OutdoorDan

Thanks, I should be OK but if anything I will let you know. I do have my little cousin to drag stuff out for me just in case though

Hmm, after just reading the post by kickingfrog in the other thread, I think I'm better off playing it safe and just walking out.

I'm going to pack to walk out, but hopefully it will be driveable by Saturday morning. I have a lot of stuff but since there is no snow on the ice judging by the pictures, dragging it shouldn't be too hard.

I have a pretty big solid one and can bring it if needed.

Hey Nipfisher, I'm brining my cousin along as well. Please let me know how I can help out with anything else. I don't have a portable BBQ but would be glad to help out with food etc.

I don't own expensive ice fishing rods because they are often getting banged on things, throw around in the bucket, and getting dragged along shrubs on the way in. You can just take a spring (slightly larger and stiffer than the ones commonly found in pens), stretch it out, and attach it to the end of a cheapo rod. Works great and you don't have to worry about babying an expensive rod.

Fishing with someone who doesn't fully want to be there is incredibly frustrating and takes away from your own experience. I understand why you want to do this, but people that need to bring tablets ice fishing are not magically going to get into it. So I don't think it's a good idea, Uncle Buck's idea is best IMHO.

I think you might be missing the point of a GTG, sir.

How heavy is your car/truck?

It's just a regular tent but it is a little lower and has a full canopy that goes all the way to the ground. A full top+low is really the most important thing, beyond that, a warm sleeping bag. My uncle actually owns a tent that is even better accustomed to winter camping, it's so low it would be difficult to even sit up properly for a big guy. We'll decide later with my cousin which one to use. The most important thing is the mats you use -- I have special thick ones. Mat thickness isn't really something you want to mess around with as if it's too thin you can actually freeze some of your vitals. Even with the thick mats I've seen that the snow under the tent melt a bit from where I was sleeping. Anyway, I'd be glad to show you my set-up when I'm there.

4-stroke.

I have a 12 footer with a 2hp Honda at the back. Unfortunately it doesn't get much use anymore since I have a big boat now, but it's great! Top speed depends on how loaded it is and seating arrangements. With 2 people and some luggage I can get about 7MPH, if it's just me and I sit forward (as far forward as I can, not on the bench, and really stretch back to steer), and put the 5l gas container in the very front to get the nose down, I can get to 10-11MPH on flat water. Mine has the webbed seats, I have no experience with the foam ones. I also bought a yoke for it, if yours doesn't have one - get one, you will not regret it.

Looks like the little guy is holding on himself! 60FOW that's crazy, I had no idea they lived that deep.

One night from the 28th (Saturday) to the 29th.

I think if it was a member's report people would be a lot more lenient. But some degree of criticism is still needed when it comes to huge exaggeration, because people need to be held accountable for lying. People not posting reports is probably because everyone is becoming more and more secretive of their spots and also because they feel like members (and even more so unregistered lurkers) who contribute nothing shouldn't benefit from free information. It's definitely not because of negative feedback - if you go and look through all the recent posted reports every one of them has many replies thanking the OP and congratulating him for a nice outing.

I'm going to bring my cousin as well, we'll be both sleeping in my tent. N.A.W, if someone else was interested in staying in the hut you can give them first dibs in case someone cancels.

Yep, and the eye of the fish would have to be well over an inch in diameter for it to be even close to that big.

I did follow along fine and I'm on your side with regards to intentional snagging on Simcoe a) happening being despicable, it's just that I don't think any of that belongs in this thread... As you can tell from some of the replies people get worked up about being grouped with people that do unethical/illegal things just because of technique. As a steelheader I'm sure you are very familiar with the stigma some people get when they use a technique other than floatfishing, but why open that can of worms? If people want to snag they will find ways to do it side hooks or not. However I believe a good majority of people who are doing the 4 foot swoops with their rod on Simcoe are doing it out of lack of knowledge and not because of bad intentions. Anyways my point is that side hooks are really not the root of the snagging problem on Simcoe, and that the goal should be to educate people the proper technique with them, not get rid of them. Good luck on the ice this winter.

BillM, You started with a good argument but then you shifted goalposts from side hooks on a lure to big weighted trebles with braided line and now your argument has lost all meaning. Whether you choose to leave on or take off the side hooks on a the Williams does not make you any more or less of a snagger. The way you jig the lure might, but it has little do with the choice of what to do with the side hooks. The thread started with a great question and good input on the pros and cons, then you came in and put people that leave on the side hooks into the same bucket as people that rip trebles off the bottom with braided line.

I went on the guy's youtube page and he has another video where he calls a coyote in close and then asks the same question. I like this guy.

Yeah on the occasion that it does happen you feel it on the lift right away... feels like a snagged smelt.

His fingers would need to be about 1.5" wide for that fish to be 18". It's a nice fish no doubt, but it's not 18".

If you are jigging for lakers I think taking them off is fine, but I would never take them off if I was going for whitefish. Have you tried a leader that's more stiff? Maybe bump up to a higher # fluo leader. I've never had significant problems with line getting tangled in the hooks. It is extremely annoying when those side hooks catch the side of the hole, though.

Unfortunately the best answer is that it depends. If you don't have too much experience better to wait until you know people are getting out in good numbers. 4" of solid black ice is plenty but the problem is ice can be inconsistent and the current weather is not helping. As Sinclair said quality of the ice is important... 8" + can easily be unsafe if it's honeycombed in the spring... Yep, in this case was getting dink perch until it all turned around at sundown. Background bad!

I was originally planning to go for some back lake splake or lakers, but changed my mind at the last minute and decided to go for some crappie. Good decision! My dad and I landed about ~15 each. The lake we were on had about 3" of black ice with a couple of inches of white ice on top. Be careful, especially if you are going to hit up the larger lakes. Got a few nice ones: