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Ice Fishing Photo Gallery

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admin@fishinglakesimcoe.ca (Administrator) Ice Fishing Sun, 20 Dec 2015 12:33:18 -0500
Another Ice Fishing Adventure - Near Gogama Ontario https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/another-ice-fishing-adventure-near-gogama-ontario.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/another-ice-fishing-adventure-near-gogama-ontario.html Wil Wegman

For the last several years I have been fortunate enough to enjoy a winter fishing vacation at my buddy’s camp in northern Ontario, just south of Gogama. Gerry Heels has a cabin up there with two ski-doos that we use to fish different lakes each day. We usually go up there for a week around New Year’s and try to get in around mid-March as well.  Our target species include lake trout, splake, brook trout and occasionally rainbows.  One of the main lakes up there only has a short winter laker season, from mid-February to mid-March, so we planned our trip to coincide with the last few days of the lake trout season.  

Before this trip, we have always had to take the train to get to Gerry’s cabin as the bush roads aren’t plowed in winter. Ironically enough however, we made plans with our local friend Pete, weeks in advance so that we wouldn’t have to take the train. Being the great guy that he is, Pete snowmobiled out to the nearest road access site and hauled us and our gear 40 minutes into the bush with his ski-doo and sleds back to Gerry’s camp. It was a good thing we had arranged for an alternate transportation method too, because the infamous Gogama Trail Derailment and oil spill had completely shut down all local rail service.

Gogama Ice Fishing 2015

80 year old Pete in the centre, flagged by Gerry on the right and myself to the left

Gogama Ice Fishing

I was in front of one sled when I took this photo of Gerry riding in the back … heading into camp to begin our ice fishing adventure.

Gogama Ice Fishing Trip 2015

And Gerry took this photo of me

Gogama Ice Fishing Trip 2015

Upon arrival at Gerry’s cabin … we had to dig our way in first

During these trips getting to and from the various lakes each day is always part of the adventure … or miss-adventure! This year we were more cautious than ever about becoming bogged down in heavy slush on the lakes or having our sleds veer off the main trail and buried in deep snow. In other years we have had both happen on numerous occasions and although freeing our machines is a ton of hard work and a major pain in the butt … the worst part is that it takes precious fishing time away. Some lakes … often those types with steep banks can be high-risk slush filled pot-holes. With over a metre of snow on the ground (and the roof of the cabin) this year, we stayed away from those lakes and were not stuck in slush once … a first for Gerry and I.

Gogama Snow

Because of the deep snow, one of the first tasks we did upon reaching a new fishing area, was to drive around it with our sleds first.  We’d make several trails that would allow us to walk around and drill several holes in the area.

There’s always something special about breaking thru deep virgin snow and being the only ones fishing a lake never gets old!

During the week, we caught lake trout, brook trout and some nice splake. They came on a variety of lures ranging from spoons to small HT Marmooska jigs.

Gogama Lake Trout

Gerry holds an average sized splake. Although these laker/brookie hybrids are stocked and don’t reproduce, they are a highly prized sport fish in the north. They fight harder than either parent, taste fabulous and grow quickly. Although splake remain active all winter, they can be a real challenge – sometimes behaving like a typical brook trout hugging shallow water haunts and other times mimicking their lake trout side … remaining deep and not relating to structure of any kind.

The highlight of the week for me was catching my Personal Best splake ever on our 4th day. Gerry and I had reached our desired lake after a beautiful half hour snowmobile ride.  He elected to fish a point mid-way down the lake, while I chose to fish one at the far end near a beaver house. I drilled my two holes thru the 4 feet of ice (we had the auger heads touching ice as we broke thru) and took out my HT rods and reels already pre-rigged.  “What to start with? Might as well go with my trusty Blue Fox Moresilda spoon in red and gold in one hole and a perhaps a Hot Bite helicopter type jig and Trigger X Minnow in another … or maybe a tube?”, I asked myself.  As I dropped the spoon down to bottom 16 feet away, I gave it a few jigs up and down, then a few more and was contemplating my dilemma.  “Hmm what bait should go in that other hole?  Decisions, decisions!”

Another couple of absent minded jigs … and wham - something heavy grabs my lure and begins to pull back with all it has. It doesn’t take long to realize that this is no average-sized splake, as powerful runs and head shakes told me otherwise.  After what must have been a 5 minute tussle between me and fish, I finally thought I was getting the upper hand when suddenly the crazed finned critter torpedoed upward with lightning speed. I thought I had lost the fish as it went completely slack … despite the fact that I had instinctively reeled in as fast as I could to try and keep up. Half a kilometre away Gerry heard me scream a naughty curse word and he told me later he thought I had lost a fish. I did too at the time, but sure enough once I caught up to it, she was still there.

