CrowMan

Yeah with lack of snow in to the spring : Good...not too many Black Flies Bad...too many wild fires

Photo taken on a lake in Frontenac.

I have a propane powered Generac 10k (I have a submarine sized tank for heating and cooking) hard wired to a pony panel that runs all critical circuits. Comes on automatically when there's a power outage (which is often here in ice storm central), so I don't have to be there if the power goes in mid-winter and I'm worried about the pipes freezing or food spoiling. Also automatically comes on once a month for 20 minutes to circulate the oil and keep the starting battery charged. Other than changing the oil every 2 years and occasionally the spark plug...it's all pretty well hands off. I'm fortunate enough to have a nephew who is a Master Electrician, so all done at cost and a lifetime of fishing trips on the lake.

Years ago I took my two kids (10 and 12 year old boy and girl at the time) with my buddy and his two kids (the same age and genders) for a week up on the Albany River with Leuenberger's. Non-stop action for eater size Walleye, plenty of 36"+ Pike and even some nice Brookies in the feeder streams. Miles of beautiful water to explore and a nice beach at the camp. At the time the cabin and boat/motors were in tip top shape. It was a trip that my kids still talk about and say was their favourite...and since then they've been Salmon fishing in Rivers Inlet BC, flats fishing in Belize, Mexico, & Bahamas, and off-shore fishing in Costa Rica. I see these days that a 7 day trip to the Albany is under $1500. Nakina is about a 13 hour drive from the GTA. https://www.leuenberger.ca/

I have a Striker 2 pc....jacket and bibs. Nice to be able to take off just the jacket when sitting in a heated hut. Even though it's a floater it's pretty flexible and comfortable to move around in. Very weather proof. Personally, I wouldn't venture out on the ice by myself in a remote location...always go with a buddy, and keep your distance as you spud your way out. That's just me.

There was incident a few years back that's always stuck with me... A sledder went through the ice. When his family realized he was missing they called the OPP. They found where he broke through and called in a dive team. When they recovered his body, the divers said his fingertips were worn right through to the bone... After hearing that, I won't take a single step on the ice without ice picks slung around my neck.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the best meals... Shucked a couple of dozen Irish Point oysters from PEI. Some freshly grated horseradish along with lemon and hot sauce...but we really don't like to put much on them. A green salad and loaf of crusty bread. Washed it down with a bottle of Moet. Oh man.. oysters are at their best this time year...

https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/we-ve-pulled-six-machines-out-police-warn-of-unstable-ice-conditions-on-lake-simcoe-1.6756677

Wow too funny....that's it ! I don't know too much about them, but in the videos I've seen they look pretty slick. I guess the one downside it basically has just one purpose....ice fishing. Unlike a bike, SxS or Argo, it seems like a hefty investment to use for only at best 3 months a year....down this way anyway. But given the quality of the ice the last few years, if the trend continues...hey, maybe it's the way to go.

I beg to disagree, there are situations where you're better off spending the money on a quality rod, rather than on a quality reel. If you're throwing a reaction type bait like a crankbait or spoon.. the rod doesn't really matter that much, other than having enough backbone to toss the lure and enough flexibility to keep the fish pinned. However, with something like a finesse bottom-contact presentation, say a drop shot or a jig, a decent rod will absolutely make a difference in putting more fish in the net. A good rod will not only let you feel the lightest of nibbles, but also the bottom composition (mud, sand, rock, etc). The reel in this case is just basically a line holder. Ugly Sticks are designed to be indestructible not sensitive. As an example...even a mid-priced rod like a 7ft med Fenwick HMG weighs less than 5 oz. A 7ft med Ugly Stick weighs over 8 oz. Simple physics tells you which rod is more sensitive. Must admit they're great rods if you're in the habit trying to break 'em...

I saw someone towing a Wilcraft yesterday on the highway. First time I've seen one. Looks like the ultimate transportation solution for treacherous ice conditions.

