Our 20 hp Honda four-stroke outboards

All of our fishing boats are powered by 20 hp Honda four-stroke outboards and virtually everyone agrees these are perfect fishing motors.

They are so quiet you can barely tell they are running at idle.

They do not produce any smoke.

They troll very slowly yet zip our 16-foot Lund boats around at over 20 mph with two anglers and all their gear in the boat.

And they start very easily although there is a definite procedure to learn to start the recoil-start models.

The first thing to know is that you do not need to advance the throttle to start these engines. You always start them at the lowest setting on the throttle.

1. Make sure the engine gear shift is in neutral. (You cannot pull the starting rope if it is in forward or reverse.)

2. When the engine is cold rotate the throttle handle four times to prime the carburetor. These engines have an accelerator pump on their carburetors, just like cars used to have. Instead of pumping the gas pedal, here you rotate the throttle handle.

3. Pull out the choke and with the throttle handle on the lowest setting, pull the cord.

The engine will always start on a single pull.

4. Leave the choke out until the engine has totally warmed up. This will take up to five minutes in cold weather, a couple of minutes in summer. The engine will not die with the choke pulled out.

5. Once the engine is warmed up, push in the choke and the engine will automatically slow down its idle. You are now ready to leave the dock.

You probably will never need to choke the engine again for the rest of the day.

If it doesn't ever start on one pull, rotate the throttle handle a couple of times to prime the carb, leave the throttle at its lowest setting and pull the starting cord.

We also have some electric start models which we usually reserve first for people with bad backs or who otherwise might have difficulty pulling a starting cord.

With these all you do is make sure the engine is in neutral, turn the throttle to the lowest setting and push the start button on the tiller handle. The engine automatically chokes itself, turns up the idle speed until warm and then drops the idle speed.

Just wait for the engine idle speed to slow down before leaving the dock as this is the signal the engine is warmed up.

The recoil-start models all have built-in alternators that will charge any type of 12-volt battery.

Many of our fishermen use this feature to charge gel-cell batteries that power their fish finders.

Ask us for the wiring harness if you would like to use the motor to charge your battery.

The alternator will also charge an electric trolling motor battery.

We have a couple of electric trolling motors for rent for $50 per week. If you would like to reserve one during your stay, drop us an e-mail at fish@bownarrows.com

An indicator on the trolling motor's handle tells you the charging state of the motor's battery. You must always recharge your battery with the 20 hp Honda, so keep an eye on the battery condition and refrain from using the trolling motor until there is a good charge in the battery.

The Honda will recharge the battery in just a couple of hours under normal fishing conditions.

By using this system you never need an external charger yet the trolling motor is available almost all the time.

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What if I accidentally kill a pike in the slot size?

What should a person do if he or she accidentally kills a northern pike that is in the slot size?
Ontario fishing regulations specify a no-keep slot size of 27.5 inches to 35.4 inches for northern pike.
You are not permitted to keep any fish this size and may keep only one larger (we strongly suggest you do not keep any larger fish unless you want to mount them. See Conservation).
We provide measuring tapes in our fishing boats for you to measure the length of your fish.
It's a wise idea to stay an inch away from the slot size, just for safety's sake. In other words, make the largest pike you keep 26.5 inches not 27.5 inches. A fish will "grow" in length after it dies and its muscles relax.
There are a lot of things you can do to prevent accidentally killing pike such as using the proper Fish Unhooking Tools or pinching down barbs on multi-hook lures but occasionally, despite your best intentions, a fish rips a gill out and dies.
No one likes to see a fish wasted and there is an inclination to bring the fish back to camp, even if it is in the slot size.
Please don't do this!
You must throw the fish back into the water where you caught it!
It is an offence to have a fish in the slot size in your possession.
As part of our regular service at Bow Narrows Camp we clean all your fish for you.
We will not put a knife to a fish in the slot size.
By bringing it back you are jeopardizing our camp's reputation and our livelihood.
Why can't a person keep such a fish if it was killed accidentally?
Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers point out that if they were to allow such fish to be kept there are some people who would routinely "accidentally" kill fish. It's a sad commentary on the human race but it's true.
Just throw them back and examine if there is anything different you can do about your fishing technique to prevent it happening again. Sometimes there is nothing you could have done.
There are a lot of tips here on the blog that might help.
Just type in Conservation in the search window at the top of the blog.
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Difference between daily and possession limits

