Hooked 0403_Hooked 0403- - Hooked Magazine

www.hookedmagazine.ca 

Volume 4 Issue 3 Summer 2011 

HOOKED ON 

A CURE

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR THE 24TH ANNUAL “ SHAW KBI” 

Over 

$120,000 

in prizes! 

August 4, 5, 6, 2011 

TO ENTER 

call Kathleen Novak at 467-4730 or 

email at kathleen.novak@rbc.com 

Entry Fee 

$800 

Sign up today, 

space is limited! 

Shaw KBI Kids! 

Shaw Kids KBI: rain or shine, ages 4-12, each day at 

10am from the Harbourfront docks. No entry fee plus 

great prizes for Kid anglers, loot bags and t-shirts for all 

participants. Charity bbq each day $5, Wii games with 

prizes, children’s band, minnow races. All kinds of fun 

under the big tent! Contact Cori at corilibitka@yahoo.com 

for more info or to register for the event.

MAKE YARD WORK 

QUICK AND 

EASY 

ABC Power Tools & 

Garden Supply Ltd. 

201 Regent Ave. West 

Winnipeg, MB 

(204) 224-1760 888-825-8805 

www.abcpowertools.ca 

Guertin Equipment 

35 Melnick Road 

Winnipeg, MB 

(204) 255-0260 800-619-0614 

www.guertinequipment.com 

LIMITED TIME ONLY 

$ 149 95 

MSRP $ 189.95 

FS 38 Gas Trimmer 

Accurate Lawn & Garden 

344 Pembina Hwy 

Winnipeg, MB 

(204) 284-5950 800-456-5950 

www.accuratelawn.ca 

Neniska Repair Ltd. 

25 Redditt Road 

Kenora, ON 

(807) 548-5110 

German-engineered quality - 

STIHL trimmers will save you 

time and make even the toughest 

job easier. Powerful and lightweight, 

STIHL trimmers give you 

the power you need at 

a very affordable price. 

LIGHTWEIGHT L 

& POWERFUL 

$ 179 95 

MSRP $ 219.95 

FS 45 Gas Trimmer 

FREE 

ASK OUR FRIENDLY STAFF T FOR 

MORE 

PRODUCT INFORMATION OR A 

DEMONSTRATION. 

B & C Power Products 

86 LaRose Ave. 

The Pas, MB 

(204) 623-5791 

www.bcpowerproductsinc.com 

Reit-Syd Equipment Ltd. /// 

Hwy 5 & 10 West 

Dauphin, MB 

(204) 638-6443 877-638-9610 

www.reit-sydequipment.com 

Badiuk Equipment Limited 

Hwy 11/71 W 

Fort Frances, ON 

(807) 274-6311 800-716-4316 

www.badiuk.com 

Shachtay Sales & Service Ltd. 

276 Ardal Street 

Arborg, MB 

(204) 376-5233 

www.agdealer.com/shachtay 

Black Bear Power Products 

Hwy 44 @ Penniac Bay 

West Hawk Lake, MB 

(204) 349-8813 866-865-7976 

www.blackbearpowerproducts.com 

United Rentals of Canada 

137 Nelson Road 

Thompson, MB 

(204) 778-7001 888-778-7005

MIDRANGE MUSCLE 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

Westshore Marine 

& Leisure 

Highway 68 & Main St. 

Arborg, MB 

204-376-3660 866-661-3660 

www.westshoremarine.ca 

Remember to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a Canadian Coast Guard approved 

personal floatation device and protective gear. 

West Hawk Marine Ltd. 

Box 10 

West Hawk Lake, MB 

204-349-2239 

www.westhawkmarine.com

Contents | Summer 2011 

Feature 

24 

NOT EVIL DEER: A passion for the wilderness and a trail camera has a young outdoor 

enthusiast trekking kilometers into the forest looking for game trails and feeding areas 

that would attract wildlife, and ended up with candid shots of nature that we rarely get 

to see. National Geographic look out! 

12 

KIDS & FISHING! 

Our section on young anglers has 

articles on how to encourage and 

support youth in their outdoor 

experiences, as well as some great 

articles written by young anglers. 

PRO POINTERS 

10 | Great Walleye Lakes 

with Don Lamont 

33 | The Ultimate Reaction Strike 

with Tony Roach 

36 | Beaver House Brookies 

with Gord Ellis 

INSIDER TIPS 

29 | Avoiding the Hangups 

35 | “Sock it” to the Fish! 

COLUMNS 

20 | SWT Tournament 

30 | New Products: The Talon 

46 | The Last Cast 

SUNSET COUNTRY 

38 | Deepwater Walleye Tactics 

40 | How to Fish a New Lake 

42 | Sunset Country Calendar 

44 | How to Find Fish Fast 

DEPARTMENTS 

08 | Tackle Box 

17 | Hooked Kids 

19 | Hooked Hall of Fame 

37 | Tournament News 

Summer 2011 | HOOKED | 5

SETTING THE HOOK 

Summer is finally 

here! After a long 

winter and a very 

wet spring it looks like the 

nice weather has finally 

arrived and I have been 

taking full advantage of it. 

The weather is not the 

only thing that has been 

hot. Fishing on just about 

any one of my favorite 

lakes has been on fire. 

I have had the chance to fish some of the 

most spectacular lakes in central Canada 

with some of the best anglers central 

Canada has to offer, but to this day, some 

of my favorite fishing adventures have been 

with my kids. Whether it’s fishing off a 

dock on Falcon Lake for perch, ice fishing 

for saugers on the Red River, attempting to 

cast for bass on Lake of the Woods or shore 

fishing for catfish on the Assiniboine River, 

it’s always an adventure and a memory that 

will last a lifetime. To watch a child hold a 

fish, no matter the size, and see that big 

proud smile is a real In this issue of Hooked 

we decided it would be pretty cool to get 

some kids to write about their fishing experiences, 

let them show off their catch and 

remind us just how important it is to get 

them out fishing. 

Over the last couple of years I have had 

the honour to co-host the Shaw KBI live 

on Shaw with good friend Kathy Kennedy 

of 92 CITI fm. This year however, I am 

actually going to fish the tournament. I 

remember, quite some time ago, fishing off 

the docks in Kenora during the tournament, 

watching those big bass boats come 

screaming into the bay, anglers hauling up 

their bags of bass to the main tent with 

thousands of screaming onlookers. The 

thrill and the excitement these tournament 

anglers must feel when showing off 

Contributors 

GORD ELLIS—of Thunder 

Bay, Ontario, has been fishing 

since before he could 

walk. It's in his blood. For the 

past 27 years, he’s made a 

career out of fishing, hunting 

and the outdoors. Gord’s won 

more than 20 National 

writing awards and has been 

published in a wide variety of 

books and publications. 

He is also a familiar voice 

on CBC radio in Northwestern Ontario. Gord is a 

multi-species angler, but has a special place in his 

heart for fish with adipose fins.He's always been a bit 

trout crazy. 

6 | HOOKED | Summer 2011 

their catch to the crowd is 

amazing. I remember 

thinking “This is what I 

want to do! I want to fish 

this tournament someday! 

I want to be the one on 

stage holding that giant 

cheque and trophy!” So 

when friend and tournament 

angler Alan Gray 

asked me to fish the event 

with him this year I 

jumped at the opportunity. Hopefully 

some luck will be on our side and we will 

catch a few big ones but either way it is 

going to be a thrill for me just to be part of 

the experience and a childhood dream 

come true, plus it’s a great excuse to 

spend 3 solid days of fishing for bass. The 

Shaw KBI will be held August 4, 5 & 6 in 

Kenora Ontario. Make sure you check it 

out or even better why don’t you grab a 

partner and sign up and fish it! The other 

very cool thing about the Shaw KBI is they 

have a kid’s tournament. It’s free for the 

kids age 4-12; they all get loot bags, shirts 

and have a chance at some great prizes. 

For more info or to sign your kids up contact 

Cori at corilibitka@yahoo.com. What 

are you waiting for? 

Finally, you never know what can happen 

at any given time when out on the 

water, as accidents can happen. Staff 

writer, Scott Sime, has put together a great 

article on page 46 called “Man Overboard”. 

It’s based on a true story that happened to 

a couple of Hooked readers while enjoying 

a peaceful day of sturgeon fishing. This 

article is definitely a must read. 

See you on the water! 

DARRIN BOHONIS—got his 

start in the fishing industry 

working at a local tacklestore 

at the age of 15. Over the 

past 19 years, he has been 

fortunate to establish a 

career related to his passion. 

As a sales representative for 

companies in the Fishing 

and Outdoor Sporting 

Industry, Darrin has found 

the perfect balance. Along 

with being an avid tournament angler, Darrin also enjoys 

opportunities to support organizations and events promoting 

the sustainability of our great resource. 

“Everyone has a responsibility for future generations.” 

Published by 

Hooked Media Inc. 

hookedmediainc@shaw.ca 

Editor 

Steven Wintemute - 204-995-2314 

hookedmagazine@shaw.ca 

Design 

Kevin Stobbe/Nuance Design - 204-771-4041 

nuancedesign@shaw.ca 

Advertising Sales 

Jeff Goethals - 204-981-0465 

jeff@hookedmagazine.ca 

Jenifer Walker - 204-886-3989 

jenifer@hookedmagazine.ca 

Regular Contributors 

Ben Beattie, Darrin Bohonis, Jeff Gustafson, 

Justion Hoffman, Don Lamont, Scott Sime, 

Davis Viehbeck, Steven Wintemute 

This Issue’s Contributors 

Gord Ellis, Rob Furutani, Mikkel Grabinski, 

Travel Manitoba, Morgan Paquette, Dustin Rhodes, 

Jamie Robinson, Tony Roach, Mark Strand 

MANITOBA 

Arborg 

TDM Sports 

Beausejour 

CO OP Gas Bar 

Blumenort 

Supreme Boats 

Brandon 

Brandon Tourism 

Home Hardware Building 

Centre 

Jo Brook Firearms 

Dauphin 

Sticky’s Bait and Tackle 

Black’s Cycle & Sporting 

Goods 

Duck Mtn. Prov. Park 

Blue Lakes Resort 

Wellman Lake Lodge 

Falcon Lake 

Falcon Beach Auto 

Garson 

Garson Grocery 

Gimli 

True Value Hardware 

Grand Rapids 

Northbrook Inn & 

Hilltop Cabins 

Lac du Bonnet 

CO OP Gas Bar 

La Verendrye Trading Co. 

Petro Canada Gas Bar 

Powerhouse Sports 

S&H Docks 

Lockport 

Law’s Marine 

Skinners 

Starfish Tackle 

Petro Canada 

Morden 

Morden Motor Sports 

Neepawa 

Valley Cache 

Oakbank 

Oak Bank Co-Op 

Pine Falls 

Broadlands XTR 

Clark’s Corner Domo 

Ed & Ron’s Tempo 

Portage la Prairie 

MacDonald’s Sporting Goods 

Prawda 

Prawda Shell 

Rapid City 

A Li’l Bait & Tackle Store 

Richer 

Manny’s Live Bait 

Roblin 

Parkway C-Store CoOp 

Seddon’s Corner 

Seddon’s Corner Esso 

ON FISHING AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS 

Free promotional copies are distributed at: 

Selkirk 

Canadian Tire 

Steinbach 

Urban Life 

Birch Auto Supply 

St. Andrews 

Overland Truck Outfitters 

St. Frances Xavier 

Welcome Stop Esso 

Swan River 

Atkinson’s Sports Excellence 

Rough Country Sports 

Teulon 

Red River CO OP 

Teulon Mohawk 

The Pas 

L & M Sports Excellence 

Wescana Inn 

Thompson 

Crazy Pete’s Trading Post 

Nickel City Motors 

Xtreme Sport Fishing 

Westhawk 

Westhawk Lake Resort 

Winnipeg 

Cabela’s 

Canada Map Sales 

Destination Winnipeg 

Explore Manitoba Centre 

Fort Whyte Alive 

Guertin Equipment 

Manitoba Conservation 

Manitoba Museum 

Princess Auto 

Pro-Am Tackle 

The Fishin’ Hole 

Travel Manitoba Centres 

Wholesale Sports 

ONTARIO 

Dryden 

KA Sports & Tackle - Petro 

Canada 

Fort Frances 

The Great Bear 

Canadian Tire 

Kenora 

B & B General Store 

Canadian Tire 

Clearwater Shell 

JB Bait and Tackle 

Super 8 

Kenora Shell 

Redden’s Camp (Longbow 

Lake) 

Sunset Baits 

Wal-Mart 

Smith Camps 

Nestor Falls 

Angler’s Pro Shop 

Red Lake 

Northern Sporting Supplies 

Red Lake Tourism 

Thunder Bay 

D&R Sporting Goods 

Riverside Outdoors 

Smith’s RV Centre 

Sleeping Giant Taxidermy 

Larry’s Village Baits (Kakebeka 

Falls) 

North Country Cycle & Sports 

SASKATCHEWAN 

Estevan 

Pro Wash Shell 

Prince Albert 

Prince Albert CO OP 

Regina 

Great Northern Rod & Reel 

Pokey’s Tackle Shop 

Regina Marine 

Sask Battery 


Fort Qu’Apelle 

Kevin’s Marine 

Humboldt 

Co-op C-store 

Kyle 

Anchor Marine 

Nipawin 

Nipawin Chrysler Dodge Ltd. 

North Battleford 

Silvester RV 

Pineland 

Choiceland Co-op C-Store 

Saskatoon 


Avenue C Co-op C-store 

Pally Performance 


Swift Current 

SC Co-op 

Tisdale 

Beeland CO OP 

Yorkton 

Home Hardware Building 

Centre 

Weyburn 

Weyburn Co-op 

ALBERTA 

Calgary 



Edmonton 

Barry Jay’s Marine 

The Fishin’ Hole-North 

The Fishin’ Hole-West 

The Fishin’ Hole-South 


Grande Prairie 


Lethbridge 


Hooked Magazine is published 5 times yearly by Hooked Media Inc., 42 Sand 

Point Bay, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3W 1K3. Hooked Magazine is distributed 

exclusively throughout Central and Western Canada. We carefully inspect all 

ads for accuracy, however, the publisher and the printer shall not be responsible 

for any mistakes, design errors or incorrect information which is provided by the 

advertiser. The advertising, photographs, editorial and artwork is the property of 

Hooked Media Inc. and not that of the advertisers. The entire contents of this publication 

are protected by copyright and are intended for the sole use of the public. 

Any reproduction or duplication of the contents in any form, without the consent 

of Hooked Media Inc., is prohibited. Copyright ©2010 Hooked Media Inc. 

Printed in Canada.

THE WORLD’S ONLY 

SEA-DOO.® 

WATERCRAFT WITH A BRAKE. 

GET MORE FUN OUT OF YOUR FREE TIME. 

of convenient features and award-winning innovations, like an on-water braking system not found anywhere else. 

RECREATIONAL MUSCLECRAFT 

MUSCLECRAFT 

So many features with great value. 

Starting at only 

$ 10,599 * 

LUXURY PERFORMANCE 

PERFORMANCE 

Ultimate in comfort and convenience. 


$ 13,999 * 

*Price refers to the base model, optional equipment not included. A more expensive model may be shown. 

SEA-DOO.COM ©2011 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. , ® and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. **Offer is valid in Canada on new and unused 2010 & 2011 

Sea-Doo ® PWC models purchased between June 1 and July 31, 2011. †WARRANTY: Eligible units will receive 3-year coverage (12 months of BRP Limited Warranty and 24 months of BRP Extended 

Service Term (B.E.S.T.) subject to a $50 deductible on each repair). Subject to the exclusions, limitations of liabilities and all other terms and conditions of BRP’s standard limited warranty and B.E.S.T. 

contract, including without limitation the exclusions of damages caused by abuse, abnormal use or neglect. MSRP excludes delivery charge, taxes and registration fees. Offer subject to change without 

notice. Offer may not be assigned, traded, sold or combined with any other offer unless expressly stated herein. Other conditions and some restrictions may apply. Offer void where prohibited by law. See your participating Sea-Doo dealer 

for details. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring any obligation. Always ride responsibly and safely. Follow all instructional and 

safety materials. BRP recommends a minimum operator age of 16 years old. Always observe applicable laws and regulations. Respect the rights of shoreline residents, and keep a safe distance from other recreationists. Always wear 

appropriate protective clothing, including a Coast Guard-approved PFD that is suitable for PWC use. Always remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. 

