Rainbow Point Lodge Fishing and Hunting News Ontario, Canada

Green Bay Show next week!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Hello Everyone: Gale and I are travelling to Green Bay next week for the All Canada sport show and look forward to seeing as many of you as we can. I think the town will have semi recovered from the game last weekend and, I didn't expect the results along with the rest of you.

I hope the winter has been treating you well. The weather at the Lodge has been above normal until now and it is just starting to get cold for a short while. We stayed home for Christmas with our Girls and some other family and had a ball. We put away the decorations, packed up and headed south just there after.

The summer looks like it will be another busy one with the weeks filling up fast. More of you are commenting on the new electric start four stroke outboards that we purchased and how nice they start and quiet they are. We always strive to have the finest equipment for the most competitive price and we also give you the highest personal service offered anywhere. There has been quite a bit of price cutting lately as the spring promotion season is in full swing but that is a sign of the times we live in. Gale and I did not find it necessary to adjust the rates this year, and we appreciate your loyalty and hope that you will continue to enjoy your vacations with us.

I am going to post some pictures of some of our fishing adventures in the Keys as soon as we get the chance to get out for a serious day of it. We have been swamped since we got here 10 days ago and with the Show next week in Green Bay the fishing pictures may come after we get back.

I will let you go, but remember Jan. 26-29 Green Bay and we'll see you there and if not give us a call 1 800 282-9039 anytime and we can set up a 2012 fishing or hunting vacation for you.

We will have some new exciting news for you to think about soon so keep watching. Stay warm. Bob and Gale

9 more sleeps!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Hi Everyone: Well you don't need to be told that the Big day is on it's way and we hope that next weekend all your Christmas wishes will come true! In these days of political correctness I feel rather bold using the full name Christmas, but deal with it.

Gale and I are just putting the finishing touches on the shopping and the house decorating. We are having our two Daughters, and a number of other relations over for Christmas. It is always a great time and of course,with way too much food and the odd drink! We are going out today to kill the yearly tree so we can spread needles all over the deck and the inside of the living room for the next couple of weeks. Over the years the act of finding the perfect tree, putting it up, and decorating, has come close to divorce, but it's is memorable never the less.

You will notice our yearly newspaper coming in the mail any day now. It has a summary of the past years news and a bunch of pictures of many of yourselves, so have a look you may be in there and read it from front to back when you have a second. We also included the new 2012 price list for your information. Don't worry there are not too many changes! On a related note we have had a couple of guests buy trips for their loved one's for Christmas and it is not to late to do this if you are looking for a unique gift that will be remembered for years to come. Give us a call and we can make it happen Today!

The one thing I look forward to this time of year the most is Dec. 21st. as this is the day that the day light begins to get longer. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but these short days and cold weather, persistent clouds, snow, wind, furnace running, nothing on T.V. but football and the X factor, are getting to me. I bet you can't tell!!!!

We are leaving for the Keys a couple of days after Christmas this year and I can't wait to put on only shorts and flip flops for a few month's. I told my Daughters and Brother, while they are visiting us next week, that if, after they open their gifts they hear their cars warming up in the driveway and see the tree thrown over the over the deck, it's time to go!! Hint Hint!

Anyways, Gale and I do wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we hope that Rainbow Point Lodge will be part of your 2012 thoughts and that we can make your year even that much more enjoyable. Also please take a second to comment on this Blog as it is fun to see how many people really read this stuff. Take Care. BOB and GALE

Early Fall Report!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Well….. It's obviously the start of Nov. but someone forgot to tell the weather Gods. We have been having, as most of you know, one of the warmest falls on record and it doesn't bother us a bit! Over the years we have had a great mix of weather at this time of year, with lousy winning out more often. I'm loving it as it give us more time to plan and start our spring jobs. The only weather thing a few weeks ago that is a bit of a concern, was the wind that was banging my airplane around on the dock. This is the time of year that Gale and I have a bit more time to use the plane and are able to fly out to visit some good friends, and we can do a bit of remote fishing as the weather permits. We flew up north for a few hours of trout fishing, before it closed at the end of Sept. The fish were right up on top and what a blast!! Gale had the hot hand that day. Last month we just enjoyed the fall colours and solitude. I pulled the plane up on dry land yesterday, after a nice afternoon flight around the area, and I think we might have got a few friends out of their afternoon snoozes!! Oh well!! Lots of fun.

Last week we bid farewell to our last guest of the season. They were doing a combo moose, bird, fishing trip and lucked into a fantastic trio of success. They harvested a 48 inch bull along with many partridge and a mix of fish.

The weather was nothing short of fantastic, with a bit of frost early in the morning and 40-50's the rest of the day. Whitefish were also running and if you have never seen this fall spawning run, it is pretty cool. The river is full of Whites and they are all stirring up the water as they move up stream creating a muddy mix. The water is very low this fall so the spawning run is even more pronounced. We caught quite a few fish to smoke and eat fresh but no where near our 25/person fish limit. That would have been easy to do but we only catch what we can use.

Gale and I are working on our fall promotional stuff and will have our 2012 rates and specials printed in the near future. I know…. it is not the time of year that your spring/summer trip is top on your list especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming ever closer. When you get a chance, take a look at the literature we send you and visit the web site www.rainbowpoint.com often, for some year end savings and specials as they become available. Next summer looks like another good one based on the reservations already made. If you have a week, or a specific cabin, you are interested in, call and see if it is available and book "This years prices" now for next years vacation!!

Grouse, Bear, Moose & Fish - Love this Place!

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Happy Fall!

Can't believe it is already late September! The summer flew by for everyone here at the Lodge. Things are still fairly busy around here, especially since all of our staff have gone for the season. Bob is out guiding, and I found myself with a few extra minutes to drop you all a quick update. Leaves were slow to turn, but are now showing their colors after we got a very hard frost late last week.

