Breaking the Ice: Lake Nippissing 2014 - Photo Journal

The 2014 Ice fishing season has been a long time coming for me, as January 17th is officially the latest my season has ever started, and it had nothing to do with ice conditions, just time

The wait was well worth it though as my buddies and I made the long trek to lake Nippissing to spend the weekend in one of Rob Hyatts ice fishing bungalows,  where ice fishing done right..  

It was a snowy 5 hour drive to Nippissing but when we arrived Rob and his team were ready for us and quickly helped us load up all our gear and get out to start fishing.

We rented a 4-man bungalow, they were nicely equipped with bunk beds, lanterns, propane heater and a double burner for cooking.. two BBQ's were provided outside and were put to some serious use.. there was also an outhouse and a outside urinal to keep us boys from peeing on the side of the hut.

no running water (though drinking water was provided) and no electricity, so card playing was a great way to kill the evening after the night bite died off

As for the fishing the bite was a bit tough.. or should I say light. We geared up with automatic fisherman's, and HT riggers, but at times the bite was so light it would not even trigger these fairly sensitive devices.. above Aaron is staring into his hummingbird screen and attempting to coax a jig bite.

Above one of my automatic fisherman units is rigged up for the walleye bite. I often avoid using the float that comes with the unit wanting an immediate reaction when a fish hits. to learn more you can see my review of this device  HERE

It's funny that this group of friends is very split when it comes to ice fishing electronics, above you can see Brad working his Vexilar FL20, while below Aaron is focused on a Humminbird.. Me I'm a Marcum guy.. LX7 all the way

Looks like these boys are reaping their flashers in matching colours as well, Brad in Vexilar red and Aaron in Humminbird blue

I had a few issues with my LX7 on this trip, as it was a bit tricky to get started, it is on its way back to the nice people at Marcum for a check-up

First fish of the trip belongs to Brad, and although it was a smaller (non-keeper) walleye it is always nice to break the ice.. this fish came while jigging

This pic was strictly taken to get that crazy ATV in the background, this was owned by another hut operator on Nippissing and was driving all over the place.

Kenny (the old guy) landed fish #2, another small walleye that lived to swim another day.. with two anglers on the board that left the race for last to catch a fish down to Aaron and I, and he who catches the last fish is officially the fish filleter for the weekend… oh the drama

Aaron was responsible for our meal on night one, and went with his standard meal of chicken wings, who can complain about chicken wings? lets hope the hot wings don't create a line-up to the outhouse

Day 2 started out looking pretty amazing, and within the first hour we had 4 flags tripped and two fish landed..

yep, that's me with the first fish of day  and my first of the trip and It got me out of fish cleaning duty, and all before breakfast!

Being the early bird of the group I usually take breakfast duty, but when chasing walleye on the ice, the fish come first, so each morning we set up our tip-ups and once day-broke I then turning on the BBQ and got the coffee brewing… breakfast sausage on the grill

My first walleye came on my new AubuGarcia ice series rod, I was jigging and put the rod down to check my second line.. moments later i noticed the rod was half in the hole and I had to make the mad dash back to grab it and set the hook.. from them on it stayed in the automatic fisherman when not in my hand

Shortly after my fish, Kenny hooked into his first of the day and second of the trip… the morning bite was officially on

Aaron was officially the last to break the ice, and since he is officially the "walleye guy" in our group you know he took some ribbing… now that we all bend a rod it was time to find some more eaters in hopes that we could get in a nice on-ice shore lunch

In the afternoon the wind picked up, driving some of us (mostly me) indoors to the warmth. I also took advantage of the cool title ultra-sensitive set-up Rob Hyatt had rigged up in his huts.

While in side I kept warm with a little hot chocolate and some Irish creme liquor.. not a bad way to keep the chill out.

Some of the boys stuck it out in the cold, and shared fishing tips, here is a good pick of Kenny sharing some info with Aaron.. Kenny was the most successful angler on this trip, landing more walleye then us as well as a surprise fish you will see below

Brad brought his ATV with us on this trip to ensure we could move around if required, it was also a great way to monitor the daily snowfall.. this little dusting was nothing compared to what we ran into on our way home

The Rob Hyatt special tip-up, Rob continued to push these babies on us, and I finally cracked and gave one a shot. They are ultra sensitive and detective every little move you minnow makes on the hook. I can't stress enough how lite the bite was over this weekend and if we used these all day we may have been much more successful

Marking fish on screen all afternoon I was having a hard time getting any to commit, so I decided to downsize my bait a bit and see what would happen...

after down sizing I ran into a few eater-sized perch, a great addition to our fish fry, these babies are always a blast to catch and even better to eat.. and now i know what i was seeing all morning

Speaking of Fish Fry's, our night two meal was cooked by Bradley and while he prepped it Aaron was put to work cleaning fish, and i broke out the butter and fish crisp to fry these babies up.. yep I'm still drooling

While settling down to our nightly card game of "asshole" aka "President" Kenny's automatic fisherman was set off and sending us all into a frenzy. The fish was not hooked when it tripped the rod, so we dropped a flasher down to see if we can jig him back up, we immediately marked a fish on screen and watched as it came up and slammed Kenny's minnow/buckshot combo…..

