Rate This Years Walleye Fishing

[Walleye Wacker]

I have seen so many good reports about this years Walleye fishing in Canada I would like to see how each of us rates our trips. Please use a 1 to 10 scale with ten being best ever and 5 being average. Please also include some details about your trip...where,when,big fish etc....Thanks.......Both of my trips to lac seul were 10......six Walleye over 30" and hundreds of slot fish.

[Kevin]

We fished at lake Of The Woods and I would have to rate it at 6. It was a little better than average but no big fish.

[whitetip1]

I too went to Lac Seul and would rate it a 10. Best walleye fishing I have personally experienced. Did not get one over 27.5" but there were alot between 24-27".

Dave

[duffy]

I went to way north camp this year and would rate the walleye fishing an 8. Lot's of fish and got my biggest ever at 26 inches and my group had three between 27 and 30 inches. However we don't jig all day for eyes we throw metal for toothy critters which was a 9 this year. We had 6 pike between 39 and 44 inches and countless 32 to 39's.

[winger]

Can you give me some contact information on Way North Camp. Thanks.

[Toolman]

Walleye Wacker,
I'd have to rate this year's trip around a 3. First week of 'eye season and it snowed the first three days with highs around 30*F. Walleye fishing was slow but the pike bit pretty well. I guess in mid-May that that type of weather is not all that uncommon. We have had days in the upper 60's though. That makes for some pleasant fishing. No bugs this year though! :)
Tim

[Greg]

Walleye Wacker, I would rate my trip this year to Dogtooth as a 4. We caught a decent amount of fish but nothing of any size. This is my third time and last at Dogtooth.

[pudgedom]

We spent a week on Abrams/Minitaki in June during the opeing of the Rice/English rivers. Fishing was fabulous. We limited out the first day in 40 minutes! Caught loads of fish, more on film than ever as we take photos of the catch and release. Water was highest I have ever seen it in 20 years of fishing those lakes. Most of the eyes were in 8 to 12 feet of water, off weedbeds. We purchased 2 dz minnows the first day there, gave most of them to other anglers on our way out, caught most everything on lighter equipment than usual. Odd year in that respect. We avoided the opening areas this year due to the size of what we were catching elsewhere. Action was just too good to mess with the crowds in those places. We always stay at Tikinagan camp, rent his boats and motors, we find them most cordial, and the use of his boat and motor, saves all the hassle of dragging the boat/trailer north. Border crossing going in was a pain as we were checked going into Canada at Pigeon River, 45 minutes there, but no problems, just a nice conversation with the border officials coming home thru International Falls. 502 was a pain coming home with all the construction and repair, it was much easier going in though a little longer.

[Big Tim]

Lac Seul 5/25-5/31. I'd rate it a 6. Weather was 2 to 3 weeks behind normal. I imagine the fishing was that much better in the weeks following. It's the luck of the draw, We're still planning to go up the same week next year. On your scale of 1--10 ANY time on a Canada lake is a 10++ compared to what I find any where in the midwest.

[fishmaster]

I would have to rate this years eye fishing at the top (8) lot of bigger eyes this year more than ever must have been cause of the late ice out.
Fished Eagle Lake opening week.

[Jigger1]

Fished Lac Seul for my third straight year and for the group ... hands down a 10 in all regards. As the organizer of the trip the group 10 is by far the most important. For myself it was an 8 not because of the fishing (it was a 10) but for my failed ability (let’s score it a 6) to land four very large walleyes and one other fish that I'm not sure of the species only the fact that it was huge ... it nearly ripped the rod out of my hand while bottom bouncing. My largest was 28.25 which by any standard is still a monster and I’m counting down the days until the 2003 trip when I will break the 29 in barrier for the second time and look to break the 30 inch seal!

[sdyer]

Winger,

The web site is www.waynorthlodge.ca. E-mail me if you want more info. about the place. i can e-mail you back some pics. from this years trip. sdyer@goes.com.

Duffy

[Troller1]

Walleye wacker,
What time of year did you go up there and where did you stay. We are looking for a place to go next year. Any help would be appreciated.
Troller1

[Walleye Wacker]

We stayed at Black Bay Ouypost out of Lac Seul Lodge 2nd week of June. The second trip was the week of July fourth. Black bay is normally pre-booked full every year but I think you can stay anyplace on Lac Seul and if you listen to your outfitter you will catch plenty of fish. I dont like to go any earlier than June wheather can be tricky enough in June.

[chrism]

Dudes...
Cross bay, Cedar lake Manitoba, Moak lodge...
20 days on the water, average 4-5 hours per day, 1053 walleye caught. Largest was 28.5", average was 21-22".
nuff said.
cm

[Karl]

Definitly a 10. Fished Minnitaki (Pickerel Arm Camp) first two weeks of July. Way more fish and bigger fish than any of last 10 years. Actally got tired of catching walleye after walleye and quit fishing at noon on a couple days and spent the afternoons relaxing at camp. Biggest was 6+ pounder with lots 21-27 inches. Most fun - boated an 18 inch walleye with a 32 inch northern firmly attached.

