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by Russ Warye, Fishing Hot Spots Senior Research Editor Witch Bay Camp has a great location in the protected waters of the bay on Lake of the Woods in Ontario Canada. Ranging from camp westward to the very end of the Hayfield, anglers have over 3 miles of water, shoreline cover and structure to choose from. Most of our clients choose to expand their fishing opportunities into the larger waters of Andrew Bay and points north and south. Clearly, a quality map is an important tool and is always encouraged by the Witch Bay fishing pros. Your map allows us to mark hazards, important weedlines, and most important, what spots are holding fish. Maps are available at camp. Truly, navigation is easy at Witch Bay Camp. A quality map is one based on the tremendous work accomplished by the Canadian Hydrographic Service. These maps have navigation buoys on them, including the buoy numbers to assist in location on the map. Witch Bay Camp offers a couple of different maps including two based on the CHS map. One of these is the Fishing Hot Spots waterproof map that is the only one with researched fishing information and spots to fish (but kindly remember the author has a "slight" bias). However, it is also the only map with latitude and longitude lines, a grid scale (to plot waypoints) and location waypoints. If the group is new to the Witch Bay/Andrew Bay region on Lake fo the Woods, be sure to do the necessary "homework" before hitting the water. Get a feel of the area, the east-west direction of the bays, and what to look for on the water. When moving out onto Andrew Bay, make sure the partners are looking at what things look like, when returning towards camp down the lake. You will be amazed at how easy navigation is on this portion of Lake of the Woods, when equipped with a quality map. Global Positioning Systems - both dash mounted and handheld units - have grown dramatically in popularity in recent years. They have changed the navigation of big water, making it quite simple, once you have learned the unit. Be sure to do that long before your arrival at Witch Bay Camp. With a GPS unit and a Fishing Hot Spots map, waypoints obtained while fishing can be plotted on the map, including those "secret" walleye spots. Additionally, routes can be plotted using waypoints that guarantee a safe route and if a map plotter is part of your equipment, icons can be placed outlining the reef, submerged island, protruding point, inside turn, etc. Waypoints marking hazards are an important tool, especially when used with a map. On the map, mark them in red, including the waypoints. Some prefer to mark the walleye spots with a "w," the smallmouth with a "s"â?¦and so forth. The Witch Bay team of fishing pros will sit down with each group and mark up the active fishing regions. Most importantly, take the time to study the marked hazards as well as the fishing areas.
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