Spring 2017 by Real Fishing

Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689

VOLUME 23 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 2 Just $4.95

Spring 2017

DISPLAY UNTIL JULY 15, 2017

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Contents Features 30 THE RETURN OF THE ATLANTIC SALMON An in-depth look at the history of the Atlantic salmon in Ontario and the ongoing efforts to re-establish it. By Dave Taylor

40 MARINA MAGIC Unlocking the secrets to patterning and catching big bass from in and around marinas. By David A. Brown

48 ROWANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RIVER RAT A simple pattern to quickly and easily make your own unique muskie lure. By Mark Forabosco

54 STRANGE BEDFELLOWS The story of how predator and prey come together each spring to complete the circle of life. By Barry Corbett

Spring 2017 Volume 23, Issue 2 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi

Columns

20 6 OPENING LINES

26 BEST FISHING TIMES

By Jerry Hughes

Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

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

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $12.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504

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

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

16 FISHING By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING By Steve May

20 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX By Patrick Daradick

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

White Sturgeon

60 TALES FROM THE ROAD

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

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

On the cover: SWIMBAIT SUCCESS! Photo by Izumi Outdoors

28 THE HOT BITE

64 WHAT’S COOKING

66 ART OF ANGLING

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Happy Time Is there any better time of year than the spring? After several long months of generally cold, damp, grey and gloomy days, the arrival of spring seems like the whole world is waking up happy. You notice that the sky has a distinctively bluer look to it and the trees seem to be reaching upwards, as if stretching for the warm sun after a long, cold sleep. Birds you haven’t seen for months appear on your lawn, where the first new shoots of grass, flowers and weeds also show themselves. And fish start moving again. Steelhead and walleyes are heading for the rivers where they will spawn. Pike will be in the shallow, weedy bays doing their mating thing too. Crappies, perch and the rest of the panfish clan will be moving into shorelines, bays and marinas to carry out their annual duties to their species. Great Lakes Salmon and brown trout will also be in predictable areas in the spring, not to spawn, but to gorge themselves on the baitfish that invade the shallower areas to lay their eggs. Anglers will be in those same places, armed with the knowledge that spring is the best time of the year to find big concentrations of fish in relatively small areas. And that adds up to some pretty easy fishing. In fact, the fishing can be so easy that a lot of lakes and rivers have special rules and regulations in place specifically for the spring season. These can range from things like restrictions on the number and species of fish you are allowed to keep to which sections of a waterbody are open to fishing at a particular time, and practically anything in-between. Making things more confusing is that a lot of these rules are specific to certain areas, so what is considered legal in one place may not be in another. But, as responsible anglers, it’s up 6 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

to each and every one of us to be aware of, and follow, the rules that pertain to the waters we’ll be fishing. All the information you need is easily accessible on your Provincial website so there’s no excuse for not knowing. Rules and regulations aside, spring is the one season that really gets the anglerblood pumping. It’s when we can finally pull our boats out of storage and rig them up for a brand new season. It’s when we prepare that new rod and reel – or service the old ones. It’s when we restock and reorganize our tackle. And it’s when we get that feeling of giddy anticipation that reminds us if why fishing is so important to us. There’s definitely something more to spring than just great fishing. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a sort of happiness in the air that just can’t be duplicated in any other season. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to take the dog out for his walk, even after you’ve put in a long, hard day at work. It makes digging and planting the garden seem almost pleasurable. And it makes you want to stay out fishing, even if the fish aren’t biting very well. Can any other season do that? Not in my books. ?

Technology has evolved, so has the Series One. The Berkley Series One combines tried and true with modern technology, creating a lightweight blank with an optimized guide train layout and extending the legacy of an all time favorite. See all our innovations at berkley-fishing.com.

berkley-fishing.com berkley b fishing.com Berkley is a register trademark subsidiary of Pure Fishing, Inc. ÂŠ 2016

OUT TO LAUNCH There’s a good reason why so many anglers insist on 4-wheel drive tow vehicles. No dock? No ramp? No problem!

8 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

Spring 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 9

BERKLEY B1 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR This year the Berkley B1, regarded as one of the premiere competitive fishing events in Canada, is expanding its single tournament format by introducing a three-event, Triple Crown Championship Tour. Each tournament will be a two-day, total weight format and anglers may fish one, two or all three events. Those who sign up for all three events will have the option to enter into a “Team of the Year” points chase that features a grand prize purse of $20,000.00. The season will begin June 30th & July 1st on the Bay of Quinte. The second event will be held on Lake Erie, out of Port Colborne, on August 18th & 19th and the tour wraps up on Lake St-Francis in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, on September 22nd & 23rd. “It took eight long years of development to finally make this monumental move to expand the Berkley B1 brand into Ontario,” states Ben Woo, President of the Berkley B1. “We are beyond excited to be able to share the B1 experience with new anglers and to have the opportunity to pave the foundation of professional, competitive bass fishing in Canada moving forward.”

Each event on the B1 Tour offers a guaranteed first place prize of a fully equipped Ranger bass boat powered by a Mercury outboard motor, along with up to $60,000.00 in

additional cash and prizes. You can find full entry information, event schedules, payouts and more on the Berkley B1 website at www.BerkleyB1.com.

EVENTS Calendar KIDS, COPS AND CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS

Year ‘round youth oriented fishing events. Various dates and locations. 1-888-296-8978 www.kidsandcops.ca ORILLIA PERCH FESTIVAL

April 22 - May 13 Lakes Simcoe & Couchiching Orillia, ON www.orillia.com

10 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

BLUEWATER ANGLERS SALMON DERBY

SASKATCHEWAN WALLEYE TRAIL

April 28 - May 7 Lake Huron Point Edward, ON www.bluewateranglers.com

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

KIWANIS WALLEYE WORLD

SOUTHERN ALBERTA WALLEYE TRAIL

May 5 - 7 Bay of Quinte Trenton, ON www.kiwaniswalleyeworld.com

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

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND FORESTRY SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Ontario’s MNRF is offering summer employment opportunities to help students develop important skills, gain meaningful experience and learn more about a career in natural resource management. These summer jobs allow students to play an important role in supporting Ontario’s biodiversity and helping combat climate change by creating habitat for endangered species, evaluating forest health, working in Ontario Parks, supporting policy development and conducting scientific research. There are more than 2,000 summer jobs and full-time internships available to young people in over 200 communities across Ontario, including Stewardship Youth Ranger, Assistant Forest Technician, Fish and Wildlife Assistant positions, among others. The province also offers summer jobs and work exchanges specifically for Indigenous youth that provide hands-on experience, on-the-job coaching and opportunities to explore a career in natural resources management. For more information, visit the MNRF website at www.news.ontario.ca/mnrf/en.

ANGLER & YOUNG ANGLER TOURNAMENTS

June - August Various dates and locations in Canada and the United States. http://www.angleryoungangler.com/ BERKLEY B1 TOURNAMENTS

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

CSFL BASSMANIA TOURNAMENTS

RENEGADE BASS TOUR

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

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

FLW CANADA TOURNAMENTS

NATIONAL FISHING WEEK

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

July 1 - 9 License-free fishing days across Canada www.catchfishing.com

Spring 2017 – 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

Garrett Steele Nashville TN Black Crappie

Jerry Collins Waterloo ON Lake Trout

Charlie Ricottone Milton ON Smallmouth Bass

Rick Constantine Monroe CT Walleye

Alysha Storey Barrie ON Largemouth Bass

12 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

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

2017

HOT RODS Combining the tried-and-true with modern technology, Berkley’s new Series One rods feature lightweight, 30-ton graphite 100% carbon fiber blanks for incredible sensitivity and power. The stainless steel guide frames feature deep pressed, zirconium oxide inserts for increased durability while also improving casting distance and accuracy. Precision Lock twist-down reel seats provide a solid, secure base for your reel and full cork handles deliver all-day comfort. The new Series One rods are available in 9 casting and 13 spinning models, in a variety of lengths and actions.

www.berkley-fishing.com

MOUNT UP NavPod’s new Carbon Series PowerPods and PedestalPods provide protection from water intrusion to the backs of fishfinders and chartplotters while neatly concealing the cables and connectors. PowerPods are designed for dash/console mounting and provide the clean look of flush mounting with the advantages of a swivel base. PedestalPods, designed for front deck mounting on bass-style boats, position displays 20-inches up off the deck and at a 45-degree viewing angle. Sturdy and secure, PowerPods and PedestalPods are available in pre-cut models that are compatible with 7, 9 and 12-inch LCD displays from all major marine electronics manufacturers.

www.navpod.com

SHINE ON Coleman’s new Conquer™ Twist™ 550L LED Lantern has been designed from the inside out to reliably provide bright light when you need it. Its rugged exterior protects against impacts from falls of up to two meters. The interior is protected by the BatteryLock™ system that completely disengages the batteries, reducing the toxic corrosion that can cause damage to your lantern and allowing batteries to be stored in the lantern for up to their rated shelf life. With a unique twisting design, you can select one of four light modes by simply turning the top portion of the lantern. A comfort-grip top handle and fold-down carabiner handle make it easy to carry or hang the lantern almost anywhere.

www.colemancanada.ca 14 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

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

HAPPY FEET Laid-back and versatile, Columbia’s ventilated, slip-on Bahama™ Vent PFG shoe is specifically designed to allow airflow and to let water escape, making it ideal for fishing and other activities around the water. The high-traction rubber outsole is razor-siped for superior gripping power on wet surfaces, and the Techlite midsole is equally supportive and cushioning for lasting all-day comfort. The rugged canvas and leather upper is designed to look great and deliver years of use.

www.columbiasportswear.ca

STICKY STUFF T-Rex® Tape is formulated with super-durable, extra-thick, UV-resistant materials to work longer and hold stronger than other utility tapes, in all kinds of weather. Its three layer design makes it perfect for any project, from simple, around-thehouse fixes to extreme work-site repairs. Layer one is a tough, thick, UV-resistant polyethylene skin that repels the harshest weather elements; layer two consists of a reinforced inner cloth made from thick, heavy thread that is tightly and securely interwoven. The third layer is a super-aggressive, double-thick adhesive that offers superior holding power in a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels and on rougher and dirtier surfaces than other ordinary tapes.

