Something that really helps me get through a really rough winter is knowing that a major spring fishing trip to northwest Ontario is just around the corner. For the last 12 years, I've usually experienced world-class fishing for walleyes, smallmouth bass, pike, and lake trout in the spring.

Last spring I visited Separation Lake Lodge, a first-class resort in northwestern Ontario located on the beautiful English River System. After the death of the previous owner, fishing pressure on this waterway was virtually nonexistent from 1970 to 1986, until Jim and Cherlyn Jordan purchased the lodge.

The biggest endorsement I can give Separation Lake is that if I were to own a resort in northwestern Ontario, it would be on this waterway. And I've fished in Ontario for a long time, usually visiting province for two to five weeks each year.

Why do I like this lake? The water is not especially clear. Gin-clear waters usually means tougher midday fishing, more suspended fish, and stronger after-dark feeding, and this kind of water is more negatively affected by adverse weather conditions.

Since Separation Lake is really a widening of the English River, current flows through the system, which is noticeable in necked-down area. Current keeps fish shallower and more accessible to anglers, reduces light penetration, and neutralizes much of the effects of bad weather condition. Combine stained water and current with a big body of water that hasn't received much fishing pressure in 20 years, and you've got one heck of a fishing situation.

During the two visits I've made to Separation Lake, 30- to 100-fish days were everyday occurrences, in spite of coming in about 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. to get ready for an evening bear hunt.

Two- to five-pound walleyes are plentiful, smallmouth are abundant, and pike are just about everywhere. The problem with pike fishing is wading through the two- to six-pounders to get bigger fish. But even the small ones are thick bodied, indicating a good forage base and excellent growth.

Spring is the easiest time of the year to fish northwest Ontario. Fish usually are shallower than at other times of the year, and hang in early-to-warm, forage-attracting bays and current areas. My best spring pattern is to fish bays off the main lake.

Separation is blessed with many fish-filled bays. The north shoreline of a bay just west of camp has never failed to produce walleye and pike for me. The north shoreline in Brown Bear Creek Bay is another consistent provider. East Bay, right across from camp, is a major smallmouth and walleye area. Actually, any bay off the main lake that has certain ingredients has potential. (excellent contour maps are available at the lodge).

When I first visited Separation Lake, a Little Joe Spinner and a minnow behind a weight were just about all that was being used for spring walleyes. I certainly carry a few dozen of these long heavy leaders with spinner attached rigs for trolling under tough conditions, but the majority of my spring walleyes are caught on crankbaits.

The keys to finding walleyes in these bay areas are edges, cover, and wind. Although fish may be scattered or suspended in a bay, an edge will concentrate the fish, and they'll usually be catchable.

Edges can exist where water a little deeper swings up tight to a rock-studded shoreline or flat, or it can be a quick drop of just a few feet in deeper water of an otherwise flat section of a bay's bottom. These off-shore lips are most productive when associated with fertile, sandgrass-coated bottom as opposed to one that's sand based. Most edges will run fairly parallel to the shore, but I've seen many make dramatic turns and take unexpected angles. Sometimes an edge will phase out and another may appear somewhere else in the bay.

Weeds such as sandgrass, a short, growing, dill-like weed that doesn't die off in cold weather, and "cabbage," a leafy weed that grows to or near the surface (which won't be up in early spring) tend to make an area even better. Larger rocks on, above, or scattered slightly deeper than an edge are an important fish-holding key.

Wind is another key. If the wind is blowing into an edge, it will be much better. Many times I've seen spots go flat when the wind dies, then turn on when the wind blows. Or vice versa.

My game plan for fishing an unfamiliar bay would be to first motor it fairly quickly and somewhat parallel to the shore in a zig-zag pattern, generally staying over depths four to 12 feet. I'd watch my portable sonar unit for an edge. I would also face the shore while motoring parallel to it. This helps to avoid running aground on a shallow flat or smack into a rock. Also the shore gives me points of reference to note any edges that require more investigation.

Once an area with potential is found, I troll it with crankbaits. My crankbait rod is usually medium action , between six and seven feet long with a reel (spinning or bait casting) spooled with eight- to 12-pound-test mono. A small black snap such as a size 1 or 3 Berkley Cross-Lok is used to change lures quickly and to give the crankbait room to wiggle.

The lures to troll the four- to 12-foot levels range from lipless vibrators and thin minnow plugs for shallower depths, to crankbaits with larger lips for deeper work or for getting down quickly when trying to troll hard-to-follow, shallow edges where running shorter lines helps. Favorite lipless lures include Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and Cordell Ratt'l Spot in the 1/4- to 3/8-ounce sizes. Favorite crankbaits would be Lindys size 7 Baitfish (shallow and deep), Bomber Long A Minnows, Storms Thunder Stick, Shad Rap, and a size 5 Shadling.

These same crankbaits can be used for casting to rocky flats, humps, or points in or near the bays. Under calm, sunny spring conditions, fish using the edges may turn off, with action switching to shallower, rock-studded areas. A rocky hump, surrounded by deeper water, or a hard bottom, shallower and adjacent to a weed bed, are prime areas. These spots produce bigger than average walleyes and large pike.

When the bigger walleyes and pike move to shallower water, I toss a high-sided minnow lure at them. My favorite is a six-inch Grandma Lure. These often hard-to-find lures have a side-to-side roll that really triggers bigger fish. I've had great success with them on species ranging from South American peacock bass to pike, muskies, and walleyes.

As weed beds begin to mature (usually early June) look to the weeds for top pike action. Spoons, spinnerbaits, buzz-baits, number 5 Mepps, and shallow running plugs such as Grandma's Rebel Minnows, Rapalas, and such get the nod.

Near the end of June, large pike will begin to vacate the weed beds in bays, and move to main lake points, reefs, and areas of faster water. Trolling larger deep-diving crankbaits will produce best.

Walleyes can still be found in a variety of places. While most summer walleyes are caught off humps, points, and other classic structures, don't neglect the weed walleye population. Work the weed flats with jig-type lures baited with leeches, minnows, or plastic dressing. One-fourth-ounce Swimming Fuzz-E-Grubs or a Bucher Brush Hook behind a 1/8-ounce slip sinker baited with a leech are my favorite presentations.

Smallmouth are also very common. Rock studded flats, points, or humps are prime areas. And the fish are usually in range of a crankbait. If they won't hit a crankbait, a leech behind a Lindy Rig should work. Top jigs are twisty tails and grubs in 1/8- to 1/4-ounce sizes. Chuck Jordan, the camp owner's son, caught a seven-pound, six-ounce monster smallie this past summer off Eagle Island.

If you think you can make it up to this fish filled lake, I don't think it will disappoint you. The two times I've been there, everyone seemed to be catching plenty of fish. But even if you don't go, the tactics outlined for spring fishing are standard procedures on most lakes in northwestern Ontario.