A LAKER LUCKY LEAP YEAR.

The 2012 winter seemed quite slow to get started this year. Warmer temps than usual in December and January had many area anglers scratching their heads, wondering what the best and most safe ice fishing options were available.

Some found fishing success around Ottawa and the on the river there, some temporarily on the favorite Bay Of Quinte. Anglers further south of that, surely found themselves traveling north to find decent iced over lakes.

The motivation for myself during that time, under a new and much busier work schedule, was sorely lacking. A short afternoon for panfish and one unsuccessful trip to The Bay for eyes in January was all I could muster up.

Feeling February’s approach, it became apparent that the Leap Year Month of 2012 was quite possibly all the ice season to be had. In mind, plans to clump together times off work to take advantage of mini-trip-tours rather than just day outings, I was really looking forward to the remaining months. And so, it was February 7th when ice fishing got underway, and over the next five weeks I’d jam as much of it into me as I could.
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FEBRUARY 7 & 8. OTTAWA VALLEY.

An earlier report was already posted but to revisit for just a second, it was back-to-back days on the ice around home on the 7th & 8th of February which were so surprisingly awesome. Racing around during the kiddies school hours to squeeze in some laker jiggin’ proved fortunate, as it was the beginning of little laker luck which would follow me the coming weeks.

On the ice during that time, my personal best grey came topside, while I first fished a day alone and then a day with Grant. Still reeling over that big laker, it was definitely my favorite fish of the ice season and one I’ll likely have a hard time trumping down the road.

FEBRUARY 16, 17 & 18. MADAWASKA.

A group of online anglers each February comes together up in the Calabogie area. It’s a trip looked forward to as it’s often the chance for friends from near and afar to come under one roof and spend time visiting, while fishing and exploring the trout-stocked backlakes found in the Madawaska Highlands.

This year my buddy Mike (SM05) would pay a visit with me into camp. While there all was prefect, as I had the chance to catch-up with him, familiar faces and meet some new folks as well. We eat like Kings in camp, play poker in the evenings, and during the days have fun, fish and explore by whichever manner we most enjoy.

Day one I joined friends Pat, Scotty and Thom to jig up some greasers. Laker-lucky rod in hand, two solid fish (a stocker and a natural) were quickly caught. I thanked my imaginary sponsors Mr. Champ, Yamaha Bravo, St.Croix Rods and Bass Pro Shops for outfitting me with the appropriate gear to get the job done right.

Day two Mike and I set out for speckles in the morning but came up empty-handed. That afternoon we shared a couple hours trying for lake trout with only one OOS smallie finding my lure. Come evening, Mike and I toured a distance to explore a new lake and try fishing the dusk for walleye… no luck there though. Tough day on the catching, but a heckuva tour it was.

After a couple quick and unanswered invites at breakfast, Mike and I found ourselves slipping away alone on the final morning to a new lake. The gang each year has a derby for biggest trout caught, and it just so happened that lucky money fish chose me during the rising sun. Come afternoon I got some down-time on the ice with the group and later alone with my ole buddy Kev. All-in-all, the group and private times with different friends, a great couple nights winning at the Poker table, and finally the big fish derby winner, I left Bogie a richer man in many ways, and looking forward to seeing the group again next year.

FEBRUARY 22, 23 & 24. TEMAGAMI.

Couldn’t tell ya how many years I’ve had to decline the offer from my buddy Wayne to join him up on Temagami for some ice fishing. Past seasons I was either already there with other friends, living in the north or, the Bogie group trip stood in the way. This years dates left me surely wanting to try and commit… even though, I secretly sit on the fence as to whether I despise fishing the lake.

Temagami is a beast of a body of water. With it’s short lake trout ice season, the area receives some hard and fast pressure. More structure and shoreline for fish to hide by than possibly any other inland lake on the eastern side of Ontario, my fishing there for years now has consistently been more difficult than anywhere else. This aside, the lake still harbors in it’s depths some of the largest lake trout to be found. In fact, just some summer’s back, a 50-pound plus fish was caught. It’s that chance of any lunkers and the opp to chill with Wayne and company in the comforts of his cottage, which put me behind the wheel to make the drive up.

I arrived early on the 21st and actually got in a couple hours on the ice once finding Wayne, Lloyd and Terry already out there. A quick little laker iced, things felt promising to start, and knowing Wayne had released a giant 38-inch laker around 20-pounds the day before, Lloyd had caught a solid fish that day too, and Terry was actually catching fish… this Temagami trip already had the makings for some greater fishing memories than usual.

