Water Wolf's 07/08 ice fishing season.

[Water Wolf]

Hi all,

I started my ice fishing season yesterday (Boxing Day).
Man did it feel good to be fishing again. 8)

It was a cloudy but warm day with temps only in the -6.5 deg C / 20.29 F, a heat wave for this time of year.

My partners and I fished  from mid afternoon until evening.
In that time We had 4 short strikes where they took the bait but not the hook, oh well we fed a few fish.

I had a few fish on camera off and on throughout the afternoon, they were looking but not touching.

Finally as the day started to wind down, I land the first fish for this season.

A healthy 4.2 lber on a rubber tadpole.

The 2nd pike came a half an hour later.

This 4.7 lb fish went for a tube jig.

The fish were eating shrimp which has given the fillets a nice dark pink color. 8)

Overall it was great to be back out on such a nice day, and at least I avoided being .

WW  

[shawno]

I can't see your video WW...

It loads...but displays 00:00 and will go no further!!

shawno  8)

[The Beachcomber]

Same here it shows only 1kb so it did not download properly!

[Water Wolf]

OK, thanks shawno and The Beachcomber.

I think the audio file was the trouble so I downloaded it again - audio, I hope it works this time.
This is a longer video so it may take some time to download on a dial-up connection.
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/waterwolf101/?action=view&current=justlooking.flv

WW

[anglerbrian]

Hey Water Wolf its working now.
Fun to watch even when they dont take the bait, and you did manage to land some nice pike. 
 Take care, good luck this winter.

[PeteTown]

niceeeeeeeee

[Water Wolf]

Thanks PeatTown and anglerbrian.

Yes, It is neat to see the fish. At least you know they are in the area.


My partners and I decided that the lake we were fishing on Boxing Day would be a good spot for the permanent ice hut.
So today {Dec28th} we set off in the early afternoon with the intent of moving it and getting it set up.
I am convinced Murphy was a fisherman, and he decided that as we started out the rubber of the tire would fly off the rim.
We then spent most of the afternoon getting it to seal properly.  
I hope this is the last mishap of the season.  

We finally got to the intended lake and got set up just as the sun had set for the evening.
We decided to fish anyway for a bit and see what happens.
I was lucky enough to land the only fish and get the only strike of the evening.

A respectable 6 lb pike on a smelt.

So all in all the day turned out OK.
The weather was mild and the hut is on the lake finally.
It has 2 feet of ice holding it, and 4 feet of water under it.
There is a nice transition area between rocks and silt right under the hut and lots of freshwater shrimp as a food source and again I avoided being skunked .

WW  

[Water Wolf]

My fishing parterns and I went for the afternoon yesterday{Dec 30th}.
It was another nice day on the ice with no wind and not bad temps.
The hoar frost has been thick for the last week and continued yesterday.


We got set up and I rigged one of my Water Wizards for partner 1, they had it down for about 30 seconds, gave it a twitch, and bam, a pike slammed it.
I had just walked out of the hut but I heard the banging inside.
They were very happy but since I made the lure they wanted me to hold the fish.

This was the start of a good day.

I would be the next person to ice one.

This one spun in the line and had itself lassoed.

Then partner 2 got in on the action.

This would be the biggest of the day at 6.5 lbs.

I then iced 3 more fish to end the day.






It was again a good day on the ice. There are a lot more huts on the ice than when we first started the season and fair crowds too. It seemed that the fish cooperated for everyone and I didn't see anyone go home empty handed.

Along with my Water Wizard the other fish were caught on smelts. I tried circle hooks for the pike today along side trebles and found them to hook just as many fish as the treble hooks, plus they were easy to take out and were hooked in the corner of the lip or tip of the mouth, they are great for catch and release fishing.
The fish we caught today ranged from 3 - 6.5lbs but the average was over 5lbs, not bad for a little lake where the max depth is only 15 feet.

This will be my last trip for 2007.

Happy New Year everyone, and tight lines.  

WW  

[azz7772]

nice to be out fishing eh but i do not want to be an azz but i think you should check your scale i think it is out a bit     

[Water Wolf]

Azz I was going by the length measurements to weigh calculation.
Most of the fish were 26" or over as such 5 lbs or better.

