On this Fish’n Canada episode, the boys are on a drive-to, walk-in Walleye adventure.
They’ve made their way up to Northern Ontario, in particular, Pasha Lake Cabins, and are about to embark on a hike through the woods to what has been hyped up as an incredible fall fishery for big Walleye.
Pasha Lake near Jellicoe, Ontario is a hub to some of Ontario’s best fishing destinations. Chad Thompson of Pasha Lake Cabins raves about the bountiful Walleye waters that dot this great area of Northern Ontario and pretty much guarantees great fishing throughout the open season.
THE WALK IN
If you think that the only fishing we at Fish’n Canada shoot for television is either easy access lakes with great boat launches or fly-in lodges with every amenity available at our beck and call, then you’re wrong. Ang and Pete love hard to access fishing destinations. Simply put, it adds to the whole experience. On this particular trip, knowing that there’s big fall Walleye at the end of the trail makes this trek through the woods a breeze!
ARRIVING AT ONAMAN LAKE
There’s no better feeling on a fishing adventure than arriving at your destination on a beautiful misty morning, dropping your packs and prepping for that possible day of a lifetime. After the brisk yet invigorating trek through the woods on a well-groomed trail, Pete and Angelo unloaded their backpacks and started tying on baits.
ON THE WATER
As the guys set out on their early fall Walleye outing, the North Country sunrise was nothing short of spectacular. If you have never experienced one, it’s an absolute must. And when you add in a great Walleye adventure like this one, it gets no better!
The first stop of the day was a point that dropped into 12-15 feet of water pretty quickly. Chad Thompson said to try this area but don’t waste a bunch of time on it. Ang and Pete put in about 10 minutes without a strike and then headed off to Chad’s next recommendation.
This stop was a rocky jutting point that extended out from shore under the water. It was shallow and very snaggy but even so, the boys had to start with a jig and minnow. It’s an absolute must in a lake like this.
Instantly, they started picking up fish—and very shallow! As a matter of fact, they literally had to sit directly over the rocks and vertically drop jigs in the nooks and crannies right on top of these shallow feeding Walleye’s heads. If they cast, they would snag up.
“So we get into a couple of big Walleye right off the bat in crazy shallow water,” says Pete. “And then all of a sudden, Bam! The Walleye were seemingly pushed out by a bunch of ravenous Pike. It was almost like they heard the feeding and fighting of our Walleye, and moved in for a look.”
Regardless of why the Pike moved in, Ang and Pete had to move out. With a simple drift out about 50 yards from shore and a presentation change, the boys picked up right where they left off!
CHUCKING MINNOW BAITS
Switching from live bait to erratic artificials is a very drastic change, especially for cold water Walleye but those are the moves anglers need to make in order to succeed. Ang and Pete could tell from the previous jig fish that the Walleye were in a pretty active state, so a suspending jerkbait is actually a pretty good choice.
“With water in the fifties,” says Angelo, “you may think that our jerkbait choice was more of a fluke than anything. But think of it this way: A suspending jerkbait sits dead still probably longer than most jig presentations. By lightly pulling and then giving the bait an extended pause, it actually turns out to be a pretty slow presentation!”
ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD
As they say, all good things must come to an end—and thus, the boys jerkbait mayhem shut down. But there’s one more trick up the Fish’n Canada sleeve for suspended Walleye and that’s the drop shot rig tipped with live bait. Angelo is a strong user of the Walleye drop shot setup and for good reason. When the jig slows down and the cranks slow down, something still has to work. A minnow suspended in front of a Walleye’s face is pretty hard to resist. And with that, Angelo closes the show off with another beauty Northern Ontario Walleye.
