Silver Water Wheel Lodge
Lac Seul, Ontario
September 16, 2011
Two weeks ago I stated that “fall has arrived at the lodge”. After this week, I realized that statement was pre-emptive. The official beginning to fall on Lac Seul must include a 2 day blowout, which arrived right on time after the unseasonably hot spell of last week. This week started out with sun and a continuation of the warm weather but by mid-week we saw a serious cold front move in; really the first good one of the year. The worst of it brought hail, sleet, 30 mph winds, and temperatures plummeting into the 30’s. It made for some tough fishing conditions, but the good news is that it brought some nice pike into the shallows. In my opinion, it was just the right push to remind these fish that winter is coming and it is time to get their feed on. For those of you yet to arrive (Tom Larson and Co.) you’ll be happy to know that today was sunny and had a high of 65.
Most of the attention is on pike fishing right now, which leaves the few of us guiding walleye with lots of water and little information to work with at the moment. For the week we saw 5 walleye over 27 inches, all of which came before the front. Today things seemed to be turning around again, and although I did not see a fish over 27, we still managed to put 52 fish in the boat over 18 inches with 14 being between 24 and 26.5 inches. Not bad for 2 days post-front. I take this as a good sign that fall transition is on, and that fish are becoming more organized in both their behaviour and concentration. The primary depths shift back and forth between shallow (10-15) and mid depth (20-25ft). I continue to watch out for both, and presently I have little confidence in the deep bite (30+).
As for the pike fishing, I have to say ‘I told you so’. As soon as that front moved in we saw a sudden increase in the big pike numbers. Between the 2-3 boats targeting pike this week there were 13 pike over 37 inches, including a 39, 2-40s, a 41, and 2-42s. About half of those fish were raised during the heart of the cold front. Pike were primarily targeted by casting baits over standing weed-beds and working grassy bays with deep water nearby. Dave Suggitt (SWWL guide) also had considerable success by ‘tight-line’ trolling over big weed-beds – running spoons close behind the boat right overtop and through the weeds. In his words “you just run your baits about 10-15 ft behind the boat, right through the weeds, and then see pike blow-up right beside the boat on them… that’s what is so awesome about it, that you can see them hit”. Tactics like this can be a nice change of pace after hours of casting, and also cover water in a way that is more effective in certain situations.
We are coming down to the wire here with our last guided day on the 24th. Expect some big pike numbers to come in by the end of next week with the Rosenow group in camp for a good long stay. Keep a-tune and we’ll let you know what we can raise in the next 8 days. Personally, I can’t wait for a monster to be caught, as there is no doubt they are out there and the conditions are only getting better.
That’s it for this week folks. Thanks for reading and for following, and I hope to see you up here soon.
Jesse Wright
Senior Guide
Silver Water Wheel Lodge
Make Your Own Luck
“That guy is so Lucky… He always manages to catch the big ones!” ” I don’t know how he does it.”
We all know one of those guys; the fisherman who routinely out fishes the rest of the group. Is it just good fortune or is there something else involved? I can’t speak to all fishing situations, but there are several similarities shared by our consistently successful guests. Sure, fortune plays a role, but consistent success occurs when chance happens to those that are prepared for it. The odds of being a successful trophy angler improve exponentially with increased preparation and effort. The first step is to choose a body of water that supports a trophy fishery. If you have read this far into our website, then you know that Lac Seul definitely fills this square.
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Low Tech Walleyes on the Canadian Shield
With more and more informed fishing pressure on the water, today’s consistently successful walleye angler is typically a creature of high tech habit. In recent years the world of walleye angling has undergone incredible changes. We now have super lines and super boats, GPS and LCRs, planer boards and snap weights, the options and opportunities are limitless.
With all this technology in hand, It is easy to overlook the fact that at times the super-tech approach may not be the most efficient or effective way to catch walleyes. One of those occasions is early season action on the Canadian Shield. Like most walleye anglers, I’m constantly looking for ways to land more and bigger fish. I still find time to experiment with new tackle and techniques, but over the years I’ve found that early season is a time when a ‘low tech’ approach often puts more walleyes in the boat.
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Fishing Pressure
How do you know if a lake has old fish?
