Blue Lk Posted January 26, 2017 Report Posted January 26, 2017 I have a question for my fellow angles from southern Ont. Every fishing season we see hundreds of American anglers come into the area to enjoy the great fishing & beautiful scenery we have in the area. We see people from as far away as California,Texas,Arizona,Florida and all states in between,but very few from southern Ont. Is it the distance,cost or other factors?
wormdunker Posted January 26, 2017 Report Posted January 26, 2017 Good question ! It is a tremendous drive for me in Niagara 22 hours door to door. I was fortunate enough to be working in Rainy River area last May & June, so before I returned to Niagara I spent a great week in Ear Falls at Little Canada Camp. Fishing was awesome, camp was very comfortable & the owner & his son were very helpful. So good I wanted to stay an extra week. Collin the owner stated that only 5% of his business comes from Southern Ontario, most of the others are Americans. I have already started some plans to head that way again next spring. Another bonus I was able to meet up with Manitoubass in Emo. I really liked the area around Vermillion Bay & I'm sure you would be able to put me on some good fishing. I'll get in touch as we get closer to spring fishing. PM me if you would like to share some local info. I know it's a long ass drive but I do enjoy the scenery. Another option is for me to fly to Thunder Bay, rent a car for the week.
Raf Posted January 26, 2017 Report Posted January 26, 2017 I think we are just afraid we won't come back to s. Ont. A part of it is I think within 6 or 7 hours of the gta, we have some pretty good fishing opportunities as well. Maybe or maybe not as good as NWO but it makes justifying going 3-4 times the distance a little difficult.
leaf4 Posted January 26, 2017 Report Posted January 26, 2017 Basically what Raf said... If I'm driving 8 hours from where I live, I can get to some awesome spots that are seldom fished and hold what I want to fish for, that being said I do want to hit up LOTW and Eagle Lake for some guided muskie trips in my lifetime
kickingfrog Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 The 75 cent dollar and the fact that for some of them in the mid west NWO is the first great "remote" fishing. During the 18plus hours driving to get there we pass hundreds (maybe thousands) of lakes that have great fishing. I've been to the north west once to fish Lac Seul. It was incredible and I will go back but the 4ish days it takes to get there and back really eats into a fishing trip and the gas budget. It's 6-7 hours for me to get to the Timmins area (or North of the Sault). I can fish/hunt the day I leave my house and the day I get back without a marathon redeye drive. Now, if I had my own float plane....
manitoubass2 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 Never come here. The fishing sucks lol Except wormdunker, HURRY up and get back here
manitoubass2 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 Probably cheaper if booked in advance.
Blue Lk Posted January 27, 2017 Author Report Posted January 27, 2017 Come on guys! Where's your sense of adventure? I think I knew what the response would be,totally understandable. This area is a fisherman's paradise,one could spend weeks in the area & fish a different lake everyday. Lakers one day,walleye or muskie the next. It is amazing the amount of fishermen come here from south of the border,I spent 2-3 days a week as the PTOG (part time old guy) at the local tackleshop the last couple of summers.Some Saturdays we would sell between 150-200 fishing licenses to non-resident fishermen. The LOTW area (Kenora) also get lots of Manitoba anglers/
manitoubass2 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 Come on guys! Where's your sense of adventure? I think I knew what the response would be,totally understandable. This area is a fisherman's paradise,one could spend weeks in the area & fish a different lake everyday. Lakers one day,walleye or muskie the next. It is amazing the amount of fishermen come here from south of the border,I spent 2-3 days a week as the PTOG (part time old guy) at the local tackleshop the last couple of summers.Some Saturdays we would sell between 150-200 fishing licenses to non-resident fishermen. The LOTW area (Kenora) also get lots of Manitoba anglers/ From kenora, to rainy river, fort frances, dryden, vermillion bay, ear falls to souix lookout is no doubt in my mind the best fresh water fisheries in the world. Shame most canadians dont come. It almost exclusively locals and americans
OhioFisherman Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 " California,Texas,Arizona,Florida " I'm from Ohio, in those states you would be fishing a long time to catch a walleye, pike or ski? A lot of the in between states also don't have those species or limited numbers and size.
TennesseeGuy Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 1470 miles, one way, for me. Worth it, every time.
Joeytier Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 NWO is way more vast, remote, undeveloped and fish-filled than 99% of NE Ontario, and once you cross over the big river into QC, you're back into NWO levels of remoteness. The hwy 11 corridor starting in North Bay goes from beautiful but busy and generally tough fishing (compared to elsewhere in the north) to flat, boggy, boring terrain in the far north. There are some really amazing places in the NE, but there really aren't any outfitters in NE that can compare to the premiere destinations in the Northwest and QC.
akaShag Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 <<<<<AHEM>>>> a little ditty from memory, which at this stage of my life, may not be accurate.................... "In Canada's North, where the moose go forth and there's little but frozen sod, all the people stink, and are given to drink, and make mock of the southern folks' God" or something like that. yes it is a beautiful part of the world and Lord knows I have been there more than once. Did not know it was as cheap to fly as that example from m2b2, I might have to fly up for the LOTW kids derby!!! And BTW, m2b2, have you put that ad about the kid's derby back up here lately? You should have received a goodies box from me by now for the kiddies prizes! But to answer the OP, I think most of us from the south (Ontario, that is) shudder at the VERY freakin' long drive up there, and most of us have very good fishing within a much shorter drive. Doug
porkpie Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 Come on guys! Where's your sense of adventure? My sense of adventure crapped out on me when all the kids showed up. In my 20's I traveled all over the province, and a good chunk of the northern states to hunt and fish. Then kids came along, and I've got em from driving age to age 2. Add to that, what Raf said, with limited time available, I can be at the doorstep of some pretty awesome fishing with less than a 3rd of the drive. I would love to get back on Lake of the Woods though. I had some amazing fishing there in my late teens and 20's. I still remember catching bass after bass, with a heavy dose of pickerel mixed in right off the docks in Kenora. Never mind the good times once the boat was in the water! You live in a beautiful area. I will get back there one of these days!
