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Getting the (Long) Point!
Brett Walther
May 18, 2002
Having worked in the office at Long Point Provincial Park for the past four summers, there are a few "frequently asked questions" that haunt me to this day.
The first, of course, being: "how can we drive to the end of the Point?" Unfortunately, many of the visitors that arrive at the gate each summer are under the impression that the paved stretch of the 59 continues the full length of the 40-kilometre sandspit. When the staff at the gate inform them that the eastern park boundary is quite literally "the end of the road", the visitors are inevitably disappointed.
Another question was actually less common this past summer, largely due to the drought-like conditions: "When is it going to stop raining?" Apart from consulting the dubious oracle of Environment Canada, this was often a question without a definite answer.
This question that I dreaded the most, nevertheless, was "Where are the fish biting?" This is by no means a silly question. However, I admit to having absolutely no experience in this area. Furthermore, my only contact with anglers was as they were en route to the boat launching facility to start their day on the Bay, I never heard from them at the end of the day with regards to where the fishing hot-spots exactly were.
Thankfully-for both Long Point Provincial Park staff as well as boaters--a web site has been developed that can provide a wealth of information for anglers who are setting out for a fruitful fishing adventure on Long Point Bay. Stomp's Long Point Page at http://www.longpoint.on.ca/ offers links to Weather, Fishing and the Long Point Bay Anglers' Association.
The Weather links provided include 15 different types of meteorological information from a number of different sources. Clicking on the link to the "Long Point Light Weather Station" offers a very helpful local weather report, with hourly weather updates which include temperature, wind direction and speed as well as pressure. Another interesting Weather link is the "Lake Erie Water Temperature Profiles". This link provides both aerial and cross-sectional depictions of the water temperature of the Lake. It may be hard to believe that the beach where you enjoyed mid-80 degrees Fahrenheit lake temperatures has now plummeted to such freezing conditions.
Perhaps the best resource that this site provides is an online discussion forum that's listed under the Fishing link as "Channel 6-8". This forum allows anglers to post messages for others, sharing the locations of their most successful catches of perch, pike, small and largemouth bass, pickerel and walleye. As well, browsing through the discussion will shed light on how best to prepare fish for eating as well as the politics of fishing around private property operated by the Long Point Company. Other anglers use this opportunity to share their experiences on the lake, from disgust at "litterbugs" on the water to their preferences for different brands of rods and lures.
The site even offers a link to Long Point Provincial Park, recommending it among other establishments for overnight accomodation. Stomp's basically features all you need to organize a successful weekend fishing trip.
If I could offer one bit of advice to my successor during the next season at the Park, it would be to consult this site regularly. Surprise those anglers with those little tidbits you picked up from Stomp's Long Point Page... "The perch are biting off the Bluff Bar, one measured in at approximately 14 inches, and the wind has just recently shifted from West to Northwest with a 40% probability of precipitation, increasing later on in the afternoon."
Now THAT's quality service!
Brett Walther is the Community Access Program Coordinator. He supervises the nineteen CAP Youth who provide free one-on-one Internet assistance in each of the branches of the Oxford County Library. He can be contacted at Information Access Oxford in Beachville at (519) 423-1928, extension 207.
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