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He’s home safe. Thanks everyone

I was up River last week casting from shore. I caught the biggest king Iv’e ever seen.

Get over it, most people wo grew up around Thunder Bay call walleye pickeral. If you called it walleye people thought you were an American.

Feel like I just had a stroke. Am I alone?

Naming public places on this forum directly helps aspiring fishermen to experience new and successful areas. Clearly you are new to this forum. If you live and are from here, there isn't too many secret spots that people don't know about. I even mentioned that I have my own "honey holes" but I doubt very much that they are secret. At the same time, the spots I named, are EXTREMELY known, and even if they aren't, easily attract new people just by looking at google maps, or any older forum on this site. I've been ethically fishing here and most of North Western Ontario for 35 years I don't need to be told what is and isn't appropriate when trying to assist someone in their "quest" for being successful at fishing. Glad to see you mentioned the Regulations up top as a subtle jab at user "Big Guy: in regards to his 5 fish under the size "limit" but what you failed to do was go further with the regulations and read on about the EXCEPTIONS in regards to Stocked Lakes which he clearly mentioned he was fishing (Tuesday Lake). This forum is for friendly fishing community members helping each other out and sharing experiences Your elitism has no place here. You don't like my friendly/helpful post? Too bad. I hope it was helpful to member "Clueless" and anyone else that may have been reading.

lol no you don't 😉

Sure most people who grew up around thunderbay as I did aswell say that… but they are still wrong, just because they say it doesn’t make them right for saying it wrong for 50 years… look up in the regulations how many pickerel you can keep… 0 , Walleye is walleye there isn’t even an argument to be had. You are free to say and do as you wish I just have to correct it everytime I see or hear it.

I’ve never had it happen before but my jawjacker landed 2 fish on its own this weekend!! Was set so shallow I heard bells and came running and there was brook trout flopping on the ice… happened 2 times!

Not true. Mercury is natural in the environment and may be released from forestry. In this case the mine is not even in the same watershed. Has nothing to do with the mine at all.

Seasons closed

Black Bay salmon populations have been dropping for years. In its heyday 15 yrs ago Black Bay was the go to spot. Not anymore. The last 5 years have been pathetic and getting worse every year. The Steelhead population has crashed in Black Bay, so it was only likely that the salmon would follow. Black Bay is now a place to go target big walleye. And its very good once the water temperatures warm up. The walleye and perch populations have exploded over those years. Harvest on the perch, especially during the winter has knocked the size back, but their numbers are still pretty high, just not the size we used to enjoy. I don't know if we will ever get the salmon numbers back that we used to have. Lowering the limit in the lake might be an option, from 5 to say 3 per angler. Trust me, I have a lot of money tied up in salmon gear so I can understand the desire to "make a trip worth it". What would make more sense, although less popular, would be to protect the spawning fish that do make it back to the rivers. We protect a lot of different species during their spawning run through seasons or sanctuaries. It might make sense to put the limit to zero after say the 15th or 30th of September. That way anglers could still fish the rivers when the salmon are still fresh and possible table fare, but when the actual spawning activity really gets going, the spawners would have some relief to do their thing. It would be nice to see the OMNRF open up the walleye fishery north of Bent Island in Black Bay, and open the season in Nipigon Bay. Those green meanies are recovering in their native areas and eating a lot of salmonids of every species. Wishing I was Fishing! AB

Other seasons I can’t seem to locate in the regs: walter, Waldo, king salmon, steelhead, coaster, swamp donkey, eel pout, laker, brookie, looper, musky, gator, snake, hammer handle, smallie. Most things go by many names but the only “correct” name is sander vitreus

Looking forward to catching pickerel when pickerel season opens. Pickerel sure do taste good. Usually catch my weight in pickerel every 20 minutes. Pickerel pickerel pickerel pickerel

There’s still multiple places to access the lake if needed… place is a drama fest you’ll never catch me out there

Adrian is not plowed. lots of ice. got the truck in but definitely needed 4 wheel drive

Not a lot but they are there. Cold wet night. lol

Im no expert either but it looks like dinner to me

Well day 2 I managed a walleye and a rainbow trout. I was told that rainbows were pretty uncommon in the lower Nipigon. Saw some other boats catch salmon. Today I hooked into something that took 300' of line. I tried to reel it in when it tired but it shook the hook. Unfortunately that's the end of my attempt at the Nipigon. Had the right idea towards the end but it was a humbling experience.

Just some friendly encouragement to throw a line where you least expect to catch... I've been fishing wherever I can close to my workplace and my daughters daycare. I walked along the shore near the disc golf course on my lunch break and after 20 or 30 minutes of casting managed to catch a beautiful 19" walleye just a few days ago. I hadn't given that lake much of a shot since I figured the relatively recent draining of it would have negatively impacted fish populations.

&

mercury is natural forming in most lakes.

Monday night (May 15) my son and I tried our luck once again after a few sparse nights over the last couple weeks. We headed out around 1 am. McVicar was quiet, no smelts and noone attempting to catch them. Stopped at the south side of the Current River mouth, a few people dipping and we got a small amount - enough to cover a pail bottom for 30 minutes work. Headed out to McKenzie - got there around 3 am - and were fortunate to find the smelt run in full swing - we along with a few others were able to fill each pail in a half hour - every dip of the net brought in fish. Our best dips had 20 - 40 smelt landed. Still surprised to be catching smelt this late on the calendar - and it was warm last night - around 20C with a warm breeze. Guessing they will still run for a few days, was a strong run last night.

