Routines and rituals

[Bennythebushman]

Great thread!

Starting in December I will start to tie worm harnesses and check over the gear. This is despite the fact that the gear is fine and I tied hundreds of warm harnesses the winter before. In about January, John and I will start planning the trip. Even though it is the same trip we go on year after year! Other lakes will be discussed and eventually ruled out, boats will decided upon based on which leak the least, and most importantly the quality and quantity of beer is labored over.

In February we have to nail down the exact dates and who else is going. We do this so that John can take off work and I can start to plan if I will take a summer job or not. Restrictions include the wife's birthday, the civic weekends, and the start of the school year in mid to late August. The simple answer was to take the wife to Canada and celebrate on the lake!

When the big day arrives I leave North Carolina to drive to West Virginia. We all pack up the boat realizing that we are bring too much stuff. And we hope that the barrings will hold (they won't). We leave early the next morning and cross the boarder at Buffalo or Niagara depending on what the wait times are like. One year the agent asked, "Where is Kipawa!?" Another time the guy asked, "Why are you driving all the way to Quebec when we have walleyes in Ontario?" I guess they just don't know.

We pick up bait at Billy Bob's and continue to North Bay for Burger World. We stop by the Walmart for anything we forgot. When we arrive in town, we get our zec passes and licenses the night before and stop by the grocery store for beer and produce.

After an Auberge breakfast we hit the Maniwaki Highway where we constantly ask each other if that was the turn off (it wasn't). We set up camp by noon have lunch and start fishing! Half way through the week, someone will go out to get more ice. I try to find an excuse to stay in camp to fish more! After a week we pack everything out and are dixie bound. At boarder we will be asked if we bought the boats in Canada (we did not) and if we did any good (we did). The agent will then say "welcome home" and I will stop myself from replying, "We aren't home we are in New York!" Sorry to any New Yorkers. Upstate is beautiful.

[Canuckbass]

Wow, that's a long haul. I feel bad living so close.

[getthenet]

Bennythebushman,maybe you should make Kipawa a 2 week trip !!! 

[Bennythebushman]

Great advice on the 2 week trip!

Don't feel guilty about the short drive, and I won't feel guilty about catching large mouths in short sleeves when it is 60 degrees F on January 31st!

[pike mike]

The Coke group from the Hammer have been making 3 Seasons Camp their home for about 19 years . During March break we make a short trip to the Toronto Sportmens Show to touch base with Reg catching up on Kipawa gossip . Sometime mid April we have a group get together at one of our homes to discuss : who is going this year ,what tackle they are bringing ,what dinners they are providing and how much alcohol they'll need .This meeting also doubles as a "time to drink beer" trial  run . 2nd weekend  of June we will set out around 4am from Hamilton ,next stop the TemRose restaurant for breakfast . A quick phone call to Reg after breakfast and off to meet him at the dock . On the trip into camp a customary toast by all begins our  week in heaven       

[Canuckbass]

Great advice on the 2 week trip!

Don't feel guilty about the short drive, and I won't feel guilty about catching large mouths in short sleeves when it is 60 degrees F on January 31st!

Ouch!!! That hurt as I'm a largemouth angler!!
You win!!

[johnny walleye]

I would love to go for two   weeks .the hospital will only let me off for one .

[adempsey]

I hadn't realized there was an IGA in Temiscaming.   Any opinions on whether I should grocery up at the new IGA or stick with some place in North Bay?   

[Oarin]

The IGA is really a nice store. Excellent fresh baked rolls. They should have anything you would need.

[SgtCrabby]

Canuak:  You can enjoy the short drives, and I'll enjoy fishing on water all "winter" long. 
I was catching crappie in 74 degree temps Monday. 
Luckily,  I enjoy a long 'road trip'

Please, no hard feelings.  We who have the benifit of mild winters, pay the price with long haul drives to get to your heaven.

[Bennythebushman]

I won't be too upset if I were you. I only get to catch walleye once a year! Plus you can ice fish. That is something I have never done, but want to try.

[tbayboy]

This is a great thread, Julia are pretty new but we've got a few routines.

We've tried a few methods of getting up to the lake but our favourite is to sneak out early on Friday, stop at Webbers for a bite and then spend the night in North Bay before rushing across the border to meet Reggie in the morning. Looking forward to checking out the new IGA this year.

The daily routines include me getting up early but not crazy early. This is a vacation after all so whenever I wake up will work (not like you need to be up at ungodly hours to find fish here).  Julia is even less of a morning person so I'm solo on the lake in the morning. My favourite morning pattern is top water bass - find a rock pile in the water and have fun but I'll troll the shorelines a bit as well.  Then its back to the cabin where Julia has joined the ranks of the living and has coffee and breakfast ready to go. Did I mention I'm the luckiest man alive?

Afternoons depend - if its warm and sunny we'll go for a ride and a swim and the fishing will vary - maybe jigging for trout or casting shore lines with spinner baits for pike and bass and the odd 'eye then back to relax with some drinks and a nice cheese and salami selection (or a bag of cool ranch doritos - we aren't picky).

Evenings are the relaxing dinner quest - leaches and floats at a couple favourite spots until sundown when the buzz on oncoming mosquito onslaught sends us inside for dinner, board games and booze.

Repeat that for 7 days then start the countdown to next year

[Canuckbass]

Did I mention euchre? Usually always a game going on while we're in the lodge.

[puckster_guy]

 I love playing euchre...been a while tho.

[Fort Wisers]

Euchre tourneys are awesome!
When we used to spend the summers at my grandparents camp a few rounds of euchre each night before hitting the hay was pretty much a mandatory thing after coming in from fishing!
That or crib....