Wellandport and the Rec canal

[Erik.T.]

Today was like all of the other days that I have been fishing for the past month.............rain............then thunder....................then rain.

Im lucky I don't have jungle rot yet.

First we tried wellandport nothing was biting except for the mosquitos and black flies. The welland river was murky and we had a bit of wind visibility was about half a foot. We had a couple of hits but no real "runwithit" bites. My goal this summer is to catch a channel cat over 10lbs. We decided to go along the river to some of the bridges. Accesibility was an issue as it looked really hard to get to the fishing spots by the bridge. So we continued down to Welland.

Along the way you could see clouds furthur down dumping rain like a curtain which was pretty cool.

We got to the rec canal and started throwing in the line 30lb braid/bobber/snap swivel/splitshot/snelled hook size 2/worm

Water visibility was about 13-15 feet or more. The best spots for panfish are along the canal walls in the weedbeds.

And I have a question is it illegal to fish in the Welland canal that is currently in use? Not the rec canal.

First fish of the day was an OK bass then some small rockbass then we went home and I had a burrito. It was good.

[marth11]

nice erik WTG

[bigugli]

Fishing is no longer permitted in the shipping canal.

[Erik.T.]

Fishing is no longer permitted in the shipping canal.

ok good to know I had just seen some people fishing there on the way back home and was wondering.

[bigugli]

ok good to know I had just seen some people fishing there on the way back home and was wondering.

Lots of people disregard the fishing regs and various laws. For them "rules are for the other saps" until they get caught. Then they complain that the authorities are being heavy handed.

[steve-o-]

Just curious but why the 30lbs braided line, you aren't fishing for mody dick here. I hate braided line, they should banned that crap and give the fish a chance to either be caught or break loose, fishing is suppost to be challenging - a fight between you and fish, it builds up your skills and helps you become more knowledgable in how to play a fish, what skill is there with 30 lbs or even 10 lbs braid when you catch a fish thats only 2-3 lbs, its just no fun. Another thing about it is that if you get snagged, good luck getting your line loose half the time you have to cut it and leave 30 feet of it in the water for someone else to get hung up on. If you wanna have fun try using 6-8 lbs Silver Thread and see what you can do, catching a 10-15lbs fish with that line will test your skills.

Just my opinion......

[Erik.T.]

Just curious but why the 30lbs braided line, you aren't fishing for mody dick here. I hate braided line, they should banned that crap and give the fish a chance to either be caught or break loose, fishing is suppost to be challenging - a fight between you and fish, it builds up your skills and helps you become more knowledgable in how to play a fish, what skill is there with 30 lbs or even 10 lbs braid when you catch a fish thats only 2-3 lbs, its just no fun. Another thing about it is that if you get snagged, good luck getting your line loose half the time you have to cut it and leave 30 feet of it in the water for someone else to get hung up on. If you wanna have fun try using 6-8 lbs Silver Thread and see what you can do, catching a 10-15lbs fish with that line will test your skills.

Just my opinion......

If they break loose they may die due to the fact that many hooks that we buy no longer rust and fall out. Also if I fight the fish too long they take longer to recover and may die as well due to stress and exhaustion.

Furthurmore I would rather catch moby dick than end up losing him then becoming obsessive (like captain Ahab) about a fish that I could of caught but didn't because I didn't have 30lb braid.

Also if I snag something I wrap a a stick around the line and bring whatever I snagged comes up or the hook breaks so I don't lose my weight,bobber and swivel.

This year alone I have only lost my hook/broken my hook/lost my rig about 3 times. In previous years at july I would have lost my rig more than 14 times (using 12lb test)

So far I have brought up two logs, a piece of sheet metal, some re-bar, half a small tree, a 2x4, and even some metal house siding.

[marth11]

wow we should bring you to port and see what you bring up you might out do smerches magnet

[dave524]

Fishing is no longer permitted in the shipping canal.

I haven't fished in the canal proper in a lot of years but am surprisesd to hear this. I know

that any kind of water craft are banned, canoes kayaks etc, and fishing would be banned at places

like locks but what about wetting a line in the canal at say Allanburg from shore, that would seem to

be harmlesss .

[rick]

what about wetting a line in the canal at say Allanburg from shore, that would seem to

be harmlesss .

Harmless but illegal, has been for years. Probably an insurance thing.

[steve-o-]

If they break loose they may die due to thae fact that many hooks that we buy no longer rust and fall out. Also if I fight the fish too long they take longer to recover and may die as well due to stress and exhaustion.

