Eye Fishing Recently ? Any Luck?

[rdjprice]

Hello all,

I'm new to the Ottawa area and have spent quite a bit of time exploring new areas. The Forum has been great and I look forward to visiting it each day. Thanks to you all.

I have been out a few times during the past couple of weeks to Shirley's Bay and Walleye Bay. I was out just inside the point at Walleye Bay on Sat night and out at Shirley's bay Monday Night. To my amazement, so far I have yet to mark a fish on the flasher out my last 4 trips!

I have been getting out to the ice around 6pm which i realize is a little late but I figured I would catch a few fish roaming around for sure. Do you guys have any thoughts? Is it just the mid winter slowdown? Or am i missing something all-together? Do the Walleye around here really stick to certain structure? I figured they would be cruising Shirley's bay pretty good...

I'm really interested to hear if everyone has been having similar results the last couple cold weeks? The skunk smell is really getting to me..haha

cheers and tight lines,

P.s I dropped an iPod at WB on Sat night, if it turns up I would appreciate a heads up.

Rob

[Yannick Loranger]

Walleye bite has been red hot for me for the last 8 days or so. No big girls, but tons of walleye between 13 and 17 inches and tons of sauger at the shack.

[CCLad]

Last night was spotty. Missed a few, landed 7 between myself and our fellow order hut buddies. We got a couple of decent ones and a few smaller eye's....


The fishing this season has been good. Just before sun set to several hours after dark have been the most productive. PM me if you want more details.

Good luck,

[Chevy Champagne]

got 4 last night in a hour and a half
this year has deffinitly been my best year for eyes already
and its just starting

[Trev1000]

Hit the Ottawa river, here in the Valley, with my brother and nephew.
5 total and my nephew ( 9 years old ) caught the biggest

[Trev1000]

Hit the Ottawa river, here in the Valley, with my brother and nephew.
5 total and my nephew ( 9 years old ) caught the biggest
And a small Ling

[rdjprice]

Niice!

I love it when the little man gets the big one! Its a blast when you get home and they tell everyone they got the biggest fish!

Good to see people are getting fish during the day and evening. Anyone getting results later at night? or do things really slow down? The fish have to be cruising somewhere? no?

I think I have another chance to get out for the day on Sunday, hopefully before then too . any key depths to focus on during the day/evening/night?

Thanks for the update

[smitty55]

for me if you are on shirleys you definitely want to be set up in 8-12 feet and for sure be set up before 5 at the latest for the evening run . you can almost set your watch by them sometimes lol . cheers

smitty

[Fridayknight]

Those are some nice fish for sure. We've been lucky this year for sure. Best on record for us and no lyng cod as of yet.

It was tough fishing Friday night for sure. With the really cold weather rolling in it probably didn't help.

If you go where the main cluster of huts are on Shirley's Bay you'll be in about 12' of water with 14" of ice. We just moved our hut way out about another 1000 meters. So we're pretty much all alone out there. Will have to get back to you on how it is out there.

I've found that we've been getting hits around 4 and then again not until around 6:30-7 p.m. Usually you get some around sunset.

MNR was out on Saturday so make sure you have you licence.

All the best.

[rdjprice]

Thanks FridayKnight

I was out on WB Sunday morning (very cold!) and things were pretty slow. I'm still figuring out that area as well.

I will probably be out on SB Fri day night if not before. I'll most be the only portable shelter out there so keep an eye out for me.

Whats the rationale behind moving your hut further out? How deep is it out there?

Cheers,

Rob

[Fridayknight]

We're looking for bigger walleye. The numbers have been good but they've mostly been ones we've had to throw back. The biggest we've gotten so far is about 2 lbs.

Last year we were pulling out 3-4 lb walleye. I got about a 5lb pike out of the bunch too. Lots more lyng out there for sure as well but our preference is still the walleyes. The depth of the water is still the same (about 13 feet) but we're out closer to the the edge of the deeper water hoping to get the bigger ones who come in to feed at dusk/night.

[rdjprice]

That's interesting,

I would have thought that the eyes, including the larger ones, would come into the even shallower depths as night progressed. I moved around quite a bit one night 4-12 feet of water and didn't pick anything up on my flasher. I was surprised I wasn't seeing any baitfish or perch as I moved around. Do you pick up a lot of baitfish in the 11-12 ft depth range?

I guess the eyes stick to 11ft or more on SB?

Rp

[jayg]

You won't see much on a flasher in 4 feet of water, try turning your gain up, helps out when fish are further to the sides

[Chevy Champagne]

was doing really good this weekend with one night getting around 15 and one was around 5 pounds
i was out tonight though and only got one its like the bit has compleatly shut off
and i found them in 17 feet earlyer in the dayt and ended off the night fallowing them into 12 feet
hope this helps a big

[rdjprice]

You're right about the limitations of a flasher in 4ft of water. I was doing some exploring to try and figure out the basin since I don't have a depth chart just yet.

Walleye Man, that sounds like a great day/night out over the weekend. Were you fishing Shirley's Bay as well?

Also, I have another question...does anyone ever venture up into the channel? It looks like there is access from 6th line and Riddell Drive. Any Thoughts on the ice conditions up there around Aylmer Island?

Will be interesting to see how the fish react to this warmer weather that i son the way.

Rp