Articles https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:03:31 -0400 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb Ice Watch Reports https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/ice-watch-reports.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/ice-watch-reports.html

Ice Conditions Today for Lake Simcoe and surrounding lakes - Ice Watch Reports: Winter 2021

Last Updated: Saturday, January 13 2021 11.30 am.

Lake St. John near Orillia: 7" of ice. Good pike, walleye and crappie fishing. Depth: 20" of water. Good walking conditions.

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Lake Couchichng: 7" of ice. Good walking conditions.


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Lake Simcoe Ice Conditions & Fishing update from the ice hut operators
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If you know the ice conditions around Lake Simcoe and surrounding lakes please share with others. You can submit your information: ice thickness, distance from shore, exact or approximate location on the map, location of dangerous spots; pressure cracks, attach pictures, YouTube video to your ice report. Your important information may help others play safe on the ice.

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admin@fishinglakesimcoe.ca (Administrator) Ice Fishing Sun, 08 Dec 2019 09:43:37 -0500
A Great Day of Pre-Fishing for the 2018 Lake Simcoe Ice Fishing Championships! https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/a-great-day-of-pre-fishing-for-the-2018-lake-simcoe-ice-fishing-championships.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/a-great-day-of-pre-fishing-for-the-2018-lake-simcoe-ice-fishing-championships.html A few beauties fell for one of Wil’s all-time favorite perch jigs- HT’s Alien series

This annual event with a $10,000 guarantee first place prize, takes place in Cooks Bay out of “Keffers” off Raynards Road in Keswick. Cooks Bay is one of the most heavily fished areas of the lake … and other than the occasional pike angler, almost all the angler effort is targeted towards yellow perch. Many believe this is why you generally find far more small perch here … as too many anglers are still apt to upgrade their catch and keep only the biggest ones for the fry pan. Still, having said that – some of the lake’s most amazing jumbo-king’s still reside here amongst all their smaller brethren and today my quest was to find out where these wily ol goats hang out within the general area where I would guess the organizers of the Lake Simcoe Ice Fishing Championships will put us come Sunday February 18, 2018.

I began at dawn and started off shallow (12’) hoping to catch some active fish with a Slab Grabber. Didn’t happen … only real small ones. I tried 17, and then 20 and then well off the drop into 30 and 35. Small fish everywhere. Despite the 15-18” of beautiful black ice I could save time and effort drilling holes by placing the transducer of my Lowrance Elite unit directly on the black ice. This would give me a perfect depth reading. Now if only I could find a preferred depth I’d be able to develop a pattern searching that depth out easily and efficiently. Note, this tactic does not work with white ice … which has far too much air and slush mixed in to give you a good reading … and there was some of that out there.

Lowrance Elite 5

The transducer on Wil’s Lowrance Elite 5 could easily read thru 15 inches of black ice to save him drilling in depths he was not confident in.

With over a dozen HT rods rigged up and ready to go with a wide variety of baits, line sizes and types (mono and braid) … not wasting time trying to figure out what to use and then retie was particularly important. So too was covering as much hard water as possible … from way out to almost mid-bay, to in close, to off on the north and south sides … at least that was the game plan at first but by day’s end I still didn’t cover as much as I had hoped.

Finally I started getting into some bigger perch but nowhere near the size I knew it would take to win. Still, those 10 inchers were better than the six’s I was getting earlier. I tried to figure out their mood and soon realized they were easily tempted well off bottom. I’d tease them up easily with the Slab Grabber from 30 feet to 15 – but it was very difficult to make them hit there that day. Others this can be deadly! I grabbed a lighter HT ice blue rod with a Tungsten Marmooska tipped with an HT Ice Scentz biodegradable grub and tried to duplicate the same behavior … and not only did it work but it actually caught far more fish. “Ok … that might help come tournament time,” I figured.

Although my portable Elite unit has a full sized Navionics map that I often turn on while I’m travelling from one spot to the other … Today I chose to follow my old hand help GPS with built in mapping instead … following contours and looking for anything that looked fishy. The old Keffers hump looked very inviting … with depth topping out at 12’ and surrounded by 30-35’ … it offered perch a respite off the sides and a full-fledged smorgasbord of aquatic plants and forage up top. I spent well over an hour there … drilling more than 15 holes around that one hump alone. Some ok fish … but mostly the loosing big money kind.

My quest continued as I headed south, turned on my GPS … and low and behold found some of my old waypoints off in the distance. I thought what the hell- and headed over towards them. Along route, I drilled a few quick holes spent my customary 10 minutes in each and then moved on. EVERYWHERE HELD FISH! The sheer numbers of small perch in this lake and especially this bay never ceases to amaze me and with almost every hole they were waiting for me on my first drop! By 11 am I had given up on the hard baits and was focussing more on soft natural ones … nailing it down to three that were producing the most of those 10 inchers:

  1. HT Tungsten Marmooska and Fish Scentz Grub
  2. HT Alien Jig with Fish HT Scentz Nymph
  3. HT Golden Nugget jig with small plastic minnow bait

Lures

Wil’s pre-fishing arsenal could change come tournament day … but here’s what was tied on in pre fish and certainly will be among the dozen or so rods he has rigged for the big day!

When I got to my chosen area … not exactly overtop my old way points (I thought they might be too far out of the zone) I used my transducer to try and duplicate the depth where I thought most of the bigger – although not giants, were coming from. There we go … 24 feet! I drilled thru 15 inches of beautiful ice and began to set up shop. First thing first … you never get bit if your line isn’t in the water … learned that trick many years agoJ so it’s always the first thing I do. Then I slid my transducer in the hole, cleaned it out, set up my chair, grabbed my rod holder and got comfy … With just a slight breeze in my back, cloud cover but none of the predicted rain and temps just above the freezing mark … the weather was beautiful so there was no need for one of my HT Huts!

After five minutes, I knew this hole wasn’t like the others… No Fish! “Ok … I’m tired of dinks anyway … so I’ll work it for a bit and hope I can bring some of the bigger ones in”. So I did … and for once this typically impatient perch angler stuck it out a full 15 minutes before he thought of moving. But then that magical thump occurred at the 20 minute mark – right close to bottom on the Alien Jig. My Ice Blue rod with 4lb test HT red Ice line was literally doubled over and when I saw this perch’s head take up a good portion of the 5 inch hole – I knew it was easily my best of the day! At 14 inches, it certainly was. I quickly dropped my bait down again, put the rod in its holder, took a couple pics, released the fish … then jumped for my rod to set hook on another jumbo! “This is more like it!” Not as big as the first but a foot long jumbo hotdog is still way better than the smaller wieners I was catching up to that point.

I switched from the Alien Jig to the Golden Nugget – thinking the larger profile would be more appealing to the larger perch – and although I got a couple good ones, they grew weary of it – I could still see them clearly on my unit but just hovering round the bait and not taking it. Interestingly enough … by now (12noon) they weren’t chasing it up anymore either … “that was a breakfast thing … not a lunch deal, dude” … is basically what they were telling me!

So, once again I switched rods … this time the Tungsten Marmooska rig and it turned out to be the hottest rig going . I’ve been using and loving HT’s Marmooska’s since the early 1990’s – almost always favoring the larger heavier ones because they sank quicker in our deeper waters than the smaller versions. But when three or four years ago HT came out with a Tungsten version … I knew they were cooking with bacon! Why? Because once you get a perch or two going within a larger school … your success often hinges on how quickly you can return a bait in front of their faces after you catch your last one. To unhook and drop back down lickity-split is absolutely critical to success – snooze you loose and they can and often do move on if you diddle-dawdle. Tungsten is 30% heavier than lead and is also 70% denser.  With this in mind, tungsten jigs are able to be made smaller and still offer the same weight and feel to the angler. What I like about HT’s versions is that they chose to still make the same large dimension sized Tungsten Marmooska’s as they did their standard lead … so they really sink like a bullet in deep water back to marauding perch before they even consider vacating the premises below.

