Lac Watson 7/29-8/6

[NortonJoe]

Well, after getting back to work and catching up both here and at home, I thought I'd better get a post up about our trip to Lac Watson this year...  Eight of us (one first timer) made the trip this year and left from Akron, Ohio at around 7:30 a.m. on July 29.  The weather was perfect for travel and, unlike previous years, there was plenty of room for gear, clothes, food and BEER.  We had three vehicles in the convoy this year heading north for a week of relaxation, story telling, cards, eating, drinking and...OH YEAH, FISHING.  We made all of our normal stops (Angola rest stop and Duty Free) and hit the border at around 12:00.  Screeeeeeech...and a 50 minute wait.  After we got through border crossing, traffic was pretty good except, as usual, between Bradford and Barrie until the split.  We arrived in Huntsville around 4:30 or so for an early dinner on the deck overlooking the water at Boston Pizza (I know, I know...but the view and beer are both good).  We drove on to North Bay, checked into our hotel and walked to the wing place for a snack and a few more beers.  The next morning, after a few stops for odds and ends, some grocery shopping and fishing licenses, we hit the Maniwaki road around 11:00.

The road back was pretty good, no worse or better than in years past.  Maniwaki was graded and Red Pine was better than usual ( I think it had been recently graded.)  From there it went downhill and we arrived in camp around 2:00.  It was a quick unload, and out on the lake.  The weather was pretty warm and still but we managed to catch a good number of walleye and pike.  Man, that feeling you get that first time back on the water...the quiet, broken only by the water lapping the boat, the smell of the pine and water along with the motor, that first cold beer and that first cast into the water...I don't think I can do it justice.

The weather for the week was decent, hotter and sunnier than it has been for quite a few years, but it didn't seem to affect the bite.  The Friday before we left was pretty windy and stormy so we didn't get out much except for three hardy souls who threw caution to the wind and came back with one walleye for their effort.  We'd get a strong wind now and then out of the east/southeast which was awesome for the walleye fishing in my (now) favorite spot.  Temperatures a few days midweek pushed 85-90 F and inside the cabin it seemed even hotter--just more reason to stay on the lake and fish.  The biggest pike caught was 38" and the biggest walleye were a few at 22" or 23" (back they went to make more walleye babies.)  Most walleye this trip were within the slot so the new slot limits were really no big deal.  We did not have a single day on the water where we didn't catch fish.  We had three good fish dinners and brought back limits of walleye.

For the first time in a long time, I fished much more with lures by trolling as opposed to jigging and had a lot of success both with pike and walleye.  The hot lure for me was a gold hot n' tot ( I even managed to keep it all week).   Both walleye and pike were hitting it.  As usual, those pike love anything that moves and flashes and we had a lot of success casting anything flashy towards the shore or a weed bed and retrieving it.  Walleye were mostly caught in 10-20 FOW trolling along the shore.  However, others in our group were having just as much success jigging in 20 or so FOW.

The best thing all week was on the second morning.  I went out targeting pike with my buddy who made the trip for the first time this year.  We went into a weedy little bay and he was casting for pike...WHAM!  The pole bends and its on!  He brought in a 38" pike.  He hooked a nice fish and the Kipawa area hooked another fisherman!

A few other things to throw out there.  I had no problem at all with the new filet technique but I will suggest this---take a good pair of kitchen shears or you will completely screw up you filet knife cutting though cartilage and bone.  Purely by chance, I had a pair with me in a filet set my kids bought me and it made it so much easier.  For the first time in a long time, and I mean years, the Fish and Game Officers showed up in camp to check.  Fortunately we had done everything right except that some of the fish were not frozen straight enough to measure them.  Also, we had a bag of filets in the fridge to cook without skin and we were told that all walleye must have skin and fins on them until they are consumed.  They were very friendly though and just explained what needed done.  No fines or anything. 

As usual, before we knew it we were headed back to Ohio to wait another year for another week in one of the most beautiful spots on earth.

[Oarin]

Nice report NJ, glad you guys, especially the rookie, did well. Thanks. How did you use the scissors? Just to get through the gill plate?

[RHYBAK]

Great report.
Better late than never.

We have to keep Oarin happy and you just did

[NortonJoe]

@Oarin I used the scissors to get through the gill plate, to snip the backbone near the tail and to snip through underneath he head.  Probably could have done it all with the knife but I think the scissors made it easier and saved the blade.

[wvmedic]

Thanks for the report, sounds like a good time.

Jeff

[Oarin]

Thanks Joe. I just put the scissors in the kitchen bin. I'll give them a try.

[BH]

Sounds like a great time!  How was the boarder coming back?  When we returned through Fort Erie I only had one motorcycle in front of me.  Couldn't believe it.  I thought something was wrong, but went right through and saved an hour or so on the trip back to Cleveland as compared to previous years.

[T-Bone]

Nice report. Sounds like a great trip...and safe. Always good. Thanks.

[NortonJoe]

@BH The border coming back through was not as bad but still about a 20 minute wait.  Oh well...the price of security.  I remember the days when you practically drove through and waved on the way by!

[puckster_guy]

 Ya I remember those days. I used to go all the time. Now it's been almost 8 yrs since my last border crossing.

[pike mike]

Scissors sound like a good idea .I used my folding buck knife to cut through the boney bits and spine , as you said, saving the edge of my filleting knife from damage .Nice report

[BH]

Another tip to consider if you are using a food saver, is that there is a pointy bone that sticks out from the pectoral fin (pointing to where the head was).  Break or bend the bone.  Otherwise the bone may puncture the food saver bag and you will never get a vacuum seal.  Scissors were definitely helpful with some of the cleaning when I gutted and removed the head early in my trip.  The scissors were included in a kit (Fisherman's Travel Set)  that my mother-in-law gave me many years ago.  First time I used them.

[NortonJoe]

Honestly, I will never go up there again without the kitchen shears! I would have never thought of it except that they were in a cleaning kit my kids bought me...things change and we must adjust!

[johnny walleye]

thanks for your report

[Jay Thomas]

Great report. Thanks for sharing.

Jay