cottage suggestions?

[Lunatic]

I'm looking at a short get away this spring or early summer for me and the wife for 3 days. of course the fishing has to be good,she gets bored quickly while fishing so the better the action the longer i get to fish lol

i dont want to go too far, maybe about 4 hours north of hamilton. probably not further than north bay,

would love a lake with big pike and some bass.

all suggestions welcome

thanks

[Lunatic]

I should add that ive been looking at wolseley lodge. anyone been?

[BucktownAngler]

ive been to wolseley lodge.

 

id recommend memquisit or lakair in west arm of nippissing. great bass & pike fishing there, she will not be bored

[Lunatic]

Cool thanks ill check them out

[Rich Clemens]

I've done better with pike at Lakair vs Wolseley. The Wolseley area can get busy with 4 lodges in the bay itself. I'm skipping Wolseley this year.

[Lunatic]

I've done better with pike at Lakair vs Wolseley. The Wolseley area can get busy with 4 lodges in the bay itself. I'm skipping Wolseley this year.

thanks for the heads up. i dont want too much of a crowd

[Nipfisher]

Are you bringing your own boat or looking to rent?

[Lunatic]

Are you bringing your own boat or looking to rent?

bringing mine

[Nipfisher]

bringing mine

 

 

Are you bringing your own boat or looking to rent?

 

Reason I ask is.....Nipissing can be NASTY at times. How big is your boat/motor?

I have a trailer at a park that rents cottages. Close to the Sturgeon River and you can boat into the French River, or West Arm. Lots of good pike and bass options.

 

Lake Nosbonsing or Talon Lake (both near North Bay) are also good options.

[fisher]

A fun tactic we came across about 7 years ago when last on the French was to drive into the many bays pretty fast that were chocked full of weeds and cut the engine and throw out our spinner baits right in the prop wash....hit a pike every time. Mind you the water was 10 feet deep and the weeds were just as tall so there was little risk of hitting any rocks.

 

Pke are not shy of the motor and in fact, we were surprised to see one strike the prop two times (as it came to a stop from spinning) before it figured out it was not food. That was how we stumbled onto that pattern.

[Lunatic]

 

 

 

Reason I ask is.....Nipissing can be NASTY at times. How big is your boat/motor?

 

I have a trailer at a park that rents cottages. Close to the Sturgeon River and you can boat into the French River, or West Arm. Lots of good pike and

bass options.

 

Lake Nosbonsing or Talon Lake (both near North Bay) are also good options.

I have a 16 foot tin boat. 20hp Johnson

[Lunatic]

A fun tactic we came across about 7 years ago when last on the French was to drive into the many bays pretty fast that were chocked full of weeds and cut the engine and throw out our spinner baits right in the prop wash....hit a pike

every time. Mind you the water was 10 feet deep and the weeds were just as tall so there was little risk of hitting any rocks.

 

 

Pke are not shy of the motor and in fact, we were surprised to see one strike the prop two times (as it came to a stop from spinning) before it figured

out it was not food. That was how we stumbled onto that pattern.

That's a great idea.

[Andrew Grant]

.

Edited January 30, 2014 by XxX

[Nipfisher]

I have a 16 foot tin boat. 20hp Johnson

 

o.k. 16 footer is o.k. but 20hp will take you a long time to get around on Nipissing. Check out Tallon Lake, and Lake Nosbonsing. If you stayed at Lakair in the west arm you would be o.k.

[Angler management]

I have been to wolseley lodge last 3 years, and i am definetly not going back... Its overcrowded and overfished. Dont get me wrong there is lots of fish, but u definetly need to work harder to get them then most surrounding areas. First two times i went we had bad weather, so i figured i would try again last year, and nothing spectacular. Ive had more action in the kawarthas many, many times. Hopefully somebody who is more familiar with the area can point u in the right direction... And i will follow as well. Lol!

[Angler management]

Also wanted to add, dont fish the areas they tell u to fish at french. I made friends with some locals the last night i was there and they all told me the same thing... They advise you to fish certain areas that are "very good" but their guides stay very clear of those spots for a reason, and boat an hour out of the lodge area. Only people catching good fish while i was there were out with the guides, while the rest of us were skunked with bass and pickerel and only caught small pike.