[Shorty]

Fished Nunngesser last week it was a 9. Caught lots of fish every day and size was good but nothing over 26.

[Marshall]

We just got back from Cobham River,Manitoba. Fishing was a 5 at best. Walleyes were small and slow. Pike were good bite but small.

[Carter]

Fished at Crowduck the last ten days and the fishing was down a little from the last three years. Walleye were running small with aversge amounts being caught. I will go again next year and hope for better fishing....Give Crowduck a 5 rateing

[Paul H]

Fished 2 weeks near Shinning Tree / Gowganda. 20th year at same camp. I'be never done great as compared to some of the NW and far north areas - however this year was great by my standards, although the largest was 25" (released). I had good numbers, for me, with all but 7 released.

Had most fish within 1 mile of camp, never got to try a lot of other areas or tactics as jigging was working too well.

I'd never been there at this time of year - usually mid-Aug and no weeds showing. Was not there last year, there had been a somewhat self imposed size limit at some of the camps - maybe this helped - maybe I'm getting better. Hopefully the new limits and size restrictions will help more in the future.

1st week was actually pretty poor but the 2nd week redeemed itself.

One time I had fish on 5 consecutive casts - another was 4 for 4.

Actually of two weeks there were about 3-4 days spent not fishing. ALso spent a few days Bass fishing (GASP) .....

[Iawegin]

Fished Lac Seul near Ear Falls Tuesday before opener through opening week. Eyes 9, Toothy Critters 4. There was still ice on the main lake and with the cold weather the big Pike were not in their normal bays. Walleye fishing was hot with a lot of fish over 25". There were times we had trouble catching anything under the slot to keep. Thursday of opening week it snowed so hard at times you could hardly see shore, fishing was great. We stayed out the most of the day doing catch and release.
Opening week can be unpredictable but as long as we can fish we will still go early. 3 weeks till we go back. Hope you left the big ones for us, we left them for you.

[Fortesque]

I'd give this years Walleye fishing a 8.5 out of 10. Been fishing Lake Erie in between Dunnville, Ontario and Port Colborne, Ontario. We've had many excellent days this year, at times catching our limit by mid-morning. Been using an "Erie Dearie". Also trolling plugs. Also had some good smallmouth catches as well. My son caught one weighing in at 6lbs 10 ozs. Biggest Eye came in at 11.2 lbs caught on a perch coloured Rapala Shad Rap zig-zagging an edge about 30 minutes after dark. Nearly snapped my rod in two when he hit. Don't worry, it hasn't all been wine and roses...we've had our share of tough days out on the water as well.

[Tom (N.W.Ont)]

Rating success by size:

Bigguns over 18" - A+ Lots, get them here and there, can't ask for anything more.

Midrange 14-18" - D- Any popular lake in NWO shows the slot limits by the reduced number of fish in this range. People are putting the small and big fish back, but keeping lots of this size.

Small under 14" - B Lots of fish, but a 'B' because there are TOO MANY of them.

Good fishin' overall.

Tom

[JC3]

TOOK MY FIRST TRIP TO NW ONTARIO, LAC SEUL. STAYED AT AN OUTPOST CAMP, OJIBWAY OUTFITTERS. IT WAS WAY BETTER THAN I EVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED. LOTS OF BIG WALLYS OVER SLOT, MORE THAN WE COULD COUNT. I'M HOOKED ON CANADA AND AM GOING BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR. OH YEA THE PIKE WERE LONG AND FAT ALSO. HAD A BLAST PLAYING WITH THEM AS WELL.

JC3, ROCHESTER NY

[Cutler Party]

I would rate this years trip a "10" in comparison to the trips I have taken over the last 20 years. Fished Lac Seul for the first time and can't imagine ever fishing another lake. 50 Walleyes over 22 inches.

[swede]

This was our 9th consecutive trip into Quetico, and we stayed on the eastern finger of Cirrus. I would rate this one a 1, which is how many walleyes we caught between 4 guys. But, we hit the record rainfall toward mid-June, washed-out portages, roads, and RR tracks. One section was washed for 1,000 feet, and laid a gouge down 60 feet deep! Well, we had a good time at the Atikokan Hotel, anyway. And. . .we'll be back next year.

[JR]

Just got back from Nunngesser and the fishing was great. We caught lots of Walleye between 18 & 24 but nothing bigger. But the number of fish was good....Rate it 8

[eyewitness]

Lac Suel......a 10. Pigeon lake in Edmonton, Alberta.....a 12!
I love Lac Suel, however I have never caught so many 3-7 pound walleyes on any lake I've ever driven to. Plus the very real chance to get a fish in the teens at any time. 45 minutes out of downtown Edmonton, and we caught about 500 eyes (give or take a couple)in three days between two of us. No bait, just gold jigs and white Berkley Power Grubs. We were phsically exhausted each day. Even Lac Suel has not whipped my but this bad, and I've had too many great days on that lake to count. if you're ever in that area of the country it is worth the stop.