Bay of Quinte Monster Walleye fishing in the Fall!

  

For years I have thought about making the trip to the Bay of Quinte for fall fishing.  Trophy Walleyes are more abundant in the fall due to the migration pattern that allows them to winter close to their spawning area.  Dave Wagler and myself decided to set out to catch the big one.  We had two days to catch big walleye and set personal bests.  Grant McAllister who owns and operates G2 angling specialists ( http://www.g2angling.com/ ) spends a lot of time chasing the big one for many clients with his Guide Service.  Grant and I fished together this past season on the Northern Ontario Walleye Trail ( http://www.nowt.ca/ ) and we share the same passion.  He invited me to come down an experience something most people never get a chance to experience, reel in Monster Walleye.  This trip was the highlight of my fishing career to date.  Using our Offshore planer boards, Reef Runners and Rapala's Trolls To 20 cranks, we managed to catch 14 walleye over two days of miserable cold weather.  The average size was about 9 lbs (28 inches).  We missed many fish too!  I ended up beating my personal best 3 times.  My personal best before this trip was 9.5 lbs.  I caught a 10.5, 10.8 and a 13.6 lb walleye.  I cannot believe how fat these fish are.  They feed on lots of Gizzard Shad and grow fast.  These fish really fight and dog all the way to the boat.  What I like about this fishery is everytime the board jumps back aggressively it could be a 15 lb + walleye on.  I am already planning my next trip.  If you are a passionate Walleye fisherman than you need to do this trip once, but I warn you it is addictive.  I invite all to join me next fall on the Bay of Quinte for Monster Walleyes and great planer board action.  Grant McAllister with G2 Angling has you covered and will put you on fish.

Fall Walleye turns into fall Pike on the St Marys River

Richard Rosset and I have been trying to plan a day fishing trip together for the past 3 weeks but weather and schedules kept getting in the way.  We decided to just book a day and go no matter what the weather was like.  Well the day we booked couldn't have been worse conditions.  The description of the weather goes like this: -4 celcius, blowing snow with some freezing rain, wind gusts from 25-35 km/h and 4-5ft rolling waves.  We really wanted to tackle Munuscong Bay for some late season Walleyes but the waves were too big and the boat trip would have been at least 1.5 hrs due to reduced speed.  Instead we thought we would check out Lake George to see what the conditions were like and go from there.  Well Lake George was way to rough as well with high winds and big waves.  The spray from the waves was coming over the boat windshield into our faces.  Determined, we decided to go back to Bell's Point to see if we could locate any fish since we were already out fishing.  The water was relatively calm and we were marking some fish but we weren't sure what we were seeing.  First we started pulling some planer boards and crankbaits for awhile.  After a good run it was clear the fish didn't want what we were providing so we changed it up.   Instead we threw down some bottom bouncers tipped with a worm and a Gulp Minnow.  On the first pass we landed a 33 inch pike that was really thick.  The chart says 10lbs but I think it was bigger.  You be the judge!  We fished a little bit longer but the weather was pretty terrible so we packed it in early.  Check back in a week to see how did on The Bay of Quinte for two days.  Home of Monster Walleye!

St Marys River Fall Steelhead

The St Marys River is known for many great fishing seasons and species.  November and December are good months for Fall Steelhead.  I managed to twist Caleb Dereski's and Ken Truman's arms to join me on a very cold November day.  We decided to launch the boat on Saturday afternoon to seek out the infamous St Marys River Steelhead due to the fact it was very cold Saturday morning(-8 Celcius).  We decided to head up the rapids as far as the boat could go without hitting rocks.  We threw everything from spawn, rapala's and spoons but never got any hits.  We didn't spot anything either.  More then likely the fish that were hanging back had already moved up and the next batch of Steelhead hadn't moved in yet.  We then drove over the American Power Dam to try a few runs.  Again we threw everything out there but never got any takers.  Time was starting to run out on the day.  The next move was to head up towards the Great Lakes Power Dam and slowly drift back.  We started to mark alot of fish sitting outside or behind current breaks.  We made a quick run down the side and end up with a solid hit but no fish.  We then motored back up to the dam to fish the same run.  This time we were rewarded with a nice 5 lb Steelhead.  The fish came on Caleb's rod so he is the one posing with the fish in the picture above.  We had time to make one more run. Again we had another solid hit but no fish.  It wasn't a productive day of fishing but we did learn more about the stuctures that were holding fish at the end of the day.  Should be a more successful day the next time out.  The Steelhead run will get heavier as we move further into the month of November.  Planning to head out on the weekend again to chase some more Steelhead.  Check back for updates.

