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Contents Features 30 WHY DO FISH DO WHAT THEY DO? Fish can be baffling creatures and we’ve all been left scratching our heads at some of the things they do. Wayne Izumi has been there too and in this article he shares his insights on some of the questions most anglers have about fish and fishing. By Wayne Izumi
40 EXCUSES THAT LEAD TO BOATING FATALITIES It’s easy to get caught up in the fun of summertime boating and put safety on the back burner. Nobody plans to fall overboard, but every year some 500 Canadians become victims of drowning-related incidents. Here are a few simple ways to help ensure you don’t become a statistic this season. By Michèle Mercier
42
PANAMA’S WILD COAST If you’re looking for an exotic and extreme fishing adventure, kayak fishing off the Pacific Coast of Panama, just might be for you. From the hospitality to the scenery to the incredible fishing, this definitely makes the “trip-of-a-lifetime” list. By Rob Dankowsky
48 ST. LAWRENCE RIVER MUSKIES The mighty St. Lawrence River is known for having huge muskies, but catching them can sometimes be a challenge. Charles Weiss recently sat down with St. Lawrence muskie guide Dave Curtis and uncovered some of the secrets to success on the big river. By Charles Weiss
52 5 SIMPLE RULES FOR SUMMER CRAPPIES Crappies often get ignored once the spring bite fades but these fish are almost as easy to catch during the summer. Geoff Coleman knows how it’s done and his tips will show you how to consistently get in the action. By Geoff Coleman
20
Summer 2019 Volume 25, Issue 3 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi
Columns 6 OPENING LINES By Jerry Hughes
24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS Muskellunge
Contributors Geoff Coleman, Rob Dankowsky, Patrick Daradick, Mark Forabosco, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Ryan Lamothe, Steve May, Michèle Mercier, Dave Taylor, Charles Weiss Real Fishing is published by Izumi Outdoors Inc. 940 Sheldon Court Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833 Privacy Policy: Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, please write to us at the above address.
We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $12.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com
10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing
14 WHAT’S NEW
By Mark Forabosco
24
The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories
16 FISHING By Bob Izumi
18 FLY FISHING By Steve May
20 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor
22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX By Patrick Daradick
28 THE HOT BITE
Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504
58 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler By Bob Izumi
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
64 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING
On the cover: NOW THAT’S A PIKE! Photo by Izumi Outdoors
26 REFLECTIONS ON FISHING
18
opening lines By Jerry Hughes
A Strange Encounter Just recently I was out bass fishing with a buddy of mine and had one of the most bizarre experiences I can remember ever having while out on the water. We were fishing along the edge of a transition/break where a shallow sandy bottom fell off into a six to nine-foot-deep weedline. As we were casting the inside and outside edges of the drop, a gentleman came out of his cottage and began walking towards the water. About halfway down his yard, he picked up his pace and began yelling at us to get away from his property. We were surprised at his approach as we were not fishing anywhere close to his boat, dock or shoreline. In fact, we were some 70-feet out and none of our casts were landing closer than about 50-feet from shore. When he made it onto his dock he assumed a very aggressive posture and told us we should leave the area because there were no fish there anyway. Then he started shouting about the cost of the canvas top on his boat lift and how he was sick of people tearing it with hooks. My fishing partner and I were stunned and didn’t know what to say. We told him that we were not fishing anywhere near his property and that we would be away from the area in a minute or two anyway. That seemed to irritate him further and he began yelling again, this time waving his arms around, puffing himself up and looking like he was just itching for us to do something that would give him a reason to do something. Now, my buddy doesn’t take to that sort of behaviour kindly, especially when he’s done nothing to deserve it. In fact, he has been known to take extreme offense to it by expressing his displeasure in a way that rarely results in any further discussion on the matter – if you know what I mean. Luckily, I caught the stare he was beginning to give the gentleman on the dock and was able to convince him that it was best we just 6 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
move along, which we did. After discussing the incident among ourselves, my friend and I agreed that the fellow had likely had some type of bad experience with an angler before. Perhaps someone had ripped his canvas with a hook, chipped some paint on his boat or broke a lure off on his dock – and now he lumps all anglers into the “trouble” category. We really don’t know. This particular lake is extremely popular with anglers so it’s quite possible. Even so, taking his frustrations out on us was uncalled for and did nothing to solve anything. All it did was leave two lake users angry with each other. Imagine if the scenario had developed differently. If the chap had come across his yard and simply said hello or good morning first. If he then told us he was worried when he saw us because someone had previously done some damage to his property. All of a sudden the whole tone of the encounter is changed. We aren’t defensive and he isn’t aggressive. We say we’re sorry to hear about what happened and we assure him that we won’t go anywhere near his things. He thanks us for understanding his concerns. We wish him a good day, he does the same, and we both go about our business. In an few moments we could have established a bit of mutual respect for how the other likes to enjoy their time at the lake. This incident got me thinking about how many people use this lake (and most other lakes for that matter) and how many different activities they use it for. Fishing, swimming, waterskiing, cruising, Jet Ski riding, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding – and the list goes on. All of them have a right to be on the water but, unfortunately, those activities don’t always go together well. And all too often, encounters between the
various groups end up in anger and resentment towards each other. The fact is, more and more people are taking to the lakes every year and they all want to enjoy their time there. But taking a staunch, “me first” approach to using a lake does nothing but pit users against each other. In fact, it’s the kind of thing that can lead to legislation that makes certain waters off-limits to certain activities. Perhaps a little courtesy and respect from all sides, for all sides, would result in all of us having more fun and less aggravation on the water. And isn’t that why we go to the lake in the first place? ?
Print and digital subscriptions are available online at www.realfishing.com/ magazine For help with your subscription, please contact our customer service department
AMERICA’S FIRST WIRELESS NETWORKING FISHFINDER
Wirelessly share sonar, waypoints, routes and trails Exclusively on
WWW.LOWRANCE.COM
YOU TALKIN’ TO
8 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
ME?
We’re not sure if this turtle was annoyed at having his picture taken or if he was just putting his best face forward for the camera. Either way, his look sure put a smile on our faces.
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 9
ONTARIO PROPOSING MULTI-LINE CARP FISHING The Ontario government is proposing to allow resident recreational anglers and those visiting the province to use multiple lines when fishing carp from shore. “This initiative is just one more way we want to make life easier for anglers,” said John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. "Ontario has excellent carp fishing opportunities and we want to offer peo-
10 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
ple the chance to experience sustainable multi-line carp fishing." The government is seeking public feedback on the proposal through an Environmental Registry posting at https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-0130. "This proposal would make Ontario an attractive destination for tourism and competitive fishing events, so it would be a win-
win for the people of Ontario and our local economy," said Yakabuski. "Recreational fishing is a $2.2 billion industry in Ontario and by improving anglers' experience, we are creating more opportunities for Ontario's fishing and tourism industries to thrive and succeed." For more information on fishing in Ontario, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/fishing.
EVENTS Calendar KIDS AND COPS FISHING DAYS
PRO-BASS CANADA
CHANTRY CHINOOK CLASSIC
Year ‘round youth-oriented fishing events
June - August
July 27 - August 11
Various dates and locations
Various locations in Quebec
Lake Huron
www.kidsandcops.ca
www.probasscanada.com/
Kincardine, ON
tournament-info
www.chantrychinook.com
ASSOCIATION
QUINTE FISHING SERIES
KENORA BASS INTERNATIONAL
Bass Tournaments
Bass Tournaments
August 8 - 10
May - September
June - September
Lake of the Woods
Various locations in New Brunswick
Bay of Quinte, ON
Kenora, ON
www.nbsportfishing.net
www.quintefishing.com
www.kbifishing.com
TEMISKAMING SMALLMOUTH
RENEGADE BASS TOUR
FLW CANADA CUP
BASS SERIES
June - September
Bass Tournament
May - August
Various locations in Eastern Ontario
August 15 - 17
Various locations in North-Central
www.renegadebass.com
Bay of Quinte
NEW BRUNSWICK SPORTFISHING
Ontario www.temiskamingsmallmouthbass.com
www.flwcanada.com SHOOTOUT FISHING LEAGUE BASS TOURNAMENTS
OWEN SOUND SALMON
B1 BASS TOURNAMENTS
June - September
SPECTACULAR
June - September
Various locations in Eastern Ontario
August 23 - September 1
Various locations in Ontario, Quebec,
www.shootoutfishingleague.com
Georgian Bay
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia www.fishb1.com
Owen Sound, ON CANADIAN OPEN OF FISHING
www.sydenhamsportsmen.com
July 4 - 6 CSFL BASS TOURNAMENTS
Lake Simcoe
June - September
Orillia, ON
Various locations in Ontario
www.csfl.ca
www.csfl.ca TRI-BAY BASS ASSOCIATION GREAT ONTARIO SALMON DERBY
July - September
June 29 - August 17
Various dates and locations on
Lake Ontario
Lakes Erie and St. Clair
www.greatontariosalmonderby.ca
www.tbba.ca
NATIONAL FISHING WEEK
FORT FRANCES CANADIAN
June 30 – July 7
BASS CHAMPIONSHIP
License-free fishing days across Canada
July 18 - 20
www.catchfishing.com
Rainy Lake Fort Frances, ON www.canadianbass.com
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 11
READER’S PHOTOS
Donna Chapman Bridgenorth, ON Largemouth Bass
Send us a photo of your best catch and you could see your picture in a future issue of Real Fishing Magazine! Send photos to: Real Fishing, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6
Callan Newton Guelph, ON Walleye and Yellow Perch
Janette Loney Norwood, ON Lake Trout
Lucas Storer Elmira, ON Black Crappie
Chantal Revine Manotick, ON Muskellunge
12 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
Catch BOB on the Tube!
Tune in every Saturday morning on Global, and weekly on Sportsman Channel Canada and WFN (USA), as Bob Izumi and his guests show you where, when and how to tackle the biggest fish from the hottest Canadian and international destinations. STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET Atlantic Canada Calgary Edmonton Ontario Quebec Regina Saskatoon Vancouver Winnipeg Canada/USA
PROV./STATE Atlantic Canada AB AB ON QC SK SK BC MB Canada/USA
STATION Global (CIHF) Global (CICT) Global (CITV) Global (CIII) Global (CKMI) Global (CFRE) Global (CFSK) Global (CHAN) Global (CKND) WFN
DATE & AIR TIMES Saturday 8:00 am Saturday 10:30 am Saturday 10:30 pm Saturday 8:30 am Saturday 8:30 am Saturday 7:30 am Saturday 7:30 am Saturday 10:30 am Saturday 7:30 am Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times * Station listings, airtimes and show descriptions are subject to change. Please refer to your local television listings for the latest show schedules.
What’s
NEW
2019
REVO ROCKET The new Abu Garcia® Revo® Rocket delivers blazing high-speed performance with a 10.1:1 rocket gear ratio that retrieves 41-inches of line per turn of the handle, giving anglers speed, compact design and power all in one package. The Revo® Rocket also features an extended handle with oversized EVA knobs, 10 stainless steel HPCR bearings and one roller bearing, and an Abu Garcia Infini™ brake system. The new Revo® Rocket holds 145-yards of 12-pound test monofilament or 140-yards of 30-pound test braided line, has a maximum drag of 18-pounds and is available in right or left-hand versions.
www.abugarcia.com
PULL START FIRE Whether it’s snowing or pouring rain, no matter how wet or frozen your wood is, Pull Start Fire simply and safely starts your fire – every time. Eco-friendly and safe for cooking, a single Pull Start Fire stick burns 2.5 times hotter than other fire starters, burns for up to 30-minutes, is windproof and requires no kindling. Simply loop the green string around a fire log to secure it, set it in your fire pit, surround it with more logs then pull the red string to ignite. Made of 89% recycled material, Pull Start Fire starters are 5” long, 2” wide and 1” thick, weigh just 4ounces and come in a convenient three-pack.
www.pullstartfire.com
NAVIONICS SONARCHART™ SHADING Navionics has introduced SonarChart Shading to their Platinum+ and HotMaps Platinum products. This new chart feature, created from the high-definition, one-foot contour data within SonarChart, provides a detailed rendering of the seafloor and lake bottom in varying shades of blue to reveal changes in depth, drop-offs, and other fish-holding structures. SonarChart Shading can be viewed on GPS chartplotters that are compatible with HotMaps Platinum and Platinum+ satellite overlay, and is available for download through the Navionics website.
www.navionics.com
14 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distributors for our What’s New 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
LOWRANCE® GHOST TROLLING MOTOR Lowrance® has just announced the launch of their new Ghost freshwater trolling motor. Featuring a newly designed brushless motor, Ghost offers 25% greater thrust than current competitors and 45% longer run times on the same charge. The brushless motor emits no electromagnetic interference, giving the clearest sonar views possible with zero onscreen interference Users can steer, adjust speed, set up route navigation or anchor at a current location with touchscreen control from a Lowrance display using the SmartSteer™ interface. Ghost pairs easily with HDS LIVE, HDS Carbon and Elite-Ti2 displays via a simple NMEA 2000® connection. Instant and smooth fly-by-wire steering control gives Ghost the feel of a cable-steer motor, but without the mechanical cables that can wear out over time. A 360° breakaway mount is designed to take the brunt of any impacts and the composite shaft features a with lifetime warranty. Ghost is designed to work in either 24 or 36-volt systems and is currently available in a 47-inch shaft model.
www.lowrance.com
IGLOO COOLERS Igloo has just released their new Mission and Leeward series of hard sided coolers. Designed for anglers, campers or outdoor adventurers, both new coolers provide up to eight-days of ice retention and feature FDA approved food grade liners, a food grade silicone rubber lid gasket and oversized latches for secure lid closure. Fast/slow drainage, heavy duty grab handles, an integrated bottle opener and a fish ruler molded into the lid are standard on both models. Mission and Leeward coolers are available in 50, 72 and 124-quart sizes to suit all your outdoor cooling needs.
www.igloocoolers.com
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 15
fishing
Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.