www.trextape.com

SEE HERE Costa’s new Sunrise Silver Mirror lens sharpens contrast all day but performs best under low light conditions, making it ideal for dusk and dawn performance and for fishing on overcast days. The lenses allow 30% light transmission versus the typical 10 to12% while maintaining 99% polarization efficiency, giving them the highest light transmission of any polarized lens on the market. The mirrored finish also helps deflect harsh light away from the eyes to ease eye strain and help reduce eye fatigue. Scratch resistant and prescription ready, the Sunrise Silver Mirror lens is currently offered in a variety of frames including the Blackfin, Corbina, Fantail, Fisch, Motu, Tuna Alley, Southpoint, and Isabella styles.

www.costadelmar.com

Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

The Next Generation Over the years I’ve used this column to talk about what equipment to use, what fishing techniques to try and tips and tricks on how to catch more fish but there’s one thing that’s more important than all of those, at least in my mind, and that’s introducing more people to the sport of fishing. When you look at the numbers of people who participate in fishing here in Canada, the statistics show that it is not a growing sport. It’s been pretty stagnant for many, many years and the whole fishing industry has always asked the same old question, “How do we get more people involved in fishing?” For the last decade or so we’ve promoted our Kids & Cops fishing events and we currently do over 70 of these each year. In a lot of cases young people who have never fished before are showing up at these events with their parents or friends or neighbours and they’re getting introduced to the sport through a fun-filled day of fishing. It’s amazing to think that we live in a country that is

16 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

full of hundreds of thousands of lakes, rivers, streams and ponds that are available to fish, for dozens of different species, yet many people don’t ever get the chance or take the time to participate in fishing. One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of people have just never had the opportunity to be introduced to fishing. And let’s face it, if you’ve never fished before just going out to buy a rod, reel, lures, hooks etc., can be a challenge, especially if you have no experience or point of reference. Every now and then I’ll meet someone who started fishing on their own and are really into it, but the fact is that many of us had the opportunity, in our youth, to get out fishing with somebody who already knew the ropes.

I’m always encouraged when I meet parents who drive their kids to fishing locations and hang out and supervise them while they try to catch a few fish. That always reminds me of when I was young and how my dad and I used to go fishing all the time. We’d go fishing on the shores of the Thames River for the spring walleye run, we would go down to Shrewsbury on Rondeau Bay to catch bass, pike and panfish from the shore, or we’d go somewhere else to fish for whatever was available. It seems like just yesterday, when I was eight or nine-years old, that my dad used to keep a Popeil’s Pocket Fisherman in the glove box of his car. I remember going walleye fishing with him on the Thames River one day. We were fishing at Kent Bridge and I was using a regular length fishing rod while dad had that Popeil’s Pocket Fisherman. For a fold-out fishing apparatus, that was maybe 20-inches to two-feet long, dad could get a pretty good cast out with it. But when he’d get a hit he’d have to set the hook by running backwards like crazy just to try and get the hooks buried into the walleye’s mouth. I still laugh when I think about him trying to set the hook with that little fold-out rod and reel. It’s those types of memories that you keep with you and look back on fondly as you get older. I’m sure all of you have similar stories from your early years of fishing. When we put our busy lives aside and spend some time introducing someone to fishing, we’re helping to create those same types of memories for the next generation – and isn’t a lifetime of great memories what fishing’s really all about? I was fortunate enough to grow up learning how to fish from my father and a number of friends and neighbours but many people aren’t that lucky. So if you’ve got a family member, a relation, a friend or even a neighbour who hasn’t had the chance to try fishing, why not take a few hours and introduce them to it. In a lot of cases that opportunity might be all it takes to get them hooked for life. ?

68 OTHER

MODELS IN STORE

BELOEIL - BROSSARD - BURLINGTON - CAMBRIDGE - ETOBICOKE - LAVAL - OSHAWA OTTAWA - QUEBEC - VAUGHAN - VAUDREUIL-DORION (opening spring 2017)

fly fishing By Stephen May

Modern Nymphing Over the past several years the fly fishing world has seen improvements in a variety of techniques and equipment. One of the areas where significant advances have taken place is with nymphing techniques. Many people used to just “chuck it and chance it” with nymphs. Fish eat enough nymphs that one drifting by randomly will usually find a fish or two. But, with a better understanding of modern techniques, nymphing can be incredibly productive because fish do eat a lot of small bugs drifting by. Whether you are chasing stream trout, steelhead or bass, nymphing can probably get you in touch with more fish than any other fly fishing technique. Two core nymphing styles have seen the most development and have taken this method of fly presentation to a new level right angle nymphing and European style nymphing. Right angle nymphing uses a strike indicator and gets your flies into areas where you need to present them at a controlled depth (usually near bottom) out in the current from your position. The float tracks where your fly goes downstream and helps you steer it into areas where fish should be holding. The “right angle” part is accomplished by using a thin tippet material from the float to your weight to cut through the water and basically go straight down below your indicator to the fish. Careful casting gets the fly out into the flow while still allowing it to be controlled when it is passing through fish-holding lies. It is best to hold the indicator back a bit so it is travelling downstream a little slower than the surface water and bubbles. This presentation gives you the ability to instantly see when something touches your fly, whether it’s the bottom or a fish! This is one of my favorite steelhead techniques. River smallmouth fishing with this tactic can also be stupid good, especially if you use a big, buggy fly. It also is 18 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

easy for beginners to learn. With a little bit of time, success will skyrocket for most people that take the time to understand and practice this technique. European nymphing is also called straightline or short-line nymphing. For people who do not like using bobbers when fly fishing, this is the technique to use! It has received a great deal of attention through competitive fly fishing (I know, it doesn’t sound right) and it works best with a long, light, sensitive rod, fine leaders and compact, but heavy, flies. You need to carefully wade closer to the fish with this technique than you do when right-angle nymphing. With European nymphing, flies are flipped upstream and “led” through the run. This is an easy way to systematically fish an area as your fly tumbles along bottom. Longer rods

make it easier to control the drift and to reach out for the fish. It is common to rig up with multiple flies when using this technique and flies made almost entirely of tungsten, with just a bit of fur on them, are great to use with this method. You often feel a bump when a fish takes on a tight line so if there is any hesitation, or if something feels “different” with your presentation, set the hook immediately. Nymphing with modern techniques is certainly worth the time to look into. These methods have come a long way over the years and can really help you hook up with more fish from your favourite river. ?

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

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosi)

The Great Grey (or Gray) Owl (Strix nebulosi) is the largest of our owls, measuring 24 to 33.5-inches tall with a wingspan that can reach up to 55-inches. However, it is not our heaviest owl. That honour goes to the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). A male Great Horned Owl’s mean weight is about 2.7-pounds versus the Great Grey’s mean weight of about 2.2-pounds. Female horned owls average 3.5-pounds while female grey owls come in at about 2.8-pounds. Like most birds of prey the female of the species is larger than the males. The Great Grey Owl is a frequent winter visitor to places well outside its normal range. These winter migrations, known as “irruptions”, occur almost yearly, but some years see more of these owls showing up in

20 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

places like southern Ontario, the southern portions of the Prairie Provinces and well into the northern United States. Sometimes there are so many owls heading south that they make the evening news. The reason for these irruptions seems to be a lack of food in their home range, coupled with a very successful breeding year. They tend to be cyclic and this winter of 2017 is one of the low years, but the fall could be excellent. Great Horned Owls very rarely have irruptions and tend to stay in their territories year ‘round. For most of the year Great Grey Owls are found only in the boreal forest. This is the largest forest on the planet and extends from Norway east across Asia to Alaska and ends in Quebec. The Great Grey Owl can be found throughout this huge range as far south as Northern California. The determining factors as to where these owls will live are the presence of a combination of spruce, pine and swampy areas. Nowhere in its range is it a very common bird. Voles dominate the Great Grey Owl’s diet, but any small mammal will do. They will occasionally take larger prey such as snowshoe hares. Frogs and small birds can also be on their menu. Unlike the more familiar Great Horned Owl, the Great Grey is not very territorial. Great Horned Owls can be heard hooting throughout their winter breeding season but Great Greys are much quieter. They seem to tolerate other Great Greys that are in their breeding area far more than other owls tolerate their own kinds. Great Grey Owls do vocalize however. Males will give 8 to 12 low, muffled hoots, among other calls. Females answer with a mellow whoop. They are monogamous for the most part although some “cheating” on their mates has been documented. The pair does not stay togeth-

er once the young are fledged but the same couple do pair up again for the next breeding season. They do not make nests, preferring to use pre-built nests that they take over from other birds. They will readily accept nesting platforms built by humans. Eggs are laid between March and May, depending on snow depth. After about a month the young hatch and they leave the nest when they are three to four-weeks old. Interestingly, they cannot fly when they leave the nest. That happens a week or two later. During this time they are vulnerable to predation by great horned owls, foxes, lynx and other predators. Why leave the nest? After three or four- weeks the nest is fouled with mites, ticks and other invertebrates that make staying their uncomfortable. Fratricide does happen. If the parents cannot obtain enough food for their three to four babies the babies will either forcefully eject smaller owlets or eat them. The young that do survive are independent by the end of the summer. They will not breed until they are about three-years old. The winter irruptions provide most people with their best opportunity to see one of these magnificent owls. However, anglers who head north to the boreal forest may well encounter them. In the warmer months they prefer to hunt early and late in the day as well as into the night. They are not averse to hunting during the day, however, although this behaviour is more likely during the winter. ?

