2013 Episode Synopsis
by Charlie Wray

Episode 227: Snaggy Walleye & Surface Kings

Today, the Mercury Marine Destination starts us on the French River in Ontario, then all the way down to Key West Florida for some winter fun. The French River is a large body of water, especially the stretch from the launch in Dokis to Lake Nippissing. There are back bays and cuts that fish can hide in and never see a lure, and much of the area is rock filled and snag infested. One technique that works incredibly well for Walleye is making worm harnesses from the buoyant Spin-N-Glo bodies, so your presentation floats just above the snags, and in the face of the hungry Walleye.

Staying once again at the Chaudiere Lodge, this central area of the French River is more of a lake than a river with water depths that go from 2 feet to 160 in seconds. Last year, the owner of Chaudiere Lodge (Steve Niedzwiecki) www.chaudierelodge.com (705)-763-2220 offered the use of his Navionics card, without it, it would have been challenging to navigate outside of the channel markers. This year, Charlie came prepared. The Navionics card was bang on with every rocky point, shoal and shallow area. Well worth the investment if you want to cover lots of water safely. The cabins at Chaudiere are some of the nicest Charlie has been in, clean and comfortable and great meals and lunches supplied.

The Humminbird 1198C fishfinder/GPS was well used this trip, exploring new waters, and with them being vast new waters, it was more than comforting to have an accurate GPS, not only marking safe routes back, but new hot spots! With so many great spots showing up on the Humminbird, and the Navionics card sharing structure that locals took decades to find, it didn't take long to get into some really nice Walleye on the Spin-N-Glos. This trip, Charlie had his new 2050 Crestliner Raptor with a 300 Mercury Verado and 9.9 Pro kicker. The Verado continues to amaze at how fuel efficient it is, even with the long runs covering water. This was a treat and a perfect sized boat for this waterway. It handled the chop wonderfully when the winds blew up, and the full stand up top was awesome to fish under when the drenching rains started and never stopped for 2 days.

Even though the Viking rainwear kept Charlie warm and dry, it is nice to be able to keep gear dry, and also be out of the elements for a dry lunch break. With the stand up top allowing unrestricted movements, the rain was no issue at all for a full day of fishing. Even the hardiest of locals couldn't stand the relentless rain very long and headed in, the cover kept Charlie comfortable like he was fishing in a tent. How do you turn this ideal fishing boat into an even better one, with the addition of the Minn Kota I-Pilot! This amazing feature allows you to record a track so you can repeat it exactly. Spot lock works just like an electronic anchor. Cruise control so you can present your baits at precisely the correct speed, despite what the winds and currents are doing, along with advanced autopilot with GPS accuracy. Talk about a perfect system for trolling worm harnesses for Walleye. Record a track for a perfect repeat of a successful path, and cruise control was awesome! Working the Minn Kota while using the wireless remote under the cover, keeping dry, was also worth its weight in gold.

While better known as a Salmon and Trout lure on the West coast, these Spin-N-Glos are making history in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba as a perfect addition to a worm harness, and a replacement for the blades. Not only do they give bottom clearing buoyancy since they float, and presentation speeds can be reduced if needed, but come in a wide selection of Walleye colours, and tempt with a subtle flash from the mylar wings. Charlie ties them up with 15 lb test Seaguar Fluorocarbon for an invisible, abrasion resistant rig, and uses the size #4 Spin-N-Glos. These are the perfect size for northern Walleye. First start the rig by snelling a size #2 Mustad Ultra Point Octopus style hook, leaving a tag long enough to tie on a Mustad Triple Grip treble on the back. This triple grip has amazing holding power, even on the short hitters. The unique hook configuration really locks in, and is harder to shake out. Great for those last minute head shakes from Walleye at boat side that are usually just out of reach from the net.

The new Okuma Trio spinning reels offer a new Crossover construction, a combination of lightweight graphite materials on part of the reel, and aluminum on other parts to balance strength and light weight features. It gives this 10 ball bearing reel a solid but lightweight feel, and the high speed version was perfect for harnesses.

Sensitivity is important, you want to feel the bottom and know you are close at all times, but not be dredging the bottom. Even the snag resistant bottom bouncing sinker rigs can snag when you are using too heavy of weights, or have too much line out. The new Seaguar Kanzen braided lines are not only sensitive, but thin and feature a high density weave for increased durability, and the very thin 15 lb test Kanzen was perfect for this. When you use no stretch braided lines, it is always a good idea to use a somewhat flexible rod to absorb some of the shock of head shakes so you don't rip out smaller hooks. The Okuma Citrix rods offer perfect balance and are both light in weight and sensitive and matched up beautifully with the Trio reels. When it is time to net that lunker Walleye, and keeping the boat without the clutter of a net that is always in the way, the telescopic and floating EGO S2 Slider nets are ready in a second, but also quickly and neatly stowaway.

Then later in the Show, Charlie and wife Terri jump in the RAM for the long winter drive down to Key West Florida. Long drives can be exhausting, but the comfortable seats in the RAM make this trip a pleasure, and the dependability of the RAM makes driving an easy option. Charlie has been trusting RAM for years, and for good reason, dependability is important, especially when fishing is the priority!

Charlie has done very well in the past with the Live Target Blueback Herring swimbaits, not only do they look extremely realistic and swim incredibly well, the plastic they are made from is puncture proof, even from these tooth filled beasts. Anyone that fishes Saltwater will attest to the fact that King Mackerel have some of the sharpest teeth in the ocean, and it takes a special lure to put up with the abuse these fish dish out. The Live Target lures, not only hold up, but still have a great finish after the day's end. Granted there are a few scratches, but no leaks, chipping or paint flaking off, quite incredible. This year, one of the new surface baits is the Live Target Scaled Sardine. This realistic lure absolutely got nailed and fooled even the normally wary larger King Mackerel. Same great puncture proof design and not one single puncture.

These are fast fish, and when they run the boat, it is almost impossible to keep up, the Okuma high speed Cedros spinning reels are not only designed for saltwater, but with a 6.2:1 gear ratio, they make it much easier to keep the line tight on these speedsters. 30lb test Seaguar Kanzen not only casts well, but with about the same diameter as 8lb mono, you can pack a load of line on a 55 sized reel, enough for even the longest runs. The invisible qualities are incredibly important. With the braided lines being visible, an 8 - 12 foot Seaguar leader of 30lb test gives the buffer needed not to spook the fish. Same goes for the single strand wire needed with the razor sharp teeth of the King Mackerel, no more than about 8 inches or they spook off.

The Albright knot is ideal for this connection. No small swivels, the small toothy fish in the area feeding with the King Mackerel and picking up the scraps will eat anything, and that includes your swivel, breaking you off in a split second without so much as a slight tug. Long Seaguar leader, very short wire, you would be shocked at the difference a shorter leader or longer wire makes, a lesson learned the hard way years ago. Same goes for hardware, no swivels or snaps. A comfortable ride back home in the RAM, mind you a little less enthusiastic than heading south in the winter, now coming back to winter, but anxious again for next year.

Continue to Episode 228

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