By Bob Izumi
Hump Hopping You can approach fishing and have success in so many different ways. You can go shallow, you can go deep, you can troll and you can cast. You can use a number of proven techniques but, when it comes to finding fish, a lot of folks fish haphazardly or randomly trying to locate fish. Granted, there are times when I’ll even do that. I will jump from shallow to deep, from weeds to open water, from sand to rock to mud etc. But when it comes to summer fishing, a proven way to find a variety of fish is by just going around the lake looking for humps. You can call them shoals, you can call them bumps off the bottom or rises off the floor of the lake, it doesn’t matter. Anything that’s coming up off the bottom can be a potential fish holding zone and, with today’s electronics and mapping, it’s easy to pinpoint these. I’ll give you an example. I remember in the early years fishing on Buckhorn Lake up in the Kawarthas. I had a paper chart back then, back before you had electronic charts and GPS units, and I decided that I was going to fish small, isolated humps one day when I was scouting for the Emerald Isle bass tournament. Back then it was harder to find them because you didn’t have
16 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
electronic mapping so I would zig-zag back and forth on idle in the general area where these humps were. These humps were all off shore, maybe a half-mile off shore or a third of a mile off shore, but they were quite a ways out and I had to zig-zag back and forth to try and find them. On that day, if I’m not mistaken, I fished about five or six of these small rockpiles that had boulders on them and that were surrounded by weeds. Nobody else was on any of these humps and I caught largemouth, smallmouth, muskie and walleye that day. That was in the early years of my career, back in the early ‘80s, and since then I have fished hundreds, if not thousands, of submerged humps on the Great Lakes, on smaller lakes and on rivers. I have found that humps everywhere are proven fish producers and it doesn’t really matter what species you’re fishing for. Take the Niagara Bar, that’s at the mouth of the Niagara River on Lake Ontario, for example. That’s basically a rise off the bottom that drops into deep water. That particular hump has, in the fall, smallmouth, walleye, brown trout, lake trout and the occasional salmon on it. It’s a fish magnet. I remember years ago fishing the Abitibi Lake walleye tournament and finding a hump that produced a lot of fish for us. Back then there were no paper charts or electronic charts of that lake and on the second day of the tournament we were running from one area to another when all of a sudden we saw the graph go up and down. We turned around and discovered there was a hump that was holding a lot of fish and we caught a good weight off of it. We found out later that the winning team had actually fished that hump on day-one and on daytwo as well, so it definitely held a lot of fish. A lot of times we’ll look for really deep
humps for mid-summer lake trout. We’ll identify these humps on our electronic charts (which is much easier than it was in the days of paper charts) and we’ll go right to them and graph around them looking for hooks. If we’re not marking hooks or any fish we’ll move to the next one, especially on the deep water humps where it’s easy to see fish on the graph. While I was down in eastern Ontario for a bass tournament a few years ago, on the Rideau System, I was graphing some deeper humps for smallmouth bass and was coming across little pods of fish, but they didn’t look like they were as big as what bass should look like. So I lowered down with a dropshot, rigged with a three-inch GULP! Fry, and as fast as I could get my line down I was catching great big, giant bull bluegills. These humps were just loaded with schools of these fish. I always thought of bluegill as being more of a weed-oriented fish but these humps had no weeds whatsoever and held some of the biggest bluegill I’ve ever seen in Ontario. Another thing that is very common is when you are fishing over a fairly consistent depth, almost flat, and you see a little bit of a change in the depth. It might be a bit of a rise of only a foot or so, and on that rise you’ve got weeds. That hump could be the size of a football field. or the size of your boat, but whatever size it is, if it’s the only thing in that area that is different from the surrounding area, chances are it’s going to hold fish. I can’t stress enough that if you go humphopping this summer you can get into some of the best fishing you’ll ever have. The process of elimination in fishing says that 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water and these high-percentage areas are a very good part of that 10% during the warm weather months. ?
fly fishing By Stephen May
Summertime Fun Through many parts of the country summer brings changes in fishing opportunities. Summer means smallmouth bass to me! These fish thrive in warmer rivers and lakes during the heat of summer. I especially like the variety of ways that I can target these bronze battlers. Smallmouth eat a variety of foods and live in mid-sized to larger rivers, as well as many ponds and lakes. They like to roam where the food is bringing them in range of fly tackle - in the shallows. The other nice part is that they are opportunistic fish. This means that a good presentation that resembles something edible has a good chance of success. So, you can use your favourite tactics and the bass don’t mind. The good old popper or the “Sneaky Pete” are flies that smallmouth will look up for. Also, if there is a hatch happening on a river, a dry fly will get you hooked up with bass. I really like using big foam hoppers for them on a summer afternoon. Fishing on the surface is tons of fun, effective and addictive. So much so that many bass fly fishers I know do not go below the surface to catch bass. Fun, but a bit limiting in my opinion. I am a streamer junkie and “ripping meat” is a style of fly fishing that has its devoted crowd. This involves using heavier gear than that of the dry fly purist and testing the limits of fly tackle with bold, big and full-of-action flies. Bold and full of action fish track down these meaty offerings! I like streamers from four to seven-inches in length - and the bass like them too. Big trout, pike, muskie and other good fish eat these things too. It is also a type of “sight fishing” as you can often see the shadow of a fish and its approaching wake before the fly gets crushed. Try it on a big river or shallow weed flat. You will soon know what I mean, and you may also become addicted to this type of fishing, For anglers who enjoy nymph fishing, 18 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
smallmouth are under-appreciated. These fish eat a wide variety of foods and, if you change your offerings to be a bit bigger and full of movement, expect banner days on the river. Imitations of hex nymphs, hellgrammites, leeches and other meaty meals are a good way to hook up with both numbers and quality bass. I look for water that is slightly slower and deeper than prime Great Lakes steelhead water. Smallmouth are easily adaptable to your favourite fly fishing techniques, but there is one way to go after them that is “smallmouth first”. A legendary fly called a Clouser Minnow is, quite simply, smallmouth magic. This fly has weighted eyes and a bucktail wing. With a little bit of flash
down the middle, it has many key triggers to attract bass and it can easily be fished shallow or deep. The weighted eyes give it a perfect wounded minnow action. Smallmouth love this fly, and it has worked for me anywhere I have found bass. Smallmouth are a perfect fish for summer. You can fish for them with a variety of fly techniques and they will usually be happy to cooperate. They fight hard and can be found in many Great Lakes feeder rivers, as well as in numerous ponds and lakes. If you haven’t tried fishing smallmouth on the fly yet you really should try sharing a beautiful summer day with these perfect fly rod targets. You’ll be glad you did. ?
WE BUILD TR RUST. Power-Pole, P ower-Pole, the th e o original riginal shallow hallow water water a anchor, nchor, is is tthe he b brand rand more more P Pro ro and and leisure leisure a anglers nglers trust for trust for sswift, swift wif t, silent silent and and ssecure ecure g grip rip in in ffresh resh o orr ssalt alt water water o on na allll b bottom ot tom ssurfaces. surfaces ur faces. Our Our C-Monster w C-Monster wireless ireless n netw et work work llets ets yyou ou connect, connect, control control a an nd customize customize tthe he e entire ntire ffamily amily of P of Power-Pole ower-Pole p products roducts to to fit fit your your ffishing ishing style. st yle. W With ith tthe he best best customer customer sservice er vice iin n tthe he industr y, we’re industry we’re tthe he b bra rand nd you you can can ttrust rust to to stand stand behind behind each each a and nd every ever y Power-Pole Power-Pole anchor. Go anchor. Go to to pow pow we err-pole.com r-pole.com for for m more ore d details etails a and nd to to find find a dealer dealer n near ear yyou. ou.
Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario
water’s edge By Dave Taylor
River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
My canoe was gliding slowly and quietly along the shoreline when I heard a “ccchhh” sound slightly behind me. I turned and found myself face to face with an otter, or more precisely, a North American river otter. I imitated its call and, for few brief moments, the otter’s curiosity got the better of itself before it decided I was no longer interesting. It dove and, despite my best efforts, I could not find it again. I was disappointed to see it go. Such chance encounters with our continent’s third largest weasel (only the sea otter and the wolverine weigh more) can be rare. I say “can be” because in some marinas where anglers regularly clean their fish I’ve known otters to show up every day. Sometimes they’ve even entered the boats looking for food. Rare or common, these meetings are usually treasured. River otters may look sleek as they glide through the water but on dry land they are revealed to be fairly stocky animals. They can weigh between 11 and 31-pounds with males averaging about a third larger than females. In length they can reach between 26 and 42-inches. They are carnivores and belong to the Family: Mustelidae. Worldwide
20 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
there are 13 species of otter. Only two species are found in North America; the much larger sea otter being the other (see next issue’s Water’s Edge). River otters were eliminated from over 75% of their range by 1970, however, restoration efforts have reintroduced to them to many places where they were once found. They are abundant enough in some areas that 29 states and 11 provinces allow them to be trapped. I live and work near the Credit River and a river otter has not been recorded in its entire watershed for over 30-years. This despite it being found in adjacent watersheds. A key to bringing the species back to any watershed is the health of the local ecosystem. Much has been done to rehabilitate the Credit River and it is my hope that in the near future otters will once again call this river home. Because they are called river otters it is often assumed that they avoid salt water, but this is not the case. I’ve encountered them in saltwater marshes and estuarine rivers. They do not venture out to sea to feed however, preferring to hunt near the shoreline. Most encounters with these large weasels are in freshwater lakes and rivers. There is an almost direct relationship between the number of otters in an area and the area’s beaver population. If the number of beavers decline, so do the otter’s numbers. Otters prey on a variety of aquatic life and fish make up a significant portion of their food. They prefer slow moving fish such as suckers, sunfish, bass, carp and shiners, however, they will go after trout, walleye and salmon when these fish are spawning. They eat between two and three-pounds of food per day. They do not have a serious impact on wild fish stocks. Otters can swim up to about six-miles per hour. They can dive to a depth of just over 65-feet and can remain submerged for
almost four-minutes. Fish are normally caught by ambush, but they will also chase them. When fish are not available otters will turn over rocks to seek crustaceans, especially crayfish, and large insects. Even frogs and turtles are on the menu. Otters have been seen taking waterfowl as well, which they stalk underwater. There is also a report of beaver remains being found in their scat. Otters mate sometime between December and April and the kits are born about a year later. Mating is a prolonged act as the females are induced ovulators. In Algonquin Park I once saw otters coupled for almost a halfhour and I moved on before they broke apart. Males are promiscuous and their territories overlap that of several females. Females will mate again shortly after giving birth and they spend much of their adult lives pregnant. Young are born in dens, often in river banks. Otters are playful animals and none more so than the kits. Once weaned they may disperse up to 200-kilometers (130-miles) from their natal dens. Males travel further than females. In most of Canada females give birth every two-years while in the southern portion of their range it is an annual event. River otters are among the most social of the weasel clan. Females with young, sometimes accompanied by helpers (female offspring from the previous litter), seem to enjoy being together. Male river otters are usually solitary except where there is abundant food. Those found along the coasts have been known to form coalitions that cooperatively hunt together, even corralling fish. If you are fortunate enough to encounter otters on your fishing trip, enjoy them while you can. They can dive out of sight quickly and could be several lakes away by the end of the day. ?
the vintage tackle box
Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 25-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge and can be contacted online at www.ontariolures.com or by phone at 613-398-7245.
By Patrick Daradick with research by Jim Greenaway
S.W. Ellis & Sons Samuel Wilson Ellis was born on the 4th of March, 1879, in Trent Bridge, Ontario, to Luke and Sarah (Hardy) Ellis. A 1901 Canadian census listed Samuel, then 22-years old, as a general labourer. On December 23, 1909 Sam married 18-year old Edna Mae Pollock. Edna found employment as a postmaster in the hamlet of Trent Bridge and Sam supported her and their seven children as a house painter.
In 1934, Canada Needle & Fishing Tackle Co. Ltd. decided to replace Sam Ellis as manager and he was bumped to a lesser position as a foreman. The decision didn’t sit well with Sam and he decided to resign from the company and spend his time building a summer cottage in Trent River.
A local lodge owner, Thomas Wight, who owned T. Wight & Son (a company that manufactured fancy flies and tackle and was known locally as Wight’s Flies), hired Samuel to work for him. Sam Ellis became plant foreman for the Canada Fishing Tackle Makers Ltd., a company created by the Wights in 1915 and situated on Cedar Isle. In 1923 Ellis had three registered industrial designs for his own metal lures. Wm. Croft & Sons took over the Wight’s company and moved it to Havelock in 1923. Sam was hired as manager of this tackle plant. Canada Needle & Tackle Co. Ltd. of Toronto bought out the Croft’s fishing interests in 1930 and Canada Fishing Tackle Makers Ltd. ceased to exist. This purchase included the Havelock plant, where Sam was kept on as a manager by the new owners. Even in the depression era, Sam continued to employ several Trent River people when most were without work.