Ontario fishing regulations specify the daily limit for northern pike is four for a regular limit licence and two for a conservation licence.
Of these none can be in the slot size of 27.5 to 35.4 inches in length and only one can be larger than 35.4 inches.
For walleyes, the daily limit is also four for a regular licence and two for a conservation licence.
Of these only one can be larger than 18 inches. There is no slot size.
Regulations also state you can not have more than one day's limit in your possession.
This means you can never have more than the above-mentioned limits for each species anywhere in your possession. This includes your boat, cooler, the camp freezer, your refrigerator or anywhere else.
While the numbers are the same for daily and possession these two terms have different meanings.
Daily limit means the number of fish you can keep in one day. Possession limit means the number of fish you have accumulated over a period of time.
The difference is best illustrated by taking the example of an angler who let's say is fishing with a conservation licence. He keeps two walleyes for lunch. After eating them they are no longer in his possession. So can he then catch two more in the afternoon and maybe this time put them in the freezer to take home?
The answer is no. By keeping two fish for lunch he caught his daily limit and cannot keep any more until the next day.
Now let's say he puts one fish in the freezer to take home. How many can he keep on the following days to eat for lunch. The answer, if he is fishing with a conservation licence, is one. That's because he can only have two fish in his possession.
However, after eating his walleye for lunch he can later keep one more that day to fill out his daily limit of two and without exceeding his possession limit of two.
The smart thing to do when you come to Bow Narrows Camp is to eat fish at camp the first 3-4 days you are at camp and save fish to take home the last day or two.
It's also good to realize how few fish it takes to make a meal. One walleye under 18 inches will feed one person. A northern pike 22-26 inches will feed two or three people.
These are the proper sizes of these species to keep. It's poor conservation practise to keep big fish as these are the ones that replenish the population.

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Can I take a floatplane sightseeing trip?

We sometimes have guests who would like to take a floatplane sightseeing trip while they are staying at Bow Narrows Camp.

There are charter floatplane services in Red Lake who will land at camp, take you for a 20-minute ride around the west end of Red Lake and return.

It can be a fun sidelight to your trip at camp and if you haven't seen Northwestern Ontario from the air you are in for a treat.

You will be blown away by the numbers of lakes. There seems to be more water than land as far as the eye can see.

The cost for this varies depending on the number of people taking the trip and current fuel prices. Usually the airlines wants a minimum of 6 people before booking the trip.

My guess at the cost for the trip this summer will be $100 to $150 per person.

The plane in the photo above is the historic Norseman. This fabric-covered plane has been the workhorse of the bush since the 1940s. There are more Norseman aircraft in Red Lake than anywhere else in the world.

Red Lake holds a festival each July in honor of the Norseman. Called the Norseman Festival it attacts aviation enthusiasts from all over North America.

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Great deals available on airline fares to Canada

If you haven't checked airline fares for awhile you are in for a pleasant surprise!

Airline fares throughout North America are the lowest they've been in 6-8 years.

In some cases you can fly for about half of what it cost last year.

Remember, when coming to Red Lake you have a couple of choices when it comes to flying.

You can either fly right into Red Lake or fly to Winnipeg, rent a car and drive to Red Lake.

Find out more about flying up here by clicking on How to Fly to Red Lake, Ontario.

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Old Miles Mine makes a good hike

When you're at Bow Narrows Camp this summer you might consider taking a hike up to the Miles Mine, one of the abandoned gold mines at the west end of Red Lake.

It's a little more than a half-mile to the mine from the end of Trout Bay and the trail is usually in pretty good shape.

Like several of the other gold mines at the west end, this one was started in the '30s and didn't re-open after a devastating forest fire a half dozen years later.

All these gold mines were vertical shafts, nor horizontal into a mountain like you see in the cowboy movies. All that can be seen of the mine itself is a hole in the ground which is full of water. Don't get near the shaft as it is possible that the rubble around it can collapse into the hole.

