SPECIAL WINTER FISHING EVENTS CALENDAR Fem[h\kb$ H[b_WXb[$ H[b[djb[ii$ 7dZ j^[ ]eeZ ]hWY[i je a[[f gk_[j WXekj _j Wbb$ FEM;H>;7:
?d#b_d[ ) Yob_dZ[h Wbbemi \eh b_]^jm[_]^j YecfWYj Z[i_]d Efj_CWn (#ijW][ _d`[Yj_ed Z[b_l[hi X[ij \k[b [Yedeco ,& Wcf Wbj[hdWjeh fhel_Z[i Wbb j^[ fem[h oek d[[Z +#gkWhj _dj[]hWb e_b h[i[hle_h m_j^ [b[Yjhed_Y ckbj_#fe_dj e_b _d`[Yj_ed fhel_Z[i Yehh[Yj \k[b%e_b hWj_e 7_h XofWii i_b[dY[h [dikh[i m^_if[h#gk_[j ef[hWj_ed C?:I;9J?ED
Fem[h jh_c j_bj" ijW_db[ii ij[[b ijeho \eh cWn_ckc XeWj f[h\ehcWdY[ J_bb[h ^WdZb[ Yedl[d_[dj h[cej[ eh j_bb[h 97H8 )#IjWh hWj_d] \eh kbjhW#bem [c_ii_edi BEM;H KD?J
J^hek]^#fhef [n^Wkij fhel_Z[i gk_[j" icea[#\h[[ ef[hWj_ed >[Wlo Zkjo ][Whi bem[h kd_j \eh [nj[dZ[Z [d]_d[ b_\[ )#o[Wh ded#Z[Yb_d_d] mWhhWdjo )#o[Wh Yehhei_ed mWhhWdjo ^[bf fhej[Yj oekh _dl[ijc[dj
7BB <?H;$ DE ICEA;$ 7bb j^[ fem[h WdZ f[h\ehcWdY[ oek d[[Z \eh \kd ed j^[ mWj[h$ J^Wdai je Jkhd#A[o IjWhj_d]" C[h9hk_i[h *$)B" +$&B" WdZ +$-B ij[hdZh_l[i fem[h#kf _dijWdjbo$ Fkcf_d] WdZ fh_c_d] Wh[ ^_ijeho$ @kij jkhd j^[ a[o WdZ ]e$ IcWhj9hW\j j[Y^debe]o ced_jehi WdZ Z_ifbWoi kf je ,* [d]_d[ WdZ XeWj \kdYj_edi" Wb[hj_d] oek je fej[dj_Wb jhekXb[ X[\eh[ _j eYYkhi$ Ekh É&- ceZ[bi Wh[ WlW_bWXb[ m_j^ efj_edWb :_]_jWb J^hejjb[ I^_\j$ :JI [b_c_dWj[i ^[bc cW_dj[dWdY[ WdZ fhel_Z[i f[h\[Yj" iceej^ i^_\ji [l[ho j_c[$ :JI Wbie iodY^hed_p[i ckbj_fb[ [d]_d[i WdZ fhel_Z[i i^_\j fhej[Yj_ed$ 7dZ C[h9hk_i[hÊi 97H8 J^h[[#IjWh KbjhW#bem [c_ii_edi hWj_d] i[ji d[m ijWdZWhZi \eh Yb[Wd fem[h$
IC7HJ9H7<J ?D<B7J78B;I C;H9HK?I;H FHEF;BB;HI F7HJI 799;IIEH?;I EKJ8E7H:I CEJEH=K?:; ;B;9JH?9 CEJEHI
.&& C;H9KHO © 2006, Mercury Marine, All Rights Reserved
HT “POLAR ESCAPE” ICE HUT
Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689
VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 1 Just $3.95
DISPLAY UNTIL APRIL 15, 2008
Winter 2008
With an available best-in-class Duramax diesel 6.6L V8 Turbo engine that cranks out SILVERADO HD 365 hp and 660 lb.-ft. torque, it does almost everything you need it to.* And it’s not just stronger. It’s smarter. An enhanced cargo management system adds more functionality. The large rear doors of the Extended Cab open 170 degrees, creating the best cabin access of any full-size pickup. The Next Generation Silverado HD. The most powerful heavy duty on the planet.†
To Make The Most Of Your Time, You Have to...
silverado.gm.ca
Making the most of your time gets a little tougher everyday. It’s why Ranger developed a whole new level of leadership in the revolutionary Z-Comanche® Series. With muscle-car-inspired engineering and a long list of best-in-class features, these designs continue to take acceleration,
RIPPER. SEEDER. SPRAYER. BALER. LOADER. ALL IN ONE.
handling, space, fishability and head-turning performance to new extremes. So take charge of your time and space. Surround yourself with the pace-setting freedom of the Ranger Z-Comanche® Series. It’s an all-out reminder of the power that comes from turning things loose!
For The Name Of Your Nearest Ranger Dealer, Call:
1-800-373-BOAT (2628)
* Based on 2007 GM Large Pickup segment and latest available competitive information. Excludes other GM vehicles. † All claims based on 3/4-ton and 1-ton vehicles in the 2007 GM Large Pickup segment and latest published competitive information available. Excludes other GM vehicles
©Copyright MMVII Ranger® Boats R-7011
Winter 2008 Volume 14, Issue 1
38
Editor Jerry Hughes Art Director Patricia Heeney-Bacon
14
Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi Contributors Miles Burghoff, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Michael “Mick” Maddison, Steve May, Rick McCrory, Dave Taylor, Wil Wegman, Lawren Wetzel
28
16
38 Ice Fishing in Sunset Country
60 Celebrity PRO-file: Miles Burghoff
Wil Wegman accompanies Bob and Wayne Izumi on an ice fishing television shoot in northwestern Ontario.
By Jerry Hughes
Privacy Policy: Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, please write to us at the above address.
We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504
49 The View from the Back of the Boat An inside look at a non-boater’s year on the FLW Series tour. By Rick McCrory
By Jerry Hughes
11 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC Real Fishing is published by Izumi Outdoors Inc. 940 Sheldon Court Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833
By Wil Wegman
6 OPENING LINES
Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Printed in Canada
On the cover: Sunset Country Lake Trout Photo by Izumi Outdoors
News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing
16 WHAT’S NEW The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories
20 CHEVY FISH FACTS
24 FLY FISHING By Steve May
26 UNDERSTANDING ELECTRONICS By Lawren Wetzel
28 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor
30 THE HOT BITE
Northern Pike
33 FISHING FOREVER UPDATE 22 FISHING
Conservation in Action
By Bob Izumi
36 BEST FISHING TIMES
62
Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar
62 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler
By Bob Izumi
65 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING
By Jerry Hughes
MY BEST FISHING BUDDY My six-year old loves to go fishing with me. Whether we’re in the boat, casting from shore or trekking up a stream, she gets absolutely giddy at the prospect of a day on the water. She doesn’t actually do much fishing on our outings but she loves to splash around in the water and will spend hours chasing frogs and minnows. When she’s feeling brave she will go so far as to turn over rocks and try to catch crayfish, although she did have a period when she feared them. That was after the time when one particularly feisty craw took exception to being examined too closely, grabbed her by the nose and refused to let go! Thankfully no real damage was done and she learned a valuable lesson about wild creatures that day. She loves to explore the areas surrounding our fishing spots and there have been many trips when I suddenly found myself walking upstream alone. It’s amazing how quickly a day can go from peaceful to panicked. Thankfully we taught her well and she always comes running when I call – except for that one time when she got her head stuck in an abandoned fox hole….but that’s another story. Suffice it to say that her muffled wails carried well in the morning air and I was able to locate and free her before either of us became traumatized for life. There was another episode that happened on a scouting trip we took to the headwaters of a local steelhead stream a couple of weeks before the season opener. I had never fished this stretch before and wanted to check the area out in advance of the opener. As we were examining a nice looking bit of holding water I started to explain the
intricacies of steelhead behaviour and how this slow run would be an ideal resting location. She must not have believed me because the moment I turned and gestured towards a log jam upstream she jumped off the bank and into the creek – no doubt in an attempt to confirm my theory of fish resting in this section of the creek. My heart rate instantly entered the triple digit zone and I leapt into the shallow but near-freezing water to save her. It only took a few seconds before we were both back on dry land but I knew that our day had come to an end. I was wet, cold, frightened and angry all at the same time and wanted nothing more than to get us both back to the relative warmth of the truck and the short drive home. She, on the other hand, shook it all off as just another adventure with her Dad. I swear I saw her smiling as we sloshed back to the parking lot. When we go out in the boat together it’s always an adventure. My girl loves the wind in her face as we race across the lake and she always takes the bow seat so she can have the best view. When we get to our fishing spot though, her excitement seems to wane somewhat. Rather than fishing, she prefers to search out casting targets for me. She’ll go from bow to stern with her eyes glued to the water, pointing out potential fish holding cover with a nod of her head. My little nature lover always perks up at the sight of herons or cranes and she seems to want to jump out of the boat to join any kids she spots on the shore. The best thing about fishing with her is that she lets me be the guide and she always lets me fish the way I like. She never complains about where we go, she doesn’t care what species we’re after and she doesn’t blame me if my chosen location is devoid of fish. She simply enjoys the outing. Her attitude is infectious and since we’ve been fishing together I’ve found myself absorbing some of her carefree outlook. The more time we spend together, whether beating the banks from a boat or trudging up a cedar choked creek, the more great memories we cultivate and the closer we become to each other.
Even at the tender age of six, my girl understands that fishing is about more than catching fish. It’s the quality of the experience, not the number of fillets in the pan at day’s end that create lasting memories. And that, in my eyes, is the mark of a great angler and a true fishing buddy. Now, if could only find a way to keep my pooch from jumping into steelhead streams… ?
Available Online at www.realfishing.com
© Tim Hortons, 2006
6 Winter 2008 Real Fishing
Make Your Move! While taking a walk on a fishing pier in Mexico last winter, Wayne Izumi came across a standoff between a curious young boy and an equally curious pelican. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure who was more apprehensive during the stare-down but we can report that both parties came out of it unscathed.
8 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Real Fishing Winter 2008 9
WFN LAUNCHES PRO BASS TOUR
2008 WFN TOUR SCHEDULE
On November 13, 2007, Insight Sports Ltd. and WFN: World Fishing Network, announced the launch of the WFN Tour Bass Championships, a Canadian Pro-Am fishing circuit that will debut in 2008.The tour will consist of five events including four “tour” events and the WFN Canadian Open.With a total of $1,000,000 in prize money up for grabs - $150,000 at each tour event and $300,000 at the Canadian Open - the series is sure to attract some of the biggest names in bass fishing from both Canada and the United States. Each event will be open to both amateurs and professionals. Amateurs will battle for a variety of fishing related prizes while professionals will compete exclusively for prize money. Coverage of each WFN Tour event will be broadcast on WFN as
well as on a national television network. All of the tournaments will be held over the course of three days. Amateurs will compete on both Friday and Saturday while professionals will be eligible to compete during all three days.The top 10 professional anglers, based on cumulative weight, will advance to Sunday’s final round. The WFN Tour will also present a Big Fish award to the angler who catches the heaviest fish at each event and a seasonending WFN Angler of the Year award. Together, both awards will pay out a total of $100,000 in cash and prizes. Complete WFN Tour Bass Championship information is available on the World Fishing Network’s website at www.wfn.tv/2008basstour.
July 4-6 July 25-27 August 22-24 September 5-7
Lake Simcoe/Lake Couchiching Detroit River/Lake St. Clair/Lake Huron Lake Erie Lake Muskoka
Town of Georgina, Ont. Sarnia, Ont. Port Colborne, Ont. Gravenhurst, Ont.
Canadian Open September 19-21
St. Lawrence River/Lake Ontario
Kingston, Ont.
ROUND GOBY INVADES KAWARTHAS You had to know this was coming. In late September, the Round goby, an invasive species that preys on native sport fish as well as other lake species, was discovered in Rice Lake in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters are alarmed by the presence of the goby in the Kawarthas and are asking anglers to report any sightings to the Ministry’s invasive species hotline at 1-800-563-7711. They are also reminding anglers to heed the ban on using gobies as bait. Legislation was passed in 2005 making it illegal to own live round goby or to use them as bait. “The real message here is that anglers need to be aware that these fish exist,” said the OFAH’s invasive species and aquatics biologist, Francine MacDonald.“Don’t use them as bait and don’t spread them. Always dump your bait bucket on land, not in the water.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo
Real Fishing Winter 2008 11
BIRTHDAY BASS Mark Wison celebrated his 9th birthday by enjoying a guided fishing trip on a small lake near Apsley, Ontario with his father and professional guide, John “Sedge” Sedgwick. What started as a regular fishing trip soon turned into a once in a lifetime experience that Mark isn’t likely to forget.
