Familyfisherman

Fantasitc pics Aaron. Thanks for doing that.

Simcoe has been very, very good for us this fall as well on the smallies -- we've found Mark Kulik's new slammer swim baits dragged along the bottom to be the best...it's been fun to have every single person I've taken set their new PB in Smallies

Again, great pics...if I was more confident I'd try the Niagara -- looks like a blast!

Interesting discussion.

I've watched a couple videos and watched the MNR fish bass after tournies...seems easy enough.

However, I've fished whitefish in 100 fow and bass in north of 40, caught and released them...and only very, VERY rarely have I noticed one floating or unable to get back down easily...no bass, and a few whitefish (which we re-netted and kept).

In the fall on Simcoe there'll be over a dozen boats in an area the size of 4 football fields...all catching fish...I'm yet to see one floatiing, and we're in 25-50 fow.

What gives? Are they making it down only to rise and die in the night when we're all gone?

Interesting discussion...I just wonder if I'm missing something...?

Nicely done -- great to see pics from other places.

Good on ya!

Excellent report and good shootin!

I think I should plan something for next year...

Absolutely fabulous!

Biggest fish I've seen -- well done!

Thanks so much for spending the time to do that -- great report!

Very very neat...that must've taken quite a while to plan out.

Don't buy a 6-inch auger -- spend the money and get a bigger cut.

I have an 8-inch, which is ok, but most of the guys I fish with have 10-inch, which is best.

The fish can fit through, but you'll hook up on the ice often without the added room...esp with ice jigs.

Some things you can skimp on...but take my word for it on this one...

Will emailed -- now I know how to record the details...I'm afraid I didn't know at the time, so we just released it...

Here's a few more...

Josh's best so far...just over 4lbs

Nice fat fish

One from this morning

Even caught a rod

It's been great -- hope we get out a few more times weather-permitting!

Thanks Mark Kulik for all your help!

Kevin

I've been out 4 times now for smallies on Simcoe...previously I'd heard how great the fall fishing was, but the few attempts I made were less then successful. Actually, we'd caught more incidental trout then bass!

As I posted previously Mark Kulik provided us with some new baits he's made, and a few tips on how to fish them...armed with this one and only strategy we've managed to improve our results greatly! I've taken 6 people out in 4 trips, and each person has set a PB -- so it's been a lot of fun for us!

Here's some pics of the last few outings...we were out today and had 8 fish, 3 over 5lbs, but no real brutes...but it was a very nice morning to be out.

Good luck!

My first fish...5.2lbs

Cory's best, 5lbs10ozs

This one was tagged -- we caught 2 tagged bass

Dave's Best...just around 5lbs

I'll add a few more on another post...

How deep were you finding them? We've done well in 35-45fow...do you have any idea why they seem to come into that area? We haven't seen a tonne of baitfish...is it the crayfish?

Just wondering what the biology is as to why they come into those areas this time of year...obviously they winter there...but why there?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

PS -- great fish!

Good thoughts.

No I haven't used the downriggers at all.

I have used the colour finder...mostly drifting for bass, so I only use the motor to move back to the start of the drift.

There is a gauge on the dash to check amps.

I've never even taken the lid off the motor, so checking the belt tightness is a bit beyond me

When I say not mechanical...I basically mean mechanical idiot

I have a 17 ft Legend -- I bought it used.

It has a Trolling Motor in front, with an on-board charger and 2 battery holders.

It also has a cranking battery in the back, with downriggers, a fish finder and radio attached to it.

The last couple times out the battery has drained down and failed to start part way into the day.

It was fully charged before heading out both times.

I have a couple questions:

1. Isn't there an alternator that should be keeping the cranking battery charged while driving? The motor is a 115 Merc 4-stroke.

2. The battery was drained accidentally this summer completely (kids left something on all night). However, it tested fine at CT...not that they're necessarily experts there...

Do I need a new battery, or is it an alternator issue?

Again, I'm not very mechanical but I would like to solve the problem if I can...hope to get out a couple more times this year before bass close up.

Thanks -- the boat is stored outside in a shed, so it does get cold...

Fished Simcoe yesterday (Fri) for Smallies -- it was cold, snowy, and we weren't doing all that well...Up till about 11:30am I had one fish -- maybe 3lbs...but there were 3 of us freezing for nothing.

We saw a boat near us catch 3 in about 15 min, one right after the other. We were sorta trolling on a similar line and a guy yells out "You guys releasing your fish"...I said we were, so he says "Come on over for a second"...as I get close I realize it's Mark Kulic (Strike Zone lures, Extreme Angler TV show)...Mark's a local guy I've met before and he proceeds to give us 6 of his new lures, give us the weights he's using with them, and tell us exactly what they're doing to get bit...

Over the next hour and a half we got 5 and lost a few others...nothing huge, the biggest was 5.3lbs, but it really helped our day.

Very nice of you Mark -- and very appreciated by us for sure!

We passed another boat later and Mark had given them some baits too and they were getting fish as well...

They grow them right in the Barrie area (ok...he's in Orillia now but used to live in Innisfil).

Thanks again...I'll be out trying them again today

Hey Brian,do you know what the winning weight was?

Nice fish.

