Forrest Lodge,we're all about Outdoor Adventure

O.K.,O.K. I know it has been over a month but I had my 50th so I slacked off. There has been alot going on here at Forrest Lodge. First things first, the bite on Caribou remains as solid as ever. Walleyes are hitting in all the usual spots, just rig up with a jig and rubber tail and sweeten it up with live bait of your choice. The artificial stuff that comes in a bucket of liquid scent has been working well. Stick with the chartreuse color or the natural minnow color and just use a small piece on your 1/4 oz jig. This is the time of year to fish the deep dark holes at about 40+ feet to pull out the monster walleye. Trolling with stick baits or the bead filled baits has produced some impressive hogs. By changing speed, direction, using electronics and some fish savy you can get some rod busters hooked up now. The night temps are dropping into the upper 30′s while day time temps are hanging in the 70′s. This cooling effect triggers the fall feeding patterns, and when this happens hang on. The hogs are fun to catch, just remember to that growth is slow in these cold waters, so snap a picture and let ‘em go back to make more hogs. Which reminds me about a fish fry we did a few weeks back. I tried to make fish balls with a cajun dipping sauce. While it sounded good I didn’t get it right. They were edible but if you have a recipe your willing to share just post it here. By this time of the year we are always inventing new ways to eat walleye. So the other morning while we were servicing boats MaryJo lets loose with an ear busting scream. Turns out a mink had made its way into a minnow bucket and when MaryJo went to open the little fellow surprised her. Not the first time this has happened to her but always entertaining for me and anyone else that is up that early on the main dock. She can move pretty fast. By the way please salute MaryJo when you see her. A big congratulations go out to my fishin buddy, she is now an officially lisenced USCG OUPV Captain. Way to go MaryJo! That might make us the only husband and wife USCG Captains in Northwestern Ontario. Yes, I know, the credential is useless here. But not south of the border. Just be patiant as we make our future plans. We may see some of you on the salt water during the winter months. Forrest Lodge south? Let us know what you think and remember……..THINK WALLEYE

What a bang we had on the 4th. After running crazy for the last 6 weeks we are finally getting a much needed break. Only 3 partys in this week so we had a chance to get out on Sunday. We hit a few of the usual spots and looked at a few new areas. The sun was straight overhead with some HEAVY storm clouds moving in fast from the west. We hit the end of  MaryJo’s island and kept a few for dinner. I pulled up a 24″ that had fresh teeth marks on the tail end. Thats a big gator that will attempt to take a 24″ walleye. About that time the thunder told us to get moving in. We just got the Ranger on dry land when the sky opened up and the wind hit. We had 40-50 mph straight winds across the lake and 4-5′ white caps in the bay. It rained so hard with the wind driving the rain that we could not see the end of the main dock. It really sounded like a freight train. Several trees down on the road and across the bay, but we dodged the bullet here at the Lodge. Just one tree down on the point that caused no damage. The blow lasted for about ten minutes then turned to steady rain. The water remains somewhat low compaired to previous years although it did come up a bit after the storm. The bite remains steady in all the usual places. Still the best approach is tossing out a 1/2 ounce jig tipped with live bait. Fish about 20′ for the good eaters, a little deeper for bigger fish. We had some fella’s a few weeks ago that where stuck in a rut. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make em a margarita. So again, when the rest of the pack is hauling in fish and they all tell you where, and how and with what, it is probably a good bet that it’s time to think out of the box. Caribou lake is a walleye factory. You guys that use the counters and keep track of every hook-up know what we are talking about. Just ask the guys from Merrill WI about it. You can’t miss them. They have ice packs on their elbows. Most impressive was the Lake Trout that were caught during the middle of the day using long lines and trolling. I know a young fisherman that hooked his biggest walleye the first evening out. And the Sunday curse has been broken for Andy and Bob. The girls may have had something to do with that. So with that mouthful, today is fishfry. That means that me and my fishin buddy get to head out here shortly and get our 3 fish for dinner. The blue cheese coleslaw has been made and the jalepeno corn bread will go in the oven about an hour before supper time. If there is room, strawberry shortcake to top it off. Remember……THINK WALLEYE