The trio were catching lots of bass when Mark’s father asked their guide if he had ever caught two fish on one lure. The answer was no, which isn’t surprising. It is, after all, pretty rare to catch two fish on the same bait at the same time.The group returned to fishing and about 10-minutes later Sedge got a hit. When he got the fish to the boat there was not one, but two largemouth bass pinned to his lure! It gets better. A few minutes later Mark got a hit that turned out to be another single lure double header! It doesn’t get much better than that for a nine-year old angler.To have it happen on a birthday fishing trip is the icing on the cake, so to speak. Mark’s take on the day was simple – “What a day fishing - what a birthday!” We couldn’t agree more.
READ ALL ABOUT IT HEMINGWAY ON FISHING By Ernest Hemingway
Introduction by A. E. Hotchner Foreword by Jack Hemingway Hemingway on Fishing is a full and diverse collection of some of the greatest writing by Nobel Peace Prize winner Ernest Hemingway on one of his favourite subjects - angling.With jewel-like stories and essays, classic novel excerpts, and a surprising selection of vintage family photographs, Hemingway on Fishing traces the role fishing played in the author’s development and how it affected what he wrote. It also provides an illuminating introduction by the editor, a fascinating chronology of his fishing life, and a poignant foreword by Ernest’s eldest son, Jack Hemingway.
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
ORIGINAL ICE FISHING CONTEST - ALBERTA
WAWA ICE FISHING DERBY
January 12 - 20, 2008
February 16, 2008
February 29 - March 2, 2008
Direct Energy Centre,
Gull Lake, AB
Wawa, ON
Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
www.originalicefishingcontest.com
www.wawafishderby.com
www.torontoboatshow.com
Tel: 1-800-506-9911
Tel: 1-888-290-3474
MONTREAL HUNTING, FISHING &
ORIGINAL ICE FISHING CONTEST -
WEST NIPISSING ICE FISHING
CAMPING SHOW
KESWICK
TOURNAMENT
February 21 - 24, 2008
March 1, 2008
January 26, 2008
Place Bonaventure, Montreal, QC
Lake Simcoe, Keswick, ON
Cache Bay, West Nipissing, ON
www.sportsmensshows.com
www.originalicefishingcontest.com
Hardcover: $29.95 ISBN 978-1-59921-108-4 The Lyons Press is an imprint of The Globe Pequot Press 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437 203-458-4646 www. lyonspress.com
www.icefishingtournament.com
Tel: 514-866-5409
Tel: 1-800-506-9911
OTTAWA BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOW
TORONTO SPORTSMEN’S SHOW
ORIGINAL ICE FISHING CONTEST -
February 21 - 24, 2008
March 12 - 16, 2008
SASKATCHEWAN
Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, ON
Direct Energy Centre,
Tel: 705-753-2517
LEFTY KREH’S SOLVING FLY-CASTING PROBLEMS
February 2, 2008
www.sportsmensshows.com
Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
Regina Beach, SK
905-361-2677
www.sportsmensshows.com
2ND EDITION
www.originalicefishingcontest.com
How to Improve Your Distance and Accuracy, and Make Casts in Any Situation By Lefty Kreh
Tel: 1-800-506-9911
905-361-2677 LONDON BOAT, FISHING AND LEISURE SHOW
EDMONTON BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOW
Lefty Kreh’s Solving Fly-Casting Problems contains detailed descriptions, instructional illustrations, and troubleshooting techniques that every fly fisher needs to know. Lefty offers unparalleled advice about how to cast in windy conditions, how to accurately change the direction of a cast, tame tailing loops, send flies deep, make casts to reach under low branches, and much more. Lefty begins with the fundamentals common to all good casts, and goes on to diagnose and eliminate a variety of casting problems. Solving Fly-Casting Problems is written with the insight of a half century of teaching experience, and will be a great help to fly fishers at all skill levels.
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL
February 22 - 24, 2008
March 13 - 16, 2008
BOAT SHOW
Western Fair Grounds, London, ON
Agricom, Northlands, Edmonton, AB
February 6 - 10, 2008
www.boatcottagefishingshow.com
www.sportsmensshows.com
BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, BC
Tel: 519-686-3121
403-245-9008
VICTORIA BOAT, FISHING,
QUEBEC CITY HUNTING,
OUTDOOR SHOW & SALE
FISHING & CAMPING SHOW
Soft cover: $14.95 UDS ISBN: 978-1-59921-215-9 The Lyons Press is an imprint of The Globe Pequot Press, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437 203-458-4646 www. lyonspress.com
CALGARY BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOW
February 22 - 24, 2008
March 13 - 16, 2008
February 14 - 17, 2008
Pearkes Recreation Centre,
Centre de foires d’ExpoCité,
Roundup Centre, Stampede Park,
Tillicum Mall, Victoria, BC
Quebec, QC
Calgary, AB
www.victoriaboatshow.com
www.sportsmensshows.com
www.sportsmensshows.com
Tel: 403-686-9699
Tel: 514-866-5409
CANADIAN ICE FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS
ORIGINAL ICE FISHING CONTEST -
THE FISHING & BOAT SHOW
February 23 - 24, 2008
MANITOBA
February 15 - 17, 2008
Lake Simcoe, Town of Georgina, ON
March 15, 2008
International Centre, Mississauga, ON
www.cifc.org
Dauphin Lake, MB
ONTARIO’S 2008-2009 RECREATIONAL FISHING REGULATIONS NOW AVAILABLE The 2008-2009 Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary is now available electronically on the MNR website.The 2008-2009 summary has improved text and maps to help users find regulations and make the summary easier to use. Generally, anglers will notice few differences in seasons and limits for most species, however, some changes were needed to establish regulations for new zones, conserve valuable fisheries resources and increase angling opportunities where sustainable. Anglers should be sure to check the summary carefully before heading out this year. Printed copies can be obtained from licence issuers and from ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres. 12 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Tel: 905-951-4054
www.vancouverboatshow.ca Tel: 604-678-8820 ext. 1
Tel: 403-245-9008
Tel: 416-802-2277
www.originalicefishingcontest.com Tel: 1-800-506-9911
Real Fishing Winter 2008 13
SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR BEST CATCH! 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
Jeff Wahlman Burlington ON Northern Pike
Adam McMillan Waterloo ON Smallmouth Bass
Dominic Touchette Winchester ON American Eel
Don’t buy just any entry-level boat – invest in a new Lund Classic.
Robert Sachvie St. Catharines ON Sturgeon
Mark Wilson Cobourg ON Largemouth Bass
Lund received the NMMA 2006 CSI Award recognizing Excellence in Customer Satisfaction, Aluminum Outboard Boats category
©2007 Lund Boat Company
Jeff McConnell Brockville ON Largemouth Bass
Compare and see why Lund Classics outperform all other boats in their class. Classics are packed with legendary Lund performance that makes fishing easier, more productive, and a lot more fun. So when you shop boats, be sure to compare all the things that make Lund Classics special – and be sure to ask about the price of reliability. That’s a Lund feature other boats can’t match and something you won’t want to live without. See the Classics at your Lund dealer and online @ lundboats.com 14 Real Fishing Winter 2008
The Ultimate Fishing Experience
2008
We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distibutors for our New Products section. Products that appear in this section have not necessarily been tested or endorsed by the staff at Real Fishing. Submissions can be sent to: Editor, Real Fishing Magazine, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6
MEPPS & WILLIAMS LURE KITS Mepps and Williams are introducing a number of new lure kits for 2008, each featuring an assortment of lures designed for a specific species or fishing style. The Mepps 4-S0-00 trout and panfish kit features two 1/8-ounce and two 1/4-ounce Syclops spoons; the Williams 4-W32 kit, also designed for the trout and panfish angler, includes two 1/10-ounce and two 1/7-ounce Williams Wablers and the Williams 4-TTK kit is designed for trolling and includes two Wabler Lite spoons and two Dartee spoons.
CORE REELS Designed to be the ultimate lightweight baitcasting reels, the new CORE reels from Shimano feature magnesium frames and sideplates, shielded anti-rust bearings and aluminum alloy spools. The standard version weighs a mere 6.1-ounces and has a 6.2:1 gear ratio while the flipping version comes in at 6.7-ounces with a 7.0:1 gear ratio.
www.shimano.com
SLAB STOPPER SPRING BOBBER HT Enterprises, Inc., manufacturers of the original Polar Tip-Up, introduce their newest spring bobber for 2008, The Slab Stopper. This ultra light action, super-sensitive coil spring bobber detects the slightest bites from wary fish. The “screw secure” system fits most noodle, ultra-light, and medium action rod tips, and can be easily removed from the tip-top when you are done fishing. Slab Stoppers feature a three-inch long spring coil, high-visibility glow in the dark tips and come three to a package.
www.htent.com
www.brecksinc.com
GEARSPACE 34™ CARGO CARRIER The GearSpace 34™ is the largest cargo carrier of its kind. With 34 cubic feet of storage space it is able to carry up to two bicycles and 300-pounds of gear. The TwinTube™ hitch carrier provides stability and strength and its telescoping capability allows easy access to rear doors and cargo areas. The GearSpace 34™ system is offered in light or dark grey and includes LED stop, turn and tail lights; an illuminated license plate bracket; corrosion-proof automotive draw latches; two Silent Hitch Pins and a stainless steel pin lock to secure the carrier’s contents from theft.
www.letsgoaero.com LOWRANCE ICE MACHINE
GUEST INTELLIGENT CHARGING SYSTEM (ICS) Guest’s ICS delivers true 10-amp output to each of your boat’s batteries to quickly bring them up to full charge while maximizing battery life. A new user interface and microprocessor allow each battery to receive optimal charging and a color LED display clearly shows the status of each battery. The Guest ICS also features a corrosion proof housing, antispark protection, reverse polarity protection, ignition protection, internal temperature protection, short circuit protection and over voltage protection.
www.marinco.com
16 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Lowrance’s popular LMS-522c sonar/chartplotter is now available to hardwater anglers in this versatile IceMachine model. The 522c features an internal GPS+WAAS antenna plus over 3000 enhanced lake maps; a 5” diagonal screen that offers brilliant, full colour imagery in temperatures down to -20°F, and it accepts most popular map cards including the Navionics Gold models. The unit comes in a water repellent case with a molded battery well, a 200 kHz transducer with a swing out bracket and a 12-volt sealed battery and charger.
www.lowrancecanada.com BRADLEY MEAT CURES Bradley introduces four new meat cures: Demerara, Honey, Maple, and Sugar – that have been designed specifically with the dedicated outdoorsmen in mind. The cures are packaged in 28-ounce containers and are easy-to-use in dry cure or liquid form (as brine). Bradley has also compiled 23 simple recipes that are available for download on their website. Ranging from Smoked Duck to Pastrami Sausage, there is something for everyone’s palette. The new cures are available now through the Bradley website and will be available in stores soon.
www.bradleysmoker.com
Real Fishing Winter 2008 17
2008
LET THERE BE LIGHT Shelter Lights are unique LED lighting units for ice huts that feature a 3-way push button operating system. Push once and the center light illuminates, providing a concentrated light beam. Press a second time and only the outer lights illuminate, providing a wider, general light source. Press a third time, and both the center and outer LED’s combine to provide a super bright light. Shelter lights operate on 4 “AA” size batteries and feature rugged, hi-impact plastic construction for durability. Built in hangers and magnets allow the lights to be placed wherever they are needed.
www.htent.com BOB IZUMI’S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULE
GULP! FOR TROUT For 2008, Berkley’s new GULP! Trout Dough has been fortified with the GULP! formula to create a bait that outfishes other trout doughs by up to 55%. Simply roll up a ball of the dough, thread it onto a hook and hang on. The GULP! formula creates a scent trail in the water that draws fish in and makes them want to feed. Gulp! Trout Dough is available in seven colours and comes in a 1.75-ounce, shatterproof, resealable jar that keeps the bait fresh between fishing trips.
www.berkley-fishing.com COVER YOUR BASS The “Bassroom” is the ultimate portable bathroom for your fishing boat. The system consists of 190T polyester material with access doors on both the front and back that are equipped with over-sized zippers for easy handling. The toilet stand is made of 1” steel tubing and comes with a regular, full-size toilet seat. Waste disposal bags are constructed of sturdy, 2-mil plastic and feature convenient, zip-up closures. Also included are 8 tie downs - 6 of which are adjustable straps and snap hooks. It also comes with 4 mini bungee cords and 4 self-adhesive hooks to allow a custom fit to most fishing boats.
