Nestor Falls Trip

So ive been invited on a trip to fish near Nestor Falls. Ive never been into Canada on a fishing trip and the last time I was in Canada was as a teenager crossing over in the BWCA in Canoes. Needless to say I have some things to learn about different rules and ordinances. I enjoy having a few beers while fishing. I heard somewhere that you cannot have alcohol of any kind while boating in Canada. Is this true? Also, with all of the islands around that area im assuming the bottom structure is changing a lot. Is it advisable to have a lakemaster chip for Canada to be safe? In other words, do you need to boat cautiously?

crappie55369 wrote:

I enjoy having a few beers while fishing. I heard somewhere that you cannot have alcohol of any kind while boating in Canada. Is this true?

Quite true, don’t keep booze in the boat at all or do so at your risk. They really don’t like it.

crappie55369 wrote:

Is it advisable to have a lakemaster chip for Canada to be safe? In other words, do you need to boat cautiously?

True again, those that aren’t cautious have problems. Small ones like wrecked props, bad ones like missing lower units, worst problems of holes in the hull. Rocks are not where you think they are when just looking around. I don’t know Nester Falls but this is true of almost all the lakes up there.

thanks patk. glad I asked

Where are you fishing up there? Is it an accessible lake or a fly in? I just flew out of Nestor Falls on a trip. You don’t have to worry about the booze thing because you are isolated.

I would agree on the lake map and caution when navigating these lakes. The rocks seem to pop up out of nowhere where you would least expect them.

Remember you are a guest in a foreign country. When going through customs remove your sunglasses and hat. Look directly at the agent and answer his / her questions. This is not the time to practice your comedy routine.
If you decide to drink in the boat be prepared to pay the fine. They will drop right out of the sky to check you. Or maybe not. It’s your choice, their country their laws.
With the best map chip it will only show a small portion of the water hazards. Know where you are going and wear your life jacket.

Matt Moen wrote:

Where are you fishing up there? Is it an accessible lake or a fly in? I just flew out of Nestor Falls on a trip. You don’t have to worry about the booze thing because you are isolated.

While i may agree that you are less likely to encounter the OPP on a fly-in, do not think that you are 100% safe. I have some friends that flew in to a lake last summer near nestor. During the week, they had a surprise visit from a warden and OPP officer who dropped in via float plane for a routine check.

They got tagged for alcohol in the boat and overlimit – as they had a trout in the boat for shorelunch in addition to their 1-fish limits back at camp. According to the officers, it was merely a random check on a route of many fly-in lakes. That random check cost them a few dollars.

In many cases map chips as you are used to here are useless on lakes in Canada. The area we fish mid-June in Canada is void of detailed map chips. If I go about 200 yards South, I have 1 foot contours otherwise there is not a thing marked. This is on my Lakemaster and Lowrance chips (2012). The Navionics chip that I have will show general hazards but be sure you KNOW how to read it. Example, they will show dangers like rocks, but very little depth markings. There was a hump marked with a rock (everything is rocks up there) and it had the numbers 2 with a 6 right next to the 2, but it was a little below the 2. My buddy thought it meant 26 feet. Took off across the area and tore the lower unit off his boat. If he had come from the other angle he probably wouldn’t be here because it would have been an abrupt stop!

Border crossing, advice about removing sunglasses is spot on. Answer questions as short as possible. Since it has been a while since you were in Canada be prepared to answer this question: “When was the last time you were in Canada?” if that question is answered by a significant number of years be read for this one: “Why did it take so long to come back?” How do I know this? LOL because it happened to me. I wasn’t expecting it and I was caught stammering because I couldn’t remember the exact number of years. My response to why it took so long to come back was that I never had another opportunity.
The reason they ask that follow up is they are looking for people who may have a checkered past and that is why they haven’t come back.
DWI’s or significant criminal charges in your past you should probably think about a backup plan if they turn you back. You don’t want the whole group to go back if you have to. There are no hard and fast rules as to whether or not they allow folks with criminal records in, its more or less based on the mood of the border agent.
You can only bring crawlers in bedding (not dirt) if you plan to bring any live bait. No leeches, minnows, etc.
You can bring alcohol with you, just don’t have it on the boat with you when you are fishing. You are allowed to transport to your place of stay, but it needs to stay on shore.
This year the crossing was a breeze. The lady was very nice and didn’t even charge a duty. We have paid a duty every other year getting in.
Know the fishing regulations! Not sure if the lake you are on with have unique regs, but most lakes in the NW Ontario region have similar regs. Sport license 2 walleye daily, only 1 over 18.1″. You may keep 4 in possession, but NO MORE than 2 from a given day. If you keep fish and eat it on a given day, that number goes toward your daily/possession limit. So if you eat 2 fish on a day and have 3 in the cooler (from previous days) to bring home you are over the limit.
Its a beautiful area and I look forward to the trip every year. The weather has been a bit of an issue each year for us, but we are camping on an island so we get impacted more than someone at a cabin. 70MPH wind gust came up one night and blew my boat sideways on the shoreline. Thankfully nothing really happened to my boat because we tied it off fast enough, but that is a bad thing to have happen when you are 22 miles from civilization.

