Hooked v2n3-2 - Hooked Magazine

Transcription

Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:36 AM
Page 1
Volume 2 Issue 3 • Spring 2009
www.hookedmagazine.ca
HOOKED
ON A CURE
Hooked v2n3-2
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Hooked v2n3-2
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Hooked v2n3-2
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I sskipped coffee, breakfast and the newspaper. It was
straight for the water… just another 4-stroke morning.
This is my Yamaha. What Kind of Yamaha Are You?
Maximum efficiency. Smooth, quiet operation. Turn Key Reliability
• Multi-point fuel injection system
• Multi-function tiller handle
• VTS (Variable Trolling Speed)
Alliance Marine & Sport
12 Chester Street
Winnipeg, MB
204 774-7609
800 230-5431
sales@alliancemarineandsport.com
www.alliancemarineandsport.com
Westshore Marine and Leisure
Main Street & Hwy 68
Arborg, MB
204 376-3660
866 661-3660
info@westshoremarine.ca
www.westshoremarine.ca
Lakeside Marina Ltd.
Hwy 105
Red Lake, ON
807 727-2366
877 873-3681
lakesidemarine@goredlake.com
www.lakesidemarinaltd.com
Winnipeg Sport and Leisure
1272 Dugald Road
Winnipeg, MB
204 987-5640
800 661-7669
info@winnipegsportandleisure.com
www.winnipegsportandleisure.com
Northern Rental & Power Products
1911 Dubreuil Street
Swan River, MB
204 734-5800
888 266-8889
rentals@minishgroup.com
www.northernrentals.ca
Hooked v2n3-2
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Contents | Spring 2009
Feature
20
SPIN TO WIN!
Spinner rigs are an effective and
productive choice this spring.
22
BIG BLADES
Bucktails are the musky lure of choice.
PRO POINTERS
10 | Bigger is Better
with Don Lamont
30 | Staging Largemouth
Strategies
with Scott Dingwall
32 | Let’s Talk Fishin’
with Craig Stapon
34 | Classic Walleye
Presentations
with Davis Viehbeck
36 | Dog Day Panfish
with Matt Johnson
40 | Early Season Secrets
with Jeff Gustafson
INSIDER TIPS
12 | Pitchin’ Jigs for Skinny
Water Walleyes
16 | Silent but Deadly...
Trolling Motor Tips
COLUMNS
24
TO THE EXTREME! If you have ever watched his show, you
know Karl is high energy, fast paced and always lays a lickin’ on
BIG BASS!
28 | The Day of Days
23 | Is Your Baby Protected?
DEPARTMENTS
08 | Tackle Box
16 | Hooked Kids/Hall of Fame
48 | Outdoor Adventures
38 | Fireside Grill
46 | Weekend Warrior
Spring 2009 | HOOKED | 5
Hooked v2n3-2
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SETTING THE HOOK
I
have two words for
you... blasted ice!
As you all know we have
experienced one heck of a
cold and incredibly long winter. Don’t get me wrong I
love ice fishing as much as
the next hardcore angler,
but, in a portable shack with
heat! All I can think about
right now is open water. My
mind has been on three
things the last few weeks, open water, bass
fishing and more bass fishing!
Welcome to the May 2009 spring issue
of Hooked magazine. Over the last few
months we have made some very exciting
progress. Besides bringing you the great
stories and local content you have come to
expect in Hooked we have finally jumped
into the twentieth century. That’s right,
Hooked is now online. Hooked online has
weekly blogs from pro anglers, news and
events, videos and so much more. We even
post past issues just in case you missed an
older issue of Hooked. The really cool
thing about Hooked online is you can comment on our stories, ask questions and
receive email notifications every time new
content is posted. Check it out today!
Now then back to open water! We have a
load of great pro pointers and insider tips
this issue to help you put more and bigger
fish in the boat. Mike Schamber, or Big fish
as he is affectionately called, spills the beans
on why he is so successful targeting and
catching monster walleyes. Gussy gives up
some early season secrets and accomplished
tournament anglers Dave Bennett and Scott
Dingwall fill us in on a few tricks that they
have learned over the years to land more
trophy and tournament winning fish.
This issues exclusive interview is with
Extreme Angler TV’s Karl Kalonka. Karl’s
show is high paced, raw and in your face.
Extreme Angler TV is full of great informa-
tion, tips and tricks and just
happens to be one of my
favourite shows. I am always
amazed at the size of the bass
Karl catches. Don’t believe
me? Check out page 24 for
some huge bucket mouths and
a little Q&A with Karl.
Not everyone has the luxury
of taking off to do some fishing
during the week. Let’s face it
most anglers live and die for
the weekends. Meet the newest member of
our Hooked team, Scott Sime the Weekend
Warrior! Besides writing a weekly blog on
hookedmagazine.ca, Scott will be a regular
contributor to Hooked. Scott will be filling
us in with some great information and
pointers on how to make the most out of
your weekend fishing adventures.
We have some very exciting things
planned for 2009. Make sure you keep up
to date with all of Hooked magazine’s
adventures, tournaments, fundraisers and
contests. We have a very busy season
ahead of us, and that’s just fine with me.
The more time on the water the better!
This year I am very excited to be teamed
up with Fin Tech Tackle! Fin Tech is definitely one of the fastest growing tackle companies around and they have some great
product to boot! I will be running a Fin
Tech boat this year so if you see us on the
water make sure you come by and say hi!
Once again I would like to thank all of
our advertisers for supporting Hooked! We
have all seen and felt the effects of an
uncertain economy. Despite that, our advertisers have remained dedicated to supporting Hooked. Our thanks go out to them, and
also to YOU! It’s because of you, our readers, that Hooked is central Canada’s premier fishing and outdoors publication!
See you on the water!
Contributors
MIKE SCHAMBER or
BIGFISH as he is affectionately known as, has
the uncanny knack of not
only locating, but catching
big fish... and he does it
consistantly 12 months
out of the year. His targets
are primarily slab crappie
and trophy walleye countrywide. His walleye tournament record speaks for
itself-with more than ten top 3 finishes, and a win
on Lake of the Prairies. Bigfish has been promoting
the sport for over twenty years, through seminars,
writing, and tournaments. Mike is sponsored by
Ranger Boats and Mercury Outboards.
SCOTT DINGWALL calls
Lake of the Woods in
Kenora, Ontario home. “The
variety of world class outdoor opportunities this area
currently has is unbeatable”
He started fishing tournaments in 1994, fishing 1 or
2 local events a year at
first. Since then he has
branched out and is now
fishing tournaments in both
Canada the U.S, as far South as Florida. Scott now
opperates Lake-N-Woods Outfitter; offering guided
fishing / hunting trips on Lake of the Woods.
www.lake-n-woods.com
Publisher
Steven Wintemute
204-262-5201 • hookedmagazine@shaw.ca
Art Director / Production
Kevin Stobbe — Nuance Design
204-771-4041
nuancedesign@shaw.ca
Advertising Sales
Marc Golke
204-889-5046 • marcgolke@mts.net
Photography
Hooked Media
Regular Contributors
Darren James, Steven Wintemute, Don Lamont,
Craig Stapon, Jeff Gustafson, JJ Ross,
Robert Burton, Scott Sime
This Issue’s Contributors
Darrin Bohonis, Matt Johnson, Scott Dingwall,
Davis Viehbeck, Dave Bennett, Mike Schamber,
Andrew Klassen
Free promotional copies are distributed at:
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Hooked magazine is published 5 times yearly by Hooked Media, located
at 22 Bourkewood Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3J 1B2.
Hooked is distributed exclusively throughout Central Canada. We carefully inspect all ads for accuracy, however, the publisher and the printer shall not be responsible for any mistakes, design errors or incorrect
information which is provided by the advertiser. The advertising, photographs, editorial and artwork is the property of Hooked Media and not
that of the advertiser. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright and are intended for the sole use of the public.
©2008 Hooked Media
Printed in Canada.
6 | HOOKED | Spring 2009
Seddon’s Corner
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Winnipeg
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Wholesale Sports
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:37 AM
Page 7
e
y
e
ll
a
W
IG
B
s
it
a
B
BIG
Doug Hartle
Staff
Fin-tech Pro
Title SHot ®“Shorty” Jig
“Walleye Series”
It’s no secret BIG Walleye eat BIG baits. The
patented Retainer holds those BIG baits,
plastic or meat, so you can get the job done.
The Title SHot “Shorty” Walleye Series is
available in 5 hot colours and 3 sizes with
Mustad Wide Gap Ultra Point RED hooks,
because “Catching Fish is Everything”™.
Tip: remove the
retainer and attach
a stinger for
short biters!!
Doug Hartle
r Big Walleye
If you’re looking fo
ok’em
this is the jig to ho
y!!
- Title SHot Short
Available in 5 colours and 3 sizes 1/8 - 3/8 oz.
Catch you at
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Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:37 AM
Page 8
TACKLE BOX
Catch and
Release Tips!
Buzz baits
What’s all the Buzz about?
Buzzbaits are one of most exciting baits used for catching bass.
They will literally attack them out of nowhere!
REDUCING THE HANDLING TIME, AND
THEREFORE THE STRESS ON A FISH, IS
VERY IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING
THE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL OF A
RELEASED FISH. Stress and physical damage
are the biggest killers of released fish, so caution
must be exercised. A fish that is going to be released
should be played as little as possible. If you are going
to release a fish immediately, don't handle it at all.
Simply remove the hook with a pair of pliers while the
fish is still in the water. Deeply swallowed hooks
should be cut off, rather than removed. The damage
done trying to remove the hook could be fatal, but left
alone the hook will often corrode and work free.
• Never grab a fish by the eyes or gills; instead grasp
the fish behind the gills and lift it out of the water. Be
careful not to squeeze its belly. After removing the
hook, gently return the fish to the water head first. You
can support larger fish from underneath with one hand,
while using the other hand to hold the tail.
• Do not keep the fish out of water any longer than
necessary. The chance of survival will be increased by
minimizing the time out of water. Many fish will swim
away without being revived, but if necessary, work some
water through its gills. Be careful not to pull back
abruptly on the fish or push it through the water too
quickly, otherwise you may do more damage than good.
• Though it should go without saying, never toss fish
back into the water as you would your boat anchor or a
rock. You may have the satisfaction of releasing a fish
without realizing that the return may damage it.
Letters:
Send us your comments and suggestions to:
hookedmagazine@shaw.ca
HEY STEVE!
I just wanted to let you know how much I
have been enjoying Hooked online —
especially the emails notifications when
new posts are made. You are doing an
incredible job! And the photos are beautiful — enough to make me VERY jealous!
Carolyn
HI,
Great magazine, I really enjoy a local
look at our wonderful fishing here in
Manitoba. Keep it up. Thanks.
