Nice inland ice

[Spiel]

Nice inland ice

 

 

January 7, 2009

Will Elliott / www.buffalonews.com

 

 

Solid ice surfaces formed on many water bodies for area anglers this past week from the north end of Lake Simcoe to the south end of Chautauqua Lake.

 

Lenora Creber at Casey’s Fish Huts (705-437-1560) had huts out at Port Bolster last weekend and clients did well on perch throughout all daylight hours. Along with perch, jiggers have come up with an odd walleye from shallower bay areas. “One was a 10-pounder; it would be nice to see the walleyes come back here,” she said.

 

Randy Carleton at Randy’s Fish Huts (705-437-2989) set up last Friday over 28-to 32-foot depths off Port Bolster for a good mix of perch and herring. Herring remain off the limits for anglers.

 

“Whitefish have moved in and one client got a nice one, but [clients see the whitefish] cruise just under the ice holes,” he said.

 

Steve Barber at Steve’s Fish Huts (705-437-1013) set up on 8- to 12-inch ice off Holmes Point Road in Pefferlaw. Barber’s clients have taken a higher ratio of keepers this year, with many measuring well above 10 inches.

 

Cooks Bay at Simcoe offers good ice (averaging 10-12 inches) on the Keswick and Guilford sides of the bay. Early starters head out to deeper waters when possible. Jiggers work 25-foot depths, doing a lift-and-drop twitch for perch. Schools can be found at shallower depths, but the bigger perch hold deeper.

 

Terry Goy at Terry Goy Fish Hut Rentals ( www.utube.com/terrygoy ) worked plain jigs Tuesday and caught perch without an attached bug/grub. “Just about everything works for perch right now,” Goy said, noting the keeper-to-runt ratio is about 5-1.