Bay of Quinte Walleye Fishing
Thanksgiving weekend had passed long ago, and I was left facing the inevitable: I wouldn't be able to go fishing for the next seven months, until winter’s end. And yet here I was, struggling to get out of bed at 4:45 in the morning, groggily making my way into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee for my friend Danylo. Still in a disoriented state, I scrambled to find some clothes that would keep me warm in the frigid November air. Eventually, I managed to find a pair of gloves and my favourite toque, the one with the Detroit Red Wings logo, on the floor of my unkempt closet. I put on my winter coat, went outside, and locked the door behind me. Danylo and I drove to the Denny’s off of Division street near the 401 in Kingston to meet up with my dad and godfather. After scarfing down a few grand slam breakfasts, we began our trip to Picton, 70 kilometres due west. Did I mention that we were going walleye fishing?
The Bay of Quinte was our ultimate destination, and we rolled into the parking lot of the marina in Picton at seven in the morning, greeted by our guide Scott Walcott of Bay of Quinte Charters. In no time at all, we were on the boat and headed towards the areas that our captain wanted to target. The night before, we entered our boat into a tournament, hoping that by placing in this competition we might be able to recoup some of our costs and add another degree of excitement to our trip. With this in mind, we skidded along the relatively calm waters, hoping to catch some big ones.
We reached our first spot, and Scott began to set up all of the rods. Because I generally fish for bass, this was the first time that I had witnessed first hand how trolling gear is properly set-up and used. By using weights, and in the case of one rod, a downrigger, and by increasing or decreasing the amount of line in the water, our guide was able to control the depth of the lures. We had as many as ten lines in the water at one time, and most of the lures were swimming at different depths. Relying on his GPS, sonar, and information from other fishermen, Scott controlled our trolling path and speed in such a way as to increase the odds of inducing strikes.
Several uneventful hours passed. Luckily for us, Scott’s boat had a heated cabin and, more importantly, a coffee maker. We passed the time chatting and using a wide variety of nonsensical, irrational tricks in what some may call a vain attempt to appease the fishing gods. These antics included moving the net from one side of the boat to the other, and muttering one of my grandfather’s favourite fishing slogans: bite, fishy, big or small!
Whether the ensuing strike was a product of these absurd acts remains unknown, but we finally had a fish on. My godfather picked up the lucky rod and started reeling in a fish. It felt like a good one, but before it even neared the surface, Scott correctly guessed that the fish on the line was a sheephead- not the fish that we were after. We pulled it into the boat, disappointed on the one hand, but also invigorated by the excitement of having a fish on the line. This exhilaration, however, petered as the rods remained lifeless for some time following the catch. Finally, just after noon, we decided to start cooking the hamburgers we were going to eat for lunch. Yes, the boat had a small propane grill on it- yet another awesome accessory.
Just as the burgers were nearly cooked, and as we started to feel sapped of energy due to our hunger and the cold air surrounding us, our adrenaline kicked in as Scott started yelling fish, fish! It was hooked on the rod right next to me, so I picked it up and started reeling it in. It wasn't putting up as big a fight as the sheephead, so this time Scott guessed that we had a walleye on our line. As the fish neared the surface, his intuition proved to be correct, and we saw a nice walleye nearing the boat. As the fish neared the net, I made the rookie mistake of reeling while the fish tried making a final run. Luckily, the fish stayed on the line. I stopped reeling, letting the fish fight for a few more seconds, then pulled it into the net. It was a beauty, at least according to my non-professional standards: 8 pounds, 9 ounces.
The 8 pounder proved to be our only catch of the day, as the fishing was slow. This was corroborated by other fishermen and the results of the tournament. According to our guide, an 8 pound fish should be nowhere near the top three, and yet we finished fourth overall, missing out on third place (and prize money) by a mere twelfth of an ounce. The fishing may have been poor due to the weather system that passed the area the week before, or possibly because the walleye had already been feasting on the masses of shad in the area. Either way, everyone was running low on luck that day.
Nevertheless, the trip was a great experience. Scott showed us how he uses his sonar equipment, and what its limitations are. It was particularly interesting to see schools of bait fish show up as clouds on the fish finder. Seeing this, I finally understood the phrase that is so common in bass fishing columns: find the shad and you’ll find the bass. I tried to absorb as much information as I could about trolling techniques and fishing in general. For example, I learned that the diving depth of a lure and its movement can be manipulated by switching from monofilament line to braided line. I also learned that walleye fishermen, like bass fishermen, will use fluorocarbon leads on their braided lines, and that, contrary to the opinions of manufacturers and their endorsers, you don’t necessarily need different rods to catch different kinds of fish. Lastly, I learned that removing the bloodline from a fillet takes the fishy taste away from the meat, and that fish cheeks, similar to scallops in their taste and texture, are delicious.
Overall, I would highly recommend Bay of Quinte Charters to those interested in walleye or, in the summer months, salmon fishing. Scott was a great, amicable guide who was always willing to answer our questions, and his boat and equipment were top notch. Despite the fact that there were many factors outside of his control, he expressed his dissatisfaction about the number of fish we caught, apologizing to us several times. He came across as a guide that is devoted to serving his clients and providing them with the best possible fishing experience, and as someone who is passionate about and devoted to his craft. If you have a chance to do so, go out on a guided trip with him- even if you don’t catch many fish, which is an anomalous occurrence, you won’t regret it. What you’ll learn will certainly be worth the cost.
