Chilling Out

A day of moving freight 

On May 9th, I arrived to Big Hook Camps under sunny skies and temperatures of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  Immediately it was looking like a blazing hot, dry summer. I mentioned in my previous blog that the area was suffering from low water and dry conditions. However, since then Mother Nature has unleashed a roller coaster of weather our way.  Around a foot of snow fell May 12th following a day where we received over an inch of rain.

A skinny 37" Central pike 

A persistent east wind has camped over NW Ontario for the past week now bringing plenty of moisture.  Since last Wednesday, we have had rain five days and temperatures have not cracked 60 degrees.  The plus side to all the rain and moisture is the lake levels are now back to normal.  The bad side to all the rain and cold weather is water temperatures are far below average.  The past six nights have dipped just above freezing, rapidly cooling the surface of the lakes.  Water temperatures currently are hovering around 50 degrees in most spots.

You are probably asking yourself, "How has this weather affected the fishing?" The fish have moved out of the shallow muddy bays and into areas that have current such as rapids or creeks.  Deeper mud flats where dead weed beds are also holding fish. A common depth most guests are finding fish are 8-10 ft.  There are minimal signs of any weed growth.

A chunky gator from Central

The cool weather has the fish somewhat lethargic.  Many fish are being found however, the bite is lighter than usual and they are not grouped in huge schools.  For both walleye and northern, smaller baits have been out producing larger fare.  1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs with 2-3" tails have been the favorite for walleye.  For pike,  silver or copper spoons and 4-5" Rapala crank baits have been effective.  Slow presentation is key.

However, all of these fishing tactics are going to change rapidly as soon as the sun comes out.  A day or two of sunny skies will send the bait fish hording into the shallow muddy bays in search of warmer water and forage.  Quickly on their heels will be the predator species of pike and walleye.  Future forecasts show our cooling trend is going to break and warm weather is on the way.

With that warmer weather, fishing is going to get really exciting.

Good luck on the water everyone,
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com