Interesting….I have never heard of a warden flying in on any of the lakes we go into. Not to say it doesn’t happen but seems rare. Seems to me they would need a specific reason to do so. Maybe they do some targeted enforcement. We would be in trouble for the beer but we’re careful about the fish limits at all times.

I agree with Dutch on the border crossing. We’ve never had issues and bring the officer a complete list of what we are bringing across. Open the windows as you are pulling up, take off hats and sunglasses, have your passports ready and be courteous. Seems like common sense but isn’t always practiced.

thank you very much for the tips and input. much obliged! We are fishing LOTW in the nestor falls/souix narrows area. To be honest I am not a big part of the planning part of the trip. My buddy’s brother and son are targeting musky up there and my buddy just asked me if I wanted to come along. It worked out that I could take off work so im kinda coming along for the ride, but exited to do so. Ill be targeting walleye, lakers, and smallmouth though. Im not much of a musky fisherman. We are driving up with two boats and a fish house to sleep out of. Assuming we are getting a campsite. Incidentally any recommendations on the campsite in that area would be great

Gas is paid for by the liter in Canada(and it’s more expensive, I guess that’s more relevant than how they charge you), so it’s usually a good idea to fill up on the MN side if possible. At least that was true the last time I was up there.

Beer is also more expensive in Canada and I think you are only allowed 1 case/person over the border without paying duty. I don’t know if it’s cheaper to bring more cases and pay the duty or just buy it up there. I think I remember beer being about $30/case up there, but could be wrong.

Definitely not a good time to try to skirt any regulations, there are horror stories I’ve read(not sure how true) of people getting fined per beer in their coolers or other crazy stuff.

If you’re not used to hauling your boat long distances it’s probably good to bring some emergency items, tools, spare tire, etc. Other guys would be able to give you better trailer advice, but I know to make sure the bearings are lubed up and it’s probably not a bad idea to have a spare hub/bearing kit or something in case those go out.

The woods/rainy lakemaster chip is very good for lake of the woods. If you plan to target lakers you will need to go to whitefish bay, through the mechanical portage, or trailer up to Sioux narrows. You could also try crow lake for lakers.

Beer and gas are cheaper on the MN side. Typically saves a few bucks per case if you just pay the duty at the border. I’d try and buy before you get to intl falls, though. Have a list and even the receipts when you cross the border to give the agent for your beer/liquor.

Bait seemed to be about a wash. I think it’s easier to buy it up there then try to haul it.

Matt Moen wrote:

Beer and gas are cheaper on the MN side. Typically saves a few bucks per case if you just pay the duty at the border. I’d try and buy before you get to intl falls, though. Have a list and even the receipts when you cross the border to give the agent for your beer/liquor.

Bait seemed to be about a wash. I think it’s easier to buy it up there then try to haul it.

thanks Matt. Why would you need to provide receipts to the border agent?

Beer is about $60 a case….. buy it here and pay duty if your taking more than a case… duty on a case about $18/case, making it less than $35/case if you pay duty. (they ask you the value of your booze, to figure duty.. we paid $295 duty a month ago for our booze)

Technically you are supposed to have receipts to prove the amount and value to the border agents. We have had the receipts with us but never been asked to show them. We always just gave them a written list of the booze and tobacco we had and that was OK.

Worst case they will inspect the car if you don’t have a list or receipts. We found that having everything ready was appreciated and helped us cross the border quickly.