Derek Puchailo
STEVE,
Congratulations to you and the entire
staff at Hooked Magazine. Finally a great
LOCAL magazine about our great
HERE ARE 5 GREAT TIPS ON HOW TO FISH WITH BUZZBAITS:
1. They are very productive, especially in
late spring at the end of the spawn.
2. They are good for fishing a lot of water
in a short time.
3. Buzzbaits are great over weedbeds, and
around a lot of cover in shallows.
4. You want to keep the rod tip high to
keep the buzzbait on top.
5. You want to start reeling the line in just
before the buzz bait hits the water.
The “Ultimate” Angler
Diamond Award
New for 2009: Travel Manitoba has created a new level of distinction to accompany our Silver Award “Expert” level, Gold Award
“Grand Master” level and Platinum Award “Elite Angler” level:
The Diamond “Ultimate” Angler Award.
Manitoba outdoors. Dedicated, knowledgeable and professional staff... Even a
“kid section”. With three issues out now I
can see that this magazine will be a success. Wishing you nothing but the best.
Norman Sancartier
Cranberry Portage Mb.
Caribou Lodge Outfitters
I LOVE YOUR MAGAZINE,
I picked up issue # 2 at our local sports
store D and R Sports in Thunder Bay and
I must say what a great magazine you
have published. When are you going to
open this up for subscription? Thanks
and keep up the great work.
Don Lemieux
Editor’s note: Hooked is available for subscription
now! Fill out the subscription card in this issue
or subscribe online at www.hookedmagazine.ca
TO HOOKED,
Great work with the magazine guys, keep
it up. Also, thanks for putting my daugh-
ter’s picture in the latest issue’s Hooked
Kids. She’s been showing it to everybody
for the last month now.I have been too.
Eric
GRANDMA IN AUSTRALIA GOT
THE MAGAZINE!
Avid fisherpersons and proud parents
Tracy and Paul Lambert of Landmark,
Manitoba sent me, (Grandma living in
Queensland, Australia), a copy of Hooked
so I could see the photos of Ethan and
the one of Ella and her dad Paul in the
winter 08/09 magazine! We were also
referred to the web site to see Ethan’s
picture in the bottom left hand corner of
the home page website.
Thanks! And just thought you might
like to know your magazine is being
shown around my circle of friends and
then sits on my coffee table for all to see!
Grandma Angie Mulgrew
Cabooolture, Qld
Australia
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:37 AM
Page 9
1825 Rebel XL SS package includes: Mercury 90 HP 2-stroke engine,
a Lowrance X-50ds fish locator, a Motor Guide bow mounted trolling
motor, and a ShoreLand’r bunk trailer with swing tongue.
#1 on the water
®
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a Lowrance X-50ds fish locator, a Motor Guide bow mounted trolling
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The Lund Rebel is an amazing amount of boat for so little money.
Our engineers made sure that no other boat in this class has the
features, quality, engineering technology or drivability as the Rebel.
The Rebel line of boats are built Lund-tough so they will last
season after season and get you to the fish and back with
confidence. Getting into a Lund has never been so easy. Go to
www.lundboats.com or see your Lund dealer today.
AVO Marine
(Powered by Honda Marine)
611 Ferry Road, Winnipeg, MB
204 783-2343
avo4@mts.net
Nipawin Chrysler Dodge
301 1st Avenue West, Nipawin, SK
306-862-4755
nipawin.dodge@sasktel.net
www.nipawinchrysler.ca
Red Lake Marine Products Ltd.
Highway #105, Red Lake, ON
807 727-2747 / 877 727-9120
redlakemarine@goredlake.com
1272 Dugald Road, Winnipeg, MB
204 987-5640 / 800 661-7669
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:37 AM
Page 10
PRO POINTERS
>DON LAMONT
Don Lamont with a Spring Walleye "You lookin at me?
BIGGER
is Sometimes Better
Early season walleye tips
i
t’s the number one sport fish
in Manitoba for popularity but
unfortunately can be one of
the most frustrating to catch,
at least on a consistent basis. Once
found though, in most cases, walleye can be coaxed into committing
to a well-presented bait.
Understanding seasonal walleye
location will improve your success
rate dramatically.
Walleye spawn in the spring and once finished will disperse into various parts of
the lake. During the post spawn, walleye
will use a variety of locations to rest,
gradually becoming more active as the
water warms and the days become longer.
Walleye are also light sensitive because of
the makeup of their eyes. Their ability to
absorb available light makes them very
efficient predators in low light conditions.
Thus anglers will typically find the more
active fish, early morning and late
evening, especially as spring turns into
summer. In May and June, walleye love
shallow bays that have some structural
options. I am always on the lookout for
bays that have weed cover combined with
rock piles, mud bottoms and sand. This
variety will attract a wide array of forage
with walleye close behind.
On stained water lakes and on windy
days walleye can be caught at any time as
long as the weather remains constant.
I would like to offer you a check list
of key points to remember when trying
to find and catch walleye this open
water season.
1) Active walleye will be found in shallow water—cover and current help in
tough weather conditions like cold fronts,
walleye will be more active in low light
2) When retrieving your chosen lure
for walleye, in slow times the experts recommend an in your face, slow retrieve.
What I suggest is that once you find a
retrieve that works, stick with it. There
are times when snap jigging,—which consists of a sharp lift and drop motion with
the rod—will trigger walleye when nothing else has a chance. It really does pay
to experiment in this regard.
3) Line diameter is not a factor in dirty
Hooked v2n3-2
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8:51 AM
Page 11
water but becomes critical in clear water
when the bite is off. Switch to six-pound
test line that is clear underwater and tie
lures on directly. Don’t use a leader but a
small snap can be used when fishing with
crankbaits. Many top anglers are now
using fluorocarbon leaders when invisibility is critical.
4) When trolling use a heavier pound
test but go with a superline like Berkley
Fireline. It will run lures deeper and provide better hooksets
5) Lure selection is always a struggle.
To cover water to find active fish, trying
trolling with bottom bouncers and spinners and crankbaits.
What about colour you ask? That is
always subjective. Always go with your
confidence colour. On the Red River
more trophy walleye have been caught on
pink than almost any other colour. For
me a chartreuse and orange fireball jig
(perch imitation) is always my number
one choice no matter the clarity of the
water. In gin clear water in the long run
you are probably better off with whites,
blues browns and purples. Still, chartreuse is hard to pass up on.
Smooth handling
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6) If you find a good school of walleye,
pinpoint the area with marker buoy. Try a
slower presentation like a jig or live bait
rig when the action slows and you still
think the fish are there
7) Weather is critical. Stable weather is
always the best for fishing success.
8) Wind helps so always consider areas
were wave action will lower light penetration and make walleye more active
9) Have a good depth finder if you are
fishing from a boat and make sure you
note at what depth you are catching the
fish and try and remain at that depth
until the fishing action slows.
One thing I would really like to add to
this article is the fact that most walleye
anglers use lures or bait that is too small
to attract larger fish. Top walleye anglers
have been having great success recently
using larger salt-water minnow style soft
plastics (six inches in length) jigged very
aggressively. Large fish, especially walleye, can be tempted to bite even if inactive if it’s worth the effort. Keeps that in
mind when you go walleye fishing this
year. Big, is sometimes a lot better! ■
Hooked v2n3-2
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8:51 AM
Page 12
INSIDER TIPS
TECHNIQUE
STRATEGY
GEAR
LOCATION
SCIENCE
Pitchin’
Jigs...
for Skinny
Water Eyes
Small jigs, warm spring breezes,
and shallow walleyes… a perfect
combination for a great day on
the water.
BY DAVE BENNETT
s
pring is my
favourite time of
year for catching
walleyes. The days
are stretching out;
birds have
returned and are
nesting. Animals
are having their young, and the land is
coming alive with new growth.
Underwater, the temperatures are rising
in the shallows starting new weed
growth and bringing waves of minnows
to feed on plankton. Crayfish and leeches are getting active. Walleyes, recovering from the rigours of the spawn, are
here as well, to take advantage of the
increase in metabolism they enjoy in
this warmer band of water.
Location:
There are many types of lakes and
rivers that hold walleyes in our region
with a wide variety of watercolour and
structure. No mater which body of water
you chose to fish, certain factors remain
the same. Low sloping shorelines warm
quicker than steep breaks, especially
those that contain a mix of sand, gravel
and fist sized rocks. Start looking for
shallow spring walleyes on the shores
leading into large open bays. I’m not
talking about the big shallow weed filled
bays that pike and muskies spawn in,
The author with a skinny water HOG Walleye.
but the bays that have deeper (10' to
20') water almost to the back before
they shallow up to a mud flat. Fish your
way right into the backs of these bays
and at times you will be surprised to
find walleyes packed up on dark mud
bottoms in 4' of water or less.
At this time of year a factor that
many anglers overlook is wind. Light
breezes blowing over expanses of sunlit
water will push warm surface water into
a shoreline. Any wave action that is
turning the water will produce the opposite effect and will pull cold water up
onto the shallow flat. Keep this in mind
as you head out for the day. Which way
was the wind blowing last night? How
strong was it? And let this help you
decide where to start your day.
Techniques:
When I am guiding on Lake of the
Woods I typically have two or more people in the boat with me, so I like to keep
my approach fairly simple. If I have one
of the light breezes I was talking about, I
like to slowly drift a shoreline using my
Minn Kota trolling motor to correct my
course. Keep the boat an easy “pitch”
cast from the shoreline. Rig up some
spinning rods like a 6'6" or 7' medium
fast action Shimano Compre with 8lb
braided line. Learning how to tie a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader to the
braid is essential.
Small jigs are the order of the day.
Any 1/8 oz. to 1/16 oz. ball head jig will
work, but I really like the design of the
“Weed Weasel” jig from Northland
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:51 AM
Page 13
“The best part of
fishing shallow
water walleye is that
they fight harder
than they do when
they move to deep
water, and you’re
sure to pick up
some bonus pike
and smallmouth
bass along the way. ”
Tackle. With its elongated profile, front
eye tie and built-in weed guard this little
jig can slip across the bottom with very
few hang-ups. To cover water efficiently,
I like to have one or two anglers pitch
their little jigs up to the shoreline and
slowly retrieve them with a lift, settle,
drag sequence. The other anglers should
present their jigs below and behind the
boat covering the deeper water in the 8’
to 12' range.
Experiment with your offering to find
out what the walleyes like best that day.
Some of my favourite baits for tipping
my jigs are 3" Slurpies grubs in white
shad or green pumpkin, which are natural hues and for stained water hit them
with something bright like the firetiger or
parrot colours. Of course the good old
minnow or leach is always a great option.
