wallacio

The Lake O tribs in the spring have their merits (relatively good numbers, some very large specimens) but the crowds and urbanized settings soon leave me pining for my favourite Huron/GB haunts. It must be in my blood as I grew up on her shores (at least part-time anyway). I recently got a crack at my home water, which often doesn't present fishable conditions during the spring months (especially this late in the year). I connected with a few chrome hens which were full of fight even with the cold water temperatures and not unlike the fall months, I lost a few to the wood. Won't be long now before most are up into the nursery water.

The mouths of many Lake Huron tributaries are considered part of FMZ 13 ie part of Lake Huron, year-round open season for Steelhead. Of course, in their effort to simplify the regs recently, the MNR have made things more complicated. One has to wade through scores of detailed maps to determine the various boundaries. The Nine Mile is "Detail 5-2" in the link below. You'll need a GPS to find the actual boundary but generally speaking, the accepted open season water is the part of the river which is adjacent to the retaining wall, immediately up from the lake. Years ago, there were signs which marked the upper limit but they're now gone. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/241285.pdf

No worries! Interesting what can be found with a quick Google search huh?

Here's the answer directly from the MNR: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Enfor...age/198397.html - See bottom of page for the answer below. Question Re: Private Property I own a large parcel of land with a good sized spring-fed pond on it, the pond drains off of my land into a near-by river. I know there are fishing the pond, do I need a licence to fish in the pond and do the seasons apply on my property? Answer: Because your pond has an outflow the laws requiring a licence and the various fishing seasons would apply to your pond. The Ontario Fishery Regulations, which contain the rules for sport fishing in Ontario, apply to all water in the province with the exception of National Parks, waters that are licenced under an aquaculture licence and waters that occur on private lands that meet all of the following conditions: The waters are not on a regional flood plain, The waters lie wholly on privately owned land, The waters are not connected to natural waters, The waters contain water from run-off, springs, ground water or water pumped from a stream or lake; AND The waters have been artificially created. If the pond meets all of the list above the fish must then come from a licenced aquaculture facility or a licenced commercial fish operation; they cannot be caught by sport-fishing and transferred to the pond.

In short, the spreader should be on bottom and the line should not have any slack all the way up to your tip-up. This means the tip up is balanced ie horizontal (though some like to set it pointing down slightly or up slightly). When a Whitefish picks up the spreader from the bottom, the tip-up arm moves up. Some like to add a third (or forth) single hook a short distance up from the spreader in order catch cruising Whities or Lakers. If a fish strikes this hook, generally the tip-up arm will move down. Sometimes live minnows (vs dead) will help to elicit a strike from more finicky fish but this isn't an option in Quebec. Hope that helps.

Here's another variation (which I prefer)...similar to the second video but you cut right through the rib cage, following the spine with your knife and then remove the rib bones after. I find that it's a bit easier than having to cut down along the rib bones.

Good suggestions....toothpaste works as well!

Very, very nice. IMHO, there's nothing better than big Brookies! Here's a few shots of a big girl from an Algonquin trip this past spring...

As stated building a "T" from metal or wood works great. If memory serves, you have the Humminbird 565? You can also purchace an ice transducer for this unit for about $80 (LeBaron carries them). BTW if anyone using these Humminbird units and is still using the expensive lantern batteries which only last for a few trips, I have a step-wise set of pictures on how to convert it to accept rechargeable gel cell batteries which are available at hobby shops (PM me for the pics). I see that Humminbird also sells gel cells now as well.

Go for the Humminbird...it's a good buy for your budget. I have an older Matrix 20 portable which is basically the same unit. I use it on small boats/canoes etc as well as on the ice...it'll track a little jig all they way down to 100'