Also, stay away from the old headframe. If it hasn't fallen down since I took these photos it could any day.

The Miles Mine also has a few remnants of buildings including a shack about two-thirds of the way up the trail to the mine that a very large bear left his mark on.

Bears like to scratch trees to mark their territory, but this one left his claw print on the tarpaper above the door to the shack. I don't know if it impressed other bears but I find it awesome. To give you some perspective on how high this is, my brother-in-law Gord Cooper in the photo is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and he can't stretch to where the bear reached.

You can search through the tailing pile from the mine to see if you can find any gold. All of these mines found some, just not enough to make a go of it. There's also some rusty old equipment laying around, some of it old steam-engines that provided the power in those days.

Mostly the trip to the mine is just an interesting walk. The trail cuts through a mixed forest of quaking aspen and white spruce.

The Trout Bay end of the trail usually shows a lot of beaver activity with felled trees and peeled limbs lying around.

There are frequently moose, timber wolf and bear tracks and scat on the trail. You'll probably see a few ruffed grouse or even spruce grouse on this walk.

There are newer trails made up by the mine but I would advise not taking any of these. They were made by prospectors and mine exploration outfits and don't really lead anywhere. They can also be confusing. You don't want to get lost. It's best just to go straight to the mine and then straight back to your boat.

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Snow fleas are the first signs of spring

With each passing day the sun gets higher in the sky and the temperature gets warmer.

One of the very first signs of spring are the appearance of snow fleas, tiny insect-like creatures called springtails, a type of hexapod, that are best seen in footprints in the snow on a sunny day when the temperature is near to melting.

The snow has melted a couple of inches now but there is still a thick blanket on the ground.

Sam and I went for a snowshoe hike today and discovered where timber wolves killed a deer about 100 yards from our house.

The only thing left of the deer were small bits of hide and hair. Even the bones had been eaten.

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How many walleyes does the average angler catch?

This is a question that I get quite frequently.
I understand that people are just trying to get a read on the quality of fishing here but it still makes no sense.
It's silly because the answer, if I would give one, still tells you nothing.
An example, one boat goes fishing and catches 100 walleyes in a day. Another boat catches zero. Is the answer then that the "average angler" gets 50?
An answer also doesn't tell you anything about the size and therefore the quality of the fish.
Brenda and I once caught 100 walleyes in a single hour. We were using jigs with barbless hooks and plastic twister tails -- no bait. You could not get this outfit to the bottom without catching a walleye. This was the fastest walleye action I have ever seen including in the old days fishing on remote "unfished" portage lakes. However every one of the hundred fish we caught and released that August afternoon was only 12 inches long! They were tiny. But it sounds impressive -- 100 walleyes in an hour!
OK, that was an exception, so what does the "average" guy catch?
It depends, do you mean the "average" fisherman who has been coming to Bow Narrows Camp for 10 years or the "average" fisherman who has been fishing for 10 years on other lakes but is new to Red Lake or the "average" fisherman who has never fished for walleyes before or the "average" fisherman who insists on using techniques that worked on another lake in another province and won't adapt to our lake? Maybe you mean the "average" guy who fishes for pike 95 per cent of the time or conversely the "average" person who fishes for nothing but walleyes from daylight to dark. What about the guys who are fishing with little kids or the ones who won't fish in the rain or the ones who will fish no matter what the wind and weather?
The very question of "how many" indicates that the person is really concerned about numbers, not quality. So would he be happy catching hundreds of 12-inch walleyes? Or would he prefer to catch fewer but bigger fish? That is virtually always the choice. You cannot catch 100 eight-to-12 pound walleyes in an hour, if for no other reason that it takes about five minutes to land each of them.
Red Lake's claim to fame is its large numbers of big walleyes. Where on a small lake you might only catch one 25-inch walleye in a week on Red Lake you might catch two dozen that big or bigger in a single day. We routinely catch walleyes 28 inches (eight pounds) and it would seem most walleyes end their growing at 32 inches (12 pounds). However every so often someone catches a 34-incher (14 pounds).
We frequently hear seasoned anglers that are new to our camp remark, "I've never seen so many big fish!" How many did they catch? I don't know, frankly, but I know they were impressed with the fishing.
Instead of telling people how many walleyes they can catch in one day, I usually refer them to our camp's setting as shown on Google Maps. Switch the map to satellite mode, click off the box showing the camp's info and zoom down. Look at all the bays and islands and narrows that are nearby the camp. This irregular shoreline is prime fish habitat! It also shows how the camp is protected from the wind, no matter what the direction.
The satellite photo doesn't show the lake depths but the large bodies of water all have places where it is over 100 feet deep. The smaller bays and narrows are usually 30 feet deep or less.
This is important because there is a wide variety of depths and temperatures available to the fish. That's why we can catch them throughout the season -- we just move to where they are feeding.
The map also doesn't show you what the bottom of the lake is made of. In most places at the west end of Red Lake where Bow Narrows Camp is located the bottom is clay -- the most productive material. A fishery is just like a farm, it starts with good soil. Clay produces more plankton and tiny invertebrates that form the start of the food chain than does sand or rock.
These are the factors that make Red Lake such a tremendous fishery and it's our extreme good fortune that Bow Narrows Camp is located right in the middle of the best place to fish on the entire 30-mile-long lake.
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New landing net made for conservation fishing

