flyndie22 15 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 Has anyone caught any decent walleye at the mouth it doesnt make any sence how there isnt any big wallies around there. Ive yet to see anyone catch a walleye there Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bobber Down 921 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 Caught lots there. It is not a place for numbers or eaters. If you catch one under 25 inches that's a small one. From what I have caught most range 28 to 31 inches. They only come in to feed so if your timing is right..........It is a trophy size Walleye location. Put the time in and you will eventually catch. Most people I see there get frustrated after an hour or so and after being snagged on bottom every third cast they leave. I am usually there 7 days a week so if you see me on the dock come say hi 2 Quote Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW - what a ride!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyndie22 15 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 Ive been foing there at dusk the last 2 days with nadda do you ever fish it at night and thats perfect im just looking tk get nice pictures any tips Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bobber Down 921 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 I have fished it at night. One time I caught........ well you can read about it here http://fishingboard.thunderbayfishing.com/index.php?/topic/17735-red-lights-and-aliens/#comment-109871 I also have used cranks and caught a few and seen some nice ones caught. Tough to get a good night time pic. The water is too high and flowing too fast right now. Your presentation just gets blown out of the river. Remember that the river is the drawing card for them and finding any baitfish right now in that current is well there prob isn't much. Even the Cormorants are staying out in the lake aways. When the flow eases the action picks up. Mid summer try dusk to 1am. That's your best chance. 1 Quote Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW - what a ride!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mad scientist 137 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 Walleye spawn at the mouth of the Current River then disperse, so there is a big aggregation of mature fish there in the spring, not so much at other times of the year. Quote I'm going out to fish. - John 21:3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bobber Down 921 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 On 2017-05-24 at 8:10 AM, mad scientist said: Walleye spawn at the mouth of the Current River then disperse, so there is a big aggregation of mature fish there in the spring, not so much at other times of the year. You are right about the spawn. From my experience over the last 5 years and another avid angler who always fishes there (most days we fish together...sort of) there are a lot of big trophy Walleyes there many with tags and transmitters after the spawn is over. It is not uncommon for us to catch 3 or 4 per day 30 inches and bigger June thru July. Then again sometimes you can go for days without a hit. August and Sept seem to be slower with a better chance of catching dinks (25 in and smaller). My day could consist of 2 hours, maybe 4, maybe 8, maybe split days 6 hrs in the morning 2 in the afternoon, just depends on weather and water flow from Boulevard Lake and the electrical generating plant. When you fish a small area 5 to 7 days a week and with the hours put into it you get to know where they sit and where they seem to always enter the river and where you will always get the bite when they do come in to feed from the big lake or perhaps just to warm up. That being said the earliest I have caught there is May 31st. From the opener to then the Walleye elude me and it doesn't make me happy. Makes me think I'm doing something wrong but I just tell myself it's the water flow lol. I have seen a couple caught around May 20th though. Both on spoons. I think I have a pic of one. If I can find it I will attach it. As flyndie22 has said "Ive yet to see anyone catch a walleye there". That only means he hasn't been there to witness the event. It only takes a few minutes to catch and release and having someone around to take a pic sometimes eludes you. I have had many people wander down the dock and ask "catch anything". I don't think they believe what I tell them. There are a few members on this site who know "exactly" where the bite is. Here's a tip......they are shallower than you may think! I hope to see you at the dock this season. 1 Quote Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW - what a ride!