Summer 2016 by Real Fishing

Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689

VOLUME 22 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 3 Just $3.95

SUMMER 2016

DISPLAY UNTIL OCTOBER 15, 2016

TRACKING BIG WATER SMALLMOUTH!

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Contents Features 30 THE STATE OF LAKE ONTARIO SALMON FISHING A look at the history and the future of Lake Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salmon and trout fisheries, and how anglers can adapt to the changing conditions. By Gordon and Dan Watkin

40 NIMRODS OF THE RIVER How and where to catch big muskies from small rivers. By Mark Forabosco

46 BIG WATER LAKE TROUT Unravelling the mysteries of catching big trout from big waters. By Wes David

54 A STUDY OF SMALLMOUTH Highlights from the latest study of smallmouth bass movements in Lake Ontario. By Dr. Bruce Tufts

Summer 2016 Volume 22, Issue 3 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey

Columns

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

6 OPENING LINES

26 BEST FISHING TIMES

By Jerry Hughes

Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

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

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504

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

14 WHAT’S NEW

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

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

60 TALES FROM THE ROAD

Chinook Salmon

The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler By Bob Izumi

64 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING

14 THE GOOD OLD DAYS Photo by Izumi Outdoors

The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories

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

On the cover:

28 THE HOT BITE

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Fish Behaviour and the Environment Have you ever wondered why fishing always seems to be different? Why one season’s hotspot doesn’t produce the next year? Why your killer lure only works on a particular lake? Welcome to the changing world of fishing. Fish are creatures of the environment and everything they do is dictated, in some respect, by what’s happening in their underwater world. Some of these changes, like seasonal water temperature fluctuations, are natural and signal fish to do something – like spawning. Others, like the introduction of invasive species, are unnatural and force fish to either adapt or lose their position in the ecosystem. Anglers can predict what fish will do when natural changes occur and they can approach their fishing trips with a high level of confidence in being able to locate fish and entice them into biting. The spring steelhead and walleye spawning runs are good examples. Crappies, pike and perch are easy to pattern early in the year as well. Warming water draws fish into shallow areas and, if you time it right, the fishing can be fast and furious. It’s the unnatural changes that can cause fish to change their traditional behaviours and drive anglers nuts. When zebra mussels and round gobies first invaded the Great Lakes they changed the natural environment in ways we’ve never seen before. Some species, like walleyes, changed their habits and became much more difficult to locate and catch while others, like smallmouth bass, seemed to thrive. Twenty or so years ago a five-pound smallmouth was a trophy fish and a six-pounder was the fish of a lifetime. Nowadays bass that size are relatively common. The point of all of this is that there’s a lot more to being a great angler these days than just knowing about basic fish behaviour. While that’s certainly a step in the right direction, today we also have to account for how fish behave in different environments 6 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

as well as how changes to an ecosystem can influence those typical fish behaviours. In this issue of Real Fishing, Dan and Gordon Watkin look at the salmon fishery in Lake Ontario and how a combination of environmental and man-made conditions have changed it. It’s no secret that the chinook fishing isn’t what it used to be and anglers today are having to rely on new and innovative tackle and techniques to keep their rods bent. If you want to know why your chinook catches are down, why the fish seem smaller on average, and what you can do about it, Dan and Gordon’s article, The State of Lake Ontario Salmon Fishing, will be a real eye-opener. Later on, Queen’s University biologist Dr. Bruce Tufts presents the preliminary findings from his study of smallmouth bass movements in eastern Lake Ontario. This region is a hotbed of tournament fishing and thousands of big smallmouth are caught, brought to a weigh-in site and released each summer. Dr. Tufts and a group of students wondered what effect, if any, this mass displacement of fish was having on smallmouth movements and home ranges in a massive waterbody like Lake Ontario. The results of their study are interesting and may surprise you. When you think of muskie fishing you probably think of getting out on large lakes or rivers and casting or trolling with big lures. That’s definitely a good idea, but it’s not the only one. Muskies are equally at home in small to mid-sized rivers and they present a relatively untapped fishery. Of course the environment they live in dictates they live a different lifestyle from their bigwater kin, and anglers need a different approach when pursuing them. Mark Forabosco’s article, Nimrods of the River,

explores some of the ways he approaches fishing for these top-shelf predators in smaller waterways, and his tips will help give you the edge if you decide to pursue muskies off the beaten path. Also in this issue, Bob Izumi shares his thoughts on reading water and how specific conditions in specific locations can result in exceptional fishing. Wes David examines the deep water world of the lake trout and Steve May discuss the right times and places to enjoy spectacular dry fly fishing. We hope you enjoy this issue of Real Fishing and that some of what you read will help you in your quest for more and bigger fish this season. Have a great season and stay safe on the water. ?

On June 12, 2015, Fishing Forever held their annual Fundraising Golf Tournament at Turtle Creek Golf Club in Campbellville, Ontario, in support of the Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Days program. Over 100 sponsors, supporters, professional anglers and friends showed up under mostly cloudy and rainy skies to take part in the festivities and raise money to help underprivileged kids enjoy a day of fishing in their local communities. Although the weather was far from ideal, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dampen the spirits of the golfers, who helped to raise just over $26,000 for this great cause. We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part and helped make the day a huge success, and we hope to see everyone again next year.

8 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

SHOWING THE LOVE Most folks wear caps or shirts with logos or pictures that represent their passion for a particular pastime, but bass anglers are a different breed. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s especially true in Texas, where they do everything bigger. Where else would a fisherman show his love of fishing by having a gigantic bass mural installed on the side of his house?

Summer 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 9

NATIONAL GET OUTSIDE DAY Coleman is calling on the support of all Canadians to urge the government to declare July 15th as National Get Outside Day and make it a national holiday -

because who wouldn’t want another day outdoors? With 63% of Canadians spending two-hours or less outside per week, we are well on our way to becoming a nation

of insiders and this migration indoors can have a profound effect on our mental and physical health. Spending time outdoors can enhance our mental health and positivity, lower our levels of depression and feelings of stress and make us feel generally happier. Whether you like fishing, camping, sports, or simply relaxing in the backyard, spending time outside is good for our health and well-being. If you’d like to have an extra day to enjoy the great outdoors, visit http://getoutsidecanada.com and sign the petition urging the government to make July 15th a new national holiday.

TOP BASS CANCELS 2016 TOURNAMENTS One of Ontario’s longest running and most popular weekend bass tournament series has announced the cancellation of their 2016 tournaments. According to the following press release from Top Bass owner Ted Gallone, the series will not operate in 2016 but is expected to return, possibly for the 2017 season. “It is with great sadness that I have to make the hardest business decision of my life. Due to health reasons I will be unable to operate the Top Bass Fishing Series for the 2016 season. At this time the Top Bass Fishing Series is not permanently being shut down. After I return to good health I look forward to bringing the Top Bass Fishing Series back as one of the most popular tournament series in Ontario.” On behalf of the hundreds of anglers who support Top Bass each year we’d like to wish Ted all the best for a speedy recovery and we look forward to the return of the series.

10 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

WATER SAFETY The Canadian Red Cross has released The Floatation Report, a study which contains 20-years of research into the incidences and causes of water-related fatalities and lifejacket/personal flotation use in Canada from 1991-2010. The report found that boating accounts for more than one-third of all immersion/drowning deaths in Canada, and has been the most frequent activity among more than 10,000 immersion/drowning deaths during the past two-decades. Seventy-seven per cent of boating deaths occurred during recreational activities like fishing, power boating and canoeing. “Over the last 20-years there were an alarming 10,511 unintentional water-related deaths in Canada,” said Shelley Dalke, Director of Swimming and Water Safety at the Canadian Red Cross. “We know over 50%

of these tragic fatalities could have been prevented with the use of lifejackets and yet, over two-decades of researching waterrelated deaths, we found that many victims continue to choose not to wear a lifejacket.” Capsizing, falling overboard, and swamping were the most frequent boating incidents and were associated with more than 75% of immersion deaths. Only 4% of people who fell overboard were wearing a PFD. The vast majority (88%) of victims were males 15 to 74-years of age. The report estimates that 50% to 85% of boating-related fatalities could have been prevented by wearing a PFD yet at least 34% of inexperienced boaters, 33% of occasional boaters, and 22% of experienced boaters did not have a PFD in their boat – even though it is a legal requirement in Canada. Alcohol

was present or suspected in at least 43% of deaths among Canadians over 15-years old and people who were above the provincial or territorial blood-alcohol limit were four times less likely to wear a PFD than those who had not been drinking alcohol. “Our research found that the greatest effectiveness for preventing water-related fatalities is legislation requiring PFDs to be worn, coupled with efficient enforcement,” says Dalke. “But it is not only up to government and industry leaders to decrease preventable deaths. All Canadians must commit to wearing lifejackets and staying safe around and on the water this summer season, and year-round.”

EVENTS Calendar KIDS AND COPS FISHING DAYS

QUINTE FISHING SERIES

CHANTRY CHINOOK CLASSIC

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

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

July 23 - August 7 Lake Huron Kincardine, ON http://64.177.125.54/Chantry/index.htm

RENEGADE BASS TOUR

KINGSTON CANADIAN OPEN OF FISHING

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

July 29 - 31 St. Lawrence River/Lake Ontario www.csfl.ca

SHOOTOUT SERIES

KENORA BASS INTERNATIONAL

NEW BRUNSWICK SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION

Bass Tournaments May - September Various locations in New Brunswick www.nbsportfishing.net

Bass Tournaments June - August May - September Various locations in Eastern Ontario Various locations in North-Central Ontario www.shootoutseries.ca www.temiskamingsmallmouthbass.com TEMISKAMING SMALLMOUTH BASS SERIES

CSFL BASS TOURNAMENTS

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

August 4 - 8 Lake of the Woods Kenora, ON www.kbifishing.com

GREAT ONTARIO SALMON DERBY

OWEN SOUND SALMON SPECTACULAR

July 2 - August 20 Lake Ontario www.greatontariosalmonderby.ca

August 26 - September 4 Georgian Bay Owen Sound, ON www.sydenhamsportsmen.com

NATIONAL FISHING WEEK FLW CANADA

Bass Tournaments June - August Various locations in Ontario www.flwcanada.com PRO-BASS CANADA

June - August Various locations in Quebec www.probasscanada.com

July 2 - 10 Events scheduled across Canada www.catchfishing.com FORT FRANCES CANADIAN BASS CHAMPIONSHIP

BERKLEY B1 CANADIAN BASS OPEN

September 24 - 25 Lake St. Francis Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC www.berkleyb1.com

July 21 - 23 Rainy Lake Fort Frances, ON www.canadianbass.com

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 11

READER’S PHOTOS

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

Mickey Clair St. Catharines ON Smallmouth Bass

Janelle Bos Springford ON Atlantic Salmon

Dan Girardi St. Jacobs ON Pike

Brenda Quinney Cambridge ON Walleye

12 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

Daniel Noble Niagara Falls ON Steelhead

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

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET

PROV./STATE

STATION

DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada

Global (CIHF)

