ice fishing – The Outdoors Guy

February 16, 2018

Celebrating Family (Ice)Fishing Weekend!

(Avid ice-fisherman Grant Bailey with a nice winter walleye)

Ice-fishing enthusiasts are busy gathering their tip-ups and ice-augers for perhaps the most exciting weekend of the season.
This weekend, Feb. 17-19, residents of Ontario will be out (on the ice) in full force, enjoying the merits of Family Fishing Weekend – a province-wide initiative celebrating the sport of winter angling, and without the otherwise mandatory fishing license. The province decided about a decade ago that a festive winter fishing weekend would be adopted to mirror National Fishing Week events during the summer.

Let’s take a glimpse at a few of the winter fishing events in our region this weekend. For more info on Family Fishing Weekend; http://www.ontariofamilyfishing.com/

Arnprior Kids Derby
The Arnprior Fish and Game Club is pleased to present its 4th Annual Free Kids Fishing Derby, this weekend at McLean Park. The club supplies all equipment and bait and even takes care of the holes! To top it off, a free pizza and hotdog lunch is provided to all participants. For more information contact: [email protected] or check-out Arnprior Fish and Game Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arnpriorkidsfishingderby/

WCFGC event in Constance Bay
As part of Family Fishing Weekend festivities, the West Carleton Fish and Game Club’s (WCFGC) fishing derby is set for this Saturday at Constance Bay. Registration will take place from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. with fishing starting at 10 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. Registration for adults is $5 and children, 13 and under, $2. Holes will be provided and a $20 entry gives participants a chance at winning a gas ice-auger. Bring your own bait and rods. For more information Warren Backler via email: [email protected] or by phone: 613-859-9217 Check out their website: http://www.wcfgc.com/

Harbour Harvest Tournament
Harbour Harvest is a family-friendly ice-fishing event this weekend at the Nepean Sailing Club. Check-in gets under way at 7:30 a.m. at the main entrance of the Nepean Sailing Club. Ice-fishing bait and tackle is provided or feel free to bring your own. There is a $300 cash prize and trophy for 1st place (longest live fish), and $200 for the angler with most species caught (if a tie, the club will use total length of fish – must be alive and only one of each species). Qualifying species include northern pike, walleye, perch, catfish, crappie and sunfish. Every registered participant also receives a door prize ticket. Organizers have adopted a new system of “reserving your spot” this year, with fishing holes spread throughout the harbour. If you require gear, you can add a fully rigged up “Harbour Harvest kit*” for $20, and if you return the kit at the end of the event, the club offers a $10 gift card for Bridgehead, Canadian Tire or Cabela’s. For more info contact: Dan Dubeau: 613-355-0735 or via email: [email protected]. Check-out: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/harbour-harvest-2018-tickets-41510942346

QC Outfitters Association
Anyone not ice-fishing this weekend and looking to plan a hunting or fishing trip in Quebec this year, should check-out the Quebec Outfitters Federation website. With a full array of camps, cabins and lodges throughout the province, the Quebec Outfitter’s site makes short work of researching suitable vacation destinations for whatever outdoor pursuit you’re into. Just across the river, in the Outaouais region-alone, are 36 hunting and fishing outfitters catering to your hunting and fishing needs. I have visited a few over the years and they’re awesome: https://www.pourvoiries.com/en/

Bounder magazine – spring issue
With spring just around the corner, keep an eye out for the spring issue of Bounder Magazine. The popular men’s magazine is available at Stinson’s in Pembroke and many other locations around the valley. My spring outdoors column will include highlights on my upcoming trout adventure, as well as other hot hunting and fishing news! For more information on Bounder magazine: http://bounder.ca/

February 9, 2017

Winter Fishing is here, be careful on the ice!

(A group of happy ice fisherman after a productive day of winter trout fishing in the Dacre area)

With the region’s ice-fishing season now under way winter anglers are being reminded that safety should always come first.

Winter anglers venturing out on the hard top this month must always tell someone where they will be fishing and when they plan to return. Appropriate clothing and equipment are also vital to safety and comfort. Some ice-fishermen may prefer survival suits and should carry a set of ice picks, while others go to the extent of using modified ice vehicles with the doors removed, in case of an untimely plunge. Ok, so tearing the doors off your car may sound extreme but the point is taken. Please remember the rule that ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness, especially now at the start of the winter season where near-shore ice is undoubtedly thicker than ice further out.

Best of luck this winter and for goodness sake, be careful out there!

