Author Topic: Off to A Good Start! (Read 6334 times)

Hexagenia51 · « **on:** Jan 07, 2022, 06:27 PM »

Fished a northern Indiana lake this afternoon from 3:00 to about 5:30. Started out a little slow but got going pretty good, had to work them some but ended up with 28 nice gills and 3 decent crappies. Had about three inches of solid clear ice and a trace of snow on top. Wind was a bit of an issue but I dealt with it. Heres a picture of the nicest gills in the pile. Enjoy Hex

Lee1977 · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 07, 2022, 07:04 PM »

Congratulations on a nice mess Hex!

zcm_82 · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 07, 2022, 07:20 PM »

Very nice.

I got the old egg yesterday and today.

cmoore09 · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 07, 2022, 10:31 PM »

Did well this evening on first ice! Ended up limiting out on crappie and had about 30 nice gills between me and my cousin.

TeacherPreacher · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 08, 2022, 06:55 AM »

Good show!
Teach

ftwwalleye · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 08, 2022, 08:16 AM »

Nice...a little jealous. I'm hoping to check out some channels tomorrow if it doesn't get too warm tonight and rain

Graygills22 · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 08, 2022, 09:02 AM »

Nice fish, way too go!

Hexagenia51 · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 08, 2022, 07:30 PM »

Man what a difference twenty four hours makes! I fished the same lake and about the same holes this evening and could only get eight gills and a crappie. I will say the gills were all pretty big, one redear was 10” and I had a nine inch gill, the rest were eight inch and up. They would follow and look but most wouldn’t commit and if they did the bite was pretty lite, nubbed and pulled out of a few also. Was still great to get out, hope the rain doesn’t hurt the ice. Here’s the pic of my best ones. Be careful if you get out! Hex

pearcheyes · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 09, 2022, 12:45 PM »

Was invited out to private lake today and got spoiled with quality fish.I kept 15 gills and two crappie.Others in the group slot Lu better .Great start on the ice

CL_Outdoors · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 07:31 AM »

Hit a NE IN lake this weekend that I usually don't fish and man was the action good. Had 3-4" of hard black ice but didn't wanna get my feet wet yesterday, too much standing water. Lotta big ones on camera and most of them were willing to bite. When the night bite rolled around, it was nonstop action getting hit every time I dropped down and that jig was in the back of their mouth!! Kept 14 on the weekend, pic below was just from the night bite on Friday.

Not sure if anyone else is seeing a similar pattern but none of these fish came on live bait.... using plastics and jigs for all the fish seen here. Looking forward to next weekend.

ftwwalleye · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 07:47 AM »

Quote from: CL_Outdoors on Jan 10, 2022, 07:31 AM

Hit a NE IN lake this weekend that I usually don't fish and man was the action good. Had 3-4" of hard black ice but didn't wanna get my feet wet yesterday, too much standing water. Lotta big ones on camera and most of them were willing to bite. When the night bite rolled around, it was nonstop action getting hit every time I dropped down and that jig was in the back of their mouth!! Kept 14 on the weekend, pic below was just from the night bite on Friday.

Not sure if anyone else is seeing a similar pattern but none of these fish came on live bait.... using plastics and jigs for all the fish seen here. Looking forward to next weekend.

I have not even picked up spikes yet..might just try my luck with plastics only. Most of my fish last year were plastics. Live picked up dinks but the larger fish seemed to ignore. Nice job

CL_Outdoors · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 08:29 AM »

Agreed. Switched to spikes/waxies for a little while when my camera was down there and they reacted so negatively to them. I was shocked. Gonna keep riding the plastics train til I get skunked.

dearjimschmidt · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 08:33 AM »

Got out both mornings and was able to find a few to take home.

zcm_82 · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 08:45 AM »

Yall have had a much better start than me. I've been finding fish, but they've just been dead negative, can't get them to take anything. Got the skunk Thursday and Friday, a couple gills and a little bass Saturday, and a couple itty bitty bass yesterday.

dearjimschmidt · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 09:20 AM »

Quote from: zcm_82 on Jan 10, 2022, 08:45 AM

Yall have had a much better start than me. I've been finding fish, but they've just been dead negative, can't get them to take anything. Got the skunk Thursday and Friday, a couple gills and a little bass Saturday, and a couple itty bitty bass yesterday.

I switched up jigs/baits easily 15 times to get the fish to bite yesterday the winner was a tiny baitless green/white bug

PoleCat · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 09:31 AM »

Drove around a few dozen lakes last week seen a few people out. So It is time to hit the hard water. And nice pic's guys. You got me motivated. Be safe on our first ice and enjoy.