Saturday 8:00 am

Calgary

Global (CICT)

Saturday 10:30 am

Edmonton

Global (CITV)

Saturday 10:30 pm

Ontario

Global (CIII)

Saturday 8:30 am

Quebec

Global (CKMI)

Saturday 8:30 am

Regina

Global (CFRE)

Saturday 7:30 am

Saskatoon

Global (CFSK)

Saturday 7:30 am

Vancouver

Global (CHAN)

Saturday 10:30 am

Winnipeg

Global (CKND)

Saturday 7:30 am

Canada/USA

WFN

Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

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

What’s

NEW

2016

GET A GRIP Trac-Grabbers are a revolutionary new device that provide a quick, easy and effective solution to being stuck in sand, mud, or snow. Faster and less expensive than calling a tow truck, and more reliable than cell phone service in the back-country, Trac-Grabbers can be strapped to the vehicle’s drive wheels in a matter of minutes. Once secured to the wheels, slowly apply some throttle and the Trac-Grabber’s lifting blocks engage, lift and move the vehicle back to stable terrain. When you’re back on firm ground the Trac-Grabbers can be removed and stowed away for future use. Trac-Grabbers are sold in Canada through Canadian Tire stores, they come in pairs and are available in two sizes, one for passenger cars and ATVs and another for trucks and SUVs.

www.tracgrabber.com

STAY SAFE The RokPak Pioneer Series is the first of its kind all-in-one solar, battery pack, dry box, and life saving device. Featuring a built-in 12,000-mAh lithium-ion battery for charging devices, RokPak’s battery can be re-charged from an outlet, car charger, or through its integrated solar panel. Built to withstand extreme heat and cold, the Pioneer Series works in temperatures as low as -4°F and as high as 176°F. It is certified drop-proof to military standard 810G, has an IP67 waterproof rating and it floats. A water or manually activated LED SOS beacon can attract rescuers in an emergency. The Pioneer Series drybox is lightweight, comes with its own carabiner and strap and is available in camouflage, safety orange and marine blue colours.

www.rokpak.com

PITCH A TENT Coleman’s Fast Pitch™ tents allow you set up your tent 45% faster than a comparable Coleman® tent with a conventional setup system. Fastpitch™ features include pre-attached tent poles, color-coded top poles and hub, fast fit feet and snagfree Insta-Clip™ suspension. Fast Pitch™ tents include a rainfly and the WeatherTec™ system, with its patented welded floors and inverted seams to help to keep things dry when it’s raining outside. The Illumiline™ reflective guy lines are more visible at night so you don't get tripped up if you need to take a walk in the dark. When it's time to head home, the tents easily pack up into the included carry bag until you head out on your next adventure.

www.colemancanada.ca

14 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

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

SWEET DREAMS Coleman’s new DuraRest™ airbeds sport a soft-touch, bonded fabric surface that is 25% stronger, 45% lighter and 47% more puncture resistant than standard Coleman airbeds. Our ComfortStrong™ coil system and Support Lock™ reinforced construction work together to provide lasting support. Once inflated with the included 120V pump, the factory-tested AirTight® system is leak-free and the built-in Wrap 'N' Roll™ storage system makes packing up quick and easy. DuraRest™ airbeds are offered in twin and queen sizes, come in standard or extra high models and are available at Canadian Tire stores or online at www.colemancanada.ca.

www.colemancanada.ca

WAR ON BASS Berkley’s new Warpig lipless, rattling crankbait combines sound, action and looks in a great new lure that is ideal for covering wide expanses of water. With a blunt, tapered nose and an advanced rattle chamber, the Warpig bounces off hard cover and glides through vegetation. Its strong vibrating action and unique sound get the attention of big bass while two razor sharp Berkley Fusion19 treble hooks ensure solid hookups. The Warpig is available in 2 3/8-inch, ¼-ounce and 3-inch, ½-ounce sizes and is available in 12 colour combinations.

www.berkley-fishing.com

SEE CLEARLY Costa’s new Motu sunglasses feature a rectangular, wrap-shape frame that offers incredible protection from the elements. Hypoallergenic rubberized temple tips and nose pads, along with optical spring hinge technology, keep them comfortably in place all day long. The biobased resin construction produces increased durability, overall weight reduction and the ability for the frame to hold its shape from extreme heat to bitter cold temperatures. Costa’s Motu frame colors include blackout, matte retro tortoise, Realtree® Xtra® camo and matte black teak with polarized 580™ lenses in gray, copper, sunrise, blue mirror, green mirror and silver mirror. The lenses can also be customized to your prescription.

www.costadelmar.com

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Reading Water Since this issue comes out in the midst of fishing season, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about reading water and some of the things you should pay attention to when you’re out on the water. I just returned from an incredible trip to Lake Nipigon and one of the things I noticed up there was how the brook trout were relating to shallow water areas that had a bit of breeze blowing onto them. It seemed that two to six-feet of water was the magic depth during our late May trip. If it got sunny and flat calm the fishing was tough, but as soon as you got a bit of a breeze on the water – even a one-inch chop – it made all the difference in the world. The fish were set up on contact spots made up of areas with boulders and a little bit of sand or gravel mixed in. If you had just a straight shoreline along the islands or mainland you got very few, if any, fish. You could go down shorelines for miles and catch nothing, but as soon as you got to a contact point like a little rock shoal with a point on it, or a point inside of a bay, with a bit of breeze blowing on it there’s a good chance the fish would be there. It was amazing how you could pattern the fish on Nipigon by looking

16 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

for these types of spots. Of course the better the structure was, the better the fishing was. Several years ago I fished an FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake in Alabama where I ended up in 10th place but feel I should have won it. I was fishing in a big, wide creek that was so shallow that most of the other anglers turned around and left once their trolling motors started to hit bottom in the mud and gravel. It was so shallow that you couldn’t even use the sonar on your trolling motor so I had to use the old “poor man’s depthfinder” - poking around with my rod tip to judge the depth. The creek channel in this big, wide feeder bay would sometimes only be three or fourfeet wide where the water went from about 10-inches to about 14-inches deep and I could get my bass boat in. Even then, I got stuck a number of times and had to push the boat off some of the mud. One of the keys in this creek was to follow the channel and find where the water was a little deeper

against the shore. Sometimes it was 18 or 20-inches deep, sometimes up to two-feet. I found one of these areas that had about five good trees on it that kept replenishing with fish. You could catch a fish from under one of the trees and if you’d come back a few hours later you’d catch another one on it. So I came across this one tree in about a foot and a half of water and I pitched to the base of it, up near the shore, and caught a 2 ½-pounder. As I was putting it in my livewell the boat swung around and my coangler fired a cast right to the tip of the tree, where the breeze was blowing in, and got a five pounder. My first cast should have been to the front face of that tree with the breeze blowing onto it because that’s where the biggest fish is usually going to be on a shallow spot like that. If that tree was out over deep water the prime spot might have been up near the base but, with only a foot or so of water, the prime spot obviously this day was on the tip of the tree where the wind was blowing in. In that particular tournament I was reading the water with my rod tip, poking around and trying to find depressions that were a little deeper. There’s no question the area held big bass and my choice of spots was on the money. Unfortunately, over the three-day tournament I lost eight big fish and those execution issues probably cost me the win and over $100,000. When you fish as many tournaments as me you’re bound to have some good, bad and ugly and I’ve certainly had a lot of all of the above over the years! Reading water can be done visually with a good pair of polarized glasses, with your rod tip as I just mentioned, or with your electronics, depending on the situation you’re faced with. No matter where you’re fishing, one of the keys is to locate some type of transition area where a hard bottom meets soft bottom, especially if there’s a depth change with some cover. Fish use these places like highways and by zeroing in on a good piece of cover on the transition spot you definitely put the odds in your favour. ?

fly fishing By Stephen May

Dry Fly Time Being greeted by dimples on the water created by rising fish is in many fly angler’s dreams. Being frustrated by having rising fish in front of you and not being able to get hooked up, is their nightmare. Over the years I have used a few tricks to help fool fish rising on the surface to avoid the frustration of having them refuse my every offering. Most importantly, do not rush. Things usually do not go well when you rush in unprepared. Taking the time to present what they might be eating, and in the right way, will help increase your hook ups.

To figure out what the fish might be eating, use your observation skills. Check out the bushes and watch the water floating by. Look up to see if there are insects flying around. A small net might help catch bugs that can help you select a fly similar to the naturals they are eating. Watching how the fish are rising can be another clue. Slow and methodical rises indicate that the fish are probably taking dead bugs or ones trapped in the surface film. Splashy rises are usually from fish chasing a moving or escaping insect. Dry flies are not always dry. Many seasoned fly anglers fish more “emerger” patterns than traditional dry flies. These are flies that sit low in the surface film of the water and can look pretty scruffy. These 18 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

are often the main meals of picky fish. Consider fishing wet flies at the surface or ask your local fly shop about popular emerger patterns. Once you have a reasonable fly attached to your line, watch the current and see how it flows near the rising fish. Watching bubbles on the surface is really helpful. Different speeds of current, and long distances of varying current between you and the fish, can be an issue. The goal is to present the fly as naturally as possible while it is in the feeding window of the fish. This is the area about four times the water depth in front of where the fish rises. Any drag on your line when the fly is in this critical zone may result in the fish refusing your fly or being spooked entirely. Generally, you want to have slack in your line to allow the fly to float freely with the

current. There are a few ways to accomplish this, but the easiest is to slowly get in position in an area behind the fish, at an angle that is a manageable cast length away. Accuracy and a delicate presentation are much more important than staying as far away from the fish as possible. If you are calm and methodical, you should be able to get within 20 to 30-feet of all but the most educated fish out there. Once you are in position, and make a cast that lands gently on the mark, watch the fish closely. If it moves to the fly but does not take, continue to watch to see if you might need a different fly or presentation to fool it. If it eats, make sure you wait for its mouth to close on the fly. This takes longer with bigger fish and is harder than it sounds. Hopefully, by following these few dry fly fishing tips you will get a chance to make some hook-sets on a few more dry fly fish this season. ?

