My quest continued on the Canada Day weekend

[007]

Hi all.

 

Sorry that this Canada Day camping/fishing report is a little late, but no sooner as I got home from the trip I had to fly back to England for a few days. I hope there's not too many typos - just got back today and am jetlagged.

 

Well my wife and I headed out north from T.O to Restoule for our second camping trip of the year with the aim (well at least for me) to catch some more species to cross off this year's list. The main targets were walleye, smallmouth bass and possible Muskie. The park is a nice place but would the fishing be any good...

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, things didn't quite go to plan. Firstly, the weather was unusually cold for the first two days. Secondly, we didn't get chance to rent a boat and Thirdly, the fishing on Lake Restoule is notoriously difficult with no real possibilities of catching fish from shore at my lakeside campsite.

 

I had hoped I would catch my first smallmouth bass of the year from my campsite but as I had been warned by TonyB and Bowslayer - the shoreline of the park is incredibly shallow and even if I waded out a long way or took the inflatable out and casted, there just didn't seem to be any fish in the shallows - probably because of the cold temps?

 

 

My next option was to take TonyB's advice and fish from the nearby boat dock at Bell's Point. I tried my luck there on the second day, together with all the other fishermen without a boat - got pretty crowded at times. One guy said that the night before someone had caught a bunch of fish including smallies, but had kept everything for the dinner table. I hoped there were some fish left to catch! Fortunately there were but not the fish I was after. For the next two days I fished the odd hour here and there at the docks - and the action was pretty non-stop but it was rock bass after rock bass or sunfish after sunfish - including some of a good size (plus the smallest i've ever seen/caught)... but no smallies. I wasn't too disheartened though as I seemed to be outfishing everybody else there. The key was to float fish worms with just the right length of line between the float and hook to dangle the bait above an area of submegred logs - perhaps an old beaver lodge, where a shoal of rockies were hiding. After a while I decided to try to pass my method on to other anglers who weren't catching but most of them were too arrogant to listen... what's with that ... oh well their loss. Here's a few pics - I love the way rock bass scrap and their different patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the last night with the dream of my first smallie of the season and my first walleye ever looking unlikely and me feeling somewhat disappointed with the weekend I had a change of fortune.

 

A month or so ago when I first posted a question about fishing Restoule, I had a response from Aaron Shirley of "Getting Hooked with Aaron and Barry" Fishing TV show fame to say he would be up at Restoule. Little did I know though that he would be practically in the next site to me. Needless to say it wasn't long before we bumped into each other and got chatting about fishing. Aaron was even kind enough to invite me out for a morning's fishing with him and the lovely Christie on his boat on my last day in the park.

 

The three of us headed out to a couple of recommended spots and started fishing for smallmouth bass with a mixture of xraps and shadrap crankbaits. It wasn't long before Aaron caught the first smallmouth, closely followed by Christie's first one of the day. It took a little longer before I managed to hook a smallie and as is typically my luck just as I was about to swing it into the boat it took it's third and successful jump for freedom. So unfortunately no picture and I guess I can't cross that species of this year's list as I didn't hook another after that.

 

 

Despite the slow fishing and the disappointment of not boating my first smallie of the year it was a great morning of fishing and conversation. I would like to say a big thank you to both Aaron and Christie for taking me out and for being so friendly. I may not have caught much but I really enjoyed myself and certainly picked up a few tips along the way. It was also a treat to see Aaron cast out his big musky lures - some of which I couldn't believe would ever catch a fish, though they did have teeth marks to prove their previous successes.

 

Anyhow - the quest continues in a few weeks time with another camping/fishing trip, this time to Silent Lake P.P - hopefully I will catch some smallmouth bass there that will stay on the hook long enough for a picture! The walleye and musky will have to wait for another day and another venue.

 

One final thought for you fisherpeople who go camping - don't leave your bait buckets unattended outside your tent - it attracts a few unwanted guests as this pic at some guys site shows.... Needless to say the mother raccoon went back to her babies with a belly full of minnows!

 

 

Cheers

007

Edited July 9, 2007 by OO7

[007]

Pics added at last.

[motv8tr]

Great report 007, that is one tiny Rock Bass must've been hungry . Sure was nice of Aaron and Christie to take you out on the boat with them, but not the least bit surprising...would love to fish with him one day. Not to worry, you'll get your smallmouth soon enough I'm sure.

 

Maureen

[Hellfish]

Nice report, good read. Aaron is a A+ guy thats for sure, hope he gets as successful as a pro fisherman can get he def deserves it.

[ccmtcanada]

Hey 007!

 

Another great report, even though you didn't get what you were hoping for! Meeting up with Aaron Shirley and getting the chance to fish with him was a GREAT bonus! I'd love to have that kind of opportunity.

