Yea River

Date: 09 December 2012
Weather: Sunny, very windy
Crew: Dave, Ross
Target Fish: Trout
Bait: Lures - Spinners 5g Brown Trout, Rapala CD5 - Spotted Dog
Berley: None
Catch: 3 x Rainbow Trout (small) - lost another 2.
Report: Pretty nice morning. Fished the Bitwenjopit before hitting the Yea River. Yea did not produce any fish and was very dificult to wade - not worth hitting again. Ross demonstrated an appreciation of the cost of Rapala lures. All fish released.
Rating: 7/10

Bitwenjopit River

Date: 02 December 2012
Weather: Overcast
Crew: Dave
Target Fish: Trout
Bait: Lures - Spinners 5g Brown Trout, Rapala CD5 - Brown Trout
Berley: None
Catch: 2 x Rainbow Trout, 1 x Brown Trout
Report: Pretty crazy action early on. Landed a tiny rainbow on my second cast, then hooked an absolute monster rainbow - this beast was 40 cm plus. Managed to get bring it right up to my boot before snapping the line - absolutely shattered. Biggest trout I've ever seen by an absolute mile. Hooked another fish when I simply dragged the tip of my rod through the water to test the lure action.
Rating: 8/10

Exmouth WA

Date: 21 October 2012
Weather: Sunny/Hot
Crew: Hawkesy, Scott, Luke and Cory
Target Fish: Sailfish, marlin, Mackerel, tuna
Bait: Whole Gardies, Lures – Stickbait, various hardbodied lures
Berley: Nonea
Catch: 3 x School Mackerel, 1x 10kg Longtail Tuna
Report: Spent hours chasing Sails and Marlin with no success. Went to a trusty mackerel spot to catch dinner (landed 3 and had enough). On way back to boat ramp saw heaps of flying fish going crazy. Threw a stick bait at them and this thing smashed it on the surface about 10m from boat then took off. Probably my best fishing moment. On 20lb setup. Great fun. Rating below is purely based on last fish caught…
Rating: 9/10

The Royal Bird

Date: 19 November 2012

Weather: Sunny

Crew: Dave

Target Fish: Trout

Bait: Lures - Spinners 5g Brown Trout, Rapala CD5 - Brown Trout

Berley: None

Catch: 3 x Brown Trout

Report: Another first timer. Tried two spots, missed 2 good size fish at the first spot. Managed 3 at the second on Celtas and lost another 3 or so. River access at the second spot is tricky - possibly why it fished so well. Second spot is at the end of the gravel road, through the gate and along the fence. Not the nicest bit of water - but only an hour from my house.

Rating: 8/10

Patience and Perseverance

I often tell guests "It is amazing how a fish can humble a man."  One moment fishing can be nonstop action only to halt abruptly and lag for what seems like an eternity.  This downtime is a true test of patience for most fishermen.  However, outlasting the lull's can pay dividends.

Fish are temperamental and are constantly shifting to different areas. I have often left hot spots biting and returned twelve hours later only to experience the dead sea. Trying to explain their feeding habits can get down right silly.  Here are some of the favorite excuses explaining why fish don't bite:

• It's too hot.
• It's too cold.
• The wrong moon phase.
• Mars is in retrograde. 
• We need a falling barometric pressure, not a rising.
• Wash your hands! This is an absolute must if you smoke, chew, or touch anything smelly (especially bug spray!). Fish have an incredible sense of smell, and if the bait you're using smells like a can of deet.....No bite for you! 
• The wind is from the east.  

Most of these claim truly hold merit.  However, Mars in retrograde is a stretch.  After documenting fishing patterns at Big Hook for over twenty years I have made several conclusions about fishing patterns.  

1. Fish love a falling barometric pressure.  I have boated more trophy fish just before experiencing a low pressure system.
2. Moon phase can affect the fish bite, more so for the big boys.  I have witnessed more big fish boated during a full or new moon. 
3. If there is a high pressure, the third day will produce.  A high pressure system will start with slow fishing and gradually improve.  
4. Wind direction makes no difference.  If the wind is blowing, just go to the windy shoreline.  
5. Bug spray and gasoline are no no's.  If you apply bug spray or recent fill up the gas tank, wash your hands! I have noticed fish absolutely hate the smell of deet and petrol.  
6. Fishing will be tough following a cold front.  After a low pressure comes ripping across NW Ontario expect a tough bite.  Give it time, the fish are there but are not active.  