So, although it was still a couple of days until the derby … the old bass tournament angler adage of ‘not stinging too many of your fish in pre-fish’ ran thru my head … and I chose to save the spot on both my Elite and hand held units and blow that pop stand in favor of another that would hopefully yield the same pleasing results. I went to grab my rod, dropped the jig on bottom, and slowly lifted it up when gradually my rod began to double over – hmm… weed? “Oh no … it’s a fish!” I reeled in steady … thinking maybe it wasn’t even a big jumbo but a small whitefish or something else … until I got it closer to the hole. “Yellow and orange … Bars!” Oh my what a beauty as I pulled it near the hole … and tried to guide it thru. I had a good look and saw it was definitely bigger than my 14 incher and had no sooner said that when slack line was upon me. Darn!

Still feeling extremely confident in that spot … and wanting to stay … I forced myself to move on. I fished for another three hours that afternoon – at first trying to duplicate that magical 24 foot mark and then zig zagging in and out from 20-30 feet hoping for more magic. But alas it was not to be … in fact even most of the smaller perch had developed lock jaw on this side of what may be the zone come Sunday… So I packed up all my stuff, made the trek off the ice and prayed that one spot would be within the zone Sunday February 18 for the Lake Simcoe Ice Fishing Championship!

Perch

We shall see what happens tournament day - hopefully stay tuned for a happy part two to this article in the near future!

Wil Wegman

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Wil Wegman is an award winning outdoor writer who has fished Lake Simcoe winter perch for more than 35 years. He was a member of Team Canada at the World Ice Fishing Championship in 1991, has several top ten finishes in the Canadian Ice Fishing Championships, won the Perch Attack and Perchin for MS Events on Lake Simcoe. He’s twice won the Bill Bond Memorial Award for his dedication to conserving and promoting the fishery of Lake Simcoe and in 2017 he was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame and won the National Recreational Fisheries Award and the Rick Morgan Professional Conservation Award.

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Ice Fishing Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:00:42 -0500
Quest for Ontario’s Rarest Trout – The Aurora Trout https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/open-water/quest-for-ontarios-rarest-trout-–-the-aurora-trout.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/open-water/quest-for-ontarios-rarest-trout-–-the-aurora-trout.html Quest for Ontario’s Rarest Trout – The Aurora Trout

September 21-25 2017- Somewhere south of Gogama Ontario in the wilds of beautiful Northern Ontario

About Aurora Trout:
Named after the aurora borealis because of their unique color patterns, the Aurora Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis) is a unique variant of the Brook Trout. It is a member of the Trout and Salmon family and looks similar to Brook Trout, yet adult fish lack the yellow marks throughout the dorsal region and exhibit few to no red spots along with those blue halos that brook trout are famous for. Adult’s average about 1 to 3 lbs, and the Ontario record is 6.44 lbs.

Aurora Trout

The aurora trout originally occupied a very restricted range, probably originally occurring in only two lakes, Whitepine and Whirligig, as well as their inflowing streams near Temagami. The subspecies was extirpated from the original lakes by the ravages of acid rain in the late 1950s, but was saved from extinction by Paul Graf, a hatchery manager at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He had brought a brood stock of the fish into the hatchery at Hill's Lake near Charlton, Ontario. He sometimes feared the fish might have been taking up valuable space in the hatchery and, on several occasions, thought about getting rid of them, until they were found to have been extirpated from the wild.

A stocking program began and since naturalised populations of aurora trout have been introduced into about a dozen lakes in northeastern Ontario as refugia, including the one we were fishing south of Gogama. In the late 1980s, the original Aurora Trout lakes were treated with lime to raise the pH to neutralize conditions, and aurora trout were reintroduced. Natural reproduction of aurora trout has been documented in the original lakes since the reintroduction, but the pH in the lakes has since begun to decline again, presumably because of reservoirs of acidic particulate depositions in the watershed.

At the lake we fished, natural reproduction is not likely so stocking occurs regularly. A one fish limit per Sport Licenced angler is in effect but like other Aurora Trout lakes this one only opens once every three years from Aug 1-Oct 15. No live baitfish are permitted and the recommendation by the local MNRF office was to harvest your one fish (especially in the heat) and then stop fishing.
When my good friend Gerry Heels asked me to accompany him up to his remote camp to try and catch ourselves an Aurora Trout, I actually had to think it over for a bit. I did have another tentative fishing related commitment during my month long vacation already filled with all sorts of angling related excursions. Looking back I’m happy I didn’t think too long … and am so glad that I jumped at this opportunity after my other buddy Greg Lunn gave me his blessing.  Why did that matter? Cause I was possibly going to fish with him during the same period near Bancroft. But, when he said, “Man you gotta go after an Aurora Trout … it could be once in a lifetime and if you get one you’d likely be the first staff person from your outfit’s Aurora District to catch one too! If I was in your shoes it would be no contest – Aurora’s all the way!”

The Quest Begins:
And a long way’s away it was from the town of Aurora too.  We began with a quick 3 ½ hour evening drive to Sudbury where, along with another friend Paul Kindy we spent the night. Paul would be focusing on bear hunting while Gerry and I fished on the Saturday.  We headed out early the next morning and drove north another 3 ½ hours towards Gogama. From there it was another solid hour by the same logging road we use in winter with ski-doo’s for our legendary ice fishing trips to get to Gerry’s camp. (Many of those winter articles can be viewed on this site.)

That same arrival day we checked the bait piles at the bear sites, did some grouse hunting (got one with my new 20 gauge) and in record temperatures in the 30C range … even went for a swim in one of the secluded lakes we ATV’d to.  Although we rarely if ever see anyone at these lakes … while I was swimming in this incredible aqua marine colored lake back from an island I swam out to, a small motorboat appeared out of nowhere in the wide open lake … I couldn’t help but wonder who was more surprised - myself or the young couple in the boat, at the encounter of seeing each other out there.

Grouse

It’s been a long time since Wil has hunted grouse in shorts and short sleeve shirt but there was just no other way to handle the record setting heat during their September adventure

Bait Barrel

One of the bait barrels was torn apart by a big hungry bruin … but during our three days at camp … no bears would be seen … until of course on our way out on one of the logging roads!

The next morning Gerry and I grabbed the two ATV’s, rigged the trailer and strapped down all our fishing gear, Lowrance Unit, the electric motor, full battery and his 10 foot jon boat on top. We chose the latter over a canoe because we are fully aware how uncomfortable a canoe can be to fish in for a long day. The boat would be much heavier to portage but we figured it would be well worth it once in the water. We took off from the main camp and after a good solid hour by ATV we finally arrived at the lake … but we weren’t at our real destination just yet. This larger lake was one we had to cross before reaching our portage landing spot on the other side. We unloaded, piled our stuff in the boat and half hour later we were there … greeted as if on cue by a beautiful bald eagle hovering within easy eyeshot. “That has to be a good omen,” I pronounced as we began to unload the small boat and prepare for the steep 80 metre incline it had to be hauled up.

Boat

We knew portaging this 10 foot Jon Boat would be more work than a canoe but are glad we made the effort

In the 28C heat, manhandling that lil boat up the cliff-like incline was no easy task but we managed. Another ½ k trek to our special little Aurora Trout lake and we finally arrived.  It was gorgeous! And there wasn’t another soul around.

Lake

The tree box there with the angler survey sheets were a real eye opener as angler after visiting angler had indicated very tough fishing since the season opened this summer. The vast majority had caught zero fish – one dude even having fished it for a dozen years already without handling an Aurora Trout. We knew right away that with a water temp at 70 F (71.8 by end of day) and air temp near 30C that our odds were really stacked against us. “Man, if these things behave like brook trout and we don’t even bother fishing for them in this heat … then this is gonna be a tough day,” quipped Gerry.

