Lake Joe Opens Feb 15th

[Conger]

With Joe Opening tomorrow I was ask today if I was ready.

Yes, and no:

Yes I have a hut ready to go itsmy little 4x4 hut, and it will be tooken ouy when I am ready, I do not take my hut out opening day, there is too much traffic on the lake everyone and there uncle are trying to get to there spots, ziping around it a pain in the backside, and besides if there is bad ice out there, let someone else find it first. as for me maybe Sunday or Monday I will run my hut out, or both or all 3 of my huts depends on how I feel and how the ice is.

and NO I am not ready I still need to apply new plastic runners to my 2 larger huts, but thats only an hours work.

[SalmonSlayer2010]

You can always fish from a portable or on a bucket for the first few days just moving around lots to find "the" spot. Catch a big one!

[Conger]

well I made a Liar out of myself, I took my hut out today. There are 2 ice shoves, the first one is small and I jumped it with the ATV since it is only 8" wide, the 2nd one is bad. so I droped my hut in 110 feet of water, I caught a 3 pounder that was 20" long . Fished from 2 till 5 was moving the hut around alot thou

[Conger]

oh forgot to say the ice in Foots Bay is 6" to 8" thick.

Now My cousin-inlaw Shane got a 14 pound 6 once laker today, he said there was 6" of ice there BUT the MAIN lake is still Open its scary lol

[Scott]

Not from around there, is there a good spot thats not to far to walk

[Conger]

There are afew I can think of:
Directions:
From Barrie drive North on 400 about 90Km
Just Past Moon River there is an Exit 214 I believe, this Brings you onto Highway 69, follow that for 10KM and you will see a sign sayign "FOOTS BAY" its a Blue town sign even thou Foots bay is not a town. This is also the turn off for highway 169 on the right or you can continue up Highway 69 if you do not turn off, or you can turn Left, onto (Buckhorn road) I believe.
Here is where the rest of my directions will start from.

1: Foots Bay. From The intersection go on 169 till JUST AFTER the ramp, then turm Left onto "Goverment Dock road", 100 feet down this road there is a road on your Left, Park along it. Walk down Gov Road and you will come to Foots Bay marina and the Lake. then you can walk out 200 feet (50feet water) or 2000 feet (110foot water) and find trout.

Water in Foots bay is from 50 to 115 feet deep depending on how far out you walk (go find where someone else has fished and start from there)

Caution: there are 2 Ice shoves, one at about 1500 feet out and an other out at around 3500 feet out, and the current Ice thickness is only 6"-7" NO CARS on the ice.

2: Stills Bay (a sister bay off foots bay)
Directions: From the interestionL drive on 169 for 8 or 9 KM you will come across BASS LAKE HOUSE its a Bar/food place you can park there or drive down the road beside it on the left to a Marina and park there and Walk out.

Find where someone else has been fishing and try around there. Walk distense around 1000 feet ish.

AGAIN no safe Ice for Autos!!!!

3:CNIB camp
Directions: From the intersection drive North on 69 for about 8-10 km and on your right you will see teh CNIB (blind camp) you can Park on the road on your right and walk out and fish around the Island.

Caution: Open water can be seen from this spot, and I have heard there is only 6" of ice since I have not been there this years.
Thus I have no clue how much water there is or how far out to walk, I KNWO there is a Shack out on the back side of the Island since it is my cousin-inlaws and I am gettign my info off him.

4:Gordon bay>
Directions: from the intersection, drive North 12-15Km till you come across Gordon bay Marina on your right. About 700 feet south of the marina on 69 there is a road called Gordon bay Road at the end of it there is a small parking lot. STAY WAY FROM THE BRIDGE,
Walk out towards the Island (its called Turtle Island) and fish around it, it should be around 80 feet deep depending on what side you are on.

Caution: I have not been there this year so I do nto KNWO How much ice there is but SLeds are running on that bay, and do not try to go out through the narrow to the east, THIN ICE AND CURRENT if its even froze.


5:cant remember the name of this one.

Directions: From teh intersectionL head east on 169 for 18km till you come to the intersetion of 169 and 118, turn left onto 118 and go 3km to APPa somthing road on the left (its on a slight righthand bend) you will be able to see the lake as soon as you turn.
This is the "stright" that leads Joe to Rosseau, Park on the one side only and its only a 100 foot walk to deep water, its only 50 or 70 feet deep here but there are bigger fish there apparently (my Grandfather fished it)

Caution: not sure about the ice have not fished that, but sleds are running it and there should be Ice huts out there by now


Hope this helps

[Scott]

Thanks 4 the info, might head out 2morrow, would be great to hear what the ice is like 2day

[Conger]

Slaped soem plastic on my runners on my 4x8 hut tonight, thinking of taking it out to where my 4x4 hut is and swaping them, I have to replace 2 crossers on teh little 4x4 anyways, it did nto have a good trip out onto the ice

plus there is more room in the larger hut for other ppl

[Conger]

Got thinking about Ice fishing on Joe the other night and a thought came to my mind; The basic tackle guide 4 lake ice fishing Lake Joe.

Auger(either hand or power)/Ice Chisel: 8" auger works good, you can getaway with a 6" but you may not get a larger fish thou it. 10" is Perfect auger wise, as for Ice Chisel, works in a pinch but if the ice get thick, aka 12" Plus it kinda sucks chipping thou that.

Line: MIN 8lbs test (and I Mean MINIMUM 8lbs Test, I run 10 or 12)
and MIN 200 feet on each reel/spool.

At least 3- Lines I like 1 Jigging rod and 2 spools/tip-ups for still lines, (I knwo you can only have 2 lines down at a time but stuff happends and an extra line is handy if messes up)

Hooks and sinkers:
I use #6 thur #2 Trebles for my still lines with a 1/8 to 1/2 oz weight, I run able 12" to 16" from hook to sinker

Jigs:
Little Cleos, Willims spoons or Mepps Cyclops spoons work for me, tipped with a dead minnow, maybe with a stinger hook if they are hitting light.

Other stuff:
Gaffs: some PPL take gafs out to gaff teh fish when it is close to the hole, I do not dont believe in gafs myself but not against them.

Fishing Sonar: Flasher and Fishfinders, I have a Hummingbird 150 Portable, its not really made for winter/ice fishing but it does the job.

Portable Ice huts: If you have one yes bring it, its not a mandatory thing but it helps sometimes.

[SalmonSlayer2010]

good tackle guide for Lake Joeseph! I am getting my Lake Trout gear organized for the trip down. Love how Cleos worked for verticle jigging for Lakers last year.