Fishing with Piotr

 
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Fishing is something you can do almost anywhere, as long as there is a body of water. As you can see by the map here I have listed 18 places that you can go out and fish at. They are all minutes away from any spot in Toronto and can offer you a great place to spend the day or just to get out for an evening after work. Many of the spots are located in parks where you can bring your family and friends, and have a picnic or just make a day out of it. These are some of the places that I have explored in the past, have seen on tv, or have researched through the Ministry of Natural Resources.

These places are perfect for the first time angler or for kids. They are so close by to almost anywhere in Toronto and you can take a quick drive, public transit, bike, or walk to most of them. I really suggest getting out to one of these areas after a stressful day at work, you will find that all your problems seem to go away and you can clear your head while fishing.

If you know of a good place to do some shore fishing around the Toronto area and would like to share it with me feel free to drop me a line at: fishingwithpiotr@gmail.com

 Take a quick glance at the places I have mapped here, you may recognize a fishing hole right in your own backyard that you never knew was there:

1. Rouge River Marsh

2. Frenchman’s Bay

3. Petticoat Creek

4. Bluffers Park

5. Ashbridge’s Bay

6. Tommy Thompson Park

7. Toronto Islands

8. Humber bay Park

9. Grenadier Pond

10. The Humber River

11. Colonel Samuel Smith Park

12. Norton Place Park

13. Professors lake

14. Milne Park

15. Stouffville Reservoir

16. Mountjoy Pond Park

17. G. Ross Lord Park

18. Wilcox Lake

Two Boat Launches:

1. Frenchman’s Bay

2. Bluffers Park

Perch

Characteristics: Perch can also go by the name Yellow Perch, and for good reason. They have a dark back, almost black, and their sides are a yellowish greenish colour. Along their body they also have vertical black bands. They are related to walleyes yet they are a quite different fish. In some perch their bottom fins have a very distinctive orange colour. If you see any hint of orange on the fins it is a dead give-away that you have landed a perch. They are usually considered pan fish so they do not grow too big. They can range from 6-12 inches and will usually weigh in at a pound or less, with anything over 2 pounds being considered a real trophy perch.

How to handle: Even though they may be a close cousin of the walleye they do not have sharp jagged teeth like them. Like the largemouth bass or smallmouth bass you can easily place your fingers in its mouth to release your hook. When you do catch one they are usually easily handled by grabbing them in the palm of your hand and gently squeezing them so that they don’t jump out while you are freeing your tackle. Make sure that before you grab them you retract their dorsal fin so as to not jab yourself on it. One big tip is to make sure you have pliers standing by in order to remove your hook. These guys are notorious hook swallowers and if you are fishing with a hook and bobber you can expect them to inhale your bait.

Where to find them: These guys are an abundant species and can be found in almost all bodies of water in Ontario. They prefer to hang out on the edges of weeds, but fairly close to an open clear spot where they can quickly swim out and grab a snack then hide back into the weeds. Since they are usually small fish they tend to hide in places where they can make a quick get away from large predators. They can hang around in anywhere from just 1 or 2 feet of water up to 20-25 feet of water once the ice freezes the lake over.

How to catch them: Perch are a relatively easy fish to catch. They are active all day long and can be caught right from morning into the late evening. They are a perfect fish to go after if all you want to do is have some action all day long or want to introduce a child to fishing. The best and easiest way to catch them in simply with a hook and bobber combo. You can simply cast out your line on the end of a dock or from a shore to locate these little fighters. Look for an open spot amongst weeds and just wait for them to come out and go after your bait. Like other pan fish they provide hours of fun and will almost never stop biting. Like rock bass they are not easily spooked by man-made structures such as docks or in and around docked boats. You can also get lucky and catch them using a small spinner or spoon. Once of the best ways to catch them is to go ice fishing. When the summer is gone I can’t wait until the water freezes over and I can land a few of these guys through the ice. With ice fishing they are best caught using a minnow. Usually during this time they have also fattened up so catching them is a lot of fun. On a good day it is not uncommon to catch upwards of 20 of them in once ice fishing trip. Like walleye these guys also make for excellent eating. Usually you can keep a lot of them for eating but again, make sure you check your local regulations as to what size and amount you can keep.

