Coventry, the last word

[Matt_Atkins]

well i had a good run this year out on coventry lake, no keeper walleye, mananged to get 9 shorts, I was out over 40 times, got at least a 100 hours in, well there is always next year. I got about 120 perch, 9 large mouths, 3 pickerel, 1 pumpkin seed, and about 29 rock bass. I tried to record everything to help me in the future.
From what ive caught and seen, expect the perch, walleye and yellow, to be deep to shallow over less vegatation, though I caught perch very deep, 30 plus feet, and very shallow in the weeds. The walleye tended to be around 15-20 feet Pickerel and bass were shallow and in the weeds. But this is fishing, nothing should surprise you and expect anything, fish move, but these tended to be the trends.

I really wish the state would allow ice fishing to continue past the trout season's ended, Just make the taking of trout illegal, most people out on the lake are there for one thing, the walleye.

Anyway this is how I finished my year

2-24-11
3 rock bass
1 yperch all on 

2-26-11
3 LMB, all jigging
2 perch, 2 r.bass all on 

2-27-11
2 LMB, one jigging one 
2 perch, one around 10.5" biggest of the year, all 
1 rbass jigging

2-28-11
2 LMB
4 yperch
1 pickerel all 

From what I saw i was the last person off the ice this year at coventry, felt proud that after spending so much time this season there that I got to turn out the lights, Im looking forward to open water though, Ive never fished coventry in the open, going to have to hit it up this year before the speed boats take over. Good luck to all and look forward to seeing folks ive meet this year out on the lake next season.

[ccrawf]

Nice concise reports. You certainly put your time in. The keeper walleye will come. My fishing partners and I usually get a few per year and the 7lber he got a couple of years ago is enough to keep us coming back for a long time. One question; what are you calling a "rock" bass.

[Matt_Atkins]

[Matt_Atkins]

look like crappies but with red eyes and a less flate body
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_18958-45688--,00.html

[jammer icecube]

Way to put in the hours and great job on your reports.later

[ccrawf]

We have fished coventry pretty regularly for the past maybe five or six years and no one in our party has ever caught one of those rock bass. Everything but. We normally fish somewhere around the top of the cove accross the lake from the boat launch, maybe they just aren't there. I was disputing with my fishing partner that the "rock" bass was slang for something else. I guess I'm wrong.

[jss111678]

i got them by the cove at the north end of the lake this year  so they are in there

[ccrawf]

Are they as good a eating fish as calicos or they more like largemouths which we don't keep for a food fish. We only keep legal walleyes, calicos and perch to eat.

[jammer icecube]

There isnt enough red hot to eat red eyes.They hit like you have a largemouth at first and catching is always fun.

[jlockhart]

 Matt i hope the sounder worked out for you sat.....

[Matt_Atkins]

Thanks Jim, still havent lost that one, Thanks for the holes too, used them sunday and monday,
I havent eaten them, but they are supposed to taste like crappie, they rarely get larger then bluegills though