2106869 

Amazing acceleration. Carves corners with precision. 


$ 15,999 * 

SPORT 

Only watercraft designed specifically for tow sports. 


$ 12,999 * 

THE SUMMER THRILLS EVENT IS NOW ON! 

PURCHASE A SEA-DOO WATERCRAFT ** 

WITH A BRAKE & GET: 

3-YEAR LIMITED 

† 

WARRANTY 

Nickel City Motors 

84 Severn Cresent, Thompson, MB 

(204) 778-6333 (800) 442-0456 

www.nickelcitymotors.com

TACKLE BOX 

Letters: 

Send us your comments and suggestions to: 

hookedmagazine@shaw.ca 

Love it Love it Love it...Hooked mag gets 

better every issue. Keep up the good 

work boys! 

James Turner, Minnedosa MB 

Finally someone had the kahunas to put 

a catfish on the cover of a fishing magazine..what 

a magnificent cat it was! The 

catfish tips you had in the article combined 

with the anglers giving tips was just 

great. It’s about time someone talked 

about the world class fishing the Red 

River has to offer. Excellent job 

Darren Johnson, Winnipeg Mb 

Thanks to |Hooked, you made my week. 

My son was so happy to see a picture of 

him in your magazine. I owe you bigtime. 

Ted Davies Minnedosa Mb 

WOW, what an issue you had there. Your 

Spring 2011 issue of Hooked has me 

hooked on Hooked. Lol, I picked up my 

copy from Cabelas and can hardly wait 

for the next one. 

Sam Sigardson 

Regional Anglers 

Lose a Dear Friend 

Ed Carlson, or “Backwater Eddy” as many knew 

him, was a legend to those fishing the Red 

River and its tributaries. Ed died recently in an 

accidental drowning doing what he loved to do, 

fishing on the river. Over and over again friends 

posted their condolences and memories on his 

Facebook wall with a common theme of remembering 

his sense of humor, his willingness to 

share his knowledge and desire to help others 

become better anglers. 

Throughout his life Ed was a fishing fanatic, 

growing up as a child near Rutland, ND in a 

family that regarded fishing and hunting as a 

way of life. With 25 years of guiding experience 

as “Backwater Guiding, Ed on the Red” he 

made a career out of the resources found right 

here in our back yard. Ed had a passion for 

pursuing trophy “sumo kitties” and walleye in 

the Red River and teaching others how to be 

successful in their own angling experiences. It 

was these two qualities that built his reputation 

as a great guide, educator and friend. 

Ed will be greatly missed by many, but his 

influence lives on in those who continue to pursue 

his passion of learning the Red River and 

uncovering it’s secret treasures that are found 

so close to home. 


Kids say the darndest things... 

Hi, my name is Bobby Warren, and I'm sending you this 

picture of my son Carter holding a walleye from Big 

Whiteshell. He is turning 3 this August and asks daily when 

our next fishing trip is scheduled. He loves seeing the pictures 

of kids in the magazine, and constantly tries to tell 

me they are holding a big Musky. He has never even seen a 

Musky, but when I show him pictures he notes that he will 

be catching one on our next trip. If you have room to put 

his pic in the next issue it will more than make him 

happy to see. Thanks! 

www.youthangler.ca 

Manitoba's youth angling portal provides visitors with up-to-date information on the many programs being 

offered throughout the province. The goal of this site is to promote youth fishing opportunities in a user-friendly 

format, and connect children with programs that are designed for them. 

Even E.T. likes going to the lake! 

During the 1967 Victoria Day weekend, 

Stephen Michalak of Winnipeg 

was prospecting in the Whiteshell 

Provincial Park and was disturbed by 

the cackling of some geese. He looked 

up and was surprised to see two red, 

glowing cigar-shaped objects descending 

at a forty-five degree angle. As they 

came nearer, their appearance became 

more oval and then disc-shaped. 

As he watched, one of the objects 

stopped and hovered, while the other 

one descended and landed. For several 

minutes, Michalak stayed where he was 

and sketched the object. After about 

half an hour, a door opened in the side 

of the object, revealing a lighted interior. 

Believing that the object was a 

secret experimental American craft of 

some sort, Michalak called out in 

English. There was no response, so he 

tried Russian, German, Italian, French, 

Ukrainian, and then English again. 

There was still no response. 

Summoning his nerve, Michalak 

approached the open door and stuck 

his head inside. There he saw a maze 

of lights on what appeared to be a 

panel, and beams of light in horizontal 

and diagonal patterns. There was also 

a cluster of lights flashing in a random 

sequence "like on a computer." 

Not seeing anyone, he pulled back 

and waited. 

Without warning, the object moved, 

and something like an exhaust vent was 

now in front of him. It was about nine 

inches high by six inches wide, and 

contained a uniform pattern of round 

holes, each about 1/16 inch in diameter. 

A blast of hot gas shot from these 

holes onto his chest, setting his shirt 

and undershirt on fire and causing him 

severe pain. He tore off his burning garments 

and threw them to the ground. 

He looked up in time to see the craft 

depart like the first, and felt a rush of 

air as it ascended. 

The spot where the object had landed 

looked as if it had been swept clean, 

but piled up in a 15 foot circle was a 

collection of pine needles, dirt and 

leaves. As he looked around, he developed 

a severe headache, became nauseous, 

and broke out in a cold sweat. 

He eventually made his way to a 

hospital, where he was treated for his 

severe burns on his chest, and his 

nausea. Was his experience the real 

thing? There is no reason to believe 

that Michalak made his story up. He 

was known as a reliable, honest man 

who was not given to creating tall 

tales. He paid all of his own expenses, 

including a visit to the Mayo Clinic in 

Minnesota. He attempted to recover 

some of his costs-he did write a booklet 

on his experiece at Falcon Lake, 

but it lost money.

THE 

POWER 

TO GO 

ANYWHERE 

For a dealer near you, visit 

interstatebatteries.com 

Saskatchewan – 800.667.6368 

Manitoba & NW Ontario – 800.665.2999 

Southern Alberta – 403.216.3390 

Northern Alberta – 800.361.2854 

©2011 Interstate Battery System International, Inc. | MKT0416-02d | AFB 6/11

PRO POINTERS >DON LAMONT 

Karen and Glen Smith with another trophy from the walleye hole. 

Glen Smith had eight master angler walleye on his trip. 

Karen Smith with one of her trophy walleye from Gunisao. 

Great Walleye Lakes 

What makes a great walleye 

lake? That was the 

question in front of me 

this spring as I visited 

two of the best walleye lakes in 

Manitoba in one short week. 

First, a three day trip to Budd’s 

Gunisao Lake Lodge, which is located in 

the middle of prime walleye real estate on 

the east side of Lake Winnipeg. Then on 

the Sunday when I got home it was a day 

trip into Crowduck Lake in the Whiteshell 

Provincial Park. 

WALLEYE COUNTRY 

For years this section of Manitoba has 

been producing outstanding walleye fishing 

on myriad of lakes and rivers that dot 

the landscape in this hard to access part 

of the world. Very few roads exist and 

those that do only happen during the 

winter. It’s fly-in country and Budd’s has a 

3800 foot all weather runway that allows 

anglers to depart from Winnipeg airport 

and land at the lodge an hour later. 

Gunisao Lake is located 250 air miles 

from Winnipeg and it kicks out more 

Master Angler walleye than any other 

body of water in this province. On an 

average year close to a thousand trophies 


are registered by the 500 guests that visit 

each spring and summer. One evening at 

the lodge I got a chance to ask 

owner/operator Dusty Budd why the lake 

is such a big walleye factory. 

LAKE TROUT COLLAPSE 

In middle of the century, Dusty says 

Gunisao Lake was commercially fished 

for lake trout. That was until the finite 

population of these slow growing fish had 

been depleted. After anglers discovered 

how great the walleye fishing was, a lodge 

was established on the lake. 

In 1987, after much research and test 

fishing, his dad, Dr. Jim Budd, purchased 

the lodge. Since that time the Budd’s and 

their clientele concentrated their fishing 

efforts on the walleye that had filled the 

niche left by the lake trout. They soon 

discovered that the walleye grew to trophy 

size by chasing down ciscoes that 

had once been the primary forage of the 

lake trout. 

Gunisao Lake itself is sixteen miles 

long by four miles wide and holds abundant 

spawning grounds, another key to 

producing excellent year classes of fish. 

It’s a classic mesotrophic lake that has 

stretches of deep water to go along with 

granite outcrops and a great variety of 

structure to hold both fish and forage. 

This is much the same case for 

Crowduck Lake. But while the lakes are 

almost identical, there is one equation 

missing from Crowduck that has slowed 

down the production of Master Angler 

walleye. When the walleye were first 

stocked some twenty years ago, the population 

exploded and as the walleye grew 

they started chasing down the ciscoe that 

existed in the deeper more pristine parts 

of the lake. 

When I filmed a show back in 1995 we 

caught three Master Angler walleye in one 

day, something that rarely happens now. 

If you ask friend Jim Price, who has been 

going to the lodge since it opened, he 

believes it was caused by the collapse in 

the ciscoe population. This lack of high 

protein forage in Crowduck limits growth 

and while there are still big fish caught it 

takes them longer to get to that size. This 

is also a total catch and release fishery, 

allowing the walleyes total control of the 

lake. Unfortunately they have been a victim 

somewhat of their own success. Don’t 

get me wrong catching a hundred walleye 

a day between eighteen and twenty one 

inches is a lot of fun!

Crowduck boats ready for action . 

POST SPAWN FISH 

On our trip to Gunisao Lake the big walleye 

were just staging outside the spawning 

areas and could be caught using a 

vertical jigging presentation. Karen and 

Glen Smith, who reside in Winnipeg, 

caught a total of 14 Master Angler walleye 

while on their seven day trip. Karen 

landed the biggest at 31 ½ inches. They 

fished one small area in “walleye hole” 

with orange ¼ ounce jigs tipped with a 

dead shiner minnows. 

Glen said the key to get the big post 

spawn females to bite was to the let the 

jig sit on the bottom for about five seconds, 

then slowly lift it six inches. 

Almost all the bites were extremely subtle 

in nature, requiring a slight lift on the 

rod tip to make the walleye commit to 

the bait. 

While the Smiths stayed in a few areas, 

our group travelled all over the lake in 

search of both walleye and pike. While we 

caught three Master Angler fish we certainly 

enjoyed the outstanding fishing for 

both walleye and pike. In fact, despite 

only fishing for pike for three hours I 

managed to land a 40 inch fish, one short 

of Master Angler length. 

“The walleye grew to 

trophy size by chasing 

down ciscoes that had 

once been the primary 

forage of the lake trout.” 

Meantime on our one day trip to 

Crowduck, we jigged up a bunch of fish in 

five feet of water in Dark Bottom Bay, 

another classic post spawn location. We 

caught the bigger fish though out in the 

main lake near the Gull Islands, using a 

variety of presentations including bottom 

bouncers and spinners. 

Both Dusty Budd and Bill Kolanski run 

great operations, two of the best in 

Canada. If you are looking for an outstanding 

fly in trip for walleye check out 

www.buddsgunisaolakelodge.com. 

If it’s a one day trip for walleye, consider 

driving up to Big Whiteshell Lake and 

have Bill pick you up for the trip into 

Crowduck. You can check his camp out at 

www.crowducklakecamps.com 

Either way you will be officially in walleye 

heaven! ■ 

Gunisao has plenty of big pike too! 

Incoming feeder creek means successful spawning 


YOUTH & THE OUTDOORS 

Catering to the Gung-Ho Outdoor Youngster 

BY MARK STRAND 

An awful lot of 

advice on how to 

get kids started in 

fishing and hunting 

assumes the 

kids are interested, 

but likely to 

become bored 

with the whole thing if it drags on 

past a couple hours or if a hungry 

fish does not attack every time the 

bait hits the water. For average kids, 

this is probably accurate, but there 

are gung-ho youngsters for whom 

this ‘average’ label does not apply. 

When the flame of outdoor desire burns 

strong and bright, what is the best 

approach to mentoring? Is it possible to 

burn out natural-born fanatics by giving 

them too much, too soon? And is it 

always obvious which kids are fired up 

and which ones are inclined to dip their 

toes in the water? 

We explored this topic with Jason 

Mitchell, who was as avid a young fisherman 

and hunter as rural North Dakota ever 

produced. He grew up wanting nothing 

more than to be on the water and in the 

field as much as possible. In adulthood, he 

became a full-time guide and eventually 

host of his own outdoor television show. 

Jason has a gift for teaching young 

beginners how to fish and hunt, and it’s a 

critically important role that he takes 

seriously. We think you’ll agree that his 

thoughts on catering to the gung-ho outdoor 

youngster are worth hearing. 

Q: Do you think it’s obvious to see that a 

youngster is gung-ho about hunting and 

fishing, or are some kids hard to read? 

Jason: One thing I’ve really noticed while 

guiding is that some kids can be shy, or 

just quiet, about how excited they are. 

We’ll be having this bang-up day, catching 

lots of fish, and I’m kind of disappointed 

that the kids don’t seem to be having that 

much fun. Then we get home and I check 

my Facebook and the kid says he had the 

time of his life and “here’s a picture of me 

with my big walleye from Devils Lake.” 

Sometimes it’s not cool for kids to let 

people know they’re excited, so you have 

to know some kids don’t really show it on 

the outside. 


Q: Do you have any tips for helping people 

read their own kids in this regard? 

Jason: One of the best ways to find out 

what they really think is to ask if they 

would like to go again. If they make 

excuses to avoid going again, you can tell 

it might not be for them. Some kids are 

just not outdoors people—but fishing can 

bring so much to anybody, that I think 

we should expose them to it and see. 

Even if they don’t say much, if their eyes 

light up when you ask whether they want 

to go again, you know they’re excited 

about it. 

Q: There’s an old saying in dog training 

that you should “put ‘em back in the kennel 

wanting to do more” so that even the 

most naturally driven puppy remains 

excited during training. In other words, 

you should not just keep throwing 

retrieves until finally the puppy doesn’t 

seem interested anymore. When it comes 

to gung-ho kids and the outdoors, do you 

think this principle might apply, or 

should you just provide as many hours in 

the field as humanly possible? 

Jason: I think it’s just like dog training. I 

think you should put them back in the 

kennel before they get tired of doing it, 

but at the same time, I think that most 

living circumstances automatically kennel 

those kids before they would get 

burned out. They still have to go to 

school, a lot of them play sports or do 

other activities, and usually it means 

they can only go fishing on some of the 

weekends. Life sort of sets up those 

parameters, and the gung-ho kids end up 

not getting as much as they want. They 

figure out ways to drag their parents 

along, by asking to do more. 

Q: So your take is that gung-ho kids will 

run into plenty of obstacles that keep 

them from getting so much outdoor time 

that they would get burned out on it. But 

how about this one: even with kids who 

are excited to go, should you draw some 

lines when it comes to less-than-ideal 

weather conditions? You plan to go fishing, 

and you wake up and it’s cold, windy, 

and raining. Do you just zip up the 

raingear tight and take the kid anyway? 

Do you stay out there if they seem to be 

having fun, or do you cut it short to guard 

It’s not always easy to tell which kids are gung-ho about hunting 

and fishing, but Jason Mitchell suggests asking them if they’d 

like to go again, and paying close attention to the answer. As 

long as the weather is favorable, he also says, it’s hard to tame 

the drive in enthusiastic kids. 

against them having a bad experience and 

maybe losing some of their gung-ho-ness? 