Jon Boat

The 10’ Jon Boat was a pleasure to fish from – especially for two bass crazed tournament anglers who with all their tackle, and desire to stand up every once in awhile.

And so it was! For over four hours we fished the entire lake; every nook and cranny we could think of that might hold this oh-so-rare trout. I was casting most of the time a variety of lures in my tackle box, Gerry long line trolling different baits behind the boat. We didn’t mark a fish, nor even have a fish sniff at our lures. With zero wind though, we did see several jump which surely did get the adrenalin pumping.  

Finally in late afternoon we decided to switch tactics completely. ”Let’s long line jigs in deep water like we do for lethargic finicky bass – with the electric motor barely keeping us moving,” I suggested. We were doing just that for awhile when Gerry noticed on the screen of his Lowrance HDS 7 that the bottom 2/3’ds of the screen was covered in what I thought were tiny baitfish … but Gerry suggested they could be grass shrimp. “We have a few lakes up here where it seems the brook trout feed almost entirely on these little shrimp things … not the same as the scuds attached to aquatic plants that perch feed on in Simcoe but actually free floating small freshwater shrimp.”
Well! As if it was almost destined to happen in that shrimp filled area we marked our first fish of the day! Even the best sonar in the world can’t make them bite but knowing there was a fish around sure was a confidence booster. Just as we rounded a 34’ deep edge and were thinking it was a no-show, the tip of my Rapala rod twitched ever so slightly. “Oh man I have a hit! I set the hook hard!

With lots of line out for my brown colored tube jig to mimic a scurrying crayfish right on bottom (I know brookies like them and presumed Aurora’s would too) there was a fairly lengthy fight as I battled my first ever Aurora trout closer and closer to the boat.  I can’t recall the last time I was that nervous reeling in a fish of any size … even in a tournament! I tried not to let her jump by keeping my rod down but she managed an attempt closer to the boat to shake the hook … but to no avail, as Gerry reached out and scooped up this wonderful fish!

Aurora Trout Ontario

Aurora Trout

High fives and big whoops followed … and despite our efforts to try and keep the fish alive in the net while unhooking it … it clearly did could not swim back down – so became my one fish legal limit and I stopped fishing, hopped in the back to handle the electric motor and gave Gerry my tube!

Wil Wegman Aurora Trout

Despite continued efforts to duplicate the same productive pattern … and even more marks on the Lowrance indicating both shrimp and fish … none were willing to sacrifice themselves for my buddy.  Knowing that he would be back just before the season closes (Oct 15) for another visit though … he was finally content to call it a day, fish for a few walleye in the main lake and ride back to camp in total darkness for a late but well deserved supper. The Aurora trout’s stomach BTW was loaded with grass shrimp and its flesh was beet red and very mild – simply delicious!

Wil with trout

We sure had a great adventure in our quest to catch an Aurora Trout and have already made plans to return in three years to try it again.  Next time though we can do without the incredible heat – we had a thermometer outside the cabin that read 40C! A couple of years ago we were there on an ice fishing trip when it read -40 … both C and F where the two meet.  Either kind of extremes are just a little much!

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Open water Sat, 14 Oct 2017 12:13:00 -0400
Aurora Bassmasters Present Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Research Report https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/press-release/aurora-bassmasters-present-lake-simcoe-bass-tagging-research-report.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/press-release/aurora-bassmasters-present-lake-simcoe-bass-tagging-research-report.html Aurora Bassmasters Present Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Research Report

For Immediate Release: Today the Aurora Bassmasters are proud to release and distribute a report on their Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Research Project . This report was written by Steven Kerr (retired MNRF biologist and renowned science report writer) with assistance from Wil Wegman (conservation director for Aurora Bassmasters club). It summarizes the results of a five year (2006 – 2010) cooperative research project involving the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and the Aurora Bassmasters. This project helped determine characteristics of bass (Micropterus spp.)  angled during eighteen different competitive fishing events on Lake Simcoe and or Lake Couchiching. These catch and release tournaments were comprised of smaller Bassmaster club tournaments, larger one day open events and even the three day Eastern Division B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship in 2009.

This multi-year project has already won the Canadian Sport Fishing League (CSFL) Conservation Award as well as the international Berkley Conservation Award. A total of 327 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and 1,468 smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu) were tagged, sampled and released.

Download Report: Movements of Smallmouth Bass in Lake Simcoe

Report Highlights:

The report  reveals that mean/average total length of largemouth bass caught over the five years was 41.1 cm (16.1in)  The average total length of smallmouth bass was 45.8 cm (18 in ). The average total weight for largemouth and smallmouth bass was 1.36 kg  (2.99 lbs) and 1.92 kg (4.23lbs) respectively.

The results demonstrate the remarkable average size of Lake Simcoe’s bass caught during tournaments. The average smallmouth sizes and weights in particular rival that of any other smallmouth fishery on the planet! This fact was recognized at the 2010 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open Bass tournament hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters, when the winners weighed in 31.5 pounds worth of smallmouth, and set the record for the five heaviest bass ever weighed in during a one day tournament here in Canada. During that same event, an 8.05* pound smallmouth (23.5in) was also caught – the largest smallmouth ever weighed in a Canadian tournament; and just like the other bass caught that day, was tagged, sampled and released by joint MNRF and Bassmaster crews.

(* Recorded as 7.9 lbs in the report, as this was the weight recorded on a spring scale at the sample station. The official tournament weight on certified scales was 8.05)
Angled smallmouth bass varied from 2-15 years of age with the average age being 7.4 years.  Largemouth bass ranged from 2-13 years of age and averaged 6.9 years.  Both species first recruited to the competitive fishery at two years of age, and had to be at least 12 inches long; indicating fairly rapid growth rates for bass this far north.  There were 280 smallmouth bass and 5 largemouth bass which exceeded 50 cm (19.7in) in length.  Two hundred and thirty-five smallmouth bass exceeded 2.5 kg (5.8lbs) in weight. Overall, the age composition of smallmouth bass was older than largemouth bass.

Over the five year period, a total of 94 tagged bass that were recaptured were reported. Anglers catching a tagged bass would call the MNRF office in Aurora whose general line was displayed on the tag.  The 94 bass represents a recapture rate of 4.9% for largemouth bass and 6.8% for smallmouth bass. Five bass were recaptured twice. The average time for recapture after release was 260.9 days for largemouth bass and 383.6 days for smallmouth bass.  The longest elapsed time until recapture exceeded five years. Tagged bass reports from this five year study came in until 2014 and are included within the report.

“Each tagged bass tells a story and those are highlighted within the report,” says Aurora Bassmaster president Scott Cochran. “For instance, we had one particular smallmouth that was caught during the BPS Lake Simcoe Open in late October 2010, sampled, tagged and released by the Shimano Live Release Boat in Orillia where the tournament was held. The following spring that same bass was re-caught by an angler and details were called in. That fish had swam up Lake Couchiching, made it past the Trent Severn locks into Sparrow Lake, swam north through Sparrow Lake, bypassed the Big Chute making its way into Six Mile Lake where it went over Whites Falls into Burrows Bay of Gloucester Pool where the angler caught it”, explained Cochran. The total distance travelled from the release site was estimated at approximately 78 km.

During the 2-3 late fall tournaments held every year during this study, many bass angled from deeper water appeared to suffer from barotrauma – which meant the bass would have an expanded air bladder and would have difficulty swimming down to the depths they came from. Therefore  in order to relieve pressure from the air bladder a process known as “fizzing” was used by experienced fizzers at the sampling station near the weigh in. This process involves inserting an 18 gauge hypodermic needle into a special spot on the side of the fish into the air bladder. The air pressure is thus relieved and bass typically have no problem swimming back down to comfortable depths afterwards. A total of 684 bass (mostly smallmouth) were “fizzed” during this study.  Fifty-two of the ninety-four (55.3%) bass recaptured by anglers months or years later had been previously fizzed.

