It’s Ice-Fishing time and I would love to post your stories, pictures and reports. You can reach me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), join the Hooked on Yukon Fishing group on Facebook or waste even more time on Twitter@fishonyukon.
A Great Kayak Fishing Story Submitted by Yukon Bowrider
March 09, 2010
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Dave’s first submission to Kayak Angler Magazine Online http://www.kayakanglermag.com/features/506-chillin-out.html.
Good job and will keep an eye out for more.
Great Video on Kayak Fishing for Pike or Muskie
March 09, 2010
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Dogs like Ice Fishing Shrimp too
January 19, 2010
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I was out ice-fishing this weekend with the family and decided to take the old dog along. He is a lab-mutt so it goes without saying that he is a bit of a mooch with food. He is also old so we let him get away with it these days.
Part of any ice-fishing trip to a stocked lake in the Yukon, typically involves using shrimp as bait for Rainbows. We use prawns or cocktail shrimp and cut them up small enough to fit on a small hook. They are either suspended just off the bottom by themselves or added to a small jig for a little scent. Most pothole lakes in the Whitehorse area have freshwater shrimp, so I suppose it is a natural food source.
The problem with shrimp as I discovered this weekend is that the dog likes them too. It meant keeping a real eye on the bait or anything baited (with a hook). The thought of him inhaling a little shrimp on a hook would probably mean a world of pain, discomfort and a large vet bill.
He is also the sneaky, smart kind of dog that waits a half hour and then when you are not looking sneaks up to it and snatches it. This becomes a real threat when fishing with kids, multiple rods and very little awareness of whats going on. On more than one occasion this weekend I had to wind up and remove the baited hook from a spare rod. I would rather not leave the dog or kids at home, so a little extra caution is worth the effort.
January 16, 2010 - Ice fishing at Hidden Lakes
I only had a couple of hours to fish with the kids between tae kwon do and piano lessons. It was a big push to prep everything, get the kids out on the ice, punch the holes and get them fishing.
We walked in from the Chadburn Lake Road parking lot and huffed it over to Hidden #1. With sled and family in tow, we settled on the southeast side of the lake and drilled the holes. I had four kids out there with three adults. We decided to work five holes and set three up with set shrimp on small trebles and two with active jigs. The kids lost interest right away, which allowed the adults to actually concentrate on the fishing.
I jigged a small pink lure with a little shrimp for a few minutes and then handed it off to our youngest angler, Alex. Within a couple of minutes he managed to pull in a 17 inch rainbow. In fairness we helped him as the four year old was concerned that the fish would “bite him”.
It was a great day with two fish in about two hours.
June 09, 2009 - Little Atlin Pike Report
It was to be a family affair. Get out on the water at 7am and hope that the wind would not pick up. I dusted off the 16 foot aluminum, heaved the 30Hp on and loaded the trailer. We left later than expected as the family did not appear to be as keen as I was. We arrived around 9am with not a cloud in the sky and the heat starting to warm up the water.
My wife and two boys jumped in the boat and we headed for the weedbeds on the north end of the lake. Still a ways out from the weeds I threw out some trolling lines hoping to catch an unsuspecting laker or maybe a cruising Pike. Not a touch but still good for the kids to get used to handling the rod.
The wind was slightly picking up so I pulled alongside the weed edge, turned the motor off and fished the drift all the way along. We saw a bunch of lure chasers right away but no strikes. Within about 15 minutes we had out first Pike on. It took a baby Pike rapala diver in about 2 feet of water. We tried some top-water lures with a couple of stirs but no strikes.
At the end of the day, just outside of the weedbeds provided the best action with a few more fish being caught on slightly diving rapalas.
