Lake Simcoe Oct 29/2009

[diggyj]

Usually at this time of year I head up to Simcoe for some fall fishing. I used to go up there many, many years ago with my brother(RIP-miss ya) for Pike fishing and tournaments but now it is just once or twice a year so I am a virtual novice when it comes to Simcoe.

Headed up on Thursday morning with my buddy Howie who also used to fish the lake in his younger days. So having little to no experience on the lake we were unsure of how much success we would have hunting smallies and pike. I was hunting smallies using tubes and cranks and he was hunting pike using minnows and cranks. Weather was great with some fog when we rolled out of Harry's in Keswick.

By diggyj, shot with DSC-S730 at 2009-11-01

The first thing that amazed me was how clear the water was. We were in 14 FOW in Cooks Bay and could clearly see the bottom, WOW.

We spent a few hours trying lots of various lures and baits in various depths and had no success, not even a nibble.

By diggyj, shot with DSC-S730 at 2009-11-01

Seems whenever I hit Simcoe the Police always roll up on us and check for all documents and safety equipment, never seen them once on Rice. So be safe out there.

By diggyj, shot with DSC-S730 at 2009-11-01

Changed our gameplan and went after some perch. We caught over 100 with the biggest ones being 10". Kept about 40-50 for a fish fry and freezer.

By diggyj, shot with DSC-S730 at 2009-11-01

It wasnt until the end of the day that I realized why we only caught Perch, it was because I had a true Maple Leafs fan in my boat.....lol He jinxed me.

By diggyj, shot with DSC-S730 at 2009-11-01

Nonetheless, it was a great day. Hope to get out again before the season closes, hopefully with someone that has local knowledge and can put me on those beautiful Simcoe monster Smallies.

Dirk

 

[tangledline]

those maple leaf fans mess the fish'n up everytime...they're always talking about how this year the cup is in their
grasp....even the fish don't want to listen anymore....so they go far away and real deep.... :evil:

really nice eating size pearch...hope you made your friend do the filleting
i have little experience on simcoe as well but i would bet walleye and bass to be found around the mouth of the talbot river 50 to 75 meters into the lake from the mouth...
it connects to the trent severn system....as well the fishing is always good around thorah island ....i would launch out of beaverton harbour.

goodluck
ps invite your friend again but make him wear your teams jersey this time.

 

[ec1]

nice job dirk!
You should be fishing rice more often! It's heating up for just about everything there!

 

[reefrunner]

Nice feed of perch Dirk. Next time out for smallies find deeper water, 20fow+, where two kinds of bottom composition meet (ie, rock/sand, sand/weeds, etc.) I find drifting over these areas and dragging a tube produce. I've heard drop-shotting minnows a couple feet from the bottom is a good method as well, but never tried it out on Simcoe. Thanks for sharing!

 

[diggyj]

Guys that I have been talking to have said it has been really slow on Rice. My neighbour has been out every weekend and has virtually nothing to show for. He was out this weekend all day Saturday in the rain and Sunday and caught 1 lousy Smallie.

Dirk

 

[frozenfire]

for rice lake, try close to shore in lighted areas. the walleyes are pounding the shorelines aggressively feeding, along with schools of crappie.
i have heard from 2 different sources now that the last week or so, people have been catching over 50 walleye a night. of course, after keeping your limit of 4, the rest is just for fun!
just throw shallow running cranks, and you're bound to hook into a few.

last week, ec1 and I couldn't even squeeze into this one spot that was definitely producing. Must have have been more than 30 people in that general area.
you know the fish are there when the people flock there as well.

 

[diggyj]

Was that spot on Rice? If so where?

Dirk.

 

[ec1]

You have a PM Dirk!

 

[frozenfire]

Wow, I also just PMed him hahaha :evil:

 

[diggyj]

Thanks for the PM guys. Your messages contain some great info. And yes I now where the area is that you mentioned but not sure of the exact spot. Will try and check it this weekend on a recon mission. I also noticed a spot farther to the west that has a "INLET" similar to the place in Bradford/Keswick........Adeline Park. Have you ever tried that particular spot?

Thanks again,

Dirk

 

[frozenfire]

Never tried it... but from what you describe, it should be packed with spawning crappie in the spring.

 

[ec1]

At this time of the year, fish the outside of the bay / canals..The small ones hide in there, but the big'uns are gonna be hanging around just outside of those canals.