Guide Contact Information:
Scott Walcott
bayofquintecharters.com
info@westlakewillows.com
Related Posts:
Walleye &Vegetation
Walleye & Light
The Bay of Quinte was our ultimate destination, and we rolled into the parking lot of the marina in Picton at seven in the morning, greeted by our guide Scott Walcott of Bay of Quinte Charters. In no time at all, we were on the boat and headed towards the areas that our captain wanted to target. The night before, we entered our boat into a tournament, hoping that by placing in this competition we might be able to recoup some of our costs and add another degree of excitement to our trip. With this in mind, we skidded along the relatively calm waters, hoping to catch some big ones.
We reached our first spot, and Scott began to set up all of the rods. Because I generally fish for bass, this was the first time that I had witnessed first hand how trolling gear is properly set-up and used. By using weights, and in the case of one rod, a downrigger, and by increasing or decreasing the amount of line in the water, our guide was able to control the depth of the lures. We had as many as ten lines in the water at one time, and most of the lures were swimming at different depths. Relying on his GPS, sonar, and information from other fishermen, Scott controlled our trolling path and speed in such a way as to increase the odds of inducing strikes.
Several uneventful hours passed. Luckily for us, Scott’s boat had a heated cabin and, more importantly, a coffee maker. We passed the time chatting and using a wide variety of nonsensical, irrational tricks in what some may call a vain attempt to appease the fishing gods. These antics included moving the net from one side of the boat to the other, and muttering one of my grandfather’s favourite fishing slogans: bite, fishy, big or small!
Whether the ensuing strike was a product of these absurd acts remains unknown, but we finally had a fish on. My godfather picked up the lucky rod and started reeling in a fish. It felt like a good one, but before it even neared the surface, Scott correctly guessed that the fish on the line was a sheephead- not the fish that we were after. We pulled it into the boat, disappointed on the one hand, but also invigorated by the excitement of having a fish on the line. This exhilaration, however, petered as the rods remained lifeless for some time following the catch. Finally, just after noon, we decided to start cooking the hamburgers we were going to eat for lunch. Yes, the boat had a small propane grill on it- yet another awesome accessory.
Just as the burgers were nearly cooked, and as we started to feel sapped of energy due to our hunger and the cold air surrounding us, our adrenaline kicked in as Scott started yelling fish, fish! It was hooked on the rod right next to me, so I picked it up and started reeling it in. It wasn't putting up as big a fight as the sheephead, so this time Scott guessed that we had a walleye on our line. As the fish neared the surface, his intuition proved to be correct, and we saw a nice walleye nearing the boat. As the fish neared the net, I made the rookie mistake of reeling while the fish tried making a final run. Luckily, the fish stayed on the line. I stopped reeling, letting the fish fight for a few more seconds, then pulled it into the net. It was a beauty, at least according to my non-professional standards: 8 pounds, 9 ounces.
The 8 pounder proved to be our only catch of the day, as the fishing was slow. This was corroborated by other fishermen and the results of the tournament. According to our guide, an 8 pound fish should be nowhere near the top three, and yet we finished fourth overall, missing out on third place (and prize money) by a mere twelfth of an ounce. The fishing may have been poor due to the weather system that passed the area the week before, or possibly because the walleye had already been feasting on the masses of shad in the area. Either way, everyone was running low on luck that day.
Nevertheless, the trip was a great experience. Scott showed us how he uses his sonar equipment, and what its limitations are. It was particularly interesting to see schools of bait fish show up as clouds on the fish finder. Seeing this, I finally understood the phrase that is so common in bass fishing columns: find the shad and you’ll find the bass. I tried to absorb as much information as I could about trolling techniques and fishing in general. For example, I learned that the diving depth of a lure and its movement can be manipulated by switching from monofilament line to braided line. I also learned that walleye fishermen, like bass fishermen, will use fluorocarbon leads on their braided lines, and that, contrary to the opinions of manufacturers and their endorsers, you don’t necessarily need different rods to catch different kinds of fish. Lastly, I learned that removing the bloodline from a fillet takes the fishy taste away from the meat, and that fish cheeks, similar to scallops in their taste and texture, are delicious.
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| The boys & the boat |
Overall, I would highly recommend Bay of Quinte Charters to those interested in walleye or, in the summer months, salmon fishing. Scott was a great, amicable guide who was always willing to answer our questions, and his boat and equipment were top notch. Despite the fact that there were many factors outside of his control, he expressed his dissatisfaction about the number of fish we caught, apologizing to us several times. He came across as a guide that is devoted to serving his clients and providing them with the best possible fishing experience, and as someone who is passionate about and devoted to his craft. If you have a chance to do so, go out on a guided trip with him- even if you don’t catch many fish, which is an anomalous occurrence, you won’t regret it. What you’ll learn will certainly be worth the cost.
Guide Contact Information:
Scott Walcott
bayofquintecharters.com
info@westlakewillows.com
Related Posts:
Walleye &Vegetation
Walleye & Light
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