Grouse hunters in this week have had really good success, and nice weather to go along with it. As the leaves start to fall the hunting will be all the better. Fishing has been slower the last couple of weeks as the lake was in transition, but the groups that where here enjoyed some of the nicest fishing weather they could have asked for in this time of year. We should be seeing some great action starting again with the fishing groups this week. If you want to plan a last minute trip up for some fall grouse hunting & fishing give us a shout.

Our bear hunt finished up last week with the last couple of happy, successful hunters heading back to the States with their trophies. A good successful hunting season overall and hunts for 2012 are already booking in.

This week is our archery moose hunt, and it was off to a great start with Tom Coon getting a bull the 1st morning out! Congratulations Tom. The moose are responding to calls very well, so it'll make for an exciting week for the guys here.

Late August Trophy Walleye - 10 Lbs - 30"

I updated many photos on our web photo album last week, so if you haven't checked it out lately, I hope you do. I'd be curious to hear from some of you about the load time of the page… I'm using a different platform to post them, and want to know how it is being viewed. Thanks to all of you for sharing your fantastic photos with us! As we go through the album, we again realize how very quickly this summer of 2010 has come and gone.

Lots of people are getting their plans made for next season, so if you have a week you are wanting to come, give us a call and get your cottage reserved while we have some options open.

Till next time,
Gale

August update!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:44:00 +0000

The fishing season is still going strong and the families are getting their last trip of the summer in before the school year begins. The past few weeks we have seen many families enjoying the summer weather and the close proximity of the fish. You do not need to travel very far these days to catch all species of fish that we have in this lake.

We are going through a few beauty thunder storms as I write this and it is sure nice to see the rain. The lightning strikes are starting a few more fires but the moisture is urgently needed. According to the Natural Resources web site regarding the fire situation we are in the 3rd. worst year on record, for the amour of timber burned, and the season is not over! We all hope the rain continues.

We are a bit behind on posting the pictures on our website and will get to it as soon as we have a few minutes to spare. Gale has been running her tail off lately in the store and around the Lodge and we are very busy bear baiting the last number of weeks, so free time is almost non existent.

The previous paragraphs were written a couple of weeks ago but I thought I would include them and carry on with my thoughts. It has only been two weeks but a lot has happened. To get the bad stuff out of the way, my Father passed away and we were very busy trying to get all the funeral arrangements done from a distance and take care of the day to day running of the Lodge. I mention my Fathers passing, not for sympathy, but quite a few of you have met him over the years and you deserve to know.

The weather has given us some much needed rain in the last two weeks and the forest fire hazard has stayed high but the fire fighters have been able to get a handle on many of the fires that were uncontrolled.

We are in the middle of our bear hunt with pretty good success so far and I am pleased with the caliber of hunters. I always promote letting the smaller animals go so the one you take is a trophy and not just a bear for the sake of filling the tag. Ethics in all types of hunting is something we all need to practice.

The fishing has changed a bit and the walleyes are getting set up for the fall turn over in a few weeks. There are good catches coming from the shallow weedy waters along with some deeper fish in the mid 20 foot range. The northern fishing has been good in the cabbage weed next to deep drop offs and the perch fishing is nothing more than spectacular. It slowed a bit last week but has come back with full force. I saw a stringer of 8-12's come in the day before yesterday!

Our Daughter Karla just finished working with us for the summer last week and we moved her into Winnipeg so she can go back to school for a two year course in hospitality management. She will add this to her Chef's degree and be ready for the hospitality market from all sides. We wish her well!!

I will go for now but there is still time for the fall trip either for fishing or grouse hunting or a combo of each. Look at the web site www.rainbowpoint.com or give us a call @ 1 800 282-9039 for a great fall deal.

Gale and I hope the fall season treat's you well and we look forward to seeing you either at a sport show next spring or next summer with you family or group up at Rainbow. Make sure you continue to follow the Blog and some of the changes we will be making to the web site this fall. Take Care BOB & GALE

Mid Summer Report

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:09:00 +0000

Hello All: Gale and I would like to Thank everyone so far this season, for their support and friendship, by making this summer a fun experience. We are noticing that there is a bit of an increase in the number of people that are realizing that they need the Canadian fishing experience in their life, and we sincerely Thank-you for choosing Rainbow Point Lodge to do so!!!

Enough of the mushy stuff (but it had to be said)!!!! The summer started off fairly wet and quite a bit on the cool side but has rebounded with very warm temps. and lately, a fairly dry spell. The forecast for the week to come is in the low 80's with it topping out at about 95 next weekend! As you well know, the weathermen in Canada, are no different than those south of the border so that can mean it may snow next weekend but seriously it looks great for the long run. The water level has been dropping a bit but it has not affected the fishing what so ever.

Last week we had the mayfly hatch but it was not that thick and the walleyes and bass were very active in shallower water because of it. We have had an average northern bite up until now but the cabbage weed is getting up in the deeper water and the bigger fish are starting to become very aggressive. The perch fishing is always excellent and this season is no different. Some of our first timers are shocked at the size of the perch as compared to back home and that puts smiles on every ones faces.

Now for the (I still can't believe it but I was there) News!!!! One of our dock staff (Brenden) was fishing, in his free time, and caught a very nice Lake Trout. He brought it over to the dock and we took some pictures and released it unharmed. I have lived on this lake for almost 30 years and have tons of hours of fishing in all types of weather and all season's and have not heard of a laker being caught in Perrault. We are on a chain of lakes that have lake trout in a few of them so it is a theoretical possibility but it still was a big shock. I guess with the crappies that are showing up in ever increasing numbers anything is possible.

