adempsey

Just got back from a weekender up at Lake of Bays. We went out of Dwight and South Portage Road into Whitehouse Bay. We didn't walk too far out from Dwight, just past the few huts there into 50-60 FOW. Ice was 8" good clear ice and 3" of frozen slush on top. We walked about 1 km or so into Whitehouse Bay near Seagull Island (or Pancake Island? depends on the map you use) and the ice was 4" of good clear ice with 1" of frozen slush ice. There were about 20 huts in Whitehouse Bay.

Used Skype for video calls when my wife was away for work. Was great for my daughter. Now I use Google Phone. The advantage is that it's free to call land lines anywhere in North America. Skype can do that as well but it costs money.

If you use Gmail, just click on the Call Phone button on the left menu to pull up the keypad. Try it, it's pretty good!

If there is one company that is good at copying everyone else, it's Lucky Strike! Regardless, they are one of my favorite fishing tackle companies. Their products are of decent quality and very reasonably priced. Albeit, sometimes difficult to find since they have such an enormous catalogue. I am sure I will pick one of those swim baits up. It's nice to see they are still making new products too.

Cheers!

Nice to have more options. I noticed they started adding "higher end" items last year or the year before (e.g., Gary Yamamoto plastics). They are redoing the fishing sections in the two stores near me as well.

However, I don't see much success unless they lower their prices. They are WAY TOO HIGH. The only time I ever buy anything fishing-related from CTC is if it's on clearance or I am desperate. Although, if they follow their sale strategy like they do for their other products, I could see myself purchasing fishing gear from them.

I have to admit though, the CTC fishing sections is FAR superior to that in any Canadian Walmart I've been too.

Bill Eden no longer owns Lake Bernard Outfitters. New owner is Derek Healey:) Please don't call him Bill when you show up or he might not put ya on the fish! lol.

All Lakes in Almaguin are questionable this year as far as ice conditions. Yes we have enough ice for fishing but please be careful! The ice certainly isnt getting any thicker and conditions are changing daily.

 

Antonio's Bar and grill has the awesome Pan's and they are huge! Bring yer appetite

Oops, my mistake. I went by the information I obtained from the internet. I am hoping things tighten up over the next week given the lower temps coming. We all walk out, so not likely going too far anyway.

Cheers!

There is one Pub that I try to go to whenever I stopover in Sudbury called Grumblers. Not the nicest looking place, but they serve the BEST suicide hot wings ever!! If you like the hottest chicken wings, try these if you're in the area. HOTTT WINGS!! You have to order the hottest they have!

I also like the hottest wings from Moose Delaney's in Huntsville. So, we often eat there when we stay over in Huntsville chasing Splake in the Spring and Fall.

One place that I finally tried a while back was Weber's on Highway 11. It really wasn't very good and I don't know what all the hype is about.

You want a good burger? Try Golden Star on Yonge Street in Thornhill (just north of Steeles). You have to order the homemade burger (the other one isn't very good). AWESOME burger! Beats Apache hands down IMO (Although, I like the Apache bun).

I guess it's this one?

Well, maybe I will make a trip there just to try it, or maybe go here since it's in Sundridge:

Nice trip! Makes me rethink heading south instead of north all the time. My wife would probably prefer that - although, that means she would be coming with me, might need to really ponder on that one!

I would guess that fish is a Yellowfin Grouper. Definitely a grouper of some sort.

Cheers!

I was heading up past there last weekend but I noticed that now hwy# 11 doesn't go through sundridge anymore! I was so looking forward to one of those massive panzerotti's.

Give the outfitter a call 705-384-7948 if he is still operating.

Good luck

I am heading up the weekend of Feb 10th-12th...massive panzerotti's you say, WHERE???? I must have one!

I just talked to Bill Eden at Bernard Outfitters (SE corner of Highway 124 (old 11) and Paget) and he said people are driving ATVs and sleds on the ice, but there are still some unsafe areas; and like everywhere else in Southern Ontario the ice seems to be just being maintained instead of building up.

Good luck!

Was curious about that lake myself. Couldn't find out much about it either. Was looking at a few of the lodges located on it recently.

Dang! Now that's what I call an ice fishing setup!

I've only rented a hut once for whitefish fishing. It was from Bonnie Boats. From my recollection the hut and service seemed decent enough. We didn't catch any fish though, but the area they had their huts is often a productive one. They cut a giant trough in the center of the hut. Some people like that better than four holes. This was a few years back mind you.

Anyway, hope the ice is ready by then! I decided to head up to Lake of Bays and Lake Bernard the next couple of weekends, you might consider planning a trip yourself =)

This is the information I recorded on my map for Lake of Bays:

Hut to Hut

(705) 489-2679

Lake of Bays Ice Fishing Co

(705) 788-0330

(705) 789-1642

Logging Chain Lodge has huts too.

http://www.loggingchainlodge.on.ca/specials.htm

I have never used any of these services or even contacted them. I don't even know if they're still in business etc.

Cheers!

edit: Looks like Hut to Hut is out of Minden, so not sure why I recorded that for Lake of Bays. Maybe they have huts in a few places or are a guide service.

