My trip begins with a flight from Norfolk, Va. to Omaha Nebraska, where I joined up with my brother Mel Lancaster and his fishing partner Keith Hennings. We visited a super market to purchase the supplies we would need at the Lodge in Canada, checked our clothing and fishing gear, double checked the flat (500) of night crawlers Keith had purchased, and set off for a 14 hour drive to the end of the Winnipeg highway at Big Whiteshell Lake.

THE ARRIVAL>

Upon our arrival at lakeside, we unloaded the truck, stacked our belongings on the dock and called the lodge to announce our arrival. Within a very short time a boat came across the lake and pulled up beside the dock. We loaded all our gear on the boat and headed back across the lake. After a two mile ride, we pulled in to a dock with two four wheel drive trucks and trailers waiting. The lodge employees loaded all our belongings into the trailers and we were off for a 2 mile ride along improved logging roads to the lodge at Crowduck Lake.

As we rounded the last bend, what came into view really surprised me. There were six cabins, neatly aligned, with porches and charcoal grills in front. I learned that each cottage is identically equipped with a wood burning fireplace, large screened in porch, thermostat controlled propane wall furnace, propane refrigerator with small freezer, propane hot water tank for hot and cold running water. There were two bedrooms,. each with a double bed, plus a set of brand new bunk beds. The bed linen and bath towels and washcloths are furnished. The bathrooms have a shower, tub and toilet

After getting all our food and clothing put away, we went down to the office and got our fishing licenses and maps of the lake. We then proceeded down to the boat docks to load our fishing gear into our boat. Each cabin has it's own dock and boat(s) assigned. The boats were 16-1/2 foot aluminum v-hull with a new 25 HP Honda engine.

BARBLESS FISHING

We each carried three rods and reels, plus a small selection of spoons and crankbaits. Our primary method of fishing was to be using slip bobbers and night crawlers while anchored, or to use Lindy rigs (a small version of our flounder rigs) while drifting for Walleye. The other aspect of this Northern fishing I had to get used to was the law throughout Manitoba that every lure or hook attached to a rod must contain a barbless, or crimped barb hook or lure.

FISHING RULES

I had to really study the general limits rules for Manitoba, and am not sure I understand them yet. For example, the limit on Northern Pike is 6 per day, with one fish allowed to exceed 30-inches; smallmouth bass had a possession limit of four fish, 16-inches or under, with the size exception being if the fish is to be taken and mounted; for Walleye, all fish had to be released. I want you to know it was really difficult to constantly release three and four pound Walleye.

MASTER ANGLER AWARD

Manitoba has a Master Anglers Award which is similar to our salt water citation program. The minimum lengths for the Master Angler Awards for the fish we would catch was: 41-inches for Northern Pike; 18-inches for smallmouth bass; and 28-inches for Walleye. If an angler releases his Master Award fish, he needs two witnesses to sign his application and the award will be forwarded.

LAKE FEATURES/FISHING

Crowduck Lake is Eastern Manitoba's largest body of water. There are 16 islands of various sizes, and an irregular, 75 miles of shoreline. The lake is 10 miles long and six miles wide, with the deepest water at about 90 feet.

We departed, and after about a five minute ride (my partners have been coming here for eight years), we stopped behind a small island and dropped two anchors in about 15 feet of water. The technique here was to rig slip bobbers, so that the night crawlers would be just off the bottom. Within a very few minutes, the first bobber went under and the fishing was on. We caught about 20 smallmouth bass from this spot, ranging from a tiny 4-inches, up to three or four pound fish.

After tiring of catching smallmouth, we decided to go and drift for Walleyes. Again, we motored a very short time and stopped behind two islands with a favorable wind which would drift us directly parallel to the islands in about 18-25 feet of water. I came into contact with my first Lindy-rig for Walleyes. It looked similar to out flounder rigs, except that there were no skirts, just beads and a spinner with a tiny hook at the business end. We began our drift and started catching fish almost immediately. At the end of our first day, we had boated 20 smallmouth bass and 35 Walleyes.

We used the same methods throughout the lake for the next four days. The fishing was fabulous and the weather, with the exception of one day (rainy) was excellent. We used the 500 night crawlers we brought with us plus about 150 that one of our neighbors gave us.

Our totals for one day (Wednesday) were not as high as the other days because we concentrated on trolling/casting for Northern Pike. This day we decided to try large Dare-Devil Red-eye spoons and deep diving crank baits. We caught several Northern casting and several trolling. We caught a total 12 smallmouth and 24 Walleyes, plus seven Northern Pike.

DAILY TOTALS

To give a general idea of the fishing available, here are our daily totals: Saturday (arrival day), 20 smallmouth and 35 walleye; Sunday, 40 smallmouth and 20 Walleye; Monday, 24 smallmouth and 12 Walleye (Mel lost a big Northern right beside the boat); Tuesday, 44 smallmouth, 9 Walleye; Wednesday, 12 smallmouth, 24 Walleye and 7 Northern Pike; Thursday, 56 smallmouth and 44 Walleye.

I caught a Master Angler Walleye, measuring 28-1/2-inches and my brother Mel caught a Master Angler smallmouth measuring 18-1/4-inches.

All told, we caught over 300 fish from 4-inches to over 35 inches (Northern Pike). Most of our fish came in water 30 feet deep or less, but we did prove to some of the professional Walleye anglers present in camp that Walleyes can be caught in deep water by methods other than back-trolling. On our last day we drifted down the middle of the lake in 45 feet of water and as you could see, our totals were 44 Walleyes.

Upon arriving at the dock at the end of the day, lodge personnel assisted in securing the boat and if we brought any fish in they would find out if the fish were to be taken home, or were to be consumed at the lake. All fish to be taken home were wrapped, marked and frozen. All we had to do was to catch them.

The fishing boats were very comfortable with padded swivel seats and the new Honda outboards were excellent. We fished all over the lake for 6 days and used a total of 15 gallons of gas.

EATING

We ate like kings. Steaks, chicken, ribs, bacon and eggs, sausage and eggs, pancakes, French fries, onion rings and fish. We would cook the meat on the grill at our cottage, but all we had to do was to cut up the potatoes and onions and take them to the cook-house and the lodge staff would cook them for us and deliver them to each cabin. On fish nights the lodge staff would cook the fish also.

DEPARTURE

The day we left, the truck and trailer was in front of our cabin at 4:30 AM. We began loading and at 5 AM we headed back down the improved logging road to Lake Whiteshell. Upon our arrival at the lake, our gear was loaded in the boat and we headed back to our original starting point. We arrived and as soon as Keith brought his truck down, we loaded it and at 5:27 AM we "hit the road". After clearing customs, stopping for gas a couple of times, grabbing a bite and stopping to potty, we arrived back in Omaha at 7:30 PM, culminating one of the best fishing trips imaginable.

With the exception of the plane ticket to Omaha, the cost of this fishing trip was excellent. I don't think anyone could have gotten a better deal, anywhere "up North".

Owners Nick and Bill Kolansky and their staff are to be commended. They really know how to make a wilderness fishing trip a little closer to true home life. With the exceptions of no TV, telephones or pagers, all the other comforts were there for us.

I checked on getting reservations for next year and found that they are booked for at least two years. I can plainly see why. Most of our cabin mates have been going there for many years; one couple 28 years; one 24 years; one 16 years. etc.

For future reference, remember Manitoba and Crowduck Lake, truly a wonderful place to fish.