dheitzner

That is awesome, would love to see one of those in the flesh. Can't wait to see the pics!

I've had good luck withBerkley Micro Ice as well (4 to 8lb test depending what rod it's on)...

Thanks for all the kind words folks. The fish was caught north of Parry Sound, but south of Sudbury on a small body of water, on 8lb test line. Although I likely could have squeezed her through an 8" hole, I was really glad that I bit the bullet & dragged around the 10" Jiffy all day (especially when she was at the hole and I was trying to turn her head! lol)

Been a while since I posted a report, but I'm still getting out on the water as often as I can. Was happy to drive a couple of hours north in the fog on Saturday morning to spend a day fishing on one of my favorite bodies of water. I had heard that there were some decent pike in there, and we got into a few smaller specimens along with some really nice (although unfortunately OOS) smallies throughout the day. As we killed the last few minutes of our outing, I was rewarded with this fatty that hit a drop-shotted minnow in 21fow. After a 15 minute battle with some really blistering runs I iced her and after a few quick pics and measurements, back down the hole she went. I revived her with my hand in the water for 3 or 4 minutes, and with a quick flick of the tale...gone! Taped out at 42.5" with a 20.5"girth, and was fat all the way down her body. Thanks for looking, see you on the water... Darcy

That is a freaking tank Greg, good for Mitch!!! Great fish and great post. Darcy

Thanks for the replies and PM's guys.

Just wondering if anyone has info on any ice in the Minden area; wondering specifically about Mountain, Horseshoe, 12 Mile and Boshkung?... Considering heading up there on Saturday either on foot or with the sled (depending on the conditions). Thanks a lot for any info, Darcy

For my bachelor party, we went out on Erie with Frank & Paul (2 boats) to chase smallies. Both are amazing anglers and seem like genuinely good guys to boot. I've only been out with Paul since, but would jump at the chance to hit the water with either one, at any time. Some double header action from the lower a few years ago...

Great fish man. I actually caught one between 3 & 4' long in the Lower Niagara a few years ago. Pretty exciting at the time, that's for sure.

http://galconmarine.com/ I've worked with these guys before, they have done some large projects and are experts in the field. Shawn would be a good guy to talk to, tell him that Darcy from Soil Eng suggested them...

I was fishing that chain, stay away from current areas and you should be good. Buttermilk Falls Resort has their huts out on Boshkung, lots of huts on Gull(Miners Bay), and quite a few on Mountain. As I said, sled travel was great, and my buddy had no trouble on his quad either. I didn't travel the whole chain or anything, just commenting on the conditions as I saw them; exercise normal precautions.

Headed to the Minden area today, found 9 or 10"of ice where I fished, and the conditions were excellent for sled travel. We ended up with quite a few lakers, some small ones along with a few up to around 20" long. Marked alot of fish, but aside from a few suicidal ones, we really had to work for them. Williams spoons, Swedish Pimples and hook/minnow combination took care oid business. Great day to be outside, that's for sure.

I have the 3 year fishing, and it's the exact same as the last few that I've had, with no extra pieces of paper...

Thanks guys, really appreciate it.

Thanks for the replies fellas. If anyone has been out on any of the bigger lakes in that area over the last while and has any updates on the conditions, I would appreciate it! Darcy

Anyone have an update from the last few days on ice conditions in the Minden area? I am wondering about Mountain, Horseshoe & Boshkung; curious about ice thickness and travel conditions on a sled. Thanks a lot, Darcy

Tank lings man! Wer got a few up there this year, but those would have eaten ours! lol

Second vote for Cast Adventures, Paul is one of the best anglers that I've ever fished with and is a great guy to boot! Shore fishing can be good in the gorge, but from a boat is tops IMO. You can print your license off of the NYS DNR website right away. Good luck, Darcy

Seems that the usual colors (gold, green, orange) worked best in no particular order. The shacks that we were in or near were in 20-22fow. When I say Nip rig, I am talking about a Nipissing tip up with a split shot, single hook and minnow...

Sorry, no pics:( Mike, some of our group fish hard and others not so much, but if you are a decent ice angler you should be able to put some on the ice. We likely average around a 8-12 fish/day/person(walleye, pike, herring and ling, perch not incl.) A flasher or sonar is a big help. Fishing out of a bungalow can definitely be hit or miss, but we have consistently done well in Robs location, throughout the season. In general, I prefer the run and gun approach but it is a good weekend on the ice with friends. A couple of us will likely go back later in the season with the machines, stay in a house, and run around the lake by day.

4 walleye catch/possesion limit with a sport license, 2 with a conservation license. On Nipissing, "keepers" are under 40cm and I believe you're allowed one over 60cm, but in our case, all were under the slot.

Out in one of Rob Hyatt's bungalows for a yearly trip, and had great success on the ice. Mixed bag of fish, including ling, pike, herring, more jumbo perch than I have seen on Nipissing before, and of course a good number of walleye(had to be at least 15 keepers). The guys in the hut next to us were putting the hurt on them pretty good as well. Buckshots, Swedish Pimples, jig w minnow and Nip rigs all produced for us Great service from Rob and his staff (as always) and the bungalow was full value. If Simcoe doesn't cooperate soon, we will likely be heading back to stay @ "Bigwater"! www.robhyattoutdoors.com Darcy

Tough break but as said, stay positive and work towards getting out on the soft stuff this spring; the fish will still be there. Hope that you're feeling better soon!

http://news.ontario.ca/mnr/en/2011/12/province-takes-steps-to-control-spread-of-fish-disease.html Make sure that you are aware of new baitfish restrictions before you load up with Simcoe shiners...

Great job, sounds like the kids had a blast! Darcy