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I'll be 79 in a few weeks, my days of walking out, drilling holes, sitting on a 5 gal. Pail all day in -20 temps are long over.

Very first time I ever saw and learned how to use a real actual tip up for Whitefish like that using salted minnows and a three way spreader on the bottom was that first trip to Bark lake. Now folks call any sort of pivoting balanced system a tip up when they all tip down lol. By the end of the weekend fingertips were all split from all that salt.

I did 95% of my ice fishing then and now on my own, it's the way to go. However back in the late 70's my Dad's best friend and our neighbour, whose kids I actually used to baby sit moved up to Pefferlaw and had one of the biggest operations on Lake Simcoe at the time. It was easy to accept the offers he gave me including any hut I wanted and the transportation I needed to get me there.

Thank you so much my friend. Remarkable advise indeed. Inshaa Allah, I will consider these fishing tips. Regards, Muhammad Javaid

I don't fish that area off Ontario. However until you pull the trigger for boat consider getting some waders. They will greatly enhance your shore fishing capabilities. Also fun way to fish from shore is to target up land stream trout. You find creek-small river with lots of public access or get access from the farmer. Usually if you walk the creek bottom you shouldn't need permission only if you go up on shore. It's fun and you can explore a bit. Then when you shop for a boat 1st do you plan on fishing alone or with or 1 or 2 others. It'd better to get a slightly larger boat but if fishing alone you want to insure it's not to big to handle alone. If you target bass you want a floating dock (bass-boat), or if trolling for lakers or walleye then a deep-V for stability while trolling. Then comes storage can you park it? Don't hesitate the learning curves not bad and you likely won't regret it. I started with a square back canoe, went up to 14' runabout and now have a modest 16.5' Lund

If I can find a place to park I’ll walk out and drill a hole. Fishing used to be something you could do without spending much money.

Late, but hope all is well!

Absolutely a good value....it's a bargain as far as winter sports go.. Last winter we skied at Tremblant...single day lift tickets are $160 each. The year before I took my kids and grandkids to Whistler for a week...there are bundles that make it less expensive...but a "walk up to the counter" single day lift ticket is $250 per person.. At least those are real mountains. Blue Mountain in Collingwood (a hill which maybe takes 7 turns of your skiis to get down) charges $140 for a walk up day pass.. And skiing in Canada is cheap. At Vail Resort in Colorado, single day lift tickets are $295 USD...that's $423 CDN per person just to ski for the day. Believe it or not, there are even more expensive resorts.. At least with ice fishing you get to bring some good eats home...as opposed to spending $30 on a cold hamburger and greasy fries at the ski lodge cafeteria.. And don't get me started on what it costs to take your kids to a Leafs game.. So yeah, I'm not really feeling the "ouch" paying Tim Hale a few bucks to take care of me for the day...

Last year we were paying $70.00 per person. I managed to get out about 6 times so $420.00. I got free parking, transportation to and from the hut, all bait supplied a warm comfortable hut. Didn't have to worry about moving the hut, storing the hut, maintaining a sled, finding bait, cleaning the hut, ice conditions, hauling propane.....As far as I am concerned it's good value for the money spent.

Right! lol

That hat...and what's underneath it ! Nevermind the "rapidly aging mind"...it's the rapidly aging everything else on our bodies that "seems like only yesterday" 😆 Here's one from the same era...no hut, at night, homemade ice picks around the neck...

Most of my life ice fishing was spent out in the open, for some trout lakes for brookies we were close enough to shore to have a fire but that was the exception. We just dressed for the conditions with down parkas, long johns and lined pants, Sorel pac boots, down mitts and those solid fuel stick hand warmers. If you got chilled you went for a walk to warm up. It wasn't until we went to Sunny Hill Resort on Bark lake for a weekend back in the 90's that we ever got the luxury of a shack. Areas like Shirley's Bay on the Ottawa used to have up to 100 permanent shacks each year, now there might be a dozen as most people now use portable pop ups or flip overs.

I remember paying $22.00 per person what still seems like only yesterday in my rapidly aging mind.