The Fish’n Canada crew finally got to experience the hospitality and fishing at Chaudiere Lodge on the famed French River and man did it come through!!! Last Cull alumni Steve Niedzwiecki penciled us in for a few days of shooting for the up coming Fish’n Canada television season. We started out fishing Bass on the evening of our arrival. We thought that it would be predominantly a Smallie fishery but no way… there’s lots of Largemouth… lots!
We used Flipping Jigs, topwater frogs and a new bait just out, the large size of Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog. We rigged the Hog with a 3/0 Extra Wide Gap hook and a pegged tungsten worm weight for a deadly combo. Black with red and blue fleck along with Watermelon with black fleck worked great but I don’t think color was a big deal.
The next day we took a Walleye trip towards Nipissing fishing various humps that Steves guides know and on a tough day, we managed some great eaters along with a 4+ and a 5+!
One highlight of the trip though was the company of Sean Kelly of Black Angus Meats. I “think & hope” Sean enjoyed the fishing… hell every time we looked back he was fighting a fish. Thanks as well to Sean for supplying the outstanding meal that the whole lodge enjoyed!!!
The other trip highlight was spending time with the Muskol contest winners from the Home Hardware group. Darlene & Ron Armstrong from Petrolia (close to Sarnia) were the lucky dealers and they really seemed to enjoy their stay. We even had a nice evening fish with them on the big Princecraft (aside from a rogue thunder storm that only seemed to be above us). They had a day set for a guided fishing trip as well with one of the lodge’s experts and experienced true northern Ontario fishing at its best! Congratulations to Darlene and Ron, it was great meeting you.
From this trip I headed out for holidays. Believe it or not I came back to Oshawa for a day (had to go to the Megadeth/Slayer Carnage concert in Toronto) and then headed back up to almost the same location… this time Killarney. We stayed at a buddy’s place called the Sportsman Inn. This place is stunning. The amount of work that they did to renovate this 100 year old establishment is incredible! I sampled the fishing as well and as luck would have it, she was shut down! That said, I did manage a 4+ Smallie along with a bunch of smaller fish. The potential of this area for fishing is incredible. I did that on a bad day so a good day would be awesome! The best part is the scenery; driving the boat throughout the many bays and inlets is stunning. Fishing actually becomes only a part of the day.
We then headed to Sudbury for a highly anticipated visit with my relatives (no fishing believe it or not) and had an excellent time.
From there it was off to the cottage for the long weekend and the Largemouth fishing was on! Friday morning my kids and I took off firing Senko’s in all directions. Man these boys are getting’ on to the game! We boated a bunch of fish with one good one. Cole’s favorite part of it is “put em’ in the box daddy” and then throw them back later… that’s cool with me.
Saturday morning had myself along with nephew Beaner and buddy Trevor Forbes again hunting for Largemouth. We were using Senko’s and Flipping Jigs. I must have looked like a genius to Trevor because as we pulled into a bay I told him to cast to a log, in which he did and then I said “set the hook” in which he did into a beauty LM. I missed a fish in that exact spot with the boys the day before so I really “looked the part”. Unfortunately my heroic status probably dropped about half an hour later when as we were fishing a bank that was starting to look very “Smallmouthy” I said “come on, lets get out of here, there’s no Largies here, only to have Beaner set into a 4 and a halfer… I’m such a dork sometimes!!!
Sunday morning was all to myself (I figured so since I went to bed at 10 while everybody else did the campfire party thing). I headed out and had a great morning. I pulled into an area where I caught fish in the past and banged a 3 ½ on the way in, then hit it’s twin in the area I intended to fish and finally another clone on the way out. All were on a Flipping Jig & Pig with heavy duty gear! I got a bunch more small ones and called it a day to get an early drive home in the long weekend traffic.
Ya gotta’ love summer!!!
