Winter 2012

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30TIP-UP TIPS FOR PIKEA step-by-step look at locations, rigsand presentations for trophy pikethrough the ice.By Tom Gruenwald

Contents

40LAKE SIMCOE LAKE TROUT High-tech has its place inice fishing but, on LakeSimcoe, simplicity isoften the key to success.By Geoff Coleman

Features

56WINTER TACKLE MAINTENANCE Caring for your gear in the off season can pay huge dividends oncethe open water season arrives. By Jonathan LePera

52EARLY ICE CRAPPIESWhere, when and how tocash in on the early seasoncrappie bite. By Lindy Fishing Tackle

48MORE THAN A MOUSE:

Kissimmee, Florida, Sparkles with Natural Gems

Kissimmee offers fabulous fishing, familyfun and warm weather - the perfect

escape from a Canadian winter.By David A. Brown

20 THE WATER’S EDGEBy Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOXBy Patrick Daradick

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTSFreshwater Drum

26 BEST FISHING TIMESDoug Hannon’s moon

phase calendar

28 THE HOT BITE

60 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of

life as a professional angler

By Bob Izumi

65 WHAT’S COOKING

66 ART OF ANGLING

EditorJerry Hughes

Art ProductionRossi Piedimonte Design

PublisherFred Delsey

National AdvertisingIzumi Outdoors

Tel: (905) 632-8679

PresidentWayne Izumi

Contributors

David A. Brown, Geoff Coleman, Patrick Daradick, Tom Gruenwald, Bob Izumi,Wayne Izumi, Jonathan LePera, Steve May,Jason Mohring, Derek Strub, Dave Taylor,

Charles Weiss

Real Fishing is published byIzumi Outdoors Inc.940 Sheldon Court

Burlington, ON L7L 5K6Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833

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Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any material without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Printed in Canada

Winter 2012Volume 18, Issue 1

On the cover:Giant Tip-Up Pike

Photo by Izumi Outdoors

Columns6 OPENING LINES

By Jerry Hughes

10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC News, trivia, event listings and

more from the world of fishing

14 WHAT’S NEWThe latest in fishing tackle,

gear and accessories

16 FISHINGWinter Work

By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING By Steve May

28

18

20

6 Real Fishing – Winter 2012

By Jerry Hughes

Ice Fishing and Beyond

opening lines

Some of you reading this column are probably happy that the

hard water fishing season is upon us and some of you are

probably dreading the next few months of ice, snow and cold.

That’s okay, because fishing is like that.Everyone has their own favourite season,preferred species, fishing technique and soon. There’s no right or wrong way toenjoy fishing and that’s one of the greatthings about it.We understand that one angler’s dream

fishing adventure could be another angler’snightmare, that’s why we try to fill everyissue of Real Fishing with a variety of top-ics from the world of fishing. Of course wekeep the seasons in mind and tailor themagazine accordingly, but there’s alwaysroom for something outside of the tradi-tional, especially if it helps you to become abetter, more proficient angler. This issue opens with a look at hard-water

pike fishing with tip-ups. Despite what youmight think, there’s more to it than just cut-ting a hole, dropping a bait and waiting. Thetip-up is part of a strategic approach to pikefishing, much like a rod is a part of yoursummer arsenal. Knowing which style oftip-up to use, how to use it efficiently and,most importantly, where and when to use it,is all part of the recipe for success. HTEnterprises’ Tom Gruenwald explains every-thing you need to know about this stealthysystem in his aptly titled article, Tip-up Tipsfor Pike, on page 30.Keeping with the ice fishing theme, out-

door writer and ice fishing aficionado,Geoff Coleman, dishes up a long-held,secret tactic that will put the odds in yourfavour the next time you’re chasing laketrout on Lake Simcoe. No, it’s not a secretnew bait and there’s no fancy rigging ortechnique involved. In fact, you’ve probablyheard about it or even tried it at some pointbut have since passed it over in favour of amore highbrow approach. If lake trout areyour preferred winter species, you’ll want

to read Lake Simcoe Lake Trout, on page40, where Geoff reveals what could be themost reliable method to consistently scoreon the big lake’s trout population.Our final ice fishing feature focuses on

early-ice crappie fishing. Despite their size,crappies are aggressive predators, a factmissed by many anglers. While it’s true thatdiminutive offerings presented on gos-samer-thin lines have been the standardapproach, it’s not the only way to go. Icefishing fanatic, Bob Bohland, prefers to tapinto a crappie’s natural aggression by “run-ning and gunning” for active fish. In EarlyIce Crappies, on page 52, you’ll learn allabout Bohland’s tactics and how to putthem into practice wherever you decide tofish this winter.Like I said at the beginning of this col-

umn, not everyone is in love with ice fish-ing. If you’re one of those folks, maybe atrip to a warmer climate would help curethe winter blues. Only a couple of daysdrive away, the Kissimmee region of Floridais a Mecca for snow-bound Canadiananglers. Largemouth bass fishing rules onthe Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and some ofthe best angling happens between Januaryand March when the fish are spawning.Adding to Kissimmee’s appeal, especially ifyour trip will include non-angling familymembers, are its many museums, parks andhistoric sites, and, it’s only about an hour’sdrive from Orlando and Walt DisneyWorld. David A. Brown explores both thefishing and the family vacation possibilitiesin his article on the Kissimmee Regionbeginning on page 48. Whether your winter plans include ice

fishing, heading south or just curling up onthe couch and watching fishing shows forthe next few months, there’s something you

should take care before the spring rollsaround and that’s cleaning and servicingyour tackle. While it’s true that today’s tech-nology and production standards are lightyears ahead of what they once were, yourrods, reels and lures can still wear out ifthey’re not taken care of. Rod guides canget bent and inserts can become dislodged;reels can collect dirt and gears and bearingscan dry out; hooks can get dull and luresmisplaced. A little winter maintenance canprevent most common problems and there’sno question that it will make all of yourequipment work better and last longer. As atournament angler, Jonathan LePera knowshow important it is to keep his tackle in topshape and he shares some of his tips andinsights in his Winter Tackle Maintenancearticle on page 56.Along with our feature stories, this issue of

Real Fishing contains a wealth of other infor-mation; from winter fly fishing tips to tacklecollecting to cooking your catch to newproduct releases and much more. We hopeyou enjoy the magazine and that it helps youget more out of your fishing this winter,whether you ice fish or not.?

Magenta, Yellow, Black

© Tim Hortons, 2009

The fi rst catch of the day.

T


Even in the depths of

a Canadian winter,

when most anglers are holed

up in an ice hut or busy

tinkering with tackle in the

basement, there’s always

somewhere to wet a line. No

one knows this better than

steelhead anglers, a hardy

group who won’t let a little

ice or snow get in the way of

their fishing. We’re not sure if

it’s the unpressured fish, the

lack of other anglers, or the

spectacular scenery that

makes this sport so appeal-

ing, but there’s definitely a

reason that otherwise sane

people brave the elements

just for the chance to hook

up with a fresh-run winter

steelhead.

Winter 2012 – Real Fishing 9


Bass Pro Shops® and its publishing partner,XS Games, have announced details of their$100,000 The Strike and The Hunt Championsvirtual hunting and fishing tournaments. Thetwo distinct tournament opportunities – onefor hunters and one for fishermen – are basedon two new video games for the NintendoWii: Bass Pro Shops® The Hunt: TrophyShowdown and Bass Pro Shops® The Strike:Tournament Edition.

“The Hunt and The Strike video games canbe played by anyone who loves fishing orhunting. We are pleased to partner with BassPro Shops to deliver the first-ever virtual fish-ing and hunting tournaments,” said ChipPedersen, President of Outdoor Partners.

Registration for the sweepstakes begins onDecember 5, 2011 and participants can enterby finishing either game to unlock a sweep-stakes code, or by registering directly atwww.xsgames.biz. Five winners from eachcontest will be randomly selected and flown

BASS PRO SHOPS ANDXS GAMES ANNOUNCE$100,000 HUNTINGAND FISHING VIDEOGAME SWEEPSTAKES

10 Lucky Contestants Will Go Head-to-Head for Chance to Win A 2012 ToyotaTundra 4x4 and Other Great Prizes!

sport fishing, he and his companies have gar-nered more than 58 excellence-in-craftawards for work in various fields.

Along with Al’s induction into the IGFA Hallof Fame, he has been inducted into theNational Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, firstas a Legendary Angler and later enshrinedinto the Hall as an educator. He is a member ofthe Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame, and wasinducted into the Normark Hall of Fame forthe indelible mark his involvement has madeon the history of sport fishing. Al has also beeninducted into the Professional Bass FishingHall of Fame and, most recently, was given theSamuel C. Johnson Fishing Journalist of theYear award for his contributions to the fishingindustry in the fields of journalism, conserva-tion and philanthropic leadership.

AL LINDNER INDUCTED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL GAME FISH ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME

On October 25th, 2011, Al Lindner joined theranks of fishing’s elite by being inducted intothe IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.

During a 50-year career spanning the mostrevolutionary years in sport fishing history, AlLindner ranks among the most renownedleaders in the angling world. Besides findingnew and better ways to catch fish, he hasworked as a fishing guide, tackle designerand manufacturer, tournament fishing cham-pion, book author, lecturer, radio host, maga-zine publisher, video producer, television hostand a pioneer of professional walleye tourna-ment fishing. As the host of Lindner’s AnglingEdge and Fishing Edge television series, Al islogging in his 42nd consecutive year in out-door television programming. Along thelengthy road Al has traveled in the world of


Tournament angler, Derek Strub, was enjoy-ing a day of fall smallmouth fishing – orrather, trying to enjoy a day of fall small-mouth fishing – when he came across somemuskies with the same idea. The ‘lunge musthave thought that hooked smallmouthmade better hor’s de ouvres than free-swim-minng ones because Derek had two of themattack bass he was fighting.

“To give you an idea of how big the muskiein the photo is, the bass measured 17-inchesonce we landed it," said Derek. “Twice wecould have netted this fish if we chose to, itwould not let go of the bass! During this trip

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOWJanuary 14 - 22, 2012Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition PlaceToronto, ONwww.torontoboatshow.com

CALGARY BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOWFebruary 9 - 12, 2012BMO Centre, Stampede ParkCalgary, ABwww.calgaryboatandsportshow.ca

SPRING FISHING AND BOAT SHOWFebruary 17 - 20, 2012International Centre,6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga ONwww.springfishingandboatshow.com

BRIDGENORTH WINTER PANFISH FESTIVALFebruary 18, 2012Chemong Lake at B.E.L. Rotary ParkEnnismore, ON www.clearvieworganizing.com

ONTARIO FAMILY FISHING WEEKENDFebruary 18 - 20, 2012License-free fishing in Ontariowww.familyfishingweekend.com

E V E N T S Calendar

MARAUDING MUSKIEto St. Clair we had two muskies over 45-inch-es grab onto three-pound bass. We also saw amuch larger fish that was swimming aroundon a sandbar in four-feet of water with whathad to be a four-pound plus largemouth bassin its mouth.“

It’s not uncommon for muskies and largepike to try and make a meal out of ahooked bass or walleye, especially in thefall. What is uncommon is having a cameraready and being able to get a photo of theaction as it unfolds.

OTTAWA BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOWFebruary 23 - 26, 2012CE Centre4899 Uplands DriveOttawa, ON www.ottawaboatandsportshow.ca

MONTREAL HUNTING, FISHING & CAMPINGSHOWFebruary 23 - 26, 2012Place BonaventureMontreal, QCwww.salonexpertchassemontreal.ca

CANADIAN ICE FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPFebruary 25 - 26, 2012Lake SimcoeGeorgina, ON www.luresandtours.com

WAWA ICE FISHING DERBYMarch 2, 3 and 4, 2012Wawa, ONwww.wawaicefishingderby.com

TORONTO SPORTSMEN’S SHOWMarch 14 - 18, 2012Metro Toronto Convention Centre222 Bremner Blvd., Toronto, ON www.torontosportshow.ca

EDMONTON BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOWMarch 15 – 18, 2012Edmonton Expo CentreEdmonton, ABwww.edmontonboatandsportshow.ca

QUEBEC HUNTING, FISHING & CAMPINGSHOW/QUEBEC BOAT SHOWMarch 22 – 25, 2012Centre De Foires D’expocitéQuébec City, QCwww.salonexpertchassequebec.ca

NIAGARA OUTDOOR SHOWMarch 24 & 25, 2012Optimist Club, Morrison St. Niagara Falls, ONwww.niagaraoutdoorshow.com

to the original Bass Pro Shops store inSpringfield, MO on September 2, 2012 wherethey will play head-to-head for some incredi-ble prizes.