Fang Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) A big part of it is pure marketing and advertisement. NWO has to be up there as one of the top TV destinations for all those fishing shows. Muskie hunter, Linders, Nipigon, Lake of the woods - you can't sit down for an evening of fishing shows without bumping into some segment from up there. Plus with lodges it's so much easier to cross the border and attend some of the big fishing outdoor shows in the US. Can't say I see a ton of NWO lodges down in Toronto for the spring shows anymore Edited January 27, 2017 by Fang
manitoubass2 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 <<<<<AHEM>>>> a little ditty from memory, which at this stage of my life, may not be accurate.................... "In Canada's North, where the moose go forth and there's little but frozen sod, all the people stink, and are given to drink, and make mock of the southern folks' God" or something like that. yes it is a beautiful part of the world and Lord knows I have been there more than once. Did not know it was as cheap to fly as that example from m2b2, I might have to fly up for the LOTW kids derby!!! And BTW, m2b2, have you put that ad about the kid's derby back up here lately? You should have received a goodies box from me by now for the kiddies prizes! But to answer the OP, I think most of us from the south (Ontario, that is) shudder at the VERY freakin' long drive up there, and most of us have very good fishing within a much shorter drive. Doug Your MORE than welcome to come doug!!! Funny story, and yes I meant to email you a thank you letter for your kind donation! Sorry about that! It came in last week. And my wife decided to take a look. And hooked herself in the finger lol. Not bad but I gotta few swears out of her lol. Thanks again buddy!!!
akaShag Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 Back to m2b2, sorry your wife got her finger caught on a hook, there were a few hundred of them in that box!And you should re-post your notice about that derby so that other folks here might contribute also! And finally, be careful what offers you make! Looking at that cheap air fare, a LOTW winter trip might well be on my radar. Last winter when we had crappy ice down here, I flew to the Yukon for ice fishing. This year it might be NWO............... Doug
Blue Lk Posted January 27, 2017 Author Report Posted January 27, 2017 Just to let you know,Wpg Man is a little over 2 hrs to Kenora (LOTW) & 3 to Vermilion Bay. ThBay is 4 1/2 to V Bay & 5 1/2 to the Kenora area.The drive to TBay sucks,the drive from the Manitoba border to our area is very scenic. I advise all my visitors flying in from the east to take the Winnipeg route.
Raf Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 we may not have the 'numbers' lakes that you do up there but we have no shortage of trophy waters and varieties of species. all accessible by hooking up the boat to the truck and driving a couple of hours. no flights, no car rentals, no boat rentals, no 20hr drives. wanna catch a 20-30lb lake trout or giant chinook? fish lake ontario wanna catch a 30" walleye? fish erie or boq wanna catch a trophy muskie? fish georgian bay or st lawrence wanna catch 5 muskies in a day? fish st. clair wanna catch a 6lb smallie? fish simcoe or erie wanna fill your bucket with perch? fish simcoe i think we're a different market than the american customers you see who may get out fishing 1, 2 or 3 times a year. we have good fishing in our backyard and we do it often, just like you locals to NWO. would you guys fly up to yellowknife to fish lakers or pike? propably not because you can fill your boots with those fish in your own backyard.
Whopper Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) 1470 miles, one way, for me. Worth it, every time.A couple hundred closer for me, but I agree lolI've been all over Ontario except to the Timmins area and north of there. To me hands down NWO is hard to beat and I live less than three hours from one of the best walleye lakes around, Lake Erie. Raf has some valid points as far as catching fish but each of those places has a bit more traffic Edited January 27, 2017 by Whopper
manitoubass2 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 Just to let you know,Wpg Man is a little over 2 hrs to Kenora (LOTW) & 3 to Vermilion Bay. ThBay is 4 1/2 to V Bay & 5 1/2 to the Kenora area.The drive to TBay sucks,the drive from the Manitoba border to our area is very scenic. I advise all my visitors flying in from the east to take the Winnipeg route. Yeah i posted that just to show how cheap a ticket is. Winnipeg is the better route no doubt! Way more scenic as well For rainy lake though, go tbay route To vermillion souix lookout kenora ear falls def. Go winnipeg route
manitoubass2 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 The 75 cent dollar and the fact that for some of them in the mid west NWO is the first great "remote" fishing. During the 18plus hours driving to get there we pass hundreds (maybe thousands) of lakes that have great fishing. I've been to the north west once to fish Lac Seul. It was incredible and I will go back but the 4ish days it takes to get there and back really eats into a fishing trip and the gas budget. It's 6-7 hours for me to get to the Timmins area (or North of the Sault). I can fish/hunt the day I leave my house and the day I get back without a marathon redeye drive. Now, if I had my own float plane.... Fly. Its obviously faster and cheaper. But yeah, for some if ya got great fishing in your area its kinda hard to justify. Until ya spend a week on LOTWs and catch trophies of 6+ species
MJIG Posted January 27, 2017 Report Posted January 27, 2017 pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree..moose...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree blackflies!blackflies!blackflies!blackflies!blackflies!blackflies!blackflies!blackflies... pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree...pine tree.. Just kidding, mostly and I've been up there many, many times. I like it. It is probably tougher to measure Southern Ontario visitor counts because we get to use the same license up there as we down here. Americans have to pick up a non-resident license.
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