lake nippissing Fishing Report 2023

20 passangers, 16 Yellowtail, 46 Bonito, 100 Rockfish. It’s not easy. But if you are willing to grind the full size yo-yo lure on every stop you may just have a very good day.

Nov. 11

                Not a very good day for us today.  I wish I could call it a travel day too but we did a lot of fishing, just not catching.  Well, we did need to travel for 4 hours of the day to put us in position for tomorrow, so maybe I can call it a travel day.  Anyways, the weather today was pretty crappy when I first woke up and not much better when we arrived to our first fishing destination of the day at 7:00 AM.  That could be why the wahoo weren't there and biting.  But after 3 hours there, the weather was nice.  The wind backed off and the ocean flattened out.  Unfortunately 12 miles below there the current did a 180 and the wind picked up a little and things got jacked up.  The swell and chop were coming from every which way and we couldn't pick a smooth course.  We got our roll on for most the rest of the day.  Spot #2 looked like we could've caught a bunch of nice yellers but the skip jack wouldn't let us have any of it.  They were hitting everything we threw in.  That's alright though.  We needed the chunk for tomorrow.  We did get a few nice yellows though.

 

                After that we had a delicious cheeseburger and some took a nap during our 20 mile move.  I had high hopes for this place but it was not to be so we threw in the towel a bit before dark to make sure we give ourselves plenty of time to get to our next destination.  We'll be hunting for cows tomorrow.  We need a little luck and by that I mean good timing.  The fish need to be on the bank tomorrow for us because above here didn't seem like the answer for the last couple of days. 

 

                Mama Bear: Though we only caught a few wahoo today, your little rascal caught one of them.  His first wahoo.  I guess the ritual for that is a deck hose soaking?  I never heard of that but he got a drenching after that one.

Still heading up today. Prospecting for Tuna. Limited loads and culinary excellence is a huge factor in every long range fishing experience. From 1.5 - 23 days we always keep the standard set high! Here we have veteran crewmen Chris, nick name (Slider) dishing out some sliders on a recent 1.5 day trip for an afternoon snack, right before the delicious final night Filet Mignon dinner. Slider has been doing this since the early 90s and still has the same fire as he did back then. Right on Slider! We have a day and a half trip departing Friday July 20th

GREAT 1.5 TRIP WITH CAPT. J.J.!!!! APOLLO fished Colonet with 25 anglers for 5 Yellowtail, 30 Lings & 215 Rockfish. Checkout their next available trip. Book now before it's too late. Call Fisherman's Landing @ (619)221-8500 to get your reservation.

Captain Mike Pritchard checked in with an final wrap-up from the Tribute out of Seaforthl.  Today we had 27 bluefin (1 shy of limits) 2 yellowfin (first of the season) and 16 yellowtail for our 14 anglers today in flat calm weather.

Often times the very FIRST piece of the puzzle is the most difficult to locate. Today we stopped on multiple small schools of yellowtail that were surprisingly hard to hook. Full size yo-yo jigs on 40 lb mono produced the first 2 yellowtail of our season. We also spent a couple hours fishing the bottom to assure everyone had plenty of white meat. We’re hoping this is just the tip of the iceberg. Make those resos !

~~Oct.16-20
 So for the last few days, I was either too busy to write a report or just too tired.  I knew these blogs wouldn't be making it out here until tomorrow anyway so I figured I would just do a 4 day report to explain the remainder of our trip down below so here it goes.

 When I left off, the sharks backed off and allowed us to have a great afternoon and we were hoping the sharks would do the same thing they did last year after the first couple of days which is leave.  That didn't happen.  It was a sharky trip for sure.  Brown Reef Sharks were in the picture for the remainder of the time we were down there.  Sometimes they were relentless and we'd have to pull anchor and go trolling for wahoo and other times they would back off just enough to allow us to scratch at the tunas and then other times they would back off completely.  They weren't tuna eaters though.  They let us wind in what we hooked, but they loved our kite baits.

 Anyways, we still had an excellent trip down there sharks or no sharks.  There were a lot of windows of opportunity and there were some slow windows as well.  There was almost always a window where we would get at least two cows before sunrise, and after that it never stayed consistent.  If we didn't need to sleep it would've been convenient.  I know we missed plenty of tuna bites in the dark hours through out the night but that's when we would sleep.  Like I said though we had an excellent trip and here are the numbers to prove it.

 130 yellowfin tuna and 60 wahoo for 8 guys for 6 days.  54 tuna kept.  11 over 200 lb's, 5 that may go when we weigh them on the dock scale, 6 between 170-180 and the rest were 100-150 pounds with much fish being in the 120-130 pound class.  We also released 76 of those too!  One release estimated to be around 200 pounds and several in the 150 pound range and like I said, many in the 120-130 pound range.  Our largest was 240 and next in line was a 234 pounder kept.

 Here are the team jackpot totals: 1st place goes to Charlie and Craig with 2 fish totaling 453 pounds.  2nd went to George and Scott with 2 totaling 414.  George also had 5 tuna over 200 pounds by the way.  One per day besides the last day.  3rd place went to the Jer-bear and JC with 399 pounds, and Brian and Bernie finished just behind them with 396 pounds.  None of this is official.  We still need to weigh them oin land.

 And that's basically how fishing was down there.  Here are some things that stand out to me while we were down there.  First of all I'd like to talk about KC.  I'm not saying he was scared, he just didn't seem too pumped on fighting one of these fish we call cows.  He wasn't the first or fifth for that matter to jump on a spot on the kite for example when one was available.  On the third day it couldn't be avoided.  He got up on that kite and when he did this particular time he hooked a big one and he handled it as well as anyone.  I mean he kicked that fishes @$$.  He came to battle and he won.  It taped out as a 193 pounder.  After that it wasn't hard to get KC up on the kite when a spot was presented.  It went from where the heck is KC, to him not leaving the rail at all.

