Ice fishing on Simcoe. Wishing I could on Kipawa...

[puckster_guy]

 It was a couple of weeks ago I went to a friends hut on Simcoe/ Cooks bay. We caught and released about 30 small perch all day. Boy the bite was really light. You set the hook on the slightest tic. Mostly little guys, my buddy got a nice Jumbo to the hole but couldn't land it.
Anybody have anything on when and if they're gonna open up winter fishing? I'm ready to start making trips in winter next year and would like a few walleyes for a shore lunch and just go fishing lol.

[puckster_guy]

[/img]

[puckster_guy]

[/img]

[Canuckbass]

Just finished a big chunk of walleye for dinner!! Catching them good now.

I'm still tempted to head to Kipawa for a winter trip but heard some horror stories from the group when they did it years ago...
Gonna stockpile more firewood over summer and may temp it next year.

[puckster_guy]

I know exactly what your sayin, I've run out of wood and had to steal a bit from my next door neigbour. I'm gonna make a trip up in late Feb/early March. Never been up in winter before. I have enough wood to last me a good two weeks. Where do locals get firewood? I've been getting trailer loads from the guy in Redbridge. Looking for a cheap sled for next winter.

[limacharley]

Contact the township; they'll give you directions to the wood cutting lots for firewood.
Afterall you pay taxes to the MRC Temiscamingue.

[puckster_guy]

Cool I had no idea. Are the trees standing? are already cut down?

[limacharley]

there may be some blow downs but mostly still standing.

[Canuckbass]

We've always brought some up but lately one truck will stop in Redbridge and grab 40 pieces etc. We are ahead of the game right now, but after spring stock could dwindle down. Lots of building supplies to bring up.
Need to do a weekend of just transporting and stacking wood... We don't have hardwood on island.

[limacharley]

No hardwood on your island...that sucks.

I've got black cherry, red and sugar maples and yellow birch the size of oil barrels. I only cut up blow downs.
One winter I lost 7 spruce and balsam trees due to high winds. I burn that junk at the fire pit.

My end of of the island has humongous hemlocks; wouldn't be surprise if they went in again some day and harvested those babies. So large in diameter that I can't wrap my arms around them.

[Canuckbass]

@limacharley Would be so much easier if we had hardwood on island. We usually have lots of hands to carry up small hill and stack but many weekends lack of hands makes it tougher... cuts into fishing time.

[Fort Wisers]

Kipawa (even with the current ice fishing situation, or lack there-of), or anywhere north for that matter, in the winter is amazing, truly can't be beat if you're setup and prepared for it.
When my wife and I first started dating she was adamant that she hated winter.
Now that she's gotten used to the routine I think it's her favourite season, even in our very sparse camp.

We heat with wood both at home and at the camp near Mattawa.
Let me say this, there's not much better sense of peace then sipping a good drink sitting by the stove while the wind and nasty weather are howling outside.

If you plan on about 1 split of nicely seasoned cord wood per hour you'll be burning, that's usually safe.
So, basically if you're going for a weekend from say Friday 5:00pm to Sunday 5:00pm plan on going through about 48 splits of firewood, plus maybe a little extra since warming the camp from cold eats a bit more through that first night.
Obviously this a rough estimate since wood type, stove, space to heat, outside temps etc all factor in but this is a rough number to start with and is generally safe unless it's very cold out and/or the camp is not well insulated.
@Canuckbass with well seasoned wood and a decent stove, one can keep decently warm even with softwoods, just might mean an extra load in the middle of the night.

Lastly, be very careful of the slush, pressure cracks and open spots on Kipawa, as many of you already know. If you don't know, talk to a local.

Just my two cents!

Nice pics of ice fishing @puckster_guy !

[Hodgey1]

It was a couple of weeks ago I went to a friends hut on Simcoe/ Cooks bay. 

That ice shack set up is awesome puckster. Once I pack in snowmobiling for good, I am going to pick ice fishing back up.

[puckster_guy]

That shed was built by my buddy. He keeps it on Simcoe and is a ten minute ride from his house. He heats it with a small wood stove. When they reopen icefishing on Kip I'll build one.