www.coveryourbass.com
HOTMAPS PREMIUM 2008 EDITION HotMaps Premium 2008 Edition electronic charts now include over 12,000 lake maps with more underwater structure detail than ever before. Several new high-definition Canadian Lakes with onefoot contour detail are available including Buckhorn, Chemong, Lac Des Mille Lacs, Manitou, Otonabee, Pigeon, Rice, Scugog, Scugog River, Stony, Sturgeon and Dozios in Ontario along with Lac Des Trente Et Un Milles, Lac Du Poisson Blanc, Lac Memphrémagog, Lac Victoria and Reservoir l’Escalier in Quebec. HotMaps Premium 2008 is available in five huge regions on preprogrammed CF (CompactFlash) and SD (SecureDigital) media cards that are ready to use, just plug-and-play into compatible chartplotters.
www.navionics.com
18 Real Fishing Winter 2008
December 29 January 05 January 12 January 19 January 26 February 02 February 09 February 16 February 23 March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29 April 5
Winter Whitefish; Battle of the Fishing Chefs Winter Ling and Lakers Redneck Bass Challenge from Mexico Ice Fishing for Whitefish and Panfish The Great Yukon Adventure Nova Scotia Shark Fishing with Jimmy Flynn Oklahoma Largemouth Bass Milton Lake Pike and Lake Trout Four Seasons of Fishing on Lake of the Woods Bassin’ with Nascar’s Ryan Newman Flyfishing for Arctic Grayling Springtime Largemouth on Lake Champlain Detroit River Walleye Deep Water Smallmouth with Miles Burghoff The Magic of Crankbaits
STATION LISTING and AIRING TIMES* MARKET
PROV./STATE
STATION
DATE & AIR TIMES
Global Lethbridge Global Calgary Global Edmonton Lloydminster Global Atlantic Victoria, BC Global BC Global Winnipeg Global Ontario Barrie London Ottawa Windsor Wingham Peterborough Thunder Bay Kenora Kingston Global Quebec Global Regina Global Saskatoon USA National Cable Marion National National
AB AB AB AB Altantic Canada BC BC MB ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON QC SK SK USA IN, USA Canada Canada/US
CISA CICT CITV CITL CIHF A Channel Victoria CHAN CKND CIII A Channel Barrie A Channel London A Channel Ottawa A Channel Windsor A Channel Wingham CHEX CHFD CJBN CKWS CKMI CFRE CFSK VERSUS WSOT Men’s TV WFN
Saturday 12:00 p.m. Saturday 12:00 p.m. Saturday 12:00 p.m. Saturday 5:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 am Sunday 8:30 a.m. Saturday 1:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday 12:00 p.m. Sunday 9:30 a.m. Sunday 12:00 p.m. Sunday 12:00 p.m. Saturday 7:30 a.m. Saturday 12:30 p.m. Sunday 1:30 p.m. Saturday 7:30 a.m. Saturday, 9:00 a.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. Wednesday 8:30 a.m. Sunday 2:00 p.m. Saturday 8:30a.m., 4:30p.m., 12:30 a.m. Check times at www.wfn.tv/onair/
*Station listings and air times are subject to change. Please refer to your local television listings for stations and times in your area.
Consider this an invitation to go outside and get a breath of fresh air. Leave the TV screens behind and enjoy the glow of a campfire instead. At Coleman, we make it easy to enjoy the world outside with innovative new products. From patio to mountain pass, you can take Coleman with you wherever you go. www.colemancanada.ca
NORTHERN PIKE Esox lucius
The northern pike is a long, narrow fish with a broad, flat, and somewhat duck-bill shaped head. The jaws, roof of the mouth and tongue are covered with sharp teeth that are constantly being replaced. The lower jaw often extends beyond the upper and the underside generally features five pores on each side. A single, soft rayed dorsal fin is located far to the back near the tail, just forward of the anal fin. The tail fin is moderately forked and the tips are slightly rounded.
The basic coloration of the pike features a dark background with numerous light, bean-shaped spots arranged in seven to nine horizontal rows. The back and sides can range from dark green through olive-green to almost brown while the lower flanks and belly are creamy to milky-white. Fins may be green, green-yellow, orange or pale red and feature irregular black markings or blotches. Pike are found around the world in the northern hemisphere almost to the Arctic coast lines. They are primarily a freshwater fish but are known to inhabit slightly brackish water, especially in the Baltic Sea and other areas of northern Europe. In
Canada their range includes most of Labrador and Quebec lying south of Ungava Bay; all of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta; the northeastern section of British Columbia, and most of the Yukon and Northwest Territories except for the extreme northern and eastern coastal areas and the Arctic islands. Pike are absent from the Maritime Provinces. Pike spawn in the early spring, immediately following ice-out, when water temperatures are in the 40°F to 52°F range. Spawning takes place during the day on vegetated river floodplains, in marshes and in the shallow back-bays of large lakes. One female usually pairs up with one or two smaller males and they will spawn at irregular intervals over a few days. Pike do not build spawning nests; their eggs are scattered randomly over several spawning sites. It is estimated that female pike carry about 9000 eggs per pound of body weight and the average female will have some 32,000 eggs. Although pike deposit high numbers of eggs and the fertilization rate is usually over 50%, the mortality rate is exceedingly high and can reach over 95%. Young pike feed on zooplankton and some small insects for their first week or so before adding small fish to their diet. By time the juveniles reach about two-inches in length their diet shifts almost entirely to other fish. As adults, pike will consume almost anything including frogs, crayfish and occasionally mice, ducklings and other vertebrates, however, their main food source remains other fish which, make up some 90% of their diet. Pike are often thought of as a fish of shallow, weedy water and this is true to some extent. A lot depends on their geographic location. Mature adults enter the shallows in the spring and fall, but tend to retreat to deeper, cooler water in the heat of summer. Younger pike are more likely to remain in the shallows through the summer. In the northern part of their range mature pike can be found shallow all season while in the south they are more likely to hold in deeper water during the hottest time of the year. Pike are a popular sportfish and can be caught by casting, trolling or fly-casting.
NORTHERN PIKE 20 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Did you know? Although pike are a freshwater fish they can also tolerate low levels of salt water. In the Baltic Sea pike are known to thrive in water with up to 10% salinity and can reproduce successfully in water with up to a 7% salt concentration.
FAST Facts Colour: Dark green through olive-green to almost brown on the back and sides with numerous light, bean-shaped spots. The lower flanks and belly are creamy to milky-white. Size: The average angler caught pike is between 20 and 30-inches in length and weighs three to five- pounds although fish over 36-inches and weighing over 10-pounds are common. Life Span: 10 to 12-years in the southern part of their range and up to 25-years in the north. Habitat: Pike are most commonly found in warm, slow, heavily vegetated rivers and warm, weedy bays of lakes. In the heat of summer, larger specimens will often move to deeper, cooler water. Spawning: Mating occurs in early spring, immediately following ice-out and, occasionally, under the melting ice when water temperatures reach 40°F to 52°F.
RECORD NORTHERN PIKE The current IFGA All-Tackle World Record northern pike weighs 55-pounds, 1-ounce and was caught from Lake of Grefeern, West Germany in October, 1986. They will hit spoons, spinners, plugs, flies and all types of live and dead baits. Pike can make long runs when hooked but generally seem to do more thrashing, twisting and short distance darting, especially when they get close to the boat. Pike are wonderful food fish having sweet, white, flaky flesh. They have a series of y-bones along the side that can make filleting them a challenge but the results are well worth the effort. It’s best to skin pike before cooking as the skin has heavy pigmentation and a thick mucus that can give the fish a muddy taste. ?
Danni Boatwright Survivor: Guatemala winner and Coleman camping enthusiast.
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Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.
By Bob Izumi
GETTING ORGANIZED Do you have a new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution? Like many people, I do too. In fact, I have hundreds of them but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not so sure that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a good idea for me because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work very hard to fulfil them. Here are a couple of the resolutions that have gone through my head in recent weeks. The first is that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to lose weight and get in shape. Well, at 49-years of age and traveling almost 300 days per year, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tough one. Fast food drivethroughs; long, irregular hours and never being in the same location for very long are all great excuses for not fulfilling that one. In fact, I bought an elliptical trainer from Canadian Tire a year ago because I had planned to work on this resolution last winter. Since then Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found that this trainer makes an excellent rack for hanging my Columbia rain suits on to dry after a long, wet day on the water. So the tip here is that these trainers are multi-purpose â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to just use them for training! Next on the list would be getting organized. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been saying this one now since I started full time in the fishing business back in 1979. Getting organized is a little bit more of a job than I had anticipated though.
22 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Given the fact that I travel a lot, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m never home and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very rarely in the office, things tend to pile up. When you tournament fish and tape television shows for just about anything that swims, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of equipment to organize. Generally Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in a rush when I pack for trips and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m beat when I get back. Usually thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not even a full day between trips and quite often thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only hours before the next one, so getting organized has been quite a challenge. In 2007 I did take major step towards becoming organized by getting some beautiful Lista cabinets and shelving set up in the garage. My son, Darren, has organized my gear and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking pretty good out there. I really should have helped him but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just no down time in my line of work. This time of year Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ice fishing, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m fishing down south and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also fishing any open water that I can find here in the north. I have zero downtime except the week between Christmas and New Years and who wants to work during that time period? Speaking of getting things put away and getting things ready, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a few tips that will have you ready to hit the water as soon as the ice goes out in the spring.
â&#x20AC;˘ Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea to put fuel stabilizer in the gas tanks of your ATVs and boats. Run the engine for 10 to 15 minutes with the fuel stabilizer in to ensure that your fuel doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break down over the winter. â&#x20AC;˘ Change the lower unit oil in your outboard before storing it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that way in the spring itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh and ready to go. â&#x20AC;˘ Charge your boat batteries before you store them. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the room, you can take them out of the boat and keep them in your garage or basement. Whether you leave them in the boat or take them out, be sure to put them on charge every month or two during the winter to keep a full charge in them during the winter months. â&#x20AC;˘ I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had it happen to me, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard of a few people that have had mice come in and chew up their boat seats and make lovely winter homes out of them. A few mothballs in the splash well and a few more scattered around your boat should help to keep those pesky mice out. â&#x20AC;˘ The winter is a good time of the year to get all of your purchasing done for the upcoming season. Do you need a Navionics electronic chart for your sonar/GPS unit? Or how about a new sonar/GPS? How about some new rods and reels? Line, tackle? During the winter months I do some pretty extensive shopping to ensure Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ready for the upcoming year. The list could go on and on with other tips and resolutions but the fact is, if you have your health, family, and friends what else matters? On that note, I hope everybody has a wonderful 2008 fishing season. ?
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.&& C;H9KHO Š 2007, Mercury Marine, All Rights Reserved
Steve May is the Stewardship Coordinator for Waterloo Region with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. When not working to improve local fisheries Steve can be found guiding or fly casting on his local rivers.
By Stephen May
CREATING YOUR OWN FLIES People are often amazed that you can make your own flies to catch fish with but it really is not that difficult. I started tying flies with a pair of Dad’s vice grips and a couple of bricks to hold a bait holder hook. I attached a messy clump of squirrel hair with thread borrowed from Mom’s sewing basket but, without the right tools or any instruction, the results were pretty pathetic. The fly was one of the ugliest creations imaginable, but it did fool a nice brook trout for me at a local stream. With a little education and some basic tying tools my flies began getting better. I also started catching more fish. Today there is tons of information about fly tying to be found in books, magazines, web sites, videos and DVDs. Better yet, look to a fly fishing club or a fly fishing specialty store for personal instruction. I wish it was that way when I started.
Once you have learned some basic tying skills you can make flies to your own specifications. They can be the exact size, colour and shape you want. It is great to be able to fill up your fly box with imitations of local fish food or the “hot” fly the fish tore to shreds on your last outing. Tying flies can save you some money, but this is not always the case. With all of the cool materials I have collected over the 24 Real Fishing Winter 2008
The Woolly Bugger Buggers work for a wide variety of fish and can be tied in any colour combination you can imagine. This fly comes alive in the water.
years I could have bought boxes and boxes of flies, but there is a certain satisfaction around creating a beautiful fly, or having a nice fish eat one of your own creations on the stream. The tools required to get started in fly tying are affordable and easy to obtain. A basic vice to hold your hook, a bobbin to hold thread and a pair of scissors are all necessary items. Other handy tools to have are a bodkin, hackle pliers, hair stacker and knot tying tool. There are kits available that have all of the tools you need for around $50 to $60. You can buy more expensive tools if you like, but I would recommend buying more hooks and tying materials when you are getting started. This will allow you to make more flies and perfect your technique before you invest in more expensive tying tools. Your material choices really depend on the types of flies that you will be using most. Fur and feathers from a variety of animals are commonly used. Pheasant tails, rabbit fur, marabou, chicken feathers and deer hair are all popular materials. Various tinsels, wires and synthetic materials are also good to have in your selection. Fly tiers have a way of seeking out interesting stuff to add their own personal touch to their flies. Once you’ve assembled your tools and materials, it’s time to get started tying. Here’s a great pattern to get started with. It is simple to tie with easily available materials. ?
