Ontario vs. Minnesota

[James_R]

[quote=MN_JayTborder

Sorry but this is the dumbest thing I've heard so far today. I hope you were able to keep a straight face while you typed that.

[BLACKJACK]

Good fishing is all relative, you just match your expectations to what you normally can find. If it's better, great and as long as it makes you happy keep doing it.

Good point!!!

As far as Ontario vs Minnesota, if you don't like Ontario's regs, don't go there!!! Plain and simple.

[BLACKJACK]

I have heard that many times that the Canada side can be better.

I have also found that I have good enough success on the Mn side that I feel no need to go across the border. That's just me as I know others do cross.

How do you know if you're on the Canadian or Minnesota side?

[mainbutter]

When I've seen what I can only assume are millions upon millions of whitefish gathered up and preparing to spawn late fall on a Canadian lake, it makes me realize that the ecology of that lake is so completely different from the lakes that I get to fish here near the cities.

A full complement of midwest gamefish species, all capable of becoming "wall fish", from the same lake isn't something that is found in many places in Minnesota. However, I know more lakes than I can count on my hands that fit that bill.

The remoteness, conservation, total fishing pressure, local ecology, lake types, and only being accessed by a very specific and typically small group of people.. all good reasons why there are so many AMAZING places to fish in Ontario.

[BobT]

Yes I did keep a straight face. Canada is such a large country and yet their population centers seem to be strangely concentrated along our U.S. border. Could it be our cheaper sales taxes, lower sin taxes, cheaper gas, cheaper postage, nicer roads, increased medical care options, better retail shopping opportunities and bigger casino payouts? Come on up here and see for yourself.

More temperate weather, access to shipping, industry, natural resources,...

The US is a large country and yet its population is strangely concentrated on the coasts for the same reasons. Somehow I doubt those Canadians are wanna-be Americans.

[Hawg]

We caught 110 walleys in 10-11 hours of fishing on Lake of the Woods a couple days ago. Most were very healthy 18-19 inch fish. Does it get any better than that? We quit going to Canada about 4 years ago when it seemed like every time a Minnesota boat crossed the border a Canadian officer would follow you to the lake and ticket you for something. If you don't like their regulations don't go like someone said earlier and he's right. I'm sure the economy doesn't miss me a tiny bit,but the problem for Canada is that there are more me's everyday.

[OnAFly]

I've been going to Canada every year for 10 years with other sporadic trips here and there. I've never even seen a Canadian CO let alone been ticketed for anything. There are places to fish within MN boundaries that have great fishing, but, strangely, they seem to be connected to Canada...

[Mistermojo]

Canada also has 2 fishing licenses, the 4-fish (walleye) sportsman license, and the 2-fish conservation license. What would be the legitimate argument against dropping MN's limit to 4 everywhere, and individual lakes can be more restrictive if necessary? If you are fishing for a meal, one 17" walleye will feed 1 person. If you are a family of a mom and dad and kids, that's 8 fish just on the adult limits.

When we go to Lac Seul, on days we are eating fish, we keep 1 fish each and that gives leftovers for fish sandwich the next day. None of our keepers are over the slot.

I personally would be all in favor of setting the MN bag and size limits similar to Canada. The big walleye lakes already do this, make it statewide and standardize.

[reinhard1]

I've been for a limit of 4 walley for some time. i would still go with the one over 20 rule also. if your alone 4 walleys are plenty. like you said, if you have a family the amount of fish you can keep go up as well. i think it would be a great idea. if 4 walleys are not enough, keep some panfish, pike, and other species within the regs. good luck.

[Bran32]

+1 Mister mojo

[mainbutter]

if 4 walleys are not enough, keep some panfish, pike, and other species within the regs. good luck.

Great advice!

My favorite day during canada trips is the usually lone shore-lunch day we do. We try to do it at least once, but still focus on C&R.

Shore lunch day, all of us go out an extra hour early and then gather at our favorite island for lunch, after spending the morning catching fish. You always are wondering what will be on the dinner plate, since we all try to bring enough for us and a little extra just in case the other guys had a bad morning. Typically we can expect a variety, almost always small pike and lake trout, but often there is perch, smallmouth bass, whitefish, or other bonus species. It's fun getting fish as fresh as it gets, and getting a variety too!

