.

Then it was off to the B1 in Belleville where Darren and I weighed in a two-day total of 27.61-pounds of largemouth. In this tournament you could only fish as far as the end of the Reach, past Glenora Ferry.

We had found some smallmouth down there pre-fishing but we decided not to run for them during the tournament because a number of other boats had found those same fish. Instead, we decided to stay in the bay and concentrate on largemouth bass.

We caught our fish on a wacky rigged Berkley 5” MaxScent General as well as on buzzbaits and chatterbaits. Every day of the pre-fish, for four days in a row, we had fish

four-pounds or bigger. We had several days of 17 to 18-pound limits. As it turned out, during the tournament we didn’t get a fourpound bite in two days and our 27.61pound total put us in 36th place. That’s how tournament fishing goes. You’re going to have highs and lows this was a couple of lows in a row.

The Canadian Open on Lake Simcoe was the following week. This is a Pro/Am event where you draw a different partner every day and they fish with you as a team. Dayone was cancelled due to high winds but on day-two my partner and I had 20.15pounds. On day-three my partner and I ended up with 21.95-pounds, giving me a total weight of 42.10-pounds and putting me in ninth place overall.

Then it was off to ICAST for our annual trip to see what’s new and to say, “Hi,” to many of my friends in the fishing industry. I definitely feel like a kid in a candy store seeing all of the new tackle that will be introduced later this year and early next spring. After getting home I headed out to do some scouting on Lake Erie for a few of days for the upcoming FLW Costa tournament out of Buffalo.

Then I made a trip to Blue Heron Resort at the mouth of the Spanish River, in Ontario’s Algoma Country. The housekeeping cabins are clean and comfortable with full kitchens and a barbeque on the deck. There’s a boat ramp and a small marina so you can leave your boat in the water overnight, and the resort is right at the mouth of the Spanish River so you have easy access to the North Channel or Lake Huron for fishing.

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 59

pies, largemouth, smallmouth, pike – you can catch them all close to the resort. It’s just got a lot to offer.

Then it was over to Buckhorn, to my sister-in-law’s place, for my mother-in-law’s 85th birthday party. It was great seeing everybody and, since my sister-in-law lives right on Lower Buckhorn Lake, they even caught a few bass fishing off shore during the party.

Then it was back down to Lake Erie to start getting ready for the FLW Costa Buffalo tournament. Adam Moryto is an actor from Toronto who I met recently and he’s really into fishing so I took him down to Lake Erie for a few hours of pre-fishing.

We got out there for three or four hours and caught a number of smallmouth bass up to four-pounds by dropshotting. It was a sign of things to come for the tournament.

We ended up catching some really big smallmouth, including some four and fivepounders, by dropshotting with the new four-inch Berkley Powerbait MaxScent Flatworm in black. The first spot I went to was a little island that was out in the North Channel. I was casting a swimbait off the point when I got a hit and set the hook. As I was fighting this heavy fish, all of a sudden my line gets bit off. So I Power Pole down on the rocks beside this little island and started rigging another one.

As I looked down into the water I saw a four-pound smallmouth swimming by. I looked down again a couple of minutes later and I see the fish swimming by in the other direction. I finished rigging the swimbait but before I started casting I said to my son Darren, who is also my cameraman, “You 60 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

might as well roll some video and I’ll see if I can catch this smallmouth.” I lowered the Flatworm on the dropshot down into about 12-feet of water, felt a tick, set the hook and got a four-pound smallmouth. That was my first fish of the trip. After that I caught numerous big smallmouth bass and some pike on a Berkley War Pig ½-ounce lipless crankbait. The fishing was so easy that we got the show shot in a few short hours. If all my shoots could go that easily I’d have lots of extra time to fish more tournaments!

My only complaint about this place is that there’s way too much water to fish.

You couldn’t fish it all in a lifetime and that’s what I like about going up there – there are endless fishing opportunities. You can go out and catch trout and salmon in the big water; you can catch walleyes, crap-

The FLW Costa Buffalo tournament turned into a one-day shootout because high winds on Lake Erie forced the organizers to cancel the first two days of the three day tournament. At the end of the single day of the tournament, 44 limits came to the scales that weighed more than 20pounds. Canadian angler Neil Farlow ended up winning the event with a five fish limit weighing 24.4-pounds.

I did more running than I should have and ended up with 18.4-pounds. I couldn’t get a four-pound fish and finished in 73rd place out of 169 boats. In the first two FLW Costa Northern events – Buffalo and Champlain – my co-anglers caught four-pounders. If I could have got just one in each tournament I would have been in the money. It’s crazy how tight the weights are in the Great Lakes bass tournaments that have big smallmouth.

One of my favourite tournaments every year is the 1000 Islands Open that I fish with my son, Darren. They moved it from Rockport to Kingston this year and I was jacked for this tournament. We’ve never not had a top-10 finish in this event since it’s been around.

On day-one we fished all deep spots on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

We used a Gulp! three-inch fry and a fourinch PowerBait MaxScent Flatworm dropshotted and ended up with 24.23-pounds.

On day-two we weighed in 23.73-pounds but we decided to actually do it a little differently. We tried the lake, we tried the river

Bob and Darren with a couple of nice smallmouth at the 1000 Islands Open.

Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 61

and we only got one 1 ¼-pund fish. So it was time to switch gears and run about 50miles to a shallow spot and we ended up putting together our 23.73-pound limit that included a 6.36-pound smallmouth bass that I caught on a PowerBait Twitchtail Minnow on a shallow dropshot rig. A shallow dropshot rig is where I use a smaller Ultra Tungsten weight of about ¼-ounce; a shorter lead that’s about ten-inches long, and I cast it rather than fish it vertically.