That upwards run however seemed to have rejuvenated this scaled adversary and she screamed back down and the drag on my little HT reel zinged in response.
Suddenly I knew I was in for another scary moment as this nutso splake veered off to the side closest to shore. Crap … she was trying to get into some underwater branches near the beaver house and by the feel of the line rubbing against the wood, I knew she was succeeding.  At one time, I couldn’t budge her and thought she had wrapped around a branch successfully, but I worked my line off to the side and felt something give!

Whew … YES!  She was still on and after that I finally felt like I was in charge. It took some maneuvering to convince her to come up the hole head first instead of stubbornly staying sideways but at last I could see her. For a quick second I looked down to make sure the crazy fight was not because I had inadvertently snagged this half laker, half brookie hybrid.  Nope, the treble was firmly implanted in the side of her lip so I brought her up and out of the hole and onto the ice! 

Gogama Lake Trout Wil

My biggest splake ever and although I’ve caught pike and lake trout thru the ice more than three times its weight, this battle would rank as one of my top three thru the ice … ever!  She pulled the Rapala Digital scale down to 7.3 pounds and was the biggest splake from this particular lake that Gerry had ever seen or heard about … and he’s been fishing it for about 40 years!

Our trip ended on a high note a couple days later when after we moved from a large lake to a smaller one close to camp. We were fishing the evening bite on our last day and something occurred to me, so I yelled over to Gerry, “Hey we still haven’t kept any of the brookies we caught … we should keep at least one.”  “I’m marking one on my Lowrance Unit right now!” he said.  Even though that fish hung around and was interested in his baits, they were left untouched.  Awhile later however with daylight disappearing fast and our time rapidly coming to a close … I see a streak suddenly appear on my own Lowrance Elite Ice Machine … and wham it sucked in my HT Tungsten Marmooska. A quick flick of the wrist was all it took to set the hook, thanks to the fast tip of the HT Polar lite rod. Although this is one of my favorite Simcoe perch rods and with light 4lb line can be a bit dicey for these big scrappy northern brookies, I just let the rod and reel do its job and soon had our only brookie destined for the frying pan … on the ice.  It was the perfect ending for another great ice fishing adventure in Northern Ontario.

Gogama Brook Trout

A nice brook trout that preferred a small Marmooska jig tipped with a little soft plastic craw. We know these fish eat crayfish – even in winter and this little bait was too irresistible for the trout to ignore.

Cabin

Although our buddy Pete and his wife Annette have the luxury of indoor washroom facilities … Gerry’s camp on the other side of the CN tracks does not. A trip to this outhouse every morning was a necessary routine. Fortunately … I didn’t have a yearning to visit at 4 am – like Gerry did one day!

Gogama Fishing

Our buddy Pete waving good bye after he dropped us off at the end of our trip.   He and his wife Annette live a peaceful retired life in a rail side community of just two full time residents – them! They do have electricity thanks to a generator that’s used in the evenings and indoor plumbing … but other things that we take for granted – like cell or internet service are non-existent.  Much of their food comes from what the surrounding landscape can provide … from moose and bear meat to blue berries and produce from their large garden. Of course, a local supply of fresh fish is also a staple and Gerry and I always enjoy the opportunity to fish with Pete … and sometimes even Annette when we make our visits. 

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Ice Fishing Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:44:05 -0400
Lake Simcoe Ice Hut Operators https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/lake-simcoe-ice-hut-operators.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/lake-simcoe-ice-hut-operators.html Jack - The Blue Ice Report

Lake Simcoe Hut Operator Directory. Fishing Lake Simcoe provides the most updated map of ice hut operators on Lake Simcoe.

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kris@fishonlineca.com (Kris) Ice Fishing Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:05:55 -0500
Crashing The Bottom https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/crashing-the-bottom.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/crashing-the-bottom.html Crashing The Bottom

Meegs lures have been around for awhile now and it's about time someone told people how to really catch more fish with them! What's a Meegs? It's only the greatest thing to hit ice fishing since the creation of frozen water! The action of a Meegs lure is designed to imitate that of a feeding or a wounded minnow, it just depends on how you jig it!

Its as easy as a flick of a your wrist. As a minnow begins to feed off of organisms from the lake bed below they sit at a 45degree angle so they can eat more easily. Meegs lures are designed to copy that of a minnow's action while feeding.

As you lift your rod tip up it gets the attention of other game fish, as you drop it to the bottom it creates a dust cloud letting the big fish know that the feeding has begun!

