Okay, after hours and hours of research and planning, I have my itinerary set for next June:

I'll spend three days driving to northwestern Ontario. My first evening will be my least pretty lake, as it's eight yards from the Trans-Canada Highway, but it's a hoot to catch jumping bass so close to traffic.

The next lake will be one I fished two, separate mornings. It holds trophies, as I've hooked pike over 40" and bass over 22" and I'll stay there six days.

Then off to three musky lakes for a two-day change of pace. Two are separated by what appears to be a beaver dam (as seen via Google Earth) and another two are 30 yards apart. Only two days of musky fishing, as those guys scare me. If you've ever had a musky take your bait beside a canoe, you know what I mean.

Then over 20 miles of logging roads for three days at three little lakes dotted with over 50 islands. Plus, plenty of rock bars that I can also see from space. Structure everywhere. Should be a blast casting to those bass. Lots of nearby lakes if I want to do day trips and all far from a lodge, so I shouldn't see anyone else. Smallmouth, walleyes, and pike.

Back out to the highway and then down 8 miles of another logging roads to the biggest lake I'll fish. Smallmouth, walleyes, and pike for two days.

Back out to the highway and down a different 20 miles of logging roads to two, little lakes sixty yards apart. Both have smallmouth and largemouth. The latter will be fun, as I haven't caught them for decades.

Then a couple miles farther down the same logging road to a long, thin lake that has smallmouth and black crappies and pumpkinseed too. The latter two should be fun. My last full day, I'll buck up and paddle a swamp, scramble over rocks, paddle a little lake, portage again, and reach a lake that perhaps no one has ever fished. A couple times in my life, I've worked hard to reach similar lakes and couldn't catch a single fish, but from space, this lake looks big enough and deep enough to hold big fish. Those untouched fish will be my dessert. I expect no one has ever fished this lake because it's 22 miles of logging roads and the initial steep portage in addition to those path I just described. It has no name, which is always cool too and appears to be too small for a float plane to land.

I'm so excited I'm already packing!

My major concerns are getting stuck, but I did buy a Nissan Xterra Pro4X with skid plates, off road shocks and tires, a locking rear differential, and other off-road features. I also have the upgraded AAA membership, which means they'll fetch me off road, which is horribly expensive otherwise. I'll travel with straps, jacks, a shovel, and am considering a chainsaw. I'll have a Bell Rockstar atop my car and I'll sleep in the car as the rear folds flat. With storms getting bigger, it'll give me some protection from lightning and falling trees.

Another concern is my hands. That's three weeks of fishing and my hands do take a beating. The cuts add up, so I bought a couple different kinds of gloves and am going to try those.

My third concern is fish pics. I really want some, so using a tip from another thread, I'm going to use duct tape and mark increments on it. Then I'll know how big the fish were. Most fish I don't even bring in the boat, as I fish barbless and release them in the water, but bass over 19" and pike over 36" will be CPRed. I've also ordered a clicker counter to keep a tally. It'll be fun to see how many fish I can catch in three weeks. I'm guessing over a thousand, but we'll see!

Fish I might catch: smallmouth, largemouth, rock bass, pumpkinseed, lake whitefish, musky, lake trout, brook trout, aurora trout, burbot, walleye, perch, and pike.

Thanks for the post...this trip sounds AMAZING!! Take me with you ;-)

well, geez, it sounds like an adventure TV show in the making! you might consider adding a winch to your vehicle or at least a come-along, have all your bases covered.

quote Mocha: "well, geez, it sounds like an adventure TV show in the making! you might consider adding a winch to your vehicle or at least a come-along, have all your bases covered."

Oh, yeah, I have a come-along too and have considered a winch. I even have a tree strap that protects trees if I have to use the come-along as well as extension straps to give me about 150 feet of reach. I've never gotten stuck on a logging road and I walk all standing water before driving it so I'll know how firm the bottom is. Creeks are usually firm and clear, so I won't have to walk them. My car also has this mechanism that limits the throttle for mud and water as well as hill assist. And I bought screens for the windows and even these rain flaps that'll let me keep the windows mostly open in most rains.

@Bdubr

Thanks! I'll take lots of pics, so you'll get to see what I'll see.

It will be a grand adventure!

quote arctic: "It will be a grand adventure!"

I sure hope so. I haven't been up north for years. Did you happen the read the Jon Turk interview in the most recent issue of Canoe & Kayak. He talked about the big home taking away our freedom, which is what happened to me. However, now that the big home is finally done, I'm free to canoe again!

