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Just got a boat finally, and have been out on the Ottawa about a dozen times, and am having trouble locating anything!! I had a hit from one pike that was it. Does anybody fish the river near Renfrew?? Please help!! I love fishing but i'm not thew greatest at it!

I haven't fished the Ottawa around Renfrew, but if you take a short drive towards Arnprior there's some good fishing to be had. The Madawaska Head pond can produce as well as the Ottawa river where it meets the Madawaska. Fish the weeds/weed lines just west of where the Madawaska river flows into the Ottawa....You should get some fish. If you can't get anything on lures, minnows will do fine.

Good Luck, CClad.

I haven't fished the Ottawa around Renfrew, but if you take a short drive towards Arnprior there's some good fishing to be had. The Madawaska Head pond can produce as well as the Ottawa river where it meets the Madawaska. Fish the weeds/weed lines just west of where the Madawaska river flows into the Ottawa....You should get some fish. If you can't get anything on lures, minnows will do fine.

Good Luck, CClad.

I haven't fished the Ottawa around Renfrew, but if you take a short drive towards Arnprior there's some good fishing to be had. The Madawaska Head pond can produce as well as the Ottawa river where it meets the Madawaska. Fish the weeds/weed lines just west of where the Madawaska river flows into the Ottawa....You should get some fish. If you can't get anything on lures, minnows will do fine.

Good Luck, CClad.

Luke 5:5, I 've only fished that particular stretch a couple of times. However, it is important that all boaters on a River like the Ottawa invest in the charts for the area they fish. I noticed a few fellas lost their props or lower ends recently.

Sounds like you're between Chats Falls and Chenaux. That would be Chart # 1551. Do yourself a big favour and pick it up. The primary reason should be to locate dangerous waters before the fishfinder reads 0 feet. You can buy a lot of maps for the price of a rebuilt prop and skeg. Sadly, I speak from experience. I hit one almost a year ago to the day. I thought I was too far from shore to be near it. Then, BANG, BANG, BANG. There goes a $1000.00 plus. Foulups by the local dealer (don't get me started on the competence of boat dealers) meant he kept my boat from the Canada Day weekend until the 1st of August.

Equally important is that, by studying the Chart, you can learn to predict where the fish might be. You can tell where the shoals, sand bars and hump/holes are. Without a GPS, it can be next to impossible to locate the open water features. However, targets near shore shouldn't require GPS.

One other piece of advice that applies to any river - pay attention to the river level. If it's rising, go shallow. If it's falling, look deeper.

later,

Leakyboot

(edited for typo)

I fish the area of the ottawa from the bonahcere up west to the channels alot. I have never had much luck before the weeds have developed in mid July. In the meantime look for the little spots and work them well. Check out the little bays and islands, it is such a big area that you can get bogged down trying to find a spot. Get a map, pick a bay and pack a lunch. We had great success with Walleye in the spring. There are lots of pike and small mouth bass around as well.

leakyboot has got that right. there are a lot of rock shoals i can go over with my little boat, (15ft with a 20hp) that we found out the hard way last fall a larger boat can run into. There is still a number of dead heads sitting down 2feet below the surface that can do a number on the prop. Good Luck!

Echo Leakyboot, get a map Helps alot

All around the islands directly across from the Bonnechere, all the big long main river points. Out of the current, behind islands, shoals, points and all the big bays, Lesters, Stories, Heese, Sand etc. etc....