Jason: I think you gotta be awfully careful 

with that. If you stay out there and 

the kids are miserable, wet, freezing 

cold, it can get imprinted in their 

minds, and it can be hard to get them 

excited about going again next time. As 

they get older, after they have already 

had a lot of good days out there, if they 

go enough they’re going to experience 

rough weather, big waves on the lake, 

deer hunting in the snow, and they will 

probably cope with the conditions just 

fine. When it comes to bad weather, I 

think you have to wait until they get to 

that stage where they are taking you, 

rather than the other way around. 

Truthfully, crummy weather has the 

potential to turn kids away from fishing 

and hunting before they get to the point 

where they really love it and it becomes 

a part of who they are. ■ 

There’s more to say on this subject, so 

next time we’ll continue with part 2 of 

Catering to the Gung-Ho Outdoor Youngster. 

Notes: Follow Jason Mitchell and his TV 

show (9 a.m. Sundays on Fox Sports North 

and Fox Sports Midwest) at www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com 

and 

www.facebook.com/JasonMitchellOutdoors.

�� 

�� 

Budding anglers will delight in Manitoba’s Li’l Angler program for kids. 

Geared toward children 12 and younger, the program encourages 

novice anglers to get hooked on fi shing and gain a little recognition. 

It’s easy and it’s fun! 

For more information on the Li’l Angler Award Program, contact: 

Jeanette Kosie 

Li’l Angler Program Administrator 

1-204-927-7807 or 1-800-665-0040 ext. 7807


Kids, catfish and hotdogs… what a day! 

BY STEVEN WINTEMUTE 

Some of the best times I 

have had fishing—and I 

have experienced some 

un-believable fishing—is 

when I get a chance to 

take out kids. 

Today we decided to head to Lockport 

Manitoba in hopes of landing a few MON- 

STER channel catfish. On this trip I had 

my good friend Scott and his son 

Emerson, my youngest daughter Kate and 

Paulina, an exhange student from Mexico 

staying with us. After a quick 20 minute 

drive we were launching the boat at Cats 

on the Red. Once the lifejackets were on 

and the boat was full of snacks, we headed 

out to one of our many productive spots. 

It didn’t take long before Emerson landed 

the first fish of the day. High fives 

were exchanged, pictures were taken and 

the smiles just kept getting bigger. After a 

quick move down river Paulina hooked 

into a MONSTER catfish of her own. This 

was Paulina’s first catfish and probably 

will not be her last. The looks on the kids’ 

faces as she guided the fish into the net 

was priceless. 

After a great afternoon of fishing we 

decided to treat the kids to some hotdogs 

and ice cream. Not just any hotdogs, we 

were treating them to Skinner’s world 

famous foot long hotdogs. Skinner’s is 

located about a stone’s throw from where 

we were fishing and we couldn’t think of 

a better way to end our day. 

So next time your son or daughter asks 

you to take them fishing make sure you 

take advantage of it and take them out to 

do battle with some big o’l cats on the 

mighty Red River. By taking time to introduce 

children to fishing and trying your 

best to make sure it is a successful day on 

the water, you may end up with a fishing 

buddy for life. ■ 


A FEW TIPS & TRICKS WHEN FISHING WITH KIDS: 

Fishing with kids is a lot of fun but it can also be a little demanding. Over the last few years I 

have figured a few things out to make sure the KIDS enjoy the fishing as much as I do. 

1. Target areas with a high 

likelihood of success. Start 

by finding a good place to 

fish close to home. By close 

to home I mean within an 

hour drive. The last thing 

you need is restless kids in 

a boat. One of my favorite 

places to take my kids fishing 

is in Lockport or Selkirk 

Manitoba. Both of these 

towns sit on the mighty Red 

River. The Red River is 

home to monster channel 

catfish, huge walleyes and 

about 12 other species of 

fish. You are almost guaranteed 

to catch fish on the 

Red River. Catching a few 

fish on the first few outings 

will pique your child’s interest 

and make them look 

forward to the next trip. 

2. Use live bait to increase 

the chance of catching a 

fish. Plus we all know kids 

love worms. 

3. Bring snacks, sunscreen, 

insect repellent and first aid 

basics. This will make your 

trip comfortable for everyone. 

4. Provide them with simple 

tackle in working order. 

Nothing can be more discouraging 

to a child than 

complicated equipment or 

equipment that doesn’t 

work. Consider giving the 

child their own fishing outfit 

but make sure it is of 

decent quality. You don’t 

fish with a Scooby Doo rod 

do you? 

5. Above all else, have 

patience. You will be unsnagging 

lines, baiting 

hooks, and landing fish for 

them often. On your fishing 

trips with youngsters, they 

will get dirty, fall down or 

even get a little wet. Hey 

that’s what kids do, and 

unfortunately some adults I 

have fished with.

May Long Weekend Mania! 

At a rustic Northern Ontario Bush Camp, the author encountered the worst weather but the best fishing. 

BY MORGAN PAQUETTE 

As we hit the highway that 

day, the bed of our truck 

laden down with fishing 

gear and duffels, I felt so 

pumped. It was opening 

day of fishing in Ontario 

in 2009. It was the 4th year I had been to 

Pickerel Creek Fishing Camp in Northern 

Ontario and this time, we had invited 

along my friend Mitchell and his Dad. 

They were great fisherman and knew how 

to fillet fish so we decided they would be 

a good companion. 

We left the city [Winnipeg] at about 

10am and got to the camp at about 

5:00pm. We had a good chat with the 

lodge owner, Dave and then headed into 

our cabin. As soon as we had unpacked, 

we sat down and started playing cards. As 

I looked outside, we saw snow blowing all 

over the front lawn. After a few hours, the 

other fishermen arrived. There was 

Bobby and his son Christen, Louis and 

Sam, and Tony and Nathaniel. After a 

few short introductions we hit the sheets. 

I slept sound from midnight until 

about 6:30 when Louis dragged Mitch and 

I out of bed. After waking up, we looked 

outside to see the ground layered in 

about 6 inches of snow. Grumbling, we 

bundled up and started brushing snow off 

the gear. An hour later we walked down 

to the marina, my dad put the boat in 

and we pushed off from the dock, laden 

down with gear. The water was pretty 

high so we sailed through the water for a 

few thousand yards. As the boat reached 

the mouth of the creek, the water got too 

low and we were forced to push it. 

Swearing, my dad stripped down to his 

underwear and waded into the water. As 

he pushed the boat into deeper water, he 

swore like a banshee at the cold water. 

When he finally got it into the clear he 

hopped on board and was in the process 

of drying himself off when he spilled his 

coffee over the edge, his only hope of 

true warmth. 

After we got it all sorted out, we hit the 

lake. As we pounded across the calm, 

frigid water I was thinking to myself that 

maybe this would not be the day to fish. 

We got to the creek on the other side of 

the lake and dropped our rods, confident 

there would be fish sitting in the warm 

water of the creek. After an hour of nothing, 

and still bitterly cold, we finally got 

some bites. Mitchell caught a jack fish 

and we caught a few small walleyes and 

some really small perch. Then, feeling 

lucky, we headed over to Johnny Rock [a 

rock that got its name when my dad’s 

friend John ran into it with his boat and 

flipped over, amidst the yells of his buddies 

on shore.] There, we caught a few 15 

or so inch walleyes which we added to 

the line of pike. 

After that, we headed over to the lunch 

spot. It got a bit warmer and I practiced 

my casting while we cooked lunch. As we 

ate, I slipped off my socks and put on my 

sandals to let my feet air out as they were 

very wet and cold after a long morning in 

the boat, which had leaky rivets. After 

that, we ate a long lunch. If there was one 

word to describe greasy onion rings, 

steamy fries, Bush Beans and pike and 

walleye after a brutal morning of fishing, 

it would be WOW. The warm food stuck 

right to the inside of our ribs and soon we 

were done. 

As the adults had a little lunchtime 

nap on shore, I put on fresh wool socks. I 

love putting on fresh wool socks at 

lunchtime because you feel like a new 

man, fresh and energized. As we loaded 

the coolers I could not help but notice 

that the snow was melted away. It was 

definitely getting warmer as we pulled 

away from the shore. 

We fished offshore until the others left 

and then we floated down the spit of land 

to the end. We put our rods into the 

water and at that moment I began to 

work on my technique. My technique is 

that whenever we fish, I sleep and then 

proceed to catch the biggest fish of a particular 

species. As I sat back, the rays of 

sun beaming into the water, I could 

almost feel the fish coming. About 30 

minutes later, I woke up to find no one 

had caught anything and I stared deeply 

into the water waiting for the fish to 

come. After a minute, I saw my rod bend 

suddenly, nearly under the boat. I stood 

up laughing and let the fish run. After a 

minute or two, we brought it in and netted 

it: it was a 12 inch perch, the biggest 

I had ever caught. 

For the next 20 minutes, we all caught 

The author with a beautiful walleye 

about eight or nine 12 inch perch back to 

back. With our chains full of excellent 

perch we floated back over to the mouth 

of the creek. At first it was the same dreary 

results but after a few minutes, I got an 

18 inch walleye and a 20 inch pike, a real 

fighter despite its mini size for a pike. 

Then it was blank again and we spent 

the next 5 or 6 hours floating up and 

down the spit. At about 4:30, as the sun 

began to set on the water we headed over 

to the final spot of the day. After only 10 

minutes, we started nailing fish again. 

Walleye after walleye, perch after perch, 

pike after pike, they all came and went. 

Satisfied, we headed to the docks and 

filleted the fish. Bobby cooked up the fish 

well and made a nice pot of soup and my 

dad contributed by making a great deer 

steak. It was a great dinner and as I sat 

back in my chair and the adults went for 

another nap, obviously leaving us the task 

of dishes. 

I knew I had experienced the best day 

of Northern Ontario fishing I had had in 

my life and may ever have. It was great 

because Mother Nature provided something 

spectacular out of nothing. The 

next day, our last day on the water, we 

caught nothing all day, a few small bites 

was all we got. I guess it was just Mother 

Nature’s way to give someone else the 

opportunity we had, and as we headed 

home at the end of the weekend, I could 

only think what would happen next opening 

day. ■ 



Two Stories from 

One Young Angler! 

BY MIKKEL GRABINSKI 

The Smaller the Better! 

Mikkel with a nice Pike. 

Big fish aren’t 

my thing, 

especially 

when it comes 

to ice fishing. 

For me, landing a monster 

Pike, or Muskie, isn’t 

that great of a feeling, but 

when I pull out a monster 

Perch or Crappie, what an 

adrenaline rush. 

For most people, hearing 

the drag making out of 

control buzzes and seeing 

the rod tip bent like a circle 

is crazy, but for me, 

seeing the rod going down 

1-2 inches and not hearing 

the drag is fun. 

I love catching Panfish, 

and the odd big fish, but 

catching a monster Pike on 

a 1/16 ounce Jig tipped 

with 2 Maggots, that’s cool. 

This happened last 

December, I was jigging for 

Perch when all of the sudden 

something hit my jig 

and was swimming all over, 

I knew it wasn’t a Perch, 


and I knew it was something 

big. 

The drag on my 

Shimano Sienna reel was 

going out of control, and 

my light action rod was 

bent so far I was sure it 

would snap. 

After a 47 minute fight, I 

managed to pull the monstrous 

Pike out of the hole, 

fishing in 28 feet of water, 

what a blast it was. 

After this, when I knew 

that there were some big 

fish around, I changed my 

lure to a 3/8 Chartreuse 

Jig, tipped with a salty, and 

set up a dead stick with 

that same 1/16 ounce 

Chartreuse Jig tipped with 

2 Maggots, and what a surprise, 

every single fish that 

hit my lure in the next 30 

minutes was a Pike on that 

tiny lure! 

I landed 8 Pike, all in 

the 30’s, on that little jig, 

and not one of them got 

off, nor bent the hook. 

As the day went on, I 

landed about 6 more 

Pike, and 11 Perch, all 

on the smaller jig, not 

even one bite on the 

3/8 ounce. 

I decided to try something 

different; maybe it 

was because of the bait, I 

was using a Minnow on the 

3/8 ounce, and Maggots on 

the other. 

So I used Maggots on 

the bigger Jig, and a 

Minnow on the other, sure 

enough, this did not make 

a difference what so ever. 

I also thought that maybe 

it was the spot it was 

over, so I switched holes, 

but that too didn’t make 

a difference. 

The fish clearly like the 

smaller Northland Jig, 

which was weird. 

It just goes to show that a 

lot of the time, smaller is 

better. I’ll make sure that 

next time I’m fishing that 

lake; I’ll be using a 1/16 

ounce Northland 

Chartreuse Jig tipped with 

2 Maggots. At the end of the 

day, I had 11 Pike, 17 

Perch, 3 Walleye, and 1 

Maria, all on the smaller Jig. 

Between me and my 

partner, we landed 48 fish, 

41 of which were on the 

small Jig. 

Something that people 

reading this might want to 

try out is that Northland 

1/16 ounce Chartreuse Jig, 

and see if it really works 

that well, or if I was having 

pure luck. ■ 

Lesson Learned 

Ilearned something new on the May 

Long Weekend, and that was that 

casting your line into the deeps 

isn’t necessarily better than trying to 

catch something in the shallow water. 

Me and my brother decided that we 

were going to go fishing Monday Morning. 

It was a cold and windy day so we decided 

not to go out in the boat, but to just cast a 

line off the dock we had just put out and 

see what would happen. I never really 

fished off docks, because I always thought 

fishing out of a boat was the way to go. 

We casted our Pickerel Rigs with some 

Salted Minnows, and within a minute of 

dropping our lines into 2 feet of water, we 

had nibbles. They were bitting super lightly, 

so it was hard to know when to set the 

hook. We didn’t get out until about noon, 

so we figured the bite wouldn’t be all that 

great. We were wrong, we were catching 

alot of Striped and Silver Bass, Some 

Walleye, Goldeye, Perch and Bullhead. The 

best thing about that day was catching my 

first Master Angler Silver Bass, but not 

only one, four! That was fun, reeling in a 

28 inch fat one with the drag buzzing 

madly. That was one of the best fighting 

fish I’ve ever had to deal with. 

We experimented with Crank Baits, Jigs, 

Spinners, Grubs, Rigs and all sorts of 

things, everything was catching. We also 

tried casting into deeper water as opposed 

to shallow, and the deeper water caught 

tons more. In the four hours we fished, we 

caught 59 fish between the two of us. Thats 

a pretty good day for off the dock. It took 

me way too long to learn that, because I 

think ill be doing much more off-shore fishing 

this summer, its easier, cheaper and to 

me funner than being in a boat! 

For those who swear by fishing in the 

middle of the lake on a boat, make sure 

you cast a line off shore this summer to 

know how great it really is. Maybe I was 

having an awesome day, but it was one of 

the funnest fishing days ever. Thanks for 

reading and happy fishing. ■

Kids! 

The Manitoba Moose have generously 

donated prizes for our Hooked Kids section! 

So send in your pictures for a chance to win! 

Winners will be notified via email. 

Create moments that 

last a lifetime. Take a 

kid fishing today! 

Email your pictures to: 

hookedmediainc@shaw.ca 

This Issue’s 

Winner! 


The popular Winnipeg 

marine and power sports 

dealer Winnipeg Sport 

and Leisure, located on Dugald 

Road in the city, has expanded 

business recently and opened a 

spectacular new store in 

Kenora. Called Sport and 

Leisure, the new Kenora store 

has some superb local talent 

available to look after your 

every boating need. 

Located conveniently right off 

of HWY. 17 West on the way 

into Kenora, Sport and Leisure 

has a new, modern, shop with 

some of the best mechanics in 

the area on staff. Their experienced 

sales staff can assist you if 

your looking for a new toy, as 

they are selling a several excellent 

boat brands – Skeeter, G3, 

Cobalt and Four Winns, as well 

as Yamaha ATV’s, Wave 


Runners, snowmobiles and 

motorcycles. If you are looking 

for boat electronics or trolling 

motors they also have the best 

stock of Humminbird and Minn 

Kota products in the area. 