We will be starting our bear baiting soon and that will take up quite a bit of our time for the next couple of month's. George and I enjoy the getting out in the bush but it's also nice doing so when it's a bit cooler!

Gale has been posting some pictures on the website so make sure you visit it often. www.rainbowpoint.com I will post a picture of the Lake Trout in a couple of days when I get it off my phone.

As I end this post I invite you to consider a last minute trip up, to enjoy some of our fishing and hospitality. Just imagine gently rocking in a boat, feet stretched out on the side, eyes closed, soaking up the sun, then a tug on the line and, and, and, and !!!!!!! Talk to you later and have a great last half of the summer. BOB and GALE!!!!

Fishing report (nothing short of unreal!)

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Hello: Just found a few minutes to type a quick note to let you know how the fishing and weather is! We are just into the summer season and the weather is pretty good. The heat has not hit us yet but the temps. are just fine. We are having days in the 70's and cool evening that are great for sleeping.

The walleye fishing has been non stop with great catches in the 16-23 inch range being the norm. we have had our usual 25-33 inch fish being caught and released. Gale is going to be updating the photo album on our website in the next few days and you will be able to see yourself or see other great catches! We are catching the "Eyes" in fairly shallow water compared to other years, at this time of year. The locations are a secret but when you get here we will tell ALL. You just never know who is trying to learn the lake!! HAHA! The same bait and lures we have been using for years are doing the trick and the presentation speed is critical!! We have a fair number of new guests at the Lodge this week and they are having a ball. The nice thing is that the regular guest are taking them under their wing and showing them the ropes! Thanks to all!

The northerns and bass are not much of a problem to catch, with nice stringers and pictures being brought in daily. Perch have been very dependable and the average seems to be in the 9-11 inch "culled" out range. The weed beds are a bit behind but it does not seem to have slowed down the bite.

Gale and I sure want to Thank all our fantastic guests that have been here this year so far, and look forward to seeing the rest of you, during your visit to the Lodge.

Got to go and do some more stuff but keep looking at the website @www.rainbowpoint.com and remember, "WE ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU HAVE A CHOICE!"

Look Forward to hosting you in the future. Bob and Gale!!

Opening Week 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:50:00 +0000

Can't believe we've already gone through our 1st week of season at Rainbow Point Lodge! We had our usual share of big projects to get done before opener, and I think we all did a good job in getting them done in time. The biggest project of the spring was new dock in front of Cottage 8/9. The new set-up will allow more boats to be docked at that end without going under the old "bridge dock" which is being taken down during the summer. Bob and George spent many hours in their neoprene waders hauling rocks and placing cribs. The lights are in place, and everything looks great.

Ken Sharlein from Wisc.
shows off a nice 30 inch Northern Pike

We had a busy opening weekend with many Canadian guests taking advantage of the long weekend in Canada (Queen Victoria's Birthday). The guests that were with us for the whole week had a great time enjoying fishing every day with very calm winds, which made the relatively cool temperatures pretty comfortable overall on the lake. There was enough sun to give many their spring sunburnt noses as a free souvenir! With the consistently cool temps (down to just below freezing overnight for a couple of nights) the water temperature also dropped considerably, so the walleye bite was slowed down from normal. Best action was mostly in and around the mouth of the Ord River, and outside Jackfish Bay, with patient jigging getting the best catches. The bigger story of the week was the many large smallmouth being caught, some up in the 18-20" range, which was unusual for this time of year. Of course the northern pike were providing plenty of action as well, with large sucker chubbs giving the best results. As the water starts to warm up more over the next few days we expect the walleye bite to really turn. Good news for all the father and son groups staying with us this week.

Wish you were here! If you have time to get away for a fishing trip this summer, give us a shout. There are still a few openings here and there through the summer, so you may not be too late to get a trip organized.

More to post soon....... and I'll get on the photo album as soon as I get a few extra minutes. Gale

Ice Out Pics!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sun, 08 May 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Hey All: I am just trying to post a few pictures of the ice going out in the Bay out front and the main lake as seen from our dock. We are getting, off and on, rain today (Sun.) and it will probably help take care of the rest of the ice. All of it will most certainly be gone by next weekend at the latest. We hope you all had a great Mother's Day and will be talking to you soon. BOB and GALE !!!!!!

Spring Thaw!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Well:

Gale is cooking up dinner and I thought I would write a short note to keep you posted on the spring ice and warming sensation!!!! It is 5pm. Sat. evening and the rain is coming down and there is a winter storm warning in Manitoba for snow and high winds. For those of you that don't know, what Manitoba get's for weather we usually get in some degree a bit later. The weather man is calling for a lousy weekend with rain and wind and below normal temps. I was out on the lake a week ago doing some work on the docks that were exposed above the ice and the ice is not very thick. I think once we get a bit of hot sun and a bit of wind it will not take long to get rid of it. Some years the ice is real clear and firm and this Good ice usually takes a bit longer to break down.

I am sticking my neck out (but that's what you want!) and predicting the ice will be off the lake by the 15th. of May. It usually is out from the bay a week or so before the main part of the lake lets go completely. I don't hear of any above normal temps. in the forecast but if there is it will help the situation.

Enough of the ice stuff and I can tell you that if you are not booked to fish the first couple of weeks of season this year you are going to miss some fabulous fishing. The weather has been similar to many years past with ice out just before the opener and that is conducive to real good numbers and size of fish. We have been spoiled in the last few years with early springs and easy winters so the fish have moved into their early patterns before the season started.

I will take a few pictures for you to see in the next day or so of the ice situation and post them on this blog. I was going to do it today but it's flipping raining. Take Care and we will update you on the going's on ASAP.

BOB

Ice Fishing trip

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Hi all.