Sturgeon bay and mink bay are both in full swing! Friends went out and limits!

So just to add to this, I did go into white otter, it's definitely a rough road, it's not great theres no denying that but let's be honest here, to say you can't make it without a side by side or quad is not true, I made it in a full size 2019 ram 1500 that's not a beater, and once I got to the launch there was a small car, SUV's, and a bunch of way nicer trucks then I have, it's passable and you can go slow enough to not destroy your vehicle or boat, I didn't meet another vehicle on the road so that was good because there's only a few spots where you can move over. But it is passable and it's just time consuming to get into, but it was a better option then paying well over $100 for the parking/portage/boat launch fees in my opinion as I didn't damage anything, and we had a great time at the castle and fishing was good to!

Canadian tire gas station is 2 dozen for 9.99 I would have thought it would have been the same at the other Canadian tire…guess not I know I’m a little bit off but that’s 6$ in savings. Either way after that bait shop sent me paragraph after paragraph absolutely loosing their mind on me for calling his mediums minnows expensive, trying to get me to essentially come fight about it, im not sad it isn’t there no more😂

Wow! actually it’s a very well run derby and organizers work hard to do so. Some of the best anglers in the area attend it. And respect the lake and the fish. It’s nice to have events like this in our area it’s uninformed people like you that make them seem bad and that it’s just a “drunk fest”. Very wrong about that.

People went on Saturday night and said it was too early, will take a look early this week. Also Zach, hilarious joke! Only issue with it is according to Oxford "run: (of a migratory fish) go upriver from the sea in order to spawn". Now the real question is if smelt walk?

Its starting to be on pace for a very low water season if we do not get any good rain. Even after a fast melt with the snow. We had a very low water season, I think 2010 or 2011? Where fish came in and you could literally see every single fish. The spots where its usually deepest were crossable with rubber boots. Did this stop people from tossing hooks across the schools? No. Was a snagfest and sad. Its shitty when it happens but when that water is trickle low its best to just let them be. No sport to it at that point. Gotta have those high chocolate milk water early to flush out the rivers, then the slow drop and the fishings good. Heres to hoping.

Hammered my personal best on oliver after work tonight

We are making good ice with limited snow! It’s not time yet!!!

Hope they went back on the water…

This winter makes me wish I didn't sell my quad lol

Go otter! Eskimo is nice too both are good. I’ve had frabills, eskimos and now the last 3 years I’m using the otter (I have the lodge and new to me this year monster lodge for camping trips). Depends what size you are looking for and how many people you fish with… whatever brand you choose take the amount of people they rate it for and divide it by 2 that would be how many you can comfortably fish.Both have full walk through doors . Otter is a bit better in the wind with the strap system that doesn’t lift up off the ice also the bag is definetly easier to put the hut in with otter aswell when it’s covered in snow and ice. Message me if you wanna talk about it more. I’m hard on gear and they get well used every single week… done me well.

I also use the Black Fox Trigger and insulated Frabrill tip ups. Have a few HT that I use if it is mild enough out to keep the hole open Those Black Fox Triggers are nice, simple to rig and easy to pack. When I first get to a lake, I drill a hole and set up a Trigger and then go drill other holes, check depths etc. Often catch a fish on the Trigger while setting up rest of the holes and hut. Let us know if you get any of those Finicky Foolers Zack, they looked promising.

Depends what you are looking for/or if you looking for hook setting capabilities or not… for walleyes/perch/stocked trout I religiously I allways have a second line out with the black fox triggers and/or then the jaw jackers to a lesser extent just because way they set annoys me a bit having to have a loop on the end of the rod but for big baits and lake trout I use the frabill insulated tip ups with suckers on them but it does suck you don’t get a rod… I’m asking Santa for the finicky foolers with hole cover as I’ve seen them out a few times and it’s a tip up that allows you to use the rod… very similar to the ifishpro but I find them too cumbersome to pack around and expensive.

One of my go to spots close to where I live. Early morning specs. 3 inches of ice and two feet of water.

Got some in the smoker today

correct!

The river mouth of the salmon snag fest … oh wait I mean current river. Where there’s dozens of people filling stringers of just disgusting rotten zombies all snagged in the back.

Good to see someone teaching the younger ones. Kind of makes you think where these people come from, what kind of home life they had that makes them want to ruin others property. I guess all you have to do is watch the news to see how screwed up the world has become.

The litter just kills me. I don’t get it

The ol man with an 18lb from today

Im usually there doing scouting trips around this time. Probably going this weekend and this week. Usually either get a very black salmon, or an extremely fresh chrome. And big brookies in lower Nipigon as well. a guide is never a bad idea, but if you just take your time, go slow and be smart you should be ok. Depending on water levels there is a certain way to navigate the river, not just for boating safety but trolling as well. Most of us that have fished that river for 20+ years or more, are aware of the major underwater messes of trees that get littered with raps every year. But some areas you have to flirt with the rock piles and current seams/breaks as thats where the fish sit. When the water gets reeeeeeeally low, like a few years ago, the fish dont bite as much with all the boats trolling overhead, and offers some very cool and fun casting opportunities from the boat in areas near the launch and dam. When the water is really high, troll deep diving jointed husky jerks, or, or cranks and plugs as close to rocky shore as possible watching depth and for trees. good luck

I have been very pleased with the aluminum welding work done by Alloy Technical Welding. They are located on Hardisty St North.

took my buddy 20 mins to get these

Gonna check at vicars tonight I`ll post if any luck.There will be no B.S. like some azzholes on here!!