For those days that the fish are really
aggressive try something like the Mimic
Minnow Spin. With its bent arm spinner
blade and paddle tail, it puts out a lot of
vibration to help fish hone in on it.
The best part of fishing shallow
water walleyes is that they fight harder
than they do when they move to deep
water, and you’re sure to pick up some
bonus pike and smallmouth bass along
the way.
Small jigs, warm spring breezes and
shallow walleyes… a perfect combination for a great day on the water. ■
WEASEL YOUR
WAY OUT OF IT!
The WEED-WEASEL® is the premiere weed and timber jig on the
market today! It features a sleek
wedge-head, MUSTAD® ULTRAPOINTTM hook and totally weedless
plastic “Y” weed-guard to “weaselits-way” into the thickest weeds,
reeds, brush and timber where
Crappie, Bass, Walleye & Northern
Pike hide out and grow big! It’s
deadly for jiggin’, flippin’, pitchin’,
& dockin’!
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:51 AM
Page 14
Kids!
Want to show off your catch?
Email your pictures to: hookedmagazine@shaw.ca
Create moments that last a lifetime. Take a kid fishing today!
HALL OF FAME
We always like seeing proof of a hard-to-believe fish tale. Send us your pics and and get bragging rights over your buddies!
Send your pictures to: Hooked Media 22 Bourkewood Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3J 1B2, or email hookedmagazine@shaw.ca
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:51 AM
ABC Power Tools
Winnipeg, MB
204 224-1760
Lakeside
Marina Ltd.
Red Lake, ON
877 873-3681
Page 15
Accurate Lawn
and Garden
Winnipeg, MB
204 284-5950
Neniska Repair
Kenora, ON
807 548-5110
B & C Power Products
The Pas, MB
204 623-5791
Pacer Power
Products
Winnipeg, MB
204 475-5477
Black Bear
Power Products
West Hawk Lake, MB
204 349-8813
Shachtay Sales
& Service
Arborg, MB
204 376-5233
Farmyard Supply
Steinbach, MB
800 521-8505
Swen’s Small
Engine
Elie, MB
204 353-2357
Guertin Equipment Ltd.
Winnipeg, MB
204 255-0260
United Rentals
Thompson, MB
204 778-7001
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:51 AM
Page 16
INSIDER TIPS
GEAR
STRATEGY
GEAR
LOCATION
SCIENCE
Silent but Deadly
Scaring off the fish with your
noisy outboard motor? Read this
primer on trolling motors to get
stealth on your side.
BY DARREN BOHONIS
t
here is little doubt that
proper boat control is a
critical factor in putting
more fish in the boat.
Whether you’re casting
along a shoreline or holding on a mid-lake hump in
4 foot waves, the importance of maintaining precise boat
control cannot be over emphasized.
Nothing offers an angler greater versatility to maintain this control than
the use of an electric trolling motor.
Naturally, one of the most important
benefits a trolling motor offers is “Quiet
Power”. This is especially valuable in
shallow and/or clear water situations.
Sound travels five times faster under
water, so you can imagine how much
DID YOU
KNOW?
The electric trolling motor was
developed in 1934 by O.G.
Schmidt, founder of Minn Kota.
The Minn Kota name was chosen
since the manufacturing company was near the
MINNesota/North DaKOTA border. Minn Kota has led the way
in innovation and design for the
last 75 years.
even subtle boat noises are amplified
beneath the water’s surface. As anglers,
we often use this to our advantage with
rattle-type baits or spinner blades giving
off sound and vibration. When it comes
to harsh boat noises however, this can
literally move fish off a spot.
Fortunately, modern technology has
advanced our ability to fish effectively
in a variety of conditions with stealthlike performance.
CHOOSING AN ELECTRIC
TROLLING MOTOR
Bow Mount or Transom
Mount?
The first decision to make is whether
you require a Bow Mount or a Transom
Mount trolling motor. Each style has
their place and you’ll often notice
boats rigged with both.
A transom mount motor offers a
unique option for general use on smaller boats where a bow mount cannot be
utilized. It is also equally at home with
many tournament Walleye and multispecies anglers. The greatest benefit to
this system is when you require precise boat control, such as while back
trolling or simply having to hold
directly over top of a spot. I can think
of a few respected anglers who have an
uncanny ability to pull up to a location
and hold their position precisely where
their bait needs to be presented. A
transom mount trolling motor enables
that ability.
The other style of trolling motor is
the bow mount. Available in a few different configurations — Electric Steer,
Cable Steer or even Hand Control, the
differences partly come down to preference and fishing style.
Electric Steer motors offer great
versatility given their options and addons. Due to their design, they have an
added benefit of holding their steering
position even during wavy conditions.
This means you don’t have to continuously keep your foot on the pedal.
Simply set it to the desired speed level
on “constant” setting and make steering adjustments as needed.
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 17
To take this one step further,
Minn Kota features their exclusive
Autopilot on certain models which
allow you to set a desired course. The
Autopilot will then compensate to keep
you on that course without having to
make steering corrections yourself. A
very useful feature for many situations.
Taking technology further yet, a
wireless remote such as Minn Kota’s
Co-Pilot can be added, giving you the
ability to control your trolling motor
from anywhere in the boat.
Alternatively, a wireless foot pedal can
also be another option.
Given these features, you can appreciate the versatility offered in an electric steer trolling motor.
The other system is cable steer.
Although not limited to, cable steer is
most commonly seeing on Bass Boats.
By design, they feature unparalleled
ruggedness. With ultra responsive
cable steer along with stealthy quietness, this system delivers what is
required to hunt down lunker
Largemouth in the meanest of backbay jungles. The new Minn Kota
Fortrex is an example of the “pinnacle
of performance and durability”.
Engine mount
For those who find themselves in a
situation where you are unable to
install a transom mount or bow mount
trolling motor on to your boat, there is
an option for you as well.
An engine mount motor could be just
the solution. This system installs on to
the cavitation plate of your outboard
engine. While driving on plane, the
motor sits out of the water, not interfering with your outboard performance.
Interestingly enough, engine mount
motors are seeing a growing popularity
with tournament anglers who may
already have a transom mount and
bow mount trolling motor rigged on
their boat. Again, the reason relates to
one of the benefits of an electric
trolling motor — quietness. Given that
this style is available up to 202 lbs of
thrust (36 V) they have more than
enough power to match an outboard
kicker. Further benefits relate to simplicity and speed control.
Sonar
An additional feature to consider when
purchasing your new trolling motor is
Sound travels five
times faster under
water, so you can
imagine how much
even subtle boat
noises are amplified beneath the
water’s surface.
As a general rule, go with the highest pound thrust value that your budget or boat set up will allow. By this I
mean if your boat is smaller and rigged
for a single battery/12 volt, go for 55
pounds of trust. If you’re set up for two
batteries/24 volts, go for 70 or 80
pounds of thrust. If your boat is larger
and heavier yet, you won’t regret a
three battery/36 volt system giving you
101 pounds of thrust. Although the
weight and cost goes up with each battery you add, this is a small tradeoff to
the benefits of having enough power to
move your boat in any situation you’re
likely to encounter.
You can also consider the following
as a rough guideline.
Boats up to 17 feet would suit 55
lbs/12 V. A boat from 17 to 19 feet
would benefit from 80 lbs/24 V. While
larger, especially heavier fiberglass
boats would benefit in going to 101
lbs/36 V. This of course also depends
on the conditions you find yourself
fishing in and the amount of time on
the water you spend.
To put it into perspective, over the
last 20 years of working in the industry, I have never once had someone
come to me and say, “You know, I just
bought this trolling motor and it
seems to have far more power than I
need.” I have however heard on
numerous occasions someone mention that they should have purchased
the next thrust level up since their
batteries struggled to get them
through the day.
Batteries
Thrust
The final element that ties the
entire system together is of course…
batteries. Often underestimated, this is
where you can’t afford to cut corners.
It is important to select the best battery to meet your requirements. After
all, if your batteries are not performing
to their fullest, you can be certain that
your trolling motor won’t either. As it
so often happens, this will likely occur
when you need it most.
By far one of the most common questions I encounter is, “what pound
thrust do I need for my boat?” Since
pound thrust corresponds with voltage
and the number of batteries, generally
speaking this translates to a maximum
of 55lbs/12V, 80lbs/24V, and
101lbs/36V.
By choosing the trolling motor to
suit your needs, you’ll spend more
time fishing effectively and less time at
the mercy of Mother Nature or drained
batteries. Be sure to stop by your local
tackle store or marine dealer to see
the latest products for 2009. ■
“Universal Sonar”. Originally developed by Minn Kota, this intriguing feature incorporates a factory mounted
transducer housed into the lower unit.
Gone are the days of external transducer mounts with exposed wires.
You only require the appropriate
adaptor cable for your sonar unit.
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:52 AM
Page 18
FISH’N NEWS
Manitoba’s
New Youth
Angling
Card!
Let’s keep the ball rolling!
hile other jurisdictions
across Canada have experienced declines in angling
participation of up to twenty per
cent, Manitoba through creative and
innovative initiatives has been able
to maintain angling license sales and
participation.
W
Manitoba Fisheries and stakeholders in
the Fisheries Enhancement Fund want to
continue to address recruitment challenges, by creating additional programs
that promote and introduce youth to
recreational angling. These partners
believe that the Manitoba Youth Angling
Card is one of those programs.
The main objectives of this free
Youth Angling Card is to:
1. Promote the benefits of recreational
angling to Manitoba’s youth;
2. Include youth in programs that connects them to the environment and builds
a sense of self-esteem; and
3. Compliment and enhance existing
programs being undertaken through
provincial partnerships between privatesector, industry and government agencies.
The benefits accrued through the development of alternative youth angling initiatives will help maintain Manitoba’s position across Canada (and North America)
as a leading agency in the promotion of
recreational angling for youth. ■
For more information visit www.pyac.net
email: fs-lemartin@shaw.ca
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:52 AM
Page 19
float your boat for less
Purchase a
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Just think, with all these great features and savings, you’ll have more
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For more information, visit your local Honda Marine dealer.
AVO Marine
611 Ferry Road
Winnipeg, MB
204 783-2343
avo4@mts.net
Nickel City Motors Ltd.
7 Station Road
Thompson, MB
204 778-6333 / 800 442 0456
sales@nickelcitymotors.com
www.nickelcitymotors.com
Red Lake Marine
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807 727-2747 / 877 727-9120
redlakemarine@goredlake.com
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204 482-7782 / 888 482-7782
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www.westsidehonda.ca
1272 Dugald Road
Winnipeg, MB
204 987-5640 / 800 661-7669
*Offer is available until June 30, 2009 or such other date as designated by Honda, on the purchase of select models of new Honda outboards. Offer available at participating Honda Marine dealers. All discounts will be applied at the time of purchase.
