Muskoka Outdoors Network

Here is an opportunity to win some prizes with one of your ice fishing pictures. The administrators over at the Maine Fishing Forums are running an ice fishing photo contest.  Your photo can be of fish that was caught through the ice during the 2010 or 2011 fishing season. Details like the following are also required:

Your name/address/fish info like length/girth……and yes where caught. Weight if known…….lure or bait used and the story of the catch.

Consider visiting the blog Northwood Wanderings to catch all the details and submit your entry.

Muskoka Outdoors will be hosting our own ice fishing photo contest soon.

Take some time to watch the battle with this nice lake trout on Lake Superior's super clear ice.

WFN has announced that there will an ice fishing seminar available for individuals who fish Lake Simcoe, Ontario. The popular seminar will focus on how to increase your chances at catching yellow perch, lake trout, northern pike and whitefish. It will be presented by outdoor writer, Will Wegman, in the town of Georgina on Lake Simcoe.

Follow this WFN link for more details.

CTV's annual fishing derbies will take place across 5 Northern Ontario communities this year.  Entries cost $100 per hole and this allows the ice fishing anglers the opportunity to win big cash prizes and outdoor equipment. Last year's Elliot Lake winner won $20,000!

CTV Ice-fishing Derbies are to be held in:

Timmins on Feb. 19 - on Porcupine and South Porcupine Lakes

Temiskaming Shores (New Liskeard) on Feb. 26  - on Lake Temiskaming

Elliot Lake on February 26 - on Elliot Lake

Temagami on March 12 - on Net Lake

Kapuskasing on March 12 - on Flemi Lake

Follow this link to download ice fishing derby registration forms from CTV

To help prepare for the unexpected on the ice this winter, check out this scientist's tips for surviving a fall through the ice.

Now is the time to be building your perfect icy get-away on your favorite lake. Give yourself something to do during the hardwater months.  I searched the net for some plans that may help you in the designing of your very own ice-hut.  Keep in mind, I have never tried any of these constructs - so use your common sense in your selection.

A quick search search revealed the following free ice hut plans and designs.

1. Great Ice Fishing Hut Plans

2. A Great Shanty Design

3.  A Portable Ice Shelter

4. Ice Fishing Shack Plans

If you know of other links to some good ice hut designs, please link to them below by using the comment section below.

It has been several weeks since I have soaked my fishing line out into the aquatic wonderland that surrounds me. A large part of that is due to the frigid temperatures and several feet of snowfall. Defeated by my own environment, I am left to wonder what an angler is to do between the soft-water fishing seasons?

I realize fully that I could be preparing for an excellent ice fishing season, but I do prefer the view of the lake from the bass boat. That being said, I have brainstormed some things that you could do until ice out or the season of your favorite favorite fish species opens again.

1. Build an Ice Hut. Here is a couple plans that I have found on a previous post:

• Build an Ice Hut for under $100
• A Great Shanty Design

2. Clean your fishing reels. I found some interesting web pages with some instructions for various reel types:

• Spinning Reels
• Bait Casting Reels (I found a maintenance guide from Shimano)
• Fly Fishing Reels

3. Become a fishing blogger. Go it alone with a web tool like blogspot or join an outdoor blogging network. May I suggest you consider the crew at Skinny Moose Media? You don’t have to be a good writer, you just have to love what you are doing. Joining a blogging network (like Skinny Moose Media) provides the new blogger with technical support, encouragement, and money making tools.

4. Build a Fishing Rod Cabinet. You can google to find a myriad of different plans and looks. To save you some time, I have one of the plans that I found:

• Fishing Rod Cabinet 2 (this is a .PDF file of a complicated cabinet)

5. Make Your Own Fishing Lures. All great lure designs started somewhere. This past year I interviewed an individual who made his own lures. Consider reading that blog post to, perhaps, inspire the lure artist within you. The article and interview can be found here.

6. Read Fishing Books. Google ‘good fishing books’ and read some reviews of some books online. I have done some reviews on some fishing books. You can find a list of my ratings here.

7. Clean Your Bass Boat. If temperatures permit, deep clean your boat. Bass Pros Shops offer this advice for cleaning you floating fishing investment.

8. Join a social media network (like Twitter) and follow what other anglers do during the hard or soft water  seasons. This link will take you to a list of people who I follow on twitter that fish, hunt or enjoy the outdoors in other ways. Join the conversation today.

Trying to determine if the ice is safe on your lake? Try using this chart as a 'guideline' in your research. This picture was created by the Niagara River Anglers Association. Fish safe!

Celeste and her father Jeff ice  a couple of nice walleye yesterday. Thanks for the photos guys! - the location was not shared in their email ;) -

The lake is still classified – but I have my people on it. Kevin caught this sweet 7.36 lb speckled trout in a ‘not too far from Huntsville’ lake. Awesome catch Kevin!