Okay. So this is really a fishing/gear thread but it's a Wabakimi question -- so bear with me on this one.

For those who have done the WP in the past, how big (or small) is your small plastic storage box of tackle?

I haven't done Wabakimi, but I've fished lakes on all sides of it and I go big because when you go keep into the bush, there are more fish and many of those fish are pike, which cut your line, unless you fish with leaders all the time, in which case you'll catch fewer walleyes and trout.

I've done several trips with the project. Phil supplies good collapsible rods with open-face spinning reels loaded with about 10lb test, 2 for each canoe. He also supplies tackle, though it is heavily biased to yellow jigs (which are quite effective). I often bring some other lures,'cause I like to try shadraps, spinners, spoons, etc., and some extra steel leaders (Miss Molly is quite correct: the northerns will reduce your lure stash). I have found a modest box (maybe 2x9x6 inches?) with a dozen or two lures to be quite adequate. The project also has stringers, filet knives, etc.
They don't have nets, but we seem to boat plenty of fish even so. I don't think there is much problem if you want to bring more of your own tackle, but it should probably be able to be carried in your day-pack, and the rod may have to meet breakdown-specs for the canoe rod cases.
The project site has lots of info. To boil it down: I usually have a sleeping bag, a 20-liter dry sac with extra clothes, etc., a day-pack with raingear, Nalgene bottle, binoc's, camera, etc., and trail clothes to wear, and not a heck of a lot more than that. The Project outfits most all your other camping needs. And it is a good mix of challenge and fun in some very fine country.
Also, you can simplify your trip if you go on line and obtain your Ontario Sportsmans Card and fishing license, beforehand.

Thanks. All good stuff and appreciate the input from you both. Had an idea of what I'd need from the site and was guessing that I'd fit it into a small plano about the size that you estimated above. Thinking WP might be a little bit more adventurous than, say the QP, but have found the Quetico to be perfectly challenging for my skill level (or lack thereof :) so I'm sure that no matter what I bring...it will be fun. Like just about anyone else, I'm guessing as well that I'll want to bring what I'm allowed from my own gear -- we are all partial to our own 'toys'...good to know what Uncle Phil has/doesn't have --- which was also the reason that I put this post up! thanks again and happy to hear from any other 'veterans' of WP and those with lots of experience fishing these wonderful places!

A couple hours of fishing with white and yellow jigs. Both of us rank amateurs and we must have thrown back almost a dozen small pike.
We were on Guerin Lake on the Attwood River last July.
When you find out where you're going, ask what kind of fish you should expect on those lakes and rivers and take a few lures. No nets are needed. The fish are happy to climb onto the canoes and Phil already has all the gear you need.
Go to Wabakimi.org and look on the what to bring page. It is very clear. I take 3-4 pairs of sox (a couple wet pairs, a couple dry) two pairs of pants, a few shirts, underwear, a jacket, a fleece top, a hat, toothpaste and brush, a headlamp and that's about it. After 9 or 10 trips, I keep it to the bare minimum. The less you take, the less you don't use, and the less you have to portage.
P.S. Two pairs of shoes. My wet shoes and my dry shoes.

quote rtallent: "I've done several trips with the project. Phil supplies good collapsible rods with open-face spinning reels loaded with about 10lb test, 2 for each canoe. He also supplies tackle, though it is heavily biased to yellow jigs (which are quite effective). I often bring some other lures,'cause I like to try shadraps, spinners, spoons, etc., and some extra steel leaders (Miss Molly is quite correct: the northerns will reduce your lure stash). I have found a modest box (maybe 2x9x6 inches?) with a dozen or two lures to be quite adequate. The project also has stringers, filet knives, etc.
They don't have nets, but we seem to boat plenty of fish even so. I don't think there is much problem if you want to bring more of your own tackle, but it should probably be able to be carried in your day-pack, and the rod may have to meet breakdown-specs for the canoe rod cases.
The project site has lots of info. To boil it down: I usually have a sleeping bag, a 20-liter dry sac with extra clothes, etc., a day-pack with raingear, Nalgene bottle, binoc's, camera, etc., and trail clothes to wear, and not a heck of a lot more than that. The Project outfits most all your other camping needs. And it is a good mix of challenge and fun in some very fine country.
Also, you can simplify your trip if you go on line and obtain your Ontario Sportsmans Card and fishing license, beforehand."