The result: Kenny's first ling, or burbot, or eelpout or whatever else you may call it. This was the fist one I had ever seen up close and personal and now I was dreaming of hooking my own (though not sure I wanted to unhook one)

Not a bad way to end the night.

Day 3 (Sunday) was only a part day with us scheduled to head for home around 11:30am.. so breakfast was served early in a heavy snowfall that  kept us all cooped up in doors trying to stay dry while packing up.

Kenny started the morning off right with a nice little walleye that was quickly followed with one of my own (see below)

I love walleyes this size, they are great fun to catch, and always look amazing

My last catch of the trip was also the oddest, imagine my surprise pulling in this 4-legged creature known as a mud-puppy. Sure it's one to scratch off the list, but I don't think it was ever on my list

With that out trip was officially done, all that was left to do was to make the long trek home in what was quickly becoming white out or snow squall conditions.

here is a nice father/son pic of Kenny and Brad, next to our nicely gift wrapped ATV.. this tarp lasted maybe 20 minutes prior to be ripped apart on the highway… just prior to the pins coming out of the tail-gate and the ramp dragging on the highway, yep it was an eventful ride home

What a horrible drive home, 6+ hours of single lane zero visibility, much credit is do to the driving ability of Kenny who got us all home safely

Lets end this Photo Journal off with some great scenic shots from our trip…..

First Ice - Ice Safety Reminder

Ice season is upon us, and if you are like me, you have had the itch to hit the ice long before there was even a skim in sight.. it's times like these that we need to remind ourselves about the importance of ice safety. The above image (high-jacked from the Ontario Ministry of Natural resources) may seem like common sense to most, but many an angler gets caught up in the excitement of first ice, and does not make it home.. remember ice in unpredictable, but by adhering to the above guide you can improve your chances of a successful ice trip and lower your risk of on ice issues

If by chance you fall thru please remember the below survival tips for getting back on dry land. A key here is good ice picks, so be sure to wear yours at all times, they are small and lightweight, and there is absolutely no reason not to wear them 

For your own safety and  your families peace of mind, stay off any ice under 4 inches in thickness, and when you do venture out, wear your ice picks.. they will do you no good in the sled

RadioWorld Presents: 5th Annual Ice Fishing Seminar

If you missed out on RadioWorlds ice seminar featuring the one and only Dave Genz.. then shame on you, but even more importably here is a chance to right the ship.. Saturday December 7th Radioworld is putting on their 5th annual ice seminar and sale.. tickets are free to this event, and believe me when I tell you the knowledge they share is priceless.

If you are looking to learn the secrets of the Kawarthas or two of Canada's premier lakes (Simcoe and Quinte) this is your chance.. don't miss out

Ice fishing with Berkley NanoFil

If you have been reading this blog with any regularity then you may remember my not so friendly review of Berkley's NanoFil line (found HERE). Since that time it has grown on me a bit more, and I have found the odd use for it (less scathing review found HERE) but this year I think I may have had a breakthrough.. NanoFil on Ice?

It surprises me that it took me as long as it did to spool up one of my ice rods with Berkley Nanofil. The smooth plastic or wax like texture  makes it a no-brainer for ice fishing, not only will it hold way less water then standard braids (which means less freeze up), but it also seems to have a decent drop rate, a must when fishing small jigs in deep water.

So far I have stuck with it for panfish only (crappie, perch and gills), like with all my braids I do use a short 1-2ft leader, so this bright white line is not as much as a concern as it would be if tying on direct.. that being said I often use the neon orange ice braid that suffix produces so how bad can whit really be?

The price is still a concern, and as in the past I recommend working with the smaller diameter versions as the stronger you go the stiffer and more like "fire line crystal" it will get

As for strength it seems to hold up pretty well on the ice, I have had no concerns pulling up decent sized pan-fish from depths of 20ft and more and the wear from the edge of the ice hole is minimal to non-existent. Knot tying can still be a bit of a pain, and with cold finders on the ice it will be even worse, but once you get use to taking your time and checking the knot all will be ok.

Am I saying the Berkley NanoFil is the next great ice-line? No, but if you are like me and have a couple spools lying around that you know wont get used on the soft water, then hey, spool up an ice rod, and see how well it performs.. i think you may be surprised, I know I was

Test Drive Frabill Straighline 241 Rod & Reel Review

This is officially my 3rd rod test drive of the 2013 season, all 3 have been straight-line combos and all three have their pros and cons.. that statement definitely applies to the Bro Series 241 by Frabill.. one of the first Frabill products to let me down over the past few years

