Quote:


I saw the tent, it was a 4-man Eureka A-frame outfitter. Q-Dave didn't report it and I doubt the two base campers did either.
Dave probably figured that since it wasn't due to a predatory or aggressive bear actively going after campers, it was a case of someone doing something really stupid.

Base campers probably after learning THEY caused the the problem just wanted to slink back home as quietly as possible.

Time line would be about 2005-06.

Assuming that is a true story, I wonder when it happened.  I haven't heard a  Quetico bear issue in a long while.

Q-Dave likes to tell the story about 2 Newbies ( to the Q) who rented all their gear from him for a basecamp fishing trip on Quetico Lk. Dave had just bought a new 4-man Eureka A-frame outfitter tent they took along. He went into detail about keeping a clean camp. Hanging their food pack away from camp, cleaning fish and not bringing food into their tent at night.

2nd day he gets a call from Ranger Station on BH to come and pick his party, they had a bear come into camp 1st night and were ALL done.

When he picked them up they were still freaking out. Seems they were in their tent playing some cards after the mosquito's came out. Heard some guttural growls and suddenly the tent roof was ripped open and a big bear’s head poked in! They starting screaming and the startled bear took off.

The rest of the night was spent huddling around their campfire. At first light they didn’t even pack up, just threw everything in canoe. Dave asked them IF they had done something to attract the bear into camp. They insisted they did everything he told them too. Just about then, Dave sees a plastic tail protruding from one of the guys’ shirt pocket. Turns out they were using Gulp for the 1st time and apparently didn't realize how strong that scent is to a bear’s sensitive nose. Dave told them that’s why the bear tore into tent.
He managed to repair the tent, but the guys never came back.

I make sure I don’t have any plastics in my shirt/jacket pockets, unscented or not because I think ALL plastics, especially when new have a “scent” that humans might not smell, but a bear could. Funny story, but it could of ended very badly IF that bear hadn't decided to cut and run.

PhantomJug wrote on Apr 14^th, 2015 at 3:01pm:


ive used gulp, and caught some fish, but i disagree with the highlighted portion.

to me, gulp is not even a consideration on canada trips, or any fishing anymore really.

its too much hastle. it stinks, its slimy, it has to be cared for differently than any other soft plastics. it dries out. it DOES catch fish, but the negatives far outweigh the positives to me.

i prefer unscented. i have the same soft plastics nicely stowed in my plano tray year round and its always ready and never dried out. plus i can change baits easily.

i dont have to worry about the stink on my fingers, the stink in my tackle box/pack if a bag or tub breaks, bears trying to eat my tackle.

from my fishing experience, scent is one of those things that sounds good on the surface but lacks substance. the only time i see scent useful is vertical jigging in a light wind/current or icefishing when your bait is immobile.

if you are casting, you are leaving little trails of scent that wont lead to your bait, and if you are jigging in the right spots, you will get reaction strikes. scent MAY help the fish hold the bait longer, but why not set the hook right away?

I have a friend who has ALL those items you mentioned and swears by them IF you don't expect too much.

I think you can still get most of them on-line.
My buddy keeps that pocket fisherman under the seat of his truck and has caught more than his fair share of stream trout and pan fish with-it.

He loves the look he gets from people who are too young to remember it and can't believe it will actually catch fish.  If nothing else he always gets a beer or two out of it.

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My "dream outfit" starts with the Pocket Fisherman. I tie a banjo minnow onto that puppy and if I don't catch a green carp on the first cast I switch to the Flying Lure or if that fails to produce on the second cast, there is the always successful Magic Bait.

(My apologies if any of these things still exist.) Hey I bought a fish caller from the back of Boy's Life once. Might have been Fishing Facts… Both were good magazines at the time imo.

PhantomJug wrote on Apr 15^th, 2015 at 7:25pm:


And some thought I was spreading wild rumors regarding the environmental disaster in the Q... I knew the internet would vindicate me.

Kerry wrote on Apr 15^th, 2015 at 8:30pm:


Probably, but you'll have to ask PJ where Pascanel buys his "Banana Hammocks" at? 

Can I get one of those nets at Cabela's?

Snapped this the last time Pascanel and I were on Jean.  This is the only way he can catch fish.

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