After many e-mails and phone calls I finally got the message. It has been very busy around Forrest Lodge lately. The bitehas been HOT,HOT,HOT. The narrows continues to produce huge numbers of walleyes as they move into the deeper water. Average size eaters in the 16-20 inche range. We haven’t seen anything over 26″ yet, but it is early and the hungry fish are still shallow. Live bait still continues to produce the best bite. I have been suggesting that artificials should be used to mix it up a bit. When the bite is this hot it is a good time to try new tactics and improve the learning curve. The scented stuff in the liquid is a great alternative and is easy enough to use, just rig it up like live bait. One thing I like to do is just use a small piece as an attractant. Just put a little piece on what ever your throwing out. Big bait equals big fish. Granted the little guys will shy away and the action will give your arm a break but just be ready when the reel starts to sing. This time of year hanging a big minnow on a treble with a stinger in the tail suspended under a bobber will give an interesting menu. The Lakers will grab a big minnow and head for the bottom, just hang on and hope they don’t roll. Of course the big Canadian gators will grab this rig and run at full throttle, use heavier gear for this battle and have your buddy man the camera for some action shots. The big walleye like to look at this rig for awhile. They need to think about it, but when they bite you can count on a hefty fish. Today a high pressure system has moved in and the clouds have moved out. Most of our guests are heading for the north end this morning, taking advantage of the calm clear conditions. I hope to hear how the bite is in some of the back bays and reef and rock piles in the open water. My plan today is to get the pump replaced in the Forrest Lodge Ranger and do some other minor repairs so that my fishing buddy and I can get out for her birthday. Th grass can wait another day, besides it will only grow back again. Remember…..THINK WALLEYE!

We have been very busy getting Forrest Lodge ready for the arrival of our first guests of 2010. MaryJo has been doing her magic on the cabins and I have been rigging boats and setting the floating dock. Along with all the little things, cleaning up downed trees, fixing broken water lines, repairing electric service lines, generator repairs. Its all good work! The temps have been well above normal, yesterday I had 90f at the motor shop while I was rigging boats and MaryJo had well over that while cleaning the beams in the log cabins. We had some very strong thunder storms move through the other day and through the night. While we have not had a chance to fish yet, we have had several reports come in from some of the regulars. The bite is sloowwwww……the warm water and strong thunder have brought the fish to a slow feed. I saw a few May flies today and I think we may be well into a late June pattern. I asked some regulars about the water temps and they said it was around 62f already! Hard to believe, for the last three years we have had ice and snow well into May. This year we had clear water in April. Until we get out to fish and see what is happening I can only give hear say and offer experienced suggestions to hunt for the walleye. Remember no weed beds in Caribou, we are fishing the mud flats and the rocky structure. I dont know if anyone has been in Cactus yet, the Boot has produced some fish. The water is low compared to previous years so access up the Sturgeon is out unless you want to get out, get wet, and pull over the rocks. No report on the Pike or Lakers. We have the usuall northern around the dock and a few hammer handles up in the shallow grass. Some regulars that were after walleye picked up a few Lakers yesterday. Hopefully by Monday I will have a better report for you. MaryJo needs a break and I need some fish. They say fish is brain food so I’m thinking we should all eat more fish. If you are coming this way we have a request for Reeses Pepperoncini and Marconi Hot Giardiniera, and MaryJo really likes Cazadores Reposado Tequila. Dont forget the limes! We are looking forward to our first fish fry of the season. Check your gear, put fresh line on your reel and sharpen your hooks, and try a different bait this year. Remember……THINK WALLEYE!

We arrived to Caribou Lake Tuesday afternoon. We made it through the winter with several trees down and a power line pulled from a cabin. The ice is completely gone and the water level is about normal for this time of the year. There is shore line showing for a change. The weather is typical, today it is cool breezey and scattered showers. Lots to do so the report is short. Remember….think walleye!