{gallery}meegs:150:112:0:0{/gallery}

Whether you are after lake trout, whitefish, walleye or pretty much anything that you can jig for Meegs fishing jigs is Ontario's best unkept secret to successful jigging.

Meegs Lures

There is no one set way to jig a Meegs but here are a few that tend to work very effectively! "Crashing the bottom" is one very effective way to attract fish in from further distances, sound travels a long way under water and fish can here and easy meal digging into the ground! Open your bail and let the jig hit the bottom. Lift your rod and try to flick it in the air about 4- 6" wait a couple seconds and repeat!

You don't want slack in your line when you drop your rod though., you should be able to feel when that jig touches the bottom and you want it to almost rest on bottom. Bouncing the bottom is another alternative.

Allow your jig to hit the bottom and just keep your rod bouncing! Lift it about 2" from the bottom to off the bottom. Lift, drop, lift, drop, lift, drop, it's like clockwork until that pesky fish weighs down you line! Some people try using a combination of the two, lift the jig up rapidly, making it look like an active minnow, then slowing the presentation down over a 2-3 min period. It makes the jig look like a dying minnow going fast to slow. Then repeating the process again. a lot of the hits will come as you slow your movements down.

Tipping Meegs Lures can add to your success while ice fishing. Most anglers prefer to use salted Phenix mini tube jigs ½' -1' tend to be the more common with chartreuse, white, forest green or shad colors being more and more common. There the same ones used for perch and other panfish. You can put them on whole and just push the body over the tail end of the jig. Leaving the skirt to cover the shank of the hook. If your using a black green jig, try a chartreuse or green tube. If you’re trying a black-gold try a darker color tube.

If you follow these few simple tips then your well on your way to a better more productive ice fishing season! Good luck and ill see you out there!

James Meger aka Meegs

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Ice Fishing Sat, 13 Oct 2012 15:24:23 -0400
A Lake Trout On Lake Simcoe https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/a-lake-trout-on-lake-simcoe.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/a-lake-trout-on-lake-simcoe.html Lake trout with the Foxee Minnow and Berkley Power Shiner

Man it was cold! That morning in mid January 2009 we heard it was -35 with the wind chill in Toronto, and we were up along the north shores of Lake Simcoe so it was that much colder. "Perhaps the other guys who decided not to come at the last minute were smarter than we think," my son Izaak said as we headed out into the bitter wind onto the frozen lake. Still, the sunrise was gorgeous … and our hopes were high for yet, another terrific day on the ice.

Back on shore, we had just placed a phone call to John Whyte, an avid angler from Orillia, to let him know where we were ... so he packed up from his spot and within a few minutes drove up to us on his ski-doo. "Any luck?" he asks. We were just starting though so the response was negative. We all began fishing in 73 feet - hoping our Lowrance Ice Machines would soon show us some fish. It seemed to get colder as the morning wore on.

Throughout the course of the morning, the Ice Machine's would reveal streams of cisco (lake herring) high up in the water column . We left them alone - knowing the season in Lake Simcoe is closed as this native species begins its remarkable comeback from near extinction. "It's great to see all those cisco back and it won't be long before those lake trout begin feeding on them again big time", I say aloud to no one in particular. "We've already caught quite a few this winter," says John. "Sometimes you can't drop your tube jig to the bottom for lakers without having one of those herring pick it up ."

Although we see larger marks near bottom that were likely whitefish, we can't convince any to take our offerings. Izaak switches from a tube jig to a chartreuse and white Rapala Foxee Minnow. He has a small Berkley Gulp! Shiner hooked on the lures' single hook for extra enticement.

Lake Simcoe Lake Trout
13.5 lbs Lake Trout

The three of us huddle over our holes. We jig slowly - partially because we know the fish won't be too active with the massive cold front, but perhaps even more because the arctic-like conditions restrict our willingness to move too much. "Hey ... did ya hear that it was colder in Florida yesterday than it was Whitehorse"? Izaak says aloud. "They still have a balmy -1 Degree over there in the Yukon ... and meanwhile its freezing cold in Florida".

"I know how they feel," says John. "It's a bitter, wet cold out here" he adds. No amount of jumping jacks or running around could keep him warm. "That's it, I'm outta here he said after a few hours." It wasn't even noon yet - but Izaak and I said we wouldn't be much longer either.

