bluesky1713

Try those two lakes beside the highway when driving North on Hwy 11 into town. I have heard there are bass and pike in there. Always wanted to give it a shot myself. Let me know how you do if you do try it. There are lots of good spots on Nipissing but I would not head out onto the big lake in a canoe.

River Redhorse. Caught a bunch of those this spring over 10lbs. Interestingly, it is a species of special concern in Ontario: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/s...riviere-eng.htm

There are no "blue book" values for boats; so, technically, you could do that JohnAB and save yourself a bunch on the tax. I suppose you could also say the boat was given to you. However, I cannot speak to whether you would get in trouble for doing this. If you make it sound reasonable, I would imagine it would slide, but a $40K Ranger listed on the bill of sale for $800 might raise some eyebrows. Not sure what would happen after that though.

Just bought a used boat this week privately. Went to Service Canada and had the license transferred. Free, 5 minutes, no taxes remitted at that point or questions asked. Went to the MTO to get plates and the clerk asked if I wanted to pay my tax then. I said "sure" because eventually I knew I would have to and paid tax on the entire package (at 8%). She wrote "Tax paid on boat, motor and trailer". My experience was identical to Jocko's account except for the fact that I paid all of my tax at the MTO office. I am pretty sure you could choose to remit your taxes at a later date (how, I do not know). I doesn't seem like Service Canada is set up to take taxes on your purchase but from my experience, the MTO certainly was and they indicated that tax was remitted on the boat/motor as well as the trailer.

Tiz, Do you have any contact information, location, or other details on this place? Thanks.

Ok. Hmmm... I'd like to keep it close, if at possible. That way I could load up and hit the lake after work. And, it would be nice to be able to target some pickerel. Is Manitouwabing a good fishery overall? Also, if I were to get some downriggers, is it possible to catch salmon, lakers, or bows on GB off Parry Sound?

I just bought a boat (my first - photos attached because I know how much you all love photos) and am looking to get out fishing in the Parry Sound area where I live. Just wondering if any board members have advice/tips on good lakes in the area or spots on Georgian Bay for fishing (any species)? I do not have downriggers yet, just mounts for them (ignore downriggers in the photos). Thanks!

The launch there is great. It is not a "public" launch though, but you can use it at a cost. The sign that is up at the launch says $15 in/$15 out or so. Don't know how well that is enforced. I typically just pay for yearly use of the launch, so I wouldn't know. There should be lots of parking, just drive around to the other side of the marina towards the big boat storage shed and park to the right of that (there should be other cars/trailers). Free options in that area are Chapman's Landing in the Town of Nipissing (decent dirt launch) and a launch right in Callander (beware, VERY shallow!). You may also be able to launch for free at Wade's Landing. Great fishing along the South Shore there. Good luck!

Thanks for your thoughts everybody! I know I for one will not stop eating the delicious fish I catch from Ontario lakes and rivers for the time being. I was not aware that there was a guide available from the MoE and thank those who brought it to my attention (http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water/fishguide/guides.php). Even though studies are released and articles are written on the topic claiming that the sky is falling, I do not think they should be ignored. However, use the MoE guidelines for fish consumption as your information source, keep smaller fish to eat and Bon Appetit! I think there is some credence to discussing this topic in a forum like this, though. It seems like at this point, anecdotally, that about 80% or more of fishermen in Ontario (just judging by the responses) either do not worry about their fish consumption or consume based on the MoE's guidelines. However, if that number drops significantly, I want to know about it and I want to know from the source (OFC members who actually EAT the fish, not some University researcher doing a study)! Anyways, thank you all for your replies. Just wanted to know people's opinion and practice on this topic.

Just wondering whether anyone has any concern about the fish they ingest. I live in Northern Ontario (North Bay/Parry Sound area) and have never really had much concern about whether the fish I catch are contaminated with pollutants or high levels of naturally-occurring mercury. The only place that I did not keep fish was the pickerel I caught in front of the water treatment plant on Nipissing, but I did not have any scientific reason for not eating them. What are your thoughts? Do you eat the fish you catch from your home waters or are you hesitant to do so? I am especially interested in what the Great Lakes fishermen have to say, particularly Lake Ontario anglers. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nation...article1213338/ (My apologies if this question/topic has been raised and discussed before.)

I am a local and fish a good deal on Lake Nipissing. I have never caught a whitefish in the spring/summer/fall. In the winter you will get the odd whitefish but it's primarily herring in that family that are caught. I would not bother targeting them in the spring. Like GCD said, they are very elusive. I wouldn't have any idea where to point you.

