Rondeau anglers ?

[RookieReeler17]

Hey Everyone ! 
 

Just wondering if any of you frequent rondeau bay ?  I’m looking to get into to crappie this year- I live near Rondeau and was recently told to hit that area. I knew the bass/pike was good but never knew crappie. 

any suggestions ? 

[dave524]

Get them early, like late April/May , they come in shallow to spawn/feed. Look for dark bottoms as those areas warm first. Speaking on my experiences at Long Point, once they move out they are difficult to locate, maybe they suspend over deeper water.

[Bill]

I will only fish Rondeau Bay in the spring. The weeds are thick by July. There is an area where the channel from the lake comes into the bay that has good fishing. That is where I start.

[porkpie]

Used to get them off the canals on shrewsbury side in the spring 25 years ago.  I never ice fished for them though?

Edited January 12, 2021 by porkpie

[RookieReeler17]

12 hours ago, porkpie said:

Used to get them off the canals on shrewsbury side in the spring 25 years ago.  I never ice fished for them though?

I’m just looking for info for the spring. Not ice- I’ll have to look up the info you gave. Thanks 

[DanD]

We use to have a trailer located at Wildwood Park; just a few miles from the bay. My son and I spent a lot of time fishing the bay. We'd launch our 12 foot tinny and 9.9 motor at the public launch just inside the Provincial Park entrance. From there we'd head to Shrewsbury ramp and then drift whatever way the breeze took us. A simple setup of a hook, sinker and a chunk of worm was all we needed. A torn in half worm worked better: blood sent?  Blue gills loved it and we'd catch a whack of them. Keep enough of the plate sized for supper and let the rest go back to grow up. If the wind was up, we'd head to the strip of shore line West Erieau channel to the main lake and anchor; wait a few minutes for a hit; if no hits we'd move a few hundred yards and keep doing that until we were on top a school. Haven't fished Rondeau for a number of years; last time it was so weedy I couldn't go a 1/4 mile without clearing the boat's prop.

Dan.

[RookieReeler17]

6 minutes ago, DanD said:

We use to have a trailer located at Wildwood Park; just a few miles from the bay. My son and I spent a lot of time fishing the bay. We'd launch our 12 foot tinny and 9.9 motor at the public launch just inside the Provincial Park entrance. From there we'd head to Shrewsbury ramp and then drift whatever way the breeze took us. A simple setup of a hook, sinker and a chunk of worm was all we needed. A torn in half worm worked better: blood sent?  Blue gills loved it and we'd catch a whack of them. Keep enough of the plate sized for supper and let the rest go back to grow up. If the wind was up, we'd head to the strip of shore line West Erieau channel to the main lake and anchor; wait a few minutes for a hit; if no hits we'd move a few hundred yards and keep doing that until we were on top a school. Haven't fished Rondeau for a number of years; last time it was so weedy I couldn't go a 1/4 mile without clearing the boat's prop.

Dan.

Dan thank you very much for the response, I appreciate it. I definitely got hit with the fishing bug, probably because no ice where I’m at. But I will def be going up that way to try.  I also practice catch/release with anything other than the walleye.  But thanks again for the help! 

 

 

 

[DanD]

11 minutes ago, RookieReeler17 said:

 I also practice catch/release with anything other than the walleye.

If you like a few meals of fish every once and awhile, you should try Bluegills. Just as good (IMO) as walleye or perch. Plus you'll be surprised at how much meat these flat buggers give up after cleaning them. 

Dan.

[dave524]

1 hour ago, DanD said:

If you like a few meals of fish every once and awhile, you should try Bluegills. Just as good (IMO) as walleye or perch. Plus you'll be surprised at how much meat these flat buggers give up after cleaning them. 

Dan.

Crappie is right up there too, better than Erie Walleyes IMHO

[DanD]

30 years ago most pan fish that we call them now were thought of as garbage fish that were thrown back or up on shore to die. Who knows 30 years from now will the goby be a sought after fish? I sure hope we don't want to eat a mouth foaming spawn from the devil!. LOL

Dan.

[porkpie]

On 1/12/2021 at 3:55 PM, RookieReeler17 said:

 

On 1/12/2021 at 3:47 PM, DanD said:

We use to have a trailer located at Wildwood Park; just a few miles from the bay. My son and I spent a lot of time fishing the bay. We'd launch our 12 foot tinny and 9.9 motor at the public launch just inside the Provincial Park entrance. From there we'd head to Shrewsbury ramp and then drift whatever way the breeze took us. A simple setup of a hook, sinker and a chunk of worm was all we needed. A torn in half worm worked better: blood sent?  Blue gills loved it and we'd catch a whack of them. Keep enough of the plate sized for supper and let the rest go back to grow up. If the wind was up, we'd head to the strip of shore line West Erieau channel to the main lake and anchor; wait a few minutes for a hit; if no hits we'd move a few hundred yards and keep doing that until we were on top a school. Haven't fished Rondeau for a number of years; last time it was so weedy I couldn't go a 1/4 mile without clearing the boat's prop.

Dan.

Holy uckfay Dan, you where a Wildwood fella too huh.  SLOW DOWN lol.  Had a lot of fun in that park in my late teens and 20’s. Caught a crapload of bass, channel cats and crappie in the bay and shot a boatload if ducks in the fall!  Good times and good memories! 

[DanD]

On 2/10/2021 at 10:00 AM, porkpie said:

Had a lot of fun in that park

Yeah we did too at first; but by end of our first season, we decided to pull out. The parks facilities and location were fine; but it became more and more evident that we were not fitting in with the clicks in the park.  As I found out, most other campers there "owned" their lots. So when some (I'd say 60% of) found out we were renting our site and who from; we usually were given the cold shoulder afterwards. I didn't want my kids (then 6&8 years old) to feel what prejudicem was and pointed towards them and us as a family. When I told the couple that we were renting from; that we were not coming back next season and why. They said they understood, as they been living it their whole lives, being a Black family living in Detroit Michigan. Just telling it as how it was; hopefully the attitude there has chanced? It was almost 30 years ago.   

Dan.

[porkpie]

Yeah I never experienced anything like that Dan, and at a similar time frame.  Nothing but a lot of good times.  Sorry to hear it!

Edited February 12, 2021 by porkpie