Pefferlaw Perch - Feb 10 report

[Master of Bait]

Hey guys/gals,

 

Just a quick note to fill you in on my ice fishin' mission on Saturday.

 

Woke up WAY too early Sat morn and headed to Pefferlaw from North York where we had booked a hut with Steve's Ice Huts. First time renting a hut or ice fishing on Simcoe and I was pumped based on the good things I'd heard over the years...

 

In the hut and fishing by 7am, things started off slowly. Light taps here and there and a couple of dinks over the first hour or so had us a little disappointed and worried.

 

However, things picked up quite a bit over the course of the day and we caught them in flurries. Decent mix of jumbos mixed in topped off by a MASSIVE fatty the likes of which I've never seen - over 1 lb I think. Fished surprisingly close to shore (first hut out) in only 10 feet but it was good enough for me. Figured that info might be of interest for anyone who's finding the fish plentiful-yet-dinkish in Cooks - at least this is an alternative.

 

All-in-all, worked out to over 100 perch caught and we kept roughly 60 between 4 guys, ranging from 8-14 inches (only 1 at 14, most around 9-10). Had fun cleaning them when we got home then ate them Sunday night - YUM!

 

I had brought my manual auger and had a blast running out to the holes when the fishing slowed down inside. We caught a number of good sized fish in holes not 10 feet from the hut when things were dead inside. Funny how it seemed the schools of perch were moving around and we'd get into a mess of them all at once then nothing for a while.

 

Chatted with some hardcore ice guys who had a great set up with a vex, propane heater and wind break. Can't believe they stayed out all day with the wild cold wind we had but they looked to be well-prepared with their survival suits and such.

 

Packed everything but the camera so you'll have to take my word for it. Gotta say that I don't do this ice fishing thing nearly enough...

[Carp]

Nice report despite the lack of pics.

Congrats on the mess 'O' perch.

[Clampet]

Great report.

I suppose I will have ta give it a try in Pefferlaw.

Was it a long trip out to the ice shanty?

[Rich Clemens]

Nice report MOB as I can get the picture as I read. Sounds like a very successful day. Nuttin better than a hot Perch supper after a long day on the ice.

[Greencoachdog]

Shame on you for forgeting the camera!... 30 lashes with a mouldering Goby!

 

Great report!

 

Go ice fishing often!

[b2kptbo]

Good report, nice ya had some action and a fish fry...

[ccmtcanada]

Nice report! Hope you found fishing in the hut enjoyable, since it was your first time! Sure does help keep you warm...so you can fish for hours and hours.

[007]

Thanks for the report. May consider Pefferlaw for my next trip - sounds like a few bigger perch there.

 

What was the ice thickness and condition like from Pefferlaw?

[cheese]

I had a similar experience with Steve last weekend. I took my son, nephew and their buddy up for a day of perch fishing and the action was non-stop.... we must have caught 150 .... kept enough for a couple of good feeds!! trip out to hut was great.. hut very clean and comfortable.

I'll post a pic as soon as I figure it out.....

Keep your tip up!

[Master of Bait]

Hey!

 

007,

 

The ice was roughly 12 inches thick where we were - just enough for my rusty auger blades not to give me a hard time.

 

Pretty easily managable as I drilled 8 holes with little effort - okay some effort but I'm not in my "summer body" shape...

 

Clampet,

 

Trip to the shanty was via Yellow Bombardier Snow War Tank and it seemed like 5 mins. Closer to shore tha I'd imagined - roughly 1 km, maybe a little more? Easily walk-able.