WW

[shawno]

...I was going by the length measurements to weigh calculation.
Most of the fish were 26" or over as such 5 lbs or better.

Which calculator do you use??  I would like to go by measurement, but I found that different calculators give different answers.

I think the days of weighing fish should be over and we should just use measurements...hmm, maybe that should be my New Years resolution. 

Do you use a different calculation for Walleye?

Thanks,

shawno  8)

[Water Wolf]

Hi shawno,

I have found 2 calculations that are a good.
The 1st one is IceShantys fish weight calculator, you just enter the length, girth and the fish species. http://www.iceshanty.com/iceshanty/fish_weight_calculator.php

If I didn't take the girth of the fish I use these calculations:

The Weigh of Fish Based on length!

The rule of thumb for fish weights of various body types are:

PIKE: {Length x Length x Length} Divide by 3500

WALLEYE: {Length x Length x Length} Divide by 2500

BASS: {Length x Length x Length} Divide by 1600

BLUEGILL: {Length x Length Length} Divide by 1200

Another generalized formula is : {Girth x Girth x Length} Divide by 800

All these calculations will result in reasonable approximations of the weight of the fish. >*}}}>{

WW

[jayswimmer09]

looks like you guys all had fun!!

[Water Wolf]

Thanks Jayswimmer we sure did.

Day 1.
My partners and I went out for the first ice fishing trip of the new year yesterday {Jan3rd}.

The weather was very mild at only -3 Deg C / 26.6 F, with sunny skies and no wind.

As we arrived we were greeted by friends from home who were just setting up.
It was a fun afternoon on the ice. We chatted and laughed while waiting for the fish.
It took some time but finally the friends got into some fish.

The only lady in their group was the hot angler, she iced 3 fish. 8) 

The other 3 anglers in her group only landed one fish each.

In my group I was the only one who iced a fish.


This one fell for my Water Wizard again.


It was 4.1 lbs.


Just before dark we all combinded our fish and had a nice fish fry right on the ice, man was that fresh fish good.

I think we are all going to meet again on the same lake later on today, for some more fun.

Day2.
The whole group assembled on the lake again yesterday {Jan4th} and it was another great day on the ice, temp wise.
The fishing was about the same as the day before, they were there, but just not very hungry, just nosing or nibbling but not committing.

Between the 2 underwater cameras we only saw 1 pike.

There were 10 of us fishing off and on for most of the afternoon, in the end our grand total was 7 pike, one of which was mine.

This is my fish for the day.


Again we had a feed of fish, hotdogs, sausages and goodies before we all went on our way.

It was so nice just to be out and actually feel slightly warm in the Jan. sun, with lots of entertainment from the fellow anglers.  Fish were a bonus.

WW

[Water Wolf]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I have been out on the ice so Sunday Jan 27th my partners and I went out hoping for some action.

We started the day around 1:00pm and fished until 6:30pm.

There was a good crowd on the ice but it seemed for quite a bit of the afternoon no one was catching, lots of light nibbles, but that was it.
I lost one fish under the ice. This fish grabbed a good chunk of the hotdog I was using but was only hanging on to the middle of the hotdog and avoided the hooks on either side of it.

After that miss all the set lines gets a circle hook.

I finally see one fish iced buy the large group of anglers.
Shortly after that I ice this one.

First fish of the day at 2:30pm.

That would be it for fish until a light fog and cloud cover rolled in around 4:00.
The crowd soon leaves but this is when the fishing really starts.


This one goes for the water wizard lure.


Two other anglers are left and are now having some luck also.

He iced a nice eater sized pike.

I pick up another pike.

This nasty fish nips me as I go to unhook it. My thumb receives a few little bleeding holes right across it.
Oh well it happens when you are pike fishing, nothing serious.
My thumb was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This would be my last fish of the day.

It was also the largest one at 6.2 lbs and 28 inches.

In the end it was a good day on the ice, I think the fish were feeding before today's storm.

The fish gave all the lures I tried a tap except the Berkley Gulp.
For some reason they left it alone.
They must have not liked it's smell that day.

WW  

[canada]

6.2 pounds??? really.......

[oleike]

Thanks Jayswimmer we sure did.