Ray you forgot to mention that in a pinch one can use the stainless steel coil at the end of the Minworks water filter line to land nice northerns.

quote mrcanoe: "
A couple hours of fishing with white and yellow jigs. Both of us rank amateurs and we must have thrown back almost a dozen small pike.
We were on Guerin Lake on the Attwood River last July.
When you find out where you're going, ask what kind of fish you should expect on those lakes and rivers and take a few lures. No nets are needed. The fish are happy to climb onto the canoes and Phil already has all the gear you need.
Go to Wabakimi.org and look on the what to bring page. It is very clear. I take 3-4 pairs of sox (a couple wet pairs, a couple dry) two pairs of pants, a few shirts, underwear, a jacket, a fleece top, a hat, toothpaste and brush, a headlamp and that's about it. After 9 or 10 trips, I keep it to the bare minimum. The less you take, the less you don't use, and the less you have to portage.
P.S. Two pairs of shoes. My wet shoes and my dry shoes. "

Thanks mrcanoe. less is more sounds like a good mantra for this adventure. You and everyone else make good points about what is there already in terms of gear. Might kind of fun (and informative) to use Uncle Phil's system so to speak and try out his gear.

You mentioned white/yellow jigs -- assuming these are 1/4 & 1/8oz sinking round heads? What is the water quality in terms of color, turbidity, etc. or does it vary greatly from body of water to body of water? QP is generally tea-colored but some lakes (thinking parts of Cirrus for example) are clear(-er)....

John (Deerfoot), you are right. One should always use a steel leader and treble hook on the water filter, when filtering from the lake, directly. Kris lost a good pickerel,'cause she didn't have a steel leader on the rubber tubing!
HighAndDry, yep: 1/4 oz roundhead jigs with lots of yellow twister tails. Seems like the lakes are mainly clean, tea-colored water, though I've only seen a tiny fraction of them. The watersheds tend to have a lot of balsam and spruce.

Large lakes are clearer than small lakes. Some lakes are shallow, some are deep. Some are weedy, some not. Some have a current running through them, some don't. It's a big place with hundreds and hundreds of lakes. All are different. What I can remember about the best spots is they occur where a river feeds into lake or at the bottom of some rapids or falls. Go figure.

quote mrcanoe: "Large lakes are clearer than small lakes. Some lakes are shallow, some are deep. Some are weedy, some not. Some have a current running through them, some don't. It's a big place with hundreds and hundreds of lakes. All are different. What I can remember about the best spots is they occur where a river feeds into lake or at the bottom of some rapids or falls. Go figure. "

Thanks-- that's great and it gives me the information that I was looking for to game out the colors & sizes. Are LT prevalent, i.e. are the lakes deep & cold enough -- just curious if the Rap DTs will be needed or should I just leave them at home? :)

A great way to find out what fish are in what lakes and rivers is to go to the Mattice Lake Outfitters web page and look at their information on what's biting at at each of their outposts camps and lodges. Once you find out where you're going, take along the appropriate gear for what you figure you'll be fishing for...

Fish early, late and watch the wind direction. I don't have but a gram of fishing knowledge, but a Phil supplied yellow lure and his rod/reel line combo worked every time.

Catch, take off fish, bait, cast. Repeat. If you don't have a bite in five minutes move. I had great luck on eddy lines.

Don Elliott of Mattice Lake Outfitters has many return customers. He makes his money from fishermen. So he has some good info. If the fishermen catch they are happy. If they don't they aren't happy and neither will be Don.

Here is his website. Mattice Lake Outfitters.

quote yellowcanoe: "Fish early, late and watch the wind direction. I don't have but a gram of fishing knowledge, but a Phil supplied yellow lure and his rod/reel line combo worked every time.


Catch, take off fish, bait, cast. Repeat. If you don't have a bite in five minutes move. I had great luck on eddy lines.


Don Elliott of Mattice Lake Outfitters has many return customers. He makes his money from fishermen. So he has some good info. If the fishermen catch they are happy. If they don't they aren't happy and neither will be Don.


Here is his website. Mattice Lake Outfitters. "

YC and MC -- thanks! I've been to that site but it's been a couple of weeks and I was probably looking for maps or something else so just skimmed right over the fishing info. Will go back to that one again to get some info especially when I get closer to my own trip. Appreciate all the advice.