The following and first day out, with newcomer Mark joining the ranks, our five-some jigged the day away under a total hodge-podge of different weather conditions. Some may have caught a few small fish, I marked two on the sonar all day despite breaking off solo and moving a dozen or so times to hand-drill hole coverage over a five mile stretch of different lake structures.

Second day the group travelled it’s greatest distance out to an area which my buddy Keith and I stumbled on a few years back. I think everyone but me caught fish… I lost two. But, the area was promising because fish were being marked regularily. We left early for a back-lake I wanted to show the guys, although that gamble turned out to be a mistake we would regret.

Last day for me and the fish turned on for the morning. Waking that morning to find and finally meet online friend Andy in person, may have been the luck changer. Touring twenty-miles into the Temagami abyss, the gang all set-up off an island where everyone started catching fish. For the short few hours before the blizzard hit, I managed four lakers, with the best coming on a white-tube which had been left deadsticked off the side of the Bravo. Come afternoon while hut-less in the snow storm, in a different area back towards home, two more little lakers hit came on a spoon. Thanking the fish God’s I caught something on Temagami, a six laker day would actually be the best day ever on the lake.

It had been an absolute pleasure spending time with friends old and new. Definitely in their company and being hosted by Wayne is the way to experience Lake Temagami. Glad to see the big laker luck found a friend this trip as well.

MARCH 9, 10 & 11. THE OUTAOUAIS.

The coming week of high temps in the teens, it was only luck by good timing that this past weekend of primo icefishing weather fell on some days off from work.

Last Wednesday Grant returned my call with much enthusiasm, to join up come Friday morning and hit the road. No plans, just jump in the truck with Big Red, head north to PQ, find shelter and food along the way, then return at some time on Sunday. The only real goal was to have fun picking cucumbers while beating off the lakeroaches.

First day around noon we’d made it to Maniwaki, secured a room in a local hotel, shopped the SAQ and grabbed some snacks on route to the lake. Once there, we were quick to offload the bike and make haste down the lake several miles. First stop in mind had not treated us well the year before, but Grant had confidence in it. After drilling a half dozen holes, I dropped line and iced a whitey before the lure hit bottom. It was game on!!! Initial fish were nutz in the area. Grant was quick to play too. Perch mixed in with whiteys and lakers, the sticks warmed up fast. Easily my best afternoon ever fishing whiteys. One particular point we named the Nursery held a number of smaller OOS lac troots, but the final spot referred to as Huddy’s Island, coughed up the big whitey of the day. A solid five hours fishing, we returned to Maniwaki to later feast at the Rialdo and by 9:30pm were dead asleep.

5:15am wake-up day two, we nabbled down a full breaky at the hotel, hit the Tim’s for jambon and suisse sandwiches and were fishing by 8:00am. Day started cool at -14C but was supposed to warm to -4C and get windy. Grant kicked off the morning but it took awhile of fishing through lakers and several relocations to finally tap whitage. Zipping around on the bike for me was half the joy, as Big Red could cruise it pretty quick under the present snow-less conditions. Forgeting the time is easy too, it’s an exceptionally beautiful area to lose yourself in. Grant and I hopped all over the place smacking fresh fish, taking pics and having fun. A few double-headers made the day even better but the whiteys remained trickier to find on this day. The morning bite had been so wicked right through into about 2:30pm when strong southwinds began to blow. The fish and day went chill with that as everything seemed harder to motivate. Grant and I put in the last hours ducking and tucking into spots where the winds found us harder to reach.

Spent the final day an entire hour behind the times. Clocks ahead we never knew nor cared, we were on the ice at some hour and remained on the ice until some hour. The morning was fast and furious as we had rediscovered some whitey whereabouts but, by 11:00am the bite tapered off in the warming sun. Grant again had the hotstick early, icing a few whites while I dropped a couple. The fish needed a little more coaxing than we had experienced on Friday, and some different lure changes for us finally found each with better working presentations. The day wouldn’t be without incidentals too… yet they were less active, maybe sensitive to the warming weather changes ahead. Still, they like micro and so the odd grease would gobble a turdy-tot and come topside. Once that late morning arrived Grant and I got ansy to start experimenting with some totally new locales… “rumored spots” as they were. We hit the road awhile picking up nada at the new before retreating back to rested holes. Through the early afternoon, we picked at fish here and there while taking it easy and soaking up the hot sun.

Planning on calling it a day early, the lake getting soupy now but yet finally giving the ATV some traction to grip, we booted’er at 52mph down towards the truck to fish out the last hour or so. Kindly, the move rewarded us with some extra whitey-snacks to end the tour on.

Never a dull time with Grant, what a rad slay! Thanks for the company.