Ice Update: Soldotna area

[GreeceMonkey]

My luck was just about in line with yours PikeSticker. Drilled 6 holes and ended up in the 50-80' depths. Nothin much happening out in the areas where I was scouting. Was gonna drill a few along the waters edge, but my auger blades called for mercy. Stopped and picked up an extra set on my way back home. Did see a little bit of action on the flasher in a couple of the further out holes I drilled. Whatever it was showing, they were swarming at about the 10 foot depth for about 5 minutes, but wouldn't hit anything. Tried clams, roe, crawfish and a variety of different jigs to no avail. Dropped the camera down one time to check for functionality and saw nothing exciting on the bottom. No worries on the misdirection, was an easy fix with the binoculars. I was planning on getting up bright and early this morning to go to Hidden but needed some extra rest after Skilak. Usually can't sleep the day before ice fishing  So I will probably try there Monday morning.

[groundsluice_pete]

We had a comfy night in the wall tent and cooked some breakfast then drove the machine out on the ice for the morning bite. Jigged some kinda squiggly tailed leadheads tipped with shrimp and the bite was on. I threw back several but Johnny kept a nice bow No lakers nor dollies to be had.

[PikeSticker]

..... Did see a little bit of action on the flasher in a couple of the further out holes I drilled. Whatever it was showing, they were swarming at about the 10 foot depth for about 5 minutes, but wouldn't hit anything. ....

A couple of times when drilling holes I'd drop my Zebco portable depth/fish finder (yeah I know but it fits in my pocket!!) in the hole to measure my depth and would spot fish marking about half way up in the water column around the 10-14 foot zone. Wonder if it was lakers cruising at that depth maybe looking for what you were seeing schooling. Evilsnipe mentioned hitting a nice laker just 3 feet under the ice while fishing on the lake. Maybe they are cruising around looking for salmon fry schools. And just maybe hanging a herring or hooligan in that upper water column might spike some interest. I can set up my finder for horizontal scanning by rotating the transducer 90° but its only good for 100 feet. Still it might be worth doing some 360° scans. Out at 100 ft. I'd probably be covering the full water column from ice to bottom. So many dang things to do/try/rig up for trying to improve our odds.

GP nice to run into you that day too.  While Geo and I were walking back we spotted a campfire in the edge of the woods maybe 300 yards down the treeline from the point that turns into the river. Didn't think that was you. Someone else was apparently camping in the trees along the lakeshore there.  I left my salmon roe out there at your spot since you mentioned you didn't have any chum scent to use. Got a freezer full of roe so its good to get rid of a bag now and then. It was kinda soupy.

I get these "urges." Sitting here typing at 10:49PM Saturday night just starting my 3rd ice beer and thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I'll load up the truck and head up to Hidden tonight, fish til daylight, then move to Kenai L. outlet for the rest of the daylight hours." Not so unusual if you knew me! Nice to have an open schedule. Another thought was "Hey, I need to rig up a thermometer in front of my UW camera and see if there is any thermocline that might be a zone where the baitfish and lakers might prefer." I know some cameras come with temp gauges and even compass directions, but mine is a poor boy operation.

Oh well, time for the sack. Maybe Kenai Lake Sunday.

[love em and leave em]

GP, you and the son found some ,good job.I would to love stay the night in that style tent .I will be down there thurs, unless snowed in on this side of the pass.GM good luck on hidden could we get a overflow report when you return .PS I stayed out all night on hidden once ,all night( I will never forget  it) and the fish seemed to disappear  at night .

[groundsluice_pete]

GP nice to run into you that day too.  While Geo and I were walking back we spotted a campfire in the edge of the woods maybe 300 yards down the treeline from the point that turns into the river. Didn't think that was you. Someone else was apparently camping in the trees along the lakeshore there.  I left my salmon roe out there at your spot since you mentioned you didn't have any chum scent to use. Got a freezer full of roe so its good to get rid of a bag now and then. It was kinda soupy.

I get these "urges." Sitting here typing at 10:49PM Saturday night just starting my 3rd ice beer and thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I'll load up the truck and head up to Hidden tonight, fish til daylight, then move to Kenai L. outlet for the rest of the daylight hours." Not so unusual if you knew me! Nice to have an open schedule. Another thought was "Hey, I need to rig up a thermometer in front of my UW camera and see if there is any thermocline that might be a zone where the baitfish and lakers might prefer." I know some cameras come with temp gauges and even compass directions, but mine is a poor boy operation.

Oh well, time for the sack. Maybe Kenai Lake Sunday.

No, that was us. We camped in the trees away from the parking lot.
You always have a scientific angle there, Sticker. But yes, a guy I fished with there last year was catching just under the ice. I caught a dandy laker last year at Hidden in about 6' of water right next to a shore when I was jigging for landlockeds. They aren't always deep.

[GreeceMonkey]

Sorry fellas no update on Hidden. Decided to not go after seeing this 16+ inches of snow come down in the Soldotna area. Highly doubt Skilak Loop will be plowed anytime soon. Looks like spring is over and winter is back at it...

[PikeSticker]

I spoke with the highway department a few weeks back and the loop will be on their schedule once the highway and side state roads are complete. But they ain't gonna plow that trail out to the open water!  I'm still digging out here. Got 14 inches and now its getting a bit wet. I'll bet this is going to increase the overflow by a couple more inches of standing water on all those lakes that have been wet lately. Probably will effectively stop the trucks from getting on Hidden. I think Cooper Landing got about 2 feet.  I bought a second snow scoop a month ago to use for clearing snow on the lake to set up the QF3 on firm ice. Looks like I'll be putting that strategy to use here soon.