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyndie22 15 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 Thats a nice one forsure i thought they would be alot lighter than that prettt cool tho and nice im gonna start heading there at night trt with some raps and crankbaits maybe even float a few smelts down the river Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mad scientist 137 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 3 hours ago, flyndie22 said: maybe even float a few smelts down the river Careful now...dead smelt cannot be used as bait or possessed for use as bait in FMZ 6. You can use dead smelt for bait in FMZ 9 (which includes the Current River downstream from the Shipyard Drive bridge), but you can't possess them in FMZ 6. So, unless you live on a boat out on Lake Superior....... Quote I'm going out to fish. - John 21:3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyndie22 15 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 I thought you could use smelts in fmz 9 if the system already had smelts in it ? But im still fine using smelts at the mouth where i catch them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mad scientist 137 Report post Posted May 24, 2017 2 minutes ago, flyndie22 said: I thought you could use smelts in fmz 9 if the system already had smelts in it ? But im still fine using smelts at the mouth where i catch them. So first, you can't use live smelt as bait anywhere in Ontario...they're an invasive species, and they're not included on the list of legal baitfish (page 10 of the fishing regulations summary). Dead smelt may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait anywhere in FMZ 4 and 5. Same goes for FMZ 6, with the exception of Lake Nipigon and its tributaries. Dead smelt may be used for bait or possessed for use as bait anywhere in FMZ 9. The catch is the line about "possessed for use as bait". Since you can't possess dead smelt for use as bait in FMZ 6, you can't store a bunch at home and then bring them down to the Current River to fish. I guess if you catch some, kill them, and then use them as bait the same day, that would stay within the regulations as I understand them. Quote I'm going out to fish. - John 21:3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
j.klister 24 Report post Posted May 26, 2017 Pretty sure large numbers of people in Thunder Bay have frozen smelts in their freezer right now and that it's not illegal. You can even buy bags of them sometimes at the superstore. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Some Old Guy 968 Report post Posted May 27, 2017 As mad scientist mentioned, that is exactly how I read the reg. If you have smelts frozen to use in FMZ 9 but you possess them in zone 6 then I would guess you would have some explaining to do. And I'm sure many people do have frozen smelts. If they are cleaned and frozen, then they are most likely meant for human consumption. If they are frozen whole, pretty hard to argue that they are not intended as bait. Roger Quote R.T.R. Respect the resource! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddylives 99 Report post Posted May 27, 2017 What about those that freeze whole smelts to be used as cat food? I know of people that do this to keep their yard cats healthy during the winter months??? Quote Have no fear of perfection.....you will never reach it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bobber Down 921 Report post Posted May 28, 2017 Still nothing for me yet. Fished 3 diff time slots today. Missed a couple of bites though. Met a Syrian refugee dad and his son at the docks this afternoon. Set them up with a slip bobber set-up with a leech. I don't think they knew what a leech was. Will have to brush up on my Arabic. The boy seemed to understand English a bit and would translate to the father what I was saying. At least I think that was what was going on. They never caught either but had smiles on their faces nonetheless. Always tomorrow.........I hope. 7 Quote Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW - what a ride!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mad scientist 137 Report post Posted May 29, 2017 On 5/26/2017 at 8:16 PM, Roger Mayer said: If they are cleaned and frozen, then they are most likely meant for human consumption. On 5/26/2017 at 7:54 PM, j.klister said: You can even buy bags of them sometimes at the superstore. You're correct that the smelt bait regulation has a bit of an interpretive loophole because people catch them for human consumption and they are also targeted commercially in parts of the province. The pertinent regulations appear on pages 10 and 29 of the 2017 Regulations summary - if a CO checks you, it's up to them to figure out whether you're in compliance or not. The intent of course is to keep potentially fertilized eggs out of the water...I'd tend to agree with Roger, if the smelt are cleaned then the argument that they are intended for human consumption is more valid. But that's just my opinion, I'm no game warden. Quote I'm going out to fish. - John 21:3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pastor norm 125 Report post Posted May 29, 2017 Mad Scientist.... Its a little besides the point, but could water bombing of area in Northern Ontario using Lake Superior water (skimmed from the surface) be the real reason we have smelts in our lakes? I have always been a little skeptical of reproducing smelts from frozen eggs in bait packages. Perhaps a combination of both ways of "seeding". Tiny smelts often swim near the surface of Superior and could easily scooped by the thousand in one skim of a water bomber... their descend onto the ground near lakes and streams could easily be survivable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mad scientist 137 Report post Posted May 29, 2017 