Anderson’s Lodge Blog
Essential Gear for Walleye Angling
There are few feelings more pleasant getting out on the water to do some Walleye Fishing. With the morning fog rising off the lake and a warm thermos of coffee in hand, the exhilarating feeling of Walleye potentially striking your line is ever-present.
But if you want to make the most of your Walleye fishing adventure, you need to have the right gear. Having the proper tools at your disposal can make a world of difference. Here are some must-have pieces of equipment for your next Walleye fishing outing:
The Best Fishing Rods for Walleye
When it comes to Walleye fishing, the rod you choose can be the difference between a fantastic day on the water and going home empty-handed. The ideal rod for Walleye is medium-light to medium in power with a fast action tip. This allows you to sense the light bite of a Walleye and gives you the backbone you need to reel in your catch.
Effective Walleye Fishing Lures and Baits
The right lure or bait is critical in Walleye fishing. There’s an old saying among seasoned anglers that 10% of the lures catch 90% of the fish. When it comes to Walleye, some of the most effective lures include crankbaits and jigs. Don’t forget live bait like minnows or leeches, which can be a Walleye’s dinner bell!
Other Essentials for Your Walleye Fishing Trip
Beyond rods and lures, there are a few other items we highly recommend for any Walleye fishing trip. A good fishing line is crucial for its low visibility underwater and superior knot strength. A quality tackle box will keep your gear organized, a handy fishing net will help land your catch, and never forget your comfortable life jacket for safety!
Whether you’re an experienced angler or a beginner, having the right gear is half the battle. And once your have the right tools, put them to the test at Anderson’s Lodge. in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. Our lodge sits on a beautiful chain of lakes that feature plentiful Walleye, as well as a handful of other species. We’ll take care of accommodations and dining so you can focus on fishing. If you have any questions or want to make a reservation, please feel free to contact us today!
How to Prepare and Cook Lake Trout
There are few things more satisfying than devouring a fish that you personally caught. In fact, one of the best parts about fishing is enjoying the fruits of your labor and perhaps feeding some family and friends as well. However, if you don’t have a plan going in, you may not like the final product.
Anglers who live around the Great Lakes or Canada may be familiar with Lake Trout. It’s not necessarily the most popular fish to eat, but when prepared correctly, it makes a fantastic meal. Here’s how to take the fish from catch to plate:
The Catch
The first step of the process is obviously to actually catch the Lake Trout. Once that part is done, you have to work quickly to prevent the meat from spoiling and to minimize the suffering of the fish. Knock the fish unconscious with a specialized tool to stop it from squirming. Then “bleed” the fish by cutting into both gills with a sharp knife. Dip it into the water and massage the back to help the blood pour out. Once the blood flow stops, put the fish in a cooler on ice to chill until the day is done.
Preparation
Once you’re home or wherever you’re going to cook the fish, it’s time to start the preparation. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to gut it first, right down the middle. Take out the organs and any other innards. You then cut around the fin and behind the head before cutting all the way down the center bone on both sides to create two filets. You then cut the rib bones off each filet before removing the skin, fat, fin bones, and dark meat.
Time to Cook
It’s important to keep in mind that Lake Trout will be a bit oilier than other fish you’re used to. But everything you took out in the preparation process should improve the taste. How you choose to cook the fish is really up to you. They’re often pan fried, baked, deep fried, and boiled. There are an endless variety of recipes online so find one that sounds appetizing to you.
If this has convinced you to try Lake Trout, but you don’t live in an area they’re native to you, it might be time to plan a trip. Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is a perfect place to do it. We can offer you world-class accommodations with the best staff-to-guest ratio in the area, in addition to a wonderful fishing vacation. Make a reservation today!
Tips to Successfully Fish for Walleye
There are multiple reasons why Walleye are such a popular species to fish for in certain areas. Perhaps the most important reason is they taste good and can be cooked in such a variety of ways. They also have a striking and unique appearance and provide a challenge for many anglers as an elusive, good-sized fish.