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

Gibbs Tool & Stamping Works Rufus Gibbs founded his tool and die company, the Gibbs Tool & Stamping Company, on Main Street in Vancouver, in 1908. He arrived in Vancouver from his hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, after completing his tool-and-die-maker apprenticeship at the Canadian General Electric Company in Toronto. Prior to that, Rufus worked for the Ross Rifle Company in Quebec. He then moved to the USA, where he worked for the Cleveland Foundry Company and the Buick Motor Company in Flint Michigan, before moving to Peterborough in 1907.

Rufus Gibbs had an extraordinary passion for fishing and it was only a matter of time before his company was producing metal fishing lures and Gibbs Fishing Tackle was born. The company he established in 1908 succumbed to fire four-years later, but was rebuilt near False Creek. In 1938, a large factory was built on West Third Avenue. Rufus always kept the detail and design of his fishing lures personal. An avid sportsman, he would design and test his patterns on the surrounding lakes and rivers to 22 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

assure they were proven fish getters. He designed his own machinery and dies in order to manufacture all his lures to his precise details. Many photographs of Rufus with trophy fish will attest that his lures were highly successful. A 1950 Gibbs Tackle catalogue from my collection credits Gibbs tackle with many testimonials to the fact that Rufus listened to the fisherman who used his products. He stated, “In designing new models and improving old, suggestions from our customers and the fishing fraternity in general have been carefully considered, and, where found practical, have been adopted. In conclusion, we wish to offer our sincere thanks to the jobber, dealer and fisherman for their kind support and confidence in Gibbs Tackle.” Rufus Gibbs was a prosperous business man so one might find it rare that he remained a bachelor for his entire life. He never owned a car or television, and for 42years he resided on one floor of The Patricia Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

Rufus Gibbs with a 61-pound Tyee he caught in 1945

Rufus was member of, and held executive positions on, many fishing clubs. One wellknown club was the Tyee Club, which was established in 1924 to promote sport salmon fishing on the Campbell River.

Ray Slocum with his 70½-pound, light tackle World Record Tyee salmon.

Rufus himself recorded 79 notable Tyee Salmon, including fish weighing 60 and 61pounds. Of course, those fish were captured with Gibbs spoons. In 1947, a GibbsStewart spoon set a world record when Ray Slocum, from California, landed a 70 ½pound Tyee on light tackle from the Columbia River. Rufus Gibbs also contributed financially to fishing derbies in the Vancouver area, including the Port Alberni Tyee Club Derby. He enjoyed giving and sharing his fortunes and, in 1948, his donation of $50,000 helped establish the Gibbs Boys Club. For several decades the club provided a place for over 2,500 boys to enjoy sports. The Vancouver Aquarium received a donation of $100,000 for expansion purposes in 1966. The following year the Rufe Gibbs Hall of Sport Fishes, featuring live species of West Coast sport fish and taxidermist specimens, was established. In 1965 Gibbs, frustrated with negotiations with the Steelworkers union, decided to cease operations rather than bend to their demands. The company had enough stock to hang on until 1968 but, on December 11, 1968, Rufus Gibbs died. With no heir to his estate, the company was sold to Northwest Tackle in 1969 and re-named Gibbs-Nortac. Gibbs fishing lures are still finding their way into tackle boxes today under the present ownership of Gibbs-Delta in Vancouver. The company is still using some of the original machinery to stamp out lures with the same standards of quality that Rufus established almost 110 years ago. ?

real fishing fish facts

White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus

The white sturgeon is the largest sturgeon in North America and the largest freshwater fish species found in Canada. They are anadromous and spend most of their lives in coastal waters, close to shore in water less than 100-feet deep. Mature adults enter large, freshwater rivers to spawn, generally in the spring, although some may actually begin their migration in late fall and winter. White sturgeon can be identified by their body shape, which is noticeably rounder than other sturgeons. They have a large broad head, small eyes and a short, slightly flattened and bluntly rounded snout. The head also features barbels and a large, sucker-type mouth for feeding along the bottom. Their bodies are not scaled; they are covered with patches of rough skin similar to a shark’s, and feature rows of large, bony plates. Despite their name, white sturgeon are not white. Their backs range from light to dark grey, olive or grey/brown, and the flanks range from pale grey to off-white. Only the belly is white. White sturgeon are native to the Pacific coast of North America, from Alaska to California. In Canada they are most common in the Fraser River system, Kootenay Lake and river, the Columbia River and Vancouver Island. They are also known to occur, in smaller numbers, in several other

coastal watersheds in British Columbia. White sturgeon do not spawn until the females are approximately 18-years of age and the males are at least 14. They continue to spawn throughout their lifetimes, which can stretch to over 100-years, although the frequency decreases as the fish ages. A young female may spawn once every four-years while more mature fish may only spawn once every 10 or 11-years. Spawning takes place in May and June, over rocky bottoms in areas of swift currents near rapids or waterfalls, when water temperatures are between 48°F and 62°F. Egg production is related to the size of individual fish and can range from about 700,000 to upwards of 3-million. The eggs are brown and sticky and they adhere to the bottom where they are laid. The embryos mature into larvae in 8 to 15-days and then spend another 20 to 30-days nestled in the river bed until they emerge as free-swimming young sturgeon. The white sturgeon is, like all sturgeons, a bottom feeder. In fresh water, small sturgeon feed predominantly on chironomids. Other food items include mollusks, immature mayflies, caddis flies and stoneflies. Once a white sturgeon reaches 18 to 20-inches in

length its diet becomes primarily fish-based, although chironomids remain an important food source. At sea, white sturgeon feed on small, bottom dwelling fish and a variety of invertebrates. White sturgeon are an important species in both the commercial and the sport fisheries. Their flesh is quite palatable but they are most prized for their eggs, which are renowned when prepared as caviar. Due to the immense size of the white sturgeon, often stretching to over eight-feet in length and approaching 300-pounds in weight, there is a large trophy sport fishery for them. The bulk of this takes place in the Fraser River system. White sturgeon fight hard and are known to make several runs and leaps when hooked. The sight of such a large fish jumping clear of the water undoubtedly adds to their appeal among sport anglers. ?

DID YOU KNOW? Despite their enormous size, white sturgeon are bottom feeders that typically eat small fishes, invertebrates and insects.

FAST FACTS Colour: Light to dark grey, olive or grey/brown on the back; pale grey to offwhite on the flanks, white on the belly. Size: The average adult white sturgeon ranges from four to seven-feet in length and weighs between 70 and 200-pounds but smaller and larger fish are common. Life Span: The white sturgeon lives for over 50-years and fish over 100-years of age are not uncommon. Habitat: Shallow coastline areas while at sea and large, swift river systems in fresh water. Spawning: Spawning takes place in large rivers in May or June.

RECORD The current IGFA All-Tackle World Record white sturgeon stands at 468-pounds and was caught in Benicia, California, in July, 1983.

24 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

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26 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

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It’s often been said that big baits catch big fish and this photo is proof that the old adage is true. Taro Murata was casting an enormous Bull Dawg lure for muskies when he got a hit – but it wasn’t the fish he was expecting. Instead of a muskie, Taro had hooked a huge Kawartha Lakes smallmouth that must have been extremely hungry – or extremely bold!

28 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

THE RETURN OF

THE ATLA By Dave Taylor

30 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2017

NTIC SALMON In the fall of 2016 I was hiking along a section of the Credit River in Mississauga when I came across the body of a spotted, silver fish. I knew at once that it was an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). It was a young male that had died making a run up the river to spawn. Young males that do this are known as “precocious” males because they are really not ready to spawn. I reported the fish to Credit Valley Conservation biologist Bob Morris, and he was excited with the news. Atlantic salmon have been stocked in the Credit River for quite some time now but they are still a rare sight. Anglers are far more likely to come across Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). This encounter started me on a quest to find out what was happening with the province’s Atlantic salmon re-introduction. But let’s begin at the beginning.

Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 31

Photo courtesy of the USFWS.

et al. analyzed the DNA Ontario from just less than 90% to just of several museum speci- under 80% by the late 1600s. Then, in the mens of Atlantic salmon next hundred or so years, there was a sharp from Lake Ontario and rise in forest cover and it increased to over the St. Lawrence and dis- 90% as the native peoples died off. The huge reduction in the population of covered that the fish living in Lake Ontario were one of their main predators (aboriginal peonot migratory, even 500- ple) meant more salmon and better spawnyears ago. They had given ing streams. But then came the American up their need for salt Revolution in 1776, followed by the expulCollecting eggs from a mature Atlantic salmon. water and were enjoying sion of the Loyalists a few years later. Great Britain welcomed them to the new colony According to research done by Royal Lake Ontario as a sort of surrogate sea. Atlantic salmon, along with lake trout of Upper Canada (Ontario). These new Ontario Museum archeologist Peter Storck, humans first walked on Ontario land at (Salvelinus namaycush), were the top pred- immigrants were farmers and they immedileast 13,000-years ago. They were hunters ators in the lake. Their main prey species ately began clearing the forest. By the year and gatherers and the evidence they left consisted of a variety of smaller fish, among 1900 the forest cover had dropped to less behind indicated that big game, especially them a deep water fish known as a bloater than 10% and the Lake Ontario salmon caribou, was on their menu. So too were (Coregonus hoyi), called that because when population was gone. Extirpated! As late as 1846 there were still reports of they are brought to the service from the various species of fish. Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario streams It is unlikely that those fish were salmon deep they bloat. During their spawning runs the salmon being so thick that you could walk across the back then. Glaciers still covered much of Canada in those last years of the Ice Age. would in turn be food for humans and river on their backs, â&#x20AC;&#x153;dry-shodâ&#x20AC;?. The explaTheir rapid melting created huge lakes that other predators. And for thousands of years nation for the loss of this wealth is still being covered most of the land that would one this was their ecosystem. But that would sought. We do know that by clearing the land for agriculture the farmers altered the enviday become Ontario. At various times that change with the arrival of Europeans. At first the salmon benefitted as ronment. It became drier and erosion from massive amount of water, enough to raise the oceans hundreds of meters, sometimes European diseases wiped out huge numbers their fields silted up the gravel beds the flowed out through the Mississippi basin, of indigenous peoples. So great was the salmon needed to spawn. The stream waters or later the Hudson River, and finally, impact of this die off it can be seen in the became warmer because the trees that shaded around 9000-years ago, out the St record of forest cover change in Ontario. and therefore cooled them were gone. Dams Lawrence. It is most likely that the salmon From circa 900 AD an increasingly agricul- built to provide power for grist mills also reached Lake Ontario via the latter route tural component of aboriginal culture had blocked off streams and caused spawning reduced the forest cover of Southern beds downstream from the dams to silt up. but the exact timing is not known. Atlantic salmon are native to the North Atlantic. They are an androgynous species that start their lives in the freshwater streams of northeastern North America and the northern portions of Eurasia. As the glaciers melted, new habitats opened up for these fish as older spawning streams to the south became too warm to support this cold-water loving salmon. Its current range was established when the ice finally melted away. However, upon reaching Lake Ontario they could go no further because of Niagara Falls. It was long assumed that they were migratory and that they would spawn in the rivers which feed into the lake before returning to the Atlantic. And this was likely the case. Unlike Pacific salmon, which die after spawning, Atlantic salmon may make several spawning runs. But something changed in their behaviour and Lake Ontario became their new Atlantic salmon were once a staple food source in southern Ontario, as shown in this illustration from the 1600s by home. A recent study done by Eric J. Guiry, Wenceslas Hollar (1607-1677). Photo courtesy of the University of Toronto Wenceslas Hollar Digital Collection. 32 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2017

