On today's show, we're going to try and connect the dots between expectations and fishing tricks
This is insanity. A cool size. Neat way to catch one like that
You can catch these all four diagonal trips. It's so good! This is what we go fishing for
Yeah, I know. Oh boy, look at this. Wow. I just followed the black fly. Oh
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Expectations. As defined by the Webster Dictionary, is the act or state of looking forward to an occurrence
Hi everybody. On today's show, we're going to try and connect the dots between expectations and fishing
In particular, fishing tricks. Now last year, coming off of one of the craziest years in recent memory
we here at Fishing Canada decided to bring a little George to the lives of anglers nationwide
So we teamed up with Destination Northern Ontario and NODO and came up with the Great Ontario Getaway Giveaway
Awarded $100,000 worth of fabulous fishing tricks. There's only one thing missing
We need to figure out where you folks are going to go. Sounds good. Awesome
Here we go. Simple, right? What could go wrong? Well, while the majority of the reports we got back from our winners were overwhelmingly positive
the randomness of the draw revealed something that we had no idea was going to rear such a catch
Expectations. You see, it turns out that the ultimate fishing trip is very suggestive
While maybe the perfect trip for me, might not be the perfect trip for you, or you, or you
Even if it's three. Fortunately, Ontario fishing lodges come in all shapes and sizes
From the luxury resort style experience of, say, a Palarn Mountain Lodge on Georgian Bay
To the rugged wilderness adventures of Greenwood Outfitters on the Attawappetsat River System
Or something in between, like Blue Fox Camp on Goma Highlands. Here's one
There we go. Oh, that's a pretty little brickie. There we go
He's going to splash, sir. All right, what do we got? Oh, that's, that is absolutely beautiful
Isn't that a pretty fish? That's why this is one of the most thought-aftest green fish on the planet
People from all over the world travel thousands and thousands of miles for that little guy right there
That's gorgeous. Looks like to me, to me that looks like a male
It's got a bit of a cult happening. There we go. Whew, there you go
Up here in the north, though it kind of averages that size, and every once in a while you'll find
one of those huge brickies that just takes your breath away when you touch one
Knowing what you want, need, or most importantly expect is paramount. That's why anglers need to set expectations well before booking your trip
Dignity can also play a big role in setting expectations. For example, if you want to cast a big shallow water night time
you better be thinking about the ice out there in early spring. Oh, which also coincides with the peak black fly season
I just swallowed the black fly. Oh, I hate it when I do
This leads anglers to consider a few trade-offs. Does the excitement of late fall pike fishing outweigh golden fingers
To warm our three days of August outweighs a slower walleye pike
Even in these isolated lakes, fish are here. And they can turn on and turn off at any given time
So you've got to take the pain to the pressure. This is all part of steady expectations
It's not where is the perfect fishing trip, but what is the perfect fishing trip for me
That is where's the trip of these little backwoods. That is where's the trip of these little backwoods
Trust me, well, it's got to go. All the time, little tooties
Don't worry, we got you covered. Got it. Ginger. Your base, the actual lodge or cabin, is the first thing you'll see when you arrive at your location
And probably the last thing you'll see every night before you go to bed. This makes it a key component of an enjoyable trip and something that expectations need
to be set for well before you show up in the dock. Simple things like indoor plumbing, hot showers and electricity may not be an issue if you
were expecting to do your business in and out of Saldo. But it sure is a shocker when that float thing takes off and you first notice the little
windowless shaft next to your cabin. Yikes. As I've said a million times on this show, I can do without mattresses
I can certainly do without cell or internet. But I have to have my porcelain
So that becomes one of my expectations on every trip. No indoor plumbing, no air
Now there's a misconception out there that in order to have exceptional fishing, you
need to rock it. Well, nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, some of the best fishing I've ever experienced has come from five star operations
in North and Northwestern Ontario. Some of them are even dry suits
Got him? Yeah. You got him. Hug it in the neck. Yeah
Right. Oh, that's a nice fish. Oh, yeah. Get up here, baby
Oh, yeah. Oh, look at that. We are so dirty. Oh, that's so strong
Totally different than a northern pike, eh? Oh, yeah, yeah. You can feel the difference in the fish
Yeah, you really can. Whoa, get on your way there. You can get him close if you want to turn his head
Oh, I got him. You got him? Yep. Oh, he's coming out. Bingo
Got him. Bingo. Good job, man. That's a good one. Oh, that's a good one
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Magnificent. Oh, ho, ho, ho. Magnificent, Oscar. And that was absolutely outstanding
Nice job. You're so dirty, eh? Yep. Now I'm going to put it in the net. Yep
Put it in the net? Yep. Take the American prairie-owned lodges, like the Hawk Lake Lodge, Lodge 88
Pinecrest Lodge, and Waterfalls Lodge. Right from the moment you set foot on these exquisite properties