Dogs and deer

A reminder to dog owners who allow their animals to run feral in the deer woods during wintertime, their actions may be devastating for whitetail populations at a fragile time of year. Conservation Officers deal with dogs on the loose each winter and, in case you did not know, are authorized to destroy any dogs observed chasing or injuring deer in areas where herds gather for the winter. Penalties for allowing your animal to be at large during the closed season for deer, range anywhere from $155 up to $25,000. With the high density of coyotes in our region it is also in your dog’s best interest to have Rover under wraps during the winter months.

Coyote conundrum continues

If feral dogs weren’t enough, this week I lost another member of my dwindling resident whitetail herd, to coyotes. The deer stopped coming to my feeder more than a month ago, and a neighbour emailed me this weekend to say he found remains of a recent kill no more than 300 yards from the house. Of the six whitetails that frequented my ‘back 40’ in recent months, only one was a fawn and according to a description of the remains found, it appear to be a juvenile that was killed. Public opinion keeps yapping in my ear that coyotes are simply ‘doing what comes naturally’ and that is just the way things are.

Anyone who subscribes to wildlife management understands that conservation includes predator control and in the case of the eastern coyote, and what is referred to now as a ‘North American urban coyote epidemic,’ there is cause for concern. In my case living within City of Ottawa limits, a ‘no discharge zone’ means I must watch theses marauding ‘yotes run rampant across my property with my hands tied. Now with Ontario’s recent protection of the hybrid Algonquin Coywolf, the wily eastern coyote sadly falls under the same umbrella and is protected further.

I truly hope the ‘coyote-huggers’ among us are satisfied when our local deer populations are decimated beyond repair. The thought of this turns my stomach.

Fishing guide service

Fellow Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine team member and renowned angler Jamie Pistilli has recently launched a new fishing service called Rising Sun Fishing Charters. It is a full service guide business that offers family and seniors trips, as well as youth trips, team building, business meetings, fly-fishing for anything that swims in the Ottawa/Gatineau region, and beyond. He specializes in giant carp, musky, longnose gar, bass, trout and northern pike. Jamie has many satisfied clients to his credit including US Ambassador Bruce Heyman. For more info on Rising Sun Fishing Charters: www.facebook.com/risingsunfishingcharters

Ice-fishing rundown

In my next Outdoors Guy column I will run down some of the top ice fishing destination our region has to offer. Do you have a favourite winter fishing hotspot? Drop me a line at: [email protected]

January 21, 2016

Ice fishing season arrives, better late than never

Jeff Morrison, The Outdoors Guy, says that a minimum 5” of solid ice is needed for snowmobiles or ATV’s while 8” – 12” is required to adequately support a car or small truck.

(A minimum 5” of solid ice is needed for snowmobiles or ATV’s while 8” – 12” is required to adequately support a car or small truck.)

With this year’s winter angling season slowly getting under way, cold weather enthusiasts are being reminded that safety should always come first.

After some snowmobiles plunged through the ice recently, winter anglers who ventured out on the hard top this month need tell someone where they will be fishing, and when they plan to return. Appropriate clothing and equipment are also vital to safety and comfort. Some winter fishermen prefer survival suits and should carry a set of ice picks, while others go to the extent of using modified ice vehicles with the doors removed, in case of an untimely plunge. Ok, so tearing the doors off your car may sound extreme but the point is well taken. Please remember the rule that ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness, especially NOW at the start of the winter season where near-shore ice is undoubtedly thicker than ice further out.

Go catch those big ones this winter but for goodness sake be careful out there!

Negligent dog owners

A reminder to dog owners who allow Fido to run wild in the deer woods during wintertime, their actions can be devastating for whitetail populations at a fragile time of year. Conservation Officers must deal with feral animals each winter and, in case you did not know, are authorized to destroy any dogs observed chasing or injuring deer in areas where herds gather for the winter. Penalties for allowing your animal to be at large during the closed season for deer, range anywhere from $155 up to $25,000. With the high density of coyotes in our region it is also in your dog’s best interest to remain under wraps during the winter months.

