Fairy Lake Ice Fishing – January 29, 2012

Cody (on the left) and Darrell trying to entice some Fairy Lake crappie.

One of my goals for this ice fishing season was to spend time on new bodies of water. This past weekend I was hoping to do just that, but Mother Nature and some other factors conspired to keep me close to home, and on Sunday I found myself once again traveling to Fairy Lake in Acton, Ontario.

Now, I may sound like I was disappointed to hit Fairy Lake again, but the truth is, I love that lake. Like my old brookie river that holds a special place in my heart, Fairy Lake is a place I am always excited to fish. With the exception of late fall, when I can’t seem to buy a bite, the fish here are willing to bite and provide me with a fantastic day on the water.

After the incredible winds and snow squalls of Saturday afternoon, I was unsure about how active the crappie in Fairy Lake would be. But Darrell and I, along with his brother Cody, grabbed our gear and headed out on the ice.

I love that sight!

It was a quick start to the day for me. Within the first 45 minutes I iced five crappie. I once again went with the red angleworm on the pink dropper and watching the fish finder, I slowly jiggled my lure just above the line of suspending fish. To get their interest I would do one or two big jigs, then settle with a soft jiggling motion. Time and again I was able to see the fish rise to look at my lure and quite often I would feel the change in my line and reel in a crappie.

One of my early catches on the day.

They sure love those Gulp! red angleworms. Nothing else would work, and we tried quite a few other lures.

One change that I made from last week was to switch over to my Fenwick rod, which has a much slower action than the St. Croix. I found I lost fewer fish with this switch. The softer action meant I was not ripping the bait away too early and I was not ripping through their paper-thin mouths.

Having some fun playing one out. Crappie are such great fun.

While we drilled a lot of holes – Cody has a strong desire to drill holes, something I do not understand but find quite useful – we never came across a very active school of fish. We all managed to get bites throughout the day, but there were never more than two fish in a hole willing to bite. It usually took a lot of work with the sonar to find and entice the fish, but Cody managed to ice a crappie the old school way – without the sonar. It was a pretty decent fish too.

Another little crappie.

Despite the lack of a hot bite, the fairly steady action kept us occupied throughout the day. At one point I managed to hook up with a pretty large fish that gave several good head shakes before breaking me off. Upon further investigation I discovered that the 3lb-test line I had on that reel was actually breaking apart easier than my 1lb-test line did! That line is being replaced this week.

The snowmobiles have finally ventured out onto Fairy Lake so if you get out there, just be very aware of your surroundings. While most of the people driving snowmobiles are considerate and safe drivers, there are always a couple that give you cause for worry. With a good 7 to 8 inches of ice, there were all sorts of winter activities being enjoyed out on the lake.

While I still hope to venture out to new fishing spots, I will love every trip I am fortunate enough to take to Fairy Lake. Located right in town, with easy access points and a short walk to the best fishing spot, as well as fish that bite it you take the time to finesse them, this is an excellent place for anglers, young and old.

Gear Review – Vicious Panfish ICE

Line is an important factor no matter how you choose to fish. However, the winter presents even more challenges for your fishing and it’s important to have a line you can rely on in even the toughest conditions.

Last year I was looking for some new line to spool some ice fishing reels and the tackle shop was sold out of the brand I normally used. My eye was then drawn to the Vicious Panfish ICE line and the price – less than $2 a spool at that time. I really could not go wrong. At that price, even if this line only lasted me a month, I could spool my reels again and still be saving money. Plus, it was easy to find very light line and I went home with 2lb test and 4lb test spools to put on my crappie and perch rigs.

On the first outing Darrell and I made with this line we were both very impressed. Maybe the low price had lowered our expectations, but we spent much of our time, between landing crappie after crappie, talking about how great this new line was.

Vicious Fishing has done an excellent job with this copolymer line. There was very little memory, something that becomes even more important when you’re  fishing with tiny, light-weight jigs. In fact, it had less memory than any of the other lines we used. And the line seemed to have little stretch, making it easier to detect those subtle crappie bites. No matter how cold the weather, and no matter how much ice it rubbed against, this line performed perfectly.

The line served us well for the remainder of the ice fishing season. We did replace all of the line to start this season as some of it was getting brittle, and we prefer to start the season with new line anyway.

The Vicious Panfish ICE line comes in HiVis Color and LoVis Clear. I opt for the HiVis as it makes it easier to see the line move when a fish picks up the lure. On the Vicious Fishing website you can find the line ranging from 2lb test to 12lb test. I was able to find the 1lb test at Bass Pro Shops in Vaughan.

I have had difficulty finding this line in my local tackle shops, but if more anglers begin to use it and demand it, that problem can be rectified. After having such a positive experience with this line, I am reluctant to switch over to other brands. I was given a spool of ice line from another brand for Christmas, and have had nothing but headaches with it so far. That line will be replaced with the Vicious Panfish ICE line very soon.

