Lake Simcoe - Smallies - Suggestions?

[hutch4113]

Going to be heading out to Simcoe this afternoon - probably 4PM or so. I am pretty new to fishing - at least for Small Mouth. Any suggestions for fishing this lake?

 

I am going to try around Fox Island (point) and may head over the Thorah (or check out Snake before we head over). Since it is a long trip - especially if I launch in Barrie, wanted to see what others are finding - are the fish hitting, etc.

 

Don't worry - you don't have to share your secrets - but if you feel like it - PM me .

 

I was thinking Strawberry Island, but it sounds like the fishing has been spotty there.

At any rate - will have another guy in the boat - will be his first time, so want to try and make the trip worthwhile.

 

 

[Garnet]

From Barrie t5hat's quite a trip you are proposing. Don't bother bringing fishing rods. Your round trip will be about 70 miles.

[hutch4113]

We may launch from Innifil. I have done the trip before, so not that big of a deal.

[mattp33]

I launch from Sibbald Point from time to time and fish that side. Good launch, only $20 includes parking. They have nice onsite bathrooms too

[captpierre]

Goodluck with the smallies.

 

My experience on Simcoe is that they run in schools.

 

Find a school and you hit the jackpot.

 

Don't find a school and you'll strike out.

 

The pros use underwater cameras around the various shoals.

 

No fish? Move on.

 

I've had good days and bad days on the lake.

 

There's always perch

[d_paluch]

 

 

There's always perch

 

 

Always my fall back on Simcoe as well, especially seeing as I can never seem to find these schools you speak of

[OhioFisherman]

Goodluck with the smallies.

 

My experience on Simcoe is that they run in schools.

 

Find a school and you hit the jackpot.

 

Don't find a school and you'll strike out.

 

The pros use underwater cameras around the various shoals.

 

No fish? Move on.

 

I've had good days and bad days on the lake.

 

There's always perch

Bass are actually a member of the sunfish family so schooling and hunting for food as a group should be no surprise. They school on Lake Erie and other lakes too, and I haven't found it unusual for large mouth bass to school either.

 

I have seen schools of smallies and largemouth herding emerald shiners or golden shiners in inland lakes to trap them against the shore. At the local state park and in ponds here and inland lakes it's not unusual to see a school of largemouth cruising the shore together searching for food.

 

On the Georgian Bay it wasn't unusual either to pick up 4-5 nice largemouth or smallmouth off a spot no bigger than a car, and sometimes it seemed like they schooled together. The largemouth in 15-20 feet of water with the smallies.

 

My first step if I were searching for smallies in an unfamiliar lake would be to look for areas with a broken rock - gravel bottom , if it is on a point with scattered weeds? all the better. A good depth finder helps, if you mark fish near those types of bottom they are usually smallies.

[mattp33]

I burn a lot of fuel on simcoe looking for those schools. Come fall they seem to tighten up and get a little more predictable in thier locations, I do more more looking than fishing on this lake. with little sucsess I may add lol

[linweir]

If launch from Innisfil, you can search some area in Willow beach and Jackson's point. Look for sand and rock transition.

 

Also, you can check Georgian Island. I hammered smallies there last month, but fishin is slow now.

[hutch4113]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Unfortunately it was not a good day for fishing I guess. Tried all my usual spots - was not even marking any fish. Got one smallmouth (and the operative word was small) off Fox Island - and that was it.

 

Moved to Cooks Bay to try for Pike, and got skunked.

 

Oh well - at least we were on the water.....

[AKRISONER]

I think this period of absolutely consistent weather has turned the fishing right off, ive been really struggling the last couple of weeks.

 

Hopefully with this big system moving in tomorrow the fish will turn back on again..it is also the dog days of summer, ive never had great luck this late into the summer...

[linweir]

Was out yesterday. Weather was perfect as well as fishin.

Found a lot of goby around one shoal. Boated plenty of smallie, the biggest ones are 21 and 20.5 inches (released).

 

You think 21 incher can push 6 pd at this time?

[Bernie66]

I was out by Snake and Fox yesterday and caught some good bass. Both largie and smallies. They were all caught in the same areas that were fished by plenty of other boats and some within casting distant from swimmers and jet skiers. When Simcoe is crystal clear and busy with boat traffic. think slow, small and subtle. I am not saying it's the only way to catch bass in Simcoe but when the usual arsenal of baits fail, give it a try. Light action rod, 4-6lb line, 2-3inch subtle colour plastics, under a small float in shallow water. You'll be surprised at the quality and quantity of fish you can catch. Hey, with that set up, even if you don't get any bass you're bound to catch plenty of giant rockies and jumbo perch and have a blast. Goodluck next time.