Carp fishing on Lake Simcoe
- Date added:
- Sunday, 25 April 2010
- Last revised:
- Saturday, 22 January 2011
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Question and Answer
Hi There, I got your email from www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca and I'm trying to find some information on carp fishing on Lake Simcoe so you were one of the best people to start my search. I've been told that Holland River holds big carp. But the river is big and very long. Can you point me to a direction where I should start my search? Any help in this regard will be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Sardar
Hello Sardar,
Yes there are some very big carp in the Lake Simcoe watershed ... both her
rivers and the main lake itself will hold these big fish. Of course the
nutrient rich Holland River can be a prime area - and where you fish depends
greatly on whether fishing from a boat or on shore. As most avid carp
anglers prefer the latter ... I can give you three spots with public access
to try:
1) The Holland's west branch off of Hwy 400, just west on Hwy 9.
Take towards Orangeville - and on the south side you'll see the river just
after you get off the 400. Several access areas here where you can fish
from shore.
2) The Holland's east branch - at Soldier's Bay in Holland Landing.
Take 400 north to the 88 exit, thru Bradford to Bathurst. Or take Hwy 11 north past Newmarket, turn right (east)
at Bathurst, left along Bathurst then follow to Queensville Side Road where
you turn right (east). On the Quensville SR Follow for about a mile till you come to the
bridge- cross it and down below on the north side is Soldier's Bay.
3) The Holland River in Bradford. North of 400 to Hwy 88
Exit toward Bradford- driver thru town to the bridge - fishing is from the south side.
Sardar - most of the people who fish these parts of the river are weekend
anglers - fishing for whatever bites - with the exception of crappie anglers
who target crappie at very specific times. So- someone with a bit of carp
savvy should do well - be sure to chum a little to bring the fish in ... not
many do!
Hope this helps and please let me know how you do.
Wil Wegman
Comments
I really appreciate your prompt response.
Those are some excellent tips. I'm just getting out of catfish mode on Lower Grand and waiting for trout opener this Saturday. I basically fish for anything that is big and carp hit your bait like a freight train. It's one of the most under rated fish.
I've heard from some experts in Peterborough that the best time to catch carp is end of May through June. I guess it's post spawn. What bait would you recommend for this time of the year? I've used cow corn or bread for bait and boiled corn for chumming. Is there something else I can use? I know Berkley makes carp bait. But I have never had any luck with it. I've also heard of some folks using boilies. But I don't know how to make them or where to find them. Reading about it in some forums I believe it is just boiled dough, but I could be wrong. Do you recommend boilies instead of corn? Also, is boiled corn good for chumming or should I be using something else?
I do have a boat. But I've always fished for carp from shore. Sometimes I enjoy sitting in the shade and reading a book while waiting for a fish to bite. That is what I like about carp fishing. It's a complete relaxation package.
Once again, I'm really grateful of you to take the time and explain some tips to a novice carp fisherman.
I look forward to your reply.
Kind Regards,
-Sardar
Hey - how did you make out on the Grand for channels cats? That fishery has really come on the last few years but I have yet to get out there myself to try it. I would agree that May thru June are some of the best months to catch carp - especially from shore - regardless of whether it's around Peterborough or Lake Simcoe and her rivers... primarily I think because this is typically when big carp come shallow to spawn. I am by no means a carp expert ... but would be hard pressed to not bring kernels of corn when fishing for them. Canned corn works well - as does boiled frozen corn. I have had some success with Berkley Gulp! Corn for carp - but admit not yet with any of their other carp baits.
The last time I made carp dough-balls - was when I was a teenager- fishing carp with my dad. His secret recipe included some regular flour, mixed with cornmeal - and he would add vanilla extract within for scent. He'd roll them into nickel and dime sized balls and let sit overnight to firm up in the fridge. There are so many recipes though for dough balls that I am sure you can find how to make them best on some carp specialty sites.
As the season progresses carp will move out into the main lake and you may want to try chasing them in your boat. When I'm bass fishing up near the top end - in the gin clear waters, (McPhee Bay, Shingle Bay etc)we often see massive 25-40 pound carp cruising waters in the 5-10 foot range. Although I do target just the bass - I have caught a few incidental carp on juiced up tube jigs (loaded with scent) and am sure if someone skilled at catching carp and with specialized carp gear fished up there they would have blast.
Anyway - hope this helps Sardar and good luck on the water this season.
Wil
Those are some great pointers. I've been fishing the Grand for the last 2 years. First time I tried was 2008 and I was surprised to see the size of those fish. We boated around 25 fish in 4 hrs and averaged around 12-13lbs, biggest being 18lbs. Right now the season for them is winding down. We seem to be about 2 weeks ahead this year. I talked to a friend who passes by Bowmanville often and he said the first run of trout was already over. Hopefully there will be some fish left this Saturday for the opener. If not then there is always the Credit by Caledon (Folks of the Credit). There are some very nice browns and brookies in that area. I've seen 5+lbers cruising around in pools. But the fish there are spookie and hard to catch. I guess that is the whole thing that makes it challenging.
