2012 season ending summary,thankyou,and holiday wishes

As I sit in my office writing this thankyou and season summary the realization that as our last fishermen and hunters have left, this past season, our 18th, has actually come to a close is a sad one. It was an exciting and fast paced season and they just seem to start and end quicker every year. In reflecting back we were immeasurably blessed with an excellent season filled with outstanding catches, many repeat guests and friends, and new guests that we now also look forward to seeing again. Many memories and stories got passed around about those of you we have been fortunate to spend time with but were not able to come see us this past season or two and you were missed by all. We look forward to seeing and sharing with you all what Eagle Lake, the beautiful Canadian Shield, and the commadrie and friendships that make the AML EXPERIENCE what it is again soon. It is our life, and making your special times here memorable is what makes it worthwhile and fulfilling.

We all wish you a joyous and happy holidays and a prosperous year in 2012.

I keep trying to make the newsletter short and sweet but it just ain’t gonna happen,there’s just so much to talk about and catch up on that will help us all get through the winter till next season.
WE SINCERLEY THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU because of your friendships and loyalty 2011 was a very successful season and we are already looking forward to 2012 and committed to making it even better than ever for you all with good times and memories, high quality of experience and services, and the exciting fishing, hunting, and vacationing opportunities Eagle Lake and AML has long been known to offer.

Posted soon on the site,a mailing going out,and in an electronic newsletter to those of who on our data base you will find a 2012 BROCHURE with pricing, activities offered, some SEASONAL SPECIALS , and a schedule for this winters SPORTS SHOWS .

THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE RESERVATIONS PENDING FOR 2012,REBOOKED UPON LEAVING,OR INDICATED PLANNING ON COMING IN 2012, PLEASE PERSONALLY CONTACT US ASAP to be sure everything is correct regarding dates, pkgs. and requests before we hit the shows and the hectic booking season gets under way. IF YOU’RE PLANNING A TRIP AND HAVEN’T YET CONFIRMED OR MADE RESERVATIONS GET AHOLD OF US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so we can be sure and be able to provide you with your first choice of dates, accom., boats, favorite guides, and or adventure trips. It is becoming increasingly more difficult on last minute bookings but we will always do our best to accommodate your every wish.

This winter be sure and look us up at the sports show in your area. If you are planning to stop by and say hi, check up on and finalize plans, talk some fishing/hunting, etc., be sure and pop me an e-mail or give me a call prior and I’ll see about getting you passes for the show. It is always great to see you all, catch up on things, have a few laughs, and help plan your adventure.

We invite and encourage you to go to ANDY MYERS LODGE FACE BOOK PAGE and “LIKE”. Follow us through the off season, share, and contribute. It was difficult for me to keep up our first season on face book with personally taking care of guests, doing fishing reports and replying on the website, answering all e-mails and messages, guiding, scheduling, running camp, etc., etc.. Thru the winter I will periodically be posting pics and special events from last season as well as updates on show dates, contests we will be running with trip and guide date give a ways, etc.. You must “LIKE” to receive the important details. If you have any good pics or stories from 2010—2011 please post them for all to enjoy.

ANDY MYERS LODGE CAMP NEWS
The new boat house and dockside marina facility, much needed, was a nice addition to scheduled improvements and received great reviews weekly by arriving guests. However with the bad winter it took more time than projected to be completed by opener and we were busy with guests nonstop from then through season’s end so several other projects were shelved till this fall/winter. A new gazebo with a fire pit for fish frys, gatherings and socializing will be on the docket (we are contemplating a hot tub so let us know what you think) as well as new decks on several cabins, new carpeting and big screen tvs for the lodge,2 new guide boats,2 new upgrades, and refurbishing of many of the upgrade boat fleet are on the list for this winter/spring. The 50hp 4 stroke mercs with power trim upgraded from 40hp with manual lift that we always had previously on the outfitter upgrade boats were a big hit with better speed and power as well as ease of use. We will be upgrading to 90hp, 125hp, and 175hp this season on the guide boats to get you to the hot spots quicker and more fishing time.

On a sadder note Teresa who has been with us since we started as kitchen/housekeeping manager and recent years as cook has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatments. She is tough, determined, has been mother/guardian to many of us/you, and always went out of her way to be sure guests every need were well taken care of. The prognosis at this point is good and we ask you to include her in your thoughts and prayer groups for a complete and a God speed recovery.