I bought beer (Labatts and Moosehead) in Kenora on 6/24 for $40/per 28 case of bottles. With the exchange rate in our favor, it comes out to low $30s per case. We take out 1 case across and buy on the other side, to us buying it in Canada makes it taste better (there is a slight taste difference between buy it here and up there). Cans are more $ up there

Mmmm, Canadian beer does taste better. Labatts are delicious!! Try it at least once. Figure a case a guy per day, 5 days, yeah our boats had more beer than gas when we went to fourstrokes!!

Haven’t been on the annual trip for some time now, but was told they had the wardens fly down on them last year. Overlimit on last day for lunch and takehome. They let one guy take the heat and got a mighty fine ticket for the fish. Didn’t mention anything about the beercans everywhere I guess. It’s the gamble you take if you want to.

Crossing with fellows who have dwi’s and whatnots on their records made it super slow, always a hassle getting through. Either waiting in the border office for hours and/or the complete dismantling of the trucks, but in the end we always got through. One guy didn’t years ago, but he had terroristic threats on Obama or the gov or some crap like that, long story.

Miss it, hope you get to go and enjoy the spectacularness.

Labatts will put a hurtin on you up there…..i thought people were joking it was stronger. I might have redeposited a half a case in a parking lot after a long night drinking a couple years ago.

Can’t do bottles on a fly in because of the extra weight. Since Crappie isn’t flying that price is about a wash.

big_g wrote:

we paid $295 duty a month ago for our booze)

Good Lord! Did you go through Baudette/Rainy River or Fort Frances/International Falls?

Pembina… 6 guys, 16 cases of beer and 8 bottles of booze.

big_g wrote:

Pembina… 6 guys, 16 cases of beer and 8 bottles of booze.

We had 4 guys, 8 cases of beer and 7 bottles of booze. 10 tins of chewing tobacco, 10 packs of smokes. $0 duty. Guess we were lucky. lol

you were fine on the tobacco…. and they did let you slide on the booze. We were 18 over and the guy is like, I can’t let this go….

Walmart sells these massive coffee cups with lids, not the best thermal, but awesome coffee cup for morning, then bloodys, then drinks later in day. Just as important to bring than bait

big_g wrote:

you were fine on the tobacco…. and they did let you slide on the booze. We were 18 over and the guy is like, I can’t let this go….

I guess! LOL

We are currently looking at staying at Tomahawk resort in Sioux narrow looks like it is on white fish bay. I’m having problems finding other camp grounds in the area that have electric hookups. Also any thoughts on white fish bay it looks like it is really deep over there compared to big traverse bay which I’m used to fishing on the US side. Should we be looking at different area’s?

Tomahawk is NICE!!! Stayed there last year. Yep pretty deep there. The walleye guys were running to yellow girl. Muskie and pike guys were in whitefish bay.
Have a good map or chip.

Dutch thanks for the feedback I’ve booked a site at tomahawk for us!!! Sounds like Crappie is picking up a new lake chip for that area. I’m going to plan on fishing mostly in the whitefish bay area but possibly running over to yellow girl to get some eater walleyes for meals.

walleye55369 wrote:

We are currently looking at staying at Tomahawk resort in Sioux narrow looks like it is on white fish bay. I’m having problems finding other camp grounds in the area that have electric hookups. Also any thoughts on white fish bay it looks like it is really deep over there compared to big traverse bay which I’m used to fishing on the US side. Should we be looking at different area’s?

One resort that is closer to the US side, but still in Canada with Campsites that have sewer/electricity is Buena Vista near Morson, ON.
I have never stayed there, but I checked into their resort a couple years ago for a family trip. This area of the lake will be a bit more like you are used to as compared Whitefish Bay. Give them a look. I talked to them a couple times and they seemed like very nice people.

We just got back this last Saturday and stayed at Crawford’s camp in Sioux narrows. We fished lake trout early and late in the day for Lakers and during the day for walleyes. If you go on Crawford’s Facebook page you will see my wife with a 10.5 lake trout that she caught, first and only of the trip, we caught six total with the other five being in the 2 pound range. We fished out past yellow girl bay for walleyes as we only caught one in whitefish Bay as supposedly it’s too cold of water there. The owner Matt put us on the lake trout!

Wow that is a nice lake trout!!! Any tips for the Lakers up there?