Believe us when we tell you that this episode of The Fish’n Canada Show is an exciting one! We say that because Ang and Pete weren’t the ones on the front of the boat this time out. Taking you on this adventure to Lake Obabika in the near-north of Ontario was our newest host, Dean Taylor.
Those of you who are familiar with our Outdoor Journal Radio podcast will be no stranger to Dean, but, to those who only follow us on TV, this episode is his “official” introduction.
Although Dean has no shortage of experience on the water, his time on camera has been pretty limited up to this point. On this shoot, to see what he was made of, we gave him the full Fish’n Canada treatment – alone on the deck of the Princecraft with nothing but fishing gear, electronics, and a lake full of potential.
Now it may sound like we were throwing Dean to the wolves in terms of not having a co-host, however, we weren’t exactly hanging him out to dry. For this episode, Dean headed to Lake Obabika Lodge, almost next door to the mighty Lake Temagami, and that means Lake Trout country!
Lake Obabika has become known for its great numbers of Smallmouth, but a recent reopening of its Lake Trout fishery is what we had Dean out to investigate.
After being overfished, primarily by ice anglers, the Lake Obabika Lake Trout population has made (so we’ve heard) a spectacular recovery over its 20-year closure, so much so that, in 2020, the MNRF re-opened the season.
Ice fishing took its toll on Lake Obabika Lake Trout in the past
We wanted to see if Dean could see the results of that effort. And, to do this, he would have to recreate a technique that Ang and Pete utilized on Lake Temagami this season that produced some incredible results. Using two LiveScope units at the front of the boat, Dean is going to be “cherry-picking” Lake Trout as they cruise the lake. The question will be whether these fish are behaving the same way or whether our Temagami success was just a one-off.
LAKE OBABIKA
Lake Obabika is a serene and picturesque lake located in northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is situated within the boundaries of Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, which is part of the Temagami region.
The lake is renowned for its natural beauty, surrounded by dense forests and rugged Canadian Shield terrain. The area is known for its pristine wilderness and abundant wildlife. Lake Obabika is 22 km or 13.5 miles long and has a maximum depth of around 130 meters (about 430 feet). The lake holds lake trout, smallmouth bass, and northern pike. It also offers opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, and wilderness camping. The area around Lake Obabika is protected within Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
THE FISHING
Lake Obabika is essentially made up of three sections. The section closest to the lodge is the shallowest, while the other two are much deeper. These are the obvious areas that Dean targeted for Lake Trout.
As we said earlier, Dean was armed with a great layout of Garmin fishfinding equipment secured onto some very technical Fishfindermounts.com mounts. It was a matter of using intel from the lodge guides, and a good GPS map to make some starting points.
Good mapping is just as important for deep fish as it is for shallow ones. This screen is showing a combination of the original Garmin map and a Quickdraw map that Dean was creating.
Once he found a starting point, then came his LiveScope into play. This technology is such a helper in deep-water fishing. It’s a true time saver, something that we can always use on a Fish’n Canada shoot where time is of the essence.
Here’s Dean’s forward view on his LiveScope Plus unit. You can distinctly see two fish suspended off the bottom between 30 – 40 feet from the boat. A short cast out and a long free-falling bait is all that’s needed… sometimes!
With the LiveScope Plus unit shooting forward and occasionally the LiveScope XR scanning in perspective mode, Dean was soon into some productive water.
Throughout the day, Dean was indeed “cherry-picking” these Lakers. Although some would refuse his offering, the majority of fish gladly played the picking game. It truly is something to experience when scanning for fish in 60-80 feet of water, spotting a fish, working towards that fish in order to try and catch it, and then playing cat and mouse, trying to convince your quarry that your little offering is as good as the real stuff.
For you techie people, Dean used a 7’6” medium/heavy action spinning rod with a 2500 size spinning reel. He had 10 lb Yo-Zuri Super Braid as his main line and 10 lb Yo-Zuri Super Fluoro as a leader. Although this setup would certainly struggle on a 30lb plus Laker, it had no problems at all on these Obabika fish that ranged into the mid to high teens.
Dean started his Laker adventure out with a silver/blue, custom-weighted Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe One Knock but as the day moved on, he changed to a purple/white and it seemed to make quite the difference.
A Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe One Knock was the ticket for Dean on Obabika. Notice the bent hook… a sign the fishing is GOOD!
LEAVING FISH TO FIND FISH
Dean Taylor caught a whack of this sized Lakers on Obabika, but it was time to move on to hopefully bigger and better things.