FIRST PRIZE: 2012 Toyota Tundra 4x4 regular cab pick-up

SECOND PRIZE:

2012 Tracker 175 TXW boat with trailer and motor

THIRD PRIZE:

2012 Arctic Cat 550i GT

FOURTH PRIZE:

$5,000 Bass Pro Shops gift certificate

FIFTH PRIZE:

$2,500 Bass Pro Shops gift certificate

Gamers and armchair anglers can get all thesweepstakes details at www.xsgames.biz


READER’S PHOTOSLiam FarquharsonBolton, ONWalleye

Jamie AntoineCornwall, ON Largemouth Bass

Shawn GoodRutland, VT

Muskellunge

Bev LouieOliver, BCSmallmouth Bass

Send us a photo of your best catch and you could see your picture in a future issue of

Real Fishing Magazine! Send photos to: Real Fishing, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6

Charles WeissToronto, ONPike

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES*MARKET PROV./STATE STATION DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada Global (CIHF) Saturday 10:00 am

Calgary AB Global (CICT) Saturday 10:30 am; Sunday 6:00 am

Edmonton AB Global (CITV) Saturday 10:30 pm; Sunday 6:00 am

Manitoba MB Global (CKND) Saturday 9:30 am

Ontario ON Global (CIII) Saturday 9:30 am

Quebec QC Global (CKMI) Saturday 10:00 am

Regina SK Global (CFRE) Saturday 9:30 am

Saskatoon SK Global (CFSK) Saturday 9:30 am

Vancouver BC Global (CHAN) Saturday 10:30 am

Canada/USA Canada/USA WFN Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

*Station listings, airtimes and show descriptions are subject to change.

Please refer to your local television listings for the latest show schedules.

BOB IZUMI’S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULEBob and Bob in Oklahoma January 7B.C. Feast January 14Watsit Jigging at Old Post January 21New Jersey Stripers January 28Big Bass in Oklahoma February 4Bring the Fuzz February 11Catching and Cooking February 18Peacock Bass in the Amazon February 253 Bobs in a Boat March 3Late Season Smallmouth March 10Georgian Bay Pike/ TBA March 17TBA March 24Costa Rica Run March 31

Catch BOB on the Tube!Catch BOB on the Tube!


SOLO ICE HOUSEThe Insta-Shak 1-Man portable ice house is HT Enterprises’ new,revolutionary pop-up style shelter. It features a sturdy fiberglassframe, two easy access doors, four removable draped windows,top ventilation and tackle storage pockets. It includes a carry bagwith suitcase-style handles and shoulder straps for ‘hands-free’transport. Ice anchors and anchor ropes are also included. The 1-Man Insta-Shak measures 5 ½’ L x 5 ¼’ W x 5’ H when set upand weighs only 17-pounds!

www.icefish.com

What’s 2 0 1 2NEWNEWELITE SONAR SYSTEMThe new Lowrance Elite-5 IceMachine features a precision internal 16-chan-nel GPS antenna, built-in basemap and microSD card slot. It has a five-inchcolor display with 480 x 480 pixel resolution that offers no-fade viewing intemperatures down to -20°F. A custom ice fishing transducer and uniquenew float system make this the ideal unit for hard water fishing. The Elite-5comes with the PPP-18I Ice Pack, a completely portable system including aweatherproof, soft-side pack with zippered front and rear access, zipperedaccessory pockets, mesh stow pouches, two tackle trays, a 12v sealed bat-tery and charger, and an adjustable display platform for easy viewing.

www.lowrance.com

NEW FROM BRECKS

MEPPS AGLIA: For 2012, the venerable Mepps Aglia will be offeredwith a gold/orange blade featuring a black chevron accent. This colorpattern is a favorite that has proven its effectiveness, but which wasnot previously available in the Aglia series. The new Aglia will beavailable in plain treble hook, dressed treble hook or single siwashhook versions, in sizes #1 through #5.

WILLIAMS NIPIGON: The Nipigon is a slender bodied, 2-1/2", 1/3-ouncespoon that imitates a baitfish in distress. This multispecies lure can beworked at a wide range of speeds making it ideal for both trolling andcasting. The Nipigon is offered in eight colours, all featuring a red treblehook and a red, 3D eye with a UV reactive chartreuse halo.

WILLIAMS YUKON: The new Williams Yukon spoon was designed fortrout, salmon, walleye and pike. This wide-bodied, ½-ounce castingspoon is offered in six colours and is finished in Williams' trademarkedgenuine silver and 24-carat gold. All of the Yukon spoons feature a redtreble hook and a 3D eye with a UV reactive chartreuse halo.


WINTER WARMTH

Columbia Sportswear’s new Midweight Tight andMidweight Long Sleeve Top baselayers offer the ultimatein winter warmth and comfort. The exclusive Omni-HeatThermal Reflective silver dot lining reflects some of yourbody’s heat to help retain warmth while releasing theexcess. Moisture is moved away from the skin for quickevaporation, keeping you comfortable and dry duringintense activity. The new baselayers are available in cam-ouflage and non-camouflage styles.

Columbia’s Mossy Oak style, Magnum Full Zip Hoodyfeatures a cozy fleece lining that is made cozier withOmni-Heat® thermal reflectivity, which uses space-blankettechnology to capture and retain body heat without com-promising breathability or adding bulk. This soft, stretch-able and super-warm layering piece sports clean lines andsleek raglan sleeves for the kind of smooth silhouette thatexcels for any outdoor activity.

www.columbiasportswear.ca

BUGGING PANFISH The new Lindy Bug is a versatile ice jig that presents a natural bug imitation withlifelike, 3-D eyes and a tantalizing, rocking/jigging motion that perch, bluegill,panfish, walleye and other gamefish can’t resist. Designed with ice fishing in mind,the jig’s head features a flat surface on top for optimum feedback to flasher orsonar units. The Lindy Bug is available in #14 and #12 hook sizes, and comes twoper pack.

www.lindyfishingtackle.com

We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distibutors for our New Products section. Products that appear in this section have not necessarily been tested

or endorsed by the staff at Real Fishing. Submissions can be sent to: Editor, Real Fishing Magazine, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6

RANGER REFINES THE Z500 SERIESRanger’s Z520 and Z522 enter the 2012 model year with along list of refinements. Most notably, both boats will featurea raised front casting deck, delivering the optimum height forflipping and pitching in bass-filled shallow waters. A recessedfoot pedal is standard. Without changing the hull design, theincreased height of the casting deck allows more space in theboats’ storage and rod lockers. All 2012 Ranger Z500Comanche Series models will also sport Ranger’s innovativeconsole, which delivers more protection from the elements,increased leg room and more space for back-mounting today’spopular large-screen electronics.

www.rangerboats.com


fishingBy Bob Izumi

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

Whether you’re fishing hard water, soft water or not fishingat all at this time of year, the winter is a good time to getthose little things done that you may not have time to doonce spring rolls around.

got a fiberglass boat that has some scratchesor gouges in it, the winter months are the per-fect time to get them touched up. I’m sureyou’ll find that they are more than accommo-dating during this time of year. It seems likeeveryone either waits until the end of the sea-son or until the first of the season to get a lotof their boat work done. Why not get it doneduring the winter? I plan about 90% of my fishing trips for the

next year during the winter. Because of mytournament addiction and TV shooting sched-ule I have to book a lot of rooms in advance,in various areas across Canada and the USA.That alone requires several hours of work justfiguring out when I’m going to arrive andwhen I’m going to depart. While I’m at it Iresearch the lakes, the lodges, the ramps, thecities - all of the places that I’m going to go to.Whether I’m taping a TV show or fishing atournament, I want to get the lay of the landbefore I get there. I’ll research all of these loca-tions because there’s nothing worse than driv-ing 10, 20, 25-hours to a location with myboat in tow, getting there late at night and nothaving any time to get familiar with that par-ticular area. I highly recommend that you planyour fishing trips in advance so there are nosurprises when you get there.

I also use the winter months to order a lotof the specialty tackle I’ll need throughout theyear. Being a tackle junky, I’m always readyand willing to try the new latest and greatestthing that’s on the market. For me part of thefun is always looking for a better mousetrap.Winter is a good time to visit the tackle storesand search the internet for what’s new, inno-vative and exciting. Part of the fun for me isshopping for new tackle – it never gets old. I’ve become very accustomed to having my

iPad with me when I’m on the road. Having

WiFi availability to check on weather, direc-tions, mapping and all of those things is soimportant. The winter is a great time to get allof your fishing files organized and to checkout some of the great apps that are available.I have become very fond of the Navionicsapps that provide incredible mapping for thelakes that I fish many of my tournaments on.I can study the lake on my iPad during the offseason so I have an idea of how big it is, whatit looks like and where some of the interestingdepth contours and structure areas are. Then,once I arrive at that particular lake I alreadyhave an idea of some of the different areasthat I want to fish. Navionics also has theirNavionics Newsstand, an app with a lot ofgreat articles on fishing and boating from anumber of different publications. Another great fishing source is Apps for

Anglers. They have a ton of information onspecific lakes around the country brokendown into regional apps. There’s iFishOntario, iFish BC, iFish Sasdkatchewan andiFish Alberta with more to come. These arewonderful, inexpensive apps that give you allkinds of information including lake reports,regulations, launching areas, accommoda-tions and many other things that are applica-ble to the area you want to fish. We are definitely in a high-tech world in

this day and age and I have to admit that Ireally do appreciate it. It has been a greatshortcut for me and it should be for you too.With limited amounts of leisure time avail-able, why not get the most out of what youhave by being prepared once you hit thewater next spring. ?

Winter Work

From organizing your tackle to shopping fora new boat, there’s always something you cando to make sure you’re ready to go when thenew season opens. One of my most important winter jobs is

backing up my GPS waypoints. I fish a num-ber of different lakes every year and my tour-naments alone take me to about 15 to 18 dif-ferent lakes. I literally have thousands of way-points on my GPS units.I don’t know how many times I’ve heard

guys say, “I didn’t have my waypoints backedup, my GPS crashed and I lost all of the spotsit had taken me years to find.” What I recommend is to back up your GPS

waypoints on a hard drive, a memory card, inyour computer or on whatever storage deviceyou like, but back them up somewhere. Ican’t stress enough how important this is,especially if you fish offshore structures thatcan be as small as the front deck of your boat.It can be next to impossible to find thosehoney holes when you’re out in the middle ofa big lake with no landmarks to guide you. The winter is also a good time to get your

boat fixed. Many shops have a lot of time ontheir hands and they have lots of time towork on your boat. For instance, if you’ve

The winter is a great time to attend toall those little things you may not

have time to do in the spring.

CELEBRITYSPEAKERS

BOB IZUMIHost of the REAL FISHING Show

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fly fishingBy Stephen May

Steve May is the Stewardship Coordinator for Waterloo Region with theOntario Ministry of Natural Resources. When not working to improve localfisheries Steve can be found guiding or fly casting on his local rivers.

Flying Through WinterMany people ask me, “When does the fly fishing seasonend?” My quick response is, “I don’t think it ever does!”

This surprises many, especially in areaswhere the snow piles up high and the lakewater is frozen solid for months at a time.You shouldn’t have to hang up the wadersfor the whole winter. Many rivers have good fishing through

the cold water period. Where I live, in theGreat Lakes region, numerous spots have ayear ‘round open season for steelhead andbrown trout at river mouths. Across theborder there are many more opportunities.Constant flows and lack of ice below somedams also make for fine winter fishing. Winter fishing concerns are not so much

bug bites and sunburn, but frostbite andiced-up rod guides. Guide icing can usuallybe reduced with a thin coat of ChapStick,cooking spray or WD 40. To avoid the cold, dress properly with

layers of fleece under waterproof andbreathable fabrics, and keep your adven-tures relatively short. I like to pack a coupleof extra pairs of dry gloves, a toque and a

thermos of hot soup or coffee. I don’t usu-ally head out fishing until the afternoon,when the slightly warmer water usuallymakes sluggish fish more active. Anotherreason I wait until the sun gets high beforehitting the water is that the rivers are oftenbig pools of slush early in the morning. I watch the long-range weather forecasts

to pick my fishing days. I look for warmingtrends because better weather usually offersmore mobile fish and more comfortableangling. When it gets below about -5°C youmight want to think about other options.

Effective winter presentations are deepand slow. Fish usually can’t hold in fasterwater, so put your fly where they can restcomfortably and can easily track downyour presentation. I have found egg pat-terns, meaty nymphs and woolly buggersfished deep in the guts of runs and pools tobe some of the best flies to use. Pools withsprings that provide fish attracting coolwater in summer, and warmer water in thewinter, can be real hotspots in winter.

Another option to get your fly fishing fixwhen the mercury dips and the snow piles upis to take a trip south. A saltwater fishingadventure, or a going south to a river that isnot frozen, can break up a bout of cabin fever. Ice fishing can be another good option. If

you are dedicated to fly fishing, nymphswork well for under-ice panfish and trout.The only tough part is casting into that tinyhole! Seriously, try using flies on a drop shottype rig. It works!Sharing past season’s stories and adven-

tures with friends while tying up some flies,or joining a local club meeting is all part ofthe fly fishing culture. I like to call this the“flies and lies” season. It is a ton of fun toshare your passion for fly fishing withfriends over a drink or two when the weath-er outside is frightful. It is amazing howsome stories just seem to get better as theweather gets colder! ?

