pinkquack Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 Hello everyone, I just joined this site-looks fabulous! Was in a car accident a few years ago and I use a powered wheelchair. Decided to get back into fishing. So many questions! First, I figured that the best boat I could use to get out there and fish would be some sort of pontoon boat. Something I could easily get on to while in my wheelchair. Anybody know of any used ones for sale? Maybe you know of other options I could explore. Would also love to find a place I could go to that is within 3-4 hours drive from Hamilton, where I live, that has a wheelchair accessible cabin/cottage and also some type of wheelchair accessible boat I could rent to go fishing. Any information you can provide is truly appreciated. Thank you very much!
mikeh Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 I know there are pontoon rentals on Rice Lake , I think they rent them out of Bewdley.
Sinker Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 Yep, BJ bait and Tackle in Bewdley rents pontoons. As well as a couple others close by. I'm not sure about wheelchair access though, but I'm sure they'd help you out any way they could. Give them a call. The walleye fishing has been great there so far this season too Sinker
misfish Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 A fellow worker heads here.Hope it helps. willow beach
IndySKS Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 Just throwing this out there Beaverland Camp- Martin River We have stayed there before and now use a cottage just up the road. I dont think they have a pontoon boat for rent but if you ask there might be one on the lake you can rent. It's about a 1/2 hour north of North Bay. If i can help with any details let me know.
hammercarp Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 Why leave Hamilton? There is a fishing platform at the Canadian Centre for Inland Waters. Pier 8 is producing big sheephead. You could simply troll along the pier. I heard a decent pike was caught doing that there the other day. Then there's carp our carp club will start fishing pier 8 soon why not drop by.
bigugli Posted June 29, 2009 Report Posted June 29, 2009 Blue Beacon Marina used to have pontoon rentals at the Simcoe narrows. Port of Orillia has a couple of accessible platforms. In the Niagara area, try Port Dalhousie piers. The Rec canal in Welland has a few fishing platforms. One of which is right downtown at Merritt Island.
Leecher Posted June 30, 2009 Report Posted June 30, 2009 Sorry I cannot help you with the boat stuff but want to welcome you to OFC Looking forward to reading your stories!!! Leechman
HTHM Posted June 30, 2009 Report Posted June 30, 2009 If you go to Valens they have wheel chair accessable fishing platforms throughout the park.
GbayGiant Posted June 30, 2009 Report Posted June 30, 2009 My good friend fishies with me in a power wheelchair, I just have a 17' boat with a flat floor, he seems to be fine, we just lift him in. Another friend has a boat where the whole front of it folds down so he can pull up to any shore or dock and just load stuff, that type of boat would be perfect but also expensive it's a 22' Stanley I think.
pinkquack Posted June 30, 2009 Author Report Posted June 30, 2009 Hello everyone, I just joined this site-looks fabulous! Was in a car accident a few years ago and I use a powered wheelchair. Decided to get back into fishing. So many questions! First, I figured that the best boat I could use to get out there and fish would be some sort of pontoon boat. Something I could easily get on to while in my wheelchair. Anybody know of any used ones for sale? Maybe you know of other options I could explore. Would also love to find a place I could go to that is within 3-4 hours drive from Hamilton, where I live, that has a wheelchair accessible cabin/cottage and also some type of wheelchair accessible boat I could rent to go fishing. Any information you can provide is truly appreciated. Thank you very much! You guys are great! Thanks for all the responses. My goodness-I remember Rice Lake & Bewdley-went there in the late 60s/early 70s for fishing. Great place then it sounds like a great place now. Maybe I will check it out again. Still want to find some kind of boat I can use though. The search goes on!
danbouck Posted June 30, 2009 Report Posted June 30, 2009 Any pontoon boat should do fine. You could have a ramp made for getting in and out of it.
Mike Pike Posted June 30, 2009 Report Posted June 30, 2009 I echo Hammercarp's recommendation of the platform at Canada Centre For Inland Waters. Nice and close to you, and a great spot to hook into some big, bad carp right now. Also, regarding the pontoon thing, Lungehaven Camp on Sturgeon Lake used to have a couple of pontoon boats they rented out along with their 14-foot tinnies. I haven't been there in years but it was a nice camp with good fishing for walleye. Goodluck and welcome to the board!!!
Beans Posted June 30, 2009 Report Posted June 30, 2009 A chap by the name of Dan used to fish off the cement pier at Couchiching Beach Park in downtown Orillia every spring during the Perch Festival (he won a PFD suit one year)...he too was in a powered wheelchair and owned a specially built (for him) van and the only thing he every needed from us was when he dropped his sunglasses into the drink and my bro-in-law fished them out for him... Lorne's suggestion of fishing for carp off pier 8 in Hamilton sounds good to me...a swell bunch of CAG (Carp Anglers Group) & OFC members I'm sure would take the time to help you with anything... Wish I lived closer at times...
pikehunter Posted July 1, 2009 Report Posted July 1, 2009 Wish I could help with the pontoon boat question. But I can say try Bayfront park or Pier 4 where Williams Coffee is located has some very accessible locations. As a matter of fact to the left and sort of in front of Williams is a good spot you can wheel right up to and fish right in the marina. There were several parking spots right there but they have now blocked them off. Very unfortunate because that would be perfect, drive right up, exit your vehicle and wheel 15' to the edge and drop your fishing line. Too bad that they didn't make it handicap parking only rather than close it right off. Also Christie conservation area has a wheelchair pond with a couple of platforms the hang out over the water. Don't know about how it is for fishing right now but they stock rainbows in the spring. Try Port Maitland Pier, my wife drove me down there a couple of weeks ago when I was on crutches and although we had no luck it was a good afternoon and it was easy to get out onto in the condition I was in and would be a perfect for you with an electric chair. BTW, we took my father there many times, he was on a cane and then a wheel chair. Also try Port Dover Pier, easy place to fish from and when you have had enough fishing you can get the world's best foot long dog at the Arbour. Looking forward to reading some posts from you in the near future. Best of luck and well wishes.
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