So here we are in the middle of January! Wow, what a year we had at Forrest Lodge. The summer that never came until September, the huge walleyes, and what about the gators! And the hunting season when we needed bug dope and SPF30. As I sit in front of this computer and think about last summer I can almost taste the walleye from any particular fish fry. I can also remember the friends that we all made at any particular fish fry. While I stood over the fryer and talked to our friends I recall how everyone had a fish story to tell. It didn’t matter if it was about a certain bait or presentation or a favorite spot or even an event from years gone by at another fishin’ hole, these are the things that cement us all. Any one moment in your life that you can recall and smile about and share is what makes us all brothers and sisters. And what a better way than to go fishin’. Talk about comradery! Someone once said “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a life time”, or something like that. As we progress through these “economic uncertainties” just remember the cement. When you go to the local Mega Mart think about where that coffee maker was made or where that LCD TV was made or where the produce came from. Now think about where that fishin’ reel was made, or the fishin’ rod, or the tackle. Even the gas that you put in the car that was made from parts from where? When you are at the Mega Mart does the guy behind the counter know where the bite is hot? If not then tell him. Cement. Just something to think about next time you spend a few bucks. Down the road from us are few local bait shops. I can spend hours looking at stuff and another few hours talkin’ about stuff. Cement. I get a mail box full of catalogs. Every body has the best prices or the best deal or the biggest discount. The more you buy the bigger the discount. So I call these guys and start talkin’. Cement. I don’t buy much cuz’ most of the product is made somewhere else. I guess I like to talk. And sometimes it gets me into trouble. The other day I spent about an hour on the phone talkin’ to a friend about about ice fishin’. Cement. If you haven’t hard water fished then you owe it to yourself to go give it a try. Oh, and take your best fishin’ buddy with you. Cement. There is something about fish through the ice that puts the experience and the taste of the fillets in a whole’ nother world. Go to the local pond with your fishin’ buddy, snag a few blue gills, clean em’ up and get them in the fryer while your hands are still numb and savor each bite as though it was your last. Cement.  While the weather outside is frightful, get together with your fishin’ buddy and look at your tangle boxes and talk about fishin’ and stuff and tell stories and jokes and remember….THINK WALLEYE!…..cement.

Wow, another year has come and gone, where does the time go. As midnight approached, all was quiet, not a creature was stirring, not even Scott (he has to get up at 6 a.m. for work). I was lying there thinking about how regimented we are. We have to know what time it is, we have to know what day it is, we have to know… you get the idea. I thought about being at the lodge, slowing down and looking all around at the surroundings that we were provided to enjoy and celebrate. With all things that are wrong in the world today, take a minute or two, and look around you. Look at the trees, the water, the landscape, family, friends, pets,look at everything. Absorb it like a sponge. There’s more good than bad, more giving than receiving. I guess without knowing it, I made my New Years resolution; to look at everyday as a new beginning,  a new adventure and take the time for the journey of life and enjoy it along the way.

May all of you have a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. 

Scott and MaryJo

So after a record setting September for temps running well above normal, October is making up for it. The hunting season saw 3 moose come through with the last of our hunters ckecking out this morning. Yesterday we saw fairly mild temps and brilliant sunshine. We were able to get a lot of our chores done. The floating dock is lashed together and the anchors have full slack on them. The last Lund is sitting at the main dock waiting for one last trip out for some cold water walleye. This morning we closed cabin 5 and shut down the water system. We can pull the main intake line out with the ATV so it goes pretty quick. Draining the main lines takes about 10 minutes and the same amount of time to shut down a cabin. I just disconnect the feed line to the cabin, open the hot water heater drain and pull all the packings from the fixtures. Then I put a non toxic anti freeze in the lines. Same with the toilets, just bale out the bowl and pour some anti freeze in. Did I mention that we have about three inches on the ground and it is still coming down. What a beautiful sight to see Caribou Lake and Forrest Lodge covered in white. Monday is Thanksgiving here and we have a fresh piece of moose tenderloin ready for the grill. But before we close for the season there are just a few final chores. Cabin 7 needs a shower surround as does cabin 4. I am hoping to do some pine panelling also. So as winter closes in on us here in the north country MaryJo and I want to thank all of our guests that make Forrest Lodge the great place that it is. With out our guests we would just be another lodge. So from us to you ” THANK YOU”!! This winter spend so time gong through your fishing gear, read a few fishing article, do some sport shows and remember……THINK WALLEYE!    SEE YOU NEXT YEAR AT FORREST LODGE!!!  Watch for monthly posts and updates on our sport show schedule. We just may be in your neck of the wood so stop in and see us.

I just checked the weather report on the home page just below this link. You can’t believe everything you read! Right now it is 72f with mostly sunny conditions and a mild nor-wester. The black flies are THICK. Not to bad here on the property with the breeze but if you get into the bush or even in town the blood suckers are in clouds. They are making up for lost time from this summers cool wet conditions. The fishing has remained in a late summer pattern with little change over the last few weeks. Walleye are still holding in the same areas with solid numbers coming in. The big meat is running deep yet and needs a slow retrieve to get the hook up. Bigger minnows are working the best to get these lazy hogs to hit. As the weather cools these lazy lunkers will move into their fall feeding patterns. We are still waiting for a hard freeze to hit and really start to cool the water. The shorter daylight hours help but with the mercury hitting the upper 60′s and 70′s during the day it’s going to be a waiting game. Mixing up the approach and hitting some of the sharper drop offs and deeper rock structures is the trick with these conditions. We fished some new water for the first time the other day. I was mostly just looking for structure watching the radar screen. My fishing buddy was impatient and got out the meat stick and began working the shallow areas and shore lines. She was throwing a Mepps Musky Killer and mixing up her retrieve speed and direction. You can take the girl out of musky country but you cant take the musky fishing out of her. I told her that no big gator would hit that close to the boat doing figure eights, but she gave me her look and just kept on doing her thing. If  looks could kill! So after 4 hook ups with some average size gators I figured I better shut up and let her do her thing. She fishes totally barbless so the release is easy at the side of the boat. She just gives a little slack and the gator does a head shake and away they go. Just one of them needed a little help with the pliers, but he never left the water or was netted or touched. I’ve got most of the boats out of the water and the motors serviced and winterized. All but 2 cabins have been closed for the season. Congrats to Allyn R. from Wisconsin for filling his tag with a nice bull moose, I didn’t measure the rack but it’s about a 36. A very typical bull about 4-5 years old. I’m no expert, but I sure would be proud! Just a few more weeks to go before we call it another season here at Forrest Lodge. Check back again cause we’re going fishing and maybe I’ll share a recipe with you. Surf, turf and feather northern style! Remember…THINK WALLEYE !

Yes, I know it’s been a month since my last report. Everyday I look at the grass and everyday I strap on the big Jonsereds trimmer and give her hell. I’m caught up for the most part on the grass cutting, although there are a few places that escaped the blade. I’ve guided a few times during August and had a few days that MaryJo and I went out. The bite has been solid for the majority of fisherman. One thing that I have seen over the years is a mess of fishing gear. I have a small soft sided kit with a selection of jigs and a few spinner rigs and chain sinkers. When ever I fish new water, whether it be in Wisconsin through the ice or further south hunting for snapper, I always ask around and find out where the bite is and what the approach is. So when your guide or host says that a particular location with this particular rig will get you on the fish it is probably the way to go. I realize that you can lead a horse to water, but generally they will take a drink. Not so much so with some fisherman. OK back to the bite. MaryJo’s island has been producing the usual with some really dark colored walleye and the odd blue walleye coming in. The evening bite at the Narrows has been off and on the last few weeks. The walleyes are in water everywhere from 20 feet to 60 feet. Live bait continues to produce the best results and the artificials in the bucket of scent are working well also. I used some last year and found that by tearing it in half gave me better hook ups. As the weather starts to cool the bigger walleye move into a more aggressive feeding pattern. By next week I hope to see the water begin to cool. The lakers have been coming in but no real braggers, so MaryJo has had the smoker going almost everyday. She did some gators with a cajun spice that went down great with a chilly Blue. Its hard to believe that in the next 2 weeks we will be doing the moose hunt. I did some scouting the other day and found that the moose are still well hidden in the swamps. We have had temps in the 80′s with calm winds and bright sunshine. This morning we had pea soup fog so thick I couldn’t see across the bay. It is melting a little now and the breeze is picking up. Tonight is fish fry, one day early but we have some check ins and check outs so we wanted everyone to get in on the meal. By the end of the month it will be a surf and turf meal, fresh walleye and moose tenderloin. Are you drooling yet? Remember……THINK WALLEYE!