Fishing Fanatics

OFF TO TEXAS FOR SOME HOGS

Every year, a good friend living in Atlanta and I go for a week of fishing. One year in the States and the next in Canada. Last year we went to a fly-in Bass Lake near Blind River, so this year we were looking for a location where we had a chance at one of our life long ambitions...a double digit largemouth.

 

We considered Mexico but a four day trip looked like a $3000 plus proposition...ouch !  Some more online research led us to Lake Falcon in Texas which lies on the Texas-Mexico border. In fact we had to get both a Texas and Mexican fishing license, both online of course. Our plan is for me to fly to Atlanta where my buddy would pick me up with his boat in tow and make the two day drive to Zapata, Texas and Lake Falcon.

 

The next order of business was to get back online and search for a guide. Falcon is a big lake and we need a day or two of coaching before setting out on our own. I emailed several guides before selecting one. My criteria was simple, "while we would like to catch lots of Bass our number one priority was BIG Bass". We selected a guide and he suggested we come down the first week of March for spawn or just into post spawn.

 

We asked him for suggestions for accomodation and he hooked us up with a motel right on the water for $65 per night.

 

Next I found a website for a tackle store in Zapata (subsequently I found a second one)  that had an excellent fishing report and started to monitor it daily to find out where they were getting them, shallow, deep etc and what they were using. This helped me stock my tackle bag. I also asked our guide for suggestions. It got me very excited when he told me to leave my spinning gear at home and don't spool up with anything less than 25 lb fourocarbon or 65 lb braid. The excitement built as I looked at the pictures of the HOGS on the fishing report.

 

I decided to take 6 rod/reel outfits individually selected for the type of fishing we were going to do. I mostly fish smallmouth so I'm glad I did some foreplanning to get the big baits that would be needed down there, I suppose I could have waited and bought them down there but I don't like leaving things to chance. In fact there were some baits that I couldn't find up here but my buddy in Atlanta had no problem at all.

 

I checked Air Canada's baggage regulations to see if I would have to pay a premium for my 7.5 foot rod case and thankfully found that there is a waiver for some types of sporting equipment and fishing rod cases was one of them. They do suggest that you call and register it with them a few days before your flight. 

 

Since I'm using aeroplan miles for my flight to Atlanta the total cost of this trip should be less than $1000 so I'm pretty happy about that.

 

I'll be writing another Blog when I return on March 7 to let you know how we did. Hopefully I'll be doing some bragging.

 

 

I just put the boat away and I'm depressed . . . .

  

It was a great, warm weather, fishing season and the excellent November weather let us fish right up until the end of Bass season so all is good except I just put the boat away and I'm depressed.

 

Sure I'll probably get out for a little hard water action but it just isn't the same as chasing down smallies in my beloved Triton.

 

Time to put a checklist together of the off season chores that need to get done before it's time to get out on the water again.

 

• Take an inventory of  tackle and make a note of items that need replacing. A good thing to do prior to the spring tackle SALES, not to mention adding them to your Christmas wish list.

 

• Clean out your tackle boxes and throw out the stuff you know you're never going to use, including that ugly crankbait you got for Christmas 2 years ago and the mega-sized red and white spoon that you could substitute for a frying pan in a pinch. 

 

• Back off the drag on you reels and take them off the rods. Go on the internet for instructions on how to lubricate and don't over lubricate. Don't put new line on until you're ready to use them in the spring.

 

• Take a Q-tip and run it around the ceramic on your rod guides. If a chip or crack pulls off some cotton get it repaired now.

 

• Store your rods in a rod rack. They are relatively inexpensive and well worth the investment.

 

• Sharpen hooks and replace them as necessary.

 

Just a few random comments about the past season from my personal experience as well as the comments and opinions I hear from my customers.

• The Lake Huron trollers are still disenchanted with numbers and size but most did agree that it was marginallty better than 2008.

 

• The Lake Ontario trollers felt that the Salmon numbers and size were down but the Rainbow fishing was excellent.

 

• The Lake Erie trollers thought the walleye were late in arriving at their usual spots and when they did arrive they were generally found suspended in deep water. The perch and Rainbow fishing was awesome.

 

• The Bass anglers were relatively happy. Tournament weights were holding strong and the magical 30 lb bag (5 fish) was attained on the tournament trail.

• The Steelheaders felt this year is
  definetly better than 08.

 

THE VERY BEST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO YOU ALL AND PLEASE MAKE IT A SAFE ONE !

WHAT EXACTLY ARE THOSE "LITTLE THINGS"

 

We've all heard the old adage "pay attention to the little things" in conjunction with fishing as well as most of the other important pursuits in life.

What exactly are those "little things". You know, those things that can make the difference between an average angler a good angler. Through experience and listening to some of those great anglers I've picked up a few that really do make a difference when it comes to putting fish in the boat.

Take the time to check your gear the day before you fish. A day before is important because if you need to do some adjustments you still have time.

