Need advice on taking fishing trip to Canada.

[TomM]

We are appreciating all this input!  Thanks!

[bigG]

/Mameeg weiss/ like da beer. Stress the first "a." It leads to bigger water and has some smaller water on the property.

I just remember real nice people and fish everywhere. Never had more fishing fun.

Couple of cabins and some spots for campers.

One non-fishing memory that stands out to me was the old man Gummeson taking me to the quarry to show me how he cut rocks. Not as a big a deal then; but it seems like a lost art. Visit some Mayan ruins and you really appreciate this almost dead technology. I feel blessed having seen him work his magic. My dad still talks about it.

[bigG]

I'm guessing there's nice rock structure in that puppy.

Bribery! Sounds just unreal fun, though.

I used to think you could never get tired of catching fish. I was right.

I have a very scary buddy who is a Mississippi walleye man; and he goes out (I made the mistake of going with him) in the coldest dang rain. He will stay out there until he catches his limit. 1 hour, 8 hours.

That was the last time I went out with him. 8 hours. But, when we started catching a few, I never got tired of the catching part. I could happily eat fish daily; so could my son.

I know my little campground is just a  memory for me. Pretty dang good one, though.

[imnofish]

Scary thing G is I am not that good of fisherman.  There is another Wisconsin guy from Pine River who fishes the same week I do.  He also fishes the first two weeks of the opener.  Last year he caught 50 fish over 25" the first week.

We sneak 4# of leeches across the border. 

If you get caught, Dudley Do-right will have you shot at sunrise.      Just stick you foot in the water and let the leeches come to you.

[imnofish]

Scary thing G is I am not that good of fisherman.  There is another Wisconsin guy from Pine River who fishes the same week I do.  He also fishes the first two weeks of the opener.  Last year he caught 50 fish over 25" the first week.

We sneak 4# of leeches across the border. 

If you get caught, Dudley Do-right will have you shot at sunrise.      Just stick you foot in the water and let the leeches come to you.

Or baba-looey!

  Good blast from the past "Queeks Draw"!!!   

[bigG]

I was gonna say. Leeches are easy to come by in Canada.

[bigG]

I should be a Canadian leech salesman.

[imnofish]

When we used to go up, we were allowed to bring leeches across the border.  Crawlers, too, if they were in commercial bedding rather than in soil.  Actually caught a lot more walleyes on crawlers, usually by trolling crawler harnesses.  When did they stop allowing you to bring your own leeches?  Can you still bring crawlers with you?  That's the cheapest bait; just catch them off your lawn.

[bigG]

Of sll the great lures and hand=tied flies, I find floating a crawler in the Kickapoo to be the best yield.

[imnofish]

Of sll the great lures and hand=tied flies, I find floating a crawler in the Kickapoo to be the best yield.

Ever read the classic book, Lunkers Love Night Crawlers?  I found a used one on Amazon a few years ago, to replace a misplaced original copy.  For anyone who likes finesse and live bait, it's a great read and is full of great info. about catching and keeping your own crawlers, as well as fishing with them. 

[hodagdad]

i've spent 14 years on LOTW and the past 9 on Eagle Lake ... for what you are looking for, i would recommend LOTW.  key is timing and staying away from the bloom.  Eagle is my favorite of the two but i'm looking for one giant (musky) and target them pretty much exclusively.  i have learned over the years though that the smallie, walleye and lake trout fishing is fantastic too. 

LOTW - Oak Island Resort (i think you will love it there)
Eagle - I stay at Andy Meyers Lodge and it is pricey ... another option i learned of is Birchwood Resort.  at Birchwood you can camp or stay in a cabin so it's very affordable and on a good part of the lake to get to where you want to go.

Good luck on your selection and if you've never been - Enjoy!!

There are 2 kinds in Canada ... the kind that have wrecked their boat and the kind that are gonna!!  LOL

make sure you get your sportsman's card, you can do it online.

[imnofish]

i've spent 14 years on LOTW and the past 9 on Eagle Lake ... for what you are looking for, i would recommend LOTW.  key is timing and staying away from the bloom.  Eagle is my favorite of the two but i'm looking for one giant (musky) and target them pretty much exclusively.  i have learned over the years though that the smallie, walleye and lake trout fishing is fantastic too. 

LOTW - Oak Island Resort (i think you will love it there)
Eagle - I stay at Andy Meyers Lodge and it is pricey ... another option i learned of is Birchwood Resort.  at Birchwood you can camp or stay in a cabin so it's very affordable and on a good part of the lake to get to where you want to go.

Good luck on your selection and if you've never been - Enjoy!!

There are 2 kinds in Canada ... the kind that have wrecked their boat and the kind that are gonna!!  LOL

make sure you get your sportsman's card, you can do it online.

So true about the boat.  I always brought an extra prop and a J-B Weld kit.  Have needed both.  Used to bring an old jon boat for puddle jumping and it worked great for getting into those small lakes without much of a landing.  That was important in early season, as the big lakes sometimes hadn't warmed up much, but the smaller lakes had lots of active fish.  I have a good boat now and I am not too eager to risk taking it up there.  As it is, the lakes I am on all summer in Wisconsin have rocky areas and boulders that I have to watch out for, but at least I know where they are.

[TomM]

I've been going to North Star Lodge since 1998 with my wife the first week in August.
www.northstarlodge.com
Tom, I haul my 18 foot Lund up there although they do rent Lund boats with 40hp 4-stroke Yamaha's.  Clay Lake is a stained lake meaning you catch fish all day long.  We average close to 100 walleyes a day.  We also catch a few northern (although we don't try) and slip bobber for smallies.  This is the only lodge on a 28 mile lake (40 people usually the first week in August plus a 10% discount).  If you decide on this lake, I am going this year with my recently retired brother-in-law.  I would be glad to show you our hot spots and send my personalized laminated map to you

Thanks for everyone's advice.
After a lot of checking dates etc. and Thanks to Goat Roper I'm scheduled and preparing for a trip with my brothers to North Star Lodge on Clay Lake August 23-29.
This is our first trip to Canada (I did three days in 1994, but that was a long time ago).
We are preparing what to take...
Thanks to St. Croix ( houndhead, they have great customer service and warranty help!) I have a new replacement rod (I broke the old one when closing a car window on the tip)...
Now I need a reel for it.
We are trying to decide what jigs to take and what line we should use...
No more leeches, so it will be worms and minnows.  They have minnows there at the lodge, but where do I get the worms in advance on the way there?
Will we need a trolling motor along or are we ok drifting etc.?
Again, all advice is welcomed...
Goat, thanks for all the advice and more is appreciated.
Tom
1133

[badgerjohn]

Will you be returning after all this fishing stuff?    Will you have interweeb up there?

[TomM]

Taking a book along.