In charge of the daily operations 

at Sport and Leisure is 

Kenora’s Steve Green. The former 

co-host of an varea fishing 

TV show, Green is one of the 

many enthusiastic anglers in the 

region. For folks that have questions 

about boats for fishing or 

questions about electronics on 

their boats, Steve is a knowledgeable 

angler that will be able to 

help you out. “The guy is a wizard 

with electronics in fishing, 

one of the best that I have seen, 

and a guy that taught me a lot 

about how to use them and read 

what they are telegraphing” says 

Kenora angler Jeff Gustafson. 

Advertorial 

Sport and Leisure hits Kenora 

The mechanical staff is available 

five days a week to do any 

kind of repair work on any 

brand of boat or motor. This 

includes warranty work, insurance 

claims as well as general 

repairs. The unique thing is that 

they have mechanics that specialize 

in different motor brands 

so no job is to big. Their goal is 

get repair jobs done quickly so 

people can get back on the 

water as soon as possible. Parts, 

accessories, and sales are available 

Monday to Saturday. 

WSL Sport and Leisure will 

also be doing winter boat storage 

at a competitive rate. 

Services for storage include 

winterizing the boat, changing 

the oil, cleaning the boat as well 

as shrink wrapping. Anyone in 

the Lake of the Woods/Kenora 

area should consider bringing 

their boat here at the end of the 

season and it will be in good 

hands for the winter. 

Though there are already several 

marine dealerships in the 

Kenora area, the staff at Sport 

and Leisure feel that their 

emergence into the market is a 

good thing and will create 

healthy competition with everybody. 

They are aiming to provide 

the best possible customer 

service, knowing that if they do 

a good job, their business will 

be successful. 

Their grand opening took 

place July 9th and was a 

resounding success.

HALL OF FAME! 

We always like seeing proof of a hard-to-believe fish tale. Send us your pics and and get bragging rights over your buddies! 

Email your pictures to: hookedmediainc@shaw.ca or mail to Hooked Media Inc., 42 Sand Point Bay, Winnipeg MB R2W 1K3 


40 Days & 40 Nights... the Sequel 

BY ROB FURUTANI 

Wanted… Large boat 

300 cubits x 50 

cubits x 30 cubits. 

Need by the opening 

of the 2011 

Saskatchewan 

Walleye Trail season. With all the flooding of 

the lakes in southern Saskatchewan this was 

likely a common request in the classifieds as 

it seemed that the second coming of Noah’s 

Ark would be needed. 

Last Mountain Lakes shoreline rose over 

12 feet and took out numerous boat houses and docks and flooded 

many cottages along its banks. The Regina Beach Yacht Club 

was flooded and the marina was severely damaged. Lake 

Diefenbaker was at its highest levels ever as water was lapping at 

the top of both the Qu’Appelle and Gardiner dams. So it was 

quite the auspicious start to the SWT Season. 

The first tournament held on Lake Diefenbaker on May 28th 

and 29th was a go but the Regina Beach Lions club tournament 

that was to be held on Last Mountain Lake the following weekend 

2011 SWT Sponsors 


Your Boat Wrap Specialist! 

230 Hodsman Rd., Regina, SK 

PH: (306) 545-2212 

had to be cancelled due to high flood waters 

and safety concerns. Ken Peters and Regina 

Beach Lions club looked at alternatives but 

came to really the only decision they could 

make and that was to cancel due to safety. 

Conditions all over southern Saskatchewan 

are in dire straits. Farmers are seriously considering 

farming salmon instead crops as their 

fields are looking more and more like one of 

Saskatchewan’s many lakes. With more water 

expected to be coming from Alberta, the prognosis 

is not looking good. With any luck a hot 

and dry July and August might help matters so all is not lost. But 

just like in Hollywood… the show must go on. 

So with that being said lets get into the Lake Diefenbaker 

spring Classic held out of Elbow SK on May 28th and 29th. 

High water definitely has an effect on fishing here with the 

usual favourite spots being a good deal deeper and the finding 

them a lot harder. Thank God for GPS. In this tournament, 

your choice on where to start your day has perhaps 

more importance here than in most other tournaments. The 

BERGENʼS 

AUTOBODY & COLLISION CENTRE 

2206 - 1st Ave. Regina, SK 

PH: (306) 352-9500

prime spots at this time of the year are either at the 

Qu’Appelle Dam area or 30 km up the lake in Couteau Bay. 

Still others may travel west some 15 km to Sage and or 

Hitchcock. So bouncing from spot to spot can take a lot of 

time away from having your hook in the water and definitely 

add to your gas expense. 

Having said that, it can be successful for some to travel from 

one end of the lake to the other in search of the right fish. After 

Day one, Bob Schlosser and Kevin Hollerbaum came in with a 

weight of just over 22 pounds. They were fishing the Coulees at 

the Qu’Appelle dam end where traditionally the big fish hang 

out. The problem with these coulees is that there is a smaller 

amount of active fish and only a select few of boats managed to 

grind out the fish. 

Pretty much half the field was split between the Qu’Appelle 

Dam end and thirty clicks up at Couteau Bay where there are 

more fish to go around. Fishing in Couteau Bay was much more 

active as pretty much every boat caught their limit. Greg Earis 

and Cory Bjornson weighed in just over 20 pounds from 

Couteau and were placed well for day two. 

Day two had many more boats fishing in Couteau bay and 

made fishing your spot a little more crowded. Lots of fish were 

being caught but were a little smaller on average. Even so some 

decent fish were brought in. 

One change that was noticeable was that on day one jigging 

seemed to be the weapon of choice but on day two live bait rigging 

was more prevalent. Almost all fisherman were using leech- 

2011 SWT Tournaments 

Go to www.saskwalleyetrail.ca for more info. 

306.531.8498 

KEVIN’S 

MARINE LTD. 

1-306-332-5888 

www.kevinsmarine.com 

Hwy #35 Fort Qu’Appelle SK 

es to tip there hooks with a few using crawlers and even fewer 

still frozen minnows. 

Earlier I mentioned that some anglers took the gamble and started 

fishing in the coulees at the Qu’Appelle dam side and then 

make the trek to Couteau Bay. The theory behind this is get your 

big fish early in the coulees and then race to Couteau bay to get 

your slots. This tournament has been won a few times by doing 

just that and this year was no exception. Mike Coupland and partner 

Grant Pohl did this both days and their plan worked as the 

won the tournament with a combined weight of 41.96 pounds. 

Russ Tataryn and Dave Sellwood stayed in Couteau Bay both 

days and were able to battle to take second place with a combined 

weight of 37.30 pounds. Their day got a lot better with 

less that 30 min to go when they were able to land an 8 

pounder. Greg Earis and Cory Bjornson were able to maintain 

their day one placing and finished third. “It was a lot tougher 

on day two than day one but both Cory and me kept our 

patience and waited our fish out. We knew they were there and 

they would bite eventually and we just went through the numbers 

until we got the right ones. We obviously fell short on our 

goal but we are both happy with our tournament.” 

So Tournament one goes into the books as a big success even 

with the extraordinarily high water levels. Next in line is Lake 

Diefenbaker International Walleye Classic held in Sask. Landing 

Provincial Park in mid July. We will have all the updates in the 

next Hooked issue, so in the mean time keep your lines wet and 

we’ll see you on the water. ■ 

Lake Diefenbaker Classic May 28, 29 

Elbow, SK 

Regina Beach Lions Spring Classic June 4, 5 

Regina Beach, SK 

Sask.Landing International Walleye Tournament July 16, 17 

Sask. Landing Provincial Park 

Fort Quʼappelle Walleye Cup Sept 3, 4 

Fort Qu’appelle, SK. 

Last Mountain Fall Walleye Classic Sept 9, 10 

Rowans Ravine, SK 

www.pklures.com 

1-307-256-7083 


NEW PRODUCTS 

BY DUSTIN RHODES 

New for 2012 Lucky Strike will be offering the 

colour “Fire Tiger” in some of their most popular 

spoons. Fire Tiger is a very labour intensive 

colour to paint but also a “Must Have” in our 

business. Despite it being hard to paint I would 

consider it one of the easiest decisions I’ve had 

to make… “Do you want to see Fire Tiger in a 

Canoe Spoon… YES!” 


Also new for 2012 is the Long John Flutter 

Spoon. It’s new to the Lucky Strike brand but 

actually dates back to the 1960’s when it was 

made by a company named Algonquin 

Blanchard. Several decades ago Lucky Strike 

bought the Algonquin Blanchard company and 

all their dies. “We were searching through our 

equipment to make a lure that was thinner than 

our other spoons and came across one dusty old 

die that was exactly what we wanted” 

It is known as a Flutter Spoon because of the 

action it gives off when being trolled through the 

water. Excellent for Salmon and Lake Trout. 

(204) 338-4292 

102 Aviation Blvd. St. Andrews, MB 

5 Miles North of Winnipeg on #8 Hwy.

YEARS OF 

HARD WORK 

AND WE’RE FINALLY 

GOING NOWHERE. 

Hold it right there. The all-new Talon deploys faster, anchors stronger and works harder 

to keep you on the fish. Say hello to the ultimate weapon in the battle for boat positioning. 

TALON | SHALLOW WATER ANCHOR 

FROM THE INSIDE OUT, TALON IS DESIGNED TO OUTPERFORM ANYTHING ON THE 

WATER. IT DEPLOYS QUICKER WITH ONE-TOUCH AUTO UP/DOWN, AND ANCHORS 

STRONGER WITH FEATURES LIKE AUTO-DRIVE AND ROUGH WATER MODE. 

BUILT MINN KOTA ® TOUGH WITH A SIMPLE, INTUITIVE DESIGN, TALON MAKES 

ANCHORING AUTOMATIC, SO YOU CAN STAND YOUR GROUND. 

The revolutionary Talon has arrived. See it in action at 

minnkotamotors.com/talon, or follow us on Facebook and YouTube. 


Candid Wilderness 

A young outdoor enthusiast captures fantastic natural images with his trail camera. 

It was while browsing the 

Cabela’s website in 2009 

that Matthew Walker first 

got the idea to turn a 

hunter’s tool into a way 

to more deeply connect 

with his passion for the 

outdoors and its 

wildlife—a trail camera. 

Matthew, then age 14, knew that a 

camera would add an entirely new 

and exciting dimension to his hikes 

and outdoor adventures, and broaden 

his knowledge of wildlife and their 

movements. He went to his parents 

and talked about it, and what he 

thought he’d do with a camera if he 

had it. Eager to support his natural 

curiosity and love of the outdoors, 

Matthew’s parents made sure a trail 

camera found its way under the 

Christmas Tree that year. 

The following spring, Matthew and 

his family started to trek into the 

forests around their northwest 

Ontario cabin in search of ideal 

places to set up the camera. Says 

Matthew “We started hiking a few 

kilometers into the bush, and then 

gradually more and more, looking for 

what we thought were game trails or 

feeding areas that would attract 

wildlife”. On a weekend, Matthew and his family would scout 

a spot and set up the camera before returning to school and 

work for the week; anxiously awaiting the following weekend 

when they could return to see what images had been captured. 

It wasn’t long before their efforts paid off—with 

detailed pictures of deer, fox and bears and wolves at all 

times of the day and night. Now some 4000 photos later, 

Matthew and his family continue to capture more and more 

stunning wildlife images, sharing them amoungst extended 

family, friends and co-workers; who themselves have started 

to look forward to the latest photos each time the family 

returns from the cabin. 

Some of the most memorable photos to date include scenes 

from a small creek that joins two remote lakes. “We saw 

suckers spawning by the hundreds in the shallow water, and 

figured that would likely attract a lot of wildlife” says 

Matthew, though he admits that what they found when they 

downloaded the photos off the camera a week later was 

beyond what they could have imagined. “It was really cool. 

We saw dozens of pelicans scooping up whole suckers in their 

bills and swallowing them. There were groups of eagles that 

would come through and grab fish with their talons, and even 

a black bear and her cubs came down to fish!” One of 

Matthew’s favorite photos to date is of a very special young 

buck. “I like to shed hunt [the practice of finding and retrieving 

the antlers that deer, elk and moose shed—or drop— 


BY SCOTT SIME 

Trail Cameras 

Trail cameras are rugged, weatherproof remote 

digital cameras that record images (either video 

or photo) when a motion sensor and/or heat signal 

is detected. Popular with hunters to scout potential 

hunting areas pre-season, they are increasingly 

becoming popular with outdoor enthusiasts 

wanting to explore and photograph wildlife in 

their natural environment. 

every year]. My mom and I hiked for 

14 kilometers one Saturday this 

spring looking for sheds, and just 

before we were going to turn back, 

we found a matching pair of whitetail 

antlers”. While finding a matching 

pair of sheds from the same animal 

is exciting enough (they often 

shed their antlers days or weeks 

apart), when going through their 

trail camera images a while later, 

they were amazed to find a close up 

image of the buck still wearing the 

very antlers they found! 

Also this spring, Matthew went on a 

shed hunt with well-known tournament 

angler and guide Jeff “Gussy” 

Gustafson. “Jeff is an amazing shed 

hunter, and taught me a lot about 

sheds, but also about different techniques 

for using trail cameras and getting 

better pictures”. Matthew is 

already putting those lessons to work, 

and this year hopes to get some very 

close up pictures of deer during the 

rut. He is also hoping to photograph a 

moose, lynx and fisher, and will soon 

be setting up a blog to share his learnings 

and photos. 

Regardless of what photos Matthew’s 

new trail camera captures this year 

(he recently upgraded to a camera 

with higher image resolution and that can also record video), 

one thing that is clear is the rewarding experience the camera 

has created for Matthew and his family. “I love spending time 

outdoors and learning new things, and I love spending time with 

my family. I get to do both with the camera, and it also gives me 

something interesting I can share with my friends.” ■ 

Get The Picture! 

Helpful tips for using a trail camera 

Purchase the best 

camera you can 

afford. You really do 

get what you pay for. 

Always try and 

explore with a 

buddy, and make 

sure people know 

where you’re going 

and when you plan 

to be back. 

Come prepared 

with good foot wear, 

GPS with extra batteries 

(to record the 

location of where 

you leave the camera 

and to find your 

way back), a compass 

(a back up to 

the GPS), water, granola 

bars or other 

energy foods, and a 

noise maker (whistle 

or horn). 

Have an extra 

memory card with 

you, so if you plan 

to leave your camera 

in one place you 

can simply swap 

memory cards 

Place your camera 

at about waist height 

around a tree or similar 

stand, and try to 

place in an area that 

where it cannot be 

readily seen by other 

people (cameras do 

get stolen). The 

more remote the 

area, the better! 

(maybe a picture of 

a hand held GPS?)

Summer | HOOKED | 25

26 | HOOKED | Summer 2011

Summer | HOOKED | 27

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 


�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

Catch the Big One 

in the Whiteshell 

BY TRAVEL MANITOBA 

Whiteshell Provincial Park is 

an outdoor playground for 

adventure enthusiasts. 

The rocky outcrops and lush forests 

of the Precambrian Shield are a stunning 

backdrop for the park’s 200 lakes. 

While the park is a favourite for hikers, 

cyclists and water sport enthusiasts, it is 

also known for its incredible fishing. 

With most lakes accessible by car in two 

hours or less, the Whiteshell beacons 

both the experienced and casual anglers, 

with its abundance of walleye, northern 

pike, perch, smallmouth bass and lake 

trout. 

Both the lakes and rivers in the 

Whiteshell offer dynamite fishing, as 

current favourable conditions are keeping 

the fish biting. On the Winnipeg 

River, the trophy smallmouth bass seem 

to bite at every chance and they are 

equally as active on Horseshoe Lake, 

while Crowduck Lake is known for hit 

after hit walleye action. The Manitoba 

Master Angler record book is packed 

with entries from the Whiteshell. The 

all-time record for perch (at 40.64 cm) 

and rock bass (at 40.64 cm) were both 

snagged in the Winnipeg River. And 

with the Whiteshell’s range of accommodation 

options from camping to rustic 

resorts and luxury lodges, you are never 

far from the action. 

