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There has been pictures from the Ice Fishing Shanty page on Facebook of people fishing off Hathaways. There were pictures of jet sleds full of whites, but they deleted them sometime last night. I think people are keeping quiet about it.
I was the "test pilot" that ventured out Sunday, then had a few others come out after I was popping holes.Got the smally 1st hole 1st jig drop, then bounced around trying to fond whites but was only getting a sunburn and loads of very aggressive small yellows.Got the 30" pike about noontime, then moved closer to where the pressure crack was earlier in the year and finally found the whites.Took home 5 large ones, sold the rest of the catch to Steve.I did call the baitshop and Steve was trying to send folks out, but most people were just stopping and glassing me.Ice is good, 5-8" black, depending on if it was close to shore.20FOW has 8" black ice under about 10" of dense snowpack now.My pics ARE all over FB now, IS I've not had time to get them into photobucket and over here yet.
Just be careful guys! This sun is going to take it's toll on the ice and it was open water around Hathaways not too long ago. Good luck if you do find some safe ice though.
I went this afternoon. Didn't see any tracks at all so maybe I went I fished the wrong part of Hathaway. I went off to the right of the boat launch and walked out about 1,000 yards till I got straight off the point and moved South. Ice had a thin layer of crust than 5-6" of water for about 50 yards than it was easy walking in 4-5" of snow. There was 7-8" of good ice where I ended up and 11" of ice in some places. I only saw two guys out there North of the point that got on from the camps (didn't know you could do that). I didn't get a single white perch, but I did get a half a pale of big yellow perch in a couple of hours, so not completely disappointed. I'm guessing where the other two are was the spot since they didn't move the entire time.
Aaron - I think you're right that it was the unsafe ice that has kept people off the whites this year. Plus, they seem to be just starting to turn on, which is about the right timing based on the past couple of years. Hopefully the ice holds up so we can get after them! Sounds like PB and I are going to shoot for Sunday.