Anyone fish Lake O tribs by boat? Did floods ruin it for you?

[rhymobot]

I have fished four different tribs from time to time over the years by inflatable. Almost exclusively trolling.

 

The closest one to me I will usually go about 8 times a year. I never once got skunked two times in a row... until this summer. I usually wouldn't get more than three pike or 1+lb smallies in one outing. But when I did they were usually between 24 to 28" pike or SMBs over a pound. PBs there are 33" and a 3 pounder.

 

I have been on that river 40+ times.

 

Last year starting in the first week of Sept., I had 8 pike on and landed 6 in one outing. That was great action for under 3 hours of trolling. So I went back next day and landed 4. But then I went to Montreal for 6 days. When I came back, the action continued.

 

Basically, 6 days in row I had steady pike action. Seems like they were stacked up in there for a good period of time. No idea why. I had never experienced that before on a local river. Then it died down around Sept. 20th.

 

I went this year on opener and of course it was so flooded that no yachts or pleasure crafts were docked in their slips because they were all under water. It was like this half the summer. I got nothing on that day.

 

Went back two weeks later and again nothing.

 

Went back late July with three of us. Got two SMBs under a pound.

 

Went Aug. 18th and between the two of us nothing.

 

So it seems like to me that fish enter the river from the big lake when the river is at a certain temp? Maybe they sense water level too. Regardless, did the high water cool the water temp? Did that irregular water temp in the spring stop them from coming up the river at all this year in big numbers? I'm talking about pike and smallies of course.

 

I've only gone to that one river this summer and not tried the other two as they are farther and harder to launch at. Don't want to waste the time and effort. Instead I've gone to a reservoir 45 minute drive away 8 times this year and have had decent success, but not the "on fire" fishing of the close by river like last year.

 

 

Anyone else had their fishing affected by floods on the river?

Edited August 31, 2017 by rhymobot

[Old Ironmaker]

The water has been abnormally high this year, I wouldn't call it floods, Houston has floods. Water height scattered the fish here on Erie as well as the Grand River, water temps were normal. I didn't fish the river in the spring, too much debris flying down it. 1st time in 21 years that I couldn't see Smallies spawning near our shoreline. Wind was a factor too. But the Walleye are on fire for the last month or more. Limits this year are normal if you have an idea how to get them.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Old Ironmaker

[rhymobot]

Technically was flooded here as in the parks and parking lots near the mouth were under water and closed off. TO Islands had carp swimming on the baseball diamonds and did not open to ferry service until July 31st. But certainly not devastating like Houston or even close to what QC was dealing with. Though all the business owners on the islands got screwed.

 

The other places I'm fishing are normal levels. Probably due to them being reservoirs. The one small lake I regularly fish up north, which is a real lake, had high water but I was still catching bass as normal.

 

For these places other than the tribs, wind was def. the problem for me. Wind not a problem on tribs surrounded by trees, so anytime it was too windy for my craft, river was the "go to" spot, but not this year.

[BillM]

Sucked for spring river mouth/estuary fishing that's for sure.

[rhymobot]

Sucked for spring river mouth/estuary fishing that's for sure.

 

Yup. I always would go catch a few suckers in April to scratch the fishing itch before pike and bass open. Maybe catch the occasional bow that wandered into the sucker pool. But rain/flood also ruined that at my "go to" spots as they were never clear.

[dave524]

With the high water I can walk out the door and over to Forty Mile Creek below the QEW and get a couple of bows in the spring just like in the 80's when I moved here and the water was high, suckers too if you are so inclined. There was a good run of Chinook and Browns here in the fall back then too, hope they come back too.

[BillM]

Dave, reliving the good old times! lol