The alewife is one of the main food sources of all Great Lakes salmon.

Photo courtesy of NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

A small fish, the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), was the final straw. The most popular theory is that these fish migrated up the Hudson River into the Erie Canal and then, via connecting channels, into Lake Ontario. Others disagree, arguing that alewives were present in the lake for much longer but changing conditions favoured their population explosion. No matter, the fact is that this species dealt the final blow to Ontario’s Atlantic salmon and by 1896 the salmon were gone. The introduction of Pacific salmon into the Great Lakes in the 1950s has been well documented and features into this story in two ways. First, it showed that salmon could still survive in the lakes and this was no doubt a factor in selecting Atlantic salmon for a try. Second, any attempt to reintroduce Atlantic salmon had to be undertaken with the knowledge that the ecosystem had changed due to the introduction of new top fish predators. This may seem obvious to you and I today, but in the

1950s and ‘60s our understanding of ecology was in its early stages. However, since the plan was for Pacific salmon to be stocked annually, the degraded spawning habitats and polluted waterways were not a factor. Without stocking, Atlantic salmon would not have done well under the conditions back then. Since then, our environmental consciousness has improved and the result is that the spawning streams and rivers are far more suitable (in many cases) than they were even a few decades ago. It would be inconceivable today for any government in North America to consider introducing large, nonnative animals into an existing ecosystem. The Pacific salmon experiment would not be allowed to happen today but for the last 15 to 20-years conditions were much improved and it was time to bring back a native fish. The first introductions did not go well. Back in 1983, New York State made an attempt at restocking Atlantics but it failed

and further attempts were abandoned in 1990 in favour of stocking more viable game fish. Ontario got into the game in 1987, but this effort too produced poor results. The main reason these attempts did not succeed was the alewife, which are well established in the lake and are one of the main food sources of all species of salmon. The problem, especially for Atlantics, with this food preference was something called EMS - Early Mortality Syndrome. Alewife produce an enzyme called Thiaminase which destroys Thiamine. When ingested by female fish it affects their ability to reproduce. Simply put, this Thiamine deficiency prevents the young fry from developing the ability to ingest food either in the yolk stage or as fry. They starve to death. While not confined just to Atlantic salmon (other salmonids also suffer from it) EMS certainly appears to be the major cause of failure of these early attempts. However, the Ministry did not give up and in 1995 they re-evaluated their program and drafted a Recovery Strategy. Soon, up to 200,000 young fish were being stocked. In 2006 The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) joined with 40 other partners to try again to reintroduce the Atlantic salmon. This group manages the reintroduction. Two separate but equally important teams are working to solve the problems facing the reintroduction of the salmon. On one side of the equation there are scientists looking at all aspects of the fish’s ecology. While they work very well together it must be noted that on the management side there is an element of politics involved. Chinook salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout are so popular with anglers that, even though they are non-native, it is almost inconceivable that anyone would suggest their removal. For this article I interviewed people from both sides. Trevor E. Pitcher, PhD, is the Interim Director, Research and Innovation (ORIS) and an Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences & Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, at the University of Windsor. His University along with Western University are doing the scientific research that helps guide the manage-

Releasing Atlantic salmon spring yearlings.

ment side of the program, including suggestions for restocking and for hatchery procedures. His work is supported by the OFAH, OMFR and VEMCO (a fish tagging and telemetry company). The first funding supported research into which current stock of Atlantic salmon would be best suited for the reintroduction. The closest genetic match to the extirpated genotype of Atlantic salmon happens to be found in Chile. In order to start a salmon fishery in Chile, an entrepreneur imported Lake Ontario Atlantic salmon to the country in the late 1800s. The fish thrived and are now commercially farmed. But is this the type that should be returned? The researchers made the choice not to use this population. The ecosystem of the lake has changed so much since they were the top predator it was felt that these fish would not do well in today’s Lake Ontario. Instead, the restoration project looked to three other populations: the Lahave River in Nova Scotia, Lac Saint-Jean in Quebec and Sebago Lake in Maine. They went for these three strains to get the eggs for hatchery. Both of the latter two lakes are home to Atlantic salmon that have adapted to life entirely in freshwater, like the original Lake Ontario salmon did. The Nova Scotia site offered a robust androgynous population to sample from. The Atlantic salmon now stocked in Ontario come from these three populations. The next phase Pitcher’s team is working on ends in 2020. “The second grant”, he Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 33

TESTED TOUGH WHERE A BAD DAY OF FISHING STILL BEATS A GOOD DAY WORKING.

said “looks at how within a population we can help improve their chances of successful reproduction.” Despite progress he knows there will still be a lot of work to do beyond 2020. I also spoke with Ryan Hill, a hatchery technician for Fleming College in Lindsay. The college has been involved off and on in the reintroduction of Atlantic salmon for some time now. At first they raised salmon fry to three different ages/sizes: spring fry (five-months old), fall fingerlings (about eight to nine-months old) and spring yearlings (15-months of age). Today they stock and release only the spring fry. “Their survival rates are far higher than either of the other two sizes” Ryan told me. They do not hold any adult salmon for spawning at Fleming College; these are kept at either the Harwood Fish Culture Station or the Normandale Fish Culture Station. These two stations supply the eggs and fry for other sites, including many schools and private individuals who want to help bring back the salmon. Fleming College receives about 100,000 eggs in January which produce 70,000 spring fry for release that May. The Lindsay Campus uses this program as part of their biology courses. The Normandale Fish Culture Station, located on Lake Erie, produces around 450,000 spring fry per year. For all this effort to work, several problems had to be addressed. Streams that were to be stocked had to be suitable for the fish 36 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

to successfully spawn. Shade trees needed to be planted to keep the water cooler. Pollution sources needed to be eliminated if possible. A lot of this work was undertaken by volunteers, some of whom were anglers. I asked Hill if there was any genetic manipulation of these Atlantic salmon that would allow them to combat EMS. He gave a definite “no”. Any mixing of the three strains occurs on natural spawning runs, not in a lab. By doing DNA testing the researchers are able to identify which population each tested fish is from. The program Students with the results of a morning streamside cleanup.

is hoping that selection pressure will develop fish that can either tolerate Thiaminase, or that select to feed on other forage fish, such as bloaters. The Atlantic salmon restoration project will continue until at least 2021 in the hopes that one or both do occur. Certainly it is a different ecosystem now than it was back in the 1980s. The lake is cleaner and lamprey numbers are better controlled. Alewife numbers, while they have fluctuated, are still a factor. To combat the Alewife threat, New York State and the Ontario researches are looking at reintroducing bloaters to the lake as the native population was all but extirpated in the 1800s. If successful, this would provide an alternative forage species for the salmon and therefore reduce the occurrence of EMS - as bloaters do not carry Thiaminase. Pitcher points out that bloaters were not an historically important prey species for Atlantic salmon, however, they are important to the lake’s healthy ecology. They help transfer energy (food) from the deep water to the top of the lake. The Atlantic salmon program carefully selected the rivers that the salmon fingerlings are released into. In the case of the Credit River, the upper reaches provide the sort of habitat the fish need for spawning. Since Atlantic salmon typically spawn in the spring and summer (as opposed to the fall for the Pacific species) they are allowed

Photo by Katie Steiger-Meister, USFWS

The bloater is a type of deep-water cisco that inhabits the Great Lakes.

access to these waters via fish ladders. When closed, the same ladders prevent the Pacific salmon from reaching these desirable beds. Equally important, however, has been the large numbers of trees planted by Municipalities and Credit Valley Conservation along the river. These trees stabilize the bank, prevent erosion and shade the river. The Credit River was chosen as one of three waterways for restocking in the first phase. The others are Duffins Creek and Cobourg Creek. The Humber River, Bronte Creek and the Ganaraska River also had some stocking. Other rivers and streams will be added in the coming years. Pitcher has worked on the Credit River for 20-years. “I happen to be, just by chance, the person who caught the first Atlantic salmon coming back as part of this program in 2006. That fish was from the Lahave population.” Since 2006, over six million young salmon fingerlings have been stocked. Will it all be worth it? There is some indication that the various strains of Atlantic salmon are cross-breeding. There have also been fingerlings and smolts found in yearly samplings that were not marked, so there does appear to be some natural spawning occurring. Bob Morris said that the Atlantic salmon reintroduction in the Credit River is “proceeding”. “We’ve seen some evidence of successful breeding, especially in Roger’s Creek.” This creek is one of the tributaries of the 38 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