1. Place the hook in the vice and attach the thread by wrapping the thread back over itself. Select a marabou feather and tie it in with tight wraps of thread so the fluffy part of the feather extends about one hook length past the back of the hook. 2. Tie in a chicken hackle feather by the tip of the feather. Secure a piece of chenille at the back 1 of the hook. 3. Work the thread to the front of the hook and wrap the chenille forward in touch2 ing wraps. Tie it off with firm wraps of thread before trimming the chenille. 4. Wrap the hackle forward 3 in evenly spaced wraps and tie it off at the front of the hook. Form a neat head with thread wraps. 4 Trim the hackle stem and secure the thread with half hitches or a whip finish and trim the thread. 5. Go fishing! 5
By Lawren Wetzel Lawren Wetzel is a Lowrance Canada service technician and accomplished tournament angler who competes on the Citgo Bassmaster Northern Tour.
PATTERNING FISH WITH SONAR Sonar has come a long way since the first Lowrance Green Box flasher was released in the 1950s. From flashers to paper graphs to LCDs to the new color units, the changes are hard to keep up with. Well, 2008 will be no different as Lowrance introduces a sonar optimizer called the Broadband Sounder1. This is the next generation in Lowrance sonar technology. The Broadband Sounder-1 is a sonar module that will work with all 2007 or higher Lowrance units that have a yellow Ethernet plug.
26 Real Fishing Winter 2008
It has been designed to digitally optimize sonar clarity for the most striking underwater definition possible. With the equivalent of 30,000 watts of analog power this unit will be capable of reaching depths well over 4,000-feet. During initial testing of this product they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to find water deep enough for it to lose bottom signal! For shallow water anglers, like bass fishermen, extraordinary depth capabilities are not a major concern but I can assure you that they will be installing the Broadband Sounder-1 on their boats because of the incredible detail and target separation it offers. By digitally controlling the sonar settings, detail and accuracy have been taken to another level. Target separation and distinction of fish within bottom structure such as rock piles, weedbeds, or brush has been greatly improved. Many people have compared the picture quality to the quality of the old paper graphs. Also being released in 2008 is the Navico Expansion Port1 which compliments the Broadband Sounder-1. This will allow up to four Lowrance units to be connected to one transducer at a time, eliminating the need for outdated transducer switch boxes.
A recent trend among serious walleye fishermen has been to equip their boats with multiple display units on the bow and console. Many Great Lakes and coastal salmon anglers also run several sonar displays at different locations around the boat. These anglers prefer having a dedicated GPS and a dedicated sonar system rather than a single, combination unit. In the past, the problem with this type of setup was that you either had to install two transducers, which would result in interference, or use a switch box which that only allowed one display unit to access to the transducer at a time. The Navico Expansion Port-1 will simplify these types of installs and allow anglers to run multiple display units through one transducer at the same time. Technology in sonar is advancing as quickly as that of TVs, computers, and cell phones. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to believe how far they actually have come, and how these new advancements are making us better anglers. ?
Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario
Runs Circles Around Old-Time Flashers NEW! LMS-522c IceMachineâ&#x201E;˘
By Dave Taylor
LONG-TAILED WEASEL
Fish
The long-tailed weasel breeds once a year. Males are sexually mature by the end of their first summer but will not 28 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Fish Catch
Lure
Fish Fish
Greased lightning. Those two words come about as close as any to describing the image left from an encounter with a long-tailed weasel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It moved likeâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? Indeed, the most you are likely to see of a weasel is a quick view of its head popping out of some rocks or long, streamside grasses to check you out before disappearing. Weasels are consummate predators. They are almost always on the hunt. Unlike their larger relatives, the river otter, weasels seldom if ever have been observed to play. Life for a weasel is far too serious. Eat or die pretty much sums up its existence. The long-tailed weasel is not a big animal. It weighs between about 80 and 450-grams (3 to 16-ounces) and ranges in length between 28 and 45-centimeters (11 to 16.5inches) Males are at the larger end of these ranges but it is hard to determine the sex by size alone. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s if you get enough time to study the critter before it vanishes.
Missed Hookset
Scrolling graph for incredible stationary ice ďŹ shing detail.
Color LCD ďŹ&#x201A;asher mode (if you still have to have it).
mate until 15 months later. Females mate during their first summer, usually with the male weasel that controls the territory of their mother. Like bears, the weasel forestalls pregnancy by not implanting the ova for several months. Successful pregnancy occurs only if the female has managed to obtain enough food during the fall and winter months. Young are born in the spring. Unlike bears, weasels do not hibernate and are active through the winter. In the northern half of their range most long-tailed weasels turn white during the winter months. This species can be found from the Gulf Coast to the southern edge of the boreal forest. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen it hunting meadow voles along streams in Mississauga and pika in mountain passes of the Rockies. They are far more common than you may think. A few years ago one went through my backyard (not far from Mississaugaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city hall) and killed two grey squirrels which I then had to dispose of. One study found up to 38 weasels in a single square kilometer of prime habitat! Prime habitat consists of areas where there is plenty of food. Mice, voles, squirrels, cottontail rabbits, snakes, bugs, small fish, birds, eggs and amphibians all contribute to their diet. Some of their prey species are much larger than the weasel. In
Colorado last year I watched as a cottontail headed for parts unknown, followed quickly by a weasel a third its size. I doubt that the rabbit had much of a future. The weasel, being as small as it is, has its own problems. While it is well furred
Actual on-the-ice sonar recording shown.
Introducing the advanced way-to-go for all-season angling success on-the-ice and on-the-water! Not only is it easier to interpret, the new Lowrance LMS-522c IceMachineâ&#x201E;˘ delivers incredible versatility with big colour, and big ďŹ shďŹ nding and navigation performance, in one complete package.
(a fact that gets many trapped for their fur coats) it must eat on a regular basis in order to survive. It expends so much energy hunting that without constant food it would starve. It hunts in sheltered areas because it is also an item on other predatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; menus. Coyotes, foxes, owls and hawks all occasionally dine on weasel. As you fish that favorite stream or creek keep an eye peeled for this speedy predator. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky you just may see one. ?
Scrolling graph ďŹ sh-arch detail from moving boat.
High-detail plug-and-play map options like LakeMasterÂŽ ProMaps.
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www.lowrance.com
www.ice2themax.com
SWIMBAITS Swimbaits have been making headlines in the bass fishing world for a couple of years now but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re much more than just a one species lure. With their lifelike action and near perfect minnow imitating shape and size, they can fool any fish that feeds on baitfishâ&#x20AC;Ś as this walleye will surely attest to.
30 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Fishing Forever Update www.fishingforever.ca
2007 FISHING FOREVER DINNER & AUCTION Fishing Forever held its annual fundraising dinner and auction on October 23 at Le Dome in Oakville, Ontario and once again the fishing and business communities turned out in force to support fishing and conservation in Ontario. Originally planned as a 450-seat affair, the popularity of this annual event has never been more in evidence as close to 500 people showed up for the festivities. Some last minute scrambling ensured that there were enough tables and chairs for everyone and Le Dome’s kitchen staff did a marvellous job in accommodating the additional diners. The sponsor support for the live and silent auctions was incredible with tens of thousands of dollars worth of items being donated to the cause. The auction items included all-inclusive fishing trip packages; golf trips; fishing rods, reels and electronics; camping and outdoors gear; hardware; clothing; jewellery; hunting supplies and much more. Bidding was fast and furious and at the end of the night there were just three unsold items! New for this year, and the highlight of the evening, was a lottery draw co-sponsored by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Three grand prizes were up for grabs – a brand new Chevrolet Equinox, a
Polaris ATV and a Lund boat and Mercury motor package. Jamie Janzen of St. Catharines, Ontario was the winner of the Equinox, Don Hindmarch took home the Polaris ATV and Mike Sifton won the Lund boat and Mercury motor. In a true show of generosity, Mr. Sifton donated his prize back to Fishing Forever where it was immediately put on the auction block. After some heated bidding, Mr. Peter Serrani, from Cayuga, Ontario, ended up as the high bidder and new owner of a wonderful fishing rig. Along with the fundraising aspect of the Fishing Forever Dinner and Auction, the evening also provided an opportunity to recognize those people who go above and beyond the call in supporting and promoting fishing and conservation. Wayne Izumi was honoured with the Rick Amsbury Award for his incredible drive and tenacity in organizing the annual Fishing Forever Dinner and Auction. For the past eight years Wayne has been responsible for obtaining a great number of the products and services offered in the auctions. He also regularly sells over half of the dinner tickets each year. There’s no question that Wayne’s dedication to Fishing Forever is the driving force behind the organization’s growth and one of the main reasons they have been able to donate over half a million dollars to fisheries related
Jamie Janzen accepts his Chevrolet Equinox from John Holland of Holland Motors in Burlington
Wayne Izumi accepts the 2007 Rick Amsbury Award from brother Bob.
projects over the years. Also honoured by Fishing Forever were Bob Wells from the Kingston and District Rod and Gun Club and Michael Klimm of the York Regional Police Force. Both men received the newly created Ambassador
Award for their outstanding contributions to the Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Days programme.
Keith Aubrey of the Police Association of Ontario presents Ambassador Awards to Bob Wells of the Kingston and District Rod and Gun Club (above) and Michael Klimm of the York Region Police Association (below).
No matter how you look at it, this year’s Fishing Forever Dinner and Auction was a huge success thanks to the help and support of the fishing industry, the business community, all of the support staff who work tirelessly to ensure the success of the evening and, of course, everyone who showed their support for fishing by attending the dinner. Without them, Fishing Forever could not exist and one more source of fisheries funding would be lost.
Mr. Peter Serrani with his new Lund boat/Mercury motor package.
Real Fishing Winter 2008 33
Dinner & Auction
2007 Fishing Forever
Carla Borel of the Kingston Police Association and Ambassador Award winner, Bob Wells, admire a Stoeger rifle that was up for auction. Keith Aubrey of the Police Association of Ontario donates $30,000 in support of the Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Days programme.
Michael Burgess opens the evening with his rendition of “O Canada.”
Wayne Izumi accepts the 2007 Rick Amsbury Award.
Jeff and Pattie Aubrey from Coyote’s Run Estate Winery.
Bob Izumi congratulates Jamie Janzen, the winner of a brand new Chevrolet Equinox in the Fishing Forever Lottery.
Mmmmm, oysters!
Mike Sifton gets the “thumbs up” after winning a Lund boat and Mercury motor in the Fishing Forever lottery draw - then donating it back so it could be auctioned to the highest bidder.Thanks Mike! Magic Mark amazed and entertained the crowd.
34 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Artist Charles Weiss puts the finishing touches on his smallmouth bass painting.
