Year End 2014

The final picture of the 2014 season

Waiting on the fog to burn off...

Another season at Big Hook Wilderness Camps has come to a close.  First and foremost, I would like to thank all of our guests for your continued patronage and loyalty.  Without everyone supporting us, we would not be able to offer the true Canadian fly-in fishing experience. The past 30 years have provided us a novel of stories and experiences; no two seasons have been identical.  Once again, the Big Hook family (Dad, Mom and I) extend a BIG thank you to everyone who visited us at Big Hook Camps.

2014 was a blueberry bonanza 

Dad, myself and Shadow (the famous tree climbing dog) departed Central Lake on the 23rd of September.  We managed to complete several projects before our exit.  Just a few to note, West Lake received a new indoor shower, a new deck was built on Cabin #1 at Central and vinyl siding along with facia and soffits were placed on the main shed at Central. Several projects are already in the pipeline for the 2015 season and I'll keep you posted as they get completed.

The weather was an absolute roller coaster during closing weeks at Big Hook.  September began with mild temperatures (50's and 60's), which allowed for some great fishing and amazing blueberry picking.  2014 will go down as one of the best blueberry crops ever at Big Hook; in particular at Burnt, Central and South Lake.  Guests who were willing to climb some rock bluffs were rewarded with fields of blueberries.  The Burnt Lake crop was exceptional since the forest has been recently burned.  Mom and I explored the NE corner of lower Burnt near the trappers cabin and after a brief climb, we were just floored with blueberries as far as the eye could see.

A nice 38.5" late season pike. 

Mid September weather brought plenty of instability.  An ice storm on the 15th just pummeled Dad and I. Temperatures that day topped at 28 degrees and winds barrelled out of the NE at 30 mph.  Ice shards pelted my skin like stinging bees and accumulated over a half an inch in a two hour span. Let's just say there was no flying that day, considering all my flight controls were completely frozen.  Two days later temperatures rocketed into the 70's. The month of September at Big Hook has always been best explained by one word, unpredictable.  

For the first time, Dad and I witnessed hundreds of snow geese flying south across the Opasquia Provincial Park. The snow flocks normally migrate west of the park and later in the year. The Canada geese completed their migration surprisingly early, around the first two weeks of September.  We witnessed many geese flying southbound with Sandhill Cranes.  The early flocks departing the north can only mean one thing, an early winter. Let us hope the geese have been misinformed.

I recorded some great footage on my Go Pro this summer and will edit up some videos for the blog. Speaking of footage, we are redesigning our brochure for the 2015 season and would love to include many of our guests shots. Send us your photos from your last Big Hook trip, not only are we looking for fish pics but nature shots as well.

Good luck on the water this fall everyone! Time for me to sling for some musky.
Thanks again!
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com

Fishing With a Legend

Dan and Anne with mom and dad. 

Last week I had the privilege to guide and film with a fishing legend, Dan Gapen Sr.  Those of you not familiar with Dan, he is a writer (currently published in over 100 circulated sites and magazines), TV-host and hall of fame fisherman.  He has spent a lifetime of filming, educating and just simply enjoying the outdoors.  A quick search through www.gapen.com, you can read some of his famous stories and check out plenty of their great and effective lures they have to offer.  Now 82, Dan and his company partner "Bobber" Anne have spent the majority of their travels throughout the America's all the while journaling and filming their endeavours.

Filming during a sunset

We were honored when Dan and Anne first approached months ago us about visiting us at Central Lake to do some filming on the unique Opasquia Provincial Park.  This was one area of Ontario that they wanted to cross off their bucket list for filming. The remoteness and geology of the area intrigued him the most.

Overall, the weather cooperated enough and we were fortunate to capture some great moments on film.  Dan liked to focus on the outdoor experience as a whole, not on just the biggest and most fish we could put in the boat, which really impressed me. So many times people lose perspective on where they are and get tunnel visioned on that 40" pike or 27" walleye. Yes, we fished plenty however, we also focused on some things nature had to offer.  For example, an afternoon of blueberry picking.  Let me tell you, nothing is better than fresh blueberry muffins or pancakes.  We enjoyed plenty.

I'll keep everyone posted about our episode/videos when the editing and post production is finished.  I am especially excited to see some of our underwater footage of walleye stalking our baits on the TV.  We were fortunate enough to capture several hookups and numerous strikes in 10-20 ft of water.

Throughout the week with Dan I experimented around with his line of fishing tackle.  Three lures in particular, which I'll admit I never heard of, really produced well.  First, the Flub Dub. This unique crankbait pictured right, caught several pike over 33" and plenty of walleye.  I was a sceptic at first noticing the lone rear hook, however we never missed a single hit. Trolling this lure along 12' flats or breaklines is where it really produced.

The second lure, the Ugly Bug, looks like the name sounds.  It is a jig setup with a rubber tail that has multiple flanges darting every which way.  I had my best luck with this lure jigging along weed beds.  I had my fair share of bite offs from pike but I was out fishing everyone.