Tax is applied after the discount. Dealer may sell for less. Honda Canada reserves the right to change, extend or limit its discount program at any time. Freight, PDI and installation extra. See your Honda Canada Marine dealer for details. Always wear
a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual before operating your Honda outboard.
honda.ca
honda.ca
Hooked v2n3-2
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8:52 AM
Page 20
INSIDER TIPS
STRATEGY
TECHNIQUE
Spinner rigs are an effective
and productive choice for covering water at this time of year.
BY: MIKE SCHAMBER
ast Spring, the walleye fishing
was the best I’ve ever seen, not
only for numbers of fish, but big
fish as well! Surprisingly though, a lot of
L
the anglers that I conversed with, did not
share those same sentiments. In fact, they
were having trouble locating fish because
they were fishing breaklines in the 25-35 foot
range, while I was concentrating on flats in
the 6-12 foot range and at times shallower.
For some reason changing locations and
moving shallower was not an option for these
guys. I even remember one angler saying:
“come on Mike, there is no way walleyes are
that shallow at this time of year!” Well, if you
are having trouble locating walleyes this spring,
then fish shallow flats. It is simply amazing how
many walleyes use big shallow flats.
Not all flats are created equal. Some flats
are better than others. One of the keys when
it comes to finding good fish holding flats is
the stuff that is on the bottom. Good areas
stretch out and away from shore quite a ways
before the first drop, and have some form of
either: patches of weeds, some gravel, mud,
and possibly sand.
Another key is whether the flat is holding
perch and minnows. The connection here is
that perch and minnows are utilizing these
areas to spawn, while walleyes are using these
areas to eat. Walleyes will move only as far as
they need to in order to eat. Therefore, when
looking for potential fish holding areas, concentrate on the first adjacent flats closest to
walleye spawning habitat. Flats hold walleyes
for one reason and one reason only-food.
Spinner rigs in my opinion are one of the
most effective and productive choices for covering water at this time of year. They provide
color, flash, and vibration which provide a presentation that triggers walleye into biting.
GEAR
LOCATION
SCIENCE
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 21
Some of you might ask, “What is a
spinner rig?” A spinner rig is a presentation that has a blade on a clevis amongst
plastic beads, followed by a hook or
hooks. The blade rotates on either a plastic or metal clevis as it is pulled along
the bottom. The rig is fished in conjunction with some form of weight like a bottom bouncer.
A bottom bouncer is a unique bent
wire design that has a weight molded to
the shaft. It is designed to hug bottom,
skipping over rocks, running across gravel, and whatever else is in its path. The
bottom bouncer is tied directly to the
main line coming off your reel, while the
spinner rig is attached to the bottom
bouncer by way of a small snap swivel.
Fish the spinner/bouncer combo at a
45º angle from boat to bottom. That generally means using an ounce of weight for
every ten feet of water being fished.
Therefore if you are in 10 feet, use a 1oz
weight; 20 feet—2oz weight, 30 feet—3oz
weight and so on. The exception to the
rule is when you are fishing shallower
than ten feet. In these situations you will
be using weights in the 3/8, 1/2, or 3/4oz
range. You want your line to be out and
away from the boat.
Quick Change clevises allow me the ability to change blades
quickly and effortlessly, should the need arise. It is important to adjust to the ever changing conditions and to what
the fish want on any given day.
When fishing the flats, try to keep your
spinner presentation moving by way of
drifting with the wind, or pulling yourself
around with a troll motor. You must cover
water, until you contact fish. Once the
fish are located, work the area thoroughly
before you move on.
Though typically active, walleyes in
the shallows can show a tendency for one
bait type over another. Crawlers, leeches,
and minnows all work, but experimenting
with each will result in determining the
preference of the day. Another option
that should not be overlooked is the use
of soft plastics or Gulp!.
Colorado, Willow Leaf, and Indiana are
all names of certain blade shapes. Each
has a certain action and effectiveness in
different situations. In my opinion the
two most popular blades are the
Colorado and the Indiana. Colorado
blades turn slower and wider, at a 45º
angle to the line, offering a distinct
thump, thump action. They work well in
stained or murky water where the
walleyes need that extra vibration. The
Indiana blade on the other hand spins
faster and tighter, at a 30º angle to the
line, and provides more flash than a
Colorado blade. They work well in clearer water, because they are more subtle in
terms of vibration. Keep in mind with
either that water clarity and speed can
dictate which blade to choose.
Finally, to get bit regularly, you have to
fine tune your presentation. You must
experiment with blades. Blade color and
size can make a huge difference in the
overall success, and that is why I use
Quick Change clevises on my spinner rigs.
Quick Change clevises allow me the ability
to change blades quickly and effortlessly,
should the need arise. It is important to
adjust to the ever changing conditions and
to what the fish want on any given day.
This spring get on the shallow flats and
spin to win.
“Just Go Fish’n, and Have Fun!” ■
When fishing along Manitoba’s rivers, always remember to stay a safe distance
away from generating stations. Some operations, such as starting up generating
units or opening spillway gates, can create dangerous water conditions.
Remember, let safety be your first priority when fishing.
Hooked v2n3-2
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BIG BLADES =
Buck-tails are the
musky lure of choice
to land the monsters!
By Andrew Klassen
C
hances are if
you’re an Esox
fisherman, buck
tails are a big
part of your
arsenal. Their
simple design of
blades, a collapsible body material, wire, and
hooks means when a fish bites
down, the hooks will likely find
their mark.
Couple that with their light weight
which helps prevent fish from tossing
the bait, and the flash and vibration that
they put into the water, the big question
is why wouldn’t you use them?! In my
opinion, buck tails have the highest percentage of hookups of any type of
musky lure.
However, in the last few seasons buck
tails have changed. Today we have the
same fundamental bait, but the blades
have been supersized! Unquestionably,
the biggest evolution in recent musky
fishing has been the switch to big buck
tails featuring double Colorado blades in
the 10-14 size. These include Gerry’s
Girls, Spanky Baits, Giant Flashers, or JJ
Ross’s Cheerleader. That being said, I’ve
had my best luck with Musky Mayhem
Tackle’s Double Cowgirl. It features double 10 blades and is tied with flashabou
for a unique pulsating action. I’ve caught
fish on larger blades, but then speed is
diminished so the 10’s seem to be a nice
compromise of speed and size.
Just how big are these blades? Well
take the lids off a couple cans of beans
from your last shore lunch, put a bend
in them, and attach them to a lure. The
vibration these baits produce is unlike
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 23
BIG MUSKIES
anything else out there. Clearly, these
baits have a ton of resistance when you’re
trying to retrieve them and combine that
with a muskie’s love for speed and you’ll
learn that burning these baits is a real
punishment for your arms, shoulders, and
back! The good news is the tackle industry has responded, and there are now a
variety of rods and reels designed specifically for this method of fishing.
Through guiding, I’ve had the opportunity to experiment with a variety of
equipment for this task. Without question, a longer rod in the 8-9' length
with a MH to H action is the way to go
as it allows for hard hook sets, large figure-8s and is forgiving against boat side
strikes. Last year I was using the 8-foot
St. Croix Legend Tournament Top and
Tail rod and found it ideal for retrieving
the baits, but it was a little soft for the
figure-8. This year, however, St. Croix
has designed a rod specifically for the
application which I will be using extensively. The Slingblade is the newest
addition to the Legend Tournament line
of rods. It is an 8'6" H action, and it has
the extra backbone which will be
absolutely ideal for the big double-10’s.
The rod is available with a split grip
handle which could make retrieving the
bait easier as well. Oversized blades
generate a ton of lift which requires the
angler to force the rod tip under the
water. Split grips make the rod somewhat top-heavy, which will reduce the
fatigue from forcing the tip down.
As important as the rod is, the reel
makes a huge difference as well. I can’t
MUSKIES GOBBLE
THEM UP!
The Gobbler is a hand tied in-line spinner
created by northwestern Ontario muskie guide
J.J. Ross.
The Gobbler was created in the winter of
2004. The original prototype first hit the
water opening day in June 2005.
The very first muskie to inhale a Gobbler
was a 52" beast on a black and black. Since
that time, Gobblers have been the lure of
choice for muskies for friends, fishing partners
and guests.
The weight forward bucktail spinner can be
thrown in the wind, burned over weeds and
trolled behind the boat. It is a durable, strong
lure that can stand up to multiple fish.
Every single one is hand assembled!
even begin to guess how many reels I’ve
seen destroyed in only a couple of trips
by using them with big buck tails. Big
blades are gear destroyers, plain and
simple. Here is where the gear ratio,
spool size, and handle style all come
into play. Remember that the higher
the gear ratio, the lower the torque.
With these lures, torque is everything. I
have experimented with several reels
and now use the Shimano Tekota
500LC spooled with 80 or 100lb Power
Pro exclusively and I have yet to have a
single problem with them in two seasons of extensive use. It has a 4.2:1
gear ratio yet a very large spool which
allows for 25" of line retrieved per
crank. It comes with a power handle,
which is a must for whatever reel you
choose. With this combination, I can
burn these baits to the boat faster than
guys with a 6.2:1 reel and a smaller
spool because I feel no resistance or
strain from the gears, and I’m not
destroying the guts of the reel.
In short, if you aren’t experimenting
with the big blades, I would recommend
giving them a try. After all, it’s the blades
that make the buck tail! Next issue I’ll
discuss the where, why, and how to fish
the baits properly to help you put more
big toothy critters in your boat! ■
Hooked v2n3-2
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5/5/09
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Page 24
Exclusive
To the
e
m
e
r
t
ex
A no-holds-barred Q&A with
Extreme Angler TV’s Karl Kalonka
As publisher of Hooked I
get the opportunity to meet,
and even fish, with some of
the best anglers Canada
has to offer.We all know I
have an insatiable passion
for bass fishing. One angler
in particular that I have
watched over the years
catch big bass after big
bass is Extreme Angler TV’s
host Karl Kalonka. If you
have ever watched his show
you know Karl is high energy, fast paced and always
lays an absolute lickin’ on
big bass.
If you could fish one body
of water which would it be
and why?
It would have to be the region of
North Eastern Ontario for monster largemouth bass. This region
consists of lakes and rivers that
are both ultra clear and murky as
mud and offer me the opportunity to present a wide variety of
baits and presentations that have
made me a better all around bass
angler. Furthermore, the yearly
stocking of high fat forage such as
rainbow trout, splake and speckled trout, (yes these are forage
species for giant largemouth),
afford these bass an opportunity
to grow at a much quicker pace
then a lot of other regions across
Ontario. And, factor in the longer
growing seasons and global warming trends, I’m sure the new
Canadian record largemouth bass
will come from this area in the
near future (hopefully by me!)
Do you like a dog or a cat?