Farewell to Alfred

Although I never met Mr. Alfred Beck, I feel as though I knew and understood the man on a deeper level. Prior to my becoming the Outdoors Guy with this publication that responsibility and honour was all Alfred’s. You may not know this but it is actually Mr. Beck’s writings that brought me to the Daily Observer three years ago. The man was a consummate outdoorsman, hunter and conservationist and possessed one attribute I quite envied – a vast life experience! After moving to Canada in the early 60’s, Beck quickly made this new country his home. Some of us were aware that his Germany was a country that enjoyed game hunting; however, few of us knew it was activity reserved mostly for the country’s elite. Alfred discovered quickly his new homeland in Canada boasted a plethora of natural resources, and he shared much of his experiences afield within the pages of this paper.

Thank you Mr. Beck for all that you brought to the sportsmen of the Ottawa Valley, may you continue to pursue your elusive wild game in the Great Hereafter.

Pembroke fish stocking!

A special thanks to Pembroke MNRF’s Resource Supervisor, Karen Handford, for the recent heads-up on a new tool which replaces the annual Pembroke District Fish Stocking Program. Instead of having to request the list of Valley lakes teaming with juvenile brook trout, rainbows, browns or splake, the MNRF have set-up a new page in this regard. The same information is now available as a digital map and printable summary. Check out the following site: http://www.web2.mnr.gov.on.ca/fish_online/fishing/fishingExplorer_en.html

Great Outdoors Trivia – Question #1

Put your thinking caps on people, here is question # 1 in the 2016 Great Outdoors Trivia Contest. The first person to correctly answer all three questions wins a prize package courtesy of Brecks fishing tackle and Tinks hunting Scents. Question #1: Yours truly is Editor-in-Chief of an exciting new seasonal hunting & fishing magazine called A) Fish & Hunt Ottawa B) Valley Outdoor Life C) Outdoors Guy Quarterly or D) Fish, Hunt & Ride. Keep track of your answers and send them to: [email protected] .

December 18, 2015

Ice fishing safety for if/when it freezes

This weeks outdoors column in the Pembroke Daily Observer:

http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/12/17/safety-first-when-ice-fishing

Safety first when ice-fishing

Avid winter angler Grant Bailey with a nice walleye pulled through the ice.

With ice fishing season presumably just around the corner, winter anglers are reminded that safety must always come first.

Winter anglers who venture out on the ice this winter, should always advise someone where they will be fishing and when they plan to return. Seasonally-appropriate clothing and equipment are also vital for safety and comfort. Some winter fisherfolk prefer to wear survival suits and carry a set of safety ice picks, while others go so far as constructing modified ‘ice cars’ with all the doors removed and the roof cut-out, in the event of an untimely plunge. Remember that ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness across most lakes and rivers; especially at the start of the winter season when near-shore ice is always thicker than ice further out.

The Pembroke Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wishes to advise anglers that not only is ice hut registration a requirement by law, it goes a long way to preventing wayward huts later in the season. Abandoned ice huts which end up in waterways after the thaw create havoc for boaters and early season fishermen. Registration numbers on all huts should be at least 2 1/2″ inches in height for improved visibility. You do not need to register tent-style huts made of cloth or synthetic material provided the base measurement is less than seven square metres. (75.4 square feet) To register your hut in Pembroke District, please call the MNRF at 613-732-3661

Supplemental deer feeding

Winter deer feeding is not just an enjoyable winter pastime it can be of great benefit to these animals as snow depth increases and temperatures drop. I currently have a half dozen, or so, whitetails feeding at my place which is about average for this time of year. I have had as many as 16 deer feeding at one time in the boom years. Remember that if you begin distributing feed in early winter, as I have, it is imperative to continue until spring as the animal’s digestive system will adapt to the supplemented diet. Ritchie’s Feed and Seed sells a terrific pelletized deer feed I’ve been using for years with good success. I’m sure other feed stores up the Valley produce a similar blend. Another less expensive way to help out our ‘deer friends’ during winter months is through increased access to natural winter forage, by creating hard-packed trail with snowmobile, ATV or even snowshoes. With deer numbers down in many areas it wouldn’t hurt to provide a helping hand this winter.

Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine – now available!