Sam continued tackle tinkering and later that fall, back at his house on Union Street, he formed his very own fishing tackle business. The company was called S.W. Ellis & Sons and started designing and selling lures under the “Maple Leaf Brand”, which didn’t sit well with his old boss. Sam began making lures on his porch and this new venture proved quite successful. With a new double barn style structure erected in the back of his house, he worked alongside his sons Frank and Earl. Like in many companies, the boys spent the spring on the road selling and delivering the fishing tackle that was manufactured in the winter months. Sam established a Canadian identity with the stamping of a maple leaf logo on all his metal lures and on the lips used on his wooden baits. In 1937 the Havelock Standard reported that the partnership of “Ellis and Kirk” had rented the western portion of the ground floor in the Masonic Lodge. Sam had his
22 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
office in the front portion with a large area for tackle-making in the rear of the building. In 1940 Sam Ellis sold his business to Hector MacLean of Hex Baits. As a condition of the sale, Sam spent six-months at Hex Baits setting up equipment and training workers. In addition, Sam’s Maple Leaf Brand trademark was transferred to Hex baits and continued to be stamped on their metal lures. Ellis & Sons lures are quite unique in design. Many wooden lures had glass eyes with a similar pikie minnow style design. The boxes are quite scarce and carry the Maple Leaf brand logo that clearly shows a great Canadian tackle maker’s history. Maple Leaf Brand lures are very sought after by Canadian collectors. Like many tackle makers just trying to make ends meet, their goal was to create a lure that would first catch fish and then catch the fisherman's eye, hoping to steal the market from the bigger makers. Small makers like S.W. Ellis would seldom produce many wooden lures as it was quite time consuming, concentrating instead on manufacturing a lot of metal lures. The boxes are quite scarce and Maple Leaf Brand wooden lures with glass eyes, in mint condition and in their original boxes, can easily fetch over $300 today. The pair of wooden plugs shown on the early Ellis cards are very rare and each would surpass the previous stated value. ?
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real fishing fish facts
Muskellunge Esox masquinongy
The mere mention of the name, Muskellunge, is enough to get most anglers’ blood racing. No other fish is surrounded by as much myth and mystique as the muskie, nor is any other fish as revered in angling circles. It’s no wonder when you consider that, next to the sturgeon, the muskellunge is Canada’s largest freshwater fish. Muskies in excess of six-feet long and weighing over 100-pounds have been reportedly found in nets, washed up on shore etc., but details on these monsters are sketchy at best. Anglers commonly catch muskies between 30 and 45-inches that weigh between 10 and 25-pounds. The current all-tackle world record, as listed by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), stands at 67-pounds, 8-ounces and was caught in Wisconsin in 1949. The muskie’s colour varies with its location and individual fish in the same water body can show distinct differences in appearance. In general, muskies have darker
24 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
brown to black markings on a lighter greenish, green-gold, brown, gray or silvery background. The markings can appear as spots, bars, blotches or a combination of shapes. The belly is cream to milky coloured with small brown to gray blotches. The muskie’s range is limited to the freshwater lakes and rivers of eastern North America. In Canada they can be found in the St. John River in New Brunswick, in southern Quebec and the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. They are common throughout the lower Great Lakes region including the Trent-Severn waterway, the Haliburton Highlands and Lake St. Clair. Their northern range includes the area from Lake Nipissing west to Lake of the Woods and into the extreme southeastern part of Manitoba. Muskellunge spawn in heavily vegetated areas in the spring, when water temperatures reach 49° to 59°F. No nest is built; instead the female pairs with a male and eggs and sperm are deposited randomly through the vegetation. The number of eggs is related to the size of the female muskie and can range from about 6,000 to over 250,000. Hatching takes place between 8 and 14-days after fertilization. The fry remain dormant, feeding from their yolk sacs for about 10-days or until the sac is depleted. At that time they start to feed on zooplankton until they reach 1 ½ to 2-inches in length and begin feeding almost exclusively on other fish. Although the flesh of the muskie is white, flaky and flavourful, most anglers follow a strict catch and release ethic, realizing that these top level predators are too precious to kill for food. But that was not always the case. In the late 1800s and early 1900s there was a thriving commercial fishery for muskies in Canada. In 1890 the commercial
catch from Ontario alone was over 650,000-pounds. Increased angler interest in muskies as a sport fish, combined with declining commercial catches, led to the closing of Ontario’s commercial muskie fishery in 1904. Quebec continued to allow commercial fishing until the mid-1930s before following Ontario’s lead.
Today the muskellunge is one of the most highly prized gamefish in Canada and anglers spend countless hours in search of them. It is estimated that anglers spend several million dollars per year on tackle, lodging, guides and other expenses directly related to the pursuit of this exciting fish. ?
DID YOU KNOW? Muskies were fished commercially in Canada until the mid-1930s.
FAST FACTS Colour: Greenish, brown or silvery on the flanks with overlaying darker bars, spots or blotches. Size: The average angler caught muskellunge is between 30 and 45-inches in length and weighs between 10 and 25-pounds. Life Span: Muskies commonly live between 8 and 15-years although they have been known to survive for up to 25-years or more. Habitat: Medium to large rivers and lakes of all sizes. Muskies are most commonly found near vegetation that is close to deep water. Spawning: Spawning takes place in the spring over soft bottomed areas where vegetation is present.
RECORD The official IGFA All-Tackle world record muskellunge stands at 67-pounds, 8-ounces and was caught in Hayward, Wisconsin in July, 1949.
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refections on fishing By Mark Forabosco
The Magic Never Dies I opened the old metal tacklebox and took a long look at its contents. After some thoughtful deliberations I removed a handful of ancient lures that had been relegated there for the last 60 or so years, give or take a decade. Recently I had re-read, for the umpteenth time, Book of Lures by Charles K. Fox. The late Mr. Fox wrote his angling book about the many varieties of lures that existed in his day and how they were best to be employed. In it are many stories of his piscatorial pursuits in the Kawartha Lakes that took place back in the 1930s and ‘40s, and the lures and conditions that he fished them in. The book was very well written, and Mr. Fox had a true gift in being able to connect with the reader. I have never forgotten his shared wisdom, or the lures that he so confidently endorsed, and I made a promise to myself that someday I would give them a chance to weave their magic once more. Lake Erie had been kind to anglers this past summer with an overabundance of hungry walleye eagerly waiting to pounce on any artificial that came within striking distance.
26 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
To me it seemed like a most opportune time to test these old baits that anglers held in such high esteem back in a day when a loaf of bread cost a dime. My brother in-law George Selby raised an eyebrow and gave me a wry smile. “Is that a Heddon Vamp”? I nodded my head and informed him of my forthcoming test. In fact, George wasn’t surprised in the least and replied, “I’m telling you those are good lures, great for walleye and big bass.” Watching the lure sink out of sight I studied its extremely tight wobble. Many of the colourful body baits run by walleye anglers today tend to run very deep and have a much wider movement. I wasn’t sure if this drab, red-headed white-bodied lure was going to pan out. My doubts where soon put to rest as the downrigger rod released and quickly arched over, indicating the head shake of a large walleye. George took his time fighting the fish, commenting that it had some real weight to it. After a few minutes we slid the net under a very respectable 30-inch Erie walleye. When I realized what lure it was, I was astounded. That fish had completely inhaled the Vamp, all the way down to the back of its throat. This story brought back a 30-year old memory from the same lake. Back in the 1980s, as the word about walleye fishing on Lake Erie was just starting to hit the rumor mill, we were not quite as advanced as today’s modern anglers. I had a flasher (which was standard at the time) and a pair of manual downriggers. This was before dipsy divers, leadcore line and GPS systems, back when we were allowed only one rod per angler. I was running a green Canadian Wiggler lure; another walleye catcher made
famous in the 1960s. The first time my rod went off the Wiggler had a 15-pound walleye attached to it. The second time it went off the rod never even came up for air. It buckled and stayed down under the weight of a hyper active rainbow trout. That trout was easily over 20-pounds, and I say this with a straight face. It rose up out of the depths, clearing the water by five-feet with unparalleled fury, only to throw the Wiggler back in my face in a most indignant and intimidating manner, and leaving me in a most seriously deflated spiritual state. I am sharing these anecdotes with you because I want you to have the same unique and rewarding experience with these lures as I did. These simple but glorious baits, created in a much more innocent era, can still contend with the best made artificials on today’s market. I would encourage you to give one of them a try this season. Load up your rods with your standard walleye lures and then set aside a couple with some of the aforementioned nostalgic classics and see which hooks more fish by the end of the day. You may be mildly surprised and will probably find true enjoyment when employing these baits from a long-lost era. I have found that these tight running lures with metal lips are ideal when run off of downriggers or behind dipsy divers. As the years pass and fishing paraphernalia advances and changes by the season, it is easy to get caught up in what’s new on the market and forget about those old reliables. Truth be told, the fact is that through the decades we may have lost that attraction to some of those vintage lures - but the fish never did! ?
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DENTAL DANGER We bet this Kingfish doesn’t miss many meals. It’s obvious that one bite from a set of choppers like these would spell certain doom for any baitfish that found itself in that vicious mouth.
28 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
WHY DO FISH DO
30 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
WHAT THEY DO? By Wayne Izumi
Why do fish do certain things at certain times? Why? I’m asking because I’ve got a two-year old granddaughter who’s always asking me, “Why?” When I take her out to my pond fishing, or for a walk to show her nature, she’s always asking, “Why”? All through my life I’ve wondered why you catch fish sometimes and sometimes you don’t. Why is that? As I get older I’m finding out more of the reasons but I know I’ll never find out all of them.
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 31
Wayne’s personal best roosterfish.
WEATHER Years ago I was lucky enough to have some mentors teach me things about the ways of wildlife. I remember once driving to go fishing with an older guy and we saw a bunch of cows in a field that were all standing in a circle on a hill. The weather was changing, and they were all droopy and facing each. The old guy said, “It’s going to be a tough day fishing, it’s highly unlikely we’ll catch much of anything.” I said, “Why did you say that?” He replied, “Well, anytime you go fishing and you see the cows and the other animals really active and feeding the fish are going to be feeding too.” Sure enough, we ended up having a really tough day of fishing. As I went on in life I was fortunate enough to go to the north a lot and I started asking the native guides questions. They seemed to know whether it would be a good bite or a bad bite. Little things like hearing the birds singing like crazy when you’re out there – that’s always a good indication; watch the birds. Just recently in Mexico we were on the water and a guy said, “It’s going to be a good bite today because of the bubbles on the water.”
32 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
They weren’t bubbles from gas escaping from the lake bottom, it was just that there are certain bubbles that form on the water when the humidity is right and there’s a little bit of wave action. That was during a front that was conducive to these types of bubbles and he knew that. There are just so many things that you can learn from nature. All through my life I’ve been a nature watcher and I’ve been trying to figure out why fish bite. It’s easy to figure out or determine a front coming through. The classic is clear, blue skies when maybe it would be better to do the “Honey-do” list and cut the lawn rather than going out fishing. Just before the cold front, or before the lightning starts in the summer, you get that high humidity and you can see the fish going crazy, feeding and moving around. So, the question is, how do you try to catch fish when that cold front comes. How can you determine their different peaks; when they’re going to be aggressive or when they’re going to be passive? When are you going to have to force-feed them or make them hit out of anger or instinct rather than out of pure hunger? That’s been a lifelong passion of mine, trying to figure that out. I was recently talking to a guy who was trapping minnows in the St. Lawrence River with glass minnow traps. He said that sometimes you can put the traps down with a little bit of food in them and they’re full within
minutes. At other times you’ll put the trap down, the fish are active, but you pull the trap and you don’t have anything in it - even though the conditions are the same. It’s not like they disappear under a cold front and move deep or something. Why? Why are they doing that? He doesn’t know and I don’t know. The minnows still look very active, but they’re not feeding. I guess it’s sometimes like with humans, sometimes you’re really hungry and sometimes you’re not. Here’s another thing about humans. My wife is a psychiatric nurse and she said that quite often they have to put on extra shifts when there is a full moon. I do know that if you want to catch a big fish, plan your trips around a full moon. When I look at my historical big fish catches, whether it’s a bass or a saltwater roosterfish, my biggest fish have always come around a full moon. I do know that on a full moon you’re not going to catch big numbers of fish; if you want to catch a pile of fish the full moon doesn’t seem to work. Old-timers used to tell me that the fish feed at night on a full moon, and I know that a lot of animals will feed at night under a full moon, but why do you have a better chance of catching a monster fish during the daytime of a full moon period. What is it that’s different? My wife’s patients become more active and aggressive on a full moon, but it’s not at night when this happens, it’s during the
day of the full moon. I do know, and it can be historically checked when you look at a lot of world record fish catches, the full moon is one of the keys. Even commercially farmed fish, that you think would eat all the time, are subject to weather changes. At my fish farm, the folks feeding the fish have noticed that the fish eat a lot less under certain conditions. They monitor the volume of food the fish are eating and it goes up and down depending on the type of day. On cold front days they don’t have to feed the fish as much. You can even see this happening to aquarium fish. When I was young I had a small, 10-inch long bass in an aquarium in my basement that I would use as an indicator. When there was a cold front I could put crayfish, minnows or worms into the tank and the bass would not touch them. Before the front hit though, I couldn’t put enough food into the tank. That bass would eat so much food that it would literally bulge out at the sides. Even though it was in an unlit basement, surrounded by a concrete foundation, that fish was influenced by the weather outside. Why do fronts affect fish so much? Is it because they eat so much before the front that they’re literally full and don’t need to eat for a couple of days afterwards? Or is it something in the front itself? Well, if you ate like a pig on a big holiday weekend, on the Monday you’d be much less likely to eat so much. After that your appetite gradually ramps up and by mid-week you’re back to normal. The real question when it comes to fishing is what triggered the fish to binge feed in the first place. For humans it’s usually a big hol-
iday or event but for a fish, what is it about an approaching front that makes them put on the feedbag? After a front a lot of fish will go deeper or into weeds and their strike zone narrows. You have to get a bait right in front of their face before they’ll eat. Is it high pressure? Maybe. If you were full and had somebody pushing on your stomach with high pressure, you probably wouldn’t want to eat anything either. Is it light penetration? A cold front also brings bright sun and clear skies so light penetration could have an effect on fish too. They don’t have sunglasses. If you were a walleye with those big eyes you certainly wouldn’t want to be in the bright sun so you’d go deeper or tuck into some cover where there was some shade. On a warm front with overcast skies and low light, or rain, you don’t need sunglasses and it’s likely that fish feel more comfortable moving around and feeding too. Are fish like humans in how they react to weather? My best days fishing docks have always come when there are a lot of people out on their docks or shorelines actively doing things. When the people are out, the fish seem to be more active as well. I’m not saying to go and fish shorelines or docks where there are people, but if you see lots of folks outside enjoying the day there’s a pretty good chance that the fish will be more active too. On the other hand, when the humans disappear and it’s a decent day, the fishing usually isn’t as good. There seems to be a definite correlation and I’ve seen it over and over again through my fishing career. So what do fish and humans have in common that makes them react in similar ways? I guess it’s something in the brain but who knows exactly what. As my granddaughter says, “Why?” I guess that’s part of fishing. The more you know about these types of behaviours the better a fisherman you’ll become because you can respond and react to the conditions as they change.
