Anyone else sing along back in '05 with the White Sox winning the World Series? Well, for us South siders this Journey song was iconic, and might have yet another comeback with the border finally opening and fishing resuming. Earl, Ryan, and I are getting pumped up for our new "opener" week! We've had a new purpose these last two weeks (Earl has literally been doing a quickstep, he's got so much energy), and so we've had to be intentional in making time for fishing and excursions.
Water temps started creeping down slightly; still in mid 70's but on the slightly lower side now. Walleye were found in 8-12' mostly. Smallmouth bite has eased up a bit, but still got a few trolling crankbaits. We've had fun even staying in our lake 1 and landing lots of pike and a good amount of walleye as well.
Water levels are still low. We have been in a drought basically the entire month of July. There was a forest fire near Ryan Lake (not far off Keynote area), and within hours of it being called in, fire crews were already on site. That day 40 water bomber loads were dropped, and a land crew was on it. We are very impressed with fire management, given there have been so many forest fires in Ontario this summer. A smoky haze was thick for a few days.
The bigger northern have been quite active these last couple weeks:
Fishing one cloudy day, Earl came along for the ride, and was our good luck charm- we were doubling left and right, catching both walleye and pike, and just having a good ole time. We got us some keepers, as Earl wanted to welcome Patsy back with a nice fish dinner. The boys got the fish cleaning house going again, so they got some good filleting practice:
This pic encapsulates the blog's theme:
Raking, sawing, shop vac'ing, prepping boats, mowing, and checking/fixing water and fuel lines, we haven't run out of things to do. Though some projects take a lot longer than anticipated, its refreshing to prepare camp for our guests.
Deep cleaning and organization of the fish house and boat/baithouse turned out great:
On a foggy but completely still morning, the guys finally separate the two docks after being linked for 21 months:
And to celebrate getting the second set in place, we had a walleye fish fry:
We still have some openings and would love to welcome you back. Call us at 888-413-3454 to schedule a last minute trip for August or September.
On the fence? Border Questions Answered:
- Americans will be allowed to return to the US after their trip. (Biden's closure is for Canadians trying to enter US)
- The quarantine "plan" that is required is simply a precautionary measure. We provide the paper document and the chances you'd have to implement it are miniscule.
-The media continue to give misleading headlines to articles reflecting the border issue; Good information sources are the cbsa (Canada Border Service Agency) and TIAO (Tourism Industry Association of Ontario). I have link on our homepage: "Border Crossing Info". You can always reach out to us as well with any questions.
I have sent out informational sheets to all our booked guests on the border crossing details and what to expect so that your travel is as seamless as possible. Yes, only vaccinated adults can come right now, and yes, everyone has to take a Covid test within 72 hours prior to crossing border. Yes, these are inconvenient, but we are confident that it will all be worth it for you to escape the stresses of life, take advantage of the fishing opportunity that is unheard of in the states right now, and be a part of Tall Pines history.
Hoping to share some fodder of guests fishing next time. Don't stop believin' !