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| The last week of July and first week of August have seen one of the most prolonged and hot periods of weather in Ontario in over 60 years. During the first week of August, the Kawarthas saw 4 consecutive days of humidex temperature readings in excess of 100 degrees F with virtually flat calm water!!!! Water temperatures are extremely warm right now: 77 - 80 F in most of the Kawarthas. Light penetration is intense. The area has also gone well over a month with no significant rainfall. Most lake levels are now running anywhere from 6 inches to well over 12 inches below seasonal norms. Weed growth is now exploding in many areas. These are tough fishing conditions. Larger fish are either buried in deep weed cover or have gone extremely deep. Many fish can be seen in a "belly to the bottom" negative mood.
To combat this, you must be prepared to adopt one or more of three tactics:
1. Fish the thickest slop slowly and methodically.
2. Troll super deep diving baits to depths approaching 20 feet or more... and slow down your presentation.
3. Fish low light periods around sunrise, sunset, or at night.
If you are willing to be versatile, and persistent (stubborn?), there are fish available. I've put 88 fish in the boat so far this season, with 43 of these of 40 inches or better. If they're out there, they're catchable - they have to eat sooner or later. Think positive!
If these conditions persist, make sure you have lots of sunscreen, a hat, and lots of fluids aboard. Be careful around areas of rock and wood. Those areas may be closer to the surface than you think. Approach slowly, and if in doubt, use the electric. It might save you some expensive repairs and a ruined fishing trip.
Good luck! [;)]
Steve Wickens | |
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| Again, thanks for the update Steve. I will be on Katchewanooka all next week. This info is really going to be useful.
Bill Fuller | |
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| What the lastest update from Wickens Country? | |
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| Two very distinct patterns are emerging right now, which may prove to be very interesting as we move into the fall.
On the deeper Kawartha Lakes, muskies are beginning to settle into their fall patterns. They are moving shallower to feed, are more rock oriented, and do seem to be showing signs that this could be an awesome fall season. Night temperatures have pushed surface temperatures down 8 to 10 degree F in the past 10 days. Larger fish contacts have been reported in a number of the deeper lakes, and contact rates for bigger fish seem to be improving substantially now that our unusually hot summer seems to be coming to an end.
On the shallower Kawartha Lakes, lake levels are a major problem. Some are down as much as 18", which has slowed the fishing activity to a crawl (for bass and walleyes too). Some ingenuity, persistence, and a willingness to do the most bizarre are what it will take to catch fish consistently under these conditions. Despite a full moon this past weekend, I saw only minimal baitfish activity in the 2 hour period preceding sunrise, which is highly unusual. Many of the fish I have been catching are much thinner than normal (ie: 39 x 12.5!!!), and many are showing a significant white and yellow discolouration at the back edge of the gill cover. Fish are HIGHLY weed oriented, and are showing extreme negative behaviour - "belly to the bottom", or sitting down deep in the weeds. Rain and further cooling is what is needed to move these fish out and get them feeding.
Steve Wickens | |
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KAWARTHA LAKES UPDATE