Left em biting....

[wax_worm]

Slabgill, springbobber and I set out this morning to check some ice and see if we could get on.  We went to the first 2 lakes (connected by a channel) and spudded our way around.  Seemed be be a solid 4" of clear see thru ice wherever we looked.  We gathered the gear and spudded our way to our spot.  I got the ice gator out and ripped open some holes, but what I found was not real encouraging.  The ice was not shaving like before, and it was coming up in clumps even though it was clear ice with no visible air bubbles or honeycombing.  It was pretty weird.  We had about half the ice we had before the rain and warm weather, but I also noticed the thickness was not consistent even within a few paces.  As I was cutting holes with the gator, I cut one in 4-5 inches and then 15ft away I went thru about 2".  Needless to say I backed away quickly from there.  Slabgill caught a keeper gill right away and springbobber lost one, then it was alot of lookers and few biters.  I caught 2 small bass and that was it.  We had waited until it was light out to get started since we were checking the ice as we went and by 9:30 we had enough of the lookers.  It was too cold with the wind to be sitting there and not catching, so we decided to move to another lake.  We got to the next lake about 10 or so and as soon as we cut about 20 holes with the gator, we started catching.  Fish were moving alot, but if u sat still they would come and go and pretty much have fish under you the entire time.  Water was about 11-12 feet and sitting on clear ice you did not want alot of movement.  We left them biting at noon with about 52 fish that we kept and quite a few dinks.  I think we had 22 crappie and 30 gills.  Nothing huge, but decent eaters.  The wind was still blowing pretty good and with the temp at 16 it did not take much to freeze your hands and face if exposed to the wind.

I will put a pic of the catch up later when I clean them.  Forgot the pic before I cleaned them.  So I took one of the fillets.



 Be careful if you go.  Definitely spud your way out and back as the ice is not the same thickness even within a few foot radius.  This was evident on both lakes we fished.

[river_scum]

GJ,thats pretty good for the conditions.  i stayed home because of the cold front lol

[crappiehunter]

great report, thanks for the details. Glad you are safe and caught fish!

[blueultra2]

I knew it was going to be a cold one this morning!  I had overslept this morning but I think it turned out to be a good thing for once!!  Now it's time to make the ice that we lost.

[muskiesteve]

Thanks for the report wax!!! good info and for sure it is strange how the ice thickness changes from just 10' away!!!
any how good job on the fish!
steve fiorio

[A- bomb]

we just sissed out here...
just hanging around the house. hope to get out soon!
nice job on the fish! way to use your head with the spud and keep everyone safe!

but...
thats why you let slabgill go first!!

[wax_worm]

we just sissed out here...
just hanging around the house. hope to get out soon!
nice job on the fish! way to use your head with the spud and keep everyone safe!

but...
thats why you let slabgill go first!!

Yep....forgot to say bring your creepers as it is slick out there!  Spingbobber took a spill pulling one of the jet sleds and introduced his knee to the ice!!!      Once I saw he was OK...I had to laugh!!

[spring bobber]

Yep....forgot to say bring your creepers as it is slick out there!  Spingbobber took a spill pulling one of the jet sleds and introduced his knee to the ice!!!      Once I saw he was OK...I had to laugh!!

Yeah I'll pry be feeling that one in the mornin'. 
I guess I was just in a hurry to try to salvage the day.  Maybe I would have slowed down if I knew we'd put 50 on ice in two hours.

[High Tide]

Great job, especially with the bp on the rise, cold front, blue bird skies. You have to have a perfect presentation to put the fish on this ice.  What worked best to trigger the bite?

[slabgill]

Deadsticking it!!!!!!....It was pretty crazy for 2 hrs. though...If we would have been there at light it would have been a cool 100, I bet!!!!!..The lake is known for alot of just keeps ,not giants..... but oh well they all taste the same.

[slabgill]

Yeah I'll pry be feeling that one in the mornin'. 
I guess I was just in a hurry to try to salvage the day.  Maybe I would have slowed down if I knew we'd put 50 on ice in two hours.

LOL...I was in front so I missed that one...

[Retired-UAW]

looks like a fun time. think I''ll have to wait awhile. over 2 inches of rain here at my house.raised the pond about 4 inches. ice looks like it is floating. may check it tomorrow. been cold for last 24 hrs or more.

[heinidog]

Way to go guys glad some of us are doing great.

[fishinfiend]

Good work fellas!!  Glad you guys stayed on top of em. I think im going to see how the ice is holding up around here in the morning.

[wax_worm]

Great job, especially with the bp on the rise, cold front, blue bird skies. You have to have a perfect presentation to put the fish on this ice.  What worked best to trigger the bite?

Actually we had some lake effect snow up here while we were fishing, so there was some cloud cover.  The ice is clear like a window though so in that shallow of water, with clear ice and clear water you don't want it sunny!  When the fish came in, they seemed pretty agressive.  Even had a couple go down for the bait when I let too much line out and it went past them on the vex.  The biggest issue was getting back down the hole to them before they left after catching one.

[finfan]

Good job and good suggestion on the spud..There is some very uneven ice out there now.

[bubbagill]

You boys are on for sure, congrats.

[FishDaddy09]

You guy's did great considering the conditions.  We went to James and another small lake and couldn't get anything to bite only caught a few dinks.  The place on James was holding some big crappie before the cold snap.

[Fishking83]

The lake is known for alot of just keeps ,not giants..... but oh well they all taste the same.
    I've yet to hear anyone ever say that it tastes like a small one