Fishing Line / Lake Simcoe

[Spiel]

Fishing Line

By Will Elliott

buffalonews.com

 

 

Lake Simcoe

 

Boaters could access the lake at Orillia and head out to troll for lake trout before the Sunday freeze. Much of that midlake open water was still visible at midweek.

 

Solid, green ice held along the Pefferlaw/Port Bolster shoreline. Steve Barber at Steve’s Fish Huts has huts out over 16- to 20-foot depths on ice measuring 6 inches and more in places. Check with Barber on current conditions at (888) 525-3474.

 

Randy Carleton at Randy's Fish Huts in Port Bolster has been heading deeper to set his huts. "Right now, huts are set up over 25-26 feet along Round Shoal," Carleton said. Catches are mixed, with some midsized and jumbos showing among what locals call "runners," runt-sized ringbacks that are put back.

 

Cooks Bay has seen a hefty run of runners, with better sizes coming from deeper drop-offs (15- to 20-feet) off Keswick.

 

At all ice sites, the "J" or 'Jack" Hooks have gotten major mention. J/Jack Hooks are basically a small, bent willow-leaf spinner blade with a bead brazed onto a hook shank at one end and an eye or split ring as a connector at its head. Colors vary. Most have a red, yellow or green finish on one side or on its head on a silver or gold/copper body.

 

This lure can be tipped with small grubs or larger minnows, but, when the fish bite is on, an ice angler adept at giving it the right drop and twitch can "jack" in perch at a fast pace. Perch schools tend to move through in intervals, so being able to get fish in and then to quickly get the lure back down to feeding fish can up the bucket count by the end of the day or outing.

 

Lake Simcoe lake trout and whitefish seasons opened Jan. 1. Anglers can keep two trout at Simcoe; most of the Southwestern Ontario region allows for 25 whitefish. On Simcoe, the limit is set at two.

 

Anglers have seen a resurgence of lake herring, a species that had dominated Simcoe ice catches decades ago. Currently, that species remains protected. No herring can be kept. Fines for possession of herring have been set at $120 each.