Fall Rainbows On Lake Ontario
There is a reason that so many anglers refer to Lake Ontario as Lake Awesome, it just is the most awesome lake one can fish.
My love affair with Lake Ontario has grown exponentially over the years. In fact, the trigger for buying a bigger boat was the day we drove to the big lake, only to find the forecast had not told us the truth, and the water was too rough to take the little boat out. Frustration and disappointment lead me to Kijiji.
Now that we have our beloved old Sea-Ray, we can get out on the big lake far more often. However, our latest outing was not one to test the rough water handling of the boat. Instead, it was a perfect, clear, calm, sunny September day. One of those days where it is almost criminal to spend it anywhere other than the water.
Darrell was pretty happy to be out fishing.
We launched before the sun came up, a few ducks quacking in the dark being the only noise other than us. The dogs happily jumped in the boat while Darrell warmed up the motor. I stared at the mesmerizing lights of the shoreline until they disappeared into the void. Anticipation of a day on the water had me alert and ready to go.
We ran out to 160FOW, set our rods, and kept trolling out. The blackness of the morning was inviting, rather than scary. For all we could tell, we were the only ones out there, and the idea of that much water to play in had me smiling. The dogs had a snack and settled down for a nap. Molly is a creature of comfort and always seems to head for the cuddy. Jack, on the other hand, is devoted to Darrell, and never strays far from his feet.
Jack loves being able to spend time with Darrell on fishing trips in the big boat.
A haze prevented us from getting the full glory of the sunrise, but any sunrise on the water is still rather spectacular. I felt so lucky as I watched the sun come up. On Lake O, everything is more magnificent.
Sunrise on Lake Ontario.
We haven`t had the chance to fish the big lake much this year, so the best starting point we had was from the spring. A lot of anglers on the big lake are willing to share pointers on what works for them, and we sometimes use this information as a starting point. However, we rarely seek out this information. Both of us are extremely stubborn people, and we have far more fun when we develop a pattern on our own and manage to get into a few fish.
With the bigger salmon already running the rivers, we had decided to have some fun and search for rainbow trout. I love these kamikaze fish. They jump, they run, and they are an absolute blast.
The fish started coming in 180-220FOW. The first rod to fire was grabbed by Darrell since I was too slow off the mark. Considering the line it pulled and the thumps of the rod, it looked like a good one, but Darrell wasn`t able to keep it on. If that had been the only action of the day, we would have been happy. But there was more.
A perfect day.
We trolled out to the Blue Zone for the first time in my trolling experience. I stared at the finder until it read 300ft, then I let out a cheer for finally having reached this seemingly mystical area I could never go to in the little boat (it just wasn`t safe to go that far out in a small boat).
Working back towards the waypoint from the first fish, we got lucky and hooked into a few more. Darrell finally managed to get one in, and I was thrilled to take a picture for him before he released it. We had been worried about how easy or difficult it would be to release fish from this boat, but Darrell is the perfect height to lean over and revive them. Every fish we caught ended up swimming away nicely.
Darrell`s first of the day.
As happy as I was to see Darrell get a fish, I wasn`t about to let him have the next one, and I ran as the next rod popped. This fish was exactly what I was looking for. She flew out of the water and splashed several times before going back down and pulling some line. Every time I made up ground, she wanted some more back. My arm was aching and I couldn`t stop laughing. What a rush! I got her to the boat after a few minutes, then had to hold on once she saw it and took off again. When people tell me they don`t like trolling, I know they have never had an experience like this. Once you get into a fish that gives you a good fight and a real show, nothing will ever be the same. With all that water and all that space, with the freshness and spunk they only have out in the lake, there is absolutely nothing that compares.
My lovely fighter. What a blast!
Since we continued to mark fish and bait, we stayed in the area, landing a couple more fish, loosing a few, and having too many knock-offs. It could not have been a more beautiful day out there, with flat water and sunny skies. It was nearly impossible to turn around and head home.
I stare at the boat every day and wonder if it is time to winterize her. We should, I know. The chances of us getting out again this fall are slim, but I just keep thinking about this last outing, and I`m not ready to wait until spring to experience that again. Lake Awesome is calling.
argosgirl
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Its been more than forty years since I was a lad and my Father took us fishing and camping on both Simcoe and Rice Lake. Fave spots for Western New Yorkers. I enjoy the blog and will follow. Thanks
I fished Rice for the first time this past fall and I’ll be fishing Simcoe for the first time this weekend. Both are places I’d like to get to more often. Thanks for reading the blog!