Fairy Lake Ice Fishing – January 21, 2012

The hut made for a great day on the ice. What a great gift this was.

The sun was shining as the truck was loaded up for a trip to Fairy Lake in Acton for a crack at some crappie fishing. After two slow weekends of fishing I was hoping to find a hot bite and my spirits were high as we drove to the lake.

It was amazing to walk out on Fairy Lake in the winter and see no snowmobiles. I don’t know why they aren’t out on the ice yet this year, but it is a nice break from the usual noise and and sometimes dangerous walking areas.

The first few holes we drilled revealed that we were finally locating fish. To be honest, over the past couple of weekends I began to wonder how well our Humminbird PiranhaMax 160 PT fish finder was working. For two straight Sundays the finder had marked almost nothing. Today, however, proved the finder was in excellent working order. From the first hole we marked fish in, to the last hole we fished, the finder reliably told us when fish were in the area, what depth they were at, and when they were moving.

This is what I looked at all day. The thick black line above bottom shows where the fish were. I never before had used a fish finder like this and it really was like a video games, watching my lure dance on the screen and then seeing the line arcing up towards it as a fish showed interest.

While we started marking fish immediately, neither of us could entice a crappie to bite. Both Darrell and I began fishing with our finesse rods and the white dropper jig tipped with a white Gulp waxie that had worked so well for us last winter. Of course, it’s always a bad idea to stay with one lure just because it worked in the past. What worked last year or yesterday, may not work today. The fish were obviously there but we needed to find a trigger to make them bite. With only one crappie pulled through the ice we started changing up our lures.

Darrell eventually ended up with a pink jig head tipped with a red Gulp angleworm and started getting bites.

Darrell with a crappie

Darrell may have been getting bites, but I was beginning to get a sense of deja-vu. I had lost a very large fish at the hole, again, and had brought nothing through the ice, again. I continued working through holes, drilling more and checking them with the sonar. Lots of fish but still no bites. So I did the only thing that made sense – I put on the same rig that Darrell was using. That worked.

The relief and excitement I felt when pulling that first crappie through the hole was amazing. I know there was a big smile on my face as I held that lovely little crappie in my hand and pulled the hook out. For the next hour or so we sat in the hut and pulled up one crappie after another. Our eyes were glued to fish finder screen, watching our lures go up and down, seeing fish raise to check out our bait, and even more fun, watching the fish we had just released swim away.

One of the fish I caught apparently liked our hut better than the water, he tried to come back up.

A nice Fairy Lake crappie.

There were a few things that were key to helping us catch fish today:

• We drilled a lot of holes,
• We only fished a hole if we marked fish,
• We moved around until we found active fish,
• We changed up our lures until we found what the fish wanted,
• We paid close attention to our fish finder and made adjustments to our presentation as needed. When we were softly jiggling our lures we would see a fish rise to check out our bait, if we decided to dead-stick we would see the fish swam away. A more aggressive jiggling action could get the fish to turn around, but they would only bite when we returned to a soft jiggling motion.

We ended up having a fantastic day. As I often do, I thanked all those wonderful crappie for biting my lure and giving me the thrill of reeling them in. There were other anglers out on the ice and I hope they had as much fun as we did.  If you are looking for some good crappie action, plan a visit to Fairy Lake.

Ice Reports For January 20, 2012

Tonight was a chance to visit a few fishing spots and check ice conditions.

At Fairy Lake in Acton, Ontario, we found 7 inches of ice out from the boat launch.

At Guelph Lake the holes showed 9 inches of ice in the shallows. Those of you familiar with this lake in the winter know that one resident makes himself a rink on the lake each year and he was out with the ATV clearing the rink off tonight. It’s another positive sign.

Belwood Lake opened for ice fishing today. Check the Grand River Conservation Authority website for more details.

And of course, Island Lake in Orangeville is open for ice fishing.

As always, test the ice out for yourself as conditions are always changing.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and gets a chance to hit the ice!

Website Wednesday: Noise On The Line

Tossing spinners for trout was the basis of my fishing education. The countless hours I spent down at the river, tying on spinners and trying to entice those delightful brook trout to bite are among my favorite memories. Because of this, I am always on the lookout for new spinners – something a little different than what the fish are used to.

Last spring my attention was drawn to a post for a contest for spinners and I found myself on Noise on the Line, the blog for John Delaney, the owner of Fish Creek Spinners. John’s creations were exactly what I was looking for – something different than the usual fare available in my local tackle shops.

I managed to win a few of the 1/8oz Glass Armadillo spinners and had a great time fishing with them. Not only do they provide a slightly different vibration than what I normally use, but they also provide a different look. The fish aren’t the only ones who enjoy the change in appearance – I loved the packaging these spinners arrived in – nice, clear containers that I have used over and over.

