GPS and Waymarking

Explore Northern Ontario's Sunset Country

Are you an explorer at heart? Do you like to go on back country expeditions in search of the unknown? Then Sunset Country in Northwestern Ontario is the ideal destination. The past few years have seen an explosion of interest in navigation and trekking - using GPS devices to find your way around.

The rugged landscapes of Canadian Shield and the many thousands of lakes present a multitude of navigation challenges. You can start off slow and navigate down abandoned logging roads or for the experienced, go on a week long "in and out" trip into the real wilderness - an authentic bush experience. When you embark on your trip, always ensure you bring a good topographic map with you. This is a good back-up for orienteering as well as being useful for the identification of interesting landscape features that can be your "destination targets".

Make sure you bring your camera as there will be numerous wildlife viewing opportunities along the way. From a safety perspective, it is also a good idea to let someone know where you are headed and when you are expected to return - why take chances? Sunset Country was made for the GPS enthusiast. We have a free travel guide and map of the region available to get you started.

Spring Ice Fishing Trip

Ice Fishing in Sunset Country, Ontario

One of the perks of being Executive Director of the Travel Association, are the invites I get to experience what we have to offer here in Northwestern Ontario. A great winter experience is ice fishing. I was lucky enough to have Kenora area guide Jeff Gustafson ask me to go try an evening out on the ice.

Getting out there around 5:00 PM the fishing was good right from the start. There were 6 of us fishing - Jeff and I, Jeff's dad, two friends from Minnesota and another local like me. Just about as soon as I arrived one of three "pop-ups" set with a cisco and targeted

at big pike sprung up. I had the honour of pulling in the fish - a small northern this time - unlike the 15+ pound fish they had caught the day before. While this was going on, one of the Minnesota anglers pulled in about a 10 pound lake trout - in the same area. This was followed by some large walleye, one over 28 inches. This all paled in comparison to the 40 inch lake trout pulled in by the lone lady angler on the ice - what a fish!

Here I am with the 27 inch walleye I had the opportunity to pull out of the ice. I really thought the fish would have fought harder given its size. She was beautiful and after this picture, I returned her back down the hole and into the lake. Needless to say the pace of the action was crazy from the get go - and a tremendous amount of fun! Thanks to Jeff Gustafson for the great day on the ice.

Ice Fishing was a great way to end this year's winter. Now it time to start planning your 2010 summer vacation.

Time to Start Planning Your Fishing Trip

Where are You Going Fishing this Summer?

Well it's January and the days are short, the temperature outside is chilly and there isn't much on TV. This makes it a perfect time to plan your Canadian Fishing Trip. While we admit to bias, we think you should be looking to Ontario's Sunset Country as your destination. We have 70,000 lakes for you to choose from and a list of over 260 lodges, resorts, campgrounds and other places you can stay. We have information on the towns and cities in Northwestern Ontario and we're here to help you plan your trip. The fishing of course is great and so are the people. Enjoy a Canadian fishing trip that you'll remember for years to come.

The best place to start is to order your free travel guide and fishing map which is loaded with helpful trip planning information including a directory of resorts and lodges in Ontario.