Canada Fishing Trip

[Marty Klein]

Just had to share ...



FISO operation: 1929 total miles traveled, most of it at 85 mph [] on I-35 and MN/Ontario 61. 5.4 V-8. 19 mpg [I forgot to subtract the 12 gallons still in the tank, so mpg was actually higher than originally posted]. Also, ran lights full time while running, none burnt out [].



Fishing: It's Canada for gosh sake, what can I say--fish jumping in the boat left and right [or should I say port and starboard?]. Walleyes averaged @ 22 inches with outliers higher and lower. Biggest Pike I could tempt was a measly 36 inches [my biggest disappointment as I had set a goal of 40+]. Partner's 42" fish below.

Float plane: I was co-pilot; translate that as fattest guy to balance the plane sits front right. Two smoothest landings I've ever experienced in any plane, ever.

Wildlife: Ran into beaucoup black bears; came across one swimming the wide part of the lake. We followed him to shore and when he came out of the water-dang, that boy could have landed at Normandy on D-Day morning and been to Berlin by late afternoon! There was no stopping to look at us!! Stalked two feeding moose and got within 20 meters before they spied my fat arse and left for safety. Saw a couple of bald eagles-biggest ones that I've ever seen--30 feet was their Marty-tolerance distance.

Back to your regular programming ...

 

[Jim in VA]

Nice report - great pics!!

 

[David Heine]

Hey, we are doing the drive up to international falls next week. Did you encounter alot of construction ? What routes did you take again ? We could use any advise you have. Thanks.

 

[Marty Klein]

Assuming that you are leaving from Lockport, IL, MAPQUEST routes you on roads different than we traveled. It looks like you jump from 94 to 53 on to IF [10 hours/693 miles]. An option might be to stay on 94 to 694 [vic Minneapolis] to 35 and then jump on 53 south of Duluth. I think traffic moves faster on 35 than the long stretch of 53 you'd use, but it is actually more miles [11 hours/716 miles]. That said, 694 is pretty well under construction near the 694/35 exchange [], but it was quickly passable []. Otherwise, 35 was pedal to the floor mat [with minimal Smokey presence or concern].



Once I figure out how to shrink pics to a socially acceptable level, I can add a few pics. Pix added, but don't know I've sized them to an acceptable level.

 

[TrepMan]

AH MAN!! I haven't been through International Falls to northwest ontario for 4 years! great pics and i am totally jealous!!



Trep

 

[Marty Klein]

Don't be too jealous Trep ... you are too trim to get to ride front right! :lol:

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Neat Pics Marty

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Thanks Marty.. The report and pictures are great. I've never done that and the jealousy is oozing out of me right now.



Uncle Billy

 

[TrepMan]

Marty - I've flown up front twice in our 15 years of going, loved the view, the "noise" over the raidios and the feeling on takoff/landing.



Can't wait to get the kids up north for some fast northern and eye action, maybe next summer!



Trep

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

Sounds like a good trip for sure man!! Very nice!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Jealous, is all I have to say.



Trepper - get your skinny ARSE home!



Tex

 

[Marty Klein]

Adding my Pike:

 

[Mad Kayaker]

Marty - very cool. I especially liked the photo of the bear in the water - something you don't see everyday - at least not on my local waters. Also, very nice fish - wow!!!



Thanks for sharing those photos. Bill, the MadKayaker

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Just spoke to my X-boss...

They fished for bluegills up at Rice Lake in Canada a few weeks ago...



Had 42...YES FORTY-TWO quarts of bluegill fillets CONFISCATED at the border a couple weeks ago...claimed they were not packaged correctly (same way they had done it for the last 10 years! skin on!)

When he asked if he could at least have his cooler back they said, "be careful, we can also confiscate your boat and truck!"



nice....



they're not going back next year



az

 

[Gene B]

Samething happened last fall to the crew I go with. Luckily I was in Alaska and wasn't with them. They also got tickets. they usually do 2 trips, 1 is the week of Fathers day for Walleye, pike, and smallies. Then the week after Labor day they go for Bluegills. We didn't end up going this year for Walleye, but the bluegill trip is still on, I hope. I'm not sure how we'll pack them.



