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I was sitting here reading all the posts on ice fishing and looking at all the gear that everyone is hauling out with them. I got thinking back to when I was in my mid 20s and living in French River. A 12hp Elan was a luxury, no augers, a homemade ice chisle (spud), and a tree branch was our goto rod. We didn't have ice huts, a couple of poles stuck in the ice with a tarp to break the wind if anything. Pretty basic but we did catch a lot of fish 😊 Mind you, back then we could build a fire out on the ice, we didn't have to trailer our machines to get to the lake, and the only time you saw anyone else is if you happened to be fishing together.

I guess it’s been a while since I put together a proper fishing report. It’s not for lack of fishing, however! I’ve been out fishing regularly, mostly from canoe or shore fishing locally in the GTA, often solo, occasionally with the kids in tow. Living my best dad life raising two boys certainly limited my time to write and share my adventures, but I hope to share more in 2021. Since moving back to Ontario about 8 years ago, I’ve struggled to find as many pike and musky as I used to. I generally dedicate at least 75 hours into muskies, and likely the same or more time looking for urban pike. I’ve spent far less time returning to old muskie spots, opting to try new locations looking for larger fish. It's been a challenge, putting in hours hours of fishing in poor conditions (limited time off to when my wife - who works retail hours - was home or could arrange childcare) I had a couple of seasons with just one or two fish in the net, despite seeing fish and generating follows. Things changed after finally meeting up with Captain Bunker for a big river mission in 2018. We had talked about fishing together for years, but the stars never aligned until one fateful fall day in October, and then a week or two later - my two biggest muskies! 16 years after my first muskie, two 50+ inchers hit the net! Big water equals big fish. My biggest freshwater fish, until I got out again the next year to fish for dinosaurs with Bunk... One of many that day! More at bunksoutdoorangle.com! 2020 Fishing I don’t think anyone will forget 2020, it’s been a hell of a year for everyone! My plan was to fish pike hard early season, but the local lockdowns made access to my favourite spots a challenge, and the rest of my spots were loaded with new fishermen that found themselves with free time and nothing else to do. I was lucky to get in a trip to Florida before things really got bad, even caught a Jays game and did a little bit of fishing! To avoid crowds I started fishing at night for early season walleye, and despite seeing them caught by other night anglers, I couldn’t dial one in. I made up for it in the fall with a couple of accidental walters while fishing for muskie. Late spring went well, catching pike consistently in Gloucester Pool (in-laws cottage), nothing big, but I always enjoy catching pike on spinnerbaits. I got out for a couple of early season muskie trips, but again couldn’t turn follows into bites! This is where Covid got serious and my fishing trips mostly ended as temperatures were also on the rise. January GTA pike Backyard creek trout in Port Credit Solo canoe fishing Tiny planet May pike Once September rolled around I really had the itch to get out for muskie, but I didn't want to travel far from home with Covid cases still on the rise. I knew the chances of getting out on the water with Bunk again was slim to none, but as luck would have it my old friend Johnny had been in touch and while he was having luck with salmon, was interested in going for muskie as well. With the Niagara River practically in his backyard, and just over an hour drive for me, it was the perfect place to meet. I had seen a couple of musky there before while aiming for walleye and bass but I didn’t have high expectations. Boy was a wrong! We dialed in fish almost immediately using swimbaits and started meeting regularly to target muskies from shore. We figured out weather/wind patterns and major/minor phases that resulted in catching muskies on most of our trips, often hooking/catching multiple fish within a couple of hour. Johnny was diagnosed with a severe muskie fever in early September 2020 and went into spending mode, amassing an impressive amount of muskie gear in a few short weeks. As fate would have it, the muskie God’s were not satisfied. Despite each of us logging 80-100 of casting (and visiting the Muskie Factory in Windsor), he didn't connect with another muskie before season closed. While I managed a few solid fish, the highlight was sharing my love of muskie (I guess it's contagious) with Johnny. Having a good buddy to share in the highs and lows (not to mention having a net man with long reach!) was priceless and certainly the highlight of a crazy year. Pretty little muskie Night muskie December muskie Wishing you all good health and big fish in 2021!

