August is the time for family vacation, where my crew (Carolyn, Hannah, Jacob and I) head north to Tomiko Lake Lodge where we join 7 other families for a weeklong get-a-way filled with campfires, swimming, relaxing, and of course fishing. This was our 4th year at the resort, and as it turned out, our best family vacation ever.
Tomiko Lake Lodge is located between North Bay and Sudbury, close to both Crystal Falls and Sturgeon Falls. The drive up from Kitchener-Waterloo improves from the scenery standpoint with every kilometre you travel north, finishing with a nice winding road crossing rivers and giving you glimpses of the many lakes in the area. This year our trip was in mid-August, and we were a touch nervous for the weather because the area had experienced a wetter and cooler than average season. Fortunately, mother nature took a pause and delivered us some terrific weather.
It’s always amazing at how quickly the routine is established, how the friendships are rekindled, and how the year that has passed since the previous year seems to have taken no more than an instant. Part of the re-bonding is the potluck meals that we enjoy. It’s like a family reunion of sorts with about 30 adults and kids indulging is some home cooking. It’s hard to beat eating meals with friends while overlooking a picturesque lake! As the meals would wind down it was a blast to watch as each person slipped away to their next activity, and for many it meant heading out on a boat for an evening fish, or spending time on the dock either fishing, or watching the sun go down surrounded by the kids.
One of the most popular activities for the kids and adults alike is the fishing. Each year when we arrive, our kids are on the dock within the first 30 minutes, rods in hand, and armed with some worms purchased at the boat launch. This year was interesting as the water was up almost a foot from last year, and down 10 degrees on the surface. As it turned out, both led to us catching more fish than any previous year. The kids love dock fishing, which is great as the older kids help the younger, the entire group gets excited no matter who makes the “catch”, and sometimes you get surprised with what’s on your line. Traditionally the kids will catch rock bass, and a few small mouth bass who are similar in size. Each year though a surprise occurs, and this year it was the 16 inch small mouth bass Hannah caught while fishing in the shade of our docked boat. Luckily I was there with a net as this fish was a brute!
This year marked a bit of a milestone for the kids. Two years ago I moved them both to full size rods. They fish enough over the year that it made sense to move them along more quickly. The first couple years they were getting the hang of both the length, and working an open faced reel. This year they took another step learning both how to cast and retrieve, but also to troll. Both kids ended up catching their biggest bass, and both caught fish trolling. If you ever question the joy of fishing, just watch an 8 or 10 year old bringing in big fish – the enthusiasm is infectious. Adults get some fun too of course. On a couple mornings, myself and one of the other men would be in 50 feet of water, just watching for bass to surface or boil, and then cast right at them to catch these active fish. I caught some of my biggest bass targeting these smallies in an area that previously I would have passed over on my way to another “hot spot”.
For those of you who are curious about the fishing itself, there were a few strategies that proved effective. With the water cooler, I didn’t fish into the heavy wee as much as i normally would (the year before the surface temps hit 80), nor as deep. What produced the best results for me was casting grub tipped jigs into weed edges and scattered weeds. Most fish hit about 3 feet below the surface, and as I’d expect in the later summer, they hit hard. Second was trolling 8-12 feet of water, with jigs and spinners producing the best results. As you’d expect, obvious areas such as depth changes and points produced best. Finally, when out fishing with the kids, sometimes I’d just drop over a hood and worm, and was surprised by the number of 15-16 inch bass I landed. This was in 5-10 feet of water on a flat on the front side of an island. I was also able to pick up a few Walleye though they were not a species I spent any time on.
As someone who fishes as much as I do, I always hoped that my kids would also enjoy the sport. For the first few years I wasn’t sure if they would like to fish, just because they knew I would like it, or if they truly found joy in the activity. This year put that question to rest as both kids would spend hours independently on the dock, and both would ask at least once per day if we could go out in the boat fishing. I took the opportunity to shoot some short videos this year, one of the kids just chatting as they cast in a small bay, as well as some great team work as they landed their first bass together unaided. This video was shot from our new boat for 2017, a Prince Amorak DLX BT. This boat is a touch longer but far wider and deeper than our previous Princecraft Resorter. The extra depth and space make all the difference in the world!
If you are interested in a vacation spot that has great scenery, some pretty good fishing, and is affordable to boot, give Lisa a call at Tomiko Lake Lodge. Questions, feel free to reach out at scott@canadianfisherman.ca. As always don’t forget, to sign up and have my most recent post sent right to you!
