French River Fun

[oates]

Went to Lake Nippissing for a few days, it was a constant 30km wind with showers on/off - had no success, wife hooked in to a tiny perch just before leaving, we fished about 15hrs and I think the constant winds were a factor in this shallow lake. Feeling kinda bummed, we headed back home looking for some shore fishing (just seems like lakes and rivers everywhere up there), so we decided to wade around the French river, but after meeting one of their reps. at the information centre and the warnings about Massassagua rattle snakes, them being more aggressive in mating season (and they said 'by the way, it is mating season') and them telling us 3 people go bitten recently, you can die in 6hrs and North Bay is apparently short on anti-venom, ahh...the family wasn't feeling like walking through the forest to find spots to wade,

 

so we rented a boat, was amazed that the river runs 150ft deep in places (and they told me that people actually drop a line down that far), beautiful area, no one really out there, it was so tranquil, around 21 degrees, light to no wind, sunny. We tried to look for some pools and shallow spots, we quickly realised that there arn't many, mostly sharp drops offs from shore, I mean like 20ft out in the the water, it goes from shore to 15ft deep in places, we looked for weedlines and those sharp drops offs which were everywhere, water was clear enough to see 5ft deep, where there wasn't weedlines there was a rock base. We are accustomed to fishing shallow rivers and using shallow crank baits so we wern't too hopeful, all in all it salvaged the trip a bit:

 

Myself

 

1.5lb Bass

2lb Bass (dropshotting a garlic/salt white-clear lunkers 4" worm)

 

Wife

 

15" Pike (first ever pike, dragging cotton candy 3" tube)

 

8yr old son

15" pike (first ever fish caught! no rock bass for him! caught on 7-16ft blue/green rapala large crankbait, he thought it was weeds, didn't fight till it hit the surface, naturally, he went nuts)

 

5yr old daughter

3lb bass (first ever fish caught! - she went nutz, jiging nuckle ball with a tail on her cinderella rod from walmart and it stayed on despite no tension adjustment on rod)

 

 

So it ended off quite nice, I had several hits and bites, mostly when I first stopped the boat at a place, lost several fish, some monsters flipping out of the water, I then switched from a #1 offset to a #2, had an idea hook was too small? Continue to do ok on rivers, horrible on lakes.

 

Well, that's are mini report, was supposed to be Nippissing, ended up being the French River.

 

PS - We didn't catch any walleye, I'm assuming in Summer, they go in to deeper colder waters, come more shallow in autumn, is this correct, places on the Grand that I caught Walleye last Autumn (when I first starting fishing) have none now it seems, would that be a correct assumption, one most go deep for walleye in summer, shallower in autumn? Anyone know?

Edited August 20, 2009 by oates

[mpt]

Sounds like a great family outing. I hope you had a camcorder for the kids fish.

[Fish4Eyes]

I fish in deeper water at all times on nipissing 17-23'. I don't slaughter them, but I do catch some every morning and evening. I never really fish at night because I can't tolerate the mosquitos, but I would assume they go shallower at night. During strong light hours, some stay deep and some go to the weed beds. Don't be fooled by the winds on nipissing. Last summer I had my best pickerel outing in a 1+' chop at 10am. Caught 6 in a 1/2 hour.

Edited August 20, 2009 by Fish4Eyes

[oates]

was on west side of Nippissing, all shallow there, too far to go south or east (gas).