After a while, we begin to get ready to pack her in. Although our Mustang Floater suits and ample layers of wool and Polar Fleece have kept us comfortable, we still wish we brought the portable ice hut. We can't feel our faces they're so cold. Snot is frozen all over my son's beard ... it's gross, but what can ya do ...? I didn't say a word; just kinda smiled and looked away. I'm just glad he still wants to come out here ice fishin' with his crazy old man. It seems like only a couple of years ago that I was pulling him out on the sled for a morning of ice fishing. "Faster daddy ... faster!" I can still hear him yelling happily. Naturally I obliged.

Today - I made him pull the damn sled though with all of our gear - and felt like jumping in there myself as I tried to keep up.

I reel in the Windlass tip up and quietly hear Izaak moan, "There we go"! I thought he was just happy one line was in and we were that much closer to leaving. I turn around and see a big bend in the rod and an even bigger smile on his face.

"Sweet!" I quickly run over to the hole and scoop out all the frozen ice and slush. I advise him to hold his rod more horizontal. "Let the rod tier the fish out and when she wants to run, let it run - the drag is set just right." That's the only advice I needed to give... or he wanted to hear. The long runs told us this was no whitefish but a decent lake trout. A few more powerful runs and Izaak finally gets it near the hole … a couple careful attempts to steer her from the icy depths and into the hole and finally I have a chance to see the big head. "Up a little higher ... a little higher - there we go!" I say ... and grab the head behind her gill plate to haul her up and out; all in one swift motion.

Yee-ha … Wow! What a fish! Izaak says. We high five. I take a few quick photos as the big trout begins to freeze before our very eyes. My exposed hands are so cold I can barely feel my fingers... but now we're pumped and excited for more so we try a little longer.

Before long though we admit, it was just too damn cold out there though so off we went … a little frigid but none-the-less happy we came out.

As we cleaned the fish for dinner later that afternoon, we looked carefully in the stomach to see what the big brute had been eating - four shiner minnows in good condition, and one 12 inch cisco that was beginning to decompose.

That trout had a fin clipped indicating it was a stocked fish. Keeping track of this year's fishing excursions in my Angler Diary (a joint MNR and Fisheries of Lake Simcoe Stakeholder Committee initiative.) we looked at the chart in the back to see when the fish was stocked. With the right pectoral fin clipped (that's the one by the belly near the head), we found out that the fish was stocked in 1999.)

Lake Trout Stomach
What's left of the cisco the lake trout ate for his main course and a couple shiners for desert

As I look back I'm so glad we did not let the opportunity to go fishing together pass us by. Izaak nailed his biggest lake trout ever - 13 ½ pounds on the Normark Digital scale and 33 inches long. More importantly one more happy memory was created that frigid morning on the hard waters of Lake Simcoe.

Wil Wegman

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Ice Fishing Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:01:21 -0400
Lake Simcoe Fish Stocking Records https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/resources/lake-simcoe-fish-stocking-records.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/resources/lake-simcoe-fish-stocking-records.html

Q: How was the decision to reduce stocking of lake trout made?

A: The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources made the decision following a comprehensive review of fisheries information and stocking options which was guided by the advice from two Lake Simcoe committees, the Lake Simcoe Fisheries Stakeholder Committee representing a broad range of fisheries interests in the watershed; and the Lake Simcoe Fisheries Management Committee, a government committee comprised of fisheries and water quality scientists, biologists, policy and management staff.

After arriving at a recommended approach, the Ministry invited additional public discussion through three public information sessions held around the Lake Simcoe watershed. The input from these sessions also supported the recommended approach.

Read full: Lake Simcoe Lake Trout Stocking Reduction - Questions and Answers

{flashchart height="350" type="line" title="Stocking History of Lake Trout in Lake Simcoe" y_legend="Number Stocked" data="1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006/108904,98076,142480,21091,69584,59806,90196,71365,95365,107515,90249,92207,102583,102883,116115,94199,123718,146126,118294,98863,80757,95978" t_fontsize="15"}sample04{/flashchart} {flashchart height="350" type="line" title="Stocking History of Whitefish in Lake Simcoe" y_legend="Number Stocked" data="1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006/27074,97817,164598,177258,140856,135971,139929,202049,141405,146109,79301,134432,144210,117662,187398,163910,150369,141196,130141,151167,135622,140997" t_fontsize="15"}sample05{/flashchart}

Review of Lake Simcoe's Coldwater Fish Stocking Program

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kris@fishonlineca.com (Kris) Resources Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:00:00 -0400
Lake Simcoe Library https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/resources/lake-simcoe-library.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/resources/lake-simcoe-library.html

Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching Fishing Regulations
MNR

Review of Lake Simcoe's Coldwater Fish Stocking Program
MNR Publication

Lake Simcoe Lake Trout Stocking Reduction
Questions and Answers

Status of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Simcoe, Ontario
Aquatic Science Unit Report 2012 -1 By Rebecca Dolson

The Lake Sturgeon in Ontario
Some references to the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in Lake Simcoe.

