Grand River Bass Derby

[jediangler]

I'm staying clear of the river this weekend because of this derby but thought some of you may be interested.

 

http://www.grandriverbassderby.ca/rules.html

[timmeh]

You and me both. I had a canoe trip planned until I remembered this. I'll be heading elsewhere now.

[Musky or Specks]

Yeah Id wish theyd just stop it and find another way to raise money for the optimist club

[ironstone74]

Really guys??? I look forward to the derby to take the kids out and try to hook into a winner. Have you guys had bad experiences or are the crowds too much of a pain?

 

Paul

[timmeh]

Really guys??? I look forward to the derby to take the kids out and try to hook into a winner. Have you guys had bad experiences or are the crowds too much of a pain?

 

Paul

 

 

My reasoning for avoiding it is I feel it's very bad for the fishery. It's great they make it a catch and release tourney only but having people cart bass back and forth to the weigh station is very stressful and I suspect a large number don't return to the river alive. Keeping fish for hours in white bucket and bags is no good, which is what too many people do. They need to add a few additional weight in stations so fish don't need to be transported all around the watershed.

 

But that's just my opinion. Hopefully you and your kids have a good time, the weather looks good.

Edited July 4, 2009 by timmeh

[jediangler]

I hate to see a natural resource used and abused to generate income, for a charity or for a fishing store. It's my home river, so I guess I'm a little protective of it.

[ironstone74]

I haven't seen live fish being stored like that but I hope it doesn't happen too much. I know the mortality rate is low (according to media releases from the Nelson Murakami) and next year all fish must be kept in a container with a portable O2 feed so that should help out a lot. I'll see what I can see tommorrow and feed back to the guys at Natural Sports!!!

 

Paul

[jediangler]

The guys at Natural know what they're doing. Where do you think all those battery powered airators are going to be sold from?

[ironstone74]

I hate to see a natural resource used and abused to generate income, for a charity or for a fishing store. It's my home river, so I guess I'm a little protective of it.

 

I can see that, I have been scouting sections this week and I could be surprised to see some "trespassers" in my spots... haha.

 

I still think overall that the derby raises money for a good service group and encourages people to go and fish together so it's a good thing.

 

Paul

[ironstone74]

The guys at Natural know what they're doing. Where do you think all those battery powered airators are going to be sold from?

 

My plan is to leave it in the package, if a get a 19"er or better I'll spend the 8 bucks and open er up and go to the weigh in. Can't have it both ways, spend a bit to save a fish.

 

P

[jediangler]

Good luck Paul. I'm sure you'll see plenty of other fishermen. I might stop by Bingeman's with my daughter just to look at the holding tanks full of big smallies. Post a report when it's over.

[timmeh]

next year all fish must be kept in a container with a portable O2 feed so that should help out a lot.

 

Paul

 

 

Ya I heard this as well and I think that it's a great idea.

 

In previous years while fishing on derby weekend I've seen some pretty poor carrying containers though I suspect most people do make the effort to transport fish safely.

 

But for a river based tourney that runs from Belwood to Paris I don't understand why they don't have more than 1 measuring station. All you need is a reliable person with a tape measure.

[jediangler]

Just got back from a visit to Bingeman's with my daughter to check out the leaderboard. As of 3:30pm Saturday the leading fish is 19" long. While we were there a couple brought in two fish to be measured. They had their bass in a cooler with a battery powered bubbler so they were in great shape. Hers was 17.5" and his was 18 5/8", good enough for 5th place. Of course the guy measuring (not Nelson) dropped the big smallie off of the table and bounced it on the ground before measuring it.

[profc]

I made it out for a couple hours just south of Kolab park in Kitchener. The water was fairly dirty and not as high as I expected it would be. The traffic on the river wasn't crazy. About what you would expect.

 

I'm thinking about heading out again tomorrow if anyone wouldn't mind me tagging along. Lord knows I could sure use some local tips after today's show. I got a couple blue gills but no smallies for me!

[jediangler]

Hey profc, welcome to the forum. I've been fishing the Grand here in k-town since I was a little squirt and I've never heard of Kolab park. Where is it? I probably know it by another name. I can PM you a spot or two to try tomorrow.

[Musky or Specks]

Hey Jedi are you old enough to have fished it in the late seventies when the bass fishery had recovered from years of pollution but the rest of the world hadnt found out about it yet. I use to live down by forwell rd and use to take the old bridgeport bus to behind the dollhouse Inflate my canadian tire rubber dingy and float back to my place. The smallie fishing was magic compared to today.

[jediangler]

Used to ride our bikes to Bridgeport from Victoria Hills with the poles strapped to our backs. That would have been in 74 or 75. Wasn't in full recovery mode at that time. We liked riding our bikes all the way to New Dundee and fishing Alder lake, those were the days.

[Musky or Specks]

It was great from 77-84. Alder still produces the odd good largemouth for me. The pad beds along the west shore. Use to be an old hockey net in the water in one corner that always held a bass.

[timmeh]

It was great from 77-84.

 

What happened in 85?

[Musky or Specks]

Word started to get out about the amazing fishing. Fish got edumacated. Fishings was still good but the days of double digit 18" plus fish were over. I remember because after 84 I stopped coming home from school because the fishing just had tapered off.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Musky or Specks

[timmeh]

Dang, I should have been born a few years earlier.

 

If I get 1 fish over 18" I'm happy, and any more are a bonus.

[Musky or Specks]

It was magic. I was shown how to catch them when I was 12 in 76 by an older gent that I met on the river. Black and gold floating rapala size 9. It was amazing that a kid who didnt know much could just go out and slay big bass so easily. I'll never forget that old guy. Never saw him again but he hooked me for life on fishing and was kind enough to pass on his wisdom to a snot nosed punk that he met. Its why I will ALWAYS help people out that I meet while fishing. If it wasnt for that old guy I probably woulld have got hooked on something else. Although I might still be married..... second thought I REALLY owe the old guy a lot.

[ironstone74]

Funny, I too cut my teeth fishing the Grand by the Dollhouse. Rod strapped to my bike or jammed in a knapsack and off I went with my buddies. I started probably in 85 or 86, and I felt the same excitement today heading to the river.

 

I fished a couple hours today, it's hard to get out by myself with a young family and it was great. I was throwing floating raps and Mepps Aglias. I got 2 smallies, 1 pretty small ans the 2nd was decent maybe 14 or 15". Too little time to work any more water.

 

I believe it's called Kolb park in Kitchener off of Victoria St. near the bridge over the Grand before Breslau. It used to be a gravel pit was rehabbed into a pond for fishing and fowl. I had the whole gang there in the early afternoon and it was packed, no fish for us.

 

Paul

[Musky or Specks]

That might be the name The creek that flows from mackenzie king public school down to the grand which enters around the end of forwell rd is called Kolb Creek/drain . Use to catch my some big chub out of it when I was younger and the pond that it dumped into by blue springs use to hold some decent carp.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Musky or Specks

[jediangler]

Thanks Ironstone74, I know the place, just didn't know they had a name for it. It was always Victoria st. bridge to us. Always had better luck closer to the rail bridge just downstream.