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

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)

I imagine that most anglers, at some point in their fishing careers, become “accidental birders”. While waiting for the next strike you notice a bird on the shore, or in a tree, or you hear a birdsong. Sometimes the bird is so distinctive that you know it is a bald eagle or a great blue heron. Some, like the mallard duck or Canada goose, are so familiar that they are dismissed, but others require more attention. Take sandpipers for example. Just about anywhere a line is dropped near a shoreline you are likely to encounter one of these birds. But what type of sandpiper is it? There are many different species and all of them are members of the “waders and shorebirds group”. This group also includes stilts, plovers, avocets and oystercatchers, but most birds in the shorebird family are sandpipers. In fact, there are well over 70 species in North America alone! The typical sandpiper has a long body and legs, and narrow wings. They are small to medium sized birds ranging from five to 26-inches in length. Sandpipers feed on small invertebrates that they probe for in the sand, mud or among the rocks. Their

20 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

beaks are usually thin and are very sensitive. These birds are easy to overlook as they blend in well with their surroundings due to their cryptic plumage. One such bird crossed my path recently. From its size I knew it was either a spotted sandpiper or a solitary sandpiper but a good look at its breast ruled out the spotted sandpiper (no spots!). The fact that it was alone was also a clue, although most solitary animals are occasionally seen with a mate. In fact, during migration small groups of solitary sandpipers may be seen, but generally the adults hunt for food alone. Its call was a high “peet-tweet”. The solitary sandpiper leans towards the smaller side of this family with a length of seven to nine-inches long, and a wingspan up to 20-inches. It prefers fresh water and often ventures where other sandpipers fear to tread - ditches and small bodies of shallow water. The photographs accompanying

this article were taken in a small, open marsh just off the Credit River in Mississauga. The bird was just passing through on its way north. Its destination was the species’ breeding range which covers the central region of Canada, from Labrador to British Columbia, and into Alaska. Their range does not extend into the tundra. About 85% of them nest in the boreal forest and very few of these birds nest in the Continental USA. The solitary sandpiper does not nest on the ground (as many shorebirds do) but instead selects the deserted nest of a passerine bird such as a robin, grackle or gray jay. The preferred location for a nest is in a conifer (rarely a deciduous) tree anywhere from 3 ½ to 40-feet above the ground. The ideal nest location is near a forested pond or small lake. In a pinch they will build their own nests. Both the male and the female select the nest’s location. Three to five eggs are laid in most nests. The young hatch in about four-weeks and are precocial. Like baby ducklings, they leave the nest soon after hatching to follow their parents about. Nothing is known about when the young leave their parents. Their food consists of aquatic and terrestrial insects, spiders, worms, mollusks crustaceans and the occasional small frog and tadpole. These birds migrate to South and Central America and many of them over winter in Peru, Argentina and Uruguay. As I did the research for this article I was surprised by how little is known about this species. This is due to its remote nesting location and the fact that, unlike most sandpipers, it does not migrate in large groups. Knowing this made my encounter with this species even more rewarding.?

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the vintage tackle box

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

By Patrick Daradick

Vintage Frog Lures Well, summer has arrived and many anglers will be stocking their tackle boxes with lures to entice largemouth and smallmouth bass. As far back as your memory will take you, you can likely remember reaching into that tackle box, tying on an artificial frog lure and casting it out on a calm day of bass fishing. With a twitch of the rod tip a big bass boils, inhales your lure and the fight is on! Frog lures were always on the minds of vintage tackle makers and companies. They knew if they could impress the angler by creating a lure that looked like a leopard frog from the pond, they would have a successful invention. If the wooden, plastic or metal frog caught fish as well, the rewards could be endless. Some of the more interesting and popular frogs date as far back as the 1920s. In 1927, James Heddon & Sons invented the Luny Frog, a lure made of “Pyralin” that was only produced for a five-year period. The Creek Chub Bait Co. produced a lure called the Weed Bug, also referred to as the

Weed Frog, in 1927. This was a wooden chunk-style bait with glass eyes that had a pork rind attachment between the legs. Later, in 1936, Creek Chub introduced a surface wooden lure called the Weed-Dee, which also imitated a surface frog. The Paw Paw Bait Company designed the Wotta-Frog in 1941. This was a wooden bait that had legs that moved to entice the bass. These lures were always painted in a splatter finish to mimic the spots on a leopard frog. They were made in many sizes, from a fly rod size to a large four-inch wooden lure. Paw Paw added the Weedless Wow Frog lure that same year. It had the same wooden body style as the Wotta-Frog but had rubber legs and a weed guard to allow casting into the weeds. Both of these lures had great action on the water. The most famous frog to collectors, and one of the more expensive frogs to add to a

Oscar the Frog

collection, would be the Hosmer Mechanical Froggie. Today, one of these lures would easily cost you $3000 at an auction - if you could find one. They were produced by J.D. Hosmer between 1936 and 1939. These lures were quite unique and each wooden frog was hand-built in Dearborn, Michigan. Another unique line of frog lures to mention are the Halik Frogs. These were plastic lures with legs that would kick like a swimming frog and move along the water’s surface when attached to your line and twitched with your rod. The Oscar the Frog lure, circa 1947, was an all-metal, animated frog lure that are very scarce to find today. As far back as 1908, Pflueger advertised their Kent Frog lure, which was designed to move along the water’s surface. To entice the bass, propellers were used front and back to create water movement. A Pflueger Kent Frog, circa 1908

A 1927 Luny Frog (left centre), The Hosmer Mechanical Froggie (top right) and a Halik Frog (lower right).

22 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

Vintage frog style lures are very collectible and still quite amazing to try today on a bass outing. But use the ones that are readily (and inexpensively) available and somewhat worn. You definitely wouldn’t want to be casting a Hosmer Frog! Frogs and bass go to together like vintage frog lures and tackle collectors. Frog lures are a lot of fun to collect and getting started can be easy and affordable. After that however, like all collecting hobbies, the sky’s the limit. ?

real fishing fish facts

Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

The Chinook salmon is also known as the “King Salmon,” and with good reason. Chinooks are the largest of the salmon species and they are one of the most important sport and commercial fish in the world. Chinook salmon have streamlined, laterally compressed bodies that range in colour from iridescent green to blue-green, purple or grey on the back, fading to silvery white or white along flanks and belly. There are noticeable black spots on the back, upper flank, top of the head and fins. The Chinook’s mouth and gums are black. As spawning approaches, these salmon darken to an overall olive brown colour and continue to darken to a green-black or black shade as they progress through the spawning ritual. In males, the upper and lower jaws become hooked, often so severely that the fish cannot close its mouth. Chinooks are anadromous and spend their adult lives in open water feeding on a variety of fish as well as on squid and crustaceans. In freshwater systems like the Great

Lakes, they feed on pelagic baitfish, most prominently alewife and smelt. Chinook salmon grow quickly and can double their weight in a single season. Spawning takes place in freshwater rivers in the fall, generally between July and November. The female builds the nest - and often more than one - and may spawn with several males in different sites. Depending on her size, a female will lay up to 10,000 eggs throughout the spawning season. After depositing her eggs she will cover them with gravel and guard the nest for as long as she is able to. This usually isn’t for very long, however, as both male and female Chinook salmon die within a few days to two weeks of spawning. The natural distribution of the Chinook includes the northern coastal waters of the

Pacific Ocean, primarily along the western coast of North America from California to northern Alaska, as well as along the Asian coast from Japan to Russia. They have also been known to occur in the Arctic Ocean, the Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as the Sea of Japan. Through stocking, they can also be found throughout the Great Lakes, where they are the backbone of the charter fishing industry. Chinook salmon are widely prized by both sport and commercial fishermen. Although not known for their aerial antics, hooked Chinooks are extremely strong fish that will often make runs of over 100-yards, putting anglers and their gear to the ultimate test. As a commercial species, they are prized for their table qualities and are marketed throughout the world fresh, frozen, canned and smoked. Chinook salmon have historically, and continue to be, the mainstay of the Pacific Coastal salmon fishery, rightfully earning the nickname, “King Salmon.” ?

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

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

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

24 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

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AUGUST

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Lake Nipigon is renowned for its world-class brook trout fishery and Bob Izumi confirmed the lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation when he took a trip up there in late May. One of the keys to his success was fishing with a two-inch Powerbait Ripple Shad that he had rigged on a 1/16-ounce swimbait jighead. The little lure enticed numerous trophy brookies into biting, including this one that stretched the tape to nearly 23-inches. 28 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

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30 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

By Gordon and Dan Watkin

THE STATE OF LAKE ONTARIO

SALMON FISHING Salmon fishing on Lake Ontario has become sophisticated. High-tech graphs, “intelligent” electric downriggers and elaborate charting systems capable of tracking pods of salmon in vast expanses of blue water are pretty much standard equipment for today’s big water trollers. Let’s not forget rods, reels and terminal gear. Trollers no longer count “passes’’ on their reels to get an idea how far behind the boat their lures are as line counter reels now let an angler know exactly how far back their lures are. Special downrigger and Dipsy rods compliment the reels, as do rods designed specifically to be fished in combination with either in-line planer boards or big double-ski planer board and mast systems.

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 31

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Since the first salmon smolt slipped into the lake almost 50-years ago, an entire industry dedicated to manufacturing salmon-specific terminal tackle has blossomed. Today, blue water salmon anglers have a mind boggling array of tackle to choose from. Flashers and flies, spoons, crankbaits and meat rigs all catch fish, and all have their cadres of devoted followers. Any fisherman only casually acquainted with the Lake Ontario salmon scene might question the need for all this complicated gear. The simple truth is, Lake Ontario salmon have become more elusive and difficult to catch. The better question for these anglers to ask is, why have salmon become so elusive and why are they more difficult to catch? Part of the answer to this question has to do with the significant changes that have occurred in the lake’s ecology, particularly over the last 20 to 25-years. Generally speaking, factors such as effluent and runoff control, invasive species, weather and predator/prey relationships have impacted the lake’s salmon fishery, some in a good way and some in not such a good way. Some of the effects are comparatively short-term and dynamic while others are long-term and seem to have provoked more or less permanent changes. The bottom line is, all these factors impact Lake Ontario’s eco-system and ultimately affect the salmon that live there. We’ll talk briefly about the factors just mentioned later on. For now, consider that the days when an angler could venture off shore on Lake Ontario and have a reasonably good chance of hooking up with a 40-pound plus king are long gone. For a number of years now a 35-pound salmon has been a head turner. Mid-30s salmon are now tournament winning fish. So what happened? Why are smaller and fewer king salmon being caught? To answer these questions, let’s look at the results of some of the excellent work being done by fisheries researchers on the south side of Lake Ontario. In December of last year, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released its annual report on the state of Lake Ontario’s fishery. While the agency’s comments were directed at the Lake Ontario waters that fall within the jurisdiction of New York State, it’s important to remember the conclusions reached will likely apply to 34 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

the Province of Ontario’s portion of the lake as well. Even though king returns to north shore tributaries like the Ganaraska River are far higher than those experienced in most south shore tributaries in New York, with the possible exception of New York’s fabled Salmon River, it’s important to remember that open water factors affect fish that spawn both north and south of the border. Before leaving the topic of spawning for now, I want to mention the importance of natural spawning. It is estimated that fully 47% of the two and three-year-old salmon harvested last year from Lake Ontario were naturally spawned fish. Ultimately the future of Lake Ontario’s king salmon fishery may depend on naturally spawned fish.