As Bob mentioned we were going to head out ice fishing before season ended, and we made it out the last day, being April 14th. Turned out to be a great day - sunny, bit of a breeze, but warm enough we didn't miss having a shelter or fire to keep us warm. Thankfully it had cooled down a bit the last couple of days and what had been a slushy top to the ice was now a smooth sheen of ice. Almost too smooth... we had to really watch our step to keep our feet facing the right direction. We took the 6 wheelers out. Headed straight out to Ord Bay to try our luck. I caught a good size northern right off the bat - a keeper size, but we put him back for another day. Then we got into quite a few jumbo, and I mean jumbo perch. The largest we measured was 13". Aside from one that swallowed the hook, we put all of those back as well. Then we got into some walleye, and no... we didn't put them back. The goal was a walleye supper, and it was mission accomplished.

SEE MORE PHOTOS

It was such a nice evening we didn't pack up until nearly dark. The eagles were on her nest in the bay, soaring & waiting for anything that we may want to share - always fun to watch them. On the way back the sun was setting over the lake and the ice reflected so much it looked more like water than the frozen lake. Wish you could have been there! And,...... that fresh walleye was amazing!!! mmmmm...

When Bob was drilling the holes he confirmed what we already knew. The ice was not very good - many layers of slush, few layers of good ice. With the lack of snow cover on the lake, it won't take much to have the lake clear out this spring if things warm up. Not promising this week. We got about 8" of snow over the weekend, so it looks more like Christmas than Easter right now. I'm sure we'll see things turn around by the end of the month.

Still have a few spots open for May fishing. If you have a free weekend or a few vacation days left, why not give us a shout and make a trip up to the Lodge. There's a pan full of walleye waiting for your supper too!

We'll keep you posted as things warm up.

Bye for now,
Gale

Spring is coming Slowly!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Gale and I just got back to the Lodge 2 days ago. It sure was nice to spend the winter in a warm place and avoid the snow shovel. Coming back home after a break gives us a new appreciation for the beauty and serenity that we take for granted on a daily basis. We are ready to get going on the projects that we are planning for this spring but there is still a foot of snow on the ground and the lake will be quite some time before the ice is gone.

This morning it is snowing and the temp. is going to be just around the freezing mark so the thaw is taking it's time. We are going to go out ice fishing tomorrow as it is the last day of fishing season before the spring opener and it, hopefully, will be nice to have a couple of fresh walleye for supper (eat your heart out)!!!! I have been talking to a few of my friends that were fishing this winter and they said the fishing was great but the slush and poor ice was something they had to watch out for.

When we drove home we came up through North Dakota so we could see Gale's parents and my Father and our Daughter in Winnipeg. When we went through Fargo and Grand Forks the Red River was just getting to the crest and I feel for the people that have to deal with all the water each spring. The fields looked like a lake for as far as you could see.

I will be posting some pictures of our ice fishing (hopefully) in the next few days and will keep you all up to date on the ice situation as we get closer to the opener. If you have the urge to try the opening week out for yourself this will be one of the best in the past few years. The fishing is going to be fantastic, as a late ice out, means lots of hungry fish in fairly shallow water. The northerns are going to be real aggressive and the walleye action will be non stop. I can hardly wait!

I am going to cut this note short but wish everyone a warm "Hello" and we look forward to hosting you this coming summer. If you haven't made your reservation yet or would like to look at our web site take a minute and see at what your missing http://www.blogger.com/http//www.rainbowpoint.com

Take Care Bob and Gale

Winter is on it's way out-----SLOWLY!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:46:00 +0000

Amanda releases her Grouper with her Dad

Everyone: Hi again from our winter hideaway. We are daily reading the weather reports from the middle of the country, and boy what a winter everyone up north is having after the last few milder ones! We are also talking to Shorty and Fran, who are looking after our house at the Lodge while we are gone, and I am certainly not in Shorty's good book this year. We are having a heavy snowfall at the Lodge and the temps have been quite a bit on the COLD side. (-30's normal). The lake conditions are not very good for getting around on snowmachine, as there was so much heavy snow early before the ice was thick enough, the slush conditions are keeping people from enjoying ice fishing as much as they should this year. When we say cold at the Lodge we do not factor in the wind chill as this would give most people a heart attack but you just deal with it. Did I say deal with it? No... not this year. We are really enjoying the time we are spending in the Florida Keys and are making the most of it by fishing and enjoying the outdoors. We don't get to do very much fishing during the summer as we are so busy taking care of business, so this is a real treat for both of us. I am posting few of the fishing pictures that I have from last week when our older daughter Amanda, and my brother John came for a week visit. Having trouble getting the photos to post, to this is all I can get into this issue. I know many of you have been asking, but we'll try again later and see if we can get it to work!

Spanish Mackerel caught by Bob's brother John

You might enjoy this little video of dolphin in the bay near our rental place though. We watched these guys who must have been fishing themselves, for quite awhile.

Gale and I are looking forward to the spring and getting to all the projects that we have planned. We find that being away from the Lodge and our home for a while makes you appreciate it all that much more when you get back. It also makes us understand why people like yourself want to make Rainbow Point Lodge part of your vacation plans.

We have some prime fishing spots left during the last couple weeks of May. Opening day is May 21st this year, so if you have a chance to slip up to the lodge for a few days or a week, give us a shout and we'll see what we can do to accommodate your schedules. If you've never tried early season fishing, you really should just once -- you'll be hooked!

We are having a few of the same employees back that we had last year and one new one of mention, our Daughter Karla. She is coming back for the summer ,from her travels to Ireland, to work for us before she goes back to College for two more years. This will add to her culinary arts degree she got a couple of years ago. We are all looking forward to having her around for the summer and a little closer to home once again. She missed camp life a lot, and looks forward to seeing everyone again!