2011 SEASON SUMMARY
The 2011 season started off with a more normal ice out at the beginning of the 2nd week of May with nice spring/early summer weather thru into June. Water levels were up and spawning conditions were excellent for all species just adding to the many year classes already coming up and adding to the exploding and diverse fishery that has made Eagle Lake famous.
2010-2011 PRICING AND SPECIALS GOOD TILL JAN 1
The opener which next season is May 19, thru the 2nd week of June was excellent and many who normally came later in the season took advantage of the spring specials but those of you who mention this newsletter are eligible for the SPRING SPECIALS for even more savings we are offering May 19-June 9 with bookings received before Jan 1 when the show season gets under way. Off special prime time dates receive regular 2010-2011 pricing for 2012 on bookings received before Jan 1.
In recent years I keep hearing at the shows that there has been a general misconception that May/early June is a gamble as far as ice out because of some late springs and ice outs a few years back that stalled some trips to those going to resorts and fly ins much further north. With our locality further south and the northern exposure to our section of the lake not once in 18 years have we not had ice out and ready for guests at least 2 weeks prior to opener. Actually the later the ice out and closer to opener the better typically the fishing is. Our regulars who know better have the opening day/early season passion and can’t wait to be the first on the lake after a long winter and waiting for open water, love the uncrowded, shallow water fishing typical of early season. Many are now finding or rediscovering the same. If you’re still worried about the opener for decades the last week of May and 1st week of June was always the first booked full for the season because of the good and predictable shallow water fishing. Typically weather is 55-70 degrees avg.. Perhaps think about it, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and the specials help out and make it very affordable.

The weather mid June thru summer was very similar to 2010, typically very temperate avg. mid 70-80’s though we did have a hot spell with temps in the 90’s for 10 days-2 weeks in July as did the rest of Canada and U.S.. The guests really appreciated the air conditioned cabins and lodge for a cool down at the end of the day and sleeping well at nite. Remarkably and conversely to common logic they moved very shallow, were aggressively feeding, and the fishing remained very good through the heat wave, actually better or at least as good as when it cooled off. While it was very dry further north and west most of the summer with many forest fires we were fortunate to have had timely rains, mostly in the evenings and those daytime were not extended for days resulting in only sporadic short fire bans. Nor did we have many bad storms and again most of them were at nite. What characterized the season regarding winds was south, southeast and east winds. Very seldom did we have west or north west winds for any duration which are typically our predominate winds and set up a lot of our structures for consistent and predictable fish movements especially for muskies . I believe it was one of the reasons for the off/on musky fishing throughout musky country both in the U.S. and Canada this season. Bugs were for the most part almost nonexistent with just a few mosquitoes here and there at dark. Sept. and Oct. avgd. 5-10 degrees above normal. While many of the diehard fall fishermen prefer colder, nastier weather, I personally thought it was quite pleasant fishing weather and we were catching fish so I’ll take it anytime as long as the fish are cooperating though I’m sure if we had more typical colder fall weather it may have been even better. We had a few windy days as can be expected throughout a whole season but for the most part the lake and Mother Nature was kind and very manageable. Overall it was God’s blessing to have been able to have spent time in the north woods last season.

When it comes to what brings many to Canada each season which is the fantastic fishing I can’t say enough about what is going on and happening with Eagle Lake’s fishery. What I predicted 5-6 years ago is now fact, plain and simple and a huge success story regarding the positive effects of intelligent slot/possession limits and c/r philosophies. The fishery has/ is, and will continue to explode and is blossoming into one of the most dynamic and diverse fisheries in NW Ontario.

The WALLEYE pop. is at an all time high with multiple year classes coming up, huge numbers of mid range slot fish and over 18-25”+ and opportunities at trophy fish 28-32”+ on any day. Largest walleye was 32” last season and there were fish 27-30” caught weekly. Guides consistantly avg. 60-100+ fish daily through most of the season. Whenever your schedule permits a good walleye bite is available throughout the season. They just change patterns/locations thru the season according to water temps, cover or lack of, bait fish movements, etc., and we are constantly in tune with it.

The SMALLMOUTH BASS pop. Is also growing steadily and the avg. size fish is 15-18” with plenty of 18-20”+ fish caught. If you are specifically targeting smallmouth look at dates from end of May through 1st week of July with 1st 2 weeks of June prime time and for a very overlooked, underutilized and hot bite with very big avg. sized fish last 1/3 of Sept and 1st ½ of Oct. There were bass to 22” and 6#+ caught last season.