The Whiteshell Fish Hatchery provides 

a unique look into how Manitoba 

Fisheries ensures top notch fishing in 

the Whiteshell well into the future. The 

Hatchery Interpretive Centre shows how 

walleye, trout, sturgeon and other 

species are raised to replenish stocks, 

not only in the Whiteshell, but throughout 

Manitoba’s top stocked sport fishing 

waters. 

Visit www.travelmanitoba.com 

for more information on planning your 

Whiteshell fishing getaway. ■ 

Fast Friendly 

Repair Service! 

authorized service depot for 

MINN KOTA trolling 

motors 

and 

Humminbird 

fish finders. 

ACCREDITED 

BUSINESS 

3220 Portage Avenue, Phone: (204) 831-0862 

www.videorefitshop.com

Avoiding the 

Hang-ups 

BY JAMIE ROBINSON 

Walleyes and snags 

go hand in hand. 

Over the years, I 

have fished many 

lakes and especially 

reservoirs 

that it was near impossible to move 

mere feet without being hung up. 

From these experiences, I started utilizing 

a few simple techniques that 

helped save precious time retying 

yet still allowed me to cover as much 

water as possible while searching 

for walleyes. 

One of my favourite techniques that 

accomplishes this goal is to slowly troll 

around 1 mph with a bottom bouncer 

and a floating rig. Most people will run 

spinners behind bottom bouncers, but 

spinners sink and therefore, you 

guessed it, more snags. For the floating 

rig, I prefer very simple set-ups like the 

tackle made by the Yakima Bait 

Company including the Lil Corky or 

Spin-N-Glo placed ahead of a #4 hook 

with the bait of your choice. The 

buoyancy of the Lil Corky and Spin-N 

Glo lifts your bait off bottom which 

helps avoid numerous snags. Another 

more important aspect of this set-up, is 

that you can actually come to complete 

stops while trolling and the bait will 

simply hover in front of the fish. I 

have done this on numerous occasions 

while either just missing a bite or when 

marking fish on my Humminbird electronics. 

This technique has definitely 

helped me boat more walleyes. A few 

other key points to remember are to 

use bottom bouncers that keeps your 

line angle at approximately 45 degrees 

and to only let enough line out so the 

bottom bouncer will touch bottom 

when you drop your rod tip 6” to 8”. A 

very convenient bottom bouncer to use 

is the ones developed by Fin-tech 

Tackle. The Fin-tech bottom bouncers 

come with interchangeable weights, 

allowing you to quickly change the 

TECHNOLOGY LOCATION GEAR SCIENCE 

weight for varying depths and save you 

time tying. 

I also use a very similar technique 

while live bait rigging with no snag 

sinkers. For this method, I prefer Lil 

Corky’s or similar round floating beads 

placed before your desired hook. This 

technique ensures that your bait stays 

off the bottom and once again you can 

stop or feed line allowing the bait to 

hover in front of the fish. I have had 

great success with this method while 

live bait rigging minnows. The minnows 

actually will fight the Lil Corky’s 

floating action, which in turn adds 

another way of attracting walleyes to 

your presentation. The sinkers I find 

the most useful for this technique are 

INSIDER TIPS 

TECHNIQUE 

“A few other key points to remember are 

to use bottom bouncers that keeps your 

line angle at approximately 45 degrees 

and to only let enough line out so the 

bottom bouncer will touch bottom when 

you drop your rod tip 6” to 8”. 

the Tech Stiks manufactured by Fintech. 

Tech Stiks also come with interchangeable 

weights and a buoyant rattle 

chamber which adds a little sound to 

your rig. 

If you feel you must fish with spinners, 

you do have a few options to try. 

First shorten your leader length and try 

the spinners that incorporate floats 

instead of beads for their body. A few I 

have had success with include the 

Yakima Bait Company’s Walleye Magic 

and Northland Tackle’s Baitfish-Image 

Float’N Spin. 

This summer don’t be afraid to fish the 

nasty structure, just adapt your technique 

and get ready to set the hook into a 

walleye and not a snag. ■ 


NEW PRODUCTS 

The Talon! 

Shallow water anchor allows you to fish precisely and effectively 

BY DARRIN BOHONIS 

Every once in a while a product 

comes along that gives you that 

extra edge. Whether a technology 

such as Side Imaging® and 

Down Imaging sonar from 

Humminbird® that enables you to 

explore in picture-like detail the 

underwater environment, or Minn 

Kota’s iPilot that helps define the 

meaning of boat control. 

With the introduction of the new 

Talon shallow water anchor, Minn Kota® 

again proves its commitment in leading 

the way through innovation and design. 

Instead of taking a “me too” approach 

in the shallow water anchor market, Minn 

Kota raises the bar and sets the standard 

in this unique category. 

First, let’s take a step back to discuss 

the concept of a shallow water anchor and 

how it can benefit you as an angler. 

Although the shallow water anchor market 

has a following in the southern saltwater 

flats, tournament Bass anglers soon 

took notice to the benefits of this stealthy 

anchoring concept. By being able to pull 

up to a dock, submerged timber, weed 

edge or rock pile without the worry of 

drifting past the target area or having to 

reposition the boat with your trolling 

motor, a shallow water anchor enables you 

to fish an area precisely and effectively. 


Talon gives you the ability to “set your 

position on a dime” to fish with precision 

with the simple press of a button. 

At first glance, Talon certainly catches 

the curiosity of many people. Positioned 

on the transom, the concept is relatively 

simple. Within the external self-contained 

design rests a fiberglass reinforced composite 

spike. With a one-touch press of the 

wireless remote or by pressing the external 

button on the unit itself, the two-stage 

deployment extends the spike vertically 

until it comes in contact with the bottom. 

Bright blue LED lights indicate the depth at 

which the spike is deployed – 1 LED for 

each foot of depth to a maximum 8'4" on 

the 8' model and 6'4" on the 6' model. 

At this point, the Auto-Drive initiates a 

series of three successive increases in force 

to drive the spike, ensuring secure positioning. 

To retract the system, another single 

press of the remote retracts the spike 

quickly and securely within the housing. 

Instead of holding down a button and 

waiting, this fully automatic Auto Up/Down 

feature allows you to spend more time 

fishing. By the way, did I mention the 

spike carries a lifetime guarantee? 

A significant difference that sets Talon 

ahead of the competition is its electro 

mechanical design. As opposed to a 

hydraulic system that runs the risk of 

leaking seals, Talon simply installs much 

like your electric trolling motor with the 

connection of a single wire cable to your 

battery. There’s no worry about where to 

store a hydraulic pump and motor that 

can take up valuable storage space—not 

to mention the added shop time and cost 

of installation. 

Talon can be mounted directly on to the 

transom or to an adaptor mounting bracket 

for your specific boat design. 

In rough water situations, Talon features 

a built in Wave Absorption suspension. 

Additionally, you can also set the 

system to Rough Water Mode which performs 

three Auto-Drive sequences in 10 

second intervals. This ensures a positive 

lock on the bottom… and let me tell you— 

it works! 

At the Sturgeon Bay Open Bass 

Tournament earlier this Spring, we were 

faced with some pretty windy conditions. 

In fact the second day of the tournament 

was canceled due to the high winds. All 

around us we noticed teams working their 

trolling motors on high or attempting to 

anchor with time consuming effort. I even 

noticed some anglers with competitive 

shallow water anchors attempting to maintain 

their boat position. However given 

the windy conditions we were facing, they 

were continually forced to reposition

amongst the crowd, as they couldn’t hold 

themselves in the wind. 

Talon enabled us to pull up to a location, 

work it effectively and then move on 

to reposition elsewhere at the time of our 

choosing. On a few occasions we had 

anglers around us ask in disbelief how we 

were able to hold ourselves. We simply 

smiled and pointed to the Talons. To say 

it made a difference in being able to work 

an area effectively in an otherwise difficult 

fishing situation is an understatement. 

Top Canadian pro angler Jeff “Gussy” 

Gustafson can also attest to the benefits of 

the Minn Kota Talon. “The Talon is a tool 

that once you have it and use it, you will 

never have a boat without one again. The 

applications are endless and it’s amazing 

how quickly it deploys and retracts. If you 

make the investment on a Talon, you won’t 

regret it. In fact, you’ll probably want two!” 

If you think the Talon is just for Bass fishing? 

Think again. Gussy also shares some 

additional insight from a recent outing. 

“It really shined for me one afternoon a 

couple weeks ago when I was fishing shallow 

Crappies with a friend. We drifted 

through some pencil reeds and could see a 

bunch of fish in really shallow water. The 

wind was blowing just hard enough that it 

was pushing us through the area too quickly. 

The initial drift tipped us off to a small 

pocket in the weeds where about 50 

Crappie were sitting. When we turned 

around to reposition, we deployed the 

Talon and proceeded to lay into a bunch of 

slab Crappie. We would not have caught 

them without the Talon on my boat.” 

Walleye anglers alike can also take advantage 

of Talon’s benefits. Whether pitching 

Positioned on the transom, the concept is relatively simple. 

Within the external self-contained design rests a fiberglass 

reinforced composite spike. With a one-touch press of the 

wireless remote or by pressing the external button on the 

unit itself, the two-stage deployment extends the spike vertically 

until it comes in contact with the bottom. 

jigs into cabbage weeds or holding off a submerged 

rock pile or simply maintaining your 

position on a shallow flat, the ability to 

anchor yourself in shallow water with the 

press of a button will make you a more efficient 

and effective shallow water angler. 

From the saltwater flats of the south to 

northern Canadian lakes and everywhere in 

between, once you incorporate Minn Kota’s 

Talon into your fishing tactics, you’ll be 

amazed to the added applications it offers. 

Talon comes complete with two wireless 

remotes and a comprehensive 2 Year 

Warranty with a Lifetime Guarantee on 

the spike. 

If you’re looking for that extra edge 

this season, look no further than 

Minn Kota’s Talon. ■ 


Situated on 

beautiful 

Bird Lake in 

Nopiming 

Provincial Park 

OPEN YEAR ROUND 


Large natural 

sand beach 

with children’s 

play area 

7 fully modern LHK cabins 

with screened decks, gas barbecues, most 

with A/C and hot tubs, VCR/DVD players. 

July & August Bookings Available 

Great for Family Vacations! 

Complimentary canoes, paddleboats, mountain bikes and kayaks. 

Excellent fishing for Walleye, Smallmouth, Northern & Perch. 

Boats, motors, lic. restaurant, 

store, gas, live bait and licenses. 

Call: (204)884-2281 

www.nopiminglodge.com 

100% 100% Locally Locally Owned Owned 

Electronics Electronics Professionals! 

Professionals! 

Humminbird, Humminbird, Minn Minn Kota, Kota, 

Standard Standard Horizon Horizon 

Open daily 

at 8am! 

Best Live Bait Selection... Selection... 

Anywhere! Anywhere! Minnows, Minnows, 

Crawlers, Crawlers, Leeches! Leeches! 

Frozen Shiners! Shiners! 

Rod & Reel Reel selection... selection... 

Second Second to None! None! 

Professional Professional Service! Service! 

Best Selection! Selection! 

Guaranteed! Guaranteed! 

Serving Winnipeg for 18 years! 

1615 Regent Avenue West Ph: 668-3245 

www.proamtackle.com proamtackle@shaw.ca

One of the most overused terms 

in fishing today is “reaction 

strike.” It seems like every time 

you turn around, someone else is 

talking about a scenario where a fish 

has been magically stimulated to bite. 

The truth, of course, is that fish strike 

baits for one primary reason—to eat. As 

anglers, we’re in the persuasion business— 

doing things with presentation that allure 

fish to bite when they otherwise wouldn’t. 

It’s actually a pretty apt description for the 

role of a lively baitfish. 

I can make an awfully convincing case 

for the supreme reaction strike triggering 

power of a live minnow, such as a meaty 

golden shiner or a creek chub, for any fish 

species, including bass and trout. But for 

now, I’ve mainly got walleyes on the 

brain—a fish that’s so fond of eating live 

minnows that you sometimes wonder why 

anglers neglect to use them throughout the 

openwater season. We’re talking about a 

critter so delectable that it actually fishes 

itself. Get one swimming and darting in 

front of a big marble eyed titan and let the 

minnow take over from there. 

Live minnows exhibit two critical characteristics 

that make them totally inimitable 

among other baits or lures: organic 

random movement and instinctive flight 

response. In the presence of predators, 

live baitfish use a set of natural, random 

escape maneuvers. These moves represent 

the most effective strike triggers in existence. 

Often, walleyes (and other species) 

simply will not ingest a bait until they’ve 

examined it for extended periods. Without 

all the little shakes, twitches and retreat 

signals performed by a living and breathing 

baitfish, you simply will not get bit. 

Which brings us back to the currently 

hallowed “reaction strike.” Assume for a 

moment that a true reaction strike is one 

that occurs only because a fish has been 

stimulated or just plain provoked to swallow 

something it wouldn’t otherwise bite. 

You can do this at times with a 

crankbait—adding jolts of speed while 

trolling or when a Rapala crankbait caroms 

off a rock or stump. You can use other 

lures to entice strikes, too—jigging spoons 

>TONY ROACH 

PRO POINTERS 

The Ultimate 

Reaction Strike 

Meat is murder… on tape-measure, ‘get the camera’ walleyes. The author wiped the smile off this fish’s face with a gigantic live chub. Photo courtesy of www.lundboats.com 

Jumbo minnows plus precision boat control equals the ultimate 

reaction strike. Author Tony Roach keeps his minnows well-oxygenated 

and accessible in the roomy and whisper quiet, 6-gallon 

Frabill Aqua-Life® Bait Station. Photo courtesy of www.frabill.com 


New wave rigging tools include neutrally buoyant swivels that enhance livebait presentations. The ahead-of-its time Bloody Red translucent 

InvisaSwivel by Aquateko is the optimum terminal tackle piece for customizing livebait rigs. Photo courtesy of www.aquateko.com 

Almost nothing in fishing 

is so exciting as 

feeling a heavy fish rip 

yards of line from your 

spool. The anticipation 

of finally setting a hook 

into what will likely be a 

real heavyweight... it 

fires me up to think 

about it, even now. 

that descend with partially random 

actions, or jig-softbait combos ripped and 

suddenly paused at arbitrary intervals. 

Even a lively leech writhing on a jighead 

beneath a float often draws a powerful 

reactionary response from otherwise uninterested 

‘eyes. 

Yet among big walleyes, nothing— 

absolutely nothing—stirs up craven 

desires to chew like a spirited, tail-kicking 

baitfish. I gotta tell you that much of my 

profession revolves around big walleyes. 

Not just because my clients and I like to 

catch them, but rather it’s because I often 

need one or two big ones for a tournament 

kicker or a promotional photo. When 

there’s real pressure to produce a horse, I 

nearly always find myself reaching into 

one of my aerated Frabill bait containers 

for a 6-inch creek chub or a mega golden 

shiner. Doesn’t matter whether it’s spring, 

summer, fall, or even if every other angler 


is using little jigs or whatever else. Big 

minnows get big bites. 

When I buy a batch of mega minnows at 

the baitshop, questions and sideways 

glances from fellow patrons always amuse 

me. Mostly, they want to know ‘what the 

heck I’m fishing for with those giant minnows?’ 

Usually people don’t even believe 

I’m offering them to walleyes, assuming 

instead that I must be after pike, catfish or 

even muskies. In spring and summer, most 

fishermen buy little “jig tipper” minnows—2 

and 3-inch fatheads, shiners or 

chubs that they believe are more manageable 

for fussy walleyes. And even in the 

fall, when anglers finally start thinking 

about big minnows, I still usually have my 

pick of the litter in the bait tanks—mongo 

6 to 8-inch creek and redtail chubs that 

others view as pike bait. 

