adempsey

Try calling the local MNR offices and talking to the biologists for recommendations.

The CLUAH project might offer you some information on the lakes around Wawa as well. Most relevant is the discussion on Remote Tourism Lakes and Opportunity Lakes.

http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=Mjg2MDE=&statusId=Mjg2MDE=

https://www.sse.gov.on.ca/sites/MNR-PublicDocs/EN/Policy/CLUAH_Management_Guidelines.pdf

http://apps.mnr.gov.on.ca/public/files/er/Phase3FinalMapEnglishOptionA.pdf

It's sure a problem I wish I had, lol!

I've used ice slip bobbers with success for Splake in the past. I don't remember what I put on the business end though, I am thinking a worm but might have been some type of grub or mealworm or other buggy squirmy thing. I am sure that would work for brookies as well.

They should at least show the nets?

Tip up line. It lasts forever. Then use whatever you want as a leader. I use mono or floro.

Most of the time I see kids out, they are outside the huts playing in the snow. So, bring whatever for that.

With a short trip you're probably better off looking at operators flying out of Hearst, White River, Hawk Junction/Wawa or Hornepayne.

Microsoft Movie Maker is pretty easy to use, which I use on my Windows PC. However, if you're not familiar with video or photo editing there's a bit of learning curve to any software. I also bought Corel Video Studio, but it stopped working for whatever reason (never again Corel!!). You can also use Blender (which is free), but wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is completely new to things.

I've developed a reputation for picking duds when it comes to booking lakes and lodges (hence the lack of reports) and was hoping for some input.

Lol, you're not alone. Believe me. Our ice fishing trips over the past seven years have been great fun, but the fishing was always terrible. I've picked every location.........and they still ask me!

Really, the most important stuff is proper clothing and safety equipment. Be safe. Be comfortable. Good boots, good wool socks, thermal leggings/shirt, a bucket to sit on and a sled to put all your stuff in, not a bad idea to have ice picks in case you go in (can make your own and more important if you fish alone or early/late in the season). I always have a couple hats, a balaclava, couple pairs of thinner gloves and one good pair of gloves/mitts [stuff gets wet]. I typically sit outside a hut and am normally quite comfortable even at low temps due to what I wear. If you use a heated hut, you can obviously get away with fewer layers etc...

Tip-ups are nice too and not that expensive. Not as useful if you're going after panfish though.

Also, don't forget your sunglasses.

Springwatercottages.com

Did you mean http://www.springwoodcottages.ca/on Kennebec? I've considered them in the past. Seems like a decent option.

Yes, having a pet cuts things down to at least 30%. Still, plenty of places take pets. More in the winter. Comfort Inn takes pets and we would overnight there and go ice/open water fishing for a couple days.

Turns out dog not coming this year.

We booked Ogopogo resort on Mountain Lake.

The owners of Brook's Cottages mentioned this place http://www.matthewslittleportagecamp.com

Looks like a great option. Might try it next year.

Not sure if they still rent in the winter but their cottages are excellent with good walleye / pike fishing / lake trout.

 

http://www.brookscottages.com/

Thanks! Doesn't look like they do winter rentals any more though.

Im not real picky but good fishing for lakers/whities/walleye. We have sleds and portables so access isnt a big deal.

There are some alright looking places on Simcoe, but not good for us without sleds. Check VRBO.com and Airbnb.com.

I"m interested too.

What general area were you interested in?

Trying to find a private cottage rental for a weekender ice fishing trip in late Feb/early March. This is for 7 adults and a dog (lab mix).

Don't need much, just a watefront cottage on a lake with OK fishing - lake trout, splake, rainbows, walleye, whitefish are all good. We all walk, no ATV/snowmachines.

Would be great to find somewhere on Lake Simcoe near Laker/Whitefish grounds within 1kM from shore. Any lakes in the Haliburton/Minden/Bancroft/Hunstville/Muskokas area are fine.

Feel free to PM me. It's really grueling searching for a private cottage, so I am hoping someone has a recommendation.

Thanks!

Went there for a long weekender a couple years ago. I think we went in March, but I'll have to check that. Great cabins and huts, but the fishing was terrible. I think we got skunked. That being said, we pretty much do this trip every year and most years the fishing has been horrible no matter where we went. Been to Boshkung, Kashagawigamog, Bernard, Clear Lake (near Hunstville) and Esson Lake....forget where else. We've actually only done well on Simcoe, Lake of Bays and Bernard at other times though. These trips have turned into more of a fun get together than a fishing trip now, lol.

