5 essential tips for planning the perfect fishing road trip

#3  KNOWLEDGE  

When fishing strange water, first-hand local intel is the gold standard. In my experience, fishing information from strangers is worth what you pay: very little. Trusted outdoor media (such as Outdoor Canada) can help with regional tips, but anything on internet forums is dubious at best. Tackle shops where you spend a few bucks will usually offer solid advice, but only direct you to well-known spots. Local guides aren’t cheap, but they’ll work their tails off to put you on fish. If success is your main goal, a day of guided fishing is well worth it.

More importantly, trust your own instincts and knowledge. I enjoy learning about local baits and tactics, but don’t tend to use them. I’ve travelled a lot, and I can’t count how many times I’ve heard variations of “the walleye in Lake X only bite orange crankbaits.” Sure, there can be regional quirks because of unusual topography or forage, but for the most part, walleye are walleye, and lake trout are lake trout. If you understand your target fish, and can catch them at home, you can usually work out at least a few places to find and hook them on strange water.