So, it makes sense that an angler of any experience level would target walleye. But if you’re new to it, there are some things you should know before you head out there. Here are some tips to successfully fish for Walleye:
Know What You’re Looking For
If you’re going to catch a Walleye, you’re going to need to know what one looks like. They can be any where from 12 to 27 inches when fully grown but are more likely to be around 20 inches and slightly under 10 pounds.
Their physical characteristics include: a dark green back, a gold or white coloured belly, yellow flecks, a sharp dorsal fin with roughly a dozen spines, a white blotch on the tail, a large silvery eye, and a large mouth with noticeable teeth.
Know Where to Find Them
While Walleye are now stocked all over North America and many places in the world, they’re most likely to be found in Canada, the Great Lakes region, the Upper Mississippi River basin, and the Missouri River basin. This species tends to enjoy cool, deep waters in rivers and lakes. They’ll spend much of their day closer to the bottom of the water, so you can usually find them there. But they’ll make more appearances in shallow water during the spawning seasons of May and June.
Use the Right Lure/Bait
Catching one or more Walleye will likely require using various tactics. At the very least, you should be ready to improvise if what you’re doing isn’t working. Since the vast majority of a Walleye’s diet is smaller fish, minnow-imitating lures are a great choice to attract them, especially as they go deeper in the water.
If you’re going to use live bait, minnows are still a good choice, as are nightcrawlers and leeches. This should work basically all year long. Artificial hard baits are great for use in the spring and fall while soft plastics can be used all year long.
Try Different Methods
Many anglers will try to catch Walleye by jigging for them using lead head jigs tipped with a minnow. Brightly colored jigs tend to do the job most effectively, but neutral colors tend to work better in low-light conditions. Depending on what works on a given day, you can cast and retrieve slowly or add some twitches and jerks. When doing so, you should let the jig hit the bottom of the lake or river.
Meanwhile, fishing with a lure provides you with the opportunity to cover a lot of water in a short amount of time. This is a good tactic to use when Walleye are actively feeding and is generally done using crankbaits, jerkbaits, and blade baits.
Another tactic you might want to try with any of these baits or lures is trolling. You can do this by pulling one or more baits or lures behind the boat, which can help you cover a lot of ground and also easily find some fish. You’ll want to make sure you add enough weight to the line so that it stays deep in the water.
If you’re looking do some Walleye fishing this year, Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is a perfect place to do it. We can offer you world-class accommodations with the best staff-to-guest ratio in the area, in addition to a wonderful fishing vacation. Make a reservation today!
Tips for Taking Kids on Their First Fishing Trip
As a kid, going fishing for the first time with a parent is an important rite of passage. Tagging along on a fishing trip is an equally special experience, if not more so.
And from a parent’s perspective, it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to share the sport you love with your children over the course of a multi-day trip. Of course, it won’t be quite the same experience as just going on a trip with your friends. Here are some tips for how to get the most out of the experience with your children:
Keep It Simple
Your children might already be overwhelmed being in a new place on a body of water they’ve never seen before. You might want to start by targeting a species that you know is going to be a little more eager to bite. And it’s important to also keep things simple as far as the gear goes. The goal should be to master the equipment they’re using before they move onto anything more complicated.
Make it About Them
Much like other aspects of being a parent, you have to make your child’s first fishing trip more about them than about you. This means focusing on helping them catch fish rather than worrying about how many you’ve caught. It’s also important to show them how fun and rewarding a fishing trip can be, even when you aren’t necessarily catching the most fish.
Make Sure They’re Ready
A fishing trip should not be a child’s first time out on the water. They should have a few shorter fishing excursions under their belt to help them understand what the sport is all about. By the time they’re ready to go on a trip, they should have some baseline understanding of what they’re doing and also some appreciation for fishing. It’s also important to make sure they’ll be ok with spending multiple hours on a boat for a few days.
If you think your child is ready for their first fishing trip, consider Anderson’s Lodge in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada as your destination. Our lodge sits on a beautiful chain of lakes that feature plentiful walleye, as well as a handful of other species. We’ll take care of accommodations and dining so you can focus on family and fishing. If you have any questions or want to make a reservation, please feel free to contact us today!
How To Prepare and Cook a Walleye
One of the best parts of fishing as a hobby is if you have a successful day, you may just earn yourself dinner. If you fish in Canada or anywhere near the Great Lakes, you are likely familiar with Walleye. Maybe you’ve had it for a few meals.
But have you ever caught and prepared Walleye yourself? It’s an immensely rewarding experience that, if done correctly, ends in a tasty meal. Here’s how you do it:
When You Catch Them
The first order or business is obviously to locate and catch the Walleye. Once you do so, you should work quickly to both minimize the suffering of the fish and to prevent the meat from spoiling. You should knock it unconscious with a rock or specialized tool if you have one handy. Then you “bleed” the fish by cutting into both the gills from the bottom up with a sharp knife, which will sever the main artery. You can dip into the water and massage it along the spine to help the blood pour out. When the flow stops, throw the fish in the cooler to chill until it’s time to head home.
At-Home Prep
Once you get the fish home, decide if you want to remove the skin or not. Walleye can be eaten either way, but it’s generally recommended to remove the skin if you’re going to fry it. Next, you should remove the innards from the belly by running a knife through the belly from the anus to the neck. Reach inside and grab the innards, starting at the neck and pull down and out. Discard them and rinse the fish’s belly with water.
Prepare and Cook
The next step in the process will depend on how exactly you want to cook the Walleye. You may want to cut it into the steaks or filets or even just leave the fish whole. What you do next is limited only be your imagination and taste buds. You can cook it on a grill, over a fire, in your oven, on the stove, or even in a deep or air fryer. There are dozens of ways to flavor, season, or serve it so don’t be afraid to get creative or try something new.
If this all sounds good to you, but you don’t live close enough to do it, it’s time to plan a trip to do some Walleye fishing. Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is a perfect place to do it. We can offer you world-class accommodations with the best staff-to-guest ratio in the area, in addition to a wonderful fishing vacation. Make a reservation today.
Reasons to Take a Fishing Trip in 2023
If you’re an experienced angler, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about your next fishing trip. That’s especially true in the winter, when it’s difficult or nearly impossible to fish in many bodies of water across North America. If you’re a newer angler, you may be spending these months thinking about where to go on your first-ever fishing trip.
But far too often, we make exciting plans in our heads and don’t follow through with them. In 2023, make it a point to actually go on that fishing trip you’ve been dreaming of all winter. You can start to make it a reality by beginning to plan in earnest today.
There are any number of reasons why you should consider going on a fishing trip this year. Here are just a few of them:
A New Challenge
If you’re like many anglers, you have a favorite body of water to fish near your home. You may even have two or three. After enough trips, you can really start to understand the lake or river you’re fishing in. You’ll know where to find what species to find at a certain time. You’ll know what tactics to use to lure them in. You’ll become a master of that domain.
Travelling to a new location to fish in a lake or river that’s totally foreign to you can invigorate you by offering a new challenge. They may even have fish species that you’ve never had the opportunity before. This will help you sharpen your fishing skills, while also boosting your confidence as an angler. It’s also nice to see a new, potentially more remote area of nature that you’ve never travelled to before.
Strengthen Social Bonds
Fishing is a great hobby for so many reasons, especially because it allows us to become closer to friends and families. This is why so many anglers have “fishing buddies” and why so many parents who fish get their children into the sport. While it’s great to spend a few hours per week out on the water with a friend or family member, going on a fishing trip provides an even better opportunity to build those bonds. You’ll spend several days to a week together, helping each other and doling out advice as you take on the challenge of fishing in an unfamiliar body of water. Fishing trips with friends and family are a great way to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Relax and Get Away
Life can be stressful, littered with endless responsibilities and annoyances. The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse by making travel and enjoying a vacation infinitely more difficult. A fishing trip offers not only the opportunity to get away from work and life, but the chance to do so while consistently engaging in your favorite hobby. As a bonus, many of the best fishing trip locations are in remote areas, allowing you to relax in the quiet of nature.
Stay in A Lodge
If you’re going to go on a fishing trip, you should make sure you’re going to be able to focus on fishing as much as possible. Nothing allows you that opportunity more than staying in a lodge. When you stay in a lodge, you’ll get quite a few things that you wouldn’t otherwise get if you stayed in a hotel near the body of water you’re fishing.
The first benefit is easy access to the water without a commute. Then, of course, you may have the option of fishing with a guide if that’s something that you want. You also will not have to worry about meals as the lodge should provide you with breakfast and dinner at the very least and perhaps even a prepared lunch. And, of course, you can’t beat the comfort of a beautifully furnished lodge in a remote, peaceful area.
If you’re looking for a place to stay on your next fishing trip, consider Anderson’s Lodge in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. We’ll set you up with beautiful accommodations and an excellent dining experience to ensure you have the best possible experience on your trip. If you have any questions or want to make a reservation, please feel free to contact us today!
What You Should Know Before Fishing for Lake Trout
There are few things more exciting than targeting a new species for fishing for the first time. It’s a fun way to stay sharp and make the sport feel new to you again.
If you’re fishing in the Northern United States or Canada for the first time, you may be new to fishing Lake Trout. In that case, there are some things to know about the species before heading out onto the water for the first time. Here are a few of them:
Where To Find Them
Lake Trout are actually a pretty rare fish, all things considered. They’re native to the Great Lakes, New England, Montana, Alaska, and Canada. They’re artificially stocked in other parts of the world but can mostly be found in the Northern US and Canada. They prefer cold, freshwater, clean lakes with plenty to eat. You may find them close to the surface during the spring and fall, but as the temperature warms, they tend to swim as far as 80 feet deep.
How Big They Are
Lake Trout have quite the size range, depending on where exactly you’re fishing them. In some places, they may be as small as three to eight pounds. Other places, the average Lake Trout will be more than 30 pounds. It’s not exceptionally uncommon for them to exceed 50 pounds, and at least one on record has surpassed 70.
What They Look Like
The appearance of a Lake Trout will also vary, based on multiple factors. The fish can be light green/gray, dark green, brown, almost black. Regardless of the hue, the fish tend to have light spots all over and a light-colored belly. Lake Trout mature over the course of many years and can sometimes take on a silvery appearance when they age. They tend to have fins that orange or red in color. One interesting feature of a Lake Trout is the adipose fin on the back between the dorsal fin and tail fin. This fin is proof that despite its name, Lake Trout are not actually Trout. Rather, they are part of the Char family.
Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is a perfect place to fish Lake Trout for the first time. We offer world-class accommodations with the best staff-to-guest ratio in the area, in addition to plentiful lakes. Make a reservation today!
The Benefits of a Guided Fishing Trip
While every angler has a favorite body of water close to home, there’s an undeniable joy to traveling to a new place to fish in a lake or river that you’ve never seen before.
If you’re planning a fishing trip with friends or family in the coming year, there are no shortage of options. There are so many places and so many decisions to make. Should you stay in a lodge in a remote area? If so, should you use a fishing guide? The answer to that question is yes. Here are some of the benefits to making that decision:
Ability to Find Fish
While many of us wish we could spend every day out on the water, sadly we can’t. Work, life responsibilities, proximity, weather, and many other factors make it difficult to fish as often as we want to. But a full-time guide fishes hundreds of times per year as part of their job, usually in the same body of water. They’ll know where to find which kind of species you’re looking for at different times of day. As we’re all aware, knowing where a fish will likely be is a big step in catching it.
The Know How
While you likely know quite a bit about fishing, there’s always room to learn more. A guide can help you do just that, offering you pointers and teaching you about different species and fishing environments. They can even tell you which equipment you should use to catch which fish.
They’ll Handle Everything
When you fish with a guide, they’ll handle just about every aspect of the day so you can just focus on fishing and enjoying yourself. They’ll have the boat geared up and ready to go, they’ll know exactly where to take you, they’ll give you all the pointers you need. When lunch time comes, they’ll be prepared to feed you. Plus, they’ll be amenable to your wants and needs.
