we have a 14 foot boat with a 15 HP motor and would like to do some fall fihsing on the Bay of Quinte. Can you please let us know a good location to launch and a safe place to fish? We have never fished Quinte and have no iead what to catch or expect. Thanks and God Bless
Posted on March 27th, 2015Hi Chris…I can recommend a couple of options for trophy fall walleye fishing on the Bay of Quinte. One option is to fish for walleye when they cruise into shallow water at night to feed. One of the most consistent areas to fish is right around the Belleville Pier. You can launch your boat right at the Belleville boat launch. The pier is only a few hundred yards away. You can anchor and cast, or you can troll anywhere from 20-50 yds. out from shore. Best trolling lure there will be a Rapala Husky Jerk #11 in the “clown-color”. The walleye move into 3-5\’ of water at night so you don\’t have to have much line out. Fifty to 100\’ is usually enough. Trolling a \’zig-zag” pattern will work best. The first couple of hours after dark is the most productive. I normally get there about 1/2 before dark just to get to know where the weeds/open water are around the pier so that by the time it get\’s dark I\’m trolling in the right spots. On most night you can see the locals casting Rapalas right from the pier and catching fish. The night-time fishing is usually best when we start to get air temperatures at night that are close to zero (late Oct.,/Nov.). The second option is to go to Picton/Glenora, ON (south-end of the Bay of Quinte). This is one of my favorite spots to fish from Oct. to ice-up. I normally either cast the Rapala Tail Dancer #9 in the “hot-chub” color along the weedlines that end in 10-12\’ of water, or I troll the Rapala Tail Dancer #11 (with a 200\’ lead of line it dives to 30\’) in water that is 70-100\’ deep, right in the middle of the Bay. If you are planning on casting the weedlines I would recommend you launch in Picton, ON (public boat launch), and as soon as you get out out of the marina channela, you can start cranking the weedlines in Picton Bay (both shores). If you choose to troll for the larger suspended walleye (up to 14 lb.), head east of Picton bout 10 min. to Glenora where there is a boat launch at the marina (they charge $5. to launch). If you choose to troll, as soon as you launch your boat head out to the middle and start trolling east (towards Lake Ontario). The water there will be about 60\’ deep, and the further you troll east, the deeper the water gets. The walleye will be feeding susupended at 15-30\’. You can flat-line troll, or use “in-line” planer boards if walleye are near the surface and spooky from the motor. Hope you catch lots of fish…God bless you and your family also, Italo