I also just plain don't understand walleyes at all. Ugly, don't fight, and are way down on my list of favorite fish to eat. Give me SMB any day over walleye!

[MN_Jay]

Yes I did keep a straight face. Canada is such a large country and yet their population centers seem to be strangely concentrated along our U.S. border. Could it be our cheaper sales taxes, lower sin taxes, cheaper gas, cheaper postage, nicer roads, increased medical care options, better retail shopping opportunities and bigger casino payouts? Come on up here and see for yourself.

Yes, bigger casino payouts is what drives the demographics of another country. That is the second dumbest thing I've heard today.

The only places where there are significant concentrations of people bordering the US side on the great lakes and St. Lawrence river, I can't imagine it could be for shipping routes, it has to be for the casinos, like you said...

[BobT]

Quote:

We try to do it at least once, but still focus on C&R.

We have to...catch too many.

[BobT]

Quote:

We caught 110 walleys in 10-11 hours of fishing on Lake of the Woods a couple days ago. Most were very healthy 18-19 inch fish. Does it get any better than that?

Yes. One of our boat captains brings a clicker with him every year to keep track of the numbers of walleyes brought to the boat. Two guys, two 4-5 hour stretches, 438 walleyes. Does not count the northerns, smallmouths, largemouths, rock bass, musky, crappie, perch, redhorse, sauger, and whitefish.

Our average is somewhere between 100 and 150 walleyes per person per day of fishing. This year I ordered 150 dozen minnows and 1# of leeches for 4-1/2 days of fishing and we ran out. Bought another 10 dozen minnows and 1# of leeches from the resort to finish our trip. Name one lake in MN that produce like that year after year after year.

Edit: I almost forgot to mention too that about 50% of those 'eyes were over 23" with a large percentage of them over 26".

[chasineyes]

Quote:

This year I ordered 150 dozen minnows and 1# of leeches for 4-1/2 days of fishing and we ran out. Bought another 10 dozen minnows and 1# of leeches from the resort to finish our trip

Good Grief how much did you spend on bait???

[goblueM]

We caught 110 walleys in 10-11 hours of fishing on Lake of the Woods a couple days ago. Most were very healthy 18-19 inch fish. Does it get any better than that?

Yep once on a remote Ontario lake my uncle and I caught more than 250 walleyes in just over 2 hours on jigging spoons. Barely had enough time to get it to the bottom before you had a fish on. I've also stood at the base of rapids and caught walleyes non-stop for hours

[BobT]

Quote:

Good Grief how much did you spend on bait???

Bait is one of our biggest expenses. Our bait bill this year was just short of $900.00. That's pretty typical. The first 150 dozen and 1# of leeches cost us $735.00. The rest cost us over $100.00 from the resort. Because I place such a large order every year I've worked out a 15% discount from the bait shop we do business with in Dryden. That saves us about $135.00.

The resort charges us about $5.00/doz for minnows and they count them one by one. They charge us about $50.00/lb for leeches. By comparison I get our minnows from the resort for about $3.20/doz and leeches for a little less than $40.00/lb.

We've tried crawlers but live minnows outfished them 10 to 1. We've tried using Powerbait and minnows outfish them 20 to 1 easily. Minnows outproduce leeches by about 4 to 1 but the largest walleyes we take are usually caught on leeches.

[Hillbiehle]

Bob T...based on the minnow prices, I would assume you're speaking of Lac Seul...?

[thatoneguy]

Quote:

Does it get any better than that?

Yep once on a remote Ontario lake my uncle and I caught more than 250 walleyes in just over 2 hours on jigging spoons. Barely had enough time to get it to the bottom before you had a fish on. I've also stood at the base of rapids and caught walleyes non-stop for hours

That's the good stuff. I remember my first trip to Lake Savant, ON, my cousin and I had hopped around to a few different spots looking for active fish. The wind picked up, and we motored around a point into a semi-sheltered little bay, and cast back towards the point. Starting with my first cast, I caught a walleye on 37 consecutive casts. The only reason that streak ended was because I caught a 38" pike on cast #38. I then caught walleyes on an other 21 casts in a row.

