Dream Afternoon

[Jigging Nomad]

I went out at about 1:00 Saturday afternoon to see if my local Bluegill lake here in CT had safe ice.  I was pleasantly surprised to find 4" to 5" of solid ice and drilled 10 or 12 holes in 7' to 9' of water. 

Using a small jig tipped with wax worms, I got into bluegill right away.  Almost all my holes showed activity on the Vexilar.  Over the 3 1/2 hours I was out there, I caught about 80 Bluegill.  About 70 of them were small to medium size at about 5" to 8", but the largest ten were monsters with 7 of them going between 10" and 11" and the other 3 almost that size as well.  I also jigged up 2 Largemouth Bass that were about 12" each and lost a bass that looked to be about 2 pounds at the hole.

Definitely my best bluegill action ever on the ice.  I wish I had brought the camera because I wouldn't have believed the size of some of these bluegills if I hadn't seen them myself.  I fear the rest of my Bluegill trips this winter will pale in comparison, but it was great to get into them like that. 
 

[icebucketjohn]

Congrats on a successful first ice vdnture.  Hope all of us hard water boys would be so lucky.

[Drewbonic]

Nothing better than hoisting a "Bull" through the ice!  - I am a panfish nut, and I fish a lake that is full of sunfish, hybrid, pumpkinseed, and bluegill. Years and years ago, it was an old farm pond. But now it's been flooded, and has dramatically expanded. The DNR doesn't stock it, and I have never seen or heard of a lake that has so many freakishly large panfish. - I love it.
- Good fishing!

[RLWagner]

Nice start to your season !! Kudos!

[icejunky]

nice work I hope I have your success when I hit a local blue gill hot spot this weekend

[Jigging Nomad]

The better ones I have caught lately looked like this one, which nearly touched both sides of the 5 gallon bucket. The bucket measures just over 11.5" across. 


The bluegill was released right after the photo.

[purduebass]

Thats a nice start to your season, I hope it continues for you.  Everybody needs to get spoiled once in awhile.  Just don't expect to catch them like that every time out.

[hardh2ofish]

congrats    I love those days like that.  I got to fish last night after work just before the sun went down and caught 25 gills or so and 7-8 crappies all in about 45 min.  not much size but ws fun to get on for a little bit and try out my new jiggin rods I got for christmas.  congrats again on a good outing and keep up the good work.

[Jigging Nomad]

The rain and warm temps have taken away our ice.  I hope to be back at it in a week or so. 

[panfishman13]

love it when that happens, once got on the ice drilled a hole put a rod in it turned around and my dad said" fish on!" i turned back and hes yanked a fair gill out of the hole i had just drilled, went on like that till sundown, nothin beats panfish at numbers, got into a school of big perch a while ago easily caught 125 fish, including a small trout and sucker (never caught a sucker thru ice be4 new experience it felt like a bass) some of the perch were well into the 13-14" range  they're gonna be dinner:clap: