BillsTheBassMan

Did you get into any of those famous Couch jumbo perch? That lake really rocks up in a hurry and this is a common theme with the Couch - it looks like you folks managed to still have a productive time out - some really nice bass there. We got the elusive 8lb Walleye on the Couch earlier this year - they're out there!

Yeah, Votto is the guy turning the most heads in the NL this year - he's doing what Morneau did in his MVP campaign. As a proud Canadian I hope the young guy gets it. I've caught a few reds games on TV this year and the guy is something else.

Hahahaha, but ouch! You're a good sport Dave, but I bet you yelled like one of her classmates!

Uni to Uni Knot is good Surgeon's Knot is both fast, easy to learn, and effective - start there and practice practice practice!!!! You can find yourself standing up and tying these in wind (and in the middle of a river in some cases) and you want them to be automatic. Lubricate all your knots and use quality material only. If you can find the RIO Fluoro leaders you'll be in luck. Bass Pro doesn't carry them - here's why people don't carry them - because you get 50 yards per spool, as opposed to 25 - AND IT'S THE SAME PRICE. It is the best leader material I have ever used, and it ties like a dream. Also, try a switch to power pro the next time you need to buy braid, though spiderwire is alright too.

I'm most certainly going to give it a shot - would love to see them again. Hopefully they shine on KW.

Great Report Mark - nice to see you were able to get out and try something a little different - a great year to fish for Salmon on Lake O.

Nice Pic-Heavy Report - Thanks for Sharing - and YES, you have to love that topwater mouse!

Go in the Spring - we've done quite well down there on occasion, or got skunked on other occasions - you can get some big Cats - 25-30lbs. We usually go at the end of April.

Awesome Report Mike - that's the kind of fishing I love and I do it 4-5 times per week (including yesterday!) Nice to see you got into a few, even in low vis. And to Bushart - that is a great picture - beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I know from taking kids fishing from experience that you are most certainly best off going to a lake, a pond, or a non-wading situation so that it is easier for THEM to enjoy themselves. As Timmeh stated, rivers have current and an inconsistent depth, which results in more snags - it is a part of river fishing, and if you aren't getting snagged, you aren't generally where the fish are. It, however, doesn't make your day any better to have 3-4 lines out there at all times - someone is bound to get snagged nearly every cast. Also, the current in the grand can be really strong in some places and it may not be the safest place for small children. The shore @ Bannister Lake, The Waterford Ponds, Mount Pleasant, Shades Mills (in Cambridge) are just a few spots that you can take them and fish worm & bobber or minnow & bobber just to get the little ones into a few fish.

Hahaha, yeah, I thought the exact same thing . . . "If I had a nickel for everytime some guy said he caught 43 Musky . . . " Sounds like a beauty fish! Thanks for sharing.

63 Posts 60 Attempts to start an internet fight. Racist to rivers because I like to keep them clean and have fish in them?

Nothing beats a vest, and any will do - you don't need to spend a lot of money on one. A big back pocket is nice to hold food and drink.

Well check your fishing regulations before you head out onto the Grand - there is a lot of the water that is STRICTLY catch and release zones. This means you can't keep anything, you can't fish with live bait, you can only fish with single-hooks, and the barbs on the hooks need to be pinched down. Examples: Rapala with 2 trebles would be illegal. A worm and a bobber would be illegal. A mepps spinner with a treble hook and pinched down barbs would be legal.

Sucks I had to miss it this year I was stuck in Bayfield with two "fisherman" who left their licenses (and in one case - all their tackle) at home. Catching Musky >> Beer and Fooseball

Also, Bannister Lake near Paris has some shoreline and lots of sunfish as well as the odd bass and the not-so-odd Pike

Yes, Carp are mostly bottom feeders. You'll know when you have one on

I'm from the area (live in Elmira) and I fish the local area 4-5 times per week. If you're willing to fish barbless, don't litter, and catch and release (on our rivers anyways) we can fish sometime . . . send me a pm.

Power Pro is the best . . . period. I've been fishing it for some time now and it is durable and I've never had a problem with it (whereas I have with Fireline and Spiderwire). There was a recent thread about braided line and 9/10 members said they prefer PP. Stick with it.

It would be a good starting point to know what you want to fish for . . . are you carping or going after other species?

You can park on Jones Baseline up the dirt road off a main road. It is littered with no parking signs, but once you get up over the hill, you can park anywhere. THEY DO PATROL THE AREA CONSISTENTLY, so don't park in the no parking zone. I parked there once earlier this year, where some donkeys had ripped the no parking sign out of the ground in thrown it in the field next to the road (I didnt see it) and an OPP officer found me fishing and asked me to move my car. You're looking at like a 7 minute walk, but you'll have access to both sides of the lake.

There's a significant amount of Crappie in Guelph Lake. Carp and Redfins as well, but they'd probably be bigger. Also, you get a lot of pike in Guelph Lake that are in the 12-22" range, it could potentially be some of them. And, I've definitely seen member Timmeh catch a big perch out of Guelph Lake before. Again, you can't be sure. Next time you go out, buy a pack of Crappie phantom tubes and some tiny tube hooks (that setup will cost you $5) and see if they're Crappie. I suspect they probably are (particularly if they're schooling up like you say).

Some gorgeous eyes there - nice to see them still coming out that big.

Well, of course skunks can happen. There are several things - perhaps someone else was on his hole just before he got there and were fishing it for 4 hours or being disruptive in general. Regardless, if you are marking fish on the fish finder that appear to be bass, that is just not enough evidence that they are bass - they could be a handful of different species.

I can think of several other baits that outperform senkos on a daily basis - but whatever works for you I guess. Senkos were producing better a few years ago, but now it seems they've cooled down a bit as everyone is using them. Nowadays, a lot of my senkos end up on a 1/4 ounce jig head.