Had all kinds of breeds over the
years growing up and with my
family including German
Sheppard’s, Pitbulls, Beagles and
Labs. Since I’m on the road more
than I am home, it’s a cat house.
They are easier to feed and can
take care of themselves over
short periods of time better than
dogs can. Plus, I can practise
their response to new baits
(hooks removed of course) that I
drag across the living room floor,
you would not believe how much
cats act like smallmouth Bass—
it’s all about the ability to provoke a reaction strike. If it works
on my cats, hey it will work on
Mr. Small jaws.
What do you hope people
come away with after
watching your show?
Being entertained, educated and
inspired to catch the passion of
angling. It does not get any more
real than Extreme Angler TV. Our
unique brand of fishing TV has
caught on like wildfire all across
Canada and the U.S.A thanks in
part to the great folks at WFN
(World Fishing Network) for providing a platform for independent producers such as I to transform an
“addition to angling” into a full time
career that shows no limits! Our
shows are now filmed and produced
in High Definition—H.D. and our
vast multi-species format has
increased to twenty-six (26) brand
new episodes for season eight airing
this fall for a full 52 week block and
over 676 total broadcast airings
across North America.
Tell us about one of your
worst habits or qualities?
I stock way too much fishing tackle. My wife can’t stand it when she
goes to the basement and finds
another shipment of “toys” has
arrived from one of my sponsors
and adds to the already mountain
of Plano storage containers. If I
use it and it catches fish, I stock it
BIG TIME! My life and living
means catching fish, big fish, and I
only use products that help me do
my job. The show and brand are
called Extreme Angler TV right, so
it’s easy to justify having 30+
St.Croix rods in the boat at one
time and another 25-30+ in my
tow vehicle and probably 40+
more in “stock” at home all
matched with Ardent reels. Every
model from my bread and butter
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 25
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 26
“I stock way too much fishing tackle. My wife can’t stand it when she goes to the
basement and finds another shipment of “toys” has arrived from one of my sponsors
and adds to the already mountain of Plano storage containers.”
Flippin’ & Pitchin’ sticks to
Jerkbait, spinnerbait, topwater,
frog n’ slop, wormin’, big crankin’,
drop shottin’, tube, skippin’ and
Walleye, Musky and Ultra lights for
Crappie and jumbo Perch.
What was the funniest
incident while filming
Extreme Angler TV?
After catching a small pike on
one of my favourite big bass locations I made the mistake of
spraying scent on my bait and
had excess scent on my hands
after pitching my bait into the
fallen tree... needless to say,
when I felt the slight tap sig-
nalling a bite and proceeded to
set the hook like I always do, the
rod left my hands and went airborne and spun end over end in
the air towards the tree (all on
camera by the way). Was pretty
funny and actually got the rod
back too! Since then, I make sure
my hands are never wet or have
any kind of slimy scent on them
when I’m holding a fishing rod.
Which super power would
you like to have and why?
The ability to turn back the clock
15-20 years and know that all of
the tactics, presentations, focus
and confidence I have learned
over the last 15-20 years could
have helped me cash a lot more
big cheques in tournaments in
Canada and the USA.
What are some of your
favourite bass lures?
My favourite way to catch bass is
with heavy tackle like Jig’s n’
chunks, 10" worms and creature
baits flipped or pitched into the
heaviest water jungles I can find.
Tossing plastic frogs over mat and
grass is another favourite as is top
water poppers for smallies and
waking fat billed crankbaits just
under the surface for both largies
and smallies.
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:54 AM
Page 27
Do you speak with your cat?
If so what do you talk about?
Our male cat acts like a dog and
actually fetches (hook less) plastic frogs and fake mice, trained
him to jump in the air for themmakes for great conversation
when friends come over and see
this big cat jumping five feet into
the air for a plastic frog. As for
speaking to them, the mere mention of “frog” gets them excited.
If you were a fish what
species would you be
and why?
I would have to say a big old lake
trout—they almost live forever,
constantly eating and
spawning and there sheer size
and strength almost makes it
impossible for anglers to land
them even when hooked.
episodes and featuring more
regions across Canada and the
USA, and of course, a few pleasant surprises that I can’t talk about
that you’ll have to watch and enjoy
during season eight on WFN.
What exciting things do you
have planned for your show
over the next year?
WFN (World Fishing Network)
and their entire network broadcast partners across Canada and
the USA. ■
Adding even more educational
aspects (if that is even possible)
to the show episodes and segments. More multi specie action
on public lakes and teaching
viewers which baits, presentations and dedication it takes to
catch bigger fish more often.
Growing to 26 high impact
“...you would not believe how much cats act like smallmouth
Bass it’s all about the ability to provoke a reaction strike. If
it works on my cats, hey it will work on Mr. Small jaws.”
WFN Canada- Tuesday’s @ 9:30
pm; Wed-3:30 pm; Sat-11:30 pm;
Sun-5:30 pm / eight airings per
week.
WFN- HD- Tues- 6:00 pm; Wed10:00 am; Thurs-6:00 pm; Sun4:00 pm / eight airings per week.
e Jig’s
heavy tackle lik
h bass is with
tc
d into
ca
he
tc
to
pi
ay
w
or
its flipped
ba
“My favourite
re
tu
ea
cr
can find. “
worms and
ater jungles I
n’ chunks, 10”
the heaviest w
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 28
The Day
of Days:
i
Predicting and
Maximizing
Feeding Windows
(Part two of two)
By J.J. Ross
n the Boatshow Edition of Hooked Magazine we
examined how to predict feeding windows. In Part
II of the Day of Days series, Maximizing Feeding
Windows we will examine things you can do to
increase your chances of having the day of days.
Maximizing Feeding Windows
So let’s say that you find yourself in what you perceive to be
a feeding window. There are a few things I like to do to maximize my chances of experiencing the day of days. There is
nothing worse than being on the water during a feeding window
and not taking full advantage of it. Trust me-I learned the hard
way over many years of working at a resort. Inevitably you
come in at the end of a long day with no muskies in the boat
and you arrive back at camp only to find out that one of the
other resort boats and another guide absolutely hammered the
muskies. If you are competitive it drives you crazy that you can
be out on the same water and suck air!
The first thing I like to do is to run and gun when the bite is
on. Get to as many spots as you possibly can and blanket each
spot with casts to find active fish. It helps to use fast moving
lures like a buck tails or top water baits. This is not the time to
finesse with soft plastics like Bulldawgs or use slow moving top
waters like Creepers and Hawg Wobblers. It is time to pull out
the speedy buck tails and the Top Raiders.
Another way to maximize a feeding window is to kick the
trolling motor up a couple of notches and cover as much water
as possible. This way you will be in contact with potentially
more fish when they are feeding. Also use a reel with a fast gear
ratio. Make no mistake-it is tough to maintain this pace but who
knows how long this window will be open? How does the cliché
go? “No pain, no gain!”
Use a good hooking lure so that fish bite and remain on.
Avoid lures with wood bodies and top water lures that are difficult for fish to track. Jerk baits are fun and there are spectacular hits with walk the dog style lures but they are poor hookers.
Feeding windows are about getting eaten and keeping the fish
on the line. If you must use jerk baits, choose hard bodied plastics ones, or if you must use top waters, find one that tracks in
a straight line.
Lastly, make sure you hit your big fish spot often. Everybody
should have a spot where they have either caught a big fish,
consistently catch big fish, have seen a big fish or have just simply heard of a big fish at a spot. Often these are “community
spots” or spots that see a lot of pressure from muskie anglers.
Go there for sure. You can’t go wrong fishing the community
spots when the bite is on.
Conclusion
It is fun to predict when things are going to happen but don’t
let it stop you from going out. Some anglers won’t go out
because they feel the conditions are not perfect. It is impossible
to catch muskies from the couch in front of the television or
curled up with a book.
Clients ask, “When is the best time to come fishing?” I
always reply, whenever you can as any time is a good time.
As you fish for muskies you begin to realize that there are
more productive times to be on the water and you begin to
predict when you think a feeding window is going to present
itself. Use the solar/lunar tables and a barometer to help. If
the fish seem to be biting more than usual, fish as many spots
as you can, use a fast moving lure and make sure you hit
your big fish spots. Good luck and I hope you have the “day
of days” this season. ■
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
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Page 29
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Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 30
PRO POINTERS
>SCOTT DINGWALL
Staging
Largemouth
Strategies
Drag yourself away from all those
big smallies this spring give these
baits and locations a shot
S
mallmouth are awesome, and I
love catching them; but for
some reason I have always had
a fascination with fishing for
largemouth. It sounds a little crazy to say;
but during the spring catch & release season here in Northwestern Ontario I would
much rather target largemouth with
hopes of catching a couple big fish versus
going after the almost sure thing, and
catching a bunch of smallies. Over the
past couple years I have discovered the
locations to look for, and the baits that
consistently put pre-spawn largemouth in
the boat.
Where?
Locating pre-spawners can be a bit of a
challenge. At this time of year they’re on
the move from winter habitat, back
towards the spots where they will eventually spawn. Until they reach this destination you can consider them to be a moving target. The good news is; this migration from wintering spots to spawning
habitat usually isn’t that far, and they will
make the move to staging areas outside of
where they will eventually spawn relatively fast once the ice clears.
These staging spots will be your best
bet for catching numbers of fish. The first
places I look include rock piles and points
in shallow weedy bays, along with the
outside edges of dead reeds or cattails
within these shallow bays. The shallow
rock piles and points will hold heat once
the sun warms them. This will be a magnet for pre-spawners seeking warmer
temperatures. The dead reeds will serve
as cover and a final staging location
before they move in to spawn.
Bait Choices
To catch these fish I rely primarily on
three baits, a suspending jerkbait, an unweighted Senko type bait, and a swim30 | HOOKED | Spring 2009
Scott with a huge pre spawn bucket mouth.
ming Senko paired with a 1/4 ounce FinTech Title Shot Jig.
A suspending jerkbait is an excellent
reaction bait in most situations, however
at this time of year I don’t fish it fast for
the reaction bite. Instead, I choose a
retrieve that consists of sliding the bait
forward versus of ripping it aggressively
ahead. This is followed by an extended
pause where the bait is left hovering
almost motionless. Bites will come on the
pause, so be patient.
The un-weighted Senko is fished
painfully slow, and if it wasn’t so effective
there’s no way I would bother use it. Pair
this bait up with a 4/0 or 5/0 wide gap
Hooked v2n3-2
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Page 31
The first places
I look include
rock piles and
points in shallow
weedy bays,
along with the
outside edges
of dead reeds
or cattails
within these
shallow bays.
hook; cast it out allowing the bait to sink
to bottom. Move it along with a lift and
fall retrieve for as long as you can stand
it, or until you feel your bait has been
taken out of productive water. Also keep a
RAPALA XRAP30
SHAKEY
close eye on your line with this bait. Most
bites will come on the fall; you’ll see the
line move or jump well before the bite is
felt in most situations.