Now that Big Hook is closed up for the fishing season, I have the opportunity to explore the waters in Wisconsin.  I recently embarked on a three day musky fishing outing with several old college friends. A wicked low pressure had just pounded the Midwest and I was just about ready to cancel knowing the fishing was going to be slow.  I sucked it up because, in my opinion, being on the water is far better than sitting around the house. 

37" musky

The first two days of cold, windy elements following the front just about broke my confidence.  We saw no fish and boated no fish.  My arm was about ready to fall off from casting baits the size of a 2X4's for twelve hours a day.  However, the third day of angling, everything changed.  I should note, it was the third day of a high pressure and a full moon phase.  Our patience paid off and all within an hours time we boated a 31", 37", 38" and 48" musky.  We also missed several other fish that hit our suckers soaking boatside.  As I mentioned in the title of this article, persevere and you will be rewarded.  The following pictures are of the 37" and 48" fish we boated and released. 

48" monster

Fishing Tip

Most people replace line on their fishing reels over the winter time.  Here is a great knot for attaching line to your reel.  The arbor knot is a simple and secure way to attach your line to your reel, and it is very easy to tie. Here's how.....

1) Thread the line around reel arbor.
2) Tie an overhand knot around the line itself. Then just tie a second overhand knot in the tag end. This second knot keeps line from slipping through the first.
3) Grab on either side of the knots and pull tight. Cut off the excess. Then slide the first overhand knot down the line to snug it around the reel arbor.

Scissor Hands Creek

Location: Scissor Hands Creek

Date: 06-Oct-2012
Weather: Overcast, Rain
Crew: Dave, Kellie
Target Fish: Trout
Bait: Lures - Spinners, Rapala CD5 - Brown Trout
Berley: None
Catch: 1 x Brown Trout ~ small
Report: First trout session for the season, 15 mins past Bitspere. Had a cooked breakfast next to the river before starting. Water is still very high. Wading was very difficult/dangerous. Sections of still water were few and far between. Waders leaked like a sieve. Little guy hit the Rapala. Had another little brown trail the rapala. Looking forward to getting back up there in a couple of weeks.
Rating: 7/10

Big Hook Fishing Report

It simply amazes me how much the weather can differ from year to year.  Last year at this time we were begging for rain and cooler temperatures.  The temperatures were so warm I was living in the lake to stay cool.  This year thus far I have camped in the sauna for my warmth.  I am exaggerating of course, the temperatures have not been that cold but there certainly hasn't been much in regards to a heat wave.  Cloudy skies and rain have dominated this week.

Last Saturday we received 3-5" of rain.  12 hours straight of heavy downpour has caused the lake levels to skyrocket.  I advise fisherman to use caution navigating the water ways.  The high water has now hidden numerous reefs.  A plus side of the high water is the raging current at the numerous rapids.  Fish have corralled themselves in the current chasing smaller bait fish.

Burnt 
The narrows on the north end of the lake is flowing fast.  The result is, thousands of fish camped below.  I had the chance to talk with the guests yesterday and they were all smiles.  A 41" pike and 27" walleye were boated and released on Tuesday.  The guests grinned and claimed the numbers were a little low.   That morning they boated 60 fish between the two, hmmmmm high standards?  The perch have been a little difficult to locate with the rising water.  I would recommend locating wind blown weed beds and tossing beetlespins.
Central
The numbers of fish are down so far this week, however the size is up.  A 43" pike tops the list so far.  Several 40", 39" and 36" have also been boated and released.  Trolling crankbaits along weed lines have brought sizable walleye into the boat.  Yesterday I guided two gentlemen on the West end.  We trolled past Husker Rock 6 times and boated 12 eyes between 18-23".  A Chartreuse #5 Shad Rap was the hot lure.  We tried every other color combination in the box and the chartreuse/white beat them all 2 to 1.  The west portage was extremely muddy due to some blowing winds the previous day.  We still managed to boat a fat 38.5" pike and a feisty 35".  The north narrows have also been impressive, giving up the majority of the trophy pike this week.  The current guests have been throwing mostly doctor spoons for the big pike.
Cocos 
The high water has guests struggling to get up the second set of rapids.  The amount of current has been to strong.  A couple of guys pull the boat around the beaver damn to access the Sagawitcheawn River.  Several  nice pike have been boated just off the Eagles Nest weed bed north east of the camp.  As usual, the rapids is producing large amounts of fish.
Lemonade/Favourable
Lemonade is self explanatory: put jig in water and retrieve fish.  Just about everywhere in the lake has been producing fish.  A favorite spot for the guests this week has been the West side of the island.  As for Favorable, the winds the past couple of day have hampered the fishing a tad.  Pike alley produced some 35"-40" fish.  Walleye point has plenty of walleye milling about.  Trolling an orange 10' diving crankbait along the shore adjacent to the dock is killer. You certainly don't have to wander far to catch fish.
South
The guests chalked up two impressive 29" walleye along with a 42" and 39" pike. Trolling Hot N Tot's was the method of choice for catching the big walleye.  Big fish are still surprisingly shallow.  Trolling 8-10 ft weed lines and mud flats with Shad Raps is one of my favorite ways to boat big fish.  Jigging rocky points is getting more and more productive as the season progresses.
Southwest 
The lake known as the "walleye factory" has been producing some large pike over the past several days.  Guests have been focusing their attention on the east arm of the lake for walleye and have been pleasantly surprised with some large pike.  The large mud/weed flat east of the camp has been hands down the most productive spot in the lake thus far.  A couple adventurous guests made the long run all the way to the outgoing falls.  They boated tons of fish above and decided to see what the bottom of the rapids offered.  After a brush battled walk (there is no beaten path to the bottom of the falls), another ton of fish was caught from shore.
West
The guests last week touted 60 pike between 34-43".  Most of the fish were boated in the fish bowl.  Several were caught just over the east portage, in the bay adjacent to the boat launch.  I chatted with the current guests on Monday, they had already boated and released a 42" and 41" pike along with a chunky 27" walleye.   The guests noted the Horseshoe has been quite the productive spot.