Not sure what you guys are looking at but that doesn't look like a very healthy fish to me. Its fins look awful. Especially the dorsal fin. But the pectoral fin and tail also look like they are rotting away where the black bacteria/virus has affected it. Granted the damage may be a result of spawning (although it is still a little early) but it looks to me like it is a result of that black issue. Look at the dorsal fin in the third photo. It looks like the fin is rotting away. A nice fish, to be sure, but it looks like it is host to some sort of bacteria or virus and I would doubt that fish will survive very much longer. Just my opinion though.

Are they any good to eat? First time I've ever caught them.

Not sure about at Sturgeon Falls but they were certainly in the "falls" at Chapman's Narrows near the mouth of the South River/Nipissing along with MONSTER redhorse suckers (10lbs +) and OOS Smallmouth's. They were pretty much stacked up. Lots of fish caught.

I'm looking for some creeks/streams possibly GB Tribs to do some spinning-gear trout fishing. Anything from brook trout to browns to bows in the Parry Sound area that I can walk the river/stream and fish. I'm willing to travel a bit (South to Barrie area or any 2 hour radius from Parry Sound). I'm new to the area and have checked out Google maps but I'm not sure what water(s) hold fish, specifically trout along Georgian Bay. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

My apologies. It has been previously posted: http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...mp;hl=ramble-on

Not sure if anyone's posted this yet but here's the free online Fish'n Canada episode Dave's in. Pretty sweet. http://www.myoutdoortv.com/show-microsite-...shn-canada.html It's on page 2 of the Fish'n Canada links and episode #9.

Awesome report Matt. Livin' the dream. I love chasing pickerel and finding where they hide, it's so rewarding. They can be in some pretty strange spots and the hot bait can be completely unexpected. A few springs ago, I got into a number of big eyes (8-12 pounds) in about 1-2 feet of water in a quiet bay on a small lake caught on 2 inch floating Rapalas . Completely unexpected but so rewarding.

Why are people so quick to pull the race card? Hotrod is completely right... this really isn't about Natives. It is about the fact that commercial fishing should not be done on Nipissing, especially with kill nets across Spring spawning grounds. Nobody should be doing this. It is destroying Nipissing's natural fishing population and has other environmental effects (and increasing economic effects on the area due to a decline in tourism). The fact that around 2/3 of the fish harvested from Nipissing are taken by these nets is a MAJOR problem (aside from how, when and where they are being taken), and debatably THE premier problem (among many smaller problems) with the declining Nipissing fishery. The government needs to stop this from happening, period. It is the Natives that are the only ones allowed to do this, so that's why they are being brought up. But if aliens came down to earth and started harvesting fish in the Spring spawn with kill nets, we would be outraged as well. Not because they are aliens, but because this is happening. So, don't pull the race card because that has nothing to do with this. Bottom line is that it is happening on Nipissing and needs to be stopped. If the individuals who are doing it are not going to govern themselves and have the insight to stop doing it, then the government needs to step in... end of story.

Good advice, Irish. There were quite a few people out fishing right in McKellar last Friday evening. Some of them were dangerously close to the open water. I might try it out a little further from open water. I wonder how the fishing is there, it seems to be a pretty popular spot?

Does anyone fish the hard water in Georgian Bay right in Parry Sound?

Thanks johnnyb, I might give Manitouwabing a shot at the narrows right in McKellar. Have you ever fished it?

I am looking to do some ice fishing around Parry Sound. I know there are lots of lakes, but have never fished any of them. Does anyone have any tips on a good lake(s) around Parry Sound and across HWY 124 to ice fish that hold Pickerel, Perch, Pike and even Lakers? Are Mill Lake, Lake Manitouwabing, Bell Lake, Ahmic Lake, etc any good to ice fish?

2/3 of the Pickerel in Nipissing are being taken commercially (via Native gill nets) and that's assuming that First Nations are not taking more than their quotas. Nipissing should not be fished commercially! So sad. Also, why is a "stressed" fishery issuing 250 more licenses to ice hut operators? This is a disgraceful money-grab that further compromises a crashing fishery. Do they not realize the millions of dollars brought in annually to the area by tourist revenues from the U.S. and Southern Ontario will disappear when the fishery dies? What a counter-productive, backwards-thinking move.

Really slow this year at Deepwater Point. Perch has even cooled off now compared to earlier in the year. Pickerel, when they do hit, are coming in schools and if they do come out to play you will get a 15 minute or so shot at a few fish and that's it for the day. Try deeper water 35-40+.