Fishing

FishingIf you are interested in sport fishing, Port Colborne is the one place in Niagara you want to visit. With immediate access to Lake Erie and numerous smaller inland bodies of water, anglers can be assured of top-flight fishing - no matter what type of fish or fishing they prefer. Best of all, it is one of the few areas in the Golden Horseshoe where it is safe to eat what you catch!

Springtime runs on Lake Erie and Gravelly Bay include crappie, bluegill, catfish, perch and pike. Summer anglers look forward to the challenge of walleyes and small mouth bass.

Summer fishing tournaments include the the CanAm Walleye Classic and the 444 International Walleye Tournament. Sugarloaf Harbour Marina also hosts one-day derbies throughout the summer.

Lakes and streams in local conservation areas, flooded quarries and farm ponds offer other opportunities for pike, largemouth bass, carp and bullhead. If salmon and trout are tour passion, Lake Ontario and the Niagara River are only a 30-minute drive away. Ice fishing is also popular on local lakes and along the Lake Erie shore during winter months.

 
 
 

Port Colborne Fishing Guide

Port Colborne Fishing GuideThe Port Colborne Fishing Guide is now available! This guide contails helpful information about fishing in Port Colborne, as well as a  useful map with fishing hot-spots in the surrounding waters.

The guide is available for download by clicking here.

Hard copies are available throughout Port Colborne, including at these locations:

Port Colborne City Hall; 66 Charlotte Street

Humberstone Hall Visitor Information Centre; 76 Main Street West

Sugarloaf Harbour Marina; 3 Marina Road

Canadian Tire; 287 West Side Road

Erie Tracker Outfitters; 111 Killaly Street West

 
 
 

2009 Tournament Dates

For the 2009 fishing season, two exciting multi-day tournaments and a one-day derby will be held in Port Colborne. This is a great opportunity to come and enjoy the waters off Port Colborne, catch some fish, and win prizes. For more information about these events, use the contact information provided below:

444 International Walleye Tournament
June 19th to 21st
HH Knoll-Lakeview Park
In its 18th year, the 444 International Walleye Tournament is one of the most popular fishing tournaments on Lake Erie. Organized by the Port Colborne & District Conservation Club, this is an exciting event for professional and amateur anglers, as well as the public. With weigh-ins in HH Knoll-Lakeview Park, cash prizes, raffle draws, entertainment, and delicious food, a good time will be had by all.
For more information, contact Chris MacEachern: 905-834-1617, or click here to visit the Port Colborne & District Conservation Club

One Day Walleye Derby
July 4th (rain date August 8th)
After 2 great years back to back Sugarloaf Harbour Marina and Erie Tracker Outfitters will once again be hosting the One Day Walleye Derby. Make sure you save this date to fish for the “big one” with family and friends.
For more information, contact Sugarloaf Harbour Marina: 905-835-6644, or click here to visit Sugarloaf Harbour Marina

Can-Am Walleye Classic
July 24th to 26th
Sugarloaf Harbour Marina
Join the excitement of annual Canadian and American Walleye Classic. This event is for the professional and amateur angler alike, with great prizes and a fun time to be had. Weigh-ins on Saturday and Sunday evenings in the Sugarloaf Harbour Marina’s pavilion will provide an entertaining atmosphere for non-anglers as well.
For more information, contact Sugarloaf Harbour Marina: 905-835-6644, or click here to visit Sugarloaf Harbour Marina
 
 
 

Is it Safe to Eat Fish from Lake Erie?

Fish from Lake Erie and Lake Huron are monitored by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the American Environmental Protection Agency. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency tests all commercial catches from Lake Erie.

Botulism is a resident bacteria in the Great Lakes that arrived about 10 years ago when ships from the Caspian Sea introduced exotic species, such as zebra mussels, into the St. Lawrence Seaway system. If climatic conditions are right, botulism can come up through the food chain and begin to have an impact on the ecosystem. For three consecutive years dead fish and birds have been found on beaches, mostly in the west end of Lake Erie. This has led researchers to suspect the presence of type E botulism.

Type E botulism effects bottom feeding fish species, such as Sheephead, Goby, Carp and Catfish. None of these species are caught and sold commercially. Lake Erie sport fish, Walleye and Perch, do not dwell at the bottom of the lake and do not eat zebra mussels.

It is the current position of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources that there is "no reason not to consume fish from Lake Erie." However, all fish should be fully cooked before consumption.

 
 
 

Port Colborne and Area Fishing Charters

Below is a list of fishing charter services operating out of Port Colborne and the surrounding area. Each offers the exciting experience of fishing on the open waters of Lake Erie. Because these are professional charters, the operators know where the fish are, and ensure that you will have a great time.

Fishmaster Ultimate Charters
Dunnville
1-866-862-2380

Get It Wet Fishing Charters
Port Colborne
905-835-8105

Niagara Sportfishing
Welland
905-788-9384

On Line Charters
Port Colborne
905-835-2275

WM. G. Whitehead Charters
Ridgeway
905-894-1861

 
 
 

Bob Izumi on Port Colborne

'Reel' find

Bob Izumi's fishing show puts Port Colborne in focus

ALLAN BENNER

Tribune Staff

PORT COLBORNE — Bob Izumi has spent most of the past three decades fishing all over the world and he spends as many as 300 days a year travelling.

“I’ve been everywhere. Coming up, I’m going to Ottawa. I have a British Columbia trip. It’s on and on. Every probably three days is another adventure,” said Izumi, host of Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing Show.

But he’s spent the past few days in Port Colborne, casting his line in Lake Erie.

“The reason I’m down here, the real reason is I love fishing down here. Lake Erie is one of my favourite places to fish in all of the world because of the diverse fishery and the size of the fish. And I like big water, I think it’s awesome because there's so many places you can go and fish.”

Though he’s fished in Lake Erie many times, this time he’s here on business rather than pleasure — but in Izumi’s line of work it amounts to pretty much the same thing.

“I’m going to film a couple of shows down here this year. We shot (Thursday) and got some big bass out on Lake Erie.”

Yesterday, Izumi was in Port Colborne filming footage — at the museum and along West St. — to show “some of the local flavour.”

And next week, he plans to return to the open water to finish filming footage for the episode that won’t be aired until some time next year.

This is not the first time Izumi has shot footage for his show off the coast of Port Colborne, but this time he said “it’s more official.”

“I’m shooting a few shows to promote the area and of course the fishing that’s here.”

Despite the weather Thursday, Izumi was impressed with the fish he was catching.

“Just in the short time I was down here, I talked to guys that were out.”

One group of fishermen brought in dozens of large perch, while another group pulled in “a half a dozen nice walleye.”

Everyone he spoke with Thursday “caught what they were after so to see all three species being caught, and good sized ones to boot, it’s pretty good — almost too good.”

 

From the Welland Tribune, Saturday July 4th, 2009.