Liddle's Fishing Adventures Inc. Newsletter for Winter 2003 - 2004

The Albany Journal Fall/Winter 2003 - 2004 Miminiska Lodge- Makokibatan Lodge- Makok Outpost 1 (800) AND- FISH Year In Review Another season is behind us, and as we look back we can quickly see how successful our fishing adventures have been once again this year. The 2003 summer on the Albany River was one of the sunniest seasons we can remember for a long while. From the first days in May, we were fortunate to experience balmy temperatures and clear blue skies, which continued for what seemed like months. The lack of rain was evident on the Albany, as the water levels were considerably lower than in the recent years past. This posed new challenges in navigation around our lakes and river stretches, making many additional rock shoals shallow enough to take bites out of propellers that were passing by. The fishing in 2003 was nothing short of exceptional. It would appear that the Liddle's conservation policies are really showing their positive effects. Both the sheer number of fish caught, and the consistency of large trophies being boated this past season encourages us to continue promoting catch-and-release practices. We have never witnessed so many 100+ fish days as were present this season. Unbelievably, there were even several days where guides recorded landing over 200 fish in their boat in one day! That's what you call non-stop action! Every year, the fish seem to get larger as well. This season was no exception, with walleye in the 28" + range caught almost daily, and too many, larger than 30" fish to count. Trophy northern pike were almost jumping in the boat this season, with many fish over 40" caught, and several at or above the 45" mark. May and June saw some explosive brook trout fishing at both of our lodges. Several trophy specimens over six pounds were caught, and a couple even tipped the scales at a whopping 7+ pounds and measuring 25 inches. It is incredible to see all of the positive comments and thank you notes that we receive in our office each season from satisfied guests following their Liddle's Fishing Adventure. Thank you to everyone who took that extra time to let us know you had a great time at our facilities this season. We look forward to providing you with yet another vacation that goes well beyond the stereotypical "fishing trip", by giving you and your party the memories of an unforgettable wilderness experience on the beautiful Albany River system in 2004 and beyond.

Online Contest Winner! Our latest "Free Online Contest" for a Shimano rod and reel combo has come to a close as of the end of September. Thank you to everyone who entered. We would like to offer our congratulations to Chuck Sampley of Berkley, Michigan. Your name was drawn as the winner for the fishing rod prize. We hope that you catch a trophy with your new combo. Our Online Contest has now been re-opened, and the new deadline is March 1st, 2004.

Added Adventures for Next Season: Fish For The Prehistoric Sturgeon Next Season! The Albany River system is home to a healthy population of North America's largest freshwater fish; the "Lake Sturgeon". Over the years, several lucky anglers have by chance hooked into these prehistoric monsters while jigging for walleye. Many stories have been told of how guest's had thought they had gotten a snag, when suddenly their rod doubled over, and line started to peel from their reel. Many of these stories tell of unbelievable battles that lasted for upwards of an hour, and how whatever was on the hook pulled the boat back and forth as the fisherman tried to gain line. More often than not, these battles end without even seeing the monster hooked to the lure, because of the light tackle that is used to fish for walleye. For the 2004 season, we are excited to introduce at both Miminiska, and Makokibatan Lodges, guided day trips to fish for the "living dinosaur" of the fish world; the giant Lake Sturgeon. For the regular rate of $120USD per day we will provide you with an educated sturgeon guide, all of your heavy-duty tackle (which is guaranteed to handle the big ones), bait, and the chance to do battle with "the most ferocious fighting freshwater fish". Due to Ministry of Natural Resources Regulations, we can only offer sturgeon fishing on a catch-and-release basis. The sturgeon-fishing season begins June the 15th, and is open for the remainder of our operations into the fall. For those of you not too familiar with the sturgeon, these fish are the largest freshwater species in North America generally in the 3 to 5 foot range, and not uncommon to grow 7 feet or more. Average weights are between 10 and 80 pounds, but have been known to reach 200 plus pounds in some waters. They are very prehistoric in appearance, with a tough gray leathery skin, shark like tail, large hidden sucker mouth, and body armor made up of rows of sharp bony plates. Sturgeon are typically found in areas with current, and predominantly live along the bottom, feeding on clams, crayfish, minnows, and dead matter. Sturgeon meat has long been considered a delicacy by Native Canadians, and is still a staple food source today. Many natives used to tie harvested fish to long lines and allow them to swim offshore of their homes. Because of the sturgeon's hardiness, they would survive for extended periods of time while attached to these stringers, allowing the natives to have a supply of fresh meat whenever it was needed. There was even a commercial fishery for these dinosaurs on Makokibatan Lake in the 1930's. Remnants of the fishing trawler can still be seen on the north shore of the lake today. By offering the added adventure option of a day trip of sturgeon fishing at our lodges, you can now have fishing thrills that few people can claim to have experienced. Imagine the excitement of a 5 or 6 -foot Albany River sturgeon weighing eighty pounds, exploding from the water in a tail dancing display… Imagine the thrill of hearing the prolonged scream of your reel as the 60-pound test line quickly disappears from the spool, and your guide scrambles to give chase. If you would like the opportunity to do battle with the strongest freshwater fish around, give us a call. We would love to book you an unforgettable day trip, and the chance for you to have your picture taken beside one of our prehistoric monsters- the giant lake sturgeon!

