Missinaibi River trip - walleye/bass baits

[tilly]

hey guys, i'm heading up to the missinaibi river (canoeing mattice to james bay) next week and i'm looking for some simple tips for walleye/bass baits...we're canoeing the whole way so i'm trying to take as little tackle as possible.

 

right now i'm just thinking a simple selection of jigs (1/4 - 3/8) coupled with a small net for catching minnows is the simplest answer to my question, but is there anything else that i'm missing? we're counting on eating fish for a bunch of our meals, so being able to catch fish is a must!

[johnnyb]

That is a dream trip -- WOW!!! I did a quick trip from Big Miss to Little Miss, and the best pattern was minnow baits jerked through the rapids. Any big, deep rapids would hold active fish all day...smaller sets were only worth fishing in low light. I mostly used a 3.5inch Yozuri, as I could rip it really nicely and it suspended...but found that when I moved up in size, to a 7 inch Bagley's perch, I was catching bigger fish, and the odd pike.

I hope you have some pics to post when you're back from that one!

[Bly]

Not familiar with the area you are going to but if I were going on a trip like that and could take only minimal tackle, would consider the following..

 

Add a few steelhead type jigs to the assortment.

spinner

at least one crank/body bait

a few hooks and assorted weights..as long as you have line you can tie up a variety of "rigs"

 

have a great trip!

[tilly]

That is a dream trip -- WOW!!! I did a quick trip from Big Miss to Little Miss, and the best pattern was minnow baits jerked through the rapids. Any big, deep rapids would hold active fish all day...smaller sets were only worth fishing in low light. I mostly used a 3.5inch Yozuri, as I could rip it really nicely and it suspended...but found that when I moved up in size, to a 7 inch Bagley's perch, I was catching bigger fish, and the odd pike.

I hope you have some pics to post when you're back from that one!

 

eh thanks for the tips, that's great. cast right into the rapids and rip the bait along and i should find fish eh...awesome.

 

 

Not familiar with the area you are going to but if I were going on a trip like that and could take only minimal tackle, would consider the following..

 

Add a few steelhead type jigs to the assortment.

spinner

at least one crank/body bait

a few hooks and assorted weights..as long as you have line you can tie up a variety of "rigs"

 

have a great trip!

 

yeah definitely going to bring those.

[fishman4]

I used to work at the park for a few years, some of the best fishing in ontario. All you should need is white and yellow 3" jigs. Some of the falls, glassy and thunderhouse all a fish every cast, make sure you take a camera the fallfish, they look like a big sucker are worldclass up to 3 pounds

[CLofchik]

HUGE smallies in the deep runs below Hells Gate, only place I found bass in that stretch. I only used a copper Cordell Redfin and picked up bass, pike & pickeral on it. The fishing pretty much peters out the last few days where the river spreads out into gravel bars.

 

Have fun, it's a great trip on a spectacular river, I keep meaning to do it again one of these days.

 

[tilly]

I used to work at the park for a few years, some of the best fishing in ontario. All you should need is white and yellow 3" jigs. Some of the falls, glassy and thunderhouse all a fish every cast, make sure you take a camera the fallfish, they look like a big sucker are worldclass up to 3 pounds

 

3" jigs as in tubes? mr twisters?

 

great tips, thanks!

[fishman4]

twisters mostly but tubes are a good bet too, google map the area, the mouth of the pivabiska is really special, caught my best river walleye there 8 pounds. You will have no problem with diner fish through out the system, below thunderhouse falls is also stugeon area.