MIND GAMES As I get older, I find myself looking at intensity versus relaxation in fishing. So many people who are casual fishermen, when I tell them I’m going to fish a tournament they’ll say that it must be really relaxing. If they only knew! Tournaments get you all wound up; you’re thinking all the time, you’re trying to figure things out, you’re
worried about your equipment, you’re worried about the weather, you’re worried about a number of things. To some casual anglers, fishing in a boat is putting a worm on a hook, tying a string to your toe and dangling your foot over the side of the boat waiting for a bite. So where’s the balance between intensity and relaxation in fishing? Sometimes it’s better to mellow out and relax your mind, even when you’re fishing a tournament, and you’ll do better. I think you can take that analogy to athletics when you hear key athletes talking about the performance of their life and they say they’re “in the zone”. When they’re in the zone, hitting basketball shot after basketball shot or throwing strike after strike in baseball, they talk about not being intense. Their whole mind and body are relaxed and
they’re just “doing it”. For fishermen who are trying to catch fish, I think you have to sometimes change your mindset and really enjoy the moment. Sometimes anglers try too hard to figure things out and that can lead to confusion and frustration, especially if your plan doesn’t come together the way you think it should. Taking a step back, relaxing and just having fun out there fishing can often result in success. Like people, minnows or baitfish that are fearful sometimes start running all around, Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 33
darting here and there but all that really does it attracts predators. Their fear attracts the thing they are fearful of. When you’re having a hard day on the water and you get into a desperation mode of changing baits, changing spots, and running all over the place looking for a hot bite, you just might be reducing your chances of finding it. Sometimes the big fish want a bait with an erratic action and sometimes they want something that’s just lazily swimming by. What I tend to do is start by fishing in a traditional way with a medium retrieve. If that’s not working, I start changing my retrieve. I find deadsticking for big fish seems to be getting better and better. In deadsticking you just leave the bait sitting, whether it’s a stick-type bait, a jig or even a topwater lure. For most medium-sized fish though, it seems you need some type of action so you have to keep varying your retrieve until you find the right pace. For me, it’s more the retrieve of my bait that is important in getting bites. That said, there’s the odd time when fish are so colour-specific that they need something exactly right before they’ll bite. Whether it matches the hatch or not, there are times when only a specific colour will work. You always hear about these secret baits and colours and eventually the word gets out and everyone starts using them. And that creates another problem. I firmly believe that intensively fished species, whether it’s bass, trout, walleyes or any other gamefish, can get conditioned to a particular bait. Unless they’re in a suicidal mood and eating anything that hits the water, which sometimes can happen, once they get conditioned to a certain lure or colour it will eventually become less effective. What happens then is that people will go away from that bait. As time goes on and new generations of fish replace the older ones, those baits or presentations can become good again. A classic example of this is the spinnerbait. Everybody use to use them for bass but over the years their popularity faded away and now they’ve come back as the hot new thing. Rick Clunn just won a tournament in Florida where he caught two nine-pounders on a spinnerbait in a heavily pressured area on the St. John’s River. I don’t know of anyone who uses a spinnerbait on that river anymore but I bet that will soon change! 34 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
W S CHOOSING BAITS Earlier I talked about starting with a medium retrieve and then changing my retrieve based on the conditions and the mood of the fish. That same principle applies to choosing a lure too. You can go from a fast, noisy bait to more of a silent type of approach if the fish aren’t responding – like switching from something like a buzzbait to a marabou jig for example. Or a soft stickbait, where you cast it out and just let it sit on the bottom. When I first get out on the water I always base my bait choice on what the weather conditions tell me. For example, if it’s really bright and clear I usually won’t throw a buzzbait. If there’s an overcast sky and the fronts are right though, I have a tendency to use a fast-moving presentation like a buzzbait or spinnerbait. Having said that, when the conditions are bad sometimes a fast-moving bait, like a lipless crankbait that’s moving fast and banging off rocks or ripping through weeds, can activate an inactive fish. Inactive fish will sometimes respond to a violent retrieve while at other times it will take something like a deadstick approach with a subtle bait to get them to hit. Then again, on some days
it might be something in the middle of those extremes that you need to trigger the fish. Quite often, for many fish species, those flat, dead-calm summer days can be the most difficult times to fish. I’ve seen it in both fresh and salt water. Those are days where you might need to change things up a lot before you get the fish to respond. For example, say you’re on Lake St. Clair (or any other lake you fish) for smallmouth when there’s a mayfly hatch and it’s dead flat. You’ll see fish slurping out there but you can’t catch anything. Sometimes a violent jerkbait or a very aggressively worked surface lure will wake them up. But if you throw conventional baits or try to “match the hatch” by using a mayfly imitating bait it usually won’t work. For some reason those dead flat days are always tough. I really don’t know what those type of days do to the fish. It could be that they can see everything or they can sense fishermen and boats moving around, maybe they hear trolling motors better or maybe they pick up the ping of a sonar. Maybe the fish are a bit like humans in that respect and those conditions just put them into a sort of daze where they just want to stay still and get out of the heat.
WHA W AT SU UN N?
THE FOOD CONNECTION
PRESSURED WATERS
In both freshwater and saltwater fishing there are aspects relating to fish locations and feeding that you should be looking for – whether the fish are eating minnows, crayfish, gobies, needlefish etc. Those things are pretty easy to determine. If you catch a fish that you intend to keep, check its stomach contents and you’ll have a good idea of the type of bait you should be using in that type of area.
If you keep going to the same body of water a lot, over time you can develop “localitis”. You find a hotspot and you keep going back to it whenever you’re on that particular lake or river – but it’s really something you should avoid. Over time those spots, no matter how good they are, will become pressured or fished to the point that they stop producing the way they used to. In a lot of the big U.S tournaments you see people winning who are not local to the lake or who haven’t fished it very much. They go into the tournament with open eyes and they find spots based on what they see on the water. I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. When we go to film the Real Fishing Show, we’ll often go out with a local guides and we usually go where they say to go. The areas are generally community spots and maybe the guide is fishing it because his father or grandfather fished it. There are key areas on any lake where there will always be recruitment but the question becomes, how many fish can you take from an area before they become educated and start using other places. I think one of my strong points over the years is that I always want to try different things, regardless of where I’m fishing or what the local anglers tell me. I’ve been fortunate enough to find some new areas over the years that the locals haven’t fished out or over pressured because they don’t know those spots exist.
A classic example is the Great Lakes. We’ve found that fish that are usually deep will often move very shallow at certain times of the year when they’re following gobies. When you’re catching lake trout in really shallow water it doesn’t make any sense because historically they’re a deepwater species. But now they do it because there’s a food source there. So you have to watch what the food sources are doing and adjust your fishing accordingly. For example, there’s no point in using a perchcoloured crankbait around weedbeds in Lake Erie or St. Clair for walleyes when the smelt are spawning on sandy shorelines around rivermouths! Those bait situations are always changing and the fish change with them. The decline of the smelt populations in the Great Lakes and the introduction of gobies is a classic example of how things can change. Global warming has changed how baitfish act and even which types of baitfish 36 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
are most abundant. I remember when the alewives were so thick they would wash up on the shorelines around Toronto and they used backhoes to clean them up off of the beaches. Today you rarely see alewives. Bass in the southern climates love tilapia. Every once in a while the conditions are so good that the bass go crazy and they’ll try to eat tilapia that are so big they will get stuck in the bass’s throat. I remember once fishing in Lake Baccarac in Mexico. We went out after a perfect front and the lake was littered with dozens of floating, giant bass. We started running around and seeing bass with huge tilapia stuck in their throats. We spent hours actually netting these big bass and removing the tilapia from the bass’s mouths and throats and about threequarters of the bass were still alive. The remarkable thing is that the majority of the tilapia were still alive too. They must have a higher resistance to dying of suffocation. Catching big pike on walleye jigs is relatively common, but it isn’t something a lot of anglers do intentionally. Could it be a tactic for pressured waters or for days when the bite is tough?
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In our early years of doing the TV show we used to get some nasty letters from folks who didn’t want us doing a show on their lake because so many people would end up going there after seeing the show. I think the idea is that if you are a cottager, or if you visit the same lake a lot, approach it with an open mind and try different things – particularly with the fish today. It’s not necessarily structure, it could be the way fish are suspending today. Al and Ron Lindner of In-Fisherman both have incredibly scientific and instinctual minds and they started finding deep suspended smallmouth when everybody else would pound the banks, hit the points or hit the shoals. The Lindners started doing great in tournaments with one guy casting to the points or the shoal while the other guy would be out the back of the boat throwing into 50 or 100-feet of water with weightless baits for suspended fish. Those fish probably used the point at some time, or maybe they were pressured off the point, but they were in an area that nobody really fished. So you’ve really got to keep an open mind – try new techniques and do a little experimenting. You have to be careful about getting caught in a rut. The Johnston brothers, from Peterborough, are classic examples of open-minded anglers who are tremendously instinctive. If you look at their social media pages you’ll see that they’re also tremendous hunters. They have a very good idea – whether it’s a turkey, a monster deer or a largemouth or smallmouth bass – of where to look for these animals or fish. They’re always looking outside of the box and finding new spots. They’re even doing that now in the USA on some of the lakes and impoundments that are heavily fished. They’re taking a fresh new approach and finding fish.