you know you're at a state-exhibiting match. From luxurious suite to culinary excellence
these places are le creme de le creme of wilderness lodges. On the other side of that coin
those of you fishing as more of a rustic experience, may want to opt for a housekeeping outpost package
Although the name may confuse you, make no mistake about it, a housekeeping plan does not mean you get a housekeeper
It means you are the housekeeper. The upset in this scenario is simply providing a roof over your head
The rest is in the hands of you and the fish rod. That's one of the outpost cabins here
That's all it is. That was a little cottage, a tiny little cottage. It's certainly not a luxury lodge
If you're looking at roughing it, it's often picking. Most operators offer both housekeeping and American plans
One of our favorites is Anderson's Lodge Outpost Camp, located on the famous Latch Pool
With four different outpost camps to choose from, anglers can pick and choose which area of the lake they get dropped off at
Hence, a free to explore on their own schedule. I can see it dropped off quick. Yeah
Although guests will be required to pack in their own food and tend to themselves
I want to make sure it's the only thing I'm hungry for. These trips aren't exactly rough
Anderson's remote outpost cabin is still completely equipped with all the appliances
that you'll need to enjoy a trip in the wilderness. From an oven to a wood-burning stove to cooking utensils
Heck, some of them even come with hot showers. Now that you've decided where you're going to lay your head at night
it's time to establish expectations for how your days are going to look
This section is what we call the service. And the things that you decide to include or exclude in this department
will go a long way toward shaping your lodge experience. With many of the lodges being extremely accommodating when it comes to endless use
the services you choose, once again, will come down to your own personal preferences
and expectations. Let's start in the boat. How do you picture your ultimate fishing trip
Are you huddled over a fish finder, boat tolerant hand as you scan for midnight humps
Or are you leaning back in your down-mounted seat, digging for walleye over one of the largest clumps of fishing holes
Well, a lot of things you've found are more enticing. A guided trip is what you're looking for
These passages take all the fish finding and boat driving out of your hands
and into the hands of a trained professional guide. In other words, all you have to do is get fish
I'm back here with the fish, so just in case you take the wheel from them, I'm going to drag that leash, but I'm also going to take the wheel back here
because they're going to pull me. So I'm just letting him do his thing. Those crankbaits, they'll pull out of their mouth so quick
And then you move way back here, like this. Here we go. Oh, my goodness. Nice
Holy. Did you ever eat that thing? Holy moly. Look at the color of them
I said it wasn't even a little fish. Look at that. Wow
Nice fish, Johnny. Yeah, it's a beauty, Pete. You get a lot of those here, right? You do. Wow
You do. How is that so good? I thought, I thought, no, it's not a fish
No way, he's not fighting at all. Beautiful conditioning walleye, bud. Johnny, you're the man again
You put us on the big walleye. Every time. Good job, Pete. No way
Right on, man. We can go now and have a show on before I leave. Yep
A lot of lodges offer guidance by the day or even half day
which is great for those of you who just want to familiarize yourself with the water
and learn the personality and nuances of that particular lake. Remember, good guides always have their finger on the pulse of that fishery
Don't know where the pipes go when a sudden cold front leaps through? No problem
Your guide certainly does. And that's the type of information that can prove to be extremely valuable during your stay
This guided versus non-guided decision also comes into play during lunchtime. Again, ultimately, this can bounce your expectations
If you're someone who has experienced in flying fish, let me tell you, there's nothing like a throw-up prepared by a trained and experienced guide
It's so good! Not only does this take all the work out of lunch, but it also allows you to have a snooze
catch up with fishing buddies, share stories, and make the kind of memories that have real staying power
Simply put, good guides make days on the water more enjoyable, especially when the fishing is slow
You know what? That's how you tell a good guide. Yeah. Is when people come in and you're talking to them in your dining room and you say
how was your day? And they say, oh, it was great. I had such a great time with Billy today
And then the next thing you know, how was the fishing? Well, we caught a couple, but you know, and then they go off to fishing
and they're talking about all of the other things that they did with their time. And what it was like
Because you saw the experience. They had all about the experience. Absolutely
You can control an experience. Yeah. You can't control the fishing. On the other hand, if you prefer to cook or pack your own lunch
a non-guided experience is what you're looking for. In this scenario, all the large provides you with is transportation in and out of the lake
A boat to fish from, maybe a fish finder to scan the lake, and a motor to get you from point A to point B
These are usually flying in and out boats. What a view
Oh, my God. How was that? Yeah, Bowman. Pretty good. Thank you
Best lakes I've ever been to in combination with Large Most Small Most, for sure