Bob, Amanda and Gale together for a vacation

Well that's all for now but keep checking in with our Blog as you never know when we will have some news for you. I hope you don't mind the warm weather pictures, as I am not trying to rub it in, but I just don't miss snow shovelling & cold back home this year - the feeling guilty stuff just didn't stick around with me!!

Take Care and will talk to you soon.

BOB and GALE

Back From the Green Bay Sport Show!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Back from Sport Show in Green Bay!!!! Gale and I flew up to Green Bay for the weekend and want to thank all of you for coming out to the show. We had a great time visiting with all of our guests and friends there, and met many new people who will be making a trip up to the Lodge next summer. We did a show special for selected spring opening weeks and will be running that until the 15th of Feb online. To view it just go to our website and sign up for the web only news letter. We will be posting the special in a couple of days and sending an email out to those who sign up at that time.

Yesterday when we flew out of Green Bay our plane was delayed for de-icing. The good side to the delay is that it gave us the rare opportunity to see the Packers. We watched a semi truck loading their gear, and they the 4 large buses and their police escort etc. pull up to the plane and board. The only way to see it was from the secure area prior to boarding. There were about 50 other passengers waiting there, all with cell cameras going!

I know my Bears and Vikings etc. fans probably will kill me but I think the Packers stand a real good chance and I wish them well.

I do not want to jinx my self but we are seeing a slight increase in the number of guests booking this summer at this time, and I sure hope it is a sign of the economy turning around for all of us.

Will be posting some pictures of our southern winter fishing adventures for you to see in the near future as the ice fishing ones are hard to come by unless there is a glass involved!!!!! This weather is sure making us think of Spring and Summer fishing!

Talk to you soon and hope the storm going through the centre of the country is easy on you this time.

Quick Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Hi ALL: Well the winter is almost half over and spring fishing is coming up faster than you realize. Gale and I are going to the Green Bay sport show on Thurs. Jan. 27th. - Jan. 30th. we would love to see you and help you make plans for your 2011 fishing or hunting season at Rainbow. I would like to point out that we will have some Show Only specials there so make sure you take advantage of them only offered for the length of the show.

We sure appreciate all of you that have signed up for our online info page and mini newsletter. If you have not go to our webpage and click on the link at the side. www.rainbowpoint.com

As I am writing this letter I can just imagine the water cooler talk regarding the Packers-Bears game next weekend! Since we have sooo many guests from both Wisconsin and Illinois I will just say that I am neutral in my opinion. Both teams are looking pretty strong.

You probably know that we are spending some time down in the Keys this winter and we are not really missing the cold and snow that is hammering the Lodge. We have been busy doing the standard promotional stuff online and taking care of the phone etc. and it is sure nice to do it while looking at open water and with the windows open. We have been doing a bit of fishing but have been slowed down of late while waiting for one of the two motors on the back to be re-powered. I wish they were small Yamaha's and the bite out of the check book would not be so hard! We will post some fish pictures in the next blog I hope.

Again, stay warm and try and see us at the show in G.B. if you are in the area or call us toll free anytime to discuss your vacation options. Till next time. BOB

The New Year Look's Promising!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:29:00 +0000

Well: We all got through the Christmas season and passed the New Year with fire works and celebration I hope! We obviously wish all of you a Very Prosperous New Year and hope that 2011 will help us all continue on the upward path out of the down economy!

Gale and I flew back to Winnipeg Manitoba just before Christmas to be with one of our daughter Amanda, as our other daughter Karla, is in Ireland working for a year. We also spent some time with my Father, and Gale's Mom, Dad and family just south of Winnipeg. You may ask why go down to the Keys and get away from the cold and snow then fly back into it? I asked the same question and it is kind of obvious what the answer was!! We actually hit a warm spot in the weather while we were there and it got much colder the day we left, so the trip timing was perfect.

I am sitting on the deck with a coffee writing this Blog and must say I feel guilty about the 75" degree temp, no wind, and sun in my face!! Not really!

I talk to "Shorty", who is looking after our house and the Lodge Property, and he tells me that there is already as much snow on the ground as we had all last winter! I know you folks in Minn. and Wisc. are also having good volumes of snow.

I cannot tell you how much that just getting away for a little while each year seems to rejuvenate you and give you the urge to get back to the Lodge and get going on the projects that we are planning for this spring! We have an aggressive dock change that we are working at and many improvements to the detail in some of the cottages. Our carpenter, Gary, will be busy working on Gale's TO-DO list for me as I am not the finishing carpenter he is, and I am much more comfortable with a chain saw in my hands. We are also looking forward to the totally new fleet of Electric Start Yamaha Outboards that are being delivered to the Lodge this spring. George and I will be busy also, as usual, raking and getting all the necessary lines and pumps etc. hooked up for your arrival.

We hope you have had time to read our Christmas letter online and if you have not please go to our web page @ www.rainbowpoint.com and read it for yourself. You may find your own picture in the letter and will undoubtably find some interesting reading! I hope that you see that the rate schedule was virtually untouched and that we are going beyond the extra mile to make your Vacation to Rainbow Point Lodge as cost effective as possible without cutting corners in quality and your experience. Please consider this as one of your plans for this coming summer. We will be celebrating our 27th. year at the Lodge and do not see any slow down in sight. As long as we have the support of our loyal friends and guests and the many new people that enjoy our hospitality for the first time, we will continue our effort.

I hear Gale getting up now so I must go for another cup of coffee and get the day started as it is 8:30 anyways! With company in from Canada we have had a few lazy mornings. Just thought I would bore you with a small update and will do so in the near future. Next blog I will show you some pictures of our fishing adventures

Christmas Newsetter

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:31:00 +0000

Hey guys... If you haven't gotten our e-mail Christmas Newsletter yet, it means you haven't signed up for it! You can do it now by clicking the link at the top of this block to "Join our Free E-Mail List". You'll get a link for this year's newsletter, packed with information and photos for you.