World Lakes Database
Summary Data: Lake Simcoe

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kris@fishonlineca.com (Kris) Resources Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:00:00 -0400
Ice Fishing Lake Simcoe https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/ice-fishing-lake-simcoe.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/ice-fishing-lake-simcoe.html Wil Wegman with jumbo perch

Lake Simcoe has been known for decades as the "Ice Fishing Capital of North America" and it's no wonder, considering that more people fish this inland lake during the winter than any other body of water in the province. Despite its fame among the ice angling crowd however, Lake Simcoe is still one of the most productive hard water fisheries anywhere on the continent.  

Visiting anglers flock to the lake from all over south central Ontario and the northern US states. Furthermore, it is not surprising that Fish On Line Canada patrons in particular enjoy fishing Lake Simcoe, as Kris has mentioned that the first contribution that I ever made to this site (Oct. 2005) entitled Fishing Lake Simcoe, has become the most read article ever posted on this site. What visitors and locals have in common when they fish Simcoe is a mutual desire to optimize their time spent on the lake.  That first piece I wrote over a year ago covered was more of an overview of the lake and what you can expect there on a season by season basis. Today however, let's examine the coming hard water season only and have a look at some ways to increase the success rate of Fishing Lake Simcoe readers for some of the most popular winter species the lake offers.

The winter of 2006 was definitely a lot milder than the year before so ice anglers were slow in getting out of the starting blocks. Although perch anglers were able to get out prior to the New Year in many places, much of the main lake was not ready until almost February. Ice hut operators and avid anglers are praying that global warming will not be as evident this winter so that ice conditions will far surpass those of 2005.  Early starts to the new season often begin with those avid ice anglers testing their perch fishing skills before Christmas in shallow water areas that freeze safe first like the southeast portion of Cooks Bay or parts of the Virginia Basin. At press time however in mid-December this seemed unlikely for 2006.

Not unlikely for the New Year will be the intense anticipation that the 'main lake' will soon freeze solid. This anxiety will be most felt by lakes numerous ice hut operators who will be itching to open for business as quickly as possible after the lake trout and whitefish season opens on New Years Day.  Still don't be surprised if it isn't until late January when those lake trout and whitefish grounds are in full operation.  By then most hut operators will hopefully have their huts in place to take full advantage of their short season which finishes March 15th.  This marks the closing of lake trout and whitefish season and is also the date when all huts must be off the lake.

Making Ice

Ideal "ice making conditions" are predicated by a few key factors - not the least of which is the obvious sub-zero temperatures required to form ice. The colder the better - but even -10 Degree Celsius sometimes isn't enough if those strong north-west winds dominate the weather pattern. So too with snow… Heavy snowfalls can insulate a thin layer of ice and actually slow-down the freezing process. So, a few calm, clear, cold nights in the -15-30 Degree range are just what keen ice anglers are waiting for before they consider walking out there to test their skills instead of their luck at 'staying on-top'. Even with the commonly worn floater suit and ice picks, no ice-angler worth his/her salt ventures out there when conditions have not been conducive to good ice making.  Make sure to contact a local ice hut operator or bait and tackle shop to learn what ice conditions are in the area you plan on visiting.

Once we can safely get out there, our enthusiasm with this great winter sport will be contagious as die-hards as attract those occasional anglers who make up the bulk of the ice fishing community out on Lake Simcoe each winter. Regardless of whether you are a weekend angler or one who fishes the hard water every chance you get - we all have one thing in common…  We love to get bit so, here are some tips to help you catch the four most popular fish sought during any given winter on Lake Simcoe.

Lake Trout: Thanks to an intensive MNR stocking program, 100,000 lake trout per year are stocked into the lake. Although there is now evidence of some natural reproduction, the stocked lake trout fishery is still dominant and offers plenty of fine action for those who know a bit about this species.  Deepwater is usually key - but when it's close to shallower water like a shoal, ridge or point it becomes even better. This is particularly true early in the ice fishing season as lakers can still be close to their late fall spawning sites.  As the winter progresses however, these fish will begin to roam deeper main lake basins. How deep? 70-90 feet seems most productive.  Traditional techniques include working a Jigging Rapala near bottom, a Williams Ice Jig throughout the water column, or suspending a live, single minnow where you think the big lakers may be cruising.  Other spoons that can yield plenty of lakers from the icy waters include the Blue Fox and HT's Mirage and Big Catch spoons

2007 Prediction: Fishing for lake trout will be quite good as long as a couple of key elements come together.  Most important … anglers will need good thick ice in order to reach the main lake spots that lake trout inhabit.  If we have poor ice we'll have poor laker fishing. If anglers can reach the main lake however and they are willing to move around looking for the schools of baitfish that the lakers are feeding on, then the action should be very good.  Finding these schools can be tricky though - especially without a good sonar unit like the Lowrance Ice Machine which is able to detect the smallest minnow or largest fish below your hole instantly in either an LCD or flasher mode.  