I wouldn’t say the NORTHERN PIKE pop. is growing dramatically but with the slot limit to 35.5” and practically total c/r on over slot fish the chance at above avg. size fish is better than in a long time. The avg. size pike is 25-34” but there are 38” to the biggest last season at 46” caught often with 38-42” common which are nice big pike in the 16-20# range. For the biggest avg. size pike casting look at May opener, end of June/early July and end of Sept/Oct.. Mid May finds big post spawn pike shallow especially on the deep, clear boat cache trout lakes and with the walleye schools on eagle. Late June/early July on Eagle there are big fish using the newly developed weed beds before water temps get to warm and they head deeper. Mid July /Aug/early Sept a lot of bigger pike are caught fishing deeper on reefs or suspended fishing for walleyes on bigger crank baits and live bait rigs. Late Sept/early Oct and cooling water temps finds many big pike moving shallow again and probably your best chance at consistently boating pike 40”+. There are always some action sized pike 22-30” all season along reed and weed beds available casting spinner baits, twitch’n minnow baits, and buzz baits ready to provide action and tear up your baits.

The early season May thru mid/end of June LAKE TROUT fishing was excellent on the boat cache lakes with a lot of 20-40+ fish days. Fish typically avg. 3-8# though bigger are always a possibility and there are usually a few good sized incidental pike thrown in the mix. Once we got to mid July and into Aug when we typically boat some of our largest trout on Eagle with the heat wave this summer surface temps went into the low/mid 80’s. Some of the warmest I’ve seen. With our conservation policies of releasing all trout over 6-8# we requested guests to refrain from fishing for them because larger trout will have a high mortality rate when released with temps that warm so we didn’t target them as much mid summer as some years. But overall the trout pop. is in good shape and opportunities at numbers of trout 3-8# are best May thru mid/end of June and again late Aug thru Sept till closing end of the month. Best chances at numbers of big trout on Eagle avg. 8-18# with a shot at 20- 25#+ fish on any day are best late June thru Aug./mid Sept under normal water temp seasons when they are bunched up and concentrated in the relatively small areas of the trout holes and portage bay.

Whenever MUSKY FISHING is the topic and big avg. size fish, lakes with world record potential, etc. enter the conversation Eagle Lake is undoubtedly in the conversation. When it comes to resorts and guides that know what they are doing and give you an excellent chance at a fish of a lifetime Andy Myers Lodge will usually also be there. During a season where most fisheries across the U.S. and Canada had ups and downs when it came to musky fishing due to environmental and ecological factors that we can’t even begin to understand Eagle produced numbers of big fish again. Not that we didn’t also experience some ups and downs, tougher stretches and had to adapt and work at it to figure things out. But over all we did and had a good season with fish up and over 55” and a large number of fish 50”+ with many guests boating their personal best. The numbers of action sized fish 36-48” also keeps increasing spelling a bright future for Eagle Lake musky hunters. End of June thru July finds most action on top waters, tails, and jerks/minnow baits in weed beds and rock/weed combos. Aug. thru early Sept bigger tails, dawgs, top waters, and jerk baits are worked around weed beds and a lot of mid lake rock structures. Mid Sept. thru mid Oct. though remaining weed beds can be a factor we are concentrating primarily on rock structures and deeper breaks. Casting big rubber, ripp’n minnow baits and jerks, crank baits, big spinner baits and in lines are baits of choice combined with trolling and running bonus live baits have consistently produced numbers of big fish during this time period.

Sept 8 thru Oct 6 is the traditional FALL TROPHY MUSKY HUNT with all species and pkgs available at FALL SPECIAL PRICING. Always a good time with many repeat and familiar faces each year and lots of good fish boated. Besides the trophy musky fishing some of the best big bass fishing of the season is available and very overlooked, big pike start sliding shallow, lake trout are on a pre spawn bite, and you’ll catch all the walleyes you want.

Oct 6-13 and Oct 13-20 is the ULTIMATE TROPHY MUSKY HUNT. This is an inclusive event and everyone had a great time and were catching and/or around big fish daily. American Plan guided package only held during a prime time period with some of the best musky guides in the country and limited to 16 guests per week for exclusivity of guides and locations. Casting, trolling, and guides running bonus live baits on the hottest fall structures put you in the best odds at boating a trophy musky you can find. There will be seminars and rap sessions every nite in the lodge with some of the best musky fishermen in the country. Besides what you learn everyday from the guides on Eagle you’ll pick up tips you can use where ever you fish.

For diversity and from demand we are now offering GUIDED ICE FISHING PKGS . I’m sure many of you have seen some of John Gillespie’s Woods and Waters TV shows. It is his favorite filming trip of the winter season. There’s a video clip on the site and U Tube to see what it’s like. He had so many inquiries from the shows that we decided to make it an offering for all now that Danny is living in Canada full time and several of the staff guides are ready to roll too.. Watch for a new show this winter late Dec. or Jan. depending upon developing ice conditions this year. Only 1-2 groups per week will fish multiple lakes and species via snowmobile and atv traveling through wilderness logging rds, trails, and over portages with experienced, fully equipped guides. Walleyes, pike, lakers, splake, brookies, perch, crappies, bourbot are all game. Some weeks/long weekends are already spoken for so give us a call to see what is available.