Now, let’s look at some of the specifics found in the Fall 2015 DEC report. Researchers noted that the number of lamprey observed per 1,000 trout and salmon caught was estimated at 15 in 2015, 13% below the previous 5-year average and 65% below the 2007 record high. Investigators are hopeful that traditional lamprey control measures, bolstered in recent years with some new and innovative control strategies, will continue to be enough to keep this devastating invasive species at bay, and by doing so enhance salmon survival. Salmon experts have known for some time that different year classes of king salmon have a distinct preference and need for specific forage species and sizes, or year classes. Rainbow smelt are an important food for salmon at times, as are emerald

shiners, but it’s the alewife and its various year classes that salmon rely on most. New York’s DEC bottom trawl surveys last year showed an abundance of adult (two-years of age and older) alewife in the spring, and noted that adult abundance has been fairly stable for five consecutive years. However, in 2015, for the second consecutive year, the abundance of yearling alewife was very low. In fact, the numbers were the lowest observed in the 39-year history of the numbers being recorded, although the report went on to comment that the relative body condition of alewives had improved. Researchers speculated that the cause of low yearling abundance was likely due to below average summer temperatures combined with harsh winter conditions. The New York report suggests that if the 2016 year class is low, it would be the third year in a row of very low numbers and this could have a negative impact on future year classes. New York experts remain somewhat optimistic though, reasoning that this past year’s short, mild winter should have helped the alewife populations out. Everyone on both sides of the lake are hoping alewife populations in Lake Ontario don’t go the route they did in Lake Michigan, where numbers crashed and will likely never recover. A healthy alewife population lake-wide is vital if a viable king salmon fishery is to survive. The report went on to speculate what anglers can expect in 2016 as far as quality is concerned in Lake Ontario king salmon stocks.

According to the DEC, four-year-old salmon have experienced a bit of a roller coaster ride with respect to growing conditions. This year class of fish benefitted from two good growing years, but also had to endure two rather poor growing years. The four-year-old year class started out great, benefitting from a giant 2012 hatch of alewives. They continued to benefit in yeartwo as they grew larger and were able to feed

successfully on adult alewives. All in all, New York researchers believe this year we should be seeing more kings over 30-pounds than we’ve seen in some time, but 35-pounders and larger are likely to remain quite rare. The three-year-old class of fish got off to a good start, feeding on a good crop of 2013 alewives, but then were set back because of back-to-back harsh winters, and decreased growing seasons. Fortunately, there were still enough adult alewives around for salmon to eat, once the kings got big enough to eat them. The net result, researchers believe, is that the three-year-old-class of fish will be good with respect to numbers, but the overall size of the fish will be down because of the shorter growing seasons. And what about the two-year-old class of fish? Some seasoned charter boat captains speculate they will look like large “shakers”, seriously undersized salmon that, due primarily to poor growing conditions (cold weather) and an absolute lack of adequatesized forage, have never been able to catch up to their potential. The DEC report summed up the cold water fishery in its part of Lake Ontario by saying that the best king salmon fishing many charter boats experienced occurred between 2003 and 2015. The fishing quality in 2015 was the lowest estimated during that time period, and was 26% below the 2003-2015 mean.

36 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

Fishing quality for brown trout was near record highs in recent years, however, in 2015 it declined to the lowest recorded level since 2008, and was 27% below the long-term average. Coho fishing quality was excellent for five of the past 10-years; however, in 2015 it was 57% below the 10-year average. Following seven consecutive years of record and near-record high angling success rates for rainbow trout, the 2015 catch rate was the lowest since 2005, and experienced a 39% decrease compared to the long-term average. Interestingly, the New York report found that Atlantic salmon catch rates remained fairly high in 2015, and were 19% above average last year. So what does all this mean for salmon anglers along the north shore of Lake Ontario? It’s reasonable to expect good fishing for three and four-year old kings this year but after this year fishing success may tail off noticeably. It appears that anglers can expect some disappointing king fishing a few years from now. A healthy lake trout fishery is, in many locales, filling the void left by a stressed salmon population. Lake trout, especially in places like the Niagara bar and out from harbors such as Port Dalhousie, are keeping deep water trollers occupied. While salmon and steelhead appear to need forage fish like alewives, emerald shiners and rainbow smelt to survive and prosper, lake trout are more

Lake trout are providing a great alternative to salmon in Lake Ontario’s western basin.

than holding their own, numbers and sizewise, by gorging on gobies. Not only are anglers catching more lakers, many of them are approaching trophy proportions. A 20pound laker seldom turns heads anymore. As alluded to at the beginning of this article, factors other than weather and forage availability have impacted the salmon fishery on Lake Ontario. How, if at all, are these other factors continuing to impact Lake Ontario salmon? Let’s first consider effluent and run-off. Quite a few years ago lake ecologists recognized that phosphorus, primarily the result of fertilizer run-off from farming operations and dissolved phosphorus from industrial applications, was saturating the lower Great Lakes with amounts far exceeding the lakes’ carrying capacities. The lower lakes suffered from massive algae blooms, and were permanently turbid due to the incredible populations of microorganisms the overly fertile water supported. Once regulations were in place to control the amounts of phosphorus entering the lakes, the lakes cleared up dramatically. Two things happened as the lakes began to clear. The overall biomass of microorganisms began to decrease, which decreased the available food at the lower end of the food chain, and fish, both predator and prey, began to see things more clearly. Being

able to see more clearly meant that prey fish had a better chance of seeing and escaping danger when it threatened. At the same time predator fish, including salmon, had a better look at their potential prey. Over time, the salmon became more selective in what baits and lures they would be willing to take, and they became more sensitive to boat traffic. Blue water anglers adapted by refining the baits and lures they trolled and the ways they trolled them. They also began to employ methods that got their terminal tackle farther away from the sides and backs of their boats. Longer leads behind downrigger weights, fluorocarbon leaders, in-line and double-ski planer boards, and lead and copper wire set-ups all came into vogue on big water trolling boats. In the late 1980s, the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels into the Great Lakes system resulted in further improvements in water clarity. These filter feeders also had a significantly negative effect on the natural zooplankton populations in the Great Lakes. Biologists are still not certain what the long-term effects of a potentially degraded and altered zooplankton biomass will be on prey and predator species. The competition for a finite supply of food has been compromised even further since round gobies took over the Great Lakes. Juvenile and adult gobies are a rich protein source for predatory fish like lake trout, however, gobies feed heavily on gamefish eggs and newly hatched fry. While certain predatory species like lake trout may have benefitted in the short-term from feeding on gobies, school’s still out on what the overall impact of the goby invasion is going to have on gamefish populations. Another factor that is having an impact on the salmon fishery is how the salmon are stocked. Survivability of salmon smolts stocked using traditional methods is actually quite low. Given the gamut of problems traditionally stocked smolts face, like temperature shock, disorientation, and heavy predation from cormorants, gulls and other fish, it’s a wonder that any small salmon survive at all. And don’t forget, these are barriers small stocked fish face in addition to the heavy predation they encounter once they reach the comparative safety of deep, open water. Pen-reared salmon have a significantly higher survival rate, however, some researchers speculate that pen-reared fish

are smaller as adults compared to either traditionally stocked or naturally spawned fish. There is also some speculation that pen-reared salmon may reach sexual maturity at three-years of age instead of four. Complicating the stocking issue further is the fact that some experts feel hatcheries may have been inadvertently capturing less than ideal mature fish for milt and roe. If smaller average sized adults have been in the mix of captured spawners over the years, then it’s reasonable to expect that at some point smaller average sized mature fish will make up the majority of the catch. There is also some thought that some of the fish being taken for milt and roe might actually be three-year-olds rather than the larger four-year-old fish. While the findings we’ve discussed in and of themselves are interesting, the observations and experiences of a professional guide help put a realistic perspective on the data. To gain that perspective we consulted with one of western New York State’s top guides, Captain Matt Bedient, who charters with his brother, Captain Mark Bedient, under the name of 716 SportFishing. Matt and Mark spend a great deal of time fishing the southwestern part of Lake Ontario out of their home port of Olcott, New York. Matt’s comments and observations basically support those expressed in his state’s DEC report. Matt has definitely seen a decrease in both the lengths and weights of the kings coming aboard his boat over the last twoyears. While his king catches have been down in terms of size and weight, his take of lake trout, brown trout and rainbows has stayed about the same.

The Olcott captain feels the biggest reason the kings were harder to find over the past two-years was mostly due to harsh winter conditions, prolonged cold springs and the fact that lake temperatures never really set up in any kind of predictable, structured pattern. Matt believes the kings were moving all over the place trying to find their preferred water temperatures. Just when things seemed to be stabilizing temperature-wise, strong winds or other weather factors would come along and disrupt everything. Matt offered us some insights into what he does to find and catch fish. For one thing, he is a big believer in using some type of down temperature/speed unit, such as a Fish Hawk. These devices attach at or near the downrigger weight, and provide real time continuous readouts of the water temperature and speed of a trolled lure at the actual level the lure is being fished. Surface water temperature and so-called down temperature can be significantly different. Also, wind and deep water currents can significantly affect actual trolling speed, so knowing how fast your baits are moving at the level they are being fished is critical. Every species of gamefish has their preferred temperature range, and knowing quickly if you’re fishing in that range can be a huge benefit, minimizing the time wasted fishing barren water. Over the last few years Bedient says it was not uncommon to find pockets of water with the right temperatures. Find those pockets, and you find salmon, he said. One of the problems was that the pockets were often small and would appear and disappear randomly.

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 37

Line counter reels like Abu’s Ambassadeur Alphamar are ideal when using Dipsy Divers or copper or leadcore lines. The counter allows anglers to accurately set out the correct amount of line to ensure their baits are running at the proper depth and eliminates the need to count “passes” of line from the spool. The accuracy offered by line counter reels takes the guesswork out of duplicating an effective presentation which will ultimately result in more fish in the boat.

Matt also believes copper wire set-ups have upped his catch rates of salmon and trout. Copper facilitates getting baits away from the boat, and seems to be a lifesaver on bright, sunny days. He also feels the size of the lures trolled can be a factor in success. Time of year, water depth and time of day all play in to his initial lure choices. However, every day on the water is different and, to maximize his chances of success, Matt often has “a little bit of everything” down to begin the day and then lets the fish tell him what they want. Lure colour selection complicates the decision of what lure or bait to run even more. Bedient notes that every year there seems to be a new “hot” colour. In his experience though, the same standard colours seem to produce year after year. Matt acknowledges that there are lots of opinions out there regarding lure colour but for him there are a certain few spoons in selected colours that produce for him season in and season out. 38 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

UV finishes are the new “must haves” on Lake Ontario. UV spoons have a place in Matt’s trolling arsenal, but on most days they see their use restricted to the early morning hours. At some point in the day he usually switches everything back to his trusted, go-to baits. The Bedient brothers are far from being one-way wonders when they’re on the water. In 2015, cutbaits and spoons run clean behind downriggers and Dipsy Divers, as well as off of copper wire, produced extremely well. The flasher/fly bite was not as good last year as in years past, they said. Matt added that he has found cutbaits fished deep to be a really good way to put bigger kings in the boat during the summer, and they are absolutely killer baits to use in the fall. Where trolling speed is concerned, Matt stressed that every lure has its ideal speed and it’s important not to troll in a straight line. So-called “S” trolling is definitely the way to go. And pay attention to which side of the boat the hits are coming from. Matt points out that while “S” trolling, the lures

Planer boards, Dipsy Divers and a wide assortment of lures are standard fare on today’s salmon boats.

on the outside of the turn will speed up and the lures on the inside of the turn will slow down. If more hits are coming from one side of the boat than the other, it could be an indication of how fast the salmon want the baits presented. Overall success, Matt believes, depends on continually experimenting with all the variables until a winning program emerges. Trolling for Lake Ontario salmon is not a lazy man’s game. Changing baits, raising and lowering downriggers, and adjusting Dipsy Divers, lead core and copper wire setups, can get tiring, but the rewards are well worth the effort. There’s every reason to believe that 2016 will be a banner year for king salmon. 2017 should also be a good year, but after that it’s difficult to say what salmon fishermen can expect. So for now, blue water anglers should prepare for the best. Heeding some of the advice the Bedient brothers have offered, might just be the ticket to boating a few extra big kings this year. ?

