Centennial Lake/ Calabogie Fishing

Post by **PA-Josh** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:46 pm

Fellow Anglers,

My name is Joshua Lininger-Harrisburg, Pa. My crew and I are active bass anglers in PA. Last year we ventured up to Centennial Lake. We fished for a week and had decent success. Our success was in numbers and not size. Average pike 25 inch. smallies 13-18 inch, walleye 15-18 inches...(mid June)

We would are coming up for at the end of July this year for 9 days..2 at Calabogie and 7 at Centennial.

We would appreciate some advice on location and rigs for larger pike, musky, and of course eyes and smallies.

Thanks,
Joshua Lininger

Post by **Buckshot** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:35 pm

I hope you werent targeting bass as mid June the season would still be closed on that waterway.

Post by **Out4trout** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:29 pm

Hi Josh
Hope you have a great trip up here this summer.
For pike - there are some good numbers and size in Centennial, I would recommend trolling the bays between the causeway bridge and Griffith. I've caught mostly smaller pike with several between 6 & 9lbs, but there are bigger pike in the lake.

Skewer a large minnow from exit to entrance with a bait needle, pull a 16" leader through with a big treble, sew the mouth shut then attach the leader to the back of a hookless silver spoon.

For walleye - I don't have any advice... sorry, but there are others here better qualified... I've only caught a few small ones on Black Donald...

Post by **Prairieboy** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:47 pm

Buckshot wrote:I hope you werent targeting bass as mid June the season would still be closed on that waterway.

Thing is you don't have to target them...the damns things is everywhere!

Out4trout: I never thought of rigging up a minnow like that, do they stay on while trolling?

Post by **Buckshot** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:05 pm

I realize that bass are everywhere in Black Donald/Centenial and Calabogie, I have spent a great deal of time on those two waterways and have seen several people fishing bass during the spawn, I am not saying that josh is one of those people i would just like to remind everyone that in the month of June bass are easily targeted and we do a great deal of damage by removing them.

As far as fishing eyes on the water ways there are several shoals on black donald and if you head into the main basin in the evening or morning you will see the boats anchored on these shoals.

As far as Calabogie the mouth of grassy bay can produce some walleye, i have had a hard time catching fish over 20" inches but have put good numbers in the boat. Interesting thing with the mouth of Grassy Bay is depending on the control Dam on the lake the water may flow into the bay or out and that will dictate the way you fish the location, also try trolling into the evening along the causeway that seperates the bay and main lake. (the causeway is the old rail bed).

Good Luck

Post by **Out4trout** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:33 pm

Prairieboy wrote:I never thought of rigging up a minnow like that, do they stay on while trolling?

If you sew the mouth shut - absolutely the minnow will stay on.

For trout I use flourocarbon from the treble hook, (which is up the minnow's derriere), out the mouth, then through the top of the mouth, out the bottom of the mouth, one wrap around the line coming out the mouth, up to a swivel snap. This gets clipped onto a swivel that is on the line, or to teh back of the attractor spoon. The tension on the line keeps the minnow's mouth shut tight, and the line through the mouth prevents the minnow from "folding" up.

Same for pike, except I use a wire leader (with the swivel removed to allow the leader to be passed through the minnow), leader is knotted at the minnows mouth. Then sew the mouth shut with some thin mono line, which is tied to the knot on the leader to prevent minnow from folding.

Sounds like a lot of work, but it sure works. The spoon provides the action to the (dead) minnow and a bit of flash as an attractor.

Post by **PA-Josh** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:36 am

Hey thanks for the reports,
We were not targeting smallies...just were in same areas as eyes...we will be targeting them in July...that was why I was inquiring...

you mentioned catching pike down by the bridge in Griffth...the one that connects Rt 41 and 71...go beyond the brigde away from Centennial or towards centennial?

Also, you mentioned Black Donald...I have two maps that state two different areas for Centennial lake...one further south...and the other further north that includes Black Donald...can you explain both?

Post by **hook&shoot** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:02 pm

Centennial and Black Donald are joined with Black Donald being the north easterly lake. Try this link http://www.lio.ontario.ca/imf-ows/imf.jsp?site=clupa_en
H&S

Post by **Out4trout** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:55 pm

PA-Josh wrote:you mentioned catching pike down by the bridge in Griffth...the one that connects Rt 41 and 71...go beyond the brigde away from Centennial or towards centennial?

Hi Josh
Between the causeway bridge (Rd 65/71) and Griffith - there are some bays along this stretch that hold some decent pike. There is a launch near the causeway bridge, we have put in there and headed north towards Griffith.

Post by **Joe-The-Fisherman** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:00 pm

The best spot for walleye on Calabogie is off the dock at the tourist information shack, right beside the village. Using worms or plastic jigs.

2nd best is off the dock at Calabogie Lodge, right in the village as well... bright red roofs. If they ask who you are just say you're visiting someone in one of the units. That's what I do when I dock my boat there to go buy booze at the LCBO. Works everytime.

Post by **PA-Josh** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:54 am

In regards to Centennial,

I am pretty sure where you are talking about the Bridge but for my better understanding....
We put in at the Eagles Rest, I would go left out of the docks and head in the direction of Griffith...

My question is....If I go down the river about 2-3 miles..I come to a bridge..to the right of the bridge is a grocery store/bait shop..do I continue from that bridge to another bridge which is where Griffith is?

I am just trying to get my barrings...

Josh

Post by **PA-Josh** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:56 am

Calabogie...we are going after LM and Pike...heard grassy bay was the ticket? any other places? any recommended rigs..

Thanks for the input...Josh

Post by **Joe-The-Fisherman** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:30 am

There was actually a fishing show on tv here just an hour ago on Calabogie lake. Jim, the bait store owner, caught a really nice walleye at the opening in the causeway to Grassy Bay. Minnow and jig... get'em at Jim's!!

Grassy, has good bass and pike action, pretty much all over... I've had good success near the grass pads located centrally towards the back. But, all over is good too... kind of different everyday there.

Lots of walleye up near the hydro dam. Jim and Izumi did alright on the fishing show. Not bad I suppose. They only caught a 100 or so... kind of a slow day, but it happens I guess. Lots of small walleye were caught though... usually I catch mostly big ones that are in the slot size.

Post by **GR8-Scott** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:38 am

Just finished watching it....looked like FUN !
They caught tons of 'eyes......'Twas a good show.

Post by **Cyber** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:29 am

When you come to the bridge w/ the Grocery Store/Bait Shop that is Griffith!

If you try to go further west from there, you don't think too much of yer lower unit!!

There is (so I've heard, never been??

) good fishing further up the river, I think you can find somewhere to put your boat in on the west side of Griffith. Maybe someone else on here knows where??

Fish-Hawk.Net

Centennial Lake/ Calabogie Fishing

Centennial Lake/ Calabogie Fishing

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