Credit River and is located above the Norval Dam. Morris explained that there are two dams on the Credit River. The Streetsville Dam is the first barrier fish encounter as they migrate up the Credit from Lake Ontario. It is managed so that it allows Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout to pass. Pacific salmon (in theory at least) are barred from getting past this dam. The next barrier is the Norval Dam and only Atlantic salmon are allowed to move past it. Beyond Norval lie the best spawning areas on the river. The water is cooler and the rocky bottom makes for a fine bed. However, this is also where brown trout from Europe have been stocked. Morris felt

that the larger Atlantic salmon were able to out-compete the smaller trout species for spawning beds, however, Pitcher’s research suggests that brown trout fingerlings are the “bully boys” in the river and out-compete the salmon fingerlings. Adult brown trout feed on both types of fingerlings. “We know that there is some natural spawning and we know that they are spawning eggs into the substrate, but we do not have a clear picture of how successful this is,” Pitcher said. “We need a functioning ecosystem.” It is not so much the number of the fish stocked, but the quality of the fish (age, size) and their environment. “This problem is not something we are going to solve by 2020. There is no silver bullet. It is also important to understand what fishers want (i.e. Chinook salmon as well as Atlantics). We get a lot of help from fishers. They return fish tags and report sightings. We need to engage these stake holders.” Phase III of the management project launched last spring and will release another 3.4 million fingerlings. I look forward to the day when seeing an Atlantic salmon on the Credit River (or any of the other Great Lakes rivers or streams) is not a rare event. As eons of time have shown, their future is tied to our actions - and keeping the salmon around for eons to come will be good for us all. ?

40 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2017

By David A. Brown

MARINA

MAGIC Protection, Structure and Consistency Attract Bass

They’re basically parking lots for boats, often with fueling and provisions. But don’t tell that to the bass that find marinas suitable habitat throughout much of the year. For the sake of commonality, we’ll include residential coves with clusters of docks and boat sheds - often close neighbors of marina properties. In any case, concentrated structure within a protected boundary is a can’t-miss for anglers.

Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 41

tected waters of a couple of marinas. In the earlier months, the exact opposite applies. With marinas warming quicker than surrounding areas, these safe havens are often the favorites of first quarter bass. “Most marinas are kind of a dead-end layout, so the water really doesn’t move as much, so things typically stay more stable,” Mah said. Diverse Habitats Within a marina, anglers typically find some mix of docks, seawalls, riprap, breakwalls, and shoreline vegetation. The hard targets are self-explanatory, but the vegetation can present a hidden benefit. Case in point: One of the most productive stretches of marina bank the Hawks’ found was a line of riprap with overhanging willows. Within the span of about five-minutes, Roy’s squarebill crankbait nabbed a hefty bluegill, a keeper largemouth and the day’s biggest white bass — all under those willows. “I think the fish were targeting the bugs that fall out of those willows,” Roy said. “The bluegill and the white bass are looking to eat those insects and then the largemouth are looking to eat the bluegills and the white bass.”

FLW pro, Ken Mah, with a marinacaught largemouth.

As FLW pro Ken Mah observes, the biggest attractions are wind protection and low boat traffic. Sure, a busy day may find several boats going and coming, but the idle speed restrictions prevent the water churning blow-outs that are common to the open lake. Also attractive is the marina’s consistency. Grass beds grow and die; wood falls and eventually deteriorates. But short of renovations or natural disasters, today’s marina will be the same tomorrow, next week and next year. “The manmade structure never changes, never leaves and never blows around,” Mah says. “It’s not like fishing matted vegetation where, if the wind blows really hard, it could really tear it up. That’s when 42 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

I like fishing marinas - when the weather doesn’t allow you to fish in other places.”

MARINA BENEFITS Optimal Temperature During summer’s heat, a marina’s deeper water offers cooler respite, a point made abundantly clear during a trip to Utah Lake. Joined by father-son duo Roy and Sunny Hawk, a late summer day found us trying multiple spots - from creeks to main lake flats to natural spring outflows and spillways. With warm lake conditions, compounded by wind-blown silt, we could only find willing participants in the cooler, pro-

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For example; when a morning storm sent a couple of boats from one of my past photo shoots into a small marina, we grew bored when a torrential rain maker parked over the lake for about 30-minutes. After pacing the piers and listening to rain drops pelting the tin roof, we pulled out the light spinning rods, dropped a few small jigs and ended up whacking the crappie. Notably, we found that most of our bites came from slip corners with sprouting weeds and spider webs — both signs of insect life and a regular buffet of snacks falling to the surface.

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION

Corralled Forage From bream to shad to white bass - and other food for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass - marinas impose prominent boundaries that facilitate predatory activity. Functioning somewhat like the sidelines of a football field, the structures and banks allow bass to pin their prey against these

44 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

hard edges and feed with greater efficiency than chasing bait in open water. Angler Refuge Let’s face it, sometimes the weather gets us. But the next time a rain shower chases you into the nearest marina, don’t mope; take advantage of the situation and wet a line.

As Hawk notes, monitoring the day’s wind forecast helps anglers select the marina with the most leeward area. As far as seasonal patterns, facilities located inside bays and major creek arms will benefit from the spawning movements and the fall feeding frenzies while those on the main lake will get more of the summer and winter traffic. And don’t overlook the various elements of marina design. “Marinas typically are built in phases and sometimes they’re built out of different material,” Mah explains. “Some are made out of metal and concrete and others are made out of wood. Some of the docks and piers are floating, some are suspending and some are fixed. Sometimes fish want to hold on a certain type of material. It may be the old wood stuff because of the algae

growth, or it may be the newer structures with the plastic floats. In the same marina, you could find three different types of construction, so that is definitely something to pay attention to.” Furthering this point, take note of floating marina docks — particularly their flotation devices. Newer docks typically utilize dark plastic floats, while older docks were mostly built with white Styrofoam blocks. Both have their advantages. For the latter, it’s a more porous surface upon which algae and other aquatic growth accumulates. With plenty of food for bream and baitfish, the old white floats tend to congregate the forage during the warm season. On the other hand, those dark floats absorb more of the sun’s heat and then radiate that warmth into the water. During the cooler times, these “space heaters” can concentrate shivering bass.

STRATEGY POINTS Noting that fish come in and out of marinas based on seasons - and often based on day-to-day conditions – Ken Mah encourages anglers to take advantage of the areas that funnel fish. Call it time-management or opportunistic fishing; it just makes sense to target the spots that concentrate fish. “I usually start from the outside and work my way in,” Mah said of his marina approach strategy. “The entrances to marinas are choke points where fish are going to come into.” As Roy Hawk points out, some of the more modest spots in a marina could be holding a few quality fish. Few anglers would overlook a flowing drain pipe, but what about a small, paved boat ramp? The flat, hard surface absorbs heat and makes for a nice midday sunning spot. Not to mention the crawfish scurrying around the sup-

port rocks that typically flank such ramps. Also note prominent points, breaks in the bank (i.e. tumbled riprap, culverts or any type of maintenance structure), laydowns or logs. It’s the “stump-in-the-pond” principle - something different often attracts fish. And the smaller the area of difference, the greater the likelihood that it’ll harbor one big, territorial bass. How about rod holders on the private docks? Those are no doubt installed by panfish anglers. Plain and simple, the more fishing-ready a dock appears (cleaning table, gear shed, benches or seats), the more likely the surrounding waters contain structures that will attract panfish, and in turn, bass.

HOW TO FISH MARINAS Ken Mah said he’ll typically start his marina mission by fishing a reaction bait. One of his favorite tactics is bumping a Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 45

squarebill crankbait off the dock supports and cross members. Matching his colors to indigenous forage helps him sell the ruse. Marina riprap, both interior and along the outer break walls, also merits crankbait attention, but don’t burn a lot of time on unproductive areas. Look for the highprobability targets such as points, spillways and turns - anything that corrals or redirects baitfish. When bass are positioning along the deeper ends of docks, Mah might walk a topwater bait along the face. For fish suspending around docks, he finds big swimbaits and glide baits productive. Bladed swim jigs, spinnerbaits and even jerkbaits have their place in marina dock fishing, but don’t squander opportunities with lazy coverage. Pepper each side with targeted casts aimed at stationary legs or the “mud poles” that support floating docks. Follow with long, sweeping casts which trace the dock’s walkways, add a couple of tracing casts along the end, and be sure to bring a moving bait past each corner - ideally from varying angles. When sunny days find the bass tucking deep into the dock shadows, jigs or Texasrigged plastics skipped into their solitude often meet with violent responses. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brett Hite finds that a Chatterbait with a small swimbait trailer makes a deadly skipping package. The streamlined mass slides smoothly under docks and shows the fish a profile and action they rarely see in such scenarios. For a lighter approach, skipping a wacky-rigged stickbait or probing the dock legs with a shaky head or dropshot rig will tempt those fish that don’t want to move very far for a meal. Whatever your target, consider the following advice on prioritizing from Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mark Menendez. “I look for the key element, whether that is an oversized pillar or a pocket of dark shade, and determine how easy it is to penetrate that (spot),” he said. “If that is a difficult cast to make, it will not be my first cast. I will proliferate the edges, make several pitches around the area and try to entice the fish, or any additional fish that might be around the dock, before I go to the heart of the matter. If it’s an easy shot and a clean shot, then I will go straight to the heart of the matter and get there the quickest.” 46 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

FINALLY, PACE YOURSELF So, what’s the one best thing you can do to improve your marina fishing game? Mah says step one is to slow down. Most anglers, he said, fish too fast and do not pick apart the structures. Because marinas often present a lot of replicable habitat, consistency is there for the taking. “Say you’re targeting the ends of boat slips; there’s not a lot of irregularity,” he said. “The depth will change underneath, but the type of structure is very consistent.