My next choice at this time of year is
the Swimming Senko. I fish this bait in
the dead reeds and cattails on a 1/4 ounce
Fin-Tech Title Shot jig. This jig works well
because of its weedless design. It can be
fished effectively on a steady retrieve
almost like a swimbait; however my best
results come when I fish it much slower
similar to a texas rigged worm. This
involves sliding the bait through the reeds,
along the bottom a few feet at a time.
If you can handle dragging yourself away
from all those big smallies this spring give
these baits and locations a shot. I’m confident they will work for you too. ■
Scott Dingwall, Lake of the Woods Guide
Lake-N-Woods Outfitter
807-464-8500
www.lake-n-woods.com
Hooked v2n3-2
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8:55 AM
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PRO POINTERS
>CRAIG STAPON
Let’s Talk Fishin’
f
ishing early season can be some of the
best action all year. Big toothy pike
are easy to locate and are starting to
beef up as the sun warms the spring shallows. But, before you get out make sure
you have given the boat the “once over”.
Insure the batteries are fully charged
and ready to roll. Hook up the ear muffs
and give the engine a quick start to insure
all is well. If you chose to run regular fuel
it is a good idea to add some “sea-foam” or
other fuel additive. These products will
keep your engine clean and running properly. A fresh set of plugs is always in order
as is some new gear case oil if you didn’t
change it last fall. Make sure you have
done the seasonal ritual of changing all
your line and sharpening all your hooks.
This will pay big on hook sets. Once the
plug is in and you have launched you are
ready to rumble! I love getting out as soon
as the ice is off in Ontario. The pike are
easy targets and the action can be second
to none. The afternoon bite is probably the
best as the sun warms the north shore
shallows. Surprise catches of huge largemouth are often reported this time of year
as they too have the feedbag on!
I have a real busy season planned for
2009 and hope to fish several tournaments. Things will kick off for me at the
Falcon Lake Bass tournament then it’s off
to Lake of the Prairies. I will also spend
time at Lac Du Bonnet doing 2 or 3 tournaments followed by one of my favourites
up at Minaki. It will be a busy season fishing and guiding and I can hardly wait to
get at her. I don’t want to think about Pine
Falls yet as those tournaments usually
bring the season to a close. This fall
should be awesome as the M.A.C. will host
the first every Musky tournament on
LOTW In September. I shake my head
when I think about how busy I will be. I
am really looking forward to trying the
new live target lures that were feature a
few articles ago. I have a few that I have
not tried yet and can hardly wait to give
them a little water test.
I cannot believe the quality of Hooked
magazine. Steve and his crew put out a top
notch publication. Hooked promotes our
area and offers some of the best tips, locations and stories you can find in a fishing
publication. We all need to spread the
word and continue to promote and support
this magazine. Times are tough and we as
anglers need to step up to the plate and
support the companies that advertise in
this magazine! Tell them you saw their ad,
thank them for their support and spend
some of your hard earned cash!
I love the magazine and want to see it
continue to grow! I have no doubt it’s here
for the long run!
Till next issue, “Keep your lines tight!” ■
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Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:55 AM
Page 33
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Hooked v2n3-2
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8:55 AM
Page 34
PRO POINTERS
>DAVIS VIEHBECK
Classic Walleye Presentations
An inside look at some of the hottest ways to catch walleye with tried, tested and true presentations!
a
lthough there are a number of
ways to trigger bites from walleye, classic rigging presentations including jigs, rigs, and
bottom bouncers are tough to beat
whether the walleye are active and chomping or suffering from a case of lockjaw.
Here’s a quick rundown on some of my
favourite ways to put walleye in the boat!
Jigs
The jig may be the most widely used presentation for walleye across North America.
Jigs are arguably the most versatile walleye
presentation as they can be fished aggressively during peak periods of fish activity
or dragged ever so slowly back to the boat
during a tough bite. One of my personal
favourite jigs is a Northland Fireball Jig in
a bright colour such as Super-Glo Green or
Parrott. The depth I’m fishing, current
velocity and the activity level of the walleye generally dictates jig size. When fishing in depths less than 12 feet with minimal current, 1/16 oz to 1/8 oz jigs are my
preference. When faced with depths ranging from 12 to 20 feet, 1/4 oz jigs are usually the ticket for most applications. If
you’re dealing with dirty or stained water,
consider adding some form of flash or
vibration to your jig. Several manufacturers offer jigs with built in rattles and addon rattle collars are also available. Both
the Buckshot Rattle Jig and the Thumper
Jig have produced fantastic results in situations with reduced water clarity.
Although most walleye anglers tip their
jigs with some form of livebait, consider
using some of the livebait alternatives
such as Trigger X biodegradable baits
when fishing a jig. Trigger X includes a
line of baits tailored specifically for walleye fishing including a grub, leech, and
crawler “that look, feel, taste and smell
like the real thing,” according to Mark
Fisher, Rapala’s Director of Field
Operations. These biodegradable baits
have been so successful that countless
tournament anglers are switching over to
products such as Trigger X in place of
livebait for most fishing situations. Key
advantages to biodegradable baits include
not having to replace bait between catching fish, reduced hooking mortality, and
The author used a jig tipped with Trigger X to catch this walleye. Photo: Davis Viehbeck
of course no maintenance and no mess
in the boat.
Most keen jiggers opt for a 6' to 6'6"
medium action rod matched with a smaller
spinning reel spooled with a low stretch
line. Personally, unless I’m fishing ultrashallow water, I’m a huge fan of braided or
fused line such as 4lb diameter/10lb test
Sufix Performance Braid. A key to fishing
with braided or fused lines is to add a 3' to
6' lead of monofilament or fluorocarbon
line to reduce line visibility and act as a
slight shock absorber on hook sets. The
two lines can either be joined together with
a uni-to-uni knot or with the addition of a
small swivel when running shorter leads.
“Roach Rigs”
“Roach Rigs” excel when walleyes are
bunched up and relatively close to the
bottom or when the bite is slightly off
and the fish are fussy. The system is
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:55 AM
Page 35
simple and consists of a walking sinker
or slip bouncer that slides freely on your
mainline followed by a swivel, a lead of
monofilament, and an ultra sharp octopus style hook like a #4 or #6
Gamakatsu on the business end. Lead
lengths can vary from two to as long as
ten feet when fish are ultra finicky. In
general, a three to five foot lead will do
the job for most situations. In order to
make sure your hook runs straight on
the rig, attach the hook using a snell
knot. I like adding some type of brightly
coloured attractor bead right in front of
my hook, particularly in lakes with
stained water. Tip the hook with a minnow, crawler, leech or some of the realistic looking biodegradable baits on the
market. “Roach Rigs” are best fished on
a 6'6" to 7' medium or medium-light
spinning rod matched with 6 to 8lb test
monofilament. In order to take full
advantage of this finesse rig, always fish
with the bail of your spinning reel open,
with the line held against the blank of
your rod with your index finger. Upon
detecting a bite, allow the line to spool
off of your reel for a moment before
engaging the reel and setting the hook.
Spinners and Bouncers
A spinner rig combined with a bottom
bouncer is without question one of the
most preferred presentations to cover
water effectively when targeting walleye.
Bouncers are great when you’re dealing
with scattered fish or faced with snaginfested waters. There are two common
types of bottom bouncers available on the
market today; a fixed style bouncer, and a
slip-bouncer. The fixed style bouncer
comes in weights up to 4 ounces and is
best suited for trolling at faster speeds,
fishing in current, or when dealing with
ultra rocky or wood covered bottoms due
to the longer wire arm on this style. Slipbouncers are available in weights up to 1-1/2
ounces and are better suited to slower
trolling or drifting presentations or when
dealing with lighter biting walleye as the
fish doesn’t instantly feel the weight of the
bouncer. Slip-bouncers are also available
with quick change weight snaps that allow
anglers to adjust the weight of their bouncer with ease. Sandro Fragale, a walleye
fishing guru based out of Thunder Bay,
Ontario feels that bottom bouncers always
excel and are very consistent in catching
fish. Fragale’s preferred setup for bouncing
consists of a nightcrawler harness like the
Baitfish-Image Spinner Harness by
Northland Tackle or the Jewelled Bead
Walleye Spinner by Luhr Jensen. Heavier
bouncers (greater than one ounce in
weight), are generally best suited to longer
baitcasting gear in the 7' to 8'6" range. The
longer rod allows for increased line control
and strong sweeping hook sets that are
needed when fishing heavier bottom
bouncers. A few important considerations
for fishing bouncers are to fish them at a
45-60 degree angle below the boat and to
keep the wire arm just ticking off the bottom. Fragale recommends running bouncer setups with a heavier mainline like
monofilament in the 14-17 lb test range.
“The heavier monofilament mainline
allows you to pull the bouncer free when
you encounter a snag”, notes Fragale.
As you prepare for another year of walleye fishing, consider trying out some of
these classic presentations on your next
walleye adventure. If they work for me,
I’m sure they’ll do the same for you! ■
Davis Viehbeck is a Tournament Angler,
Fishing Promoter and Outdoor Writer
based out of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Advertisement
It’s Spring! Let’s get those boat batteries
ready to go. Here are some tips on chargers.
Choose a charger that matches the type of battery you want to
recharge, i.e., liquid electrolyte, marine R/V, automotive, maintenancefree or gel cell.
Match the proper battery voltage (6, 12, 24 or 36 Volt).
Choose the correct charger size in amps. A good rule of thumb: A
charger should provide a maximum of 20 Amps for each 100 Ah of the
battery. If all you know is the reserve capacity (RC), a quick method to
figure the Ah is to multiply the RC by .6 (ie: 160Min RC = 96 Ah)
Select a charger with a capacity sufficient to fully recharge the batteries within eight to twelve hours.
For optimum results, choose a maintenance-free type charger that is
timed or automatically shuts off when the battery reaches a full state
of charge.
Always read and follow the charger instruction manual’s safety and procedural recommendations. Different manufacturers offer various features that may influence charging parameters.
Charging tip: Do not delay charging your batteries after use. Recharge
as soon as possible after one day’s use. Allowing the battery to sit discharged for several days may hamper its recharge acceptance and ultimately its performance.
Remember that a 100 Ah battery that is 100% discharged when connected to a 20 Amp constant amperage charger will take a minimum of
5 hours to recharge. (100 divided by 20 = 5)
It is best to recharge your batteries at least once every three months
during a prolonged storage period.
