troutologist

I have written and pestered my MP via telephone. Lets put the conservation in conservative!!!

Here's mine...Lake Winnipeg greenback...31" Hope to find a new PB muskie this summer/fall....bring on the boats!

Ya same basic rig. I use a shorter lead, around 8" on 20lb fluoro and a 5/0-7/0 circle hook. I like to use some glass beads above the swivel to generate some noise in the dirty water. I use shrimp or cut bait most of the time. Just "steak" the bait into 2" chunks. Goldeye are a popular bait out here for cutbait and readily caught in the early summer.

If they get permission to dredge the approach and dock at Essar (as proposed when I was working on the river) I will be shocked. It is a Federally designated contaminated site, plus 2 engineering reports highlight the futility of silt curtains for containment in that area. What a circus that will lead to. I sure hope someone will be taking some intensive water samples during construction....wait budgets forced MOE to sell their boat.... Its nice to have a deep water port installed when river levels currently prevent ships from carrying full capacity. Want a scary example of a proposed project that will benefit greatly from this change in the Fishery Regs? Read up on the Mary River Mine Project on North Baffin Island....seems like leaving a barge full of diesel fuel to overwinter in an area of highly mobile pack ice is a good idea?? Good thing they have great ways to contain oilspills under the ice....oh wait. Jobs obviously are needed, but gutting the mandate of a Govt Dept and then gutting said Dept to increase jobs in another sector is not the way to go about it.

The scary part is the potential re-writing of the Fisheries Act (Sec 35) to remove the need to protect a fish's (or marine mammal's) habitat. In the current regs habitat having a very over arching definition involving all the areas and attributes required for all life stages/processes of these animals. The importance of this is huge. You can't have a program to protect coaster brook trout and provide no protection to critical habitat areas. This is worth writing your MP about. Information and review of environmental impact statements for proposed developments should be done by someone other that the proponents. I really can't understate the potential impact of this.

Yup...just got my 8' Eyecons today. My Diawa LC 27 and 47 both fit the handle fine. I'm pretty fired up about trolling bouncers now, only another month of icefishing, a month of pike and crappie, then a month of rigging in the way!!!

Those whiteys are cannons!! As always nice fish! Man we need to trade a couple of trips soon.

Spiel, I use braid as a mainline for bouncers and cranks and find that alot of the "walleye" rods don't offer enough flex to prevent the hooks from ripping out. The Eyecons have this figured out better I feel. With braid I think there still needs to be alot of reworking of rod action/power.

I like longer rods. The new St Croix EYECON rods are pretty sweet, I will be using the 8'models this year. Last year I used 8'6M St Croix Wild River. The long rods, allow more quick up/down depth control without letting out more line. They also allow you to use long leaders and easily land fish. Plus they add spread to your rig and will easily pull double duty for trolling cranks.

They are American Truck Tracks out of MI, the Matt Tracks are pretty pricey....its amazing how much more weight distribution these offer over tires, where I was sinking to bare ice (6") Lee was barely marking the surface of the snow. Can't wait to finish hanging drywall and see what the evening bite will bring on the lake.

Hey Billy Bob, have never been to Aikens but have talked to a couple guys that have guided there...apparently its a first rate operation with some very good fishing. Some other buddies flew in moose hunting in the same watershed and had some amazing fall fishing. Take a look at flying to Grand Forks, often flights are cheaper. From GF it would be about a 2.5-3hr drive to the floatbase.

Right on! Some bright fish there.

Revenge is a dish best served cold..or cool...or actually pretty mild. It was a beautiful day out on big Lake Winnipeg and after a tough mid week outing we put some nice fish on the ice. It wasn't a big numbers day today, but multiple 30"ers and a few fish in the 26-28" range were iced. On the ice early and lots of drilling to find the edges of very subtle breaks in the featureless south basin were the key to finding these fish. Fish showed a definite preference to yellow coloured baits today, a mix of Lindy Darters, Live Targets and scented plastics were the undoing of these brutes. On the ice early My big fish for the day Local guide Lee Nolden, has a new on-ice ride, this thing just floats over the snow. Can't wait until tomorrow and Louis Riel Day on Monday!!

The Lindy rattlin flyer spoon is one of my favourites. It sounds like you may not be giving new techniques the time warranted to learn them. Walleye (for the most part) are pretty similar no matter where you fish for them. Try a bunch of different baits to find what is working that day in that spot. My best advice on walleye is don't be scared to be super aggressive in lure selection and presentation, they are predators and will chase baits.

Let me know!!

On my Tacoma, you need to hold down the traction control switch for 6 or 8 seconds to turn it completely off...not sure if it is the same on the highlander.

In fishing it seems that 9 times out of 10, effort = success.

Not sure if this helps but Andy Meyers Lodge on Eagle Lake is a great facility. First rate. Also they donate to sponsor alot of events geared at getting youth into angling....always nice to support those who give back to the sport. Andy Meyers Lodge

Congrats to her, thats a beauty fish!!

A quick report of Saturday's session on the lake, fishing was on fire!!! Along with a couple of buddies I hit the frigid expanse of Lake Winnipeg in the pre-dawn darkness in search of big walleye. We found a subtle depth change adjacent to an area of pushed up ice. Action was furious before the sun made an appearance, a pink Lindy Darter was icing fish right and left. We followed the school around, drilling new holes as action dried up in old ones. With daylight an hour old, the fish in that area turned off, we hit the road in search of active fish in a bit deeper water and again were rewarded....but not with out a bit of figuring. The fish would rush in on the Darter then turn away, after trying a number of baits to turn these lookers into biters we settled on a flutter spoon in a rainbow pattern. Some type of pink was definitely the order of the day. Part way through the morning our heater died, the thermal fabric on the Clam Summit really made a difference, blocking the wind and keeping us warm....it was -36c with the windchill this morning. Having a quality portable hut, well organized gear and sharp auger blades kept us mobile and on top of the fish. Even in cold temperatures make the extra effort and you will be rewarded with more fish. This is an unbelievable fishery, with huge numbers and HUGE fish possible, I would strongly suggest putting this on the list to do for an icefishing trip!

Even with stabilizer in my Jiffy I find I need to put new gas in it at the start of each year to get it to run right. New gas, a little Sea Foam and it should run a lot better.

Trevy727, check out this link....everything you need to know about specs etc for the Lund Boat line. LUND RED BOOK

You are not too far off of the price of an Impact or a Rebel. Shop around and ask your local dealers about 2010 stock at other dealers, they will have access to a list and may be able to secure what you are looking for. Good choice on the brand!!

Check out the full leather ASOLO boots, they are awesome and super durable. I burn through Merrel boots too quick. Danner has been good. Also for lighter stuff, the new Simms boots are pretty darn good and comfortable.

832 and Nanofil seem to ice up less. Also the icefishing specific products from almost all the braided line manufacturers don't ice up too bad. Various braids are on all of my ice rods, I do use a leader since I tie a small barrel swivel inline.