Lower Grand Fishing Conditions - Changing?

[oates]

Hey all,

 

Just some observations and some input requested from those who fish the lower grand, typically Paris down to Cayuga/York.

 

I started fishing in 2008, I google mapped the area, and was so happy to simply wade into the water and find my own spots, much more thrilling that being told where to go. I managed to find an island and negotiate a path right out into the middle of the river, the convergence of two streams made a great hole for walleye. I met a guy there who was hitting them and he gave me some tips. I began to hit walleye that Aug and Sept, 5 or 6 each 4-5 hrs out there, sometimes only 1, sometimes 6 in 2hrs, not big, not keepers but hey a lot of fun. I thought Walleye were easy to catch (which they aren't really) because that's all I knew. That's all I would hit. 1-2lb at most. I had no waders but kept on going out all the way to Oct (crazy I know) but it was too much fun.

 

Came back in 2009, tried to hit same spot, no walleye in June and July but found new spots, began to learn about rainfall (got swept away one day, went out 2 days after a massive storm, made it back to shore, barely, took me 30 mins to climb out i was so drained after all the swimming, and no, your life doesn't flash before your eyes, your freaking lungs burn instead, I lost my new rod and reel combo, $200), I learned about water clarity, vegetation, currents, pools, started to move away from crank-baits and to tubes and drop-shots and anything else I could learn. In this new spot further downstream, I hit tons of bass, something new to me, they fought better than walleye and were seemingly everywhere. It was too much fun! I would go back once a week, I was off work with stress leave that year and fishing helped me refocus and calm to heck down. I scanned a 2km area wading (in waders now!) finding new holes, I rarely so a soul, only cows. It was great, bass were hitting all over the place but couldn't nail anything else, all smallies. Was a fun year. I went back to my Walleye spot, Only got walleye last week of Aug and first of sept. Small ones, and not much, like 6 one day, 1 the next week and nothing before or after, didn't think much of it, after all I was a rookie.

 

2010 - started to get better, using finesse worms and a dropshot rig, I began hitting bigger ones, 2 pound + which is good in the Grand, hit the big one one time and it swam towards me, saw me, then pulled down so hard, my rod time slammed twice through the water onto the rocks, what a thrill. Was again a good summer and Sept was the month the big boys came out to play. Good year

 

2011 - Wasn't as good, did hit the big guys in Sept but made a mental note that fishing was poorer in the Grand, just less action, could be me, could be the year, the weather, still trying to figure it out, maybe its a cycle but I did note that it wasn't like so many people were out there, in fact less people were out. You see wading is the least popular way to fish, boats rule (but not in this area, not fully navigable by boat, too shallow in parts) and then shore fishing, but dirty ol wading, people don't mess with it. Fishing was again good in Sept, big bass came out but not as good as 2010, Walleye ZERO for the entire summer/fall?

 

2012 - fished form June to Sept, began using minnows, live bait, starting hitting catfish, sometimes one or two but one day about 20, some over 5lb, it was a blast, as for Bass, they were not hitting as much as 2011, which wasn't good either but it was utter garbage compared to 2008 or 2009, I would hit Bass less often, when i caught them, they were little guys, I became to worry, what's going on on this river? It can't be me, I'm getting more experienced, using multiple techniques even mixing in spinners now, so I'm in my 5th year, starting to grow up in fishing years. I hit Bass all summer but not in large amounts and all small guys. The entire summer, I didn't get one over 2lb and Sept, the usually best month was crap. I did hit more Catfish though. And and the Walleye, gonzo, I was actually catching them so often in 2008 as a first time fisherman, I was sick of them, boy, little did I know they would go away for good?

 

So....I bumped into the guy I met in Aug 2008, after 5 years, never bumped into him in between. He said the same thing, the walleye are gone? We don't know why, overfished? water quality, conditions, clarity, low rainfall? chemicals? No idea.

 

So I thought, let me post something, hopefully you are all having a great time on the Grand and all of the above means nothing, if you have done well in 2011 and 2012, quash this post. If not, then post likewise, I'm wondering if the MNR needs a heads up, if I'm right and I hope I'm wrong.

 

But what was a fortress of Small mouth Bass and good amount of Walleye in the Lower Grand has seemingly fallen right off.

 

Anyone?

[pics]

In two trips that I took in the last month I got 1 walleye-17 inch. I only fished for about 2 hours each time. It does seem to be slower this year but with such low water levels their hiding spots may have changed a bit. I would say my drop in success is more due to me not looking for more productive fishing spots rather than a collapse of the fishery. It could also be a down cycle in the numbers??.. As for water level readings, check the Grand river conservation authority website for water flow readings in real time. If you do this each time before you go out you get to know when its not safe...this is especially important in the colder temps.....