I've been on some great lakes like Chimp Cove, which is amazing in its own for a giant fish
Especially in the Small East Lake area, of course, for Small East and Large Most
But tell me, a lake that you can take a little three and a half horsepower
and catch fish like this. Here's a lake right here. I can see it all. You fly in, one camp on the lake
You're the only boat or the only group. So you want to come in with a place that's like 10 people
You know what? If 10 new boys come in here and each one of you catches one like that
you've had yourself one heck of a trip. Woo-hoo, baby! Today's hot spot is on Lujel Slate, a subtle point 17-floor dropping into deep water
The waypoint on this thing will get you right there. The best way of fishing this structure like this is slow tolling, drifting, anchoring
or what I did for a couple days, easing your way using a tolling motor and wing combination
to fan cast the shoreline. For tolling, try spoons, spinners, or hard body baits like crankbaits and minnow baits
When casting, try spinners, EGB spoons, jigs, and don't forget drop shot in the small bait
like the nano motor catchers were. For more hot spots like this one, check out fishingcanada.com
This is insanity. How sweet is that? Well, we've purposely left the final and most exciting piece of the expectation puzzle
for the end, and that of course is fish. Oh, nice! I'm on fire
Look at this thing, look at this thing! While many often assume that all lodgers are equal in the fishing experiences they survive
this couldn't be further from the truth. The first and most obvious differences are species
Oh, look at these, look at this fish. Walleye is definitely the most prevalent sport fish in Ontario, if not all of Canada
spreading from BC all the way down to parts of eastern New Brunswick
But it's the secondary and tertiary species that are often overlooked. Always plan on focusing some of your attention on the ultimate fishing opportunities like
size, price, trout, or even casting. And that brings the issue of quantity versus quality
This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of fishing. Not everyone is fixated with trophy hunting
Some people would much rather make contacts with big numbers as opposed to big sizes
Look at them all, look at them all. Some operators, like Hot Break Lodge and Garden Island Lodge, are just few that come to mind
that specialize in big fish. And we mean big fish. Oh, look at that fish buddy
Oh my god, take your time, take your time. Oh yeah, that's a good one
That's a big one, Gene. Look at the size. Yes! That is a 30 plus inch for sure
Look at that. Oh yeah, that's a walleye right there. Oh yeah
I gotta say this scar, look at that. Yeah, that's a big scar, isn't it
And that's not that old. No, it's not. That's pretty fresh. That's pretty fresh
Would a pike eat that? Might have. I don't know. Thompson, or another big walleye
Maybe something bigger down there. Now, can you imagine folks, a lake full of predators this size? Yeah
Because that's what this lake is. They're all big. There's just no small fish
They're known for this right here and even bigger, like even bigger than that
This is what we go fishing for. This, however, does have a trade-off
As you've seen dozens of times on this very show, Pete and I are perfectly willing to
pass out a few fluoropterids throughout the day if it means landing one or two silky-fried fish
If that has not been the most eat-like experience you've ever seen. For others, they want nonstop action
They don't want to sit around patiently eating while they wait for big fish
They just want to feel their rods in. For these anglers, lodges that provide quantity as well as quality will meet their expectations
Kimba Wolf Lodge and Cooney Lake Lodge are perfect for that. Whoa, that's a big gator
That's gotta be. Oh, my gosh. Oh, under the boat. This is insanity
Hey, buddy. How you making out? Yeah, that's what I thought. That's what I thought you'd say
Now, this fish, I'm thinking, is hanging out here. Either feeding on the multitude of small pipes that are feeding on the bait that's in those
bushes or he's feeding on the walleye that are down here. Probably the walleye
How sweet is that? This bad boy with those, you know, those things that are jumping around behind you
And the walleye that are in the channel as well. If these past years have taught us anything, it's that we cannot take what we have for granted
Some of that poor planning and unrealistic expectations ruin the time that you get to
spend in the outdoors. Plan accordingly, stay safe, and above all, enjoy the wild spaces that we're so fortunate
to have in this country. We'll see you next week. To get to today's featured, distant, Canada location, we first traveled to the ultra popular
Chardonnay Lodge on the famous French River in front of Giant Market. Next were two flying destinations in Ontario's Algona region, both accessed by Lozan Aviation
The first was for gorgeous bookshops at Blue Fox Stand on Church Patrick's Race
The second was Hastings Race, one of our favorite faculty. From there, we took a one-hour drive to the beautiful Chardonnay Lodge in front of Giant Market
From there, we took a walleye trip to Old Mission Resort on Lake Temiscan
And our final featured distant destination was a juicy shady cabin on the beautiful
shady lake. We've got Christian Canada Show brought to you in part by Grand Drive, Elk, Kicker
Free Crash Boat, Donald the Water, Garmin, Flot Your Paradise, Real Women, and Ontario Canada
In partnership with Saskatoon East in Ontario. Both past and future episodes brought to you by fishingfamilies.com
The gateway to your next fishing adventure