INSTINCTIVE THINKING Over the years I’ve found that good fishermen, quite often, are also very good hunters. There’s something in being able to recognise and think like an animal, think like a fish, that will make you better. I don’t think there’s many books on that, that teach you how to think like an animal or think like a fish. I notice that trappers are very good because they’re on the land so much. I’ve met some incredible fishermen who were trappers. It’s that communication between nature 38 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
and instinct versus studying a book. A lot of good fishermen today, young fishermen, tournament fishermen, have learned a lot from social media. They might not have the experience on the water but they have a gut instinct and an ability to learn from nature, and that’s so important. One of these days somebody will write a book on it. I haven’t seen one yet but I’d like to see a book on how the relationships between nature, weather, and everything else in the wild affects fish. There’s something to be said for following gut reactions versus regimented thinking. I won the Canadian Open in 1992 and again in 1993 when the tournament was held out of Kingston on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The first year I won it on all largemouth bass and the second year it was a mixed bag of smallmouth and largemouth. In ’92, on the first day of the three-day tournament, I was running out for smallmouth and the weather changed. About 45minutes into the run it was like someone hit me in the gut. The conditions weren’t setting up and I could feel it, but I didn’t know why. I immediately turned around and went for largemouth instead. As it turned out, the smallmouth fishing that day was terrible. In that case, the wind changed to the east during the early morning. It was calm when
I started out for Lake Ontario but the further I ran the choppier it got. I know on an east wind down there the water gets cold. You get the current going down the St. Lawrence and the wind pushing water against the current and the shallow smallmouth completely vacate their usual areas. So I made the decision to go flipping for largemouth. I know on an east wind they wouldn’t be active and moving around, and I knew they would be tight to cover. So, I went flipping and ended up with a great limit. That choice to go for largemouth was gut reaction combined with past experience in the area. When it comes to smallmouth on the Great Lakes, when it’s hot and sunny with a mild wind, many times those fish will move up very shallow. I don’t know if they’re feeding or just metabolizing the food they already caught. On the other hand, if it gets cloudy and windy, those fish will not be in the shallows. The problem is, when you know they’re not going to be shallow, where will they be? Mid-depth or deep? The distinction between mid-depth and deep out there takes a while to figure out. Another thing is that a certain population of smallmouth out there will move between deep and shallow water based on the conditions. There’s another group of
fish that rarely move shallow and stay deep all the time. So that’s another thing to consider - within a fish species there are different groups of fish that will do different things. If you read some of the scientific reports where they tag fish, you’ll see that. There are always “splinter groups” of fish doing different things than what the main population is doing. I remember on Lake Simcoe once, and I’ve seen it on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie as well, where smallmouth will come up on those sunny days and the fish will be black or very dark brown. They’re very, very spooky because they’re coming out of deep water. They may be coming from 20-feet or more into just several feet of water. I guess I’d be paranoid too, coming from a deep, dark, secure environment way down there
into a bright, shallow area. After being in the shallows for a few hours they tend to settle down but when they first come up they’re usually very difficult to catch. You can sometimes get a clue about a smallmouth’s mood by looking at their eyes. When they are bright red it’s usually a good sign. They’re either angry or very hungry (I think they’re angry) but when their eyes are that bright red colour they’re more likely to aggressively chase baits. PS - you need good glasses and eyes to see this while the fish are swimming around! Good sight fishermen can actually read the mood of fish by watching how they move in the water. My brother Bob is very good at that. He can tell how to approach a fish just by seeing the way it’s swimming. Good sight fishermen will chase down fish
– and they’re relentless. A lot of people sight fishing will scare the fish by sloppy trolling motor use. I know guys that will follow a fish until they catch it, but most people can’t do that. It’s not just chase-and-catch. You’ve got to be able to follow the fish without getting too close, not make too much noise, and use the type of bait that matches the mood of the fish. I like to think that instinct and gut reactions are the most important part of successful fishing, even with all the great tools we have available today - like high definition sonars, mapping technologies and so on. Having said that, those tools can definitely help make you more successful. They can certainly help you to find those high percentage areas quickly and efficiently. Today’s one-foot mapping capabilities really help you to see what’s on the bottom. In the old days your paper charts would show drops and humps and other things, but the contour lines were often spaced in 6-foot increments. While you could certainly see the depth changes from, say, six to 12-feet, you had no idea of what the structure was doing in that 6-foot range between the lines. Today’s high definition charts show you exactly how the bottom is structured. I love the new technology and how it uncovers the lake bottom in such an exacting way, but one thing it can’t do yet is differentiate between species. Is that a smallmouth down there in 20-feet of water, or is it a sheepshead? I think we’re just one step away from having a camera on every transducer and that will solve the last piece of the underwater puzzle. A lot of anglers are already using underwater cameras but it won’t be long before these are incorporated into sonar units. You’ll be able to scan 360° around the boat and see exactly what’s down there. If I could give one piece of advice to people it would be to relax, smell the roses and soak up the environment. By doing that you will become a better angler. I see too many people looking for the magic lure or the magic honey hole. I think if you take the time to read the environment and learn how the weather, water temperatures, seasons and so on affect fish, slowly but surely you’ll start to learn little tiny nuances that will make you a better fisherman and allow you to have more fun out on the water. ?
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 39
40 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
By Michèle Mercier, Director of Prevention and Safety, The Canadian Red Cross
EXCUSES THAT LEAD TO
BOATING FATALITIES Now that the warmer weather is upon us boating season is in full swing and, as anglers, you may be eager to get out on the water. Before you do, the Canadian Red Cross is asking that you take some simple precautions to stay safe. Every year more than 500 Canadians die in drowning-related incidents, and over 90% of these people are men. Most of these fatalities are preventable.
There are a lot of excuses people use to not wear lifejackets. Some common ones are, “I’m a confident swimmer”, or, “The water is calm and I’m not going very far out”, or, “I have a lifejacket in the boat, so I don’t need to wear one”. The thing is, all these reasons only make sense in a world where nothing goes wrong. It’s often difficult to foresee the risks in a casual boating trip, especially for those who have boating experience. The fact of the matter is though, nobody plans to fall overboard. “I’m a confident swimmer” - While this may be true, you can’t factor in what can go wrong. The water could be very cold; you might be injured when you fall in; you may not be conscious when you fall in the water; your clothes might impede your ability to stay afloat; you may have to assist a friend who fell in the water. It is very important to have a good knowledge of swimming to stay safe in, on, and around water, but that alone isn’t enough.
“The water is calm” - This can quickly turn into a case of ‘the water was calm’. Conditions on the water change just like the weather. Just because the water and weather appear calm when you set out does not mean they will stay that way. “I’m not going that far out” - Open water can be deceiving. There is a lot to consider like currents, temperature, waves, drop-offs, limited visibility and more – even when you don’t feel you’re particularly far away from land. “I have a lifejacket in the boat” While we all would love to be perfectly calm and collected in any emergency, it's unrealistic to assume that we could get to our lifejackets in time, or even have them in arm's reach during an emergency. The reality is that incidents and emergencies can happen to anyone, and they happen quickly. Wearing a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD) is one simple way to reduce your risk significantly.
Alcohol is another contributing factor in many boating fatalities. Many people, who would never drive their car after drinking alcohol, don't think twice about combining boating and alcohol. • 37% of boaters in Canada admit to consuming alcohol every time they boat. • 66% report they drink alcohol sometimes when boating. • Alcohol is a factor in over 40% of recreational boating fatalities. Be responsible and wait until you are off the water before consuming alcohol. Remember, if you drink after a day of boating, be sure you have a designated driver for your vehicle. We’re all excited about being around the water this summer. By taking a few simple precautions – wearing a lifejacket or PFD, not drinking alcohol and not using drugs on the water – you can help to keep yourself and your party safe, and hopefully enjoy many more happy summers on the water.
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 41
PANAMA’S 42 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
Having had my kayak launched from the mother boat I began to pedal it toward one of the many rock outcroppings that lined the shore. Almost within casting range I stop pedaling and let the kayak slowly glide forward. Stealth is everything; experience has taught me well. Loading my rod tip, I begin to assault the rocky outcropping with the longest casts that I can muster. My six-inch popper lands on the ocean surface with a loud splash. Immediately I begin popping the bait as hard as I can. It is crucial that a popper creates as much splash and sound as possible to draw up the monsters from below.
WILD COAST By Rob Dankowsky
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 43
After my third consecutive pop something big boils up under the popper and the lure vanishes into a large mouth adorned with giant teeth. Down towards the reef the fish dives, and the fight is on! Big cubera snappers are the brawlers of this salt water world. There is nothing graceful about them whatsoever. They are on a mission to drag you down to their rocky lair, to sever your line and pull your hooks straight. Your job as an angler is to apply unrelenting pressure on them, and to hope that the trebles hold. After 10-minutes of battle, which can only be described as an all-out tug of war, I slide my hand under the gill plate of the largest snapper that I have ever landed. It felt as though I was in a wrestling match with a small dinosaur! After snapping some quick photos I can’t help but marvel at the carnage lying between its large, canine teeth. Some of the tines on the treble hooks are almost completely straight and the heavy plastic popper is completely punctured. The bait is now completely waterlogged and useless. Watching the big brute swim downwards, back into its rocky fortress, I can’t help but feel that I have wrestled a giant and won! For me there is nothing better than kayak fishing, and there is no better place to do it than through Panama Kayak Adventures. Situated on Panama’s wild Pacific coast,
angler parties of four to six-anglers per week get to experience the fishing trip of a lifetime.
to the test. It is important to note that both of these dynamic predators always make their presence known when it comes to the official listings of saltwater’s strongest fighters. As for other fish, the possibilities are magnificent. Yellowfin tuna, various grouper species, jack crevalle, bluefin trevally, a number of snapper species and mahi mahi all make regular appearances. Each of these also make excellent table fare. It is even possible to encounter various billfish species along this coast at certain points of the season.
TECHNIQUES
THE FISHING
Popping
The fishing along Panama’s Pacific wild coast is outstanding and much of it can be done at water level via pedal-driven kayaks. Early in the morning the kayaks and anglers are loaded onto the custom built, motorized, super-panga mother boats. Once the guides have transported you to the fishing grounds the kayaks, with their accompanying anglers, are launched into the open ocean. Each angler has both a jigging rod and a casting rod. Heavy duty live bait rods are given when live bait is secured by the guides throughout the day. There is a fishing period in the morning and then again in the afternoon. The two fishing periods are broken up only by a scrumptious lunch back at the lodge or along the shore. On this type of trip it is also possible to be dropped off along the shoreline to do some casting along the coast. The shoreline is riddled with small freshwater streams that attract a plethora of saltwater species, including world record sized Pacific snook! In addition to this shoreline fishing opportunity, rods are often brought to the surf in the evening, right in front of the lodge. Here it is possible to catch a range of species, including sharks.
This is my personal favorite. I love watching a fish crush a surface popper and almost all the fish species in Panama will annihilate one of these types of baits including the biggest and nastiest roosterfish and cubera snapper. Simply cast the popper out as far as possible and start popping - the harder the better. Fish will often come up from significant depths to crush a popper that is creating an impressive disturbance at the surface. Gliding the kayak stealthily towards structure or surface disturbances also appeared to be crucial. When getting close to my target I would stop peddling and let the momentum glide me in further. Stealth in saltwater seemed to be just as important as stealth in fresh water. Big fish don’t get big by being reckless.
THE QUARRY There are a tremendous number of fish species along this coast. Trophy-sized roosterfish and cubera snapper call these waters home. The large size and numbers of these fantastic brawlers are kept at a premium through strict policies of catch and release. Cubera snapper well over 50-pounds, and roosterfish over 60, are readily available. Hooking either of these saltwater gladiators will put the angler, and their respective gear, 44 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
As far as poppers go, it’s a good idea for the angler to pack along several as a big cubera can literally puncture right through the hard-plastic walls of these baits. Big cuberas have large canines and freakishly strong jaw muscles. Once a popper has become punctured it becomes waterlogged and useless. Replacing the factory trebles with stronger ones is also crucial. The last
thing that you want to have happen is to have a weak hook straighten out on a 100pound roosterfish at boat-side. The insane pulling power of a big cubera or roosterfish has to be experienced order to be believed.
Jigging Vertical jigging from a kayak is also a highly effective technique in Panamanian waters. Oddly enough, it is very similar to jigging for big lake trout in the far north. The key is to keep the jig moving up through the water column. Much like the lake trout, the saltwater fish of Panama like to chase. Firstly, let the jig drop down to the bottom, or to the depth where the last fish was intercepted. From there, violently rip the jig a few times, letting it fall between each rip, and then reel it upwards. Fish will often hit the jig on the drop so it is important for the angler to be aware of action changes to the jig and line. It can be a little hard to master this technique but the guides are more than willing to demonstrate and your learning curve will be steep, in a positive way.
Casting This technique involves throwing various minnow baits, glide baits or poppers from either a kayak or from shore. Once again, stealth is key and long casts from a gliding kayak or from the surf’s edge are crucial. Often times the fish will make their presence known while feeding on the surface and the last thing an angler wants to do is rush up on them creating a lot of commotion. Spooking a potential world record is never a good thing. Hands-down the most effective bait to use in this technique was a lipless minnow bait. The tight shimmy of these baits are irresistible to the Panamanian finned snipers. And, once again, it is wise to have a few versions with upgraded hooks. A big jack crevalle from the kayak or a record sized snook from shore will exploit every weakness in your gear and tackle.
Trolling Whether using a live Bonito, or a deep diving plug, trolling can be a game changer along the coastal waters of Panama. Once
the guides have caught some live bait they will give the anglers the option of trolling some live bait fastened with a bridle and a large 7/0 to 12/0 circle hook. This technique can be absolute dynamite for super-sized roosters and cuberas. When fishing live bait it is absolutely necessary to keep the kayak moving forward. These big predators love to chase - and some of the live baits will actually die if they are not moving forward. Equally important is letting the fish take the bait on free spool for a few seconds before engaging the reel’s handle. Remember that you are using a circle hook. The bait must be allowed to be entirely
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Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 45
sucked into the fish’s mouth in order for the hook to catch in the corner of it. These are big live baits and setting a circle hook will result in a lost fish. Patience is key and the guides will actually tell you how long to free spool the reel before engaging it. The “wait” will depend on the bait size and conditions, as will the length of line that the guides tell you to troll with. As for trolling with artificial bait, the approach is simple: cast behind the kayak as you are peddling forward and let out some additional line before engaging the reel. Deep diving minnowbaits are the most effective lures for this technique.
Surf Fishing – Evening Style If by chance you have not had enough fishing during the daytime, fishing the surf in the evening is always an option. This technique involves heavy casting gear, cut bait and usually results on hookups with sharks. One of the lodges’ guides will take you out to the surf after supper and get you set up. Usually the bait of choice is a cut piece of pungent bonita. Either you or your guide for the evening will cast the bait and anchoring lead out into the surf to begin the adventure. Line will scream off the reel when a potentially large fish bites and the rest will be up to you. While I was there, a significantly large sized nurse shark was caught only meters away from the lodge. It was caught on one of the only nights that this technique was employed by a visiting angler.
THE LODGE Each of the cabins on the premises of Panama Kayak Adventure affords a cool breeze from the ocean that they face, and 46 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
sleeps two guests. The main lodge and dining room is literally carved out of the surrounding jungle. Contained within the lodge premises, chickens roam freely, as do cattle on the slopes. Fruit trees of every kind can also be found. Needless to say, as good as the fishing is, so too is the food. Everything eaten is at its utmost freshness. I can honestly say that I had two of the best fish dinners there that I have ever experienced. The fresh caught yellowfin sushi, and the clay oven baked mullet snapper were both magnificent and both fish were caught only hours before being served. Being that there are usually only four to six anglers at the lodge per week, the service is excellent and friendships are often formed for life. Imagine fisherman from all over the world sitting at one table; friendships are formed and further fishing adventures are planned.
The guides bring a giant-sized jug onto the pangas, and I would advise all anglers to routinely fill up their own personal water bottles from this larger source. Fighting powerful fish and pedaling kayaks, requires continuous hydration.
THE PANAMA KAYAK FISHING EXPERIENCE If you like catching monster fish out of a kayak, enjoying amazing cuisine and building relationships that can last a lifetime, this is the trip for you. Panama is a safe place and its people are incredibly friendly and helpful. Best of all, the lodge owners and managers are also the guides! This means that they are highly invested in your angling success and they will do their absolute best to give you an exceptional experience in every way. In addition to this, Pascal and Sam are both passionate anglers themselves, having literally fished around the world. Their combined knowledge is second to none. Being a resort that only accepts a handful of guests each week offers visiting anglers tremendous advantages. The on-the-water guidance is meticulous, as is the service and the camaraderie that you will experience. Panama Kayak Adventure is truly a oncein-a-lifetime fishing experience! ?
THE EQUATORIAL SUN
CONTACT INFORMATION
Panama is close to the equator and the sun can be intense at times, especially on the water. Covering up from head to toe is a very good idea. Wearing a quality hat, polarized glasses and a sun buff to cover the face and neck is imperative. Wearing light, quick drying long-sleeved shirts and pants is also crucial. Sun screen with an SPF of at least 60 is highly recommended.
For a taste of the incredible fishing, the resort and the breathtaking scenery what awaits you at Panama Kayak Adventure, visit their website at www.panamakayakadventure.com.
ST. LAWRENCE Written and Illustrated by Charles Weiss
RIVER MUSKIES Tips and tactics from muskie guide Dave Curtis
48 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
Dave Curtis, of Fishing Fanatic Guide Service (www.fishingfanaticguideservice.com), started in 2010 and since the beginning he has had many successful days catching and releasing large muskies for guests and for himself. Dave recently took the time to share a few stories and some of his tips on how he approaches fishing for trophy muskies on the St. Lawrence River. On September 1st, 2017, Dave was fishing with Matt Reid when he caught and released a muskellunge that was 56-inches in length, topping his previous personal best by two-inches. They were trolling over a large weed flat at about four-miles-per-hour with a large, black-perch coloured minnowbait running about 13 to 15-feet down when the muskie bit the lure. “The fight was incredible” Dave recalls. “After the huge strike and a small run, it then took a long run, and we turned the boat toward the fish to close the gap. I could not move this fish, and knew it was a giant. Matt’s reaction was, ‘Oh my God’ and a few other unprintable comments. My first thought was that it was 50-pounds. As soon as Matt netted the fish the hooks popped out. The muskie was released after a couple of photographs.” Dave Curtis has fished the St. Lawrence River for over 30-years and has a long list of muskie hotspots. Gradually he works out to the deeper water as the fishing season progresses. Over 35-years ago he was trolling a swim whizz crankbait when he caught his first muskie and he decided that was the best way to catch them. “You can’t cast large, 12-inch lures all day long,” Dave said. “Two lines out trolling is more efficient to cover water and, besides that, the biggest fish are caught trolling”. Understanding that trolling effectively controls lure depth and speed are important in his fishing method.
Trolling Tactics “Using a sonar to see the presence of baitfish near structure is a good place to start,” said Dave. He looks for a spot with a good amount of bait schooled up together in a ball on the sonar screen. If there is no bait schooling, keep moving until you see bait fish. A typical spot will be 20-feet in depth with a complex series of underwater humps and deep water close by. Sometimes cormorants will reveal a lot by feeding on the surface in one spot, which could indicate a school of baitfish that will also attract a big fish.
“Generally speaking, I don’t drive around the bait fish, I drive through them” Dave continued. “The downside is, these spots see more pressure so sometimes you also fish secondary spots close to these shoals. Sometime the road less travelled will produce your best fish.” “Change your lure speed before you change lures, added Dave. “Lure speed is perhaps the most important detail. Generally, the hotter the weather the faster you go, with a maximum speed of fivemiles per hour. Troll slower in colder months, down to about two and a halfmiles per hour in December. Keep your bait looking alive and shaking. Watch the lure at the side of the boat and find an active wiggle speed. Don’t waste time trolling too
slowly. Bait makers and manufacturers will tell you what speeds and depths work best. I learned much of this from fishing with expert troller and Muskie Ace, Roy Brunner, who learned his methods years ago on Lake St. Clair.” Try trolling with large lures, of 10-inches in length or more, at a variety of different depths behind planer boards. Set the lines about 20-feet behind the boards when using shallow running baits and at about 60-feet for deep diving lures. Planer boards can help to keep the lures a controlled distance from the boat. Keep trolling through the upper 30-feet of water looking for schooling fish. Actively feeding muskies will be in around 25-feet deep on the St. Lawrence. Dave doesn’t waste time running baits deeper than 30-feet. To run multiple trolling rods (two per a person) Dave uses a rod holder set up that allows rods to be set in a variety of angles. This system really helps when running a stern corner rod pointed down in the water, confidently keeping the rod firmly placed when a large fish bites.
Sonar Advantage Breaks in the bottom contours to deeper depths are a good place to start fishing, but it isn’t always the most obvious spots that are the best. “Breaks in contour are important,” says Dave, “and secondary breaks are a good place to start.” Dave’s sonar screen features temperature, hydrographic maps of islands and shorelines, depth contours and a line showing the trolling path of the boat. The time saving advantage of this mapping device allows a continuous orientation to the underwater structures and their edges. It also allows for trolling passes right over the deep water Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 49
spots where diving lures are pulled through and around schools of prey fish - and hopefully near muskies that live there. When fall arrives and both muskies and baitfish begin dropping into deeper water, try adjusting the sonar screen image to highlight the dropoffs, tips of points and irregularities in the mid-depths where shallow water drops into deeper areas.
clouds and a little bit of wind. Generally, when it is flat and calm you should go deeper when trolling. “A south-west wind is best,” he said. “Or, better yet, look for a sunny day with calm water and suspended bait fish. Short lines are golden when suspended bait fish are around,” said Dave.
Lure Choices Weather The ideal weather Dave looks for are a few days of stable weather with some
A range of lures that run from shallow to deep and imitate prey fish such as shad, emerald shiners, perch, bullheads, redhorse
suckers, alewives and ciscoes are the crankbait designs Dave uses. He prefers to use baits that dive 10-feet or deeper. In the early part of the season he starts with shorter length lures and works towards very large baits by the late season. Patterns that are natural looking, like yellow perch with contrasting black markings, are good choices. Dave added, “As for colour patterns, perch and more perch on the St. Lawrence. Bass and gold hues also work. That said, colour is the last consideration after speed, location, depth, and lure action.”
Record Muskie While fishing in 2016 with friend Mike Stolte, a record size muskie was caught and released in Dave’s boat. They were fishing large crankbaits over 60-feet of water, the conditions were flat calm and sunny, and nothing was showing in the shallow water. However, a large flock of cormorants were feeding on the surface over deep water.
“After a few trolling passes with schooling bait showing on the sonar screen we hooked into a large fish and the fight was on! The trolling rod was bent right over from the heavy, vicious strike! A great fight it was, and Mike played the fish right into the big net,” recalled Dave. “The fish was quickly measured at 55-inches on an official International Game Fish Association 50 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
stringent IGFA requirements. The live release record category is a good way to promote muskie fishing!”
Fish Handling
(IGFA) measurement board, photographed and released back into the river. It was entered as an IGFA All Tackle Length World Record Muskie and was recently accepted! The previous record length muskie had stood for three years. It might not have been the longest ever caught, but it was the longest which met the accurate and
Late summer can have very warm surface temperatures and Dave cautioned, “If you really care about the large muskies, unhook them in the net in the water and only take, at the very most, a couple of photos out of the water holding it.” Don’t stress the fish is his message. One time Dave took the extra step of actually getting into the water at boat-side to successfully revive a large, tired muskie. A muskie swimming away is a healthy muskie! Dave expects the record to be broken next season, hopefully on his Fishing Fanatic Guide Service boat, and with good reason. A few days after Mike caught his trophy another huge muskie was hooked while trolling over 85-feet of water – coincidently, with a cormorant flock feeding on the surface. Unfortunately the fish thrashed on the surface and slipped off the hook. Dave says
he will definitely look for similar situations in the coming season to hopefully capitalize on another gigantic deep water muskie. ?
WHEN NET N S CAN’T
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Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 51
52 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
5 SIMPLE RULES FOR SUMMER CRAPPIES By Geoff Coleman
It is hard to say anything negative about the black crappie. Here’s a fish that has a good attitude about hitting live or artificial baits; that presents a bit of a challenge to land thanks to a papery mouth; that schools strongly so good numbers can be taken; that provides a lot of meat for its length and that rivals or beats yellow perch, walleye and anything else you care to suggest as the best-tasting freshwater fish. Probably the only thing any of us will complain about is that they become elusive after the spring spawn.
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 53
Most years, by the second week of May in southern Ontario, crappie will herd into the warmest water in the lake, waiting for perfect spawning conditions. This prespawn period can be a notoriously fickle bite. Many times you will happen upon immense schools of indifferent fish in a creek arm or a sheltered, shallow bay waiting for the green light to start spawning. The next day they have disappeared, maybe drifting out to the main lake again, or hiding in weeds.
The strangest behaviour is when you find them evenly spaced horizontally across a canal, just below the surface, all pointing the same direction as if they are an army awaiting inspection. Crappie like this are nearly uncatchable since any bait sends the eagle and osprey-wary fish scattering even before it hits the surface. Luckily, during and after the spawn - initiated when the water temperature reaches about 15°C - things improve considerably. Now, male black crappie occupy river backwaters or littoral lake areas to build their nests, typically on or near vegetation beds on a mud, gravel, or sand bottom. The eggs hatch in two to three-days and, like the smallmouth bass, the nest is guarded by the male until all the fry leave the site. Also, like the smallmouth, they become ridiculously easy to catch as the males aggressively run off any fish, bug or crustacean they think might be a threat to the eggs or hatchlings. This is the time when most people catch their crappies. 54 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
We fish them in sheltered, south facing bays and creek channels, near emergent vegetation like bulrushes and pencil reeds, and avoiding sites with a lot of submergent aquatic vegetation if possible. Experts say stemmed vegetation gives predators fewer hiding places than submergent weeds, making it easier for males to defend the nests. But, once the fry are on their own, the adults will migrate out of the bays in search of their main food source. Forage fish account for 88% of the total food consumed by volume for crappie over 20-cm in length. As they leave these confined areas so do most anglers, turning their attention to the now-open walleye fishery. Crappie are often forgotten until hard water, or the following spring. And that is kind of a shame. Crappie remain willing biters all year, and they set up in a predictable summer pattern that holds until water temperatures drop. And, many of the baits and gear you used in the spring can be repurposed at this time of year. To guarantee summer success, rule number one is to fish a lake with a healthy crappie population. It is easy to think a lake is filled to the gills when half the lake’s population is crammed into a couple of back bays each spring. However, spread those same fish out over the entire lake and it may not be the fish factory you thought it was. In broad strokes, if the lake supports a winter fishery, you can safely assume it will hold up in the summer. Black crappie also do well in quiet, sluggish rivers with a high percentage of backwaters and cut-off areas.
In terms of lakes, they prefer them small to medium-sized so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that rule two of the most resilient summer pattern dictates that you find shallow water in a small to medium sized lake or lazy river. In fact, forget any water over 15feet deep. The same experts mentioned above tell us that the majority of crappies live in 15-feet of water or less until water temperatures fall below 10°C and they start to search out their winter holes. Fisheries biologists also point out that “paper mouths” generally do not flourish in the main basins of their waterbodies, but introduce them to a eutrophic or mesotrophic lake, with abundant shallow areas and bays, and it is on. So, rule three of the pattern is to confine your efforts to bays - the bigger and more isolated from the main lake, the better.
The most productive summer crappie lake I have fished is about 650 ha in size and 40 ha of that is in one long, narrow bay that never gets deeper than 18-feet. The majority of it is closer to six-feet deep on average, with wide expanses so shallow it is barely navigable, even with the outboard trimmed right up. Importantly, it is sheltered from the prevailing winds and, because of the extensive shallows, it is not a destination for boaters or PWCs. Best of all though, a dense, stainless steel prop-choking weedbed extends 200-metres from shore and carpets the width of the bay. This speaks to rule four: vegetation must be present. A thick conglomeration of different species of weed is best and, if it gives way to open water in a ragged edge of points, you are close to the mother lode. Rule five is the bottom line. Big crappie eat meat, but they learned to eat insects and worms getting big, so you want your weedbed to terminate in a soft mud bottom. This is home to countless species that crappie prey on, and gives them a host of options if the baitfish are off.
ROD OPTIONS Ultra-light action spinning rods up to six-feet long make a good all-around choice. A fast tip helps fire a light bait into the wind with reasonable authority. For casting light baits, and for using floats, I also like using a longer rod - up to 9 ½-feet with a fairly fast action. You can keep line up off the water more easily, pick up slack line quickly, and set the hook on a long, stealthy cast with ease.