On day-three we went all shallow and got 22.76-pounds. I lost three giant fish that day that would have brought our weight up substantially but I was so jacked up in this tournament that I horsed them all. In fact, on one fish I was fighting it so hard I actually bent the hook right out.

Truly an amateur mistake. After 45-years of tournament fishing you’d think I’d know better but adrenaline is something that’s hard to get rid of when it gets going.

We ended up in 6th-place overall with 70.72-pounds over the three days. The team of Neil Deleeuw and Brent Cescon won with 75.40-pounds. The fishing was off the charts at that tournament. There were a lot of big fish including a lot of fish over six-pounds weighed in.

Then it was back to Lake Erie for the Berkley B1 bass tournament out of Port Colborne. There’s not a lot to talk about in this tournament. Darren and I fished this as a team and finished in 15th place. We got 18.17-pounds on day-one and 20.55pounds on day two for a total of 38.72pounds. The tournament was a lot of fun, we caught a lot of fish but once again we just needed some more of those better bites to have a bit better weight. In this tournament we ran west quite a ways, about 50miles, while most of the teams fished east of Port Colborne. In fact, most of the teams who beat us fished east of Port Colborne closer to the site, fishing a lot of the same areas that a lot of the guys from the FLW Costa event fished. I like getting away from the crowds but sometimes that doesn’t always work out when it comes to tournament fishing.

The Pallotta family, who run the CSFL series of tournaments, put on the FLW Canada Cup in Trenton and 74 teams competed on the Bay of Quinte. Darren and I finished in fourth place with 15 largemouth 62 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

weighing 49.65-pounds over the three-day tournament. It was a lot of fun catching them on buzzbaits, five-inch Berkley MaxScent General stickbaits and PowerBait Chigger Craws. We caught them on weed flats, flipping in the weeds and fishing boat docks and shoreline trees. It seemed like the fish were everywhere but not really concentrated, other than one weedbed we found where we caught a number of fish on day-two and day-three.

The cool thing about the Bay of Quinte is that you can use pretty near any technique that you like to catch largemouth there. It’s always a fun place to fish.

Then it was a family get-together at my brother Wayne’s, with a little pond fishing in the mix. It was great to see all the nieces and nephews with all their little Izumi’s running around catching some bluegill out of Wayne’s pond and roasting marshmallows.

It was a good family outing.

Then it was up to northeastern Ontario to do a show out of the Mattawa River Resort. When we arrived, hosts Nicole and Adrian Grigorov immediately made us feel right at home. This is truly a family business as the whole family seemed to be working around the resort. This place has a lot of character with clean, comfortable cabins and great food at the Cardinal Restaurant in the main lodge. It’s funny how I’ve been doing the show and traveling for 36-years now and I’ve never been to this little corner of Ontario.

Cara Carmichael, who has been a friend for many years, joined us on this trip. She recently got her own Ranger bass boat and has been fishing a lot of local tournaments up in the Ottawa Valley.

On day-one we caught about 30 bass and about five pike just playing around out there. We decided not to film because we wanted to test the waters first, but it was

incredible how many fish there were. In fact, in the evening we ended up catching smallmouth over 60-feet of water on crankbaits and swimbaits, fishing them in the top 10-feet of the water column. The bass were busting pinhead minnows on the surface over 60-feet of water. For about a 200-yard stretch we were catching bass after bass, but no big ones.

On day-two we trailered the boat a few miles east to where the Mattawa River dumps into the Ottawa River, to film with Cara. We probably fished there for four or five hours and ended up catching 30 smallmouth bass up to about three-pounds, including lots of two to three-pound fish, and a number of pike up to five-pounds.

After our two days in Mattawa it was time to pack up and get back on the road again. It seems like I’m always heading somewhere new - and I’m loving every minute of it! ?

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Fall 2018 – Real Fishing 63

What’s COOKING Tuna Ceviche With Smoked Maple Syrup & Seaweed Chip Special thanks to Ryan Lamothe, Chef at Wild2Table Catering, for providing this recipe.

TUNA CEVICHE (for two 8 oz. portions)

SMOKED MAPLE SYRUP

SEAWEED CHIP

16 oz.

1 3 4 8

1 cup maple syrup 4 cups hickory wood chips 1 large sheet of tin foil

1

tuna steak (cut into small cubes) large shallot (finely diced) large limes (zested & juiced) large pickled gherkins (finely diced) springs of cilantro (leaves picked off and diced) 1 red pepper (finely diced) 4 tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and set in the refrigerator for up to 8-hours. Serve cold.

If you have a smoker, place maple syrup in a small sauce pot and smoke it for one-hour. If you have a barbeque, wrap the hickory wood chips in tinfoil and poke holes in both sides of the package with a fork. This will allow the smoke out. Place the wood chip package on the left side of the barbeque and turn the heat on high, on that side only. Once the woodchips begin to smoke, turn the heat down to medium. Put the maple syrup into a sauce pot and place on the right side of the barbeque, where the heat is not on, and smoke for one-hour. Serve cold, drizzled over the top of the ceviche.

large Nori (seaweed) sheet, cut into triangles

Heat a deep fryer, or a heavy pot with two-inches of oil, to 350°F. Set Norrie triangles into the hot oil and fry for 15-seconds or until crispy. Remove cooked chips from oil and place on a paper towel to dry. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the top to finish.

CRÈME FRESH 2 cups cream 2 large limes (juiced and zested) Pinch of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and set on a counter at room temperature for 4 to 8-hours until thickened.

Place in refrigerator to chill and serve cold.

64 Real Fishing – Fall 2018

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