Dave Csanda recognizes that more women and children are traveling to remote fishing resorts, which can add a whole different list of questions to ask the outfitter before booking your next Canadian fishing trip.

I’ve been to a lot of boat, sport and travel shows in my travels over the years. They have always been great places to gather information and speak face-to-face with the owners and managers of fishing camps you are considering visiting. While today’s fishermen make greater use of the internet to research camps and operators—which is not only convenient but efficient and helpful—there’s still no substitute for personal contact and conversation. After all, you’re researching not only the facility and operation, but the folks who will host your visit. Establishing a familiarity, comfort level and rapport goes a long way toward making it easier to plunk down a deposit and start the ball rolling.

Different people ask different questions, depending on what’s most important to them. For instance, the fancier and more expensive a fishing resort is, the more exclusive it becomes in terms of those being able to afford it. Prospective visitors to those places tend to ask more questions about the amenities of the facility than about the actual fishing. They want internet, satellite TV, telephone access, hot tubs, workout equipment, fine dining, after-dinner socializing with a full bar, and such.

More budget-minded anglers are willing to put up with a lot of, shall we say, less-luxurious surroundings, and are more likely to ask a lot of questions about the boats, weather and likely temperatures, “bugs,” shore lunches, fishing patterns and equipment they should bring. The first group prioritizes luxuries and service, while the second is all about catching as many fish as possible without burning daylight. Other folks fall somewhere in between.

I admit, I began as one of the second group—fish heads—but admittedly have come to appreciate some of the finer things in life. Still, my primary questions are always about the fishing. At the end of the day, that’s what’s most important to me.

So, I ask about the species present, and the best times of year to catch them. What works best to catch the different species, so I know what tackle to bring. How far we need to travel on the lake during the day, the sizes of the boats and motors, and the experience level of the fishing guides. Are shore lunches included? Do you do daily fly-outs? And so on.

When I ask about the sizes and numbers of the fish we can expect to catch, I listen carefully to the answers. If the operator tells me that, “We catch lots of 20-pound northerns and 10-pound walleyes,” that actually makes me a bit suspicious. Those are round numbers. If I get a more specific answer, like, “We get a lot of 8- to 18-pound pike, and usually a few over 20 per week. Plus, maybe a few pushing the high twenties every year,” well, those are specific, believable numbers that suggest the guy knows what he’s talking about. If he says, “Most of our walleyes run 2 to 4 pounds, with the occasional 6 and a few bigger fish each season,” again, that sounds credible. Granted, there are some lakes in the more southerly parts of the provinces where 8- to 12-pound walleyes are not only catchable, but you might even tie into a few during your week’s stay. But you have to feel the operator out to see if that’s realistic or pie-in-the-sky salesmanship.

Nowadays, you see way more ladies and kids in far-North fishing camps than you did 40 years ago. Not just wives and moms on a tag-along, but actually blazing their own trails on serious fishing trips. Still, when it comes to “wives’ perspective” on what’s important, it’s often a bit different than what’s important to hardcore anglers like you and me.

Let me use my wife as an example, which is always a risky proposition with potential repercussions. The last time we stopped at a resort booth together at a sport show, her questions shed some perspective on the subject:

“Do you have bathtubs, or just showers? (She didn’t inquire about outhouses or shower houses.)

“What about TV? Internet? Phone?

“Are the cabins comfy? What is the lodge like? Is there a fireplace?

“What kind of food do you serve?

“What do people do in the evening after the fishing is done? Are there workout facilities.

“Can we go for a walk around the camp? (Without meeting up with bears or wolves, I guess.)

“Do you have bathtubs? Laundry facilities?

“Do you think there will be other ladies there?”

And way down the list…

“I assume the fishing must be good.” (And no other fishing inquiries beyond that!)

“Did I ask about bathtubs?”

Well, to each his/her own, I guess. I will admit…after one particularly cold and wet day on the water at one of these places, I notice that our cabin did indeed have a bathtub, which is rare. So, I took a long, hot soak, and man, it felt darned good. Maybe she was onto something?

I guess I need to update my list of questions.

No kidding: I once got off the plane at a far-North camp with a couple of guys carrying golf clubs. They stood on the airstrip, looked bewildered, realized they hadn’t done their homework, and immediately booked a very expensive float plane flight back to civilization the next day. The moral is, know before you go. That way, you know what to expect, and whether or not the destination is right for you.

If you’re considering a trip to a remote fishing camp this year, you can find suggestions of where to book and what to ask the outfitters before booking your trip in the articles of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.