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.
argosgirl
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Shanty Girl, huh? I’m putting together some glow propeller ice jigs, that I’m going to call Cherry bombs. Should have them on the website on Ice Fishing page on in web store later today.
I’ll have to send you a few to try out!
I just checked out the website and they look awesome! I’d love to try some out 🙂
Name Change – Just posted the ‘Depth Charges’ in 6 colors on webstore and web site ice fishing page.
Check them out and let me know if you want to drop them down through your ice and I’ll send you a few.
Noise on the Line!
John