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I was just watching "How it's Made" commercially made " Montreal Smoked Meat " isn't smoked at all. How can they sell it as "smoked meat" ? Ok, now you know how bored I am 😁

Despite all that went on in our country this past year one thing remained pretty consistent... the FISHING! The lakers, muskies, gar, char, crappies, specks, pike, walleye and even for once in my life some splake too, all made life better. The fun never ends as long as you keep getting out there to experience new things, in new places and hopefully in 2021 with plenty more people safely at your side. Short 2020 picture loaded report at the link below... Best to all for 2021. . THE FISHIN' 20/20 ON 2020 .

Nice to see old posts like this again. All the best 👍

Sweet tie 👍

That should be illegal

The second pic is pretty artsy

The pressure on our lakes is higher than ever, but luckily conservation awareness is becoming more prevalent especially with the younger crowd. most young anglers I know these days might keep one to eat if that and the rest go back. Anything big is almost never kept. These efforts being made are allowing our fisheries to still seemingly hold up to the increase in pressure we see.

Judging by the murder of that whitefish... I'd say your bloodworm is aptly tied.

So much nostalgia from one post! I remember reading and admiring every post and every photograph that you (+ your co-conspirator) shared from your Toronto Islands fishing adventures back in the mid 2000's. I was about 16 at the time, so the fanaticism was at an all time high. I remember the impressive Canon G5 shots (try to impress someone with a 5MP camera today!), the fishing hook necklace, the tats, the big hoop earrings, the ahead-of-its-time website design, the dozens of impressive catches, and of course the dedication to the Mepps #3 in black/yellow! If I remember correctly, the last post I read from you was from a fly-in pike/walleye fishing trip you took to Little Vermilion Bay also quite a few years ago. I just can't believe this many years have gone by! Back when I first started posting on OFŇ I couldn't even grow a beard, and just as with the pike, you have again 1-upped me. 🥳 Glad to see you too have made it this far and continue to pound the waters. Cheers!

There were a few dinks around but nothing worth catching and the dinks parked their cars on the ice

When the back says no to outdoor activity and there's apples in the garage. An apple cranberry crunch into the oven. Should be done in 35 minutes. Too bad there's no smell-o-meter, can't walk past it without sampling.

Guess who...

Barrie news tonight. Cars parked on near shore ice went through on Cooks Bay: https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/two-minivans-break-through-ice-on-cook-s-bay-1.5289102

You'll never go wrong with black & orange.

Theres lots of other lakes besides simcoe and nipissing that have safe ice. You are just going to have to wait a bit for simcoe. I don't know about what happened with you and the hales guys, I thought you said it was floyd hales to be honest, but I have been going out of beaverton for over 30 years, and I have nothing but good to say about those operations. I've been on both the receiving end, and the giving end of help, and they all pulled together when someone was in need. Now, if you were set up in their compound, that is on you. If you were set up on the trail they were using, that is also on you and a huge NO NO. I don't even ride my sled on their trails. They spend a lot of time and money to keep their "roads" open and accessible and marked for the safety of their clients, and all it takes is one person to wreck their day. I'm sure you could understand that they have bad days too, and people setting up in their area will do that. I know its not their lake, but they do deserve some respect out there, and I always give them a wide berth. They are just trying to pay their bills like the rest of us. I haven't had a single issue with any of them. Just because you see their huts, doesn't mean you need to set up in that area either. I always have better fishing away from the packs of huts. Stay to the outer edges, always come prepared for anything, and never count on anyone but yourself to get you out of a bad situation. Rules to live by out there. S.

Boating just a few miles gets you away from others if you launch on the Onaman river

One place I know very little about, nipigon. Does it have fish that have never seen a hook? Does boating in 30 miles get you away from other boats? I enjoy remote areas. Maybe one day I’ll go there. great post Bunk.

I have had numerous floatation suits/jackets over the years and here's my take! Any flotation clothing is better than none and HT Ice Picks are an absolute must! I hated the one piece suit because I always felt like the Michelin man wearing it and opening it half way when it was warm out was a pain! Two piece suits are awesome but some are stiffer than others! Last year was my first year with a Striker suit and I absolutely love it, incredibly well designed, obviously with a tremendous amount of feedback from ice anglers! The adjustable inseam is awesome for us vertically challenged people! I would highly recommend one of their suits! Here is a test by David Lefebre:

You don’t need the bibs to float however once you get out of the water the jacket and bibs will help keep you warm while you try to get off the ice i tested mine in a swimming pool and to my surprise the bibs and jacket kept out much of the water which would be a big help in minus temps