2014 Episode Synopsis


Episode 252 : West Arm

Today, the Mercury Marine Destination takes us up to the West Arm of Lake Nipissing. Fishing is all about having fun, and this episode, Charlie and wife Terri enjoy the multi species action from the West Arm Lodge. The West Arm Lodge is located along the western reaches of Lake Nipissing, and whether you bring your own boat, or use a rental, the private cabins and individual docks offer an ideal family retreat, without being far off the beaten path. The West Arm Lodge and Restaurant – 705-867-5286 or http://www.thewestarmlodge.com

Long comfortable trips hauling a boat is just another reason Charlie loves his RAM 2500 Longhorn Diesel. Power to spare and fuel efficiency makes going on a journey even more enjoyable. Not sure exactly what has changed over the last few years, but more power and torque, along with better fuel efficiency is certainly noticed, and absolutely no complaints about that! With the spacious Mega Cab, room in the back seat area is spacious and no one fights for the front seat anymore. Even when only used for cargo, once the seats are folded down, you would have to see how much room you have to believe it.

Charlie brought along the 2050 Crestliner Raptor. This is an all round versatile fishing vessel. Generous room at the front on the casting deck, and perfectly designed for room in the back for trolling, and still room to spare. With a Mercury 300 hp Verado being the maximum horsepower, needless to say this is a Walleye style boat with Bass boat speeds that can really cover the water quickly, and with the whisper quiet Mercury Verado, fuel efficiency is an added bonus. In the shallows or on the ledge casting to deeper water, even better than a regular anchor is the Minn Kota Talon anchoring system. This telescopic pole will hold the boat at the touch of a button, in rocks, mud or sand, this is a dream come true for holding the boat steady and exactly where you want it. New for this season is the 12 foot version, and that will sure to be seen on the back of Charlie’s boat this coming season.

Everything was caught this episode, Walleye, Bass, Pike and even Sheephead. The name of the game today was to have fun and keep the rod bent. The Pike favored the Spinnerbaits, the Bass loved the poppers, and the Walleye and Sheephead favored the Spin-N-Glo worm harnesses fished on bottom. New this season from Freedom is their Spinnerbait, and just like all the other Freedom products, the hook is replaceable and interchangeable. Perfectly balanced and since the hook is not embedded into the lead head of the spinnerbait, this allows the hook to turn and move side to side, giving the hook an incredible hooking percentage, and also takes the leverage away from hard fighting and jumping fish! Just when you thought a spinnerbait was a spinnerbait, this is a much improved version that will sure to become a favorite. You can even have an assortment of hooks and plastics ready to go ahead of time, and quickly change and experiment as you go, it is that easy to change hooks.

Charlie was also anxious to try the new Live Target Frog Popper. True to form of all Live Target lures, this looks just like a real Frog and like all Live Target lures, balanced perfectly. This highly effective Popper sits balanced with only part of the head and eyes above water (just like a real Frog) and the body sits low in the water, not on the surface, so even short hits lock in solid. The dressed Mylar back treble is the final extra touch to provoke even the most leery predators. The cupped front lip is designed for the perfect ‘glurp’ when tugged, and let me tell you, after you develop a nice glurp, glurp rhythm, it soon turns into a SLURP! Adding to the stealth approach with the Live Targer Frog Poppers, is the extremely lightweight, and also invisible InvisaSwivel. If you want to connect your Seaguar leaders to braid without a swivel ruining your suspending or floating presentation, these handy swivels will add a new level to your stealth attack.

Looking for one of the lightest, sensitive rods on the market, have a look at the Okuma Helios rods. The spinning rods were used today, matched to the Okuma RTX and Helios reels, and made for an incredibly light and finely tuned set up. If you haven’t had any of Okuma’s higher end products in your hands yet, you really are missing out, high quality at still a much lower cost than some of the other competitors. Seaguar Kanzen 20 lb braid got the nod today, and once you see and feel how thin the Seaguar Kanzen 20 lb is, really no need to go lighter. Strong and thin and casts like a dream. Extra room in the boat is always an issue, so when you’re net folds down and easily telescopes out in a second; it is a wonderful addition to your equipment. The Floating EGO S2 slider nets are excellent for storing out of the way, and can be used and extended with one hand while the fight is in progress. No need to be falling over the bulky nets anymore.

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