If only they could hop into my Lund in 

June, July or August. I’d hand them a rod 

and let them feel the thrill of these baits 

getting smashed by a big walleye. Almost 

nothing in fishing is so exciting as feeling a 

heavy fish rip yards of line from your 

spool. The anticipation of finally setting a 

hook into what will likely be a real heavyweight... 

it fires me up to think about it, 

even now. 

There are a few tricks to presenting big 

minnows, of course, but success mostly 

boils down to precision boat control. Big 

walleyes often live and linger in select 

zones on structure. You’ve got to learn the 

art of the ‘hover’; using your boat as part 

of the presentation to position your minnow 

in select fish zones for extended peri- 

ods. Clearly, not all boats are created 

equal—it’s a major reason why the top 

anglers in the biz have fished from Lunds 

for so many years—Al Lindner, my uncle 

Gary Roach, Mark Martin, Ted Takasaki 

and guides like Tom Neustrom. There are 

design elements engineered right into 

these vessels that make them superior 

platforms for presenting baits to walleyes. 

Things like IPS hulls and reverse chines 

aren’t just fancy terms meant to impress 

people – they really do enhance your ride, 

stabilizing and slowing your drift in all 

conditions. And I love the fact that the big 

captain chair in my Pro-V feels like a 

throne, providing a comfortable place from 

which to feed hefty walleyes big minnows. 

Go with simple rigging—sliding bullet 

sinker, an InvisaSwivel for line-twist management 

and neutral buoyancy, a 3 to 10foot 

fluorocarbon leader and a snelled #2 

VMC hook. Just nip the hookpoint into the 

bait’s mouth and out through one of its 

nasal openings. This method does no harm 

to the minnow, which will reward you with 

unending tail-kicking, walleye alluring 

movements. 

Rig one, and you’ll learn a whole new 

meaning for the term “reaction strike.” ■ 

Specializing in mid-range 

fishing supplies for Walleye, 

Northern Pike, Bass, Trout 

and Channel Catfish! 

Come check out our great selection of 

Shimano, Abu Garcia, Pflueger, Berkley, 

Rapala, Shakespeare, Mack's Lure, 

Strike King, Northland, Plano, 

Trigger X, Power Pro, Sufix, P-Line, 

Minn Kota and Humminbird! 

*frozen minnows, leeches and night crawlers* 

539 St. Mary's Rd. 

phone (204) 415-3778 

fax (204) 415-3772 

Store hours: 

Mon-Wed 8am-6pm Thurs-Fri 8am-8pm 

Sat 8am-5pm Sun 12pm-5pm

“Sock-It” to 

the Fish! 

BY JUSTIN HOFFMAN 

Weather conditions 

are a fact of life 

for those that 

choose to wet a 

line. From pounding 

rain to saunalike 

heat – and everything in 

between – we stoically stare down 

Mother Nature when there are fish 

waiting to be caught. But give us wind 

and we curse its existence—all while 

blowing mercilessly amongst the waves 

with each gust it rains down on us. 

But there is hope. The light at the end 

of the wind tunnel is an essential and 

functional angling tool called the drift 

sock—a wind and wave tamer that too 

few anglers use, but a “day saver” item 

that should be stock on each and every 

boat that plies the water. 

What To Buy? 

When purchasing a drift sock, the rule of 

thumb is to buy one to match the length 

of boat you run. This will give you a ballpark 

size to begin your search with, 

which can then be fine-tuned to the perfect 

fit dependent on what severity of 

wind conditions you routinely face. 

Many drifting applications call for the 

use of two socks, so choose one sock 

that matches your boat specifications 

and another the next size up. This will 

cover a variety of bases while allowing 

you to experiment and see which methods 

work best. 

Tricks of the Trade 

Drifting Flats—Working expansive flats 

when the wind is howling can make for a 

tough day of fishing, especially if pitching 

jigs to walleye or tossing spoons to northern 

pike. In order to slow down your 

approach, while keeping a controlled drift, 

you will want to utilize two drift socks on 

the windward side of the boat. Attach a 

larger sock to a cleat just below the bow 

and a smaller sock at the rear on either 

the port or starboard side—depending on 

which direction the wind is blowing. 

Deploying the drift socks in this configuration 

will alleviate any issues with 

TECHNOLOGY LOCATION TECHNIQUE SCIENCE 

uneven boat drifting, and with the outboard 

motor also creating drag, will allow 

you to slowly pick apart a flat and fish it 

effectively and thoroughly. Any minor 

positioning changes can be achieved with 

the bow mount motor, or with the transom 

electric, kicker or big engine. 

DRIFT SOCK CHART 

Boat Length 14' 16'-18' 20'+ 

Wind Conditions 

Light/Breezy 18" – 24" 25" – 30" 36" – 42" 

Moderate 25" – 30" 36" – 42" 48" – 50" 

Heavy/Strong 36" – 42" 48" – 50" 54" – 60" 

Windblown Shorelines—Nothing rings 

the dinner bell more loudly to a predatory 

fish than a windblown shoreline does. 

This is exceptionally true with walleye, 

smallmouth bass, and muskie. Trying to 

fan cast effectively, without being pushed 

up on shore, can often be an exercise in 

frustration – especially when the winds 

are gusting strongly. To combat this problem, 

a drift sock should be attached to 

the rear corner of the windblown side. 

With this configuration, your boat will 

remain parallel to the shoreline, and the 

bow mount trolling motor will be used to 

inch your way along the drift and periodically 

nose the bow out and away from 

the shore. 

Backtrolling Precision—Fishing breaklines 

or working humps requires controlled 

rigging. This is best achieved by 

INSIDER TIPS 

GEAR 

backtrolling your offering directly and 

slowly in front of the fish. When winds 

are high and waves rough, however, the 

ability to keep the bow from swinging 

and overcompensating motor movements 

is often a reality. To combat this 

occurrence, tie a drift sock directly off 

the bow of the boat and backtroll with 

the wind. This will help you regain total 

control of your spinner rig or crank – 

and hopefully the walleye bite. If speed 

becomes an issue, choose a larger drift 

sock or shift your motor in and out of 

neutral when needed. 

Tying One On 

An integral part of the drift sock system 

is the tow rope and dump line. As the 

name suggests, the tow rope is attached 

to the main harness of the sock. Tying off 

to a cleat on the boat is then done with 

the loose end. By using a length of rope 

(two to eight-feet) variances can be made 

for certain applications, and the drift sock 

itself can always be kept out and away 

from the boat. 

Pulling a drift sock back into the boat 

when fully inflated and submerged can be 

a tough deal—and an exercise in brute 

strength. A dump line makes life easier. 

Attached to the tail end of the sock (and 

the boat cleat or tow rope), a tug on this 

retrieval line will swing the smallest end 

forward, collapsing the sock and allowing 

it to be pulled easily and effortlessly on 

board. A key rule to keep in mind is to 

ensure that your dump line is longer than 

the overall length of the tow rope and 

drift sock. ■ 


PRO POINTERS >GORD ELLIS 

Beaver 

House 

Brookies: 

TROUT 

CRAZY! Gord 

The brook trout angler and the 

beaver have a relationship that 

can be best described as thorny. 

Beavers build dams, which on the right 

creek can provide good habitat for brookies. 

But if you’ve ever driven into a 

favourite spec lake and found the access 

completely flooded out by a beaver, you’ve 

probably felt a type of bush style road rage. 

Luckily, beavers have another endearing 

habit that all brook trout anglers owe them 

a debt of gratitude for. They build log 

houses on lakes and ponds that brook 

trout love to hang out around. 

Beaver houses on a lake or pond provide 

everything a brook trout needs to live a 

happy life. Beaver houses provide protection, 

cover and an endless supply of minnows, 

nymphs, leeches and other food. 

The perfect beaver house combines a mix 

of twigs, branches, logs and mud that 

extends from several feet above the surface 

to well under the water. If the beaver house 

is on deep water, so much the better for 

trout. The more diverse the associated 

habitat, the better. You could not design a 

better piece of shoreline trout habitat. 

In my 30 odd years of spec fishing, I’ve 

seen and fished around hundreds of beaver 

houses. Some looked like a squashed piles 

of sticks while others were virtual beaver 

Taj Mahals. The most impressive beaver 

house I ever fished was found about eight 

years ago on a stocked trout lake near 

Thunder Bay, Ontario. On first glance, the 

house looked relatively ordinary. In fact it 

was just one of three beaver houses on this 

lake. That was where the similarity ended 

however. This particular beaver house was 

the bomb. 

One spring , I took a friend into this 


Ellis with a fat brookie pulled off a beaver house. Photo: G. Ellis 

lake in the hopes of putting him on a 

decent sized speckled trout. It wasn’t too 

windy, so I sculled the canoe out about 70 

feet from the mega sized beaver house as 

my friend false cast his fly line. He lay out 

a cast and the #8 black Wooly Buggar 

came down about 6 feet from the house. 

My friend stripped in line slowly and the 

surface registered a slight boil as a fat spec 

darted from the submerged sticks. It was a 

fine trout of about 17 inches. After a couple 

more fish were plucked from the 

house, the fly bite died off. I suspected 

there were more fish to be had, so we 

decided to pull up on shore. We staked 

out either side of the beaver house and 

rigged up some slip floats. Under our 

floats we attached a one eighth ounce 

Northland Gypsy jig head sweetened with 

a taste of night crawler. We each pitched 

our rigs out and watched as the floats 

cocked over the tangle of sticks below. 

Almost my immediately, I saw my buddies 

float plunge under the surface and he set 

the hook. 

“Wow, that was quick,” he said as an 18 

inch brookie tore off towards deep water. 

He caught four brookies in a row standing 

on that beaver house - the four biggest 

specs of his life. 

Obviously, not all beaver houses hold 

fish like that all the time. In fact, even the 

really good ones have periods when there 

are no trout holding on them. For 

instance, in early spring a beaver house in 

shallow water may be hot; but that bite 

will die fast once the water warms above 

the brook trout’s comfort range of 65 f. 

For reasons that are not entirely clear, 

active beaver houses tend to be a better 

bet than old, vacant ones. Beavers drag a 

lot of leafy wood in the water when they’re 

living in a beaver house and they sink the 

stuff in the mud as a source of winter food. 

You can often see these leafy branches just 

below the surface as you fish brookies in 

lake and ponds. I can only assume aquatic 

bugs and minnows enjoy the submerged 

cover. 

As a general rule, you should approach 

a beaver house quietly. If you are using a 

canoe or boat, use a paddle or electric 

trolling motor. If boat handling is a problem 

due to wind, I’d recommend dropping 

an anchor to hold yourself at least 100 

feet upwind from the house. This will 

keep you from spooking any trout that 

may be holding tight to the wood. 

Like snowflakes, every beaver house is 

just a little different. Learning to appreciate 

what makes one beaver house a brookie 

hotspot and another just an attractive 

piece of scenery, is one of the things that 

makes speckled trout fishing so fascinating. 

So here’s to the beaver, a fine and 

noble animal and the brook trout anglers 

best friend. ■ 

Casting a classic beaver house for brookies. Photo: G. Ellis

It’s heating up! The 24th Shaw 

Kenora Bass International is just a 

couple of weeks away. 

Tournament Directors are preparing, 

volunteers are being assigned their 

duties, anglers are pre-fishing and 

the bass are biting! 

Kenora and Lake of the Woods are home 

to one of the region’s finest fishing tournaments. 

The Shaw Kenora Bass 

International is a three day (five fish per 

day limit, catch and release only) event 

packed full of anticipation, excitement and 

moments of pure exhilaration. Anglers 

will either swing for the fences and go for 

Largemouth Bass, or seek out the more 

abundant (but not quite as big) 

Smallmouth Bass. It makes for a dynamic 

like no other. 

As we approach the tournament’s start 

date of August 4th, tournament registration 

is sitting at 106 teams. We strive to 

fill the tournament to capacity of 150 

teams. Although the last three years have 

Most of our guests have been fishing Sasaginnigak 

for over 20-30 years! That should tell you two things: 

1) We treat our guests well 

2) The fishing is phenomenal! 

not been filled, anglers have reported 

that the tournament just keeps getting 

better and more often than not, return 

for more! 

Shaw Kenora Bass International is 

stronger than ever and sponsorship is key. 

We work hard to secure lucrative sponsorships 

making this event attractive to 

anglers as well as fans and spectators! We 

are thrilled to have Shaw, Lund, Mercury, 

Woodlake Marine and others all donating 

generously to help promote the tournament 

ensuring its success. The Shaw 

Kenora Bass International Board of 

Directors are so grateful and wish to sincerely 

thank the afformentioned sponsors, 

as well as all of the sponsors that, combined, 

often chip in over $100,000 to help 

give the SKBI added horsepower. 

Another factor in making SKBI an 

increasingly successful and enjoyable event 

is the team of devoted individuals working 

tirelessly, year round, to organize and pull 

off this amazing tournament. Without the 

TOURNAMENTS 

The Shaw Kenora Bass International 

Shaw Kenora Bass International Board, 

there would be no event. 

If you haven’t been to a fishing tournament 

before, this will be the year to mark 

your calendars with “Shaw Kenora Bass 

International” August 4, 5, 6. You may 

also want to bring some earplugs. Yes, 

really. There will be hundreds of cheering 

spectators and even a live band. Whether 

you’re an angler or a fan, you must experience 

the Top Ten Boat Parade. 

Get your registration in, come and join 

anglers from all over Canada and the 

United States to compete in this premier 

tournament on one of the best bass fisheries 

in the world-Lake of the Woods. All 

it takes is one great fish, one great day, or 

better yet, three days of amazing fishing to 

be in the money...or more specifically, 

$120 000.00 CASH! 

If you’re interested in fishing the SKBI 

you can find additional information at 

www.kbifishing.com or contact Kathleen 

Novak directly at 807-467-4730. ■ 

COME AND SEE WHY OUR GUESTS RETURN TO SAS YEAR AFTER YEAR. 

·affordable and flexible · bring your own groceries and gear 

·fish on your own schedule · over 177 miles of shoreline 

·mid-summer specials and kids rates too 

·flights from St. Andrews airport, 45 minutes to Sas 

·Outcamps on Kesch, Apisko and Charron (Lake Trout) 

Toll-free 1-888-536-5353 www.saslodge.com 


Deep Water Tactics for 

Summertime Walleye 

BY BEN BEATTIE 

FIn the previous issues of 

Hooked I talked about springtime 

tactics for catching walleye. 

Now that summer is here, it’s 

time to talk about the finer points of 

deep-water walleye fishing. Being 

successful in the summer can be 

difficult for anglers who don’t fish 

deep enough or who aren’t 

equipped to do so properly. Here’s 

how you can up your odds of cashing 

in on the hot weather walleye 

action this summer. 


CHANGE OF SCENERY 

Earlier in the season, spring and transition 

time, walleye stick to relatively shallow 

water that is close to mainland areas 

of the lake. During the summer months, 

however, walleye have a new home – 

structure that is in and around the main 

lake basin. Their seasonal migration 

brings them to the main lake basin at this 

time of year in search of deeper, cooler 

water and the rich forage base that is 

found in this part of the lake. 

Most of my summertime walleye fishing 

is done in areas 25-to 40-feet deep, with 

even deeper water close by. Look for 

points that stick out towards these deeper 

water areas and shorelines that have a 

fast drop from shallow to deep. Walleye 

utilize these areas because they can easily 

access both deep and shallow water 

without having to move very far. 

Another excellent type of structure that 

meets these criteria is mid-lake humps. A 

hump is simply an area of shallower water 

surrounded by deeper water. Think of 

them as sunken islands. Not all are created 

equally, however, in terms of their fish 

holding tendencies. The best humps seem 

to be 10-to 30-feet below the surface and 

surrounded by water that is 50-feet and 

deeper. The tops are often complex structures 

with varying shapes and depths as 

well as compositions. Different sized 

boulders, sand and weeds are a great combination 

to have on a walleye hump. 

Sand flats in the 20-to 30-foot range are 

another excellent type of structure to fish in 

the summertime. The best flats have one 

or more edges that drop off to deep water. 

