Author: Don Lamont

This jumbo fell for the PK Spoon on a lift and drop flutter.Late fall is one of the best times of the year to find big smallmouth bass schooled up off of points at the mouth of bays. Most of the time, these fish are aggressive and love a piece of metal jigged in front of their face! Case in point was yesterday on Lake of the Woods, Ontario while fishing with top North American bass angler Jeff Gustafson. Jeff loves to catch both largemouth and smallmouth but the largies on this day were proving a bit difficult to catch. In…

I was out on Lake of the Woods today with one of the best bass anglers in Canada and in North America. Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson took time out of his busy schedule to take Hooked Magazine owner and publisher Kevin Stobbe and myself out for a day on the water. Jeff is a busy guy, so his commitment to a day in the boat was much appreciated. It was a beautiful morning as we launched the boat at Pye’s landing on the northeast end of the lake. Certainly way out of line for this time of the year. Jeff was…

This what the weather should have been like! Beautiful, rugged countryTRAIL END CAMP DAY TWO Chris with a nice bit of lumberHard to imagine but the wind was blowing even harder from the north when we woke up Sunday morning. As we left the dock at 10 a.m that morning I knew we wouldn’t be able to last long on the water with a wind chill of about minus three Celsius. We headed back to a sheltered bay were we had caught a few fish the day before. I decided to start trolling some shoreline in hopes of finding a school…

TRAIL END CAMP DAY ONEWe had been planning this trip for a long time so even a bit of miserable weather was not going to stop us. Unfortunately it did slow us down! My wife Thora lands a nice bassWe hooked up the boat at 7 p.m Friday night and drove the two hours it takes to get to Pointe du Bois from Winnipeg. We managed to avoid a porcupine on the last leg of our trip, just before we arrived at Trail End Camp. Along on the trip was my wife, her sister and husband, all keen to get some…

It’s no secret that the fall season contributes to a drop in water temperature that triggers an internal feeding clock for many of our underwater friends. It’s a window of opportunity for fish to bulk up before a long, drawn out winter. This also means an all but guaranteed reservation for consistent angling success! When we look at a trout’s perspective and through the eyes of a fly rod, the middle of September to the end of October brings a premier opportunity to experience fly fishing excellence. Chosen Parkland stillwaters have become a defined Mecca for fly fishing trout enthusiasts…

Steelhead fishing in late summer and fall is one of the coolest angling options in Northwestern Ontario. Nearly every large stream and river that runs into Lake Superior has some kind of “steelie” run. The larger the river, the better the chance of tangling with one of these great fish. The fall run steelhead is essentially a rainbow trout that has lived at least a year in Lake Superior, and has returned to the river. Late season steelhead are feeding, but may also hold over and spawn in the spring. They are a fish of some mystery. They are also…

I have spent hundreds of days running crankbaits in the fall for big walleye. Most of this time has been spent on three of the world’s best trophy walleye fisheries; the Red River, the Winnipeg River at Pine Falls (including Traverse Bay) and Tobin Lake (Saskatchewan River). Each present its own unique set of the challenges, so let’s break them down one by one. RED RIVER For years the Canadian Wiggler dominated the big fish bite on the Red River in the fall time. Wiley old veterans would troll from Selkirk to Lockport and everywhere in between to catch monster…

There I was, sitting in the dentist’s chair waiting for the freezing to kick in. The day had come for my tooth to be pulled and I hadn’t been looking forward to it. Not long into the procedure it became quite unbearable and I needed to go to that “happy place”. I had never had to do this before, I didn’t know if I even had one, but a few calming breaths and I was there. Out of all the places I had been, I was surprised this was the one that had become that “happy place”, trout fishing in…

By John Toone   One of my favourite pursuits is to cast for northern pike in shallow weed beds. There’s no mistaking their bite and fight, and as table fare, they are among the best. The northern pike trophy appears prehistoric-strong and often rather perturbed. Yet in spite of their majesty, the northern pike is of a mixed reputation. Guides favour walleye to pike, because pike lures have multiple treble hooks and clients have multiple issues with coordination. Also, the Y-bones along the back of a pike can challenge the average filleter. And despite their larger size, too many people mistake…

Muskie are notorious for following baits only to turn away at the boat without striking. Known as ‘raising’ a fish in the muskie world, it is a significant event in itself. Raising fish means knowing their location, which is half the battle. The other half is getting them to commit and take your bait. There are some things you can do to increase the odds of catching fish once you’ve located them. PERSISTENCE PAYS Muskie are territorial by nature and often return to the same hiding place after they follow a bait. Returning to spots where you’ve raised fish is…