Wil's laker tip for 2007: "Utilize a two hole system for lakers this winter. Try a Polar or Windlass Tip up in one hole rigged with either a live minnow or one of the Berkley Power Gulp minnows in smelt or shiner patterns. These can be rigged on a single red Gamakatsu hook and split shot rig or even on a 1/8 ounce darter jig head. I present this bait where I have noticed schools of baitfish on my Ice Machine.  In the other hole nearby - I'm jigging one of the above spoons at various depths to attract lakers into the area … but I'm watching that Polar or Windlass carefully for that bright orange flag to pop up.  And when it does … whoa, the race is on- first one to the hole wins!

Whitefish: 140,000 whities are stocked here annually by MNR to maintain this popular fishery and although there are some 'wild' whitefish the vast majority are still stocked fish. 

Whitefish are normally bottom dwellers and their underslung mouth is ideally suited to pick up crustaceans, invertebrates and other critters off bottom. It is no wonder that traditional rigs like the double spreader with live or salted minnows have worked for decades and continues to be a standard and effective presentation.  However … more and more anglers are finding Simcoe's whitefish are willing to chase food up as far as 30 feet from their customary bottom haunts.  This comes as no surprise when you see so many big whities caught each winter.  These big brutes don't get to the 10 pound range by simply picking up tid-bits of food off bottom - they crave large shiner minnows and smelt just like any other top predator fish.  Therefore… jigging with a spoon like Williams Ice Jig , Rapala's  Blue Fox or a Jig A Whopper's Lazer Rocker Minnow can be very  productive.

For an alternate approach however try one of the seldom used HT Buzz Blades.  These offer a horizontal presentation that can be just the ticket for whities that have seen just about everything an ice angler has to drop down a hole … and on Simcoe there are thousands of ice anglers offering remarkably similar presentations. Another bait that has been very hot for winter whities of late is the Badd Boyz lure made in Barrie..  These are best tipped with a small Berkley Gulp Minnow or Power grub and presented right near bottom.  Just quiver the bait with a nervous like twitch and set the hook with a sweeping upwards motion when a whitie takes hold.

2007 Prediction: Whitefish action can be hot and cold even during the best winters - which we all know are good and cold, with enough ice to get out.   Expect some highly skilled, mobile anglers to remain on big pods of whities almost all winter long because they keep searching for the fish once they have vacated one particular spot. On the flip side, I predict you will hear others complaining about poor catches … but chances are these same anglers aren't working as hard as their counterparts to stay "on fish." For those willing to spend extra time and effort exploring new areas, the whitefish action should be excellent. Who knows, we may even see a whitefish topping the current 14.36 pound record Lake Simcoe whitie caught in 1996.

Wil's whitefish tip for 2007:  " Whitefish can become rather finicky and even spooked - especially when several ice anglers are overhead in one area, drilling with power augers, moving around on ATV's and tossing down all kinds of spoons and spreaders.

Get out early! As tempting as it may be to stay in a warm comfy bed past sun-up, the sad truth is that if you don't begin your quest for winter whities until after the sun has been shining, then you are putting yourself way behind the 8-ball right from the get-go. So, get outta bed you lazy bugger and start drilling when the whitefish are most active- early morning.  You could have your two-fish limit by 8am and be ready to chase perch or other species for the rest of the day.

Northern Pike: Thanks in great part to the proliferation of aquatic vegetation throughout many parts of the lake; a good pike fishery is flourishing in Simcoe right now. Perhaps not as many of the 15-25 pound trophy northerns we would see caught 15 or more years ago, but the number of pike available to the Simcoe angler may make up for it. Problem is, just because there's lots of them ... it doesn't mean they're easy to catch.  Simcoe's wintertime pike can be some of the toughest hardwater pike to catch anywhere in the province thanks in no small part to the ultra clear water conditions. However having said this, many Fish On Line Canada anglers are highly skilled and methodical fishermen who are more scientific in their approach then ever before, so they are still finding these big toothy critters during the hardwater period.