Pros

I have been impressed with the production of Frabills ice rods over the past few years, their quality continues to go up along with the available options. Many of their recent rods are comparable to early Jason Mitchell rods (prior to the move to Clam) and are worth the $$ that most stores are asking for them. The quick tip series is my favourite (followed by the beefier ice hunter series) The QT have a nice soft responsive tip yet enough backbone to pull monster panfish out of the depths . The red beaded tip is a great option in place of a standard spring bobber and gives you the visibility you want without sacrificing tip 

The reel on the 241 combo is a bruiser, and easily one of the strongest straight-line ice fishing reels I have used. It's all metal frame and spool provide strength and durability. The drag system is pretty decent but can get a bit clunky at times. The Metal frame is not as much of an issue as you would suspect and I have to admit I liked the way it felt in my hands even at colder temps. It is a nice size and overall the balance of this combo is pretty good (not great, but a good solid B+)

Cons

The biggest con to this rod is the price point, this baby will hurt your wallet coming in at  an average cost of between $69 and $81 depending on which side of the border you are ordering from (and we haven't talked shipping yet). ..It is a nice piece of equipment but it isn't worth the asking price (not by a long shot)

If you read my articles with any regularity you will note that I fish right hand retrieve or "goofy" as I like to call it. This is on all reels, spinning, bait casting, and yes straight-line. This mean that I spend a lot of time switching all my reels over when I first purchase them. The Frabill 241 is the most awkward, and most time consuming of all the straight-line reels I own.. not only does it require a screwdriver but it requires more patience then I will ever have. God forbid you need to make this change when on the ice, as there is a good change your fingers will fall off prior to getting the job done.

Above I mentioned in passing that the drag on this reel can get a bit clunky, well that goes double for the retrieve, at times this reel can sound like a garbage disposal chewing up a beer can. It is that bad, and at times the reel sounds like it is going to come apart in your hands.. it doesn't, but the sound alone has made my put this rod down a few times and opt for a quieter model.

I have no issues with this rod at all, it is a quality stick, well build and is close to perfect, but Im a staunch promoter of ice rods without reel seats.. this one is well placed but I prefer my hockey tape (I'am Canadian you know)

If I have not scared you off with this less then enthusiast review on one of the most expensive combos on the market, then you may be interested to know where you can get your mitts on one.. check out the below links, these rods are on sale in most areas so grab one now and save your self some change

Where to buy:

Fish USA

Reeds Sporting Goods

Frabill

Test Drive: Genz Ice Spooler Rod & Reel Review (Clam)

To be honest I had all but given up on Clam rods & reels about 3 years ago. The quality of the product was dropping rapidly (the reels always sucked, but the rods were decent). But this year when I saw the Clam or Genz Ice Spooler I thought I would take the plunge and give then another shot.. the review of my experience on ice with this combo is a mixed one and the reverse of what I would have expected.

If this test drive was a Clint Eastwood movie it would be called "The Good, The Ok, and the Ugly" always wanting to end on a positive note (when I can) Im going to start this test drive off with the Rod..

The "Ugly":

The rood that accompanies the ice spooler combo suffers from some of the same issues I experienced with my last couple clam/Genz rods.. for example the guides on my rod do not match up, sure I can adjust them by hand but they continue to slide or twist.

Taking into consideration that this rod was designed for panfish I still have to say I found it on the flimsy side. I was hoping to use it for Gills, Perch and Crappie yet it did not handle well in the test drive and was the reason I lost a multiple mythic lake Simcoe Jumbo Perch.. the rod could not keep up and it felt dead or unresponsive in my hands.. I could not feel the fish, where it was going or if I was moving it at all. 

The "OK":

 Not taking action of the rod into consideration I have to say this rod and reel combo feel really nice in your hand, they are well balanced and sit comfortably. It actually gives you a false sense of comfort when you start fishing only to be obliterated when you actually get a fish on and the rod lets you down

The reel itself I have mostly good things to say about (see below) but one of the things that is only "ok" is that unlike the comfort you get when you first put the rod and reel in your hands is the lack of comfort you get when you start to reel, it feels cheap and flimsy, the plastic rubs and you start to worry "how long will this reel last?" 

The "Good"

Dont get confused by the above comments, the Ice Spooler reel feels cheap when you first palm it, but overall it is a well built (yet simple) straight-line reel. It has a good drag system and allows for better drop rates then the other straight-line reels I have been lucky enough to test drive. It pairs really well with the Clam ice line I bought a couple season back and have not used as I found it to be a coily mess.. who knew Clam would release a line that only worked on straight-line reels years before they released a straight-line reel.. now thats thinking ahead.

I really like the extended neck (or handle) on the reel as it helps with palming , as well as the overall balance (again this is a perfectly balanced combo). Another perk is the ease of with you can switch the retrieve, as mentioned previously I fish "goofy" and thus have to spend time switching over all my reels, this one was easy, here is a link if your having issues..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNIfujo2oic

The Results:

As stated above this test drive is a mixed bag, and I feel that although the concept and idea of the ice spooler was headed in the right direction and has many things going for it, overall it has been stifled   by cheap manufacturing and shotty workmanship..  the reel itself is a great little panfish reel and if sold separately I would be willing to use it on another rod... just not this one