Hey there! Any good shore fishing in a 3 hour radius around Toronto?

[MuskieBait]

(07-23-2015 11:37 AM)Blackbeard Wrote:  I am looking for a great spot for a family to get out of the city to go fishing. I don't want to "try out" a random spot and waste an entire day and catch nothing. Therefore having my kids turn to not like fishing because of a bad first trip. I am looking for a sure fire spot that a family will enjoy, I'm not asking you guys to give up your hidden holes. I also gave a 3 hour radius to make it easier to come up with a location.

Apparently this forum enjoys giving new people a hard time and not helping out. It explains why it is so empty and has posts from 2 years ago still up on the front page. Thanks for nothing, I hope the 5 of you here enjoy each other.

Since you are new to this and fishing...

Asking for a sure fire hole IS asking for a hidden hole. What makes a spot "sure fire" is the fact that not many people know about it and fish it. As I've mentioned above, the more people fish a location, the greater the fishing pressure and the worse the fishing will become. Fish are more intelligent than most people give them credit. They will quickly learn to avoid baited hooks, fishing lines and fishing lures, either by refusing to bite, or by staying clear of the area. Add on top of this anglers who keep their catch (even if fish were kept within legal limits), which reduces the number of fish in the area, many of these fishing spots cannot sustain the pressure, thus the fishing turns from "sure fire" to "mediocre" to "not worth your time" very quickly.

Asking for "sure fire" spots publicly doesn't work. Anyone who has fished long enough knows that sharing a "sure fire" spot publicly will greatly accelerate the decline of said spot. How many member are on this forum? How many other people who do not register but can view General Discussion visit the forum each day? The number of people who will be exposed to this "sure fire" information snowballs very, very quickly.

Unless a "sure fire" spot is kept secret, many semi-productive fishing locations within 3 hour radius of Toronto are more of less public knowledge. As such, these area are frequently visited (hence semi-productive) and definitely busy during the summer months. You mentioned you wish you get out of the city and enjoy some fishing. But going to one of these popular fishing locations is really no better than fishing along the Harbourfront or Toronto Islands or even Grenadier Pond. You will certainly experience the same crowds, and I can honestly say the same fishing pressure in many of these places...which makes them no better.

These are reasons why members here are not being straightforward with their suggestions. There really isn't any to suggest. I can easily tell you to fish at Gamebridge on Talbot River, Gores Landing on Rice Lake, Port Perry on Lake Scugog, or Port Maitland on Grand River. They are all semi-productive, but as such extremely busy.

In addition, instead of starting kids of Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass, start them off on Sunfish species, Rockbass and, as you have asked, Yellow Perch. Fast and furious action is what interests kids. Short fishing session also ensures that kids do not get bored (either by no fish biting while trying to something "big", or catching too many panfish and losing interest). Since you didn't mention whether you idea is part of a larger family vacation (which we were trying to ask) or a day trip, driving 3 hours one way to fish a 2-hour session is a bit of a chore. Kids will spend more time in the car than actually fishing.

Instead, take them somewhere where fishing isn't the only focus. As people mentioned above, Toronto Islands is a great place to start kids fishing. It certainly feels like you are away from the city. There are many fish, big and small, to be caught, including many sunfish and rockbass easily available if you look in the right place. There are wading pools, beaches, frisbee golf, Centerville rides, bike rental...etc. Make it a fun day out instead of fishing. That's the number 1 mistake when trying to introduce kids into fishing. It's not always about catching a fish, but the entire experience surrounding the fishing trip.

If you are still looking for areas to fish, the ones I've mentioned above (Gamebridge, Gores Landing, Port Perry and Port Maitland) are areas you can try. But even so, if you don't learn the necessarily techniques to find fish, tie proper fishing rigs and present the bait properly, none of it would matter. I've fished next to entire family of 10 that had fished in the same spot all day and caught absolutely nothing while I pull up fish on my first cast at 2pm in the afternoon. It's not always about the spot...it's often more about how you fish the spot.

BTW, we do enjoy each others' company quite well, because members who remain on the forum are ones that realize discussion about fishing techniques and exploring fishing locations is more important and productive than giving away fishing spots. The old adage...

"Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach him how to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime."

Unlike other forums, we're here to teach people how to fish, not merely give them fish.