Fishing Local Waters

Where can I go locally to catch fish ? Is there anyplace within walking/biking distance I can go to catch fish ? Is there anyplace I can go locally to catch BIG fish ?

We hear it all the time. In fact it might be the most frequently asked question we hear from our customers. 

You have to consider many factors when answering this question. We obviously only know a fraction of the local hotspots so if we send all of our enquiring customers to these spots they will quickly get extremely pressured and deteriorate. We certainly don't want to reveal our customers "honey holes" and betray a confidence. There are a few community holes that are well known that we can suggest but they are very well utilized and can resultantly be unproductive for weeks at a time.

I believe that a much better approach is to do some homework and exploring to find your very own "honey holes" and I can suggest a few ways you might go about doing that.

• The Grand River Conservation Authority has a very good website. It covers the Grand and it's adjoining waters. You can find access points, regulations, what fish are prevalent in certain areas etc. 

• Get yourself a copy of Backroads Mapbook for Southwest Ontario. It's a very comprehensive book and gives you a great perspective of the waters you can fish locally.

 

• Walk the river !  It's a great thing to do even if you're not fishing. If you're adventurous don your shorts and an old pair of sneakers and wade out a little if the shoreline is prohibitive. Just be very careful in areas you can't see bottom and don't trespass on private property. Take a wading stick and always check depth in front of you.

 

• When walking the river if you have a handheld GPS mark waypoints where you find noteworthy areas you want to come back and fish. If no GPS just make yourself a map. Here are some things you want to key on.

           - deep pools adjacent to shallow water
           - incoming creeks
           - riffle at the end of a fast water run
           - anything that serves as a current break i.e. rocks, logs etc.
           - overhanging trees (willows are awesome)
           - undercut banks
           - places you see other anglers
           - bridge pilons
           - below dams

• We also get asked what bait/lures to use in the River(s). Here are some suggestions.

              - live bait is always an option. Worms, minnows, crayfish
              - Soft plastics such as Tubes, Senkos, Grubs.
              - Small jerkbaits such as the Rapala X-RAP.
              - Small crankbaits such as a Big-0 or a ShadRap
              - Spinners such as a Mepps, Blue Fox etc
              -  Topwater lures such as a POP-R

Come on into the store if you want to discuss this further we'll do whatever we can to help out.

Just starting out? Not sure what gear you need? Read my post on Getting started