If it’s a three-foot wide walkway with Styrofoam floats, that whole section of dock will look that way.” “Anglers can get into a rut, where they’ll flip the front side of a dock, flip the face and maybe flip the backside and then move on. Once you figure out specifically where the fish are holding on the docks, then you can speed up and target just those things. But initially, you want to avoid fishing too fast.” ?

ROWAN’S By Mark Forabosco

Mark Forabosco is a freelance outdoor writer and author of Lords of the Lake - a comprehensive approach to muskellunge fishing in Ontario’s smaller lakes and rivers. Mark can be reached at markforabosco@hotmail.com

48 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

RIVER RAT

They say that creativity is born of necessity, and I find myself inclined to agree with that adage. Want to catch a bigger rat? Build a bigger and better rat trap! The same could be said for muskie fishing.

Spring 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 49

Muskie fishing has come a long way in the last 30-years. I guess you could say it has hit the mainstream with magazines and weekly television shows designated only to this fish. When I was a kid you had your choice of a couple of jerkbaits and a handful of trolling plugs. That was about all - slim pickings for the most part. Today there are numerous companies making hundreds of lure variations for anglers hoping to land that muskellunge of a lifetime. I have friends who are heads and tails above me when it comes to pursuing this storied gamefish, which has the innate ability to divert our attention from all else that matters in life. They fish in all weather conditions at all times of the year, always keeping the faith that at any moment they could land that trophy. They play the role of

50 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

Quint and the muskie plays the role of the freshwater Jaws, a never ending drama! With all of this comes the tackle box pardon me, tackle boxes – which, because of our gullible nature, grow larger over each and every winter until overflowing with hundreds of colorful lures that end up being equal in cost to an all-inclusive Caribbean cruise! Muskie lures catch far more anglers than they do muskellunge, but every now and again, even with all that’s out there, you still have to rely on your own creativity. A couple of years ago I had a close friend and expert angler complain to me about his lack of success on Gloucester Pool, which is part of Georgian Bay. This extremely clear water system holds muskellunge of tremendous proportions but the problem is that these are very savvy fish that have seen just

about every offering on the market. There are lures out there with absolutely dazzling paint jobs that are true works of art but, truth be told, when you’re trolling an artificial along at five-miles an hour, lure action is top priority. The last thing an old muskellunge is examining is how similar your lure colour is compared to its everyday forage. It’s a reactive strike. But when you have an artificial meant to be fished slowly, then the most natural look with the most natural movement takes precedent. This stirred up a memory of a most compelling article written over 30-years ago by gifted outdoor writer Robert Jones on how to tie up a muskrat lookalike lure. I took his idea and went a few steps further and came up with a very easy method to make a muskrat lure of your very own.

Bits and Pieces Making this artificial is really very simple. Start with a 2-by-2-inch piece of cedar, 10-inches in length, and three ¾-inch long #4 wood screws to install the lip. If you want a little less work, this lure can also be made as a solid, one-piece body. You’ll need one standard stainless steel diving lip for depths of up to five-feet, or a larger double-tie stainless steel lip if you want your lure to run down to depths of 10-feet. Two 2-inch magnum screw eyes will connect the body halves together. An option, instead of using wood screws for the back of the body, is to drill a hole straight through the back piece, insert a .62 wire shaft, loop off the two ends then attach them with a heavy split ring. Three 1½inch wood screw eyes and three split rings are needed to attach the hooks - two muskie sized trebles and one single hook. Finally, you’ll need a soft plastic stick bait to make the tail, and one tanned muskrat hide for the body - which can be purchased from EBay or a trapping warehouse.

LURE PARTS For the necessary lips and screws for this project, or if you have any questions on building your own muskie lures, I suggest contacting Moore’s Lures at www.mooreslures.com (715-356-6834) or Real Pro’s SportFishing at www.luremaking.com (519-371-3766).

Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 51

split ring. Cut the plastic stick bait in half and thread it onto the single hook until it is tight against the wood. Now all you have to do is screw or glue on some eyes if you wish, add your treble hooks and go out and tune the lure.

Tuning the Rat

Flatten out the bottom of the lure’s head slightly, so the diving lip will fit snugly.

Now the rat is ready to go. The hide will soak up water on your first couple of casts - that is normal. By the third cast you can start tuning the lure. Start by making sure

Putting it Together A small hobby lathe is perfect for shaping the form. But one can do just as well with a carving knife and some sandpaper as cedar is very easy to work with. The finished piece should measure out at nine-inches and the diameter of the head should be between 1¼ and 1½-inches in circumference. The tail end of the lure should be 1-inch in circumference. Once shaped, I cut the lure in two, exactly 5-inches down from the head. I then flatten out the bottom of the head, where the lip will be attached, on a slight angle so it will fit snugly without any gaps, as you can see in the photo. Next, insert the 2-inch connecting screws into the middle of the body and screw in the 1½-inch wood screws for the hooks. Now you can apply an outdoor wood sealer. I like to use Envirotex clear coat, which can be purchased at many hardware or art stores, and let it dry. This prevents the wood from becoming waterlogged. I told you this would be easy – you’re already halfway there! Now take your muskrat hide and cut a straight line up the middle of the belly. Unfold it so the back is on the table. Cut the hide width-wise in two, one for the front of the lure and one for the back. Fold the hide over the lure and trim the excess so that it will cover the lure evenly. Remove the hide and apply an exterior carpet glue, or similar water resistant bonding glue, to the lure body. Wrap the hide over the lure and, for extra adhesion, insert three staples on the bottom of each piece where the hide comes together. Then place a couple of elastics on each piece so the hide will dry in place without shifting. 52 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

Once dry, remove the elastics and hook the two screw eyes together so that the lure is now connected. With pliers, close the open screw eye over the closed screw eye. Insert the 1½-inch screw into the tail end of the lure and attach the single hook with a

that the space between the two body pieces is at least ½ to ¾-inch apart. If the two pieces are too close together the back section will have less “swing” as the lure moves through the water. Essentially this is an oversized, two-piece crankbait. Because

we are using wood screws, just turn one end of the lure a couple of revolutions and that will give you the space you need between the two sections. That is the reason for using the longer wood screws. After it is set to your liking, apply waterproof glue to the base where the screws enter the wood. If the lure rolls or has unnatural movement, try bending the lip slightly up or down. If the problem continues, unscrew the lip and move it forward ¼ of an inch. I would also suggest adding a quality split ring to the lip tie, which you can attach your snap to. This definitely helps the lure move more naturally and should solve the problem but if not, put on a larger lip with

a wider base. A final word about using this lure - always take it out of your tackle box when you are finished using it and let it dry out completely. Not only is the Rowan’s Rat very easy to make, it is also very unique and can fool wary muskellunge who’ve been inundated with every lure from the tackle box. This nine-inch version is a good all-around size which won’t be too hard on the shoulders over the course of a full day of casting, but you can experiment with different sizes to suit the waters you fish. If a large fish follows another of your baits but won’t commit, sneak away and let that fish rest. Go back to it a little later and throw the Rat, it

may just help you land the fish of a lifetime. I’m going to end this article with some true words of wisdom. Jason Lucas, former Editor of Sports Afield, put it best with this quote: “If a man for some reason wants to be made a complete fool, there are but two quick sure and convenient methods of going about it. One is to fall in love with the wrong woman. The other is to fish for muskellunge.” With that in mind, good luck and remember, it is muskie fishing, so keep the faith! ?

Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 53

STRANGE

BEDFEL By Barry Corbett

54 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2017

can’t think of two fish species more different in terms of lifestyle, appearance, or reputation than the walleye (Sander vitreus) and the white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and yet, for a short time each spring, their lives are intimately entwined.

LLOWS A Tale of Two Fish

Walleyes are at the top of the food chain, voracious apex predators roaming the lakes and rivers at dawn and dusk like a ravenous wolf pack, hunting schools of smaller fish such as yellow perch, lake ciscoe, or any one of numerous minnow species that dwell in waters inhabited by walleyes. Heck, when prey is scarce they will even eat their own. No family loyalty with this bunch! White suckers can also be found in lakes and rivers, and are most active at dawn and dusk, but that is where the similarity in lifestyles ends. There’s no way to glamourize what they do for a living. Simply put, suckers are bottom feeders. While walleyes are terrorizing the aquatic neighbourhood, white suckers spend their time peacefully and methodically vacuuming the bottom with their sucker-like mouths, gorging themselves on aquatic invertebrates such as chironomids (blood worms) or small molluscs like snails and clams. Suckers can occasionally be seen imitating a trout by rising to the surface for a fly but, unlike the stealthy attack and leap of the trout, the sucker lazily rises to the surface, awkwardly tilts its body and “slurps” the fly from the surface. This strange and comical behaviour has given rise to such nicknames as “whistling trout” or “Manitoba Char”.