Rivers are often big pools of slush early in the morning


water’s edgeBy Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor is a well knownphotographer and naturalistfrom Mississauga, Ontario

Golden EagleFor the first time in decades a golden eagle was recorded at

Riverwood, the park where I work. The park spans the

Credit River in Mississauga, and is only minutes away from

one of Canada’s largest shopping malls. The eagle was seen

by two of our volunteer birders, who know their birds, so

there is no doubt about the accuracy of the sighting.

Golden eagles are one of North America’slargest raptors and have a wing span oftenover 2-meters (6-feet). Locally, only youngbald eagles or turkey vultures come close insize. Turkey vultures are easy to identifybecause of their bald, red face and theiroverall black appearance. It is easy to mis-take an immature bald eagle for a goldeneagle as both are brown, but this bird wasclearly an adult golden eagle, complete with“golden” head.

Golden eagles have a range that includesmost of the Northern Hemisphere. Acrossthis huge area it feeds on a variety of preyincluding turtles, goats, rabbits, marmots,fox, ground squirrels and the young ofmountain goats, ibex, deer and wild goats.It has also gained a reputation as a killer ofdomestic sheep and goats while folklore hasit even carrying off human babies! While the amount of economic damage it

does to farmers is debatable it has, never-

the-less, been a species that, until recently,has been persecuted. Today it is recoveringfrom its heavy losses because its value to theworld’s ecosystems has been recognized andthe bird has gained protection under thelaw. The golden eagle’s true economic valueto agriculturalists is now recognized as ithelps control rabbits, ground squirrels andother consumers of our grains. Across itsrange, over 200 species of animals havebeen recorded as prey for the golden eagle. It is not known to fish in the manner that

bald eagles do, but there is little doubt thatthe one seen at Riverwood was lured thereby the Credit River’s fall salmon run. Mostof the salmon in the river are Pacific salmonand these fish die after spawning. Goldeneagles are not above scavenging a meal andthe annual run provides a bounty of easilyobtained carcasses.Most of my encounters with this eagle

have been out west or in Alaska. In manypeople’s minds the golden eagle is a bird ofremote wilderness mountains but, in fact, itis more a bird of the open tundra, plainsand steppes. I’ve seen it most often scaveng-ing wolf kills, often sharing the remainswith ravens and bald eagles, but I welcomethe possibility of seeing one just minutesfrom where I live. ?

© 2007, Mercury Marine, Al l Rights Reserved

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Real Fishing March 07.pdf 3/9/07 10:07:58 AM


the vintage tackle box

Northern Tackle Company -

The Flash Tail LureIn the year 1943, Sudbury native and inventor, Vaino

Lehto, designed, then placed Canadian and American

patents on his Flash Tail plastic sensation lure. Vaino Lehto

was employed at the time at Inco’s Copper Cliff Smelter.During World War II, with Canada fullyinvolved in the war efforts, nickel producedby this Northern Ontario company wascrucial in the manufacturing of items likearmour plates, gun forgings, etc. With thisdemand for metal products, Lehto’s FlashTail lure did not go into production untilthe late 1940s. In fact, most Canadian tack-le makers turned their production effortstoward making items for the war.From 1948 until 1953, Rod & Gun mag-

azine displayed many ads for Vaino’s inven-tions and ads picturing his Flash Tail lurewere common during these years. The adsheralded the Flash Tail as “The LiveliestImitation Bait In The World.”The Flash Tail lure was a work of art and

innovation. The tails would twirl, the headmoved frantically and water swirledthrough the body, giving it the most lifelikeaction of any artificial bait. The plasticmolded lures had a design that allowedwater to pass through the mouth and exitthrough holes near the fins and gills, creat-ing bubbles. With a twirling tail and a nick-el plated prop on the front of the lure, the“Flash Tail” lived up to its title as, “TheBait that Breathes.” Vaino’s years of luremaking experience and experimentationwent into the design of this plastic wonder.The resulting lure was a thoroughly success-ful fish getter.The Flash Tail lure was manufactured in

six beautiful, hand-painted colours. Theywere packaged in green cardboard boxeswith instructional inserts and the wording,“For Casting or Trolling,” printed on theoutside of the boxes. Priced at a $1.65 in 1949, the Flash Tail

lure was available in two body designs. The

model #4 had a pronounced belly and wasmade for trolling, as noted on the stampinginside the box. The belly was more of arudder, to help stabilize the action whiletrolling. This style was made without theholes through the body and had paintedeyes. The other body design, the model #3, was

made with glass eyes, had a thinner bodydesign and included the holes through body.My guess is that this model would be usedfor casting purposes.Vaino Lehto’s Northern Tackle Company

also made marked fishing line with colourchanges every 50-feet.Another invention was the Northern

Minnow, a lure with the same water-through-the-body concept as in the FlashTail. The difference was that this lure was

solid-bodied and did not have a front prop.It did, however, feature separated fins wherethe water would exit the body to enhancefish attraction. Although the lure was adver-tised in an issue of the Rod & Gun maga-zine, and the advertisement showed theimage of this lure, to this date no NorthernMinnow lures or boxes have been located. Itisn’t known if the “Northern Minnow” everwent into production, making it a very rarefind – if any exist. The success of Vaino Lehto’s lures, and

his company, was quite an accomplishmentduring the lean and difficult years of the1940s. With very unique and beautifulhand-painted designs, his Flash Tail luresare highly sought after. The green boxes andpaperwork are even more difficult to locateand are highly desirable to collectors aswell. Today, a Flash Tail lure in good condi-tion and in the original box would fetch$300 or more while individual lures, with-out the box, are valued at between $150and $200. ?

Thanks to Gary Peck for sharing his research on Vanio Lehto.

By Patrick Daradick Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 23-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoyssharing his passion and knowledge and can be contacted through his website at www.ontariolures.com or by phone at 613-398-7245.

“Wherever I am, I’m thinking about fishing! And Navionics is always close at hand to help me zero in on the best spots. Before heading out, I’ve already created a game plan and marked my waypoints with the PC app that comes free with my Navionics charts. I download my waypoints to a chip and upload them to my unit. In the boat, Navionics shows me where I am, and where I want to be so I can work my spots and focus on catching the winning fish. Later on, I can review my routes, add my own Navionics UGC, and show off my catches — all on my mobile! If I can do it, so can you!”

Bob Izumi, Winner, 1000 Islands Tournament, FLW Outdoors EverStart Northern Division, July 2011

Congratulations Bob!

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real fishing fish facts

Freshwater DrumAplodinotus grunniens

The freshwater drum is a deep, narrow fish with a

humped back and a somewhat triangular shaped head.

They have dark green to olive brownbacks, silvery sides and white bellies. Thepelvic fins are white to cream colored, thepectoral fins are clear and the remainingfins are dusky. It has a small mouth whichis overhung by a blunt snout. Drum havetwo dorsal fins connected by a narrowmembrane and there is a distinctive notchbetween the two. The frontal dorsal is spiny,usually with eight or nine spines, while therear dorsal is soft rayed and extends to the

base of the rounded tail. The anal fins havetwo spines, the second of which is long andextremely stiff. Drum have large ctenoidscales covering their head and body, extend-ing to the base of their soft dorsal fin. Thescales have growth lines that can readily beseen under magnification. A unique feature of the drum, and per-

haps the feature it is best known for, is itsoversized otolith, the flat, egg shaped “earbone” that is used for hearing and balance.The bone has a white, enameled surfacewith alternating light and dark bands and isoften kept as a good luck charm or madeinto jewelry.

Freshwater drum have one of the largestlatitudinal distributions of any freshwaterfish, occurring from as far south asGuatemala to as far north as the NelsonRiver in Manitoba. In Canada they can befound in the upper St. Lawrence River, theOttawa River, north to Lake Abitibi and inall of the Great Lakes except Superior.Drum are also found across the HudsonBay drainage of northern Manitoba andinto southwestern Saskatchewan.Drum spawn in late spring or early sum-

mer, once water temperatures reachbetween 65ºF and 70ºF. The females pro-duce an average of between 200,000 and350,000 eggs, with some large individualsreportedly laying up to 500,000. The eggsare unique among North American fresh-water fishes in that they float at the surfaceuntil hatching, usually within a day or twoof being fertilized. This ability of the eggs tofloat allows them to be carried by currentsand is likely one of the reasons for thedrum’s large range of distribution. Neitherthe male nor the female guard either theeggs or the newly hatched fry. Drum prefer large, shallow bodies of

water and can most often be found indepths of less than 60-feet. They prefer

clear water, but can readily adapt to moreturbid conditions. Freshwater drum are primarily bottom

feeders as suggested by the position of theirmouth. Young of the year drum feed primari-ly on zooplankton and chironomids, turningto larger insects as they reach fry size. Asdrum mature, fish and crayfish become partof their diet as do mollusks like snails, clamsand zebra mussels. Freshwater drum are considered more of a

commercial than a sport fish speciesalthough they are caught frequently byanglers targeting other species. They are astrong fish that put up a good fight whenhooked and they can grow to impressivesizes. The average size of an angler-caughtfreshwater drum will be around two to threepounds but double-digit fish are not uncom-mon. The current IGFA all-tackle worldrecord is held by an incredible 54-pound 8-ounce monster caught in Nickajack Lake,Tennessee, back in 1972. ?

DID YOU KNOW?Female drum can lay up to 500,000 eggsthat float until they hatch.

FAST FACTSColour: Green to olive brown on theback; greenish, golden or silvery brownon the flanks fading to cream or white onthe belly.

Size: Two to ten-pounds on average butcan grow to over 50-pounds.

Life Span: Up to 70-years.

Habitat: Large, shallow water bodies withmud or sandy bottoms.

Spawning: Late spring or early summerin water temperatures between 65ºFand 70ºF.

RECORDThe current IFGA All-Tackle World Recordfreshwater drum was caught in NickajackLake, Tennessee, back in 1972 andweighed 54-pounds 8-ounces.

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DOUG HANNON’S

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SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

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8:21 - 9:518:45 - 10:15

9:09 - 10:399:33 - 11:03

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5:06 - 7:065:30 - 7:30

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7:30 - 9:307:54 - 9:54

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10:45 - 12:1511:09 - 12:39

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12:21 - 1:5112:45 - 2:15

NA1:33 - 3:03

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9:54 - 11:5410:18 - 12:18

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3:33 - 5:033:57 - 5:27

4:21 - 5:514:45 - 6:15

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9:09 - 10:399:33 - 11:03

9:57 - 11:2710:21 - 11:51

10:45 - 12:1511:09 - 12:39

11:33 - 1:0311:57 - 1:27

NA12:45 - 2:15

1:09 - 2:391:33 - 3:03

1:57 - 3:272:21 - 3:51

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9:06 - 11:069:30 - 11:30

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1:57 - 3:272:21 - 3:51

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9:06 - 11:069:30 - 11:30

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10:18 - 12:1810:42 - 12:42

10:42 - 12:4211:06 - 1:06

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NA12:42 - 2:42

2:45 - 4:153:09 - 4:39

3:33 - 5:033:57 - 5:27

4:21 - 5:514:45 - 6:15

4:48 - 6:285:11 - 6:41

5:09 - 6:395:33 - 7:03

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6:45 - 8:157:09 - 8:39

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2:09 - 3:392:33 - 4:03

2:57 - 4:273:21 - 4:51

3:45 - 5:154:09 - 5:39

4:33 - 6:034:57 - 6:27

6:09 - 7:396:33 - 8:03

6:57 - 8:277:21 - 8:51

7:45 - 9:158:09 - 9:39

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TIP-UP TIPSFOR PIKEBy Tom Gruenwald

Ice fishing offers an array of

attractions. There’s the exhilaration

of lowering a transducer into a

hole and seeing the screen light up.

The intensity of watching one of

those marks rise to your bait. The

breath-taking excitement felt when

your rod responds with a deep

bend and a heavy fish starts taking

drag. And what compares to the

thrill of seeing a tip-up flag pop?

The initial, surprising realization

that a fish has struck, followed by

a sudden burst of adrenalin as you

approach and see the trip shaft

turning and the spool feverishly

spinning out line. A mind-boggling

bevy of questions begins. Is the

line flowing smoothly? Has it

caught on any weeds? How far has

the fish run? Does the fish have it?

Should I set the hook now, or

wait? Is it a big fish?

Few things match the heart-stoppingexcitement of tip-up fishing for pike.Thousands of eager anglers look forwardto this special season, anxiously headingout to their favorite frozen waters, hopefulwith anticipation. But turning hope intoproductivity requires more than drillingrandom holes, dropping a line and watch-ing flags fly. Consistent success requires aknowledgeable, systematic approach.The first trick to consistent tip-up

action is working the right locations. It’sno secret that pike are attracted to shallow,weedy flats and associated weed edges.Pike utilize them and spreading tip-upsthroughout such areas will catch ‘em.Trouble is, these shallow, vegetated flatsand weed lines are often extensive andthe pike are often scattered. If you’relooking for consistent action, especiallywith larger fish, you must use a morestrategic approach.