If you’re planning a guided fishing trip, Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is the perfect place to go. Our experienced, capable guides will help ensure that you have the perfect outing, complete with a shore lunch of the fish you caught cooked over a fire. Make a reservation today!
How To Identify a Walleye When Fishing
Walleyes are a popular species to fish for a very simple reason: they’re also a popular species to eat throughout the Midwestern United States and Canada. If you live in one of those areas, there’s a good chance you’ve had your share of Walleye in your life.
Your enjoyment of Walleyes may even inspire you to try to catch and prepare some of your own. But eating a fish after it’s prepared doesn’t exactly give your much of an idea of how to identify when you’re out on the water. If you’re new to Walleye fishing, here are a few ways to tell you’re dealing with the right species.
Size
The size of a fish is the first indicator of whether or not you’re dealing with the right species. Walleyes can grow to as long as 31 inches and can weigh up to 20 pounds, but they tend to be found in the 12-to-27-inch range. When you catch a Walleye, chances are it will be 20 inches or less and weigh less than 10 pounds. Southern populations of Walleye tend to grow larger than their Northern counterparts.
Appearance
Once you know the fish is around the right size, it’s time to start taking a closer look to see if its appearance matches what a Walleye should look like. The Walleyes that you’ll find in Ontario tend to have a dark green back, a gold or white coloured belly, and yellow flecks. They’ll have a sharp dorsal fin with a dozen or so spines, a black blotch at the base of the find, a white blotch on the tail, a large silvery eye, and a large mouth with noticeable teeth.
Where to Find Them
One of the best ways to find a Walleye is to know where to look. Walleye can be found in Canada, the Great Lakes, the Missouri River basin and the upper Mississippi River basin, as well as some places in the western and northeastern United States. They tend to enjoy the cool, deep waters of rivers and lakes. As nocturnal creates, they spend much of the day under the cover of aquatic plants and logs. If you’re looking to find them in shallow water, you can do so at night and during the spawning season of May and June. They’ll spend much of the summer in deeper water.
If you’re looking to go Walleye fishing, Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is a perfect place to do it. We can offer you world-class accommodations with the best staff-to-guest ratio in the area, in addition to a wonderful fishing vacation. Make a reservation today!
Why You Should Stay in A Lodge on Your Next Fishing Trip
There are few experiences more enjoyable than heading out on a fishing trip with friends or family. If you’re taking a fishing trip soon, consider staying in a lodge. There are so many benefits to staying in a lodge that will enhance your trip and give you the best possible experience. Here are just a few of them:
Easy Access
If you make the choice to stay at the lodge, you’ll be guaranteeing yourself easy access to whatever body of water you’re fishing. You’ll be able to wake up and get right out onto the water to get your day of fishing started. You won’t have to worry about commuting to the lake or river or trying to find a hotel close enough to the lake. Instead, you can go straight to the source.
The Peace of Nature
One of the best parts of heading out on a fishing trip is enjoying the peace, quiet, and beauty of nature. The last thing you want is a bunch of other boats and anglers out, disturbing your peace. Luckily, fishing lodges tend to be in remote areas, giving you plenty of space to explore lakes and river, surrounded by natural beauty and remote wilderness. You can leave behind the hustle and bustle of your life for a short time.
No Stressing About Meals
At the end of a long day of fishing, you can head back to your lodge and enjoy a hot meal prepared by a professional chef in a comfortable and inviting dining room. You won’t have to worry about making dinner reservations or finding the right restaurant. You can relax knowing that dinner plans have been taken care of and just worry about having a successful fishing outing.
If you’re looking to get the best experience on your next fishing trip, Anderson’s Lodge in scenic Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada is the place to go. We’ll set you up with beautiful accommodations and an excellent dining experience. Our dedicated team is committed to providing you with the best possible experience during your stay. If you have any questions or want to make a reservation, please feel free to contact us today!