April

[MuskieBait]

The Trent-Severn isn't really GTA...it's about 2 hours away and it's more Kawartha.

There isn't much around GTA by the definition of GTA...but there are opportunities in the Golden Horseshoe area...places like Hamilton Harbour, the Grand from Dunnville to Port Maitland and the Welland River. Those three are closer than the Trent-Severn.

There are lots of opportunities in April...

White Sucker run in many of the tributaries including ones in Toronto such as Humber and Don...and all the east tribs.

Carp fishing for pre-spawn fish in Lake Ontario or any of the smaller ponds that have carp.

Crappie and Yellow Perch fishing in the shallows after ice out (you may need a boat or kayak in some areas on Lake Simcoe...but Orillia should be possible from shore...and many smaller lakes have them too).

Channel Catfish and Freshwater Drum at Dunnville and other rivers.

Bowfin in the shallows...but when the water is cold, they are much more difficult since their metabolism is very slow...but I caught them in April in the past...and definitely seen them in April.

In some years with better river conditions you can find spawning Redhorse in April in many larger rivers. They are there even when the water is high and muddy...just that the conditions are challenging to fish for them.

Along the same line, you can find Mooneye by mid- to late-April if the river conditions are decent enough to fish for them.

In some years with a warmer spring you can already find Brown Bullheads on their spawning nests in shallow water.

In some years with a very warm spring you can also find spawning run of White Perch in the Hamilton Harbour or Welland Canal.

And if you are going to drive 2 hours to fish on the Trent-Severn, you can drive 2 hours north and still have safe ice to fish in early April. If it wasn't for the slush, we could still icefish all the way into 3rd week of April on lakes 3 hours drive away...24+ inches of ice takes a while to melt.

You just have to think outside of the box and target fish outside of trout, bass, pike, muskie and walleye...and there are a lot of opportunities...but if you are not interested in those species...well...we'll be fishing and having some great action while you can continue to wait for Trout Opener, Walleye/Pike Opener, Muskie Opener and Bass Opener.

In truth, I don't even have enough time to explore half of those options on any given April...there are more opportunities than you can even partake.

[fishingdude888]

(05-01-2014 04:06 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  The Trent-Severn isn't really GTA...it's about 2 hours away and it's more Kawartha.

There isn't much around GTA by the definition of GTA...but there are opportunities in the Golden Horseshoe area...places like Hamilton Harbour, the Grand from Dunnville to Port Maitland and the Welland River. Those three are closer than the Trent-Severn.

There are lots of opportunities in April...

White Sucker run in many of the tributaries including ones in Toronto such as Humber and Don...and all the east tribs.

Carp fishing for pre-spawn fish in Lake Ontario or any of the smaller ponds that have carp.

Crappie and Yellow Perch fishing in the shallows after ice out (you may need a boat or kayak in some areas on Lake Simcoe...but Orillia should be possible from shore...and many smaller lakes have them too).

Channel Catfish and Freshwater Drum at Dunnville and other rivers.

Bowfin in the shallows...but when the water is cold, they are much more difficult since their metabolism is very slow...but I caught them in April in the past...and definitely seen them in April.

In some years with better river conditions you can find spawning Redhorse in April in many larger rivers. They are there even when the water is high and muddy...just that the conditions are challenging to fish for them.

Along the same line, you can find Mooneye by mid- to late-April if the river conditions are decent enough to fish for them.

In some years with a warmer spring you can already find Brown Bullheads on their spawning nests in shallow water.

In some years with a very warm spring you can also find spawning run of White Perch in the Hamilton Harbour or Welland Canal.

And if you are going to drive 2 hours to fish on the Trent-Severn, you can drive 2 hours north and still have safe ice to fish in early April. If it wasn't for the slush, we could still icefish all the way into 3rd week of April on lakes 3 hours drive away...24+ inches of ice takes a while to melt.

You just have to think outside of the box and target fish outside of trout, bass, pike, muskie and walleye...and there are a lot of opportunities...but if you are not interested in those species...well...we'll be fishing and having some great action while you can continue to wait for Trout Opener, Walleye/Pike Opener, Muskie Opener and Bass Opener.

In truth, I don't even have enough time to explore half of those options on any given April...there are more opportunities than you can even partake.

We'll said! After reading all that I feel like a total amateur lol.... But very true in that we do have an abundance of opportunities to get our lines wet if we think outside the box...

