Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Heading to NW Ontario.

Mercury, no problem. Stack the fish in the freezer on their nose, tail up. As they freeze, the mercury will drop and end up in the head. Thaw and clean. No problem.

Since we were in that area from 45 to 50 years ago I have to think that is long enough for the mercury to accumulate in the river and in the fish population. Anyway as long as it doesn't disturb you enjoy the fish.

Jim

You eat the 15-16" walleyes and throw the big ones back to spawn and get even bigger. Before they had the slot size up there, we kept and ate those big ones. If you get the Conservation license you eat fish like a seal when you are up there, but don't bring any back. I wouldn't take my own boat up there #1 because of the rocks and #2 they net the lakes that you can drive to and those fish end up at your local Red Lobster. We were scooting along up there running wide open out in the middle of the lake when I saw a gull on the water and didn't think much about it. Then as we got closer it was wait a minute, there is air under that gull!!! That bird saved me a costly repair. Have a great time up there. It is a heck of a fishery.

Do you ever get out on Dinorwic?
Making our annual trip to Sioux Lookout next month, always grapple with the thought of stopping and fishing Dinorwic and/or Wabigoon on the way
Have a great trip

I'm wondering why the mercury doesn't affect those big wallleye.

I wish I hadn't played with all those mercury dimes as a kid.

hi Jim

I don't know if any remediation proceedures have been done in Wabigoon Lake, but as you might know, Ontario has quite a good program regarding mercury and other pollutants in lakes as a result of Ontario's Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program.

See Overview including advice to mimimize Hg intake

If you know the lake, go to search for a lake or area like Dryden

you can then click on Lake Wabigoon and get a table of fish species, size and recommended consumption rates

What you get is quite detailed and looks like this: Lake and species and size-specific recommended max meals per month


As already noted, release the big fish, eat the small fish -- I absolutely love walleye, but I think I'd get sick of eating walleye long before I get close to the recommended limit as long as this practice is followed.

I really miss walleye and often salivate on my keyboard when wabigoon or new_2_99s post their damn pictures of fishing and fish dinners!

John

Richard,

I'm curious. How did a farmer from Iowa get hooked up with a place way the heck up there?

I'm heading there in a couple of weeks with some buds I used to work with. They tell me the skeeters are not near as bad in the later summer/fall. Really looking forward to it. Safe travels and good fishing!

Rooster, my grandparents built this place about the time I was born, that was of course, as a long time ago.

I've been told my grandfather, a gravel contractor, visited a contractor in Omaha that was a fisherman. I'll guess that was a man named Wheeler. If I'm correct, Wheeler owned an island on Wabigoon Lake.

We are both tiered after the drive, and nothing ever seems to work the first day, or so. I've been fighting the TV for my wife. I spent about a hour with our Roku to no avail. It may be a device that was programmed in the US will have to be redone for Canada?

Interesting story, Richard. Thanks.

Sorry I can't help you out with the Roku. I know nothing about it.

Jim, It's not in the lake per se, it's downstream from the mill, carried by the Wabigoon river.

Welcome back Richard & Judy !

Richard stopped into my shop, as I was typing the last reply !

& thank you, very much for the packages of beef liver !!

In 13+ years here, I have only fished Wabigoon Lake this last winter !

Never in the summer.

Too many options.

I'd love to meet Richard myself!

Super nice guy, but Judy is way better on the eyes !

Enjoy the stay, Richard. Have some TimBits for me at Tim Horton's. Best, John

We got out for about three hours today. Nice day, a bit cool, the lake was not rough. No keepers, a small jack,(northern), a tiny bass, and a minnow eating little jackfish. We shoul'd fried up the minnows!