Back in the Saddle

[Species8472]

As many of you know, 2 weeks ago was a $%^& show for me. Well back out for the first time today since that episode. Got on the ice just before 9am at Fish Bay and went 14 km down the west side of South Bay. Set up in about 25 feet of water. Using my wife's sled as my Skandic is out for the season after the incident 2 weeks ago:





Had 14 inches of good ice at this spot. The ice was making a lot of noise all day with periodic small movements and tons of cracking sounds. Was eerie. I fished until 3:30 pm but decided to leave early as still not fully recovered from the concussion and wanted lots of light for the ride out. Fishing was okay with 6 perch and a cisco kept. 2 perch sent back, 1 walleye sent back and something big (probably a pike) that was taking out line and then bit off my leader.


Sampling of fish:








On the ride back out there was one sizable crack/open water section that was not there on the ride out in the morning:








Did not try to cross it - found a way around it. Looking at the forecast today may be the last day of the Nip season for me this year.

[huntnmachine]

Awesome report as usual Joe

[Articcat]

Glad you had a good day and made it back safely this time

[Fenelon]

Have you told the wife yet that you're buying her a $700 beat-up 1979 Arctic Cat 440 Jag (no reverse, no heated grips, and half a windshield) off Kijji so she has something to ride while you finish your fishing trips? Dudes must want to date her when they see she has an Expedition. Fantastic all-purpose machine. I'd personally take one over the new Skandic.

[Species8472]

Have you told the wife yet that you're buying her a $700 beat-up 1979 Arctic Cat 440 Jag (no reverse, no heated grips, and half a windshield) off Kijji so she has something to ride while you finish your fishing trips? Dudes must want to date her when they see she has an Expedition. Fantastic all-purpose machine. I'd personally take one over the new Skandic.

The Expo is a nice machine for sure. It's sorta like an SUV and the Skandic is more like a 3/4 ton. Expo is a smoother ride and handles better but cannot pull a load anywhere close to what the Skandic will. Transmission on the Skandic is better and the Skandic cooling system is far more robust. Skandic fuel tank is larger as well. Skandic is better in the slush as well but if you do get it stuck it is harder to get out.

And for the record my mid-fifties wife of 32 years is hot enough she doesn't need the help of a snowmobile to attract attention:

[Fenelon]

I'm almost afraid to ask - what's a new Skandic with the 20" track cost these days? I saw the prices on the modular seat accessories for the new machines when I was in the dealership buying some injection oil and I thought I was going to have to cut my gitch off in the parkinglot with my Buck knife. You could spent 3-4K just for the seat, storage bins, saddle bags!
If I could put the clock back I would have bought three of the 380 fan Skandic long tracks that they made back in the 80's-90's. Best skidoo I ever owned. Enough power for me and they would go anywhere if you put the wide ski skins on them. I still own a mint condition Tundra R one-lunger . I think it was $5100 out the door in 2002!

[Species8472]

I'm almost afraid to ask - what's a new Skandic with the 20" track cost these days? I saw the prices on the modular seat accessories for the new machines when I was in the dealership buying some injection oil and I thought I was going to have to cut my gitch off in the parkinglot with my Buck knife. You could spent 3-4K just for the seat, storage bins, saddle bags!
If I could put the clock back I would have bought three of the 380 fan Skandic long tracks that they made back in the 80's-90's. Best skidoo I ever owned. Enough power for me and they would go anywhere if you put the wide ski skins on them. I still own a mint condition Tundra R one-lunger . I think it was $5100 out the door in 2002!

Don't know the current pricing as mine was bought new in fall of 2019 and is a 2020 model year. At that time it was 16k out the door. Expo in the pic is a 2018 and think it was maybe 14k out the door new.

[fishfood]

Glad you got out again before the end of the short season. Hopefully you fully recover soon.

It's amazing the water color difference between there and simcoe. Our deep water cracks look like the Bahamas blue water. Our weekend that just past had lots of movement too. I shifted 4 inches to the south on Sunday as it roared by lol. Was a weird one for sure. Later on I moved to some whitefish and on the way in I founds some heavy damage pieces of ice missing and at least a 50 by 50 area pushed under water about a ft deep.

Sent from my SM-G975W using Tapatalk

[Fenelon]

Most of the ice on Simcoe went out yesterday Kempenfelt Bay and the entire North Shore is now all open water with the ice crowded up in huge mounds on Georgina Island. All the hut operators have pretty much shut down and pulled their huts already .anyone who didn’t get their hat off by Monday is probably now going to get a provincial offensive ticket from the constipation officer and you’ll be very lucky if you haven’t lost your hut.