Quinte Fishing

FISHING REPORT MONDAY NOV 10 - TUESDAY NOV 11

Arrived Picton and launched just before dark. Charter boat guys came in, said they did really well. They kept four or five 12-pounders. [Why? They're toxic and taste like sawdust] There were three anglers I think, and two crew. I guess they can keep five fish, right?

"Where'd you get 'em?" asks I.

"In the Bay...." says he.

*sshole.

Fished my usual areas outside the harbour, but not a hit to be felt. I didn't see anyone else catch a fish. Stayed out til 9 pm.

The next day I drove to Moon's Bait and Tackle in Deseronto and picked up some mud minnows. The guy in Consecon has no minnows, nor can he get them. It was quite rainy, but forecast to stop in the afternoon, so I dilly-dallied a bit - another cup of coffee at Tim's - and finally got out around noon.

Motored down to Thompson's. A bit of wind and waves, but fishable. 2 other boats there - one trolling, one jigging like me. Tried about 1.5 hours of jigging and a couple passes trolling. Marking fish anywhere from 60 feet up to 20 or so. Some on the bottom, some suspended. None was hungry. Waves came up, I blasted into Picton. Needed more coffee.

Met the other Charter boat guy coming in, and I'll tell you, like night and day. THIS dude was helpful and willing to share, not like Mr. Happy. They told me they had been fishing about a mile and a half east of the ferry, using side planers, and downriggers. The fish had been caught on deep divers [long lip Husky Jerks, Shad Raps] off the planer boards.

So I drove down the road and had a look - it wasn't too rough. So before sunset I motored down and trolled about an hour. The wind came up and darkness fell, and I headed back to Picton. I did not mark a single fish beyond the ferry.

Note: "A mile and a half beyond the ferry" is a HUGE area of water! I have NO IDEA precisely where they were fishing. It would not be difficult to find out, however - just go down there in the day and see where the two charter boats are. If anyone knows, please tell me.

Back to mouth of Picton Bay for nighttime troll. Nothin'. Not a damn thing. Saw a few other boats, but didn't see nor hear of any fish being caught.



CONCLUSION: It's still too early to fish Picton Bay. The water is not yet cold enough. The charter boat guys know stuff, and they know where the fish are at, which is out in the deeper water. This cold weather could change everything, bringing the fish farther in. Pray for the water to drop below 45F, and then give us nice mild weather til New Year's so it doesn't freeze!

I'm a die-hard. I don't give up easily. When you make solo ascents of three-thousand-foot high overhanging granite cliffs, you learn a thing or two about "hanging in there." If you wonder why they call me "Pass the Pitons" Pete, you can click here to read big wall climbing profile. You can also click here for some rad climbing photos from the big walls of Yosemite, California.

So I'll be out there - cruisin' round til the bay freezes over - hell, I'll even fish AFTER the bay freezes over, even if I have to apply my ice axe to the boat ramp!

I might still be interested in a partner or two maybe early next week, depending on the weather. Please email me if you're interested. Maybe Monday-Tuesday again.

peterzabrok@cogeco.ca

Have a beauty day, eh?

Cheers,

Pete

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

Nice report Pete, sometimes reports of people not catching are better than guys bragging and posting all kinds of pictures. I'm sure you know that you are allowed 2 rods per angler out past the ferry. Last weekend our group did OK out there trolling big deep divers. Be creative with your lure selection. We also caught solos in Picton harbour at night and out by thompsons during the day. We got all our fish trolling. Hang in there, the fish are around, you gotta put in time to get'em. We earned every fish that weekend, many hours on the water translated to fish in the boat (not as many as we would have liked, but SKUNKED is a bad feeling eh?). Good luck!!

Great report. I had to stop half way through it to go get myself a coffee.
I got a chill just thinking about being out there last night. I have been reading reports on this board steady and it seems like the fish are indeed still " out there" unless of course you factor in Super Dad's awesome afternoon in front of Merlands. I'm heading down for the Nov 21 get together at Merlands, hopefully the fish will be in the bay " big time" by then. Good Luck out there. Look forward to your next report.
Jimbo

Ive been asking myself this question. Lets say a charter boat has two crew members and 4 guests. If the boat keeps 6 over the slot for the day because of the # on board and give those fish to their guests aren't their guests over their possesion limit. After all the possesion limit for Quinte is 1 over 25 inches right?

The guest would be taking a chance transporting them but not as big a risk as the guy that entered 2 in the durby on the same day. I think theres a paper trail .

the question to ask yourself is what do you do with the 9-10lber that you catch at 12:05 saterday morning of the durby, enter or try for a bigger one?

Hey Pete,

Great report, eventhough if you got skunked. If I had read your last post earlier, I'd would've ask to come along, even to get skunked. A day in the fishing is way better than a day at work.
Ever since I got my first walleye in Hastings, I've contracted Falleye Wever...LOL

I hope you have better luck next week
fish on!

_________________
newly hooked

Targa 2,

excellent point about "giving" someone a fish. According to Ontario fishing laws, no fisherman may be in possession of more fish than Ministry regulations allow, regardless of whether he caught them or was given them. If you have your limit back at the cabin or in the freezer at home, you are not allowed to have any others in your possession (on the boat).

Shame on any charter that is allowing clients to keep fish above the legal limit. Gosh it would be nice to have more Conservation Officers doing random checks (charters included) out on the water and back at the docks!!

I hope to see you on the water on the weekend, Targa 2.


Captain Hank

Then you're, like, my kinda guy, eh? I bet you carry a BFT [big frickin' thermos] out in the boat, too.

It is certainly true that you aren't allowed to be in possession of more than your limit, but how many of you have more than four walleyes in your freezer? [I don't, and rarely do cuz I'm just not a big fish eater, except on canoe trips] But I am known to possess more than my limit from time to time. This, uh, just isn't one of those times......

But you with extra fish in the icebox - what did you do, give it to your wife?

"Take my fish - please!" Fa-toop poop. Ksh! {rimshot}

Or how about this one: "Here, honey - it's a present, for you...." [Imagine handing wife dead cartoon-walleye with crosses in eyeballs, and tongue hanging out]

Not only do twelve-pound walleyes not taste good, but they are hazardous to your health! Charter boat skippers shouldn't be promoting this.

[Voice of Charlie The Walleye with his cool sunglasses, beret, jazz beard, and mock "classy" accent - "Only walleyes with good taste get to be Stah-kist..."
Voice of TV Announcer: "Sorry, Charlie, only good tasting walleyes get to be Starkist...."]

However, charter boat skippers - like husbands - get away with only as much as they are permitted. As long as people keep their mouths shut, charter boat skippers - the very ones who should be most trying to conserve the fishery - will continue to break the rules.

Voice of Pete's Ex-Wife:

"YOU had a mistress, Peter Zabrok - but it wasn't a woman..... oh, no! YOUR mistress was adventure! Your mistress was the caves! Your mistress was the rocks!
YOUR mistress," her voice is now rising to near hysteria, smoke billowing from her ears and venom dripping from her forked tongue as she spits out the last word, "your mistress was the fish. {ptui!}"



[Like, I guess that explains why I'm not married any more, eh? Sheesh.]

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