Canoe assisted ice fishing.

[lowangle al]

My lake froze over two days ago and the ice was only about two inches thick. I wanted to try for a trout so for safety sake I took the boat out there and chopped my holes and set the lines from in the boat. I pushed myself along with that ice harvesting tool laid across the gunnels and the boat moved pretty easy.

I could have waited a couple days but there’s no guaranty it won’t thaw out again. Traveling on partially frozen water has been something I’ve been doing the last few seasons and it paid off today.

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

Wow- nice trout! Is that a cuttbow? Beautiful colors.

I once saw an old couple in Vermont jigging outside their truck windows while it was running. Ice was a bit thicker… picturing you in the canoe ice fishing reminded me of that for some reason.

Bob

 

[Erica]

Beautiful fish!

 

[memaquay]

I'm headed out today for one or two nights on the ice. We have at least 18 inches, maybe more by now. No canoes, although my big sled I pull behind the skidoo is made by Pelican, lol. Their skidoo sleds are quite a bit nicer than their canoes.

 

[Odyssey]

I'm headed out today for one or two nights on the ice. We have at least 18 inches, maybe more by now. No canoes, although my big sled I pull behind the skidoo is made by Pelican, lol. Their skidoo sleds are quite a bit nicer than their canoes.

Does your sled have sponsons?

 

[memaquay]

Does your sled have sponsons?

Lol, I'll take pics and show you. It could probably be paddled down a river too, it's big enough.

 

[Odyssey]

Lol, I'll take pics and show you. It could probably be paddled down a river too, it's big enough.

Cool. So it has cup holders. (just kidding)
Play safe everyone.

 

[lowangle al]

Wow- nice trout! Is that a cuttbow? Beautiful colors.

I once saw an old couple in Vermont jigging outside their truck windows while it was running. Ice was a bit thicker… picturing you in the canoe ice fishing reminded me of that for some reason.

Bob

I think it was a regular rainbow Bob. It looked more silvery in person.

Beautiful fish!

Thanks Erica, this is what they looked like about six weeks ago when they were spawning.

 

[lowangle al]

I'm headed out today for one or two nights on the ice. We have at least 18 inches, maybe more by now. No canoes, although my big sled I pull behind the skidoo is made by Pelican, lol. Their skidoo sleds are quite a bit nicer than their canoes.

You stay pretty busy Mem.

 

[scoutergriz]

I think it was a regular rainbow Bob. It looked more silvery in person.


Thanks Erica, this is what they looked like about six weeks ago when they were spawning.

Da** It's been far too long since I've had fresh rainbow fried up in butter and lemon...

 

[lowangle al]

I have been frying my trout but the last one I wrapped in foil and cooked it on the woodstove and it was even better. In fact it was the tastiest rainbow I ever had. Surprisingly these big stocked Pa. fish were every good as the wild fish I have eaten in Ak.

Cheaseandbeans, that fish was bleeding from the jaw so it looked like a cutthroat.

 

[lowangle al]

I don’t keep many fish, usually just the ones that get injured in the catching process, but these babies were well worth it.

 

[memaquay]

Forgot to take a picture of my sleigh, but had a great weekend. Stayed out all Friday night and Saturday, decided to come back Saturday night at around 7 as winds were going to pick up to around 50 k an hour and temps were dropping to -27 before windchill. Caught lots of fish, walleye, perch and pike. Having walleye for supper tonight. The highlight was around 11 pm Friday night, had a really big fish on, and then this monstrous slimy ling came out of the hole. I had a few wobbly pops in me, so my memory is a little distorted, but my wife had a good laugh at me as I ran around the hub in horror. Going out next weekend too, will try to get more pics of my sleigh/canoe.

 

[Boreal Birch]

Hmmmmm….I thought rainbows only spawned in the spring and early summer.
Being stocked and being a non-native species must have screwed them up somewhat. Nice healthy looking fat fish, though.

 

[lowangle al]

I don't know the reason or the method, but the hatchery people purposely changed when the rainbows spawned. They were definately spawning though, besides their behavior and appearance, the females had fully developed eggs that leaked out when they were landed.

 

[sweeper]

 

[Boreal Birch]

I talked to a friend that has had some experience working in a fish hatchery. Seems that inside the hatchery building, the hatchery workers can regulate the artificial sun light to change the photo period to any time of the year, that they want it to be. In this case making the brood stock think it is winter all spring and summer, until fall time. Then make the trout think it is spring. Collect the eggs & milt, hatch the eggs, then they have all of real winter, to raise to the young trout to catchable size prior to the next fishing season. He thought the ones you were catching were excess brood stock that they had just released.
He also told me that I should visit a hatchery to see some other interesting things they do.

 

[lowangle al]

Thanks for that info BB, my best guess was that they were strategically exposed to videos of spawning trout.

I think your friend is right that they were excess brood stock. Really nice fish.