Find out if they have to release big ones.
Even the most stable and prolific Trophy Fishery is no match for man. An ecosystem that evolved for thousands of years can be devastated in the blink of an eye by thoughtless or careless fisherman. After the biggest fish have been systematically removed from the ecosystem, it is a monumental task to repair the damage. When possible, it takes a minimum of several generations of careful management. Continue Reading »
Big Fish Don’t Live in Small Ponds!
Sure, you will occasionally find the odd big fish living in a smaller lake, but a consistent Canadian Trophy Fishery will always be found on a larger body of water. Specifically, the Diversity of Habitat and the Abundance and Diversity of Forage associated with a big lake are the key factors that result in large numbers of big game fish. To truly thrive, walleyes and northern pike require specific types of habitat that change dramatically throughout the year. In early Spring, warm marshes and rivers serve as the major spawning areas. Large fertile bays become nursery areas for juvenile game fish and feeding grounds for adults in early Summer. And during the Summer and Winter months, main lake basins not only provide a thermal refuge but also serve as home to some of the most important species of prey fish. Life is hard in the North. To grow big, fish need options. They require diverse habitat and an abundance and variety of nutritious forage fish only found in a larger body of water.
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The Lac Seul Difference
As you sort through the piles of camp brochures, all with the same claims of “Trophy Walleye” and “Big Pike”, it is difficult to decide which claims were more accurate 10 years ago, which are completely false, and which are just slightly exaggerated.
Fortunately, there are ways to evaluate the true Trophy Potential of a body of water before you fish it. To reach trophy proportions on the Canadian Shield, fish need to do only two things; live long and eat well! Though that statement seems obvious and simplistic, most visiting anglers don’t realize how difficult that task can be in most lakes and rivers. The two most important factors that separate marginal water from trophy water are the Size of that body of water and Fishing Pressure. With a minimal amount of information about an unfamiliar body of water, you can quickly make an informed opinion as to its’ Trophy Potential.
The Tip of the Iceberg
Walleyes in super shallow water in Summer, the turbid water connection, and “Mega-Sand” structure walleyes are just a few of the discoveries we have encountered on Lac Seul over the past five years. I am anxious to see what more surprises we will find over the next 5, for I feel that we are still on the steepest side of the learning curve. Lac Seul can be challenging, but in the end, isn’t that what makes the puzzle fun? It is that challenge and the pursuit of Giant walleyes that are at the very heart of why I love to guide on Lac Seul.
Mega-Sand Structure
Most knowledgeable walleye fisherman are pretty comfortable with the widely recognized structural features associated with the main lake basin. Sunken islands, sand bars, points, and saddles located in or near the deepest water of the main lake are all considered magnets for walleyes during the summer months. It wasn’t until I began fishing Lac Seul’s big Summer walleyes that I began to understand the importance of what we call “Mega-Sand” structure.
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The Turbid Water Connection
Mid summer several seasons ago I was guiding a group of fishing industry professionals representing Berkley, Cabelas, and others. Professional Walleye Tournament Angler, Eric Naig, was fishing with me along with Jim George, an old friend from Cabelas and now with Berkley. I had just met Eric and felt a bit more pressure than normal fishing with a Pro. Traveling on the way to fish some main lake structure, I noticed a cup shaped length of shoreline that was being hit by wind driven waves. The shoreline was a grey clay bank and the result was a 75 yd. wide band of extremely murky water stretching out from shore. I took a sharp turn and positioned my boat on a subtle breakline right in the middle of water that could best be described as the color of weak chocolate milk.
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The Unexpected Shallow Water Bite
During late August of 1999, we were fishing typical late summer locations for big walleyes around deep water structure in the main lake basin. We located fish using big bottom bouncers and spinner harnesses tipped with crawlers. We trolled until we found fish and then depending on whether they were concentrated or scattered, we either vertical jigged or kept trolling respectively. We were experiencing average volume for medium sized walleyes in 20 – 30 ft. and had pulled a few big ones from 35 – 40 ft. A hot weather system settled in, the wind went flat and over the course of the next few days our production plummeted. On the third hot flat calm day in a row, I could see other guide boats moving from spot to spot in the distance and I knew they were struggling as well.
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