Frabill has just announced a new type of landing net which they call their Conservation Series.

The new nets have no knots which can abrade a fish's body causing injury.

They have a very small mesh size that prevents fish from getting their snouts and fins caught.

And they have flat bottoms instead of being shaped like a sack as are other nets.

The flat bottoms allows the fish to lay flat when lifted from the water instead of being collapsed into a U-shape. Again, this supports the fish's weight evenly and prevents injuries, especially to its tail or caudal fin.

The nets are fairly pricey. A 26x30" model which would be an excellent size for the big walleyes we catch in Red Lake retails for $119.99.

Frabill's 29x34" model that would be large enough for our lunker northern pike sells for $129.99.

I think any serious conservation-minded angler should give the nets close consideration.

Frabill is correct in its assertion that many fish that are released are harmed by the landing net.

Rubber landing nets do a good job of not harming fish too but they are quite heavy due to the weight of the rubber. In fact the ones big enough for northern pike are just too heavy.

The Frabill mesh net should provide the benefits of the rubber net without the weight and have the added benefit of the flat bottom.

Although we provide landing nets with our fishing boats as part of our regular fishing packages, I always advise anglers to bring their own. They weigh little and are not difficult to pack in the car or truck.

The two pieces of equipment that we supply that receive the most abuse are the landing nets and the life vests.

In the case of landing nets anglers routinely cut their lures out of the nets with knives leaving a gaping hole for the next angler's trophy fish to slip through.

With life vests, many people unwisely don't wear them (See Life Vests and also Fishing Equipment )and so they blow out of the boats and are lost or are stood upon as they lay on the bottom of the boat.

See also Rubber vs Mesh Net and How to Net Giant Pike

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Berkley Gulp Alive bait for Ontario northern pike?

The new Berkley Gulp Alive baits made a big splash with walleye fishermen at our camp last summer. This artificial bait which is said to be organic caught tons of walleyes for much of the season and seemed to work as good as real bait most of the time.

The favorites among our anglers were the 3-inch Gulp Alive leech and the Gulp Alive nightcrawlers.

If you aren't familiar with Gulp Alive it's the bait that comes in jars filled with a liquid that is said to soak into the baits and give them an odor that fish find attractive.

The Gulp Alive seemed to work way better than regular Gulp bait that comes in plastic pouches, not jars.

So while walleye anglers were very impressed with Gulp Alive, we wonder if other Gulp Alive baits would also work for northern pike?

Pike certainly like the soft plastic baits such as twister tails on jigs, Storm shad baits, and Sluggo worms.

I remember watching Bob Izumi on TV one time catching early season northern pike somewhere here in Northern Ontario on salt-impregnated worms in what was called Wacky Worm fishing. In this the angler uses a thick salt-impregnated worm about 5-7 inches long and hooks it once right in the middle with a single hook. The worm, which is quite heavy, is cast out and let sink to the bottom, then periodically given a twitch and a couple of cranks on the reel handle. The pull makes the worm fold and when the pressure is released straightens out again.