Begin by checking a map. Today’s bestones have specific, productive spots pre-marked, providing a great start. But don’tneglect to research on your own. Look forlocations similar to those revealed thatremain unmarked. Highlight these potentialhotspots on your map, then carefully con-sider the time of year and local environmen-tal conditions when evaluating and priori-tizing the most productive places. At first and last ice, for example, pike will

move into classic, shallow bays and flats.Just keep in mind that they’ll often stickcloser to bottom and more tightly to densecover in clear water or bright conditionsthan they might in stained water or duringovercast conditions. To further increase your chances of inter-

cepting pike throughout the winter, look foredges--but not just any edges. Start withdepth. Edges located along the deepestwater in the area usually hold the most andlargest fish. On some waters, these depthchanges may be large and distinct. A weedline bordering a steep drop-off in a naturallake or a stump field lining a plunging riverchannel in a reservoir, for instance, may belengthy and significantly deeper than thesurrounding flats. Other edges, however, may be much

more subtle. If you closely examine a three-dimensional cross section of a flat within“dishpan” bottomed waters, you’ll find lessobvious bottom irregularities. A pocket in anatural lake or a building foundation in areservoir might only drop a foot or two andencompass a relatively small area. These areharder to find, but well worth the effort. Pike may relate to an obvious drop-off orchannel edge but, with that feature poten-tially extending a long distance, it’s impor-tant to determine the specific, high-percent-age locations along the primary break.Examine each contour, looking for points,bars, inside turns, pockets or holes alongthe steepest breaks. These are great spotsfor pike to herd and trap baitfish.But don’t stop there. Even these spots are

not all created equally. Turns and featuresoffering edges coinciding with a change inbottom content, for example, may result ina transition from one type of cover toanother, which often leads to a correspon-ding change in the available forage, mean-ing greater opportunities for pike to bothhide and feed.

TIP-UP TIPS

A. When fishing in gusty winds, positionthe flag wire on the upwind side of thetrip shaft so gusts blow the flag towardthe central tube mechanism instead ofaway, eliminating “false flags.”

B. When fishing in strong, sustainedwinds with swirling gusts, use thewind trip wire. This simple apparatusprevents wind trips by surroundingthe tube, preventing wind from pop-ping the flag but still allowing a fishto trip the release.

C. When fishing with larger baits, bendthe flag wire upward where it meetsthe trip. This way, when the trip slidesalong the wire, it will catch and pressthe flag wire down slightly beforereleasing. This extra tension reducesthe ability for large minnows to causefalse trips.

D. Tie a snap swivel on the terminal endof all your rigs. When it’s time to fish,the swivel can be clipped onto thebarrel swivel leading to your Dacronbacking for quick set-up. When pack-ing your tip-ups away at the end ofthe day, simply unclip the snap. Looserigs can be stored on a snelled hookholder or pieces of slit cardboard byhooking the swivel in one slit, wrap-ping the leader, and securing thehook in another slit. Now you canconveniently transport a variety ofstandard, quick strike, slip and hot rigsof different lengths, designs and com-ponents in a neat, organized, tanglefree manner.

E. There’s always controversy about howto set the hook on a tip-up. I recom-mend resting the line gently overyour hand or a fingertip and feelingfor weight or a tug while notingwhich direction and angle the line isgoing. Pinch the line between yourforefinger and thumb, and give ashort, quick pull in the opposite direc-tion and the result should be a headshake or pull by the fish!

Again, depending on the lake, these areasmay be relatively obvious. A change from amuddy, soft bottomed, dense weed flat to arocky, hard bottomed channel lined withflooded timber forms a distinct break andisn’t difficult for someone knowledgeablewith the use of maps and sonar to find. Butyou’ll need more than general knowledge topinpoint a smaller, micro transition from amarl bottomed cabbage flat to a sand bot-tomed coontail patch situated within apocket on an otherwise homogenous flat.Depending on the environment, it’s thesenot-so-obvious edges that may be the secretto consistent success. Mark such locations on your map, deter-

mine GPS coordinates and then assemble anefficient strategy for accessing each. Onceyou hit the ice, you can use the combinationof your map and GPS to ensure you’refocusing on the right spots. Then use yoursonar to confirm specific edges holding fish.After doing all this work, you won’t want

to risk equipment failure so stick with pre-mium gear. My go-to tip-up is HT’s Polar.For pike fishing, they’re packed with usefulfeatures. The frame won’t freeze down, thelarge spool option allows greater line capac-ity for hard running pike, and a super-smooth flowing internal mechanism is guar-anteed not to freeze-up. The adjustable tube

height settings allow you to raise or lowerthe trip shaft, creating a steeper flag wireangle, which in turn increases tension onthe trip so you can fish large baits withoutfalse flags. A line guide clamp prevents linefrom inadvertently spinning off the spool,so large baits stay fixed at the depth you set.And the special frame design allows you towrap your line around the outside anytimefast pick-ups are desired. Premium!When conditions get brutal, I switch to a

different member of the Polar family, thePolar Therm. This unit offers the sameinternal mechanism as the Polar but is

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mounted within a hole cover frame to blocklight and seal out blowing snow. Thisdesign also traps the thermal energy of thewater below, meaning neither the mecha-nism - nor your hole - will ever freeze-up. Another great model is HT’s Arctic Bay

Polar. Like other Polar designs, this modelfeatures a smooth, freeze-proof trip, but it’sincorporated into a super tall frame andflag assembly that stands high, making it anideal choice when fishing in deep snow.

When spooling, quality braided Dacronmakes excellent backing. It’s strong,durable and easy to handle when hand-over-handing fish onto the ice. Black is stan-dard, but sand colored line camouflagesnicely in sand bottomed, clear water envi-ronments. Green is advantageous in slightlystained or green tinted waters, red is a goodchoice in turbid conditions, and yellow maybe good in dark waters where increased vis-ibility is desired. Classic rigging involves the addition of a

leader, connected via a good quality barrelswivel to the Dacron. Depending on the sit-uation you’re fishing, leader material mayconsist of heavy monofilament, fluorocar-bon or wire. When fishing heavily pressured, clear

water environments under bright condi-tions, fluorocarbon would be my firstchoice, as it becomes virtually invisible inthe water. In most other cases, clear orgreen monofilament will do. For most pikeapplications, I wouldn’t use anything lessthan 17-pound test; 20 or 25 is even better.In either case, be sure to check your leaderfor damage after every caught fish by run-ning it through your finger tips or lips.Don’t take any chances. If you detect arough spot, replace the line immediately.When fishing in darker water or for larg-

er pike, wire is a better option - the strongerand thinner, the better. Flexible is good, too.

Some of the new wire leader materials areeven designed to not kink. Be sure to checkout soft, tie-able wire too. Having theoption of being able to tie standard knotsmakes rigging with wire much easier.

Tip your leader with a treble hook of thedesired size - most anglers use #10 to #1/0 -smaller when using downsized minnows forfussier fish, bigger when incorporating largerbaits and seeking trophies. Pinch on a splitshot with just enough weight to sink yourminnow to the right depth and hold it there. To restrict bait movement, pinch a heavy

sinker close to the hook. To allow increasedmotion, use a lighter split shot and place itfurther up the leader. If you need weight toget your bait down but also want to allowmovement, place a large shot high up theleader–then add a series of progressivelysmaller shot in sequence downward, towardthe hook, until you attain the weight neededto properly position your minnow.Many of today’s tip-up anglers are also

using quick strike rigs - a modification of theabove rig usually made of wire and featuring

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an additional hook or two. Double hookquick strike rigs feature a sliding hook thatcan be adjusted to accommodate baits ofvarying sizes - further apart for larger baits,closer together for smaller ones. The mobilehook is slid up the line before a second istied in place. A piece of material such assurgical tubing is used to hold the free-slid-ing hook in position. Three-hook quick strike rigs feature one

fixed position and two adjustable hookswhich can be positioned as desired, allow-ing precise balance by placing hooks strate-gically through the front, center and rear ofthe bait. This system works especially wellwith large, cut or dead bait presentations. Virtually all commercially produced quickstrike rigs feature a flashy flicker blade ortwo. This helps pike find your bait by pro-viding flash and creating vibrations when-ever the presentation is moved. It alsomakes the multi-hook rig legal in moststates and provinces. Best of all, quick strikerigs live up to their names. Due to theirmulti-hook design, you need not wait longto set the hook. If a fish strikes, you canpretty much set anytime and be quite sureone of the hooks will stick.Hot rigs are another alternative. Two

hook hot rigs feature two fixed positionhooks adorned with colorful beads and

flashy spinners. Each hook is positioned forthe best combination of balance and hook-ing potential. Depending on the situation,that may be with the two hooks spreadequidistant from the center of the minnowfor a natural, horizontal placement, or onepositioned slightly back so the head hangsdown, resembling a minnow feeding onbottom. Three hook hot rigs work the sameway, but feature three fixed position hooks,with one central balancing hook locatedbetween the other two—a great set for larg-er baits.Slip sinker rigs work well when fishing

current, where standard presentations maybe lifted out of the desired strike zone. Astandard egg or “walking” style sinker isslid onto the Dacron line before tying on thebarrel swivel and leader of desired materialand length. When the tip-up is set, thesinker is rested on bottom and the baitallowed to bob within the current above. Afloating jig head may be added if you wantto position the bait higher, such as whenfishing over weeds.Speaking of baits, lively shiners or suck-

ers are popular favorites. Go smaller whenthe fish are finicky; larger during periods ofgreater activity or when the goal is a trophy.Dead baits are also effective, with oily min-nows like herring, cisco or smelt being good

choices. And don’t forget about cut bait,such as belly slices of the above.When it comes to depth setting, a good

rule of thumb is a half foot off bottom forevery three feet of depth, but I recommendkeeping the bait lower when fishing brightsun or deeper water, and higher when fish-ing shallow, during overcast conditions orover thick vegetation. In really shallowareas, positioning a minnow just beneaththe ice will often produce better than any-thing else. Regardless of how deep you position

your baits, set your tip-ups then moveaway. Avoid going near them, particularly ifthe water is clear or there isn’t much snowcover. Although it’s advisable to periodical-ly clean each hole, check your sets and raiseand lower your baits to draw attention,don’t overdo it. You must be stealthy toavoid spooking fish. Once laid out, the anxious anticipation

begins. Hunker down and continue scan-ning your set carefully. Always approachyour pike efforts systematically, occasional-ly moving lines as patterns appear. Whileexperimenting and testing theories, you’llgain knowledge and begin experiencingincreased success. Who knows? Perhapsyou’ll even develop a tip-up science all yourown! ?

Two popular tip-up rigs,the 2-hook “Hot Rig” (left)and 2-hook “Quick StrikeRig” (right).

LAKE SIMCOELAKE TROUTI can say without a word of a lie that

two years ago I was the only guy in the

group of men I ice fish with that got his

limit all season long. Unfortunately, by

that I mean it took me all year to get

one limit! The ignorant lake in question

was central Ontario’s Lake Simcoe, a

trophy fish factory for perch, crappie,

walleye and, more to the point of this

article, lake trout.

By Geoff Coleman



LAKE SIMCOELAKE TROUT


Last year I did much better than the previ-ous, catching fish on 10 of 14 trips. Thechange was largely due to the advice of myneighbour and 30-year Lake Simcoe veter-an, Mark Switzer. I shamelessly picked hisbrain on the slightest nuances of how heapproaches the fish and, to his credit, Switzypatiently passed on his experience. Heclaims he owes a lot of his success to fishingwith guys he considers veterans, but it’s clearhe has also learned a thing or two on hisown during the 40-plus days he averages onthe lake during the hard water season.The first thing Switzy convinced me to do

was invest in a permanent hut. Creaturecomforts aside, the best thing about a hut isthat you can fish unaffected by waves, cur-rent or wind and your lines will remainstock-still. In short, huts allow you to re-define finesse fishing. Open water finesse techniques can’t hold

a candle to finesse fishing inside the box.Even if you were dropshotting from a 20-foot bass boat, double anchored andgrounded on a sandbar, wind would still bea factor, even if just by putting a bow inyour line. In a hut, there isn’t enough windto blow out a candle, so you can use themost natural presentations possible. And,while there will be days later in the season

when any method will catch fish, for consis-tent action from the first safe ice to March15th, a finesse approach is not only deadly,it’s almost mandatory. The reason is simple: water clarity. If gin

didn’t exist, we’d say, “Lake Simcoe-clear.”Even without an underwater video camera,I have looked down through 45-feet ofwater and watched trout swim up to a rig,bump the sinkers and swim away, obliviousto the shiner going ballistic a foot away. Iknow whitefish will pick up dead minnowsfrom the bottom and not eat them all;exhaling certain ones even though they arethe same size, sex, and species. I have wit-nessed fish do an inspection of a jig andminnow that would make Mike Holmeslook like he was phoning it in! If I can see all that, what can the fish see

from six-inches away? Calling them smartmay be giving them too much credit, but ifthere is anything wrong with your presenta-tion they won’t hang around long. There areplenty of other guys fishing with baits theycan turn to, not to mention everything elseMother Nature has on the menu, so yourpresentation has to be as realistic as possi-ble. In other words, the finesse game is on.First, the easy part of the Switzer system

- the bait. Use live minnows. Lake Simcoe

shiners. They are cheap, readily availableand, despite their size, catch huge fish. ̀ Nuffsaid. As a general rule, hooking themthrough the lips is a good practice.Next, the sinkers. Typically, in lake trout

water like the 60-plus feet we are talkingabout on Lake Simcoe, the standardmethod to maintain contact with your baitis to add more weight. Factoring in current,that could mean up to an ounce of leadhanging off the line. Not even those guys onthe “Hand Fishing” television show wouldconsider that finesse fishing! Instead, Switzylikes a couple of #4 split shot pinched 18-inches up the line from the hook. Yes, itmay take time for the minnow to reach bot-tom, but the slow death spiral is exactlywhat a real minnow would do and it evensparks a bite now and then. Wingless shot -since they twist less as they drop - makesense here, too. Some finesse fishermen reli-giously give shiny new shot a baptism invinegar to dull them before use.In terms of hooks, Mark doesn’t have a

preference for a particular brand, butinsists on a wide bend hook with out-of-the-box sharpness. Switzy observes that thepoints on these hooks are so small thatsharpening doesn’t leave much room forerror, so he prefers to spare the file andtrust the manufacturer to get the edge right.Matching the hook to the size of the min-now may seem like stating the obvious, butin the quest for finesse you can actually gettoo small and end up using a hook withvery little point exposed.The importance of hook strength cannot be

overstated. The days when 20-pound lakerswere as common as Kardashians on televi-sion may be gone, but you can still get them,they still have hard mouths and they knowhow to fight in that cold, oxygen-rich water.

