tonyb

Some great photos there! I still think you are the winner of ther derby Tbayboy...I have been trying to catch my first Simcoe whitefish for the last 2 years through the ice and it hasn't happened yet! I'm sure that fish tasted great...how did you prepare it? Almost looks like a cajun recipe? Looking forward to next year already! Tony

Thanks again for all the hard work Maureen, it is great to see another successful event go off without a hitch! It seems each year that passes that more and more people find out about this and the media attention this year should help with the next event too! It was a nice day and made better by knowing it was all for a great cause. Tony

Well as tradition goes, it was time for the annual Fishing for Tyler fundraise that Maureen somehow manages to pull off successfully each year with the help of some key people. As usual, there were smiles all around as well as good food and camaraderie. My fishing partner for the day was Aaron Shirley from the Getting Hooked TV show...he had the gadgets and plan to get us out to where the fish were... When we walked out onto the ice we had made it out quite a ways when we saw a handful of pickups pass by us. We stopped in our tracks and Aaron returned to the parking lot to get his truck so we wouldn't have to walk so far. We had realized that the structure that looked so good on the Navionics chart that he had loaded into his sonar was about 4.5 miles away! Our plan was to hook up the gps unit and drive along while following the contour lines on the hydrographic chart to about 80 feet of water...well the first spot where we drilled a hole was actually only 65 feet of water, so we headed deeper. Next stop was 70 feet of water...and so we kept moving deeper until we found 82 feet of water. Not long after we drilled holes we had the sonars going and were marking fish near bottom! A good sign. We had 2 tip-ups and then we each were jigging spoons. We both had fish interested in our spoons but most of them would look at the jig, swim up to it, and then swim away. It wasn't long and Aaron yells Fish on! I ran over and helped him land the fist Lake trout of the day. That Laker fell to the classic Williams Ice jig in the half-n-half pattern with the hammered metal look (gold/silver) It was kind of funny when Aaron hooked that fish...I had been desperately trying to shake a skunk curse that has been following me around for the last half-dozen ice fishing trips, and thought it wasn't fair that Aaron had caught the fish and not me...but my turn was coming! It was a struggle to keep an eye on the tip-ups that we had deployed. It seemed that whenever you wanted to check the tip-ups a fish would appear on the sonar, checking out our jigs. So we had to force ourselves to keep an eye on the tip-ups, to make a point of at least eye-balling them regularly. One of the times I looked over I saw the tip-up dip down hard, and then stay down. I did the kamikaze run towards it and set the hook, the battle began! It was hand to fin combat for what seemed like forever on the 6lb test line. I would get the fish close and then it would make a big run and I would have to feed it line carefully. It really helped having an extra set of hands to keep the line from getting tangled on the ice - Thanks Aaron! Finally after meticulously aligning the fishes head into the hole, Aaron scooped it up and handed it over for the photo. And another with the tip-up in the picture... The smile says it all - no more Skunk today! Not long after that I had a few aggressive fish checking out the spoon on the sonar, I could sense that I was going to get another strike...you could tell when there was an interested fish because you could lure them up away from bottom, sometimes up to 30' off bottom as was the case with one eager Trout that Aaron was teasing. At one point he called me over and I got to witness a hilarious scene unfold on the screen of the Humminbird sonar, a fish was totally set on chasing Aarons spoon, but it wouldn't commit and strike. He was able to have it dancing up and down all over the screen...like bowshep said after it was like the waving 3 stooges hand gimmick that Moe would do to Curly! Enough of that though, and we had a good laugh at that crazy fish, but I wanted to catch more fish! I got my wish after switching spoons to a small silver Kastmaster spoon, and the result of some fancy Temagami twitch jigging! This particular Trout was sufficient to place first in the mini-derby that was held in support of Tyler and his family! After that we continued to try to catch one of Simcoe's elusive Whitefish but today it was all about the Lake Trout! Here is the days catch altogether... And of course, the wonderful prizes... Thanks again to everyone involved with the event, it is a great thing to be a part of and I look forward to doing it again next year! Tony

See you guys tomorrow! Tony

Some people have hats or yellow jackets but the best way is to come out to one of the events and meet the people in person. Pretty much everyone OFC'er that I have met has been a quality individual and it sure is easy to start up a conversation since everyone is a fisherman! For casting lures to trout, I recommend using light line 6 or 8lb monofilament and a quality ball-bearing snap-swivel. You do not need a leader. Some good lures are little cleos, mepps cyclops, panther martin spinners, and of course many of the Rapala minnow baits in the 9 size F9 J9, etc.

Uh oh...Religion has entered the thread...anyone seen Politics?

