Thames River in the London area questions

[splashhopper]

Hi all...

I just got back in to fishing last summer/falll and have been bitten hard by the bug.

Almost ready to trade my golf clubs in too! NOT. lol

 

I live in London and am interested in fishing the Thames river for pickerel and bass.

 

I have seen a ton of guys fishing up at the Wildwood damn on Highway 7 and am told it holds lots of pickeral.

 

However, I like hiking the rivers for the peace and solitude.

 

I am dieing to get back up on the Maitland as soon as the season re-opens there too.

 

If any one has any suggestions or is planning on heading out in the next week or two, please consider dragging a newbie along.

 

thanks.

Splashopper

[Headhunter]

Opportunities on the Thames are pretty limited at this time of year. With the Springbank Dam under construction, the "typical" waters to fish have changed.

You'll find many anglers who fish the Delaware area, as well as the Killworth Bridge. Native netting has put a real hurt on the Pickeral numbers.

Coarse fish may be your only option until Bass season opens, then "walking the river" is as good as any options to find action. Look for deeper than most pools in the river and good luck!

HH

[splashhopper]

i was wondering about the Kilworth area too..

Thanx.

 

Right now, there is good flow down in the delaware area.

But yes, I have been told the same thing about the "netting" Bull too.

 

One of my friends is a native from Oneida and is ticked about that too.

 

Thanx again

splashopper

[Beats]

I don't know who told you that but there are no pickerel in Wildwood. There are , however, some in Fanshawe lake. Fished the Thames my whole life and gone out during the pickerel run each spring and never seen ANYONE catch one. The fish do come up the river and they ARE caught in small numbers each year. They don't come up with the numbers that they did decades ago. I have heard of pickerel caught in London each year but they are extremely rare. Bass are everywhere though. You can go anywhere in London and fine sm bass. I caught a few white bass downtown last year as well that have been spreading out due to Springbank dam being down. If you want a crack at pickerel in the London area of the Thames your best bet is Deleware, Komoka, and Killworth areas in April. However, the closer you can get yourself to St.Clair the better your odds are gonna be. I know ppl that have caught them in the Thamesville area before. I'm confident the fish get thinned out each year trying to get past the nets in Muncey.

[Headhunter]

If you are giving Delaware/Killworth a try, look for back eddy's/current breaks that the fish will use to get out of the current. You really have to annoy them to get them to bite, once they are up the river/pre-spawn. Once they've spawned, they are more open to eating, but still few and far between.

Hair jigs are very popular, as well as Raps. Just be aware that in many of the "common" places people fish, many jerks have thrown beds/bikes, whatever, to grab your lures for future re-sale!

HH

[splashhopper]

thanks for the heads up on Wildwood, Beats...

i don't really wanna stand out on that shore anyway.

 

I was just gonna post about the Sarnia /Wallaceberg area too.

 

Any suggestions other than making sure I know where the "reserve" starts and finishes ? lol

 

Thanx

spalshopper

[Beats]

The ppl you are seeing at Wildwood are after pike. They fish the beach from Fall to ice and then again right after the ice melts.

 

 

You can tell when the run starts by just watching for ppl near the Thames in April. From my experience its more of a "run of people" than a run of fish. People pull over and start fishing cause they see a guy fishing.. which then gets more and more ppl fishing there all wondering where the fish are. My dad and others I've talked to have all caught them near London 15-30 years ago and say they were big lake-sized fish. If you are willing to drive I would highly suggest going to the lower end of the river. If not I know ppl catch them at the "end of the line", being the bottom of Fanshawe dam.

Edited March 10, 2008 by Beats

[splashhopper]

headhunter:

Thanks for the heads up on "the junk " in the river..

sure makes a case for NOT BUYING used tackle in the area now doesn't it..

 

I never would have thought some IDIOTS would even pull that kinda crap with all the awareness of polution etc.

[splashhopper]

Beats...

i stand corrected,,, it was PIKE they mentioned at Wildwood,,NOT pickerel.

 

Interesting you mention Thamesville as I was wondering about one of the stretches along # 2 down there when i drove a guy there two weeks ago. My native buddie fishes in that area alot too.

 

I have no issues driving up to 90 minutes for some quiet river fishing.

 

Thanx

[kickingfrog]

Another heads-up would be that the open season has changed I believe for walleye in (or parts of) southern Ontario.

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/pubmenu.html#fish

[splashhopper]

Thanx kickingfrog....

now if we can get the MNR to put all that in plain language,, i may not lose my truck ! lol

[Headhunter]

Hey Splashopper...plain English would dictate that you should go carp fishing after March 15th!LOL ... Carp are overly abundant in the Thames and can be a ton o fun, on light equipment, between open seasons for game fish.

The breakwall in Greenway Park, as well as the train bridge in the same park can hold monster Carp and suckers... on a nice sunny day, a ton o fun!

HH

[Beats]

Here's a few pics from last April's attempt for pickerel in the area. Some really nice stretches of water if you find them

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[splashhopper]

thanx, beats and headhunter.

 

This board really is pro-active and it is great to know, I can get some suggestions when i post on it.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

splashopper

[jjcanoe]

Yep basically call it quits for all but coarse fish and trout (trout in the main branch) in the Thames until mid May.

Through out the summer Gibbons park has some great spots for bass as well as lots of other "scenery"

 

jjcanoe

[jjcanoe]

If you want to go for pike before it closes ....PM sent

 

jjcanoe