Icefishing for lake trout
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:52 pm
Slug called me on Friday to let me know there's a seat in his car. I wasn't going to refuse anything like that 
We met at 3:30am and then picked up OldphartP, and finally went to meet Terry to pick up some bait. Nice seeing you again Terry!
We got to the access just as the sky was getting some colour. The walk out was short...if you're not pulling a portable hut (Note to self MuskieBait: if you're getting a portable, get a PakShack style or those IceCube style...something to carry...nothing to pull 
). It really wasn't so bad...but I just haven't workout or done any regular exercise since 1st year university...so my body is telling me something there (Note to self MuskieBait: get off your skinny a$$!!!). The walk out was about 300 yards...but there was about 8" of snow on the ice...and the 40+lb hut (even when collapsed down) was plowing snow the whole the way...so it was a lot of work for my 5'2", 100lb body
Okay...self reflection aside, we were headed toward 40 feet of water where Slug and OP has some luck. I've always had luck out deeper, so I'm interested to see if shallow gets it done as well...a shorter walk is always good
We set up OP first and get him nice and comfy inside his hut. Slug decided to fish outside in one hole and see what happens first before putting his portable up. I just like fishing outside in general
Soon enough, I got a hit on a pinhead shiner. I was hoping for whitefish...but this thing felt bigger than the regular size whitie...and snapped me off when it was sounding deep. I was totally undergunned fishing a light rod and 4lb test
Then Slug had a swing and miss. A while later, I had a subtle hit and got the hook to stick. It wasn't a big fish...but it chased the black and white stripe creature away
Aww...isn't it a cutie No...I don't eat kids...back it goes
Then, the action died. Not long after, OP said "It doesn't seem like 40 feet here. It only took 20 seconds for my rig to drop to bottom.". I agree...it does seem a little shallow.
So Slug did a little exploring and found the right spot and we all moved over. This time, Slug had his hut set up first since he had already popped his holes. We helped OP get comfy again, then I popped my two holes. Everyone settled down waiting for action.
Slug was the first to get a hit. Not long later, I had a quick one. Then it was quiet again. At 12pm, we got into a fury of fish! In at little 30min period, Slug and I just couldn't tend to both rods in time as fish were smacking our minnows one after another. At times, we had a hit on one rod and the other rod is going off too! We missed most of the fish but Slug did land a 2.5lb laker followed by me with a little 1lb laker. Slug has his fish on his camera. Here's mine.
This teenager came home with me I haven't caught a lake trout in 3-4 years...and after Mario gave me his laker last time, I was craving for another lake trout dinner
After that fury, all was dead again. Surprisingly, OP was only maybe 30 feet from us and we didn't hear any hollering going on in his hut. Slug and I had the odd bump here and there, but they were too quick to even react. Since there wasn't any action, I went to chat with Slug, and headed over to OP's tent to chat. Just as I got to OP's tent, I saw out of the corner of my eye, my rod was doubled over! I ran back just to see the rod straighted out for a second, then it bent over again...then gone. Yeah...I should have grabbed it and gave it a good hookset.
OP then started to get a few hits...and at around 3pm, he had a fury of fish himself. He missed 5 hits in quick succession but he finally managed to get his first fish on the board with a 1lb laker at 3:30pm.
Now it was pushing 4pm. I was cleaning out the ice in my holes. I bumped the line as I was cleaning a hole and my rod bent over immediately. I must have jigged the minnow just enough to get the attention of a fish that was either passing by, or it had been staring at my minnow for some time. I landed another 14" laker and it is going home with me so someone at my work can have a laker dinner too (I've an agreement with my friend at work...I'll supply him fish...and when he start hunting next fall, he'll supply me goose or any other game meat 
)
Well, now it is 4pm. We packed it in and realized we still have a walk-in Luckily, OP made a friend out there and this friend John has a cottage on the lake. He had no problem giving us a ride in on his ATV and pulled all our gear in for us. Of course he's a super nice guy . We'll see you out there next time John!
This area has lots of deer...here's one as we were heading out.
Coming home, we were caught in some lake effect snow and Slug took it easy driving home. We stopped at Harvey's for dinner...and I was so looking forward to my first solid food dinner since I had a stomach flu for the past 3 days! Oh so good!!!
I'll leave Slug to talk about his Jeep...someone left us with a not-so-nice souvenir to remember this trip
I got home at 10pm. The drive in my Camry was a little scary. Even when I put my car in D2 or low gear, it was fish tailing going up one hill. I was glad it wasn't just my car as other cars seem to have trouble climbing up the same hill too. But I made it home safe...just to find out my sister developed symptoms of the stomach flu too But that's another story to tell. She's better this morning though
We met at 3:30am and then picked up OldphartP, and finally went to meet Terry to pick up some bait. Nice seeing you again Terry!
