One of the nice things about bugs & insects is that most people do not like them & avoid them at all cost.
That is one of the reasons the wilderness fishing & camping is so good on The Georgian Bay for people who camp out.
The bugs keep most people away & that is fine with me.
There are three bugs up there you have to worry about:
- Mosquito
- Balck Fly Georgian Bay
- Deer Fly
Main thing is to be in your tent when the wind stops & the sun starts going down or cover your whole body with something that keeps them off your bare skin.
I always take head-nets & light gloves & cover all exposed skin when they get bad.
Personally I do no like repellents but for those who do the bugs seem to like to eat the ones with deet in them the best.
They all work for a short while but when the bugs are really bad most people head for the tents or out on the water where the wind keeps them away.
The black fly starts in early spring & can be bad until the last days of June at which time mosquitoes take over.
All you can do about black flies if they really bother you is stay home or leave.
Believe me I have tried everything.
They can crawl over or under anything & get to your skin no matter what you do.
A lot of people go to Georgian Bay on June 28 every year to avoid the black fly & bass fishing becomes legal at that time out around the islands.
Many say it is the all around best time to go if you are going anywhere out past Dead Island where you can catch all the small-mouth you want on light outfits or fly fishing gear.
Many people go at the end of September to avoid bugs altogether after the first frost.
This is the very best time for big pike short of October which is really harsh weather & hard on campers at times & especially campers my age.
The duck hunters invade at this time of year so don’t be surprised if it sounds like world war two one morning if you are camped out on opening day.
There are a lot of ducks on Georgian Bay.
If you camp somewhere with a breeze off the big water it will help to blow the bugs away from your campsite.
If a big storm blows up it will also help you to lose your tent & boat & half your gear.
When the wind goes dead or the sun goes down the bugs in Georgian Bay come out to play.
You will find that out so always take a head-net, bug jacket, special light gloves & tape your pants legs & shirt sleeves & collar with duct tape if you want to cast & fish at night or cook without doing it in your tent which is a no no in bear country.
Gas lanterns will attract bugs & so will camp stoves or lights.
Campfire smoke drives them away so we always like to build a fire at night.
We liked to exaggerate about all the big ones that got away or tell fishing & hunting stories from the past or recollect the good times.
One more thing.
If anyone knows what to do about deer flies that bite you in your boat out in the middle of the lake when you are fishing let me know.
They can be worse than black flies or mosquitoes at times & they do sneak attacks time & time again.
Sometimes you feel like diving off the side of the boat to get away from a pesky one.
If one of them nails you on the face you will know it when your head swells up & you can not see out of one eye anymore.
Make sure you get a bug bite kit & take it with you & dab the stick on the bites when they happen which they will if you go where I go.
Ammonia will also work if you bring some in a small bottle & dab the bite site with a Q tip.
The Bass Hole is a swamp area & there is nothing bugs like more in The Georgian Bay than swamps.
There is nothing more small fish love to eat than bugs & bass love to eat the small fish that live in swamps & a good reason they like to hang out there in the first place.
No bugs no large-mouth.
Frogs & snakes & birds eat bugs & large-mouth eats them.
Everything that lives in Georgian Bay eventually gets eaten by something including bugs.
If you are there in the evening you will know what I mean. Your blood will be the bugs dinner.
The more you fight bugs the more aggressive they get.
I just ignore them & brush them off lightly when I feel them land.
When it gets real hot & the wind is dead they begin their attack both day & night & they love sweat & skin with blood underneath.
You are a much easier meal than the local wildlife as they have heavy fur to get through & no bare spots.
Human beings are like gourmet meals to them.
Always bring one of those bug coils & light it & put it in your tent to kill all the bugs that got in your tent when you opened the doors.
Always do that before you go to bed for the night if you really want to sleep.
I you have ever had a mosquito buzz you at night in a tent you know what I mean especially if he nails you in the face or hand over & over again.
Also know hornets & bees in the bush can actually kill a man if you disturb a nest so leave the thought about honey for breakfast to the bears & beware of hollow rotten logs or holes if you see bees going in & out.
It would be a good idea not to camp there or disturb them.
If bees or hornets attack all you can do is hope you are close to water & dive in it & stay under until they leave.
If you are allergic to bee or insect stings make sure you take the proper shot kit with you just in case.
Adolph’s steak tenderizer will work on bug bites & bee & wasp & hornet stings to neutralize the venom & keep the swelling down.
Just get a small amount wet & apply it to the bite immediately.
It works.
Especially on painful bee stings.
Believe me I have used it many times over the years.
That is one reason many of the women always turn me down when I invite them to go with me.
That is a good way of keeping your fishing trips all to the men.
Show them pictures of yourself all swelled up from bug bites & then show them pictures of the rattlesnakes & bears & wolves then tell them you have to jump in the lake to take a bath & then tell them how cold the water is & how bad the weather can be.
Tell them black bears very seldom kill campers but sometimes they do.
Tell them wolves do not kill humans unless they are starving.
Watch their expressions when you do that.
If you have one like that best to leave her at home.
If none of these things work tell her there are no toilets & you have to go in the woods.
That usually does it.
The Georgian Bay is no place for women that have to be pampered to be happy.
Strictly for the outdoor type that grew up in the woods.
Some women have to have a cabin & I doubt that will ever change.
Most prefer a hot tub & gourmet meals & all that.
I prefer the wilderness & camping in the woods.
Do yourself a favor & don’t take anyone with you that is like that men or women alike.
Not if you want to enjoy your trip.
