Ice Fishing

[Pete]

Hi Marc:
I finally got out fishing! A younger friend (young! - he's 55!) took me out onto Golden Lake in his Cherokee. It was a beautiful day - above freezing temperature and no wind. My buddy had a 10" power auger too so I was really spoiled.
We only caught 6 perch. One was about 9" the rest 7-8". Still it was fun and great to be out.
The guys on either side of us caught some nice pike.
On the other thread I posted that my "lucky" lure was my "glow-in-the-dark" jigging Rapala.

Pete

[SalmonSlayer2010]

It is great to hear from you Pete! I am glad to hear you got out on the ice. Power Augers are nice, eh!!! They punch such nice, clean and big holes to land big walleye or pike when you have the BIG one on. I think I have an orange/glow jigging Rapala I will have to use... My lucky lure this year is a berkely real stix 2" shad color. But my best fishes this winter have been caught on a slip bobber and minnow. Check out my big walleye in my regional reports. I had to take a bit of a break this last week due to car troubles but I hope it is not a huge repair. It goes in on Monday. I have borrowed a car so I can't really drive it out to my hut so I have to drag my gear out which is physically draining. All of January I could drive almost anywhere on Lake Nipissing. Auger and portable hut in the back seat, rods and reels on the front seat and minnow bucket on the floor. It was awesome I fished in dozens of spots on Nipissing for the first time. Now the snow is thick so you can still drive out, I just have to follow trails made by others. My friend, reaper here on the forum says he's coming back up this time with his sled. I am stoked. In the future I hope to find a few used sleds and start a guide service. I am thinking 4 or 5 sleds, 10 people per trip, towing frabill flip-over shacks all over Lake Nipissing, Lake Nosbonsing, or Trout Lake. Prices for the hut operators are high so I think I could easily compete.

[Pete]

I hope your car repairs weren't too bad. I have had so much trouble with my truck (1997 Ford Ranger) since last Nov. Power steering, alternator, front 4-wheel drive hubs and just 2 weeks ago - upper and lower ball joints.

I think you've got a good idea there with the guiding service. On the "oodmag.com" website there have been people asking about Lake Nipissing.
When I was a young man we used to go way out onto Lake Simcoe - on a huge flat topped wooden sled towed by a snow machine. The outfitter would get 6-8 guys on each float.

Have you ever heard of anyone catching a sturgeon while ice fishing? My friend who took me out fishing on Saturday has a picture of a sturgeon one of his group caught while fishing the Ottawa River a couple of weeks ago.

[SalmonSlayer2010]

Well it was the right front wheel bearing assembly. It cost 383 and change... Could be worse, the mechanic said the wheel would have fallen off the car eventually. I have had a similar laundry list of problems with 02 Grand Prix. Great cars when there is nothing wrong with them. I guess it is getting to that age. I think I've spent 5k this year in repairs. It is our only car so what do you do. Every big repair makes it more difficult to buy a newer car. I wanted to put a brick to the pedal and run it off a cliff. Fortunately I'm still sane and know better.

I like the idea of a huge wooden sled to transport gear and men out on the ice! I should draw up a design.

I've never caught nor seen a sturgeon, though I guess the sturgeon river would be a good spot to try... One day I'm going out to bc for the huge sturgeons I see caught on saturday fishing shows and youtube. You should ask your friend to post the picture here. I would like to see it and hear how they are fishing for them.

[Pete]

I've asked my friend to upload the photo of the sturgeon. He's not "technologically challenged" like me - he has a Blackberry. I'll bug him again.
Are there sturgeon in Lake Nipissing? This sturgeon was caught on a suspended minnow while walleye fishing in the Ottawa River upstream from Petawawa.

Now the "check engine" light is on!

[SalmonSlayer2010]

Thanks for asking your friend... I actually think you handle technology very well. I know people decades younger than you who can't turn a computer on, forget about something complicated like finding a forum like mine and posting on it. But it is no fluke. Hunters and Fisherman are lightyears smarter than the rest of society. Survival of the fittest is in our genes. This world is crashing but you and I will still be here.
Oh yeah there are sturgeon in Lake Nipissing. I just havn't seen one. They for sure go up the Sturgeon River which is in west nipissing and flows into Lake Nipissing! Maybe this summer I'll try in the river there. I think I'd use a three way swivel and let a big dead minnow float just off bottom.

Ok, check engine light is usually bs. For my car it meant that the gas cap was cracked or not shut properly. They said that is the only thing it is when that light comes on. So 50 bucks to hoist it up and 10 bucks for a new gas cap. I was very annoyed with gm engineers, not too smart. The engine can tell if it is not getting the right fuel/air mix. You got a ford so it could be different. Just try tightening the gas cap first.

[Pete]

Marc:
I actually uploaded the photo of the sturgeon! You have no idea how proud I am of myself!

Old vehicles are a real pain.

Pete