We fished 9-1pm Friday without a sniff -- 5 rods in the boat -- dropshots, tubes, etc...nada. Fished from Hooters down to near the marina at the 6th.

Of the 16 boats we counted we saw 1 fish caught...trolling by 2 guys I think I saw on the Trailer Park Boys...frustrating day.

We fished a tourney last weekend on Pigeon -- it was a multi-species tournament and muskies were not included...we had 3 on but with 6lb test we didn't land any, but the 2 we had a good view of were high teens/early twenties fish...Muskies are great fun, but on 6lb test the end result is retying your jigs...

Hey Steve,

I'd be interested to know the cost of a fall charter -- for just myself or for 2.

For some reason you can't accept PM's at the moment

Thanks,

Kevin

I'm heading to Pigeon Lake next weekend -- I was there for a week in the summer and had trouble getting onto any walleye and/or crappie? Last year we did well around a couple of the green markers, this year nada.

I'd be glad for some advice?

Managed to move a few Muskie around, and the bass saved our trip...but I'd be glad for some walleye/crappie next weekend.

Thanks for your help.

Kevin

Great job !!

My first (and only) was about the same size -- what a rush! Mine was missing an eye and part of its tale, but hey fought great

Thanks for sharing -- nice pics!

Heading to Elim Lodge for a week with our family. We may get out fishing a couple of times and I wondered if anyone had any general fishing advice? Last year we got a few crappie and a very few bass, and the kids caught lots of panfish, but I'm wondering which area we should focus on for Muskie? A few people would troll on and off in the little bay the resort is located in (southern end) but I didn't see any fish caught.

We caught one 18lber at the southern tip of the big island, but that was in Sept.

Anyways, if you're familiar I'm happy for some input to make our couple of outings as productive as we can.

Thanks, stay cool today.

Kevin

PS -- obviously a PM is great if you'd rather not broadcast your thoughts.

Fished for the last time Friday with my dad. Access was difficult -- only found one spot on the Oro shore that provided decent ATV access. Travel was very good -- limited slush and the cracks were closed, although there was some water beginning to build on them.

Fished off Georgina -- managed 9 wf in just over an hour -- nice way to end the season! My dad caught one that would've gone most of 8 lbs, it was very misshapen.

Today the conditions were worse. Very, very difficult to get anything to the ice. The ice has pulled away from the shorelines. Slush is beginning to build and there were a few vehicles stuck in places due to the softening ice. Still lots of ice in the deeper areas, but lots of wet shavings, etc when you cut through.

With the wind/rain and warm temps, it will deteriorate quickly. Approach with caution for sure.

Play safe.

Looks like the action has picked up! Good news!

Wanted to thank you and Grant for an excellent day on the water. Jimmy survived the ride home despite the wind

If work settles we may get a chance to venture back later in November.

Good to see the strategies worked -- for everyone but us I guess

Again, my thanks!

Kevin

I attended the Barrie meeting put on by the MNR to discuss/explain the proposed decrease in lake trout stocking. It was an excellent meeting! I'm far from an expert but I will try to summarize the meeting as best I can...

Initially I was quite concerned when I heard about this idea -- my main concern was that I thought one of the main ''proofs'' of natural lake trout was simply fishing reports. It isn't. The MNR do netting multiple times each year and have consistently found young, wild trout fry (smaller than the size of the fish they stock), which along with many other measures conclusively shows that the trout are having more success spawning naturally. This is in response to the lower phosphate levels, which in turn results in higher oxygen levels. High phosphate produces more weeds, which, as they die, burn up oxygen. Although I forget the exact unit of measure -- numbers of oxygen below 4% have a large impact on trout being able to spawn successfully. I'll explain it this way -- the trout may still spawn, and the eggs may hatch, but the fry are forced to live up off bottom where all the predatory fish live due to low O2 levels, and they get eaten, so very few survive to adulthood. As O2 levels go up above 4% their survival rate goes up since they have more water to hide in, and at 7% there is no negative impact on the trout whatsoever.

So, lots of good news at this meeting. It seems the trout, whitefish and herring are all showing positive signs. They chose trout to lower stocking from 100,000 per year to 50,000 per year for the next 5 years. Why trout and not whitefish, etc? Because trout are a top predator in Lake Simcoe, so an overabundance of them might cause problems in the lake, as it can only sustain so many trout. Whitefish are not a top predator, so they don't have this same impact (as I understand it). They only wanted to do one thing at a time, so the natural choice was lake trout at this point and they will measure the success of this first step going forward.

The lower stocking of lake trout is to be reviewed in 2013, and they will act accordingly at this time depending on the results measured. Stocking was brought in to try and stabilize the population that had crashed due to high phosphate and lower O2 -- it has done that, and it appears the lake has improved enough to try and allow the wild fish to become self sustaining, WHICH IS THE GOAL.

Special thanks to Jason Borwick from the MNR -- his presentation was very up front and to the point, and I for one learned a great deal.

I'm just one person, but in my opinion after hearing all the facts it appears the MNR is acting appropriately and has the best interests of the fishery in mind. I went in feeling unsure, I came out feeling quite positive.

Thanks again to all involved!

Kevin

For sure Terrance glad you saved the day!

We'll have to try that again on a "calm" fall day