Broke My Cherry

[alexthegrrr8]

Hey Gang:

Well here we are... got through Christmas and we're looking forward to a New Year. I had plans in place to hit Cook's Bay for the first time ever on Monday. Monday came and man I was excited, in a way it was like Christmas for me. Whenever, I get to experience something new I'm always like this... in a way I guess it keeps things fresh.

So the alarm goes off and I get my wife off to work. I was meeting up with some of my fly fishing brethren up in Gilford for around 11. After some last minute running around I was on my way. Getting halfway there i realized a couple of things. The first is I left my weight and 3-way swivels at home and secondly... bait. Am I going to find bait there. Bear in mind that I have never been there and don't know what to expect. So after getting on the 400 I pulled over at the service centre with the tackle and bait shop. I decided to get a small scoop, the other essentials and in a relative flash I was on my way. I arrive in Gilford, make a quick phone call and find the others were just down the road. odd... perfect timing. The day seems to be going as planned.

We head out onto the ice and that north wind was raw. It was blowing something fierce. Of course before I stepped onto the ice I did an inner "Hail Mary". So we venture out towards some of the huts which pretty much looked like a small town and I we drill the first hole. it wasn't too long when my buddy Dave had the first hit and fish. it was a dink. I must add that I was comfortable with the amount of ice below me. My hole yields nothing and I start to "run and gun". I located myself about 20' away from my friends and I get a hit right away. In the meantime they pack up and walk towards the others with us who had a hut. I stay behind on my hole after realizing that they're about 2' off of bottom. This hole yields over 20 fish... one of which were a Jumbo, a few that were fringe keeper size that went back for a swim and the rest dinks. I pack up and go to where the other guys were. I drilled a new hole and literally every drop there was a fish like the other hole I left. Hooked a few, missed a few and lost a couple at the hole (my reel totally froze up on me). There were 6 keepers caught here none of them Jumbo. I packed up from here and left. I caught well over 50 in total. No doubt there are fish there... just no size.

I talked to a number of guys out there and afterwards and to a man they all said the same thing. Lots of fish... no keepers. One guy said "it's like they know when the hut operators come out... the big guys go hiding".

I should add that I took every precaution out there. Of course I stayed safe. However the day did come at a cost as I now have limited use and feeling in my finger tips. I was wearing gloves all day, took extra pairs but I still managed to get frost nip. The pain and burning is now gone but all my fingers have now is that pins and needles feeling.

Alex

[getthenet]

Hey Gang:

Well here we are... got through Christmas and we're looking forward to a New Year. I had plans in place to hit Cook's Bay for the first time ever on Monday. Monday came and man I was excited, in a way it was like Christmas for me. Whenever, I get to experience something new I'm always like this... in a way I guess it keeps things fresh.

So the alarm goes off and I get my wife off to work. I was meeting up with some of my fly fishing brethren up in Gilford for around 11. After some last minute running around I was on my way. Getting halfway there i realized a couple of things. The first is I left my weight and 3-way swivels at home and secondly... bait. Am I going to find bait there. Bear in mind that I have never been there and don't know what to expect. So after getting on the 400 I pulled over at the service centre with the tackle and bait shop. I decided to get a small scoop, the other essentials and in a relative flash I was on my way. I arrive in Gilford, make a quick phone call and find the others were just down the road. odd... perfect timing. The day seems to be going as planned.

We head out onto the ice and that north wind was raw. It was blowing something fierce. Of course before I stepped onto the ice I did an inner "Hail Mary". So we venture out towards some of the huts which pretty much looked like a small town and I we drill the first hole. it wasn't too long when my buddy Dave had the first hit and fish. it was a dink. I must add that I was comfortable with the amount of ice below me. My hole yields nothing and I start to "run and gun". I located myself about 20' away from my friends and I get a hit right away. In the meantime they pack up and walk towards the others with us who had a hut. I stay behind on my hole after realizing that they're about 2' off of bottom. This hole yields over 20 fish... one of which were a Jumbo, a few that were fringe keeper size that went back for a swim and the rest dinks. I pack up and go to where the other guys were. I drilled a new hole and literally every drop there was a fish like the other hole I left. Hooked a few, missed a few and lost a couple at the hole (my reel totally froze up on me). There were 6 keepers caught here none of them Jumbo. I packed up from here and left. I caught well over 50 in total. No doubt there are fish there... just no size.

I talked to a number of guys out there and afterwards and to a man they all said the same thing. Lots of fish... no keepers. One guy said "it's like they know when the hut operators come out... the big guys go hiding".

I should add that I took every precaution out there. Of course I stayed safe. However the day did come at a cost as I now have limited use and feeling in my finger tips. I was wearing gloves all day, took extra pairs but I still managed to get frost nip. The pain and burning is now gone but all my fingers have now is that pins and needles feeling.

Alex

Nice report and good

[bigugli]

Got to watch the extremities. They freeze fast. I'm always burying the hands into the pockets, and I have good thermal gloves

[feldie]

Sounds like your 1st trip to Cooks Bay was a success Alex

[fredfisher]

excellent report,man.im hopin this thaw we are expecting soon doesnt mess up the ice too badly...but hopin ain't too far off dreamin.

[Dan Andrews]

Great report bud. Seems to be the consensus on Simcoe so far this year.

[smerchly]

Very nice "green" report Alex . Glad to see you had fun and paid the initiation fees with white finger tips . Simcoe is loaded with perch , maybe the jumbos are in deeper water . I used to fish Couch for perch at Airport Rd. just past the casino . We fished 22' -24' for the perch & the odd pike . Think I'll head out tomorrow for a few of those tastey treats .

[Toby80]

Went out off of Gilford on Tuesday, same thing lots of fish, maybe 10% keepers. Wind didn't pick up till around noon, left around 1 with the wind getting to my fingers from all the perch. Spent last 2 days gettin' over food poisoning from chicken sandwich at service center on 400. Rain is going to kill the ice, glad I got out w/ the boys.