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I will be returning to Whitefish and Manitowick Lake this year and will be guiding at Totomenai Lodge. I'm very excited about the upcoming season which I think will prove to be as good as last year. We have had an usually warm and dry spring which will have the walleyes feeding aggressively right from opening weekend! Boat Safety Be safe on the water wear a proper life jacket. Make sure your boat has plenty of gas and all of the safety accessories including paddles. Opening day 2007 has arrived! What an exciting weekend...got up early saturday morning (opening day 2007) jumped in the shower and no water...frozen! Freezing cold temperatures greeted walleye fishers again this year. The walleyes didn't seem to mind. They were hungry and responded well to simple live bait presentations...suspended on small #6 hooks and baited with minnows and leeches. ( both worked well) The evening bite was a little later...Sunday and monday we waited untill after 9.00 pm for the first bite. A 7lb walleye was caught and released along with a 3lb smallmouth as well as many smaller walleyes.. The fishing was strong this week ...mid-morning and early afternoons are best fished a little deeper and trolling is recommended. July 19th ~ 2007 I will be updating the fishing page from June to now as my computer is now repaired. The season started out with excellent weather and fishing. Low water levels prevented me from fishing the top holes above Donna Falls...nevertheless the walleye fishing was really good below the bridge and once again trolling mid morning and early afternoon put a lot of good size walleyes in fisher's boat coolers. I want to congratulate all anglers who successfully released the bigger walleyes...hats off to you ladies and gentlemen. The future of fishing is in your hands!!! Smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass season opened with a great big bang!!! A guest on my boat landed (and released) a beautiful four pound bass. This smallie was caught casting a rocky shoreline on a spinner and leech. That same guided trip produced a couple of dozen smallmouths. Fishing shallow fast water for smallmouths? Try this method...below the fast water cast a slip bobber with a #6 hook, #2 split shot (walleye rig) and bait with leech or worm...just watch the action! Whitefish and Manitowick Lake both have a good population of smallies! LakeTrout I usually start fishing for Laketrout on Manitowick Lake the first week in July. This fishery adds a totally new dimension to these waters and provides a great opportunity for anglers to catch these wild native fish! This time of year will find these fish in deeper water between 60' and 90' feet. They can be caught downrigging silver spoons such as the NK 28 and the J-11 gold or silver jointed Rapala. My favourite method is to anchor on top of a shoal and jig. Early morning and evening are more productive. I used smaller spoons and weight forward lures. Several Lakers in the 8 to 12 lb. range have been caught using this method. Please note that this big fish can be released successfully. A little longer recovery time is all that is needed before releasing Laketrout. A guide's perspective I have been fishing these waters for over twenty years. A slot size was introduced on Whitefish and Manitowick Lake a few years back and a reduction on the possession limit (from 6 to 4) was introduced. This was a big change both for resident and non-resident anglers alike. After a few years the slot size was dropped and anglers were allowed to keep fish up to 18" with one over 18" and a possession limit of 4. This slot size system worked well - there was a tremendous improvement in the size and quantity of our walleyes. I encourage anglers to eat some of their catch and also encourage these same anglers to practise conservation by releasing the bigger walleyes our prime spawners. Best eating walleyes are the 14 to 16 inchers...enjoy! Whitefish season is here! Whitefish techniques and vertical jigging tips by Northern Ontario Fishing guide Don Charbonneau. August is a good month for jigging for Whitefish. These fish are fun to catch and really delicious to eat. You will find Whitefish in the same depths and areas where you would normally fish for Lakers. Vertical jigging requires your boat to well anchored. On big bodies of water like the one I fish on - Manitowick and Whitefish Lake.I try to get on the water as early as possible in the morning before any wind comes up. I find they bite the best in the morning up to 10 oclock. I have been successful jigging Whitefish in the afternoon and early evening. I find the act of jigging itself will attract Whitefish as well as Laketrout. (some of my biggest Lakers 10lbs + have been caught while jigging for Whitefish) My favourite jigging spoon in the smaller version on the NK-28 the C-5. Although I use different colours the hammered silver is still my favourite. Over the years I have tried many types of spoons and jigs. I also recommend weight forward lures such has the Heddon. These fish have a soft mouth and can get off quite easily. Once the fish is hooked a constant medium retrieve is recommended. Here is my mother's whitefish recipe Clean white fish fillets with all bone removed for 12 fillets In a medium bowl place 4 eggs add a little cold water (about half a egg full) add a little pepper add soya sauce (about 1 to 2 capfull - 4 or 5 squirts!) mix eggs, soya sauce and water. place a few fillets in the mixture heat up a frying pan with a little oil place the fish and add a sprinkle of garlic powder or salt to taste! enjoy! White fish are also good deep-fried or fried in a beer batter. Water Coming In (Three Sisters) "... I fished Lake Superior on a 1965 22 foot Starcraft . I loved this boat, it was perfect for salmon and laketrout fishing - lots of room and excellent on the big waves. Unfortunately this old boat broke down more often than not and actually caught fire a couple of times! Marina owner Brad Buck came out to tow me in on many an occasion!..." You can listen to the song "Three Sisters/Water coming in" by clicking >> on the music player. This song is on Don's first CD "Songs From The Coastline / Safe Harbour"- it tells the story about this old fishing boat. Note: The Three Sisters make referrence to the three killer waves on Lake Superior..."the first one comes in (your boat) to say hello, the second one holds you and the third fills you up and says goodbye!"...Don C. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fish for Diamonds First prize in the Wawa Salmon Derby this year are a pair of diamonds worth $10,000...wow! Derby dates are August 17th 18th and 19th. This event also has great prizes in the Laketrout catagory. See you there! |
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Northland (My Algonquin Home) -
play WMV
Creation - play WMV The art of Herschel Payne Hills of Agawa (Lawren Harris) - play WMV Devil's Chair - play WMV Turn off music player by clicking on black rectangle ~ this will allow video music to play ~ enjoy! - play WMV Canoe Fishing Trip - play video 2007 Wawa Salmon Derby - play WMV First organizer and founder of this derby Mr. Garry Sittler is honoured by the Wawa Salmon Derby. Easter Island Studio - play WMV Award winning music producer Billy Bruhmeller 
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