A Live Piotr Perch

Perch

Perch 2

Rock Bass

Characteristics: Rock Bass are close cousins to largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Like their cousins they are also a brownish green color but they have rows of dark coloured spots. One of their most definitive features is their red eye. They resemble smallmouth bass but are usually quite smaller. They can range in size but are usually anywhere from 6-8inches in size and will usually weigh in under one pound.  

How to handle: Just like the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass they too have no teeth so you can feel quite safe with putting your fingers in its mouth to pull your hook out. Since they are small fish you can usually put your whole hand around them, making sure to push their fins down as your grab them so as to not puncture yourself. Once they are caught they will not put up much a fight and if they are firmly grasped in your hand you need not worry that they will flop around.

Where to find them: Rock bass are some of the most abundant species of fish in North America. They can be found in almost all lakes and slow moving rivers. They prefer to hand out in rock piles, hence their name, and can be found in anywhere from 1’ to 10’ of water. These fish are very abundant and do not seem to be spooked by manmade structures. They can be often found just off shore, in and around docks, bridges, and in weeds. I have even seen them underwater while swimming in some of my local lakes. They are active during early summer to late fall, but will provide the most action in the middle of the summer.

How to catch them: Many anglers consider rocky bass to be a pest. Since they are so abundant and do not make for great eating, when anglers catch them they usually quickly get them off the hook and throw them back into the water. However, if you have never fished before or are looking to take some kids out for a day of fishing, rocky bass are an excellent fish to catch. They are active all day and you do not need to cast out far to catch them. They do not fight too hard so a child can easily reel one in. They eat insects, leeches, worms, and other small fish, but if you wish to simply target rocky bass for fun, a worm and bobber combo are the best option for a full day of catching these little guys.  

Rock Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Characteristics: A smallmouth bass is a close cousin of the largemouth bass. However, unlike the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass are usually a little more brownish greenish in color and they have vertical bands along their sides not a large long black band like the largemouth bass. Again, like the largemouth bass they can range from a pale brownish green to a darker brownish green based on their environment and their food source. One of the best ways to differentiate a smallmouth vs. largemouth is that in a smallmouth the upper jaw will not extend beyond its eye, when its mouth is closed. They can range in size, but a fully grown smallmouth can be anywhere from 10-20 inches long from head to tail and can be 1-6 pounds.

How to handle: Smallmouth bass are a great fighting fish. For their size they are one of the most exciting fish to catch. When they hammer your bait during their feeding season you will know that you have a fighter on your line. As you reel them in they will usually come up to the surface and jump out of the water, making for a very exciting fight. In terms of actually handling them once you get them in the boat or to shore, the can be handled the exact same way as a largemouth bass. They too do not have sharp teeth so you can easily pull your bait/hooks out of their mouth without the need for pliers. Again, be mindful of their fins as they can jab you in the finger. When you do have them in your hand make sure you hold them securely as they will continue their fight even when they are out of the water.

Where to find them: Smallmouth bass may be a close cousin of the largemouth bass, but they live in different waters. They prefer to hang out in deeper waters, streams, and rivers. Usually a rocky or sandy bottom of a lake will yield these little fighters and even sometimes they will seek shelter in amongst the structure of fallen trees. They prefer very clear and clean waters so if you catch one it is usually a good indication that the water you are fishing is very clean. Just like the largemouth bass their season is usually early summer to late fall. Check your local regulations to find out when smallmouth bass season is open in your neck of the woods.

How to catch them: Since they are similar to largemouth bass they will go after similar food sources. However, as they tend to live in deeper water top water lures are not very effective for these guys. The best method to catch them is by using a crank bait, spinner bait, or tubes and jigs that you bounce in and around the bottom of a lake. In recent years many fishermen are using tubes as their go to bait in the Great Lakes region to catch monster smallmouth bass. The reason behind this is due to the invasive species of the goby. Fishermen will usually match a tube that is similar in color and size to a goby and will just jig that off the side of their boat to target the smallmouth bass. This is one instance where the introduction of the goby has seen the native species of the smallmouth boom. Gobies help clean up the water but in doing so they also ingest a lot of pollution and in turn when the smallmouth bass eat them they too ingest this pollution. So it is not necessarily a win win situation for us anglers, but do yourself a favor and definitely get out there and try to land one of these monsters.

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass #2