Balsam full moon..Muskie..Walleye.., June 10th and 11th

Not enough posts....you need either 25 or 50 posts.

Arnie

Some great time spent on the water! We were supposed to go out this weekend but aired on the side of caution with the winds. Been a while since I had a fish dinner…

That’s a beauty!

Well if you like that one... I have been away since Monday. Must have gained some weight from eating pasta everyday and all you can eat breakfasts.

Was testing my new jet boat on a category 5 rapids, last few days.

Thank you it was nice and heavy, lots of meat. It's weird how muskie do that. Just cruise right by, not a care in the world as they pass by the boat. Carp do that as well, then they look at you like you are in their way.

I can never remember the minimum number of required posts.

Get out there!! Good luck when you find some time. Thanks Jay.

That’s a beauty!

Thank you sir. Got lucky with a bug free, cool night with some hungry fish.

I have been reading all ur postings here last few years and do admire your fishing skills and endurance. I am a regular at Balsam Lake and tend to go for walleyes mostly and do get the occasional for dinner. I was out with a fishing buddy 2 Saturday afternoons ago and was checked by a friendly MNR officer and ww were discussing with him that you really have to work hard over a few hours to get any walleye esp keeper sized at Balsam and I mentioned this guy Crappeeeman on this fishing forum and he said he has heard of you so I guess you must be quite famous around here. I am not sure where u do most of ur night fishing but I reckon it is not on Balsam. Very glad u post all ur nice catches but so far I have not caught any crappies at night on Balsam , just plenty of rock basses

First of all, welcome to the Fishing Forum. There are some fantastic people on here posting amazing pictures, videos and stories. Not to mention lots of advice and answers to questions, on just about anything. Slot sizes are a very interesting topic. Different slot sizes of walleye from zone to zone, and from lake to lake sometimes. All anglers should always know the slot sizes for the lake or river they are fishing. Its always nice to see the MNR out and doing a great job, as always. It's a very dedicated career choice, with so much area to protect. I wish there was more of them out there, but this is the way it is. I have met many Ontario Conservation Officers over the years, and developed a great rapport with them. A few know who I am and we speak on a first name basis. I see them here and there, checking boats for safety and educating people on the fishing regulations. As for the fishing, thank you for your kind comments. I am hardly famous, just know a lot of people around the lakes. Many times mentioned in my posts, the islands and humps are the best places to find the crappie and walleye, in the Kawarthas. At night it's quite a bit different, in pitch black water and no light. In the boat or from shore the shallower the better. If the crayfish are out in the open we are fishing in as little as 3 to 4 feet of water. If the crayfish are hiding then we are in 6 to 10 feet of water. And there is always a certain measure of luck catching the right size crappie or walleye. The more fish released year after year, the bigger they grow. Then I am confident in keeping a few larger fish, to bring home to feed the family.

CM - pretty soon you'll have to start your own Youtube channel or guiding business!

Your understated knowledge and your willingness to share make you a real gem. Even the MNR sees that!

Thanks.

This would be a typical afternoon, evening and overnight chart for my travels on the water. I put three different colours of dots on the chart. The red dots are where the crappie are hanging out during the day. The crappie are further out away from the drop offs, probably suspended a bit off the bottom. The yellow dots are where the walleye are hanging out during the day. Down the drop off, and a bit lazy waiting for an easy meal to swim by. The blue dots are where both crappie and walleye travel as the evening and overnight approaches. Of course there will always be some fish hiding in the thick weeds during the day and night. I just prefer to stay out of the thick weeds. My casts are to the weed edges and/or just over the tips of the weeds. My baits are almost always running shallow at night, to draw the fish up and out of the weedlines. Crappie and walleye are more aggressive at night, and like to follow my baits until they strike. I can cast twice as many times every hour because of picking up less weeds. It's no fun pulling weeds off in the dark after every cast. Fishing shallow and just above or around the weeds is 100% better at night.

Thank you Jamie.

Arnie

Right back at ya Arnie. Wish all those dots on the chart were actual fish everytime we take to the water.