Heading To Jacksons Point

[Aquaneko]

Managed to make the long trip out to Jacksons Point. Lovely place but when I was there yesterday it was like IIRC 36C with humidex so it was just a oven baking day. Met a few people from T.O there fishing. Picked up a Fabril folding net (~1.75ft -2ftlong) at Can.T along the way but bummed out they sold out of the Quantum Telecast rod/reel combo one sale for $34.ish but met an awesome guy working in sports who fishes the local area and have a cottage in LakeSimcoe IIRC.

I was at the Bonnie Boat marina by Bonnie Park. Used mostly live worms, live minnows (some guy was done fishing and offered it to me! Woot...tried it out), artifical lures/spinners, and bread.

My catches are:

1 x small mouth bass ~3/4ft - 1ft, using mepps agila #3 non dressed gold spinner w/yellow top
~2-3 sunfish hand sized
1 hand sized catfish, using a pickerel rig with bread balls targetting carp at the time but after an hour or so I pulled it in and a cat suddenly chased and hooked on as I was going to point that pickerel rig away.
Bad sunburn >_<; + mossie bites


For those going here to this location you need to pay for parking by the Bonnie Boats marina. As a heads up it is $4.00/hour or maximum of $20.00 from the machine for all day. I ended up paying 2times buying 2 x 2hr ($16.00) tickets but with all the fishing and talking with other people you tend to lose track of time on the parking tickets but the parking officers on duty that day where cool but firm when they find out your ticket has expired but not aggressive with ticketing (I don't think they ticketed anyone fishing at my spot given people are so close to thier cars one could say they just got there. That and the whole licence free fishing week they may have laxed thier aggressiveness trying to promote the fishing fun and having people have a good experience visiting Lake Simcoe.

I got there about 12:00 and the parking officers were already there doing thier rounds. Seeing as I just got there I did not know where to get the parking tickets till the people fishing beside me told me where to buy the parking ticket. I bought a 2hr parking ticket but as with fishing and talking with other people while they catch stuff time flies and next thing you know the parking officers are back doing thier rounds at 17:00 and asking if this is your vechicle. The parking officer was cool and understanding as he was already briefed of the national licence free fishing week and the fact he likes to fish from time to time helped a bit. I'm not saying to people to buy say a 1hr parking ticket and park a full day there as being off an a few hours with a cool parking officer that was firm and staying put till you bought another ticket. I'm sure if you where off half a day they would ticket you. I think I got my monies worth parking there as I was there 12:00-22:00. The people next to me got there at 08:00 and left at 21:00 You could probably get more monies worth by fishing late at night as I don't think the parking officers would be back till like 08:00 in the morning.

Got some tips from people that have been there before and also talking to those that fished that spot. There are two small raised wave braker islands. Inbetween the two islands are sunken railway ties so as I was advised be careful if bottom fishing there as many people have gotten stuck hooks there. On the long island with the pier light around half way there if you are walking there expect a sharp drop about 6-7 feet from the shore which is what the guys next to me that where there since 08:00 said people caught some big bass and fish. If walking to both islands the small island by eye is about waist deep so if you have hip waders you maybe able to cross dry. The second island however is about neck/head deep to get to. Both islands are about 5-6 meters from the shore for those that have not been here. Water is swimming safe and clear. Would have gone to the islands myself but I only brought a spare shirt and socks.

While I was there some young kid slipped by the concrete pier are and ended up with a barbed ~#4-6 hook embedded into his thigh area (~2-3mm embedded, barb cleared embedded). This prompted his concerned parents to ask around for help and first aid. This is a good reminder to always keep a first aid kit handy and safety glasses if night fishing incase of a bad cast or something slingshots back at you while you are pulling the hooks back. There is no first aid staff here. People advised the parents to go to the marina which gets more interesting. When coming here you will pass a paramedic station about 1-1.25km away. I found out by the people fishing beside me that the kids parents went to the marina but they could not help them get the hook out. I can't remember what the people beside me told me if the marina told them to do the paramedics or a hospital but one or the other could not get the hook out or would not get the hook out and I just remember before the kids family came back to talk to us they where told the nearest hospital is in Newmarket that can help them. I offered my FAK and mentioned having seen a lot of youtube videos on self hook removal that one would have to push the barb back out then cut the barb off and pull the hook out. Seeing as the guys beside me also had pliers and I came prepared and after mentioning the hook removal process and how small the hook is the parents asked if we could help remove the hook from thier son. We could not remove the hook as the kid started feeling pain and we could not get the barb to surface. As I understand as the family was leaving they said there would be going to the hospital either in T.O or Newmarket as they are from T.O.

I thought I would mention what happened there as many times when we fish we may be in isolated places and coming a bit prepared and with some knowledge on how to remove a hook can save your day from having to wait in a hospital. I am not sure why the paramedics could not remove the hook but I think they are not allowed to administer anasthethics for legal or insurance reasons ... at least that was what the people in the area where wondering about thinking WTF!? When we heard that they just guazed up the kids leg and told them to go to a hospital.

Hope that info helps someone out coming out this way. Also a useful FYI is the No Frill here closes at 18:00 on Sunday. Thought they would have closed like 1-2hrs early on cottage hours