Moon River/Woods Bay - Finally a Fish on the October Long Weekend

[hutch4113]

My Parents rent a cottage in the Moon River/Woods Bay area - just outside of Captain Allen Straight, on the October Long Weekend. My wife and I have gone up regularly - where I proceed to fish my brains out.

 

I always start by targeting Musky, but have never even had sniff (I think something big did take a swipe at my lure one year - as the Twister Tail I was using came back in - minus most of its tail). In many ways I think the problem is usually the weather that weekend. We get up on the Friday, which is nice, until a cold front comes through that night, and ruins the fishing pretty much for the weekend. But having said that I have pretty much been skunked every visit.

 

With the weather forecast holding steady, I did have high hopes that this year would be different - and it was. While I still did not get a Musky, I at least saw some fish and caught some decent ones (along with losing some decent ones). It was also encouraging to see much more in the way of bait fish - I hope it is a sign that fishing in that area will rebound.

 

Anyway the weekend start on Saturday afternoon, with me going after Musky that day, and the next. But this time I decided they would not be my focus - if I was not seeing anything, I would switch to Pike or Bass. That switch seemed to work as I started to catch a lot Hammer handles. That was at least encouraging, as it meant there were fish around, unlike previous years.

Finally got a decent strike on Sunday (I think):

 

 

By no means a monster, but compared to what I was usually catching, it was a step in the right direction. It also gave me a better idea of the colours in play, and the Lure types. So I switched to a single lure - which caught pretty much every day.

 

I started to explore a little more, in some back bays and shoals. Started to get some Bass - again not monsters, but decent for the fight they put up:

 

 

On the Monday, the weather was awesome, so we decided as a family to do a run up to Parry Sound - so not much fishing that day. However I did pick out a few spots on the way up, that I tried later that evening. The shoals were great - and that is where I lost something big (total brain cramp on my part) but again it told me something about the area.

 

 

 

On Tuesday we had the Cottage to ourselves. However I was a little nervous of going out to far from Base Camp - I had hit a rock pretty hard the day before:

 

 

Fortunately it missed the Prop - but because the area is not charted (why I do not know), I figured I would stick close to the cottage, in case anything happened. It was also really windy, which made boat control a little more difficult (as it was I nearly threw myself out of the boat, when I made to sharp of a trolling motor turn). There were some nice shoals near the cottage, which I had not checked out - but were similar to the ones I had seen out in the Bay - there was also some shelter from the Wind.

 

Coming towards a point that led to a Shoal, I thought to myself I should cast across it - and I am glad I did.

 

 

 

Probably my biggest Bass for fishing that area (or at least close to it), which made the trip all worth while. I caught it on my lighter rod too, which made the fight a lot of fun. I put him back, marked the location - and know where I am going to try next year - .

 

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Tupelo

[Fisherman]

Nice pics, those 3 locos way up there would make me a wreck of nerves. Bridge looks sooo skimpy.

[AKRISONER]

cant beat georgian bay.

 

early october is a fickle time on the bay as things really start to transition. The bite can be strange, especially for pike. If you find smallies you will find loads. They then seem to almost disappear by the end of the month, but then you can find monster pike and catch eyes until you get bored.

 

thanks for the report, i love seeing folks catching on the bay

[Old Ironmaker]

A very good read and very nice pics there Tupelo. I have saved a few in my "to paint someday" file. It sounds like a great time. My ex in laws had a beautiful place on Nipping's south shore. The entire family would head up for the holiday and my Brother-in-law would spend a few more days fishing then close the cottage until January for ice fishing. Great times and your trip brings back fond memories, thanks again, well done.

[Raf]

beauty sunset coming in from moon bay.

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.adventurefishingmaps.on.ca/blackstoneharbourandwoodsbaymap.htm

 

 

http://www.clrm.ca/vrp/unit/MoonBreeze

 

" Maps to the waterways are available at the marina. "

 

Georgian Bay = rocks? No idea if the maps the links mention would be any help, years ago when I started fishing Pointe Au Baril one of my first purchases was a navigation map, and I still used a lot of caution.

[AKRISONER]

http://www.adventurefishingmaps.on.ca/blackstoneharbourandwoodsbaymap.htm

 

 

http://www.clrm.ca/vrp/unit/MoonBreeze

 

" Maps to the waterways are available at the marina. "

 

Georgian Bay = rocks? No idea if the maps the links mention would be any help, years ago when I started fishing Pointe Au Baril one of my first purchases was a navigation map, and I still used a lot of caution.

 

gotta love that PAB isnt charted

 

keeps the visitors off my local honey holes

[Cast-Away]

I see you found your way out to the main boat channel. If you fish the islands and shoals out there in the clear water you will catch tons of Smallies all year long and the bigger ones in September and October.

[Reef Runner]

Nice Fish! Love this water. Thanks for sharing

[hutch4113]

Nice pics, those 3 locos way up there would make me a wreck of nerves. Bridge looks sooo skimpy.

 

Ya. When I look at the Bridge it just seems to be a combination of parts they found elsewhere. But it has worked for years, so I guess it must be strong.

[hutch4113]

I see you found your way out to the main boat channel. If you fish the islands and shoals out there in the clear water you will catch tons of Smallies all year long and the bigger ones in September and October.

 

Yep. When we did the run up to Parry Sound, I was looking for spots to try. I did not catch anything big out there - but I did lose something big - not sure if it was a Pike or Bass.

 

Now that I know the route, and there is nothing to hit on the way, I will probably focus more out in the Bay next time I go up.

[hutch4113]

http://www.adventurefishingmaps.on.ca/blackstoneharbourandwoodsbaymap.htm

 

 

http://www.clrm.ca/vrp/unit/MoonBreeze

 

" Maps to the waterways are available at the marina. "

 

Georgian Bay = rocks? No idea if the maps the links mention would be any help, years ago when I started fishing Pointe Au Baril one of my first purchases was a navigation map, and I still used a lot of caution.

 

Thanks for the links. I do have those, however they are not for navigation purposes. For some reason, there are no navigation maps for Woods Bay - or the surrounding water. They are available for water a little south, and a little north, but not for the area I was in. My Map chip is the same.

​Very strange, and not sure why (unless someone can point me to proper charts?).

[hutch4113]

A very good read and very nice pics there Tupelo. I have saved a few in my "to paint someday" file. It sounds like a great time. My ex in laws had a beautiful place on Nipping's south shore. The entire family would head up for the holiday and my Brother-in-law would spend a few more days fishing then close the cottage until January for ice fishing. Great times and your trip brings back fond memories, thanks again, well done.

 

Let me know when you get around to painting one of them. Would love to see the results.

[OhioFisherman]

 

Thanks for the links. I do have those, however they are not for navigation purposes. For some reason, there are no navigation maps for Woods Bay - or the surrounding water. They are available for water a little south, and a little north, but not for the area I was in. My Map chip is the same.

​Very strange, and not sure why (unless someone can point me to proper charts?).

 

Not knowing the history of those places, but places that depended on logging or commercial fishing in times gone by might have been mapped better? and more extensively? I found this http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html#12.76/45.1601/-80.0266but Blackstone and Woods is not covered.

[Cast-Away]

The best way to learn the water is to troll it first. You can map out a good boat route my watching where the local cottagers boat as you are slowly moving along.

[spincast]

cool report few feelings like finally putting a pattern together after multiple tries. Something to build on for future trips. close call with the skeg. Looks like you have an HDS 5 or 7 at the helm? you should able to make your own charts while exploring, trolling using the insight genesis feature?

[captpierre]

Cool.

Put a little JB Weld on that skeg and file/sand it smooth.

[hutch4113]

cool report few feelings like finally putting a pattern together after multiple tries. Something to build on for future trips. close call with the skeg. Looks like you have an HDS 5 or 7 at the helm? you should able to make your own charts while exploring, trolling using the insight genesis feature?

 

I do have an HDS 5 - have no idea what Insight Genesis is - but will have to take a look. It also appears I need a new Map Chip - looks like Navionics has an all north America chip now, that has Georgian Bay. I think if I had been using that Chip, it would have covered the area I was in.

 

I guess in order for me to use the feature, I would have to take my Map Chip out?

Edited October 16, 2017 by Tupelo

[AKRISONER]

 

I do have an HDS 5 - have no idea what Insight Genesis is - but will have to take a look. It also appears I need a new Map Chip - looks like Navionics has an all north America chip now, that has Georgian Bay. I think if I had been using that Chip, it would have covered the area I was in.

 

I guess in order for me to use the feature, I would have to take my Map Chip out?

insight allows you to autochart your own maps

 

so even if an area is not charted you are able to utilize your sonar to create sounding data onto a chip. I am not sure what specific chip you would require, on the humminbird helix Onix and Solix models its called autochart zero line.

[Raf]

It also appears I need a new Map Chip - looks like Navionics has an all north America chip now, that has Georgian Bay. I think if I had been using that Chip, it would have covered the area I was in.

the areas in woods, arnolds bay, blackstone harbour etc are not charted on any chip. once you get out to capt allan straight or closer towards port rawson in the other direction is where the charted areas start.

Edited October 16, 2017 by Raf

[spincast]

Disclaimer - I haven't tried this myself (combination of patience (lack thereof) and opportunity (not enough time) when i am away) - but this is where I first looked at it. I had intended to on my last outing,,,, but ... perhaps one of these days, ,,,,

 

https://1source.basspro.com/index.php/component/k2/76-walleye-fishing/3641-creating-custom-lake-maps-with-lowrance-insight-genesis-video

 

the lowrance site has information on it as well. and Im sure youtube, the virtual encyclopedia of everything, will have its fair share of info

[woodenboater]

Very interesting and much easier than simply marking waypoints. I do wonder though if the fine print says they own all data you upload or find using their technology ? If so, I'd be leary of a manufacturer adding this data to chips as it would give up hard earned info.

[hutch4113]

insight allows you to autochart your own maps

 

so even if an area is not charted you are able to utilize your sonar to create sounding data onto a chip. I am not sure what specific chip you would require, on the humminbird helix Onix and Solix models its called autochart zero line.

 

I guess what I mean is I need some where to store the data I am collecting. Have to look at my unit, but I think it only has one chip slot. So either the Map Chip - or a storage device - I assume anyway.

[hutch4113]

the areas in woods, arnolds bay, blackstone harbour etc are not charted on any chip. once you get out to capt allan straight or closer towards port rawson in the other direction is where the charted areas start.

 

Yes. What I misunderstood from listening to my Dad/Uncle, was that the area out towards Georgian Bay was not charted as well. It corresponded to the fact my Map would disappear when I came out of the straight.

 

But doing a little more research (after hitting a rock) and I have discovered that it is just my map chip that needs to be updated. D'oh.

 

Oh well - at least if I get a new chip, I will not be leery about trying Iron City - have not gone out that direction for Musky, as I was worried about the water.

[AKRISONER]

 

I guess what I mean is I need some where to store the data I am collecting. Have to look at my unit, but I think it only has one chip slot. So either the Map Chip - or a storage device - I assume anyway.

 

 

The helix 5 and 7 models only have one chip slot. I swap between the two depending on where im going...its not ideal but ya gotta do what you gotta do.

 

Im still torn whether to sell the 7 and go to a 9 or just buy a second 7 and run both chips one in each unit. I mainly navigate from the driver seat and then actually fish from the front so it could work to just chart from the front.