2 hours ago, pastor norm said: Mad Scientist.... Its a little besides the point, but could water bombing of area in Northern Ontario using Lake Superior water (skimmed from the surface) be the real reason we have smelts in our lakes? I have always been a little skeptical of reproducing smelts from frozen eggs in bait packages. Perhaps a combination of both ways of "seeding". Tiny smelts often swim near the surface of Superior and could easily scooped by the thousand in one skim of a water bomber... their descend onto the ground near lakes and streams could easily be survivable. The spread of smelt through eggs fertilized in cleaning buckets is documented in the scientific literature: Introduction by humans appears to be the primary means of invasion and colonization. This is indicated by the strong association of lakes containing rainbow smelt with urban and cottage development. In all cases, introductions have been unofficial and, in many cases, probably unintentional. The majority of these introductions have probably resulted from inadvertent fertilization and release of eggs into the new environment during processing (cleaning) of sexually mature smelt captured elsewhere during spring spawning runs. - Evans and Loftus 1987 I wasn't able to find anything dealing with the spread of smelt via waterbombing. Actually, I had a hard time finding literature about the spread of any invasive species due to water bombing, though some jurisdictions consider it a possibility. Ultimately, all we can do is control our own behavior - follow the regs and hope for the best. Quote I'm going out to fish. - John 21:3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gsambray 172 Report post Posted May 29, 2017 I'm going to give it a go Saturday. Caught my personal best northern so far this spring and know it's time for a walleye. Has anyone been recently? Just wondering if it's picked up at all 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyndie22 15 Report post Posted May 29, 2017 Needa fished it till dark almost last 2 days seen something big jump way out of the current tho Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clewis 25 Report post Posted May 31, 2017 On 5/24/2017 at 10:19 AM, Bobber Down said: You are right about the spawn. From my experience over the last 5 years and another avid angler who always fishes there (most days we fish together...sort of) there are a lot of big trophy Walleyes there many with tags and transmitters after the spawn is over. It is not uncommon for us to catch 3 or 4 per day 30 inches and bigger June thru July. Then again sometimes you can go for days without a hit. August and Sept seem to be slower with a better chance of catching dinks (25 in and smaller). My day could consist of 2 hours, maybe 4, maybe 8, maybe split days 6 hrs in the morning 2 in the afternoon, just depends on weather and water flow from Boulevard Lake and the electrical generating plant. When you fish a small area 5 to 7 days a week and with the hours put into it you get to know where they sit and where they seem to always enter the river and where you will always get the bite when they do come in to feed from the big lake or perhaps just to warm up. That being said the earliest I have caught there is May 31st. From the opener to then the Walleye elude me and it doesn't make me happy. Makes me think I'm doing something wrong but I just tell myself it's the water flow lol. I have seen a couple caught on May 20th though. Both on spoons. I think I have a pic of one. If I can find it I will attach it. As flyndie22 has said "Ive yet to see anyone catch a walleye there". That only means he hasn't been there to witness the event. It only takes a few minutes to catch and release and having someone around to take a pic sometimes eludes you. I have had many people wander down the dock and ask "catch anything". I don't think they believe what I tell them. There are a few members on this site who know "exactly" where the bite is. Here's a tip......they are shallower than you may think! I hope to see you at the dock this season. Tell Cole thats a beaut! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyndie22 15 Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I'm going full out assault mode tonight bringing everything haha One question has anyone on here caught a walleye on the opposite side of the river where all the ruts ate in gonna give that a go also Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brookiebuster 117 Report post Posted May 31, 2017 Yeah there's walleye there too seem to get more by the docks lots of pike on the other side. Quote "Whack em' and stack em',kill em' and grill em'" Ted Nugent Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gsambray 172 Report post Posted June 3, 2017 Well I didn't make it down to current river today because I decided to take my niece to the mountdale boat launch. It was a proud moment when she caught and reeled in her first fish all by herself and yes I got out fished by a 3 year old. She ended up landing 2 perch. The best part was she wanted to let them go to grow bigger. Oh yeah that's my brand new rod and reel for specks. She caught the first fish with it too 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites