Quinte Fishing

Well, it was a tough evening out of Picton yesterday. Arrrived at the launch with a good friend of mine itchin' to get his first double digit walleye. We got pretty fired up after a guide was bringing his boat out and reported they landed some quality fish just outside the inner harbour during the afternoon. We launched and got started with a firetiger Stretch 20 and silver/purple Deep Diver Tail Dancer. We marked all kinds of bait and larger marks indicating pods of big walleye, but no takers this night. Tried switching to old faithfuls, firetiger and clown DHJ14's.......not a sniff!
Seems interesting how sporadic the fishing has been this fall, and yet lots of fish on the screen. Water temperature out there is dropping fast. I would agree with other posters, there could be some good fishing yet, if we can get out again in between these big winds that are churnin' up the water this week. Water up by Merlands was 37 degrees and inner harbour was 34/35. We passed over some skim ice on our way back into Picton Harbour and just as we were dragging out the boat, a couple of shore fisherman landed a nice 7 - 8 pound walleye which they kept to eat.
Evening got cold real fast, and where else can you fish in Ontario where you can freeze your tail off out on the open water after a trophy walleye, and watch people reclined in the warmth and comfort of their own homes at the same time. My buddy and I kept joking about whether we were nuts or not!!
We're gonna take another crack at these fish next week, if weather permits. Tight lines all.....

Yeah you gotta love quinte. Trolling past all those nice homes at night while the occupants look toasty and you are freezin your butt off. I think its an addiction.

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Dan Elliot - A bad day on Quinte is better than a good day at work !!!
http://www.quintefishing.com

My dad got his big 15-pounder just outside the harbour, not too far from Merland's, in the late afternoon on December 22nd a few years ago. It's been my experience in the past that the fish don't come in this close until the water is *very* cold.

I just wondered - has anyone else been catching any fish in the Merland's area lately? Or closer to the harbour around the pumphouse?

Or has all the action been out beyond the ferry?

Cheers,

Pete

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Self-unemployed and available for fishin' mid-week most days.

Picked up 8 in one afternoon last year in the inner harbour by Merlands - exactly one week before the winter freeze. I believe it was around December 5th. It was amazing!!! It was snowing like crazy, dark and the water was rough. But with fish like that, I didn't even notice the conditions!!!

the inner harbour froze on the 17th or 18th, and the rest of the bay froze solid on the 20th or 21st.

Yes, looking back on my report, I see it was Dec. 12 that I posted. We hit one of those days when they were really 'on'. That alone was enough to get me back for years to come!!
I haven't winterized my boat yet, and if there is open water between Christmas and New Year's, I could be tempted!!!

Hi all.
Quinte has beat me 2 years now. Last year I took my wife for our aniversary, fished 2 days, nothing. this year would at best be descibed as a disaster. Last year we brought 2 friends, a husband that has turned onto Walleye fishing and has now competed with me in a couple of small tournements. His wife didn't fish and never cared to. After two days in a boat in rough water but mild temps she was coming back, not to fish, but sit in a boat with no worries. WOW. The funny thing is, my buddy says to me that I will react in one of two ways, I will come back because I was beat, or I will never come back because I was Beat. That last part suprised me . My Wife enjoyed Picton as a town, My friends wife enjoyed having nothing to think about bobbing around in a boat, I enjoyed trying to catch a Quinte Walleye, my friend enjoyed watching me get beat after I had just won a Tournement. Humbling at best, but I am coming to Quinte every fall.
Why?
Good People
Cheers Clark

you keep coming back same reason the rest of us do.

the thought of a 16+ pounder!

What steve said

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Dan Elliot - A bad day on Quinte is better than a good day at work !!!
http://www.quintefishing.com

I think the general synopsis regarding the fishing at this time of year, is the colder the water (short of freezing over) the better the fishing. I typically concentrate my efforts in the last couple weeks prior to freezeup, with good success. We'll take another shot or two yet. I know this is going back a few years now, but I remember a a giant of a walleye just short of 20 pounds being taken in mid-December, and the boat was pretty much dodging sheets of ice in open water. We are nuts!