Gene

 

[Andrew Zuber]

They were all legal Gene!



they still don't know why they were targeted....



He said they were diverting ALL boats to a special lane...maybe they had some inside info on someone attempting to smuggle??? who knows....



az

 

[Marty Klein]

I guess that is why one should check the rules each time [things do change]. Our outfitter let us know very clearly that any fish brought back had to be packaged in possession limit increments; also, stacking up daily possession limits was not allowed [crossing back we could have one day's possession limit]. That was for Pike and Walleye [can't speak to Bluegills].



I wish they had moved boats and campers to a separate line [it would have probably made border crossing faster for the rest of us]. Not sure they were targeting those guys other than profiling [boats are more apt to have fish to declare].

 

[Tim King]

Marty- Looks like a good trip! We need to try and get on my smallie lake sometime. I haven't been over there yet this year!



Tim

 

[Marty Klein]

Tim: Will e-mail you; always up for smallies-.

 

[Gene B]

My freinds were legal as far as possesion, they said the fish weren't packaged properly.

What a great way to promote tourism in your country. What do you expect from a country that ends in "duh". That's a running joke with my Mother in Law who is a reformed Canadian. Sorry Pierre.



Gene

 

[TrepMan]

Gene - We haven't ever brought filet's back, partly due to the VERY tight and sometimes confusing regulations and due to the long flight/drive back without a cooler on the plane. But we have helped our uncle get his limit of Walleye fillet's back and YES its a pain, need to keep the head/bone/tail intact (at least 3 years ago...) in the same back with filets and part of the skin/scales on too! For me, flying/driving its cheaper and easier to just eat the fish we catch that week (with in the limit of course) and buy them frozen in Altanta when I need them!!! LOL



Noah and Eli are now at that age where they want to go, so maybe next fall i'll blow the cash to get them up there with my brother-n-law and Tex Transplant!



Trep

 

[Marty Klein]

In an effort to actually know what I'm talking about, I pulled up the Ontario fishing regulations. Sure enough, our outfitter was spot on. Possession in most cases is limited to one day's catch limit [50 in the case of bluegills for most locations]. I have absolutely no clue how many bluegill fit in a quart, but I'm thinking 42 quarts must be a bazillion bluegills. Packaging rules below. I would also think packaging bluegills to meet the requirements would be a royal pain in the arse. I think the days of avoiding our restrictive regulations by escaping to Canada and raping their fishery are long gone.



Transporting Sport Fish in Ontario



Anglers need to ensure they are transporting fish in compliance with the regulations, which are designed to protect fisheries resources. The fish that you catch and keep may be cleaned. However, please remember that fish taken from waterbodies where size limits are in effect must be readily measurable at all times, unless the fish are:



Being prepared for immediate consumption

Prepared at an overnight accommodation for storage

Being transported on the water from a temporary overnight accommodation to your residence and you are not engaged in sport fishing

Being transported overland.



In addition, when packaging fish you must ensure that a Conservation Officer can easily determine:



The number of fish in your possession

The species of fish in your possession.



When Packaging Fish, Anglers Should:



Leave a large patch of the skin on all fillets for identification;

Pack or freeze fish separately and flat so that they can be counted and identified (clear plastic bags or clear plastic wrap is preferred).

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

escaping to Canada and raping their fishery

???????:huh:



Uncle Billy

 

[Marty Klein]

??????



In the old days, Canada was a place you could go to catch beaucoup fish and bring back enough to open up your own fish stick factory. Now they've tightened up so that their fisheries are better preserved.

 

[Tim King]

Marty- I,ve been having trouble with my e-mai for about a week now. I have a new one that is working, [email protected]. Try that one please.



Tim

 

[Marty Klein]

Roger Tim; will e-mail when I get home.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Yep, when my grandfather took me to Canada (Saskatchawan) we took our catch to a fish packaging factory where they cleaned, froze and packaged our fish. And it was a LOT of fish. We brought back only walleye and we never kept anything under 8lbs!! We would bring back 3 huge coolers of dry-iced fillets. Worry not....none of them went to waste. None!!:lol: This was in the early 70's.



TOXIC

 

[Gene B]

Where we go the possesion is 5 and you're only allowed 1 over 21 inches. We eat all we can while we're there.



Gene