The Turkstra Lumber Boys
Real Fishing Winter 2008 35
Ja n u a ry
SUNDAY
1
6
7
13
9:54 - 11:54 10:18 - 12:18
14
2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06
20
21
February
27
9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30
28
3 5:54 - 7:54 6:18 - 8:18
9
10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06
15
11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54
16
4:18 - 6:18 4:42 - 6:42
22 10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06
29
4
10
23 11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54
30
24
8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42
12
1:06 - 3:06 1:30 - 3:30
18
5:54 - 7:54 6:18 - 8:18
5:06 - 7:06 5:30 - 7:30
5
11
NA 12:42 - 2:42
17
SATURDAY
7:30 - 9:30 7:54 - 9:54
6:42 - 8:42 7:06 - 9:06
1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18
19
6:42 - 8:42 7:06 - 9:06
25
NA 12:42 - 2:42
7:30 - 9:30 7:54 - 9:54
26
1:06 - 3:06 1:30 - 3:30
1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18
31
3:30 - 5:30 3:54 - 5:54
4:18 - 6:18 4:42 - 6:42
5:06 - 7:06 5:30 - 7:30
5:54 - 7:54 6:18 - 8:18
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
SATURDAY
2
6:42 - 8:42 7:06 - 9:06
3
4
8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42
9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30
11
1:06 - 3:06 1:30 - 3:30
17
18
24
5 9:54 - 11:54 10:18 - 12:18
12
1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18
6:42 - 8:42 7:06 - 9:06
7:30 - 9:30 7:54 - 9:54
25
1:06 - 3:06 1:30 - 3:30
SUNDAY
Ma rc h
2
FRIDAY
THURSDAY
2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06
10
2008
8
3:30 - 5:30 3:54 - 5:54
8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42
2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06
19 8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42
26
6 10:06 - 12:06 10:30 - 12:30
13 3:30 - 5:30 3:54 - 5:54
20 9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30
27
7 10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06
14
8
21 10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06
28
1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18
2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06
3:30 - 5:30 3:54 - 5:54
4:18 - 6:18 4:42 - 6:42
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDESDAY
THURSDAY
9
11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54
15
4:18 - 6:18 4:42 - 6:42
7:30 - 9:30 7:54 - 9:54
NA 12:42 - 2:42
16 5:54 - 7:54 6:18 - 8:18
5:06 - 7:06 5:30 - 7:30
22 11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54
23 NA 12:42 - 2:42
29 5:06 - 7:06 5:30 - 7:30
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1 5:54 - 7:54 6:18 - 8:18
2
3
6:42 - 8:42 7:06 - 9:06
9
36 Real Fishing Winter 2008
WEDESDAY
5:06 - 7:06 5:30 - 7:30
9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30
To order your copy of Doug Hannon’s 2007 Moon Clock Calculator send $9.95 plus $3.75 shipping & handling to: Moon Clock, Department RE, PO Box 724255, Atlanta, GA 31139 or visit www.moontimes.com
TUESDAY
MONDAY
7:30 - 9:30 7:54 - 9:54
10
1:18 - 3:18 1:42 - 3:42
16
2:06 - 4:06 2:30 - 4:30
17
6:54 - 8:54 7:18 - 9:18
23/30 1:18 1:42 6:54 7:18 -
4
3:18 3:42 8:54 9:18
7:42 - 9:42 8:06 - 10:06
24/31 2:06 - 4:06 2:30 - 4:30 7:42 - 9:42 8:06 - 10:06
5
8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42
11 2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18
18 8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54
25 2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18
9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30
12 3:42 - 5:42 4:06 - 6:06
19 9:18 - 11:18 9:42 - 11:42
26 3:42 - 5:42 4:06 - 6:06
6 9:54 - 11:54 10:18 - 12:18
13 4:30 - 6:30 4:54 - 6:54
20 10:06 - 12:06 10:30 - 12:30
27 4:30 - 6:30 4:54 - 6:54
7
8
10:42 - 12:42 11:06 - 1:06
14 5:18 - 7:18 5:42 - 7:42
21 11:42 - 1:42 12:06 - 2:06
28 5:18 - 7:18 5:42 - 7:42
11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54
15 6:06 - 8:06 6:30 - 8:30
22 12:30 - 2:30 12:54 - 2:54
29 6:06 - 8:06 6:30 - 8:30
Ice Fishing in Sunset Country
W
ell, such a dream trip was in store for this humbled outdoor writer late last March when we traveled up to Lake of the Woods in Minnesota and Sunset Country in northwestern Ontario. Along the way we would meet up with others who would be filming shows too, like Jimmy Linder and Dan Sura (formerly of In Fisherman and now with Anglers Edge TV) and Doug Stange, (editor of In Fisherman) as well as Real Fishing
radio show co-host, Gord Pyzer, of Kenora. It all began with a short, two-hour flight from Toronto to Winnipeg. Here Bob and Wayne along with Real Fishing Show producer, Tammy Love; Tom Gruenwald and Eric Poster of HT Enterprises; Big Jim McLaughlin and Rick Saar, sales manager of SnoBear â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Cadillac-type Bombardier that we would be travelling in on the frozen northern waters - all met up to begin our journey. After loading up the
vehicles we began our four-hour drive to Baudette, Minnesota where our ice fishing adventure began. As we traversed the western portion of Lake of the Woods into Minnesota, we saw the first of many bald eagles we would see and more whitetail deer than you can shake a stick at. Upon our arrival in Baudette, on the south shore of Lake of the Woods, it was abundantly clear that this was one heck of a fishing town.
By Wil Wegman Wil Wegman is an award winning outdoor writer who was a member of Team Canada at the World Ice Fishing Championships in 1992. He has several top ten finishes in the Canadian Ice Fishing Championships and is a popular ice fishing seminar host.
Can you imagine going on a week-long winter vacation to a far-off destination renowned as one of the finest ice fisheries in the world? To top it off, during a week of intensive fishing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be traveling with the likes of former Pro Bass Classic winner and editor of Just Fishing magazine, Big Jim McLaughlin; author of two ice fishing books and part owner of HT Enterprises, Tom Gruenwald, and of a couple of other guys by the names of Bob and Wayne Izumi.
38 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Real Fishing Winter 2008 39
Willie Walleye welcomes visitors to Baudette
Eric Poster remarked, “This is a typical fishing village here in the northern U.S. – where the whole town focuses on catering to the recreational anglers that come from all over to fish here.” As we pulled into Wigwam Resort we were thrilled to see not only one SnoBear there for us, but four or five. Each could fish two or three comfortably and, with the gang of anglers we had and an expected cold front the next day, we anticipated they would be a luxury few of us would pass up. With the first travel day pretty well shot, we unpacked, went out and bought our Minnesota Fishing Licences and then came back to our cabin to rig all of our ice rods for the next day of walleye fishing. This was a surprisingly entertaining task as Eric and Tom from HT had brought along hundreds, possibly thousands of new lures and all kinds of great tackle for us to try. It was amazing to see it all in one place and we knew each piece was just begging us to give it a thorough work-out. After a great dinner in the main lodge with the whole group – which now also included the likes
of Jimmy Lindner and Dan Sura, we retired back to the cabin. The next morning dawned bright, clear and cold as we headed out in our convoy of SnoBears. We were fishing Whitefish Bay, an area significantly larger than Lake Simcoe. The spot we chose to fish was about 28-miles out. During the 90 minute drive, Big Jim remarked, “Yah, my buddy told me that if I was ever going to fish walleye on Lake of the Woods to give him a call – cause he has a secret spot he’d be willing to tell me.” “So did you call him?” I asked. “Yah – stupid bugger said it was a place called Whitefish Bay on the US side! I think I’m gonna have to have a word with that boy when I get back!” The day turned out to be brutally cold and very windy so most of us fished inside the SnoBears all day. “You know, I feel kind of guilty sitting here inside this warm and comfortable little Taj Mahal”, I confessed to my fishing partner, Big Jim. He replied, “Yah, but you should get over
that real quick cause we would freeze our butts off if we spent too much time out there. Turn that thermostat up a bit will ya?” Seeing as how we were both catching walleye and the odd smaller sauger while the wind billowed bitterly outside, he didn’t have to tell me twice.
THE CASE OF THE PILFERED PERCH The gang was anxiously anticipating a delicious meal of fresh walleye fillets that evening so several two to three-pounders were kept along with a nice 13-inch perch. Later that day, Jimmy Lindner stopped by for a visit and he couldn’t help but fall in love with that big perch.
“Man, will ya look at the shoulders on this puppy! That’s one gorgeous fish. Wow, just look at her. We caught some smaller ones over there but nothing like this. Mind if I show the fella’s, they don’t think there are perch this big here?” he asked rather sheepishly. “Sure no problem,” I said. When we finished fishing that day, and returned to shore, Big Jim asked me where my perch was. “I dunno, I guess it’s still with Jimmy and the Anglers Edge crew,” I replied. 40 Real Fishing Winter 2008
The next day he asked again, “Wil, did you ever get your perch back?” “No Jim, I guess we ate it last night,” I said, matter-of-factly. “Hmmm, can’t recall seeing any perch fillets there. I think Jimmy Lindner stole your perch! Hey Bob and Wayne, did ya hear the latest? Jimmy Lindner stole Wil’s perch!” It struck us all as rather comical and Jim, being the consummate funny-man, knew how to play it up. For the rest of the trip he made it his mission to tell anyone who’d listen that the famous Jimmy Lindner stole Wil’s perch! Oddly enough, a week after we had all returned to our normal, busy lives in southern Ontario, I was driving along Highway 401 in Toronto when, lo and behold, I see Big Jim’s well marked Just Fishing truck. I pulled up next to him at 110-kph and gave him the customary wave. Not missing a beat, Big Jim rolled down his window and quickly yelled out, “Hey, do you know that Jimmy Lindner stole your perch?” Funny guy that Big Jim!
SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE BUFFALO WINGS Ingredients • 1 kg (2 lb) chicken wings & drumettes • Vinegar • Hot sauce (any hot sauce will do) • Flour • Pepper Preparation Cut off and discard wing tips then cut wings into two sections at the joint. Evenly mix the chicken wings and drumettes in vinegar and soak for 20 minutes. Drain excess vinegar from the chicken and sprinkle the flour onto the chicken mixing by hand until the chicken is evenly coated. Add a generous amount of hot sauce to the chicken making sure it is evenly coated. Place chicken on greased Bradley Smoker racks and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Smoking Method Using Mesquite flavour bisquettes with the damper closed and the heat on full, the chicken should be cooked in about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Turn wings and drumettes frequently to ensure even cooking. Chicken can be basted with more hot sauce during smoking. Simply remove racks from the Bradley Smoker and baste generously before returning racks to continue process. This results in a hotter and juicier Buffalo Wings.
42 Real Fishing Winter 2008
The next day was a complete reversal of the day before with rain and much warmer temperatures. I spent some of the time fishing out in the open but finally succumbed to the comforts of the SnoBear. This time I was fortunate enough to fish with the owner and developer of SnoBear - Tom Lykken. We had a great time watching the walleye come in on the sonar units and although they were picky, they did like the HT Hornet Jig tipped with that Berkley Gulp! Minnow. Others did equally as well around the hump we had all to ourselves. The next day we met up with Gord Pyzer in Kenora and some of the staff from InFisherman – Doug Stange and Jeff Simpson. Gord made us promise not to reveal the lake we would be fishing here in Ontario’s “Sunset Country” because of the sensitivity of the fishery. “The lakers here are big n’ old, and they could easily be exploited by those not practicing catch and release, so we are trying to keep the fishery from seeing too much pressure,” he said. During our first day of lake trout fishing those fishing and filming for the Real Fishing Show would go one way and those filming and fishing for the In Fisherman Show would go somewhere else. Sometimes the two groups could see one another fishing on the opposite sides of the lake and the feeling I got was not unlike Tom Gruenwald of HT Enterprises with a nice Lake of the Woods walleye
during a bass tournament, when you can’t help but wonder just how well your competitor across the lake is doing. For the most part, the fishing was not fast and furious – by Sunset Country standards anyways. There was some excitement though when we (I was on the Izumi team) moved to a new area just off of a nice rocky point. Almost right away Bob connected with what we all thought would be a good laker … and even when he landed it, we still all agreed that it was, well, kinda nice, just rather crooked even for a big old ugly ling.
Berkley approaches bait with unmatched scientific understanding of fish and what causes them to strike. Proof of their latest breakthrough is new, patent pending Gulp! Alive! packed in buckets, filled to the brim with their exclusive natural attractant. Each Gulp! Alive! bait is loaded with more scent, more flavor, more action and more value per bait. Making it the most potent bait you can buy! Plus, you can reload Gulp! Alive! by soaking it back in the liquid Gulp! attractant. Beyond the convenience of Gulp! Alive! packed in buckets, you’ll also notice each bait has room to roam. The result? Perfection in shape, scent, action and color. So upgrade your choice to the bait that not only outfishes live, it outfishes all bait. You’ll be showing off your intelligence, right along side your trophies.
Bob Izumi
Host of the Real Fishing television show
©2007 Pure Fishing, Inc.
www.berkley-fishing.com
After fishing for an hour, Tom Gruenwald and I decided to make the ice resemble Swiss Cheese so he grabbed the auger and drilled along the inside of the shoal and I finished off all along the outside. With dozens of holes atop the shoal, there was nary a chance for any cruising laker to avoid at least catching a glimpse of one of our baits. I had no-sooner finished drilling my last hole when I heard Bob yell, “Fish on!” Bob, like the rest of the crew, was walking from hole to hole, hoping this strategy Wil Wegman gets some camera time as he fights a good lake trout.