An ice hut lets you fish without having to contend with cold weather, snow or wind.

Lake Simcoe shiners are cheap, readily availableand they catch huge fish.


Finesse lake trout ice fishermen ask a lot oftheir line. It has to be thin and hard to see. Ithas to stand up to wear and tear on the ice.It can’t create any problems on the reel, andit has to have very little memory. Despite thevariety of lines on the market, Switzy prefersa top quality, super-thin diameter monofila-ment in four or six-pound test, as much forhow it works out of the water as in. Since heuses baitcasting reels, his line has to lay downevenly on the retrieve and pay out smoothlywhen a big fish runs.Spooling up with the wrong line was

probably the biggest mistake I made duringmy less successful year. I went with a super-

line, thinking it would best transfer theenergy of the hookset from 70-feet above.However, it never would uncoil fully withjust some small sinkers pulling it down andI definitely missed fish because of that extraslack. It was also very easy for me to see inthe water, so it must have looked like high-tension cable to the fish.Interestingly, Mark doesn’t use a swivel –

just something else for the fish to see - soline twist is inevitable. He will re-spool sev-eral times in a season to keep mint condi-tion line on the reel, noting that on tough

days you might only get a few chances atfish and you have to ensure that all systemsare go when the time comes.That`s the rigging taken care of. Lots of

fish have been taken over the years withnothing else involved. Since the wind isnegated, you can lower the sinkers, tightenup the slack, and the rod tip will startbouncing when fish are around. Grab theline and you can feel the fear factor of theminnow, and hopefully a bite after that.You can`t get any more fine in finesse,unless you introduce electronics to the hut.

THE SCIENCE OF LOCATING TROUT

Big lakes churn out big trout but they also present a big challenge: finding fish. In a

2003-2004 radio telemetry study by Paul J. Blanchfield, Lori S. Tate, John M. Plumb,

Marie-Laure Acolas, and Ken G. Beaty, the researchers tagged lake trout in a north-

western Ontario lake and followed their movements through two summers and

winters. It was one of the only studies up to that time which gathered information

about below the ice activity and their findings point out a few trout tendencies

that might make locating them easier.

As expected, in summer the fish were confined to a narrow band of water below

the thermocline. What wasn't expected was the discovery that winter fish were

even more concentrated. Instead of taking advantage of the uniformly cold water

and moving everywhere under the ice in winter, the tagged fish retreated to the

central basin of the lake. And, they were consistently found above the deepest

parts of that basin. This amounted to an area that was only one-quarter the size of

what they accessed in the summer.

Interestingly, there was absolutely no overlap from summer to winter in the use

of what the researchers called “core areas;” the habitat most commonly used by the

fish. In other words, a summertime hotspot is not likely to produce in the winter.

The good news is that core areas were mainly associated with zones where lake

depth changed rapidly.

The final point of interest for anglers was that lake trout showed considerable

movement during both seasons, but more in the winter. On average, a trout would

swim 780 meters per day in summer and 1,062 meters in winter.

So if we extrapolate the findings of the study lake to Lake Simcoe, a time-proven

pattern emerges. Fish the deepest water in the central basin and try to set up

somewhere that has access to a relatively steep drop. You can be some distance

from the structure and fish will still find you on their kilometre-long daily swims.

Since they are homebodies, if you find fish early in the season you will likely be

successful all season long. The tagged fish did move shallower as the year went on,

so be prepared to move at least once or twice for the most action. Either that or

just look for all the huts and drill your holes a respectful distance away!

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As clear as the water is, you usually can’tsee bottom where you are fishing, so agraph or flasher is required reading to letyou know exactly what is going on downthere. Hooks, line and sinkers won’t add upto much through the season, so spend therent money on a good finder.Because you are in a hut and your line is

as still as a rabbit with a hawk overhead,you can easily position your minnow direct-ly below the transducer. Standard operatingprocedure is to crank up the sensitivity untilthe bait just appears on the unit. Since it isthe smallest thing down there, any fish larg-er than the minnow will also register, lettingyou know it`s time to seal the deal. I use a three-colour flasher because of its

instant feedback. Lift the rod tip and it reg-isters immediately, without the slight delayfound on LCRs. It is also better for a vision-impaired friend of mine who finds it easy toread the red bar that indicates a fish. And,if I am fishing with another guy in the hut,we can both use flashers without theminterfering with the signal from the otherunit. That way both fishermen can set uptheir own ‘finders and see them withoutworrying about glare or having a sore neckat the end of the day.However, most of the guys I fish with use

an LCR graph. The scrolling screen displayshave the advantage of showing a few sec-onds of the action at one time, giving you a

more complete picture of what is happeningdown under. And, hundreds of vertical pix-els provide so much detail you can basicallysee if the minnow has come off the hook.Regardless of the technology you choose,monitoring the action on the screen is justplain fun. Few aspects of fishing can matchwatching a fish come in, examine your baitand then respond to your angling technique.

The ability to consistently turn that fishfrom tire kicker to hot buyer comes with alot of practice and is the real skill in thisfinesse approach. Nine times out of ten,Switzy will hand-over-hand the line whilegauging the fish`s reaction on-screen. Thatsometimes fickle response could be a near-immediate bite, a follow of 30-feet or more

before snapping, a follow with no hit, orany number of variations. Switzy tells the story of a trout that came

around his friend’s hut every day like clock-work for a week straight. Appearing on-screen somewhere between 9:30 and 10:00in the morning, the fish would check outthe minnow, follow it for 15-feet or so andthen abort the mission. On the sixth day,the fish decided to bite, a decision he evi-dently had been making all morning sincehe had 128 minnows in his belly when thepost-mortem exam was made!To trigger a bite, most of the time Mark

relies on a steady, consistent retrieve. Henotes that you are simply trying to imitatewhat a minnow would do with a predatorclosing in for a look. He starts the minnowin motion as the trout nears the hook, buthasn’t taken the final step. Mark’s retrieves are generally made to

match the speed of the pursuing fish. It’s notunlike what my wife says, “I let you chaseme until I caught you.” Mark`s only rule forretrieving the minnow is, if you have a fishchase but not hit, try something differentthe next time one comes around.To illustrate that point, he can name

anglers who pull their minnows up as fastas humanly possible, and regularly get fish.You’d have to have hands faster than aVegas blackjack dealer to pull a minnowaway from a lake trout that has decided hewants it. And, we can all recall times when– as we poured a coffee, or ate a sandwich- fish hit a minnow that wasn’t going any-where. Experimentation is crucial to consis-tent success. And so is a finder that can gen-erate a bottom lock and a split-screen soyou can still see activity if an indecisive fishfollows halfway to the surface.I certainly count myself among those who

enjoy standing on the ice of a back lake inMarch, jigging with spoons, SwedishPimples and re-purposed saltwater baits forlake trout but, when dealing with heavily-pressured fish in clear water, I am a convert-ed finesse fisherman. When you can presenta live minnow in 80-feet of water and knowexactly how fish are reacting to it, you havethe best chance you’ll ever have of convinc-ing a fish to bite. Even if the spindrifts out-side the hut make you think you’ll see theghost of Sir Edmund Hillary about to sum-mit Everest at any moment.?

Whitefish are always a nice bonus!

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Most anywhere in the world,families heading to Kissimmee,Florida, hear their friends saying,“Have fun at Disney World.”Fairly so; the sprawling entertainment Mecca built from the visions of cartoonist-turned-developer, Walter Disney,gets top billing in SunshineState tourism. However,Osceola County has much moreto offer those willing to lookbeyond its theme parks.

No doubt the Disney Empire, along withother nearby attractions such as Sea Worldin Orlando, may have garnered Kissimmeeits notoriety as the Vacation Capital of theWorld. But, while Mickey Mouse andfriends are a proud part of the local climate,this Central Florida gem sparkles withmany facets. Venture off the beaten path of Highway

192 and you’ll find a colorful tapestry of cul-tural and historic elements ranging fromcounty fairs to Friday Night Rodeos to theannual Great Outdoor Days festival. Eachmerits a visit, but the real treasure lies in thearea’s amazing natural resources.Osceola County is literally smattered with

inviting bodies of water covering more than100,000 acres. A collection of creeks, riversand lakes create a lush environment that pro-vides homes and forage for abundantwildlife, including the largest concentration ofnesting bald eagles in the continental U.S.

WONDROUS WATERWAYSForemost in this layout, the heraldedKissimmee Chain of Lakes starts just a fewblocks from Kissimmee’s historic downtowndistrict. The north-to-south links includeLake Tohopekaliga (aka “Toho”) and EastLake Toho, Cypress Lake, Lake Hatchinehaand Lake Kissimmee. The headwaters forFlorida’s Everglades, these lakes connect viaflood control canals, which route waterreleased by locks at Toho’s south end throughthe chain and out of Lake Kissimmee via itsnamesake river and into Lake Okeechobee.Lake Okeechobee played a significant role inKissimmee’s past by linking the town to inter-national shipping lanes via the OkeechobeeWaterway. During the late 1800s and early

By David A. Brown

Kissimmee, Florida, Sparkles with Natural Gems

1900s, downtown Kissimmee was home to amajor ship building operation, while theshores of Toho became Central Florida’slargest shipping port. Cattle, citrus, sugar andother goods from around the state arrivedhere for transoceanic voyages.

Lake Toho (18,810 acres) and East LakeToho (11,968 acres) are the chain’s secondand third largest, behind the 34,948-acreKissimmee. Hatchineha and Cypress fill inthe midsection with 6,655 and 4,097 acresrespectively. Because of its metropolitan loca-tion and convenient accessibility, Toho seesthe most traffic but it remains a consistentfish producer.Boats often blow right through the center

lakes, as canal channels traverse only theirouter edges. Those who stop are oftenrewarded with wide open stretches and morecooperative fish. Nevertheless, Kissimmee’svast, unspoiled habitat has a way of coaxinganglers to launch and run straight down tothe chain’s lower link.

Like most Florida lakes, the KissimmeeChain’s are shallow – averaging aroundseven-feet. Periodic drawdowns and bottomscrapings have dramatically improved lakehealth by removing volumes of muckybuildup, exposing the natural sand floor and

prompting the expansion of nativeaquatic plant growth. More vege-tation equals more bass cover andthat equals better fishing.

AWESOME ANGLING ACTIONQuality and quantity – expectboth when fishing Kissimmee’sbountiful chain. Like all large-mouth waters, big fish availabilitysees seasonal highs and lows, butpersistence typically pays big divi-dends and trophy bass of 10-pounds plus are no rarity.When Kissimmee’s largemouth

bass spawn, between late Januaryand March, it’s time to go shal-low. Anglers find consistentspring action by Texas-riggingworms, lizards and tubes (greenpumpkin, junebug or black/blue)with a 3/0 to 4/0 hook and a ¼ -ounce bullet weight and flippingit to bass beds visible in the shore-line vegetation. There’s no lack oftargets so make a few presenta-tions. If you don’t connect, moveon to the next customer.Bass may spawn on any clean

shoreline but protected creeks andquiet bays off the main lake – par-ticularly those with scattered grassand lily pads – seem most attrac-tive to the biggest fish. Sunny daysquickly reveal the nesting sites but

if clouds or wind stymie the sight-fishinggame, fan cast likely looking areas with hol-low body frogs, buzz toads or surface skip-

ping plastics like the Berkley Havoc Grass Pig. For the surface game, Bassmaster Elite

Series pro and topwater specialist Ish Monroedesigned the Snagproof PHAT Frog withhabitat like Kissimmee’s in mind. While walk-ing or popping the bait in and around denseweeds will bring big bass charging, Monroeknows that a stationary presentation is whatyou need to irritate a big fish into blastingtopside. For this, he’ll point his rod tip at thebait and impart the same side-to-side walkingaction as he would in open water, only theslack line keeps the bait in place for a bass-enraging display.Beyond the weeds, Monroe suggests

employing hollow body frogs in various atyp-ical uses. Throwing to weeds is most com-mon, but he’ll also cast his PHAT Frogtoward docks, sea walls, overhanging limbsand laydowns.“Everyone thinks that a frog only imitates

a frog – but it also imitates a bluegill, shadand rodents swimming across the surface,”Monroe said. “It imitates anything that’s inthe water (or may end up in the water) that abass is going to eat.”

