FISHING SEASON IS OPEN

The fishing season at Manotak Lodge has officially opened and we are catching fish.  The week started off with great weather and great fishing.  The weather turned cold as the week went on but the fishing stayed hot.   As we expected because of the warm weather this spring, the Walleyes were not in Ord River but out on the main lake.   We thought "Eyes" would be slightly deeper than usual because of the warmer water temps (as high as 61 degrees F surface) but we were still catching most in 6-14 feet of water.  We found some at 18-21 but the majority were at 10ish feet.  10ish must a word, google it.   Our secret weapon lure for Walleyes is proving to be exactly what we expected when we tried it this past Fall.  Two of our regular guests told me that they had days they believed to be some of the best fishing they can remember.  One has been here for over 35 years.   The other fisherman and good friend of mine Mark, had just a phenomenal last evening of fishing where he went through 4 dozen minnows in 3 hours and most of the Walleyes were 20-24 inches.  He asked me to go fishing with him that night but I made the mistake of working instead.   My loss for now but we will make it up in the Fall when Mark returns.  If you want to know what this secret lure is, email me at:  manotaklodge@gmail.com
Pike were also on a terror with a couple over 40 inches being caught.   The majority of Pike were in shallow depths chasing Walleyes, Perch and Bass.   Bass have come up shallow now which is slightly earlier than normal so Pike have a smorgasbord to choose from.   Spinners and Cranks are working but the majority of Pike have been caught on Suckers and Ciscos.   We have these live baits at the lodge and we can teach you how to fish this technique.  The season started with fisherman catching afew Bass and most were on the smaller side but as the week progressed, the size and quantity increased.    We believed that Bass would be spawning earlier than normal but we now have fairly cold weather so this might slow it down.  Perch have been quite active this first week.  We normally do not target Perch this time of year but they have been biting so guests are getting a bonus.  Muskie's have also been active with a 47 incher being caught on a minnow while the fisherman was Walleye fishing.  
As stated earlier, the weather has turned cold and rainy so we will see how the fishing goes the next few days.  We had planned on making our first video for the Manotak Lodge Weekly Fishing Report but we are in the final stages of some changes so stay tuned in the near future.  On a last note, I want to mention that many guests ask us if the water warms up enough to be able to swim at the dock during the season.  We always tell them yes that the water usually warms up in July & August to be able to swim comfortably.  Well, I need to change my usual answer now that Ken & Lenny have proven that swimming can take place in May.  Well, ok maybe they weren't really swimming.  It might be considered more like flopping & flayling in the water but none the less they gave it a go.   I will tell the stories when you arrive for your fishing trip here at Manotak Lodge.     One last comment, we have heard comments that our Live Webcams showing the lodge grounds and dock sometimes are slow to load.  We are sorry for this inconvenience and we are working on it but being in such a remote locations we know that we are pushing the boundaries of WI-FI.  Also, there are alot of people looking at the webcams so the server is being taxed extensively.   For the most part we know that guests are able to see them on a regular basis so we hope you enjoy the show
That is all for now.  Stay tuned for more.

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT MANOTAK

Linda and I have arrived at the lodge and it looks great.  We are very excited to be here and are having alot of fun with the start of sprucing things up.  Our staff shows up this coming Friday so that is when the real work begins.  As most of you know, it has been a warm winter up here in NW Ontario and it is still rather warm.  We are not sure if it was a record date or not but ice-out we believe was around April 5.  This is the earliest we have ever heard of ice-out.   It will be interesting as to where the fish will be this spring.  Walleyes should mostly be out of their spawning grounds and starting to think about where they want to be on the lake based on water temps.  Pike should still be around the usual places such as Jackfish and Ord Bay but they even might be spread out more than normal. 
Speaking of fishing, we want to remind people about the ability to buy your fishing license and Outdoor Card on-line.  This is a great option to get your fishing license ahead of time instead of waiting at the lodge.  The reason I say "Waiting at the lodge" is because we will have a new electronic license system here at the lodge and we are already hearing about some small bugs in the system.  We hear this is translating into longer time periods for each license.  We know with any new system there are kinks to be ironed out but the on-line purchase of a fishing license and outdoor card is simple and fast.  Linda & I purchased ours yesterday and it was a matter of 5 minutes each.  Here is the link for the website that you would go to:  http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/OC/2ColumnSubPage/STDPROD_091032.html
If there is a problem with this link let me know by posting a comment on this blog or send me an email at:  manotaklodge@gmail.com.    One suggestion we have is that when you are instructed to print your receipt, that you also save that final E-License and Outdoor Card form somewhere on your computer in case you need to access it later.  We are not sure how to get a duplicate other than making a copy from the original one that you printed.  We also made multiple copies and stashed them in various places such as tackle boxes, luggage, vehicle, etc. so just in case it gets wet, we have another copy handy.  If the on-line purchase does not work for you or you still want to buy your license at the lodge, that is no problem either.  We will have them available here.
We have very exciting news and that is our pet duck Lunch is back and in rare form.  She was swimming out in front of the dock and I talked to her for all of 3 words and she came running in for bread.  She ate out of my hand right away.  The next day Linda and I were working all the way up behind our garage and she walked up from the dock and stood there looking at us like where the heck have you been, I am hungry.   This is 5 years straight she has been coming to our lodge.  It made us think that she has a pretty good gig going here with free food and no deposit ever paid.  I have to admit that any worries that I had in life just left me when she showed up.  We will be turning on our live Webcams very soon.  We thought all of you would get some enjoyment out of seeing the ice on the lake melt and leave but that obviously is not going to happen.  We will try and look like we are very busy when we are in front of the camera.  If we are carrying fishing poles and tackle boxes and leaving the dock in a boat, don't worry we are still working.  We are doing research for our guests prior to your visit.   This is a tough assignment but we are up to the challenge.  Well, that is all for now.  If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment in this blog or email.  We really hope comments come in so we can keep a Manotak dialogue going.

FISHING AT MANOTAK LODGE 2012

Well, it has been some time since we last posted a blog but the fishing season is fast approaching and we thought everyone is getting excited to fish at Manotak Lodge. The Walleye fishing is only 49 days, 15 hours, 2 minutes and 45 seconds away so get that gear ready. If you have been following the weather most of you know that it has been extremely warm up at the lodge. Reports from our contacts up there are saying that alot of smaller lakes are opening up and it won't be long before the ice is out on the larger lakes like Perrault Lake. This is good news as it makes it easier for us to open up the lodge in the Spring but lake levels are still very low and we need rain. We know that everyone wants good weather when they are there fishing but we really do not like low water levels based on the dock logistics. In regards to "New News", there are a couple of things to report. The Canadian Gov't is reviewing the policies of an individual trying to cross the border into Canada with a DUI. When we first heard the rumors that there might be some "Easing" of the policies we were very excited. We have since recieved a letter from MP Greg Rickford - Kenora (I am not familiar with the organization in Canada as to which office he holds) informing us that an person with a DUI offence of 5 years and older, that recieved no jail time, and has been in good standing with the law since then that they will recieve a one time exemption into Canada and will not be charged a fee. I am paraphrasing alot of the details of the letter so it will fit into this blog but this is good news. I know the first question you are asking yourself is what happens in the future after this one time exemption. We are of the understanding that the Canada Gov't still wants you to apply for a permanent waiver. I will be sending out Greg Rickfords' letter to all of our fisherman who have signed up to receive our newsletter. You can sign up by going to our homepage and clicking on the brown box that states "Sign up for Newsletter".
We also wanted to remind everyone about our Fall Special in September. Maybe you could not make it up in the early part of the season because of schedule conflicts or maybe you are thinking about a second trip to Manotak Lodge. This would make it easier on the pocketbook as our Special involves the 1st Fisherman is regular price and the 2nd fisherman is HALF PRICE. Any plan is available: Housekeeping, Evening Meal or American Plan. If you have never experienced September fishing you will want to try it. It is my favorite time to fish Canada. Cabins are filling very quickly so call us soon. We will be turning on our Live Webcams very soon after we arrive at the lodge so stay tuned. Thats about it for now. We will be blogging more often now that the fishing season is fast approaching.

Manotak Lodge News

I know it has been a long time since the last post on the blog but time really has passed fast. I have always tried to keep this blog about Manotak Lodge and fishing but I want to make one exception at this time if you don't mind. My mother passed away this past week and it really put things into perspective. Linda & I are very very lucky to not only have our own families to rely on during these times but to also have our Manotak family. My mother passed away from a long battle with cancer and it makes a person think about making sure that we experience all we can in life when we can. We were very fortunate that she had a chance to come up to Manotak and catch one of her favorite fish: Walleye. She taught me well. This sounds simplistic but the next statement is true: Go fishing with family and friends: SOON & OFTEN. You all should remember that we promised to give away a free trip to Manotak Lodge based on one of the winners from this past summers MANOTAK MASTER ANGLER CONTEST. From a random draw of names the winner is: TOR SAILE. We want to thank all of the fisherman this past summer for fishing hard to win but you know you are all winners because you fished at Manotak Lodge (OK, so we are biased alittle bit).
We have made some changes to our website and one of the changes that we are excited about is the new Welcom Video on our homepage. Take a look and let us know how we did. Yes, we were reading our lines but, hey, we are fisherman not actors. I think Linda looks great. This welcome video gave us another new idea that is coming soon. It will be another video so stay tuned. We would also like to thank everyone who commented on Trip Advisor and for the great reviews. We are now number 1 in reviews for Ontario fishing lodges. These reviews are very important for new guests and we are very appreciative for the comments.
We want to mention that weeks are really filling up fast so if you are on the fence about coming up to Canada to fish with us, please give us a call or email. It is only 106 Days, 1 hour, 32 minutes and 45 seconds until opening of the fishing season at Manotak Lodge. Can you feel the jerk on the line. Can you smell the Walleye frying in the pan. You are not dreaming, it happens at Manotak Lodge. Remember to watch for our Live Dock Video Cam starting in early May. I promise to blog more often.