Upper French River & Lake Nipissing Musky Guide – On The Barilko snow, rain or shine your always comfortable walking around this 30 ft fishing machine.
Upper French River Musky Guide
Lake Nipissing Musky Guide
Contact Shayne Stevenson Email: shayne@50missioncast.com Cell: 905.806.1971
Upper French River Lake Nipissing musky guide home to world class monster musky anytime of year.
50missioncast.com. Where did the name originate from?
Shayne was driving home with his son Cam, who is named after Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins and his daughter Taylor they were listening to the radio when the Tragically Hip song 50 Mission Cap came on. The song is basically about a Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Player named Bill Barilko. In1951, Bill scored in overtime and the Leafs won the Stanley Cup. That summer Bill went on a fishing trip and undoubtedly the worst happened, he never made it back. They found Bill’s body 11 years later when the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1962. 50 Mission Cast Head Guide Shayne Stevenson is also a former NHL hockey player that played for Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins.
In addition, Shayne’s also a big Tragically Hip fan and quickly put it together by changing one word from cap to cast you now have the musky mission in place when on the water. “50 inches or 50 pounds is our musky mission”. In honour of the late great Bill Barilko 50 Mission Cast named their chapter boat. “The Barilko”
Welcome to 50 Mission Cast Website and here’s the 50 Mission Cast daily prayer folks!
“Some ships are made out of steel, some ships are made out of wood, but the best ships made on the water are FRIENDSHIPS!!!” “Bill Barilko is it possible on your end to pull some strings with the Hockey & Musky Gods to put us in contact with a 50-pound musky today on The Barilko… Please and thank you Amen.
Bill Barilko & Shayne Stevenson
Stanley Cup Champion When you click on Shayne’s name it takes you to Shayne’s other business Toronto Hockey Advisors. To come back to this website your in 50missioncast.com
Upper French River Lake Nipissing Musky Guide – The Barilko – after the 10 x 10 enclosed bimini you have 20 ft of casting platform.
Upper French River Lake Nipissing Musky Guide – The Barilko – Musky Trolling Head Quarters!!!!
Upper French River Lake Nipissing Musky Guide – The Barilko – Propane fire’s keeping us toasty warm during the fall musky trophy hunts.
The Barilko Tri-Toon
You’ll be fishing off a new 30 ft customized Princecraft Tri-toon. Its a caster’s dream with 20ft of wide open casting space and room for big figure eights. Then there’s a 10 x 10 enclosed heated bimini to keep you warm or cool during all weather conditions throughout the year. You’ll be sitting in comfortable Muskoka chairs taking in the incredible scenery of the Upper French River. While watching your trolling rods and lures find monster muskies for you! No worries, if the day you booked is calling for a super hot sunny day, rain, wind or snow. You’re always going to be nice and comfortable sitting inside this enclosed bimini.
This Tri-toon is a tank in big waters, smooth and steady she goes. This boat irons out big waves, the reason being is the length of this boat is 30ft. So you always have 3 waves under your boat at all times. 20-foot boats ride on two waves then slide off the second wave and eat the third wave with the bow head on getting everyone all wet. With the Tri-toon being so steady in the water everyone can walk around freely on the deck stretching their legs. KEYWORDS THERE” Walking around, freely standing up and stretching your legs. Not worrying about falling in the water when you set the hook in a musky. lol
The Barilko is equipped with two 15″ Humminbird Solix screens, 1 16″ Garmin Livescope Panoptics screen. Ulterra trolling motor that moves this tri-toon around 10 mph. 4 Riptides trolling rod holders, Humminbird 360. When it comes to musky fishing equipment Shayne runs nothing but the best. Shimano 50 Tranx reels both High & Power Gears. Shimano Tekota 700 Line counter reels for trolling, Pen Phantom wire lines reels. Bulldawg rods, customized Throne Brother Big Nasty Rods. When it comes to musky baits he has customized 12″, 13″, 14″, 15″ 16″ baits to catch monster musky. He’ll be adding 4 Go Pro Cameras on The Barilko this season.
If you want us to tape all the action on the water that day. Please let us know before hand and we’ll make sure the cameras are in place and rolling that day. The technology on this boat at this time is the best in the world. Check out the YouTube Video below – If you want to see Panoptics live. There’s nothing like seeing a 5ft musky swimming around your bait about to hit your lure on the big screen. Beginners become expert musky fishermen by the end of the day!
Upper French River Lake Nipissing Musky Guide – The Barilko – Enclosed Bimini keeps everyone warm with propane tanks in the October November Fall Musky Trophy Hunt.
Upper French River Musky Guide & Charters pricing. Half deposit when booking with 50 Mission Cast. New prices affective July 22, 2024.
