Another great day!

[Jim111]

WE were set-up by 5:15 AM this morning at another shallow cove and by 5:40, well before daylight, we caught two nice rainbows. By 6:30 we were on our way off the ice, as we had the other two, and our limit. Nice fish too, 16 to 17 inches and all red-fleshed. Those fillets are now in the Little Chief electric smoker!  -Jim

[Nitro_372]

Very nicely done Jim.

[jflood]

my goodness, i am definitely fishing the wrong lake
nice bows.....again

what size & type of hook are you using

[Jim111]

I use Eagle Claw #6 baitholders for rainbows, #4s for all other fish. But the real trick is using that little piece of crawler and zero weight and light leaders. So few ice fishermen think to try that,....they all use minnows of some sort, it seems?  -Jim

[jflood]

I'm in that minnow group

[Jim111]

Don't feel bad. When I lived in Alaska, back in the early 1980s. we used the same method ( nightcrawlers) for rainbows up there, and that REALLY baffled the locals, as we were killing the 'bows with them. There were no crawlers in the ground up there (Fairbanks) and none for sale. Live fish were outlawed for bait in the state too. Most everyone used salmon eggs or pieces of raw shrimp for bait. I just had a buddy from Massachusetts ship me some crawlers, when I needed more. I had to do the same, when we moved to VT, as not one baitshop carried crawlers in the winter. They do NOW! I think I probably started the "crawlers for 'bows in winter" thing up here, but I now see others doing it, so word got around. I was hesitant to share my secret for a while, as a lot of guys laughed at me and how I fished back then....tip-ups ten feet apart, ice fishing in 8 feet of water, etc...I laughed too back then,......all the way home with my limits of rainbows! I could hear the others out there talking about me, as I fished the shallows..." Hey look at that guy,...he must be after PUMPKINSEEDS or something! Ha-ha-ha.... Hey look he's leaving now, that didn't last long...guess he got sick of it? Ha-ha-ha-ha"..... Eventually, a couple guys actually came in to see just what the heck I was up to in there, fishing by the bathing beach, of all places. The others were usually all out deep after lakers. The ones that were respectful and not at all rude, I showed my secret to.....-Jim

[coldbum]

Jim I just gotta say you keep blowing me away!
Your posts are great! I would be proud to fish with ya, anytime you make it to
the southern adirondacks drop me a line!

[jflood]

ditto on that coldbum. anytime jim

[Jim111]

Likewise guys!~ Come on up to VT some winter and we'll go out, if you like? I have spots I go for smelt, browns, lakers, rainbows, salmon, giant perch, pike, walleyes,...you-name-it. About the only thing I don't fish for in the winter is bass, though I know places where I could catch some, if I chose to. Usually it's hard to find someone to go with, other than on the weekends. Most don't want to get up at the early hours I do, just to fish. I'm almost always on the ice and all set-up by the time the sky begins to get light. This morning will be no exception. My wife took today off and we'll again be going after rainbows. I plan to be all set-up and fishing by about 5:00 AM. Had to wrok yesterday, but Monday I went out and had my limit of two rainbows by 6:30 AM again. It's been a great year so far! Hope you guys are having some luck too! -Jim

[jflood]

Jim,
first keep the pictures coming. Secondly, I am an early riser and typically am on the ice by 5 am and setting up in the dark. I have no problems with getting up early. Where in VT do you live? Feel free to send a PM.

[Robb]

Very pretty fish!!

Robb

[Jim111]

That's actually out in my front yard, after we got home. But here's one from this morning and my wife Sherry with the 17 incher she landed. I got one a tad smaller too.
-Jim

[jflood]

Another nice fish. I didn't realize you lived right on the lake.  ::)thats gotta be convenient

[Jim111]

We DON'T,...the first photo was taken in the front yard of my home and the playground stuff is my neighbor's, across the street. Here's a wider angle of the same photo. The photo of Sherry yesterday was taken right where we fished though. -Jim