Day 1.
My partners and I went out for the first ice fishing trip of the new year yesterday {Jan3rd}.

The weather was very mild at only -3 Deg C / 26.6 F, with sunny skies and no wind.

As we arrived we were greeted by friends from home who were just setting up.
It was a fun afternoon on the ice. We chatted and laughed while waiting for the fish.
It took some time but finally the friends got into some fish.

The only lady in their group was the hot angler, she iced 3 fish. 8) 
(Image removed from quote.)
The other 3 anglers in her group only landed one fish each.

In my group I was the only one who iced a fish.
(Image removed from quote.)

This one fell for my Water Wizard again.
(Image removed from quote.)

It was 4.1 lbs.
(Image removed from quote.)

Just before dark we all combinded our fish and had a nice fish fry right on the ice, man was that fresh fish good.

I think we are all going to meet again on the same lake later on today, for some more fun.

Day2.
The whole group assembled on the lake again yesterday {Jan4th} and it was another great day on the ice, temp wise.
The fishing was about the same as the day before, they were there, but just not very hungry, just nosing or nibbling but not committing.

Between the 2 underwater cameras we only saw 1 pike.

There were 10 of us fishing off and on for most of the afternoon, in the end our grand total was 7 pike, one of which was mine.

This is my fish for the day.
(Image removed from quote.)

Again we had a feed of fish, hotdogs, sausages and goodies before we all went on our way.

It was so nice just to be out and actually feel slightly warm in the Jan. sun, with lots of entertainment from the fellow anglers.  Fish were a bonus.

WW

yeah ....she is hot!!!!

[oleike]

sorry but i just could not resist..no offence taken ..i hope

[Water Wolf]

LOL, no problem, oleike.
Were you referring to the lady in the photo, or her fish. 


Yeah canada, 6.2lbs.
It didn't have much of a gut on it but it was quite long at 28 inches.


I used my length x length x length divide by 3500 formula.
                         
28 x 28 x 28 divide by 3500 = 6.2 lbs

WW

[WPT]

Shouldn't girth be a variable in your formula?  It would make for a more accurate measurement, especially in cases where the fish has above or below average girth.

[Water Wolf]

WPT,
When I take the girth and the lenght I use the fish calculation that ice shanty provides, but when I don't I use this one.

I have a digital scale and in compairson lenght x length x lenght divide by 3500 is quite accurate.

WW

[canada]

how much are the wizards?

[Water Wolf]

Hi canada,

I sent you a PM.

WW

[Water Wolf]

Hi all,

Well I spent the last 3 days fishing and man was it nice. 

Day1.

Day 1 started Feb 2nd. It was my Birthday, so, I though what better way to celebrate it than to be out fishing. As luck would have it this was the same day as the "Original Ice Fishing Contest" in Sask. This is Sask's largest ice fishing tourney.

Setting up for the walk to the fishing area.


It looks like a pretty good crowd on the ice for this tournament.


Was that a bite? Nope...


In the end - no fish.  Actually, I only saw 2 fish caught in my area. It was a very slow day on the ice and out of the thousand or so anglers only 27 fish were caught.

The top prize was $20,000.00 for a 14.8 lb pike, second place was a 14.00 lb pike that earned the 10 year old angler a quad and 3rd was a 8 lb burbot and the prize was an Argo.

Day2.
On Feb 3rd my partners and I went to our usual little lake. We fished from 4:00pm until 6:00pm. During that time I iced 2 pike and partner #1 brought in 1 pike. Partner #2 lost their fish at the hole.
I also had one bite off.

First fish of the afternoon.


Partner #1's fish


I end the day with this scrappy pike.


Day3.
Feb 4th, my partners and I are back on the lake by noon and put in a good afternoon fishing until night fall.

Twenty min into the day and I ice the first fish.


And then another.


I lose my next fish right at the surface, I try to grab it as it fights down the hole but end up with a wet arm up to the elbow. Lucky the fire was going in the shack to dry the wet cloths.

Partner #1 then ices their first fish of the day. They are camera shy, so I'm elected to do the picture demo.



I am now dry, and fishing outside again.

I land this one jigging.

And another.