Bob Izumi goes in for the landing.
the land of the giants… Fly-in to the seclusion of Esnagami Lodge, north of Nakina, Ontario in the head waters of the famous Albany River water shed. Gotcha!
The Only Resort on Esnagami Lake We offer great fishing amongst 200 islands for Walleye and trophy Pike. River fishing for speckled trout is also available. Your choice of American Plan packages or Housekeeping packages.
Summer - P.O. Box 270 Nakina • Ontario • P0T 2H0
1-807-329-5209 Winter - 153 October Cres. London • Ontario • N6K 4W5
1-519-474-6988 Visit us on the web at www.esnagami.com or email us at fish@esnagami.com
44 Real Fishing Winter 2008
LIKE A COMPASS, THEY ALWAYS POINT NORTH. THE CARIBOU BOOT | RATED TO -40° | SOREL.COM
The author with a typical Sunset Country Whitefish
Northwestern Ontario Whitefish Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of northwestern Ontario whitefish is how dissimilar they are to the same species from We found that the whitefish seemed to prefer subtle, narrow spoons with lifelike finishes and rattles. My most productive technique, after a little trial and error, was to jig six to eight-feet off bottom, hold it still and then twitch and quiver it. Not only would this bring whities below the hole, it would often force them into striking violently. Those were the aggressive ones. I soon discovered that the trick to catching the less aggressive fish was to have a finesse rig ready to go as soon as the whities stopped slamming your lure. When this happened I would quickly reel up and drop down an HT Jet Jig or Glider Jig tipped with, you guessed it, a Berkley Gulp! Power Minnow. I would lower it to the fish’s eye level, give it the twitch and quiver, then hold still. I don’t think this offering was refused even once by the whities down there! During our last drive off the ice in the SnoBears we couldn’t help but talk about how fast the week of ice fishing had flown by and how if only we had another day or two we could have tried some for big northerns with HT tip-ups and dead baitfish. Another good reason to begin making plans to revisit beautiful Sunset Country in northwestern Ontario! ?
many other lakes. Whitefish from the lake this group fished ignore the fact that their underslung mouths are ideally suited to pick up tidbits of food right off bottom. Instead, they prefer to gorge themselves on prolific smelt that swim well off bottom.
Anglers fishing without good sonar units are effectively fishing blind. Having a unit like the Lowrance Ice Machine can up your odds considerably. Whether you prefer to use the customary LCD screen or the flasher mode, this unit is versatile enough to suit most ice fishing needs.
46 Real Fishing Winter 2008
would pay dividends and finally it did. The fight lasted for quite some time but Bob finally teased a big beautiful lake trout through the hole. After a quick flurry of photos the old trout was carefully released in great shape. The following day we returned to a similar location and began running and gunning with the Snowbears from one spot to the next. This task was much more efficient with the aid of our Lowrance Sonar/GPS units and Navionics digital charts of Lake of the Woods. After trying a wide variety of baits the crew decided to experiment with the veritable tackle shop of great looking lures and baits that HT produces. I opted to down size considerably and picked up a medium light HT rod and tied on one of their beautifully painted “Nugget Jigs” – complete with life-like eyes. I then slid on a
small Berkley Power Gulp Minnow in the shiner pattern and lowered it down the hole. It reached bottom and sat still for about 30 seconds before I quivered the bait in place with a nervous like twitch. The hit wasn’t hard at all. The finicky trout must have just inhaled the tiny morsel ever so gently but, with light line and supersensitive equipment, the bite did not go unnoticed. After a strong fight Bob was finally able to stick his hand down the icy hole and land the fish for me. Right after that fish was landed we packed up the SnoBears, drove to shore and put them on the trailers before quickly heading off to another lake for whitefish. This underutilized species may be popular in places down south like Lake Simcoe, but drive 25-hours north and there are relatively few anglers who target them.
Author Wil Wegman with the last lake trout of the trip.
Real Fishing Winter 2008 47
THE VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE BOAT By Rick McCrory
Imagine a 52-year old rookie rubbing shoulders with some of the best bass anglers in North America while fishing out of the latest, high-powered Ranger boats. I was able to do that as I participated as a co-angler in the FLW Series Eastern Division tournament series in 2007. This involved travelling on the road for 43 days, driving 18,000 km and spending $8000.00 U.S. Thank goodness for the current exchange rate!
Real Fishing Winter 2008 49
T
here were four tournaments in the series: Lake Okeechobee in Florida at the end of January; Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas in May; Lake Champlain in New York in September and Pickwick Lake in Alabama in October. Each tournament was open to 200 pros and 200 co-anglers for a total field of 400 anglers who chose to lay down their money - $3750 in entry fees for each pro and $700 for each co-angler - for the chance at winning one of these events. These tournaments are four days long with the top 10 pros fishing the final day for the grand prize of $100,000 U.S. plus contingency money up to $25,000. The first prize for the co-anglers is $25,000 U.S. with the winner being determined after three days. There is a pay back down to 75 places on both the pro and co-angler sides. You are only able to practice on the tournament water during the four days before the event and there is a two week off-limits period prior to the official practice days.
FLW Series anglers make their way to boat check Friday morning.
have been 12 but we had one day cancelled due to high winds. Out of the 11 pros, I was made to feel awkward only once and only felt handicapped fishing twice. I surprised myself on two different days when not even weighing in one fish was still acceptable because I was given good insight and great knowledge from my pro’s experience. I feel I became a better angler but only time will tell! I was hoping to find the “secret” bait or the “best” presentation but, unfortunately, there is no bait or technique that does not have merits on any given day. But, there is a new scented bait out there that blows away the competition and that is Berkley Gulp!, the winner by a long shot. You can bet it will be in my bag for next year’s series. Having cashed my first cheque ($773 U.S.) this year at Lake Champlain, I was able to explain to my wife how to make a small fortune in bass fishing - start with a large one! I look at this as a four-year university degree in bass fishing with one year completed. Death by bass boat? On two occasions I thought that my chances of seeing the weigh-in at the day’s end were less than likely. Running flat out in the fog and
watching the GPS for directions, with only 50 to 75 yards of visibility, was not the most comfortable of times. I never felt emotion from fog before and I was happy when it burned off. Most of the boats have just a single console and being a passenger is like sitting on the roof of a car with no shock absorbers, speeding down a bumpy road and hitting potholes at 60 to 70-mph. Not a time to be macho! You need to hang on to the handles and cross your legs. Trust me. You have to wear your rain suit even in hot weather because of the spray but you don’t want to put up your hood because it is like 20 extra pounds of drag around your neck. THE INSIDE VIEW Lake Okeechobee The first tournament of the season was held on Lake Okeechobee from January 24th to January 27th. Day one was off to an easy start. The pro that I would be fishing with was David Cooke and we only had about a five-mile run to our first spot. The method that he was using was casting a worm with a tungsten weight far into open pockets in the Kissimmee grass. David started catching fish right from
www.berkley-fishing.com
“If it were any clearer, it would be mono!”
flwoutdoors.com photo by Brett Carlson
That doesn’t leave a lot of time for the pros to come up with a game plan. As a coangler you go where the boat goes. The pro you draw can have a big impact on your success - or lack of – since they have control of the boat and can sometimes put you in a less than ideal fishing position. Co-anglers have to be ready to fish in whatever way the pro has lined up - deep, shallow or in-between. That means carrying your whole world of secret baits and rods with you because you need to be ready for any situation. Co-anglers are not allowed to cast forward of the middle of the boat during the tournament and they change boats and pros every day. Hey, if it was easy I would probably not do it! The thrill of competition is huge and so are the rewards, not only in money, but in having the opportunity to see, firsthand, the knowledge and skill level of so many great anglers. Being able to watch and learn from these guys is worth the price of admission. I was able to fish with 11 different pros through the season. It would 50 Real Fishing Winter 2008
flwoutdoors.com photo by Brett Carlson
40x Magnification
Flipping the Kissimmee grass
FireLine Crystal
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Al Lindner, legendary angler
The FIRST translucent superline “I’ve fished FireLine Crystal all around the country, a lot of different kinds of fish and a lot of different kinds of environment. It fishes well against any water from crystal clear to so muddy you can’t see two inches down. There’s never been a line like this, a superline that seems to disappear in the water. That’s the power of thermal fusion. I love it!”
FireLine Crystal. Advanced Technology. © 2007 Pure Fishing, Inc
flwoutdoors.com photo by Rob Newell
Anglers head out into cloudy, drizzly conditions on day two of the BP Eastern Division FLW Series.
the start. He had three keepers before I had a bite and I was starting to feel the pressure. I finally got a bite but guess what? I set the hook too quickly and ended up with nothing but air. During the four days of practice I used a black GULP! Worm and it worked very well but something had changed and it was not the flavour that the fish wanted that morning. After my pro caught five keepers he threw me one of the worms he was using and I started to get more bites. I relaxed a little and started just fishing for fun. Shortly afterwards we took off for spot number two, where we ended up fishing for the rest of the day. This spot was different. It was on the edge of a canal bank and David fished it in a similar way. He cast his worm far forward and managed to get some larger fish. He started culling up right away and that always brings a smile to a pro’s face. The more fish he catches the more fish I have a shot at, which is a good thing. I switched back to my confidence bait, the black GULP! Worm. David mentioned to me that during the last tournament he had fished this spot and his co-angler managed to catch a monster from the back deck and placed well in the standings. That made me focus even more. As if on cue, my line started swimming away and I set the hook. I knew it was a good one. The net came out and in it was my biggest fish of the day so far, almost four-pounds. As I took the hook out my pro thanked me for taking food out of his kids’ mouths! I managed to catch eight or so fish that day but only four were large enough to keep. Little did I know it would be the last time I would weigh a fish in Florida. My day two pro was Sam Bass - no kidding. He did not change his name to be a fishing pro, but I guess since he had the name he may as well be a fisherman! Well, the weather changed, the rain and winds came and the fish shut down. These bass love clear water and don’t seem to bite well when it gets dirty. Fishing on the main lake was very difficult so we ran to hide from the wind. Unfortunately my pro did not 52 Real Fishing Winter 2008
have any backup spots out of the wind and we just ran around the back canals and junk fished. What was funny that day is that we ended up fishing about 75-yards from a great area that I had fished in practice with Bob Izumi. I knew Bob was fishing just on the other side of the high bank and out of sight, hooking into a couple a fish in the 7 to 10-pound range no doubt! I was hoping he did not speak because his very identifiable voice might give the spot away. Neither my pro nor I were able to catch any keeper fish that day. Wet and chilled to the bone, my gut hurt from laughing all
54 Real Fishing Winter 2008
not convert. We fished hard right ‘till the end but did not make our weigh in time and were disqualified. It did not matter to me, but it was the first time either of us had been disqualified. At least we were on the same page at that moment. I finished the tournament in 115th place with a total weight of 7-pounds, 14-ounces. Lake Dardanelle The next stop on this rodeo was Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas three months later, in May. My day one pro was Al Fisher, another good name to have if you are in the industry! Al is a full-time lure designer for Norman lures. We did not run very far, maybe threemiles, before we started fishing his first area. Al was flipping the weed clumps with a claw-type bait and I started casting a weightless Senko. I managed to land three fish before my pro connected, unfortunately none of my fish measured! Al changed up to a large, 10” worm and made short casts, about 30-feet from the front of the boat. Within three casts he landed a huge fish that ended up weighing 6-pounds, 9ounces. We spent another hour in this area
without any other keepers then took off to fish tree stumps in a bay with stained water. Al had the stumps marked on his GPS and he managed two more keepers. I did not have a clue where to cast and fished blindly without much success. We made a short run across the river, maybe a mile, to a field of standing timbers. Out came Al’s crankbait rod and on his first cast he managed to connect with a good fish. Then he got a couple more in the same area. I could not fish a crankbait because if I got snagged on the sunken wood it would be break-off time because the boat does not seem to go backwards with most of these guys. I did manage to catch 10 fish that day, but none were large enough. Al ended up in second place after day one. On day two I fished with Terry Baksay, a long time pro with hundreds of tournaments under his belt. We fished a shallow creek mouth not far from the weigh-in area. Terry was using a prop-type stick bait, a frog and a swimming jig but we did not have much success. His area was run over by many guys and it got used up rather quickly. I did mange a couple of non-keepers on my weightless Senko but that was about it. Terry offered his whole arsenal of baits for me to use if I wanted. Only two fish measured for him and it was another goose egg day for me! My day three pro was Sam Swett who, unfortunately, was out of contention at this point in the tournament. He asked me where I was positioned and I said it was over for me as well so we managed to have a Bass 101 instructional day of fishing. He fished a crankbait, making short casts to a weed edge on a dropping shoreline and got his five keeper fish. From that point on I was given as much help as humanly possible to get a few keepers. He took the time to bring me to areas that held fish, explain how to fish them and he even tied a swimming jig on my line. I have not had anyone do that for me in 45 years! It was funny feeling; he really wanted me to catch one but it was not in the cards. I missed about three keepers and it FLW anglers head for day two check out on Lake Darndanelle
flwoutdoors.com photo by Rob Newell
day long - this guy should have been a stand-up comedian! My day three pro was a local angler, Chris Lane. He has great knowledge of the lake but the changing weather pattern blew out his spot, which was only about onemile from blast-off. I like a short run. After fishing there for two-hours, casting a weighed worm in a shallow creek bed, we did not have any bites and started to run to a few of his old areas to see if we could get a few fish. We fished hydrilla weed mats, flipping heavy tungsten weights so we could penetrate the thick cover into the clear water. We ended up within casting distance of my day two draw, Sam, and he was still making me laugh with great oneliners. He made my day, two days in a row! Later that day our boat got stuck and my pro mentioned that I should get out and push. I asked for his push-pole or paddle, but he did not have either. I reminded him that he got the boat stuck and he should think about how he was going to get it floating again! In the final few hours he went for broke and started throwing a lizard the size of a small dog. He had one big blow-up, but did
flwoutdoors.com photo by Rob Newell
Al Fisher with a pair of nice bass including the day one pro division big bass weighing 6-pounds, 9-ounces.