- Thats why you use bareless hooks, as far as fighting a fish to long thats crap, if you are a skilled seasonal angler then you would know how to fight a fish properly in order for it to be release with little to no stress. It doesn't take 20 minutes to land a 2 lbs bass or for that matter a 10lbs kittie, most fish are strong enough to recover very quickly after you had your fun unless we are talking about spawning salmon or steelies so theres no need for 30 lbs braid.

Furthurmore I would rather catch moby dick than end up losing him then becoming obsessive (like captain Ahab) about a fish that I could of caught but didn't because I didn't have 30lb braid.

So what your saying is that your own personal satifaction of having to catch and land your fish is more important then learning proper and ethnical skills that come with this great sport. Its called FISHING not CATCHING. Did you know that 30 lbs braid actually = 60 lbs mono ( how many of us use that sort of weight in line) probably no one.

Also if I snag something I wrap a a stick around the line and bring whatever I snagged comes up or the hook breaks so I don't lose my weight,bobber and swivel.

This year alone I have only lost my hook/broken my hook/lost my rig about 3 times. In previous years at july I would have lost my rig more than 14 times (using 12lb test)

So what your saying is that you cant afford fishing tackle, maybe you need to find a cheaper hobby. 9 times out of 10 your line is going to break and leave part of it in the water, by doing that you put the eco system at risk, not to mention you say that you have pulled up small trees and so on, thats natural coverage for fish so you are basically taking away natural coverage for them.

All in all there is NO need for braided line over 10 lbs for any fish your catching, I'm sure if you put it to the test then you will see that 30lbs braided would probably have enough strength to tow a car or small truck.

Un skilled anglers use braided, skilled anglers enjoy just being by the water and fishing dispite if they catch anything or not

Have fun

[bigugli]

I haven't fished in the canal proper in a lot of years but am surprisesd to hear this. I know

that any kind of water craft are banned, canoes kayaks etc, and fishing would be banned at places

like locks but what about wetting a line in the canal at say Allanburg from shore, that would seem to

be harmlesss .

1) There are liability issues.

2) Chalk part of it up to 911. Our neighbours were originally demanding we surround the Seaway with armed guards and razor wire. They were afraid someone might sink a freighter with a J11

[dave524]

1) There are liability issues.

2) Chalk part of it up to 911. Our neighbours were originally demanding we surround the Seaway with armed guards and razor wire. They were afraid someone might sink a freighter with a J11

Yeah , it's been at least that long. Agree a J11 is a little light, a 3/4 oz. Cleo now that is a serious missile.

[bigugli]

All in all there is NO need for braided line over 10 lbs for any fish your catching, I'm sure if you put it to the test then you will see that 30lbs braided would probably have enough strength to tow a car or small truck.

Un skilled anglers use braided, skilled anglers enjoy just being by the water and fishing dispite if they catch anything or not

Have fun

Try telling that to the bass pros with their 50lb braid. It's all a matter of opinion and preference

[steve-o-]

Try telling that to the bass pros with their 50lb braid. It's all a matter of opinion and preference

I understand what your saying but there is a HUGE difference, pro bass anglers have something at stake which is called 100's of thousands of dollars, the choice to use that sort of line would make sense even though I'm against it, you do what you have to in though curcumstainces. When all you are doing is pleasure fishing braided is not nessessary, it fowls up our lakes and really it doesn't give a fish much chance, remember this its not how many fish you can catch in a day but the enjoyment and challenge of who's going to win the fight ( fish or angler)

[Erik.T.]

- Thats why you use bareless hooks, as far as fighting a fish to long thats crap, if you are a skilled seasonal angler then you would know how to fight a fish properly in order for it to be release with little to no stress. It doesn't take 20 minutes to land a 2 lbs bass or for that matter a 10lbs kittie, most fish are strong enough to recover very quickly after you had your fun unless we are talking about spawning salmon or steelies so theres no need for 30 lbs braid.

I don't know what a "bareless hook" is so I assume you are talking about barbless hooks. They do work yes and I have used them but if you do get a fish and the line breaks that doesn't guarrantee that the hook will ever come out it could be a deep hook or even in the gill. With 30lb braid I can pull in the fish and using my loooooooong needle nose pliers I can unhook the fish and he can go back without a worry.

So what your saying is that your own personal satifaction of having to catch and land your fish is more important then learning proper and ethnical skills that come with this great sport. Its called FISHING not CATCHING. Did you know that 30 lbs braid actually = 60 lbs mono ( how many of us use that sort of weight in line) probably no one.