A neighbour on the ice comes over to visit and show me his catch.
I set my rod securely in a snow drift and chat for a bit.
When I go back no rod, OH NO!!
While I was gone a big fish grabbed the lure and pulled the rod down the hole.
That is the first time this has ever happened, I hope it will be the last.
I drill a number of holes in the area the rod went down and explore with the underwater camera, but can't locate the rod anywhere.

I go back to the shack in time to help partner #1 land there 2nd fish of the day.


Partner #2 then gets in on the action in the shack and lands their only fish of the day.


I finish off the day with 2 more pike.

This one is 3.6 lbs on the digital scale.

This is the last fish of the day for me and the largest at 5.4 lbs


The total for the day was 9 fish
6 for me, 2 for partner #1 and 1 for partner #2.

For me it has been a great couple of days with lots of laughs, stories and drama with my lost rod, and in the end even some fish.

WW  

[Water Wolf]

Hi all,

I was ice fishing Last weekend{Feb 16th & 17th}.

Day 1.

I fished from 2.00pm until 6:00pm.

The day was nice - some wind with the temps above 0 Deg C.

It didn't take long for the fish to start biting.
Within 10 min I had this guy on the ice.


I contuned to hammer fish off and on all afternoon, not much down time. 8)






This was the big one of the day at 27.5 inches.

This one had some scars just above and ahead of it's pelvic fin.
Another big pike must have wanted a meal.

This is the last one of the day. It hit one of my Water Wizard lures.


Throughout the afternoon I saw 7 pike on the underwater camera and got  2 to hit, the others came on my set rod.

As I was packing up to leave it started to snow with sleet mixed in, by the time I got off the lake it was a raging blizzard.  
I think I know why the fish were fired up, they could tell this storm was coming.

Day. 2

The storm was now over and was colder with high wind chill values and a strong North wind, not the best fishing conditions.

I decided to try it again.

I arrived a bit later at around 3:30pm and fished until 6:00pm.

It was quite nasty and cold on the lake so I decided to fish out of the shack.

As I observed on the camera that the fish were put off with this sudden change in weather.  In the end I landed 2.
I could see them come in and just kept adjusting my lures and jigging actions until I found what they wanted.


This one had a bite out of it's pelvic fin.


In the end it was a good 2 days of fishing.
The pike were going for spoons, my Water Wizard lure, double tail mr twisters, minnows, raw shrimp and smelts.

WW  

[Water Wolf]

Last Sat (Feb 23rd) I did some afternoon fishing from 2:30pm until dark.

It was a not bad day, with this pike being iced in the first 20 min.

It would also be the largest of the day at 4 lbs.

Throughout the afternoon I picked up 3 more.






The pike were hitting very light, just a little peck like a perch would give.
If a person didn't watch their line they could easily miss a fish.

They hit on smelts, a spoon and a rubber fish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since Monday I've been down and out with the flu - nasty bug ! ! ! 
Today is the first day I feel like even sitting up.

WW  

[saskfish]

Sorry man, but I need the scale that you are using.

Either it is screwed up or you are a mountain of a man b/c those fish kinda look like "dinks" to me.

Sorry if I am being rude.

[Water Wolf]

Hi saskfish.

This is the scale I am using.
It's a Berkley digital scale rated up to 60 lbs.
It is an easy to use and accurate piece of equipment.

This is one of the fish I weighed you can see it's 3.6 on the digital scale.
This size is common for this lake with some larger ones also being caught.

WW

[Water Wolf]

I went fishing for the first time this month last Sunday {March 9th}.

My uncle wanted to try his hand at ice fishing and it would be his first trip this season so I decided to take him to the lake where we have had luck in the past.

It was a nice day on the ice with hardly any breeze and temps on the + side.

We started our fishing at 3:30pm and finished up around 6:30pm.

My uncle caught the first fish in first 15 min.

We had a good day and in the end I caught 5 and my uncle 4.

The largest was 3.9 lbs and the smallest was 2.1. The rest were all above 3 lbs.

We haven't had a good fish feed for a while so we decided to keep these guys for a big fish fry.

The end to a good day on the ice.


WW

[ran7ger]

niiiice, well done WW!  should be delicious!

next to burbot and fresh walleye, i think pike is my favourite.  ever do it up "poor man's lobster" style?