•  have you got a sufficient selection of the terminal tackle and lures you expect to use ?
•  lots of line on your reels, hooks sharp?
•  check the last ten feet of line on your reels for frays or nicks
•  throw a selection of the soft plastics you intend to use in a Ziplock bag with a little of your favorite scent
• tie your rods together with velcro straps and don't untie them until you're ready to fish. It saves dealing with a big tangle and lost fishing time
•  Once you start to fish keep in mind a comment I recently read by a notable pro angler and guide of 40 years. "The most common mistake I see my clients make is working their presentations too fast".

• When using an electric motor especially in shallow water avoid speed bursts and running it on a high speed. It definitely spooks fish.  Also, don't forget what your Dad told you, "be quiet". Heavy feet and dropping articles in the bottom of the boat is a definite no no.

• I fished in the Canadian Open last year as an amateur. My professional on day two was one of the best smallmouth bass anglers in the country. I learned a lot but the two things that stuck with me were the emphasis he put on having a line in the water at all times and how he studied other anglers in the area that were on fish to ascertain exactly what they were doing. There is absolutely nothing unethical about going "to school" on other anglers. It's just makes good sense.

• Have a plan of attack before you hit the water and then tweak it as the conditions and bite dictate.

Example for a bass fishing outing.  It's fall and the water temperature is dropping. There should be some good fish in shallow (less than 10 feet).

We'll start on large weed flats with spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits to cover water for active fish. If we find a concentration of fish (because bass do tend to bunch up in the fall) we'll pick it apart with tubes, senkos and shakey worms.

These are just a few and I'm sure there are hundreds more that have helped you over the years. Send them to me and I'll post them in my next blog.
 
Fall is absolutely my favorite time to fish and it's when you can score some really big bruisers so get out on the water and get after them !
 

Fly-in fishing

We are asked frequently about the merits of fly-in fishing.

I have fished at a fly-in location several times and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has never tried it.  Let's look at a few of the criteria that you should consider before committing to a trip.

Species
My experience is with the Northern Ontario walleye/pike lakes. You can also do an Ontario fly- in for most species of Trout or Bass. Once outside of Ontario you can do fly-in's for virtually any species of fish available in Canada. For purposes of this blog we're going to stick to the Northern Ontario fly-in if only for the fact that the prices for, say, a Western Canada fly-in tend to be 4 or 5 times more expensive.

Rates
You first want to decide whether you want to stay in a housekeeping cottage where you bring in your food and do your own cooking or take advantage of the American Plan where the lodge does the cooking. Usually the American plan has a few other perks like a fish cleaning service and a shore lunch or maybe even an upgraded boat.

For a one week stay in a housekeeping cottage a representative, average rate would be in the area of  $1200 per week, per person. Add $600-$700 to that for the American Plan.  Alcoholic Beverages aren't normally included in the rate. When considering the American plan keep in mind that the meals are served within certain time windows. For instance breakfast will be served between 7AM and 9AM and dinner between 6PM and 7PM. Truly a consideration if you want totally flexible fishing time.

You can find fly-in's for as low as $800 per person, usually in a remote housekeeping cabin but there's definitely an element of risk relative to the quality level and service with this kind of arrangement. I once did one of these with my son and father and the outfitter didn't bring enough gas for our boat for the week on the original flight in. He promised faithfully he'd bring more gas mid week. We never saw him for the rest of the week and we were paddling by Thursday. 

Remote/Wilderness Cabins

These can be absolutely beautiful and a great experience and are indeed offered by most outfitters but you have to remember that you and your party are alone with no contact with the outside world for a week. Not something I would recommend for someone with a health issue or the elderley. If no showers and a rustic cabin aren't your thing I would pass it up. If you do decide to do it consider renting a satellite phone for the week.

 

Length of Stay
If I had to do it over again for the first time knowing what I know now I would probably opt for the 3 or 4 night stay rather than the full week especially at a walleye/pike lake. Unless you're there early or late in the season the fishing for big pike can be very tough (once the water temperature rises the "big guys" head for deep water) so you usually concentrate on walleye. The host will give you a map marked with a few shoals that you will drift over using a jig and minnow. You will probably catch lots of 1.5 to 3 pound walleyes with the occasional 4 or 5 pounder mixed in. After 3 days of this style of fishing I've had enough. My 58 year old spine also starts to howl after more than 3 days in an aluminum boat with bench seats.

Also, this is usually my longest trip of the year and the thought of my nice comfortable boat sitting at home in the driveway makes me crazy !!!!!!

Conclusion
Again, if you've never been on a fly-in definitely try it. The scenery is beautiful, the fishing for numbers is almost always good and the shore lunches are awesome. There are several good outfitters out there so check around and find one that meets your criteria. Check things like the weight restriction you're allowed on the plane, the catch and release policy and the availability and cost of a guide. Carefully read their checklist of what you need to pack and what tackle is recommended.

HAVE A GREAT TIME !!!!

Just starting out? Not sure what gear you need? Read my post on Getting started