Not a great deal of science has been published on the long term survival of fizzed bass, however this 5 year study demonstrates that over half of all the tagged bass that were re-caught months or years after original capture were previously fizzed and therefore still alive and healthy – contributing to the overall fishery. Catch and release really does work, with fizzed bass that need it or un-fizzed ones that don’t. Carefully live releasing bass to hopefully be re-caught again by some other lucky angler, is the single greatest personal contribution any angler can make to his or her fishery, regardless of whether they like to fish tournaments or not,”  concluded Cochran.

Finally, this report along with several others, demonstrates that biological sampling at competitive fishing events is an efficient and cost-effective means of monitoring the status of local bass populations.  The Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Research Project helped highlight the incredible size of smallmouth bass in Lake Simcoe; it provided important data on bass movements, age classes and growth rates. The Aurora Bassmasters encourage all interested anglers to read the entire report – which is now available on their website: http://www.aurorabass.com

Sincerely,
Johnny DeBartolo
Aurora Bassmasters Media Director
jdebartolo@gmail.com

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Press Release Wed, 22 Mar 2017 13:16:05 -0400
Wil’s Five Tip’s For a More Productive and Safe Late Season Perch Bite https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/wils-five-tips-for-a-more-productive-and-safe-late-season-perch-bite.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/wils-five-tips-for-a-more-productive-and-safe-late-season-perch-bite.html Wil’s Five Tip’s For a More Productive and Safe Late Season Perch Bite

1) Accept Climate Change! It’s taken me awhile to accept that in my neck-of-the-woods (Lake Simcoe 40 minutes north of Toronto ON) late season ice is nothing like it used to be and there are no signs this will change anytime soon. It seems like just a few short years ago that I would be writing about that glorious perch bite that really doesn’t begin until early April – long after all the huts had to be off and lake trout and whitefish season was closed. That bite often lasted until mid-April and would consistently see perch moving in shallow right next to adjacent spawning sites.  Days of 100 or more jumbos were not uncommon and we’d take great pride in breaking the magic two pound barrier time and again. Unfortunately – those magical days and that typical late ice period has changed dramatically – but the perch fishing can still be absolutely incredible if you adapt to the changing conditions and accept climate change!

2) Late Ice Comes Early! That’s the new normal and we’d better get used to it. Today on March 8 for instance we have been in the midst of what surely appears to be the last ice period- for the past week or more.  Heavy rains, mid-teen temperatures (Celsius), open rivers, thinner main lake ice and open water nearshore are all telltale signs that break up might not be too far off. Planning your time accordingly to capitalize on what little late ice activity you may have, is the only way to still enjoy the top notch perch and black crappie fishing available. For some this could involve booking the odd vacation day but for others (myself included) it means I don’t waste my wknd time doing ‘other non- fishing stuff’  - and almost as good … I take advantage of longer daylight hours and boot up to the lake for even an hour or two of magical dusk perch action, or later into the night for an extended cornucopia of crappie goodness.

Perch

3) Fast Paced Mobility=Key to Biggest and Most Perch! There might be a time and place to wait them out early in the season, but late ice certainly isn’t one of them. Those who sit and wait after a couple of good fish get them all excited, are often the ones who suffer thru an array of dinks or long periods of inactivity or even more frustrating- plenty of good fish below the hole- but none willing to cooperate! Late ice after late ice period over the years, this lesson is re-enforced and this was definitely the case just a couple nights ago on Lake Simcoe. My son began the 5pm bite with a couple of really nice 12 inchers but for the next 1 ½ hours he was transfixed by all the nice perch below his hole and stubbornly stayed put.  He tried a variety of baits and down sized to some of the smallest HT Tungsten marmooska’s going but only managed to then coax the smaller fish.  Admittedly just before we left, he switched back to the larger marmooska tipped with a micro craw and he caught  another big jumbo – but that was it. Meanwhile I had about a dozen holes pre drilled within a 30 yard radius in water 24-31 feet deep. Parts had soft bottoms and sparse bottom weed while others had a hard rocky substrate.  There were decent fish in almost every single hole – but only  1-3 good biters… and the rest were dinks. My big marmooska and soft micro goby plastic were just the ticket for a couple of fish from each hole and with so little time till dark (when the perch typically shut down for the night) I certainly didn’t have the time nor patience to wait them out.

Wil Wegman with Simcoe Perch

4) Carry the Proper Safety Equipment: Floater suits are not dry suits and if you ever do go in you’ll still feel the icy cold water … but they do keep you buoyant and help you get out quicker. I always tell my seminar guests that I look at my HT retractable ice pics like I do my seat belt in my truck. You don’t want to HAVE to rely on either to save your life but both can and will if needed. Never leave shore without them.  HT’s new on-ice throw bags come in a compact waterproof bag with high quality rope that won’t retain water. These are easily stored in your sled and again are an item you hope you’ll never have to use to save a friend or loved one … but should you need to, that rope is exactly what you should use instead of approaching a victim within their danger zone.  My recommendation is not only ‘to be the one who owns and carries the throw bag’ … but practice using it too. Toss it at various distances to your fishing buddy- aka victim and have it try and go overtop his/her right shoulder so that he or she can wrap the rope around their chest area under the arm pits and back out front so bot hands can grab the main line again. Here’s hoping you never have to use this easy to  master on ice safety drill in a real life situation.

Wil Wegman 2017

5) Stay Safe- Even the Biggest Perch isn’t Worth the Risk: Late ice- regardless of when it comes where you live, deserves a higher level of scrutiny than say mid –winter when conditions are more stable. For a lake the size of Simcoe (740 sq km)  many of the places I’d love to access for big perch are simply not safe enough to warrant the risk. Other places may have decent ice further from shore, but will require planks to get out there. Keep in mind that much of the clear blue ice (which is strongest) has now deteriorated into weaker white ice (1/2 the strength)  and hopefully not yet the extremely week honeycombed or candled ice… stay away from the latter with a ten foot pole – or plank.  Test ice frequently as you go. Usually late ice means nothing but walking or cross sledding for me, but that’s ok because perch are typically not too far from shore now anyway. Always let someone know exactly where you are accessing and when you’ll be back. Carry your cell phone in a waterproof container and slide your HT headlamp on your cap before you leave shore if you’re fishing at dusk. Stay clear of pressure cracks, springs, and any open water this late in the season  and always remember …when in doubt stay off!

Wil Wegman is an award winning outdoor writer who was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame in February 2017.  He has been on the HT Pro staff since the mid 1980’s and his HT Ice Fishing Seminars see him travel all over Southern and Central Ontario every winter. Wil was a member of Team Canada at the World Ice Fishing Championships and has won the Perch Attack and the Perchin For MS event on Lake Simcoe.

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Ice Fishing Sat, 11 Mar 2017 17:13:26 -0500
Wil Wegman inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame for 2017 https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/press-release/wil-wegman-inducted-into-the-canadian-angler-hall-of-fame-for-2017.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/press-release/wil-wegman-inducted-into-the-canadian-angler-hall-of-fame-for-2017.html Photo: Patrick Walsh

Many of the who’s who of the Canadian sportfishing industry gathered at the International Centre in Mississauga this morning for the induction of the latest member in the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame. As well, the Rick Amsbury Award of Excellence and the Conservation Project of the Year honour were presented. All three awards are presented annually in conjunction with the popular Spring Fishing and Boat Show.

