Hi Italo Hope all is well with you and the family and thanks for your help in the past. Im hoping you can help me again. Im going to go on my first up north fishing trips in a couple weeks. I have never fished anywhere out of my home region being the Hamilton area. Im going to be taking my 10 year old son as well and I want it to be a trip with great fisihng. My question is where would you recommend me going this time of year I know you write about the Bay of Quinte a lot and I was thinking of even going to Lake Nippissing. I dont mind a long drive I just need to go somewhere where the chances of catching a lot of fish are possible. Im hoping to go somewhere that can offer trophy bass walleye and muskie. Hopefully you can recommend a winner and any tips on baits and tactics would be great. Thanks Italo!
Posted on July 4th, 2012Hi Greg….I don’t know if you have your own boat, where you are planning on staying (camping, lodge, etc.). So, here is my general advice. Nipissing is an excellent location to catch small & largemouth bass, walleye and musky. Musky as you know can be hit & miss, so I would suggest you concentrate on the bass & walleye. South Bay, the East Shore and West Arm of Lake Nipissing are three good areas for the fish you are looking for & they offer some shelter from the strong winds that an blow-up on Nipissing. Bass will be active around any of the rock shoals/humps and also along the shorelines. Most of the bass lures/presentations will work for them. One of my favorite presentations threre is “twitching” the Rapala Husky Jerk #12 along the shorelines, or dragging a 4″ tube jig around the open water shoals/reefs that stick out of the water in the 8-15′ depth range. For musky, trolling the 20-30′ water depth around the same structures with large body-baits will work best for locating summer, cruising musky. A really good lure to use is the Storm Jointed Thunder Stick. For walleye, fish the 20-30′ structure breaks around the open-water, submerged reefs. These will be a little “off-shore” and wind can be a factor. Best presentation is to fish a Nipissing Rig (3/8 oz. jighead/stinger hook/ /1/2 worm, right on the bottom from an anchored boat.
The other option I would suggest is to go toRed Pine Wilderness Lodge on Lady Evelyn Lake (about 1 1/2 hr. from North Bay. They don’t have musky, but have excellent fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass and pike. They also have smaller lakes you can walk to where you can catch smallmouth bass, pike and brook trout. Red Pine is ideal for family/kids and the fishing is excellent….God bless you, Italo
