Whenever I take the short trip from my home here in London to various spots on the Thames River, Ontario, I always bring along a variety of baits and lures. Invariably I end up fishing, a least for a short period of time, for something other than what I had…
My son talked me into taking him and five friends out for a day of ice fishing on Wildwood Lake, just south of Stratford, Ontario. After parking on the road near the dam we packed in our gear (and lots of snacks) to a spot fairly close to the dam…
The International Game Fish Association (IFGA) hosts a staggering number of fishing records for both freshwater and saltwater fish. Most of these world records are truly amazing. Worth a look. (http://wrec.igfa.org/)
I have been humbled. I considered myself a pretty good angler and have had some good success over the years. However, it appears I have a lot left to learn. Over the past weekend I participated in my first professional walleye tournament – the Sagamok Fall Walleye Classic on the…
On a recent trip trolling for lake trout it was interesting to observe patterns relating to lure colour effectiveness and light conditions. With all things being equal (depth of lure, lure type, line type, water clarity etc.) certain spoon colours worked better or worse depending on general light conditions. In…
We spent a day exploring the Spanish River near Massey, Ontario in preparation for the Sagomok Fall Walleye Classic Tournament happening in late September. Although early July conditions are unlikely to be similar to late September, a day familiarizing ourselves with the general river makeup was certainly helpful. It is…
On a recent trip on Flack Lake, north of Elliot Lake, Ontario, we had the good fortune to dial in early for lake trout. Our host for this trip was Laurentian Lodge – a fantastic family and pet friendly facility with clean spacious cottages, dining and reception facilities, hotel rooms,…
On a recent trip (Balsam Lake, late May, water temperature 60 F) we found success fishing for walleye in 14 to 22 feet of water around mid-lake humps. The first evening was calm and allowed for slow back-trolling over these depths while maintaining contact with the bottom using a minnow…
In a previous post we looked at the temperature classification of different fish species – cold water, cool water and warm water. For each fish species there is a preferred temperature range that, given the choice, they will spend more time in. This “thermal optimum” temperature will not be too…
Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Our first fishing trip of the year is usually in April fishing for channel catfish at the mouth of the Grand River, the largest watershed in southern Ontario. Generally muddy, turbid and cold water is present, but so are a good number of channel catfish. Sizes…
