UNCLE

[stinkyfingers]

As they say, fight the battles you can win. The 2019/2020 ice season has been a no-win deal for me. Going into the season, the plan was to target Northerns at the Mile primarily. Sort of had my fill of catching trout over 40 years up there so I switched over to pike as more challenging and better table fare. Once the cold settled in over South Park in December it never let up. I'm too old to fish in the open in those temperatures and for sure too old to be dragging a shelter out there. Turned mine over to Nate. And then along came CPW and stocked 15,000 catchable 8-10" rainbows through the ice out of the Mt. Shavano hatchery. Sweet deal long term for the troutsters among us but of course put the kibosh in spades on the pike fishing for the season. Can't really hit on a plan B. As you know, it's tough to get ice to form and stick around south of Monument Hill. Sounds like you Denver boys have lost your local ice and are obliged to fish further north and west. It looked like the SausageFest was to be the society event of the season but even that was not to be.
  Ah, Spring fishing. You northern folk have all those good reservoirs to tap plus the South Platte drainage. Good fish available though often hostile conditions. But I get the Lower Arkansas drainage. Decent snowpack this Winter though it's unknown how much water those egg suckin' weasels in SW Kansas are going to let us keep. I've got three productive spots among those lakes and plan to add another 2-3 places this Spring. Quality fishing for both crappies, both 'eyes, and three kinds of cats. Already have my trotline and jug rigs ready which are legal down there. Yesterday I added a healthy assortment of blade baits to my arsenal to help tackle the 'eye's Slayer style. A good lure retriever also since blades are so snaggish.
  I hope everyone has a great fishing season and we might even have a chance to get together.
Your friend,
Stinky

[GSP_Pike]

Yep, been a challenging ice season Stinky. Since we can’t get out ice fishing safely in our usual spots we went East and scratched out one bird before the season ends Friday.    Wish this was a Walter but I cannot complain; always great being outdoors.

[Bigassbassman]

I agree!  I’m on to Spring fishing, Stinky!  My mind is on open water...

[SLAYERFISH]

I agree!  I’m on to Spring fishing, Stinky!  My mind is on open water...

And...... Just when you thought it was gonna open up, the lakes are all gonna freeze again-

[Bigassbassman]

And...... Just when you thought it was gonna open up, the lakes are all gonna freeze again-

If you’re ok with 2” of spongy death ice, then maybe you’re right!

Highs the next three days around here:
53F
64F
68F. 

Sixty freakin eight degrees to begin February!    Or I guess the long drive North...

[SLAYERFISH]

Next wednesday morning 6F. Thursday morning 10F. You know where Im going.

[Bigassbassman]

Next wednesday morning 6F. Thursday morning 10F. You know where Im going.

Yep — Barr!   

[zmanz]

I think Stinky has it right!...UNCLE!!!...bring on the open water!

[DrCro]

Next wednesday morning 6F. Thursday morning 10F. You know where Im going.

Went to our hole today, still has ice in the cove. Didn't fish.

[_colorado]

Hey Stinky

How are the mods working out to your gizmo?  Just curious if you're getting it dialed in.

[stinkyfingers]

Hey Stinky

How are the mods working out to your gizmo?  Just curious if you're getting it dialed in.

Thank you for your enquiry concerning the Stinkyfingers Mark IV Snap-o-Magic 3000 Pike Nemesis. The early design prototypes show real promise though some work is still needed

 on the sensitivity adjustments. It will likely be the Fall of 2020 before the rollout of the final version since I'm currently dealing with a first class chubby in anticipation of the upcoming

warmwater season.

Good luck to you this year.

[Baetis62]

Stinky I feel your pain.  I've been trying to figure out Pike in the Mile for the last 3 years but today I actually had a break through and landed one off Lazy Boy.  It was smaller than the straw I'm using right now to sip my whiskey.  It was size of a foot long Ball Park Frank. It would the have had its ass kicked by the dead 10" sucker I had hanging below a tip up 10 feet away. It would have been a light lunch for one of those 8-10" Pellet-Heads.

The Mile is a weird, frigid, flaky B!

[stinkyfingers]

Stinky I feel your pain.  I've been trying to figure out Pike in the Mile for the last 3 years but today I actually had a break through and landed one off Lazy Boy.  It was smaller than the straw I'm using right now to sip my whiskey.  It was size of a foot long Ball Park Frank. It would the have had its ass kicked by the dead 10" sucker I had hanging below a tip up 10 feet away. It would have been a light lunch for one of those 8-10" Pellet-Heads.

The Mile is a weird, frigid, flaky B!

The lake of broken dreams. At least you got one topside. Sounds like your hammer handle was a tack hammer. Size doesn't matter unless it does. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
Continue to persevere.

[Team CO.F.F.]

Sorry for the rough season Stinky! I hope Spring gets better for you. I've heard it's been tough ice conditions on the east side of the state. I'm lucky enough to be in the Mountains in the West but even we've had a pretty warm winter I feel.

[snotsickles08]

yeah 11 mile has definitely been tough this year!! I had 2 flags on my tip up the first time out and landed one pike. Haven't had a flag ever since. My brother has been 4 or five times and only had one flag and no pike. Like it was mentioned earlier it definitely didn't help that the lake was stocked super early with stocker trout. tough times. doesn't sound like anyone is doing all that well on pike this ice season.

[IceSavage]

It's not over yet stinky plenty of time left. Hopefully the weather will warm up at the mile for ya. Just gotta be patient and double down on the mile when the time is right. Last season, seen what I considered to be a mini submarine with a snake slithering on the end, thought I was seein things? It hit and dropped my bait then came back when I was setting back up that's when I saw it,  seemed it had been caught before the damn thing did the strangest thing around my bait it rubbed its face and tail on the bait, did it twice then left? Still a little new to fishing northerns but I thought to my self afterwards wth just happened   There I was about to witness this majestic beast almost take my bait and it feels up my rig and figures it knows whats up?? Seen em do some different things, never seen one do that before? 

[stinkyfingers]

Maybe she just wanted to be friends. At least she copped a feel going by, the little slut. My nads are so blue you could hang them on a Christmas tree. If I don't have at least the expectation of a cigarette and a towel at the end, I'm not going.

[SLAYERFISH]

Hey Stink, I fished a local pond all day wednesday for perch  and managed one 4"er.   Prolly get brutalized again tomorrow all day. Gotta do something!