As well as fishing on top of the flat it’s 

important to work these drop off areas as 

well. If you’re only marking and catching a 

few scattered fish on top of the flat, there’s a 

good chance the fish are concentrated 

somewhere along the drop off area instead. 

CHANGE OF PACE 

Lethargic springtime fish often require 

slow presentations like vertical jigging or 

lindy rigging. Summertime walleye can 

be a very different game, however, and 

moving quickly is often the key to catching 

fish. In order to move quickly while 

fishing deeper water you’ve got to upsize 

the weight of your tackle. Stock an 

assortment of jigs from 3/8 to ¾ of an 

ounce. Use heavier jigs to move faster or 

fish deeper and if it’s really windy a heavy 

jig will help you feel the bottom. Jigging 

is a great way to dissect a hump and look 

for pockets of fish all around it. 

Bottom bouncers are another great 

tool for targeting deep summertime 

walleye. These lead and wire devices

are designed for trolling a 

spinner rig down on bottom 

and skipping over snags. 

They can be worked faster 

then jigs, too, and are very 

effective search tools for 

moving around a piece of 

structure looking for fish. 

The key to finding fish is 

often finding the right depth 

where they are holding. 

Trolling bottom bouncers on 

flats and drop-offs account 

for a lot of great days of 

walleye fishing in my boat 

every summer. For bait, 

minnow’s work well, but 

crawlers (live or plastic) are 

another option for tipping bottom 

bouncers and spinner rigs with. 

ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS 

On those days when fishing deeper and 

faster isn’t paying off, there are still 

options to consider. I’ve had banner days 

mid-summer by fishing weed edges in the 

10-to 15-foot range. Checking the weeds 

COME ON OUT & CHECK OUT THE 

SHIMANO & G-LOOMIS CLOTHING! 

is a great bet when your deep main lake 

basin bite shuts down. 

Another option when you can’t find 

fish is a technique that professional fisherman, 

Jon Thelen, calls ‘Road Hunting’. 

“Road hunting is an aggressive way to 

find fish by using your big motor to move 

around while looking for fish on your 

graph. Once you mark them, then you 

Reel in GREAT SAVINGS SAVINGS 

at 

can fish for them and you 

aren’t wasting time by fishing 

dead water.” This advanced 

run-and-gun technique is well 

suited for slip-bobber fishing. 

As soon as a fish is marked, 

drop the slip-bobber rig over 

the back of the boat. “Be sure 

to set your depth so the bait 

comes to rest above the walleye,” 

Thelen explains. Thelen 

uses Thill pro-series floats and 

a tiny 1/32 oz Lindy Jigs with a 

split shot up the line. He adds 

that leeches and crawlers both 

work well for this technique. 

Now that summer is in full 

swing try fishing a little deeper 

in and around the main lake basin. 

Having said that, I set a self-imposed limit 

at 40-feet – fishing any deeper impacts 

successful catch and release of walleye. ■ 

Ben Beattie is a freelance outdoor writer 

and multi-species fishing guide based 

out of Sioux Lookout, Ontario. For more 

information visit benbeattieoutdoors.com 

Hwy 11 East of Fort Frances 274-2221 

We have the area’s BEST SELECTION 

of ROD, REELS & TACKLE in stock 

with more on the way! 

Convenience Store Propane Souvenirs Maps 

Logger’s Supplies Licences Bait Tackle Gift Shop 

Fireworks Moccasins Wild Rice Cuban Cigars 

GAS, DIESEL, FUEL & BULK OIL 

Bryan Gustafson 


How to Fish a New Lake? 

Do your homework before hitting the water 

The author uses a variety of maps and charts to help prepare for fishing new bodies of water. 

BY DAVIS VIEHBECK 

Going fishing on a new body of 

water can be a challenge for 

many anglers. Not knowing 

fishing spots, patterns, and navigational 

hazards can be intimidating, 

even to highly experienced anglers. 

As a tournament angler and one who 

likes the challenge of fishing new water, 

I’m often forced to fish new bodies of 

water that I’ll have a limited amount of 

time on to figure things out. Over the 

years, I’ve developed a routine that has 

helped me be a more efficient angler 

when fishing new bodies of 

water. Interestingly, a large component of 

my routine starts well before I ever put 

my boat in the water. 

The first thing I like to do is obtain the 

paper copies of the bathymetry maps 

(depth maps) and navigational charts of 

the new body of water. I’ll spend my winter 

months going through these maps and 

charts in an effort to familiarize myself 

with the body of water to make navigation 

less stressful and to help save time 

on the water searching for the fish. 

Another part of my routine involves sitting 

at my computer comparing these 

maps and charts in hand with Google 

Earth on my computer screen. Google 

Earth can be fantastic at allowing anglers 


to locate and further understand potential 

areas. As an example, if you know there’s 

a great ‘dock bite’ for largemouth bass, 

Google Earth can show you shorelines 

that have numerous docks and boat houses 

in front of cottages and homes. This is 

the type of information that maps and 

charts don’t reveal. Combine these two 

resources, and you’ll have a great visualization 

of a potential fishing area. 

Kenora based angler Jeff Gustafson uses electronic charts to his advantage 

I’ll also use maps and charts to help 

identify possible starting areas for fishing. 

Understanding the biology of the species 

you’re targeting is critical. I like to have 

a good general knowledge of my target 

species in an effort to understand where 

they could be at the time of my fishing 

trip. Consider key characteristics such as 

spawning time frames (usually determined 

by water temperature and photoperiod), 

preferred forage, and habitat 

requirements. Knowing a little about 

each species of fish can go a long way and 

greatly improve your success on the 

water. As an example, if targeting earlyseason 

walleye, I’m going to focus my 

attention on spawning areas, or areas 

immediately adjacent to spawning areas. 

I might also attempt to identify areas with 

current or sand as these areas can be 

magnets for walleye during the spring. 

I’ll also want to try and determine what 

the forage base is in the new body of 

water and what type of forage the fish are 

most focused on. Some species will often 

be catchable in several ways applying 

completely different patterns. This is 

generally a result of a part of the population 

being focused on one foraging opportunity, 

while another group of the population 

is keying in on a completely different 

forage opportunity. Walleye as an example 

can often be found in thick, shallow 

vegetation foraging on yellow perch, cray-

Davis Viehbeck angled this hefty walleye from doing his homework. 

fish, and minnows, yet they can also be 

found roaming open water in search of 

pelagic baitfish such as smelt or ciscoes. 

Knowing this before ever heading 

to the lake gives you several possibilities 

on potential fish location as well as patterns 

that might apply. Knowing the forage 

base and potential patterns can also 

help you with selecting the right tackle 

for your trip. 

Other forms of research I like to do 

include internet searches using a search 

engine entering the name of the new 

body of water. You’ll be amazed at the 

intel anglers can obtain from fishing discussion 

boards, fishing articles, and 

from fishing resort websites. Take some 

of the information you find on-line with 

a ‘grain of salt’, as anglers have been 

known to embellish fishing reports ever 

so slightly. 

Lastly, if you do plan on heading to this 

new body of water on more than one 

occasion, I would highly recommend 

investing in the electronic charts available 

for your GPS/ Fish Finders. 

Navionics, Lakemaster, and others produce 

electronic charts for most of the 

popular bodies of water throughout 

Canada and the United States. These 

electronics charts make navigation and 

locating potential areas such as off-shore 

structure a breeze. 

Consider developing a ‘pre-trip routine’ 

before heading out on a new body of 

water, and I’m sure you’ll have a more 

enjoyable and productive fishing adventure. 

Doing your homework generally 

pays huge dividends!. ■ 

Davis Viehbeck is a competitive angler, 

fishing promoter, and outdoors writer 

based out of Thunder Bay, Ontario. 

There's Fish & Game, then there's BIG 

GET HOOKED 

ON THE 

WILD SIDE! 

Rent this cottage on Crow Lake! 

Crystal clear water makes it one 

of the best for swimming, 

canoeing or skiing. 

Fish world famous 

Lake of the Woods and 

Crow Lake and 3 other 

lakes as well. Fish for 

11 species in all, with 

huge Lake trout and 

Trophy Musky as well 

as incredible Large and 

Smallmouth Bass, 

Northern, Walleye, 

Crappies and Perch. 

Time’s a’wastin’, 

call today! 

CROW LAKE - LAKE OF THE WOODS 

www.blackbearfishing.com 

(807)-484-2171 

Fish & Game! 

Find Out the Difference in Ontario’s Sunset Country! 

www.sunsetcountry.net www.huntsunsetcountry.com 

Call or email us for your FREE guide and map! 

1-800-665-7567 


Sunset Country in No 

The old saying “Location, 

Location, Location” means 

everything to a successful 

business but when you stop 

and think about it, it also has 

a lot to do with a successful 

fishing or hunting trip. Sunset Country in 

Northwestern Ontario is a great location 

for a number of reasons: 

We’re located right next door! After just 

a 1.5 hour drive from Winnipeg you can be 

in some of North America’s finest fishing 

and hunting grounds without the long 

drive. Leave in the morning and be catching 

fish or tracking big game before noon! 

We’re located in the Canadian Shield – 

70,000 crystal clear lakes loaded with fish 

and a forest habitat ideal for big game like 

deer, moose and black bear! 

Choices Galore! Sunset Country has just 

about any species of freshwater fish you 

can imagine – walleye, northern pike, small 

and large mouth bass, lake trout, brook 

trout, muskie, crappie – wow! Drive-in, 

boat-in and fly-in facilities are available. 

Experienced outfitters combined with 

great accommodations means you have all 

the ingredients at hand to ensure a successful 

trip. 

We Walk the Walk 

Sunset Country has been Canada’s premier 

fishing and hunting destination for 

over 60 years and fishing and we have 

earned that reputation. Bill Schneider, a 

well known outdoor writer from Montana 

referred to Sunset Country as a “Muskie 

Mecca” after boating 13 fish on a weeklong 

trip. If you’ve never gone after 

muskie before then Sunset Country is definitely 

the place to do it – fish over 50 

inches long are caught each year! 

Sunset Country also offers you the 

chance to try something completely different. 

For example have you always 

dreamed of a going on a fly-in fishing 

trip? Well now’s the time to make your 

dream a reality as we have over 70 

tourist operators who can offer you a trip 

of a lifetime! Experience what it is like to 

“own” a wilderness lake for a week when 

you stay at a remote outpost cabin – 

absolutely no neighbours! Catch over 

100 walleye in a day or explore rivers 

and streams that run off the main water 

body – there’s always something new and 

exciting to see and do. 

For those who want to go fishing or hunting 

in total comfort, Sunset Country has a 

number of full-service, 4 and 5 Star lodges 

that offer full meal plans, experienced 

guides and extremely comfortable accommodations. 

These lodges have all the toys 

including satellite television, Internet and 

other creature comforts – ideal for business 

groups or for those who want to treat 

themselves royally – you deserve it. Our 

members are all willing to customize trip 

packages to suit your needs so just ask! 

For the hunters, well the whitetail deer 

population has exploded over the past five 

years and there are some big bucks out 

there. The famous “Dryden buck”, shot in 

2003, had 18 points and a Boone and 

Crockett net green score of 199 7/8 – an 

Ontario record! Can you imagine a deer 

like that in your sights? Moose hunters 

can also expect to find big animals – 

maybe even a 60 plus inch rack – if you’re 

at the right place at the right time and you 

have good aim, who knows! With an estimated 

75,000 black bears in Northern 

Ontario, bear hunters are virtually guaranteed 

a successful hunt! 

Useful Trip Planning Information 

Ontario’s Sunset Country Travel 

Association is a non-profit marketing 

organization that has been helping 

anglers and hunters plan their trips for 

over 35 years. Our Free Travel Guide 

and Map has all the information you 

need to help you choose where to go and 

where to stay. Even better, when you call 

us during business hours, a real person 

answers the phone! We’re here to help so 

give us a call at 1-800-665-7567 or visit 

www.sunsetcountry.net and request your 

free copy. 

Dryden 

Event Name Date Time Location/Address Contact Phone 

Provincial Police Pistol Championship 

Dryden Trapper’s Council 

July 15-16 9:00am-5:00pm Outdoor Randge - 74 Barclay Hall Road 807-937-2661 

Family Fish Dinner and Dance July 15 5pm-12am Dryden & District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds 807-227-282 

Parks Day July 16 All provincial parks 807-223-7535 www.ontarioparks.com 

Open Horse Show July 16-17 9am Dryden & District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds 807-937-5467 www.drydensaddleclub.webs.com 

Farmers Markets July 16 9am-12pm www.cloverbeltfarmersmarket.ca 

Frog Jog Studio Tour July 16-17 10am-5pm Various locations - Naked North Art Gallery 807-223-2895 

Manitoba Hal July 17 8pm “Pappy’s Café, Green Achers of Wabigoon” www.greenachersofwabigoon.com 

Water and Wetlands Weekend July 22-24 Blue Lake Provincial Park 807-223-7535 www.ontarioparks.com 

Aberdeen Concert July 29 6pm The Centre- 100 Casimir Ave. 807-223-5553 

Arena Dance July 30 8pm Dryden Arena- 84 Whyte Ave. 807-223-5139 

Eagle Lake Powwow July 30-Aug. 1 TBA Eagle Lake Reserve 807-755-5526 

Rockin’ the River July 31 11:00am The Riverview Lodge 807-223-5139 

Don Amero and the Great Wooden Trio August 5 8pm “Pappy’s Café, Green Achers of Wabigoon” www.greenachersofwabigoon.com 

Children’s Street Fair August 6 10:30am-2:30pm Children’s Resource Centre - Albert St. 807-223-7145 www.dryden.ca 

Bonny Bay Float Fly August 6 12pm Bonny Bay Camp 807-937-5638 

Take a Hike Weekend August 12-14 Blue Lake Provincial Park 807-223-7535 www.ontarioparks.com 

Annual Gun & Collectible Show August 13 10am - 4pm Dryden & District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds 807-223-7353 www.drydenrifleandpistol.com 

Pine Tree Pathways Annual Fish Fry August 14 5pm - 7pm Happy Go-Lucky Seniors Centre in Vermilion Bay 807-227-2128 

DDAS Annual Fall Fair August 25-27 Dryden & District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds 807-223-6766 www.drydenfair.ca 

The Gender Bender August 26-28 Sandy Beach Ball Diamonds - Sandy Beach Road 807-221-2647 or 807-216-5022 www.freewebs.com/dmspt 

Kirby August 29 8pm “Pappy’s Café, Green Achers of Wabigoon” www.greenachersofwabigoon.com 

Wabigoon Lake Powwow Sept.2-4 TBA Wabigoon Lake Reserve 807-938-6684 

Andrea Ramolo Sept. 9 8pm “Pappy’s Café, Green Achers of Wabigoon” www.greenachersofwabigoon.com 

Open Horse Show Sept.17-18 9am Dryden & District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds 807-937-5467 www.drydensaddleclub.webs.com 

The Sean Burns Band Sept. 21 8pm “Pappy’s Café, Green Achers of Wabigoon” www.greenachersofwabigoon.com 

Oktoberfest Sept. 24 6:30pm Dryden &District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds 807-223-5139 

Yours Mine & Ours Cultural Fair Sept. 30 10am to 10pm The Centre- 100 Casimir Ave. 807-223-3004 

Art & Handcrafters Holiday Market Oct. 1 Fri: 4pm-9pm, Eagles’ Landing Golf and Convention Centre 227-2759 or ahcmarket@nakednorthgallery.com 


Sat: 10am-5pm

thwestern Ontario 

SO CLOSE AND 

SO AWESOME! 

Kenora Nestor Falls 

2011 Lake of the Woods Museum Exhibits 

February 15 - March 26: Pigeon Soup and Plum Pudding: Victorian Food Traditions 

April 6 – April 29: Kenora District Festival of the Arts: Visual Arts Exhibit 

May 5 – June 10: Threadworks 2010 “Trees” 

June 14 – July 16: Lake of the Woods Quilters Guild 26th Annual Quilt Show 

July 25 – October 1: The History of Arcade Games – From Pong to Wii 

July 

Every day: Mather Walls Historical House open daily – 10am-4pm 

Every Wednesday: The Farmer’s Market - Harbourfront 

Every Wednesday: Jam Night @ The Cornerstone, 8-11pm 

Every Wednesday: Car Hop Days @ A&W 

Every Thursday evening: Harbourfront Concert Series – 7pm 

Every Friday: Cemetery Tours - 10:30am-11:30am - $3.00 per person – just show up! 

