Big Abitibi Nip Combo Trip

So the original plan was to head up to my place with a couple other forum members and fish the last 2 days of the Nipissing Season. Well sometimes #$@% happens. Unfortunately one of the members had a serious family emergency and had to cancel. Than yours truly got #$%^&'d by the province when they dumped a surprise 2 day audit on me at one the water treatment facilities that my company operates. Audit was fine but it happened Monday and Tuesday meaning i was not able to facilitate the trip and had to cancel on short notice on the other member. I hate that.

Anyways i was able to take off the morning of the 15th and lines in the water just after lunch. Was a beautiful day but with just enough wind i put the shelter up. The Nip view on the last day of the season:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d1ad6d84_k.jpg

Bite was non-existent until about 5 pm. Than from that point until 745 pm i managed to ice 8 walleyes and lost a few to boot. They were remarkably consistent in size between 15 and 15.5 inches - just under the slot:

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Did manage one keeper at 16.5 inches:

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At dark i headed for the truck, loaded up and drove straight to the Super 8 in Kirkland Lake. Pulled in shortly after midnight. Hit the sack and slept until 9 than headed for Big Abitibi. Access is via a logging road for 20 km and than 10 km by sled. It is a very shallow lake mostly between 8 and 10 feet deep which means there is only 5 to 7 feet of water under the ice. Had lines in the water just after lunch.

The Abitibi view:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4698320e_k.jpg

The weather was warm and no wind so fished open air all day:

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Bite was steady all day - mostly golden eyes - kept 20 of them to try on the smoker. They are no good to eat cooked conventionally but smoked they are supposed to be quite good:

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And a few little gaffers like this:

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Was planning on hitting Abitibi again tomorrow but weather man says 30 to 40 cm of snow overnight and through the day tomorrow. Decided not to chance it as not sure the truck could manage that logging road with 40 cm of snow and pulling the trailer. Not a good place to get stranded - nearest cell signal is 25 km away and even that is spotty. Nearest reliable cell signal is 50 km away at the nearest town (Matheson). Regardless all and all a fun few days.

Your adventuring spirit is an inspiration. I loved doing that sort of thing in my younger years before kids, can’t wait to do it again. Great pics, looks like a fun time out.

Awesome trip Joe, glad not all was lost after our trip got cancelled

Sounds like you had a great trip Joe.To bad that the original trip didn’t pan out

Nice to see you still get out Joe, I know it was a whirlwind of a few days. I was able to get in a last minute trip to Simcoe with my father in law. Doesn't compare to the member trip we had planned, but good to get out one last time.



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Originally Posted by huntnmachine

Awesome trip Joe, glad not all was lost after our trip got cancelled

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Originally Posted by TaylorD

Nice to see you still get out Joe, I know it was a whirlwind of a few days. I was able to get in a last minute trip to Simcoe with my father in law. Doesn't compare to the member trip we had planned, but good to get out one last time.



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Well if your interested i am thinking of doing 2 days on Abitibi the weekend of the 31st. Have one other buddy who is tentatively saying he will go as well. Part of the reason i went in there yesterday was so i don't go in blind if bringing others in - never know the condition of the logging road and bush trail year to year. Road was actually better than last year and someone is in the process of cutting the bush back on the sled trail. So access (at least yesterday) is better now than it was last year.

I once sampled some of those little cigar-sized sauger when we did some lake survey work on Pierre, Little Abitibi, and Abitibi. Some of those tiny 11 inchers were 20-22 years old! They were carrying enough methyl mercury to kill an elephant. Maybe look up the consumption guide to see if they are considered safe to eat. Abitibi is one of the lakes that cost me a pair of underwear in my younger days. It is one very scary lake when the winds pick up. Rather then spending the night in the bush windbound, I was stupid enough to cross it in a 16 foot tin boat with a pos 25 Mariner on the back, in 35k plus winds. It was mid October. Three kilometers offshore and i knew I was in serious trouble. Waves were approaching 7-8 feet. It was impossible to turn back. I spent the next two hours surfing and keeping the boat on the crests as I travelled downwind. If I had hit the trough of even one of those waves I would
have been dead. When i hit the other shore I gunned it onto a clay beach and the surf came a good three feet over the back of the boat. I remember shaking like a leaf when I realized how stupid I’d been, and when I saw that my fuel tank had maybe two cups of gas left. The only lake that scared me worse than that was Nipigon.

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

I once sampled some of those little cigar-sized sauger when we did some lake survey work on Pierre, Little Abitibi, and Abitibi. Some of those tiny 11 inchers were 20-22 years old! They were carrying enough methyl mercury to kill an elephant. Maybe look up the consumption guide to see if they are considered safe to eat. Abitibi is one of the lakes that cost me a pair of underwear in my younger days. It is one very scary lake when the winds pick up. Rather then spending the night in the bush windbound, I was stupid enough to cross it in a 16 foot tin boat with a pos 25 Mariner on the back, in 35k plus winds. It was mid October. Three kilometers offshore and i knew I was in serious trouble. Waves were approaching 7-8 feet. It was impossible to turn back. I spent the next two hours surfing and keeping the boat on the crests as I travelled downwind. If I had hit the trough of even one of those waves I would
have been dead. When i hit the other shore I gunned it onto a clay beach and the surf came a good three feet over the back of the boat. I remember shaking like a leaf when I realized how stupid I’d been, and when I saw that my fuel tank had maybe two cups of gas left. The only lake that scared me worse than that was Nipigon.

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Didn't keep any of the sauger. Only goldeyes - don't even know if there are guidelines for them. Just finished making the brine 10 mines ago. Starting soaking the first batch just now. Plan is to have them ready to eat by midnight.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...74eef028_k.jpg

If they live up to expectation i am going back in 2 weeks to fill a couple 5 gallon pails.

Only ever been to Big Abitibi 3 times. Once in 1986 than last April and this past week. The thought of trying to cross it open water always freaked me out. Perfect size, orientation, and depth for epic rollers.

So found the guidleines for consumption of Goldeyes from Abitibi. Basically 8 per month for the size i was catching.

Those babies will be top notch goormet smoked. I had them once and they beat Superior tubalee hands down!

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

Those babies will be top notch goormet smoked. I had them once and they beat Superior tubalee hands down!

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Will let you know shortly. Only cause you posted on my thread from last spring that i even considered trying this. Actually some really good youtube vidoes and brine recipes from chefs in Manitoba where i guess it is more of a thing.

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

Those babies will be top notch goormet smoked. I had them once and they beat Superior tubalee hands down!

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Well the verdict is in. From this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e985e614_k.jpg

To this at dinner tonight:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...83b6e7ad_k.jpg

And a fish that every local i spoke to said was garbage was actually delicious. Flavor was just about perfect. Texture wise the thinner sections were good but the thicker pieces were just a bit soft. I am sure with some refinement to my process i can iron out those small texture hiccups.

Planning to head back in a week in half for 2 days to fill a couple 5 gallon pails - should be loads to experiment on and tweak the process.

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Originally Posted by Species8472

Well if your interested i am thinking of doing 2 days on Abitibi the weekend of the 31st. Have one other buddy who is tentatively saying he will go as well. Part of the reason i went in there yesterday was so i don't go in blind if bringing others in - never know the condition of the logging road and bush trail year to year. Road was actually better than last year and someone is in the process of cutting the bush back on the sled trail. So access (at least yesterday) is better now than it was last year.

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Thanks for the offer Joe, much appreciated, but I am heading for a last sled trip at Madawaska for a few days next week to clear my head from the loss of my best friend.
Terry

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Originally Posted by huntnmachine

Thanks for the offer Joe, much appreciated, but I am heading for a last sled trip at Madawaska for a few days next week to clear my head from the loss of my best friend.
Terry

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All the best Terry. Hope your trip is great.

Thank you

Great report and super photos Species8472! Thanks.

Sounded like a great trip good luck on your next adventure.

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