Speedbird Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) Hello all, Longtime lurker but first-time poster who's desperate for a little guidance... I'm a forty-year old father of two who lives in Vaughan and loves fishing. My brother-in-law and I own a 16ft aluminium boat and usually fish up around Orillia in the summer. We target almost exclusively bass and pike and practice 100% catch-and-release, and SAIL and Bass Pro treat us like returning alcoholics dropping in for "one last pint" every time one of us walks through their doors... Every year for the past eight years, the two of us plus two other really close friends block off 3-4 nights in August to pack up the truck and head north for a few days of hardcore fishing, drinking, cussing and cards. We used to have access to a cabin on the West arm of Nippissing but that option's been off the table for the past three years so we're always looking to try new spots to pitch our tents or dock our boat. To be completely honest, our last few times away have been brutal going on the water as one year we showed up right in the middle of a huge algae bloom and last summer's getaway coincided with a major cold front that blew us every which way along the Spanish River. So... I'm appealing to my fellow brothers and sisters of the OFC community to help me plan a trip that'll reinvigorate and re-energize us to get back on the boat and have us looking forward to leaving the wives behind this summer. Here's what we're looking for - I'd really appreciate some guidance/advice..etc as I'm at my wit's end trying to get us out of this funk - and of course feel free to PM me if you prefer. - Ideally less than 3hrs drive from the city, and definitely less than 5. - can be either a cottage or a campsite, keeping in mind that we'll have two dogs with us and don't want to break the bank on this trip. (We usually leave on a Saturday and come home Tuesday or Wednesday, keeping our expenses under $400/per person) -We go on these trips to get away from the crowds, so we're not really interested in spots or cottages surrounded by neighbors... -Prefer lakes to rivers and again, we're drinking and relaxing BUT we're also hardcore into fishing and will be spending at least 6-7 hrs on the water each day, so "The bite" is definitely one of our top priorities. That's really just about it, though perhaps this is already asking too much... I have four St Croix rods and a huge tacklebox just burning a hole in my garage and taking up room, so I'd like to be able to get some real use out of them this year and come back with some stories and pictures to show the wife and kids... Thanks again for all your help! Speedbird Edited March 28, 2015 by Speedbird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTHM Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Paging Mike Borger.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxie Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) Land"O"Lakes region is around the 3 hr travel mark. You can choose a lake(plenty of crown land as well as parks and campgrounds) and you can sit on one lake for your entire stay, fish a couple or a different lake everyday. We have permission to use a 5 acre property as a home base and there are at least 8-10 lakes within a half hour of our camp. Just a thought and good luck in your search. Edited March 28, 2015 by moxie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.brock Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 What section of the French did you do previously? Some sections are better than others. It's a river but most of it feels like a lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) Here's one that "may" be perfect for you. Parolin's cottages on Memesagamesing Lake north of Loring Ontario (south of the French off hwy 522) is a good one. The owners name is Tom Beck, he's a great guy and a friend of mine. He doesn't advertise this, but he has a REALLY nice outpost camp on a back lake that never gets fished, it's the only camp of any kind on this lake. He's been trying to get me to come up and fish it for a few years now but I don't ever have the time. It might be worth a call. It's certainly within your driving range and would be within your price range for sure. If you call just tell him you heard about it from me otherwise he'll wonder. http://www.parolinscottages.com/ Edited March 28, 2015 by Mike Borger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spincast Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 somehow I see his inquiries and bookings increasing exponentially this year........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outllaw Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 speedbird try l. st clair lighthouse cove area. every specie and lots of them. theres cottages available. st lukes bay area bass/pike. perch.. muskys and even very large cat fish..many go north fight Toronto traffic. heading west less traffic/cost etc and world class catchin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky or Specks Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 iI'm going to second Meme. I've fished there and on some of the back lakes before. Also use to ice fish it every year before they stopped running huts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbird Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Ok thanks guys, this seems like a promising start. I called Tom Beck and left him a message so we'll see what he can do for us, but otherwise one of the boys is really pushing for Killbear provincial park - anyone have any experience fishing there? Chris, I was tired when I posted last night, I meant to say that we tried the Spanish river last summer and got almost completely skunked! It was cold as sin and the wind was howling right down the pipe...We couldn't find any areas to stop and cast the waters were so rough. Outlaw, I like the fact that there's all kinds of species to target around St Clair, but we're really looking for seclusion and would prefer lakes with less traffic and lots of bays and islands to target... Moxie, where'd you guys stay in the past? I'm not at all familiar with this area but would be willing to give it a try! Thanks again for all the advice, guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.brock Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 If you did want to boat in and camp, the French is an option then. Hartley Bay or Dokis are good places to launch. Scenic and semi-remote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelheadphycho Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Memesagamesing has another great camp. Mathews little portage is automobile accessible and the sag is one of the most serene lakes I've ever been on. My brother and his gf are staying there in June. We have caught many pickere,l pike and lakers on this lake. I can not wait to get back there myself! Good luck in your search and let us know what you decide http://www.matthewslittleportagecamp.com/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Just to be clear the outpost isn't on Memesagamesing it's on a nearby back lake. I do love that lake though, one of my favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outllaw Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 seclusion loons otters beavers fish that's all reel good have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky or Specks Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Memesagamesing has another great camp. Mathews little portage is automobile accessible and the sag is one of the most serene lakes I've ever been on. My brother and his gf are staying there in June. We have caught many pickere,l pike and lakers on this lake. I can not wait to get back there myself! Good luck in your search and let us know what you decide http://www.matthewslittleportagecamp.com/index.html It's actually Johnny's that we use to stay at. He is a great guy and more than willing to share his vast knowledge of the area. He offers guided trap line tours in the winter. Talking the fur trade with him is an education. I highly recommend it as a winter experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepjigging Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Killbear PP is packed full of people in August. It is one of the best PP in Ontario, and I have gone there for many July 1st weekends. End of August, the park is full to the brim. Campsites are pretty close together compared to a park like Arrowhead. I have caught some bass from shore in the vicinity of the park, but almost nothing from the kayak. I have heard that there are some pike in the area. There are also trout/whitefish too in the surrounding area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creditmaster Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 The best is COVERD BRIGE PARK IN KILALOE ON great walleye pike and bass it's on a river wich connects to a lake it's cheap and it's run by a extremely nice European family they have yurts cabins and campsites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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