Wildernerness Fishing and Sightseeing Service 2010
My Mom's whitefish recipe
The Art of fishing starts with the first cast. (Lost Guide Chronicles)
Don't despair nothing is lost if you have a net. (Lost Guide Chronicles)
Your Guide will bring you to the fish but he can't make them bite...that's your job. (Lost Guide
Chronicles)
Don Charbonneau is now offering guided fishing trips as well as a sightseeing service in the Wawa area including Lake Superior.
Don has over 30 years guiding experience on many of the area's lakes and river systems.
Fishing 2006, 2007, 2009
Fishing photos 2008
Fishing Photos 2007
Fishing Photos 2006
Contact us using the email form below on this page or phone 705-856-1114
I fish for walleyes from May opening week end to late October. Some great walleye fishing can be had in May and June. These fish are just coming off the spawning beds and are feeding aggressively.
Staying at a local motel ? If your traveling to this area and want to fish for only a day or two and didn't bring any equipment don't worry... I supply everything you might need including rod and reels, tackle, bait, rain gear and oh yes, a great time.
Leave your car at the motel and I will pick you up with everything ready to go.
For Special Motel Rates please use our email form.
Fishing is fun...Wawa News article by Brenda Grundt September 4th 2009
Well, most of us know that fishing is great fun. I had just forgotten how much over the years. With only a canoe, I couldn't imagine taking my daughter out, and then going for a swim should she catch a "big" fish. The solution came in a chance conversation with Don Charbonneau. He laughed at the idea of the two of us girls swimming after the fish, and offered to take us out for a day. That sounded like fun - and the day was set.
That day arrived, just like most of the summer, drizzly and misty. A coffee stop at Tims, and we headed out to the lake. Out to Whitefish we drove, loaded "stuff" into the boat, and motored down the lake. We really didn't have much stuff, Don said that he would supply everything, and he certainly did. Rods, reels, bait, even shore lunch! He even brought three fishies he had caught the day before to ensure that we would have the experience of a shore lunch.
As we went down the lake, the rain let up, and the wind stopped. After a while, we were at the secret spot, with a few landmarks on shore to triangulate, and the fish finder showing fish - 60-70 feet down! We were handed our rods. This was new game for my daughter. "How do I let line out?", and "How do I know if I have a fish?" were just some of the questions she asked. It wasn't five minutes when she got the answer to the second. Voila, a nice lake trout. Beginner's Luck! Then another, and then Don hand his rod over for Katherine to reel in, he had a fish as well. Within about 45 minutes we had our limits in Lake Trout. In between, we would have these little "knocks", there was whitefish down there as well. A few of them were landed, with my daughter naming each fish as it went into the cooler. Let's see, there was Norman first, then a George, Ginette, and I caught a Harold, all flipping their tails in the cooler.
There was the initial worry as the first fish made a fair bit of noise in the cooler, but as the fish began to fill it, the noise stopped - and the excitement began. We would let line out to the bottom, and then raising our lures up from the bottom - began to jigg. Katherine began to pay more attention to the "knocks" and learned to set the hook. She experienced the frustration as one would nibble, then nibble again, but no solid strike. She started talking to the fish, giving them "grief" when they wouldn't stay on the line so that she could reel them in.
Then we caught a very odd fish. "Larry the Ling" or burbot was on the line. I asked Don to keep it, as I knew that they were delicious to eat. A Ling is a freshwater cod, although it resembles an eel. Having grown up on Catfish Lake, my siblings and I caught many, and always remarked on the tiny barbel under the chin. We always supposed that was why Catfish Lake was named so - there is a very large population of Ling in the lake.
By lunch time, not only did we have a fair number of fish, we were starving! Another little ride up the lake, and there was a cute little beach with a makeshift table to hold the propane stove. Tying up the boat, Don asked us to come ashore. There Don prepared a lunch fit for a king. Well, okay, a couple of princesses... He cleaned a whitefish, and a lake trout; while Katherine and I cut potatoes, mushrooms and red peppers. Soon the smell was filling the air, there seems to be nothing that smells better than something cooking in butter, garlic and onions! Out came a can of beer? Ah, beer-battered fresh fish. What a treat! We enjoyed pickerel (or walleye), lake trout and whitefish. And we were stuffed. So stuffed that we had to wait until the clean up was done to enjoy the chocolate brownies that were desert.
We headed back down the lake. Not sure if were were headed down or up; but to another fishing hole we went. This time we changed rods, the style of fishing was trolling; our prey: walleye and/or smallmouth bass. Well, didn't I show off my talents, I caught bottom or a log. Doesn't make for tasty eating, but Don was able to unsnag it so that we didn't lose the lure. As we were backtracking to unsnag me, Katherine caught the first walleye. A pretty one, and into the cooler it went. Again we trolled over the hole, this time it was mine. My first ever bass, and large enought to keep. Katherine caught more walleye, and I a couple more bass. Then, another snag for me, I'm just so lucky. Backing up again to get unsnagged, Don spotted a mink on the shore. There was just enough time for Katherine to see it, and she had another fish on... Okay, I wanted her to have fun, but to catch the majority of the fish? Yup, Beginner's Luck! (We'll have to go and try this again, and see if she can keep up the trend!).
So there we were, just before 5 p.m., five species of fish on board, and Don spots a pike rolling up to the surface. That was the only fish we didn't catch, but we certainly tried a couple of casts in the pike's direction. It was so hard to believe that we had spent the entire day on the lake catching fish and trading stories. Unfortunately, the pike was not caught, and we had to head home. To the dock, and the van we went.
We loaded up all the stuff, with the addition of some lovely fish. Then the best part of all, Don even cleaned the fish for me. So dinner was very special. With Katherine catching the majority, she had a few proud moments telling her daddy that she caught dinner!
The entire day was a success. The weather cleared up, and the wind was calm. The fish were biting, and we caught them. Lunch was delicious, and so was dinner (I'll have to introduce Katherine to specs for breakfast next). We did nothing but fish, Don supplied the boat, tackle, secret fishing holes #1 & #2 and great advice on how to catch fish, and many entertaining stories. It is worth paying the day rate for such an experience. I have just the perfect idea of what to do the next time I have friends from down south visiting. I'll just call Don.
But now, I have to put line on my old reel. Katherine has a bright and shiny new rod and reel. We'll have to buy Don a coffee and see what to put in that new tackle box; and perhaps some suggestions as to where we could fish in our canoe. You see, there is a new fisherman (fisherwoman just doesn't have the right ring) in the house, and she wants to go back out.
If you would like to enjoy a guided fishing trips or simply a sightseeing day around Wawa including Lake Superior, contact Don at (705) 856-1114 or toll free at 1-877-856-1114. Don has over 30 years guiding experience on many of the area's lakes and river systems. If you are traveling to this area and want to fish for only a day or two and didn't bring any equipment don't worry... Don supplies everything you might need including rod and reels, tackle, bait, rain gear and a great time! He will even come and pick you up with everything ready to go!
