Pasha Lake Multi-Species Report

As we close out the first full week here in the Pasha Lake Cabins (PLC) corner of northwest Ontario, all I can say is “WOW”. What a week.

Mother Nature handed us plenty of lemons. From ice, to a brutally cold “nor’easter” parked over us for 3 days, to downright awful winds, guests experienced everything imaginable. Yet, with sheer determination and an unrelenting devotion to angling, guests persevered and were able to land some impressive multispecies bag limits.

Kicking of Saturday’s walleye opener, we’re astonished as some of our favorite lakes still had ice pack floating. Unshaken, we turned to the local river systems, several tributaries that ultimately find their end in Lake Nipigon.

Second year guest and avid outdoors man Jeff Eldridge (Michigan), his crew of 3 and myself, hit a little known system that finds its beginnings in my favorite all time trophy walleye lake, Onaman. Armed with my notebook full of past fishing adventures and experiences, I bead lined to places with fast moving water. I felt male walleyes would be relating to those areas, feeding pretty heavy. The result? Throw that dang notebook out the window! It was useless!

Instead, we ended up playing cat and mouse, trying to locate active fish. Eventually, working from 35 – 25fow, I laced into a 17” eater and with that, we broke the ice (literally in some cases) for the 2013 walleye season.

I was however, and still am, a little thick headed. I’ve landed spring walleyes in deep water in other rivers and lakes, but never in this location. So with self deprecating stubbornness I forced myself to forge on, pounding shorelines, working multiple points, long line trolling and yet, always seemed to migrate back to the deeper water where we’d found the active fish hours before. By day’s end, our efforts paid off by everyone catching multiple limits of walleyes, quite a few pike and some impressive jumbo perch.

Once back to the main lodge and comparing notes with other guests, there were definitely mixed reports. The common theme seemed to lay in focusing on river systems, deeper water and being able to brave the elements.

But, the big question that has tied up our phone lines and almost crashed my email, is what are the ice conditions on Lake Nipigon? The short answer… as of Thursday, the shorelines had mostly broken up, and the ice was receding, but a significant ice pack still kept us at bay. It should be safe early next week. Until then, I won’t have specific details. But when I do, believe me, I’ll back them up with pictures.

Come Saturday check out, there were some battle harden guests that earned the right to wear their angling stories as a badge of honor. The elements shook them up, but the fishing kept them coming back for more. Included in this week’s report are multispecies pictures from groups such as Faught (father and son crew), from Hoad (another father son group) and from Jensen – winners of the NPAA donation.

The weather looks good and fishing should rev up, especially now that we are officially ice free!

Until next time!