lakers, lakers...no WF again

[Flukes]

The ice conditions were perfect today (more or less no snow and the surface was hard and slippery but had the spikes on so no an issue at all). Ice was somewhere in the 18-20" range based on measuring one hole. I would say half white/half black. At one spot, it must have at last 24"....I think an ice sheet must have shoved under the main sheet or something. So, finally, I was able to walk to a spot I hadn't been able to go all winter because of the conditions....and it did not disappoint in the number of marks (lots of chases and some maybe lazy large marks on bottom). Finally, got the timing and speed right after failing to get some interested marks to chase too far. Hooked two really fast chasers but they came undone about half way up. Neither felt like the hook was in good when they hit....and the second felt to be the biggest of the day. The next two I got to chase were also very fast and I got those two hooked and on the ice. The first one I saw about 30 feet up in about 60' of water - just caught sight of it on my split screen (one zoomed to the bottom and the other showing the entire water column - like that set up and this is why)...reeled up to the fish quickly and the chase up was on immediately but not for long as the fish wanted to eat. A nice small 18.5" laker. The second one started near the bottom in about 55' and chased my bait up to about 25' before it got hooked. It's streak criss-crossed my lure coming up twice before it hit. I was coming up pretty quickly too. I think the criss-crossing may have been attempts to swipe (??) at the bait and missing and I was thinking it was going to give up and take off after a couple of tries. But the third time it looked to be almost crossing my bait's streak, I felt the weight and it was hooked well. A 19+" laker (another good eating sized fish).
I wished today's kind of weather could just hold for a few days ...it was ideal and well, with this warm spell and rain, some of it will change but should still be plenty good after the weekend as it will get a bit colder again by Monday...let's hope they overforecasted the rain and it goes somewhere else. The ice will get a good resurfacing and be ready for the third period and maybe if we are lucky, some OT.
I'm keeping the smaller one and giving the other other one away to some neighbours.

[Flukes]

Oh and anyone know what these parasites are? Both lakes had them and 3 or 4 on each on the tail as well as the anal and maybe pelvic fin. Never noticed before and then I see them on both fish. And I remember even seeing a couple on the ice where the first fish was thrashing around.

[Mike33]

Great report and nicely done on the lake trout John. I walked out close to 2.5km on foot Monday, ideal walking conditions.

Those are parasitic copepods, also called fish louse. They’re harmless (to both the fish and us) other than being a slight nuisance to the fish. Hitchhikers that feed on the tissue of the fish. I’ve caught brook trout in some lakes in Algonquin Park where their gills are covered in them.

[Flukes]

Thanks. I think I covered only about 4 km in total today (back and forth and all around the area looking for fish every time marks slowed down - and each new hole, there were marks and then slowly died down so I would move). The issue was always trying to get out there in that deep snow and deep slush and there is a spot I need to make sure is safe because there is a little current (I feel much better about being able to see the without all the snow/slush covering). So easy walking and the flipover on skis was weightless today.
I thought they were copepods of some kind but I've never seen them on any of the freshwater fishes I have caught before. Yeah, I have no hesitation in eating the fish. Have eaten lots of saltwater fish with even worse infestations - they don't do anything to the flesh.

[Fishnhunt]

Great report on a fun outing.You are dialled in on the lake trout for sure!
IVe also seen those fish louse on lakers and speckles in the park. I find they are most prevalent on fish in pristine waters.
Enjoy your fish supper!

[reelingmachine]

Looks like lots of action and some fun.
Hopefully next few outings you will get whitefish.
Thank you for the update on ice conditions.