Gale's moose hunting day

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:57:00 +0000

After more than 30 years of being married to Bob and owning and operating Rainbow Point Lodge, I have been moose hunting many, many times.  I think my favorite part of the hunt has always been walking through the woods and enjoying nature in general but, the moose meat is a great bonus too, so don't get me wrong!   Being a rifle hunter, I typically go hunting with Bob to fill our our personal moose tags after the 1st snows have arrived and most of the area hunting traffic is long gone. This year we thought we'd get out in the bush a little earlier since I had was drawn for a resident bull tag. For locals of Ontario, we are part a draw/point kind of system, and sometimes you have to wait for years to get a bull tag. This was MY year!

We took a couple of trips out in the bush to start out with on the ATV to areas that Bob knew quite well from bear baiting/hunting earlier in the season, and from archery hunting which just finished a couple of weeks before. We head out at about 5:30 a.m. and try to be in the right general areas at daybreak. 1st day out we walk a long trail along a swamp and settle in for awhile to wait for daylight. As daylight approaches, Bob lets out a moose call and I wait, 308 in hand, ... and wait. His call echoes over the swamp, and I am definitely impressed every time I see/hear him do this! Definitely takes a lot of practice to be a good caller. Another call, and more waiting; and so it continues. We watch the local squirrels and ruffed grouse around us, but sadly no moose here today. We venture on to another area to check for sign, and take another trail walk. Suddenley from the silence, a loud crashing through the woods that seems to go on forever! We must have nearly walked on top of the bull that we just saw running off into the thick bush. No sense sticking around at this point, but we know where to come back to on another day.   It was exciting non-the-less.

Sorry to make you wait, but the real story comes a few days later. We are joined by 4 friends of ours, also Ontario residents, one of which has a cow tag.  Between the 6 of us we could shoot a cow, a bull, and 4 calves at max. We know of a great area where we have heard some moose calling the evening before, so have a solid plan for the morning.  We unload our ATV's in the dark, and head out down the trail. We split up on various points on the trail, to head off into different "cuts" (old logging areas great for hunting), but still close enough to be in radio and distance range to be part of a legal "party hunt" Myself, Bob and another couple (Rick & Leanne) stop at the 1st trail while the other carry on to the next. We quietly gear up and walk in the darkness through the dense bush and fallen trees to access a clearing,    Above us is a steep rock cliff which could give a good vantage point for a good size area, so Rick, Leanne and myself assend and find a comfortable vantage point and Bob stays below us. He will try calling the moose from below.

As the 1st light of day starts to break, Bob lets out one of his famous moose calls. The 3 of us on the ledge are spanning the clearing as the sun breaks through, and far off, we sight a bull and a cow, obviously still active in the rutt!  Forget outdoor tv - this is the real thing! Normally this time of year the moose are no longer in the rutt, but after hearing the calling the day before, we knew there was still some activity.  The excitement on our rock ledge was amazing as we realized that there was a huge bull & cow, both in the clearing. We could see the 1st bits of sunlight reflecting off the massive rack of the bull, and we know this is a real trophy!   We are very excited to take a shot, but we talk about the distance, and options, and know it is out of range, & best to wait it out. Bob's call has gotten the bull's attention, and there is no reason for the moose to be afraid - the wind is just right!

Time ticks on and Bob lets out another cow call. The moose are on the move, slowly towards our direction in the distance, and to our amazement there is not only the bull and cow, but ANOTHER bull over to the south. After further watching, there is yet ANOTHER moose - another cow.   The excitement for the 3 of us on the ledge is unbelievable!.   We would have been so happy to have the opportunity to see even 1 moose, but FOUR!!! All 4 animals are ever so slowly making their way closer to where we are, sticking in pairs.  We can see the big bull raking his massive horns on a willow just in the bush line.

Bob, down in the willows below us cannot see any of what we see, but we have been trying to signal to him that we 1st had seen 2 moose, and now that we have 4 in the clearing.  He looks up at us in amazement, holding up for 4 fingers, and looking for our acknowledgement. Each time he lets out a moose call, it is haunting. It echoes over the clearing, and you'd think it were coming from far off, not just below us.

Since we have a bull tag AND a cow tag in the group we think that the opportunity is perfect for us to take both animals at the same time since there are 3 of us up on the ledge ... we just have to wait it out for the right shot. (ok maybe greedy, but how often does this kind of opportunity come along?) Waiting...waiting... and the shot is just about perfect..... rifles raised, we have our plan made out. Suddenly over the ridge we hear a gunshot. Our hearts sink and more than one profanity is mentioned. The moose below us do not seem alarmed at this point luckily enough, and continue as they were. The shot is definitely from one of our other hunting party. Now we need to find out what they have shot - we can't risk shooting the wrong sex of animal!    We get on the radio (that couldn't have made any more static noise if it had tried!!), and frantically ask ... "What did you shoot???? What did you shoot????" Moments later we hear the news - they have a bull down. My heart sinks as I realize the trophy bull in front of us would not be mine today. Quickly we re-compose & our focus moves on the cow instead. The bush is so dense, and there are so many uprooted stumps in the way - we have rifles up, each waiting to let the other know if we have a clear shot. As luck would have it, another shot rings out over the ridge - our hunting party has had to take another shot to finish the job. Now the moose have become alarmed below us, and they are on the move, and fast. In and out of thick brush and then off into a distant right-of-way. Long out of our range. I know that if Bob had been on that ridge with me with rifle in hand, he would have had the confidence in his shot to be able to take the cow, but with my experience, (or lack of) and that of the couple that were there with me, we did not want to take a shot we were not positive of. Off in the distance they disappeared!

