Author: Don Lamont

Micro baits not always the answer, so upsize your game for jumbo perch! Thinking back years ago, Jumbo Perch weren’t top on the minds of many local ice anglers in and around Thunder Bay. Fast forward to the past couple of years, where these two words are spoken often among ice fishing circles, with much excitement and along with any talk of Jumbo Perch, two more words generally follow, Black Bay. This unique bay along the North shore of Lake Superior is an amazing part of the big lake, with its warmer, shallower waters making it a very different environment…

So you’ve done your research, you know what lakes are producing and the locations where fish are active, you have the right rods, reels, lines, leaders, and flies and your ready to hit the water. You mark fish on your sonar, you observe active fish, there everywhere! You cast every line, leader and fly combination in your possession but you continue to come up empty. You cast and retrieve, you troll, and you sit and wait. Hours later, in a desperate frame of mind you ask yourself, “What am I doing wrong?” Welcome to the world of stillwater trout fishing,…

Whether you care to admit it or not, we all have vices, and we all have room to grow as not only a person but as a better angler, wait a minute, wouldn’t a better angler, be a better person!? Maybe your New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds, quit smoking, or try something new? As a seasoned tournament bass angler it’s hard not to fish the same lures and techniques year after year, especially if you have had some success on the tournament trail. ‘Fishing memories’, whether that be spots you’ve caught fish on in the past,…

As a keen trout fisherman, I like to keep an open mind and try many different lures. Over the past three decades I’ve caught trout on  and live bait. Breaking the classic trout lure mold has helped me account for some really nice fish. But day in and day out, and when the money is down, the trout spoon is tough to beat. I never, ever leave home without them. A couple of years back on a stocked brook trout lake in Northwestern Ontario, I was fishing with my long time fishing partner Gene Balec.This was new water, so after some…

Illustration by Sara Wilde Parents never grow out of the idea that if unattended their baby can drown in inches of water. And fishing involves sharp things and whipping motions and stains that can put laundry detergents to the test. In their worried minds, fishing requires a survival suit, welding mask, Kevlar gloves, and perhaps a ground spike and tether. Is it worth the risk? Kids do a spectacular job of being complete ramrods day in and day out. They exercise their ability to jump off everything, to run everywhere, and to show utter disregard for quiet and order. Proven…

Last winter while ice fishing for walleye, I watched on my flasher screen as a narrow green band appeared below my bait. The green band turned red as the fish moved in for a closer look. I jigged my offering slowly to entice a strike. Nothing. I quickly reeled up and changed to a more subtle presentation. When the smaller offering settled near bottom the red band reappeared on the flasher’s display. I raised the bait and watched on the flasher as the fish followed it up. This time, however, I felt the unmistakable tap on my rod as the…

Go boating with some friends several times. Make sure the activity really fits your interests. Be aware of the true cost and time commitments of being a boater. The old joke about a boat being a hole in the water you pour money into may not be far off at times, and yet a boat can provide great recreational and learning experiences for you, your family and friends. We just ask that you do some serious looking at original cost, insurance, interest, fuel and oil, trailer, storage, repairs, setting up a tow vehicle, lodging, weekend food, extra fishing gear, skis,…

Hard to believe but in 32 years of full time fishing, including the making of a 156 episodes of The Complete Angler television show I had never been to a fly-in outpost camp. I guess call me spoiled but when we did our visits it was always the American plan five star plan. So when I agreed to host a trip for five people to Harrop Lake Outpost as part of a fundraiser for a worthwhile cause, I had no idea what to expect. Owned by Jacksons Lodges and Outposts, this camp was an hour and fifteen minute float plane…

An incredibly strong March sun was beaming down on the frozen surface of Lake Winnipeg as hundreds of vehicles streamed out to experience some of the best angling for trophy walleye in the world. Watching all of this and standing beside me was Bob Izumi, Canada’s most famous angler. We were taking part in an event called the “SnoBear Migration”. Izumi was totally impressed by the angling effort that was taking place before his very eyes. With easy access onto the lake via Warner Road on the southwest corner, many anglers were in four wheel drive vehicles, snowmobiles or All-Terrain…

It was five years ago that I first heard about the fantastic fishing for jumbo perch on this shallow prairie lake. Having to check it out for myself the first perch I caught on East Shoal measured 38.10 centimetres or 15 inches.I had never seen a perch this big before, never mind landed one. I knew right away that this was a special lake and since that time the fishing has gone down a bit as more and more anglers make the trip. The important part in all of this is to remember to release those trophy fish. A perch…