Heat Wave

Mother nature has brought warm temperatures to the north this spring. The last few days have been pushing 70 degrees in the Eagle Lake area. The same is for Sandy Lake and the Opasquia Provincial park. Water in the north continue's to be extremely low due to lack of precipitation. Eagle Lake itself is about one foot low, while waters in the Opasquia park are pushing two feet down. If no precipitation arrive's soon the NW Ontario could see some early fire bans, we will keep you posted.

Low water and warm temperatures could change the fishing patterns for the spring. The walleye and pike will likely spawn earlier due to the warmer water temperatures. Weed growth will boom also, creating some nice beds for pike to ambush their prey in. The fish could be at deeper depth's than you are normally accustomed to fishing due to the increased water temperatures. Motorist's BEWARE, a number of reefs/rocks could now be hittable due to the low water. So be careful your first time down the lake and keep your eyes open for new structures.

On a separate note, the Real Outdoor Destination's Ontario episode featuring Big Hook Wilderness Camps has been posted to You Tube. Those of you who didn't catch it on the initial airing, visit this link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/nhart189#p/a

With this great weather, now is the time to get out and test all your gear and make sure it is up to par. Enjoy some spring fishing.

Good luck on the water everyone and remember to throw the big one's back.

-Nathan

Big Hook Wilderness Camps

www.bighookcamps.com

Weather Report

Saturday 10, 2010

Evie and I finished our drive to Eagle Lake , Canada today around 2:00 in the afternoon. The temperature is 51 sunny and windy, when we pulled into the driveway. The air is fresh and 90% of the ice is out on Waldhof Bay . There are small pieces and flows of old rotten, black ice moving around with the wind. On the bigger part of the lake around The Barberpole there is still a fair amount of ice. But, the cracks were 10 yards wide, and the ice will be gone in a couple of days. The lake level is about 12 inches lower then last November, when we left for the sunny south. The bush is dry and the firefighting crews are gearing up for fire season already. I might put the 14ft aluminum boat in the water and see if I can't pick up a Laker over around the point on Sunday.

Steve and Evie

News

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for participating in the Big Hook Tourney Pick'em. Congrats to Zeke for the top spot and taking home the Flip Book video camera. This years tourney was one of the best I can remember. Butler had a chance to be the Cinderella team. It is great to see a championship game come down to a last second shot.

Second, GeoCaching is an underground hobby that is exploding throughout the world. Big Hook wants to offer all fellow GeoCacher's a chance to explore the Opasquia Provincial Park. Throughout the summer I'll be placing caches throughout the park, some easy to find and others a little more difficult. GeoCaching is a perfect side activity during a week of vacation. Those of you unfamiliar with this new trend the basic concept is a treasure hunt with a GPS. For more information and to stay updated on Big Hook's caches visit:

http://www.geocaching.com/

Finally, Mother Nature is being kind to us this spring with warm temperatures throughout March and April. Ice is already beginning to shift around and crack according to many sources in Ontario. It is looking to be an early ice out this spring, the first in many years for Big Hook. Water levels are still extremely low due to lack of snow. With low waters new submerged reefs are revealed. If the lake you are visiting is low, be careful boating on the first day. Many reefs will appear that you have never seen before!

I, like many other fishermen, have noticed the warm temperatures and spring fever has struck. This is a good time of year to check your fishing equipment i.e. change you line, grease your reels and look at the guides on your rods. For fishing line there are tons of options. My favorite for walleye is 6# P-Line mono filament and for pike 40# Power Pro. If you are having trouble with line curl and memory try spraying your spool with Reel Magic line spray. It works wonders for line memory. As for servicing your reel, take your spool off and make sure there is no grit and dirt underneath. Take note if your bail flips adequately, is there grinding in the bearings? All of these symptoms are an easy fix. Also, spray a little WD-40 on the internals to ensure dirt displacement. As noted before, make sure to check all the guides on your fishing rod. One little nick in a guide can snap line in a heartbeat, which means a lost picture opportunity. Your local fishing shop can aid you in your spring cleaning of fishing equipment.

Good luck to all in your spring fishing endeavors. Remember to throw the big ones back and we will be seeing you soon in the great white north.

-Nathan

Big Hook Wilderness Camps