first time lake simcoe ice fishing

looking to go ice fishing for the first time. looking to head up to lake simcoe. where would i best be accomodated and what do i need to know for ice fishing such as bait rod and reel and line. any bit of advice helps. never been ice fishing before.

Are you going to go for perch? Since its your first time i'm assuming you dont have any electronics (sonar) so perch fishing will be your best bet. Just use small pinhead minnows on a panfish jig and run two rods. If you arent getting any action you can try throwing on a spoon or a lipless crank bait to call fish in to your area. they will be in anywhere from 10-40'. If you dont get anything for a while pick up and move, it can take a bunch of moves but once you find them it is worth it. Below is a link to the lake simcoe depth chart, cooks bay and georgina are the popular places to go for perching.

Also if you have an iPhone or an Android and dont mind spending 16 bucks the navionics app is the most valuable tool you can have next to a sonar. It combines the depth charts with GPS on your phone and tells you how deep you are before you punch a hole.

http://www.fishingla...pth-chart.html 

looking to go ice fishing for the first time. looking to head up to lake simcoe. where would i best be accomodated and what do i need to know for ice fishing such as bait rod and reel and line. any bit of advice helps. never been ice fishing before.

On the west side of Simcoe I've used Lucky Sons hut rentals - they deliver pizza at lunch time. 

On the east side (Pefferlaw, Beaverton area) I recommend Floyd Hales and Steves Fish Huts.

Some places have rods you can use for $10 but better call ahead to make sure.  You can have 2 rods per person.  

Oh yea...make sure your license is up to date!  I run into the MNR every weekend when renting huts!

When does Lake Simcoe usually freezes up enough for ice fishing. New to the area.

i love crushing some perch up there early in the season. best lure for me is a tiny brown/red shrimp imitation on a jighead. once the fish are in the area.

on my second rod a small rattling jig with bright colors to call in the schools or get a couple of fatties

i started with a crappy tire augur and a bucket. carried my rods and bait in the bucket and some tackle in a backpack.

since then i got a flasher, more junk for the tackle box and some comfort goods like a heater/chair/tent.

best piece of gear hands down is a good sled. makes moving to and from much easier.

a good tip is to get a cheap yoga mat or some foam liner and put it at the bottom of your hut or below your boots if you are outside. its amazing how much warmer your feet stay if they arent on contact with the ice all day.

and something about warm feet makes everything else seem easier

also if you use your bucket as a chair like a lot of people do, instead of your bait in the bucket, drill a shallow half-hole beside your fishing hole and fill it with water keep minnows in there. a lot easier to  grab em and keep en eye on em. and it wont freeze over if you are in a hut. outside probably a bad idea lol

a friend of mine showed me a cool trick. got big spoons the same color as perch, no hooks. starts aggressively jigging them and other perch get interested thinking theres some feeding they are missing

would literally turn the flasher from nothing to marks everywhere within a couple of minutes.

cheers bud

edit: that feeling of just noticing i replied to a old-thread

For perch I just love to ring the dinner bell with good old chum.

i love crushing some perch up there early in the season. best lure for me is a tiny brown/red shrimp imitation on a jighead. once the fish are in the area.

on my second rod a small rattling jig with bright colors to call in the schools or get a couple of fatties

 

i started with a crappy tire augur and a bucket. carried my rods and bait in the bucket and some tackle in a backpack.

since then i got a flasher, more junk for the tackle box and some comfort goods like a heater/chair/tent.

 

best piece of gear hands down is a good sled. makes moving to and from much easier.

 

a good tip is to get a cheap yoga mat or some foam liner and put it at the bottom of your hut or below your boots if you are outside. its amazing how much warmer your feet stay if they arent on contact with the ice all day.

and something about warm feet makes everything else seem easier

 

also if you use your bucket as a chair like a lot of people do, instead of your bait in the bucket, drill a shallow half-hole beside your fishing hole and fill it with water keep minnows in there. a lot easier to  grab em and keep en eye on em. and it wont freeze over if you are in a hut. outside probably a bad idea lol

 

a friend of mine showed me a cool trick. got big spoons the same color as perch, no hooks. starts aggressively jigging them and other perch get interested thinking theres some feeding they are missing

would literally turn the flasher from nothing to marks everywhere within a couple of minutes.

 

cheers bud

 

 

edit: that feeling of just noticing i replied to a old-thread

Yoga mats! I have a few of those already. Thank you for the advice!  I will also try the half drilled hole for minnows

Simcoe is always a tough body of water to predict. In the past 5 years, there have been times when I've been out on the ice for January 1st for Laker opener, and other years when its well into late February before the ice is safe enough to venture out. It is imperative to take precautions and make the effort to check with your local ice hut operators, tackle/bait shops and on local message boards for the most current up-to-date information. Always air on the side of caution and be prepared! Cheers Beck-Legend Boats

Great thread folks!
I've recently moved back to ON (see "Hello Haliburton & Area") and am getting back into hardcore ice fishing. I'm all set tackle wise with a new Clam. Wondering what areas and depths of Simcoe I want to visit to experience the world class Perch bite?

Hi CWN

You'll find perch anywhere from 10-40fow.

Cant wait

I had a great time last winter fishing there for perch. The cabin rental places generally have very large holes cut in the ice, so we were able to sight fish for the perch with small jigs and plastics. I found that the best baits to use were the Gulp single salmon eggs that come in the jar of liquid. I think the scent really helps. We were rigging them on a drop shot rig using 4lb mono. 

I didn't say this but .........try Slab Grabbers they work wonders.

If using slab grabbers use a swivel...lol