I'd say whatever Shimano you can get on sale in that price range. Pflueger are nice, but I don't like how they feel when reeling in. I think it's the handle, but haven't tested one in a long time.

Rear drag version on sale at Fishing World

https://fishingworld.ca/products/6657-shimano-symetre-2500rj

Not sure I like that model, but some do.

Also on sale at Cabela's

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shimano-Symetre-Spinning-Reel/1398668.uts

Sweet deals. I wish I came across a Frabill suit for $50!

Lake Bernard isn't bad. Not too sure how many cottage rentals there are though.

Lake of Bays and Rosseau are also reasonable options for fishing, but the cottages are a bit pricey for what you get. Not all cottage rentals will have decent fishing near by either.

Boshkung/Twelve Mile area OK, couple of places you can rent from. Although, I imagine coming from Ottawa you have better options heading west/northwest. We did poorly on Nosbonsing, but maybe it's better at the right time? Cottages were decent on Nos. I always wanted to try Sunnyhill on Bark lake, which was already mentioned. Another place I've had my eye on for a long time is Limberlost Lodge. I think there's a guy on Restoule that rents for the winter as well....another place I want to try, lol.

Good luck though, not really a lot of places that have cottages and hut rentals, at least in southern Ontario. Probably more North of North Bay and Sudbury though, just too far for my group to go for a weekender..

Braid with leader, either fluorocarbon, mono or hybrid (e.g. P-Line Floroclear) If I am fishing deep I use braid with fluoro or maybe hybrid line. I rarely fish in a hut, and yes the line does freeze up, but it's manageable enough. It's not like mono doesn't freeze up. Braid is a bit worse in collecting ice though, but easy to clean off. For shallow water (<30feet) I'll use either braid or mono/hybrid. Braid brands don't matter much to me, but I think I have Powerpro Ice braid. They're all basically made of the same thing, some are just more round than others. It's also the one time I will use Trilene Fireline, I find it's actually pretty decent for vertical jigging.

I'd imagine as good as any of the cheap pop-ups. I'd say they last 2 years of regular use. The windows will likely crack before that. Hopefully the poles don't snap. Although, my bud replaced a broken pole with a chimney sweep rod for fairly cheap.

So, my thoughts are the cheap pop-ups are basically the same.

My dog gets a tablespoon or two with each of her three meals. Great for some solid pooping! When she has an upset stomach though, she won't eat anything. Some breeds just get that in the mornings. On those mornings, she'll usually eat some oatmeal or plain white rice - but not her regular meal. Normally by the afternoon she's OK and eats her kibble.

A lot of those boxes are a rip off. They all rely on Kodi, which is a free app. Eventually it's just going to get killed because of the mass appeal and use. However, it's still going strong for now and as far as I know is legal for the most part [some add-ons function using peer-to-peer sharing which is illegal].

Basically, what Kodi is is software that you install onto your computer or media box in which you have to install add-on packages into. Think of the add-on packages as things like TV channels or even a cable package. They have things like FoodTV as an add-on that link to a variety of pre-recorded Food TV shows; or others like 1Channel that link to a huge variety of pre-recorded TV shows and movies. None of those are live TV, but there are also add-ons you can install into Kodi that provide Live TV programming as well. I don't watch LIve TV so not sure how good they are. There are 100's of add-ons you can get. It's almost like having Cogeco, Rogers and Shaw on your TV and you just choose what show you want to watch from within those selections.

As mentioned, it's not as easy to use as normal cable. Things often don't work and sometimes the add-ons just stop working completely. It's not the best for the non-techy, but it's not horrible either.

To set it up all you need is any computer or device with an HDMI out that runs Android, Linux, iOS or Windows. I use an old computer running Windows for mine. The Raspberry Pi is a good choice. Some of the Android media boxes are decent too, but no way would I pay more than $100 for one.

That's what I call burning down the house! Nice!

Very nice! I have yet to do a fall trip out west and would love to do it. Although, the switch from the rain gear to the float suits made me shiver a bit, lol.

Awesome Chris! I haven't fished in the autumn for a long while and really miss it. Although, I never forget that I am so out of shape that the 70+ year old "leaf people*" would pass me on the trail to the lake.

About the whiskey, it's funny, because that's the first thing I thought.....celebrity endorsed booze? Come'on Chris!! Lol. Glad to hear it was good though.

* Algonquin park receives A LOT of tourists in the fall to look at the leaves changing color.