I've never had anything like it before, don't know that I'll ever see anything like it again. I'm just glad I had company in the boat, as few would have believed the story if I had been fishing alone!

[Down Deep]

You know I'm getting sick and tired that anytime someone wants to have a discussion about a regulation or reason for this or that someone always wants to reduce the conversation to some Tea Party Bull$#!T argument that Big Brother is going take your rights away and haul you to jail. The topic here is Why do you Think Ontario has better fishing than Minnesota? Rant Rant Thanks

[Wanderer]

Bad day at work today?

So MN_jay and James R bat a couple jabs around and the whole thread is Tea Party hogwash? The last couple pages I read sound more like guys telling their story about why Ontario is indeed better than MN.

I fished Ontario a few weeks ago and to be honest, it was quite a bit like fishing the Ely area - except way more fish. They do have tighter limits and less pressure in general. Coincidence? Probably not.

The exception I found though was for winter lake trout in my limited Canadian experience. I fished the Dryden area many years ago and we did pretty well but lately I've been pitting Lac La Croix against MN lakes such as Burntside and I haven't found a tremendous argument to keep going through the hassle to get to La Croix. I want more La Croix whitefish for sure but I've done better on average on this side of the line for winter lakers.

[Hookey]

i spent 15 years of fishing in Ontario, going 2 or 3 times a year. i loved it up there and also had some bad experiences. but i now stick to Minnesota. i.

Agreed , After Ontario did away with non resident camping we tried several Canadian owned resorts.

The bad experiences were never due to fishing or weather...

Their wonderful fishing is over shadowed by the their.

I will stop there and leave it with Yes they have better fishing.

[James_R]

[Yes, bigger casino payouts is what drives the demographics of another country. That is the second dumbest thing I've heard today.

The only places where there are significant concentrations of people bordering the US side on the great lakes and St. Lawrence river, I can't imagine it could be for shipping routes, it has to be for the casinos, like you said...

Yes MNJay, I'm sure modern canadians live so close to the U.S. in order to take advantage of our shared navigable waterways while riding around in freighters and steamships. Have you seen all of the canadian license plates at the malls, supermarkets and casinos in N. Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan? Canada ranks 4th in the world in per capita gambling expenditures and they love to play down here. Canadian RV owners take advantage of our better roads to spend the winters in Texas or AZ and day trippers can shop here while avoiding oppressive HST taxes. These people far exceed the number of us that go up there to fish in the summer. It doesn’t seem that way when crossing the border with your boat in July but you have to look at the whole year. There is a real economic and leisure benefit for Canadians to live close to the U.S. like they do in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. There’s no doubt that Ontario has some incredible fishing but if they’re going to be stingy with their bag limits even though there’s more than enough to go around and try to sell me minnows for $6.50 a dozen while counting them out one by one I might as well stay here in the states. It’s certainly their country and they can do as they please but they really seem to be shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to trade and tourism.

[Grum]

A few years back when a friend and I went to pick up some minnows from an unnamed bait shop in the cities that sold minnows by the dozen. As the owner of the shop was counting them out, my friend asked him "So what are their names..?"

[BobT]

A few years back when a friend and I went to pick up some minnows from an unnamed bait shop in the cities that sold minnows by the dozen. As the owner of the shop was counting them out, my friend asked him "So what are their names..?"

Don't mean to take this off topic but it urks me a bit when they count 12 minnows per dozen. It would seem that they could at least consider survivability in their count if they cared at all about their customer's satisfaction.

Here in central MN, I won't go back to buy minnows from a place that counts them to that degree when I can get a more reasonable value from the guy down the street. Like I already mentioned, we avoid buying our bait from the resort we stay at in Hudson, ON simply because of this. We would love to be able to cater to the resort but when we can get a more reasonable count, especially for about 30% less cost per dozen, from just an hour away that's what we do.