I do not recall saying that. I sleep well at night knowing that I have caught and landed a fish that still has enough spunk to swim away by itself when releasing it. I follow all of the fishing ethics even sometimes more than others. I also have my own set of ethics as I am not a food fisherman. I make sure the fish goes back uninjured (slime coat and all), I make sure I respect others fishing spaces, I fish only for what, where and when I am allowed, and I never litter. Also as Bigugli said before any pro bass fishermen use that line to get their bait through heavy weeds so that is most of the pro bass fishing community. Also part of fishing is catching. Sometimes I still catch nothing and get skunked.

Fishing is defined as " the Sport of catching fish — freshwater or saltwater — typically with rod, line, and hook." I follow this completely so what I am doing is fishing.

So what your saying is that you cant afford fishing tackle, maybe you need to find a cheaper hobby. 9 times out of 10 your line is going to break and leave part of it in the water, by doing that you put the eco system at risk, not to mention you say that you have pulled up small trees and so on, thats natural coverage for fish so you are basically taking away natural coverage for them.

I do not recall saying that I can not afford the tackle. I have the money but I am economical about it I spend as much as I need to. Braided line was a good alternative to the other light lines. So far I have lost my rig once this year (and broken my hook twice) how many times have you lost your line? Your 9/10 breakage statistics show that you lose your line a lot thi line can entangle birds or (I have seen this happen) birds make a nest out of twigs and fishing line. This was snagged line. I knew because there was a medium sized hook buried in the twig which (had probably washed up on shore). I was able to rescue one of the baby birds but I was too late for the other one. They were hanging over the edge of the nest tangled in the line. The small tree I pulled up was actually the size of three basketballs and was clogged partially in a stormwater outflow pipe and so 1/4 of it was out of the water and the other 3/4 of it were in stormwater. Plus with all the other things that I have brought up I have helped clean up the water from trash and make less snags for you other anglers while at thee same time not disturbing the fish.

All in all there is NO need for braided line over 10 lbs for any fish your catching, I'm sure if you put it to the test then you will see that 30lbs braided would probably have enough strength to tow a car or small truck.

Yes there is, 10lb line breaks easily in heavy weeds and log jams and other 30lb braid does not. I have the money to replace my lures but when you lose a lure it's like littering but in the water. Also the weight of a "Smart Car" the tiny egg shaped ones is 1600lbs so 30lb braid is gonna have a hard time towing that. Thats was one of the smallest cars I know of.

Un skilled anglers use braided, skilled anglers enjoy just being by the water and fishing dispite if they catch anything or not

I am a "skilled" angler having fished with 10lb mono my whole life only since the past year have I been using 30lb line. Also the strenghth of the line does not determine the skill of the fisherman. This is because 30lb braid can also spook fish and cause other difficulties so I must find ways to round those curbs. Also 30lb braid does not ensure that you remain skunk-free so skill is always involved. Also you are insulting me and the pro bass community by calling us un-skilled because we use braided line.

If it was really as bad as you say it is it would have been made illegal a long time ago................................but it's not

Bottom line it's just a heavier line It doesn't have any magical powers, it's not witchcraft and it doesn't harm people or other animals.

Have fun

I always do.

It's a difference of opinion but If I follow the regulations and catch fish with my braid then so be it. I do not think that 10lb line should be banned nor should 30lb braid.

[fishhard2]

Give the kid a break. He's fishin and having fun. Supposed to be a fun forum not take a beating when posting info. Its all about sharing your experience. Lighten up!

[ninepointer]

Fishing is no longer permitted in the shipping canal.

Fishing has never, ever been permitted in the shipping canal. Nothing has changed recently; including the fact that the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority tolerates and does not interfere with anglers in most locations. Earlier this year there was a rumour going around that the Seaway was "ticketing" anglers at Ramey's Bend. So we contacted the Seaway and were advised no such enforcment had been occuring. The Seaway simply reminded us that if angling ever becomes a problem there (safety, litter, parking) they reserve their right to enforce their regulations.

[Erik.T.]

wow we should bring you to port and see what you bring up you might out do smerches magnet

LOL

[bigugli]

Fishing has never, ever been permitted in the shipping canal. Nothing has changed recently; including the fact that the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority tolerates and does not interfere with anglers in most locations. Earlier this year there was a rumour going around that the Seaway was "ticketing" anglers at Ramey's Bend. So we contacted the Seaway and were advised no such enforcment had been occuring. The Seaway simply reminded us that if angling ever becomes a problem there (safety, litter, parking) they reserve their right to enforce their regulations.

