Camping and kayak fishing Fenerty Lake and Horse Shoe Lake

Saturday afternoon I went camping and kayak fishing with three of my friends. It was a nice little hike from our cars to the Kayak launch site of Fenerty Lake. I was glad that I had a kayak cart! The Kayaking trip to our campsite in the woods between Fernerty Lake and Horse Shoe Lake was a 40 minute paddle trip due to the winds and choppy water.

 Old bunkers along the trail

Our boat launch site

Ounce we arrived at our campsite we set up our campsite and gathered some fire wood. Then we portaged our kayaks to Horse Shoe Lake and did some fishing. The lake wasn't productive at all only one small smallmouth bass was caught. I believe it had something to do with the wind, choppy water and time of day.

Unloading gear and portaging yaks to other lake

Our boats tide up along Horse Shoe Lake

 Our campsite

After fishing we enjoyed our camp fire and got ready for next day of fishing.

Next morning we started to make our way back home but did some fishing on the way back in Fernerty Lake and caught a few Smallies.

 

This trip was lots of fun and this is what Kayaking, camping and the great outdoors is all about!

Happy fishing and Tight Lines! 

Saturday morning on Fraser and Maple Lake

On Saturday morning Sept 24^th I decided to go fish Fraser and Maple Lake. I got to the lake at 06:00 am and when I got there I quickly realized that I forgot my paddle home. So I had to turn around and go back home and get my paddle. This delayed my fishing for about 45 minutes which isn’t that bad. I should have checked my gear twice before leaving! I guess it was a lesson learned. I got on the lake for 07:00 am after hiking the shitty trail down to the lake hulling my trident 13 on a cart. But all the effort was worth it.

 Trail going to lake

Shity hill on the trail to water

The weather was sunny no wind and the water was like glass which was perfect for top water action.

On Fraser lake I caught about 8 15-16 inches Smallmouth Bass.

Around 8:30 I decided to portage up the small creek in between Fraser and Maple Lake. The trek going to maple was kind of hard because the creek water was high and it had a pretty strong current. But I eventually made it to maple 30 minutes later.

The scenery over in Maple Lake was fantastic but the fishing wasn’t as good. I only caught about 4 smallies around 9” in size. I stayed there till about 10:00 am then left for home.

 Maple lake cove at end of creek

 Fishing the mouth of the creek

Happy Fishing and tight Lines! 

Fishing with children

Nothing is more fun than taking your kids fishing. I always try to take my little boy, daughter and friends fish whenever I can. This is how true memories are made from. It’s so satisfying to see their reaction and glow when they have fish on. When fishing with kids always remind them to be extra careful around water and if near water that is deep or fast moving when shore fishing always get them to wear a PFD. When fishing with my son or daughter in my kayaks I always ensure that they are always wearing proper PFD. 

My kids love catching them but still refuse to take the fish off the hook. But they will eventually take their own off when they are ready. It’s a big learning process for them. It took me a couple of months to get my daughter and son to actually put their own worms on their fishing hooks and to hold the fish they caught. My son’s favorite fish to fish are Smallmouth bass and my daughter loves catching Trout and Perch.

My daughter so proud of her first perch

I am a strong believe to introducing kids at a youngest age as possible to fishing. A good tip when starting to teach them how to fish is always bring them to a spot where it’s pretty much a sure thing to catch a fish. Because if they catch nothing in the beginning of the learning phase they will quickly lose interest in fishing. Avoid slippery or steep banks and use extreme caution when allowing young children to handle hooks.  I recommend using barbless hooks with the. If the child is under ten make them wear a PFD at all time.

When selecting a fishing rod and reel for them ensure you use a sin-cast and reel combination that is properly sized for your child (usually 3-4 feet). The rod should also fit comfortably in your child's hands. They are very inexpensive to get at your local fishing store or hardware store. I always start them with a red and white bobber because they can actually see the bites and it’s fun to see their reaction when they do get a bite. 

Another very important thing too remember is not to stay to long because the child will also lose interest if they are there for too long of a period of time. 

I always gone remember when my son caught is first large Smallmouth bass. He was afraid to hold the fish because he taught the fish would swallow is hand lol! 

 His first large Smallmouth that he caught! 

Happy Fishing and Tight Lines!

Basic Fishing Knots Tutorial

Here are some basic fishing knots and how to tie them:

The Clinch Knot and The Improved Clinch Knot

Is very easy to tie, which is the main reason it's so popular for connecting mono-filament to terminal tackle. It's most effective on lines under 20-pound test.

Clinch Knot Video

Improved Clinch Knot Video

Uni Knot

Strong, reliable, and easy to tie, the Uni-Knot is an excellent knot for securing line to terminal tackle. It's also the foundation of the entire Uni-Knot system. Note that the Uni-Knot can be left as a loop or tightened down so it's snug to the hook eye.

Uni-Knot Video

Double Uni Knot

Used to join tow fishing line together like braid and fluorocarbon

Double Uni-Knot Video

The Palomar Knot

The Palomar Knot is easy to tie, exceptionally strong, and very popular with bass fishing pros for tying on jigs and worm hooks. It's somewhat awkward to tie when using lures with treble hooks, but it is the recommended knot for braided lines.

Palomar Knot Video

Non-Slip Mono-Loop

This is an exceptionally strong loop when tied correctly. But be sure to use the right number of turns (as determined by the line's strength rating--see Step 2), and tighten your knot very carefully.

Non-Slip Mono Loop Knot Video

Rapala Knot

The Rapala Knot is popular method to tie a lure to a line such that it can move freely and unimpeded by the knot. Essentially the same as the Non Slip Mono Loop, the knot has one more step in it's making.

Rapala Knot Video

Trilene Knot

The Trilene knot is an all-purpose connection to be used in joining monofilament to swivels, snaps, hooks and artificial lures. The knot's unique design and ease of tying yield consistently strong, dependable connections while retaining 85-90% of the original line strength. The double wrap of mono through the eyelet provides a protective cushion for added safety.

Trilene knot Video

Happy Fishing and tight lines!