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Temagami Stewardship Council

Ice Fishing in Temagami Ontario

Temagami Stewardship Association

Once in a Lifetime Ice Fishing Story in Temagami

Ice Fishing In Temagami

I haven’t done any ice fishing in a long time but a meeting with the Minister on Friday and a Stewardship meeting on Monday meant that I had a weekend to spend in Temagami so why not go fishing.

I checked into Temagami Shores an attractive looking motel right off highway 11 just a stones throw south of the Temagami town site. My room was comfortable with two double beds and a gorgeous view of an ice covered Lake Temagami. I went back to the spacious dining room for supper and conversation with snowmobilers that were staying the night before heading out on a 4 day trip north to Timmins and beyond. Although the temperature was minus 30 I spend a warm and comfortable night and awoke refreshed and ready to fish.

Ice Fishing In Temagami Ontario

Temagami Shores

Nice 3 lb lake trout ready to go back

While I was having my breakfast and third or fourth cup of good coffee I was introduced to Ray Richmond the fellow who would drive me out to the ice hut. Ray took me right to the ice hut by truck, started the propane heater and augered the holes. I was provided with a bucket of live bait and tip ups. I had brought a jigging pole purchased at walmart last year and I was ready. Ray provided some advise, checked to make sure everything was fine and asked when I wanted to be picked up. I wasn’t sure I was real keen so I opted for noon.

I set the tip-up over one hole and proceeded to try plastic jigs and then jigging spoons on my jigging pole. Nothing was happening. I remembered a technique I had heard about and I put a white jig head on my line. I put the hook of the jig through the minnows mouth out the gill opening and then into the back of the minnow. No sooner had I lowered the minnow to the bottom and lifted it than I had a hit. The drag on the little pole screeched as the silvery grey body of a lake trout appeared in the hole. I removed the jig from the 4 lb. fish and then watched as the released trout disappeared in the depths. I had to release the lake trout because the lake trout season for Temagami runs from February 15 to March 15. I had no sooner replaced the minnow on the jig head and lowered it to the bottom than the line again stiffened and the bail began to squeal. Another silvery grey body came into sight darting beneath the ice and when I got him out of the hole it turned out to be bigger than the last one. About that time Ray drove up and I drove back with him to the motel for lunch. I enjoyed the lunch but I had been smitten and I was in a hurry to get back to the ice hut.

This time I drove myself out to the hut and parked beside the door. The sun was shinning the ice hut was cozy and I really enjoyed the solitude. It didn’t take long for the first hit and an exciting fight that ended with the 5 or 6 lb trout managing to spit the jig as I was reaching for his head in the hole. As the sun headed for the tree line I had short lived fights with 2 or 3 other fish that felt like good trout. As dusk approached a storm seemed to be building in the west. The jigging rod again jerked and a 15 1/2 inch pickerel came out of the hole. I would have liked to have stayed and tried for more pickerel but discretion seemed to be the better part of valour and I headed for the motel.

Ray cleaned my pickerel and I enjoyed another delicious meal in the dining room. I turned down the choice of eating my pickerel. I wanted to have something to take home to my wife.

The crisp Sunday morning saw me up and over to the dining room for an early breakfast. The sun was glistening off the snow as I headed out the ice road on Lake Temagami to the ice hut. Ray had already been there and the hut was warm and the holes were open. I set up the tip up and put a minnow on the jig I had still attached to my jigging pole. The fishing was slow. There had been no whitefish action at all. When Bill Bucholtz dropped by he suggested that freezing cooked barley in a Styrofoam cup with a rock in the bottom and dropping the frozen block to the bottom would bait the hole and draw more whitefish action in. I’ll have to try that next time. Temagami has a largely unexploited whitefish fishery and whitefish are great eating.

Ice Fishing In Temagami Ontario

Evening at the ice hut on Lake Temagami

Evenings catch of pickerel

Shortly after Bill left my jigging pole screeched again as a 6 lb lake trout fought to stay under the ice. When I got him to the surface I noticed the jig head had been swallowed so I cut the line and watched as he dove away seemingly unbothered by the hook. As the big orange ball of the sun began to go below the tree line the pickerel began to hit. A 17 1/2 inch a 15 1/2 inch and a 14 inch pickerel fought their way to the surface. I released an 8 inch pickerel that seemed unaffected by his ordeal as he headed for the bottom. Bill came by to check on me and took the pickerel back with him to clean. By the time I arrived for supper in the dining room the fish were cleaned and in the freezer.

I had a great weekend at Temagami Shores. Well kept spacious rooms, delicious food, friendly accommodating service and the bonus of some fish for a meal of beer batter pickerel when I got home contributed to a weekend I would like to repeat. Thanks to Nancy, the girls in the dinning room and the guys at Temagami Shores for a great weekend. by Gaye Smith

Temagami Stewardship Index

Ice Fishing In Temagami Ontario

Temagami Stewardship Council
P.O. Box 299, Temagami
Ontario P0H 2H0

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