[Rosscoe]

Great report and thanks for sharing

[Flukes]

It was fun for sure. I had a bonus 2 hours of fishing today on another part of the lake that I have been thinking I should give a try (this time with family in tow so had to have a solid plan)...a scouting mission and to drill about a dozen holes at specific sites to have a look at the depths, bottom and of course, if any fish are marked. First hole, first drop of the lure and I had a chaser...turned away and chased 3 times from about 40' to about 10' from the surface. It stopped chasing and then I would stop then it would take another run, etc. So I decided to just stop and see what happens, it gave up and turned away. 10 min. later, another fast chaser that also turned away after trying a couple of chases. My timing must have been just off or something. 10 min. more and another mark...looked like my hoped for species (WF) but it was just a lazy, slow moving marks on bottom. I did end up drilling my dozen holes in deeper and shallower waters (mostly deeper). Only the holes in water deeper than 50' had any more marks. Another chaser and another "lazy blob". Called it the day as I was happy enough with the scouting mission for a future trip in an area with no public access so less fishing pressure.
Conditions: another amazing day....it was t-shirt and almost shorts weather out there with very little wind and lots of sun. I got some more colour added to the colour I have been getting the last couple off trips out in the sun. The ice was 20+" but at this location, I would say 2/3 of the top was crappy white ice and the only the bottom 1/3 was clear ice. Even in the 2 hours (we went from subzero to about 4 or 5oC) out, I can hear the water dripping into the ice (if you know what I mean). Lots of large cracks in the ice. The surface was very granular and pulling apart like the shattered tempered glass (candling?) - this kind of ice can break apart quickly (but there is still the good ice below and there is about 12-14" of this crappy stuff still to get through so the black ice is more protected. I was convinced we were going to have ice until at least early April (and I still think we will, if the forecast doesn't change much) but after seeing how much the ice changed in the 2 hours we were out there, I think I will wait to count my chickens until after the weekend (and also see if the forecast changes any). Still easy walking and lots of ice so get out there and enjoy some fabulous weather on the ice...these are the days that make ice fishing even better (even if no fish came up today).

[Mike33]

Photo I took of an Algonquin brook trout’s gills:

[Flukes]

That looks nasty. Glad they are not harmful to humans.

[crappeeeman]

Enjoy your fish. I have been very lucky and have never seen those particular parasites. In fact just the odd black or white spots on a walleye, but very rare to see. Bass and pike, a few here and there. As for crappie, still have never seen even one parasite on the thousands of crappie caught over the decades.

[Flukes]

The small laker was good...I had to eat all though (no complaints). For sure a fishier taste and smell when I cook it up compared to WF. Yeah, before these lakers, I had never seen those copepods on any fish I have ever caught ever. Lots of perch, SMB and pumpkinseeds with those black spots and white grubs (amd sometimes, tons of them). None of bluegills, crappie and LB that I have caught. None on pike or walleye for me. But with walleye, I have seen quite a few with tapeworms inside when cleaning and checking their stomachs for what they ate. Pike to me have been one of the cleanest for parasites. And I don't remember too many parasites in WF either.

[Drew]

Nice catch
I’ve always seen those same parasites attached to lakers, Lake of Bays and Opeongo - summer/winter doesn’t matter.

What I haven’t always seen was inside a brook trouts stomach. My daughter wanted to fillet her first fish a few years ago. Did a fine job, normal good looking meat. Then she always likes the part where I cut open the stomach to see what they’ve been eating. As she cuts it open, inside are hundreds of wiggling wormy things. definitely disgusting. After getting home and reading on it, we ate the meat anyway and was no difference.

[Flukes]

Wow, I have never seen those in my fish. Those look like the worms they call cod worms (or seal worms). I think they are round worms of some kind. Some of those can infect humans if not cooked (like in sashimi...I knew some folks who ate some freshwater fish raw....I would not recommend it). But cooked, no problem....some fresh cod fillets that you buy at supermarkets have similar worms in the muscle still (they always try to "candle" the fillets and pull them out but they don't always get them all. And sometimes, they will wriggle out from the muscle still alive...I think salting the fish meat makes them wiggle out.
Not a fan of internal parasites...gives me the heebie-jeebies. The external ones on my laker are less skin-crawling.