Trophy Bear and Walleye Fishing at Pine Portage Lodge

Fly-in adventures into Canadian destinations are some of the most exciting and unique trips you can experience. I’ve taken dozens of fly-in hunting and fishing trips into Ontario lodges and resorts—from spring to fall and everywhere in between. When you can hunt and fish on these excursions, it makes the whole experience even better.  It just requires packing more gear, meaning you need to be smart about what you bring because there are weight restrictions on most of these fly-ins.

Pine Portage Lodge is located on the north shores of Kabinakagami “Kaby” Lake in Ontario, Canada.  The lake spans 32 miles long and 13 miles wide making it the largest in this district. Kaby is over 30,800 acres and is the headwaters of the Albany River system.  Kaby Lake’s average depth is 10 to 20’ with extremely clear water, 147 islands and numerous weed beds, shoals and structure providing fantastic multi-species fishing.

Pine Portage Lodge offers both American and Housekeeping Plans. If you choose the American Plan, you best bring your appetite.  At the main lodge you will sit down to enjoy delicious daily breakfasts served a la carte. For lunch you have the option of a shore lunch or if you would rather stay on the lake, a bag lunch is an option. Dinner is again served at the main lodge with mouthwatering home-cooked meals that include homemade breads, full salad bar, hors-d’oeuvres followed by tasty desserts.

The main lodge is a great place to relax, and tell fishing and hunting stories. It includes many amenities, including satellite TV, WIFI, pool table, and a general store with souvenirs, bait, tackle, pop, and water. It's also fully licensed to sell alcohol. The lodge is a fully equipped full-service conference center that can accommodate and cater to business groups, events and retreats.  Pine Portage Lodge consists of eleven full modern cabins with spacious living rooms, full bathrooms and full kitchens in case you decide on the Housekeeping Plan.

Pine Portage Lodge runs newer 16’ Alumarine boats with 25 hp Yamaha 4-stroke motors, fish electronics, live wells and comfy pedestal seats. They offer a fully guided service or if you prefer, they will give you a detailed lake map and you can venture off on your own.

This past August, I ventured out on one of my favourite pastimes, which is a fall hunt/fish trip for trophy bear and countless walleyes.  On this one, I headed to the above-mentioned Pine Portage Lodge in the Superior Country region of Ontario.  The trip began with a beautiful scenic drive up to Wawa, Ontario where I spent the night.  I woke up early, grabbed a quick breakfast and coffee at the local Tim Hortons and headed to Watson’s float plane base just minutes from the hotel. Pine Portage Lodge is a breathtaking 30-minute float plane ride directly to the dock where their friendly staff greet you and your gear is brought directly to your cozy cabin.

The main attraction on this trip was trophy black bear hunting with my Ravin crossbow and the bonus was catching hundreds of walleyes until my arms were sore.  After unpacking my gear, I checked in with co-owner, Mike Morin, and lodge manager, Mary Ellen Douchamie, to finalize my bear tag and get a plan for the week.  We discussed a few of the tree stand options and what each of the ten sites had for bear activity.  We looked through several trail camera photos to give me an idea of the bear they had visiting the sites.  They had a few good-sized shooter bears coming in, but the one site had a tan muzzled nose bear that was a definite shooter and some others I would keep my eye out for as a backup plan.  The trail cameras were showing bears coming in throughout the day but heavier activity during mornings and evenings.  I decided to grab a quick lunch, get a few rounds on the target and start preparing for my first trip to the stand.

Anytime you are hunting that August time frame you can expect warmer temps, which is what we experienced.  It went from highs in the mid-60s the day we drove into Wawa, Ontario and warmed up to near 80 for highs most of the week.  This changed the bear’s travel habits from all-day activity to early morning and late evening movement when the temps would cool.  I planned accordingly by hunting the mornings and evenings and fishing the mid-days.

The walleye fishing was lights out on this trip.  It’s typical to have hundred-plus walleye days at Pine Portage Lodge and that was exactly what we experienced.  Kaby Lake isn’t a deep lake and most all the walleyes were in that 6-10’ range.  The key presentation was 1/4-oz hair jigs or a VMC MoonEye jig with a minnow, or 3” Big Bite Bait sensation minnow.  This time of year, look to the weed flats, mid-lake structure and steep shoreline breaks or rock spines.  Most of these spots will keep you busy with hours of hooksets.

The second morning was quiet with no bear activity, but when we pulled the trail camera chip, we discovered the big tan muzzle nose bear had showed up minutes after we left the stand the evening prior.  I knew he was close.  After another fantastic mid-day of fishing on the lake, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed for the stand with high expectations.  The clouds started to fill the sky with a front moving in and a forecast of overnight showers on the way.  The incoming front dropped the temperatures giving us a much higher chance of bear movement.

Just as the sun was nearing the trees and the air cooled, I noticed movement coming through the bush.  I could see the tan on the bear’s face immediately, alerting me this was the shooter we were waiting on.  It was as if the bear read the script as he moved in slowly giving me a perfect broadside shot.  As I put the 20-yard reticle in my scope behind the shoulder, I squeezed the trigger sending the bolt and Rage broadhead to a perfect placement.  I could hear the bear crashing through the extremely thick bush, running roughly 70 yards to his end.  I started bear hunting eight years ago and the adrenaline and excitement I experienced on each hunt throughout those years was just like this hunt.  I closed the deal on another trophy bear and I was fortunate to bring back some amazing table fare for my family!

Pine Portage Lodge offers fantastic multi-species fishing for walleye, pike, whitefish and perch and fall hunting for trophy class bear and moose.  If you are interested in great fishing and hunting as well as top-of-the-line service, excellent accommodations and delicious cuisine then you need to give them a call and book today!  It is a place you visit once but will make it a yearly tradition.

For more information on Pine Portage Lodge, please visit: www.pineportage.ca

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