Nimrods OF THE

RIVER By Mark Forabosco

Mark Forabosco is the author of the book, Lords of the Lake, a comprehensive approach to fishing for muskellunge in Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smaller lakes and rivers. The author can be contacted at markforabosco@hotmail.com

40 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

It was a river that had a stellar reputation for its fall migration of salmon and its homegrown population of black bass. But that’s not why I was there. I was much younger back in those days and I viewed it as more of an adventure rather than work when I hopped into a 10-foot plastic boat and half paddled/half dragged my way a couple of kilometres upstream with the intent of slowly drifting back to my original dropoff point, wetting a line along the way. Chattering swallows hovered above the water, darting and diving with aerial precision, snaring insects before returning with their prizes to nests woven into the clay blanks to feed their young. Thankful that the life I lived did not demand nearly that much work, I savoured the warm summer morning and my tranquil surroundings. I casually cast to an undercut bank when a long, dark shadow appeared. A large mouth opened wide, eagerly nipping the skirt of the lure, only to veer away inches from the boat. On the second and third casts the fish reappeared, again turning back to its refuge beneath the bank. Frustrated, I changed lures, waited and returned, but never saw that fish again. Its length had to be close to 42-inches; a monster to me at the time. The whole ordeal was still revolving in my mind an hour later as I rounded the last bend, casting a large spinner up onto a shallow weed flat. Two cranks of the reel and my rod arched over, line screamed across the still water, kicking up spray in all directions. A party of kayakers stopped just yards away to watch the commotion. Three times that fish was just beyond the reach of my outstretched hand. On the fourth try she dove under my plastic rig and popped up on the other side. I stuck my rod under the boat and followed the fish before I was finally able to slip a hand under her gill plate and dig the hooks out of the corner of her mouth. After a couple of minutes she

slowly swam off and the crowd of kayakers clapped and gave me a cheer. Its size wasn’t overwhelming, maybe 40-inches, but the fight was, to say the least, stirring. That was my first experience fishing for river muskellunge and to this day it is still one of my most meaningful angling memories. Mentioning muskie rivers brings to mind images of those fabled, oversized shipping lanes like the Ottawa or St. Lawrence, favoured destinations of hard core Esox hunters. But for those searching out waters less intimidating, and who are willing to put in the time and effort, there are more humble, often overlooked medium-sized river systems in Ontario. Many of these can offer the everyday angler not only action, but every now and then a muskellunge of trophy proportions. Some of these are tributaries from lakes that have resident muskie populations while others are individual rivers that wind their way through towns and rural communities. The one constant I’ve discovered is that these cunning river fish often receive far less angling pressure than one might think.

Structure and Location Over the years I’ve concluded that the muskellunge who reside in rivers tend to be more structure oriented than their lake cousins. This is not to say that lake fish don’t relate to structure, because at times they do. However, oftentimes over the course of a season it can be more laborious and time consuming to pattern them since

they regularly position themselves adjacent to structure or hold out in open water. Muskies that reside in medium to smaller rivers don’t have that luxury and their holding locations are almost always connected to cover and ambush points. Undercut banks, as I mentioned earlier, are great structural magnets, as are boulders and brush piles which create current breaks. Often the largest river muskellunge can be found under overhanging logs or around downed timber. These areas provide classic ambush points from where to nab a careless sucker or baitfish. Muskellunge are notorious for loitering in deep holes under bridges and for that reason those locales should never be overlooked. Other areas that should be considered are runs of fast water that flow into deep pools. Whether around bends or in straight sections, forage will gather here, holding just before the break where the water is generally cooler and has a higher oxygen content. Here a muskie will hang back on the nearest dropoff, sitting close to the bottom, waiting to inhale any baitfish that drifts within range. One old-school angler I know fishes a deep, slow moving portion of a Lake Huron tributary that is no more than 60-meters across at its widest point and a kilometer long. Schools of redhorse suckers occupy this section of river, drawing in numbers of muskellunge. This astute fisherman rows his 12-foot aluminum boat up and down the area, fishing with a large Williams spoon. I originally gave him a sarcastic nod

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 41

when he shared his secret - until he showed me the photo of a stocky 35-pounder he landed a few summers earlier!

Benefits of Pursuing River Muskellunge One of my favourite fishing holes is a small lake with varied structure, only a couple of hours out of the GTA area. It does not have a high density of muskellunge, but trophies up to 45-pounds haunt its depths. On one venture the fishing pressure was quite intense and, needless to say, the prime spots were receiving attention from diligent anglers. I was grumbling about my poor luck to the fellow who managed the cabins when he gave me a hard stare, pointed in the direction he wanted me to go and said very slowly, “Son, go fish the river that feeds into the back end of the lake”. With nothing to lose, I took his advice. I hadn’t gone very far before the cabins quickly faded from view and a thick canopy of forest blocked the sun. Had I not known better I would have thought I was in some remote wilderness. This river was perfect for a simple aluminum boat or a kayak and a few hours later a shimmering green 20pound muskie was at the bottom of my landing net. A nice fish to be sure, but the highlight of the morning was when I had a

follow from a fish that would have exceeded 30-pounds. For the rest of my stay I worked the river, landed a few more fish and lost a real dandy without seeing another angler the entire time. Conversely, the fishing on the lake remained dormant for the remainder of the week. Later that fall I came across a news clipping about a local kid who landed a 40pound giant even farther up that same stretch of river. This was a perfect case of smaller waters being ignored, deemed not worthy of the effort. Far too often fisherman think that bigger is better, and that’s not always the case. Just having the patience to go a little further brought me to a place where there was virtually no competition from other anglers and where there were no savvy muskies educated from being overexposed to every lure in the tackle box. I’m relating this experience because these places exist and are not anomalies. Search Google Maps and take the time to examine some of your favourite muskie lakes; you might be surprised to see how many of them have connecting systems. Go on local outdoor forums and ask for advice about rivers that provide muskie action or, better yet, visit the MNR website. There you can find a list of nearest rivers in your area that harbour a population of muskellunge

LEAP FROGGING One creative method to fish river muskellunge is what I call leap frogging. Have one person park a vehicle at the pick-up location and then go back together to the drop off point, launch your small watercraft and drift downstream. Once you arrive at the pick-up point, load up your boat, go back to get the second vehicle and then head to your next destination. It’s a very easy and effective way to cover a lot of often untouched water in the course of a day. If you don’t have a boat, travel the sideroads to where the river intersects the road then grab half a dozen lures and follow the path less travelled. Many honey holes are found this way. The farther back you’re willing to walk, the fewer the number of anglers that will have been there and the greater your odds are of hooking something special.

Tackle and Boats When fishing a river it’s difficult to beat a small cartopper or a kayak. They’re travel friendly, cost efficient and easy to maneuver through shallow sections. A medium to heavy action muskie rod will be needed because you’ll be fishing in areas where hang-ups can occur and you want to be able to muscle a big fish out of the cover. With regards to line, 40 to 60-pound test braid is ideal under most scenarios. A fish gripper and a pair of long nose pliers are good for landing and releasing fish, especially if you’re on a solo trip. It’s not really feasible being encumbered by a large landing net. Load a vest with a dozen dependable lures and you’re set to make a memory! Traditional lures like the Mepps Muskie Killer or bass sized spinnerbaits always get a tip of my hat. I purposely downsize my baits when chasing river muskies in order to match the size of the forage. 42 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

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A fish gripper and a pair of long nose pliers are good for landing and releasing river muskies.

Surface baits still fool veteran fish and it can be difficult to equal the excitement of a topwater strike. With regards to what colour works best, as one seasoned muskie guide stated, “Any colour is good, as long as it’s black!” From my experiences with surface lures and jerkbaits I would be inclined to agree. If you like casting minnow baits, five to seven-inch versions can invoke smashing strikes from hungry river muskies. In clear water scenarios it’s important to remember that muskies will have a larger strike zone, but the downside is that they will spook at the slightest disturbance. Banging oars or shuffling the anchor around the bottom of an aluminum boat will magnify the sound and kibosh the bite. On the flip side, it doesn’t take long for a summer downpour to muddy a river reducing a fish’s strike zone. When that happens it’s time to use a noisy, colourful lure with lots of vibration. When casting to a promising spot, don’t make just one cast and leave - fish it clean. Cover the spot from a few different angles and make a few extra casts for good measure. On some days that little bit 44 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

of extra effort can make a big difference. The angling Gods have been kind to me over time and I’ve been lucky enough to land muskellunge in tributaries connected to lakes Huron, Erie, Ontario and St. Clair. A close friend and gifted angler, Robert Cadeau, has guided and landed many fine trophies and some exceptional hybrid tiger muskies from some Lake Superior tributaries. I could list another nine or ten rivers connected to respected lakes all within two-hours of Canada’s largest city - and that’s not including a collective of detached individual rivers. The point that I am trying to get across is this: that little aluminum boat or kayak might be too small for a Georgian Bay or a Lake Nipissing excursion, but you have the luxury to go where those big expensive muskie rigs can’t. The best part is that with some persistence and a little luck you can still land a river nimrod that can come close to matching the best that those other waters have to offer. With regards to my title for this article, if you’re like me, most of you may associate the word nimrod with an underachieving hockey team but Webster’s defines Nimrod as a very successful hunter - a most suitable adjective for a muskellunge! ?

HIT TRAIL 300157512

GET BACK OUT THERE™ ALWAYS READ LABEL BEFORE USE

®/™ S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. used under license and IMPORTED BY S. C. JOHNSON AND SON, LIMITED, BRANTFORD ON, CANADA N3T 5R1

46 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

BIG WATER LAKE TROUT By Wes David

My anticipation grew as we raced further away from the dock that was hidden in a secluded bay at the north end of the lake. Within a short distance the bay opened up to a large and overwhelming waterbody. Our goal was to catch and release a few of the large lake trout that swim within the depths of the massive lake, however, when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re surrounded by this much water, where do you start fishing?