FLW Series pros and co-anglers head out into drizzly conditions for some hot Champlain fishing on day two.
flwoutdoors.com photo by Rob Newell
Lake Champlain It was now September and Lake Champlain in New York was the third stop on the tour. Champlain is not very far from my home, maybe an hour, and I have fished it often so I was feeling ready. My first day draw was pro, Clark Rheem. At the pairing meeting he was not feeling very confident as he had not had fished for smallmouth bass before and did not have a good practice. He warned me not expect too much for the next day. Fair enough, I thought. We ended up fishing in a marina not far from blast-off where he had caught a few fish casting between the moored sailboats. I was surprised no one kicked us out during the day. He was casting a wacky rigged, four-inch Senko and managed a small limit. I struggled, catching only one fish before we moved off and fished pretty well nowhere. Clark wanted to save what he had for day two. Now I understood what
he meant the night before. On day two the winds began picking up. I was paired with pro, Keith Monson, who was planning to fish open water for smallies until he had a limit. Then we would switch areas and fish for largemouth. We fished about six or seven-miles from blast-off, near an area that I had fished before. He was using a tube for smallmouth in 12 to 15-feet of water. I tried to fish the same way but the winds were moving the boat too quickly for me and my tube was not reaching the bottom. You have to remember that I cannot cast forward of the 56 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Lake Champlain got a little choppy on day two of FLW Series competition.
middle of the boat! He got out a drift sock and threw it out; unfortunately it was not tied to the boat! We both laughed at that one! After securing the sock we were able to fish with a little more precision. After one drift I realized that the only way for me to have my bait down where the fish were was to use a Carolina rig with a heavy weight. I started to fish that way, with a six-inch lizard, and had a few pickups but no takers. My pro landed a fish on a tube and the day was started. I ended up changing to a four-inch lizard and the game was on! I had my limit before Keith had 3 fish in the boat and I was feeling good. It took a while longer for my pro get his five fish but he did. Then we tried to make the run across the lake to fish for largemouth but by that time the waves were too big so we stayed where we started. Better safe than sorry. There were a few broken boats and injured fisherman by the day’s end and I was thankful I only lost a hat. Day three was cancelled due to high winds and large waves but with my recovery on day two I managed to crawl up into 63rd place and got a cheque for my first time. Pickwick Lake The final stop of the Eastern Division FLW Series was Pickwick Lake in Alabama from October 10th to the 13th and the weather was unbelievably hot. I made an error packing for the trip and had only brought black tee-shirts. I was dying in 90 degree heat! Practice was funny because there was a 250-boat tournament running on the same body of water. If I were a bass I would have been afraid! My pro on day one was Joel Richardson, who gave me the boat ride of a lifetime as we passed 15 boats during our 50-minute run in the foggy conditions. By time we stopped my arms were ready to fall off.
flwoutdoors.com photo by Rob Newell
was my fault. At that point in time I was not on the ball and was asleep at the switch. Three days and three zeros are hard to take, but that’s life in the fast lane. I ended up in a six way tie for last place.
Our first spot was a mussel shoal in 12feet of water out in the middle of a bay, pretty much no place you would stop and fish, but there we were. Within five-minutes, casting a deep diving crankbait, Joel said in a calm, Carolina voice, “Geet the neet.” Then he said it again. I could not hear because my ears were still blocked from the high-speed run. He looked at me with a bit of astonishment and then what he said registered. I saw the water boil and managed to land his fish. The fishing was fast and he landed five fish in just 15-minutes. I got one as well - once I tied on a crankbait! We moved off the area just as fast as we got on it. Joel did not want anyone else seeing us catching fish and he needed to save the spot for day two. We fished some riprap about three miles away for the rest of the day. Joel managed to cull one or two more fish with a crankbait and I landed a 12 1/2-inch spotted bass on a 1/16-ounce jig with a 4-inch shaky head worm. Joel was happy for me. He also spent about five-minutes measuring one of my other A cool, sunny morning greeted FLW Series anglers at the McFarland Park Marina.
flwoutdoors.com photo by David A. Brown
flwoutdoors.com photo by David A. Brown
fish before deciding that it was a hair too small. During our five-hours of fishing on the rocks we got stuck many times and Joel was always willing to go back and see if I could get my jig out. What a nice change! On day two my pro was Todd Auten. We started on a good pattern fishing mussel beds in 18-22 feet of water. He was using a jigging spoon and I was fishing a Carolina rig but did not have any bites right away. Todd started to run and gun, bank beating all over the place. I was up and down like a yo-yo because I could not tell him that this was the same way we fished the day before. It was not the same spot, but a similar pattern! Fishing mussel beds turned out to be the winning pattern for the tournament. So close, yet so far. Todd managed to catch two fish at the end of the day, right back near the weigh-in area. I did not catch a fish and only had two bites all day. On the last day of the tournament I had a big name draw, Takahiro Omori, and I was pumped. We had a short boat run and then covered a long distance on the electric motor. The area where we fished was the back of a big bay full of cypress trees and stumps in about four-feet of water. He was fishing a shallow running crankbait and power fished around trees and stumps. On 58 Real Fishing Winter 2008
the shorelines he would pick up a flipping rod with a claw-type bait and pick apart the lay-downs like a machine, casting with laser accuracy. A funny thing happened that day. I ended up catching the first fish in a laydown where he did not pitch, and that was the last time I got a shot at the shore unless it was a hail Mary cast from a bad angle. Takahiro managed to catch six or seven keepers and weighed 10-pounds. It was a very long day for me and I ended up with another zero. I didn’t really have much of a chance because the boat just went too fast for me to fish anything effectively. I got dizzy from going around and around the trees! Power fishermen are very hard to fish behind. Give me a finesse angler every day
of the tournament and I will be a happy camper! Being a little older and having fished with some great anglers during my 45-years of fishing, I think can see what the common denominator is with the top anglers. For me it is their ability to read water, understand their competitor’s approach and quickly find something that may have been overlooked. Basically it’s their ability to stay flexible and to rapidly adjust to changing conditions, no matter how subtle. My position at the end of 2007 was 88th place so there’s a lot of room to move up but I think I now know what I have to do to improve my standings. I’m already looking forward to next season. ?
CELEBRITY PRO-FILE
Miles Burghoff By Jerry Hughes
Miles Burghoff is the 21-year old son of acclaimed actor, Gary Burghoff. Gary was a guest in several episodes of the Real Fishing Show back in the 80s but you may know him better from his role as Corporal Walter “Radar” O’Reilly in the hit television series, M*A*S*H. Despite his father’s success in the entertainment industry, Miles has never really wanted to follow that path. He decided early on that he wanted to become a professional angler. As a youngster Miles spent hours watching VHS tapes of his dad’s appearances on the Real Fishing Show as well as reading Bassmaster magazine and watching the B.A.S.S. tournaments on television. “When I was about 12-years old I started reading Bassmaster magazine and I really enjoyed the tournament coverage. I watched Kevin Van Dam, Denny Brauer and all those guys to see what they were doing and it lit a fire in me.” At the age of 12 Miles teamed up with a friend and entered his first tournament near his home in California. The pair ended up cashing a cheque and Miles was hooked. 60 Real Fishing Winter 2008
“Actually my first tournament was when I was 12. I was at our other house in Connecticut and I was reading both Bassmaster magazine and a magazine from out west called Bass West magazine. I got so excited that when I got back to California I entered my first tournament with a local guy and we ended up making a cheque.” While in high school Miles worked as a counsellor at the Woodleaf Outdoor School in northern California where he taught younger kids about fishing. The man who ran the camp, Don Hendrickson, noticed Miles’ passion for fishing and introduced him to Mike Trotter who owned Baranof Wilderness Lodge in Alaska. Mike offered Miles a chance to work as a guide at the lodge and Miles started as soon as he graduated high school. While working at the lodge Miles met the owners of Business Air and Jet Works Air Centre. “I started guiding at the lodge up in Alaska right after I graduated from high school. I ended up meeting the guys from Business Air and Jet Works Air Center up there. They are clients who go up every single July and they’re just great people. They saw my pas-
sion for fishing and I guess it kind of reminded them of their aspirations and how they started out in their businesses.” They folks from Business Air and Jet Works Air Center were impressed with Miles and it wasn’t long before they agreed to sponsor him in his budding fishing career. Mike Trotter also signed on and suddenly Miles had his first three sponsors. Rather than jumping right into the world of competitive fishing, Miles made the decision to go to college and study business and marketing full time while competing in tournaments on the weekends. Ho moved across the country, from California to Florida, in order to gain experience in fishing for largemouth bass as well as to attend school. For a young man, Miles definitely understands the need for a solid education before trying to make the leap to full time fishing. “I’m taking marketing classes and that’s really the biggest key to this sport right now. It’s becoming more of a spectator sport and an entertainment sport. Businesses are really getting into it and it’s really all about selling product and selling your sponsors and that’s why I’m taking marketing and business management and those kinds of classes. This is my second year, my sophomore year. Right now I’m going to a community college down in Fort Pierce called Indian River Community College. After this year I’ll transfer to the University of Central Florida.” Miles currently fishes in the Bassmaster Weekend Series run by the American Bass Association. The winner of the series
National Championship goes to the Bassmaster Classic, which is what Miles has his sights set on. “The Weekend Series, for the Florida division, had five tournaments this season. Then there are the Regional Championships and then the National Championship, so there are seven tournaments. I fish all kinds of little tournaments that come by and some bigger ones. I might fish the Bassmaster Open that comes into St. Johns this season.” While a lot of would-be tournament pros might be tempted to fish more and study less, Miles has a different philosophy and a strong sense of purpose that seems beyond his years. “It’s kind of hard to separate yourself from school for a full week or to remain competitive while you’re trying to do school work. I know that in this sport you need to really concentrate on fishing, and that’s what I want to do, but I really need to think about my education first. I’ve only got two or three more years to go so I think it’s a small sacrifice. If it sounds like Miles is simply “playing” at fishing while he gets his education, think again. In his first full season in the Weekend Series, Miles finished second in one event, third in another and qualified for the National Championship. Although he didn’t win the Championship, he accomplished the goals he set for himself last season. “The National Championship was a little bit of a disappointment. The season wasn’t all that great either, but I learned a lot. The thing I need to keep reminding myself is that I moved from California to Florida and I’d never bass fished in Florida before I moved here. My biggest goal going into the season was to just qualify for the championship and hold my own against the guys who live around Lake Okeechobee because that’s the division I fish - and I did that. The first tournament I didn’t do very well. I found the fish but it was one of those tournaments where I just couldn’t keep them on. I did better in the next tournament and in the next tournament I got third and I got second in the next one. It just started to work out. After I got my boat and was able to go out on the water all the time – at least two times a week – my knowledge went through the roof. I couldn’t believe how much I learned.” Contrary to what you may think, Miles is not bankrolled by either his parents or his sponsors. Although they are there to help him out from time to time, Miles is mostly
