It's not my ideal day flipping bass in heavy cover with shorts on and a pair of flip flops but when it's January in Canada, it's the next best thing to getting on a plane and heading South.

I was invited out today by Grant McAllister of G2 Angling to ice fish the Bay of Quinte for Walleye and it was an offer I found hard to refuse. One upon a time I was really into ice fishing and I mean REALLY INTO IT! At least 2 days a week from 2 inches of ice in late December until we had to jump across the open water on the receding shorelines in late March for over 15 years including a small stint guiding US anglers on Lake Simcoe for Perch, chasing suspended Black Crappie, Rainbows and Speckles and ended my not so illustrious ice fishing career with 5 years of deep water Lake Trout and Whitefish. The times were good, memories were great but the lack of ethics on the ice became too much... days, months and years of searching out new spots away from the crowds were quickly destroyed by fish hungry anglers with high powered binoculars and not a shred of decency. They would bring everyone and their neighbors to these small spots we were working in seclusion because they just happened to spot us fishing while fighting a fish.... the beginning of the end with GPS technology driving the short yellow bus! For me that was the end and I walked away from it for 5 years, sold my snowmobiles and kept a small handful of gear.

Last year I took Joe Mercurio from The PTTS out on Lake Simcoe with my good friend Scott Murison and we had a great day so with that rose colored image still lingering in my head and a phenomenal guide and service operator's invitation on the table I had to dawn the fluffy camo suit, hooded sweater and -107 degree rated boots.

We arrived at first light and met Grant and his partner Jamie Stothart at the lake... everything was looking great, awesome group of guys to fish with including Theo Cheng, Todd Currie, Derek Strub and Big Jim McLaughlin, world class Walleye waters and sunrise... the weather was fairly bitter with a wind coming across us but the main issue quickly became the bluebird skies linked with high pressure that shut the bite off a bit for us, but the end results were very impressive despite the conditions... over 30 Walleye were iced with the big girls and some smaller ones being released and many came into the flasher but moved very lethargically making it very tough to get bit. To me the scary thing is that this is what the G2 guys can do when it's tough... now I have to go back for when it's good... the numbers might rival a day on Lake Erie!


Thanks for the hospitality Grant & Jamie, I will definitely be coming back!

JP DeRose