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E-Mail us at: YOUR HOSTS The Bennings
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I hate getting up before I can see what I’m doing. But, after a steaming mug of coffee and a deep breath of cool predawn air, warm blankets and extra sleep are soon forgotten, replaced with anticipation of first-light walleye. Pushed by a 20-horsepower motor, the large, stable cedar-strip boat glides gracefully over the mirror - smooth water towards a drop-off and, hopefully, our first rendezvous with a West Arm walleye. At the entrance to Round Bay, I allow the boat to drift quietly to where the water drops quickly, from 5 to 30 feet (1.5 to 9 m). Its an excellent location to ambush walleye sneaking up the slope to feed on the abundant pan fish in the shallows, Rods rigged, I thread a lively dew worm onto an Erie Dearie, a stinger hook added to prevent missing short-strikers and depleting our worm supply.
My oldest son, Patrick, who likes to brave these early morning ventures with me, is using a traditional three-hook worm harness with white beads and twin silver spinners. We cast into deep water and began a slow bumping retrieve up the underwater slope. The location is perfect. The wind is still. The sun is just beginning to push a thin pink band over the horizon. Morning mist hangs like a veil over the water. All is calm and peaceful. I don’t know how long we’ve been here, because, after the initial anticipation of big fish vanished, I drifted into a trance, mesmerized by the beautiful northern-Ontario scenery. Casting became hypnotic, and catching fish was secondary to the enjoyment of the moment. Patrick’s loud cry of "Fish On!" though, breaks the silence and startles me back to reality. After a brief struggle, Pat guides a 3-pound (1.36 kg) golden walleye to my waiting grasp, where it’s admired, photographed quickly, and gently released. After that first fish, we land a couple of 2-pounders (.9 kg) for the pan. Then, as the brightening sun sends the walleye scurrying back into the dark depths for the day, we head back to the cabin for breakfast, satisfied and knowing we’ll be back in the evening for a repeat. Even though we release many of the fish we catch, there’s still nothing to compare with a plump walleye fillet, fried to a golden brown and served with sizzling potatoes and onions, at the end of a long day. I can taste it even now.
Brian Benning, of Lucky Strike Camp, says that few anglers come here specifically for muskie. "Serious muskie anglers are missing out on some great opportunities," he adds. "Fish in the 30- to 40- pound (13 to 18 kg) range are relatively common. Muskie are frequently caught along The Elbow to Musky Island stretch, through The Narrows to Deer Bay, and in Warren Bay." "I don’t fish for muskie myself," says Benning, "but casting large crankbaits seems to be effective for other anglers. I don’t see many big fish taken by trolling." That’s odd, and probably a reflection of the lack of serious muskie hunters. The channel from Warren Bay to east of Squaw Island is another place to try for muskie. Gerda Loewenberg of Shuswap Camp says a 45-pounder (20.4 kg) was caught recently within casting distance of her dock near Squaw Island. Ruth Hauta of Samoset Lodge adds that the best muskie fishing is from the end of August through fall. Fishing aside, the scenery and topography are
everything you’d expect from the lower regions of the Canadian Shield. Rolling hills,
deep ravines, fragrant pine forests, granite outcroppings, steep cliffs, and gentle slopes
all surround the blue water of the West Arm. Angela Martin of Welcome Lodge suggests guests make use of some of the abundant Crown Land along the shoreline to pull up their boat and stretch their legs, enjoy the scenery, or prepare a tasty shore lunch. The West Arm more closely resembles a river system than an extension of a large lake. It meanders here and there, with long fingers that seem to be trying to penetrate the rock to join the French River and cut a path to Georgian Bay. It also boasts some of the deepest holes of the entire lake system. One hole in Warren Bay bottoms out at more than 79 feet (24 m). Extending west to The Elbow and then turning abruptly north to Musky Island, where it once again turns west until it slowly blends into a Canadian Shield marsh, the main channel of the West Arm is more than 15 miles (25 km) long. Some of the narrow bays range from 2.5 to 5 miles (4 to 8 km) in length. Places to stay are plentiful, but well spread out. Accommodations vary from camping to full American Plan. Even with the abundance of housekeeping cottages and lodges, the area is so vast that you are barely aware of the existence of other lodges. You can try your luck on your own, or camp owners can put you in touch with a local guide to get you into productive, little-known hotspots. We stayed at Welcome Lodge located on the mainland just off the south tip of Musky Island, and central to many excellent fishing locations. Like all the camp operators, Gary and Angela Martin were a great source of information on the local fishery. According to Gary, some of the best walleye fishing takes place from spring into early summer. In fact, several springs ago, an 11-pounder (5 kg) was caught right off their boat dock. If the great fishing we experienced in August was any indication, the spring and fall fishery must be fantastic. No matter where you stay, don’t overlook the information available from the owners of your cabin or lodge.