Fall Fishing on Lake George

Fall fishing is my favourite time of year because the weather is just right for me.  Most anglers in Northern Ontario are focused on the Steelhead run which is now in full gear.  I thought I would head down to Lake George to try and pull some planer boards and crankbaits.  I loaded up the boat in Goulais River and headed towards Ben's bait and Tackle on the Garden River First Nations Reserve.  This is a decent place to launch and a much shorter boat ride to Lake George.  Once I got to my spot I threw out the boards and started fishing in about 7-10 ft of water over weed beds.  I started using X-raps with different colours.  Within 10 minutes I had my first board shaker.  It turned out to be a 5 lb pike.  This was not what I was looking for but the fight was a lot of fun.  Before I could get the line back in the water the other board started shaking.  Again it was another pike about 4 lbs.  I decided to switch up baits and go with a slower presentation and deeper water(10-12 ft) to see if I could spur the walleye on.  I went with riplin redfins of different colours but I added some weight to the line to get them down deeper.  Guess what, within minutes I had another pike on about 5 lbs.  I decided to move to another area and change up baits again.  This time I decided to try Northland Tackles jaw breaker spoons(weedless).  I ended catching a jumbo perch right away so I thought maybe things were going to be different.  Not the case, the pike started up again.  I must of have caught a dozen pike in about 3 hrs.  It was a lot of fun but nothing bigger than the fish in the picture above.  I think I am going to chase after Steelhead on the weekend!  Check back for more updates.

Fall Fishing in the Algoma Region

Fall fishing is a great time to get out and see the colours as the leaves start to change.  The weather is not too hot and can make for a nice day of fishing.  Typically most anglers do not fish walleye in the fall in Sault Ste Marie because the Coho and Steelhead season has begun.  Walleye in the St Marys system are very migratory and they move day after day.  The most frustrating part is marking the big hooks on your electronics but not being able to catch them.  Crankbaits seem to work well this time of year but bottom bouncing spinners and rip jigging can still produce great results.

Last Sunday Caleb Dereski and I went searching for walleyes but came up empty handed.  Now we ended up empty handed for Walleye but we managed to catch a lot of bass and pike.  This made for a fun day because we had lots of action.  We concentrated of efforts around the St Joseph Island bridge and Devil's gap.  We marked alot of hooks on the electronics but we were not sure what we were seeing.  Note to self in the future, need an underwater camera to identify what we are seeing.  I will say they were defined hooks which is what I am used to when I am walleye fishing.   We spent most of the time bottom bouncing with a 2 oz bottom bouncer and some speed to cover water.  We tried all baits from live to plastics.  The bass seemed to love everything and they were very aggressive.  The funniest thing of the day was Caleb catching an old anchor.  I still can't believe he was able to pull that anchor with his light line.  It was good for a few laughs.

The scenery as always was undescribable and always gives you a sense of peace.  I love fishing but I love being somewhere where you could stare for hours at all the different potential pictures for your wall at home.   I've included some pictures of the windmills in along Lake Superior in Gros Cap and a nice picture of the mountains with the incredible colours of  our leaves.  The winds were not too bad but I did expect them to pick up by the afternoon.  The weather was only good enough for a morning fish and then the winds came up and blew us off the water. 

Planning to do some more Walleye/Steelhead fishing on the weekend.  Stay tuned.

Sagamok Walleye Classic - Day 2

The morning started out dark and cold but river conditions were still the same, high and fast current.  The water still was a chocolate colour from Birch Creek down.  Our plan was to head to the Espanola Bridge first thing in the morning to get our position and stay there.  Most of the fish came from this area on day 1.  When we arrived at the bridge it wasn't too busy yet because we were out tenth.  Only a few boats passed us on the way down.  Unfortunately fishing was pretty slow at the bridge all day long.  Because of what happened yesterday when we left the bridge we decided to stick it out all day long.  We didn't want to miss out on the big fish today.  Well that was a mistake because people were catching fish a little further down river today.  The leaders stayed at the bridge all day as well and it cost them some positions.  We ended up with one fish that weighed 1.01 lbs.  That was good enough to put us in 27th place.  That alone says the fishing was tough.  We had this river figured out before the heavy rains changed everything.  Oh well it was our first time on the system and I think if the rains hadn't come we would have done very well.  Now we know where to fish in conditions like that.  Nonetheless, a humbling experience but a good one.  The tournament in my opinion was a huge success.  Sagamok First Nations with the guidance of Rob Mazzuca put on a stellar event that will be something to look forward to next year.  We had steak dinner on Saturday night and a great pasta dinner on Sunday night.  I didn't like the fact that the $10,000 cheque was going to someone else but these things happen.  With the 1st annual Kiwanis Invitational Walleye Tournament to be held on July 9,10 of 2011 in Sault Ste Marie, we can definitely take a lot of the positives from this event and apply them to ours.  More information about the Sault Tournament will be posted on my blog in the future.  The tournament season has now ended for 2010 and it is a little disappointing but I can look forward to next year's schedule and a new boat.  Check back because I am going to be doing so late fall walleye fishing on the St Marys River system and I have a Bay of Quinte trip planned for November.  Should be able to get a 12 pounder for the wall on that trip.