[love em and leave em]

 Oh, you guys are scaring me all that snow might be to much for the old sleds to make the pull across skilak maybe I will give it a week and wait for someone else to make a trail with a real machine and do a easier trip ,maybe kenai  lake I think I can still make the pull out there . maybe Big lake again .

[groundsluice_pete]

No problem. Stick to the shoreline. There was hardly any snow there, so this dumping won't make much difference.

[PikeSticker]

Stopped by Trustworthy tonight to find me a combo screwdriver/socket wrench for my auger. Just like the tool for chainsaws. I checked the final standings of the derby. No change for the past week except my buddy's 0.70 pound whitefish got beat in the last day or two with a 1.75 pounder. That's a pretty big monster for around here. Oh well, better luck next time.

BTW, Trustworthy has their annual ice fishing gear clearance sale now. 10% off augers and tents, 20% on some other stuff, 30% off tip ups and rods/reels, and 40% of something else. Can't remember. No photographic memory here!

[Zfisher]

Thanks for the updates, I was planning on hitting the loop next Mon during our trip to Homer to see Pikestickers buddy and  try for some winter kings. Now who knows? I guess theres a chance for a plowed road, Also thx for the Trustwothy sale, I'll have to stop by and help the Soldotna ecomony

[PikeSticker]

Just called DOT. Skilak Loop was plowed on Thursday, March 1st. So fishing access has been restored. Ha

Well, Shane broke the 40 pound barrier on 2/25. And it was a white king at that. Here's a pic of the lucky angler. 43 inches long, 31 inch girth.

[Zfisher]

that got the blood flowin! thx klondike kid! Glad they got it plowed out but looks like more snows on its way! worse comes to worse we'll hit Scout and some others in your neck of the woods on our trip down to Homer. My bud hasnt caught much up here yet so many might be better catching more than bigger his 2nd time out on the ice. Hopefully we can hit a few

[love em and leave em]

We made it out thurs, highway was good ,weather was great, skilak road was open enough ,took both 79 johndeeres . The lake only 4"-6" of snow put the tent up and the wind started and blew snow and it got ugly fast . but we stayed til 3 , started at 8,during that time we saw very few fish, O.K.only 1 we did catch him 14 " little laker . we fished from 20' to 6' put our tent up in 12' water maybe 150' from open water and drilled and fished about 25 other holes I thought we would see more fish .On the way home checked out Hidden just walked around a few minutes did not see any over flow . Hope to make a trip there thurs.

[cschmunk37]

Anyone been on Skilak recently? I was wanting to head that way friday and saturday. What is the ice thickness at the outlet? Is it still good for a snowmachine? Thanks

[PikeSticker]

I've got a friend that may go out to the outlet on Skilak on Friday this week. I'll get a report from him it so.

Now here is a pic of Shane out "ice fishing" on the ocean today. This is outside Homer Harbor. Yesterday he brought in two 17 pound kings.

[groundsluice_pete]

Went up to Tustumena this afternoon and caught a few pale lakers. Beautiful up there and the trail was pretty good too. One other couple up there besides us and they were catching well. Herring fillets were the bait of the day. one young lady was using a Rappalla with good effect. Was sunny and warm enough to get a tan! Love spring days in Alaska. Ice was probably 25-30" near open water. i am going back up tomorrow but earlier.

[Zfisher]

We went out w/ Shane on Misty in Homer for his weekday special charter.We caught 2 17lb kings(red not white), a few sandwich butts,some cod and 2 blk rockfish. Water was glass and not too cold. It was a good trip. Wish we would have looked for more kings instead of troll around a place w/ not many traces of fish over on the Seldovia side. BUT we did catch some fish and the 2 newbies had a blast.
The Skilack lake road looked great. Didnt get to fish the ice like I wanted, next time I'll go alone and spend the whole weekend. I couldnt get my phone to transfer the pic of our trip so no pic sorry.

[evilsnipe]

Hidden lake conditions report guys:

Spent two out of three of the last mornings out on the far end of Hidden. The road in is great. Anywhere from 10-16 inches of snow on the lake. 2.5 to 3 feet of ice. Tuesday morning only one other rig on the ice while i was there, 6 am - 1pm. Today saw two other trucks and one snowmachine/sled. Tuesday morning my Marcum camera crapped out after about 20min. Forgot to charge it after Monday on Skilak. Did see 3 small/medium looking Lakers and one largish before it ran out of batteries. In about 20 feet of water. Didn't catch any of them though. Did manage to get a good size Kokanee. Today I had a fully charged camera and was in a different spot. Saw quite a few, 8 - 10 medium sized Lakers, and countless Kokanee. 15 feet of water. Had a good battle with a nice size Laker. Watched him suck down my white tube jig/Kokanee tail. Took a good run. Turned. Looked me right in the camera and spit the bait out!

Anyhoo.

Back at it dark and early in the morning.

[love em and leave em]

 Glad to see your back. hope all went well.

[love em and leave em]

      Im getting the itch to get out one more time ,walked out on a couple lakes around town here  in anch,seem good , what do you guys think is the ice good to drive on ? I have the day off on sat. and hope to fish Hidden if the ice is good.might have to go north.

[Zfisher]

Im heading out tomorrow for a trip on the Kenia Penn for some ice fishing hopefully. Anyone been out on the ice lately. I am trying for Seward and prob the Skilack area. Otherwise I'll try Coopers for trout on the onpen water.