This was a morning to remember for the rest of my life! Even not having shot my own trophy bull, I, along with my friends, were able to watch 4 majestic Canadian moose for well nearly an hour and a half! It was a sight that is still engrained in all of our minds!   Now I truly understand what kind of excitement our archery moose hunters must experience hearing and seeing their moose up close. Usually by the time we are hunting the rutt is done, and moose do not answer to calls. Moose don't come to calls, and it is more tracking, and distance opportunities. This was our lucky day, and I can certainly see why archery moose hunters love the hunt so much.  I'm very lucky to have had my personal moose hunting guide that day to give me the opportunity of a lifetime!   Thanks Bob! Tip ya later!!!

Finally Mike, David,Ken,Bill!!!!!!!!!!>>>>

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:26:00 +0000

We are now finished the fall shut down and working on the plans for next year. Our last guest left a couple of weeks ago and I was able to get the water and sewer pumps winterized before the snow hit! The weather has been pretty darn good considering the time of year. I remember the temps. being much colder and the snow staying on the ground by now. I don't miss it but that's just an observation!!!! We have been hunting lately as Gale was successful in drawing a Bull tag this year. She tagged a small bull last week and we are looking forward to the winters chewing!!

We are presently working on the plans for upgrades that we will be doing next year. One of the big jobs that we are doing, will be revamping the long dock with the bridge, and we have plans for a new approach that will make your docking more pleasurable.

I still have my plane in the water and hope to do a final flight of the year tomorrow and then I will have to pull it up before it freezes in!! Gale andI have done a fair amount of pleasure flying and fished off the floats a few times in remote lakes with great success. We are thinking of remote possibilities in the future and will keep you posted if anything surfaces. I know I said I had no intention of getting back into the commercial flying business again but you never know!

Our plan is to continue to provide you with the best possible service and accommodation that we can supply and our 28 year record will speak for it's self in our dedication to the job!

One of the big things we did for next year is purchase ALL NEW 4-STROKE YAMAHA'S. These will be featured on every boat we own! Even in these tough times we still strive to provide you with the best dependable equipment possible. We sincerely hope that these constant improvements will make your loyalty a pleasure.

We have had a look at our fishing calendar from the past season and the catching has been getting better from year to year. The size variation has stayed constant and the larger fish have really made a big surge in the past 7 or 8 years. This is totally due to fishermen releasing many large fish and the size limits that were imposed a few years ago. We all have a new outlook on the way we handle the resource now and how it affects the fishing in the future.

Gale and I went down to the Florida Keys last year for a while and are presently packing up for a return visit. We will post a few pictures of our fishing adventures as they occur! Last year we fished with our fish ID book in hand so we could figure out what we had on the end of the line.

We have just finished up printing our rates sheets for the Christmas mailing and are busy working on a detailed newsletter that will go with it. We hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and will talk to you soon

I must apologize to David, Mike,Ken, Bill, etc ,,,,, who have been pointing out to me that I have not published a blog lately. I hope this will help with the Rainbow withdrawal for a while. I will edit this in a while to add some pictures, so check back, and will do another one in a couple of weeks. Please keep up on the comments and hope all is well with you all. BOB

High water story of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:42:00 +0000

2010 has been quite a year for rainfall here in NW Ontario. While we started off very early, dangerously dry, and moderately low water levels, early June changed the trend. From early June until early August, the water just kept on rising. The weather was very nice overall once again for our fishermen and families. We got tremendous rainfalls that usually came in short spurts, or during the night, not bothering the vacationers much at all. By tremendous rainfalls, I mean dumps of 3-5 inches at a shot. Each time the water levels on Perrault would continue to rise for days afterward, from all the runoff.

High water levels seemed to have nothing but good effects on the fishing throughout the summer, so that was a bonus. On the down side, we had a couple of our docks that were not usable for about a month. Thank goodness this wasn't the case when we had the largest of our boat traffic in. With the high water and waves, our docks have sustained quite a bit of damage, so we have a fall/spring project for sure.

As September approaches we're looking forward to seeing some great northern pike and musky action once again - typical for the fall season. Don't forget our great Fall Special pricing! If you can't come for a week, we also can work out a daily package for you to fit your time schedule. September is one of the nicest times to be up here in NW Ontario.

Loons are starting to gather up, so I think they know something we don't know.... Always a fantastic sight to see so many in groups on the lake. Lucky enough to see a family of wolves off the roadside last week, and yesterday one of the guests sighted a bear on the lakeshore. The bald eagles that have their nust just up past our house kicked their young one out the other day for what we think was it's 1st flight. Amazing to watch the flying lessons! Also have had a golden eagle hang out on a tall tree near the main dock the last few days. Just sits for hours on end and doesn't seem to mind the human attention. Add to all this, the occasional moose or deer on the roadside and it just doesn't get much better than this! Wish you were here.

Till next time,
Gale

Such big fish!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:09:00 +0000

Gene Fischer, Cecil, WI - 44.5" Pike

Each year we are seeing more and more big fish caught and released on Perrault Lake, and 2010 has been no exception to that statement. Throughout this summer there hasn't been a week that has gone by without hearing about several of our guests catching and releasing big fish out on Perrault Lake. Last week alone, we are aware of 4 walleyes over 28" - one at 30"!!! Also a 44" northern. More and more muskie are reported to have been caught also. While some of the big fish have been kept to have mounted on the wall, most of these big fish throughout the summer have been released back into the lake for another lucky angler to have the opportunity at the catch, and for the chance for another successful spawn next spring. Congratulations to all of you who have been so lucky (ooopss... to be such talented anglers...!..) to have landed a Canadian trophy fish.