Looks like the west side of Simcoe (which being shallower usually has more ice) is iffy too. https://www.durhamradionews.com/archives/17989777 This has always been the weekend (weekend before the Super Bowl) I host an "Ice Fishing Jam" at my cottage. I invite a bunch of buddies to stare down holes during the day and stare at cards at night...lots of food and refreshments included. However, as of this week a crack in the ice on my lake has slowly widened to the point that there's now a large stretch of open water right by our prime Crappie and Walleye spot. Not that there was much ice to begin with. So we cancelled...first time in 30 years ! I stayed in town and went out to the pier this morning with my feet firmly planted on terra firma. Kept a bright one for the smoker. One of the benefits of this shytty ice year is that I have yet to put away the long rods...and frankly in a lot of ways it's a lot more fun than pulling them up through a hole..

I guess this is how you do it. It would seem to me that screwing in a bunch of carbide studs into the treads would be helpful too. My buddy has an Argo....great for getting into the back country that's swampy and full of beaver ponds.

Maybe I'm missing something but aren't 6 and 7 in the same BMZ ?

A buddy of mine recently went through divorce proceedings. It turned ugly. His wife brought up some nasty (unfounded) allegations in Family Court. Next thing you know the judge issues a Peace Bond against him and he's ordered to turn in his (legally registered) firearms. At this point, he's not even criminally convicted. He used to come up to my place to grouse hunt every autumn. Not this year. Welcome to Canada in 2024.

I don't disagree with you at all Barry. But be careful what you write in a public forum...you don't want to lose that carry permit for a handgun. As you know those permits are as rare as hen's teeth in this day and age. You never know. Remember this 2024 in Canada, and the current gov't isn't exactly friendly to law abiding gun owners.

Ahh...didn't realize until you posted at the same time I did, that you had a gun.

Wow...I applaud your bravery Barry and especially that of the Game Warden. Going after an armed criminal by yourselves (with only one gun) in the bush took real cojones. No way I would've continued to remain on the scene to help capture the guy. I woud've high-tailed it out of there after calling the authorities. I would've thought once you informed the Game Warden that the suspect was armed, the protocol would've been to call in the SWAT team or equivalent. .like I said brave man. My heart was racing just reading about it...jeez scary stuff.

Nice cash prizes. Better odds than playing the Lotto, and a lot more fun !

That part of the French is a maze of islands. Find the current areas in the deeper channels/neck downs and you'll usually find Walleye. Bottom bouncing jigs tipped with minnows at dawn and dusk is your best bet. The rocks in the lower French have a habit of jumping up at you...be vigilant. That advice applies regardless of what year it is...

I'm little surprised the Larry is holding up, by the way things look up here. On my lake we got enough Crappie for a nice dinner the other day. Funny part was...normally when I catch one I just unhook it and throw it on the ice, so I can gey my bait back down the hole as quickly as possible before the school moves on. That day, I had to make sure the fish went right into the bucket, otherwise they'd swim away...on top of the ice...lol

For me the weather this year has meant that I have yet to put away the long rods. Except for that brief stint of sub-zero weather, I've been chasing chrome all winter long. I tried ice fishing last week and I should've brought my chest waders. I could've canoed across the lake on top of the ice...lol I re-built my snowblower this fall...have yet to fire it up. Down here on the balmy shores of Lake Ontario the Crocus are starting to pop up in the garden..😯

Jeez...If you add up the cost of "our favourite rods by technique" list, it comes close to $20,000. Don't think there's a rod on that list for under $400, and bunch of the NRX+ that are on there are north of $900 each. And that's just for Bass fishing...then start adding up Musky, Walleye, Panfish, Steelhead rods on top of that..and then of course there's the reels. Plus in 5 years it'll all become "obsolete" and you'll want the "new and improved" models. Brings to mind the old joke..."I just hope that when I die, my wife doesn't sell my gear for I what I told her I paid for it". I'm a bougie tackle nerd myself, and I appreciate using a finely crafted tool that's perfectly suited for the job at hand, but a lot of the rods on that "budget" list make a lot more sense..

At $325 for a 100a lithium, compared to the price of an AGM...I'd say the price difference is now negligible.

Nothing much has changed for 2024. It would seem you can now transport the bait through an adjacent BMZ, but you still can only use the bait in the BMZ it was acquired in.. I guess if you bought minnows in Ottawa, you could now legally drive through southern Haliburton to get to Owen Sound and use them there...yeah crazy