Man the time is flying by so quick! With bass opener just a few days away, I have been really busy. However, I did get away for a day's fishing with Jacob Watters of WFN and friend Dave Chong. The plan was to vertical jig on Lake Simcoe for whitefish and lake trout, but the light winds forecast didn't pan out on Simcoe. When I arrived at the ramp we were greeted by blusterey winds and whitecaps. Time for plan B!

Dave Chong and Jacob Watters with one of the day's average sized walleyes.

We decided to head to the Kawarthas for some walleye fishing. You wouldn't have guessed it was the same day! Warm and calm, and occasionally no wind at all. Jacob and I started with bucktail or hair jigs, while Dave went with a Finn-Tech Title SHot jighead tipped with a green pumpkin/chartreuse-tail Slammer. The hair jigs got on the board first with two walleye right away. After a bit of a slow period we decided to change spots. While the bite was tough, we caught walleye at a steady rate. The Title SHot and Slammer combo started to make a difference as Dave would drop the 1/4 ounce weedless bait into thick weedclumps and trigger inactive eyes. Overall we caught a total of 15-20 nice walleye - not bad for a late start!

Finn-Tech Title SHot jighead tipped with a green pumpkin/chartreuse-tail Slammer.

I let Jacob try my St.Croix Legend Extreme rod with a 2500 Ardent spinning reel spooled with 15 lb Spiderthread braid. Well, I think he liked it because it was quite some time before I got it back! Good sensitive equipment is important when walleye fishing!

We shared a lot of laughs and have made plans for a day of hardcore bassing on Simcoe in July. We also taped some great tips for the WFN website - all in all a great day on the water!

For bass opener I'll be in Orillia at the town docks for Dave Chongs annual Catch a Dream tournament for Big Brothers and Sisters. I have been a participant in this event for about 5 years now. A child is teamed up with a boater, along with their big brother or sister for 3 hours, followed by a barbeque and awards presentation in which every child leaves with prizes - the smiles are priceless! I think a ride in a cool, fast bassboat is as big a thrill as catching fish! For me, it's a way to give something special to a child that may not get a chance to enjoy a day on the water otherwise.

On the Sunday, Dave Chong and I will be competing in the CSFL Casey Creber Cup out of Orillia. I enjoy fishing tournaments on Lake Simcoe and have been fortunate to win two events there in the past. We plan on going out and scouting some spots before we actually fish. With bass season not yet open, we will won't have rods in our boat but will instead rely heavily on our Lowrance fish/chart units as well as polarized glasses. Hopefully I'll have good news in my next blog.

Until then - stay safe.