Summer 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 47

Lake trout are considered by many anglers to be one of the strongest fighting freshwater fish species. If you’ve had the good fortune of setting your hook on a large laker then you have a good understanding of what they’re talking about. These fish will test an angler’s patience, stamina, gear, and fishing ability - often during the same fishing trip. In large waterbodies, a lake trout’s size can range from fingerling all the way up to the current International Game Fish Association’s world record of 72-pounds. That fish was caught in August 1995, in Great Bear Lake, in the Northwest Territories. Lake trout are native to the northern portion of North America. They are most common in the northeastern United States, Canada and Alaska, and they have been successfully introduced into a wide range of non-native waterbodies throughout North America for both conservation efforts as well as to increase angling opportunities. Lake trout inhabit large, deep and cold, oxygen-rich waterbodies, and will not only live, but thrive in depths ranging from 50 to over 200-feet of water. However, similar to other trout species, lake trout can also be caught in the shallows and just below the surface as they feed on insects and fish fry. Fish that live in such large, deep waterbodies can be very difficult to locate, especially during the changing seasons. And, if an angler can’t find the lake trout he most certainly won’t catch them. However, there are a few proven techniques for locating and landing more and larger lake trout from large systems.

Spring Lake Trout Locations and Baits The geographic location of the area you’re fishing will determine when the first insect hatches will be and when young baitfish will begin to venture out to explore their new world. The insect hatch often happens later in the spring the further north you go. For example, lake trout in the northern United States will be moving into the shallows to feed on insects earlier than they will in northern Canada or Alaska, therefore, you will have to do a little research to find out when the hatches are in the areas you plan to fish. There is nothing like the fight of a lake trout (big or small) on a fly rod. Taking a page from the fly fishermen’s book, if you plan on catching lake trout on a fly you will have to “match the hatch” as they say. Not only in colour - anglers also need to pay close attention to the size of the fly they are presenting. Spin anglers will also want to focus their attention on the insect hatch during the spring of the year. Not so much to match the hatch, but to know when the hatch is taking place so they know when the lake trout will be moving into the shallows to feed. The exciting thing about fishing the shallows in the spring during an insect hatch is that small fish, fry and minnows will also be taking advantage of the hatch, creating a smorgasbord for the lake trout. For spin anglers, using spoons matching the colour of the baitfish is important, as is paying close attention to the size of the lure you are throwing. I’ve found that casting a spoon that is larger than the natural forage

results in few to no hookups. I like to use baits no longer than two-inches and I cast them towards the shore, past the feeding lake trout, and then retrieve them through the fish, towards deeper water. When lake trout are taking advantage of the spring smorgasbord in the shallows, I’ve found jigs presented vertically, or swum slowly just off the bottom, to be very effective as well. With both baits, I like to add a little scent by tipping the spoon or jig with a night crawler or minnow to entice a few more strikes. I’ve caught lake trout of all sizes during the spring using both of these baits in water as shallow as five-feet deep.

Ideal locations for spring lake trout include areas where other fish species, including minnows, are spawning and, of course, wherever the bulk of the insects are hatching. I’ve also found that if these areas are close to sharp dropoffs into deeper, cooler water, lake trout will hold at various depths along the first drop and move up shallow to feed. Once they get their fill they will move back and hold at the dropoff until they feel the urge to feed again. Anglers can often take advantage of these resting trout by casting a spoon or jig, or by trolling the edges of the drop.

Thermocline Lake Trout It seems that whenever the conversation turns to lake trout fishing, the word “thermocline” gets thrown around a lot. There is a lot of science behind the thermocline and how it works in various waterbodies at a 48 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

variety of depths. Anglers don’t need to be scientists to catch lake trout, they just need to understand the basics of the thermocline so they can find the trout that are holding near it. The thermocline is a thin layer of water in large waterbodies in which the water temperature changes more rapidly at one particular depth than it does in the depths above or below it. In short, the thermocline divides the upper level of warm water from the cooler, deeper water below. Below the thermocline the oxygen level in the water is greatly reduced, making it hard for fish to thrive. However, lake trout seem to handle the lower oxygen levels much better than other fish species. Many anglers believe that large lake trout spend most of their time on or very near the bottom of the lake, resting until they are ready to feed, however, that’s not always the case. Lake trout, especially large ones, will often suspend just below or just above the thermocline and will slowly

50 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

cruise behind the baitfish until they are ready to feed. So how does an angler know how deep the thermocline is so he or she can accurately fish it? To keep it simple, so you can spend more time fishing and less time figuring out the science, you will need a sonar and a good understanding of it. Remember, lake trout will often suspend just above or just below the thermocline. Depending on the waterbody and the time of year, the depth of the thermocline can range from 30-feet to as deep as 200-feet, and it can be even deeper in the Great Lakes. The best way to quickly and accurately find the thermocline is to use a temperature probe that relays depth and temperature readings to an on-board receiver. Another option is to use your sonar. First, look at the bottom of the lake on your screen. Immediately above it there will be an open water column showing no fish, and often showing nothing at all. This open water distance will vary with the waterbody and

time of year. Closer to the surface, your screen will show suspended fish. You have just found the thermocline and the lake trout relating it. Above the fish will be another open water column, however, in this column it’s not uncommon for your sonar to read other fish. These are often the fish that the lake trout are following and feeding on. Now that you’ve found the large lake trout that are using the thermocline, you have to get them to bite your offering. Trolling large lures and spoons is one of the most popular ways to get baits to deep lake trout and cover a lot of water. Anglers who are serious about their lake trout fishing often equip their boats with downriggers that can get their offerings down to the depths that the lake trout are holding at quickly and accurately. Downriggers are a very efficient and accurate way of presenting baits at precise depths. However, downriggers can be costly and, for the anglers that only pursue lake trout every now and

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then, there are other techniques to catch lake trout that are holding at the thermocline.

Three-Way Rigs A three-way rig is simply a three-way swivel that acts as an intersection. The main line from your rod and reel is the first connection at the top of the three-way swivel. On the second portion of the swivel (the middle ring) is the line that is tied to your bait. The third line ties to the bottom ring of the three-way and secures a large ball weight that will get your bait down to the desired depth. However, the real key to the threeway system is a good quality line counter reel. Your sonar and line counter reel are your eyes to accurately fishing the depth the fish are holding at. For example, if I’m fishing in 100-feet of water and the fish are holding at 80-feet, I will let out enough line, taking into account my boat speed and line

52 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

and lure drag, to run my presentation at 78 to 82-feet so I’m consistently trolling my lure in the strike zone. Each time you get a hit, take note of the depth and speed your presentation was running at and repeat both of these. I want the fish to exert the least amount of effort possible to take my offering. I believe with any fish species that if they don’t have to work hard for a meal they will feed, even if they’re not in a feeding pattern. The three-way works similar to a downrigger, however, it’s more hands on and it can be just as effective as downriggers when fished correctly. Other options for fishing deep include using diving planers like Dipsy or Jet planers, copper or wire line rigs and leadcore line setups. All of these will work on lake trout that are holding at deeper depths within the water column, and they are all great ways to cover water and get your baits in front of actively feeding fish.

Fall Turnover As summer turns to fall, lakes go through a process known as turnover. Basically this is when the days get shorter and cooler, and the wind mixes the warmer surface water with the cooler, deeper water. This mixing destroys the thermocline and results in similar water temperatures from the surface to the bottom, meaning lake trout can be at any depth. It also triggers lake trout to feed and bulk up for the winter season. At this time of year baitfish are key and once you find them the lake trout won’t be far away. Lake trout are opportunistic feeders and will take advantage of any chance to feed be it an abundant insect hatch, young fish fry or wounded or migrating baitfish. They are even believed to resort to cannibalism. Simply put, they will do whatever it takes to satisfy their hunger and that includes taking an angler’s offering at the right time and place. ?

By Dr. Bruce Tufts

A STUDY

54 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

SMALLMOUTH Unravelling the Mysteries of Smallmouth Bass Movements in Lake Ontario Human interest in fish movement has a very long history. Archeological evidence shows that Native North Americans relied on the predictable movements of salmon into freshwater rivers as an important source of food. Throughout most of their history, commercial fisheries have relied on a good understanding of seasonal fish movements to be successful. Any serious recreational angler would also agree that their catch is largely determined by their ability to predict where the fish will be on any given day, or where they might have moved to if they aren’t in the first spot. Even fisheries managers need to know how fish move in order to properly conserve fisheries. Not surprisingly, scientific interest in fish movement also goes back a long way, and continues to be important to this day. Science has now described a number of different mechanisms that fish use to get around in their environment. Some species, such as salmon, rely on several strategies for navigation. During their ocean migration, salmon use a geomagnetic (compass) sense that involves tiny particles of magnetite in specialized areas of the brain. Some evidence suggests that they may also use polarized light to help them navigate in the open ocean. During the final stages of their river migration, salmon use olfaction (smell) to determine how well their surroundings compare to an olfactory imprint that was taken of the area where they were born, just prior to their migration to the sea as smolts. Many fish species that undertake shorter journeys rely on vision and learning to create a roadmap of their environment. In some species, such as cod, evidence suggests that juveniles may actually learn migration routes from older adults. Despite all that we know

about fish movements, scientists are still working hard to understand the abilities for navigation, as well as the mechanisms involved, in many fish species. Black bass are a group of species that have recently received a great deal of interest in this area. The importance of bass in North America’s recreational fisheries has led to a growing list of studies aimed at understanding the natural movements of different bass species, as well as their abilities to navigate back to their home ranges after displacement in tournaments. While these studies have provided us with a great deal of useful information, most of this research has been focused on smaller inland lakes and reservoirs. At this time, we know much less about the movements of bass living in very large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. This issue has become especially important in recent years because of the growing interest from regular anglers, as well as tournament organizers, in these tremendous bass fisheries. For the past several years, we’ve been involved in a large research project on largemouth and smallmouth bass in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario. One of the main objectives of this study is to understand the natural movements of these fish, as well as their ability to navigate back to their home range

after displacement in tournaments. Smallmouth bass have become the main target of tournament anglers in Lake Ontario in recent years because of the massive sizes that these fish now attain after round gobies were accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes and became a plentiful new food source. Anglers that pursue these giant smallmouth will probably be very interested in some of the results that our study has produced for this species. Our research on bass movements in Lake Ontario has involved several different approaches. The first phase of this project involved tagging bass with regular plastic Tbar tags. Each tag has an identification number, as well as contact information for our lab at Queen’s University that anglers could use to report the fish if it is caught, or that we could use to learn more about the history of the fish if it turned up at a tournament weighin. Fish were double tagged because a certain percentage of fish will lose tags over time.

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 55

The vast majority of our tagging efforts occurred at the weigh-ins of tournaments around the eastern basin of Lake Ontario, such as the Canadian Open of Fishing in Kingston. In 2015, we expanded the scope of this research to include the Thousand Islands Open in the town of Rockport, on the St. Lawrence River. For the past several years, we’ve also tagged another group of smallmouth that we’ve caught at known locations that have been recorded. Since we usually don’t know where our tournament-tagged fish were originally caught, this second group of fish provides us with some information about natural movements of Lake Ontario smallmouth if they are re-caught at a later date. At the time that this article is being written, we’ve tagged about 3,500 smallmouth bass and have received approximately 200 reports of tagged fish that were recaptured. So what are we learning from these tag returns? First and foremost, we’re learning that the vast majority of bass released at these tournaments are surviving. In fact, we’ve had many reports of tagged fish observed on beds after spawning in this end of the lake. We are also learning some very interesting things about the distances that some smallmouth will travel after being released at a tournament weigh-in. Although we have Recapture locations (yellow dots) of Smallmouth Bass tagged and released after tournaments in Kingston.