I cannot wait to read the trip report hopefully accompanied with some pics. The fishing you will be enjoying sounds fantastic. I would not doubt if you surpass your estimate of how many fish you will catch. On some of those lakes I would not be surprised if you get bit on every cast or every other cast.

Yep .... I anticipate reading about this trip.

Have you considered taking some sort of heart pills? What about a small fan to mount on your rod so it will blow on your reel to keep it cooled off?

Have a great trip!!

That sounds like an awesome trip, if you get into some Brookie or Aurora trout action, please take pictures :-)

quote Basspro69: "That sounds like an awesome trip, if you get into some Brookie or Aurora trout action, please take pictures :-)"

I've already changed the schedule and am going to fish a grouping of brook trout lakes on the way out. I hope to fish at least two, one on the second evening and another the next morning. I don't know much about brookies. I've only caught them in little streams. How should I fish for them in small lakes? Two of the lakes contain aurora trout, which are a sub-species of brook trout, so whatever you suggest for the brookies might give me a chance with the aurora trout too.

Sounds like an intresting trip. When we go to Ontario I drive 120 miles of logging roads and I haul along lots of equipment I hope I never will need but have used some over the years. I take a full sized axe, a 1 1/2 ton come along, a round point sand shovel, a 2 ton bottle jack, some 2x12, 2x4, 2x6, blocking, a 4 foot pinch bar, extra motor oil, tranny oil, coolant,1/2 inch socket set [both metric and standard] 3 foot breaker bars for both socket sets, piece of 3 foot pipe for extra leverage, a chainsaw, extra gas and oil for the saw, a 25 foot 3/8 inch high tension log chain, a cleavise and drawbar pin,a couple feet of gas line sizes rubber hose, hose clamps, a roll of electrical wire and tape,and lastly 12 gallon of gas. Much of this stuff I've hauled back and forth for years and never used but last October I needed to use the chainsaw to cut up a tree blocking the road out, plus I have ran into other people who have needed some assistance on the 120 miles. I also bring a pickaxe and one of those battery pack things all charged up. Usually the trip down the road take about 5 good hours. I also take some bright red ribbon to tie on a branch stuck in a hole in the road around washouts, bridges ect to warn other drivers. Any time there's water over the road I take my walking stick and probe and walk the road ahead of the truck. Sometimes the adventure begins before we reach the lake. FRED

Dang........sounds like quite the adventure! Good luck!

@Fog51 Where do you store all that stuff, along with your food, fishing gear, and camping supplies? That's a lot of logging road! I've never gone that far.

Thanks, MT.

Say, FRED, may I email you about where you go? I don't want to poach your lakes. I just want to compare tactics.

quote missmolly: "

quote Basspro69: "That sounds like an awesome trip, if you get into some Brookie or Aurora trout action, please take pictures :-)"

I've already changed the schedule and am going to fish a grouping of brook trout lakes on the way out. I hope to fish at least two, one on the second evening and another the next morning. I don't know much about brookies. I've only caught them in little streams. How should I fish for them in small lakes? Two of the lakes contain aurora trout, which are a sub-species of brook trout, so whatever you suggest for the brookies might give me a chance with the aurora trout too. "

Small spinners spoons and small floating rapalas should do the trick.

quote Basspro69: "

quote missmolly: "

quote Basspro69: "That sounds like an awesome trip, if you get into some Brookie or Aurora trout action, please take pictures :-)"

I've already changed the schedule and am going to fish a grouping of brook trout lakes on the way out. I hope to fish at least two, one on the second evening and another the next morning. I don't know much about brookies. I've only caught them in little streams. How should I fish for them in small lakes? Two of the lakes contain aurora trout, which are a sub-species of brook trout, so whatever you suggest for the brookies might give me a chance with the aurora trout too. "

Small spinners spoons and small floating rapalas should do the trick."

Do I cast at shorelines? Early mornings and evenings? And will they hit a floating Rapala?