Interesting video for sure, and it does put things into perspective. Over the past few years I have witnessed many situations that made me really start to think about my plan in life. I realized that anything can happen at any time...some examples... A hard working individual who spent his entire working life sacrificing the nicer wants in life and saving and ensuring that he would have a comfortable retirement for his family. But when he retires, he is diagnosed with an illness that gives him 6 months to live. A woman at 30 years old being diagnosed with an agressive form of breast cancer, less than 3 months to live... Someone's parents, uncle, brother, sister dies in a tragic accident or sudden freak health problem like a heart attack... It impacts you...anyone who says that they have no regrets about how much time they spent with close friends and relatives while they were alive is either very lucky or lying. So I altered the path that I had always envisioned my life to take, and instead of putting off things that I pictured happening years away, I am doing it now. Instead of calling a friend next weekend, or visiting with family another time, I do it now! And when work starts to interfere with life how I see it, it is time to stop and think about what you might be thinking about on your deathbed...I can gaurantee that you won't be saying you wish you worked more overtime at XYZ company! Live life now - TODAY - so you won't regret it later. Tony

There are 2 breeds of fishermen, and each falls into seperate categories. Tournament angler = Sport & Pro athlete Weekend/Fairweather fisherman = Hobby & Not an athlete

I think you have a fair case Rick, please keep us updated on how you make out with this. I've had a very good experience with a home inspector that we used when we bought our first home, and again just recently buying an older (55+) home...so they aren't all scumbags Tony

Nice work! That defines the term of the rod being 'doubled-over'! I'm betting you were glad you put fresh line on for the trip and that whitefish have no teeth! Whitefish are yummy!

Has anyone been actually ticketed for that though? I've had open beer in the ice hut on several occasions when being checked by a c.o. and never got a ticket...always worried about it though... Tony

Very cool video thanks for sharing! I have lost every single Whitefish I have hooked through the ice so far (3 in total). I am no longer using spreaders when fishing for them hehe That's a great perch the little one caught too...look on the face is priceless! Tony

That moose has got it made! I agree with douG, still a wild animal and I don't think it's such a good idea to get your kid to ride on the back of a moose hehe

Yeah I hear ya...I wanted to do the same thing before but it wasn't feasible. Some of them said it might be possible if I booked during mid-week as opposed to the weekend...have you asked them about a mid-week option?

I hate them too, but be careful if you are planning on taking matters into your own hands as killing them is a Federal offence. Why are some species of migratory birds such as pelicans, cormorants, hawks and owls, protected under provincial and territorial legislation rather than under the Migratory Birds Convention Act ( M.B.C.A. )? Answer: In 1916, when the International Convention was signed, it enabled legislation to be enacted to protect migrating birds which were considered either useful or harmless to humans. At the time of the signing, there were several species of migrating birds which were excluded from protection under the M.B.C.A. due to their "undesirability" to humans. Pelicans, cormorants, hawks and owls, to name a few, were once considered pests and subsequently left unprotected. These birds have since been recognized for their importance to both humans and the environment and have therefore become protected under provincial and territorial legislation. I'd say it is time for our government to re-visit this outdated legislation... Tony

I'm sure they will rent a bungalow to the two of you, but you'll be paying for 4. Otherwise, why not just spend a night in a motel and fish 2 days renting huts? Tony

There are still a few 'old school' shows that don't have the mosh pit soundtrack. Going Fishing TV with Darry Cronzy hasn't changed for as long as I can remember...SHORE LUNCH! mmm

Nope...we have confirmed reports that there are at least some fish in Temagami..or maybe 'were' is a better word since they were kept

Sorry to hear...thoughts are with you and I know how you're feeling as I just learned that my grandma has a pretty agressive form of breast cancer and will be starting chemotherapy soon

Thanks for the update H.H. Do you anticipate the ice remaining stable through this warm spell and safe for the weekend?

Why would they not have made the license free family fishing weekend (Feb, 23/24) fall on the same weekend as the new long weekend in February (Feb 16,17,18)? They seem to go hand in hand to me...I can't think of any reason why they wouldn't coincide... Our tax dollars funding geniuses again... Tony

Ok I had to check the hook regulations so I wasn't misleading anyone... Here are the specifics: Hook – A hook includes a single-pointed or multiple-pointed hook on a common shaft (Eg. Treble hook). The number of hooks includes any single-pointed or multiple-pointed hooks that are part of a lure. Hooks and Lines – A fishing line must not have more than four hooks attached. So in the picture of the Sabiki Rig, 2 of the hooks would need to be removed. Sorry got a bit side tracked there...hopefully the information is helpful. Tony

No, pretty sure it would be considered a 'lure' Terry.

Stay away from the ice lines...the regular mono works just fine. Pick up a couple of Williams Ice Jigs...the nu-wrinkle silver/gold is a productive lure anywhere in the province. Also, the Buckshot Rattle spoons in the larger size are effective for many species. (Silver Shiner or Glo Perch are my favorites) Blue Fox Rattle Flash Jig-n-Spoons are effective as well with more of a flutter than the Buckshot... Throw in some Swedish pimples Mr Champs and/or Kastmasters and you are good to go! Keep active on your rods and set lines ensuring that you are constantly jig-jig-pausing and also that you check the minnows on the set lines regularly to make sure they are lively or a Perch hasn't stolen them...you should have lots of success! Tony

Have you or anyone else ever tried a Sabiki rig for Smelt? I bet it would work well... They certainly are tasty little critters all fried up! Tony