REPORT FROM THE LAST FEW DAYS

[lunkerbasshunter]

Spent some time on the water the last few days.  Water was great but fishing was slow or maybe we just suck.  We fished with minnows, leaches, worms,  crank baits, , swim baits, drop shotted, casted, trolled, jigged and all but threw a trap net in the water and couldn't really put anything worthy in the boat.  Often going hours without a bite.  The biggest issue was the lack of weed growth.  With the ice going out a couple weeks late it has really pushed back weed growth and possible the spring bite.  We did manage to get some smaller fish but nothing really picture worthy.  

It still was a great time on the lakes and the weather was amazing!  The heat has really kept the black flies at bay.  There were hardly any.  Last year was bug suits for weeks.  The bad news is the mosqitoes were out in full force in the early morning and late evening.  I have the bite marks and the itch to prove it.

 

6am sunrise.  Was on the water at 5am first fish was in the boat at 515am and was thinking alright this is going to be a great morning.  Just a couple very small walleye and pike before 7 then nothing the rest of the morning.  Great sunrise pic tho.

 

 

A fishing buddy and I trailered up a couple hours north to Temagani area to a lake that has always been good for me.  it was dead.  Not even the perch were biting.  We headed over to another lake and lifted the motor and paddled through a small channel to a lake we heard about that was very remote and filled with fish.  Well we made it but again no fish.  The fish were just turned off.  Not sure why it was 3 or 4 days of solid weather and there was a decent light chop but still no fish  Again maybe we just suck haha.  I was happy we did it though as there is something so cool about being on a back woods lake with nobody on it but yourself.  

 

 

Our last morning we did manage to get a few pike but nothing of any size.  Here is a buddy with one.

 

 

I will end the post with one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen in a long time.  I really wish I had a better camera with me but it was really amazing.  Got to love spring evenings on the lake.  

I am doing a fathers day weekend with my son so I hope to get some better fish and fish pics!  Come on Weekend!  

 

Cheers!

 

[AKRISONER]

this makes me want to be at the lake

[Sterling]

Noticed a similar pattern a bit further north. The fish ended up being in small rivers. 

[lunkerbasshunter]

2 hours ago, Sterling said:

Noticed a similar pattern a bit further north. The fish ended up being in small rivers. 

We did fish some smaller rivers but nothing.  What someone just told me at sail is that the huge caterpillar outbreak could be a factor.  We did see areas with hundreds of them in the water along shorelines.  Again or maybe we just suck haha

cheer!

[Sterling]

50 minutes ago, lunkerbasshunter said:

We did fish some smaller rivers but nothing.  What someone just told me at sail is that the huge caterpillar outbreak could be a factor.  We did see areas with hundreds of them in the water along shorelines.  Again or maybe we just suck haha

cheer!

Could definitely be it (caterpillars). Same deal here on Nipissing with the mayfly hatch. The fish gorge themselves in the damn things.

[Old Ironmaker]

Looking at those wonderful pics the old "A bad day fishing is better than any good day working." We've driven 17 hours north of Hamilton to the Long Lac area and had some zero catch days and were questioning our choice of hobby and the decision to go north rather than south Golfing in Myrtle Beach. Then from out of nowhere the bite was on and they were jumping in the boat. My brother and his buddy are no more than 6 feet from us, they are getting skunked and we are limiting out  fishing for Walleye, they are going to kill each other. They say we have the good spot. So here's the good spot young brother, and we lift anchor and switch spots. We keep catching and they get nada. Who knows why? I said maybe the scent of Stupid Stick (Mary Juwanna) on their hands. Might be we are bottom bouncing jigs and they are casting floating  Rapps, because jigs don't work there and Rappala's worked 3 years earlier. That'll do it I bet. After listening to those 3 Gamokes I was ready for a puff myself and I don't smoke the stuff.

What I am so terribly trying to convey is sometimes the simplest thing will change your luck. I've tossed the kitchen sink at them and nada/ziltch/nienti worked. Reached deep down in the box and pulled out the stupidest looking 25 year old bait that should be in a Museum and hammered them. One of the 1st things I did when going to a new spot is go to the local bait shop and see what is missing most on the tackle display. That's what the locals usually buy out first.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[Snidley]

I fish the impoundments around Oakville/Hamilton and i to see really diminished weed growth this year. Because of this my go to stuff (spinnerbaits, sub surface cranks and swimbaits )were  not working very well. However, again due to the almost not existant weed growth, I was able to use suare bill cranks and jerkbaits with a little success but still not up to snuff. I then tied on a rattletrap type lure and absolutely slayed them. I cast it out,  ran a fast retrieve with some jigging motion as part of the retrieve and that was what they wanted. Ended up with 76 Pike and a few bass. I used a Viper Risebacker which are not sold here but are great coming through grass/light weed due to the very thin top of the lure.  A similar profile in a lure you can get here is a Rapala Rippin Rap. Hopefully we will get some weed clumps coming in and more traditional methods will work (not that using a rattler is bad but they will eventually be bitten off due to their size and Risebackers are expensive and not made anymore). 

[Rizzo]

I don't know...looks awesome to me. Lack of fish? Oh well it happens

[Pikeslayer]

@ LBH,

Your report (thx for posting) pretty much mirrors our experience on our home lake in zone 15 (Seguin). Fishing patterns are most certainly 2-3 weeks behind the norm. We limited out Walleye on opener weekend but based on sonar the walleye were still thick on spawning grounds & pike were in hiding. Following weekends pike & walleye disappeared from our go to hot spots. Most likely in recovery mode?

Good news observations from this past weekend were 1) Bass spawn is done with loads of fry in shallows; 2) Vegetation is blooming and there will be much more cover in the upcoming weekend; 3) Pike & Walleye will be fully recovered & on the feed  & bass are good to go next weekend; 4) This was a non-event for black flies this year

Good luck on Fathers Day weekend!! I think we're in for some epic fishing

 

[lunkerbasshunter]

21 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

Looking at those wonderful pics the old "A bad day fishing is better than any good day working." We've driven 17 hours north of Hamilton to the Long Lac area and had some zero catch days and were questioning our choice of hobby and the decision to go north rather than south Golfing in Myrtle Beach. Then from out of nowhere the bite was on and they were jumping in the boat. My brother and his buddy are no more than 6 feet from us, they are getting skunked and we are limiting out  fishing for Walleye, they are going to kill each other. They say we have the good spot. So here's the good spot young brother, and we lift anchor and switch spots. We keep catching and they get nada. Who knows why? I said maybe the scent of Stupid Stick (Mary Juwanna) on their hands. Might be we are bottom bouncing jigs and they are casting floating  Rapps, because jigs don't work there and Rappala's worked 3 years earlier. That'll do it I bet. After listening to those 3 Gamokes I was ready for a puff myself and I don't smoke the stuff.

What I am so terribly trying to convey is sometimes the simplest thing will change your luck. I've tossed the kitchen sink at them and nada/ziltch/nienti worked. Reached deep down in the box and pulled out the stupidest looking 25 year old bait that should be in a Museum and hammered them. One of the 1st things I did when going to a new spot is go to the local bait shop and see what is missing most on the tackle display. That's what the locals usually buy out first.

Yeah I talked to the local bait shop.  They saw similar things and others were saying the same thing I was.  I will be back out there Saturday trying to figure it out

[lunkerbasshunter]

16 hours ago, Pikeslayer said:

@ LBH,

Your report (thx for posting) pretty much mirrors our experience on our home lake in zone 15 (Seguin). Fishing patterns are most certainly 2-3 weeks behind the norm. We limited out Walleye on opener weekend but based on sonar the walleye were still thick on spawning grounds & pike were in hiding. Following weekends pike & walleye disappeared from our go to hot spots. Most likely in recovery mode?

Good news observations from this past weekend were 1) Bass spawn is done with loads of fry in shallows; 2) Vegetation is blooming and there will be much more cover in the upcoming weekend; 3) Pike & Walleye will be fully recovered & on the feed  & bass are good to go next weekend; 4) This was a non-event for black flies this year

Good luck on Fathers Day weekend!! I think we're in for some epic fishing

 

Hey thanks.  We aren't to far from you we are in Magnetawan so about half hour north or so.  I did talk to some locals I know well that I helped out so they are always willing to give me advice.  they said the same thing it completely shut down.  Not even OOS bass were hitting which is strange for our lake as they are everywhere.  The walleye bite here is pretty tough.  there are monsters in here but they are very tough to find.  I just need to get into some walleye/pike to hold me over till bass opens.  

I did see a lot of bass fry in the shallows last week around shore and docks so that is a good sign.  Im on my way up to the lake Saturday to Tuesday so here is hoping we will get into a few.  

Cheers!