Well it was an interesting day to say the least.... the plan was to meet up Saturday morning around 8:30 am with a couple fellow anglers to try and find some perch and pike.
Up at 6:30 am, great to sleep in, made some lunch and coffee and I was off... it was a little more snowy and blowy (I don't think that is a word but it works) than I was expecting as I headed south to the 401. As I continued to drive the snow got heavier and was sticking to my windshield wipers, I stopped twice to clean them. When I got to Brockville it was whiteout conditions and I was thinking forget this... time to turn around and go home. I decided to park in Brockville and wait for the snow to clear and then head home. After about 45 minutes the snow stopped and I could see blue sky!!! Time to hit the road.... and GO FISHING!!!
I finally arrived at my destination at 10:30 am, a tad late. lol. As I unloaded my gear a fellow angler came over to check out the Taiga Dog, so I offered him a ride out to the fishing grounds. Too windy to try and find my fellow anglers so I headed to the area I fished a few weeks ago.
Ready to ride!!
The Taiga Dog cruised nicely across the ice and through some nice snow drifts as I headed to my spot. Once here I started to set up my pop up hut in the blustering winds, I was not sure if the hut would stay put or go blowing across the ice, but anchoring the 4 corners to the ice, as well as 2 ropes anchored to the ice and 2 ropes tied to the Taiga Dog the hut was solid.
Once my hut was secured I then realized I left the adapter for my drill auger in the truck.
Luckily I had transported the guy I met in the parking lot out and he drilled me the holes I needed. Next was to fire up the Buddy Heater to get the hut warm and toasty and so I could cook my grill cheese sandwich for lunch.... unfortunately on the ride out through the snow banks and blowing snow my buddy heater ended up full of snow and would not start... so no heat and no grilled cheese sandwich.
My not so grilled... grilled cheese and ham sandwich. lol
Oh well.... finally.... shortly after 11 am.... ready to fish!! Here fishy, fishy...
It did not take long and by 11:15 am I hand landed my 1st perch of the day a nice 11 incher!! And it was on!!!! For the next 2 hours and 45 minutes, until 2 pm, I basically had a bite every time I dropped my lure down the hole. It was non-stop action, I could not keep up with unhooking fish and rebaiting my hook. I finally got a break at 2 pm and I did not get another bite until 2:15pm and then it was non-stop again until I called it a day at 2:45.
The size of the perch varied quite a bit, but lots of 9-11 inchers and a few 12-13 inch fish... I figure I landed around 100 perch in the 3.5 hours. Not a single pike to be had, but hard to complain with the non-stop, crazy perch action.
A couple of the better fish of the day!!
For baits I was using a small jigging Rapala tipped with a minnow head, minnow tail or waxworm and a High Caliber Lures tungsten jighead tipped with a couple waxworms. For awhile I also used a Magz Mfg. soft plastic Micro Goby on a small jighead with Liquid Mayhem scent which the perch seemed to like as well and saved time rebaiting with waxworms or minnows.
All in all a fun day on the ice... the wind was cold but the fishing was HOT!!
Unfortunately not too many good photos... too cold and windy and busy catching fish for photos on the ice.
Future Perch Tacos!!!!
Thanks for reading... tight lines.