Hooked v2n3-2
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PRO POINTERS
>MATT JOHNSON
Dog Day
Panfish
Searching weed pockets
s
pringtime panfish are universally sought out and that’s
mostly due to their nature of
being aggressively schooled-up
and more than eager to attack whatever
you put in front of their stout little noses.
Big sunfish and slab crappies are caught
throughout the Midwestern belt during
this time and it provides some excellent
action for anglers both young and old.
But, the springtime flurry doesn’t last
forever and those same aggressive-natured
fish will once again become less energetic
and will transform into wandering
nomads, only feeding when there bellies
tell them to. No longer do they devour
what ever presents itself, or at least not in
areas where we once sat wide-eyed at
springtime and early summer. Now they
are on a different path, a path that leads
them into the dog days of summer…
Panfish will hold shallow, there is no
use disputing a statement like that, but
shallow is only relative to the body of
water being fished. Shallow can mean 2
feet in the local farm pond, yet in the
expansive reservoir across the street it
can mean 8 feet of water off a break.
Panfish typically hold shallow during the
spring fling and they are beginning their
open water adventures.
The shallow water bite may last for a
period of time, but those areas will
change as the season progresses, and usually into conditions that make fishing
them tough. Thick weeds begin to sprout
up and fresh budding lily pads turn into
thick mats of green and brown walls separating you from the underwater world.
Conditions call for a new approach and
fish patterns will tell you the same. It’s time
to seek out a new area, because one, the old
hot spot is unfishable, and two, the fish
have found refuge in nearby deeper water,
although weed pockets are an exception.
Deeper water areas usually take the form of
deep weed lines or out in the open water of
the main lake and mid-depth basins.
Out from the weeds comes a slab crappie.
No matter the form it takes, weed
lines will attract panfish, but effectively
fishing them can be difficult unless you
search out for pockets in the weeds.
Weed pockets are often over-looked, but
hopefully from now on you begin seeing
them as opportunities instead of just
spaces of nothingness.
You can bet a sunfish or crappie will
snatch up an easy meal if it presents itself
out in the open water of one of those
pockets. Weed pockets provide an excess
of sunlight, which will attract what attracts
panfish, mainly baitfish and other forage.
Weed pockets are a part of my plan of
attack when I hit the water in search of
Dog Day Panfish.
Plastics tend to be my preferred way of
targeting these weed-dwelling panfish.
Various insect-type plastics offer a
unique, natural-appealing presentation
that works well in weedy conditions.
Nymphs and other insects will utilize
these particular areas, and it only makes
sense that you “match the hatch.” I typically rig these plastics with either a plain
hook (for neutral buoyancy) or with a jighead (for a more aggressive technique
along deeper weed lines).
Classic summer panfish spots will
remain true throughout much of the summer months and the panfish holding on
them usually won’t go far if harsh weather
presents itself. Deep weeds are a classic
summer spot and should be a part of
every panfish angler’s daily routine once
the summer suns take form.
This pattern holds true for crappies
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:56 AM
Page 37
more than sunfish, but every body of
water is different and locations can vary.
Crappies will roam out in open water, and
usually it’s the open water areas of a bay
or the areas adjacent to deep weed lines
and structure. Crappies like chasing down
baitfish that are daring enough to adventure out into the open. The crappies
know it’s an easy meal and that they have
a huge advantage over their prey in situations like that. It’s not uncommon to find
cruising pods of crappies out in 30 feet of
water, suspended 10 feet off the bottom.
Crappie locations during the hot summer months can be very frustrating on
some lakes, and the possibilities seem
endless. In order to narrow things down,
you need to grab a lake map and look for
possible springtime locations (where the
crappies were just recently at) as well as
nearby deeper water. Figure out where
the deep weed line is and where, if any, is
there deeper structure.
Crappies will hold near and around
deep structure during the summer, then
when the opportunity presents itself
they will slide out into the open water to
feed. Once a school is located, it won’t
“...weed lines
will attract
panfish, but
effectively fishing them can be
difficult unless
you search out
for pockets in
the weeds.”
take long to figure out whether or not
they are hungry.
So, to expand on this concept of summer panfish, I will end with a question:
Why is it that during the winter
months we target panfish in 30, 40 or
even 50 feet of water, yet during the open
water months we stop searching once we
can’t find them in 5-6 feet of water?
Panfish will utilize deep water just like
walleye, bass and pike. Deep water
shouldn’t scare panfish anglers, and having the willingness to target deep water
during the summer months can really
increase your catch. Some days it just
takes patience and the motivation to look
for meandering fish.
I’ve only touched on a few of the
options that are available for panfish during the summer months, and don’t let
these possibilities be your only resort.
Fishing is constantly changing and we
must change with it and adapt to the
given conditions. Watch for pockets in
the weeds, check for deep weed lines, and
pay attention to your electronics for pods
of schooling fish in deeper water while
motoring from spot to spot.
By doing a few of these things you
can eliminate some of the guesswork
and wasted time spent on the water.
But in the end, every day on the water
is a good day if you have a fishing rod
in your hand. Enjoy the summer and
good luck! ■
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Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:56 AM
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FIRESIDE GRILL
>DARREN JAMES
Panko Crusted Walleye
The best way to crispy goodness...
ne of the best types of breading for
fresh-caught fish that I’ve found
lately is called Panko flakes. They
are by far the crunchiest and lightest tasting breading I have ever tried, and that is
saying LOTS. Panko is an Asian style of
bread crumb made from bread without
crusts, thus it has a crisper, airier texture
than most types of breading found in
Western cuisine. Suited to your own particular taste, Panko can be used either deep
fried or baked in the oven and still offer the
same super crispy bite. It is also just
superb for true Asian style sweet and sour
shrimp. Whatever you use them for, don’t
forget that these are just bread crumbs, so
they still need an infusion of flavour via
your favourite spice or sauce. Here’s a simple enough recipe using Panko that adds
the unique rich flavour of a special ingredient. This is simply “the best” crispy shore
lunch recipe Ive tried- ever. Go on, try it!
O
Panko Crusted Walleye
Walleye fillets- cleaned and cut into portions
1/2 cup pancake mix or flour
2 eggs
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups coarse Panko Flakes
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin to taste
Coat walleye fillets in pancake mix.
Mix eggs, condensed milk and spices. Run
the fillets through the wet mix then roll
them through the Panko, covering liberally. Deep fry at 375 degrees until deep
golden brown, or bake on a lightly
greased baking pan on low grate at 350
degrees for 8 minutes, turn, cook 6 min-
Panko breading is available at local Asian supermarkets.
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:56 AM
Page 39
utes longer until crispy. Plate it up with
some chopped red pepper, white onion
and fresh lime. Call me a tradionalist, but
a bone-cold glass of beer is the only thing
that I can think of that would make this
recipe better.
A huge, great big feast of a dinner
around the campfire is a terrific way to
wrap up a sublime day spent on at the lake.
Whether you’re toasting a fine meal or sitting around afterwards, part of that experience just might include a fantastic glass of
wine. Likewise, the camp chefs- my peoplewill know that a cup or two of fine wine is
one of the most important ingredients in a
truly gourmet fireside delight. Peller
Estates has made enjoying wine at our
cook outs and picnics super easy by introducing a new line of Tetra-Pak cartons
showcasing their French Cross Selection
premium wines. These convenient cartons
hold one litre and are sturdy enough to
hold up in the cooler. I really enjoy cooking
with wine because it adds such an elegant
taste to otherwise standard dishes. I invite
you to try the following recipe jacked up by
a nice premium wine.
Walleye Linguine
Walleye fillets
1/3 cup butter (real)
1 large lemon- peel and juice
2 cups Peller Estates French Cross Selection
Pinot Grigio
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely chopped
Chopped chives to taste
1 package of fresh linguine
Salt & Pepper to taste
Melt butter, add juice of lemon, olive oil,
garlic, onions, wine, and 2 tablespoons
of grated lemon peel. Stir constantly
and bring to boil. Let simmer on low
heat for about 4-5 minutes and remove
from stove. Let cool. Pour 2/3 of marinade over fish. Turn to coat all sides.
Cover tightly and let sit overnight.
Remove fish from marinade and place
on aluminum foil. Put 3 or 4 pats of butter on each large filet and seal tightly.
Cook on BBQ on low to medium-low
heat until flaky. Cook linguine and
drain. Melt remaining marinade again
and toss into pasta thoroughly. Serve
baked fish on generous portions of
pasta. Sprinkle dusting of parmesan
cheese and/or paprika.
Since I began writing the Fireside Grill
for Hooked, some of the most favourable
comments I’ve received have been about
dessert recipes. We’ve done a few here,
and by far the most popular has been the
pineapple caramel upside down cakesand yes, while camping! Mmmm!! Well
here’s another one. Just make these and
get the heck out of the way!
Mexican S’mores
Flour tortillas (plan for 2 each)
Peanut butter
Mini marshmallows
Mini chocolate chips
Spread a layer of peanut butter on a
tortilla. Sprinkle with marshmallows and
chocolate chips, and roll up tightly in aluminum foil. Cook on BBQ or near the
campfire for 5-10 minutes, turning often.
Enjoy the season folks. This is the time
we all spent the last 6 months waiting for.
Be safe, have fun, and make sure you
extinguish your fire—twice.
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:57 AM
Page 40
PRO POINTERS
>JEFF GUSTAFSON
Early Season
Secre
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:57 AM
Page 41
ets
Y
ou know its been a long
winter when walleye season closes and there is
still plenty of good ice left
to fish.
Fortunately for anglers, open water is
upon us and we have so much to look
forward to in the coming months. The
window for catching most species early
in the season is much smaller than the
dog days of July and August, but when
you connect, it can be the hottest action
of the year. Let’s take an in-depth look at
some secrets for putting more fish in the
boat this month.
Finesse Pike
Pike anglers love the early season
because most of the fish in a body of
water are shallow. In some parts of
Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, pike
are one of the only options for anglers,
before walleye, bass and trout seasons
open. The key to catching big numbers of
pike early in the year is to use finesse
tactics to catch’em. While most anglers
usually consider spinnerbaits and flashy
crankbaits as the top producers for pike,
post-spawn fish are usually sluggish and
would rather be teased than harassed
into striking.
When I talk about finesse tactics, I’m
talking about using plastic baits and
subtle hardbaits fished relatively slow,
at least compared to a typical summer
retrieve. Pike are easy to find. Scour the
shallow, weedy backwaters and work
your way out the first major drop into
deep water, like where it goes from say
5 feet down to 15, wherever the first
major edge is. My go-to bait when fish
are shallow is a 5 - 7 inch jerkshad,
rigged on a 5/0 - 7/0 wide gap
Gamakatsu hook. This is a weightless
rig, but I make myself a leader using
some 15 lb. Terminator titanium leader
material and this will help keep the bait
a foot or so under the surface and protect your rig from bite-offs. I can fish
this rig through old pencil reeds and lily
pads with ease, a likely place to crack a
big pike early in the season. If pike have
moved out of the shallowest weeds, I
like to throw a hardbait like a Rapala
Glidin’ Rap. You can fish this bait with
long, slow “pulls” and it moves ever
seductively along in a subtle manner. It
is a big fish bait so if you are fishing a
water with more smaller fish, you can
try the smaller Twitchin’ Rap. I make
my own leaders for these baits as well.