This year’s Hall of Fame inductee was 57-year-old Wil Wegman, a tireless champion of fisheries conservation and recreational angling. “Wil literally lives fishing, from dawn till dusk, practically every day of the year,” said Outdoor Canada’s Patrick Walsh, who had the honour of introducing Wegman during the annual Industry and Conservation Breakfast. (For more on Wegman, see the full transcript of Walsh’s remarks, below. Also, please visit www.wilwegman.com.)

Fishing Boat Show 2017

Story and photo courtesy of Patrick Walsh - editor of Outdoor Canada Magazine

For more visit Outdoor Canada: http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/HOF2017

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Press Release Fri, 03 Mar 2017 08:58:21 -0500
Making a List and Checking it Twice or Maybe Three Times or… https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/product-reviews/making-a-list-and-checking-it-twice-or-maybe-three-times-or.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/product-reviews/making-a-list-and-checking-it-twice-or-maybe-three-times-or.html Making a List and Checking it Twice or Maybe Three Times or…

Tis’ the season to start fretting about what to put under the tree or fill that Christmas stocking with for the angler, hunter or outdoors person on your list, and as you know, it’s no easy task to come up with something they don’t already have and will actually use.

What follows are some gift suggestions that would be appropriate for someone either just new to the sport(s), or for that really hard to buy for individual.

When doing your shopping it may help to think in terms of “theme packages,” such as a rod/reel/lure combo for a bass or walleye fisherman, a shore lunch kit (details below) or perhaps some lure or rod making materials.

There are also some new items on this years list, including drones, the ever-widening selection of “wearable” technology, and a source for some great “fish art.”

All of the items suggested are likely readily available either on line, or at most sporting goods stores, so the good news is that you likely won’t hear those dreaded words – “Sorry, it’s on back order.” – or have to go on eBay and pay five times the retail price for an item that has been sold out in every store from coast to coast since October.

I would be more than happy to help you out with your choices, so if you have any questions just drop me a line on either Facebook or through this site.

Happy shopping!

  • The Mackenzie River Guide – A Paddlers Guide to Canada’s Longest River by Michelle Swallow – This beautifully written and illustrated book would make a great gift for any paddler. The book is 112 pages in length, full color and contains 60 river maps. At $34.95 it is an excellent value and you can order your copy at: www.mackenzieriverguide.ca
  • Fish Art by Nick Laferriere – Hailing from British Columbia, Nick has taken “fish art” to a new level, and his works would make a stunning addition to either your home and/or office Click on this link to see and purchase his art: https://nicklaferriere.com/store/
  • Gift Cards – When all else fails get them a gift card from their favorite sporting goods store. They make excellent stocking stuffers, and who doesn’t like going on a shopping spree. 
  • Outdoor/Sport Watch – A piece of “wearable” technology is something every outdoors person can use. Regardless if they are a runner, cyclist, hunter, pilot, golfer or angler, with so many kinds available, you should have no difficulty in finding one within your price range that has all of the features they will most appreciate.

There are a number of good choices available from Timex: www.timex.ca - Casio: www.casioca.com - and Garmin – www.garmin.com

If you want to go somewhat higher end, see what Luminox: www.luminox.com  - Swiss Army: www.swissarmy.com - or Suunto, who also make GPS enabled watches – www.suunto.com - have to offer.

  • Sonar or Sonar/GPS Combo – No fisherman should be without one.

There are plenty to choose from that should fit within every budget. Check out: Lowrance: www.lowrance.com - Humminbird: www.humminbird.com or Eagle: www.eaglenav.com to find the unit that would be right for your favorite angler.

  • Rods and Reels – Whether they are into fly-fishing, casting or spinning, a new rod or reel will never go amiss. You may want to think about putting together a rod and reel combo, and many stores have a number of combo’s already made up to save you all the fuss and bother.

On the other hand if you would rather choose for yourself, go to any of these sites for specific product information: Daiwa: www.daiwa.com - Shimano: www.shimano.com - St. Croix: www.stcroixrods.com - G. Loomis - www.gloomis.com - Sage: www.sageflyfish.com and Orvis: www.orvis.com.

  • Optics – Consider a pair of binoculars, a spotting scope or a range finder for the boater, hunter or golfer on your list. Some of the better names in optics include Zeiss – www.zeiss.ca and Bushnell – www.bushnell.com
  • Rain Gear – It ‘s important to consider how often and under what conditions they will be using their rain gear. Does it matter if the material is breathable, or will something more basic do the job? Prices can range from as little as $50 for a very basic rain jacket and pants to well over $300 for the high tech stuff that will keep you dry in a typhoon.

Wetskins, Columbia, together with the Bass Pro and Cabela’s “house” brands, offer a wide range of choices at various price points.

  • Rod or Lure Making Equipment – If they already make their own rods and lures then you can either order some materials or get them a gift certificate from their favorite components dealer. Otherwise this might be the right time to get them started on a new hobby, and to help them along most places that sell components have plenty of “how to” videos free for the downloading.

My favorite store is the Mud Hole. They have a great selection, prices and fast shipping. Find out more by going to: www.mudhole.com

  • Fillet or Outdoor Utility Knife – Whether for filleting fish, field dressing game, or just having a knife handy for utility purposes one of the finest, and I would suggest most appreciated gifts would be a custom made knife.

Prices are generally reasonable, and two of the best knife makers I have come across are Eric Seguin: http://www.eseguin.com/index.php/en/styles and Ron Post from South River, Ontario: www.postknives.com.

For a listing of other Canadian custom knife makers go to: http://www.worldknifedb.net/eng/canadaknifemaker.htm

If all you are looking for is a basic fillet knife, those made by Normark/Rapala – www.rapala.com - are an excellent choice, and very reasonably priced.

Cabela's also offers a very good fillet knife that is made for them by the WUSTHOF cutlery company.

  • GPS – An invaluable tool for the hunter and fisherman alike. They come in a wide array of handheld and permanent mount models. You can get a very basic unit for around $100, or you can spend a lot more, depending on how much you like the intended recipient!

Top brands include, Garmin: www.garmin.com - Magellan: www.magellangps.com and Tom Tom: www.tomtom.com.

There are also topographic and hydrographic map cartridges available for many of the units.

  • Plastic Utility Boxes – Versatile and inexpensive. Fill a couple up with lures and pop them under the tree or into their Christmas stocking.
  • Lures – Remember no one ever has enough lures, so sneak a peak into their tackle box to see what they like, and then load up their Christmas stocking.
  • Tackle Box – If you have gone out and bought them boatload of lures, they may not have enough room for everything in their old tackle box.

To see what types of tackle boxes or tackle systems are available, go on line to either: Bass Pro Shops: www.basspro.com or Cabela’s: www.cabelas.com. Both company’s also provide online product information assistance in case your having trouble deciding.

  • Weigh Scale – For those anglers who may be somewhat prone to exaggeration, a new weigh scale will take all of the guesswork out of determining just how big that fish really is.

Rapala/Normarkwww.rapala.com - make a good digital scale. For the more serious angler a scale by Chatillon: www.chatillon-scales.com may be in order. These quality scales are International Gamefish Association certifiable, and come in a variety of sizes.

  • The Cabin 14 Ultimate Shore Lunch Cook Book – Featured in both Cabin Life and Lake Simcoe Living magazines this book is filled with delicious, guide inspired and filed tested recipes, this book will provide you with everything you need from advice on choosing the ideal location, gearing up to step-by-step instructions on how to create the Ultimate shore lunch experience.

Field tested recipes include Lemon Wine Walleye, Honey Cajun “Sweet Fire” Fish Nuggets, and Chili/Lime Stir Fired Trout, as well a number of tasty sides, such as Hush Puppies, Warm Potato Salad and “Drunken” Fried Rice.

  • Fishing or Hunting Trip – Just watch their face when they open this one. While hunting trips tend to run several days or a week, fishing trips tend to give you a few more options. You can book them a day trip (see Guided river trips below) or one that lasts a few days or a full week.