The salt-impregnated part of the equation would seem to appeal to a northern pike's sense of smell.

If that is the case, Gulp Alive makes a bunch of saltwater soft baits that I would think would do this even better. Gulp Alive certainly smells. It's also sticky to the touch.

I suggest someone try these baits for northern pike at camp this summer.

You might also try Berkley's Gulp Alive rigged baits, the ones that come on a jig head.

These would be cast and retrieved just like any other lure.

Gulp Alive suggests that after you've used the bait for awhile you put it back in the jar and let it "recharge" with flavor and aroma.

Early and late in the season you could fish them just as you would dead bait (frozen ciscoes).

Best locations would likely be travel corridors, entrances to bays and at the very back of bays.

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What's a blog and how do you use it?

This blog now contains nearly 100 articles on how to catch fish, outdoor experiences, and much more information to do with a trip to Bow Narrows Camp and for that matter, any place in Northern Canada.
A blog is short for web log. It's an on-line account that can be added to and subtracted from at any time.
I've been writing this one for three years now and just about every posting or article I have written is still available even though only the latest 20 postings can be seen by scrolling down.
There are several ways to access the rest.
If you scroll down to the bottom of the blog you'll see a button labelled "Older Posts." Click on that and you get the next 20 postings.
Another method is to click on the various years and months under "Blog Archive" found at the far right of this page. Each month will show the titles of all the blogs for that month.
Finally, you can go to the extreme top of this page and do a search for certain subjects. It will bring up all the postings in the blog that had to do with that subject.
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Spring ice-out for Red Lake, Ontario still vague

It has been one of the coldest winters in recent memory and already some folks are wondering if this means there will be a later-than-normal spring ice out for Red Lake and other lakes in North Ontario.
I understand their logic. Sustained temperatures of -30 C (20 below Fahrenheit) must create thicker ice on the lakes than warmer temperatures and thicker ice must take longer to melt than thin ice. It sounds reasonable and if winter temperature was the only factor in creating ice then it would be true.
But there are actually many other factors as well. One of the most important of these is snow depth.
Snow is an excellent insulator. Up here the snow largely doesn't melt until spring. If we get a heavy snowfall early in the winter, it prevents the bitter cold from freezing the lake surface deeply. It insulates the ground as well. Many times in the coldest temperatures you can dig down through three feet of snow and find the ground is unfrozen entirely. There are even some plants growing under there.
Northwestern Ontario has in fact a good quantity of snow on the ground, at least two feet in most places and probably three feet in others.
There's so much snow on the lakes that I haven't been able to use my kick-sled to go ice fishing for the first time since I got it eight years ago. If you don't know what a kick sled is it looks like a lightweight dogsled with runners that protrude behind. You stand on one runner and push with the other leg. With almost no effort you can travel two or three times as fast as you can walk.
Usually the snow on the lake ice is packed down by wind or blown clean off and I can travel easily to my ice fishing spots. This year there's just too much snow and my sled simply plummets through.
I would say the ice thickness near our home here in Nolalu is only two feet. That's about a foot less than normal for this time of year. So there's actually less ice, not more, this winter.
The kind of ice also plays a factor in ice-out. Pure blue ice will absorb the spring sun's rays better and melt faster than reflective white slush ice. So far, this year's ice is almost perfectly blue.
But ice conditions are not the most important predictor of spring ice-out anyway.
The most important factor is spring weather. The weather from mid-March to late-April will determine when the ice will go off Northern Ontario lakes.
What's needed for early ice-outs are temperatures above freezing, lots of sunshine and some warm, rainy days.
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Top-water lures and baits for northern pike

There are times when northern pike will strike top-water lures and it's always a thrill to have these big gamefish come swirling and thrashing to the surface.

Usually the best conditions for using top water lures is when there is no wind and the lake's surface is like a mirror. This lets the top water bait send out ripples and wakes that alert these big predators that there is something swimming on the surface.

