Fall fishing can be some of the best time on the water you’ll experience. The fish are putting on weight to survive the winter, the weather is often beautiful during the day, and there are no bugs in sight! The shorter days may limit the fishing time, but it does add to the amount you have available for hanging out with your fishing pals.
This past fall I had a the chance to cross something off my fishing bucket list when I was able to combine two of my favourite past times: fishing and camping. It was time for the now-annual fishing weekend with some buddies, but my schedule was in flux so I wasn’t able to confirm when I’d be able to make it up. I had a good friend coming in from the East coast though, so I knew I’d need to make it for at least a day trip. By the time I was able to confirm my availability, the cabin that was booked was full, and it didn’t seem right to have everyone pay extra by getting a second cabin, so it got me thinking about how I could still make it work. I’ve often seen people on various lakes camping and fishing, and to me that seems like a great combination, and affordable as well when you think about how much lodging can cost you over the course of a trip. So I decided it was time for me to try it out, and the forecast for the weekend looked to be ideal with warm evenings and low wind.
I headed up to join the group on a Friday evening, with my only goal being to launch the boat with enough time for me to search out an acceptable location to set up camp. I would be using a 4 person InstaTent by Coleman, which would allow me to set up in seconds. I was hoping to to find a spot out on the shoals in the Archipelago, where I could find a nice flat rock area that would be good for by setting up a tent and for pulling up the boat. I was able to make the drive in good time, and arrived at Bayfield Lodge with a couple hours to spare. The group was all out fishing, so I launched the boat solo, and headed out. I made my way out to an area that I thought would be good, and quickly found a spot that had a flat area for my tent, easy boat access, and the remnants of fire ring from someone who obviously had had the same idea as me. Here is a short video of my camp set up.
After set up, and hauling in my gear, I headed back out to join the guys fishing, and for a nice BBQ dinner to follow. We spent some time hanging out, but it was soon time to head out to my site and get some sleep. I confess, it was much harder getting back than I had expected. I’ve fished the area for 30 years, but it was a cloud covered night, so there was very little light to mark my way, and the bright light of my fish finder made it hard to see. I eventually turned it off, and when with memory and instinct and after about 20 minutes made it to my camp. I pulled the boat up and secured it, then went about lighting a campfire to enjoy before turning in. At first it was a bit odd to be out that far on my own, with big water behind me and no visible cottages in site, but it didn’t take long before the sounds of the waves, the call of the loons, and the occasional fish jumping had me fully relaxed and ready for bed.
In the morning I used my trusty Solo Stove to boil some water for coffee, followed by the perfect breakfast of bacon and pancakes. I was up with the sun, and the calm and quiet, interrupted only by the sizzle of my bacon, was the ideal way to start my day. It was again warm and windless, looking to be a great day on the water (if not a bit tough as far as fishing conditions).
I poured another cup of coffee, and boated in to join up with the rest of the group who were up and having a breakfast of their own. We quickly divided up in to different boat pairings, and headed out to our various locations. I decided to head back out to the shoals, where I’d had some luck on my last trip. The water was cooler out there, and I had hopes that the fish would not have started their migration back to their fall habitats yet.
I trolled some deep weed edges and rocky points, picking up a couple of of smaller pike as well as few bass. Not a bad time as far as numbers go, but not quite the size I was hoping for. As we headed in closer to the cabin when lunch was imminent, I thought I’d got myself into a bigger Pike, but happened upon this more junior sized Musky. Interestingly, all the groups I’ve fished with the last few years in this area have started to stumble onto more Musky. As I said, I’ve fished this year area for 3 decades, but it’s only recently that I’ve contacted Musky. The area is known for them, but Musky are also known to be a more challenging cast, known as “the fish of a thousand casts”. Regardless, even a smaller Musky is still a fun fish, and they put up a heck of a fight. This fellow was in the lower 30 inches, and I quickly unhooked it and sent it on its way to grow up for next time.
After a great lunch we switched up the boat partners once again, and I was able to pair up with my buddy from the East Coast. Most of the guys on the trip I’d had the chance to fish with several times already this season, so it was nice to get an opportunity for a full afternoon and evening of fishing. Now, an afternoon of high sun, warm temps, and no wind isn’t exactly a recipe for non-stop action, but it was ideal conditions to catch a few fish while catching up.
As the sun began it’s decent we headed into a popular bay to work the weedy area around a large rock. Historically this area has produced some pretty good fish, and earlier in this same trip, one of the fellows had lost what was seen to be a huge Musky. Given a couple days rest, maybe she’d bite again? It wasn’t more than a dozen casts when I saw the gaping mouth of Musky come up and take my lure…and my line with it. I was actually fishing with a jig and a plastic for bass, and it was no match for the toothy Musky. I’m not sure it was “the one”, as it was probably only about 30 inches, but it was proof that the area was ideal Musky habitat. A few more casts and I felt that wonderful thump of a heavy fish taking the line. I knew this was no Pike or Musky, and went to work hauling in what would be my personal best Large Mouth Bass. Even though I fish a lot of waters that have largies, I haven’t actually caught that many, so to be honest it’s not hard to reach my personal best. Regardless, it was a beautiful fish and a great way to wrap up a wonderful day on the water.
After another solid dinner and some conversation, it was again time to head to my camp. This time the sky was clear, and the moon and starlight was more than adequate for me to make a pretty quick trip out to my site. Another nice campfire, and some reading to wrap up the day, and I was off to sleep even faster than the night before. My morning was almost a repeat of the day before, with an early morning coffee and an hot breakfast as I stretched out, and got ready for a 1/2 day of fishing before it was time to pack up.
Again I headed into the lodge to pick up a new boat partner, and we hit the water in search of some Pike. We only had a few hours, but we still managed to each boat a few decent Pike before it was time to head in. While I didn’t catch any giants this time around, one of the guys did land a beauty Northern around 38 inches. It was caught much further in, closer to where the fish would winter, so I may have been off by a couple weeks as to where the fish were. Anytime one member of the group has success, it lifts the spirits of all the people on the trip, one of the many reasons why fishing is more of team sport than people think :).
After a quick lunch of leftovers, it was time for me to head out and break camp. I’d left the site set up, preferring to have the sun and light breeze dry off the evening moisture before I closed up. The tent went down as fast as it went up, and in about 15 minutes I was completely loaded and heading back to pull the boat. It turned out to be an amazing weekend, both for the chance to fish with the guys, but to also try out a new format. The low cost and easy of the tent set up provides great options for short notice trips when the weather looks OK. If you are not the camping / fishing type of person, why not check out Bayfield Lodge? I’ve stayed here for three decades and multiple owners, and it’s always a solid experience. Below is a walk through video I did from a stay earlier in the season.
As always, if you’d like to stay informed of when I add new posts or learn more about any of the lakes I fish, just sign up and you’ll be notified each week if I have a new post. I’d also be happy to chat about your fishing plans. Just email scott@canadianfisherman.ca and I’ll get back to you!