Dan Boivin, Shawano, WI - 28" Walleye August 13

Here we were during one of our warmest weeks of the summer last week with temps up in the high 80's and mid 90's, and the big fish action continued. What a great week it was with the last week of family groups in before the inevitable return to school. 13 year old Dan Boivin from Shawano, WI ended his week's vacation off by catching this 28" walleye in the last hour fishing for this trip, Friday night. After a very quick discussion in their boat about whether to release the fish or have it mounted, Dan chose to have it mounted (with his dad's help). Congratulations on a great ending to a great vacation.

Summer Fun off off Whale Rock

Besides fishing, everyone in camp was enjoying the great summer weather - not too hot, not too cold... just right! Miraculously too, even though we have had a tremendous amount of rain this summer, the bugs have not been bad at all. We are questioned each week whether we spray to keep the bugs down, and of course we don't. It's just part of living in paradise. (yes. we do pay for it in the winter.) By the sound of the weather in the mid west and southern states this summer, I'm surprised everybody didn't migrate north to keep cool. If you suffered through it this year, maybe you should consider a trip up north to Rainbow Point Lodge next summer. We'd love to see you, and we know you'd love all this great part of the country has to offer!

Hey..... did you see our fall special on our website? Maybe you can still get in that last minute fishing trip? Give us a shout.

Till Next Time, Happy Fishing!

Blueberry season & Fishing at Perrault Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:28:00 +0000

What a great year for blueberries in NW Ontario. Berries are perfect for picking right now. Just have to keep an eye out for the bears that like them just as well! Got out picking a couple times so far, and am trying to find some spots that are nice an accessible for our guests. Pictures right is Dianne, George's wife who went out with me last week. Nothing better than a dish of fresh blueberries, or those morning blueberry pancakes!

Besides picking blueberries, George got Dianne out for some walleye fishing as well before she had to head back to work in Winnipeg. Fishing has been fantastic overall, with more and more large fish being released each year.

Support Our Troops Draw Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:03:00 +0000

I know - we're in the dog house for not posting for a long time. Excuse - we have been so busy enjoying visiting all of you wonderful guests, and keeping the camp ship shape, the computer somehow gets left behind. Enough of that! Bob has a great blog in draft to publish shortly, so he'll have more information for ya.

In the meantime, I wanted to mention a great young man, and a fantastic fishing trip. You may recall that we worked in conjunction with wildlife artist, Anthony J. Padgett this past winter, to provide a free trip for 2 for a US service person. This was sponsored and promoted through the winter by Anthony (Tony). The winner of the draw was Zack Carver, from Indiana who recently returned from a tour in Iraq. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Zack, and his younger brother Caleb who joined him on the trip. Zack came up with his own personal tour guide/ draw sponsor, Tony Padgett and partner Heather Rayka, who know us, Rainbow Point Lodge, and Perrault Lake all very well. Tony and Heather provided great home cooked and shorelunch meals during the week for Zack and Caleb, and had a great time fishing with them on Perrault Lake. Ontario fishing was all new to these boys, and soon after arrival, they were catching plenty of walleye, northern, smallmouth and perch.

Shown here, Wildlife Artist Anthony J. Padgett, Zack Carver, Gale and Bob Extence

During the same week Zack was here, we had the pleasure of hosting our own Canadian service person, Will Bawden from Manitoba Canada, who had just returned from Afghanistan. Will was a dock boy here at the lodge 3 summers ago, and we were so happy to see him here again, this time for some R&R before his next rotation. We wish both these boys (no... Brave Young Men) great success and most of all good health and safety in their future. We are proud to have had the opportunity to help give back to both of you.

FISHING WOW!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:46:00 +0000

Hi All: I finally have a second to keep you up to date on the goings on around here. We have been very busy lately and it sure is nice to have many old friends and new guests to share the summer with. The weather has changed since the first part of the summer and has been a bit damp to say the least. The nice thing is that we don't have a fire problem and it has not affected the fishing adversely.
I know I run the risk of sounding like a broken record but the fishing is the best I have seen it since we bought the Lodge 27 years ago and it doesn't look like it will do anything but continue to improve. The walleyes are coming in from 15-18 inches and the number of big fish released is unprecedented. Last week our guests released over 35 walleyes from 25-32 inches and many northerns 35+. We saw the mayfly hatch happen which did nothing more than move the fish into shallower water to go after the larvae. This also made the use of small minnows, leeches, and crawlers the baits of choice in no prominent order. The bass are very aggressive and the perch catch is really heating up.
We tried to have our fish fry last Mon. instead of Tues. as the weather was forecast to be great on Mon. and not so great on Tues. (our normal day!) Well, as you can guess I got poured on as I put the first pans of spuds on and we had to cancel it until Wed. Calling the weather for the fish fry is always a big thing as it takes us 3 hours to prepare and we don't want it rain on the 10 gallons of hot oil I have going. But on Wed. we all had a great time. Gale and I look forward to the weekly fry as it gives everyone a chance to get together and many friendships are made for years to come.
This coming week it is supposed to cool down a bit but the fishing should stay great and we hope if you haven't booked a trip yet there is still lots of great fishing weeks left and we would love to host you. Make sure you visit our website at www.rainbowpoint.com for all the current news and to look at the updated photo album. You may see someone you know or perhaps yourself!
Take Care and as always we are only a call away. BOB and Gale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fishing pictures on the web

noreply@blogger.com (Gale) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Hey everyone... I've been busy uploading pictures to our 2010 fishing photo album, and have many more to put up this week. Check out what people have been catching lately! Good weather and fantastic fishing .... wish you were here! Will give a more detailed fishing report/news update shortly. Just been so busy it's hard to get time to go on the computer.