A little bass I caught on the Armadillo

Noise on the Line is the place to find out about what’s going on with Fish Creek Spinners, as well as other fishing stories.  It’s a great read and well worth a visit.

In fact, if you get over there soon, you can get yourself entered into Noise on the Line’s Birthday drawing for some of these awesome spinners.

I intend to do some shopping for Fish Creek Spinners come spring time – trout, beware!

Gear Review: Baffin Titan -100 PLN Boots

Baffin Titan -100 PLN Boots

If you want to enjoy ice fishing, the most important thing you can do is wear a good pair of boots.  If your feet get cold it won’t be long before the rest of you is cold and you have to cut your fishing trip short.

Last winter I wore boots rated to -40C, and quickly found out that I needed three or four pairs of socks to keep my feet warm enough to last a few hours on the ice. Invariably, by the time we returned to the car my feet would be frozen and the rest of me was rapidly cooling.

In preparation for this ice season Darrell and I decided we needed to find better boots. Since -40C boots did not keep me warm enough, I decided I could not settle for anything other than -100C boots.  At a local powersports store we came across the Baffin Titan -100 PLN boots.

The -100C rating initially caught my attention, but the waterproof and durable design quickly became a selling point. And then I put my foot in the boot and was sold. The 8-layer, removable liner molded to my foot and was more comfortable than I could have expected. And at a cost of around $100, these boots were cheaper than many of the other options we were looking at.

This past weekend was my first chance to test out my new Titans as we hit the ice at Island Lake. I decided to wear a thin pair of dress socks, covered by a pair of my regular socks, and took a spare pair of socks along with me in case I wasn’t warm enough. I never touched that extra pair of socks. From beginning to end my feet stayed warm – never getting chilly or sweaty. Whether I was sitting in the hut, walking between fishing spots, or standing at a hole, my feet were so comfortable that I rarely ever thought about them.

These boots are surprisingly lightweight and walking from spot to spot was easy and comfortable. I like that the entire boot is waterproof and I don’t have to worry about the water that splashes everywhere when I pull the auger out of the hole.

I cannot say enough about the liners in these boots – they engulf your foot and leg to provide support and comfort to every area. Since they are removable we were able to take them out of the boots when we got home to let them dry and be ready for the next outing.

The Baffin Titans are an excellent ice fishing boot and I strongly encourage you to consider purchasing a pair next time you are looking for some.

Island Lake Ice Fishing – January 8, 2012

The view from the parking lot. Look at all that ice and all those huts!

It’s hard to believe that my hard-water season did not start until January 8th this year! Last season I was hitting the ice a day or two after Christmas, but the mild weather this year has not been kind to ice anglers.

It was with great relief and excitement that a phone call to Island Lake Conservation Area in Orangeville yesterday morning confirmed the ice was in good shape and open for fishing.

A good deal of time was spent packing up the truck – we had a lot of new gear to play with and we wanted to bring all of it!

Arriving at the conservation area it became obvious we were not the only ones eager to hit the ice. Indeed, throughout the day there was a steady stream of anglers drilling holes and wetting lines. It was great to see a lot of young kids out on the ice, and even better to hear and see the excitement when they landed a fish.

Our new hut - I don't ever want to go back to fishing without it!

Darrell and I joined the sea of huts and begin to set up. As this was our first outing  of the season, there were a few kinks to work out and the process took longer than normal.

After the hut was up, rods were rigged and holes were drilled it finally happened – I got a line wet for the first time in weeks! There really is nothing better than being out fishing, and the length of time between outings made this trip even more wonderful. Once again I was searching for fish and loving every minute of it.

While it was a beautiful day with excellent ice conditions – the main part of the lake saw 7-8 inches of ice – the fishing proved to be slow for us. Darrell caught some perch on a tiny white jig, each fish coming in was smaller than the last, and I lost a pike at the hole on a silver and blue spoon. My preference for not using live bait may have contributed to the slower bite, as other anglers using minnows seemed to have some better luck. One angler we spoke to at the end of the day said his group had managed 13 pike, the largest being 3-4lbs.

With any luck the ice will stick around for a bit. I an hoping to get out again next weekend. If you are planning on hitting the ice, pay attention to any signs posted on the lake. Yesterday, everything past the beach was closed due to thin ice conditions. If you are planning a trip to Island Lake you can always call ahead, 1-800-367-890, to make sure the conditions are safe.

Island Lake Is Open For Ice Fishing

Can’t wait to get on the ice? Then head to Island Lake in Orangeville. Ice fishing opened yesterday, January 7th, and today the ice is a good 7-8 inches where we’re fishing. No fish yet but it’s a beautiful day to be on the ice.

