Newfound Circus Season 2017

[SALMONEMIA]

Salmon,
I was on LS on Thursday, still 16 inches of good ice on the east side of the lake (obviously away from the inlet channel. A good bit of slush/watery mess though some spots climbed darn near my boot top. Pretty much soup at this point. That said, seen some nice bows lately.

Cheers,
Keith

Thanks for the ice report.

[DRAGIN]

Toadie and I got the house out of the parking lot and home yesterday. The house towed good and the bent axle trailer made it home too. Worse part was trying to flag people around who felt the urge to tell me I had a bent axle. Know they were just trying to be helpful, but thought it was apparent in knew since the trailer was empty and going slow.

While I was waiting for Toadie I met Guinea. Had a nice chat, very nice lady. Hope she got into the fish. Waiting for her report.

Hoping to get out this week for some perch and crappie.

[mowbizz]

Toadie and I got the house out of the parking lot and home yesterday. The house towed good and the bent axle trailer made it home too. Worse part was trying to flag people around who felt the urge to tell me I had a bent axle. Know they were just trying to be helpful, but thought it was apparent in knew since the trailer was empty and going slow.

While I was waiting for Toadie I met Guinea. Had a nice chat, very nice lady. Hope she got into the fish. Waiting for her report.

Hoping to get out this week for some perch and crappie.

Hey Dragin glad to hear you got everything home okay.
Weird season for sure...
Are there perch and crappie in Newfound?

[DRAGIN]

Perch, but don't believe there are any crappie.

[Guinea]

Steph good to see you back we were starting to worry about you. Captain Black thought that you were in "The Witness Protection Program".

The things you see on the dark side......but instead I signed a contract not to speak of what I've witnessed there. I can, however, tell you that there are NO cookies. They lied.

Here I am, Dragin! I got lost in the fog and just made it home today. Actually, Frog came to pick me up and bring me to fish over with them. I could hear his sled going all around me, but we couldn't see each other! By the time we got where he was set up, the fog had lifted and it stayed sunny for the most part. Frog pulled up a decent laker, but that's the only fish. Then he had another flag on the same line, but this time he pulled up a can. I always wanted to pull that one on someone. 

At the end of the day I went for a flag (just as I was getting ready to pull it out), and I think what I missed must have been a cusk and the hook was too small for him. It had pulled a lot of line, though! Troutfreak saw the whole thing and didn't think to punch me (too late now! ha ha!)

Thanks to Troutfreak for getting me back to the boat launch safely. Frog and his crew had launched elsewhere, so they pawned me off. 

As we were getting ready to leave, TF's phone told him it would rain in 13 minutes. 5 minutes later it was pouring! West Shore road was flooded within minutes. I guess we all got off the ice just in time.

Glad to hear that you got everything safely home, Dragin. It was very nice to meet you!

[JIGGIN-]

2/26/17

This morning i got up around 2 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Decided to go out and pull the houses back to the boat launch.

36F out but the ice had stiffen up, great time to pull em off. Took Ladybugs house first to the launch without a hitch. Then back for mine but had to use the GPS as it was dark out and couldn't see. Notice along the way, several holes opening up here and there, some big as 14".

My log house was high and dry but there was a good puddle underneath with 1 of my tie down holes opened up to around 8" (started out at 4.5"). Ice looked terrible, dark gray and black. Wind was whipping too.

Yanked the house to the boat launch but just as i was getting there a huge gust blew the bob house around and spun the Argo around. Did a quick 360 in the dark and ended up facing the same direction. Continued on....

Had both bob houses in the launch by 4:30 am.

Psycho and Tippin showed up around 6:30 am and they started in on retrieving theirs. Ice was tight so pulling with wheelers was easy but getting across the launch was starting to get tricky with the ice breaking up. Managed to get Tippin's, Psycho, Scruffy and Laker Taker's house off the ice today without a hitch.

Troutfreak and I think Frog decided to keep their houses out there this week and fish.

The boat launch is pretty much junk now.

Rest of the day was spent loading houses onto trailers and taking em home.

So Bobhouse fishing is done for this season however the season isn't over yet. Back to the portables.

[fishingidjit]

J, Another great video, I love the ice skating with the umbrella ! 

[Toadie]

Well if nothing else , everybody's safe. Hard to believe 10 years ago me and fishhunter were freezing  in my overnight Bob house because we ran out of propane.That was the AVFD derby. What a trend.