What Some Of Our Guests Had To Say This Season... "Just wanted to drop a note to say thanks for a fantastic trip. Fantastic fishing, great food, and outstanding service! They even folded our dirty shirts by the time we returned to the cabin. Special thanks to our guides who kept us on the fish all day long! We figure between the four of us we boated over 500 fish in three days of fishing. Heather and the rest of the staff were fantastic, and we will return as soon as possible! Thanks again for a memorable vacation." Tom Smedley - Hayward, Wisconsin "The outpost cabin was great, as were the sunsets, northern lights,,, and of course the great fishing of the Albany. - It was more than we had hoped for!" Fred Livingston - Whitehall, Michigan "I just wanted to thank you and your staff for a job well done. Ya'll really go above and beyond the call of duty to make your guests feel comfortable. I have been fortunate enough to visit several fishing lodges across North America the past few years, and yours was certainly the most efficiently and well run place that I've been to." Robert Rogers - Blairsville, Georgia "…My friends back here all asked how the fishing went. All I could say was- imagine your best hour of fishing ever… we had that for 7 straight days. In addition to the great fishing, the experience that the dedicated staff provided really made the trip the best I've ever been on. Your service was just wonderful in all respects; boats, food, and lodging… It's obvious you all know how to take care of guys like me. I'll not look beyond Liddle's for my next trip. I'm sold for life!" Bob Beaumont - Grand Rapids, Michigan "…Heather and her staff were exceptional. Not only did they fulfill our needs, but anticipated most of them. I might add that this was accomplished in a perfect professional/cordial manner. The atmosphere, food, and cabins were outstanding. I wouldn't be surprised if you found a way to control the weather soon. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience." Wayne Ecklund - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Lodge Improvements This Year If you were a repeat guest this season, you may have noticed some significant improvements made to our facilities. We continuously listen to, and act upon your suggestions to make your perfect fishing vacation even better. This year, many of our staff were kept busy throughout the season making changes that we feel will make your next ultimate fishing adventure that much more memorable. Makokibatan Lodge underwent many improvements throughout the 2003 season. A facelift was given to the lounge in the main lodge, by the addition of carpeting and new lounge seating. Also, all cabins now have newly renovated bathrooms, providing improved, roomier bathing quarters. Refreshing new cabin seating was also added to all of our guest cabins in 2003, adding to the rustic atmosphere of Makokibatan Lodge's accommodations. Four new 16' Lund Stalkers were purchased for the Makok Outpost this spring, ensuring that all of our guests on Makokibatan Lake would enjoy the comfort and safety that these flat-bottom, pedestal seat boats provide. Miminiska Lodge also had a wide array of improvements this season. Most noticeably was the purchase of eight new 16' Lund Stalker fishing boats. This fleet upgrade eliminated the use of the smaller, and lower powered 14' Lund's of the past. Because we have received so much positive feedback on the spaciousness and comfort of these new pedestal seat boats, we plan on phasing the existing 16' Lund's out of our fleet in the next couple of seasons, and replacing them with the new flat-bottomed Stalker boats. Other improvement initiatives included installing new light fixtures, fridges, mirrors, curtains, carpeting, bathroom flooring and other items in many of our cabins, ensuring that all of our accommodations provide you with all of the creature comforts of home. These changes are part of our continuing commitment to providing our guests with the very best fishing vacations Canada has to offer. Liddle's Fishing Adventures prides itself in having the best trophy walleye, northern pike, and brook trout fishing opportunities in Ontario, top quality marine equipment, unmatched accommodations, and the friendliest, most helpful customer service team in the north.

