Lac Seul East Side

[Bob/Mn]

Any reports?

[BobT]

Just returned Monday from our annual trip to the Hudson area on the very south end. Most of our fishing was just south of the Lac Seul but part of the English River system. The average fish size seemed smaller with most being males in the 14" - 19" range. That is, until Saturday afternoon and Sunday when we began to notice a definite increase in the size structure of the fish. We started catching more in the 22" - 26" range. Anyone in that area this week is probably getting a treat. 

 

The numbers of fish caught was quite significant. Let me put it this way. We checked into the Lac Seul Resort near Hudson around noon on Wednesday last week and checked out Monday morning. In those 4-1/2 days of fishing, eight guys used 200+ dozen minnows and 1-1/4 pound of leeches. We had a pretty good time with that.

[Mad Mulcher]

At that rate of Canadian priced minnow consumption you could finance another trip by switching to plastics!  J/k.....sort of

[walt501]

Just an update on live bait in Ontario, I stopped at Rainy Lake Sports and Tackle in Fort Frances last Friday.  They said leeches are in very short supply and that there were no leeches to be bought north or Fort France.  The price per pound?  $49.95 Canadian, and they told me I was getting a "deal" because the price was increasing to $54.95 a pound Canadian the next day.  They claim the leech trappers just haven't been going out to get leeches. 

 

So that being said, you can still bring crawlers into Canada with you as long as they are packaged in commercial bedding, i.e. no back yard bait in dirt.  Or Rapala's are always a good choice, especially the deep diving variety. 

[BobT]

On 6/17/2017 at 10:09 PM, Mad Mulcher said:

At that rate of Canadian priced minnow consumption you could finance another trip by switching to plastics!  J/k.....sort of

We are strictly a jig and minnow group. We've tried using artificials thinking if they worked as well as claimed it would save us quite a bit. Contrary to what they claim, real minnows out-produce plastics by a factor of 20:1 in our experience and we tried everything from snap jigging to finesse jigging and everything in between. Tried plastics, powerbaits, etc. Minnows out-produced crawlers by at least 3:1 and also out-fish leeches most of the time but we are okay with the leeches. $45.00 - $50.00 CAD per pound for leeches has been about the going rate for years.

 

In June when we go, we usually find the fish in shallow water near shore. Trolling is not as effective because it puts you out too deep. I go through probably 4 dozen jigs in those 4-1/2 days of fishing.  It would cost a lot more than the live bait replacing all the crankbaits.

Edited June 19, 2017 by BobT

[walt501]

Try a Rapala Rippin Rap in Redfire Crawdad, you might be surprised at what they can do on walleyes. 

 

Portaged into a remote lake in NW Ontario 3 years ago and ran nothing but this lure.  Between the two of us, we caught 20 northerns and 40 walleyes - in 6 hours of fishing.  

Edited June 19, 2017 by walt501