The most commonly used lures are the Suick, Zara Spook, buzz baits and any floating crankbait model. I've also taken pike on Hula Poppers, imitation frogs and other bass lures.

It's a slower method of fishing than casting spoons or in-line spinners because you need to "work" the bait back to the boat. This can mean switching your rod left and right and pausing on the retrieve to let the lure pop back to the surface.

You are trying to imitate a fish that is in its last throes that periodically floats to the top and then tries kicking a little more, or a small critter that is swimming for its life.

Many times the best way to trigger a strike from some behemoth lurking in the weeds is to just let the lure lay motionless on the water for several minutes, then give the bait a twitch or make it move a couple of feet.

Don't be surprised if you get more strikes than hook-ups when fishing with top-water lures.

Northern pike seem to frequently miscalculate where the lure actually is, I think because they strike the mirror image of the lure as seen from underneath the surface. Whatever the reason they often make a powerful swirl that sends the bait flying into the air.

But you do catch some too and the unexpected emergence of these enormous gamefish into our world above water is an unforgettable experience.

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Whitefish lips sink ships

We have two species of fish that look almost identical in Red Lake. You need to tell them apart because one is good to eat and the other is not.

The two species are whitefish and tulibee.

Both are silver with large scales.

Whitefish are good to eat while tulibee are very bony and wormy as well.

The easiest way of discerning between the two is to look at the mouth. Whitefish have an overbite -- their upper lip protrudes over the lower jaw. Tulibees have lower jaws that are longer than their upper lip, just like most fish.

Both fish prefer cold water but will be near the surface during the first month of the fishing season. Some tulibee, however, will stay in shallow bays that are only 30 feet deep all season.

In the summer tulibee have a habit that makes them easy to spot on a fish finder. They are always half way to the bottom, no matter what the depth, until evening when some of them at least come to the surface to eat bugs.

Whitefish stick right to the bottom. By mid-summer they will be in 50-60 feet of water.

Other differences: tulibee are weak fighters and will almost race to the boat when hooked. They often shimmy like crazy when you lift them from the water. Whitefish are powerful fighters and will take awhile to bring in.

Tulibee lose their scales incredibly easy. After handling them you will have scales all over your hands and in the boat. Whitefish scales don't fall off.

Both fish have very delicate mouths. If you pull too hard when fighting them your hook will rip right out.

Tulibee get as large as a couple of pounds. Whitefish can weigh up to 8 pounds.

The best way to catch these fish is to use lead-head jigs either with bucktails or plastic twister tails. On Red Lake you need to pinch down the barbs on these jigs because you will also tie into some lake trout fishing like this and government regulations require you to use single hook barbless lures when fishing for trout. Use jigs that are 1/4-ounce to 1/2 ounce, depending on the depth. White is probably the best color.

Cast the jig as far as you can and either let it freefall to the bottom or let it swing on an arc on a tight line keeping your rod at right angles to feel the tiny little hits as the fish pick up the jig.

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Are there other lakes to fish besides Red Lake?

Fishing on Red Lake, Ontario, is some of the best in the world for walleye and northern pike as well as lake trout.

It's a big lake but because of its layout -- sort of like a chain of lakes -- is easy to navigate. Big lakes produce lots of big fish because there is an almost endless supply of food available.

So for that reason we don't bother to portage to adjacent smaller lakes.

However, there is one lake found right on the peninsula that camp is located that many people enjoy carrying our lightweight canoe into. This is Bridget Lake and the trail to it is about 400 metres long.

The lake contains only two species of fish: northern pike and whitefish.

Incredibly this little lake is over 100 feet deep. You would think such a deep lake would harbor lake trout but there are none there. I suspect that the high rock walls around the lake prevent the wind from aerating the water and thus it has too low of oxygen content to support lake trout.

It's a beautiful walk and a beautiful lake. Portaging to it can be a fun adventure and sometimes you can get some nice northern pike there.

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Hook sharpeners help you catch more fish

Have you ever gone fishing for northern pike or walleyes and got a lot of hits but few hook-ups?

Chances are your hooks are dull.

Many lures come with hooks that are dull right out of the package. Others get dull with use.