2007 Prediction: Several Lake Simcoe anglers are finally getting the message and targeting these toothy critters exclusively with the tackle and techniques needed to be productive in clear water. This begins by getting rid of those big bulky steel leaders and switching to one made from something like 20 lb test Vanish Fluorocarbon instead. Lake Simcoe has even greater potential to expand its winter pike fishing opportunities in 2007 as every year beautiful green aquatic plants show up in places where they have never grown before!  Find some of the remaining green weeds (much of it dies off in winter) and you are in the right habitat for big toothy critters.  If you've never experienced a big Simcoe northern racing off with your bait below the ice, then you owe it to yourself to re-focus some of your efforts for 2007.

Wil's pike tip for 2007:  Many pike remain relatively shallow all winter - check out 4-10 foot flats with heavy aquatic plant growth.  Flashy spoons can trigger pike into striking, but often using a second rod rigged with a big minnow is the secret to success. If action is slow, down-size your rig or even try a Polar Tip Up with a dead baitfish on a quick-strike rig right on bottom. In many places on Simcoe you can have the Polar rigged in one spot for big pike and be jigging with ultra light gear a few yards away for the fish coming up next!

Wil Wegman with pike

Wil with a big winter pike utilized with the two hole approach

Yellow Perch: Did I save the best for last? You betcha! My favorite fish during the winter season and I'm not alone - it's the most popular fish in the lake. According to our friends at In-Fisherman Magazine, Lake Simcoe is the "Only world class perch lake remaining in North America".  Perhaps measures like a 50 daily perch limit and a 100 possession limit (full sport licence) or 25 daily, 50 possession with a conservation licence, will help to maintain this great fishery.  Even better however is that more anglers are now voluntarily releasing many of their perch.  They know that 50 perch is an awful lot (too many?) and that regularly bringing back 100 may just be a bit outrageous (greedy?).  This is particularly true because the average size of Simcoe's perch exceeds that found in most other popular lakes.

Lake Simcoe Perch

Pulling a nice perch from a Simcoe hole

If the sheer volume of perch available isn't enough, then keep in mind that Simcoe also holds good numbers of true trophy class yellow perch. Fish exceeding 13 or even 14 inches are not as common as they once were but they are still there in fairly ample supply. These big females hold thousands of eggs and are very important to the future of the fishery so releasing them is critical if you want to perpetuate a trophy fishery.

Generally speaking perch are shallow (8-20 feet) at the start of the winter season, move deeper in mid season (25-60 feet) then move shallow again near last ice.  Winter perch will roam over sandy flats with sparse aquatic plant growth or relate to mid-lake humps and points.  Early mornings often see perch shallow with a progressive movement to deeper water as the day wears on.

Simple "Pickerel" type rigs with a couple of single minnows are still popular among some of the old timers but more and more the finesse approach has afflicted the Lake Simcoe winter perch specialist. Marmooska jigs (by HT Enterprises) tipped with a couple of real live maggots have become incredibly effective, Berkley's tiny micro power craws, tubes and grubs have also proven to work real well on their own. In fact some say that their line of Gulp baits which claim to out-produce live bait, actually do!   "Leon's Bug" - a wax worm imitating jig produced out of Hillsdale Ontario, and the newer small size Badd Boyz  are also dynamite.  The Smackin Jacks, small jigging Rapalas, HT's Alien, Rocker and Ice Mite Jigs, - are all artificial baits that have impressed Lake Simcoe's yellow perch anglers.

- The key to these and other small artificials for yellow perch thru the ice is to fish them with little movement on light line (1-4lb test).  Try to avoid aggressively moving your bait up and down with continual jigging movements. Also use the right rods for the right presentations.  For small perch baits and extra light hitting perch many anglers have found the benefits of modifying their existing ice rods with a spring bobber.  I have tried various models of these in the past as well but found they often bend, freeze up and become almost useless.  Not so with the new Titanium Strike Indicator that Kris has in the Fish On Line shop for only $5.95.  These great little units attach easily to any ice rod, won't bend out of shape, can be easily adjusted for sensitivity and are available in a light or regular weight.

2007 Prediction: Although perch continue to be heavily fished each winter, their numbers do appear to be quite stable. Get ready however for some traditional perch areas like the infamous Cooks Bay to be "turned off" at times again this year as they were in 2006. Likewise, the mid-winter period may once again prove challenging, especially for finding decent numbers of perch. During this tough all-be-it predictable period don't be ashamed to lesson your expectations and settle for catching fewer perch than you would at the start and end of the winter season. This is the time when you may have to work hard for them but you can still do well enough to catch a nice meal for you and your family. Overall, we should enjoy good hardwater perch fishing in 2007. Could we see another new Ontario record perch taken from the icy waters of Lake Simcoe this winter? You never know!  