We got to the access just as the sky was getting some colour. The walk out was short...if you're not pulling a portable hut
(Note to self MuskieBait: if you're getting a portable, get a PakShack style or those IceCube style...something to carry...nothing to pull ). It really wasn't so bad...but I just haven't workout or done any regular exercise since 1st year university...so my body is telling me something there (Note to self MuskieBait: get off your skinny a$$!!!). The walk out was about 300 yards...but there was about 8" of snow on the ice...and the 40+lb hut (even when collapsed down) was plowing snow the whole the way...so it was a lot of work for my 5'2", 100lb body
Okay...self reflection aside, we were headed toward 40 feet of water where Slug and OP has some luck. I've always had luck out deeper, so I'm interested to see if shallow gets it done as well...a shorter walk is always good
We set up OP first and get him nice and comfy inside his hut. Slug decided to fish outside in one hole and see what happens first before putting his portable up. I just like fishing outside in general
Soon enough, I got a hit on a pinhead shiner. I was hoping for whitefish...but this thing felt bigger than the regular size whitie...and snapped me off when it was sounding deep. I was totally undergunned fishing a light rod and 4lb test
Then Slug had a swing and miss. A while later, I had a subtle hit and got the hook to stick. It wasn't a big fish...but it chased the black and white stripe creature away
Aww...isn't it a cutie
No...I don't eat kids...back it goes
Then, the action died. Not long after, OP said "It doesn't seem like 40 feet here. It only took 20 seconds for my rig to drop to bottom.". I agree...it does seem a little shallow.
So Slug did a little exploring and found the right spot and we all moved over. This time, Slug had his hut set up first since he had already popped his holes. We helped OP get comfy again, then I popped my two holes. Everyone settled down waiting for action.
Slug was the first to get a hit. Not long later, I had a quick one. Then it was quiet again. At 12pm, we got into a fury of fish!
In at little 30min period, Slug and I just couldn't tend to both rods in time as fish were smacking our minnows one after another. At times, we had a hit on one rod and the other rod is going off too! We missed most of the fish but Slug did land a 2.5lb laker followed by me with a little 1lb laker. Slug has his fish on his camera. Here's mine.
This teenager came home with me
I haven't caught a lake trout in 3-4 years...and after Mario gave me his laker last time, I was craving for another lake trout dinner
After that fury, all was dead again. Surprisingly, OP was only maybe 30 feet from us and we didn't hear any hollering going on in his hut. Slug and I had the odd bump here and there, but they were too quick to even react. Since there wasn't any action, I went to chat with Slug, and headed over to OP's tent to chat. Just as I got to OP's tent, I saw out of the corner of my eye, my rod was doubled over! I ran back just to see the rod straighted out for a second, then it bent over again...then gone. Yeah...I should have grabbed it and gave it a good hookset.
OP then started to get a few hits...and at around 3pm, he had a fury of fish himself. He missed 5 hits in quick succession but he finally managed to get his first fish on the board with a 1lb laker at 3:30pm.
Now it was pushing 4pm. I was cleaning out the ice in my holes. I bumped the line as I was cleaning a hole and my rod bent over immediately. I must have jigged the minnow just enough to get the attention of a fish that was either passing by, or it had been staring at my minnow for some time. I landed another 14" laker and it is going home with me so someone at my work can have a laker dinner too
(I've an agreement with my friend at work...I'll supply him fish...and when he start hunting next fall, he'll supply me goose or any other game meat )
Well, now it is 4pm. We packed it in and realized we still have a walk-in
Luckily, OP made a friend out there and this friend John has a cottage on the lake. He had no problem giving us a ride in on his ATV and pulled all our gear in for us. Of course he's a super nice guy . We'll see you out there next time John!
This area has lots of deer...here's one as we were heading out.
Coming home, we were caught in some lake effect snow and Slug took it easy driving home. We stopped at Harvey's for dinner...and I was so looking forward to my first solid food dinner since I had a stomach flu for the past 3 days! Oh so good!!!
I'll leave Slug to talk about his Jeep...someone left us with a not-so-nice souvenir to remember this trip
I got home at 10pm. The drive in my Camry was a little scary. Even when I put my car in D2 or low gear, it was fish tailing going up one hill. I was glad it wasn't just my car as other cars seem to have trouble climbing up the same hill too. But I made it home safe...just to find out my sister developed symptoms of the stomach flu too
But that's another story to tell. She's better this morning though