By now, sporting enthusiasts in the Valley have caught a glimpse of my new hunting and fishing magazine – Fish, Hunt & Ride (FHR) – distributed this past week to more than 100 outlets across Eastern and Northern Ontario and Western Quebec. My writing team not only includes regular material from Pembroke native (and trapper extraordinaire) Jordan Durocher, as well as a team of other great local writers, you have surely been enjoying Ted Nugent’s first FHR column. Uncle Ted will be with the magazine each and every issue. Feel free to send comments or suggestions on this new local publication and be sure to check out our Fish, Hunt & Ride (FHR) website: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca/

Great Outdoors Trivia Contest

Every year I hold a Great Outdoors Trivia Contest, in some form or another. They are always well received and include a generous price package courtesy of Tinks Scents and Brecks/Williams fishing tackle. This year I decided to kick the contest off right here with my good friends at the Pembroke Daily Observer! Everyone knows there are more hunters, fishermen and trappers per capita living in the Ottawa Valley than almost anywhere else in the world! You will need to be sharp and stealthy for this array of trivia questions, as they will require not only a vast knowledge of the great outdoors, but a keen eye as well. Stay tuned in January for Question #1.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all and I’ll see you right here next month!

February 19, 2015

Winter fun in the Great Outdoors!!

My February column is now out in the fabulous Pembroke Daily Observer newspaper! Shout-out to my pals Anthony Dixon and Tina Peplinkie who bring the daily news to folks in the upper Ottawa Valley!

Check it out online: http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/

Winter fun in the Great Outdoors!

(Avid winter angler Grant Bailey with a nice walleye pulled through the ice.)

Ice-fishing fanatics up the Ottawa Valley are coming off one of the busiest weekends of the season. This past weekend, Ontario residents were out in full force enjoying the merits of Family Fishing Weekend – a province-wide initiative celebrating the sport of winter angling and without the otherwise mandatory fishing licence. Seven years ago it was decided that a festive winter fishing weekend would be adopted to mirror National Fishing Week events during the summer. But hey, just because Family Fishing Weekend is behind us doesn’t mean ice fishing is done for the year. This bitter cold snap has ensured several more weeks of safe and solid winter angling!

Sportsmen’s Show this weekend

Ottawa’s Ernst and Young Centre plays host to some 25,000 outdoor enthusiasts this weekend. The Ottawa Boat and Sportsman’s Show is Eastern Ontario’s largest outdoor recreational event and a great opportunity to browse the latest in outdoor gadgetry, new watercraft and see some few familiar faces. The show will feature more than 150,000 sqare feet of exhibitor space offering this year’s best place to buy a boat, accessories and gear. Preview this year’s hottest boating and fishing tackle, plan your next outdoor getaway or learn how to fish from some of Canada’s top fishing pros. Any event that features Big Jim McLaughlin is alright in my books!

Valley Fishing and Outdoor Show in March!

The 15th annual Valley Fishing and Outdoors Show arrives next month, better mark it on your calendar! The brainchild of my old pal Dave Arbour, this year’s show is set for March 27-29 at the Carp Fairgrounds and Arena and will feature everything from casting ponds to archery, shooting and fishing simulators. With more than 100 exhibitors and lots of hunting and fishing equipment this truly is the best the valley has to offer. And this year, yours truly will be on hand hanging out in the Redneck Barn. There will be a top-notch chef on hand, a Miss Redneck fashion show, great prizes and more. Come out and say hi, I’d love to chat! Best of luck to Dave Arbour who is undergoing surgery this week. Get well soon my friend so you’ll be ready for your show in March!

Testing testing

Thank goodness this winter for Kamik’s Snow Shield ultra-cold weather boots I had the pleasure of trying out. This homegrown boot manufacturer, which has become world-renowned for its winter footwear, has somehow produced a pair of boots worthy of walking on the moon. These beauties are rated to -100 Celcius and are completely waterproof with 900 Denier and seam-sealed construction. The large format winter boots boast a moisture wicking lining, special Lace Lock snow collar and are encompassed by a patented lightweight synthetic rubber shell. The removable 24mm Zylextreme liner and 4.5mm EVA insole were just what the doctor ordered recently at Petrie Island’s Oziles ice fishing village. The Kamik Snow Shield boots are ideal for ice fishing and make standing on the frozen hardtop seem like a warm summer’s stroll in the park! For more information on Kamik’s full-line of winter footwear: http://www.kamik.com/b2c_int_en/

Quebec brochure now available

For anyone planning a trip to Quebec this year, the 2015 hunting and fishing brochure is now available. With a full rating system, facilities breakdown and sporting opportunities, the hunting, fishing and lodging brochure is a handy guide for non-resident sportsmen. Contact Quebec’s Ministry of Tourism at: 1-877-BONJOUR

Big ones through the ice!

With the winter angling season now in full swing, I am searching for big fish stories. If you have hauled a lunker through the ice, I would love to hear from you. Your big fish story may be featured right here in my March column. Send your story to [email protected] and feel free to attach a photo.