Depending on the lure, the difference between sharp hooks and dull hooks can be dramatic.

The Johnson Silver Minnow, for instance, is tremendously better with a sharp hook. This spoon is the ultimate weedless spoon. It will come through just about anything, including trees, without getting stuck. But it only has the one single hook and if it isn't sharp you can barely catch a fish.

Always use a trailer of some sort with a Johnson too. Pork rind is about the best trailer. Trim it so it trails a few inches behind the lure. You can also use 3-4-inch plastic twister tails.

The lead-head jig is another lure that benefits greatly from sharp hooks.

I would wager that most tackle boxes do not have a hook honing stone or other type of hook sharpener in them yet these devices are as important as fish hook removers.

There are lots of fish hook sharpening products on the market. Some are just stones that you rub the hook against. They work fine. Others have batteries and do the honing for you.

If getting the stone type, make sure it has a very fine grit. You don't want to wear a lot of metal off the hook, just bring the tip to a needle point.

You know the hook is sharp when it will catch the back of your thumb nail.

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How to enjoy fishing with a bad back

Virtually everybody at some point in their lives will suffer a back injury.

That's the grim lesson I've discovered since badly injuring my back about eight years ago.

I spent the next six years in severe back pain but now, thankfully, I'm back to being pain-free nearly 100 per cent of the time. I won't bore you with how I did it but if you're interested just drop me an e-mail and I'd be more than happy to relate the actions I took that helped me.

In those six years I learned a whole bunch about how to go fishing with a bad back and I thought I would mention some of it here.

For starters, know that it can be done: you can have a bad back and still have a great time fishing. It just takes some planning and, perhaps, some modification of your habits.

I'll assume you are doing all you can at home to get your back in shape and pick up the story about the time you get into the vehicle to drive up here.

If you are like me, sitting for long periods such as when driving is a killer. So, as they used to say on Hee Haw, if it hurts when you do that then don't do that! Stop every hour and get out for a short walk and stretch. Won't that take forever to drive here then? No, it will take 5-10 minutes longer per hour than it did before. There's no rush. The fish will still be here. Just make sure you're in good shape when you arrive at the dock in Red Lake.

Before you leave home, make sure you bring any medicine you need, plus four soft-compress cold packs that can be frozen again and again. Also bring an electric heating pad and extension cord.

OK, now you're at the dock and ready to board the Lickety Split to camp. The trip to camp is going to take about 35 minutes, in good weather. If you're concerned about the boat bouncing and jarring your back then sit near the stern. There's no wave movement back there. You can also stand inside the cabin of the boat. That's usually the best option: stand and hold on to the hand rail near the back of the cabin. I've got a bad back and I'm standing at the front of the boat where it's bumpiest and I'm fine.

Once we're at camp and you've let the young whipper snappers carry the heavy luggage to the cabins, it's time to go fishing! Put two of your freezer packs in the cabin fridge freezer and take two in a small cooler with you on the boat. You might want to take a couple cans of pop or bottles of water with you in the same cooler.

Our boats all have swivel seats with padded backrests. Most people find them comfortable as is, but if it's not right for you, let us know and we'll give you some seat cushions or even change seats in the boat for you.

You will probably want to be the boat driver as you will be sitting at the stern which, again, offers the smoothest ride when going over waves. However, whether you're the driver or not, make sure to slow down when there are waves. Nobody likes to have their vertebrae compressed by a rough ride in a boat.

All of our 20 hp Honda four-stroke outboards are easy starting but we also have some electric start models that start with a push of a button. If you have a bad back, let us know in advance and we'll reserve an electric start motor for you.

As you fish, put your ice pack between your back and backrest. Stand up as often as you like. There's no danger in capsizing the boat by standing and fishing.

If you have difficulty getting out of the boat, use the spot we have where you can hold on to hand rails while stepping out. You're buddy can then take the boat over to your own dock. (With any kind of a break we might have several of these "haul-out" places next summer.)

Back at the cabin, find the chair that fits you best. If none of them does then let us know. We've got various models of chairs in the cabins and we'll find one that is comfortable for you.

If you need it, hook up the heating pad. You might also want to have a beer, or two, just to relax.

