a third anual canadian crappie trip is a memorable one!

[jigglestick]

 
   Excited with the knowledge that big crappies roam in these waters and having tasted success two years ago in Ontario Canada, we were not going to break the tradtion of chasing after these over sized papermouths this season.
    Each year after my ice houses are off of the lake I fish for me.
that means I am out looking for action, my style. Run and gun, seek and find.
my favorite target is crappies, big ones.
    I gathered the same group as went last year when we were taught how great
 can change into lousy in one season, only catching eight crappies between three guys in three days of fishing.
    This year we added a secret weapon to our arsenal, Scroungie, my youngest son.
it would prove to be his year.
Braving high winds, knowing the forecast for home was for up to twenty inches of snow, we bailed out early tuesday morning and headed north.
    We stay with Gateway North Outfitters.
Lucas and Nicole Adams are very nice people and have two nice on site cabins and more outpost cabins for boat in or fly in adventures
we found them two years ago and have made several trips to their place since.
anyone who loves crappie fishing like we do, owes it to themselves to make a trip up there and experience the great fishing that area has to offer and the best part is it's less than an hour from either the border crossing in Baudette or Fort Frances.
    We chose atv's as the mode of transportation.
this turned out to be the perfect choice.
there was no snow left on the lakes and the portages were deep with snow, but the deep cold temperatures we experienced while we were up there made that snow rock hard. The travel on the portages was as easy as it has ever been and believe me, we have seen some challenging conditions up there.
    We fought the wind the first two days and it wore us down. tough to fish in the open and equaly as tough to set up the portable.
mostly we kept our backs to the wind and toughed it out.
catching fish made it tollerable.
And catch fish we did.
not hot and heavy like two years ago, but the first day we had twice as many as all three days last year.
Eighteen to be exact and some darned nice ones too.
four or five that stretched the tape to fourteen plus inches.
we ate fish that first night and they were outstanding.
    The next morning we headed out to the local fishing area and caught about fourteen right away, then Joe and I decided to head out on the portage with Scroungie.
    The portages as I said were in great shape and making it all the way back to our favorite spot was rather easy.
this is the spot where Scroungie, fish catcher extrordinaire, hauled up this wonderful crappie that is the biggest one our group has caught up there so far.
 
 
 

 


Talk about pumped!
that kid was excited.
to me that was my entire reason for going up there this year.
it made both of our trips.
I have been fishing a long time for a crappie that big and missed by a half inch two years ago.
He just raised the bar a little this year is all.
I will end telling you that the third day was more adventure and less fishing and the weather was perfect. the wind had finaly settled down and the sun was our friend.
our final tally was fifty keepers and a couple throw backs.
    Another trip full of pictures and memories to last a lifetime.
I will post a few pics here for you to view.
 

[jigglestick]

tried to add photos but it keeps timing out.
I'll try the old fashioned way.

[corny13]

Sounds like  great trip!  Glad to see the pic of your son with the trophy!
Hope to make a trip like that one of these winters with my Snobear.

[jigglestick]

honestly, if your considering doing this trip, take a sled or wheelers. best to contact the outfitter as to conditions.
the snobear would never make it through these portages.
you could fish on the main lake as it is good fishing.
the rhino with tracks mostly has issues.
being the narrowest of the side by sides, with tracks, though you have great floatation, rocks, logs, stumps have knocked the tracks off the wheel system more times that I care to remember.
major pain.
 some areas are just plain to tight to get through.
snowmobiles are usualy the way to go.

this area offers great lake trout and walleye fishing as well as trophy crappies.
jan and feb are the months most go after lakers and late march - early april are the times I like to chase crappies. that's when they seem to be most aggressive and when I seem to have time to go.

we have a snobear at Highbanks resort.

[corny13]

Thanks for the heads up on the portage trails.  Guess Ill have to rethink my plans  maybe Sask next winter and look for trophy pike on Tobin instead.