|
|
 |
|
|
|
Fishing /
Species /
Content Index |
A Pike Pilgrimage to the Missinaibi
Fishing for northern pike? Good choice: if you're looking for sport, these fish are full of fight. If you're looking for dinner, they're full of flavour.
But don't spend too much time worrying about which spoon or spinner to use: these carnivorous freshwater sharks will eat anything they can swallow without choking, including walleye, frogs, crayfish, muskrats, ducklings - and whatever is in your tackle box!
Missinsaibi "northerns" don't have to look very far to satisfy their prodigious cravings. The river is full of fallfish and crayfish, both well-known pike palate-pleasers. Since it is also clean, remote and unspoiled, its pike grow big and strong - your chances of hooking a 10 or 12 kilogram northern are good. When you do, expect a challenge: the pike will use its long, slender body to generate force and make powerful runs.
Missinaibi Multitudes: Of course, there's more to the Missinaibi than pike. You can also anticipate limit catches of walleye, yellow perch and smallmouth bass (plus sturgeon, splake, lake trout and whitefish - and brook trout in the river's tributaries.) Perch are particularly plentiful, with no catch or size limits. Use a night crawler, and look for lily pads or bulrushes, in about 1 metre of water. Guided fishing trips to the Missinaibi, with comfortable accommodation and hearty meals, can be easily arranged.
A Fish for All Seasons: Trolling, drifting and casting for northerns, especially in the afternoon, will all produce good results. Big minnows make the best bait; your fishing guide can show you how to make a fool-proof rig. In spring and fall, the fish prefer shallow, weedy areas near rocky points and narrows. In summer, they retreat to deeper water.
Pike remain active when other fish are hard to catch, making them a favourite target for ice fishers. In the Missinaibi area, there is no closed season on northern pike. Check with your fishing guide for catch and possession limits, based on regular or "conservation" licenses. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Travellers to Ontario can visit many urban centres, rural areas and remote wilderness. |
| Learn More... |
|
|
|
|
| Ontario has many lakes and rivers, including the Great Lakes, where canoeists, kayakers, sailors and rafters can enjoy their crafts. |
| Learn More... |
|
|
|
|
| Ontario has many trails to entice hikers, bikers, horseback riders, skiers and snowmobilers. From the heavily-populated south to the remote north, trails abound in the province. |
| Learn More... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
©2007 Digital Wizards (Ontario) Inc.
|
|
|