Please keep in touch. I will keep you posted on how the season is progressing and how I do with carp especially. Best of luck for the upcoming season.
Kind Regards,
-Sardar
Wil
Let me know if I can help in any other way.
Regards,
-Sardar
Tried 2 spots you mentioned here today (2nd and 3rd), i found that rivers bottom at both spots are full of weeds, and bait stuck there, any tips on how to fish for carp in such conditions? Nother question is, can you please aslo tell some spots for carp fishing in cooks bay if possible, i drow for a while in kesowik today and could not find single place to get public shore access to the water, everything seems to be private property.
Best Regards,
Alex
If the weeds are already bad now (with this cold, late spring) then they will be even more intense as the summer wears on. It’s important to keep in mind that weeds- if they are green, give off oxygen, so even carp (that don’t require as much as other species) will be attracted to lush, green healthy weeds. Dead weeds however consume oxygen- so even carp will avoid these. I think it’s important – before worrying about getting stuck in weeds, to make sure the ones you are fishing are indeed alive and healthy.
One way to keep the bait out of the weeds is with a modified Carolina Rig. This rig, normally used by bass anglers, can also be used by carp fishermen. Add an egg sinker or cone-shaped worm weight onto your main line. Then in front of it slide a bead to your main line, then tie on a double swivel. Then, tie on a 2-4 foot floro line(leader) onto the swivel of about 6-8lb test. Add a single 1/0 Gamakatsu bait hook and your favorite bait... Dough balls, corn kernels or whatever. Some anglers insert a piece of foam first onto the hook- to make it ride up off bottom and AWAY from the weeds.
In Keswick, access for anglers is declining fast! Try Adeline Park- very south end of Keswick off Lake Drive. There are plenty of sunfish there now, but carp will move in soon.
Hope this helps Alex and tight lines,
Wil Wegman
Thanks a lot for your replay, i have made a small research a figured that weeds are Submerged Oxygenating Plants and they are alive. Do you think it might be a good idea to try and fish there (i think ill try Soldiers bay this weekend) with the rig you mentioned in previous post?
I`m wandering wher to finde small carps (less then 1 kg )
We have tons of carps but all over 3 kg.
Well ... I must say this is the first time I have ever been asked about fishing for small carp ... most people who fish for them, or any other fish species that grows large, are always searching for the larger specimens. The goal for many is to catch that trophy of a lifetime ... and from what I understand about carp fishing the St Lawrence River... those trophy carp exist out your way. Anyhow ... to answer your question, I would really have to make the assumption that you would be interested in trying for small carp somewhere in the Lake Simcoe watershed?
So ... I would say, that the vast majority of the carp I have seen and handled over the years are also over the 3kg range that you speak about. When we had Koi Herpes Virus go thru the carp population a couple of years ago, I don’t recall seeing one carp that would have been less than 3 kg ... they were all big! Part of my day job (with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources) was to go investigate the carp die-off locations around the lake and to also try and capture, live, sick looking carp for testing. All of them were big. Although thousands of carp died, since then ... the carp population has seemed to be decent enough to still produce plenty of these big brutes for anglers to catch. So ... all of this information may lead you to believe that I also don’t know where to find smaller carp that you desire. Ah ... but I just may ... and here’s where I think you can catch them:
Look for them within the tributaries of Lake Simcoe – not the main lake. Smaller carp ... in my opinion are very much unlike their bigger brethren. Seldom will you ever see small carp even roaming with larger ones. One reason could be that the big brutes don’t want the youngin’s around – but also I think that small carp are primarily plankton feeders and require different habitat until they reach a certain age and size. This means they could well spend much of their early life not just in main tributaries of Lake Simcoe ... like the Maskinonge River out of Keswick, the Pefferlaw River out of Pefferlaw, the Talbot River out of Beaverton ... and especially the Holland River out of Bradford.
The real key however is to not just focus on those main rivers – but the actual tributaries and canals associated with them. For instance, the Holland River’s south end near Bradford has several side canals throughout the Holland Marsh that serve as flood control and watering depots for the rich farmlands in the marsh. It is within these very canals that I have seen (whether being caught by anglers, or seining or electro fishing for work) more than my share of those smaller carp less than 3 kg. What’s actually very interesting, is the absence of larger carp!
So Bernard ... to make a long story short ... I would look within smaller canals and side tributaries of these rivers. The more eutrophic and nutrient rich they are the better ... these offer more food, warmer waters and safe refuge from larger predators for younger carp. The Holland River has plenty of these near Bradford, but also all the way north to the lake and Cooks Bay. I would even go so far to say that if you can find similar canals connected to tributaries of the St Lawrence then you may very well find the same small carp you are seeking. Ok ... now that I have offered you all of this information ... I have to ask ... WHY are you so interested in catching these smaller carp?
Thanks for your question and Happy New Year!
Wil Wegman
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