The Ugly Bug

The final lure I enjoyed for the week was the Spin-Bee.  The 1/4 oz or 3/8 oz was a blast to vertical jig on deep reefs.  Armed with a spinner instead of a twister tail, fishermen never have to worry about the rubber tail getting bit off from short striking fish.

Every year I try to find effective alternatives for walleye fishermen to try other than the straight lead head and 3" tail.  These lures previously mentioned are quality lures worth a try.  I now have several of each in my tackle box for my next outing.  Another lure that has been shining that I also blogged about is the Echo Tail.  This lure started the year sluggish however now that the walleyes are settling in deeper water it has been an absolute beast.  

The Spin-Bee

Fishing 

The walleye are well....going deeper, however to add some confusion, we found plenty in the weeds last week.  One day we would nail the fish in 12-20 ft of water on reefs and windblown points.  Only to return the next day and find nothing.  After some looking around we eventually found lots of fish hanging near the weeds.  The fish are obviously moving around so do not get discouraged if you strike out on a spot, try it again the next day and you could be rewarded.

Pike are starting to pack on the pounds for fall.  Most are hanging in foliage but I like to throw my big baits (depth raiders and bull dawgs) this time of year on deep reefs.  You just know they are hanging around stalking a lazy walleye. The topwater bite has been very discouraging this year, I have spent several evenings tossing with minimal action.  I would suggest focusing on bucktails or spoons during what I call the "magic hour" of 7-8 pm.  I have boated more big fish this year during that time frame.

Water levels have been falling due to lack of rain.  The surface temperatures are hovering around 67-69 degrees on most lakes. The nights have been fairly cool, dipping into the lower 40's.  This cold has had an effect on the weed beds over the last several days.  They are beginning to lose their bright green color, which means they are on the verge of dying.  Once the weeds start to fall pike will move to other areas to ambush prey.

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

Mid Summer Heat

The dog days of summer have settled upon us at Big Hook Camps.  Light and variable winds with warm temperatures have graced us for almost two weeks now. Today (8/6/2014) has been the warmest day of the summer peaking at 32 Celsius (almost 90 F).  The warm days unfortunately have resulted in very little rain for the last month.  I know most fishermen do not want me to utter this next phrase, but....we are in need of some rain. 

The boreal forest throughout NW Ontario is becoming quite dry.  The water levels at Central have dropped about two feet over the past three weeks. Most rapids throughout the park are becoming small flowages as a result.  The water has warmed considerably, most lakes have surface temperatures hovering around 72-75 degrees.  

Fishing  

42" released at Central 8/5

Fishing tactics are still similar to the past blog.  Walleye are holding around wind blown points and reefs in 15-25 ft of water.  Jigging 3/8 oz black heads with white tails have really been an effective color combination.  Crawler harnesses are another great way to reach the depths.  Don't completely rule out weeds for walleye.  Walleye will often seek out bait fish among foliage.  While guiding yesterday at Central we found many walleye hitting Johnson silver minnows while pitching for pike in thick weeds. 

Pike have been incredibly active lately.  However, the sunny days allow northern to get a great view of your baits and result in numerous follows to the boat. The peak bite for big fish has been from 6 pm-9 pm when the sun is a bit lower in the sky.  The past several trips out I have packed only three lures for northern:  

• Essox assualt EA-8 bucktail orange blade, black skirt
• Johnson silver minnow with a white twister tail trailer
• Buchertail Top Raider, black

"That's fish number 202 dad!"

Those three baits have not disappointed.
Locate your favorite weed bed  for toothy trophies and start tossing bucktails along the edge, or try your best to weave the lures through the foliage. If the weeds are too thick the Johnson Silver is the perfect bait to navigate the thickest beds.

Outposts 

Burnt

Hot spots #5 and #6 are where I would focus my efforts for a big pike.  Throwing bucktails at the thickest parts of the weeds will produce some great fish.  Walleye can be found jigging on any reef in around 15 ft of water. 

Central

The north narrows has begun to really heat up for trophy fish.  Also, while guiding on the west end of the lake recently (8/6) we released 10 fish over 30 inches not including a 38.5" and a 42".  Every fish was caught on a Johnson silver minnow 1 1/4 oz with a white twister tail.  Several guests attempted the south portage 8/5 and returned home with big smiles.  "Fishing was so good, we boated 60 walleyes in 60 minutes," exclaimed one gentleman.  

Cocos

The deeper pools around Hot spot #9 have been great for nicer walleye.  Hot spot #8 and several nearby weeds have held great pike.  The water is beginning to drop throughout the Sagawitchewan river, motorist should use caution as numerous reefs become exposed.  

Lemonade/Favorable

I'll be redundant, because it is difficult to offer variable reports for Lemonade, but the lake is still producing plenty of 18-22" walleye.  Favourable produced some nice sized pike including a 38" out of pike alley recently.  Hot spots #2 and 4 are among my favorite for pike as the summer progresses.  

South

Some amazing numbers for trophy walleye were posted again last week. Roughly 30 fish were released over 25" up to 29.5".  The fish were more spread out among different locations however the majority of the fish were boated between 7-9 pm.  Deeper waters (20-25 ft) still held the larger females.  Some great pike fishing gets overlooked at South Lake, don't be afraid to pitch those weed beds. 

Southwest 

The Beach party has been coming to Canada since the early 90's and exclaimed Southwest lake offered more fish than any other trip.  Hot spots #2 and 4 were the go to areas. 

West 

Hot spot #2, 6 and 10 should be focal points for guests.  #2 is a large weed bed along an island that is perfect territory for trophy fish.  #6 is a long stretch of narrows that leads to the fish bowl.  Slowly work the northern half of the narrows beginning in 10 ft of water, motor gradually to the shallower water.  #10 is a great reef that top out at 9 ft with 60 ft of water nearby.  Jig this reef or pitch deep diving cranks for big walleye.  Big pike prowl this area also. 

Good Luck on the water everyone,

Nathan

www.bighookcamps.com

Shine On

Central Lake evening troll.  Courtesy of Happy Pharwaha

The sun has been shining for about two weeks now on us in the Opasquia Provincial Park.  The lazy days of summer have finally graced us here in the north country.  Thankfully, the warmer temperatures have decreased the bug activity allowing fisherman to focus more on the fish instead of swatting flies. The bugs haven't completely vanished, but the annoying creatures have drastically reduced their assault on us fishermen. 

The current weather we are enjoying is typical for this time of year.  I have always enjoyed the last two weeks of July into the first two weeks of August.  On average, the weather during that time is the most stable and one thing fish love is weather stability.  

The great weather has allowed Dad, Tyrol and myself to complete several summer projects.  The boardwalk at Central Lake has now been completely renovated with pressure treated lumber.  Also, a new 32 foot floating dock is now in operation at the big cabin.  Cocos, Southwest, and West Lake each received a boost in power with an additional 240 Watt solar panel. Furthermore, all three camps refrigerators have been switched from propane to green and economical solar powered Stecca fridges.   

Fishing 

Remington party 30.5" walleye 

Typical summer patterns for walleye and pike are now in play.  Walleye have can be found hovering around reefs and wind blown shorelines in around 10-20 ft of water.  Larger fish have been caught in waters as deep as 30 ft.

The hot lures for walleye are rather simple.  I could stock my tackle box with just a couple of baits.  3/8 oz jigs with a variety of twister tails or gulp would take up most of the space, however I would have to leave some space for Shad Raps #5 and #7. Chartreuse and fire tiger are my favorite colors but they all work.

The Echotails I mentioned in a previous blog have really started to shine now that the walleye have moved to deeper waters.  Of all the six different color combinations I purchased all have been just as productive.  I highly recommend these baits for vertical jigging.  They take a little tuning as I have found the hooks will often tangle.  A simple solution to avoid this is to tuck the rear hook into the plastic tail.  

One of 20 South Lake walleyes over 26" for the week of 7/19

Pike have been hovering in the dense weeds as of late.  We are finding at Central Lake the peak bite has been later in the afternoon from 6-9 pm.  Last night for example, we couldn't keep the fish off of Musky Killer bucktails and Esox Assault double blades.  Slash baits like Suicks, Delong Eels and Hellhound are also doing well.  I can't forget to mention Johnson Silver Minnows for those thick weeds, and don't forget those twister tail trailers!

OUTPOSTS 

Burnt Lake
Hotspots #5, 6 and 10 are the place to be for nice pike.  Windblown points are the most effective spots for walleye.
Central Lake
The west portage continues to offer up trophy pike.  Three fish over 40 have been boated in the last seven days.  Trophies are prowling around hotspot #3, one of my favorite weed beds on the lake.  Last but not least is to always take a couple casts on the windsock if you are passing by.
Cocos Lake
A 44" monster was boated and released on the Sagiwitchewan river.  The deeper pools near the Burnt Lake rapids are starting to produce some great walleye action.
Lemonade/Favourable
Hard to make the Lemonade lake reports not sound redundant, but the lake continues to churn out the quality walleye. As usual, fish the west side of the island.  Pike alley gave up several nice 38+" fish over the past couple days.  Hot spots #4 and 12 are great place to focus for those monsters.
South
Two guests, 20 fish over 26" up to 30.5" last week means south lake is heating up with lots of big walleye.  The current guests had 12 over 25" up to 28.5 on Tuesday.  Bigger fish are deeper in 22-30 ft.  Slow jigging techniques have been best.
Southwest
Excellent numbers continue from this body of water.  Watched a guest battle a nice 37" fish on 6 pd test and a jig the other day, nothing more fun to see.
West
Work the upper half of the narrows towards the Fish Bowl.  I guided there on Tuesday and rolled a fish that was pushing 48".  I got a good look at the old girl and she got my heart beating.  Bucktails in the Horseshoe also yielded plenty 30+" fish.

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