Sagamok Walleye Classic - Day 1

The morning started early and we discovered the boat to be in a different spot then where we left it.  The river crested another 2 ft over night.  Thankfully we had the boat tied up.  The river has risen about 4.5 ft.  The current is faster today and the water is chocolate in colour.  We decided to go to our spot where we caught nice fish the day before.  It was about a 40 minute boat ride to get there.  When we arrived their was 2 other boats fishing there.  It was okay because their was enough room for us.  We watched one boat catch 3 fish right away.  We missed one.  The other caught a carp.  After 2 hours we decided to move and that was our mistake of the tournament.  That move cost us the top 10 after day 1.  The top 2 weights came from our morning spot.  Still not sure why we decided to move and why we didn't go back to that spot later.  I am still beating myself up over that one.  We ended up with no fish after day 1 but so did 41 other boats.  We are currently ranked 21st with a 0 on day 1.  The 10th spot is 2.3 lbs.  We have a chance to still place in the money with a solid day tomorrow.  Many locals who fish the river all the time got zero's today.  They have never seen the river this high in years.  I am busy tying new tackle for tomorrow and I hope we can get on some fish right away.  I am not leaving my spot tomorrow.  The problem will be that 40 other boats will be fighting for position as well.  We are the 10th boat out tomorrow morning so that will help.  I think only a few boats will pass us.  Need to get a bigger motor in the future so I don't get passed anymore.  I will try to update my blog tomorrow night but it is a long day and 3 hr drive home after.  Wish me good luck as I will need it!

Day 3 of pre-fishing on the Spanish River

Today was a very different day for lots of reasons.  We probably got about 4 inches of rain by this morning.  The river was up about a foot and the water was very muddy.  This changed the fishing dramatically.  Fishing was slow but we managed to pull 4 fish in the boat.  The rain was relentless all day and the wind gusts ranged from 15 km/h to 75 km/h.  Really made boat control difficult.  The current in the river increased probably by 1-2 mph.  Their were rapids on the river where their were no rapids the day before.  Our fish ranged from 14-17 inches.  No pictures today due to hard rain most of the day.  The cold front is moving in and the water turbidity is about 6 inches.  This means you cannot see your lure when it is 6 inches down in the water.  The river has probably rose another 6 inches through out the day.  We saw many boats docked at camps on the river that were now submerged in the water.  Big day tomorrow as we need to put together a solid day so we are in the top 10 going into Sunday for the big $10,000 first prize.  Check back tomorrow.

Day 2 of Pre-Fishing on the Spanish River

This morning was a little warmer than yesterday but the clouds and the wind were going to make for a long day.  We decided to head up river first thing to see if we could find some fishing spots.  We didn't mark a lot of fish but we ended up getting a solid 18 in walleye and 16 incher.  We missed another solid fish but we didn't see it.  I am sure it was a walleye based on the big slow rod thumps.  Spent more time looking around in the morning than fishing.  We then decided to head back down river because we marked more fish the day before.  Found a good spot down river and pulled out a 24 incher.  The picture turned out alright considering the wind and rain.  We decided to leave this spot alone and move to another one.  At the very next spot we tried I pulled up another 16 incher.  We decided to head to the west boundary to see where it is.  We fished for a little while but the rain was coming down so bad that it was unbearable.  Now that we where soaked right through and the wind really howling, we headed back to the boat launch to call it day.  The weather tomorrow is not going to be nice either.  Hopefully the fishing stays consistent.  I am concerned as a cold front is moving in for the weekend.  Check back tomorrow night to see how we did.

First day of pre-fishing on Spanish River

The morning started with a little bit of fog and it was a little cool.  Launched the boat at about 8:30 am.  My heart skipped a few times as I headed down river due to the fact there was only 2 ft of water in some spots. I spent about 3 hours driving and checking out different areas.  I was targeting steep drops off the shorelines to deep holes.  Marked a lot of fish but not sure if they were walleye or not.  The spanish river has many species of fish.  Finally wet a line around 11:30 am and within minutes I had 7 lb walleye to the boat.  First thing that came to mind was that I am now jinxed for the tournament.   I quickly released the fish and moved to another spot.  I will share my tackle and bait tips after the tournament just in case someone is reading this blog that is in the tournament.  I ended up fishing for about 1.5 hrs total and caught 6 fish total without to much effort.  I got a nice 17 incher and the rest were 16 inchers.  Still many spots to try tomorrow.  Heading up river tomorrow and apparently there are some more shallow spots to be careful of.  Should be interesting.  Check back tomorrow night to see how I did.

Final stop on the NOPWT circuit - Sagamok First Nations

Get ready for the next and final stop on the NOPWT(northern ontario pro walleye trail) for 2010.  The tournament is being held on the Spanish River and hosted by Sagamok First Nations Reserve.  Top spot pays $10,000.  I am currently ranked 20th for Angler of the Year but will need a top five finish to possibly crack the top ten this year.  The Walleye fishing on the Spanish River is picking up as the water temperature drops.  The big water Walleye are starting to move up the river.  They will go on a forage as they travel to their spawning area.  I will keep everyone updated on my days of fishing.  I will be pre-fishing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  The tournament is a 2 day event total weight on Saturday and Sunday.  Talk to everyone soon!