So, that takes care of the “where” checklist. When you find a spot that ticks all five of the boxes, you stand a good chance of connecting with fish - if you know how to tempt them. You can get these lightweight scrappers deep in the cabbage-patch as well as on the edge. If the sun is high, you are best off to forge right into the submerged forest. Borrow a page from largemouth bass
anglers and fish the subtle openings in the weed mat. The first time I saw guys fishing bass this way I thought they had motor trouble. A sleek bass boat was lodged in the midst of a giant Kawartha lake weedbed with the outboard trimmed up, the occupants pushing the boat along with a pole. They would stop, drop, and reel a jig and pig into a gap - which might only be two-feet across - and caught nice largemouth bass with alarming frequency. The gap meant there was something different on the bottom: a gravelly area, a big rock, or timber that interrupted the mud bottom and kept weeds from gaining any purchase. They leveraged the one-ounce or more weight of the bait to not only catch fish, but to power through any unexpected branches of neighbouring weeds intruding into the opening. However, that won’t work exactly the same for us since we need much smaller and lighter lures for crappies. Instead, we still use papermouth-sized baits, but we add a heavy sinker in a drop shot configuration. I
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Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 55
don’t know if a ½-ounce sinker can still be called “shot”, but the principle is the same. The sinker is at the end of the line, resting on bottom, while above it a hook tethers a live or artificial bait a set distance from bottom. Some excellent hooks exist to make it easier than ever to keep the bait horizontal. The sinker does the work of getting to bottom, allowing the hook to suspend in the strike zone. A long rod (9 to 11-feet) works nicely with this presentation since it lets you keep the boat that much further from the pocket. If that sounds somewhat like a cane pole, it is. A steelhead float rod on the lighter and shorter side of the spectrum is very useful. It should be noted that, given the way their eyes are positioned, crappie are inclined to attack from below. So don’t be shy about keeping a long lead between hook and sinker - enough to hang the bait halfway to the surface is not out of the question. Alternatively, you could use a sinker that slides freely on the mainline north of a swivel and leader. For quick and easy adjustments to the length of the leader, add a bobber stop to the mainline between weight and swivel. When you drop the rig into the opening and reel up slack, line is retrieved through the sinker until the bobber stop hits it, determining how high up your bait will rise. The finesse part of this rig comes when a fish bites. On an open bail, they can swim off without feeling the weight, giving you time to set the hook. 56 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
The other way to get fish in the weeds is to use a float and jighead tipped with a minnow or suitable artificial substitute. You can use a fixed float since your rod will likely be longer than the water is deep but, if you are going to buy only one float, find a slender, pencil design. They pull under at the slightest tug and offer very little resistance going through the water when a slab
swims off with it. If necessary, add a few split shot up the line from the jig so even the lightest bite will still submerge the float. As mentioned, crappie feed from below, so a rising float will also signal a take. Compared to teardrop-shaped float bodies, the long, slim profile of a pencil float pops up and lays down on its side much more easily, giving a clearer indication that the bite is on. If prospecting the pads is not your cup of tea, you can wait until what is usually thought of as prime walleye time and get in on the evening bite. Crappie either move to the edges of a weedline as the sun sets or, if they live on the edge all day, slide out to open water as it gets dark. The fishing gets real then, rivalling the best spring days for flurries of activity. The same float you used in the afternoon can be deployed but, since we are invariably dealing with deeper water, usually around 12-15 feet at the weed wall, it makes more sense to switch to a slip float. Slip floats slide freely on the mainline between two stoppers. Out of the water, it rests on the lower stop, which is usually a swivel 18 to 24-inches from the jig. This can be cast easily without standing on a ladder like a fixed float would require.
Floats are deadly, but they are also dead slow. You spend a fair chunk of your time waiting. If you have an attention problem like me, there are cures. Any bait you hang under a float can also be casted and retrieved with success. It will not stay in the most productive water as long as something dangling under a float does, so baits for casting should cause reaction strikes. Spinners, mini crankbaits, banana baits and small safety pin spinnerbaits all fit the bill. Think lures that cause a lot of sight or sound commotion coming through the water, but can still be inhaled. When the cast hits the water, the float rests at the surface while the jighead pulls line through it until the upper stop hits the top of the float and suspends the bait. The upper stop can be a tiny commercially made rubber nub, or a piece of heavy braided line or elastic band tied around the line. The nubs work best, but you have to put them on before anything else. If you find the stopper gets lodged in the float stem, put a small plastic bead between them. In fact, just do it as standard operating procedure. With the float rigged up, make a cast that lands just inside the weeds, pull the float back toward you, and release line so the
bait free falls next to the weed wall. Fish will regularly hit your offering as it drops and your float won’t register that, so it doesn’t hurt to do a test cast away from fish and count how long it takes until the float is righted. Then, if the float is not at attention after the appropriate count, you know you are either hung up on a weed or have gotten bit. The charm of the slip float lies in the precise control over the depth at which you fish, so take advantage. If you are fishing with another person, set your lures to work different depths and keep changing them until the fish reveal what they want.
CRAPPIE BAITS Go-to crappie baits include artificials that imitate minnows, nymphs or leeches along with tubes and otherwise nondescript underwater creatures that just look fishy. Don’t overlook spinners, small spinnerbaits, wobbling plugs, and tiny crankbaits. White is a standard colour, as is chartreuse/black. The best colour combination, in my experience, might be a bit of a sleeper - purple and white.
Toss them tight and parallel to the weed edge early in the evening, and perpendicular to it later. Land them a few feet up into the weed tops and pull them free, then let them free-fall on a slack line, watching the line for inconsistencies in the drop rate or direction that signals a bite. Crappie are famously willing night biters but the truth is, on most evenings, you will easily furnish the fish fry during the twilight hours when you have found the spot. The fishing is predictable and stable, breaking up only when intense weather changes occur. Or you tire of catching fish. And that’s nothing to complain about either! ?
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 57
Tales from the Road BROUGHT TO YOU BY
By Bob Izumi
A lot of you folks reading this probably won’t believe it but since the last issue I’ve actually worked harder than I ever have in my 39-years of fishing for a living. I have been completely immersed in a number of business and work-related projects and I haven’t travelled nearly as much this year than I have in the last 39-years. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just that I am addicted to travelling. I’m addicted to fishing different types of fish and different waters, and for some reason I like being on the road. In my busiest year ever I was on the road for 320-days, and for three-decades I averaged 275 to 300-days on the road. In recent years I’ve cut it back to 250 or 260-days. I like hotels, I like moving, I like driving. For many years I averaged 100,000 km of driving per year, and that’s not including flying. This past winter I didn’t drive a lot and I miss it - I can’t wait to put the rubber to the pavement. Actually, in the last few weeks I’ve been getting out a bit more so I’m starting to get my fix.
In our last column I talked about getting ready to head up to Lake Simcoe. I was invited by the Berkley and Abu Garcia folks to join them, and a group from Canadian Tire, on Lake Simcoe for some mid-winter ice fishing for perch. There were about 45 people on this outing, including Al Gallagher and his crew from Eastern Outdoors and Team Camp Chef who came out to do the cooking for us. The fishing wasn’t exceptional but we managed to catch a few perch. Although we hit a bit of 58 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
a lull in the fishing, the camaraderie, the fun and the eating were all very good! Al and his crew from Camp Chef put together some wonderful food. We had homemade cinnamon buns, perch, sausages, burgers – we had a pretty good feed while we were out there. Many of the gang from Canadian Tire had never ice fished before so it was quite an experience for them. We had our SnoBear out there and we gave some of the crew rides in it. My friend John Whyte, who lives on Lake Simcoe, came out to help and he let some of the people ride his snowmobile. Some of these folks had never been on a snowmobile in their life and John taught them how to drive it and then let them take it for a little toot out there on the ice. Overall it was a pretty cool experience for all of us who attended. I’m not sure how many of you reading this like going to the dentist, but I find it kind of soothing. To me it’s relaxing, sitting in the chair as they’re working away in my mouth. It’s a little bit invasive but there are times when I’m sitting there with my jaw spread open that I almost feel like taking a nap. I think I’ve got the best dentist in the world. I really like Dr. Loukas Papas, he’s such a nice guy and a great dentist.
After the ice fishing trip I had an appointment to get a cleaning and a checkup from him. For about a year now there’s been a weird feeling on the root of a tooth that I had a root canal done on years ago and Dr. Papas said it’s time we got it checked out. It looked like there was a little bit of disturbance there but he couldn’t pick it up with his X-ray equipment, so he sent me to a clinic that did more of a CAT scan type of inspection. So I got that done and then went to see a specialist. To make a long story short, I’ll be heading back to his office this fall for an implant. He decided the best thing to do would be to pull that tooth – luckily it’s one of the ones on the back bottom so it’s not anything that you can see. While I was there I asked one of the women who works in the office if they could put me out for that. She asked, “Are you sure”? I said, “I think so, I mean, it’s got to hurt”. She said, “Yes, but you won’t be able to eat for eight-hours beforehand”. When I heard that I said, “Okay, I’m out, forget that”! Later on I asked her, “Don’t most people get put out for that”? She said, “No, not really, hardly anybody”. When I got home I told my wife and she laughed. I’m not going to tell you what she probably was thinking, but she laughed when I asked if I should be put out to get the tooth taken out.
