By Sarah McMichael
Nick Werner’s boat
Jess and I were beyond excited when Ashley Rae offered to take us out walleye fishing for the first time! As both of us are new to fishing, targeting some huge Lake Ontario walleye sounded like a great adventure. We were right!
Nick taking us out into the Bay of Quinte
We drove to Picton, ON to meet up with Nick Werner of Werner’s Angling Adventures. We met bright and early at 7am, and Nick took us out into the Bay of Quinte to target a pod of migratory walleye preparing to spawn.
First signs of the fish to come
The method of fishing we used was called trolling. This involves setting up rods on the back of the boat to trail behind us while we move slowly through the lake. The lines had boards attached to them which go down when a fish is on.
Our boards waiting for a fish
While we were hopeful for our first bite of the day, it turned out to be a freshwater drum, or a “sheep” as Nick and Ashley called it. We quickly released the fish and continued on our search for walleye.
Our rods set up for trolling
On our second hit of the day, I was up to reel in the fish. I could not believe the fight! I could feel the fish fighting me by swimming down the whole time. The anticipation of watching the numbers on the line counter get smaller and smaller was killing me. Finally Nick netted the fish and we were surprised to see a huge smallmouth bass on the end! Although it wasn’t a walleye, this bass shattered my personal best for a smallie at 5.5 lbs.
My 5.5 lbs Lake Ontario smallmouth
Catching this awesome smallmouth was exciting for us, but we were hungry for the elusive walleye we had heard so much about. While we were taking pictures of our smallie, we got the hit we had all been waiting for. This time it was Jess’ turn to reel the fish in. And lo and behold, it was the walleye of our dreams! This beautiful fish weighed in at 10 lbs. We were ecstatic!
Jess’ fantastic 10 lbs walleye
The best part about fishing with Ashley and Nick was their support for us newbie anglers. They let us take the reins, or the rod that is, to reel in the amazing fish we caught throughout the day. This made for a totally unforgettable experience. We both learned so much from these two, and it’s safe to say we can’t wait to get out again to chase more walleye!
Walleye/Bass Fishing – Lake Ontario
Thanks to Ashley and Nick for a fantastic day!
To find out more about Werner’s Angling Adventures you can visit Nick’s website.
