Quinte Fishing

Great board and incredible fishery!
I know the ice conditions are poor now, but we are hoping to get back up there before the season closes. We have fished BOQ 5-6 times in the mid. 1990s. We'd come in on Fri. and stay at Fox Motor Inn in Napanee and then visit Mathews in Hay Bay to get all our supplies (still there?). We targeted walleyes and fished mostly in Hay Bay with little sucess. My friend picked up only one large walleye that was poorly hooked on a jigging rapalla and minnow. We lost it at the hole. What a riot! Other than that -a few perch here and there. We would like any information or help getting set up with a paid guide for any weekend the ice will allow. It would be for 4-5 people- we have portable clam shelters, heaters, vexilars, etc. Fishing the Bay is a lot different than our style of walleye fishing here on Oneida Lake, and we would like any help and services.
I have read several threads on prefered lures, but what line dia., brand, color etc. do you use?? We used 2lb. dia. fireline / spyderwire and felt afterwards it was a fatal mistake with too much drag with "current" there.??
Thanks for any / all input
Greg

Hands down, the best guide is Hardwater Walleye ... don't know if he's taking any more clients, but you can e-mail him at hardwaterwalleye@hotmail.com ... if he agrees, he's worth whatever he quotes you as a guiding price and more! If he agrees and you catch fish, tip the guy.

The bait/tackle shop in Belleville - Spivey's (?) - were great. They had tackle if we needed it, minnows, and are nice gents. Support the locals and they'll support you.

As for bait, we found on our recent trip that anything silver and green did the trick (tipped w/ a minnow, of course). The preferred lures were the Hopkins Shorties and Kastmasters. Nothing less than 14-lb. test mono or polyfiber ... I wouldn't waste my money on fire line or spiderwire. Clams are okay, but don't get wedded to one site. The key is mobility. Walleye, and perch for that matter, don't stay in one spot. If they are moving, you need to move as well. Travel light.

Good luck and pray the Bay has ice.

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Rocky Mountain Man

Thanks for the speedy response. I'm going to email him after this reply. I read in your post about your trip and saw you were very happy with his services. Appriciate the link to him. Glad you had a good productive trip! We fish with one man traps- not the clams as I mis-stated above . We are very light and mobil with those - especially since it looks like if we do get out, it'll be walkin. Thanks again for all the info. Keep it commin!!

Welcome aboard,
Always nice to see neighbours from south of the border visit the board.

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

Thanks Dan.
I got in touch with HardwaterWalleye and will be up on Feb. 11th & 12th (ice allowing) . I also got in touch with Skevy's reguarding licenses, bait and other supplies. I have also booked a couple of rooms @ The Best Western in Belleville. Where can we go for 20oz. steaks and drinks?? Thanks for all the support. I see Rocky Mt. Man is almost ready to post much anticipated pictures...??..
Any other help or comments is still appriciated.
Thanks Greg

Feb 11th and 12 th you might be too late I have a feeling the ice wont hold up unless it gets coldier! I fish the Belleville area and have caught some nice ones by herchimer dock!! Skevys a good guy but watch out your going topay out the a$$!!!!! He is useful for hot spots tho!!! As for steaks the Prime Steak house on North Front is excellent and well priced! I have had success on Pimples( blue) bluefox tinglers are working extremely well( any colour )! And either shiners or mudders are working well!! Ive saw 4 9 pounders come up this week!!!!!

Hey Martycoo, great info -except your ice comments (haha)-your killin me !! Sounds like your telling me I'm a day late (11th) and a dollar short (Skevy's)!! I'm already too fired up to wait untill then. Glad you responded and thanks for the set up tips. I appriciate it. We're staying right on Front St. - that should work out perfect. We'll be at the Prime Steak Sat. eve.
Stop by, I'll buy you a drink...or 10.....

Welcome to the board - lots of info and lots of laughs too.

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David Delcloo aka Superdad
(Retired)

Kingston

In ther morning Greg hit the ice by 530am and you'll get better success! At dusk 330 till 5 is prime time!!!

I just wanted to make a comment about Skevys and the other Small bait and tackle shops. His prices are resonable, competitive and as a board sponsor he supports this site. That support has been appreciated by thousands of guys and without him and the other Mom and Pop bait shops the only place we would have to buy lures from is wally mart and canadian tire. Try buying livebait from those corporate giants while on your way out to fish at 6am. Canadian tire in belleville doesnt even sell fishing license any more. Ask walmart to order you in a rod or reel they dont carry and see what their response is. Dont forget to ask walmart where the hot bite is too. We all need to support these places so that we have decent service, selection and prices.

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

. ABsolutly. suport the lil guy. and there is alot of them ..... spred yer money around. ive been to both skevy's, and A1 across the bay bridge. nice old guys happy to say hello and good luck with a smile. good place for monday fishing when skevy's is closed when you need more minnows . hope the ice is geting better with this cold snap, i cought 6... 5 pounders off herkiamer two weeks ago and i hope to be there on monday for the morning bite .......... happy hunting guys ....... just remember. anyone can catch fish when they are biting *LOL*

Appreciate the comments Superdad.
Martycoo- you did it- I'll be up Sun. (this Sun.) I could't wait till the Feb. 11th trip I've got booked. (I'll be up for that trip FOR SURE too !!) Just ask my wife- this Sun. is just "pre-fishing". It's like fishing ?.? GREAT PICS on the "PLANNING TRIP" post. Thanks again for all your help and keep up the future updates -I hope.
Well stated Dan. I've talked to Ron @ Skevy's a couple times this week and he's been EXCELLENT to deal with. I'm looking forward to meeting him this Sun. @ 6am sharp.

Grizzly,
Get on Onieda Lake much? Or for that matter- any of the other NY lakes?
Greg

... yep ive fished oneida a few times years ago... mostly the lakes down my way though, Cayuga, senaca lakes some of the smaller ones, also do the whole river thing for salmon steelhead browns up and down the yankee side of ontairo............. gotta go to quente for them nice walleye though ...... its a blast up there , and the canadian people are great . all ive met up there are wonderfull.......... ill be blowing past your place up 81 tomarrow on my way to belleville... hell you can't be more than 3 hours away or so. its a great time up there in all the season good luck and happy fishing.... ps. I recomend you get a conservation licens to heck witht that 5 day . your not that far away maybe 3 hours from syracuse right to the good fishing in and around belleville maybe sooner if you drive like the canadians do *LOL* . youl know what i mean when you get on the 401 stay in the right lane, trust me on that one! . good luck

I agree you must support the local tackle shops! Even if you have to pay a little more, they usually sell you the lures that work!