July 1: Canada Day Celebrations/Keewatin Summer Splash – celebrations at Beatty Park 

July 1: Mather Walls House Canada Day Celebrations – Strawberry Social – 2pm-4pm 

July 1: Permission to Land – 11:00pm-2:00am – Shooters 

July 2: Celebrate Summer – Kenora Harbourfront 

July 2-10: Ontario Family Fishing Week – License free fishing; all regulations and limits still apply. 

July 4: Summer Day Camp at Beaver Creek Ranch starts – 548-1103 

July 4: Playmore Day Camp sessions start – http://www.bbcamp.ca/ 

July 11: Mason Rack Band – 8:00pm @ Shooters 

July 13-17: Green Adventures Wheatfield Trip – NWO – Contact Green Adventures for more info. www.greenadventures.ca 

July 15: A Walk on the Dark Side – Night Cemetery Tour – 8:30pm-9:30pm - $5.00 per person 

July 15, 16, 17: LOWAC Open Studio Tour 

July 22: BizKids Market Day 

July 24: Coney Island Third “Maybe Annual” Music Festival – Coney Island 

July 24: 7th Annual Kenora Borealis Triathlon & Duathlon – Garrow Park 

July 25 – 31: LOWISA / Northern Yacht Club Cruise Week 


July 29-31: Harbourfest 2011 

July 29-31: 17th Annual Diamonds & Ice Tournament – Kenora & Keewatin Arenas and Ball Diamonds 467-2087 ext 0 

July 30-31: 50th annual Sioux Narrows Arts Festival 


August 

Every day: Mather Walls Historical House open daily – 10am-4pm 

Every Wednesday: The Farmer’s Market – Harbourfront 


Every Wednesday: Car Hop Days @ A&W 

Every Thursday evening: Harbourfront Concert Series – 7pm 

Every Friday: Cemetery Tours – 10:30am-11:30am - $3.00 per person – just show up! 

July 31 – August 6: LOWISA 46 Race Week 

August 2-6: Performing Arts Camp – Kenora Recreation Centre 

August 4-6: KBI – Kenora Bass International Fishing Tournament – www.kbifishing.com 

August 4-6: 100th Annual Agricultural Fair – Kenora Recreation Centre 

August 7: 9th Annual Kenora Dragon Boat Festival – Kenora Rowing Club, Rabbit Lake 

August 13: Angler Young Angler Championships – Kenora Harbourfront 

August 15-19: 4 on 4 Summer Hockey Day Camp 

August 16: Bill Durst – 9:00pm @ Shooters 

August 19: A Walk on the Dark Side – Night Cemetery Tour – 8:30pm-9:30pm - $5.00 per person 

August 25: National Cruise Day at A&W – 11am-7pm 

August 27: Ride for Memories – Fort Frances – Alzheimer Society 

August 28: Mather Walls House End of Season Blueberry Tea – 2pm-4pm 

September 


Every Wednesday: The Farmer’s Market – Harbourfront 

Beaver Creek Ranch group lessons start – Saturdays 

September 10: Rotary Lobsterfest – Kenora Curling Club 

September 17-18: LOW Aero Modelers Fall Fly – Airstrip located off the east Hwy between Hilly Lake and Reddens 

September 18: Keewatin Legion Sunday Brunch – 10am-12:30pm 

September 18: Terry Fox Run 

July, 2011: TBA Onigaming Pow Wow 

July 31: Annual “Nestorfest” Pig Roast: At 

Bass Lake Park. Come out and join us! There 

is fun for everyone. Great food, beer gardesn 

and musical entertainment 

September 2011: Annual Crow Lake Classic 

Bass Tournament: contact 1-807-484-2525 

for details. 

Sioux Narrows 

July, 2011: TBA Whitefish Bay Pow Wow 

July, 2011: TBA Whitefish Bay Fishing 

Derby 

July 30-31: 50th Annual Sioux Narrows Arts 

Festical: Over 55 exhibitors from the US, 

Canada and abroad display and sell fine art, 

pottery, jewellery, clothing, woodwork, furniture 

and more. Art workshops, children’s 

activities and 

concert entertainment complete the festival 

weekend. 

August 13: Merchant Madness: Great bargains 

and flea markets all over town. 

Setpember 9-11: Annual Bassin’ for Bucks 

Bass Tournament. 

Visit www.bassinforbucks.com for information 

or email info@bassinforbucks.com 

Visit 

us 

Today! 


Proven tactics for finding fish fast! 

BY JEFF GUSTAFSON 

When it comes to fishing, the 

absolute, most important 

element that will determine 

your success on the water is finding 

fish. It does not matter which 

species you target, if your presentation 

is not making contact with the 

fish, you aren’t going to catch’em. 

On waters that we fish regularly, we all 

have proven spots that kick out fish at 

certain times throughout the season. We 

can pull up to these spots and catch fish 

on a jig, drop-shot rig or live bait rig. We 

have the confidence to slow down. On 

new bodies of water however, we usually 

don’t have enough knowledge to be able 

to slow down and fish slowly on specific 

spots. We need to cover water and find 

biting fish to be successful. 

Let’s take a look at some proven tactics 

for finding fish fast no matter which 

species you want to catch. 

BLADES FOR WALLEYE 

Years of guiding and fishing for walleyes 

on Lake of the Woods have taught me all 

kinds of small, specific spots that hold 

fish throughout all seasons of the year. 

It’s all about a lot of time on the water. I 

have waypoints on my Humminbird units 

on the spot-on-the-spot of my favourite 

humps. I know where patches of cabbage 

weeds grow and can pull big numbers of 

big fish off of these patches throughout 

the early part of the season before they 

are visible to other anglers. On certain 

parts of the lake I just have enough time 

invested that I can usually make contact 

with fish fast. 

When we go to a new body of water we 

lose the home field advantage and we 

have to start over in our attempt to find 

fish. In June, Sunset Country bass ace 

Troy Norman and I fished the Shaw 

Dryden Walleye Masters tournament on 

Wabigoon Lake out of Dryden. Troy grew 

up in Dryden so he has some experience 

on the water but it’s been quite a few 

years since he had fished there. I had 

very little experience on this water. Busy 

schedules left us with only two days to 

practice for this event so we had to find 

fish in a short amount of time on a massive 

body of water. 

We knew that walleyes would be shallow 

on the Goon, so we figured that 


Jeff Gustafson with a largemouth bass caught on a Rapala DT Thug crankbait 

trolling spinner rigs with a crawler would 

be a good way to find fish that we may be 

able to then exploit with jigs. We started 

out trolling with bouncers and caught a 

few fish. Frequent snags were slowing us 

down however. We ended up losing the 

Look at the resemblance of the X-Rap to a smelt puked up by a 

Shoal Lake smallmouth bass 

weight and just started trolling Northland 

Crawler Harness spinner rigs tipped with 

a nightcrawler on a long line behind the 

boat in three to five feet of water and 

caught a pile of nice walleyes. I fished 

this rig on a 7’6” medium action Shimano 

Crucial rod with 15 pound Power Pro tied 

directly to the swivel at the top of the rig. 

This tactic helped us to a 20 th place finish 

in the 113 boat field, our first time 

fishing the event. We were able to cover 

a lot of water trolling these spinners and 

made contact with several schools of fish. 

MATCH THE HATCH 

FOR SMALLMOUTHS 

Finding fish fast is all about covering 

water in an efficient manner. With smallmouths 

perhaps more than any other 

fish, if they want to bite they will show 

themselves quickly, whether it’s through a 

bite, a follow or a drive-by. If they don’t 

want to eat, there isn’t a whole lot anglers 

can do to change that. We seldom use 

underwater cameras anymore because on 

a lake like Shoal or Rainy, you can literally 

find smallmouths on just about every 

point on the lake if you drop a camera 

below the boat. We used to find fish with 

a camera and then try to catch them. We 

would either crack a few or we would get 

totally denied. What happened was we 

would continue to come back to fish that 

wouldn’t bite initially, figuring that the 

fish would bite, but they never would, so 

it turned into a waste of time. Today my 

electronics are so good that if fish are 

under the boat, I can see them. 

I have written about it before but my 

fishing partners and I love to throw jerkbaits 

for smallmouths. We can cover a lot 

of water with these baits and they do a 

great job of getting the attention of active 

fish. They also catch big fish! On most 

of the bigger waters that we fish tournaments 

on, there are populations of smelt,

cisco or shiners that smallmouths forage 

on. Matching the jerkbaits we are fishing 

to the top forage choice further increases 

our chances for hooking up. For smelt 

imitation the new Rapala Max Rap has a 

slender profile that replicates the body of 

a smelt better than any other jerkbait. 

Every bass angler fishing in the Sunset 

Country bass tournaments has an X-Rap 

in their boat and it’s because they catch 

fish under a variety of conditions. The 

slightly bigger profile of the X-Rap emulates 

a cisco or shiner effectively. 

Play with different retrieve cadences 

(twitch-twitch-pause – twitch-long pause) 

and try to figure out what the fish want 

on each day. If you are fishing a body of 

water that you are not totally familiar 

with, jerkbaits are the best lure choice for 

finding fish fast. They will call fish up out 

of much deeper water than you would 

expect as well. 

CRANKING 

LARGEMOUTH BASS 

A tournament secret that my partners 

and I have kept quiet for several years 

has been the effectiveness of using 

crankbaits to find and catch largemouth 

bass in the summer and early fall. We 

have a steady run of bass tournaments 

through July, August and September and 

crankbaits are my go-to presentation for 

finding fish. Once we find groups of fish 

we then attack them with Jungle Jigs, soft 

stick baits or texas-rigged plastics but in 

most situations, those presentations are 

to slow to cover water with during our 

pre-fishing expeditions. 

At the annual Bassin’ For Bucks tournament 

last year on Lake of the Woods 

Whitefish Bay area, my partner Mike 

Reid and I found some big largemouths 

a few days prior to the event throwing 

crankbaits along a stretch of shoreline 

leading out of a shallow bay that they 

spawn in, early in the summer. We 

were able to connect with some of that 

group the first day of the tournament 

and were in first place. The fish moved 

on us after day one and we ended up 

catching enough in the general area to 

finish second overall after the three-day 

event was over. 

Rapala has a full line of crankbaits that 

I have a lot of confidence in. There are 

other good baits out there made by other 

companies but Raps are all I ever throw. 

The original #7 Shad Rap was the first 

crankbait that Chris Savage and I had 

success catching largemouths with in the 

late 90’s. In recent years we have 

switched to using the DT series of baits, 

specifically the DT06 and DT Thug models. 

I’m not to picky about colours and 

usually alternate between natural shad 

patterns and bright, gaudy patterns. Let 

the fish tell you what they want. 

Like I said earlier, crankbaits may not 

put the most big fish in the boat for us on 

tournament day but they are our most 

effective tool for finding fish, especially in 

pre-tournament practice sessions. And 

they still do catch some big fish. They 

will reveal schools of bass as well as show 

you where fresh, green weeds (which are 

magnets for largemouths) are located that 

may not be visible to the naked eye. 

Covering water to find biting fish is the 

key to success, no matter which species 

you target. Trolling, casting and scouring 

with your electronics are all effective 

forms to do this. Just remember, if you 

aren’t putting your bait in front of some 

fish you aren’t going to catch any so keep 

moving until you find the honey hole, 

then slow down and let’em have it! ■ 


THE LAST CAST 

>SCOTT SIME 

Man Overboard! 

The author and his son practicing MOB techniques. 

It had started out as a sunny 

early summer day of sturgeon 

fishing at Pointe du 

Bois, Manitoba for a friend of 

mine during a recent trip. 

With him was a friend and 

young son, who was hoping 

to catch his first sturgeon. A 

few hours in, the sun was enveloped 

by cloud, and a bit of a breeze, my 

friend and his boat mate, no longer 

in need of the shade, decided to take 

a moment to put the boat’s canopy 

down. It was during this seemingly 

innocuous moment that the young 

boy, rod in hand and quite inexplicably, 

tumbled out the back of the boat. 

The boy quickly slipped downstream in 

the fast moving current, yelling for help. 

Instinctively, the boy’s father jumped 

into the water, but not before putting on 

a life jacket himself. He caught up with 

his son, and together they drifted further 

downstream. My friend moved quickly to 

get the boat started to go after them, 

however his anchor lines had become 

entangled and for a brief period (that I’m 

sure felt like an eternity) couldn’t get 

them out the water. 

By the time my friend had started his 

boat, two boats that were in the immediate 

area had moved in to retrieve father 


and son. Wet and a little scared, everyone 

was fine, and they went on to have a 

great weekend. 

This story had a happy ending. What 

caught me though was how arbitrary and 

unexpected it was. Good weather, no 

improper or dangerous boat operation, no 

alcohol, no inadequate supervision. The 

fact that at one moment everything was 

normal and fine, and in a split second 

turned upside down is chilling, especially 

if you let your mind wander through the 

“what-if’s” list. What if the young boy 

wasn’t wearing his lifejacket? What if the 

father jumped into fast water without a 

lifejacket? What if, god forbid, the other 

boats had not been there? 

How many recent water tragedies that 

we have read about started in similarly 

innocuous circumstances? In a split second, 

our lives, and the lives of others can 

be changed forever. 

For me it’s a sobering reminder that 

however cliché it sounds, we need to be 

prepared. Personally, I realize that going 

out in fair weather only and making sure 

my son wear’s his lifejacket is not 

enough. If we both ended up in the water 

I’m not going to be much help to him if 

I’m not wearing a lifejacket myself (even 

when the boat’s not under power). I also 

don’t think I’ve done enough to teach my 

“The boy quickly slipped 

downstream in the fast 

moving current, yelling for 

help. Instinctively, the boy’s 

father jumped into the 

water, but not before putting 

on a life jacket himself.” 

son about the basics of boat safety. 

Beyond that, I can honestly say I’m not 

completely clear on what I would tell my 

family to do in the event of a person overboard 

situation. 

I’m doing something about that. 

Everyone in my boat, including me, will 

wear a lifejacket, under power or not. I 

realize now that not wearing a lifejacket 

myself, beyond hypocritical, is also 

potentially endangering the safety of my 

family. I’ve also learned about Man 

Overboard (MOB) procedures, and even 

did a few drills with my family at the lake 

so we could all become familiar with what 

to do. I can’t tell you how valuable it’s 

been for us all; we even had fun doing it. 

My friend and his friend did nothing 

wrong, and because of their quick 

actions and the critical assistance from 

fellow boaters, their day ended well. I 

hope that their cautionary tale can serve 

as a reminder for you to not only continue 

to do everything you can to prevent 

accidents, but to be prepared for when 

they do. It makes all the difference in 

the world. 

SAFE and HAPPY BOATING TO ALL! ■ 

MOB Primer: 

www.greatlakesboating.com/spotlights/ 

spotlight/man-overboard

Visit us for all your 

marine accessories! 

Special order your 2012 today! 

New to Kenora and NW Ontario! 

Sport & Leisure 

Box 109, #1 Akres West, Hwy 17 W, Keewatin, ON 

(807) 543-2167 • 855-543-2167 

www.wslsport.com 

Visit us for all your marine accessories! 

Winnipeg Sport & Leisure 

1272 Dugald Rd. Winnipeg, MB 

(204) 987-5640 • 800-661-7669 • www.wslsport.com

�� 

Marine & Boating 

Accessories 

�� 

Axles, Tires & 

Trailer Components 

Submersible Lighting, 

Wiring and Connectors 

www.princessauto.com 

Hand & Electric 

Winches

Hooked 0403_Hooked 0403- - Hooked Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?