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The internet and modern technology have simplified many aspects of our daily lives. Tasks that once took days to complete, can now be accomplished with the click of a button in a matter of seconds. Let’s take advantage of the convenience the internet offers and see how it can help us catch more fish….

“Can someone please give me some information on where I can catch some trout this weekend?” Questions such as this are asked daily on many fishing message boards on the internet. If this question is not completely ignored by the board’s members, the most common reply is “Find you own spots buddy!”

I though the internet was supposed to make things easy?

People refuse to give others this type of information where it can be potentially accessed by millions and possibly ruining an entire fishery. Are people being selfish for not sharing information? Quite the opposite actually. It can take a lifetime to learn fishing hot spots and sometimes these spots were shown to us by family members, etc. and may have sentimental value. Will I share some of my better fishing spots with people I don’t know?? Heck NO!

So where does one begin?

As with almost everything, it boils down to research and homework (and lots of legwork). Start with knowing the behaviours of the fish you will be targeting. It is pointless to show up in the heat of the summer on a tributary expecting to catch migratory trout. It is also pointless to fish lily pads for lake trout with top waters. Information on fish behavior, habitat, feeding patterns, seasonal movements, etc. can easily be found on the internet. A simple internet search can result in hundreds of links to websites with pertinent information. Although not as popular as the internet, local libraries will also be beneficial.

Know the regulations. There is no excuse for fishing out of season species or fishing in a sanctuary. Fishing regulations are easily available to the public and please familiarize yourself with the regulations for the area you will be fishing. And trust me; you can learn some new hotspots just from reading the rules. Regulations are available on the internet and where you purchase your fishing license.

Talk to tackle shop owners. Tackle shop owners run into a ton of customer’s everyday as they stock up for their next fishing adventure. Discussions of where the anglers will be fishing always come up and store owners can let you know where some of the most popular areas are. You defiantly will find the best help at the smaller tackle shops.

Hotspots do not necessarily have to be in secluded locations. They can be fished hard by numerous individuals on a daily basis. In fact, when you are starting out, these can be your best bets. Urban fishing areas often attract the most anglers. Start a conversation with a fellow angler; you will be surprised how much information they are willing to share in a personal conversation. They may even let you in on other nearby fishing holes. Try to hit the more common areas during the week when the crowds will be thinner to get into more fish.

Government Publications can let you in on some of the best information available. Stocking lists outlining species stocked, bodies of water stocked, and number of fish stocked will reveal invaluable information. This information can be obtained on the internet, or contact the nearest MNR office to the area you plan to fish.

Once you did some research and know what bodies of water hold the fish you plan to fish for, its time to plan your trip. Purchase a couple of road maps and locate the body of water on the map. Its good to have maps of various scales; some to help you on the long drive, some to help you when in a town local to the particular body of water. Another option is to visit a website such as www.mapquest.com where you can input you’re starting and ending location and precise directions will appear. You will also find out the distance and time to reach the destination. These maps can be printed out and brought along on your trip.

“But these maps aren’t detailed enough”

There are a few other options available. Topographic maps provide information that typical road maps cannot. They are commonly available in 1:50,000 scale. With this scale, you will even be able to count how many cottages are on a body of water. You can purchase individual maps, however, if you plan to purchase several maps, you best option would be to purchase digital sets which can provide maps for an entire province for a reasonable price. One can learn how to read these maps fairly quickly. Tight contour lines represent a steep hill or drop in the land. Contour lines further apart represent a gentle slope. Very tight contour lines can represent a cliff, and where a cliff meets water, you can have a fishing hotspot! You will find small roads, creeks, rivers, and other gems that don’t show up on the best road maps. You may also find small backwoods lakes that you never knew existed. Locations to look out for are sharp bends in a river, the area where a creek meets a larger river or lake, and small bays.

Certain bodies of water also have hydrographic charts available for them. These provide the individual with water depths, nature of the bottom, elevations, and characteristics of the shore. Whether fishing from a shore or boat, these charts are defiantly worth every penny. Apply the biology information you learned about the species and you will easily be able to eliminate fishless water with the aid of these charts.

Lately satellite images have been available to the public on the internet. Let me tell you, you will be amazed at the detail that is available in these images. Several websites provide users with these images, but I fell the best images are offered by Keyhole which was purchased by Goggle. These images are available to the public free of charge. I was able to locate a shoal on a body of water I fish that I never knew existed. The satellite image from directly above clearly showed a large shallow shoal. The edges of the shoal were full of fish; a new hotspot. Using the zoom function will sometimes allow you to find deep holes in rivers (These show up as darker areas in the river bed, popular holding areas for all species of fish), small access roads, and the colour of the bikini your neighbour was wearing when the shot was taken. One minor issue though, clear resolution is not available for all areas. Hopefully the area you plan to fish is offered in clear resolution, one of may favourite rivers is!

Combine the satellite images with a topographic map and you can easily plan out an entire day of exploration. Look for roads leading to the water body or bridges that cross over the lake or river.

There are several other publications available to angler looking for information. These publications offer detailed information on a particular body of water, species available, depths, maps, and best fishing locations. These books and maps practically do all the work for the angler.

There can be some minor hiccups though that could easily discourage any angler.

Sometimes you arrive at a location you marked on your map and it may be posted as private property. Please do not trespass. It is against the law and you don’t want to run into an angry property owner. Sometimes though, it pays to ask permission. You may receive exclusive access to a new hot spot or you may receive a not so pleasant response. To be honest, most spots I mark on the map don’t work out for various reasons. If I end up with one spot during an exploration trip, I am satisfied and usually I end up with at least one location.

Don’t always expect to catch fish on your first trip to a new location. If you do, consider it a bonus. The first time out should be used for exploration and getting to know the area. Next time you return to the location and the sun is still below the horizon, you will know exactly where to go and hopefully catch enough fish to make up for the first trip.

As much as we would like, not all things come easy. It is not fair to expect others to give up locations they have worked so hard for. It is much more rewarding to accomplish something on your own rather than having it handed to you on a silver platter. Naturally many of us are tied for time and can’t afford to waste an entire day exploring. A day like this can easily be turned into a family outing with everyone enjoying the drive and beautiful scenery this province has to offer. It doesn’t have to be a day trip either. You couple spend a couple hours exploring an area close to home. Sometimes you have to invest some time before you are able to reap the rewards. First you learn, then you get good, then you catch fish after fish! Enjoy your new honey hole.

Paul Posluszny