“Seventy ft to go,” OOD Editor/Affiliate Writer Ray Blades mentioned, glancing on the reel’s line counter show.
“Be prepared. Quinte walleye typically get up and struggle tougher the nearer they get to the boat.”
Not lengthy after information Greg Amiel imparted this recommendation, the rod in Blades’ fingers got here alive, bouncing with the burden of the day’s first fish. Steadily gaining line, Blades saved the walleye out of the prop wash because it neared the floor, and Amiel proficiently netted it with a flawless execution earned by repeating the identical motion 1000’s of instances.
As Blades held the fish for a number of fast photographs, the morning solar lit up the chunky eight-pounder broadside, accentuating its golden hue. My photographs didn’t do it justice as a result of, in that second, you’d be hard-pressed to discover a fish extra hanging than the Bay of Quinte walleye he was holding. Then it was gone, swimming once more within the clear, chilly water.
Blades and I arrived in Prince Edward County the night time earlier than and stayed on the Picton Harbour Inn. We met Amiel at 6:30 a.m. on the inn’s docks, the place he moors his Lund 2075 Tyee when Quinte guiding.
On the books since early spring, I’d been anticipating this December journey all season — and because of good firm, nice climate, and cooperative walleye, it turned out to be a implausible day of fishing.
The lure of the Bay
By mid-October in lots of waterbodies, sizeable teams of walleye might be discovered the place they’ll keep throughout winter. What makes the Bay of Quinte particular is that this sample unfolds on an epic scale with trophy fish.
“Massive, Lake Ontario walleye migrate into Bay of Quinte within the fall. They principally observe the bait from the lake after which they spawn there within the spring,” Amiel mentioned. “These are slow-growing fish. Lifespans could possibly be nearly 20 years on these massive fish, 12 to fifteen years are frequent.”
Amiel’s greatest Quinte walleye are 15 and-a-half kilos; he’s caught 4 of them. Autumn fishing right here brings the potential of catching a fish of a lifetime, together with good odds of encountering eight to 10-pound fish.
The bay’s resident walleye deserve point out, although. Usually 5 kilos or much less, these fish reside all through the system and might be caught utilizing numerous ways year-round. It’s the massive, migratory Lake Ontario walleye, nevertheless, that give the Bay of Quinte its world-class popularity. Even walleye anglers who’ve by no means visited are more likely to acknowledge the waterbody’s fashionable sections.
Adolphus Attain is one such space. It holds the deepest water and begins simply past the bay’s entrance close to Amherst Island, finally reducing in depth as you progress in the direction of Glenora. Right here, the Bay of Quinte’s frequent traits take maintain.
“Most of it’s tender backside, however you do have rocky shoals and rocky factors, and there’s at all times usually a light-weight present heading from west to east, from Trenton all the way in which all through to Lake Ontario,” Amiel mentioned. “Bay of Quinte has numerous depths, constructions, and water readability. Be mindful, these bigger walleye are open-water, roaming fish, so contour fishing isn’t as essential within the fall in comparison with the spring.”
Farther inward lie Picton Bay, Thompson Level, Hay Bay, Shermans Level, and Lengthy Attain — all fashionable walleye trolling areas. Past Deseronto, the Bay narrows and passes beneath the Quinte Skyway Bridge. Its waters widen at Massive Bay earlier than constricting considerably at Belleville, then persevering with past Anderson Shoal after which simply past the Development River’s outflow.
The place to start
“Within the fall, fish ought to be all through the entire system since you nonetheless have your resident walleye. However, if you’re speaking about lake walleye, there ought to be massive fish from Belleville during to the lake,” Amiel mentioned.
One other necessary element is the migratory Lake Ontario walleye in Quinte are baitfish oriented. Walleye location shifts in accordance with the nomadic behaviour of their prey. This makes a top quality fish finder important for finding fish.
“Drive round and use your sonar to mark bait and search for massive hooks. That’s the place you’re going to catch fish,” Amiel mentioned. “Energetic walleye are likely to feed increased within the water column, so focusing on the very best hooks in your sonar is essential.”
Understanding the place prey and predator are inside this large Lake Ontario inlet is one in all many causes to contemplate hiring a good information who’s tuned into walleye actions. Many instances, I’ve visited Quinte with associates and put collectively a program. We spent a very good chunk of our time, nevertheless, eliminating unproductive water and didn’t catch as many fish as Blades and I did with Amiel, who had us on biting walleye in brief order.
The trolling program
Trolling deep-diving crankbaits on lengthy traces behind inline planer boards is Amiel’s most popular technique for giant, suspending Quinte fall walleye.
Throughout our journey, walleye holding at 18 to 22 ft couldn’t resist Rapala’s Down Deep Husky Jerks run 80 to 100 ft behind Offshore Sort out Inline Planer Boards and swimming 1.5- to 1.8 miles-per-hour.
Anglers also can have success trolling stickbaits and shallow-running cranks on 4 to 5 colors of lead core, Amiel identified. Jet and Dipsy Divers are different choices for getting baits into the strike zone of suspending walleye.
As you’d count on, typical trolling benefits ring true on Quinte. The strategy covers water and, when completed correctly, retains baits steadily swimming within the strike zone. Lengthy-lining a crankbait behind an inline planer board strikes the lure away from the boat, a key ingredient for getting bites from simply spooked walleye. To not be missed, both, is how an skilled troller — which Amiel most definitely is — can preserve boat management and, in flip, constantly execute a correct presentation in tough water.
Ending on a excessive be aware
Early afternoon introduced robust wind gusts, however this didn’t stop us from catching a number of extra fish earlier than it was time to return to the dock. Till now, Amiel had given Blades and I each rod that fired, however we lastly satisfied him to hitch in on the enjoyable.
In direction of the top of the journey, Blades and Amiel connected with a double-header. Watching them snicker and reel in fish beneath a blue sky and a heat (for December) solar, I mirrored on how fortunate I used to be to have spent the day with good associates, catching massive, golden walleye from the legendary Bay of Quinte. I hope sometime you’ve got a possibility to expertise the identical on this iconic fishery.
Gear we used
- Shimano’s Tekota line counter reels for exact line management.
- G. Loomis E6X Walleye Trolling Rods. Eight-footers for inside trolling unfold traces, 10-footers on the skin.
- 30-pound PowerPro Braid or 20-pound monofilament major line. Amiel runs each, as one can generally outproduce the opposite.
- 30- to 40-foot lengthy, 15-pound fluorocarbon chief.
We had been focusing on fish at round 20 ft, so we didn’t use snap weights, however Amiel sometimes makes use of them to get baits deeper. For instance, clipping on a 1.5-ounce weight about 50 ft in entrance of a crankbait with a complete of 150 of line out can enhance a lure’s working depth by roughly 10 ft.
When to go to
The Bay of Quinte’s resident walleye present regular angling motion all season. There’s a very good spring chew in Could and June however hooking double-digit walleye is almost certainly in fall. Massive fish are sometimes caught from round mid-October by to the ice-fishing season.
The place to remain
We stayed on the Picton Harbour Inn, which is operated by brothers Scott and David Walcott, additionally native fishing guides, and Scott’s spouse Sophia. Tucked inside a sheltered harbour, the Inn supplies handy waterfront lodging and is minutes from the boat ramp. Our room left nothing to be desired when it comes to consolation, cleanliness, and facilities. We introduced our personal meals, however the Inn’s Lighthouse Restaurant is understood for its scrumptious, homestyle meals. Rooms from $129 in November.
Initially revealed within the Nov.-Dec. 2022 situation of Ontario OUT of DOORS