paying his own way by working as a waiter in between his classes and his fishing trips. “I’ve taken a waiter job. It’s great because there’s no other job that I could find down here for a college student where you can make $100 in tips in a night and cover a trip to Okeechobee - even with the expenses of gas and your boat.” Miles is definitely a man with a mission and he has a clear vision of how to achieve it. Hard word, dedication and perseverance are the keys to success in any of life’s undertakings and Miles understands that he’s going to have to pay his dues to reach his goals. “Ultimately I’m trying to build a sponsorship base but I’m not working too hard at it while I’m in school. I’m very serious about sponsors. When somebody sponsors you, you’re getting hired for a job and you need to dedicate 110% to that business, no matter what level of sponsorship it is. I can’t do that with my school and having to work on the side. I’m thinking that my junior year is when I’m going to start really looking for sponsors that I can build good relationships with. I’m hoping that will let me fish the Bassmaster Opens and eventually qualify for the Elite Series. That’s what I really want to do. I love the humble beginnings, but I don’t want to live my life that way. Through
hard work and dedication you can really do a lot of things in this sport. There are a lot of opportunities to make a good living and support yourself off of it. Miles recently made a trip to Ontario to visit with Bob Izumi and to spend a couple of days fishing for smallmouth bass on Lake Erie. Although Miles grew up chasing smallmouth in California and Connecticut, this was his first fishing trip to Lake Erie. And what did he think of the fishing here in Canada? “Oh my God, I almost moved up there! To be seriously honest, I have not caught a five-fish limit like we got that day ever – not even in Florida. Not fun fishing or anything. I mean, we probably had about 24 or 25-pounds for our best five fish. I caught two over six-pounds out there with Bob. I caught a bunch of fours and Bob caught a bunch, it was just amazing. I was just blown away.” Miles Burghoff seems to be doing all the right things as he climbs the ladder into the world of professional fishing. After spending some time with this driven young man we have no doubt that we’ll be seeing his name on the leader board of a major tournament sometime in the near future. ? Real Fishing Winter 2008 61
By Bob Izumi In my last column I was getting ready to head down to Hamburg, New York for the Scott Martin Challenge. Scott is an accomplished tournament angler, host of his own television show and the son of the legendary Roland Martin. Scott’s show pits himself against fellow tournament anglers in a oneon-one fishing competition with nothing but bragging rights on the line. We were going to hold the challenge on Lake Erie but the forecast of 20-mile per hour winds and three to five-foot waves did not look favourable. Plan B was to head to Chautauqua Lake in upstate New York where neither Scott nor I had ever fished before. We launched the boats and Scott roared off while I dropped the trolling motor and started fishing. I caught a quick limit of 2 to 2 1/2-pound fish by skipping a 5” Gulp Sinking Minnow around docks and throwing a Strike King spinnerbait in between the docks and out to the weed edge. As I approached a point, I got a 3-pound largemouth and then I nailed a 3 1/2-pounder. I made another cast and I got another fish just under 4-pounds. On the next cast I got another fish of the same size and two casts later I got another. So there I was with five very large largemouth swimming around in my livewell after making just 4 or 5 casts in this area. That was the easiest bag of big fish
that I’ve ever caught in all my years of competitive fishing. At the final weigh-in Scott had 14.70pounds and my limit weighed 19.70pounds. I was hoping that Scott would win the challenge Bob Izumi and Derek Strub show off a couple of their tournament winning but obviously that smallmouth bass. day was my day. After the Scott Martin Challenge I headed a number of smallmouth up to 3 1/2-pounds. The next morning I traveled to St. to the Bay of Quinte with Derek Strub for the Quinte Fishing Series’ Classic. On the Catharines with about a dozen other pro fishfirst day we caught 24.50-pounds of small- ermen for the Fergie Jenkins fishing day. After mouth and on day two we brought 21.70- that I spent some time at home before headpounds to the scales. We ended up weighing ing to Bark Lake in Haliburton to fulfill a the biggest limit each day and won the tour- number of fishing trip prizes that people won nament with a two-day total of 46.20- this year. We hosted people from across pounds - more than 6-pounds over second Canada who had won contests put on by place. It was an absolute dream tournament! OFF! Deep Woods, BoaterExam.com and After getting home for a couple hours of Chevy Trucks. Everyone had a great time and sleep I was up early the next morning head- we all managed to catch a few fish. When I got home I unloaded my truck and ing to Rice Lake for a barbeque put on by the Rice Lake Tourist Association. Greg boat and then re-packed them for a trip to Hammond, Marketing Manager for Alabama for the final FLW Eastern Division Shimano Canada, met up with me to go out tournament of the year on Pickwick, Wilson fishing for a few hours in the afternoon and and Wheeler lakes. On the first day of the tournament I decidwe ended up catching some largemouth and smallmouth bass as the sun went down. The ed to go to Decatur Flats on Wheeler Lake, next morning we went out again and caught which is two locks away from the tournament site on Pickwick. By the time I got there I only had about 2-hours and 40-minScott Martin and Bob Izumi with some Chataugua Lake bass. utes to fish. I started to flip a black Berkley Sabretail Tube but a stiff north wind was blowing, a cold front had arrived, the air temperature had dropped considerably and they were not running any current. Does this sound like a chapter from my 101 Real Fishing Excuses book that I keep threatening to write? Everything seemed to go against me and I ended up with 6-pounds, 11-ounces for day one. On day two it was back to Decatur Flats but of the 10 boats that fished down there that day, only one caught a fish. My coangler and I went back to Pickwick Lake and, with about 45-minutes left, we bounced tube jigs on the bottom and caught about seven short smallmouth before it was time to head for the check-in. We got within sight of the check-in boat with exactly five minutes left. I told my co-angler we were
62 Real Fishing Winter 2008
going to throw five casts on a hump that I had marked and, on my 5th cast, a fish hit. My co-angler netted it and put it in the livewell while I lifted the trolling motor, fired up the big engine and put the hammer down. We got in with less than a minute to spare. That fish ended up weighing 3pounds, 14-ounces. On day three I went back to Decatur Flats and stroked a number of largemouth, but none of them measured. To make a long story short, my partner and I both blanked. It was a long drive home from Alabama. After a brief visit at home I was off to Buffalo with Jeff Brodeur from Navionics for a couple of days of fishing on Lake St. Clair for smallmouth bass. Unfortunately the wind was blowing at about 20 or 25-miles per hour so we had to go into some of the canals and fish for largemouth. We ended up catching and releasing about 150 largemouth on 5” GULP! Sinking Minnows. We got home late and were up about four hours later to try Erie again, but the forecast was calling for high winds so we decided to go to the Niagara River instead. I kept noticing the lack of wind so, after a couple of hours of fishing in the river, we decided to head out to Lake Erie. After catching a dozen or so fish, we had to call it a day because I had to get cleaned up before heading to Newmarket for the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority’s annual awards night where I was honoured with a Media Recognition Award. Next up was the annual Fishing Forever dinner which was, once again, a resounding success. I would personally like to thank all of the Real Fishing staff and the Fishing Forever board members who put in a lot of hard work to make this an incredibly wellrun event. I would also like to thank all of the people who took time out of their busy schedules to come out and support the cause. Check out pages 33 to 35 of this issue for more on the Fishing Forever dinner. After the dinner I was off to Griffin, Georgia, to fish for some good old Georgia largemouth bass with Nascar star, Ryan Newman. We caught a number of bass including some hefty ones - up to 8-pounds plus – by slow rolling 1/2-ounce Strike King Premier Plus spinnerbaits. Ryan is an allaround great guy who is passionate about his fishing. The day after I returned home I was off to the airport to pick up 21-year old Miles Burghoff for a couple of days of smallmouth fishing on Lake Erie. I had not seen Miles since he was very young, way back in the 80s and early 90s when I taped a number of shows with his father, actor Gary Burghoff. You probably remember Gary from his role as Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly on the hit television series, M*A*S*H*.
Miles fishes some Bassmaster Weekend Series tournaments in Florida and he is definitely a hardcore angler. If you’ve ever had the dream of becoming a pro angler, check out the feature on Miles on page 60 of this issue. Our first day together turned out to be cold and way too windy so I used the day to show Miles around since it was his first trip to Ontario. The second day turned out to be just beautiful so we hit Lake Erie and the smallmouth were on fire. We caught about 60 bass, including Miles’ two biggest smallmouth ever; a 6.6-pounder and a 6.3pounder. After a little R & R around the house my brother, Wayne, and I went back to Lake Erie for a fun fishing tournament hosted by Simon and Melanie Frost. Wayne and I went through probably 25 fish to get a 25.18pound limit but that was only good enough for fourth place. Gaspare Constabile and Peter Savoie ended up winning the day with over 27-pounds. The real story was what happened after we had been fishing in one area for about five hours. We decided to move to another spot but the batteries did not have enough juice to turn over our outboard. Luckily a
friend of ours, Gary O’Neil, happened to be fishing close to us and he ended up towing us in. The lesson we learned was that when it’s cold and you’re running three different GPS and graph units plus your aerators, you’d better start your motor every now and then to keep your battery charged up. In early December, Wayne and I took a quick trip down to Flippin’ Arkansas, where Ranger Boats were holding their annual boat tour and pro staff meetings as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations. We had a chance to say hello to Ranger founder Forrest L. Woods, his wife, Nina, and the rest of the Ranger family before touring their facilities. If you ever have a chance to tour the Ranger Boat factory you’ll see that their boats are basically hand-made by skilled craftsmen. It’s no wonder they are the Cadillac of bass boats. I’ve crossed a lot of big water in some pretty wild conditions in Ranger boats, including Lakes Ontario and Erie, and in the 27-years I’ve been with them their boats have never let me down. As I sign off t it’s raining outside and I’m debating where to go fishing. It’s a tough decision so I’ll have to let you know where I decided to go next time. ?
Ryan Newman with Bob Izumi and a sweet Georgia largemouth
Real Fishing Winter 2008 63
Ingredients
Low Country Boil On a recent trip to South Carolina
Method
NASCAR star, Ryan Newman,
• Add 8 quarts of water and salt to a large stock pot and bring to a boil • Add boil seasoning and potatoes. Return pot to a boil and cook for 10-minutes • Add the sausage, sweet corn and onions. Return to a boil and cook for 10-minutes or until potatoes are tender • Remove sausage and vegetables from the pot • Add shrimp and crab legs to the pot and cook for 3 to 5-minutes • Remove shrimp and crab legs from pot and toss with vegetables and sausage. • Arrange seafood and vegetables on a large platter for a formal presentation or simply dump everything onto a paper covered tabletop for a casual feast. Garnish with lemon and enjoy!
to a classic shrimp and crab leg boil. The quantities of ingredients in this
With the sale of each bottle of Bob Izumi wine $1 will be donated to the Fishing Forever Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to providing fishermen with a vehicle to renew and preserve Ontario's fishing resource for the continued enjoyment of the sport today and for future generations. The wines are produced by Coyote’s Run Estate Winery, a small craft winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This award-winning winery has been producing wine since 2003 and focuses on hand-crafted, small batch VQA wines. Coyote’s Run produces a variety of other wines include Pinot Noir, Meritage, Chardonnay and Riesling and are available at the winery retail store located on the vineyard property.
adjusted to suit the number of
2004 Bob Izumi Red
To celebrate our mutual passion for good food and great wine, Coyote’s Run has teamed up with Bob Izumi, the great Canadian Outdoorsman, to produce a set of signature Bob Izumi wines.
version are guidelines and can be
2005 Bob Izumi White
Bob Izumi Wines
*Boil seasoning is available at better grocery or specialty food stores.
to shoot a Real Fishing episode with Bob Izumi and the crew were treated
Introducing
Boil seasoning* 12 medium red potatoes, halved 4 lbs smoked Kielbasa or Andouille sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces 3 lbs shrimp 3 lbs crab legs 8 ears sweet corn, corn cut in half 4 whole medium onions Salt to taste Lemons for garnish
guests you’ll be feeding.
To purchase your Bob Izumi wines please go to www.izumiwines.com and for more information about the Fishing Forever Foundation can be found at www.fishingforever.ca.
485 Concession 5 Rd, St. David’s, ON, L0S 1P0 • P: 905.682.8310 or 1.877.COYOTE.3 • www.coyotesrunwinery.com
Real Fishing Winter 2008 65
THE PROPWASH
Artist: Curtis Atwater Subject: Muskellunge Medium: Acrylic on masonite
Curtis Atwater specializes in underwater action scenes derived from regular underwater viewing excursions and from his own fishing experiences.
66 Real Fishing Winter 2008
Contact: Atwater Fine Arts 6 Cranston Drive, Caledon East, ON L7C 1P8 905-584-0185 Email: atwaterfinearts@sympatico.ca Website: www.natureartists.com/atwaterc.htm