Shirley's Bay 2024 Ice season

[CCLad]

Hi Wally, this is what I am referring to with respect to using a double punched hole for jigging:

Double punch.jpg (258.26 KiB) Viewed 1377 times

[Wally]

Got it....Thanks

[CCLad]

Looking at the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks, I think we are going to have to pull the hut off for the season on Sunday!

After this weekend the are calling for + temps pretty much every day for 2 weeks. Ice will be done. Use good judgment out there guys!

Mar Forecast.jpg (126.5 KiB) Viewed 1279 times

[John Zach]

Absolutely bonkers. While I seriously hope the forecast changes to something a bit more seasonal (I'm not a lover of an early spring) it's definitely a good idea to get the shacks off of the bay. Getting sick of these wacky ice seasons, so I may just have to move to the prairies lol

[CCLad]

Well folks, that's it that's all! Hut is put away for the year, so here's a bit of a summary...

A little scare putting it away this year as we were a long ways out and went to pull it off on Sun but couldn't. The river was like a skating rink and the sled didn't have the traction to pull the hut off. So my fishing buddy has a yamaha vortex that we put spikes on the tracks for this very reason! So takes the day off on Mon, drives 2 hours to his cottage to get it, but of course.... It wont start! So the huts is way the F out there, going to be Plus 16C with a chance of rain Tues (today) So I am pretty concerned and scrambling now. But of course, its the ice fishing community that pulls together - I contact "Mav" who is on this board and he goes out of his way to bring his sled to the bay to double up the pulling power to haul the hut off! THANK YOU Ryan!!! You generosity and help was VERY MUCH appreciated!!!!!

As it turned out, the snow squall that hit the west end yesterday morning combined with the above 0C temps softened up the ice enough that we were able to pull it off solo with our Skandic Snow mobile. That said, I sure had a much better feeling when Ryan - "Mav, said he would come out to help!!

It was also great to get to know more of you (John, Dustin) this year as well!
So the 2024 seasons fishing summary is:

We put the hut on the river on Jan. 27th (latest ever), We moved well out on Feb 3 (had to pull it back into the bay for a week though because of weather) An ultimately it came off for the season on Feb 26th. The season was basically 1 month WTH???

We got 68 Walleye, biggest caught by my Son and was around 6 lbs. quite a few in the 2.5 - 3lbs range and plenty in the 1.5 lbs range. The walleye were all very healthy looking! All went back in to spawn except 3 - 1.5 lbers that were kept for a fry. Very good fishing!
0 pike
4 Ling, the biggest around 4lbs - all went back
and more perch then we could count! Actually more perch than I have ever seen out there in all the years I've fished the bay! A GREAT sign of a healthy fishery!!!

Cheers all,
CCLad!

[Mav]

Wow! Awesome report CClad!!! Glad to hear that you had a great season despite uncooperative weather. Hoping for some better weather next year...I hear el nino is over but who knows!!!!!!

[Lenny]

Going to go out tomorrow. Will bring my skates and look to get out near the mouth of the bay.

[CCLad]

Heard from a couple lads that were out today that the ice is starting to break up. Be safe

[smitty55]

Heard from a couple lads that were out today that the ice is starting to break up. Be safe

Yep, folks need to be careful near the entrance to the lagoon as well, with current going in that ice gets touch early.

[Lenny]

Ended up going out sunday 445-630pm. Was only me and one other person. Didn't end up going as far as I would have liked. 6 perch (one keeper) and 2 walleye 11 and 13 inches. Not a bad outing and I'm looking forward to fish tacos tonight. Was about 10 inches of ice where I was but it wasn't in the best shape.

[The Captain]

Lenny now I’d wished I’d wandered over to say hi! I was out there east of you Sunday night. 2 perch and 3 walleye for me, stayed about half hour later than you did and enjoyed some final peace and quiet on the river! Jan 20 to Mar 3 - not much of a season but hope everyone had fun and caught some fish!

[Lenny]

Nice! Glad to hear you had a good finale out there! Should be some good fishing there next year, I'm sure it's never seen so little fishing pressure out there. Fewest shacks I've ever seen.

[CCLad]

Hey Lenny you are right. The quality and size of the walleye has certainly improved dramatically over the past decade. Not just the lack for of pressure from this ice season (not too many out last year either) but going back years the Ottawa river flooded twice and was closed both times in the spring to boating post spawn/opening day and add in the first covid year when everything was shut down - All adds up to a handful of years of very Limited pressure on the fishery!

If I can quote Maxwell Smart (dating myself) ... "and loving it"!