So I went back to the dentist and they froze the tooth. I could feel Dr. Papas wiggling away with the pliers and the next thing you know it was out. I thought, “Wow, that wasn’t bad at all”. Like I said, I love my dentist, he’s good. He chose cow marrow to put in there as a base for the implant. I guess there’s a choice of human, cow or pig bone marrow. The idea is for this marrow to take so that when they do the implant later this fall it will have a good, solid foundation. After my dental appointments it was back out for a little bit of fun ice fishing on Lake Simcoe with the SnoBear, doing a little running and gunning catching some perch. Then I had some radio interviews to do and then it was off to the Toronto Sportsmen’s
Show to hang out at the Columbia Sportswear booth. Since they’ve moved the Sportsmen’s Show to the International Centre it seems like they’ve got the crowds back like they were in the ‘80s and ‘90s when the show was at the CNE grounds. It seemed like it was rockin’ and rollin’ with lots of people there. I met a lot of viewers of the TV show and had some great fun talking fishing with those folks. I met Travis Gerrits at the Spring Fishing and Boat Show in February and he and his dad came to say hi to me again at the Sportsmen’s Show. Travis is on the Canadian Olympic Freestyle Ski Team and he finished seventh at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He got a silver medal at the World Cup and he also got a silver medal in the World Championship. This guy is a freestyle skiing athlete who literally
flies through the air. After meeting him the first time I “Googled” some of his accomplishments and watched some of the video of what he does. All I can say is that it’s definitely not for a guy my age and in my shape! It’s pretty amazing to see these freestyle skiers and their athleticism and nofear approach to flying through the air down a ski slope. Anyways, Travis is also a fanatical fisherman. He lives about 10-minutes north of me and fishes all the time. He’s pretty much addicted to it. We’re going to get together and get out for a day of fishing sometime this year. You never know who you’re going to meet when you’re working in the public, as I do when I’m doing some of my appearances. It was interesting when I first met Travis. When he came up to me he was wearing a custom-made Columbia ski jacket. I was looking at it and said that it was a pretty interesting jacket. That’s when he introduced himself and I found out that he was a World Class skier. That was kind of cool. After the shows I had more dental checkups and then a lot of meetings. For the first time in my entire career I decided that this year I wouldn’t go crazy fishing all winter, which I normally do. Usually I’ll fish in Florida for a couple of weeks then come back up here and ice fish, do appearances at the fishing shows and then go back down to Florida, but this year I decided I wanted to get things in order. For those of you who know me from this magazine or the TV show or tournaments or whatever it might be in the fishing world, there’s another side of what I do that you don’t see and it’s definitely not as glamorous. Things like getting ready for shoots, planning shoots, getting boats ready for tournaments, taping and editing the TV show, meeting with sponsors, doing appearances, working on all our other media properties and attending to some other business interests that I have. I could probably make a full time job out of just one or two of the things I do, so last winter I decided it was time to get things in order. I haven’t really looked at what our company’s been doing in the last 30-plus years so it was time to dig through the books and see where we are. Then it was time to
organize even little things, like my clothes and fishing gear. I took out several truckloads of clothes and several truckloads of tackle. For those of you who are concerned about where it all went, I’ll just say that it all went to very good causes All of that only touches the tip of the iceberg. I could take the next four-years just getting organized. And I’m not joking about that. Between my office at home, my office in Burlington, the things in the basement at my house, the things in the garage, the things in my tackle room and the things here in the basement at the office, I could take years getting it all organized. The bottom line is, I just wanted to get a start on it and that’s what I did for most of last winter. It’s been an interesting exercise in finding out what a hoarder is! Along with trying to organize myself, I’m also involved in organizing something really cool. The folks from the USA asked me (when I was at the Pan-Am tournament at Lake Okeechobee a year and a half ago) if I would host the next Pan-Am bass tournament in Canada. That took up a lot of time last winter but I’m happy to announce that we just got the official word from the City of Cornwall, on the Lake St. Francis section St. Lawrence River, that we’re going to have the first ever Pan-Am tournament in Canada the week after Thanksgiving. There will be a maximum of eight teams per country in this tournament and we have interest from the First Nations, the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Canada at this time. We will have a qualifying tournament in August to see who’s going to be on Team Canada. I will be the Team Canada Captain this year and will be fishing it with my son Darren. We’re still working on all the details so watch my Twitter and Facebook pages for more information as it becomes available. What I can tell you is that the Pan-Am tournament is basically for pride and bragging rights and that the team will be staying in Cornwall, at the Ramada Inn, in October. It would be nice for Canada to win this event at home. I mean, the Americans now have won the World Championship in South Africa, they’ve won the World Championship in Mexico and they won the Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 59
Pan-American tournament on Lake Okeechobee in Florida in February of 2018. There will be some stiff competition this year as some of the “best of the best” will be fishing it. The idea of this tournament is to help make fishing a recognized sport around the world. There’s an organization in Italy working very hard to make fishing an Olympic sport in the future but in order to make it happen there are a number of things that they have to do. One of them is to hold some of these Pan-American tournaments and to make sure that fishing is a worldwide activity. If fishing is accepted into the Olympics there will be a number of different types of fishing in the category including ice fishing, kayak fishing, offshore
fishing, carp fishing, bass fishing, etcetera. I’m going to say that organizing this event, getting the support from the folks in Cornwall and the industry support from the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association, has been like putting on five major weddings at once. I’ve never really organized a wedding but I can only imagine how much work it is and I feel like it’s been like that for me. Still, I’m so happy that we’ve got it to the point that it is now and that the event is definitely a go-ahead. My friend, Adam Moryto, got second place at the Trinidad and Tobago offshore tournament and he qualified for the Offshore World Championship in Quepos, Costa Rica. Adam invited myself, a mutual friend Rob Lee, Logan Humphrey - who
was one of his first mates from a boat in the Barbados - and his girlfriend Caitlin Cohan to join his team. This tournament was essentially for marlin, sailfish and dorado with points being given for sailfish and marlin catches. It was a four-day tournament that was very well run; this was a first-class event. Rob and I were able to join the team for the first two of the four-days of fishing and day one started off very good in terms of bites. Unfortunately, we were 0 for 11 on the first 11 bites we had. The team finally got things rolling and we ended up landing five fish for 24 bites that day. After talking to a number of the other 45 teams in this event, we definitely would have been in the top-five if we had landed more of the billfish that we had take our baits. Our hooking percentage was definitely on the low side though and we were in the bottom third after day one with five fish on the board. I believe something like 17 fish landed was leading on day one. On day two I think we landed three fish, and then Rob and I had to head back to Toronto. The team ended up getting a couple of more fish over the next two days and ended up in 39th place overall. There’s no question that the amount of billfish caught and released in this tournament was exceptional. There were 636 billfish caught during the event including 1 black 60 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
marlin, 25 blue marlin, 2 striped marlin and 608 Pacific sailfish. It was definitely a fun event to fish and it certainly broke up a long winter of work. Right after I got back from Costa Rica at the first of May my buddy, Rick McCrory, came down for a visit. I hadn’t seen Rick since last fall so it was nice to have a visit with him. While he was here we had a nice wind forecast for Lake Erie we decided to head over to the New York side of Lake Erie with another fiend, Will Kooy, to go after some monster perch and it turned out to be exceptional. Derek Strub was out the day before and he told me about an area to hit, so we went there and caught a whack of jumbo perch. The biggest one weighed two-pounds even, and we got a lot of them in the one to oneand-a-half-pound range. We caught well over 100 of these jumbo perch in three to four-hours of fishing. We raced back home and I put the Cuda fillet knife to work cleaning a bunch of them so we could have a feed of fresh perch that night. It was a long but fun day and we definitely had a good perch fry! After our perch trip I had to get my Z522D Ranger ready for the Sturgeon Bay Open. I took it out of storage, got it prepped and loaded, then Derek Strub, myself and my son Darren hopped in the truck and made the 12-hour trip over to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. My son Darren fished with Darrin Bohonis who is a fishing tackle rep in Central Canada, based out of Winnipeg. I believe it was Derek and my 11th year fishing this tournament. It’s always a good time when we go down there for this event. During the week of practice we hit some very cold weather. The water temperature was anywhere from the low 40s to the low 50s Fahrenheit and the smallmouth fishing was challenging. It seemed to be very hit and miss during our pre-fish, but the walleye fishing was absolutely on fire. We caught probably 25 big walleyes during practice. At one point, on a patch of sand in about 12 or 14-feet of water, we saw a school of about 50 walleyes. We backed off a bit and Derek threw a cast out with a gold Johnson Thinfisher. Within seconds had a 10-pound walleye on. We ended up fishing for a couple of minutes and caught another
one about six-pounds before we left to go looking for bass. At the end of the day we decided to run back to that spot and in 15minutes we landed five more walleyes between six and 10-pounds. Throughout the four-days of pre-fishing we landed walleyes in anywhere from four to 37-feet of water without even targeting them – we were looking for smallmouth bass. As it turned out, we scrambled in the tournament. On day one, the first fish that I landed in the morning looked like a nice,
fat five-pounder. We didn’t weigh it, we just put it in the livewell and thought that it was a good start to the day. We plugged along and ended up catching about a dozen fish for the day. We weighed in with 24.01pounds for the first day. The funny thing is that Derek caught another big fish that day that looked like it might go just around five-pounds too. At the weigh-in I stayed with the boat while Derek took the bag of fish up to weigh. When I met him back at the boat ramp he Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 61
said, “You know those two fish that you thought were just around five-pounds? Well, the tournament director said I should weigh one of those for big fish. I asked some of the people in line what they thought and they said I should definitely weigh one. So I picked one for big fish and it weighed 6.59-pounds!” So the other big fish we had was a 6 ½pounder as well - or very close to it. Derek thinks he picked the wrong fish but, in hindsight, we had a pair of 6½-pound smallmouth in the boat and we didn’t even know it! We ended up with the fifth biggest fish on day one, the biggest bass of the day weighed in at 6.98-pounds. We were sitting in 20-some-odd place after day one. Day two was tougher fishing for us and we really scrambled. We were lucky to even get what we had, 20.84-pounds for day two. For most of the teams the fishing actually
62 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
got a little bit better and the weights were slightly up over day one. To give you an example, there were five fish over sevenpounds weighed in on day two. It just goes to prove that this is one of the most incredible smallmouth fisheries in the world. The Sturgeon Bay area of Lake Michigan really kicks out some monster fish. With the early bass season that they have in that part of Wisconsin, it’s such a neat place to get in some world class bass and walleye fishing in the middle of May. We ended up in 26th place overall out of 138 boats, but I really can’t complain about how it all turned out. After I got home and got some work done it was time to make a quick trip down to the St. Clair River, just outside of Wallaceburg, Ontario, to go get some walleyes with Bill Hamilton. Derek Strub and I left the house at around 12:30 - Strub likes to call me the crack of noon fisherman!
I’ve known Bill since the ‘80s. He used to fish the SWOBA bass tournaments back in the early years but I’ve never had a chance to spend any time with him. Bill was a duck hunting guide for one of the private clubs down on Mitchell Bay for 36-years and he’s also a tool and die maker. Our plan was to spend a few hours walleye fishing on the St. Clair River. The deal there was to use ¾-ounce jigs with a stinger hook and Berkley PowerBait four-inch minnows. The bite had been really good with guys limiting out in as quick as 20-minutes on the river. It’s been really exceptional for pound and three-quarters to 2¾-pound walleyes. It’s the same year class of fish they are experiencing in Lake Erie, the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair and those fish are all over the place. During our outing I got a good old fashioned piece of humble pie fishing with Bill. After a few minutes of me running the electric I said, “Bill, why don’t you run the electric – you do a lot of this fishing”. So he took over and pointed the boat into the current. Before going down there Bill had said that he wanted me to spool up a few rods with fluorescent line so we could see it and fluorocarbon leaders so I rigged up with Nanofil fluorescent line and 10pound test Trilene fluorocarbon leaders. Bill said that the idea was to see your line going straight down by the electric motor, so in this case there was an advantage in running the electric. When it was all said and done Bill had landed 11 fish and yours truly got the big fat goose egg. I did get something that was a bonus though – I did catch a sucker. As we were videotaping I told Bill that it takes a lot of skill to get a sucker to suck your jig in and actually hook it in the mouth, as I did. Bill is an excellent outdoorsman and obviously has a very good grasp on how to fish current and catch fish. It was funny because I’m a competitive person and, after we finished our shoot and drove home that night, I felt like a big smallmouth bass trying to hide under a boulder. It was a very humbling day for me and it’s going to make a great segment for the TV show. To make things even worse on my ego, another local angler, who has a tackle shop in Wallaceburg, was out with his son who’s in grade three and the kid got his limit while they were doing the
drift beside us. If Bill would have zeroed that day, like I did on the walleyes, it would have been one of those shows you don’t ever see but because he caught fish we did get some good video shot. What can I say, things like this do happen. It’s happened before and it will happen again. Now that we’re heading into summer it’s getting to be that busy time where I’m going to be travelling and on the water a lot so for the last three days I’ve spent 12-hours a day outside working on boats. In fact I didn’t put sunscreen on my head on one of those sunny days and my “solar panel” took a lit-
tle too much heat. I have to admit, it’s a little tender right now. You’d think after all these years I’d be a little more conscious about that but I just thought I would be in and out of the garage so much it wouldn’t matter. I guess if you’re out for an hour in the sun and five-minutes in the garage then an hour in the sun and back in the garage all day, light to dark, you’re going to get burnt. A lot of you might wonder why I rig the boats myself. Well, I rig my electric motors and electronics for a couple of reasons. First off, because I fish tournaments and I’m out in the elements a lot, if anything goes wrong with them I want to know how they’re rigged and how I can fix them. I also carry spares with me on shoots or at tournaments so if anything happens I can replace components, parts or the whole unit if I have to. So I rig my own. With electric motors I use six stainless steel ¼-inch bolts with big stainless fender washers underneath so they will never come off. Even if I torpedo the boat they’re not coming off. I use Loctite on
all my fasteners and I put things on with heavy duty nuts and bolts because of some of the big water tournaments that I fish. So as I wrap this up I’m going back to put my mechanic’s face on, cover my dome with a hat and get back to rigging. And when I’m finished with that, I’m going fishing! ?
Summer 2019 – Real Fishing 63
What’s COOKING
Jerk Walleye Two Ways With Chorizo Sausage & Beans And Brown Butter Sauce Special thanks to Ryan Lamothe, Chef at Wild2Table Catering, for providing this recipe.
TEMPURA WALLEYE CHEEKS 1 cup tempura flour ½ cup water 2 walleye cheeks with skin removed 2 tbsp. jerk spice Pinch salt and pepper Frying oil to cover fish
Pre-heat fryer and oil to 350°F. Place flour, jerk spice and salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl. Add water and mix well, until there are no lumps in the batter. Dip cheeks in batter and place in hot fryer until golden brown. WALLEYE FILLETS 2 walleye fillets, scaled with skin on. Score the skin to prevent fish from curling. 1 tbsp. jerk spice pinch salt and pepper 1/3 cup oil for frying
64 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
Preheat frying pan with oil until hot. Place fish in the frying pan, skin side down, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and the jerk spice. Cook until the skin is golden brown then flip the fillets and continue cooking until done. CHORIZO SAUSAGE & BEANS 2 chorizo sausages, casings removed 2 cups cooked white beans 1 shallot finely diced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced 1tbsp. tomato paste 1 bunch finely chopped parsley 1/3 cup white wine 1 cup vegetable stock or water 3 tbsp. vegetable oil pinch salt and pepper
Preheat pan with vegetable oil until hot. Add sausage cook for two-minutes. Add garlic, shallot and tomato paste. Cook and stir until everything is mixed together. Add white wine and deglaze pan. Add cooked beans and stock (or water) and reduce by 1/3. Sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper, serve hot.
BROWN BUTTER SAUCE 4 egg yolks 3 ½ tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup brown butter (regular butter can be substituted) pinch white pepper splash Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp. water pinch salt
Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and one tablespoon of water. Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture one or two tablespoons at a time while whisking constantly. If sauce begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm until ready to serve.
There are better ways to t say ‘Thank ‘Th ks’. k COME AND A GET IT.
Our wines are only available direct — either in person or by delivery from ou ur vineyard in Niagara-on n-the-Lake, Ontario. It’s taken 14 years to get it right, to perfect the e craft of making wine that iss drinkable, accessible, and affordable. It all happe ens here in our Big Red Barn Barn. Our modern-rustic modern rustic space houses ourr cellar and is part tasting roo om, part clubhouse. There’s no pretension or mystery here. All that we know, we’re ready to sh hare with you, to delight the novice wine lover and the veteran oenophile alike. Visit us or or o der ahead for your next big trip and for each purchase of an Izum mi wine, Between th he Lines will donate $1 to the Fishing Forever Foundation, a non-p profit organizatio on committed to the preservation of Canada’s fishing resources.
Contact us to book your winery tour. Mention th this his ad and receive a free tasting of our Izumi wines:
BetweenTheLinesWinery.com
A PA RT Y A N G L I N G
Artist: George Morland Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 25” x 30”
66 Real Fishing – Summer 2019
This painting from 1789 depicts four men and two ladies fishing from a small boat. The figures are believed to represent the artist George Morland, his brother-in-law William Ward, their wives, the engraver George Keating, and their boatman.
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