First report: Ice fishing on the Blanche River system

[fishnguy]

This is my first report....hopefully the formatting/pics work for me.

 

I spent last weekend up around Kirkland Lake ice fishing with some old buddies on the Blanche River.

 

For the second year in a row, we absolutely slammed big smallies all weekend. I've never seen that before. All bass were 3-5 pounds and they hit all day.

 

Also managed a dozen or so jumbo perch, a couple decent pike (5ish pounds), one lonely pickerel (the target fish), and a couple ling. We also always sink a very big dead minnow (at least 10 inches) on a quick strike rig. Something ran with that on the second day but I somehow missed it on the hook set and it never came back.

 

Had a great fish fry out on the ice as well. Pics below.

 

Also have to do a quick product review. I tried out the JawJacker (you can see it on the ice in the 4th pic). I was very impressed. Very cool contraption. Video here showing how it works:

 

 

 

EDIT: Not sure why my pics are so small. Will have to try to figure that out for next time. Sorry.

Edited March 15, 2014 by fishnguy

[BillM]

Smallies through the ice must be killer!

[fishnguy]

Not as good a fight as you'd assume. They're pretty lethargic. Couple decent runs then up like a boot.

[Moosebunk]

Smallies through the ice must be killer!

 

 

Not as good a fight as you'd assume. They're pretty lethargic. Couple decent runs then up like a boot.

 

 

The right answer to the right question.

 

Great little report though. Cool to see.

[stasbrute]

Is the JawJacker legal in Ontario??

[Moosebunk]

Is the JawJacker legal in Ontario??

 

Thought about asking the same... not sure myself?

[irishfield]

It's no different than a rigger rod and a release clip !

[stasbrute]

It does appear to be like a down-rigger kinda set-up Irish, and not a "spring loaded" device .......interesting

[fishnguy]

Well now you've got me wondering. Never even crossed my mind. It's the rod under tension that sets the hook nothing is spring loaded in any way. Will have to dig into it. Very cool device anyway.

[Joey]

That's a pretty neat contraption.

[BillM]

You could probably use that 'Jaw Jacker' for clays in the off season.

[Nipfisher]

Great report.

[Salmonidstalker]

Is the JawJacker legal in Ontario??

100% illegal. I actually asked the mnr about this device and they said that any device that sets the hook while ice fishing is illegal.

Edited March 15, 2014 by VXP

[Rod Caster]

Great report. That video has some killer fish

[fishnguy]

100% illegal. I actually asked the mnr about this device and they said that any device that sets the hook while ice fishing is illegal.

I had no idea. Is there anything they pointed to explicitly in the regs that makes this clear?

[redpearl99]

page 8 of the regulations says "it is illegal to possess a spring gaff, snagger or spear gun within 30 m (98 ft.) of any waters. A spring gaff includes any device which uses a mechanical spring, other than the fishing rod under tension, to set the hook for an angler. No person shall take fish with a gaff,

snare, snagger or spear gun. A gaff, other than a spring gaff, may be used to assist in landing fish caught by lawful means."

[Joeytier]

Sweet report looks like a great time. Those winter smallies must taste great

[fishnguy]

 

...other than the fishing rod under tension, to set the hook for an angler

 

Well that muddies the waters a tad. It uses the rod under tension to set the hook. So…….????

[Joeytier]

It uses the force of the rod, and nothing from the tool itself applies tension to the rod.

 

As someone else mentioned, it is the exact same concept as downrigging.