But I'm guessing I didn't need to tell you that part.

If you are coming on the American Plan, know that we recently got all new dining room chairs and purposely chose them for how comfortable they are for people with bad backs.

Finally, know you're not alone out there. In fact, you may be in the majority.

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Have you sent in your deposit yet?

It's been more than a month since all groups with reservations at camp in 2009 were sent letters asking them to confirm their reservations with deposits.
At least two-thirds of our fishermen have now done so.
If you haven't yet sent a deposit or at least contacted us, we urge you to do so immediately.
We have been holding a cabin for you on good faith and if you aren't coming then please let us know so that someone else can come fishing.
We can be reached by e-mail at fish@bownarrows.com
and by telephone: 807-475-7246
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Canada's New Boater Safety Card

Starting in September, 2009, all operators of boats in Canada will require a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. Young operators have needed them for the past several years.

At Bow Narrows Camp we have all of our guests who will operate the boat fill out a form called the safe boater's checklist that asks them to confirm they are familiar with various boating safety rules and motor operation.

This form is equivalent to a one-week boater safety card.

If guests have a similar boating competency card from the U.S. then they don't need to complete the entire form. Instead they just need to write down their boater card number.

You can obtain a Pleasure Craft Operator Card over the Internet. You can take the course on-line and also the exam. There is also a fee that must be paid.

The card you receive is good for life and means you don't need to complete the boater form at all. You just need to carry the card with you when you're out fishing. It is good for anywhere in Canada.

There are several companies offering this service. You can find them by doing an Internet search for Canada Boater Safety Card.

I see that one: http://www.boatsmartexam.com/ is accredited by Transport Canada which is the federal department in charge of boating in Canada.

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Live bait -- worms, leeches -- in Northwest Ontario

Bow Narrows Camp anglers find the best live bait for walleyes in our area of Red Lake are nightcrawlers and leeches.
Here's a list of some of the live bait dealers that sell worms or nightcrawlers by the flat (500 worms) and leeches by the pound.
Many of these dealers also carry frozen ciscoes and sucker minnows used for early spring and fall northern pike fishing.
Of course all of them carry minnows as do many other stores in the Northwest.
You can place bait orders in advance and have the bait waiting for you when you either arrive in Red Lake or pass through the towns where the bait dealers are located. All it takes to keep the bait alive are some frozen water bottles or freezer packs to keep them cool.

Red Lake

Red Lake Marine Products
(where you meet the boat to camp)

phone 807-727-2747
e-mail: redlakemarine@goredlake.com
worms by flat, leeches by pound, minnows

TJ's Kwik Stop
(Esso service station)
Hwy. 105
phone 807-727-2752
worms by flat, leeches by pound, minnow
Ear Falls

Smitty's
Hwy 105 40 minutes south of Red Lake
phone 807 222-3738 

worms by flat, leeches by pound, minnow


Vermilion Bay

Bobby's Sport Shop
(Hwy 17 west of Hwy 105 corner) phone 807-227-2099 or 807-227-2695
e-mail: info@FamousBobbys.com
website: http://www.famousbobbys.com/

Dryden

K A Sports and Tackle
(Hughway 17 E., Petro Canada service station)
807-223-2171
website: http://www.kasportsandtackle.com/
e-mail: webmaster@kasportsandtackle.com


Riverside Bait and Tackle/Fast Gas
(21 Duke Ave.)
807-223-2113

Fort Frances

The Great Bear
(On Hwy 11 between Fort Frances and Hwy 502)
phone: 807-274-2221
website: http://www.thegreatbear.ca/
e-mail: greatbear@jam21.net

Rainy Lake Sports and Tackle
(Hwy 11 East, 715 Colonization Road E.
phone: 807-274-6429
website: http://www.rainylakesports.com/
e-mail: rlsports@shaw.ca

Attention Northwestern Ontario bait dealers!
If you sell worms by the flat or leeches by the pound or have frozen ciscoes and sucker minnows and want a listing here, please e-mail me at fish@bownarrows.com or call 807-475-7246 (winter) or 807-727-2730 (summer) and I'll be happy to add you to this list.

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