You asked about how I store my "extra" gear? I drive a full sized Chevy pickup on my trips and most of the gear is hauled in the backend [I've got a topper on the truck]. The log chain and my, forgot to mention a 25 foot nylon tow rope [the kind we use to unstuck tractors and combines not the cheap ones you can buy at WalMart] are wrapped up and they go in the engine compartment along with the extra fluid containers, just be sure they are secure so they don't bounce out and get into the fan. I'd be happy to let you know about the lakes I've been into and give you a peek about next years trips, just e-mail me. FRED

quote FOG51: "You asked about how I store my "extra" gear? I drive a full sized Chevy pickup on my trips and most of the gear is hauled in the backend [I've got a topper on the truck]. The log chain and my, forgot to mention a 25 foot nylon tow rope [the kind we use to unstuck tractors and combines not the cheap ones you can buy at WalMart] are wrapped up and they go in the engine compartment along with the extra fluid containers, just be sure they are secure so they don't bounce out and get into the fan. I'd be happy to let you know about the lakes I've been into and give you a peek about next years trips, just e-mail me. FRED"

Look for "an email from missmolly" in the subject line! As I wrote, I'll be sleeping in my Xterra both inroute and at the lakes, so I won't have the storage space you do. However, I am going to take some of the things that you take.

quote missmolly: "

quote Basspro69: "

quote missmolly: "

quote Basspro69: "That sounds like an awesome trip, if you get into some Brookie or Aurora trout action, please take pictures :-)"

I've already changed the schedule and am going to fish a grouping of brook trout lakes on the way out. I hope to fish at least two, one on the second evening and another the next morning. I don't know much about brookies. I've only caught them in little streams. How should I fish for them in small lakes? Two of the lakes contain aurora trout, which are a sub-species of brook trout, so whatever you suggest for the brookies might give me a chance with the aurora trout too. "

Small spinners spoons and small floating rapalas should do the trick."

Do I cast at shorelines? Early mornings and evenings? And will they hit a floating Rapala? "

Mornings are best but depending on water temps they can be up and active all day, and retrieving the rapala just under the surface works best.

Thanks! I just added rainbows to my list of species too.

Nice trip.

As for gloves, the lighter weight Buff gloves are the best I have found. Sun might be an enemy as well so wearing a buff would be a good idea. Good luck.

quote jeroldharter: "Nice trip.


As for gloves, the lighter weight Buff gloves are the best I have found. Sun might be an enemy as well so wearing a buff would be a good idea. Good luck."

I just ordered a pair. Thanks for the tip!

I'll cook, do dishes, paddle, portage, set up your tent, make your bed. If you'll just let me go along!!!!
PLEEEASE

Sounds like that fishing show, "39 Hours"... only, you seem to be allotting some time for sleep:) (and are going more remote)

Hmmm.........not to dispute any ones else's success and perhaps dark waters may have something to do with what works and what doesn't work but I have had very poor luck fishing rapalas and spinners in still waters for trout.( great luck with both on moving water however)

Rather on still waters I have found spoons to be the lure and specifically a 3/16 oz daredevil in gold or preferably brown trout (on-line at Cabelas). I couple that with a tiny ball bearing swivel and fish the entire set up on 4 lb test.

FWIW......aficionados of the rapala might want to look at the "ugly duckling" which is another balsa wood crank bait made in a small size and has been very successful on trout.

quote rtallent: "Sounds like that fishing show, "39 Hours"... only, you seem to be allotting some time for sleep:) (and are going more remote)"

It's gonna feel like 39 Hours, as I hope to land at least ten species.

Some where it will be certain: largemouth, smallmouth, pike, and walleye.

Some where it will be quite likely: muskies, rock bass, and lake trout.

Some where I'll have a pretty good shot: brook trout, rainbow, perch, pumpkinseed, black crappie, and sauger.

Some where I'll have an outside shot: splake, whitefish, burbot, and aurora trout.

If I can land twelve species, I'll be thrilled!

Captn Tony, be careful about promises of portaging because there won't be portage trails where I'm going!

quote mastertangler: "Hmmm.........not to dispute any ones else's success and perhaps dark waters may have something to do with what works and what doesn't work but I have had very poor luck fishing rapalas and spinners in still waters for trout.( great luck with both on moving water however)


Rather on still waters I have found spoons to be the lure and specifically a 3/16 oz daredevil in gold or preferably brown trout (on-line at Cabelas). I couple that with a tiny ball bearing swivel and fish the entire set up on 4 lb test.

FWIW......aficionados of the rapala might want to look at the "ugly duckling" which is another balsa wood crank bait made in a small size and has been very successful on trout. "

Spinners and raps have always been good to me in lakes

I would include a Hi-Lift Jack. It can be used in multiple situations as a jack, winch, etc... Make sure to buy the genuine one...around $100 bucks. And you can use it around home for all sorts of things...removing fence posts, propping up the mower to clean the deck, etc...
Good luck on your trip!