Why Don’t We Get It?

A fellow angler once told me that in the US, when it comes to fishing, ‘They get it.’ In Canada, we do not.

We had been talking about how expensive it is to launch a boat at most of the ramps in our area along Lake Ontario. There is only one free launch (although they charge during the Salmon Derby) and it is by far the nicest since it has multiple ramps. Another launch has seen drastic increases to its launch fees over the last few years, with no improvement to the facilities.

This, I was then told, is in direct contrast to the US, where there are many free launches with excellent ramps. Because, “They get it.”

I was reminded of this conversation as I watched a Hook n’ Look episode titled Gravel Pit Potential.

This shows an extraordinary opportunity where a gravel pit lake, in a gravel pit that is still under use, is leased to the county for people to use as a fishing destination. Did you hear how many fished are stocked into this lake? And how frequently?

There are so many bodies of water that counties could buy or lease to provide great fishing opportunities. I know of one pond that was offered to a small town and they decided not to buy it. That’s unfortunate because that pond has an incredible largemouth bass population – I have caught some real hawgs out of it – and is in an ideal location to encourage residents to spend the day on the water.

I realize it is not a simple case of saying the ponds should be bought, but more of an effort needs to be made to provide great fishing spots to people.

It’s just something to think about. If the townships and counties in Ontario spent a little money on providing fishing spots, they may be able to spend less time implementing ineffective programs to remove junk food from schools and actually encourage kids to get outside.

Random Memories From 2011

It is now a week into 2012 and I’m only just getting used to writing the new year on paperwork. The holidays, followed by busy times at work, have kept me from blogging, but with some free time today and a lack of quality ice for fishing, my fingers have found their way to the keyboard.

Now that 2011 has moved into the not-so-distant past, I look back and realize I have many fond memories.

This blog began in 2011. It was spawned from a desire to write and I figured my fishing adventures would provide some decent content. The first post was the always unoriginal Welcome To My Blog. That awe-inspiring start was followed by Bassmaster Classic Finishes Today! Weigh-in Soon… and I was on my way!

The Argosgirl Chronicles actually existed for a few weeks before there was any mention of my own fishing adventures. My first report of a fishing trip was  Fairy Lake Ice Fishing – March 4/11. Now that I think back, those trips to Fairy Lake last winter were some of my favorite. It was a convenient lake that allowed us time to fish after work and provided some great crappie action.

Blogging and tweeting began to take up much of my time outside of fishing and Argo. These activities introduced me to all sorts of wonderful people eager to chat about the outdoors and fishing. It also opened up all sorts of opportunities such as a great fishing trip, as covered in Good Friends, Big Water, Great Boat and Kings, and the chance to win some new gear.

Last year I got the chance to participate in fish-related events that did not involve me fishing. Both the 2011 Coho Egg Collection For Ringwood Hatchery and CVC Trout Spawning Survey were incredible learning experiences that I was thrilled to be a part of. I hope to be able to get more involved this year.

The night Darrell and I went to pick up our new boat certainly ranks near the top of my memorable moments of 2011. We drove over two hours to see the boat and just before we reached our destination, the skies opened up and the ominous rumble of thunder began. We had maybe two minutes to look at the boat before the rain and lightning drove us indoors. Fortunately, we were able to move the boat inside to have a closer look, not that we really needed much more time to know this was the boat we were looking for. After a nice chat with the incredibly entertaining gentleman we were buying the boat from, we loaded up and headed out. While it was a very long night and had made a dent in our finances, that 12ft tinny with the 9.9HP Johnson turned out to be the best purchase we could have made.

I caught my first walleye in 2011. We took advantage of a beautiful evening and launched the canoe in a river close to home. While I was targeting brown trout and smallmouth bass, my crankbait was suddenly stopped hard. I thought I was snagged until I felt a movement that undeniably meant I had a fish on. After a good little fight I was shocked to see I had reeled in my first ‘eye. What a great way to spend night!

It was last spring when Darrell and I moved to a nice little piece of land and my number one memory from 2011 was created – bringing Argo home to live with us. Argo is my baby, my friend, the one I have always gone to when I was upset and the one I shared my greatest moments with. I have spent a good portion of my life with him and the fact that he happens to be a horse makes him even more wonderful  Having him live outside my door once again was something I needed for my life to fully feel like it was back on track. Walking him off the trailer and into the paddock and shed I had spent ages preparing, is something I will never forgot. He took to it so easily that I swear he knew he was home. And having a fantastic mare like Dee Gee to come home with him made it even better. There is nothing like coming home at night and seeing Argo waiting at the gate for dinner, or looking out the window and seeing the two of them grazing. It does my heart good.

I have to say I had a pretty wonderful 2011. Despite the current warm winter that is cutting into my ice fishing time, I hope I’m in for another great year in 2012.