During the warmer months, bass will chasebait in open water early in the morning andthen head to the thick, shady cover of shore-line vegetation as the sun heats the lake.Topwater plugs – especially prop baits andpoppers – are a good bet for these active fish,but once they duck into the weeds, it’s time tobreak out your heavy flipping stick and pesterthe fish into reaction strikes.


Boat RampsA - Brinson Park PierB - C-Gate 33 Boat RampC - Chisholm Boat RampD - Granada Boat RampE - Joe Overstreet Boat RampF - Kissimmee Lakefront ParkG - Lake Cypress Boat Ramp

H - Lake Gentry Boat Ramp/Smith’s LandingI - Lake Marian Boat RampJ - Partin Triangle ParkK - Sexton Boat RampL - St. Cloud Lakefront ParkM - Trout LandingN - Whaley’s Landing Boat Ramp

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

I

K L

M

N

KISSIMMEE & ALLIGATOR CHAIN OF LAKES


tremendous live bait action. Bigger is better,and a 10-inch bait won’t offend a hungrylargemouth. Rig shiners on 3/0 to 5/0 widegap hooks and use stout rods with 30-poundline. If you toss a shiner into cover and heimmediately leaps back out, you’re in thestrike zone.Given the influence of Kissimmee’s flood

control system, lake current can factor signif-icantly in bass behavior. Depending on howmuch water has been released, the flow mayor may not be immediately apparent. Areapro, Terry Seagraves, suggests picking a fixedobject, like a stump or a grass point, andwatching it closely to see if water breaksaround it.Now, if hurricanes have an upside it is the

promise of lake current. Indeed, these tropicaltemper tantrums dump such concentratedvolumes of water in such short periods oftime that the Kissimmee Chain frequentlybulges with hurricane water while anglers arecarving Thanksgiving turkeys.Scott Sills, who grew up fishing the

Kissimmee chain, offers this day-to-dayadvice. “For most people visiting the area, I’dsay concentrate on the heavy cover with flip-ping sticks and you’ll stand a good chance ofconnecting with a big fish. But for numbers,

Concentrate on flippingheavy cover and you’ll standa good chance of connectingwith a big bass.

MEMORABL E E XCURS IONSBetween fishing trips, there’s plenty to see inthe Kissimmee/St. Cloud area. Starting withLakefront Park on Toho’s north shore, a fami-ly-friendly landscape welcomes picnics andoffers plenty of room for sports and relax-ation. Casual anglers can wet a line from theseawall or the wooden pier.

On the park’s south end, the War Veteran’sMonument is dedicated to those lost duringAmerica’s military conflicts. Nearby, the

Bataan-Corregidor Memorial honors thesacrifices of Americans and Filipinos duringWWII. And, at the corner of Johnston St. andMonument Ave., the Monument of Statesassembles an eclectic blend of stones,bones, meteors and petrified wood fromevery U.S. state and 20 foreign countries.

Historic Downtown Kissimmee includesthe Osceola County Courthouse (Florida’soldest courthouse still in daily use);Makinson’s Hardware (opened in 1884, it’sthe state’s oldest operating hardware store)and First Presbyterian Church (Kissimmee’soldest church, dedicated in 1886) featuringSteamboat Gothic architecture. Strollingthrough this pedestrian-friendly area is agreat way to stumble across nuggets ofOsceola County history – often through wallmurals depicting various scenes of early settlement days.

Other attractions include:

Forever Florida: A working cattle ranchand nature preserve centered on the her-itage of the Florida Cracker Cowboy.Nature tours by horseback or elevatedcracker coach often provide candidglimpses of wild turkeys, whitetail deer andother native critters, while a thrilling zipline ride offers stunning views from above.(866-85-4EVER, www.foreverflorida.com)

Gatorland Zoo: View all sizes of Floridaswamp dragons from a safe distance. Alsoincludes ecotours, wildlife exhibits anddaily gator shows. (800-393-5297,www.gatorland.com)

Osceola County Historical Society &Pioneer Museum: An authentic 1898“Cracker House,” pole-barn, blacksmithshop, sugar cane mill and artifact museumoffer insight into the daily life of the coun-ty’s early settlers. (407-396-8644,www.osceolahistory.com)

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides: Skim across shoreline shallows and experienceKissimmee’s wild habitat from a uniqueperspective. (877-304-3239, www.bcairboats.com)

The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial honors the sacrifices of Americans and Filipinos during WWII.

Photo courtesy of the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Standing vegetation makes a fine target butwarm winds pile dense mats of floating weedsagainst shorelines, especially after summerstorms beat the lakes. Extending 20-yards ormore from the “hard line” of solid ground,these conglomerations offer prime opportuni-ties for flipping into open pockets or punch-ing through a solid layer with big Texas rigs.The intrusion often awakens slumberinggiants who respond aggressively to anythingthat disturbs their nap time.Nose right up to the thickest mats and

don’t hesitate to probe way back into thecheap seats. Just beware of inhospitable rep-tiles. Alligators and cottonmouth water moc-

casins sunning themselves on weed mats aremost likely to flee long before you arrive, butsurprising one of these locals can make for atense interlude in the old bass boat!Schooling activity continues into fall, but

the fish typically hang closer to the edges ofvegetation. Lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits,topwaters and flukes will produce. Asautumn yields to winter, most bass bury intocover where flipping with ultra-slow presen-tations does the trick. Look for intense feed-ing before a cold front and absolute lockjawon the backside.Corking wild shiners is a 24/7 no-brainer

and November through February yields

Surprising one of these locals can make for a tenseinterlude in the old bass boat!


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try Rat-L-Traps, flukes and topwaters in theopen water around the edges of vegetationlike Kissimmee grass or hydrilla lines.”Seagraves adds, “If you don’t know where

to start, look for points – whether that’s hardpoints or grass points – and you’ll get some-thing going. The bass will orient themselvesto spots where they can ambush prey.”Complimenting superb bass action, the

Kissimmee Chain also holds stellar speckled

The Kissimmee Chain also offersstellar crappie action during thepeak winter season.

perch (crappie) action that sees hundreds ofboats bristling with long poles during thepeak winter season. During the spawningperiods, shallow grass lines will hold loads ofspecks, while open water brush presents year-round opportunities. Bluegill, catfish, picker-el and Florida gar round out the cast ofKissimmee Chain regulars.Next time you’re eyeballing Central

Florida for a vacation, consider Kissimmee’s

well-rounded persona. There’s nothingwrong with theme parks, but after you’veshaken hands with a tuxedoed mouse you’llfind that this town holds another magic king-dom with a distinctly genuine flavor. Here,the star attractions are always ready to put abend in your rod. ?

VISITOR INFORMATIONIf you’re flying into the area, OrlandoInternational Airport is less than anhour from downtown Kissimmee. Themain driving corridor, U.S. Highway 192,runs right into Disney Theme Parkentrances on its west end, and provideseasy access to a broad range of lodg-ing, dining and entertainment as it con-tinues east through town and across toSt. Cloud. The convergence of Interstate4, Highways 441 and 17/92, and theFlorida Turnpike, facilitates transit toand from anywhere in Osceola County.

For all things fishing, contact BigLake Toho Marina at (407) 846-2124 orvisit their website at www.bigtoho.com.

For additional information, contactthe Kissimmee-St. Cloud Conventionand Visitor’s Bureau at 407-742-8200 orvisit www.visitkissimmee.com.


EARLY ICE CRAPPIES

By Lindy Fishing Tackle

Want to load up on slab

crappies? Then start drilling

holes in the ice as soon as it’s

thick enough to be safe. In

Minnesota, where ice fishing

fanatic Bob Bohland lives,

that usually happens by the

first week of December and

sometimes earlier.

Why does the early ice yield

the best crappie fishing?

Three reasons.

One, the crappies are still

active because their metabo-

lism isn’t as slow as it will be

later in the winter. Two, the

crappies are feeding heavily

in preparation for a long

winter. Three, the crappie’s

menu has been infused with

a rash of young, bite-size

bluegills and perch that

measure one to two-inches

in length.


Baitfish BonanzaIn the summer, submerged aquatic vegetationgrows from the shallows out to depths of 15-feet or more, depending on the water clarity.The dense greenery provides a safe havenwhere young-of-year bluegill and perch canescape crappies and other predators.When the water temperature chills in

autumn, the grass begins to die. By the timethe early ice forms, there are fewer placesfor the young bluegill and perch to hide.They concentrate in small patches of grasson flats in six to 15-feet of water. This iswhere crappie forage on the baitfish, andit’s where you can reap a harvest of slabs.“The early crappie bite lasts until the ice

gets 10 to 12-inches thick,” Bohland says.“That gives you a window of two to fourweeks before the bite tapers off.”

Find Grass FirstBohland usually doesn’t drop a lurethrough the ice until he locates several grasspatches that have crappie potential. Hedrills 50 to 100 holes over flats and looksfor grass with a flasher or depthfinder andan underwater camera.“Coontail is one of the best weeds,”

Bohland says. “But anything that’s thickenough for minnows to hide in can be good.”

When Bohland sees promising grass, hemarks the hole as a waypoint on the hand-held GPS he wears around his neck. Whenhe’s finished drilling holes, he goes back andfishes only the ones he has marked withwaypoints. Bohland also wears a pair of icepicks around his neck and a life vest. Theyallow him to claw his way to safety shouldhe break through a thin spot in the early ice.

Go Big“I start with a big lure like the 1 1/3 or 13/4-inch Lindy Darter,” Bohland says. “Abig lure catches the biggest, most aggressivecrappies during the early ice phase.”The Lindy Darter is similar to the lipless,

rattling crankbaits that are popular withbass fishermen. The Darter sports two tre-ble hooks, a rattle chamber that mimics thesounds of distressed baitfish, and it has avibrating action.Bohland rips the Darter up four to 12-

inches and lets it wobble down on a slackline. He repeats this two or three times tomake the rattles sound off and attract crap-pies. Then Bohland “pounds” the bait byworking his rod as though he were pound-ing in a small nail with a hammer. He inter-rupts this with short pauses. Bohland alsouses the same action when he fishes 1/16-

and 3/16-ounce Lindy Rattl’N Flyer Spoons.In stained water, he opts for bright colors,

such as Techni-Glo Red and Techni-GloFiretiger. Bohland favors natural perch andbluegill colors in clear water.

JigsAfter Bohland picks off the more aggressivecrappies with a Lindy Darter or Rattl’NFlyer Spoon, he switches to jigs to entice

Isaiah Collins with a slab crappie.

A big lure, like the 1 1/3 or 1 3/4-inch Lindy Darter, catches thebiggest, most aggressive crappies during the early ice phase.


“That makes the jig kick to the side whenI twitch it,” Bohland says.

Watching the BiteBohland always puts his flasher’s transducerinto the hole while fishing so he can see hislure and how the crappies are reacting to it.He claims he can tell when a bite is imminentbecause two lines on his flasher come togeth-er when a fish approaches his offering.“I’ve watched crappie swim up 10-feet to

take my lure,” Bohland says.If a crappie approaches the lure but does-

n’t nab it, Bohland coaxes a bite with a tac-tic he calls “the lift.” He slowly pulls thelure up while gently shaking it. The crappiestrikes because it doesn’t want the meal toget away.When Bohland fishes in water no deeper

than 5-feet, he ducks into a portable shelterthat flips over him like a tent. This preventsthe crappies from being spooked by skylightemanating from the hole. It also letsBohland see into the water and watch thecrappies react to his lure.

ImpatiencePatience is not a virtue when it comes toearly ice crappies. If Bohland doesn’t get abite on a Lindy Darter or Rattl’N Flyer

Spoon in two-minutes, he moves to anotherhole. Should he pick off a few slabs quickly,he switches to Genz jigs and fishes a littlelonger.“I don’t want to sit there and coax crap-

pies to bite,” Bohland says. “I’m after theaggressive fish.”Any hole that produces crappies is

marked with another waypoint. Bohlandfishes other spots and gives the productivehole a rest. When he returns 15 or moreminutes later, he is often greeted with morequick bites.