Lee1977 · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 10, 2022, 10:10 AM »

Fished Saturday afternoon with a friend and got about 30 between the two of us. Some were on the smaller side but when you want fresh fish it doesn’t matter. Went out yesterday and the ice was kind of sketchy so I came back in. Was out this morning and had over a dozen decent gills. The ice tightened up nicely overnight. Gonna head to Grayling on Wednesday for a week or so. Good luck everyone and be safe.

Hexagenia51 · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 12, 2022, 07:08 PM »

Fished the morning bite for the first time this season and it turned out okay. I got about 60 gills a crappie and two nice perch. Fished about ten feet of water and had to work them a bit but got a few to commit. Fished from 8:00 to 11:00 and then left them biting. Here’s a picture! Hex

Graygills22 · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 12, 2022, 10:00 PM »

Nice Hex! Hopefully can match you in a couple days when I get my first trip out.

PoleCat · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 13, 2022, 05:56 AM »

Well done "Hex" I did not fair out as well. My first trip out about dozen "dinks" but I got that crap out of the way.

zcm_82 · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 13, 2022, 06:06 AM »

Nice!

I haven't done that well yet, but I did put together a much better sit Monday. Ended up landing 13 gills, a crappie, and a little largemouth. Mostly dinks, but at least the bite was on. They had just been totally negative on feeding around here last week.

As long as the forecast doesn't go off the rails, I'm planning on taking Friday off next week to get another weekday outing on the books.

CWlake · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 13, 2022, 08:54 AM »

I haven't used bait and very little plastics. the bigger fish have all come on the large Bricker bugs. When the fish are active, they will hammer the large bugs when your bouncing the hell out of it.

TeacherPreacher · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 13, 2022, 09:03 AM »

Good job Hex!
"Bricker Bug", haven't heard that in quite a while. Was all the rage when PTO was still around. Sure easy to tie!
Teach

Hexagenia51 · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 17, 2022, 07:20 PM »

Made it out this morning and there was a fragrance in the air I hadn’t smelled yet this season, the “Dreaded Skunk “. Tried two lakes early and couldn’t move a fish, marked a few but no takers. This afternoon I couldn’t stand the skunk smell so I braved the ice covered roads and got on a lake that just tightened up. Started slow got there about four and fished till six, finally got them going a little before dark, still had to work them but got a few to commit. Ended up with twelve nice gills and redears. And lost that smell!LOL Here’s a picture of the take. Hex

Hexagenia51 · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 17, 2022, 07:22 PM »

Sorry forgot to add the picture. Here it is. Hex

taxi1 · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 17, 2022, 08:30 PM »

Quote from: Hexagenia51 on Jan 08, 2022, 07:30 PM

Man what a difference twenty four hours makes! I fished the same lake and about the same holes this evening and could only get eight gills and a crappie. I will say the gills were all pretty big, one redear was 10” and I had a nine inch gill, the rest were eight inch and up. They would follow and look but most wouldn’t commit and if they did the bite was pretty lite, nubbed and pulled out of a few also. Was still great to get out, hope the rain doesn’t hurt the ice. Here’s the pic of my best ones. Be careful if you get out! Hex

You caught 'em all!

Hexagenia51 · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 18, 2022, 12:37 AM »

Quote from: taxi1 on Jan 17, 2022, 08:30 PM

You caught 'em all!

I’m trying they just don’t always cooperate! Give me a call if you want to get out. Hex

taxi1 · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 18, 2022, 02:27 PM »

Quote from: Hexagenia51 on Jan 18, 2022, 12:37 AM

I’m trying they just don’t always cooperate! Give me a call if you want to get out. Hex

I wish I could. My 84 old mom has issues both physical and mental and my dad needs all the help he can get. As you know they live right next to me, and I have to be right by the phone in case he has problems. Some days she keeps him up all night and I have to fill in during the day so he can get some sleep. It's sad as I see him declining rapidly from the stress no matter how much my wife and I try to help.

Just keep the pics and posts coming. I will fish vicariously!

Hexagenia51 · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 18, 2022, 06:54 PM »

Taxi sorry to hear about your folks issues, my wife just went through caring for her Mom before she passed. Not fun at all. On a different topic I got out this evening again and got ten nice redears and gills, but man you almost had to beat them in the head to get them to hit. Rough fishing but it’s better than no fishing. Hex

CL_Outdoors · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 19, 2022, 08:37 AM »

Taxi - very sorry to hear that. My mother in law has suffered from dementia for the last 6 years, so I understand the physical and mental strain it can put on everyone. Your fam is in my thoughts.

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Author Topic: Off to A Good Start! (Read 6334 times)