56 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

many reports of smallmouth being re-caught within about 10-kilometers of Kingston, we also have reports of several fish that were tagged at Kingston tournaments being recaptured at locations such as the Main Duck Islands, False Duck Islands and Mallorytown on the Canadian side of the lake, as well as in locations such as Henderson Harbour and Chippewa Bay on the US side. Some of these fish have probably travelled over 50-kilometers after their release near Kingston! At this time, our interpretation of these findings is that the smallmouth travelling these long distances were probably caught initially in these areas during the tournament and that these areas are likely part of their home range. After being tagged and released in Kingston, we believe that they’ve travelled back to these areas and have been re-caught. Because most smallmouth will spawn in the same general area every year, the fact that some of these fish have been re-caught off beds provides further evidence that these fish have probably gone back home. So what about that other experimental group of smallmouth that we tagged ourselves and recorded their initial location? Interestingly, some of these bass have also now been re-caught and are providing us with another fascinating aspect to this study. In virtually every case where fish have been tagged and released on site, the re-capture location ends up being in essentially the same area (i.e. within about 1-km of the initial capture site). In several of these cases, the fish were re-captured at least a year after their initial capture and tagging event. In our opinion, these initial results suggest that the sizes of the home ranges for these smallmouth may not be that different from those previously reported for smaller waterbodies. In an earlier study by Dr. Mark Ridgway (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) on Lake Opeongo (1), the home range sizes for 14 smallmouth bass fell between 83

Rachael Hornsby conducting surgery to implant a transmitter into a smallmouth bass as part of her MSc thesis project at Queen's University.

and 304 hectares, and the average was 183 hectares. In other words, the average size of the home range for smallmouth in this inland lake was roughly equivalent to a one kilometer wide by two kilometers long rectangle. Interestingly, our initial findings for Lake Ontario smallmouth are consistent with home ranges roughly this size. Since Lake Ontario (18,960 Km2) is a much larger body of water than Lake Opeongo (58 Km2), this may initially seem surprising, but it probably makes sense from an energy perspective. Despite the massive size of Lake Ontario, it probably doesn’t make sense for smallmouth to roam over large distances if all of their necessities of life (e.g. food and shelter) can be found in a much smaller area. In 2015, we began Phase 2 of our research on bass movements in Lake Ontario. In this phase of our study, we’ve taken advantage of state of the art technology that allows us to monitor the movements of individual fish. In these experiments, bass are anaesthetized (put to sleep) and a transmitter is surgically implanted in their abdominal cavity. When the fish is back in the water, the signals emitted by these transmitters are picked up by receivers deployed at fixed locations, as long as the fish travels within about 1 km of the receiver. Once again, these experiments involved two groups of fish. The purpose of the first group (the control group) was to learn more about the natural movements of smallmouth bass in Lake Ontario. The purpose of the second group was to learn even more about the abilities of smallmouth displaced in tournaments to find their way from the weigh-in release site back to the area where they were initially caught. In other words, this second phase of our research uses much more sophisticated technology to gain further insight into our initial questions by obtaining more detailed information from individual fish. Although the second phase of this study has only recently begun, we’ve already obtained

Receiver locations (gates) in the Bay of Quinte that are being used to track movements of smallmouth bass caught from Lake Ontario, implanted with transmitters, and released in Belleville.

Receiver locations at the Main Duck Islands in Lake Ontario that are being used to follow the natural movements of smallmouth bass caught in this area and implanted with transmitters.

some fascinating information that’s consistent with some of our earlier results. During Phase 2, we attempted to create a control group by capturing 12 smallmouth from the Main Duck Islands and implanting them with transmitters before releasing them on site. We then deployed 6 acoustic receivers to monitor whether the natural behaviour of these fish would be to stay in the same general area where they were caught. When the information from the receivers was downloaded a month later, our initial hypothesis was confirmed. While there were subtle differences in the behaviour of individual fish, all 12 of these smallmouth were picked up by the receivers at various times throughout the experiment. In other words, these fish appeared to stay in the same general area

throughout the experiment. In our opinion, these results indicate that these fish probably live at the Main Ducks and just travel back and forth from deep water (out of receiver detection range) to shallower water to feed (within receiver detection range). Interestingly, similar to the results in the first phase of our study, these results are also consistent with the idea that home range sizes for smallmouth in Lake Ontario may be roughly equivalent to those previously described for a smaller inland lake. In order to assess the ability of individual fish displaced in tournaments to find their way back to the area where they were initially caught, we first created a series of “gates” at narrow locations in the Bay of Quinte by deploying rows of receivers. Transmitters were then implanted in 18 Lake Ontario smallmouth that had been transported to Belleville and released (in that area). This experiment mimics the same displacement that has happened to many Lake Ontario smallmouth over the years when there are tournaments out of Belleville, or other sites in the Bay of Quinte, that allow

anglers to go to Lake Ontario and catch them. Our initial results from the displacement experiment were a bit of a surprise. The first data was downloaded from the receivers between six and seven-weeks after the fish had been released. At that time, none of the displaced smallmouth had moved back into Lake Ontario. In fact, most of the fish were still in the upper section of the Bay of Quinte. These results appear to contradict additional findings from the earlier study on Lake Opeongo that determined smallmouth home ranges. In that study, 15 of 18 smallmouth that were displaced from their home ranges returned to it within nine-days. In this comparison, however, the relative size of the lake and the extent of the displacement may be very important factors. In the Lake Opeongo

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58 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

study, the maximum displacement distance was 14-km and the average was a little less than seven-km. In comparison, the average displacement distance in our experiment was about 70-km, roughly 10-times further. Our initial results suggest that most smallmouth that are displaced these long distances in big water (e.g. Great Lakes) tournaments do not immediately return to their home range. It is possible that some of them will make their way back to Lake Ontario over time and we are anxiously waiting to see the next data on these fish when our receivers

are downloaded again at the end of May. An interesting sidebar to this story is that one of our displaced smallmouth was actually detected later in the fall by receivers in Lake Ontario that had been deployed by another group of scientists for a different study. This indicates that at least one of our fish made the entire journey back to Lake Ontario after our receivers were downloaded and re-deployed last fall. This observation is also consistent with the reports of some tagged smallmouth in the first phase of our study being re-captured after very long journeys from their initial tournament release site. By the end of this field season, we should know a lot more about the actual percentage of tournamentcaught smallmouth that make their way back to their home ranges over time after displacement on these big water bodies. Even at this early stage, I believe there are some important conclusions that can be drawn from this research. The first is that most released tournament fish will survive if they are properly looked after by anglers and tournament organizers. Another important conclusion is that Lake Ontario smallmouth

probably have home ranges that are roughly similar in size to those determined for smaller inland lakes. From an angling perspective, this result is important to note because it suggests that fish observed one day in an area probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be too far away on subsequent days. Another important conclusion, with relevance to conservation, is that removing a lot of big fish from specific areas (either through harvest, or displacement in tournaments) could have an impact on the quality of the fishery in that area over time. In my opinion, our results, as well as those from other studies, suggest that certain areas in a large lake, such as Lake Ontario, probably have unique genetics that we should strive to preserve if possible. The final conclusion may seem obvious to some of us, but in my opinion, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always worth mentioning. Scientific research is essential for appropriate management and conservation of our fisheries. ? REFERENCE: 1) Ridgway, MS and BJ Shuter. 1996. Effects of displacement on the seasonal movements and home range characteristics of Smallmouth Bass in Lake Opeongo. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. Vol 16:371-377.

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Summer 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 59

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

Ward Edmonds (left), Tyler Ramsdell (centre) and Bob Izumi with a sampling of the largemouth bass that inhabit the waters at Streamsong Resort.

With the lack of ice in many areas last winter my ice fishing days were very numbered. They even cancelled the SnoBear Migration on Lake Winnipeg because of the “iffy” conditions. Because of that, and because I had left the Ranger down in Florida, I had a good excuse to go back down south so my wife and I headed back down to Florida for sixdays of fun fishing. It’s nice to just get away and go fishing without having to shoot TV stuff, do a tournament or have another type of commitment. On these six days there was no commitment, we were just going fishing. We were stationed in Lake Placid, Florida, and Clay Lake was behind the hotel we were staying in. It’s a fairly small lake but it’s got a great boat launch so we decided that it would be a good spot to go out and have some fun. On day one, Dave Johnson joined us and we caught a few fish here and there before coming across some isolated weeds just off of a boat dock. I threw out a Berkley Havoc Grass Pig and got a hit, set the hook and ended up landing a largemouth that was over eight-pounds!

As much as people talk about the giant bass of Florida, I have fished there for over three decades and catching eight-pound fish is not as easy as you might think. Florida does cough up double digit fish every year, 60 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

but with the amount of year ‘round fishing pressure they’re under, an eight-pounder is a very respectable bass down there. On day two we met Dave at the south end of Lake Okeechobee and proceeded to catch 30 or 40 bass, primarily on swimbaits cast over the flats. It was a great day and we all had lots of fun down in South Bay. On day three a friend, Leo Capobianco, flew in to Florida to join us for a couple of days of fun fishing. On the first day we fished three different lakes in the Lake Placid area that I’d never been on before and we caught a lot of fish, but no big ones. The next day we decided to head back down to Lake Okeechobee early in the morning and, once again, we caught 30 or 40 bass in the south end of the lake using swimbaits. Then my wife and I packed it up and headed over to Bartow, Florida to fish some of the waters at Streamsong Resort. Recreational Director, Tyler Ramsdell, had invited us to go check out some of the lakes on the 16,000-acre Streamsong property. Our good friend, Ward Edmonds, flew in to join us and we fished our brains out. In the course of two-days we fished about five different phosphate pits and ended up catching over 100 bass each day. I would say that at least 80 of them were between four and eight-pounds. It was absolutely incredible fishing and I’ll definitely be going back to Streamsong Resort next year. Then it was time to haul the boat and truck back to Ontario as I had two seminars to do at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show. They moved the show date back into March and the location to the International Centre in Mississauga. The show was very reminiscent of the way it was in the 80s, when it used to be at the old CNE grounds. It was absolutely jammed and you couldn’t even get a parking spot without waiting in huge lineups just to get into the lot. It was

absolutely a happening and very busy show. Then it was time to get some work done around home base, tape some radio shows, work on production and a few other things before getting back on the road for a little drive down to the great state of Texas. Canadian fishing guide, Joe Ford, guides down in Texas for a few months every year on Lake Fork. Lake Fork is a renowned big bass fishery and it was exciting for me as I’d only been there once, back about 20-years ago. Well, we fished hard for two and a halfdays but didn’t get any quality fish. It just seemed like we missed the bite. Joe had caught fish just under 10-pounds prior to us getting there but we hit a bit of a cold front and things just weren’t happening for us. As a result it turned out to be one of those trips that you’ll never see on TV because we just didn’t get enough fish to make a very good show. It was the old, “you should have been here last week” or “you should have stayed for a few extra days” scenario. Joe Ford and Bob with a Lake Fork bass you’ll never see on the Real Fishing Show.