My experience: While browsing the fishing aisle, I looked at a spool of Nanofil and said to myself "do I want to spend another $20 to test ANOTHER new line that's probably not much better than what I have?" "Nope". Of course, when it goes on sale I probably will buy some to try it out

Nice fish! Too bad I don't have the cojones to hit the deep water yet....not sure how you can feel comfortable standing on 3" of ice above 100+ feet of freezing water, lol!

Check here: http://www.timeonthewater.ca/simcoe_icehuts.html

and here: http://www.ontariooutofdoors.com/icefishing/articles/?ID=327&a=read

Terry Goy, Tim Hales, Floyd Hales, Love to Fish Simcoe, Casey's are all popular. I don't think there is a specific spot for jumbos (at least, that I know of...wish I did!), but people have been catching them off Gilford and Port Bolster. The guys at 2nd Line Innisfil just put huts out recently as well. Not sure what's going on in Beaverton, don't usually fish that side.

Good ice reports of the Gilford area here: http://www.youtube.com/user/THEBLUEICEREPORT

Thanks for re-posting your report Pikeslayer. Your thread came up from a search on Abamasagi; and I didn't bother to search for anything on Forrest Lodge or Caribou Lake so that's probably why I missed your report. Anyway, looks like Caribou lake might be a bit too busy for my liking. Probably the case for most drive-to lodges.

Cheers!

Did you end up going? Curious how things turned out.

Here's a few I thought looked good enough to bookmark. Don't have any personal experience though.

http://www.clarksresorts.com/

http://www.bignorthlodge.com/

http://www.halleyscamps.com/fishing-lodges-aamp-camps-mainmenu-7/caribou-falls-landing-mainmenu-8.html

Have you considered a drive-to, boat-in or ATV-in outpost?

This one looked interesting to me.

http://www.walstenoutposts.com/sep2.html

There are many boat-in and ATV-in outposts in the area you're interested in.

Did anyone else pick Mariko? I mean, I would prefer to fish with many other hosts but who would pass that up? Lol.

I mean come on:

THIS?

or

THAT?? (no offence Dave )

Nice to see a detailed ice fishing report. Can't wait for mine!

Cheers!

I snipped away a bit of your posting but left the spoon harness.

 

Spoon harnesses are extremely popular for brook trout in my region (Saguenay, P.Q.). However, the best results come when there is more distance between the spoon and the baits. As I said before, almost all of my harnesses are made with heavy mono of 14 to 20 lb test and then I add a longer leader of smaller mono for the snelled hooks. I like about 20 to 24 inches of light leader material in front of the 2 or 3 snelled hooks. The walleye and especially the brook trout hit the bait hard. The blades and beads or the spoon does attract fish from further away but when the fish are about to bite, many are shy and that's why the often only nip at the last hook. There is always the fact that the lighter leader material behind the blades or spoons will break when snagged on bottom and if there is any loss, it's only the hooks that are lost.

Yes, I read your previous post and it sounds like a good approach. The only reason I am using heavy test line is for the added stiffness for the spinner anyway.

I will tie some up using your approach. I do like the idea of having the spoon or spinner further up the line.

OMG!! That is one huge fish!

The smiles say it all! Heck, even I have a big grin after reading your post.

Is that last picture of an ice cabin or a cottage????

Thanks for sharing!!

I've been making my harnesses for a couple of seasons now. I fish inland lakes for walleye with them, but only use them about 25% of the time.

Typically I troll them attached to bottom bouncers or weighted with split shot, but have also drifted with them weighted with a slip sinker or split shot.

I use 17lb to 20lb mono. Usually Trilene Big Game. I have used fluorocarbon as well, but if I were to make more I would use mono.

Lengths run from 18" to 6'.

I use octopus hooks. Sizes 4 and 2. I prefer Owner hooks, but also like the Mustad wide-gap bait hooks. I am currently trying out some Matzuo sickle hooks. I've also used BPS XPS hooks and found them to be inferior.

I make harnesses with both single and double hooks. The double hooks I sometimes use one size 4 and one size 2 hook.

I use #4 Colorado blades. Most are in nickel or gold finish (polished and hammered), but use all sorts of blades - depends on what I can get on sale or find in a bargain bin.

I attach the blade using a folded clevice - size 1 I think. I don't use the quick change clevices because I am more likely to switch the entire harness than a single blade - and they cost a lot more.

I use 4mm, 6mm and 8mm beads. Mostly plastic faceted beads from the dollar or craft store. I've also made a few "bodies" out of plastic air tubing.

To assemble I use a snell knot to attach the hooks (usually the standard method but sometimes I use one of the quick snell knot methods) and often put on a small 4mm bead first. For some reason I find that the smaller bead seems to fit better above the snell knot. I follow that by 6-8 6mm beads, clevice+blade and a final single 6mm bead. I sometimes put a single 8mm bead in the centre between the 6 6mm beads.

I use all sorts of colors, but primarily green, red, orange, yellow, chartreuse and pink.

I then tie on a barrel swivel at the end. I typically use size 10 Mustad diamond-eye or size 7 Rosco swivels.

I've also made some larger sized harnesses with 1/0 hooks, #5 Colorado blades and 8mm beads.

Here are a couple of harnesses, nothing special really.

This one has one of the home-made lure bodies on it.

I made a few spoon harnesses as well but have yet to try them out.

I have made a boatload of them and have way more than I will ever use, but enjoy assembling them. I probably have far more beads than a grown man should ever own......