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Illinois Ice Fishing Article
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Ice Fishing on Lake Simcoe
from: Maxx Sports GuidesLake Simcoe ice fishing is considered one of the finest in the area, with opportunities for anglers of every level of experience and age. The lake is located in the southern part of the Canadian province of Ontario and is the fourth largest lake in the province with a total water area of 725 square kilometers.
Lake Simcoe is a ninety mile drive from Toronto, with numerous winter lodges, hotels and accommodations around the lake. Since Lake Simcoe ice fishing is a popular winter pastime, the lake is home to many other winter sports including snow shoeing, snowmobile racing and riding, cross country skiing and winter hiking and camping.
Lake Simcoe ice fishing includes trout, pike, whitefish, whitefish, ling and walleye. The various types of fish in Lake Simcoe are easily identified by their distinguishing features. To help anyone interested in Lake Simcoe ice fishing, here are some tips and strategies:
Pike: Northern Pike are quite aggressive fish. They have a noticeably sharp shape to their head that makes them easily identified. Pike have very sharp, pronounced teeth and are very aggressive both in taking bait and when they're being landed. Pike tend to be aggressive feeders year round although they do nibble a little bit at bait in the winter months. Pike follow smaller fish around the lake and are often found about 3 - 6 feet under the bottom of the ice surface. Ice fishing for pike on Lake Simcoe is ideal as these fish are very mobile and rather lone hunters, so the size of the lake makes it great for moving with the fish without disturbing other anglers.
Walleye: Lake Simcoe ice fishing strategies for walleye include jigging areas just beyond weeds and ridges of vegetation. Walleye are typically found feeding just before dark and just after dawn during the periods of dusk. They'll often bite most actively at minnows and plastic worms with lots of action.
Lake Trout: Lake trout tend to move throughout the lake a lot during the season. In the early days of winter, the trout tends to feed at about 50 - 90 foot depths, while the lake trout move deeper as the year progresses and then into more shallow water closer to spring thaw. Deeper water lake trout feed during the brightest parts of the day and the trout in more shallow areas of the lake will feed during the hours right after dawn and just before dusk.
Whitefish: Many people use chumming as a method of keeping whitefish located in one area of Lake Simcoe, ice fishing season more commonly. Chumming includes dropping minnows, chopped meat or rice into the water to keep fish in one area a couple of days before deciding to fish the area. Whitefish remain in schools, so one hit often means there are many fish in the area. Once they know that bait is heading down to the deep water, more aggressive and larger whitefish actually swim up closer to the surface if they're actively feeding. Chopped salted minnows or scented plastics make excellent lures in a feeding school of whitefish.
Lake Simcoe ice fishing has a great variety of ice fishing bait shops, house rentals and tournaments to provide whatever an angler needs for a great ice fishing vacation.
Illinois Ice Fishing News