The irony is, just as we were getting ready to leave the big bass started moving up onto the beds in droves. We went into one cove the last day of fishing and every 40-yards there were guys fishing bedding fish. Seven,

eight, nine, ten-pound fish were being caught but we just ran out of time. These types of trips humble you a bit but I guess if they all went good every time it would be called “catching” instead of fishing. Oh well, it is what it is. Then it was off to Oklahoma to my buddy, Dave Smith’s private lake. When I say private, there are only five or six properties on the lake. Dave’s got a fishing lodge there that he keeps as a bit of a getaway. We decided we weren’t going to shoot any video; we were just going to have some fun. As it turned out, we caught 60 or 70 fish up to about six-pounds, including lots of four and five-pounders. It would have made some great video but, even though we didn’t shoot any, it was a fun two days of fishing. And that was that for our down and dirty fun fishing trip. When we got back home I had a dentist’s appointment, I got some maintenance done on the vehicle and I did some more radio taping. Then a friend, Steve Joyce from Fox Harb’r Resort, invited us to the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper gala event in Toronto at the CBC headquarters. It was an incredibly fun event and a lot of money was raised for this great cause. Then it was time to pack up and head to Georgian Bay on our maiden voyage with the new Ranger Z522D bass boat. This boat is definitely the finest big water bass boat I’ve ever been in in my life. It is a spacious, soft riding, deep boat that will handle whatever the Great Lakes can dish at you. Local guide, Blair McCaffrey, joined us for two days of fishing up there. He guides out of Pleasant Cove for owner, Bruce Bishop. We shot a show and caught some big pike up there about 15-years ago so it was fun to get back up to Pointe au Baril and get out fishing on Georgian Bay. We saw some really big pike and we caught a lot of pike - but we didn’t catch any big pike. We did catch an eight-pound walleye on a Berkley War Pig crankbait, which was a nice bonus. We also met up with a Ministry of Natural Resources group who were netting some spawning walleyes and we had the chance to film them netting, measuring and tagging some walleyes up to 12-pounds. I had a very good conversation with the MNR folks and also spent some time in the

evening with them. They told me that the population of walleyes up there is very fragile so if you fish for them you should consider putting some of the bigger fish back. I realize they’re good eating, but the best way to help sustain the population up there is to release the big spawning fish. Then it was time to get the smallmouth stuff ready and head to Wisconsin with my friend, Derek Strub, for the annual Sturgeon Bay Open. Derek keeps a record of every day he fishes and he has detailed notes on every one of our practice days, every one of our finishes, the wind conditions, water temperatures and all those things that really good anglers should keep track of. I’d do it myself but I’d wear out too many pens and too much paper if I did that! We headed to Wisconsin with high hopes but in all the years we’ve fished this tournament the conditions have never been the same. When we got to Sturgeon Bay on Lake Michigan the water temperatures were cold and the fishing was tougher than normal, although we did end up catching just under 23-pounds on the first day and were sitting in 24th place. Day two got cancelled and so we had to wait until Sunday to finish the tournament. They use Sunday as a rain day in case the first or second day gets cancelled. When we got back on the water it was still pretty rough, but not as rough as it was day two. It turned out to be a very tough bite for us. We went to our prime area where we had caught our fish on the first day but only managed to scrape up four fish. After working it all day I looked at the clock and saw that we only had about 20-minutes of fishing time left since we had a long run back to

the weigh-in. So we decided to go to an area where we caught one five-pound fish in practice but didn’t visit on day one. We got there and immediately I lost a heavy fish. Then Derek lost a big fish. This tournament has a six fish limit and we only had four fish in the well. Time was ticking and we still had a fairly long run back when Derek hooks up and lands one about 4 ¾pounds. Now we’ve got five fish in the well and I’m looking at my watch thinking, man we’ve got to run, we’ve got to get back. So we started running back and, about fourmiles outside of the weigh-in, we had 14minutes left. So we stopped at a spot that didn’t have anything when we checked it in practice but we have caught fish on in previous years and doesn’t Strub set the hook on a 5.83-pounder – number six!

Derek Strub and Bob with a couple of chunky Wisconsin smallmouth.

I unhooked his bait and put the fish in the livewell, then right away he sets the hook into a 2½-pounder. The smallest one in our livewell was about 2¾ so we put the smaller fish back, fired up the outboard and ran the new Ranger Z522D wide open through the choppy water to get back to the weighSummer 2016 – Real Fishing 61

in. We made it with about 30-seconds to spare and ended up moving into a pretty respectable 15th place out of 171 boats. Once I got home I had to unpack then pack up the pike stuff and head back up to Georgian Bay to finish the show. My brother Wayne and I caught a lot of fish with our guide, Blair, and although we didn’t get any big ones, we did get enough to finish the show off. We caught most of our fish on the new Berkley Cutter 110 jerkbait. These suspending jerkbaits are reasonably priced and they’ve got a great action. Then it was home for a day before packing up for a brook trout and pike trip to Nipigon. I invited my friend John Whyte, from www.timeonthewater.ca and a number of other sites, on this trip. We left in the afternoon on Victoria Day and decided we’d only drive part way up. We got as far as Cochrane that night and did the rest of the drive the next day. On the way up there we got stopped on Highway 11 for about an hour and a half because there were forest fires along both sides of the road in that

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62 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

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area. Once we got going again we drove past the smoldering areas on our way our destination at Pasha Lake Cabins. Chad and Michelle Thompson from Wisconsin have had this operation for a few years now and they do a great job running this fishing camp. They have a number of cabins for rent and they offer their guests fishing on more than 100 lakes in the area, including big Lake Nipigon. Lake Nipigon has been on my bucket list since I got into this business so I was really looking forward to sampling the fishing there.

inch brook trout out on Lake Superior. Needless to say I was pretty excited to fish at the other end of the river, up on Lake Nipigon. On the first day Chad Thompson hooked us up with guide, Gus Buta. Gus has grown up all his life fishing, both commercially and recreationally. He’s a true outdoorsman who lives in Beardmore, just down the road from Pasha Lake Cabins and he’s got a wealth of knowledge. When I asked him how the lake trout fishing was, he said they average around 20-pounds. He also told me that

Inside one of the comfortably appointed cabins at Pashe Lake.

Most of the guests were concentrating on pike, walleye and brook trout on the smaller lakes in the area and I didn’t talk to one of them who weren’t catching fish. A father and son talked about the 40-inch pike they had caught after they limited out on walleyes that morning; another guy from Wisconsin was telling me how he caught 40 walleyes that day, and another group of guys were talking about the pike and walleyes they caught. It seemed like everybody was catching fish. Walleye wasn’t open on Lake Nipigon when we were there so our main focus was on brook trout and pike. In the three-days of fishing we had up there we spent 70% to 80% of our time on brook trout and the other 20% to 30% of our time on pike. We didn’t catch any really big pike but every time we went into pike-looking bays we would catch dozens of fish. But the real reason we were there was for the brook trout fishing. The world record brook trout was caught in the Nipigon River back in 1915. Last year we made a trip to Bowman Island Charters on the Lake Superior end on the Nipigon River and, on my third cast, I caught a 24-

they have a derby there every year and there’s 40-pound fish caught in Nipigon. He said that at this time of year the fish are scattered but it gets better as it gets later into the season. The brook trout fishing, he said, is amazing, along with big pike and walleye fishing. It’s an incredible and diverse fishery up there. On the first day Gus said he was taking us to a “warm up area” where we would catch lots of 17 to 20-inch fish. Well, John and I ended up going to this warm up area and we caught a dozen beautiful 17 to 20-inch brook trout as well as a few bonus pike. The first three fish that John caught all came by jigging and snapping a little 1/8ounce jighead with a Berkley Powerbait Twitchtail Minnow on it. I was using a twoinch Powerbait Ripple Shad on a little tiny swimbait jighead that weighed about 1/16 of an ounce. I was casting it out on four-pound Nanofil line with a fluorocarbon leader and it definitely was the winner as it caught the most brook trout that day. We ended up catching a dozen brookies in total and had an absolute riot getting our show shot. We decided to go on our own for the next

Bob and John Whyte with one of many trophy brook trout they caught in Lake Nipigon.

two days and fish different areas. On the second day we caught brook trout up to 22inches. My son Darren, who is the camera

man, took a break and caught three in a row using a blue and silver Johnson Shutter Spoon. In the space of about 10-minutes he

got his personal biggest, a four-pounder, then bested it with a four and a halfpounder and then got another personal best 22-incher that weighed about five and a half-pounds! Needless to say it was an amazing day. The next day we decided we’d go to go to another area about 20-miles away and ended up catching brook trout up to sixpounds. I caught a 22 ½-incher that was around six-pounds, John Whyte caught a 22-incher that was five-plus pounds, we caught another 22-incher, in fact, the smallest fish we caught that day was four-pounds. It was absolutely incredible. I’m glad I got this trip knocked off my bucket list but the problem is, now I want to go back. I’m already thinking of making another trip up there in another two-years or so. I’d really like to sample the walleye fishing there, I definitely want to go after the brook trout again and I want to poke around at some of those giant lakers and pike as well. ?

Summer 2016 – Real Fishing 63

What’s COOKING

GRILLED

Orange Bourbon Salmon Here’s a great tasting salmon recipe that incorporates a hint of sweetness with the tang of orange and bourbon. Simple and quick to prepare, this dish is perfect as a side on a buffet table or as a main course.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

6-ounce Salmon fillets, about 1” thick

garlic cloves, chopped

1) Combine all ingredients (except salmon & cooking spray) in a large, zip-top bag.

1/4 cup

bourbon

1/4 cup

orange juice

1/4 cup

low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup

brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup

green onions, chopped

3 tbsp

fresh chives, chopped

3 tbsp

lemon juice cooking spray

64 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

2) Add salmon and marinate in refrigerator for 1-1/2 hours, turning bag occasionally. 3) Remove salmon and reserve marinade. 4) Coat grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. 5) Grill salmon on rack or broiler pan for 6 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste frequently with reserved marinade.

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K I D S ’ F I S H A RT W I N N E R S

Grades 10-12 Winner and Overall Grand Prize Winner Howyn Tang, Richmond Hill, ON

Each fall, Ontario students are invited to enter the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Kids’ Fish Art Contest by submitting an original artwork depicting one of the official contest fish species. There are three categories - grades 4-6, grades 7-9 and grades 10-12 – with one

Grades 7-9 Winner Maria Chigireva, Toronto, ON

winner selected from each. The official fish for the 13th annual contest were Brown Bullhead and Aurora Trout. Here are the winners of the 2015 contest, each of who won a prize package along with having their designs appear on the 2016 young angler's licence.

66 Real Fishing – Summer 2016

Grades 4-6 Winner Madeline Swan, Huntsville, ON

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