Spring 2017 – Real Fishing 55

Most would agree that the walleye is a strikingly beautiful fish; robust, yet sleek in appearance. Its colouration may vary depending on the waterbody it resides in, but typically the walleye’s back is olive, shading into yellow hues with golden flecks on the scales. Five dark saddles or bars extend along its upper sides while the belly is milk-white or yellowwhite. Like all members of the perch family, walleyes are equipped with two large dorsal fins – a forward spiny fin and a soft-rayed back fin. These help in balance and propulsion, and can also be used as sails to quickly turn in currents - a handy feature for a pursuit predator! The spiny dorsal fin deters some predators and any angler will attest that grabbing a walleye the wrong way can be an extremely painful experience. A dominant white spot on the tail distinguishes it from its closest relative, the sauger. Typical of most predators, the walleye’s mouth is filled with large, razor sharp, curved teeth. Few prey items can escape the deadly grasp of a walleye. Without a doubt the most unique physical feature of the walleye are its eyes. Containing a light sensitive layer called the tapetum lucidum, their eyes actually reflect light back like a cat’s eyes do. This enables walleyes to see and hunt in the dim light conditions of dawn and dusk, and even during the dead of night. However, the ability to reflect light causes their eyes to be extremely sensitive to bright conditions. The name ‘walleye’ alludes to the fish’s smoky, silvery eyes and was derived from the old term “walleyed”, which was used to describe bulging, staring eyes or cloudy, sightless eyes. It’s a fitting descriptor for a fish with bulbous eyes, literally “blinded by the light”, but perfectly adapted to low light conditions. In contrast to the walleye, the colouration of the white sucker is drab, but ideally suited for life on the bottom. With its back ranging 56 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

from grey to brown to black and a mostly white belly, it hardly makes a fashion statement with its freshwater peers. The sucker’s bottom-dwelling lifestyle has mistakenly led to the assumption it is a slow, plodding specie, often derogatorily dubbed a “River Hog”, but nothing could be further from the truth. Their bodies are torpedo shaped and they are able to negotiate rapids and currents with far greater ability and success than the walleye. The sucker has only one small, soft rayed dorsal fin which aids in balance and propulsion, but provides no protection from predators. Since it feeds in dim light conditions and does not rely on vision to pursue its prey, the sucker’s eyes are small and beady. Its most distinguishing feature is its classic down-turned (sub terminal), protrusible mouth that is equipped with large, fleshy lips. The sucker’s mouth is toothless, but they are able to grind their food by using specialized pharyngeal, or throat teeth, that are located behind the gills. What truly distinguishes the walleye and white sucker is the way we humans view them. While the walleye is regarded with reverence in the anglers’ world, the lowly sucker is looked upon with disdain or, at best, disinterest. Walleyes are arguably the most sought after sport and commercial freshwater fish species and, when you say, “walleye”, it is synonymous with “shore lunch”. If captured by hook or net most walleyes end up in a fry-

Photo by Nate Tessler, gallery.nanfa.org.

ing pan or on a restaurant menu. Being popular, from a fish’s perspective, can definitely have its drawbacks! On the other hand few people eat suckers, although they are quite palatable canned, smoked or as ground fish patties. Years ago I shared a meal of boiled sucker head soup with some commercial fishers of Icelandic decent. It doesn’t sound appetizing, and didn’t look appealing, but it was delicious. Anglers may not target suckers for food or sport, but they prize them as bait for muskies, pike or lake trout. If suckers are harvested, they are usually dip-netted in the spring, either to be canned or used as bait. Suckers have little value as a commercial species and those that are commercially caught usually end up in cans destined for our cat’s or dog’s dinner bowl. On the darker side, white suckers have been falsely accused of eating walleye eggs (they don’t, so read on and discover the truth). Sadly, in the past this has resulted in efforts to reduce or eliminate populations without considering the important ecological role they play in the aquatic environment. Soon, with the lakes breaking up and the tributary streams flowing freely, predator and grazer will come together in an age old ritual of survival and to share a common spawning bed. Both species are spring spawners and reproduction may occur from March to May depending on location and water temperature. Spawning can occur either on wavewashed shorelines in lakes, or in or near river rapids. The critical physical components to ensure successful spawning for both species is a multiple layer of rocks, cobble or gravel for the eggs to incubate in, and current or waves to keep those rocks clean of debris and silt. Walleyes are usually the first to arrive as they begin spawning when water temperatures are between 7°C to 9°C. Suckers wait a few more days, until the water has warmed above 10°C. In both species it is the males that arrive first to scope out the situation and

White suckers making their way upstream.

wait for the egg-laden females. The subtle differences in spawning behaviours and preferences are most pronounced in river and stream spawners. Here both species will migrate upstream as far as the first impassible natural or manmade barrier. Walleyes prefer to spawn in the slower moving waters around the periphery of the riffle. If they spawn in the main current, it is usually behind a large boulder where the flow is significantly reduced. Initially spawning occurs at night because of the walleye’s sensi-

Walleyes can afford to lose a few eggs because they are one of the most prolific freshwater fish species, carrying between 50,000 to over 600,000 eggs, depending on the size and age of the female. The eggs are extremely small with a typical diameter of 1.5 to 2.0mm. Walleyes have been described as wasteful spawners, but it’s hard to criticize a reproductive strategy that has worked for thousands of years. Day or night, with romance on their minds, nothing will deter suckers from spawning. In comparison to walleye eggs, sucker eggs are gigantic, up to 3.0mm in diameter - almost twice the size of a walleye egg when fertilized. The female sucker carries far fewer eggs (20,000 to 50,000) than the walleye and can ill afford to waste any. She is more deliberate in her efforts, ensuring her eggs are laid in optimum habitat. Suckers utilize their superior swimming ability to spawn in the main current with females being accompanied by two to four males. Prior to the spawn, the males develop breeding or nuptial tubercles on their anal and caudal fins. These tiny, rough “bumps”

tivity to light, but once the hormones have kicked in they overcome this aversion and will spawn during the day. Walleyes are broadcast spawners with the female rising to the surface to release her eggs, followed by up to six or more males simultaneously releasing sperm. The fertilized eggs then “rain down” onto the rocks and fall between the protective crevices. If by chance they select an area with too strong a current, the eggs will be transported downstream to a less favourable incubation site.

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A sucker’s egg (left) is much larger than that of a walleye (right).

are commonly called pearl organs and they help the male grasp the female as they vigorously rub their bellies in rock and gravel, ensuring the fertilized eggs are securely placed in the right location and not swept downstream with the current. This action can cause serious bruising on the adults and sometimes results in mortality. Definitely sacrificing parents! Now is the time to burst the myth of suckers eating walleye eggs! Numerous studies have confirmed that suckers do not feed while spawning. Reproduction, not feeding, is what is on the sucker’s mind during this period. Besides, if they were actually eating eggs, there is a good chance they would be feeding on their own eggs – not a good survival strategy for any specie! This is not to say walleye eggs are safe from predation. Call it sweet revenge - suddenly the hunted becomes the hunter. Schools of yellow perch and minnows follow their nemesis onto the spawning grounds and gobble down any exposed eggs. Depending on water temperatures, the eggs of both species will incubate for about two-weeks before hatching. Here, once again, different reproductive strategies are followed. When walleye emerge from their egg shells, initially the tiny larvae (6.0 to 8.6mm in length) remain motionless on the bottom, as they have limited swimming ability. But as dusk approaches it stimulates the larvae to make jerking motions that bring them to the surface, where they are caught in the currents and transported passively downstream to the receiving lake. Attached to their abdomen is a large yolk sac providing food for the next three to four-days until they can begin feeding 58 Real Fishing – Spring 2017

on their own. Drifting at night is a great survival strategy because most predators, such as the yellow perch, are resting at this time. The white sucker takes a slightly different tack. Initially the sucker larva resembles a small worm between 9 and 11-mm long. With no swimming ability it remains in the substrate for an additional 10 to 14-days, feeding on its yolk sac. By the time the larva emerges from the gravel, it resembles a small fish between 12 and 17mm long. At this time it has developed fins and can swim modestly. Curiously, the mouth of the sucker larva does not resemble its parent’s down turned or sub terminal mouth but instead is terminal, like a walleye’s. They too, wait until dusk to rise to the surface and be swept downstream passively with the currents, avoiding the gauntlet of potential predators. Walleyes and suckers often use the same spawning areas.

The emergence and drift of both species is a wonderful example of nature’s synchronicity. By the time walleye and sucker larvae reach the lake, the spring turnover has occurred. This annual event brings nutrients from the bottom, resulting in a bloom of phytoplankton (algae) and a soupy mix of small organisms such as rotifers, diatoms, water fleas and copepods. For a few weeks, these bite-size invertebrates are the first food of both the walleye and white sucker larvae. Besides a similar diet, both species initially live in the lake’s surface waters. Then a strange transformation occurs in both species. Walleyes develop a sensitivity and aversion to light and move inshore to feed on larger invertebrates (e.g. mayflies) or small fish, while the white sucker experiences an even more radical physical change. Differential growth causes its terminal mouth to move and become a down-turned mouth with sucker lips. Now it resembles its parents, it abandons the surface waters and accepts its new life as a bottom feeder. For a few weeks, the larvae of both species shared a common nursery habitat, but now they enter the world and professions of their parents. Unless a young sucker is unfortunate, and ends up in the stomach of a walleye, these two species will not meet again until they have grown and reached sexual maturity. Then, once again, the need to reproduce and continue the species will bring this odd couple back to their shared spawning bed. ?

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

Most people that live in my area of the world, in southern Ontario, winterize their boats and put them away when it gets into November or December but I usually leave one or two available so I can keep fishing right through until ice-up. This year was no exception and I managed to get out to Lake Erie for a couple of late season trips before it got too cold and windy. During the late season on Lake Erie, you can have some of the most incredible smallmouth fishing of your life. They become very predictable in their wintering areas, in 25 to 50-feet of water, and they will readily eat lures like Thinfishers, Splinter Spoons, Power Tubes, swimbaits and a variety of other baits that you can keep in contact with the bottom. The strike zone is very limited to the first foot or two off bottom at this is the time of year and the fish don’t suspend very

much. For the most part they’re “bellies to the bottom”, eating gobies and feeding up for the winter. We had a couple of good days and I got my last open water fishing fix before it got too late in the season. In early December me and a bunch of fellow Canadians made a quick trip down to Ranger Boats for their annual Advantage Tour. I’ve made about two-dozen trips to Ranger Boats over the years, and I’ve had the tour on how these boats are made on

many of those trips, but I’m still amazed to see how much work is involved in putting together a Ranger fiberglass boat. Boat testing has always been a part of this cool, two-day affair but this year it was a little too cool for me to be testing boats out on Bull Shoals Lake. I elected to stay on shore to shoot a video on the Fisherman series while some of my friends in our group decided they would brave the frigid cold waters for some boat rides. About an hour later they came back and every one of them had bright, rosy-red cheeks. In one way I was kind of sad that I missed going out there to experience a little bit of performance boat riding but on the other hand I just got a good chuckle out of how red their faces were. After the tour we overnighted at a hotel in Springfield Missouri before heading back to Canada the next morning. A couple of friends, Steve Chantler and Ward Edmonds, know how much I like my treats and they had found this incredibly large, two-pound BoaterExam’s Larry McNamee enjoyed some late season smallmouth action with Bob on Lake Erie.