2 People / $700.00
3 People / $800.00
4 People / $900.00
5 People / $1000.00
6 People / $1100.00
7 People / $1200.00
8 People / $1300.00
9 People / $1400.00
10 People / $1500.00
***Ask Shayne about his Musky Special ***
Two day musky trips special pricing. One day fish muskies on Upper French River / Lake Nippissing, next day fish musky on Musky French River. Incredible opportunity to catch world record musky and see both lakes on the same weekend!!!
Give Shayne a call or text him at 905.806.1971. Email: Shayne@50missioncast.com
*** Check out the Livescope Panoptics Garmin Fishfinder YouTube video below. ***
My good friend Matt OBrian has the current record for the biggest back to back muskies on The Barilko.
Upper French River – Zone 11 Musky Regulations
Lake Nipissing – including the waters of the French River from Chaudiere and the Little Chaudiere dams to Lake Nippissing. The west bay of Lake Nipissing in Haddo Sturgeon River from Lak Nipissing to the dam at Sturgeon Falls. The Veuve River from Lake Nippissing to the chutes located in Lot 5 in Concession 1 Caldwell Township to Hwy 654 and the entire West Arm of Lake Nipissing including Cross Lake.
Muskellunge – Sport License – one over 48″ and Conservation License – None allowed.
French River musky patterns
Musky Spring Patterns
Once muskies turn three and four years old there considered mature enough to start the spawning cycle. Once waters reach 50 – 59 F musky start there migration towards shallow, soft bottomed areas in bays with inlet flow. Shoreline areas where vegetation will appear first, river backwaters and creeks, shallow weedy beds are great breeding grounds for muskies as well. In addition to sandy areas that contain sandgrass that will hold that warmth of the sun during the day.
Research tells us there’s multiple environmental factors that affect when muskies lay their eggs. We know there’s no exact water temperature at which muskies spawn at year after year and no muskies spawn at the same time. Each musky is affected by their own individual biological clock then add variables such as weather, barometric pressure, current water temperatures and availability of spawning muskies. Keeping all the above information in mind April is typically the month muskies start spawning for a two week period.
Females leave the spawning grounds first and start heading back to deep water. Male muskies tend to stay at the spawning site for a few weeks after spawning is complete. Seven to fourteen days later musky eggs hatch and their first meal is digesting their yoke sac, next is nearby plankton and then they start eating small fish.
French River Musky Patterns
Once muskies finish spawning the water temperatures are roughly around 59-68 F. The majority of fish will spread out around the lake looking for emerging weedbeds, rocks, and bait fish with access to deeper water close by. This time of year muskies prefer warmer water temperatures and enjoy 70 – degree water. So whether we are talking the surface to 10 feet in shallow water, or the same top 10 feet of water in the deepest water in the lake, much of the forage and the target species will be in that zone. Certainly they may be a little deeper over open water, but most will remain in the upper layer where they are comfortable. The one exception to the shallow rule (spring fish holding in the top layer of water after the spawn) are rivers with heavy current. The current does two things that influence where muskies will hold.
First, it mixes the water, essentially eliminating the warmer upper layer effect. Second, current is something big predators don’t wish to fight against. Muskies will tuck out of the current either adjacent to it behind structure or on the bottom, allowing it to flow over them. In the both places they are expending minimal energy while waiting to see what the current brings them.
Once summertime time hits and the water temperatures get consistently in the 75 F plus range. Then its deeper water in all aspects. Muskies often relocate to main lake structures where the water is cooler in this area.
French River Musky Patterns
Days get shorter and colder and water temperatures fall from 68 to 58 F. Muskies start moving away from deep water structure back to weed flats/edges, slop, shallow rocks around that 10 foot mark. The open water bite can be non-existent. As a rule of thumb, the closer the lake is to turnover, the shallower the muskies get. Lake turn over once the water is anywhere from 58 – 54 F. Turnover is a term used to describe the process in which a lake flips its water. In the summer, the top portion of the water is warmer then the bottom portion. As fall progresses, the top layer of water becomes colder then the bottom layer, which causes the bottom layer to rise up and the top layer to sink down. Turnover results in water mixing which stirs up sediment and weeds throughout the water column.
During turn over muskies move up to shallow parts of the lake. Once turn over is done and water temperatures ar 50 F to freeze up muskies go back to open water adjacent to their shallow areas where ciscoes / tullibees spawn. If you have any questions regarding French River Musky Patterns give us a call.
Current Ontario musky record was caught by Ken O’Brian, 65 pounds, 58 inches, 30.5 in girth picture below.
Contact Information:
Shayne Stevenson 905.806.1971
Shayne@50missioncast.com
French River Musky Guide & Charters.
