Kawartha Lakes. What gives?

I don't know, I always do ok in the Kawartha's.

Fish are still in the lake I had a hard last couple yrs on rice with walleye this year tried lots of different baits everytime out and it was a great year let lots of fish go some very nice ones. I keep my eye on winds and temps for different areas as it affects where the fish are and how eager to bite put in the time make notes and ask questions of other anglers hopefully they will be nice enough to help you out. And I would not mind if slot limit was changed a little shrink it some

Hi again riverrat…

I've taken a look at your profile and I see you only posted once in the Kawartha Lakes forum in the last 10 months and that was to inquire about minnows and Lake Scugog.

There are a lot of posters here who spend a lot of time in the Kawartha's and who share a great deal of information, including lures, techniques, and the various structure that they find success on.

Might I suggest putting some of their tried and tested patterns to see if they might help in the waters that you fish?

I spend all my time fishing from public shoreline spots and had a great deal of success over the last couple of years putting some really decent sized bass, walleye, perch, and crappie on the line.

I've fished beside people who were fishing with worms and minnows and had more success than they all did while throwing artificials, particularly on jerkbaits. They're really quite versatile and work on all species from panfish to bass to walleye. Spend a bit of money, pick up a few, and I think you'll do well.

Cheers, Attila

We rent a cottage every year on Rice and the amount of undersize fish being taken is ridiculous . All headed back to the GTA . Should be a limit put in place before the lake is ruined . Coolers full of Bluegills and Perch so small it is annoying . Weekend fishermen over fishing the lake should be stopped . Yikes !!

The fishing is definitely not what it used to be but is still OK I find. I believe development of the shorelines has more to do with the decline than over fishing per se. What I have found on Stoney is that if what you are doing is not working and you have not gotten a fish in 20-30 minutes then change what you are doing. One extreme case this summer I fished from 7 am until 9:30am with not even a tick of a bite. I fished known productive spots, lures and techniques. I was getting frustrated and hungry so was going to head back to the cottage but on a whim moved a couple hundred feet to deeper water and started throwing a walleye diver and on the second cast caught a 3 Lb Largemouth. I then proceeded to catch 10 more over 2 lbs in the next 45 minutes. So there was fish in the lake but they were not where I thought feeding on what I thought.

......a little bewildering that no one mentioned those cormat birds.

Here's a crazy idea : Lets look at the UBER model and apply it to Conservation Officials . We can all be a CO - just get the app, pay a fee, bust ppl we see breaking the law, kick the bucket in the water take a $40.00 fine give half to the ministry.

I think a few extra million dollars back into the resource would help things in all aspects of conservation.

Would be an awesome Halloween costume .
I'm a Conservation Uber Nature Technologist

I found this year to be off as well but I still get a number of fish. I found this year more than any though required a lot of moving and shaking to get on the fish where as years past I could be on auto pilot. Hopefully this is not a pervasive trend.

So your seeing what I see....btw there is a limit on panfish. I believe if memory seves me correct the limit on gills is 50 with no more than 20 over 7". Like i did when you see this kick over their bucket. I've kicked over a bucket full of 10" walleye at Golden Beach resort pier many of times. , what are they going to do but cuss you out in a different language LOL

I know the high weeds in June really hurt a lot of our usual spots where we get Walleye. Never had seen the weeds so high, as they were even in the channel by the Ontanabee. Still think there are plenty of walleye, was just different this year.

Not to rub salt in a wound but why not blame yourself? Why not say hey 95% of anglers throw the same lures as I do why not adapt and have a more productive day on the water? I assume from talking to older people nothing will ever go back to the 80's, things will never get better unless you get better. I've had some really really crappy days on the water but I've always refused to blame anything but myself because if I do I've taken away any desire to learn anything and progress as an angler.

I’ve been fishing Kawartha lakes more often the past couple years I’m a Quinte resident so the Kawartha lakes are always new to me. I think the lakes I’ve fished are all doing just fine but ya gotta give em what they want presentation and locating bait/structure are keys to a successful day. I haven’t caught a ton of giants but always a bunch of 10-11” fish all the lakes are pressured that’s not going to change for sure... but enjoying time on the water and exploring with ma nature should always be top priorities👍✌️

Not to rub salt in a wound but why not blame yourself? Why not say hey 95% of anglers throw the same lures as I do why not adapt and have a more productive day on the water? I assume from talking to older people nothing will ever go back to the 80's, things will never get better unless you get better. I've had some really really crappy days on the water but I've always refused to blame anything but myself because if I do I've taken away any desire to learn anything and progress as an angler.

I’ve been fishing Kawartha lakes more often the past couple years I’m a Quinte resident so the Kawartha lakes are always new to me. I think the lakes I’ve fished are all doing just fine but ya gotta give em what they want presentation and locating bait/structure are keys to a successful day. I haven’t caught a ton of giants but always a bunch of 10-11” fish all the lakes are pressured that’s not going to change for sure... but enjoying time on the water and exploring with ma nature should always be top priorities👍✌️

👏👏👏👏👏 exactly.

Fished out my...

Lol... I could do this all day guys. You gotta be versatile. Don't feed into the negative vibes. The fish sense that crap from miles away!

You can't change the fact, Fishing is not like it used to be...they will all become like scugog if not managed properly..

I went to a spot I haven’t been to for 10 years. Went 5/11 and the first 4 were in slot.