Shallow or Deep for those eyes?

[captpierre]

Water levels have dropped 6 inches in the last week on Pigeon. Still 12 inches above summer levels. 

Season opens Saturday. I always struggle in May. 

The June pattern of rip jigging weeds doesn’t work for me early season. 

What’s your approach going to be? 

[BillM]

I've had really good luck slow rolling spinnerbaits right off bottom in really rocky areas, say 10-17ft or so.   Sound stupid but it works (at least in the one lake I fish)

[OhioFisherman]

No clue, but  I might mix in an underspin with a baitfish style trailer or yo yo a lipless crankbait.

[Sinker]

Find weeds or current and you will find fish. 

You know me, worm harnesses always work. 1.5mph on any new weeds I find. 

S. 

[captpierre]

22 minutes ago, Sinker said:

Find weeds or current and you will find fish. 

You know me, worm harnesses always work. 1.5mph on any new weeds I find. 

S. 

Based on your advice in the past I’ve done that. 

Got tired of pulling in 99% panfish ?

[Sinker]

Just now, captpierre said:

Based on your advice in the past I’ve done that. 

Got tired of pulling in 99% panfish ?

Theres a bit more to it than just dragging a harness at 1.5mph.  Finding weeds is really the key, and the right weeds. I've always done well on pigeon close to bobcaygeon, and south towards 3 sisters. This year they might be shallower than usual with high water, and cold temps. I was on rice on wed and its only 55 degrees, so slow and steady.  Probably still lots of fish in current areas, but I can't do the crowds in those spots. 

 

S. 

[captpierre]

3 minutes ago, Sinker said:

Theres a bit more to it than just dragging a harness at 1.5mph.  Finding weeds is really the key, and the right weeds. I've always done well on pigeon close to bobcaygeon, and south towards 3 sisters. This year they might be shallower than usual with high water, and cold temps. I was on rice on wed and its only 55 degrees, so slow and steady.  Probably still lots of fish in current areas, but I can't do the crowds in those spots. 

 

S. 

Thanks for that Sinker. Will try again. Last year I just boated around on opening morning to see where the “crowd” was. I just saw boats at the usual spots people fish all season. 

[Garnet]

It will take a couple weeks for the outside weedlines to rev up.

I fish the inside weed and threw the middle depths. Still do well

on my bucktailes.

[lew]

I was never much into walleye fishing but every May 24 weekend for many many years we did a trip to Quinte and always did well trolling minnow baits after dark in fairly close to shore over mud/weed flats in 10-12 FOW.

Of course if your not into night fishing there's nothing else I can offer LOL

[OhioFisherman]

1 hour ago, lew said:

I was never much into walleye fishing but every May 24 weekend for many many years we did a trip to Quinte and always did well trolling minnow baits after dark in fairly close to shore over mud/weed flats in 10-12 FOW.

Of course if your not into night fishing there's nothing else I can offer LOL

I remember them doing that at Pointe Au Baril too, and with the number of rocks there some of the places they were doing it were places I really didn't want to be when I could see the rocks!

[MJIG]

A courtesy reminder to readers from outside the Kawartha Lakes area that a lot of fast-water areas downstream of dams in zone 17 remain closed (fish sanctuaries) for an extra week.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by MJIG

[Garnet]

Kawarthas  are just ok for trolling when the weeds get up you need to be precise.

About mid june the early pond weeds die off then trolling for eyes really pick up.

[captpierre]

20 minutes ago, MJIG said:

A courtesy reminder to readers from outside the Kawartha Lakes area that a lot of fast-water areas downstream of dams in zone 17 remain closed (fish sanctuaries) for an extra week.

 

 

Hey MJIG,

wondering how one finds out about  this last minute change?  Just looked at the 2019 MNR regs for Zone 17 and it says nothing. 

[MJIG]

2 minutes ago, captpierre said:

wondering how one finds out about  this last minute change?  Just looked at the 2019 MNR regs for Zone 17 and it says nothing. 

I never said anything about a last minute change, but page 129 of the PDF version of the regulations entitled “Fish Sanctuaries” for Zone 17 describes them.

Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary

[captpierre]

I must be missing something.

In these fish sanctuaries there is no fishing until the second Saturday in May. That’s walleye opener in Zone 17. 

[NAW]

I'll be where the river hits the lake, in the deep hole just past the heavy current where all the sunken logs build up and steel my jigs......  25 FOW.

If the eyes aint bitin" the cats will be!   And they taste just as good IMO!

 

The current will be heavy this year.  Should make things interesting. 

[MJIG]

37 minutes ago, captpierre said:

I must be missing something.

In these fish sanctuaries there is no fishing until the second Saturday in May. That’s walleye opener in Zone 17. 

Page 129 describes places that you cannot fish and when you cannot fish until (fish sanctuaries).

For example, in the section “No fishing - January 1 to Friday after the second Saturday in May” (The second Saturday in May is May 11, and the Friday after the second Saturday in May is May 17, so all of May 17 is included in the “No fishing” period):

• Pigeon River - Omemee in Emily Township, from Omemee Dam to C.N.R. bridge

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by MJIG

[captpierre]

Right. So where do you get that there is an extra week?

[MJIG]

There are two distinct sets of sanctuaries described on that page:

1. No fishing - January 1 to Friday before the second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31
2. No fishing - January 1 to Friday after the second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31

“Friday before” and “Friday after” cannot both be describing the same Friday.  

Best of luck fishing.

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by MJIG

[captpierre]

OK. You are right. I think the extra week only applies to the dam at Hastings. 

Thanks for that. Didn’t know. 

Peter

[porkpie]

No it applies to most dams on the system and has for many many years.  

[Tjames09]

1 hour ago, captpierre said:

OK. You are right. I think the extra week only applies to the dam at Hastings. 

Thanks for that. Didn’t know. 

Peter

Lots of people will be on Sturgeon and it applies to the scugog river from the Lindsay dam all the way to Ops boundary, which is way past those cement pillars everyone thinks it is. Its closer to bottom of Goose bay. 

[Whitespinnerbait]

Shallow...

[jimmer]

On 5/10/2019 at 6:21 PM, captpierre said:

OK. You are right. I think the extra week only applies to the dam at Hastings. 

Thanks for that. Didn’t know. 

Peter

Every Lock/Dam in the Trent System would fall under this reg I would think.

[Garnet]

All these boundaries are at the discretion of the area CO.

The Lindsay locks has been the old train track for 40 years.

And that means nothing a new CO can change it anytime.