Hot Lures
Pike:  Johnson Silver Minnow with a twister trailer, Mepps Agila #5,  Five of Diamonds, Silver doctor spoon
Walleye:  Jig white head/yellow body (3" twister), Shad Rap Chartreuse/white #5,  rattle trap silver/blue, actually most color combinations for jigs have been effective.  1/4 oz or 3/8 are best sizes for jig heads.  

Sandy Hook, NJ

Location: Sandy Hook
Date: 10th June
Weather: Warm, 29, upcoming tide
Crew: Toon, Austin
Target Fish: Blues
Bait: Metal Lures, bunker
Berley: None
Catch: 1 x Blue, 4 x Sea Robbin, 1 x skate
Report: Summer finally arrived, so hit Sandy Hook for another blue chasing session. First casts out and we had nibbles, only to find out it were those pesky sea robbins. Moved up the beach to a 'better' spot, where reports of more blues were being hit. This was true. Austin snagged a good blue which put up a good fight. Caught off bunker. Casting metal lures out with eel tails, these got hit repeatedly, but couldnt quite hook up a blue. Need to sharpen those hooks or have smaller eel tail. Might need to get a few more lures, including some fluke ones. Was constant action throughout the day, didnt want to leave but had to head home. Solid session.
Rating: 8/10

Here fishy, fishy!

Funny, it is June 6th and I can finally write a fishing report not mentioning snow.  Hot humid days have set upon us in the Opasquia Provincial Park.  The past four days have peaked in the low 80's with scattered thunderstorms developing in the afternoon.  The good news is, the warm temperatures in NW Ontario over the past five days have driven the fish into feeding frenzies.  The bad news with warm temperatures and plenty of moisture...that's right you guessed it...black flies and mosquito's.  The bugs during the day time have been minimal, however once the sun starts to set (which is around 10 pm) and the wind calms, the buzzing begins.  Advice, bring some bugs spray for the evening hours.

Okay, back to the good news. Water temperatures have risen on average around 12 degrees.  At the beginning of the week I recorded temperatures on Central hovering around 50 degrees.  Today, (June 6th) temperatures off the dock were grasping the 63 degree mark.  The warmer water has the weeds beginning to pop.

Walleye
The walleye are holding in two locations, wherever current is present and mud flats.  According to most of the outposts, only some fish are scattered on rocky points.  6-8' is the optimal depth for located walleye.  Small jigs 1/4 oz with 3" tails have been most effective for fish.

Northern
Most pike are holding in the same locations as walleye.  Warm sunny bays and rapids have been producing trophy fish. Bucktail spinners and twitching Rapala's have been excellent lures for catching toothy trophies.

