Simcoe white fish - toughest day of the season

[icefisherman]

Took my older son with me today....this clock change thing messed us up and we got to the parking lot an hour too early/....walking wasn't bad, but today the sled was overloaded with the pop up hut, heater, chair etc. All for the comfort of my fishing buddy....good thing we took the hut though....weatherman was at lunch....or who knows where again...the predicted 15k wind increasing to 20 in afternoon....were more like 40k gusting to 50k....I just bought my Clam Vista pop up hut and this was my third time out with it and the worst wind conditions so far....it took us good 30 min to put it together and secure it properly using all 4 pegs....in fact I could have used 2 more if I had them...what a challenge....lost track how many times it collapsed on me while trying to peg it....my son did superb job holding it while risking to fly all the way to Pefferlaw with it at times....was well worth the exercise at the end as the wind started hauling big time and kept going for most of the day....fishing was slow....toughest day of the ice season so far....white fish must be on the move already....not many marked....ended up 3/5 with 2 lost at the hole....don't remember loosing fish at the hole using Meegs (never mind two) for years....

Biggest point of the day for us was my son's first white fish caught all by himself....no assistance from me.....from jigging...hooking...reeling..putting it in the hole...all by himself...I just help him taking it out of the hole....he was so proud of himself ....and I was even more so with him...we persisted and kept trying but eventually gave up on getting double limit...another first for me this season...to go home with less than a limit....did I say it was very tough bite ;-))....saw tens of people leaving empty handed....

5 Conservation officers team and a dog were checking everyone....

Not sure yet but this may end up being my last trip for the ice season....if so it was a superb season.....with close to 100 white fish landed. What a nice stable fishery....many went back to get bigger for the May 15 opener...

Couple shots from the day...all inside the hut as standing out was not nice at all....

Cheers,

Ice Fisherman

[LostAnotherOne]

Nothing beats setting up a tent with crazy winds. Came close a few times on losing it. Good catch

[Joeytier]

5 whities in some tough conditions doesn't sound too shabby. Nice job again

[Acountdeleted]

Oh man. Some beauties right there.

[irishfield]

You buy peanut oil by the 45 gallon drum Emil?

[icefisherman]

Haha Wayne....nope but I buy the lump charcoal by the truck load

This reminds me I need to restock for this batch...

 

Cheers,

Ice Fisherman

[irishfield]

[northernpike56]

I've never even caught a whitefish so I'd be pretty stoked to get 3 whitefish in a day lol. Nice haul!!

[Ronzo]

Nice whities! Awesome that your son is already pulling them up by himself!

 

I got bitten by the weatherman being wrong last Thursday. Seemed calm, got the hut halfway open, without anchors in, when the gusts started. Anyone see an idiot chasing an orange portable for a few hundred meters in Sandy Cove? That was me, folks! Missed it three times then finally grabbed a corner, dragged it back and used the pegs this time.

[Basschaser77]

Nice catch! So far I've been skunked but good to see the kids doing well.

[manjo39]

Great day when you can spend a day like that with your son. Well done.

 

After 100 whiteys, it may be time to sharpen that Meegs hook

[Moosebunk]

The lad and his dad put the beat on a few beauties. Nice!

[PUMP KNOWS]

It looked like it was a fun day