Our 2nd season of GOOSE/DUCK/GROUSE/FISHING BLAST AND CAST COMBOS were full and went well. Very well actually considering the whole month of Sept. was unseasonably warm, mostly high pressure bluebird skies, and lots of days with little wind. Lower water resulting in lots of wild rice in shallow remote lakes, and the warm fall made locations and movements much diff. from last season when water was high and weather was colder and windier. The guides put in extra hrs scouting,locating birds, and pulled off good shoots every a.m.. Guests shot grouse and or fished in the afternoons boating nice walleyes, pike, bass, and muskies. One group of 2-6 or 2 groups of 2-3 max per hunt for exclusivity of the best spots ea day. Fully outfitted with two calling guides, built on water and portable layout field blinds, big decoy spreads, dogs, dressing of game, private land, diversity with upland hunting or fishing all combined come together for a great early fall experience.

The TROPHY DEER HUNTS went well though I would characterize as one of our tougher seasons in quite a few after one of our better hunts last season due to a bad winter and abnormally warm temps last fall which resulted in losing a few older bucks and also a major nite time rut movement especially for some of the biggest bucks we had on camera and targeted to harvest. Mother nature,weather,and a bit of luck controls everything. That’s hunting. Still we managed to kill 24 bucks with 32 hunters which is over 70% and way above avgs. for free range guided whitetail hunts. We have gone through this nature’s way scenario before and with the high numbers of 2.5-3.5 yr old bucks, the older bucks we did not harvest,and the projected milder, more normal upcoming winter we will be in great shape for the upcoming seasons.The repeat bookings with departing hunters was very high and there are limited openings 1-3 hunters available in the pre rut muzzleloader and Nov. 9-15 rut rifle hunts but if interested and these dates remaining don’t work check on other hunt dates as sometimes things change. Everyone commented on how much better it was for everyone staying at camp in the winterized cabins,eating meals in the lodge,and sharing stories every nite instead of staying in the motel as we have in the past.

WE NEED MORE WOLF HUNTERS!!! With high deer populations Wolf populations are at an all time high also. There are some we need to thin out in our deer hunting areas. We have been avg.ing only 2-3 groups per winter but with excellent opportunity. It is a hunt few realize is available and at a time of the season when few other big game hunt opportunities exist. It is an exciting and challenging hunt for a trophy few are able to hunt or have in their trophy room. Fully guided, hunting naturally baited, heated blinds, and covering wilderness country with guides wolf howling and distressed prey calling. When you hear that first deep howl challenge back you know you’re in for an experience!!! Prime multiple color phase red fox are also available. Kill early and/or break a few days up with ice fishing for an exciting combo winter trip.

We are in the process of obtaining a BEAR HUNTING area after years of demand indicated to us by many guests. The area will not have been hunted for years and will have some big bears. It will be limited (4-8 hunters total per season) with emphasis on the same quality of hunt and experience as our deer, duck/goose, and wolf hunts and targeting boars 300-400 #+. We will have many (8-12) potential bait sites out per hunter with cameras up to 6 weeks prior to hunt narrowing it down to 2-3 sites per hunter at hunt time with the biggest bears. Complete and serviced hunt with accom., meals, fully guided,monitored and baited/set stands, retrieval of game,skinning, all travel during hunt. It will be guided by guides with combined experience of over 30 yrs of bear hunting. Most actual hunting will be late afternoon/evenings so a.m. you can hang with the guides while they bait and check cameras/stands, fish, or there are possibilities of combining waterfowl hunting a.m. and bear hunting p.m. for an unique and action packed combo hunt not offered any place else. If interested get a hold of us to be put on the list for contact for our first hunt.

As I said earlier it was my intention to make the newsletter short and sweet but with all the goings on, different options and activities we offer it is difficult to do so. We take immense pride in every area of our services and try and do the best job we can in every aspect of what we do and share with our guests. This mutual commitment amongst all here combined with the tremendous natural resources is what has enabled us to grow through some difficult times in the tourist industry. We have been blessed with a high percentage of repeat guests and friends, have met and spent time with many new ones, missed seeing those of you who were not able to make it last season, and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Steve, Danny, Tessa, Molly, and the entire AML Staff wish the best for all in 2012 and from the bottom of our hearts thank you for all the memories of 2011!!!!!
Steve Herbeck
Andy Myers Lodge