Return to Canada Returns Dividends of Good Weather and Great Fishing

[Mustang]

Our group was able to return to the North Channel of Lake Huron on the Canadian Side for the first time since spring of 2019, prior to the onset of the Covid Pandemic. Submitting your vaccination information as directed within 72 hours prior to entering Canada makes entry seamless.
We were fortunate in that minus an all-day rain on Monday we had near-perfect weather, and incredible fishing. The four of us literally caught hundreds of a combination of Northern Pike, Muskie, Walleye, and Smallmouth Bass. The pike were consistent at 22 to 28 inches with no "trophy" 40 inch class wall-hangers boated. We caught and landed two Muskie - a 45 incher and a 50 incher, and had two other major muskie encounters. Walleye were small but plentiful allowing us enough to catch enough to feed six of us, and the smallies were amazing running from 16 to 20 inches, with a large number of 20 inchers - all caught and released. The only fish that went in the box were the walleye.
In addition to good weather and great fishing there were absolutely no bugs evident on this trip. That is a first. Normally, I return home with my legs resembling a checkerboard, but no Black Flies, Deer Flies nor mosquitos on this trip. We will count our blessings.

You can read my complete fishing trip report complete with pictures by clicking the link below:

https://bmustangs.com/schabs-annual-canadian-fishing-trip-one-to-remember-good-friends-good-food-and-great-fishing/

[CincySportsFan]

Great pics!  Glad you had a good time.  Did you take your own boat(s), or did you charter?  (Just wondering how gas prices had affected the charter business.)

And I, too, am shocked by the lack of bugs you encountered.  As far as I know, the state bird (or at least the UP portion) of Michigan is still the mosquito.

[Mustang]

5 hours ago, CincySportsFan said:

Great pics!  Glad you had a good time.  Did you take your own boat(s), or did you charter?  (Just wondering how gas prices had affected the charter business.)

And I, too, am shocked by the lack of bugs you encountered.  As far as I know, the state bird (or at least the UP portion) of Michigan is still the mosquito.

We traveled in two vehicles, one pulling a boat and the other not.  We rented one boat up there.  The going rate for a rental ranges from $650 to $950 Canadian ($1.35 exchange) per week.  Our total costs for gas for the truck pulling the boat was $750 round trip.  Boat gas was $2.45 a litre, or about $9.1 a gallon.  We used 56 litres of gas.  IF you can arrange it a two week trip is more cost-effective than a single week, since the cost of going up and back i8s the same.

Cost off the cabin was $475 each and splitting the cost of the renal boat was $475 each, plus food, license etc.  We also split the trip into two days, staying overnight at Saulte Ste. Marie the night before going into camp.  All prices quoted are Canadian.

They did have a warm/hot early spring, which, as you stated must have killed off the bugs.