Quite true about Ramey's. There were no tickets issued to anglers, but there were tickets issued for illegal parking. 2 of my acquaintances got them. Same thing happens at Charles Daley and the mouth to Jordan harbour. People ignore the no parking signs on the North service road so that they don't have to walk so far to their fishing spot. The fine is for illegal parking, not fishing.

Of course, all anglers end up looking like lawless yahoos as a result.

As for the Seaway, I do know that years back there were areas where it was permitted. At Lock 1 there used to be a sign posted clearly marking you could not fish past a certain point close to the lock. Used to fish the lock in the Soo as well, up to a certain point. That was well over 20 years back.

[steve-o-]

Give the kid a break. He's fishin and having fun. Supposed to be a fun forum not take a beating when posting info. Its all about sharing your experience. Lighten up!

I'm as light as a feather, there is no disrespect coming from me to Erik, I'm simply asking WHY 30lbs braided line if your just shore fishing for panfish /bass/ kitties, there's no need for it all your doing is causing trouble for the next guy that fishies there with 6 lbs mono when you get snagged up and cant pull out. You end up breaking off 30 feet of anchor line which gets rapped up in 6 lbs mono, who's going to win. Its bad enough that shore fishing is become more limited as the years go on with droughts and private land and so on, we dont need more obstacles that are going to interfer with us, prime example is the Grand River at Dunnville dam, 90% of the snaggs there are cause by other anglers lines that have broke off and I would venture to say 70% of it is Braided Line.

Keep fishing Erik and having fun but use better judgement when it comes to the species you are trying to catch and the line you choose. The best part of fishing is feeling the rod bend and line peel, how can you enjoy that when all your doing is pulling in a fish with in 5 sec. I think that would do more harm then fighting it for 3-5 minutes.

Cheers

[Erik.T.]

I'm as light as a feather, there is no disrespect coming from me to Erik, I'm simply asking WHY 30lbs braided line if your just shore fishing for panfish /bass/ kitties, there's no need for it all your doing is causing trouble for the next guy that fishies there with 6 lbs mono when you get snagged up and cant pull out. You end up breaking off 30 feet of anchor line which gets rapped up in 6 lbs mono, who's going to win. Its bad enough that shore fishing is become more limited as the years go on with droughts and private land and so on, we dont need more obstacles that are going to interfer with us, prime example is the Grand River at Dunnville dam, 90% of the snaggs there are cause by other anglers lines that have broke off and I would venture to say 70% of it is Braided Line.

Keep fishing Erik and having fun but use better judgement when it comes to the species you are trying to catch and the line you choose. The best part of fishing is feeling the rod bend and line peel, how can you enjoy that when all your doing is pulling in a fish with in 5 sec. I think that would do more harm then fighting it for 3-5 minutes.

Cheers

OK this is why I have braid.

The 30lb line was leftover from carp fishing last summer but I have been using it throught the year for steelhead and carp and other species. I used it at the rec canal because If I caught a big fish the line might break when I was pulling it up the canal wall. I was actually going for sheepshead and bigger channel cats in wellandport which I understand can get fairly large (over 20lbs)so I was using the braid. I have yet to lose any line except for about 2inches of line. I can also get my line wrapped up in other snags left by other people who are using lighter line.

I understand what you are saying but I think that I will stick to my braid. You stick to your line I will stick to mine.

The only time I have used another line was when I had 4lb mono while going for trout so I do use judgement when going for different species otherwise I would have never caught anything. All of my fish have gone back safely and I have not lost many rigs.

Both lines have their ups and downs.

Hopefully this answers your question if it doesn't then you can specify your question or you can PM me.

[captnn]

If your drag is set right you shouldn't be breaking your line.

[schertzing]

Give the kid a break. He's fishin and having fun. Supposed to be a fun forum not take a beating when posting info. Its all about sharing your experience. Lighten up!

Totally man I agree, let the kid have a good time. No big deal who really cares about the line you use. No matter what you do and post on this site someone always has something to say. You can do everything by the book according to the rules and there is always someone that will have a beef with how you do things. Forget what everyone thinks and has to say and just get out there, play by the rules and have a great time doing it. The rest of them can spend their days complaining that everyone is not as awesome as they are.

[Tony]

Totally man I agree, let the kid have a good time. No big deal who really cares about the line you use. No matter what you do and post on this site someone always has something to say. You can do everything by the book according to the rules and there is always someone that will have a beef with how you do things. Forget what everyone thinks and has to say and just get out there, play by the rules and have a great time doing it. The rest of them can spend their days complaining that everyone is not as awesome as they are.

Well said.....Erik seems like a very bright, and mature young man.....He is also a very knowlegdeable angler.....................