Any idea where I should take my niece fishing (within 2 hours of Toronto with boat rental)

[ChristianBorys]

My family spent a week up on Lake of Bays earlier this summer and my niece fell in love with fishing so she asked if we can go again and I've been looking for good spots to take her for the day that are within a 2 hour drive of Toronto.

I'm thinking Lake Simcoe for perch and smallmouth would be a good option, or even up to Gravenhurst to get onto Lake Muskoka. My uncle used to take me to Simcoe for perch when I was a little kid and it was always a blast. 

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated! Thanks very much.

[AKRISONER]

do muskoka or even Georgian Bay. Its quieter and the fishing would be better for you in a rental boat.

I spent a weekend fishing lake of bays at the beginning of September 2 years ago for the first time. I went in blind, looked at a some charts, Made some decisions on where I thought the bass would be related to the time of year and went out. it was dead quiet, i think i saw 2 other boats fishing the entire weekend on the whole lake and it seemed like the fishing was excellent and totally under pressured. 

Simcoe is a lake for the hardcore "I want to catch the bag/fish of a lifetime" for bass. You and your niece would have a much better time enjoying a quite lake surrounded by beautiful scenery catching crazy numbers of smallmouth.

Edited August 12, 2020 by AKRISONER

[mark demmery]

Rice lake maybe?  Not sure about boat rentals there though.

[ChristianBorys]

1 hour ago, AKRISONER said:

do muskoka or even Georgian Bay. Its quieter and the fishing would be better for you in a rental boat.

I spent a weekend fishing lake of bays at the beginning of September 2 years ago for the first time. I went in blind, looked at a some charts, Made some decisions on where I thought the bass would be related to the time of year and went out. it was dead quiet, i think i saw 2 other boats fishing the entire weekend on the whole lake and it seemed like the fishing was excellent and totally under pressured. 

Simcoe is a lake for the hardcore "I want to catch the bag/fish of a lifetime" for bass. You and your niece would have a much better time enjoying a quite lake surrounded by beautiful scenery catching crazy numbers of smallmouth.

Thanks!

So Lake Muskoka is probably the best bet then eh?

[BillM]

You're best bet will be Cooks Bay, Lake Simcoe.  Close, lots of fish.   Don't go running around in Georgian Bay if you've never been there before.  Boat traffic is insane around Honey Harbour.    All kinds of panfish down there, pike, bass whatever.   If you want to keep her occupied and busy reeling in panfish all day, Cooks is the ticket. 

[AKRISONER]

30 minutes ago, BillM said:

You're best bet will be Cooks Bay, Lake Simcoe.  Close, lots of fish.   Don't go running around in Georgian Bay if you've never been there before.  Boat traffic is insane around Honey Harbour.    All kinds of panfish down there, pike, bass whatever.   If you want to keep her occupied and busy reeling in panfish all day, Cooks is the ticket. 

recent trip to simcoe 2 weeks ago tells me the bass are getting educated. It was harder to catch them then anywhere else ive been recently, and that includes the kawarthas. Not surprising considering they get hammered witha  lot of pressure. The bass in muskoka and georgian bay on the other hand...dumb as posts lol

[BillM]

I don't think they'll want to be vertical jigging these things in 30ft of water like I've been doing the past week,  lol.   

[AKRISONER]

36 minutes ago, BillM said:

I don't think they'll want to be vertical jigging these things in 30ft of water like I've been doing the past week,  lol.   

very very fair.

 

The smallmouth bite is a grind this time of year but if you find the big ones, its wild.

[ChristianBorys]

46 minutes ago, BillM said:

I don't think they'll want to be vertical jigging these things in 30ft of water like I've been doing the past week,  lol.   

Were you doing that on Simcoe or in Muskoka?

[AKRISONER]

26 minutes ago, ChristianBorys said:

Were you doing that on Simcoe or in Muskoka?

My guess is muskoka. Bill informed me of that deep jiggin pattern up there this time of year a few years back. 

[BillM]

Gbay,.  But any lake this time of year that's where I'd start.  

[huzzsaba]

5 hours ago, BillM said:

You're best bet will be Cooks Bay, Lake Simcoe.  Close, lots of fish.   Don't go running around in Georgian Bay if you've never been there before.  Boat traffic is insane around Honey Harbour.    All kinds of panfish down there, pike, bass whatever.   If you want to keep her occupied and busy reeling in panfish all day, Cooks is the ticket. 

can I take a 12 foot inflatable with paddles and fish on cooks bay on calm day in the shallower areas, or is it not recommended? would find a good spot and anchor there.

 

I have used my inflatable in algonquin on some med sized lakes like canisbay as well as oastler lake near parry sound, and eagle lake at miksew and it was fine. caught some decent fish off of it too.

[huzzsaba]

2 hours ago, BillM said:

I don't think they'll want to be vertical jigging these things in 30ft of water like I've been doing the past week,  lol.   

I love vertical jigging.  Just let the line to the bottom and wait for the bump on the rod tip. I use the same technique from the pier for perch, bass, sheepshead etc

[BillM]

1 hour ago, huzzsaba said:

I love vertical jigging.  Just let the line to the bottom and wait for the bump on the rod tip. I use the same technique from the pier for perch, bass, sheepshead etc

It's a little different for smallies when they're deep.  I'm usually finding wolf packs of them on the graph, following them with the boat, catching 2-3, then they disappear.   Rinse and repeat over and over again.  Some days it can be lights out action.

[misfish]

13 minutes ago, BillM said:

It's a little different for smallies when they're deep.  I'm usually finding wolf packs of them on the graph, following them with the boat, catching 2-3, then they disappear.   Rinse and repeat over and over again.  Some days it can be lights out action.

Seen a couple of guys doing it in 105 fow last weekend Bill. I was marking bait balls down 30-45 fow. Marked many fish driving up and down in them. Even seen some fish breaking the surface. Yup, smallies.  Seen them land a few. I tried with no luck .

[GBW]

Rice Lake has a resort Curtis Point Lodge that has boat rentals and he (Will) is a member here.  

Check in to guides too on lakes like Simcoe like fatial force as Steve R was a member of that group last I recall.  

[wkrp]

The World is your Oyster.

[AKRISONER]

11 hours ago, misfish said:

Seen a couple of guys doing it in 105 fow last weekend Bill. I was marking bait balls down 30-45 fow. Marked many fish driving up and down in them. Even seen some fish breaking the surface. Yup, smallies.  Seen them land a few. I tried with no luck .

I had a topwater hit in 55 fow on lake of bays a few years back if you can believe that 

[David Chong]

On 8/12/2020 at 11:20 AM, mark demmery said:

Rice lake maybe?  Not sure about boat rentals there though.

Rice Lake has a wide variety of fish to target and a great panfish population. You can rent boats and pick up any additional tackle you might need at BJ Tackle right in Bewdley!