Shirley's Bay 2023 Ice season

[Jimblob]

What a beauty day , Wednesday Feb 08, on Shirley's Bay.
Out about 400 yes in 10in ice. (4in white, 6in clear).
New Cabella ice auger worked great!
About 10 guys out fishing.
Wife and me caught 7 perch on worms in 10ft water.
Day was great except for the model plane dude buzzing
Over us with his loud plane.

[CCLad]

Starting to look like we wont be able to move the hut out at all this season. Very disappointing, last season the fishing out there was lights out. Best we ever had. Oh those fish Gods giveth and taketh away!

[John Zach]

I know. As someone who is strictly a walk-out-with-the-sled-and-never-drive-on-the-ice angler, the only thing I'm worried about is the ice thawing quicker and the season ending sooner, but I seriously feel for everybody who can't get their shack out. It really does suck. Hopefully next winter will be as cold as last winter lol.

[CCLad]

We have our hut out on the ice just not "out" where the good fishing is

If anyone on here is out on the ice in the next couple of days and can post a thickness report it would be appreciated.
Thank's,
CCLad.

[CCLad]

Well we moved the hut a long ways out. We are on about 14" of ice. 6 white 8 clear. I wouldn't recommend a car or truck traveling out that far. That said, the fishing this past weekend was not worth the trek to get out there. Looking back to the best I can recall, I have never done well at Shirley's bay over the family day weekend (at least the 3rd weekend in Feb. prior to the holiday)

Any one else get into any good fishing out there this weekend?

[Fisherman89]

Well we moved the hut a long ways out. We are on about 14" of ice. 6 white 8 clear. I wouldn't recommend a car or truck traveling out that far. That said, the fishing this past weekend was not worth the trek to get out there. Looking back to the best I can recall, I have never done well at Shirley's bay over the family day weekend (at least the 3rd weekend in Feb. prior to the holiday)

Any one else get into any good fishing out there this weekend?

CCLad, I guess that lone hut way out there is yours? If so, I might have seen you yesterday loading up your sled in the parking lot. I'll have to try fishing further out there, it's just a long walk by foot!

The fishing was okay yesterday, I was out there from 3:00 to 7:30 PM. I caught 3 walleye between 4:30 and 5:30 (biggest was only 14") and 3 burbot between 6:30 and 7:30.

I got the walleye on a small jighead (1/16 oz I think) with live tail hooked minnow. The burbot were all caught on a rippin rap tipped with pieces of minnow, just pounding bottom for the burbot.

I'm hoping to get back out there next weekend, since walleye season will be closed in Zone 18 by then.

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[Fordpodolski]

Nice catches Fisherman89! Were you in that Cabelas pop up closer in that those idiots in the Jeep drifting around almost ran into??

[Fisherman89]

Nice catches Fisherman89! Were you in that Cabelas pop up closer in that those idiots in the Jeep drifting around almost ran into??

Nope, I didn't see that! I was setup the furthest out (other than the hut that is way out there).

[CCLad]

Hi FM89, Yes that is our hut out there. We moved in a little closer to the shore to get into about 10 feet of water and had a good eve sat. We were a little too deep with the 2 previous moves. (Didnt bother punching holes to check the depth, just kinda eyeballed it...) Ended up with 11 walleye, 4 decent sized fish 1.5lbs or so.

And yes, thats a long walk guessing about 2.4km from the launch. Flag me down next time and say hi!
CCLad

[CCLad]

Hey folk's, if anyone see's a 10" auger blade cap out on the ice please grab it and let me know. Came off on the way back in last night.
Thx Tim.

& on a side note, I emailed the NCC asking them to remove the pile of snow they plowed from the parking lot onto the boat launch. Hopefully the do something before the weekend as it will make it much easier for hut removal. Just a little common sense eh LOL.


NCC just got back to me and said they did not pile the snow there, how ever they will remove it. Did not mean to slight someone who was trying to help out.....

Maybe next time, back down the ramp and clear the snow into the lot. Again if you read this site - Thanks for your efforts,!

[Stevielad9]

Is it worth going out for one more rip? Was thinking of a Monday or Tuesday fish.. ice fishable ?

[smitty55]

& on a side note, I emailed the NCC asking them to remove the pile of snow they plowed from the parking lot onto the boat launch. Hopefully the do something before the weekend as it will make it much easier for hut removal. Just a little common sense eh LOL.

NCC just got back to me and said they did not pile the snow there, how ever they will remove it. Did not mean to slight someone who was trying to help out.....

Maybe next time, back down the ramp and clear the snow into the lot. Again if you read this site - Thanks for your efforts,!

I highly doubt someone thought they were helping by blocking the launch with snow, I'd wager it was done on purpose out of spite for some reason. Nothing else makes sense.

[CCLad]

Hey Steveielad, the fishing has been fair to decent. Wed was a little slow but we got 4. No reason not to get out fishing! That said keep in mind there's a slot size for the Ottawa river that started Mar. 1st...

@ Smitty, the snow was plowed off to the side a bit, the launch wasn't completely blocked.. It just made the entrance pretty narrow and the wider the better when pulling a hut with a snowmobile... The NCC looks to have plowed it further over opening up the launch more - All is good. We are putting the hut away sat pretty messed up season with the late start, warm weather and the ice conditions. We did fairly well once we moved the hut further out, I thank we ended up with 42 walleye, dozen perch and only 1 Ling for the season. Nothing like last year but we were able to move it out in late Jan last year not Feb. like this season.

&& If your on this site, Big thank you for finding my auger cap. Some folks picked it up, went to another couple of guys, who I had asked if the had seen it and the dropped it off at our hut. Great community out there!

[Stevielad9]

Beauty!

Thanks for the update. I'll report back if they are still biting!

[Dustin]

Met some really great dudes today, they put us on the fish. Turned a potential skunk day into a 14 fish day (2 walleye, 5 sauger, 7 perch). Hoping to get back out there next year with them!! ; )