Ontario River Health

[JohnF]

I mentioned this in another thread but perhaps it's worth a separate thread.

 

I've been noticing since bass opener that the Thames locally seems healthier than I've seen it for the five years I've been fishing. There are far more minnow schools, loads of baby bass, lots of bottom dweller fish like sculpins and the rocks are crawling with crayfish.

 

I'm thinking that it may have something to do with the fact that we had little spring flooding this year to wash the fishies down stream. Last year for bass opener I couldn't get in the water it was running so high and fast.

 

Of course the downside is I suspect there's too much easy forage for the bass so they're not hungry for my lures. For some reason I'm not catching the dinks like other years. The bass that I'm catching are fewer in number and 3-5" longer than average and I'm catching them in different water than other years.

 

Just wondering if anyone else is noticing this in their water.

 

JF

[Banger68]

I was on the upper Saugeen this weekend. It was high for this time of year. Now, this area always has a healthy population of minnows, chubs, and sculpin, but there is probably 1/2 as many again this year. Didn't get a chance to fish for Smallmouth in the area yet this year.

Edited July 5, 2010 by Banger68