Has anyone started ice fishing?

[tweedwolfscream]

mcfly, without revealing your friend's secret locations, would you mind sharing what region(s) the lakes were in, just to aid our overall picture of how the ice is progressing across the map? And perhaps, if it was clear, what the difference was between those lakes that made the ice conditions so different (size? depth? river inflow/outflow?).

I can offer a ride to Frenchman's Bay with a 6" hand auger once it's solid, though again I'll be relying on others' eyes to find out when that is

[mcfly]

(12-10-2013 12:23 PM)tweedwolfscream Wrote:  mcfly, without revealing your friend's secret locations, would you mind sharing what region(s) the lakes were in, just to aid our overall picture of how the ice is progressing across the map? And perhaps, if it was clear, what the difference was between those lakes that made the ice conditions so different (size? depth? river inflow/outflow?).

I can offer a ride to Frenchman's Bay with a 6" hand auger once it's solid, though again I'll be relying on others' eyes to find out when that is

For the Lake that had great ice that day, it was located in Barrie

[tweedwolfscream]

Cool, thanks.

As for when you said

(12-06-2013 02:16 PM)mcfly Wrote:  I had a decent pike on but coincidentally I was using my ultralight setup for panfish so within minutes, the pike easily out did my 4lb test mono!

do you think the issue was the line test strength, or the lack of a wire leader? Since you said the line looked chewed-through rather than snapped. Like, would the pike's teeth have had any more trouble cutting through 12lb mono than through 4lb mono? And on the other hand, would 4lb line have much chance of icing a pike even with a wire leader? I'm genuinely asking here, I don't know much about how differently fish act/fight in the winter context.

[mcfly]

I think the lack of wire leader could have been my downfall. Seemed like when the pike dived down deep and head shake'd it broke the line. Using light line can make landing a fish harder, but not impossible. I use 6-8lb test mono to catch 25lb+ salmon so I don't really pay attention to line strength as much as how I play the fish.

I think line tension is important, but I don't consider it the issue when I lost the pike. I use a center pin reel which allows me to manually adjust my drag tension instantly with my hands so I did not have too much pressure on the fish.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose! That's what makes it so much fun!

[MichaelAngelo]

Check out this report from Eli, he landed a nice pike on 2lb line LOL

http://ontarioshorefishing.com/forum/Thr...18#pid5318

Depends on how the fish is hooked. Eli do you remember if the hook was sticking outside the mouth?

[MuskieBait]

I've landed pike while fishing for perch, bluegill and crappies. It can be done with 2-4lb mono. We often fish for smaller hammerhandle pike (up to 4-5lb) with straight 8lb mono and no wire leader...especially in one of the lake we fish where the smaller pike are quite wary of unnatural presentation (including the sight of a wire).

Hook placement is very important. You have much better chance if you hook them in the corner of the mouth or at the tip of the snout. If the fish took your bait deep, then there is greater chance it could cut you off. Even so, we landed many pike with 8lb mono in the past. Now I use 12-15lb mono or fluoro as a leader for smaller pike. No issues at all.

[Eli]

(12-10-2013 07:46 PM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  Check out this report from Eli, he landed a nice pike on 2lb line LOL

http://ontarioshorefishing.com/forum/Thr...18#pid5318

Depends on how the fish is hooked. Eli do you remember if the hook was sticking outside the mouth?

Haha it was hooked way inside the mouth in the top jaw. SO the line was rubbing all along its teeth throughout the fight, but being seaguar fluoro it held and I landed the fish. Not the first pike I land on 2lb fluoro either. Seaguar is well worth the extra money IMHO. Very abrasion resistant.

Of course Ken will tell you the exact friggen second I had a 10lb pike cut me off just as I was about to lift it out of the hole this past Sunday.

I never use metal any more, open water or ice. When I'm targeting esox I'll use 30-100lb fluoro leaders and check and remove the scratched sections after every fish. I can count on one hand the number of pike I had cut me off in the last 5 years.


BTW, not sure how the ice down there in Robfordistan, but I'll be very surprised if it's less than 10'' here by this weekend.

[MichaelAngelo]

(12-10-2013 08:48 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  I've landed pike while fishing for perch, bluegill and crappies. It can be done with 2-4lb mono. We often fish for smaller hammerhandle pike (up to 4-5lb) with straight 8lb mono and no wire leader...especially in one of the lake we fish where the smaller pike are quite wary of unnatural presentation (including the sight of a wire).

Hook placement is very important. You have much better chance if you hook them in the corner of the mouth or at the tip of the snout. If the fish took your bait deep, then there is greater chance it could cut you off. Even so, we landed many pike with 8lb mono in the past. Now I use 12-15lb mono or fluoro as a leader for smaller pike. No issues at all.

This makes me wonder if using circle hooks will help land more pike when not running a bite leader. Technically, if they work as they should, you'd be fighting the fish with the line out harm's way once it pulls to the corner and sets.

[tweedwolfscream]

(12-11-2013 01:43 AM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  This makes me wonder if using circle hooks will help land more pike when not running a bite leader. Technically, if they work as they should, you'd be fighting the fish with the line out harm's way once it pulls to the corner and sets.

Never thought of that before but it makes good sense. Maybe if the circle hook is on a spoon or something, to buy you another inch or two of safety? Seems like it could be a good setup when you're after both pike and another large but less bold fish, trout perhaps? I guess there's always the risk that the pike will bite it off at first strike before the hook is set, but a far smaller risk.

Now the next question is, why are circle hooks so rarely spotted in the tackle aisle??

[OldTimer]

(12-11-2013 11:05 AM)tweedwolfscream Wrote:  Now the next question is, why are circle hooks so rarely spotted in the tackle aisle??

Price (some people wont pay the premium)......popularity (for the knowing/caring angler - they are chosen first).....

.. but mostly IMO - there's a whack of "old stock" in many shops that the shop owners want to sell first.

I'd say as time goes forward their % presence will increase.

OT