Burnt
The final touches were applied to Burnt this week.  Some final trim was placed around the doors and hand rails for the steps was installed.  Corey, Tyrol and myself spent a day constructing new boat ramps.  The cabin looks great and is ready for the 2012 season.  We attempted fishing one evening, however we only had one fishing rod.  With a little engineering, Tyrol boated 19 fish with some fishing line attached to a section of PEX water line and a jig.  He was the provider of our dinner in a matter minutes.
Central 
The East and West rapids have been the go to walleye locations. Several large 36"+ pike have been boated and released while jigging throughout the area.  The extreme north end of the lake has produced ample amounts of walleye.  For guests that are willing to portage, the East Rapids has been hot for walleye. Be prepared to get your feet wet with the high waters flowing over the rapids.
Cocos
One word: rapids.  Guests could sit below the rapids and catch fish until their hands turned raw. A number of 22-28" walleye have been photo'd and released this week.  For those that want to explore, above the north rapids has produced plenty of fish.  The shallow bays adjacent to camp have been holding an amazing amount of fish. As of today, the second set of rapids is sporty for shooting.  The rising water has made it difficult for guests to navigate up to the Sagawitchewan river.  A week without rain should lower the water levels enough.
South
Guests at South have had great luck on the north end of the lake the past couple of days.  Jigging the windy shoreline has been a favorite technique.  As usual, the narrows to the south of the camp is hot.  Not many pike have been reported.
SW
A simple lake for a fishing report.  The fish have been caught everywhere.  Off the dock, across the the lake, you name the spot and the guests claim fish were holding there. Lots and lots of walleye.
Favourable/Lemonade
I chatted with the guests on Monday.  They reported Favorable was on the slow side for fishing, however they admitted to focusing more on Lemonade Lake.  In one day four guests claimed boating and releasing 500 fish, wow!  Most were walleye, however lots of jumbo perch were caught along with sauger. They were planning on fishing Favorable more later in the week.  This time of year, when the water temperatures are below 65 degrees.  I like to focus on the creeks in the south arm of Favorable.  Pike alley will be a go to spot as soon as the weeds start popping.  Several Merlin birds have set up their nest around the cabins and have been providing plenty of entertainment for the guests.

A 44" West Lake monster pike. 

West
I talked with the guests today and fishing has been explosive in the Fish Bowl (southern end of the lake).  Plenty of 36"+ pike have been boated and released.  Two guests last week boated and released a 44" and a 41" fish along with 30 fish between 30" and 40", most located in the Fish Bowl.  Jigging about 400 yards back from the east rapids has been a great way to catch walleye.

Fishing Observations Week 1

Last week kicked off the 2012 season for Big Hook Camps. Overall, the week was cool and rainy.  The big news was the two days of snow that fell from the sky Thursday and Friday.  With all the moisture, the lake levels have shot up over the past three days.  Central Lake alone has risen about 6 inches.  The increased water volume has the rapids gushing.  The rushing water is great for fishing.  The high water levels wash down plenty of food for bait fish, which in turn draw more predatory species to the flowing water.  The rapid rise in water may stunt the weed growth, but it is a little early in the season yet to make that determination.  

The cool weather last week actually dropped the water temperature slightly to 47 degrees on the surface.  However, plenty of sunshine the past two days has graced us and started warm the water once again.  The sunny skies instantly activated the pike, drawing them into the shallow mud flats.  Guests at Central yesterday had incredible luck with pike just trolling flats with crankbaits.  According to several customers, the pike were so active in most spots that it was tough getting baits to the walleye.  Some tried deeper waters (12 ft) for a more consistent walleye bite and were rewarded.

Guests at West Lake boated and released an impressive 43.5" pike yesterday trolling the western edge of the Fish Bowl with a black and white daredevil.  The walleye were also reported tough to find with increased pike activity in the shallows.  Once that sun begins to shine consistently the walleye will turn on.   When the water temperatures creep above 52 degrees the walleye will become more active.

Flying around the Opasquia Provincial Park yesterday I witnessed a unique event.  For the first time, I observed a moose and a bear in a standoff.  The bear was maybe 250 pounds, this is a true guess because I was at 1000 ft above the ground, and was sizing up a 1100 pd moose.  I was not able to make out any antlers on the moose, so I assume it was a cow.  The bear barreled out of the woods towards the cow, which was standing beside a river, and then the left to right pacing began for both. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see how the showdown panned out as I was traversing from Cocos to Central.  The half a minute event however is permanently engraved in the mind.

Today May 27th, Dad, Corey, Ed and I tackled opening our Southwest outpost for the season.  We arrived to a busted up dock and knew it was going to be a loooooooong day.  Dad began opening the cabin up while Corey, Ed and I began peeling logs and constructing the new crib.  Dad was quickly confronted by a red squirrel that had decided to declare SW as his winter residence.  The squirrel was promptly evicted. After 5 hours of wading and forging for rocks in 47 degree water, our crib was built and runners were in place.  Pics of the new completed dock coming soon.