One excellent choice would be a trip to Esnagami Wilderness Lodge: www.esnagami.com or www.flyfishingesnagami.com who offer exceptional Walleye, Pike and Brook Trout fishing.

But if you really want to leave them slack jawed, consider booking them the fishing or hunting adventure of a lifetime through Plummer’s Arctic Lodges at: www.plummerslodges.com

For a listing of lodges and outfitters within Ontario go to: www.fishingontario.com or www.huntinginontario.ca.
Another good source of information is iWantToFish: www.iwanttofish.com - an international sport fishing destination-planning site.

  • Tim Horton’s Gift Card – These will always come in very handy on the trip to and from their favorite fishing hole or hunt camp.
  • Boat Accessories – There are all manner of accessories available for the boater. For example, consider replacing their old bulky life jacket with a comfortable inflatable PFD, some new padded seats or an electric trolling motor. Both Cabela’s: www.cabelas.com and Bass Pro Shops: www.basspro.com carry a large selection of boating accessories.
  • If you are considering an electric trolling motor then consider one from Motorguide: www.motorguide.com or Minn Kota: www.minnkotamotors.com 
  • Field Journal – Give them something they can use to record their outdoor experiences. Journals are available in many styles at any stationary store, and some specialty sporting goods stores do carry versions that are fishing and hunting specific.
  • Multi Tool – A must for any outdoors person. These versatile tools are great for doing any type of minor repairs while out in the field or around the house.

Both Leatherman: www.leatherman.com and Gerber: www.gerber-tools.com have a wide selection to choose from.

The Swiss Army folks also have a multi tool called a Swiss Tool.  For more information on Swiss Army Products go to: https://www.swissarmy.com/ca/en

  • Yeti Cooler – If keeping things either cold or frozen for an extended period of time at the fish or hunt camp is important, then you cannot find a better cooler than a Yeti.

While fairly expensive when compared to other coolers, they are built to last, dry ice compatible and some models are even bear proof. I have two of them, and when using dry ice they keep my food frozen for up to a week.

For more information click on: www.yeticoolers.com or http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/product-reviews/item/94-chilling-with-a-yeti

  • Knife Sharpening System – There is nothing worse than tying to fillet a fish or dress your game with a dull knife.

While there are a number of sharpeners on the market, you should consider those offered by Chef’s Choice: www.edgecraft.com: Gatco: www.gatcosharpeners.com or Lansky: www.lansky.com.

  • Fishing Accessories – Even fishermen have to accessorize, and by accessories I mean things like a line stripper, hot line cutter, hook removers, jig eye busters and line nippers to name just a few.

The folks at Normark/Rapala: www.rapala.com and Berkley: www.berkley-fishing.com have some neat accessory kits, but if you are buying for a fly fisherman, then the gadgets and gizmos available know no bounds.

Both Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops (see links above) have a good selection as does Sail: www.sail.ca and Canadian Tire: www.canadiantire.ca.  

If you have a fly fisherman on your list and prefer a specialty store, Wilson’s: www.canadasflyfishingoutfitter.com is worth a visit.

  • Shore Lunch Kit – This can be a great gift to get the kids working on. None of the items suggested are very expensive, and everything can be found either at a dollar, grocery or sporting goods store.
  • Items to Include:
  • 2 – 12” cast iron frying pans 
  • Medium size pot with lid  
  • Plastic egg holder
  • Plastic bottles with screw tops in assorted sizes for oil and spices 
  • Cutting board 
  • Fillet knife 
  • Coffee pot  
  • Zip lock style bags in various sizes  
  • Clean up kit (soap pads, j-cloths, small bottle of dish soap and a couple of dish towels)
  • 4 each of plates, bowls, coffee mugs, knives, forks and spoons (consider buying ones made out of lexan plastic as they are light and durable)
  • Tongs  
  • Metal egg flipper 
  • Can opener
  • Medium size metal serving spoon 
  • Paper towels
  • Roll of aluminum foil 
  • Grilling basket  
  • Cooking grate and/or propane burner  
  • Cabin 14 Ultimate Shore Lunch Cook Book
  • Garbage bags including some smaller ones to store the frying pans in  
  • Matches in a waterproof container, and
  • A good quality plastic tub to put everything in – well most everything - because it’s unlikely the grate or propane burner will fit, unless you come up with a box that is too large to carry!
  • Waterproof Camera – Don’t leave home without one!

Some good quality compact, point and shoot waterproof cameras include the:

Canon PowerShot D10, D20 or D30: www.canon.ca,

Fujifilm Finepix XP80 or XP90: www.fujifilm.ca

Olympus, TG4 or TG860: www.olympuscanada.com  

Lumix by Panasonic: http://shop.panasonic.com/search?q=waterproof%20cameras  and,  

Pentax WG series: www.ricoh-imaging.ca

While some of these cameras do allow you to take HD videos, another option for taking excellent HD videos is the GoPro: www.gopro.com

  • Waterproof/Shockproof Equipment Case – It always amazes me how many people go out in their boat, or into the field with their expensive optics and other equipment packed away in a plastic bag or just stuffed into their pocket, and while their equipment may be waterproof, they are never drop proof.

Therefor, to protect their valuable equipment, consider buying them a waterproof/shockproof equipment case, and in my opinion, the very best available are those made by Pelican and Nanuk.

Many quality sporting goods and camera stores carry them, and to see their entire line up go to: www.nanuk.com - www.pelican.com or www.pelican.ca.  

The Custom Case Company in Ottawa, ON: www.customcaseco.com/pelican_ca.html carries a full line of Pelican and Nanuk cases and has very fast delivery.

  • ThermaCELL Heated Insoles – Do you know someone who is always getting cold feet? Then these wireless, re-chargeable, and remote controlled foot warmers, will keep their feet warm and toasty while in the boat, blind or tree stand: www.thermacell.com  

ThermaCELL also make a number of interesting mosquito repellent devices as well.

  • Hand Held Bug Zapper – Tired of being pestered by bugs? Well, this is the opportunity to exact your revenge on all of those nasty critters. While there are several zappers on the market, the best, hands down is the Executioner – Makes a great stocking stuffer! For a review of this product go to: http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/product-reviews/item/99-the-executioner
  • Camp Chef Expedition Stove – If you have someone on your holiday list that loves to camp, the Camp Chef Expedition stove will be a welcome addition to they’re camp kitchen.

With each burner generating 30,000 BTU’s of power, and the available 3 burner model, you can prepare a full meal in an hurry for just about any size group.

For a review of this product, please go to: http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/product-reviews/item/97-:the-camp-chef-expedition-3x-triple-burner-stove or you can see their full product line at:
www.campchef.com

  • Custom Crafted Wooden Fishing Boat or Canoe – This suggestion is not as off the wall as it may seem at first.

For over 90 years B. Giesler and Sons Boat Works, in Powassan, Ontario, Canada, have been building beautiful, hand crafted wooden boats.

Boats start at just over $3000, with canoes starting at around $2100. That’s right – only a little over $3000 for a stunning handcrafted wooden boat.

To see what they have to offer click on either of these links:

http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/product-reviews/item/110-the-past-is-alive-and-wellin-powassan-ontario

www.gieslerboats.ca

  • Minn Kota iPilot – Without a doubt this is one of the most innovative and useful fishing products to come along in many years.  

Available either as an add on to certain Minn Kota electric trolling motors, or factory installed on a new motor, the angler on your shopping list will not be able to thank you enough should he or she find one of these under the tree.

You may also want to consider the new iPilot Link – which is and integrated GPS trolling system that allows you’re trolling motor to communicate with your Humminbird.

Check it out at: www.minnkotamotors.com

A full product review can be found at:

http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/product-reviews/item/36-the-minn-kota-ipilot-gadget-or-godsend

  • Guided River Trip – Treat your favorite angler to fully guided trip on one of southwestern Ontario’s premier rivers such as the Maitland, Big Head or the Saugeen, where they can fish for Steelhead, Smallmouth Bass or even Musky.

For further information and to book a trip, contact either Ken Collins at Grand River Troutfitters: www.grandrivertroutfitters.com or Mike Verhoef at Fly Fitters Guided Fishing Adventures: www.flyfitters.ca

  • Hook, Line and Spear: The Ice Fishing History of Lake Simcoe - A rare, now out of print book by Beaverton Ontario resident Robert Kirk chronicles the fascinating history of ice fishing on Lake Simcoe. Hook, Line and Spear:

The Ice Fishing History of Lake Simcoe treats the reader to an informed, in-depth look at fishing through the ice from its earliest days to the present, and contains a number of excellent historical photographs as well. A great gift for any ice fisherman interested in the history of the sport, or for that matter history buffs with an interest in Lake Simcoe.

Fortunately, a limited number of first addition copies are available at: http://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/directory/bookstore.html

  • Ice Fishing Gear

Here are some of the hottest items available for your favorite “hard water” fisherman.

Portable Ice Huts:

Clam: www.clamoutdoors.com

Eskimo: http://www.geteskimo.com/

Ice Rods:

St. Croix: http://stcroixrods.com/products/ice/avid-ice-rods/

Fish Scaler for Panfish:

Scale-A-Matic: http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/scale-a-matic-pan-fish-scaler/0000000079122

Tumble Drumm Fish Scaler: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Tumble-Drumm-Fish-Scaler/700809.uts

Underwater Camera:

Aqua VU Underwater Camera AV Micro 5c: http://www.aquavu.com/Products/Aqua-Vu-New-Underwater-Cameras/AV-Micro-5c

Ice Auger Cordless Drill Adapter:

Ice Master: http://www.icemasteradapter.com/

Clam: www.clamoutdoors.com

         Flasher-Sonar:

Marcum: http://marcumtech.com/

Hummingbird: http://www.humminbird.com/Freshwater/Lifestyle/ICE/

  • Drones – This latest “Techno Toy” comes in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. Many have built in HD cameras, some are GoPro ready, while others will interface with your smart phone or tablet, thereby letting you see what the drone sees in real time.

They are great for finding game, and if the water is clear enough, can help you to locate fish as well.

Both Solo: https://3dr.com/solo-drone/ and DJI: www.dji.com are good choices.

  • Headlamps - A great way to light things up without having to fumble about with a traditional flashlight.

There are many styles and brands available, with one of the best being the Petzl Tikka RXP intelligent headlamp. See it in action at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXNXYj_px7o

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Product Reviews Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:36:36 -0500
Ice Fishing Photos https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/ice-fishing-photos.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/ice-fishing/ice-fishing-photos.html Ice Fishing Photos

Ice Fishing Photo Gallery

{unitegallery icefishing}
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admin@fishinglakesimcoe.ca (Administrator) Ice Fishing Sun, 20 Dec 2015 12:33:18 -0500
Christmas Gift ideas for Your Favorite Angler https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/product-reviews/christmas-gift-ideas-for-your-favorite-angler.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/product-reviews/christmas-gift-ideas-for-your-favorite-angler.html

Helping to fill an angler’s tackle box with some of the hottest lures can be a daunting task, but if you’re thinking of a really welcome Christmas gift then it would be tough to go wrong with the following hot picks for a variety Ontario’s species. We broke down our suggestions for both open and hardwatertackle boxes. These lures are great stocking stuffers or gifts coming in at around $10 or less.

Budget Priced Items

Open Water Lures

  • The Rapala Trigger X Flutter Worm can be rigged weightless either and wacky or Texas style and is extremely effective for both shallow largemouth and smallmouth bass – especially early in the season.  A couple hot colors in 2015  included black/blue for largemouth and green pumpkin for smallmouth
  • The Storm Arashi crankbaits have been a real favorite for bass, pike and even perch ever since they’ve hit the market a couple of years ago.  I was fortunate enough to test out their newest deep diver with promising results. The standard 10 foot model continues to be very productive but the Arashi Deep 18 and 25 should be great additions for deep bass and pike in 2016
  • Rapala X Rap and Shadow Rap: Two jerkbaits that Simcoe’s bass, pike and perch find hard to resist. I have at least one of these tied on to my rods from opening day to closing, all season long.
  • Storm Chug Bug and Arashi Top Walker: The Chug Bug is an old favorite that has been around for decades and the Top Walker is new on the market. The Chug Bug pops on the surface to create lots of noise and vibration, while the Top Walker zig zags its way to drive fish crazy below. Both are primarily bass baits, but pike will attack them as well.
  • The Storm WildEyePro Paddle Tail series of soft baits can be productive for pike, bass, and even laker.
  • The Matrixx Series of spoons are very lifelike and feature a holographic eye and come with a Nickel Plated finish that lasts. They’re great for casting or trolling for  lake trout and northern pike To find a Rapala dealer near you or to shop online, just visit www.rapala.ca

Ice Fishing Lures:

  • HT Marmooska Tungsten Deluxe Ice Jigs: Tungsten sinks much faster per volume than traditional lead. For yellow perch that like deeper water this can be the ticket to success on a cold winter’s day when the perch bite is hot below the ice.
  • HT’s ChatterSpoon:  For perch the 1/4 oz chartreuse glowcolor is tough to beat and the 3/8 oz model in silver/black is a lake trout favorite while the 3/8 oz size in gold does it for whitefish. These spoons have a built in rattle that help bring fish below your hole.
  • HT’s Alien Jigs are one of my all-time favorite winter perch jigs. Tipped with an assortment of soft plastic creature baits or a couple real live maggots, they are hard for Big Jumbo’s to resist.To find the closest HT dealer near you or to shop on line, visit www.icefish.com

Wil With a Simcoe Jumbo Perch

Mid Range Gift Ideas under $100

Rapala 50lb Touch Screen Weigh Scale: This extremely accurate digital scale adds ease and convenience to weighing and tracking your catch. It’s easy on the fish for a quick release afterwards and will run up to 400 hours on two AA batteries.

HT Deluxe Tackle Tote: Every winter I am seeing more and more Ice anglers who have these carrying cases to hold all of their ice rods and reels.  There are three zippered storage compartments for tackle and accessories and it comes with a handy carrying strap as well.

HT Arctic Fusion TX Spinning Combos:This line of specialty ice fishing rods come with ultra-smooth, three bearing anti-reverse reels. These rods will be a hot item this winter. They feature the new Total Touch Handle engineered to enhance the transfer of even the most subtle lure movements immediately from the line to the blank- and right thru to the user’s fingertips by keeping them in direct contact with the blank itself. Combined with E-Z ice-out guides, these lightweight, single footed rods come in various lengths and actions to suit the variety of species we have on the lake.

Books:
For the avid outdoor enthusiast I’ve chosen my three favorite books of 2015 that I’m sure will make great Christmas gifts

Do Fish Fart? Although this new locally produced book is geared for kids 7-12 years old, I know plenty of adults who couldn’t help reading it from cover to cover. As they sheepishly laugh at many of the 200+questions provided by school kids aroundabout Lake Simcoe, they and the target audience are sure to learn a thing or two from the answers provided (many of the fish-related questions I was happy to answer). Ladies of the Lake was instrumental in putting this book together with net proceeds going towards the Ontario Water Centre. You can find out more and order the book at www.lakesimcoekidsbook.com

Fish, Frogs, and Fireflies is written by award winning outdoor writer and friend Robert Montgomery.  It’s a series of short stories by Robert and 13 others that’s suitablefor all age groups. The stories are not necessarily all about fishing but are related to the great outdoors and lessons that can be learned from first hand experiences. If you’re like me, you’ll read most of these stories with a big smile on your face.You can order a hard copy or e-book at: www.fishfrogsfireflies.info

The Cabin 14 Ultimate Shore Lunch Cook Book is written by avid angler and outdoorsman Harold Ball. Although it’s based on years of cooking various fish-centric dishes and sides in exotic, often secluded shore-based locations such as Great Bear Lake NWT and the Coppermine River in Nunavut, these sumptuous meals can easily be transferred to locally caught fish such as lake trout,walleye, whitefish and even perch. This electronic fishing cookbook can be purchased on: iTunes, Google Play or here.

High End Gift Ideas

HT Polar Fire Sabre FX Ice Auger
Starting at under $400 these units are some of the lowest priced gas ice augers found in Canada. I’ve used the two cylinder version with great success for the last two long, cold winters … easily cutting thru some of the thickest ice Simcoe has seen in over a decade.

Key Features:
• See-through gas tank to easily view fuel level
• Centering ring creates a smooth-edge hole
• Blade protector and muffler guard for added safety
• Ultra-comfortable foam grip handle and throttle control

High-performance, four-cycle 35CC engine models are also available

Wil Relies on his HT gas auger to cut thru event the thickest ice

Guided Fishing Trip: Heels Recreational Fishing Services located in Innisfil offers both open water and hard water excursions that cater to the angler who just wants to go out onto the lake, have some fun, learn about electronics, discover new techniques and catch a few fish. Everything is supplied by your host,Lake Simcoe veteran year round anglerGerry Heels.Regardless of whether you are fishing from his bass boat on any number of lakes when the water is liquid or in one of his portable ice huts on Lake Simcoe (and even a few other lakes) when the water’s frozen, this unique experience is sure to create fond memories. You can set up a guided trip for the angler(s) of your choosing ranging from $200-$400 at: www.heelsrfs.com

Gerry Heels (right) gets his clients on fish and teaches them a thing or two along the way

An HT Portable Ice Hut: HT makes huts of all sizes and shapes but the POLAR FIRE XTREME TX 2 or 4 person shelter would be tough Christmas gift to beat. It’s insulated with Polar TX for maximum heat retention and comes with a carry bag and carry straps. There are 2 zippered doors for easy in and easy out. These and other HT ice huts can be bought or ordered at Canadian Tire and are in the $300-$400 range.

Lowrance HDS-12 Gen3 Insight Fishfinder/Chartplotter with StructureScan HD: For those willing to spend about $4,500 towards the ultimate Christmas gift for your favorite hardcore angler then look no further then this high tech sonar and mapping unit available at Radio World. Features include built-in CHIRP sonar which delivers the finest target resolution and noise rejection available for perfect arches that clearly identify fish targets below and around your boat!Also includes free Insight Genesis maps, automatic softwear updates, Multi View, DownScan imaging, Multi Touch Screen and keypad and chart sharing. Of course the 12.1inch wide screenwith full color is like looking at a mini- flat screen TV in HD.

Lowrance Elite-5CHIRP Ice Machine: Currently on sale at Radioworld for $665.00, this 5” portable fishfinder/chartplotter unit is perfect for Lake Simcoe ice anglers. It combines the advanced CHIRP technology of the Gen 3 open water models with DownSacn imaging and a built in GPS antenna. It has advanced processing, multi-window display and is microSD memory card compatible. Radioworld is located at 4335 Steels Ave in Toronto and carries  the most complete stock of sonar units at the lowest prices that I know of anywhere in the province. Staff are all trained professionals and their before and after service is why so many anglers and boaters from southern Ontario and beyond have developed a bond with this store and its staff. 

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Product Reviews Sun, 13 Dec 2015 13:52:49 -0500
2015 All Boyz Fathers Day Weekend Canoe and Fishing Trip - Killarney Ontario https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/open-water/2015-all-boyz-fathers-day-weekend-canoe-and-fishing-trip-killarney-ontario.html https://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/articles/open-water/2015-all-boyz-fathers-day-weekend-canoe-and-fishing-trip-killarney-ontario.html 2015 All Boyz Fathers Day Weekend Canoe and Fishing Trip - Killarney Ontario

Nothing beats good outdoor family traditions and for my two sons Tyler and Izaak our first Fathers Day weekend trip began way back when they were in kindergarten.  We haven’t missed a year since and for more than a decade now my brothers Marcel and Paul and their sons Josh and Cody plus a couple close friends Mitch Backx and Chris Mikkelsen and their sons ... have all enjoyed a camping, canoeing, kayaking and fishing trip together on this weekend.

In 2015, we decided to paddle into one of the many remote campsites in Killarney Provincial Park just south of Sudbury Ontario.  Izaak and I made a trip to the same bass-filled lake in 2014 during the first ever 3rd Saturday in June early bass season opener, and we had a ball.  You can read all about that trip here . We enjoyed it so much that we were determined to bring the rest of the gang here the following year, when the 3rd Saturday would fall on Father’s Day weekend.

Tyler, (left) works and lives in the hustle and bustle of Toronto so these annual wilderness getaways are a stark contrast and wonderful respite from city life.  Izaak meanwhile has maintained more rural roots and is an avid canoer and kayaker who was ready for this trip less than a day after he got back from a ten day canoe trip into the interior of Algonquin Park.

Although we had to portage our fishing gear into the hot bass lake ...  those who know me understand that one rod is never enough!  Therefore a good assortment of one piece spinning and baitcasting outfits were brought along and worth every ounce of weight and space they took up ...They are no bother at all really!

Beautiful rolling, granite topped hills that ‘almost look like snow’ surround much of the waterways in Killarney Provincial Park.

Bass

There aren’t many largemouth lakes this far north around Sudbury ... but Killarney does have a couple. Ideal habitat includes wonderful Lilly pad beds, stumps, fallen trees and even the occasional weedline. When fishing from a canoe in these wilderness lakes, its amazing how close you can sneak up to the structure you want to fish ... and still not spook the bass.  This nice one fell for a wacky rigged Trigger X Flutter Worm that I tossed to the stump ahead of me about 10 feet away. The only reason we got that close is because we were pulled in there by another big bass who took the lightweight canoe for a ride while Josh tried to reel him in!

Josh

Here my nephew Josh holds an average smallmouth bass from the same Killarney largemouth lake.  Smallies actually outnumber largemouth by a fair margin in these northern lakes so a mixed bag is a real treat!

Bass

Once again the Rapala Skitter Walk, salt water version in ghost white, was  not only the most productive topwater lure but hottest lure overall during the trip.   Early one morning when Josh and I went out, I caught 5 good largemouth on 5 consecutive casts with it! 

This pot bellied fatty didn’t know when to stop and had the tail fin of a decent sized panfish down its gullet.  Some of the bass we caught still had their tail fins worn out a bit, but none could be seen on nests.

Marcel

Here Josh’s dad ... and my brother Marcel ... AKA Red, with a mid day tube jig smallmouth.

Pike

The occasional toothy critter lurks around weed patches and other shoreline structure in some Killarney lakes. Here Josh lands one he caught quite close to shore.

Josh Bass

Josh with the biggest bass of our trip.   This one came from a Storm Chug Bug and like all the rest of our fish was released in great shape for others to enjoy another day.

Camp

Sitting around the campfire: In photo, Izaak, his cousin Cody  (son of Paul- Wil’s brother not in photo) Josh, Tyler and Andreas (son of Kris Mikkelsen (not in photo) and also not in photo was Mitch Backx

Killarney Park

The view from our campsite was definitely worth the paddle in and one reason we’re anxious for a return visit.  Of course there are many other outstanding places to explore in this wonderful province and only time will tell where we end up for our annual All Boyz Fathers Day Weekend trip in 2016.

Wil Wegman

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Open water Thu, 16 Jul 2015 10:13:39 -0400