[timmeh]

Well the drought this year brought on lower water levels and higher temps and that has made things a little different this year for sure. So that may explain this year. Also rivers are dynamic and constantly change due to erosive processes and spots constantly change over the years.

 

We've had a few years of warmer summer weather and that can enhance juvenile bass survival so maybe that's why there are so many small fish around. I've noticed this in other locations. However river bass are a slow growing fish, a fish that's 18inches + might very well be 20 years old. So if those big ones are being harvested you can see the problem.

 

Far as the walleye, I don't fish them, so no insights there.

[Live2fish85]

The two times I hit the grand this year for walleye I got a walleye each time. Both came from my bucktail jigs and one was about 15" the other was like 19 or something. Think it was just a matter of the weather changing things up a bit.

[Rich]

The water is low. They are in the deepest holes around. They don't have free reign over most holes like most years.. but the bright side is... they're concentrated.

[hotsky]

Thanks for the read, I only started fishing this May and haven't spent too much time at the Grand yet but same experience so far just small bass.

 

btw did you ever catch a pike in there?

Edited October 8, 2012 by Gray_Wolf

[oates]

People do, I don't - I've caught them more in the Thames but early to mid summer. Can't seem to hit them in the river late summer and fall.

 

Sometimes you find them in bunches. Seem to like shiny things

[ch312]

The water is low. They are in the deepest holes around. They don't have free reign over most holes like most years.. but the bright side is... they're concentrated.

 

having grown up 2 blocks from the grand in brantford, this is the best advice you can take. you'll need to work harder to find them when the water is so low and clear, but the reward after finding them is worth it.

[ch312]

 

btw did you ever catch a pike in there?

 

yes, but walleye are more common than pike in the brantford area from my experience. i saw a 2 footer sunning in some slack water amongst some suckers yesterday

[spyder3g]

Very much the same observation as you did, oates.

I usually fish between Caledonia and York using jigs with lightest heads and cranks. The beginning of the year (Walleye opener) was OK, after that just ugly pigs (cats) and nothing else. In the middle of the summer when the heat came there was nothing just may be a couple of rock basses. However, 3 weeks ago the situation was changed - almost the same as in 2008, but without walleyes. I always took a limit releasing the smallest one from the chain when a small mouth got my jig. Eventually, the smallest one on the chain was about 700g (almost 2lb) and the biggest 1.5kg. 2 weeks ago a rainbow around 4-5lb hit the crank, but I couldn’t manage it with my U-light rod and 4lb line. When the cold came, everything has gone. I am not counting on steelheads because for crank and meps they are not common at all there. Fishing using roe is not sporty for me at all.

Today I saw a Chinese guy who always fishing at Dunnville dump. He got pickerels as usual. I have never seen he got none. However, nobody got something to put on the chain – just him. I looked at his wrist – really nice work jigging for walleyes.

Edited October 9, 2012 by spyder3g

[timmeh]

I always took a limit releasing the smallest one from the chain when a small mouth got my jig. Eventually, the smallest one on the chain was about 700g (almost 2lb) and the biggest 1.5kg.

 

It baffles me how people always take a limit of the biggest fish they catch and then wonder why the fishing isn't what it used to be. Selectively taking a fish now and then is one thing but culling fish down is another. Those bass are such slow growing fish.

 

We can catch a lot of fish now, or harvest a lot, but if we do the harvesting we won't be doing the catching much longer.

 

I know it's legal practice, so someone feel free to flame me for thinking of the future of our fisheries.

[hotsky]

No flaming from me, I always release what I catch. I'd rather pay a few bucks and get (already dead) fish from a grocery store than kill fish that's been around for years and can live many many more. A week later I probably wont even remember what I had for dinner.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Gray_Wolf

[Rich]

The pike fishing on the grand for me was exceptional this year. Almost no fail. Every slackwater pool no matter how small seemed to have a pike in it. Never did get any big ones but many in the 20-32" range. Spinnerbaits.

[Rich]

And i got them in every stretch from kitchener to york. Didnt get any in cayuga or dunnville this year, but i barely fished those stretches.

[oates]

Very nice, I assume slow pools not the faster water?

[Rich]

Yeah as i said, slackwater pools. A dead spot or whirlpool, with some matted surface weeds.. Never seemed to fail. One area in brantford i caught 3 from behind a stump in a 3x3 pool.

[oates]

Even this time of year, I plan to hit Paris on Friday, try for trout

[Rich]

Pretty sure the seasons closed up there..

[fisherkid4]

Killed it for bass this year, best year to date, pb smallmouth 19'5 in 3 days before the derby in my favorite stretch

[oates]

Seems like the area I primarily fished then was affected due to low water levels and warm water. People fishing other stretches seemed to have success. That's a good thing

[Fish Farmer]

Caught 1 small smallie Mon. down river from Cayuga 7 hours of fishing. Hope it's better this weekend with the Derby