Just a quick update:
Steve made it into Central Lake this morning. The plane had to taxi through some slush to make it to the dock. On a good note, the temperatures were very warm; 72 degrees and melting the ice quickly. In just an afternoon about 200 yards of ice disappeared. According to dad, the water is the highest he has ever witnessed. Unfortunately, the main dock at Central was swept away from the heavy ice flows and the high water. I see some heavy labor in the near future.
Since there is enough open water to get a plane into Central, I have been given the green light to head northbound from Eagle Lake. Unfortunately, I will not be able to update Facebook or the Blog for several days; the heavy snow over the winter knocked our satellite dishes off of our roof. It will take a couple of days to get a technician to our location for re-installation. We will be able to check our emails and voice mail when we visit Sandy Lake.
Good luck on the water everyone,
Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com
A blog for fishing enthusiasts who want to stay up to date regarding news around Big Hook Wilderness Camps. Provides fishing information, weekly happenings at Big Hook Wilderness Camps and relevant tourism news.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Ice Watch 2013
A couple of nice days has caused the ice to shrink in our bay here on Eagle Lake. Winds and some rain are predicted for tomorrow. That should create a nice break up, especially if the winds kick up from the SW. Weather has been a tad milder up in the Opasquia Provincial Park but fortunately the nights have been above freezing. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday is calling for temperatures ranging into the 70's. Can't wait for the 2013 season to kick off.
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com
Monday, May 6, 2013
Ice Update
The big question this year in NW Ontario is, "When will the ice go out?" After a chilling long winter the ice has been slow to retreat from the shorelines here in the north country. Weather this spring has been erratic and unpredictable thus far. A 15" snow storm one week ago in Sandy Lake certainly did not aid the cause of opening up water. However, nice weather has finally settled in and has started some thawing.
Temperatures the next couple of days are predicted to hover in the upper 60's and lower 70's in most parts of NW Ontario. Most of the snow has finally melted in the Eagle Lake area (see pic right taken 5/5/2013). As you can see, the ice has a long way to go but it is starting to retract. I am certainly chomping at the bit to get into the airplane and get crackin at opening the camp.
Temperatures the next couple of days are predicted to hover in the upper 60's and lower 70's in most parts of NW Ontario. Most of the snow has finally melted in the Eagle Lake area (see pic right taken 5/5/2013). As you can see, the ice has a long way to go but it is starting to retract. I am certainly chomping at the bit to get into the airplane and get crackin at opening the camp.
With a later ice out comes changes in the fishing patterns. Pike and walleye will most likely spawn later causing a shift in some fishing spots. The weed growth will also begin later, so look to find fish in the moving water and warm mud flats early on.
Over the next couple of weeks I'll keep snapping and posting pics of the ice retreating to our Facebook Page and here on the Blog. Keep thinking warm thoughts.
Good luck in your spring fishing adventures.
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
All eyes on the weather
This "spring" the weather is the talk of the town. Stubbornly cool temperatures have camped over NW Ontario sending signals for a late ice out this year. Trumping the cool temperatures is 4-5 feet of snow blanketing the lakes and the boreal forest providing plenty of insulation for the ice. Mother Nature will have to provide some heat soon to chip away at that deep snow. Fortunately, deep snow creates a good run off when it melts, causing the ice to separate from the shoreline promptly.
Let us flashback twelve months. Last March and April NW Ontario was graced with temperatures soaring into the mid seventies. The weather was so unbelievably warm that Sandy Lake Seaplane had a float plane in the water on the 29th of March, the earliest ever the ice retreated from the banks of Sandy Lake.
On an average year, the ice departs the lakes in the Opasquia Park around the 10th of May. Historically Central and Cocos are the first two lakes to clear due to more current moving throughout. The last late ice out in NW Ontario occurred in 2004. To qualify for a late ice out, the ice has to disappear after the walleye opener, which is the third Saturday in May. The ice in 2004 didn't vacate the water until June 1st.
For those of you familiar with Central Lake, in 2004 we were forced to land a plane on the East Portage and hike a mile through the bush in order to begin opening up. Our first objective was to begin cracking ice. After a couple days, the ice pulled slightly away from the shore and we prepped our battering rams. These included several boats loaded full up with logs and a motor on each with a less than stellar prop. No need to have good prop on a motor when you are chewing through 50000 pounds of ice. To crack the ice, one just gets a full head of steam and drives the boat up onto the ice wherever possible. After some rocking and jumping in the boat and plenty of of swings of an ax the ice usually caves. Do this for 8-10 hrs a day and you are one tired/sore person. Breaking the ice into sections causes the melt to increase exponentially.
Needless to say we do not want another 2004 and we are keeping our fingers crossed for some sunshine and warm temperatures for the next couple of weeks. On a brighter note, I hope everyone is getting a chance to break out their gear and get out on the water this spring for a little early water action. Good luck to everyone's fishing endeavors.
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com
Let us flashback twelve months. Last March and April NW Ontario was graced with temperatures soaring into the mid seventies. The weather was so unbelievably warm that Sandy Lake Seaplane had a float plane in the water on the 29th of March, the earliest ever the ice retreated from the banks of Sandy Lake.
On an average year, the ice departs the lakes in the Opasquia Park around the 10th of May. Historically Central and Cocos are the first two lakes to clear due to more current moving throughout. The last late ice out in NW Ontario occurred in 2004. To qualify for a late ice out, the ice has to disappear after the walleye opener, which is the third Saturday in May. The ice in 2004 didn't vacate the water until June 1st.
For those of you familiar with Central Lake, in 2004 we were forced to land a plane on the East Portage and hike a mile through the bush in order to begin opening up. Our first objective was to begin cracking ice. After a couple days, the ice pulled slightly away from the shore and we prepped our battering rams. These included several boats loaded full up with logs and a motor on each with a less than stellar prop. No need to have good prop on a motor when you are chewing through 50000 pounds of ice. To crack the ice, one just gets a full head of steam and drives the boat up onto the ice wherever possible. After some rocking and jumping in the boat and plenty of of swings of an ax the ice usually caves. Do this for 8-10 hrs a day and you are one tired/sore person. Breaking the ice into sections causes the melt to increase exponentially.
Needless to say we do not want another 2004 and we are keeping our fingers crossed for some sunshine and warm temperatures for the next couple of weeks. On a brighter note, I hope everyone is getting a chance to break out their gear and get out on the water this spring for a little early water action. Good luck to everyone's fishing endeavors.
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com
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