Bay of Quinte cheat sheet
Every fish, the licence and limits, the rigs and the box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Bay of Quinte
Walleye: the autumn run mid-October into December is the trophy window, plus the early-May opener through the year; spring spawning closure 2 March to the first Saturday in May. Bass, pike and perch on their own FMZ 20 seasons.
Licence
Ontario Outdoors Card + fishing licence, buy at huntandfishontario.com. 2026 non-resident: one-year sport CAD $83.19, eight-day $54.38, one-day $24.86, all incl HST, plus an $8.57 Outdoors Card. One licence covers the province. Confirm the current fees before you buy.
The limits
Walleye Sport 4, only one over 63 cm (about 25 in); Conservation 2. Check FMZ 20 for the bass, pike and perch limits and seasons. Walleye open 1 Jan to 1 Mar and the first Saturday in May to 31 Dec; closed 2 Mar to the day before the first Saturday in May (the spawn).
Release / handle with care
Many anglers release the big autumn female walleye (the spawners) and keep a smaller eater. Check the Ontario Guide to Eating Sport Fish for your fish and size. Wet hands, unhook in the water, and clean, drain and dry the boat between waters.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | Where | Season | Method / rig |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | The deep channels and the reach | Mid-Oct – Dec (the troll) | Troll cranks and harnesses on boards and leadcore: trolling rig |
| Walleye | Staging areas and structure | Spring; summer slower | Cast and jig: walleye jig and bottom-bouncer, drop shot |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | Weedy shallows; rocky points and reefs | Summer into early autumn | Ned rig, Neko rig or Texas rig, or a drop shot |
| Northern pike | The weed edges and bay mouths | Spring and autumn | A soft shad, spoon or lipless lure on a wire trace (terminal end as the walleye jig) |
| Yellow perch and panfish | Weed edges, shallow bays, drop-offs | All year; best in the cooler months | Drop shot or vertical jig |
This is boat fishing, and the trophy walleye is a boat game. Charter or your own boat: walleye on the deep channels (troll) and structure (jig), bass on the shallows and rock, pike on the weed edges, perch on a drop shot.
The rigs
Line-counter reel → leadcore or downrigger → crankbait or worm harness on a planer board, run deep to the channel fish
Palomar · improved clinch · non-slip loop at the lureMain line → jighead with minnow or plastic (cast/vertical), or an L-bottom-bouncer → spinner and worm harness
Palomar · improved clinchBraid → fluoro leader → in-line hook point-up, tag to a drop-shot weight (7–14 g), small soft plastic
PalomarBraid → fluoro leader → a 7–21 g jighead worked straight down over a school, lift and drop
Palomar · non-slip loopBraid → fluoro leader → mushroom/Neko jighead, finesse soft plastic for smallmouth
Palomar · improved clinchMain line → bullet weight → offset worm hook, a weedless soft plastic through cover
Palomar · improved clinchWhat you need
A medium spinning outfit and a box of jigs, bottom-bouncers, harnesses and plastics cover the casting and jigging. Add a wire trace for pike. The deep autumn troll needs trolling gear, which a charter supplies.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | The workhorse, jigs and braid-to-terminal. | Every rig |
| Non-slip loop | A free-swinging jighead or a lure that swims better on a loop. | Lures and jigheads |
| Improved clinch | A quick, reliable tie for lures, snaps and harness components. | Lures and snaps |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties most of this. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.