[mowbizz]

2/26/17

This morning i got up around 2 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Decided to go out and pull the houses back to the boat launch.

36F out but the ice had stiffen up, great time to pull em off. Took Ladybugs house first to the launch without a hitch. Then back for mine but had to use the GPS as it was dark out and couldn't see. Notice along the way, several holes opening up here and there, some big as 14".

My log house was high and dry but there was a good puddle underneath with 1 of my tie down holes opened up to around 8" (started out at 4.5"). Ice looked terrible, dark gray and black. Wind was whipping too.

Yanked the house to the boat launch but just as i was getting there a huge gust blew the bob house around and spun the Argo around. Did a quick 360 in the dark and ended up facing the same direction. Continued on....

Had both bob houses in the launch by 4:30 am.

Psycho and Tippin showed up around 6:30 am and they started in on retrieving theirs. Ice was tight so pulling with wheelers was easy but getting across the launch was starting to get tricky with the ice breaking up. Managed to get Tippin's, Psycho, Scruffy and Laker Taker's house off the ice today without a hitch.

Troutfreak and I think Frog decided to keep their houses out there this week and fish.

The boat launch is pretty much junk now.

Rest of the day was spent loading houses onto trailers and taking em home.

So Bobhouse fishing is done for this season however the season isn't over yet. Back to the portables.

Thank god all are safe with no incidents! This happened fast!

[jimmyrig]

Glad you guys are all back with no damage or casualties. The ice turns quick this year. Hope to see you all at the get together.

Jason

[Brendog9]

Conditions were pretty sloppy down off of West Shore Road. Thin crust on top that you would break through into a couple inches of water. Underneath that there was 12" then got thinner heading out towards the middle.

Not many fish in our group either day. One of the guys jigged up two gorgeous rainbows, a 2.53 and a 2.79.

I had a bunch of marks on the flasher today but couldn't get many to commit. Lost a monster perch right in the hole, then caught a dink perch on the next drop. I kept changing out jigs when they wouldn't commit, but couldn't get any customers.

[mowbizz]

Shobizz and I spent the day off Cummings trying for bows and lakers...got zilch.
Wind was wicked as it gets trying to blow the popup down to the BIG CATCH.
Figured out where the 4 "extra" ice anchors go after fighting the wind picking up and shifting the popup around.
Ahhh that's what those 4 grommetted straps are for!
Fixed that situation! Duh.
Saw one smallmouth that came in and thumbed its nose at my jig and Shobizz saw 2 lakers just cruising in the shadows...very silty in this particular spot. Visibility was not ideal down there.
Had a radio on but vewy vewy quiet (as Elmer Fudd would say)
Tomorrow's another day!

[Brendog9]

Shobizz and I spent the day off Cummings trying for bows and lakers...got zilch.
Wind was wicked as it gets trying to blow the popup down to the BIG CATCH.
Figured out where the 4 "extra" ice anchors go after fighting the wind picking up and shifting the popup around.
Ahhh that's what those 4 grommetted straps are for!
Fixed that situation! Duh.
Saw one smallmouth that came in and thumbed its nose at my jig and Shobizz saw 2 lakers just cruising in the shadows...very silty in this particular spot. Visibility was not ideal down there.
Had a radio on but vewy vewy quiet (as Elmer Fudd wild say)
Tomorrow's another day!

Funny you mention the extra ice anchors. We had a kid in our group leave his pop up out overnight. We woke up the next day and it was gone. The tie down straps broke and just the anchors were left behind.

[outdoorslife]

80 hour week completed.... now time to trailer up my stabbin cabin on Saturday haha. Is there still a chance to fish for rainbows on the  sourhern end of the lake?

[JIGGIN-]

80 hour week completed.... now time to trailer up my stabbin cabin on Saturday haha. Is there still a chance to fish for rainbows on the  sourhern end of the lake?

Hey Outdoorlife, yes you can fish the south end. Your houses are alright too in the parking lot. no problems that i am aware of.

Hopefully see you and ZZ this weekend.

[mowbizz]

Hey Outdoorlife, yes you can fish the south end. Your houses are alright too in the parking lot. no problems that i am aware of.

Hopefully see you and ZZ this weekend.

Hey Chris!
Shobizz and I fished off the Cummings beach parking lot yesterday...Morning was fine but as the temps climbed so did the puddles...still plenty of ice but it seems the "access area" from the main lot was taking a beating and at the end of the day you were breaking through about 6-8 inches. Don't know how much more ice was beneath that though...didn't want to make any unnecessary holes at that spot.

We tried for lakers and had a couple of traps set for bows but no luck that day. Some other guys were hitting it pretty hard and there are tons of holes everywhere (off the parking lot.)
Next time I'm going to go further toward the foot of the lake...bottom was very silty there too.

I wouldn't bring a house out there just yet though...

[mowbizz]

Funny you mention the extra ice anchors. We had a kid in our group leave his pop up out overnight. We woke up the next day and it was gone. The tie down straps broke and just the anchors were left behind.

Ha! I can certainly understand that!

[Brendog9]

Ha! I can certainly understand that!

The best part was it was his dad's pop up!

He did take pictures of how the straps broke and is trying to get a refund. I have the same one as him (Bass Pro Extreme Arctic Angler). I'm keeping my eye on that for sure.

[mowbizz]

The best part was it was his dad's pop up!

He did take pictures of how the straps broke and is trying to get a refund. I have the same one as him (Bass Pro Extreme Arctic Angler). I'm keeping my eye on that for sure.

Yup...something like that (tie down straps) should not be your weakest link in holding your pop up in place. If you get no satisfaction from the manufacturer perhaps take it to a local boat canvas shop and get them sewn right. Probably do it while you wait too. I can recommend Village Canvas in Meredith off 104...Bev is a great guy who does superior work!

[OneShotOneKill]

The best part was it was his dad's pop up!

He did take pictures of how the straps broke and is trying to get a refund. I have the same one as him (Bass Pro Extreme Arctic Angler). I'm keeping my eye on that for sure.

I'm on my 3rd season with the same pop-up, really for 199 you get what you pay for. I think as far as hub style shelters go clam,eskimo,frabil, etc I wouldn't recommend leaving them set up on the ice overnight. Regardless of who makes it if you get 40 or 50mph gusts which aren't uncommon on our big lakes at night it's going to cause the hub to collapse and eventually get pretty beat up.

there's a trade-off between portability and durability. I don't think I'd leave anything out unattended for an extended period of time unless it was a hardside anchored with 2X4's and ratchet straps or something similar....and we've all seen even some of them break free and go for a ride. a 1" section of nylon strap is only going to go so far.

[mowbizz]

I'm on my 3rd season with the same pop-up, really for 199 you get what you pay for. I think as far as hub style shelters go clam,eskimo,frabil, etc I wouldn't recommend leaving them set up on the ice overnight. Regardless of who makes it if you get 40 or 50mph gusts which aren't uncommon on our big lakes at night it's going to cause the hub to collapse and eventually get pretty beat up.

there's a trade-off between portability and durability. I don't think I'd leave anything out unattended for an extended period of time unless it was a hardside anchored with 2X4's and ratchet straps or something similar....and we've all seen even some of them break free and go for a ride. a 1" section of nylon strap is only going to go so far.

I guess the bottom line is that I would not leave any popup out unattended...blow away problem solved.

[JIGGIN-]

Episode 10

[mowbizz]

Nice!
Seems like such a short time ago...

[Guinea]

I almost cried. That was probably my favorite filming of what the lake looked like, and it was sad and beautiful at the same time.

I also almost cried when I remembered that the drone was watching when I messed up taking down my portable lol. I hadn't used it in so long that I forgot a couple of steps.  There's Ladybug trying to help, and when she told me what I had done wrong I couldn't help but laugh at myself. She knows that tent as well as I do; she test drove it with me when I first bought it (and incidentally, we're still alive to tell the tales lol).

Seriously, Jiggin, that was beautiful footage. Well done!

[JIGGIN-]

Good times and Great Memories is what its all about.

Glad you liked the video and we were able to capture a snap shot of time.

Its fun to watch you and Ladybug cause i know it will be special.

Thanks Guinea.

[zwiggles]

Cool video. Thanks for sharing.

Are some of the portions with the drone shown at 2x speed?

[oldspud]

Just wondering what Guinea is using for a portable. Got a 2 man but it's getting too much to pull around. Looking for a single that's light and of decent quality. Any suggestions?

[mowbizz]

Episode 10

What approximate time frame was this vid taken...early or late season?

[JIGGIN-]

Cool video. Thanks for sharing.

Are some of the portions with the drone shown at 2x speed?

yes some of it was sped up 2x otherwise the video would be too long. I try to keep them within 10 mins but sometimes its hard to cut the footage. 

[PoolGuy]

The drone footage is awesome..great job as usual Jiggin