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Rice Krispies square at a gas station and secretly bought it. Just before midnight they presented it to me at the hotel. It was funny to see the grins on both of their faces as they were having a nightcap of Crown Royal and I was staring at this giant Rice Krispies square, debating whether I should open it or not before I went to bed! As we got into the holiday season I made a bet with my future son-in-law, who is in very good shape, that I could lose 15pounds by April. As of today I have moved the needle on the scale a full seven to eightpounds – in the wrong direction! So it’s time to move it the right direction and get serious with this bet. It’s going to be hard because I definitely like to store it up in the winter, just like a hibernating bear does at this time of year. After the holidays it was time to get our Brazilian visas in order for a trip to the Amazon to fish for peacock bass. You’ve got to give your passport up for two weeks and we got in at the last possible moment, so there would be no international travelling for those two weeks. Unfortunately this winter has been inconsistent here in southern Ontario. We’ve had a few cold days followed by some warm days, then more cold, then warm again. The result is that a lot of the ice conditions have been questionable in certain areas in southern Ontario and there was a few week period where I absolutely did nothing but work

on TV production and do other things around the house. To be honest, it was a hard thing for me to do because I’m so addicted to spending time outdoors fishing. We did sneak down to the Toronto International Boat Show and did a tour of what’s new in boating this year. From all reports it was a good year for many of the people selling boats down there. I’m hoping that this translates into a good year for the fishing industry as well because if people are buying boats, they probably need rods, reels, electronics, tackle etc. as well. The water skiing squirrel, Twiggy, was back performing at the show, which was a treat to see. It reminded me that I might have run into one of Twiggy’s relatives this year during one of the Renegade Bass tournaments. It was one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen in my life. I was practicing by myself on Dog and Cranberry Lake and all of a sudden I saw a black squirrel swimming across the lake. I went further down the lake and was fishing along the shoreline when I saw an albino squirrel. I mentioned it to fellow angler Matt Massey, and he told me that he had seen a black squirrel swimming across the lake as well. It definitely could have been the same one I saw. He also said that he saw the white

squirrel on someone’s cottage front lawn! I guess we were fishing in the same area of the lake! It just goes to show you how you see the craziest things out there on the water. I wonder if that aquatic black squirrel was in training to be the next Twiggy. Six-days before we were scheduled to depart on our trip to the Amazon my brother Wayne called me saying that he had got a call from David McCarthy, who runs Hooked on Adventures. David organizes trips for folks who want to go to the Amazon to fish peacock bass. He told Wayne that our trip had to be postponed because the river was up three to fourmeters. From what we have experienced in the past, when the water’s high it moves a lot of the fish up into the jungle where they are inaccessible and the other fish get spread out, making the catch ratio way lower than normal. So, the trip was postponed and there I was, at home again with no fishing on my schedule and nothing much that I could do about it. My long-time friend George McTavish’s daughter, Shylene, was getting married in Chatham so my wife Sandy and I decided to make the trip down to the wedding. We left early on the morning of the wedding and had some spare time so we took a drive

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down memory lane down to Rondeau Provincial Park. When I was 17 and 18-years old I worked at Rondeau Park for the Ministry of Natural Resources and I have some really great memories of working there netting fish for the museum, working in the police boat patrolling Rondeau Bay, cutting firewood, mowing grass etc. It was pretty cool to go down and see that the park had really not changed much since I worked there so many years ago. We got to the wedding and I had a good time seeing a lot of old friends of mine, including some old school friends who I have not seen for literally 38 to 40-years. It was pretty interesting running into people that I hadn’t seen for that long. Some of them were very recognizable, others not so much. I’m sure that, if they haven’t seen the TV show, I probably wasn’t that recognizable to them either, especially with my bald head. At least until I opened up my mouth and they remembered the voice!

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Then it was back home to pack up the SnoBear for little ice fishing trip. I like to have about 10 to 12-inches of good, solid ice to take the machine out on and even then I won’t take it near any risky areas. Because of the displacement offered by the skis and tracks, the SnoBear’s weight is spread out over a large area so it doesn’t put as much pressure on the ice as you’d think. It also has a unique feature that, if it did go through the ice, only the front engine area would partially submerge and the rest if it would float. There’s also an escape hatch in the roof to get out, so it’s a very safe machine. So we packed up and headed up to do some fishing on Lake Simcoe. We launched out of Virginia Beach and went on the back, or east, side of Georgina Island to try for some perch. The hut operators gave us reports that the perch fishing was slow but we decided to head out anyway. We ended up locating some small pods of perch but nothing to get excited about. We didn’t do any taping for the Real Fishing Show, but we did end up catching enough keeper sized perch for a nice fish fry during our outing. About mid-afternoon we hooked up with John Whyte. We were talking about how slow the fishing was and decided to pack up and head to Lake St. John to see if we could catch any walleyes. Neither John nor I had ever targeted walleyes on that lake so we thought it would be fun to give it a try. We ended up getting up there with about an hour to fish so we punched about a dozen holes and caught a few small perch, but we

didn’t locate the walleyes. We decided to stay in Orillia that evening and give it one last shot for a few hours the next day to see if we could get some video for the TV show. In the morning we moved around punching holes off some of the shoals and out from some of the shallow areas on the lake, from shallow to deep, trying to figure out where these walleyes might be. As a result we caught a number of perch, but did not hook up with any walleyes. As the old saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you don’t try you’ll never know and that’s always been my theory in fishing. Unfortunately things didn’t come together as well as we hoped, so this will be one of those shows that you’ll never see on TV. The Spring Fishing and Boat Show is put on by the Pallotta family and it’s held in February at the International Centre in Mississauga. It’s a great show if you’re serious about fishing and it attracts more hardcore attendees than any other fishing show in Canada. If you’re into muskie fishing, tour-

naments, trolling, fly fishing, or any other type of fishing, this show has it all. I attended the fishing industry breakfast that was held on the Friday morning and I was fortunate enough to see some friends of mine get inducted into the Canadian Fishing Hall of Fame including Wil Wegman, Darren Jacko and Steve Voros amongst others. I returned the next day for a seminar and it was a jam-packed audience. Then I spent some time over at the Berkley booth talking fishing for a few hours. From all the reports I’ve heard, the show was a great success. And now that the show is done its crunch time. We’ve got one more show to shoot for our series and, at the time of this writing, I have to make a decision – do I go further north to find safer ice, do I go down and fish steelhead in the Niagara River or do I take a boat and head out after lake trout on the Niagara Bar? What can I say, it’s a dirty job, and I’m glad I’m doing it. ?

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What’s COOKING

PAN FRIED STEELHEAD TROUT WITH WHITE BEAN & BACON RAGOUT This fresh, light recipe is great with steelhead trout but will also work well with Arctic char or salmon. Thanks to Ryan Lamothe, Sous chef at Graffiti’s Italian Eatery in Kanata, Ontario for providing this recipe.

WHITE BEAN & BACON RAGOUT

DIRECTIONS

4 strips 1 2 cloves 6 sprigs 1 cup 1 cup 2 cups 2 cups ½ cup Salt and Pepper

In a hot pan, sauté bacon and render down the fat, stirring often to avoid burning.

raw bacon (chopped) small onion (diced) garlic (minced) thyme leaves white wine canned white kidney beans chicken broth 10% cream Franks red hot sauce to taste

INGREDIENTS 4

six-ounce trout, salmon or char fillets (boneless, scaled, skin-on)

2 tbsp

canola oil

Salt and Pepper

to taste

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MANGO SALSA 2 ½ 1 1 2 tbsp. 2 1 tbsp. Salt and Pepper

fresh mangos (peeled and diced) red pepper (finely diced) large shallot (finely diced) jalapeno pepper (chopped) cilantro (chopped) limes (juiced and zested) olive oil to taste

Add onion, garlic and thyme. Cook onions until golden brown. Deglaze with white wine and add white kidney beans, chicken broth and water. Simmer on medium heat for 1 hour. Add 10% cream, Franks red hot sauce and simmer for another 15-minutes or until ragout is thickened and beans are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. For mango salsa, mix all ingredients in a bowl and set in fridge. Heat canola oil on medium high heat. Season trout filets with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear fillets, skin side down, for four to five-minutes until skin becomes crispy and golden in color. Flip filet and cook for an additional five-minutes. To plate this dish, spoon some white bean ragout onto a plate. Top with seared steelhead fillet and garnish with a large spoonful of mango salsa.

Dinner’s going to take awhile. Good thing you brought the Izumi.

COME AND GET IT. Our wines are only available direct — either in person or by delivery from our vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It’s taken 14 years to get it right, to perfect the craft of making wine that is drinkable, accessible, and affordable. It all happens here in our Big Red Barn. Our modern-rustic space houses our cellar and is part tasting room, part clubhouse. There’s no pretension or mystery here. All that we know, we’re ready to share with you, to delight the novice wine lover and the veteran oenophile alike. Visit us or order ahead for your next big trip and for each purchase of an Izumi wine, Between the Lines will donate $1 to the Fishing Forever Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of Canada’s fishing resources.

C Contact ontact us tto o book y your our winery ttour. our. Mention this ad free and rreceive eceive a fr ee tasting of our Izumi wines:

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BOB IZUMI

Artist: Joshua Bain Size: 24” x 18” Medium: Soft pastel and pencil crayon Contact: alittlecountrylivin@gmail.com www.instagram.com/lefty_33

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Joshua Bain describes himself as a Canadian artist and nature lover who is also a fan of the Real Fishing Show. Earlier this year Joshua sent the original version of this portrait to Bob Izumi, who was so impressed by it that he suggested featuring it in the magazine. The image captures Bob in his natural environment - on the water at dawn - in the moment before making his first cast of the day.