[Lunatic]

I'm glad I asked. I hate crowds, although sometimes unavoidable. Lakair looks like a winner, which is surprising since most people I talk to scoff and lake nip because of the elephant in the room up there. But they like fishing for walleye

[Rich Clemens]

I'll be at Lakair for the musky opener in June. Even on the West Arm, there are weed beds around that hold Pike - even close by the lodge. I've caught some right off the dock.

 

If ya go, be sure to tell Kevin and Leslie I also recommended their lodge. Maybe I'll get a discount for referrals :-)

[Rich Clemens]

I have been to wolseley lodge last 3 years, and i am definetly not going back... Its overcrowded and overfished. Dont get me wrong there is lots of fish, but u definetly need to work harder to get them then most surrounding areas. First two times i went we had bad weather, so i figured i would try again last year, and nothing spectacular. Ive had more action in the kawarthas many, many times. Hopefully somebody who is more familiar with the area can point u in the right direction... And i will follow as well. Lol!

I'd have to agree here. Definitely fish there, no question, but I just don't seem to have any luck on Muskies. I fish areas I know that hold them. Skunked here for years. Went last September and skunked. Moved down the road to Rainbow Camp and had one in the boat in less than an hour of hitting the water. Spending two weeks at Rainbow this September.

[hotsky]

I'm in Hamilton as well and just booked a cottage in Honey Harbour for early June.

[Angler management]

Honey harbour is rhe best pike fishing ive ever had in my life!

[capt_hooked]

Bass fishing on NIpissing opens the 4th Saturday in June. Just so you know...

 

The West Arm and West Bay are very sheltered, so big water conditons (as in the main lake), are not a problem.

 

 

Rich... you're doing a great job! but I really need to talk to you sometime about fall musky...

 

 

 

 

[wildeye rainbow]

I used to go to the French, Wolseley Bay area, at 3 different lodges, back in the early 1990's. I did do well with bass and walleye and small pike.

 

I now go to Dry Pine Camp on the French near Alban. They have a pool and run a few children's programs such as fish derby off docks and scavaenger hunts. You are also close to Sudbury and can hit it for a movie or dinner or shopping or Science North if the outdoor stuff gets too boring.

 

Fishing on this part of the French has picked up over the last decade with the walleye and bass fishing.

[wannabefisherman]

Checkout Lake Nosbonsing, it is just east of Nippising and within your max driving range. I'm from Timmins and this is where I go every year on the May long weekend and Thanksgiving to meet up with friends for fun and fishing. Friends are from Toronto, Ottawa, Sudbury. It's a good central location.

 

It's about 15 mins from North Bay if you need to go there for anything major (eg. Sushi). Otherwise area convenience stores have some items.

 

We stay at Big Moose Camp (www.bigmoosecamp.com). Ray and Shelley are excellent hosts - tell them Andy Yu send ya!. The cabins are clean, the property is clean. Ray and his staff work hard to make sure you have what you need.

 

They have water front cottages with docking (we have 3 or 4 on reserve each year for May long weekend).

 

The fishing at that time of year... well it does take us a while to get on the walleyes as we have to find them. When we do, we get them. There's large muskies, pike, perch, smallmouth and largemout bass as well.

 

The lake is not too large for your size boat. By not being a large body of water like Nipissing, you'll spend a bit more time fishing rather than getting to the fishing spots and exploring.

 

here's a few of our outings:

 

http://www.serenityactivitydebauchery.com/2010/10/thanksfishing-2010/

 

http://www.wannabefisherman.com/big-fish-reports/may-run-musky/

 

we'll be there this may. maybe the same time as you!

[bigbuck]

Grey wolf where'd you book in honey harbour? Reason I ask is I had a trailer there for a few years and I can give you a couple of suggestions of where to go fish. Pm me if interested.

Lunatic, there is a reason there is a OFC get together at Lakair every year. I am hoping to go in the next year or two.