I've always wanted to take on a gar pike... I hear they put up quite a fight and can be found out east?

[MichaelAngelo]

I don't worry about April, I worry about October to December. What the heck is there then?!

[mykowave]

(05-01-2014 04:06 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  The Trent-Severn isn't really GTA...it's about 2 hours away and it's more Kawartha.

There isn't much around GTA by the definition of GTA...but there are opportunities in the Golden Horseshoe area...places like Hamilton Harbour, the Grand from Dunnville to Port Maitland and the Welland River. Those three are closer than the Trent-Severn.

There are lots of opportunities in April...

White Sucker run in many of the tributaries including ones in Toronto such as Humber and Don...and all the east tribs.

Carp fishing for pre-spawn fish in Lake Ontario or any of the smaller ponds that have carp.

Crappie and Yellow Perch fishing in the shallows after ice out (you may need a boat or kayak in some areas on Lake Simcoe...but Orillia should be possible from shore...and many smaller lakes have them too).

Channel Catfish and Freshwater Drum at Dunnville and other rivers.

Bowfin in the shallows...but when the water is cold, they are much more difficult since their metabolism is very slow...but I caught them in April in the past...and definitely seen them in April.

In some years with better river conditions you can find spawning Redhorse in April in many larger rivers. They are there even when the water is high and muddy...just that the conditions are challenging to fish for them.

Along the same line, you can find Mooneye by mid- to late-April if the river conditions are decent enough to fish for them.

In some years with a warmer spring you can already find Brown Bullheads on their spawning nests in shallow water.

In some years with a very warm spring you can also find spawning run of White Perch in the Hamilton Harbour or Welland Canal.

And if you are going to drive 2 hours to fish on the Trent-Severn, you can drive 2 hours north and still have safe ice to fish in early April. If it wasn't for the slush, we could still icefish all the way into 3rd week of April on lakes 3 hours drive away...24+ inches of ice takes a while to melt.

You just have to think outside of the box and target fish outside of trout, bass, pike, muskie and walleye...and there are a lot of opportunities...but if you are not interested in those species...well...we'll be fishing and having some great action while you can continue to wait for Trout Opener, Walleye/Pike Opener, Muskie Opener and Bass Opener.

In truth, I don't even have enough time to explore half of those options on any given April...there are more opportunities than you can even partake.

Wow thank you so much for that detailed list! I havent even heard of some of those fish! hahaha. I am a total noob. I just started fishing last summer. I would love to go fishing with you some time!

---

(05-01-2014 10:05 PM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  I don't worry about April, I worry about October to December. What the heck is there then?!

I don't really remmeber october to dec... I think early oct there were still salmon.. november i think i was trying carp... by mid dec there was already fish-able ice in muskoka

[MuskieBait]

(05-01-2014 10:05 PM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  I don't worry about April, I worry about October to December. What the heck is there then?!

What do you mean?

Salmon off piers

Steelhead, browns and lakers in rivers

Walleye in the rivers

Late season smallmouth on Erie and Simcoe

Late season muskies and pike

Redhorse and channel catfish in rivers (plus the dinos)

With an early freeze, you have early icefishing for crappies, bluegill, perch, pike, walleye...maybe even lake trout in some northern lakes.

Again, there are more than you can pursue...

[OldTimer]

Cool Thread..............

I took a few moments to throw together a worksheet to develop a graphic plot of the total volume of the more popular species I might think targeting in open water over the course of a year........

Dig This:

   

Now I understand why I fish so much over the next few months in comparison to the rest of the year.

Cheers,

OldTimer

[Eli]

where you going for spotted gar, OT?

[OldTimer]

(05-02-2014 06:44 PM)Eli Wrote:  where you going for spotted gar, OT?

A friend has a cottage near Long Point. He has caught one (quite a while back), but in a dozen trips over the years I never have. It's our reason to get out for some fun.

[MuskieBait]

I'm surprised that Redhorse isn't right through the summer (unless I misread the colours)...knowing your home waters, you can get them all summer. Numbers are lower, but I always catch a couple, if not a few, each time.

[OldTimer]

(05-04-2014 10:51 AM)MuskieBait Wrote:  I'm surprised that Redhorse isn't right through the summer (unless I misread the colours)...knowing your home waters, you can get them all summer. Numbers are lower, but I always catch a couple, if not a few, each time.

You are right in that........ but I try to target other species - in types of water / conditions that the redhorse don't usually frequent. But I invariably get the odd one here and there.