Hazard

Back from our trip to Pointe au Baril and wanted to say thanks to everybody who helped me with my questions. We had OK weather and decent fishing and it was great to go to the area again. Surface temps were right around 21 degrees pretty much everywhere. Hit the usual spots and some new areas for us. Generally pleased to find very little boat traffic but of course the river was getting hit pretty hard. We did well just upstream past the narrows catching quite a few SMB and the usual Rock Bass. Also some decent bass action off of Whitsun Rock. We had no luck with pike and usually don't like trolling but did get 4 surprise walleye casting in a Bay off Gordon Point. They were all in the slot but fun. However, similar to previous years the best spot for us were the bays along outer channel north side. Caught a 4-1/2 pound SMB and lost 2 others of size in Pelham Cove as well as multiple smaller fish. One we lost broke the water and looked to be about 6 pounds but you know how those estimates at a distance can be. Eastward from there we did OK in Aldrich Cove and the other nooks and crannies farther into the channel but nothing of size. Was surprised how small the usual perch bycatch were. In years gone by most days we used to catch a couple decent perch but this year we probably got a half dozen but not one over 6-7". Did get a couple of chubby Pumpkinseed to round out our species report. I hear there are some new bait regulations in place but I do have to say, wow, the minnows were expensive! At the local bait store they were $12, $18, and $24 per dozen, depending on size. It does seems to make it suck more when one wiggles out of your grasp, gets cast off, or is lost by a mini fish hit. There goes another Loonie or Toonie!

There are two other places I have heard about but I don't know the locations. We love exploring and finding new destinations so any help with these would be great. One is Chicken Channel Muskymike also mentioned this place in his post long ago and I'm pretty sure it isn't the Chicken Liver Channel up towards Bayfield Inlet. I think it may be west of Ojibway Island possibly one of the channels in the vicinity of Ugo-Igo Channel and/or Rogers Channel. Here is a video I found during my searching of "Breaking Ice in Chicken Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB6lqllIx3o The other is "the sailboat wreck" I think that this shipwreck may be relatively recent but searches have come up empty. I don't really know anything about it except that it must not be the 1907 Metamora wreck which has its ship's boiler sticking out of the water and painted white near Turning Island. I also don't think that it is likely to be the "Frank L." near the lighthouse which sounds more like a commercial boat than a sailboat. Incidentally, out of interest, I searched the Frank L and come up with absolutely nothing, even amongst the diving crowd sites. The wreck is noted on several maps but information on it is very hard to find.

Thanks for all the replies. I guess that area way south must be it. I was under the impression it was closer to Pointe au Baril Station. In the 90's the owner of Leisure Bay, I think his name was Kurt, used to take some longtime guests (not us) to a place I thought he called flatrock but now I believe he might have said table rock. We never figured out where it was but he did say you went out Hemlock Channel which I guess would be a way to table rock channel but it would seem easier to go there from the east, running down the Shawanaga Inlet channel. That is unless table rock itself is way out in the main bay which it probably is. On satellite views you can see that Table Rock Channel extends far west out into the main bay through the offshore shoals.

Thanks for the replies. As I mentioned in my opening post I think that the "Table Rock" I am looking for is fairly near the Pointe au Baril lighthouse and not near Table Rock Channel which is down south but maybe I am incorrect. Here is a description by muskymike in a post from 2010: "yes, he is talking about the shoals and table rock. but unless you know the area, you are not going to know its called table rock and you are not going to make it there without at least drifting into a rock. when you come out past the lighthouse it looks close and easy but you will soon find out its not as easy as it looks." Maybe muskymike will chime in.

I'm trying to find the location of "Table Rock" in the Pointe au Baril area. It is mentioned with regard to SMB fishing in several threads on this forum and I think it is near the lighthouse but I am unable to find it on any map or anything specific about the location. I do know of Table Rock Channel and Table Rock Island south of Hertzberg Island but I don't believe that is the place. I am from Ohio and don't get there as often as I would like but I have fished at Pointe au Baril maybe 12-15 times. In 1987 we went there for one day on our first fishing trip to Canada and we had our best (luckiest) fishing day ever. We became true believers and though we have never repeated the experience we love the area. I may even have fished "Table Rock" since we used to fish Laura and LeBlanc Bay and the lighthouse area quite a bit but I don't know. If anyone knows where Table Rock is and is willing to share I would appreciate any info. Also if anyone has any questions of their own I would be happy to try to help if able.

Thanks! I am trialing the "free" version of iBoating from your link right now on my computer. Unfortunately their product is bit pricey at $125 a year for a PC for the US and Canada. The mobile app version for the same area is $20.

Thanks CrowMan for the info and the link. I like the quality/appearance of their maps and I will be subscribing. However, unfortunately they do not seem to have a PC version and I was planning to use it at home for planning and printing some areas. Seems I often have more time in the office than on the water. Do you happen to know of any similar product that works on a PC as well.

Great forum. My first post. I have been going to Pointe au Baril since the mid 80's and stumbled upon this thread. Could someone tell me what software creates the map below which was posted earlier in this thread? Thanks.