Early in this Fish’n Canada episode, Ang mentions that there are some “problems” you frequently encounter when Lake Trout fishing. On this day, Dean just ran into one of them.
When Lake Trout numbers are high, like they are in Lake Obabika, big fish are hard to come by. Trust us, it takes some strong willpower to venture off and find them. Though it may be hard to leave a bunch of aggressive, fun-fighting schoolies, to find a true trophy, you have to be willing to leave fish to find fish. Eventually, Dean took that gamble.
This fish, along with the big one in the feature image of this article, are proof that you often need to move away from those little “biters” and look for individual monsters that roam the deep depths
LAKE OBABIKA LODGE
Lake Obabika Lodge is a wilderness lodge located in the near-north of Ontario, Canada, on the shores of Lake Obabika. Situated in a remote and pristine natural setting, the lodge offers a secluded escape surrounded by forests and the serene waters of Lake Obabika.
It’s located 285 miles (465 kms) north of Toronto. They are the only lodge on this 22-kilometer lake and they are accessible by both road and by air.
The lodge offers cozy log cabins that blend into the natural environment, providing a comfortable yet rustic experience.
Guests can engage in a variety of outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting canoeing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and photography. The area is known for its rich biodiversity and scenic beauty.
The lodge caters to those seeking a genuine wilderness experience, away from urban hustle, often appealing to nature enthusiasts, anglers, and those looking to unwind in a tranquil environment.
Like many lodges in northern climates, Lake Obabika Lodge may have seasonal availability, with peak times typically in the summer for outdoor activities and fishing.
THE CABINS
A variety of luxury, hand-crafted buildings which, together with the natural pine forests and sweet clean air of the North, create an unequalled estate of natural elegance.
The chalets are landscaped and connected to all amenities by a Boardwalk. Each chalet has been hand-crafted and meticulously designed, with a high degree of attention and pride in quality.
Lake Obabika’s dining room is located in the main lodge where you’ll enjoy your chef-prepared meals. Beautifully decorated, with a touch of elegance for your dining pleasure. A wide variety of wine, beer and liquor is available in the main lodge.
Relax on our enclosed veranda and watch some of the most stunning sunsets anywhere. On a warm summer evening, you might choose to sit around the outside fire pit with drinks and friends. A wonderful way to spend the ending of a beautiful day.
Our front veranda has wireless internet (wi-fi) for your convenience.
HOTSPOT LAKE OBABIKA
This episode’s Hotspot is one of the areas where Dean Taylor tore up the Lakers in his debut solo episode.
This outing was all about keeping a keen eye on his electronics and once spotting a fish on the LiveScope, dropping down and “hoping” that the fish would react. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t… on this day… a lot of them did, in a big way. The fish were ultra-aggressive.
Dean attributes a lot of his success to the Yo Zuri One Knock Lipless Crankbait AKA a Rattlebait. By adding some weight to the hook shafts and the belly, it helped the lure drop significantly faster towards the fish… a crucial point to keep in mind.
Spinning gear makes the process a whole lot easier.
For the waypoint to this Hotspot and more like this it, check out our HotSpots page
Depth: 60-80’
Baits: Rattlebait/Lipless Crank
Presentation: Vertical Jigging
Yo-Zuri Lipless Crankbaits (Rattlebaits) were the deal for Dean here.
GETTIN THERE, LAKE OBABIKA LODGE
To get to Dean’s outstanding Lake Trout fishing, he first took hwy 12 north to county road 169.
He then got on hwy 11 at Washago and traveled north to the town of Sturgeon Falls.
He next headed north on to 64, then on to 539 North and finally took 805 North to his ultimate destination, Lake Obabika Lodge.
Set on the south end of Lake Obabika, this fishing and hunting lodge is a perfect get-away for those who don’t have the time to invest in a 20 hour drive to the far reaches of the north.
At only a 5-6 hour drive from the GTA, Lake Obabika Lodge is a fishing destination that you can drive to in the morning and be fishing that same afternoon.
Lake Obabika is located in region 13A, which is considered Northeastern Ontario. This excellent fishing lake sits in close proximity to such greats as Lake Temagami, Lady Evelyn Lake, and Lake Temiskaming… all of which help rank the province of Ontario as one of the top fishing destinations in the world.
Lake Obabika Lodge has a gorgeous main lodge with dining area, an enclosed veranda and a spacious outdoor deck with fire pit, overlooking the beautiful Lake Obabika. It’s a fantastic place to both start and end your day.
SPECIAL THANKS
Destination Ontario https://www.destinationontario.com/en-ca
Lake Obabika Lodge https://www.obabika.com/
