Walleye was the very first species I ever targeted. The first outing took place when I was just 5 years old and introduced by a family friend. I still get so pumped up for these fish year after year, but especially during the fall walleye migration on the Bay of Quinte. If you’ve read my blog before you know that I rave about this incredible migration each year when the walleye move in from Lake Ontario to feed heavily on baitfish leading up to their spring spawn. Ginormous fish over 10 pounds are regularly caught throughout the season and as the waters cool down the bite heats up even more. Catch and release is as popular as ever and helps to keep this fishery pumping out giants. The season is really just getting started but I’ve had some great adventures so far aboard my deep-v Alumacraft boat that I picked up over the summer.

Before owning a boat of my own, I had the opportunity to fish the Bay over the years with friends aboard their boats and was even a first mate on my friend Joe’s charter. There really are a lot of great people out there who were willing to invite me aboard and teach me about this type of fishing. Some people learn to fish from their father, mother, grandparents, or siblings. Being the only avid angler of my family, it has been through friends that I’ve picked up a lot of knowledge from over the years and I’m so thankful for it! It’s also pretty fantastic that so much information is available online these days too.

Being that not many women get such opportunities or feel intimidated to try, I decided to host a Ladies Fall Fishing Trip on the Bay of Quinte this year.

I called upon a couple charter friends who have agreed to take us out on the water for two days to target these gorgeous walleye. They are fully licensed and insured with lots of room for several passengers on their boats. We are going to have a blast! We have booked accommodations at the same location and I’ll be hosting a seminar prior to our adventure about the type of fishing we’ll be doing. There are still a couple spots left if you’re interested to join us. Please contact me here for details and pricing. The response has been pretty overwhelming which makes me realize just how important events like this are for women! I’ve already got some great ideas for future events in the works.

As you may have seen, I picked up my new boat ‘Dreamcatcher’ at Urban Sport in Arnprior this summer. A lot of people have been asking me about her! This boat has been a dream on big water like Lake Ontario and in the Bay of Quinte (I even fished on Lake Huron over the summer too)! The model I went with is an Alumacraft T-Pro 185 Sport and I decided on Yamaha engines. I maxed out the main motor with a 175 horsepower 4-stroke and also have a 9.9 4-stroke tiller kicker. Here’s a shot with the Bimini top on which helps cut the wind on the chilly days fall brings.

Since I am a multi-species angler, this boat is rigged up to target any species I’m after. In addition to the kicker motor powering the boat from the transom, I have an Ulterra mounted on the bow of the boat. Bow-mount trolling motors are typically used for boat control when casting and fishing from the front deck, but for me it has also come in handy for trolling and fishing from the cockpit (like I’ve been doing this fall). Having both motors allows me to steer and direct from 2 points: the Ulterra directs the boat (via a remote) while the kicker propels the boat forward. The Ulterra also has an auto stow and deploy feature which means picking up and moving to another spot in a flash.

I am thankful to be writing a lot more this year for various websites including the Northern Ontario Travel website (here’s a story on big water fall walleye tactics) and I will also be a regular contributor on the Bay of Quinte Tourism website each month. I am working towards sharing more of my stories and will have some other exciting news soon regarding that!

As I said, the walleye season has really just begun so you’ll have to check in with me on social media to see my latest catches! Thanks for reading and good luck out on the water 🙂

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Google+