TackleAn 18- to 30-inch spinning rod matchedwith two to four-pound test line rounds outBohland’s crappie ice fishing gear. He likesa super-thin, copolymer line because itdoesn’t soak up water like monofilament,and it stays limp for better lure action andgreater sensitivity. Icing slab crappies is easy early in the ice

fishing season. All it takes is a little knowl-edge about their location and a few tempt-ing baits to experience some of the bestaction of the year. Just remember to checkthe ice conditions and don’t venture outuntil it’s safe to do so. No crappie is wortha mid-winter dunking. ?

slow biters. Although many ice fishermenprefer jigs with #10 or #12 hooks, Bohlandups the anti with jigs molded on bigger #6or #8 hooks.One of Bohland’s mainstays is a Genz

Techni-Glo Fat Boy jig dressed with achewy, soft plastic Lindy Micro MiniMunchies Tiny Tail. The line eye protrudesfrom the top of the Fat Boy, making the lurehang horizontally in the water, like a sus-pended minnow.When Bohland wants to tempt crappies

with a livelier presentation, he ties on aGenz Bug. The line eye extends from thenose of the Genz Bug, which makes it hangvertically in the water. Bohland rigs aMunchies Tiny Tail on the hook so it bendsat a 45-degree angle.

When the aggressive bite shuts down, jigs can entice the slow biters.

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WINTER TACKLEMAINTENANCEBy Jonathan LePera

As winter is now in full swing, cabin fever is sure to set in soon enough! It will

not be long before the television becomes boring, all of the fishing magazines

have been read and, while ice fishing is fine, you find yourself longing for soft

water. Winter offers the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted with your rods,

reels and tackle and get a jump on next year. I’ve learned the best way to do that

is to take care of the gear you have and help it to last as long as it possibly can.


SMOOTH SPINNING A candid chat with Shimano ServiceTechnician, Chris Giles, (www.chrisgile-soutdoors.com) left me with plenty to thinkabout on the topic of caring for your reels.To avoid problems, create a regular mainte-nance schedule for your reels that includeslubricating and cleaning. I usually do thiswithin a week of putting my boat to sleepfor the winter. Start off by visually inspecting each reel.

Handles and bail assemblies often get benton spinning reels, as they do not take kind-ly to being dropped or stepped on! Be sureto spin the reel handle to ensure that all of

the internal partsspin freely, thatno grinding ispresent, and thatthe spool is notdented causingthe reel to pulsate.Chris suggestsyou release theanti-reverse onspinning reels tohelp relieve pres-sure on the rollerclutch assembly.

Visually inspect the drag washer, as it canbecome warped and cracked. The last thingyou need is for that trophy fish to make onelast run at the boat only to have your draglock up and the line snap due to being over-stressed! The best way to prolong the life ofthe drag washer is to loosen the spool cap

or rear drag adjustment when your reel isnot in use for long periods of time. Thentake all of your reels off their rods, strip allof the line from them and clean them thor-oughly. A big box of Q-Tips comes inhandy for getting into all the nooks andcrannies where dirt builds up. Next, I’ll lubricate my reels as indicated

in the owner’s manual. Some reels have amaintenance port screw that can beremoved to add oil without disassembling

the whole reel. Personally, I’ve never likedtaking spinning reels apart. They are sealedwith good reason and I only open them upif I absolutely have to. A couple of drops ofthe oil provided by the manufacturer whenyou bought the reel is all it takes. If you runout of oil, Chris Giles says that mineral oilis also used by the Shimano Service Crew.For grease, they use Permalube and mediumlight grease. Don’t forget to add some oil tothe drive gear bearings when you removethe reel handle. Everyone enjoys a smoothand effortless retrieve, and a drop of oilgoes a long way towards achieving this.

Giles recommends using Shimano’s reelcover bags for both spinning and baitcast-ing reels. Not only do they help to preventscratches, they help keep dirt from gettingonto reel. “Some reels are very expensive,take the time to protect your investment,”says Giles.

BETTER BAITCASTINGI’ve been fishing a baitcaster for almost 25-years and I have learned that if you neglectthe care and maintenance required for thistype of reel it will pay you back when youleast expect it. If you like to lock down yourdrag on the hook-set, know there is a priceto pay! Yes, the battle with the fish will beshort and sweet but so will the life of yourpinion gear! This gear controls the spoolshaft, engaging when you cast and holdingthe spool in place when retrieving. If you

notice that the spool slips on the hook-set,the pinion gear can be the culprit! To clean the pinion gear, simply remove

the sideplate and spool, and the pinion gearis impossible to miss. While you have thespool out, clean the brake collars or replacethem if they are broken, dirty, or missing.Clean the spool assembly and add a drop ortwo of oil to it and the shaft to keep themrunning smoothly. Feel free to add a drop ofoil or two to any of the bearings that youcome across. Remember that when addingoil, less is definitely more. Adding too muchoil will impede your casting distance.Another symptom of poor casting dis-

tance is blown bearings, something I’veonly had happen once. When the lure wasin flight and the spool was in revolution, allI could hear was a high-pitched squeal.Chris Giles pointed out that bearings aresealed components and, if they wear out,the only repair is to replace them. It isimperative that you keep your bearingslubricated as running them dry createsundue friction and wear, compromisingtheir functionality and lifespan.

HIGHSTICKING IS A PENALTY I’ve been fishing for 33-years and haveowned more than my fair share of fishingrods. In all that time I’ve only broken one,


Although it is possible to use line forseveral seasons, I would not recom-mend it. Based on the advice offered byguide and tournament pro, JeffGustafson (www.gussyoutdoors.com), Ibegan re-spooling my line each year. Hementioned that freshly spooled line willnot only cast farther but it is easier tomanage, and his words of wisdom bodewell for my fishing this year. If you areflipping, pitching or skipping your lures,you will definitely notice the difference.Despite using some of the line condi-tioning products on the market, I havefound that fluorocarbon and monofila-ment will retain memory, especially ifleft for several months without use. Yourline represents the most direct linkbetween you and the fish, so why leaveyour success to chance!

Guide and tournament pro, Jeff Gustafson

Shimano ServiceTechnician, Chris Giles

Reel cover bags help to prevent scratches and theyhelp keep dirt from getting onto your reels.


and that was due to manufacturer’s defect.Yet Chris Giles sees rods being returned ona daily basis due to all-too familiar culprits:misuse and abuse. Graphite fishing rods do not like being

stressed beyond a 90-degree angle, which isusually what happens when anglers try toswing or ‘crane’ fish over the side of theboat. More often than not, the upper half ofthe rod will break. Keep in mind, most war-ranties do not cover misuse and abuse andmost service centers can identify how therod failed by inspecting the breakage point.As well, every bump, bruise, scratch and

small nick on the blank can and will causerods to fail, even under the lightest of loads.Such damage can be the result of anglersbeing rough with their rods, tossing themon the boat deck, stepping on them, lettingthem bounce around in rod lockers, hittingthe trolling motor during a cast, and com-ing into contact with a tree branch whensetting the hook or nicking a boat cleat.Even the regular bouncing around that rodstake while you are transporting them inyour car, or boat, is enough to do damage. I have always been puzzled by those who

affix their lures to the rod guides. Sooner orlater, unless the guide is titanium recoil, it is

going to scratch or chip.The moment your linecomes into contact withthe damaged part of theguide, I guarantee it willcreate a weak spot onyour line that will only

be noticeable once your trophy fish swimsaway with your lure after the line breaks!Most of today’s rods have hook keepers - usethem! The best way to check if a rod guidehas been damaged is to rub a Q-Tip alongthe inside of the guide. If a crack or chipexists, the cotton will snare itself on theblemish.

Clean and store your rods in an uprightposition if possible (rod holder/stand) andrelease any tension on them so they don’tstay bent or under load for the winter sea-son. I always check the reel seats on myrods to make sure they’re tight. We’ve allseen the blooper videos where an angler setsthe hook on a fish only to have the reel popoff of the rod. If you tighten your reel seatdown, and the ring keeps spinning withoutlocking tightly in place, you may want toget in touch with the manufacturer.Rod sleeve protectors like the Rod Glove

only take a few seconds to slide on and theyare a great way to help protect your rodsfrom scratches and marks. They also keepyour rods from getting getting tangled withone another and the cost pales in compari-son to that of your rod!

TACKLE ORGANIZATIONThere is nothing more frustrating that know-ing the exact lure you need to trigger fish tobite, yet not having the first clue where to findit! Whether you have one tackle box or sev-

eral, labeling eachbox can really sim-plify your fishingexperience and max-imize your fishingtime. I even label thespecific compart-ments inside the boxto let me know spe-cific lure and sinkerweights. While I’m

at it, I’ll check all of the hooks on my baitsand sharpen or replace them as needed. I also take an end-of-season inventory of

my favorite baits and make note of whichones I need to replace or replenish my selec-tion of. The winter provides the perfectopportunity to take stock of what you willneed for the following year and there aresome great deals to be had during the offseason. The various sportsmen’s showsalways have great prices and many tackleshops have sales during the winter and earlyspring. Being a frugal shopper means one

thing: more money to buy even more tackle! As the boat goes into indoor storage, so

does all of my tackle. Despite my garagebeing insulated, I do not like the moisturethat comes with the different temperaturechanges during the winter. I do not wantany of the salt sweating out of my baits nordo I want my hooks or lures coming intocontact with any moisture as they are sureto rust come spring. Come the end of the season, I take every-

thing out of my boat, starting with my driftsocks. While I do my best to air them outduring the season, I check for any moldyspots or areas that need to be washed beforethey get stored for winter. The same goes formy survival suit. Like I said earlier, it isalways best to protect your investments. Wehave all been guilty of neglect at one point oranother and it is a bitter pill for your walletto swallow on the day of reckoning!

REEL TECHIf you are adventurous, you can visithttp://fish.shimano.com and learn totake your reel cleaning techniques tothe next level by inspecting your gears,roller clutch inner tube, star drag washerand other, more intricate parts. For theless adventurous, you can send yourShimano reels to Shimano Canada Ltd.,Reel Repair Service, 427 Pido Rd,Peterborough, ON, K9J 6X7 and havethem professionally cleaned or repairedfor a fair price.

While talking to Bob Izumi last year, hegave me a tip on using the large andextra large Ziploc storage bags for myfishing gear. Now I keep a change ofclothes, rain gear, my camera bag, andall of my fuses and tools stored neatly inmy boat compartments in these water-proof, sealable bags. I cannot believehow much room this opened up nowthat everything is so organized!

By staying in tune with your gear, you’llput more fish in the boat the following sea-son. Not only will your tackle be betterorganized, you won’t hesitate to trust thesharpness of your hooks, condition of yourlures and functionality of your rods andreels. This is definitely one of those timeswhere a little effort goes a very long way. Atthe end of the day, it is all about thealmighty fish and doing everything that youcan to put the odds in your favour! ?

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In my last column I said that I was heading to Maryland tofish the final Everstart Northern Division tournament of theyear on the Potomac River but I had a number of things todo - including two other tournaments – before heading south.

By Bob Izumi

Tales from the Road

shallow water, and four smallmouth thatwere caught by dropshotting three-inchGULP! Frys and Minnows. After the first two days the top-20

anglers go on to fish the third day and thetop-10 from that get fish on day four. I wassitting comfortably after day one and justhad to go out and do it again, but day twoturned out to be a disaster. I just couldn’tcatch a decent fish and I ended up with asmall limit that weighed 10.02-pounds. Thetournament paid back to 60th place and Ibarely squeaked in for a cheque at 59th. My buddy, Rick McCrory, who fishes as aco-angler, fared better on day two. Heweighed in a monster mixed bag of bass tomake the top-20 cut. It seems like when hedoes well I do poorly and vice versa. One ofthese days both of us will make the cut sothat one of us isn’t a spectator.After Rick finished it was time to hit the

road and get up to Lake St. Francis, essen-tially part of the St. Lawrence River, to fishthe B1 tournament. The B1 is a Canadiantournament out of Valleyfield, Quebec andis held on water I really enjoy fishing. I gota day and a half of practice in before I hadto leave my boat at the hotel and get anoth-er hotel room in Ottawa for a speakingengagement on Parliament Hill. I spoke to more than 60 Members of

Parliament and Senators on behalf of theOutdoor Caucus. The focus of my talk wasthe importance of hunting, fishing and trap-ping here in Canada, and how much revenuethey generate annually. I never in my wildestdreams thought that, as an angler from asmall town in Ontario, would I ever be talk-ing on Parliament Hill. I’m about as far frompolitics as I am from Mars. Still, it was truly

an honour and a privilege to be able to talkabout something that is so near and dear tomy heart to influential people who can cer-tainly help all of us down the road.Then it was back out on the water for a

couple of more days of practice before myson, Darren, and I were ready for the B1.Successful tournament fishing is really nothingmore than making the right decisions at theright time. After fishing tournaments for overthree-decades, I can say that you have to liveand die by your decisions throughout the day. My son and I were going to fish for small-

mouth on day-one of the tournament. As wewere running down the lake, instead of con-tinuing to do a milk run of smallmouthspots I turned left into a largemouth spotand started flipping. I guess I did thatbecause I shook off so many fish flipping theweeds in practice I thought there was aneasy 16 to 20-pound limit of largemouth inthere. There were days that I had over 40hits that I wouldn’t set the hook on, and Ifigured that some of them had to be three tofive-pound fish. I was thinking; why not geta decent limit of largemouth to make the cutfor day two (only the top 50 boats wouldmake it) and then go for some smallmouth. Well, we caught largemouth. We had a

limit in the first hour but not one of those fishwas over 2 ½-pounds. We continued to fish abunch of spots for largemouth when my sonsaid that we really should go for smallmouth.He reminded me that we had won aRenegade Bass tournament with smallmouthon these same waters, catching the biggestweight ever for a 5-fish limit in Renegade his-tory. I agreed, so we left the largemouth andheaded after some smallmouth. On the first spot we stopped at we spot-

ted a fish but couldn’t catch it. With 45-minutes of fishing time remaining we wentto another spot and caught two big onesthat culled two of our largemouth. Weweighed just over 15-pounds on day-oneand snuck into the day two cut. When day two rolled around I agreed

I started off at Bark Lake in the HaliburtonHighlands, taking the winners from ourhighly successful, annual Off! DeepWoods/Canadian Tire contest, out fishing. Anumber of tournament pros show up withtheir boats every year to help us and it’salways a lot of fun for everyone. We set up amini-tournament with prizes for the contestwinners and the pros fish for bragging rights.As much as I hate to tell you who won, I willsay that I had a few tricks up my sleeve thisyear. That’s all I’m saying about that.

After Bark Lake, I was off to MercuryMarine’s national headquarters in Milton fora fishing themed luncheon with the Mercurystaff. Mercury Marine was my first sponsorand it was a lot of fun to see some of thefamiliar faces I’ve worked with for, in somecases, up to three decades. We had a castingcontest and a few other things going on,including a fish fry. What can I say, it was agreat day and everyone had a lot of fun. Then I was off on a 23-day road trip. My

first stop was the FLW Open on LakeChamplain. The fishing was extremelygood and after day one I was sitting in 19thplace with 18-pounds. I had one large-mouth that I caught on an OSP Blade Jig in

Weighing in at Bark Lake.


Cory Johnston, from Peterborough, whoended up in second place overall in the tour-nament and won the Angler of the Year title. As I left that tournament I knew it was

going to be a long drive home. I had somesponsor videos to shoot for the TV seriesand a lot of other work to catch up on sinceI’d been travelling pretty well straight for anumber of months. Once I got some thingsdone around home base it was time to packand head for Alabama for my last two tour-naments of the year.

The first was the FLW Open on LakeGuntersville, a renowned U.S. reservoir thatmany of the U.S. pros call their favouritelake. I’d never been there before and I hadvery limited information on that particularbody of water. The only thing I had waswhat I’d read on the internet, so I wentthere pretty much hoping for the best. My wife, Sandy, Rick McCrory, and I did

the official three days of practice togetherand we ended up catching quite a few fish.The last fish I caught, on the last evening ofpractice, was just under five-pounds so Iwas feeling pretty good. On day one I went to an area of the lake

where I thought I could catch a decentlimit and I stayed there all day. I was stub-born in my approach. Normally I run andgun and fish a lot of water in a day but inthis one I decided to play it a bit more con-servatively and concentrate on getting myfive fish. Well, I caught a couple of short

fish that were under the minimum 15-inchlimit and ended up with a big, fat gooseegg for the day. I wasn’t the only one whoblanked that day, but I will say that therewere some very good fish caught by someof the other anglers. On day two I ended up catching three

fish for just under 10-pounds. I caught themon a surface frog as well as by flipping aBerkley Havoc Pit Boss in the heavy weeds.When a bass came up, missed the frog andblew a hole in the mat, I would flip the PitBoss around the area and catch it. I endedup in 119th place, once again out ofcheque-cashing range. At least I left on apositive note knowing that I didn’t blankout for two days in a row! As soon as I weighed in, my wife and I hit

the road towards Kentucky Lake for theEverstart Championship out of Paris LandingState Park in Buchanan, Tennessee. We droveabout two-thirds of the way to KentuckyLake before we stopped and got a hotel room

with what my son was saying; we should begoing for smallmouth. So we went deep andhe got one decent fish - but I couldn’t getbit. Then we went shallow and he proceed-ed to get four big fish in two different areas.For whatever reason, I could not catch afish that day. I couldn’t catch them deep andI couldn’t catch them shallow. Darrencaught our entire limit that day, just under18-pounds. We ended up sneaking into theprizes, winning a couple of pairs ofextremely cool sunglasses. I can definitelysay that we didn’t break even in this tourna-ment, but we certainly had a lot of fun. Myson still reminds me who caught all of thefish on day-two! I’m very proud of his abil-ities, but I’m still shaking my head becauseI couldn’t catch anything that day. I guessthat’s why they call it fishing, not catching. Immediately after I weighed in, my wife,

Sandy, and I started driving down throughthe ‘States to the Potomac River for the lastEverstart Northern Series tournament of theyear. With a 14-point lead for Angler of theYear, I was sitting pretty going into this tour-nament. The only problem was that I wouldonly have a day and a half to practice onwaters that I’m really not that familiar with.Despite not having a lot of time, we had a

pretty decent practice. We caught a numberof good fish on frogs, crankbaits and flipping,and I thought that I should be able to do pret-ty well in the tournament. Well, sometimeswhen you think you’ll do well in a tourna-ment you don’t, and sometimes the tourna-ments that you’re not really sure about arethe ones where you end up doing great. Thisone turned out to be a disaster. I couldn’tcatch any good fish and ended up in 96thplace. I also didn’t win the Angler of the Year.Congratulations to fellow Canadian angler,

Practice fishing on the Potomac River.

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I learned that there was a bait rig that justblew away the field at this tournament as wellas the Guntersville tournament called theAlabama Rig. This rig is a device that has fivewires coming off of a single area that you tieyour line to. You can attach five swimbaits,grubs, spinnerbaits – five of any lure you like– to it. In some States and Provinces this sys-tem could be illegal because it would have toomany hooks, so you should check your regu-lations carefully before you try it. The bottomline is that everybody in the top-10 on thefinal day at Guntersville utilized the AlabamaRig and the winner of the Kentucky Laketournament, along with a number of the othertop-10 finishers, used it as well.

I tried desper-ately to get myhands on one,searching theinternet with myiPad as my wifewas driving fromGuntersville toKentucky Lake,but couldn’t findone anywhere. Ieven called all ofthe tackle storesthat had them

listed on their websites but couldn’t find one.

for the night. I qualified for this prestigious,year-end championship by getting seventhplace in the Angler of the Year race. On our first practice day we launched in

one of the many creeks on Kentucky Lakeand immediately started catching fish on lip-less crankbaits and on a new crankbait thatHiroshi Nishine had made for me specifical-ly for this tournament. It’s a hand-poured,hard plastic crankbait that actually has aspinner blade on the belly of it. It’s one of themost amazing shallow water crankbaits I’veever used. You can cast it to trees and logsand it literally rolls over the branches anddeflects. It has a really good searching actionto it and is a pretty cool crankbait.Anyway, my wife and I caught a lot of

fish during practice; enough to make methink that I could do pretty well in this tour-nament. I had about eight spots that wereholding fish in the back ends of creekswhere the mud flats would start. The basswere pushing shad up into about one totwo-feet of water in the backs of thesecreeks. The water had some colour to it inthe area we were fishing and I was feelingpretty confident going into the tournament.Well, on day one I weighed three fish for 6-pounds, 9-ounces; on day-two I had fourfish for 9-pounds, 11-ounces and onceagain missed out on cashing a cheque.

Apparently the small manufacturer thatmade them couldn’t keep up with the ordersand has since sold out to a larger tacklecompany. Now there are a lot of knockoffson the market that are made by other tack-le manufacturers. The Alabama rig resembles a school of

baitfish coming through the water. Why is itso effective? I guess in those lakes there’s somuch bait that the bass are keyed on shadand other baitfish and this rig is a perfectimitation. I’m not whining that I didn’t haveone of these rigs in those two tournaments,but they really did clean up in both events.That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Even though it was windy when I got

home, I scheduled a day of fishing on LakeErie with Chris Hockley and some folksfrom Pure Fishing. We got on the water andI must say that it was really rough and cold.We all got very wet just getting out to ourspot. After a short while we decided that itwas time to call it a day. Rather than getwet and bounced around in the rough waterwe thought it would sure be nice to have agood hot meal in a restaurant. NeitherChris nor I ever like to turn down a meal sowe ended up calling it a day. Sometimes it’sjust nice to throw the towel in and that wasone of those days. I was glad to get off thewater and get into some dry clothes. My nephew decided that he was going to

surprise his mom (my sister, Lynn) on her60th birthday by having a surprise party forher. It was a fun get-together with family,friends and relations and it was a goodbreak to get away from the hectic schedule Ihad been following since the first of the year. The following week was our annual five-

day shotgun deer hunt. We had some goodsuccess, harvested a few bucks and gotsome much needed rest. I did take a breakfrom hunting one day to get some shots fora trip to Brazil that was coming up as wellas my flu shot. I got five needles in one day:three in one arm and two in the other. Imust be turning a little soft in my older agebecause the next day it felt like somebodyhad been punching on both of my arms. After our hunting week I slid down to

Cornwall for some walleye and muskie

The Alabama Rig blewaway the fields at the FLWtournaments on KentuckyLake and Lake Guntersville. Ph

oto by Brett Carlson, courtesy of FLW

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fishing with my friends, Jack Levert, RickMcCrory, Steve Barnett, John Ward andTim Allard and the fishing was exceptional.We didn’t get any big fish but we caughtabout 150 walleyes in two part-days of fish-ing between a couple of boats. We onlyspent about an hour and a half muskie fish-ing but we managed to raise two muskies.Rick had a 30-pounder on to the boat andI landed one that was 42-inches long. Then it was time to head home and pack

for the Amazon. We were heading into

Brazil to fish the Rio Negro River. I fishedthere 10-years ago and was biting at the bitto get back. The trip was put together byHooked On Adventures. David McCarthy,

out of Fresno, California,operates this companyand I must say it was anawesome trip.We flew from Toronto

to Miami, over-nightedin Miami, then flew fromMiami to Manaus,Brazil; over-nighted thereand then flew toBarcelos, in the heart ofthe Amazon, the nextmorning. There were 18of us in total on this six-day fishing excursionand it was one of thosetrips where everything islooked after for you. Youdon’t really even have totake your rods and reelsif you don’t want tobecause they have thelures, the rods, the reelsand everything. It’s reallya first-class operation. On this trip we stayed

aboard the “mothership,” The Santana andfished out of comfortablealuminum boats, com-plete with casting plat-forms, during the day. Wehad incredible guides andover our six-days of fish-ing the 18 of us caught886 fish. Out of those 18people, some weren’t tooserious about fishing.There were a couple of

the group, (no names mentioned) who weremore into sightseeing and only fished maybean hour on some days. Some guys, whomight have had a few too many cocktails thenight before, would opt out the early morn-ing fishing. You know how the story goes. In total we caught 40 Peacock bass

between 10 and 21-pounds and I caught mypersonal best, a 17-pounder, on this trip.Generally the most effective technique is touse great big ripper-type baits – big woodenbaits with props on the rear end of the lure.You rip them very hard and fast to provokea surface strike. I say generally because thebest technique on this trip by far wastrolling hair jigs. One guy in the group, whodoes not fish a lot, ended up catching 10fish himself between 10 and 18-pounds, allby trolling a hair jig. The funny thing is, this

young fellow wasn’t very good at casting sohe opted to troll and ended up catching aquarter of the 40 fish that were over 10-pounds. All in all it was an awesome trip. As I wrap up this column in early

December it’s starting to colder outsideand I know it won’t be long before the icefishing season gets started. Having saidthat, I think there’s still time for a fewmore open water trips before the big freezesets in… ?


What’s COOKING

METHOD

Mix the curry powder and vegetable oil.

Place salmon fillets in curry and marinatebetween one and three hours.

Dice the potatoes and blanch in boiling wateruntil tender but still firm.

Pre-heat barbeque to medium-high. Grill salmonfillets for four-minutes, flip and grill for an addi-tional three-minutes. Remove and let rest.

Place tomato juice in a pan and bring to a boil.Add potatoes and sausage and reduce heat to asimmer. When juice is reduced by half, add theremaining ingredients. Continue to reduce untilpotatoes absorb all of the tomato juice. Add saltand pepper to taste.

Spoon hash onto plate and top with salmon.

Special thanks to Jason Mohring of TecvanaCorporation for providing this recipe.

Grilled Curried Salmon with Tomato, Sausage and Basil HashINGREDIENTS

4 6-ounce Salmon Fillets

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 tbsp Curry Powder

1-pound Mini Red Potatoes

½ cup Corn (frozen or fresh)

½ cup Green Beans (frozen or fresh)

2 Andouille Sausages

1 bunch Basil (julienned)

1 1/2 cups Tomato Juice

Salt & Pepper


The walleye have very good eyesight in

the low light giving them an edge over

the yellow perch. In this painting I'm

trying express the fading light and the

underwater drama unfolding at the end

of the day. – Charles Weiss

Artist: Charles Weiss

Dimensions: 18” X 24”

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Contact: Charles Weiss34 Hughey Cr.Toronto, ON416-752-4363

www.charlesweissart.com

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Winter 2012

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Transcript of Winter 2012