| In this issue:
ONTARIO MUSKIE FISHING
CLICK HERE!
Robin's Prop & Boat Repairs
- Rebuilding and repairs of your
damaged boat, props, skegs and outboard motor foot. Great work and
good prices!!
|
Drifter Tackle - Manufacturer of the famous Believer,
recognized as the number one crankbait for trophy 50"+ muskies
by Muskies Inc. Also manufacture the Stalker and Super
Stalker lures
Tornado's Canadian Resorts
- 4 season resort on Pickerel River, Port
Loring. Family vacations housekeeping cottages, motel and lodge,
American Plan available. Fine dining restaurant open daily,
licensed lounge, corporate events, conferences. Fly-in fishing,
all-inclusive packages Smoky Lake & Portage Lake, HK outposts
Straight Lake, Blue Pine Lake, walleye, pike, bass. Air Charter,
scenic flights.
Auld Reekie Lodge
- GREAT Last Minute deals on FLY-IN
Fishing trips!!! Charter flying is our business for
fishermen, hunters, and servicing mining and bush operations in
the James Bay Frontier. There are literally hundreds of lakes, a
great many of them inaccessible except by difficult portage, or
by air. Plan a vacation to enjoy the quiet, relaxing atmosphere
of the pine scented forest while you fish for Lake Trout,
Speckled Trout, Pickerel (Walleye), Bass and the great Northern
Pike and relax in the evening around the camp fire.
Bearskin Lodge -
Family holiday resort in Northern Ontario. Fully equipped
waterfront log cabins with screened porches and private docks.
Pristine wilderness lakes at the gateway to Killarney Provincial
Park. Hiking in LaCloche Mountains. Swimming beach, boat and
canoe rentals. Fishing for walleye, pike, large and smallmouth
bass. Blueberry and mushroom picking. Nightly campfires.
Cedar Ridge Lodge
- Moose hunts still available! At our Lodge you get a truly memorable
experience at a reasonable cost. Run by sportsman who have a
passion for the outdoors and want you to experience the same.
Located on pristine Burt Lake, 30 km west of Kirkland Lake.
Surround yourself with thousands of acres of crown land and an
abundance of your favorite hunting or fishing species,
including: Moose, Bear, Wolf, Grouse, Ducks, Geese, Trout, Pike,
Walleye, Small Mouth Bass and more! We operate a clean lodge and
offer full American Plans.
|
|
"Fall Time Means Plump Walleye"
By Justin Hoffman
 As
the leaves slowly begin to change colour and the nights become
frosty, walleye anglers in the know begin to get their tackle ready
in anticipation of guaranteed action. Fall is the number one period
for catching LARGE walleye, especially those that push the scale
down to double digits! By following a few simple rules, catching
trophy walleye during the harvest moon can be as easy as 1-2-3, and
let's face it, what can be better than that in the game of fishing?
Fall time signals a change in the attitude of walleye. With the
onset of winter just around the corner, walleye will begin gorging
on baitfish and other food sources in order to build up fat
reserves. This will be necessary to get them through the harsh and
cold winter, and also to prepare them for the upcoming spawn.
The last few months before winter is an opportunity for "feast or
famine," and the predator walleye will be out in full force, eating
everything that comes its way. Locating these fish, and knowing what
to throw at them, are two key areas that will help you find success.
Where To Look?
Finding the walleyes of fall can be a simple task, as locations
are quite precise and straightforward. The first thing to do is
limit all of your fishing to water that is less than twenty-feet
deep. Fish move shallower as the water grows colder, and most of my
angling actually takes place in water less than fifteen feet deep.
Rivers, shoals, humps and islands all provide key areas for walleye
to congregate at. These structure points provide an adequate food
source and also an excellent staging area in preparation of the
forthcoming spawn. Rivers and river mouths are actually two
excellent locations that I rate high on the production scale.
Current areas such as these seem to draw walleye in by the
thousands, enabling both anglers on shore and in boat to cash in on
the action. Concentrate on weed/rock transitions and well-defined
weedlines that are made up of healthy green weeds.
The Graveyard Shift
Night fishing for walleye is a technique that positively shines
when summer turns into fall. Due to their light sensitive eyes, the
walleye will flood the shallows come nighttime, searching for an
easy meal with their well-honed vision. The best technique to employ
at night is to start shallow, and work progressively out into deeper
water. I like to start in water between two and three-feet-deep, and
work all the way out to fifteen or twenty-feet. Generally, you'll
find the most action in the skinny water, as this is where the
largest concentrations of baitfish will be congregating.
Crankbaits are your best choice during these optimum conditions as
they can cover water quickly, and "match the hatch" perfectly.
Choose cranks that have a long profile, and don't be afraid to go
big when picking your baits. Lures between five and seven-inches are
the norm in the fall, and will certainly produce above-average size
fish. Look for baits that contain rattles, as they will definitely
attract more attention under the cover of darkness. Don't let colour
become an issue when choosing a crankbait, as the profile and sound
they produce should be the two main considerations.
Casting and trolling are two productive techniques to utilize when
chasing walleye through the night. Casting will allow you to work
the area thoroughly, however, trolling will enable you to cover a
larger area. One route I take is to cast the shallows first, working
every nook and cranny in a slow, methodical fashion, and then
trolling the deeper water as I work my way out.
The Frog Connection
Every fall, just as the frost begins to settle on the ground,
frogs begin their migration from land to water in order to hibernate
in the mud. Although this migration period may only last a few days,
those lucky enough to experience it will be in for the thrill of a
lifetime.
As the frogs make their way to the water under the cover of
darkness, hungry walleye wait patiently, ready to snap up any frog
that makes that fateful leap into the wet stuff. Walleye will stage
in water as shallow as a foot deep, and they can make for easy
pickings for anglers smart enough to figure the puzzle out.
I've only experienced this phenomenon once in my life, but the
action was so incredible it will last forever in my mind. Walleye
after walleye fell prey to my crankbait, many of the fish grabbing
the bait as it hit the water, much the same way that a bass does a
topwater plug. The key for this action is to find the right spot.
Search for an area on your lake that has a mud bottom and is
surrounded by cattails at the shore and wetlands on the bank.
Jigging a Fish Up
Jigs and livebait are a great technique when heading out in the
fall, especially during the daytime period. Choose large chubs or
sucker minnows, and keep your offering on or near the bottom at all
times. Light from the sun will most certainly dictate the depths you
scour, with deeper water being an obvious choice during bright,
sunny days. Make sure to add a stinger hook to your offering in
order to hook those fish that are light biters, or those that are
feeling a little finicky.
|
