Post by Gary on May 28, 2008 11:25:48 GMT -5
Hello all,
Been fishing various bodies of water the last couple weeks and the fishing has been decent, but slower than normal at this time of the year. I'd say we seem to be a couple weeks behind this year in terms of conditions and bite.
I was on the St. Lawrence for carp over the long weekend and that bite was a bit slow. We caught eight carp in about six hours, the biggest being 21.12 lbs, the smallest being 10 lbs. It was fun, but normally at this time of the year you can expect 20-30 fish between a couple people. We fished like the British do, which in my opinion is a bit of over-kill. We used 12 foot rods, much like a surf-casting rod, and hair rigs with three ounce sinkers configured as a bolt rig. On some rigs we put corn, on others we put boilies, and casted them out and waited. Next time I go, it will be with my 7.5 foot bass flippin' stick and 50 lb braid...now that will be a nice fight. Couldn't feel them much on those 12 foot rods. We were fishing Hoople Creek, just off Hwy 2 before Long Sault, but there's a lot of spots in and around the Long Sault Parkway that one can setup on shore and have a good time.
I was also on the Rideau three or four times in the last week. I've been catching pike and bass and walleye each time out, but they're not biting fast and furious. You really have to work for them, especially the pike. On the Rideau I've been catching all three species on 3/8 ounce white Strike King Bleeding Eye spinnerbaits, Mepps Aglia Long #3, and Strike King Bleeding Eye lipless crankbaits in Sexy Shad colour. The pike seem to be in 3-6 feet of water, mixed in with the bass. The walleye I've been getting on points where there is a mix of sand, rock, and weed. The pike and bass have been in weeds as well, and it seems that at the moment if there's no weeds at all, there's no fish.
I also went down to Lancaster to fish Lake St. Francis at the mouth of the Raisin River. This time of year you can usually stay right in the mouth there, not even crank the big motor once, and catch big pike and smallies until you get too tired to take them off the hook anymore. Well, the bite is slow there as well. Three inch curly-tail Mr. Twister type grubs in white, yellow, and orange work well here for both the pike and the bass. The bass, of course, are out of season but the pike fishing here is usually phenomenal and it's just a given that you are going to lock into some of the plentiful bass that are staged there as well. When I went out the other week though, there were a few bass there and nary a pike to be seen. Maybe a couple weeks and a bit warmer water will make a difference. When they're on down there it is definitely worth the trip.
Won't be back in the Ottawa area for a few weeks, we'll see how things are going then.
Cheers!
Gary
Been fishing various bodies of water the last couple weeks and the fishing has been decent, but slower than normal at this time of the year. I'd say we seem to be a couple weeks behind this year in terms of conditions and bite.
I was on the St. Lawrence for carp over the long weekend and that bite was a bit slow. We caught eight carp in about six hours, the biggest being 21.12 lbs, the smallest being 10 lbs. It was fun, but normally at this time of the year you can expect 20-30 fish between a couple people. We fished like the British do, which in my opinion is a bit of over-kill. We used 12 foot rods, much like a surf-casting rod, and hair rigs with three ounce sinkers configured as a bolt rig. On some rigs we put corn, on others we put boilies, and casted them out and waited. Next time I go, it will be with my 7.5 foot bass flippin' stick and 50 lb braid...now that will be a nice fight. Couldn't feel them much on those 12 foot rods. We were fishing Hoople Creek, just off Hwy 2 before Long Sault, but there's a lot of spots in and around the Long Sault Parkway that one can setup on shore and have a good time.
I was also on the Rideau three or four times in the last week. I've been catching pike and bass and walleye each time out, but they're not biting fast and furious. You really have to work for them, especially the pike. On the Rideau I've been catching all three species on 3/8 ounce white Strike King Bleeding Eye spinnerbaits, Mepps Aglia Long #3, and Strike King Bleeding Eye lipless crankbaits in Sexy Shad colour. The pike seem to be in 3-6 feet of water, mixed in with the bass. The walleye I've been getting on points where there is a mix of sand, rock, and weed. The pike and bass have been in weeds as well, and it seems that at the moment if there's no weeds at all, there's no fish.
I also went down to Lancaster to fish Lake St. Francis at the mouth of the Raisin River. This time of year you can usually stay right in the mouth there, not even crank the big motor once, and catch big pike and smallies until you get too tired to take them off the hook anymore. Well, the bite is slow there as well. Three inch curly-tail Mr. Twister type grubs in white, yellow, and orange work well here for both the pike and the bass. The bass, of course, are out of season but the pike fishing here is usually phenomenal and it's just a given that you are going to lock into some of the plentiful bass that are staged there as well. When I went out the other week though, there were a few bass there and nary a pike to be seen. Maybe a couple weeks and a bit warmer water will make a difference. When they're on down there it is definitely worth the trip.
Won't be back in the Ottawa area for a few weeks, we'll see how things are going then.
Cheers!
Gary
