Fishing Guide service.

Ha-ha, I was there on Monday when it was nice and +10C so I am not going again anytime soon.

Thanks for sharing , Jamie, and family first is a solid and right choice in my opinion

We often have to make choices in life and select the path and the older I become the more I cherish the time spent with family and loved ones.

Well said JB thanks. Very nice insight (wisdom) with all the comments by you guys.

For those who don't like the wind, it will be better to hold off until Sunday. Saturday will be good pike fishing but windy, so stay safe. Looks like Sunday to Thursday will be just beautiful and stable with a few wind changes day to day. I did say the crappie and pike were going to move a bit more shallow on Saturday. I would bet that does not start to happen until Sunday around the lunch hour and onward into the coming week. Looks like the real spring is finally here by Sunday. Good luck to those that were waiting for more spring like weather. Too those die hard, harsh weather anglers, you won't need luck. You have been out fishing a few times in March. You already know where the fish are hiding.

For those who don't like the wind, it will be better to hold off until Sunday. Saturday will be good pike fishing but windy, so stay safe. Looks like Sunday to Thursday will be just beautiful and stable with a few wind changes day to day. I did say the crappie and pike were going to move a bit more shallow on Saturday. I would bet that does not start to happen until Sunday around the lunch hour and onward into the coming week. Looks like the real spring is finally here by Sunday. Good luck to those that were waiting for more spring like weather. Too those die hard, harsh weather anglers, you won't need luck. You have been out fishing a few times in March. You already know where the fish are hiding.

Thanks for the guidance, CM. It’s been so miserable the past three days, with tons of snow up north near Barrie / Orillia. Probably need all the sun on Sunday to warm up.

I guess that just means for everyone taking Monday off, the fish should be in the shallows! Given these crazy rains, what’s the better location? Small tribs and large shallow bays, or these larger creek / river mouths? I’m worried the larger rivers will be chocolate milk in visibility?

So who ever went out in the wind today should have caught some pike or crappie. Next three days will be amazing crappie and pike fishing. Find one pike and its friends will be there as well. Dont waist your time in any water deeper than nine feet. If crappie is what the target is, dont fish any water deeper than five feet. Think shallow only. Looks like a weather change for Wednesday so far. This is a good area to catch crappie from a boat or from shore. Look for something similar to this picture.

You made a god call.......

Guiding is way tougher than most people realize and consumes an enormous amount of time when first beginning the business and the making it work.

travel shows, sponsors all come into play and some fishing shows


there is also a real danger of why you get into in the first place.....which should be the joy of fishing and seeing others do the same. It definatly impacts family life and family events.

I am speaking from first hand experience. But should you choose to do it, It;s either all in or not at all.....part time is just that and you will miss out on the daily changes that can and do occur with fishing


for myself I have zero regrets for pursuing what I love rather than doing something I may regret later in life. It does have the potential to take a toll on family life........so this is something that requires a thorough analysis and buy in for all impacted before making that decision

Thank you for the wisdom that you gained from all of your years of experience. I had a lot of time to make my final decision since last fall. Everything was ready to go from the bed and breakfast to lake access to both Balsam and Sturgeon. A semi silent partner for the books, legal issues and guiding as well. We both decided family was more important than money. He already has one successful business and I don't care about money too much. LOL. It just made more sense to shut it down before it started. And do we really need another fishing guide taking hundreds of fish out of an area that many people think is in trouble. As in the walleye population in the Kawarthas. I know it's stable right now, but what about 2,3,4, or 5 years from now. No one can say for sure. Thanks for your input Shank.

It's never a bad idea to check your notes on where, when and how you did fishing in the past. Almost two years to the day since this post from April 2022. I don't recommend fishing in big wind, but I just love it. So off on another windy, wet adventure. There was no other anglers out yesterday and last night because of the wind and rain. Had to use a bigger bobber above a 1/4 ounce jig just to see it in the waves. After dark was very difficult to detect the hit, with the glow stick hopping up and down so much. Bass, bluegill, crappie, and walleye everywhere from lunch time yesterday until this morning. I can still hear the wind howling outside, but am too tired to fish anymore. Caught around two dozen bass and walleye, and maybe a few more than that in crappie and bluegill.The bluegill were mostly small, and the crappie small as well, around nine inches. The bass and walleye were all over the place from around one pound to four pounds. I just saw the sun trying to peak out from the clouds and it's time for me to get some sleep before the hockey starts later. Water levels are finally way up on Cameron Lake, it's been a roller coaster for that body of water since ice out. Stay safe.

CM, I’m headed to Balsam tomorrow for Pike, what’s the fishing forecast look like?

Well I can see why you are not going today, it's already windy out there. Better get out in that nice cold morning tomorrow. It may get down to 1 dgree where I am fishing later tonight/over night. Windy tomorrow as well in the afternoon, but not as bad as today. It's going to be a beautiful day today and tomorrow. But where will the pike be hiding? For the afternoon... Stick to where you have caught them before in the shallow, north end channels, where there is some water movement. That should also keep you out of the main wind. In the morning the pike will be on fire close to shore in 5 to 8 feet of water, in the old weeds/new weeds. Don't fish fast though, tomorrow morning the pike will be waiting for the bait to drop in front of them. A slow retrieve will get them to hit the bait. I will be targeting only crappie tonight. I hope my luck will be as good as you pike anglers will have today and tomorrow. Stay safe.

Crappie are in real shallow

Yesterday was a banger!

Saw a large group of boats fishing Skyline trailer park when I drove by yesterday, real tight to shore must be the crappie. Looking good!

Pick you up in Rosedale CM?

So you think up the mouth of the Gull river towards Coby
would be better than down at the bottom of South Bay?

Thanks - 18" - 24" of water!