Brian Benning, of Lucky Strike Camp, likes simplicity. "One of the best techniques is to simply hook a worm, add a couple of split-shot, and fish the outside edge of weedbeds in 9 feet (2.7 m) of water. If you’re in 10 feet (3 m) of water, you’re on the mudflats. If you’re in 8 feet (2.4 m), you’re right in the weeds. Trolling the outside edge with an electric motor and a dew worm is all you need to do." Live bait seems to be the local preference. Not that
lures don’t work. The philosophy seems to be that live bait works, so use it. While
worms are the favorite for walleye and bass near Musky Island and east of Warren Bay,
closer to the main lake minnows are preferred, say lodge owners. Gerda Loewenberg says an
emerald shiner on a chartreuse jig head is a killer combo for walleye. "The dropoff
right under the Hwy. 64 bridge can be productive for summer walleye," she says. She
adds that walleye fishing is excellent until late June and then it tapers off until late
August. Ruth Hauta of Samoset Lodge also recommends a chartreuse jig and a minnow or a
worm. Early in the season, she advises walleye anglers to try east of Squaw Island. In
late spring and summer, fishing is best around Houseboat and By: Lloyd Fridenburg
NIPISSING
From the ice and rocks through the whispering
pine
To awake from the cold with a new song to
sing
Then far down the lake a loon calls his mate
The long night is over there's a new day to
run,
For he readies himself to run the great race,
Then here and there as the weather grows
fair,
The ducks and the geese return to the north,
So now the snow melts and the rivers they
flow,
Causing rocks to crack and their voices cry
out,
From all of these sounds and the beauty you
see
It's a song of new life and the promise of
spring
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The West
Arm is one of those hidden treasures of the Near North that’s often overlooked by
anglers heading for more well known hotspots of Lake Nipissing proper or the French River.
Yet, boat traffic on the West Arm is minimal, and there are hundreds of miles of sheltered
shorelines to explore. Even when the wind blows, there’s always a quiet bay or
sheltered fishing spot to tuck into. There are deep bays, shallow bays, points with deep
drop-offs, long inlets, islands, weedbeds, sandbars, humps, saddles, and submerged logs in
backwaters. Whatever your fishing preference, the West Arm has something to offer. A
diligent angler can find plenty of bass, walleye, whitefish, pike, and, with patience,
elusive muskie. 
They
can eliminate much trial-and-error fishing. Everywhere looks great, but like any
waterbody, some areas of the West Arm produce best, at certain times, both seasonally and
daily. Evening can be one of the most productive times of the day for walleye, with the
added bonus of magnificent sunsets accompanied by the melodic calls of loons. Following
Gary’s directions, we took a leisurely boat ride to the east tip of Musky Island,
where large weedbeds taper off to deep-water mudflats. A light northwest wind was blowing
just hard enough to entice us to try our luck at drift fishing for walleye and bass.
It’s a good way to cover a lot of water and, at the same time, use a variety of
fishing techniques, says Gary. You can drift with worms or minnows bouncing along the
bottom or suspended just over the weeds, or you can cast lures to cover an even larger
area during a single drift. Once you tie into that first fish, use landmarks, your depth
finder, or a tossed-out marker bouy to continuously drift over the same structure where
more fish are often waiting. 
Honeymoon Islands, on the edge Warren Bay. For
bass, "small, flashy spinners cast along weedbeds or structure work well in
summer." Back at Musky Island, just as the sun was touching the top of the pine
trees, I cast a brown and orange Rattlin Fat Rap towards the drop-off. I had barely begun
a pumping retrieve when the rod was almost yanked out of my hands. As the straining line
began to head skywards, I suspected the culprit was a smallmouth bass, not a walleye. Then
it dove, unseen, and ran like it was demented. When I finally managed to get it close to
the boat, it took off under it, my rod bowed nearly double. I thrust it into the water in
a desperate attempt to keep the line from snagging on the bottom of the boat. I heard a
loud splash on the other side, and then Pat hollered "Wow, did you see the size of
that thing!" Finally, he slipped the net under a 5-pound (2.27 kg) bronze- back
– a highlight for our summer visit to the West Arm. Besides bass and walleye, we also
took a bit of time to fish for pike. My youngest son, Adam, caught pike to 5 pounds (2.27
kg) by casting a jointed black and silver Rapala. All the lodge owners say that 4- to
10-pound (1.8 to 4.5 kg) pike are common in weedy bays, but there’s always a chance
at tying into a 15-pounder (6.8 kg). Surprisingly, although Lake Nipissing itself hosts a
huge ice fishery, Shuswap Camp is the only lodge on the West Arm to offer ice fishing.
Gerda Loewenberg says fishing is good for walleye, whitefish, and pike from Squaw Island
and east to the main lake, with the first two weeks of ice-in being the best. An emerald
shiner fished on bottom usually produces. It seems the West Arm’s ice fishery is a
sleeper. Gary Martin, says catching whitefish by jigging spoons just under the ice is
common. His kids do it just out from the dock. For winter walleye, try near bottom, he
says. For most of us, though, the open water seasons are when we seek out those special
lunker holes. Whether you chose to fish the mouth, The Elbow, or the Musky Island areas
– the main channel, backwaters, or one of the myriad of long bays – the memory
of sampling the West Arm will constantly tug you back to explore more and more of this
largely overlooked fishery. 