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ry/Science/home MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT From Tuesday's Globe and Mail January 13, 2009 at 4:15 AM EST Humans have become "superpredators," speeding up the evolution of the species they hunt and harvest at rates far above what is found in nature, according to new research, some of it conducted by Canadian biologists. The researchers believe that many recently observed changes in species, ranging from the shrinkage in the horns of bighorn sheep in the Rockies to the reduction in the size of caribou in Scandinavia, are being driven by humans. The biologists estimate that hunting has caused such characteristics as body size and reproductive age to change at a rate that is a staggering 300 per cent above the pace that would prevail in nature. This figure is even greater than the change attributed to other human interferences, such as pollution, which was estimated to alter species 50 per cent faster than what normally happens. "The implications are pretty wide and profound," said Paul Paquet, a University of Calgary biologist who dubs humans "superpredators" for this outsized impact. A paper outlining the findings was posted yesterday in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In it, Dr. Paquet and others argue that current hunting and harvesting practices are inadvertently causing dramatic changes in the behaviour and appearance of species. The reason: Humans tend to "high-grade" nature, taking out the biggest and best in a species. The approach is clearest in trophy hunting, where animals with the biggest horns or bodies are killed, while inferior ones are left. But the practice also occurs in commercial fishing, where mesh openings in nets capture the biggest fish while smaller ones escape. The human approach is the opposite to what happens in nature, where predators kill the easiest-to-catch animals, such as the young, the old and the sick, but are unable to take out the fittest adults, which then reproduce and pass their desirable characteristics on to future generations. Many hunting rules are based on a view that bagging mature animals is the best approach, but Dr. Paquet says humans should be trying to emulate nature, even though at first glance it doesn't seem sporting to kill younger creatures. "That's clearly the best management regime," he said. The researchers, who are affiliated with the University of Calgary and the University of Victoria as well as two U.S. universities, looked at 34 studies that examined physical or biological characteristics in 29 species subject to heavy pressure from human predation. Besides the bighorn sheep and caribou, they included snails; a pair of medicinal plants; and various commercially caught fish. "Harvested organisms are the fastest-changing organisms of their kind in the wild because we are superpredators and we take such high proportions of a population and target the largest individuals," Dr. Paquet said. The rate of change is staggering from an evolutionary point of view, where the alteration in species is often thought to occur slowly. Alberta's bighorn sheep, for instance, have experienced a 20-per-cent drop in the length and size of their horns in only the past 30 years. The sheep are prized for the distinctive curve in their horns, making them sought-after trophies. Atlantic cod, whose populations have collapsed because of overfishing, now reproduce at an average age of five years, rather than six, as was the case previously. The change, which in humans would amount to children reaching sexual maturity and having offspring at ages of around nine to 11, occurred in only two decades. Among the species harvested or hunted by humans and reviewed in the paper, body size or horn size decreased by an average 18 per cent. There was also a pattern of reproduction at an earlier age or smaller size. ***** THE DIMINISHING PREY BIGHORN SHEEP The sheep, found in mountainous areas of Western Canada and the United States, are famed for the unusual curved horns on the rams. The rams are hunted as trophies, but researchers believe the practice of taking the biggest specimens has prompted genetic change leading to a marked decline in horn size. CARIBOU Caribou from southern Norway, the last remaining wild population in Europe, have shrunk because of hunting. The selective killing of the biggest animals has led to a reduction in the size of bodies, antlers and jaws. Researchers suspect the same trend may have occurred in southern populations of caribou in Canada. AMERICAN GINSENG The gnarled root of the plant is prized for its medicinal properties - collected for illnesses ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. But extensive harvesting has led to a change in the composition of wild stands, with an increased number of smaller, non-reproductive plants. COD The destruction of cod stocks has led to altered reproductive behaviour. The fish produce eggs at a younger age, but this early breeding has a big drawback. The early breeders are producing abnormally low numbers of eggs.

100% correct Louis. The notion of not being able to release Steelhead while 'rigging during the summer months is common misconception that I'd like to see change. Skip the photo op, keep them in the water when removing the hooks and they'll swim away almost every time.

Still looks muddy... http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/mod...ie.143.250m.jpg

1) Turn the chart speed to max ("Ultra") - this will ensure that data is virtually instantaneous ie no lag. 2) Adjust sensitivity up so that you are able to mark fish and your lure(s) but not so high that you are getting too much "noise" etc. 3) I like the split view screen where the main screen is the bottom zoom and the side screen is the whole water column as most ice fishing hits are close to bottom. Hope that helps - good luck!

I also prefer graphing units (a portable Humminbird for me). Simply turn the chart speed to max and the "lag" is negligible.

Well, the MOE does not recommend (via "the Guide to Eating Sportfish") consumption of a Laker of that size from the lower Niagara but I assume from your response that you already know this (though perhaps others reading your post would not).

Sounds like a great day...one question though, was that 34.5" Laker retained for consumption?

Nice work guys - a few miles today indeed. I'm surprised location #1 was slow - water looked absolutely perfect and there's been some good reports of big fish as of late.

Heh - yeah Scott, still chasing steel though not as much now with a baby a home...

Mikey, thanks again for organizing that great trip - could not have had a better time. Jay - great to meet and fish with you. Perhaps it should become an annual roadtrip?

Sometimes tough to tell from a photo but I would agree with your estimate...again, nice one!

Great fish! Did you get a weight or measurements?

Raven 12lb (low-vis green for me). Great line - thin relative to the line rating, stays supple (low memory), floats well (easy mending, line control).

Yeah Dan, I still have the Loomis...has landed a fish or two over the years and still sees regular action in the field. I also run a (grey) Islander and love it. Probably the best "production" reel on the market.

Actually, I was just referring to you HeeHee!