The Staff Of 2003 Our staff quickly becomes family throughout their stay at the lodges during the summer season, and when it comes time to pack up and head home for the winter, there are always some feelings of sadness as members of the crew go off in their different directions. Everybody always tries to keep in touch, and often plan staff reunions during the winter to catch up. Many guests inquire about staff members, asking where, and what they are up to now, so here's what our staff of 2003 are doing: Steve Liddle is enjoying the city life once again. He is now back at our main office for the winter season. Steve is planning to head into the Canadian Rocky Mountains this winter to spend some time powder skiing in the backcountry. He was recently involved in a vehicle accident, while returning home from southern Ontario. Steve struck a moose, which was crossing the highway. Fortunately for Steve, he was unharmed in the incident, however the moose, and his truck did not fare as well. Heather Liddle is also back in the main office for the winter, busy with year-end accounting, and corresponding with guests in attempt to fill the remaining openings for next season. Marc Kuzyk is spending the cold winter months in the main office as well. He has been busy writing this fall's newsletter, and is always looking to increase our website's exposure on the world-wide-web. Pam Liddle is in her final year at Western University in London Ontario. She has already attained her commercial pilots license and is working on getting her instructor, and twin-engine certificates this year. Who knows, perhaps Pam will be piloting the aircraft that you are flying on into one of our facilities next year! Matt Liddle is also attending Western University. Entering his third year, he begins new challenges by becoming part of Western's prestigious business school. Good luck Matto! Our office just received an email from Mike "Woodsy" Woods, informing us that he is in Lima Peru, and that he is doing well. Woodsy plans on spending the off-season touring throughout South America. Miminiska's cook, Jody Head anxiously returned home to his family after spending almost five months away. Jody loves to spend the winter season snowmobiling in the rugged outdoors of Newfoundland. Brett Clark, Makokibatan's cook has returned to the North Bay area, and has already begun working for a survey company. Surely he will spend some of his spare time whipping up a new recipe or two during his spare time. Amanda Currie has begun a new culinary program in North Bay, and is loving every minute of it. She often drops into the office with delectable treats that she has prepared in class that day. She is looking forward to applying her new knowledge in the kitchen at Miminiska Lodge next season. Steve Bird is in his final year at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. He will attain his degree in outdoor recreation this spring. Ben Rabidoux is continuing his studies here in North Bay this winter. He is currently completing his fourth year of a geography degree at Nipissing University.

Northern Pike Fishing On The Albany River How does catching 50 or more northern pike a day sound? Would you like a solid average of 5 to 8 pounds? How about an excellent chance at a 40 inch plus trophy? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, read on, because I will help you to achieve all of these objectives. I have been hunting trophy northern pike for six years now, and spend everyday on the Albany River from early May to late September. I am a professional guide at both Makokibatan and Miminiska Lodges, and I have watched and studied the movements of northern pike from ice out to freeze up. I would like to share my secrets with you. Whether you will be fishing at one of our facilities on the Albany River system, or somewhere else in northern Ontario, recognizing these patterns should help you boat more pike as well a give you a better chance at catching that trophy northern. I will follow the natural seasonal feeding patterns to establish typical locations of pike, and how to go about catching this tackle-busting predator. SPRING: Post Spawn As soon as the ice melts, or even prior to, in many instances, pike begin their annual spawn. They head for shallow back bays that warm up quickly after ice out. They can often be seen spawning and fighting among the dead standing vegetation, but are usually very reluctant to attack a lure as they are too focused on reproduction. Strikes can generally be attributed to territorial instinct instead of hunger at this time of year. As soon as the mating ritual is accomplished, the northern will begin an intense feeding frenzy. The large female fish are the first to depart the spawning areas, as they quickly head for deeper water in search of larger prey. Smaller males will remain in spawning mode for several weeks, and some of the younger fish that did not actively spawn will even remain in these areas all year long. A common misconception many people have heard is that pike don't school. I have however, seen it on several occasions. You're fishing post spawn walleye and there are several boats over a honey hole, one angler hooks into a northern, then another, and another. Before you know it everyone has a northern on, and you can't buy a walleye. What you have experienced is a school of northern coming in to feed on your walleye. It usually lasts about 20 minutes to half an hour, and then it dies as fast as it began. If you have ever experienced this scenario, you can relate it to a pack of wolves moving in for the kill. If you're a pike man this is your chance. Throw on a leader, find the biggest walleye imitation lure you have, and troll or cast the area. I have seen some of the biggest pike taken this way. The majority of northern are very opportunistic when it comes to feeding, and that's why they head to where the walleye and other baitfish are spawning. River mouths and feeder creeks are two prime examples of springtime feeding holes for northern pike. Try using smaller sized spoons: Daredevil, 5 of Diamonds, Johnson Silver Minnow, or a silver Williams. Adjust the speed of retrieve regularly to find a rate that produces strikes. Don't hesitate to change your baits if you see fish following, but are reluctant to bite. Trying top water baits can also be very effective this time of year. Jitterbugs, Torpedoes, Spooks, and spinner baits are all great examples. Because of the mainly shallow water areas you are fishing, you will see a lot of the strikes and be able to sight fish. It can be very exciting sneaking up to a trophy northern and enticing him to bite your lure. SUMMER: Weed Beds When the long sunny days of summer heat up the water, distinct weed lines and beds start to appear. This is the time when finding the water wolf becomes pretty easy. Look for deep weedbeds in the 6-10 foot range with access to deeper water. I will guarantee pike will be close by. First position the boat within casting distance from the deep side of the weedline. Work casts into the shallows and bring your weedless spoon or lure through the weeds. Try topwater baits over the weeds to reduce hang-ups. You can also troll the deep side of the drop-off with diving minnow imitations or big crankbaits. The majority of these locations really fire up in the afternoon when the wind picks up and the sun heats the water. Some of the most explosive fishing I have also had is just before big thunderstorms or during cloudy rainy days. Pike seem to be very sluggish in the cool mornings, so I suggest walleye fishing until lunch. A good tip for evening fishing is to focus on river mouths and wind swept shorelines. The wind stirs up the water, producing food for baitfish, which in turn produces hungry northern. FALL: Structure and underwater humps When baitfish such as cisco and whitefish are part of the food chain like in the Albany River Watershed, don't be afraid to chase suspended pike feeding on these schools. Some of the biggest pike start to fatten up for the upcoming winter by heading for deep water and feeding around the same structure that big walleye will be holding on. Try trolling over rocky sunken islands, steep rocky drop-offs, or along deep weed drop-offs. These fish are constantly on the move and can be hard to locate. However, when you find them they are usually the biggest of the year. I once caught a 44 inch hog with a four-pound whitefish it had just swallowed, lying in its stomach. I like the adage "big baits equals big fish" for the fall season. Musky lures are my choice: Swimm Wizz, Believer, Suik, and Rapala Magnums or Super Shads. Don't be afraid of trolling too fast for these fall monsters. Northern pike are the fastest accelerating freshwater fish, and when one hones in on your bait and decides to strike, he'll get it! Hopefully understanding where pike typically feed at specific times of year will enable you to locate the larger fish with greater ease. I think perhaps the most important piece of advice I can give our anglers to increase the number and the size of northern they catch, is to change your baits frequently. The biggest mistake I see year after year is the conception that a favorite lure that caught a lunker some time in the past is bound to catch another monster during their present fishing trip. Although this may happen, chances are the time of year, the weather conditions, or water levels may be affecting feeding activities differently than in the past. If your tried and true lure is catching you lots of fish, terrific! Stick with it. However if your having difficulty getting those pike to strike, never hesitate to change your bait.

Tarpon Fishing In Sunny South America This Winter! Ever thought of how long it would take you to land a fighting, running, jumping and mad 125 pound Tarpon? It usually takes me about 45 minutes, and sometimes longer than an hour. Think you could handle 3 or 4 of those a day? I know I don't want to! After the first tarpon I rest for an hour - for the next hour I pretend to miss all the strikes, and then finally I beg the guide to take us into the back lagoons to look for butterflies. That's an over exaggeration, but it sure makes you sleep well at night, and quite willing to have a relaxing massage back at the lodge. Our winter Costa Rica fishing trips are fantastic, and this winter we are planning another vacation with tentative dates near the end of February 2004. The trip is open to anyone who would like to join our group. We usually have a mix of couples, men's groups, as well as singles, typically between 10 to 15 people in total. We'll fish primarily for tarpon on the east coast near the mouth of the Rio Colorado for the first 3 days of our adventure, and then transfer to the west coast for another 3 days of fishing for sailfish, marlin and roosterfish. Feel free to join us for the first 3-day portion, or stay for the full week. We will fly into a world-renowned fishing lodge, which has top-quality accommodations, great service, and outstanding fresh, and saltwater fishing opportunities. If this sounds like the trip for you this winter, and you'd like to consider joining our "Liddle hosted trip", email me at: rogerliddle@sympatico.ca to acquire all of the vacation details.