 

You are right about the different patterns on a Rock Bass...I've never noticed that before. LOL about the bait...at least it didn't go completely to waste...haha.

 

I'm sure you'll get into a few smallies before the season is done....good luck on your continuing quest!

[Spiel]

....Great report 007. That Aaron sure is a hell of a nice guy. Good luck with your quest.

[Mike the Pike]

Nice report 007 too bad about the lost smallie you sure can catch rock Bass though MTP

[bbog]

Great report 007.

 

You should have good luck getting into Smallies at Silent Lake P.P. I've caught some beauties from my favourite shore spot before I bought my canoe. The canoe will not change where I attempt to find Smallies but will give me a shot at the Lakers that are in this park.

[tonyb]

Restoule is tough for sure, and even more so without a boat, you sure lucked out getting out there with Aaron what a great guy.

 

Funny story about the rock bass, we were night fishing once with minnows for Pickerel and just before we leave my lighted float slams under sure enough one of the biggest rock bass I had even seen had inhaled the minnow. I knew right then and there that the Pickerel are just a tease in that lake, hiring out the rock bass to do their dirty work

 

Did you stop in to see Bing at Martin's Camp?

 

Tony

[007]

Thanks for the kind comments guys. Sure was tough out there that weekend but you can always count on some Rockbass to add some good old fishing fun.

 

TonyB - My wife and I decided not to rent a boat from Martin's Camp because of the unpredictable weather and because we are novices when it comes to boats.

 

There were certainly lots of bait fish in the lake and some big fish in the depths as shown on Aaron's electronics (likely walleye, whitefish and lake trout), but in the morning I fished with Aaron I was targetting bass and Aaron bass and musky. Interestingly most boats that left the park for walleye came back without any luck when I was there. So I shouldn't be too disappointed and I was warned it would be tough there.

 

I'm looking forward to see if Aaron does a report when he gets back as I would like to know how he got on for the rest of the week and see if those back lakes were any good - from the sounds of it they would have been better places to get my bass!

[Kerry]

Restoule is a tough lake for sure.Fishing around the island to the right of the park and outside of the reeds heading towards the island is ok.Pike hang around outside of those reeds in the sand/marl mix.I spotted a beauty musky in the 20 lb class off of the reeds by the island when I was up there a couple years ago.Smallies are around the island where the rocks break in to weed patches.

I met a local while there and he was telling me musky turn on more in november.Maybe that's why it's one of the latest parks to close.As far as walleye go everyone seems to have a hard time.

Anyway a friend told me before I went up to fish Stormy (right at the park gate before you enter)as you have better shot at catching fish.Smallies for sure and musky are more incidental.There are docks there for boats and it's part of the park.It's just a long way from the campsite.

Besides the fishing it is a beautiful park and lake and I gotta go back!

 

Kerry

[bassmaster4]

been to Restoule many times and ive caught a whole bunch of smallies off the dock with worms and a bobber great report

[lunkerbasshunter]

next time the fishing is slow on restoule try commanda lake. i have heard the fishing on commanda is much easier. No musky though.

 

Cheers!

[addict]

rockin out with the rock bass nice pics.

[bow slayer]

sorry about the tough luck 007. It took me a few years to figure out the fish on restoule and now i have been going there for nearly 20 years i am usually very sucessful. This year things started off a little slow on the Canada Day weekend with the cool damp weather. My son and i tried fishing the bay around the Boat Launch at bells (black and white starcraft) usually good for smallies and pike and the dock looked fairly busy.We were only boating 3 or 4 walleyes each evening along with a few smallies. But by the middle of the week the fishing picked up greatly and we had a few 20 plus nights with the eyes. The were mostly small ones in the 1-1.5lb range but we did manage a few 4-5 lbers. We only keep 10 fish all the time we were there. No musky this year thou. It is a tough lake but once you find a couple spots it is very reliable.

[007]

Hey Bowslayer. One of the days my wife and I went for a walk around the campground and saw your boat at your campsite but there was no one around, otherwise we would have said hello.

 

It sounds like with a bit more luck and better weather I could have perhaps got that elusive first walleye and first decent smallie of the year. Oh well can't win all the time.

 

007

[Uncle Buck]

how does this

 

 

turn into this??

 

 

[Nemo]

Haha Supersize me...but really .....

 

"A month or so ago when I first posted a question about fishing Restoule, I had a response from Aaron Shirley of "Getting Hooked with Aaron and Barry" Fishing TV show fame to say he would be up at Restoule. Little did I know though that he would be practically in the next site to me. Needless to say it wasn't long before we bumped into each other and got chatting about fishing. Aaron was even kind enough to invite me out for a morning's fishing with him and the lovely Christie on his boat on my last day in the park."