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| SportsWednesday, August 15, 2007 11:07 PM CDT |
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Fishing: Local guide becomes ‘pike specialist’ in Manitoba
Twin City fishing educator Jim Crowley admits to being addicted to northern pike, though he’s perhaps best known as a Central Illinois bass fisherman and guide. The pike affliction is inherited from his father, who first took him to Canada as a boy to hunt the big toothy fish. Dad would be proud. As of this month, Crowley is officially recognized in Manitoba as a “pike specialist,” a title reserved for fishing aces who boat at least five pike over 41 inches in their lifetime from Manitoba waters. Incredibly, Crowley hooked and landed three of his qualifying northerns on his latest trip to Dunlop’s Fly-In Lodge & Outposts in northwestern Manitoba, where he was researching an upcoming story for the Canada Fever edition of Midwest Outdoors magazine and to take pictures for Travel Manitoba. The adventure lasted just 2½ days. In that brief time, he and his boat partner, lodge owner Jerry Dunlop, boated and released six fish over 45 inches. Crowley’s biggest was 46.5 inches. Dunlop nabbed one that stretched 48 inches. One of the major pluses was the fact long boat trips were unnecessary. Crowley either caught or witnessed seven pike reaching 41 inches or more within sight of the lodge. “I don’t know how I’m going to top this one. If I’m going somewhere in Canada, I’m not ever going anywhere better,” he said. “The forage base is so strong, it just grows monster fish.” The lodge is on Lake Waskaiowaka at the mouth of the Little Churchill River. The lake is teeming with eelpout, an oil-rich fish that provides one of the main food sources for major predators. As a result, Waskaiowaka boasts big walleyes and its pike have big shoulders like they’ve been taking a cue from Barry Bonds. Of 331 pike over 45 inches caught in Manitoba last year, 31, or nearly 10 percent, came from Waskaiowaka, Crowley said. “These were the thickest fish I’ve ever seen. Without question, it’s the best place for big pike I’ve ever seen,” he said. Before Crowley arrived, the region experienced unusually hot weather for the far north, with record highs reaching 104 degrees. Northern pike as well as other species had moved away from shore. Lake Waskaiowaka is a clear lake, so weed lines are relatively deep. That’s where pike were centered, and Crowley and Dunlop used large 1½-ounce jigs with 5-inch plastic swimming baits like Sassy Shads to reach them. After a cold front passed through, bigger pike moved shallower into the weeds. The anglers targeted them by swimming ½- to ¾-ounce spoons or Mepps spinners over the top off the vegetation or letting them flutter down into holes like wounded baitfish. The pair averaged 130 fish a day. Most were in the mid-30 range or larger. Dunlop used a 6½-foot heavy bass setup with only 14-pound line. Crowley used a heavier 7-foot All-Star pike rod and 50-pound Stealth line. Provincial law requires all hooks be barbless. Visit www.dunlopfishing.com for information. Bass teams conquer Erie Two teams from the Twin Cities placed high enough in the standings at the Illinois Bass Federation Nation Regional last week on Lake Erie at Sandusky, Ohio, to qualify for the Bass Club World Championship Oct. 8-10 on the Red River at Shreveport, La. The Mackinaw Valley Bassmasters finished second. Team members were David Thompson, Bobby Evans, Brian Koch, Dave Fritts, Thomas Kaufman and Eric Varner. The Bloomington Normal Bassmasters finished sixth. Members were Jamie Maisenbacher, A.J. Menssen, Scott Bree, A.J. Bailey, Mark Dyer and Andy Menssen. In addition, three of the top four weights were taken by members of the two teams. Maisenbacher was first overall, A.J. Menssen was third, and Thompson was fourth. Though smallmouth fishing at Lake Erie is legendary, the bite was slow for that species, according to A.J. Menssen. Anglers switched to target largemouth bass instead both on the main lake and in protected bays and marinas. Best tactics included DT6 crankbaits and plastic baits on weed lines and in lily pads, he said. Tournament notes Dale McCumsey and H.R. Kirby caught a limit of five bass that weighed 11.23 pounds to win Saturday’s Fishers of Men series at Clinton Lake. Bryan Thrasher and Mark Mixel were second with 9.74 pounds, including the big bass of the tournament at 4.40 pounds. Bryan Williams and Michael Sanders were third, enough to win the title of 2007 Division Champions. Teams qualifying for the Midwest Regional Championship Sept. 21-22 on Lake Wissota in Chippewa Falls, Wis., include Williams and Sanders, Terry Potts and Ian Estes, Travis Boley and John McKinney, and Marlan Brown and Debbie Brown. Scott Richardson is Pantagraph outdoor editor. Phone (309) 820-3227 or e-mail srichardson@pantagraph.com. Read past outdoor and fishing columns or take part in online discussions at www.pantagraph.com/blogs. Get area high school sports scores and statistics at Varsity Sports. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.
To: Hey all of you wrote on Aug 16, 2007 9:33 AM:
hey all of you wrote on Aug 16, 2007 9:22 AM:
Steve Irwin wrote on Aug 16, 2007 8:53 AM:
Jimbo wrote on Aug 16, 2007 8:47 AM:
not a pike wrote on Aug 16, 2007 7:34 AM:
Jimbo wrote on Aug 16, 2007 6:02 AM:
thank you.. wrote on Aug 16, 2007 4:24 AM:
Al Pescatore wrote on Aug 16, 2007 2:50 AM:
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