 I let Mark know the Raiders lost.  I did it in a mean way too.  His birthday was the 16th I believe, and Chef Mike baked him a cake and we all sang happy birthday and when it was over, I gave him my birthday present which is spilling the beans on lying about the Raiders beating the Chargers.  Ha ha Mark.

 The weather was a lot less steamy the last few days down there.  It was still hot, but once the clouds went away it didn't feel like a sauna there anymore.  Although myself and a few others got the worse case of burnt lips we ever had.  I did it in a dumb way too.  I knew I should go get my chap stick from my room on the first day down there but my lips did;t feel like they were getting chapped so I thought, because of the humidity my lips weren't drying out and I didn't need protection.  Dumb, stupid and idiotic.  My lips may not have dried out but they still got as burnt as ever.

  So that's it.  We now travel for a few days.  The crew has plenty to do.  Clean, clean clean and sleep.  The passengers will be sleeping and celebrating a wonderful trip.  We'll be trying to break up the ride on our last day of travel by looking for a dorado kelp but that's still not for a couple more days.
      

 

Guadalupe Update

7/27/2011

Passports

 

Dear Polaris Supreme Anglers,

 

I hope this letter finds all of you well.  As summer fast approaches we have gotten final Guadalupe questions answered.  And below I have done my best to try to convey them all to you.

Not all trips will go to Guadalupe.  Last year there was already excellent fishing at Guadalupe mid July.  In a normal water temperature year like we have now, we start to see Guadalupe produce good yellowfin by mid August.  So mid July, mid August is the time slot we may start fishing Guadalupe.  Your guess is probably as good as mine.  But we do know if the yellowfin do show, they will be there in full force by September and October. Either way we want to be to be prepared for any scenario.

Passports, Visas, Mexican Permits, and Guadalupe Permits (one bracelet for each day of fishing at Guadalupe) will be required by all passengers on all trips four days and longer from July 18^th on that may go to Guadalupe.  This is a Homeland Security US and Mexico Customs and Immigration requirement to go to Guadalupe Island.

I realize the logistics seem very complex, but all you, as a passenger will need to acquire, will be a passport.  We will acquire all other documents.

The decision to go to Guadalupe will be made four to five days prior to departure.  This will give us time to prepare our forms, and notify our customs brokers, (Us and Mexican), Department of Homeland Security, Customs, Immigration, Agriculture, and Coast Guard.

We need your passport information now!

Our decision to go to Guadalupe will be made on the basis of whether there is good fishing or not at the Island, weather, input from charter heads and passengers as to their desire to go.  The Captain and owner will make the final decision based on the above-mentioned and any other issues that may come up.

 

A typical route on a five-day trip would be as follows:

     Day 0 – Board 9:00am * Depart Landing11:00am * Depart Bait Receivers 1:00 pm

                   It is 60 miles from San Diego to Ensenada * Arrive Ensenada 7:00 pm *

                   Two hours to clear * Depart Ensenada 9:00 pm

 

     Day 1 – Fish day light until dark off shore for albacore, bluefin, and yellowtail on

                  kelps.  It is 182 miles from Ensenada to the North end of Guadalupe and 196

                  miles to the south end.  217 miles from San Diego to north end of Guadalupe.

                  237 miles to south end.                                   

 

     Day 2 – Fish Guadalupe daylight and on into the night for yellowtail and tuna.

 

    Day 3 – Fish Guadalupe until dark.  You could also go back off shore at the end of the

                   Previous day to fish albacore, bluefin, and yellowtail on kelps this day.

 

     Day 4 – Fish off shore for albacore, bluefin, and yellowtail on kelps.  We must be within

                  60 miles of Ensenada by 4 pm to be into Ensenada by 10 pm to clear out of

                  Mexico.  Depart Ensenada midnight.

    

     Day 5 – Arrive San Diego customs 6:00 am.  One hour to clear.  Arrive back to the

                  dock 7:30 am.

 

The typical scenario for a four-day trip would be one day less at Guadalupe.  If indeed the Island was the main destination.  The time involved to target Guadalupe on four and five day trips will not allow us to have time to fish Cedros or Benitos.  Six or seven day trips will.

This is the longest expected clearing times.  We are hoping to keep Ensenada down to one hour and San Diego down to a half hour.  There is no scheduled check in into Guadalupe, but we expect to be inspected by Conapesca and/or the Mexican Navy.

Only on trips going to Guadalupe requiring clearance there will be a clearance fee of approximately  $3260.00  divided up amongst the passengers on board.  This will cover the cost we will be required to pay in and out of San Diego and Ensenada for customs, Immigration and Agriculture.  Other cost will include the following

 

Cost 5-Day:  (carrying 24 people)

                      Mexican Fishing Permit $ 87.00 (cost incurred on all trips to Mexico)

                      Mexican Visa  $25.00

                       Daily Guadalupe Bracelet  $ 5.00   (per day) times 3= $15

                       Clearance Fee  $135.00

 

                       Approximate total $257.00       

 

Our bait dying in Ensenada Harbor has been a question brought up and will not be an issue.  Ensenada Harbor is very clean, if not cleaner than San Diego Bay in the summer when there is no runoff.  It is also cooler than San Diego Bay and chance of red tide is slim in both bays this year with no El Nino. 

 

Thank you all for your patronage.  If you have any questions or concerns please call me or Susan at the Polaris Supreme office.  619-390-7890

 

 

Thanks,

Tommy