Wil's perch tip for 2007: Move! "Mobility is key!" That's the one message I always pound into the students of the ice fishing courses that I teach at Seneca College in King City. If you aren't catching them in one hole after 10 minutes or so … then get off your duff and drill another nearby or pack-up and try somewhere else all together different. I use my Crossled to boot from spot to spot (some say like a mad-man) - searching for a school until I find them. Once I locate active perch with something like a small Jigging Rapala, I can count on getting even more, less active perch from the school with my finesse baits.

Wil on sled

Wil on his Cross Sled as he zooms along on the glare ice drilling a hole here and there and everywhere looking for big perch

It's all about the chase you know… the hunt for a school of big perch; man that's what really drives me! Sometimes you get em …. Sometimes you don't.  Once you do get on em though, it makes all the drilling and hard work worthwhile. Fish near bottom most of the time - and don't overwork your bait.  If you haven't tried maggots yet for winter perch - you're missing the boat baby! They are hot and no serious winter perch piscator should be without them. Go get em'!

Last Tip for the winter of 2007: Lake Simcoe is a huge lake that deserves several visits each winter in order to capitalize on the many ice fishing opportunities available here.  Try different areas around the lake for different species and don't be afraid to try some of the hot new artificial baits that will be on the market in 2007.

Perch

Wil's son Tyler (right) and his cousin from Texas Bon Franklin catch some nice Simcoe perch early in the 2006 winter ice fishing season

Other Simcoe Fish Species

Well of course we have a limited number of huge walleyes, elusive but plentiful black crappie, the occasional rock bass, the seemingly disappearing yet once plentiful smelt, pretty pumpkinseed and now even potentially awesome bluegill sunfish to catch thru the ice on Lake Simcoe. Thankfully bass are closed in the winter so if you catch one 'by accident' you need to quickly release it.  Same goes for any muskie or cisco (lake herring) you might catch.  These fish are closed year round.

Released Bass.jpg

Any incidental bass caught need to be released immediately - like this one

Final Word - "Let's All Get Along"

Locals may not always be thrilled about the fact that Simcoe is recognized as "The most intensively fished inland lake in the province". But, local merchants, ice hut operators, gas stations, bait & tackle shops, motels, restaurants and so on are all thankful for the business. Many rely on the winter period for the majority of their annual income. With the thousands of visitors to the lake each winter however it should be expected that there are some local residents who are not thrilled with all the "out-of towners" parking along 'their' side streets.

Hopefully this winter local residents will be a little more tolerant of the visitors to their tourist-based communities and realize how important these visitors are to the financial well-being of the town.  Anglers too must understand that they are visitors in someone else's community and therefore apply the Golden Rule when staying there for a few hours or days to enjoy ice fishing. Bring back and properly dispose of all garbage, don't park where you will block a driveway and be courteous to locals. Access and parking areas are available around the lake and are usually visible by the number of vehicles parked in those areas so park there whenever possible. Stay away from those no-parking streets because rest-assured you will get ticketed. 
 
Have a great ice fishing season all you Fishing Lake Simcoe readers.   Remember, keep it safe, keep the lake clean, obey the fishing regs, report poachers, conserve our fishery, bring  some kids ice fishing, respect others who enjoy the lake and have fun with the wonderful fishing opportunities that the hard waters of Lake Simcoe have to offer.

Wil Wegman


About the author

Wil Wegman is an award winning freelance outdoor writer who has had articles published in: Outdoor Canada Magazine, Ontario Out of Doors, In Fisherman, Bassmasters and several other publications. For over a decade he wrote a weekly outdoors column for the Richmond Hill Liberal and Newmarket/Aurora Era Banner Newspapers. As an official B.A.S.S. press-observer, he has covered more Bassmasters Classics in the US than any other Canadian writer. Not only does Wil write about fishing, he also teaches it - at Seneca College in Newmarket, Richmond Hill and King City. His bass and ice fishing courses have been a popular addition of the College's Continuing Education Program since 1986. He also is a part time bass and pike guide on Lake Simcoe and is a successful tournament angler who spends well over a hundred days on the water'hard or soft every year! Fish On Line is happy to have landed Wil on board as a regular contributor and we look forward to his articles in the coming months. Readers of this Fish On Line website can reach Wil directly at wil.wegamn@rogers.com.

Courtesy Fish On Line Canada

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Ice Fishing Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:00:00 -0400