Twitchin’ Smallmouths
It’s been a tradition for a number of
years that the Manitoba bass opener is
spent on Falcon Lake for the annual
tournament that many anglers enjoy.
Over the years, ice has been a factor and
prevented us from fishing couple times so
organizers have decided to move the
tournament ahead a couple of weeks, to
late May, after last years move (because
of ice) resulted in great catches by a lot
of anglers.
I learned the ropes on early season
smallmouths growing up on Lake of the
Woods and spent as much time as I could
on the ice early in the year chasing bass
while I was growing up. What I learned
was applied at Falcon in recent years
during the tournament there and it has
been a proven system for loading the
boat early in the year on bass waters all
across the north.
When I said earlier, “the window is
much smaller than later in the year”
what I’m trying to explain is that fish are
not located in as many places or the variety of depths they are in summer, when
they can be found everywhere. This can
be said for all species, it’s all about finding fish. Find them and you usually find a
big group. One type of bait excels at finding and catching smallmouths early in
the year, when water temperatures are
below 55 degrees are hard-bodied jerkbaits like an X-Rap. The key with these
type of lures is the suspending quality
they have. Fish them in a twitch-twitchpause manner and let them suspend for
up to 10-15 seconds at a time once you
location dialed in. They will put fish in
the boat for you! There are some tricks
to get these baits to run a little bit deeper
as well and that can make the difference
some days. Use fluorocarbon line. It
sinks a lot quicker than mono and on a
slow retrieve, it will get your bait a little
bit deeper. I also change out the stock
hooks, for Gamakatsu’s, which are sharper and heavier and help the bait dive
slightly deeper. There are a lot of different varieties of suspending jerkbaits.
Experiment with different brands and try
different line sizes to see what produces
the best results for you. I experiment
with 8 - 12 lb. Sufix Fluorocarbon and a
variety of baits.
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:57 AM
Page 42
Weed Walleyes
As the last remnants of ice are evicted
from the lake, walleyes are busy getting
their spawning ritual over with. The
majority of walleyes in our lakes look for
current when they spawn so that will help
anglers in finding fishing locations. Look
at shorelines and structure leading out of
the these potential spawning areas and
look for the first green weeds.
Weeds will begin to show up when the
water is in the low 50’s, not everywhere,
but in certain places. Find some weeds
and you will find a bite that carries
through most of May and June and is
www.thtlwinnipeg.com
extremely dependable. Pitch jigs tipped
with a variety of plastic tails into these
weeds clumps, usually cabbage or coontail
and you will score. I like a Northland
Mimic Minnow jig tipped with a Mimic
Minnow Shad Tail or Slurpies twister tail
grub. The advantage to plastic is you can
rip the jig through weeds if you get slightly hung up and still be able to keep your
bait in the water. If you are using livebait,
you are going to tear bait off to often. A
new option anglers have this year is the
new Trigger-X stuff, a new water-based
product similar to Gulp!, with really nice
shapes for walleye anglers.
One thing I notice on Lake of the Woods
is that anglers will troll along shoreline aimlessly and they catch some fish. But think
for a second and consider, do you consistently get fish on specific small stretches of
shoreline? A quick look will usually reveal
lush, green weeds on these little stretches.
Save these spots on your Humminbird and
you can go back and exploit walleyes with
jigs. One more way to find these sweet
weed spots is to find them in the summer
when weeds are grown up and easily visible
to anglers. Save them on your GPS then
and you can usually count on weeds growing the same spot the next year. ■
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:58 AM
Page 43
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Title:
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Discipline:
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Weight:
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WIN your chance to
FIGHT A MASTER!
Enter online
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Cast your ballot today at www.northbound-tours.com
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Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:58 AM
Page 44
FISH’N NEWS
Is your BABY protected?
n the wake of yet another successful
Mid-Canada boat show, some of you
already have made your move and
upgraded your fishing boat and motor
while others enjoyed checking out the
sights, walleye hawg tank, and of course
the Hooked Magazine booth!
I
With spring officially here, it is time
for the annual uncovering of our fishing
boats, but, have you properly taken a
step back and spent the necessary time
and effort to ensure your new or used
BABY is properly insured?
I realize that insurance isn’t as exciting
Mystery Country’s Paint Lake Resort
Toll Free 1-888-246-9749
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as a topic on a new hot tackle item or
marine electronics, however, considering
how much your average fishing boat
package is worth, how many of you can
afford a total loss?
The following are just some guidelines
that I encourage you to discuss with your
insurance broker:
What are your insurance policy
options? (i.e. adding your fishing boat
and motor onto your house insurance or
a completely separate policy)
Ensure that you provide accurate information about your boat (i.e. length,
width, and max. HP rating)
What insured perils are covered and
more importantly, what are the policy
exclusions and limitations.
What is the value on total loss (is it
replacement value or a depreciated
value) and what options do you have to
validate the monetary value?
What deductible options are available
and are the deductibles different by
insurable risk?
What coverage do I have while I’m
towing my boat to and from my fishing
destination?
Are you insured if you store your boat
away from your primary residence (i.e. at
the cabin, seasonal trailer site etc.)?
What coverage do you have for auxiliary motors, electronic equipment, personal effects and third party liability?
Lastly, if you do any guiding with a
monetary exchange for services, you may
need special insurance coverage
Don’t wait until it’s too late, protect your
BABY today! ■
WAAM Club News
Upcoming meeting dates; April 8th, May
13th (check our website calendar of
events for time and place)
Annual membership is $30 and 1st time
guests can join us for a meeting with no
obligation. Visit our website at
www.walleyeanglers.mb.ca
John Remillard
Walleye Angler’s Association of Manitoba
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:58 AM
Page 45
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•1,2 &3 bedroom light housekeeping cabins
•Safe sandy beach •Ideal family resort
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townsite activities
•90 minutes drive from Winnipeg
•Excellent Fishing •Hiking and Biking Trail
For reservations Phone 1-204-349-2218
Sunset
Lodge
on Red Lake
Sunset Lodge is your premier fishing and
hunting getaway on the renowned Red
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lake trout, muskie on 5 lakes no
portages. Red Lake offers exceptional hunting. Cabins or RV's.
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Email: snomad@shaw.ca
whiskersandwalleye.com
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:59 AM
Page 46
>SCOTT SIME
Write On!
Become a better angler by keeping
a record of your fishing experiences.
i
t was May 2008. My good friend
Al, his father Davis, and I were on
our 10th annual spring fishing
trip; this time on Quesnel Lake.
One morning found us fishing along a
slowly tapering rocky shoreline, interspersed with pencil reeds, and Al’s dad
had just landed a nice 19” smallmouth.
While Al and I were fishing craw-coloured
grubs and tubes along the bottom, Davis
was idly casting a small Rapala minnow
bait toward the shore and reeling it back
just under the surface of the water. He
hadn’t landed any of the fish this day,
until he hooked the 19 after snagging the
Rapala on a pencil reed and shaking his
rod up and down in a bid to work it free.
Sure enough, he got his lure free—with
the trophy smallmouth attached to it!
As we were taking pictures of Davis
with his bass, I recalled something I had
read just before coming up to Quesnel. It
was an observation in one of the reports I
had written in a journal I keep on all my
fishing trips, noting how and friend and I
“fluked” into a few bass after getting our
lures caught on pencil reeds the year
before in the Whiteshell.
Hmmm. Al and I both tied on minnow
baits, and started aiming at pencil reeds.
We’d get them snagged, and then we’d
simply wiggle the weed, and watch our
line. In more than a few cases, we’d see
our line move away from the reed, set the
hook, and reel in a nice bass. We didn’t
catch bass every time doing this, but we
definitely caught our biggest bass this
way… and not by fluke!
Now the point of my first column in
Hooked is not, as you could be forgiven
for concluding, to talk about some cockamamie presentation for early season bass.
Rather this column is about doing the
one thing that—in my mind anyway—will
make the single biggest improvement in
your fishing experience. You’ve likely
already heard it a hundred times, but I’m
going to add a twist.
Davis proudly displays his trophy Quesnel smallmouth while son Al hams it up in the background.
Keep a journal.
A journal will help you make sense of all
the things you experience in your outings. Imagine if you had the ability to go
back and recall all the experiences you
had in the past—under similar circumstances—to what you were about to go
out fishing in now. What the weather pat-
Imagine if you
had the ability to
go back and recall
all the experiences
you had in the
past—under similar
circumstances—to
what you were
about to go out
fishing in now.
tern was, what approach you used, where
you found the fish, and what you were
catching them on. Even more importantly, what were your observations on those
days? Were the mayflies hatching? Were
the poplar trees starting to fluff? What
was the water temperature? Do you think
that information would make you a better
angler? The fact is, that’s the type of
information that would make anyone a
better angler. It’s priceless. And the
coolest part about it is that YOU are the
source of the information!
So what’s the twist? Forget the coilbound notebooks or word documents.
Blog it! Blogs, short for “weblogs”, are like
online diaries or journals. They can be
public or private, and are used for many
different purposes. You can sign up for a
totally free blog of your own at places like
blogger.com and wordpress.com (to name
just a few). And blogging is easy—if you
can use email, you can blog.
I moved my print journal over to a blog
last season. Blogging gives me the ability
to review or add to my journal anytime
and anywhere I have internet access. It’s
private; only I have the password. I can
include pictures or even videos. And all of
my entries are “categorized” to make
searching for information easier. For
instance, I categorize entries by fish
species, body of water, and time of year.
It makes searching for and finding information almost effortless; especially once
I’ve compiled years of journal entries.
So if there’s only one thing you do
this year to try and improve your
angling, consider becoming a “blogger”
and start an online fish journal… you
won’t be disappointed! ■
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:59 AM
Page 47
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© 2009 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™, and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., the products are distributed by BRP US Inc. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment
without incurring obligation. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. BRP highly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or, in USA, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. In Canada, call the Canadian Safety Council at (613) 739-1535 ext. 227. ATVs can be
hazardous to operate. For your safety: always wear a helmet, eye protection, and other protective clothing. Always remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Never carry passengers on any ATV not specifically designed by the manufacturer for such use. Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive
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5107218
Hooked v2n3-2
5/5/09
8:59 AM
Page 48

Hooked v2n3-2 - Hooked Magazine

Transcription

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